RE: Stinky camper???
Not knowing how bad the leak or where it originated from, I had a leak that had water pooling beneath the floor, what a mess. I had to cut open the underside of my trailer and get warm air circulating between the floor joist. My leak had saturated the insulation under the floor and it was holding the water against the wood. Hope your leak was minor and you don't have a moldy mess growing under your floors. Best of luck my friend. I can send you pictures how to open the bottom and reseal it if you need. You can private message me any time. Hans
RE: Why don't people look at weight sticker in the cabinet
And being a Professional Driver by trade I will tell you, don't be afraid to weigh your tow vehicle and trailers when ever you are on the road and pass a scale house. Just about every "weigh station" or "Scale House" leaves their scales on (if they are electronic). Many newer ones you can read from your vehicle as you pass slowely over the scales. Older ones you have to look inside the window of the building. Your tax dollars paid for those, you don't have to be a commercial vehicle to use them.
But please don't pull into one that is open for truck traffic staffed with Transportation Officers. And don't pull into the "Port of Entry" at the state lines, they are open 24/7 for commercial use.
Other places that have scales are truck stops, but they usually charge money for that. Grain Co-ops always have scales, as well as trucking companies, and many gravel yards also will let you weigh your rig during quiet times. Just a thought.
I truly think most people under estimate how much weight they are actually towing after they move into their rigs. Hans
RE: Water still in Gray and black tanks??
I'm thinking if you add just a little water to the holding tanks that in itself isn't so bad, but that little bit of water goes to the lowest point which is most likely your dump valves and you may find yourself with some cracked ABS pipes leading up to your Dump Valves. Drain them and add eco-friendly anti freeze. All the best. Hans
RE: Towing power needed? Flagstaff 831RLBSS
Gerald (Gman22), you know your numbers, and your own comfort level, but looking at your signature picture you have to be over on your rear axle weight with that Expedition. I'm guessing its rated at around 4000lbs (1820KG). Have you truly weighed your rig to see if you are within the limits?
I never advocate going over tow ratings or weight ratings. A person can get by their entire life going right to the limit, but it only takes one evasive manuever that you can't recover from and all is lost.
I remember the happiness when I finally could afford to trade up tow vehicles, going from a 94 1/2 ton Suburban to our present 3/4 ton Suburban, what a difference. Towing was a joy again, and that margin of safety was important to our family, we'd lost a family member in an auto accident and will never get over that loss.
Good luck with your trailer plans, but please make sure you have the right combination. All the best....Hans
RE: Well, happened again
I'm sorry for your loss, I too clobbered a deer many years ago and the body shop that repaired my 79 International Traveler pulled a fast one on me by installing a two core radiator instead of a four core, couldn't figure out why it always ran hot afterwards until I removed the fan shroud and discovered that.
But as a professional driver now for a couple million miles, I'm sorry for you folks who believe in the deer whistle, but who taught the deer that a whistle sound is any more scary than the sound of rubber pounding the road or a loud engine pulling hard. I just don't buy it, I don't think the deer are that smart, but if it's worked for you I'm happy. I've seen where people mount those whistles on top of the bumper but really it's not a clean airflow that close to the bumper.
Most the deer strikes are just as this poster wrote, deer crossing the road at a high rate of speed, and no chance for the vehicle driver to react. I hope you do get your trailer repaired soon so you can enjoy Thanksgiving in it. We've been on the road for Thanksgiving since 1998, lot's of wonderful memories. Hans
Oxidized Front Fiberglaas Cap
I've been so busy repairing the underside of my trailer after a recent water line break, and reading RV.net that I haven't had time to clean the front of my trailer. It's under cover at home, but still the front cap has oxidized badly over the years.
Today I washed it with black streak remover, and bug remover, it's very clean, but not much of a shine. I tried car wax, that didn't turn out to good, just looked swirly but no real shine. Then tried Turtle Wax "spray and shine", still not much better. Tried to Lemon Pledge, that didn't work. I tried the big old car buffer with polishing compound, that didn't look any better.
What is the trick to bringing back a shine to the gelcoat finish on the front cap? The sides of the trailer still have nice shine. Hans
RE: suburban wh
I'm probably no help since I don't even know what brand WH is in mine. I asked Camping World if they could turn mine up since it didn't seem real hot, but they told me it had no adjustment. My previous trailer (an Arctic Fox) supposedly didn't have an adjustable thermostat but the dealer was able to turn up the wick on that one by replacing something. My present trailer I got more heat out of it by adding the Lightining Rod electric heating element and turning the thermostat up high, but of course this only helps when we have full hookups. Nice recovery time also when you have both gas and electric on at the same time. Oh, you didn't say if you wanted more or less heat.....Oh well.
Hans
RE: Catastrophic oil pump failure on my TV
U.S. Engine
Wow, so sorry. I remember my 1991 GMC diesel pickup was started with starting fluid by a "lot boy" at the local dealership after I drove it in to have glow plug controller replaced, and that little mistake cracked every piston in my engine and the dealer wouldn't own up to it. So I know the terror when something bad like that happens. I think I'd still go with a remanufactured engine that carries a good warranty, like the link above. Sure hope it all works out for you, all the best. Hans
RE: Cold Weather Camping in Puma 26rlss
If your Forest River is built like mine you don't have to worry about the tanks, but you do have to worry about the water lines. My fresh water supply line is exposed coming out of the heated tank enclosure, not real smart. Then they routed the water lines under the floor along the out side edge, about as far away from any heat source as you can get. Sadly my lines froze up at about 24 degrees and no amount of interior heat would get to them. It wans't until we came out of the cold snap did things start working again. Carry a heat lamp with you, it can thaw out a frozen spot real fast if you need. Good Luck. Hans
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RE: Looking for some advice
We are on our second bunkhouse now still camping with big teenagers who were just weeks old when be began RV camping with them. I've loved having a hard side RV because we use ours year around, it's not just a summer thing but really a way of life for us.
I try never to slam other makes of RV's, and I've had my share of heart breaks along the way with things going wrong with them. There is good and bad in everymake, it only takes one tiny leak in a well made trailer to incure lots of damage that only shows up after years later.
So if the trailer you are looking at fits your needs and has no obvious reasons for being a hold over from 2 years ago, you may have found yourself a real bargain.
Your truck is a wonderful tow unit, but it's not up to the task of what you are going to ask it to do. 30 feet of trailer is big. I know, I pull one too. It's not just the issue of power, it's so much more. It's the size of the ring gear, wheels bearings, breaks, suspension Ect., that make a tow rig comfortable or marginal. That size trailer demands a 3/4 ton or more regardless if it's a light weight.
I read so many times people think they know what their rig weighs, but I know I could win a lot of bets if people truthfully weighed their trailers heading out on a trip fully loaded with fluids, clothes, food, toys,.... the list goes on. In a 30 foot trailer there is tons of storage space and it's so easy to add 2000lbs or more to the weight of a trailer. I know, I have and I admit it, I travel heavy with mine, right at 10,000lbs, but both my tow rigs were made for pulling.
When we stepped up from our 27 foot to the 30 foot and then added a 5 foot bike rack to the back of that we noticed some of the older State Parks and many of the National Parks were now questionable. National Parks weren't really an issue, they don't usually have hookups and I prefer to do most my camping with hookups.
My advice, buy as much trailer as you can afford, you'll never regret the extra space, but be realistic about what is safe to tow. I wish you lived close, I'd let you test drive my trailer loaded just so you could see how it feels to drag that kind of weight around.
All the best with your purchase, and I do hope you get a trailer that makes you and the family happy. Hans
RE: 2010 Jayco Jay Flight 26BH Winterization Points
Not knowing Jayco's I can't be of much help, but I'm suprised you can't hear the pump run and locate it easily. I would think if you are disconnected from city water and run your tap you should be able to hear that thing run under a couch, bed or behind a closet. I know mine is located behind a panel in the wall between the shower and bedroom, but my Arctic Fox it was located under the couch in plain site right next to the water tank.
For goodness sakes don't pour antifreeze in your fresh water tank, what a mess that would be trying to flush that out. If yours doesn't already have a diverter valve right by the pump, buy one soon and install it (assuming you find the pump). It's a real easy install and it will be on the low pressure side so you needn't worry about leaks if you are halfway handy with a screwdriver and hose clamp.
All the best....Hans
RE: Newbie tow question.
Jim, Hans here again, I was refering to your tow vehicle when I stated you should have LT rated tires, not your trailer. It should be understood that the trailer came with the appropriate tires, but many people do not have truck tires on a truck. No doubt you've spent a lot of money on your new trailer, but when the time comes for tires on your truck make sure you get Load Range E tires rated LT on your next set. 35psi on the tow rig is way to squishy for towing, that allows a lot of side motion, and comes right back into your steering wheel where you feel it every time a semi passes you, or cross winds and such. Hans
RE: Update:Brought home the new 28bhs yesterday
Not being familiar with Jayco Trailers, but always admiring them, I hope you and your fasmily can still get out and enjoy it a couple times this year if only for weekend trips. I know the winter weather on the East Coast is much more severe than here in the Northwest. I hope you and your young family will enjoy for years to come the memories you will make with the lifestyle you've invested in.
My kids are teenagers in highschool now, but they grew up camping once a month year round. We're on our second bunk house trailer now, and I'm happy to report my teenagers still like to go camping all the time. Haven't been home for Thanksgiving since 1997, we always get out for the long weekend and celebrate with family the week before.
I credit our well adjusted kids to the fact we are a family that likes to spend time together, often away from the internet and even cell phone coverage. The years of fireside dialog, many hours of book reading during inclement weather, and the healthy choices of bike riding, hiking and playing games while camping has made our family happy beyond my expectations. I hope this new trailer of yours does that for your family as well.
Best of luck...Hans
RE: Lippert bent slide motor mouting brkt's. (long- lots of pics)
I don't have any slide problems, and my Wildcat uses a Hydraulic Ram as the method for extension and retraction, but I found your post just captivating. That must have taken a bunch of time to post such an in depth explanation. Thanks for sharing that, I hope people who have to use the manual method of extension and retraction understand the gentle touch required to prevent damage.
I'm busy today putting my trailers underbelly back to water proof condition after having to open it all up due to a ruptured water line that flooded the whole undercariage. What a nightmare.
All the best....Hans
RE: Newbie tow question.
Jim, the way you wrote your post it appears you towed it home without a brake controller. That would give even me an uneasy feeling with years of towing experience. I read the other replies but what I didn't see in any replies is that there is a big difference between weight distributing and sway control. So many hitches, so many choices. Many new hitches combine sway control with weight distributing, and that's a good thing. But you didn't say you had problems with sway.
The whole idea of a WD hitch is to transfer weight from the rear axle of the truck to the steering axle. This helps greatly in panic stops, allowing your front tires the same amount of traction as before the load was applied to the rear of your truck. Additionally if it's dialed in correctly it improves the ride and keeps both rigs level.
Well built trailers shouldn't need sway control, but again so many factors lead to unstability, so it's important to remember you need tongue weight for the trailer to track correctly. 10 to 20% of the gross trailer weight should be on the tongue. A lot of things you put in your trailer affect the tongue weight. You have a truck that is very capable of towing this trailer.
Take the time to weigh your trailer. Many truck stops have scales, you can always pull into scale houses on the highway when they are closed and take your time weighing the truck and trailer (loaded) even taking time to unhitch and weight just the tongue. I was suprised my published tongue weight 800lbs was actually 1500lbs loaded. Once you are fully moved into your trailer you'll be suprised how much weight you've added.
Lastly, tires. So important. Your truck should have LT rated tires (LT -Light Truck) and you should tow at or near maximum cold inflation. A tire with 80lb of air pressure has much stiffer side walls than a tire with only 50psi. This equates to stability. Yes the ride is little harsh, but in a severe manuver the tires will hold up.
Good luck with your new purchase, hope even though winter is here you will have the chance to enjoy your new trailer. All the best...Hans
New Trailers on the Market
Has any one else seen their latest Trailer Life magazine and seen the adds for Earthbound RV and also Northwood Manufacturing of LeGrande OR is also advertising four new lines of trailers under the name Outdoors RV that makes Timber Ridge, Creekside, Wind River and Tamarack Trail. I guess I'm just happy to see that new inovation is coming to the travel trailer market. Having been down the dry rot road one to many times with my equipment I like to see more composits in trailer manufacturing. Hans
RE: Nervous about first cold weather weekend trip
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We've been camping east of the mountains many times, we always go for a few days in February to Leavenworth for the ice festival and cross country skiing. Our previous trailer never froze up because the water tank was under the couch and all the water lines were inside the trailer.
Our newer trailer has water lines routed through the floor and after a recent accident with our trailer where the floor flooded I opened up the underside to dry it out and installed heat tape to all the water lines. Our tanks are heated from the furnace, I could care less if the holding tanks freeze, but I sure wouldn't want the fresh water to freeze.
That was brave of you to leave it over there without winterising, hopefully it didn't get cold enough to freeze on the inside. And happily the plumbing in new trailers is a lot more forgiving that the old copper plumbing from the seventies and earlier.
I made up the heat lamp seen above for winter camping, I leave it on positioned under anything I worry about freezing. It works great and I can tell you it kept our older trailers non heated holding tanks and dump valves working down to 4 degrees. It's also nice to warm up your back side if you are sitting at a campfire in the winter and it's really cold out. But you need 110V to use it. Good Luck. Hans
RE: Bummer, loose water line wreaks havock!
OK, finally got the pictures inserted correctly, only had to try four times. Yes, I wish just once one of these calamdies would be covered by insurance, but all my rework has been covered by my own wallet. Live and learn, and we will learn to trust our trailer again and enjoy it. As a side note, I always turn off the water when we leave our trailer for hikes or trips to town when were not around. Sad part was we were in the trailer with surround sound going and never heard the water running. Happy camping friends.
Bummer, loose water line wreaks havock!
While out camping our fresh water supply line popped off the barbed hose fitting that ties the city water into the trailer plumbing. Water ran for a couple hours totally flooding the underside of our trailer, saturating the insulation below the floor and above the water proof barrier.
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Before we left the campground I crawled under the trailer and cut open the black water proof barrier and allowed the trapped water to drain, looked like a hundred gallons flowed out. What a heartbreak, I've owned several RV's and all have suffered from dry rot in one form or another, so I knew this was not a good situation.
Once home I left the trailer tilted hard to one one side hoping the the water would migrate to one corner. I crawled underneath and began opening up the underside in various locations tracing how far back the water had gone into the insulation. Luckily the trailer wasn't perfectly level and the water was mostly in the front roadside corner.
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After opening up and removing much of the insulation we turned the heat on high inside the trailer to dry out carpets and pads. Outside I rigged up my heat gun with a hose to deliver warm dry air to areas not accessible, like above the holding tanks. I also used heat lamps pointed at the underside to dry out areas hard to reach.
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After a week, (who knows how much propane, and electric I used), I'm not finding any moisture anywhere. No signs of mold. I'll leave things open for another week and then begin the tedious job of re-sealing the underside to make it once again water proof.
I'm also adding heat tape to the water lines, I found out they routed them under the floor joist with only the black barrier and a scant amount of insulation to protect them from freezing, and in fact they did freeze up last winter with temps in the twenties, so we couldn't use our trailer while skiing up in the mountains.
I hope to have it back in service real soon. Hans
