RE: Enclosed ATV Trailer
Hey, a fellow Utahn. Don't see that too often.
Anyways, the "best enclosed trailer" is way too wide of a topic. I have had several enclosed trailers of various sizes over the past 20 years of RVing with pretty good results. We have hauled everything from snowmobiles, ATV's, motorcycles and street rods and now Jeeps and sand rail/ATV's.
Waaaaay too many options, and mainly price ranges to narrow down the best trailer.
We had a Wells Cargo 24' for about fifteen years and it was a great trailer and we pulled it around most of the U.S. behind three different coaches. In 2008 we wanted to upgrade to a 26' and something with heavier axles because we wanted to haul not only our sand toys but also our Jeep and Harley, at different times of course.
We seriously considered a stacker but realistically the weight of most of those things empty got me thinking about how much stuff (ie weight) I would be putting in it and then I was afraid I wouldn't be happy with the way the coach towed the trailer.
I looked seriously at T&E race trailers as at the time in my opinion I thought they were about the best enclosed trailer on the market. However, the cost of a T&E trailer is more than double what I was looking to spend.
With much more research I ended up special ordering a Haulmark Edge Race trailer, 26' long and had extra height added to it along with 7k pound axles, "L" shaped work bench, floor mounted winch, two 500 watt halogen flood lights on the right side, 4' side door (vs. 40" std door), full width rear door (98" opening), ATP flooring, extended tongue and the race package which consisted of flourescent lighting and electrical outlets spaced around the interior.
I also didn't like the option of mounting the spare tire under the floor such as where it was stored in our Wells Cargo so I opted out of a spare tire. Upon taking delivery I fabricated a tongue mounted bracket and covered the spare tire with a white and polished stainless steel Continental Kit for a fraction of the cost that Haulmark wanted for something similar.
So far I can say I have been very happy with the Haulmark trailer as we are just starting our 5th year with it and have towed it approx. 20k+ miles now, it tows fantastic.
The only thing that I would NOT recommend being as you are in Utah with wide temperature swings from season to season, is the seamless interior. When we ordered ours I questioned Haulmark about the durability and flexibility of the interior seams with varying temperatures and they told me it shouldn't be an issue. They were wrong. Upon the first cold snap of the first year of ownership multiple seams had become disbonded. I contacted Haulmark and they wanted me to bring it to Arizona where the trailer was manufactured. It was not built in Springville at the time because that is when the Springville Haulmark plant had burnt down. I convinced them to let me bring it to Springville for the warranty work now that they were back up and running but it took a lot of convincing.
The service manager at the Springville plant was very disappointed that they allowed a trailer to be built with the seamless interior that they knew would be sent to northern Utah. This made me a little pissed off to say the least because I had purposely asked this exact question. They agreed to fix it which they did. I picked up the trailer and was very disappointed in the many, many glue covered fingerprints and glue streaks on the interior. It took me about three days to clean the interior after picking it up from having the warranty work completed.
The following year, several other seams as well as a couple of the same ones came apart. I did not want to take it back for more warranty work so I had a local sheetmetal shop cut me some 1" wide strips of #4 grain stainless steel and applied it to the seams. Now after the past four years it is holding up well.
Mike.
Here is a picture of the interior with the stainless steel strips. Again I highly advise against the seamless interior. The adhesive just won't take the huge temperature swings we have here.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2ltsw1l.jpg
RE: Cummins ISL400 runs and quits... questions
I had an issue with my 03 Dynasty right after getting it in 2007. Very similar situation with the exception that we were driving it and it shut down. Restarted and shut down again almost instantly.
After going through the wiring schematic I noticed that it was tripping a circuit breaker in the front run panel. I unhooked the three (or four, can't remember exactly) wires from the circuit breaker and ohmed each one out. Found one directly shorted to ground. Traced it and found it was connected to the front television lockout feature. The previous owner had at one time messed with the front television and apparently pinched a wire. I don't know how long it had been pinched but it decided to wear through and short to ground after we took ownership.
I left the wire disconnected because at the time I was diagnosing this on the side of the road. Once I got home I removed the television and found the problem and repaired it.
On a side note, the lift pump should not run as long as the Cummins tech told you. If you are priming the system such as after a fuel filter change and turn the key on it will run for a couple of minutes. I generally cycle this a couple of times to ensure the system is primed. Once fully primed and prior to starting it will only run about 30 seconds or so. I ended up changing my lift pump in 2007 due to leaking from the ULSD diesel but it was still working fine. PITA to change due to its location nestled right up next to the frame on the side of the engine.
On another note, DO NOT let them tow the coach with a front end or wheel lift style tow truck. Only let them tow it on a low boy trailer. The reasoning is that with a tag axle coach when the front end is raised it exerts a lot of leverage and pressure which ends up being transferred to the tag axle mounting locations at the frame. They will break away from the frame if not towed properly and by properly I mean on a lowboy trailer.
In 2009 (I think that is the year) Monaco added some gussetting to the vertical supports for the tag axle where they meet the frame but they still recommend not lifting the front end to tow. I borrowed a coach from my local dealer and made copies of the gussets and added them to my 2003 as a little extra ensurance but please insist on a lowboy trailer if you need to be towed.
Mike.
RE: Cummins engine problem!
I learned LONG ago to never, ever try to remove engine bolts before at least a couple days of soaking fasteners with PB Blaster and never use a cheater bar. A soft blow of a hammer on the end of the wrench will shock the bolt enough to get it to move.
^^This.
I had an exhaust manifold leak on my ISL400 about four years ago. I soaked the fasteners overnight with Kroil. The next day prior to putting the wrench on the first bolt, I smacked the head of each fastener with a brass hammer to try to "shock" the bolt threads and release whatever corrosion was present.
I put a wrench on the bolt and applied constant pressure while I hit the wrench firmly with a mallet. Each bolt broke loose and almost, I repeat almost, threaded the bolts out by hand. By this time the penetrant had creeped in enough that all the thread were wet/coated with Kroil.
I trued up the exhaust manifold, as it was warped by about .015", prepped the surface of the head and reinstalled using new gaskets and ALL new fasteners from Cummins. My local dealer had the bolts/studs in stock. I applied anti-seize on the fasteners and torqued them to factory specs.
Glad I didn't run into the issues that the OP had. Sorry to hear of this.
Mike.
RE: Adding third roof air conditioner, fitment question.
With our last coach we had two 13,500 Dometics and I replaced them with two 15k units. Couldn't tell a huge difference, very slight if any better. That was a 38 1/2' Beaver Contessa with NO slides. If I turned the A/C on earlier in the day the cooling units could keep up for the most part and keep us somewhat comfortable. If the ambient temperature would get into the mid-90's or higher and we didn't turn them on until we returned from sightseeing or a day playing in the sand dunes, forget about it, it was not going to pull all of that heat out of the coach.
When we started looking to upgrade in 2006-2007 we had an unusual requirement, we wanted to stay with a maximum length of 40', I wanted triple roof airs with a 10k genset. Almost impossible to find. Once you go to 42' and up triple roof airs and the larger gensets were pretty much standard. We lucked out and found a 40' with the Onan 10k and triple roof air conditioners that the original owners had special ordered.
What a difference! Now even with three slides adding cubic feet of interior space, we can turn on the A/C units in the heat and within an hour or so we are turning them down because it is getting too cool inside. Love the three roof air units.
Mike.
RE: Aqua hot question
As others have already stated, the diesel burner is the primary source of heat, the electric being secondary. That said, I generally have both turned on when camping and hooked up to shore power. In many cases unless it gets quite cold out the electric will handle the heating needs fine. IF the electric element isn't enough and you already have th diesel switch in the "on" position then the diesel burner will just fire up and bring the glycol up to temperature.
As far as smoking out the neighbors, if it is tuned properly you really shouldn't get much of an odor and definately not smoke.
Mike.
RE: Anyone ever regret upgrading
Upgrading to some just means going bigger, in my opinion upgrading is getting closer to that ideal coach/RV for your family. The ideal coach for each person/family is different. It sounds like you are pretty close to the ideal for your situtaion so there really should be no reason to upgrade.
On a side note, a diesel will not necessarily net you better fuel economy or a better ride. It really depends on the size, chassis and engine combinations. There is nothing wrong with a gas coach if it does everything you want and drives/handles good.
Mike.
RE: Outdoor Grill for Motor Home
We had the large two burner Coleman Roadtrip with the stand/base for about six years and liked it. It worked fairly well other than it was very tempermental about any breeze.
We sold it about four years ago because it was too large for just the wife and I and we bought the smaller Weber Baby Q. It is absolutely a fantastic grille and performs well. Small compact design allows for easy storage in the basement and it cleans up quite easily.
Mike.
Hello Mike !
Sent you an email.....Hope it made its' way to you !
Sorry, I didn't get it.
Mike.
RE: Outdoor Grill for Motor Home
We had the large two burner Coleman Roadtrip with the stand/base for about six years and liked it. It worked fairly well other than it was very tempermental about any breeze.
We sold it about four years ago because it was too large for just the wife and I and we bought the smaller Weber Baby Q. It is absolutely a fantastic grille and performs well. Small compact design allows for easy storage in the basement and it cleans up quite easily.
Mike.
RE: flat towing a 2 WHEEL DRIVE jeep with manual transmission
I try to watch all these threads about toads as I am still looking for one and want to be as educated as possible about the subject. Do the 4X4 Jeep manual transmissions NOT have the input driven lubrication, or does putting transfer case in neutral bypass the gears completely? A little off topic, a friend once said "A Jeep without 4 wheel drive is kinda' like a submarine with screen doors".
The four-wheel drive Jeep manual transmissions are still lubricated by the input shaft, however, by placing the transfer case in neutral you are basically taking everything forward of the transfer case out of the equation. This is also why there is no need to pull the driveshaft on the four wheel drive versions, they will still spin because they are attached to the pinions of the front and rear axles, however, the output of the transfer case is not connected/linked to anything forward when the transfer case is in neutral.
Mike.
RE: flat towing a 2 WHEEL DRIVE jeep with manual transmission
I've googled this till I'm blue in the face & have gotten a lot of conflicting information, even on jeep forums and from jeep dealers.
Do any of you have hands-on experience flat towing a 2 WHEEL DRIVE Jeep with a manual transmission? I have a 2wd jeep unlimited X with a manual transmission & so far as I know all I need to do is remove the driveshaft. However, some have said tie the steering wheel, some have said don't flat tow it under any circumstances or you'll ruin it, some have said they tow theirs all the time etc, etc.
Yes you can flat tow IF you disconnect the driveshaft. As Scott commented, the two-wheel drive Jeeps are rare but they are out there. The transmission CANNOT simply be put into neutral and flat-towed. The transmission in the newer Jeeps is lubricated by the input shaft and not the output shaft. Many newer manual transmissions are manufactured this way for the last decade or so. The input shaft must be turning, ie engine running, in order to lubricate.
I have heard of people with the two-wheel drive Jeeps putting the rear on a tow dolly but they you have to lock the steering which is a PITA. You didn't mention what year, if it is 2009 or later model the steering wheel does not have a locking mechanism. This works great when flat towing in the forward position as there is no need to leave a key in the ignition and pull fuses to eliminate current drain. This is one of the reason I wanted a 2009 or newer for towing.
Your best two options are to remove the driveshaft and flat tow or trailer it with all four wheels off the ground.
Mike.
RE: How can I take both my toys, Wrangler & Harley
Hands down get an enclosed trailer, if that doesn't fit the bill then go the open flatbed route. Keeping things out of the weather and locked up has advantages, but check your wallet and your weight/length limits.
Two years ago when we were traveling with my cousin to Vegas in March, we had the trailer with the Jeep and the Harley, he had his Hydralift with his Harley and flat towing their Jeep Liberty. We hit a nasty as hell storm from Salt Lake City almost all the way to Beaver. When we arrived at Outdoor Resort RV Park in Vegas, we unloaded our bike and took off for a ride, all nice and shiny. My cousin had about six hours of cleaning before he could ride his. He even had a fitted cover over the bike but the road spray was so severe that it had gotten under the cover and was in every nook & cranny on his bike. His nice PM wheels were pitted pretty badly after only being exposed to the elements for less than a day.
Maybe I am a panzy but there is no way I would expose my Harley to foul weather.
Mike.
RE: How can I take both my toys, Wrangler & Harley
The biggest advantage of the enclosed trailer is arriving and having all of your toys clean. We just got home from Moab and on the way there we drove through some s**t weather. Upon arriving we unloaded a nice clean Harley and a nice clean Jeep. However, the Jeep needed to be cleaned before we loaded it back in for the ride home.
Mike.
RE: How can I take both my toys, Wrangler & Harley
We tow a 26' Haulmark Edge race trailer with our Harley and our son's Buell in the front and then back the Jeep Wrangler in and tie down. Tows beautifully and when we arrive at our destination everything is unloaded from the trailer nice and clean.
Mike.
RE: Connecting MH to household 110v
I am confused on the slides. I am not aware of any that require 120VAC to operate. I understand that having the unit plugged in will boost the available DC voltage from a standing charge of around 12.6 VDC to approx. 14 volts DC so it does help, but it should not be necessary to operate the slides.
Also, not all chargers are created equal. Before plugging in and calling it good you should really find out what kind of charger your new rig has. Many standard converters have the charger built in, this is not new technology. The only problem with these standard converter/chargers is that they put a constant current into the batteries. Many around 5-9 amps depending on the converter/charger. This will eventually overcharge your batteries and destroy them in a short amount of time.
There are better chargers on the market that will taper the charge current off depending on the charge status of the batteries. Many of the higher end inverters have this 3-stage charger built in. They have a float, absorbtion and bulk charge stages to charge and maintain the charge of the batteries without causing any negative side effects like overcharging or boiling.
My first step would be to find out exactly what your rig is equiped with.
Mike.
RE: Cummins C 8.3 versus ISC 8.3 visual difference??
ISC is a Cummins engine. C series are Caterpillar engines. If it is painted yellow it is a Cat.
This is incorrect. The Cummins 8.3C engine is a mechanical fuel injection engine whereas the Cummins ISC uses the CAPS then the high pressure common rail fuel systems and they are electronically controlled.
Like others stated the most obvious is the single valve cover and the ISC stamped on the front of the engine.
Mike.
RE: Connecting MH to household 110v
If you are going to be running a small load you could simply get the adapter and plug it in the same manner in which you currently plug your trailer in.
However, if you plan on running any of the higher amperage amenities or multiple accessories at the same time, remember current adds to one another, I would install a larger outlet.
We did the same thing for our first motorhome, just adapted it down to a 20 amp rececptacle but I didn't keep it plugged in all of the time because it had a standard converter/charger, not the higher end float charger/inverter. I only plugged it in for the refrigerator prior to us leaving for a getaway.
When we purchased our second coach it was 50 amp and I wanted to keep it plugged in all of the time. I wired in a 50 amp receptacle with a breaker that I could turn off/on just like you would find at a power post in a campground. I installed this on the side of my house so I can plug the coach in at all time, I can even run the A/C units, the Aqua-Hot element or any of the larger loads. This is what I would recommend doing as you are not limited to the loads that you are able to run.
Mike.
RE: Heat--LP or heat pump??
Above is correct. Most if not all of the mid-late 90's Dynastys will have an LP furnace as few if any had the Aqua-Hot feature in that year range. If they did I think you would definately see it listed as an option.
As Dennis said, the heat pumps are really only good down to around 40ish or so degrees.
Mike.
RE: Pulled the trigger, new MH 2006 Country Coach Magna
Thanks everyone. We are finalizing the financing at this point. It appears that toward the end of March the coach will be delivered. We are getting excited. As soon as we get final word on financing, we will be listing the house. Wish us luck!
Hey Medico, FYI, you can't put the picture in your signature until you actually have possession.:B
Sorry, forum rules.lol
Mike.
RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Bought a new to us 2003 Winnebago Adventurer 35U. Spent the day putting in new batteries and replacing the solenoid that allows the house batteries to charge from engine. Nice to see it work! Its been in storage all winter and I can't wait to get it out in three weeks to head to Kentucky Lake area for a chance to sniff outside air and maybe not have to shovel. Over 2' of the white stuff here.
Congrats on the new coach and welcome to the forum.
Post up some pics of the new rig, we like pictures.
Mike.
