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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Help, I'm doing this Mod Now (Hunter Thermostat)
The Comfort Control Center appears to be fancy wall thermostat designed for multiple AC units like the big motorhomes and 5th wheels.
If your Blast-from-the-Center AC just has a dial like your truck with a numbered or red-to-blue scale it needs internal modifications to work off a wall thermostat. I've not paid too much attention to them but recall they have relays inside and require running wires to the wall thermostat.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/14/09 04:57am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 2001 Jayco Kiwi 23b Floor Replacement
We used to use stuff called "Git Rot" on wooden boats or for the wood forms in Fiberglas boats. Herr Weasel had listed a link for modern stuff doing the same thing.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/13/09 01:24pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 2001 Jayco Kiwi 23b Floor Replacement
Not sure if the walls mount on top of the floors, but you're going to have to remove all the cabinets to determine this and, no doubt, to replace the floor.
Jayco should be able to help. Perhaps with some construction diagrams, etc. I'd be calling them if this was my trailer and asking for technical assistance. Know your VIN when you call.
You need to indicate to them that you're hours from any Jayco dealer and need assistance to get this repaired locally.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/09 01:16pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 09' Shamrock 21ss or 10' Roo 21ss
You've done the homework!
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/09 01:08pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Snow load limit
Cargo Carrying Capacity and Axle Ratings do not apply to static loads, only "rolling loads." Within reason, of course. The tires can't heat up with any overload as they're not rolling. Suspensions may compress, but they'll reach their stops and aren't bouncing up and down. From some posts you'd think there's a danger of damage having several people in the trailer when camping as they might push you over the CCC. Ain't so.
Putting an extra two tons in (or on) the trailer is not good practice.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/09 08:12am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 09' Shamrock 21ss or 10' Roo 21ss
Mountains between Lakeview and Kissimee? OK, baby mountains, maybe, between Knoxville and Chattanooga. But mountains to Florida folks I expect. :) Interstate highway grades don't exceed 6% anywhere. Steepest part of the drive is probably the pull out of the Ohio River at Covington.
Also not sure why one would take a 1000 mile detour. Road distance from Lakeview to Kissimee is 1030 miles for a round trip of 2060. Where'd the extra 2000 miles came from? ;) Figure on 1000 miles at 20mpg to get up there. That will burn 50 gallons of fuel at $2.50. $125. Figure 10mpg on the way home so that'll cost an additional $250. Grand total of $375 in fuel.
Time is the major consideration going to get the trailer, not money. Figure on two days up, a day there, and two days back. Motel on the way up, state parks on the way back.
I only drove 3 hours and 150 miles to save $4000 at RVWholesalers. But five days of my time is worth at least $3000, the net savings after travel expenses.
Don't worry about wear and tear on the trailer. It'll get to Kissimee on it's own wheels regardless of who tows it. I think I'm probably more concerned in getting my trailer to a destination than a contract driver.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/09 08:03am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Snow load limit
The axle and cargo carrying carrying capacities are not applicable when the trailer is stationary, only while it is on the road.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/11/09 01:04pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Rockwood Roo 23ss Towing with Ford Explorer
This will work just fine.
There is usually a large caution label on this type of sway control to disengage it before backing. But you're only making a couple of trips annually.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/11/09 07:43am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Snow load limit
The load spreads out evenly, but is still significant. Don't put your stabilizers down as the snow weight can damage them as the suspension compresses from the extra weight, especially if your tires lose pressure throughout the winter.
A good rule of thumb for snow weight is 1 pound per inch of depth per square foot.
My Roo roof is approximately 8' x 20' or 160 square feet. An inch of snow will add 160 pounds to the roof. No big deal. A foot of snow, however, will add a ton (!) of snow! (OK, 1920 pounds, but this is rule of thumb!)
At one ton per foot of snow you really need to remove it if it starts to get deep.
Very wet snow will be much heavier. The main danger from this snow is early and late snowfalls. We had severe damage to our boat cover frame and the branches were all stripped off one of my backyard flowering trees 20 years ago or so, but these are rare occurrences.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/11/09 07:32am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Rockwood Roo 23ss Towing with Ford Explorer
Figure on your Roo 23SS weighing closer to 5500 than 4500 pounds unless you're talking about the trip home from the dealer. Not sure who told you 4500 pounds loaded! It will weigh 4350 sitting on the dealer's lot when you pick it up.
The 1000/10,000 pound Equalizer has built in sway control and will handle this trailer wonderfully. Why 1000 pounds? I find I push 800 pounds tongue weight when fully loaded for camping. An easy setup and there are several of us with Roo 23SS + Explorer setups so we can dial you in without a lot of trial and error on your part.
Get the Tekonsha Prodigy or P3 electronic brake controller and the Ford cable. Plug-n-play.
Here's what Ford really says about overdrive. Note they don't say to turn it off except under certain conditions: DRIVING WITH AN AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION
• With certain automatic overdrive
transmissions, towing – especially in
hilly areas – may cause excessive shifting
between overdrive and the next lower gear.
• To eliminate this condition and achieve
steadier performance, overdrive can be
locked out (see vehicle Owner Guide).
• If excessive shifting doesn’t occur, use
overdrive to optimize fuel economy.
• Overdrive also may be locked out to
obtain engine braking on downgrades.(Emphasis added.)
I pulled our '06 Roo 23SS for two seasons with my '02 Explorer V6 + HD Tow model. There was no excessive shifting. Didn't run 5th gear a lot, but the gears shift fine for themselves. The Explorer is still in service at college with my daughter.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/11/09 05:37am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 09' Shamrock 21ss or 10' Roo 21ss
Before I bought either I'd check the price on the RVWholesalers website. Take a minute or so to check the options and another minute or two before they email the price back to you. You'll need to factor in freight to compare prices.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/11/09 05:20am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: WDH Recommended?
Lots of ways to increase ground clearance.
You can add an inch of ground clearance by going to 14" wheels and ST205/75R-14 tires. They're 2" larger diameter than 175x13" tires so you're up an inch. This is a driveway modification taking only tire changing skills. Just be sure the 2" larger diameter tires will fit in the wheel wells. Call this the $200 per inch solution, but every inch helps. ;)
You can have the trailer ball welded directly to the drawbar and gain some clearance at the scraping point. Coupled with the larger tires you'll probably gain 2" inches here. Any good welding shop can do this. I'd weld the ball collar to the top of the drawbar. Then remove the bolt, saw off the threaded part, and weld that to the bottom. Again not a technical or complex modification.
Modifying the suspension will gain 3 or 4 inches but is more complex:
If you have leaf springs you can "flip" the the axle. "Flip" is a misnomer. The axle is mounted to the top of the leaf spring. There are factory kits (from the axle maker) to mount it below the spring and gain several inches (the diameter of the axle and thickness of the spring). Good jack stands and socket set about the only special tools needed.
With a torsion suspension you can usually gain an inch by adjusting it or can fit or make a "riser kit" for the trailer's suspension as a few have done. The factory fitted "riser kit" on my Roo is nothing but a 3" high box channel steel piece welded to the bottom of the frame and the trailer suspension mounted to it rather than the frame.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/IMG_0490.JPG width=640
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/10/09 08:43am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Tucked away for the season
JP Coleman SP (MS). Right on the water. Full service site. Our last week with the Bayside. Sold her the next week, immediately upon return to Ohio, and bought the Roo 23SS. The Bayside was wonderful. Lack of clothes and other storage pushed me over the edge.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/IMG_0083.JPG width=640
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/09/09 02:31pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Starcraft travelstar tail light cover
I'd be surprised if there was just the lens cover. But you get one with the whole assembly.
These are produced as units. You need a replacement range vent flap? Gotta buy the whole assembly most likely.
Double check that this isn't a common RV tail light. May be cheaper elsewhere.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/09/09 02:25pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Stinger vs WDH
I'd put my Expedition in Reverse to back the trailer. I can't think of any other way. :)
I've no idea what this device would do to the turning radius. Nor why it would make a difference. Probably gonna be tire scrub, just like what happens with the dual axles not.
You're asking questions like I'm trying to sell you this device. I'm not.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/09/09 02:18pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Tucked away for the season
We have to be out of the barn at the Fairgrounds by 11 April. I usually take her directly for wheel bearing and caulking at a local dealer. Works well and is early enough in the season in Ohio that they're not jammed with deliveries and maintenance business.
I avoid cabin fever by using January and February to do ground reconnaissance of potential camping locations within half a day's drive. Gets me outdoors.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/09/09 08:20am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Stinger vs WDH
According to the FAQs on the Stinger website you can back the trailer with it attached.
Not sure about the 5th wheel bogies, I've only paid cursory attention to them.
Note the weasel words on the Stinger website about this being a temporary solution. Towing a camper a dozen weekends a year is temporary compared to every day driving in my view, but I've no direct experience with the device.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/09/09 08:04am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: folding mattress covers tears?
The end bow should look like this when the bed is folded up. If you put it between the mattress folds the fitting for the ridge (shepard's) pole will rub a hole in the fabric.
Roo 23SS
Front:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/berthfolded.jpg width=640
Rear:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/HJNFF-IMG_0530.JPG width=480
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/08/09 11:55am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Finally took HTT in for service.
You bought the $100 second year warranty, or a $1500 insurance policy?
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/07/09 12:35pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: TOWING
Air bags don't do a thing for towing, the weight is still on the rear axle and off the front axle. Light front axle makes for white knuckle steering as it's so light.
For a heavy load in the bed they'll bring the truck back to level but that's just visual too as the weight is still there.
Towing level is NOT the goal. Spreading the weight of the trailer tongue to both axles is the goal. With a WDH properly adjusted the truck usually ends up level, but that's merely a byproduct.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/07/09 12:28pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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