RE: Freshwater Tank Refilling - What Do You Do?
If in a campground, most campgrounds have potable water somewhere that you can fill your tanks from. If boondocking somewhere...you are on your own.
RE: Freshwater Tank Refilling - What Do You Do?
I have a 25 gal plastic tank that I put into the back of the pickup and just drain it into the fresh water fill using only gravity. Works fine.
I've heard of other folks doing this, but I can't. Our fill location is above the floor of the bed of my truck therefore I have to use a pump.
RE: Freshwater Tank Refilling - What Do You Do?
Our tank is supposedly 40 gallons and it will last us about 24 hours with 5 of us taking baths/showers. I then carry a 35 gallon water tank in the bed of the truck that I bought from TSC. I then will pump the water from the bed of the truck to the gravity fill of the on board water tank. Usually if for a weekend that will be all we need to do.
RE: 8,500 lbs plus dry weight
We have a Jayco 32BHDS. It weighs 7984 as shipped from the factory. I'm towing it with the '99 1500 Silverado in my signature. Looking to upgrade. But probably not for another year or so. Haven't weighed it loaded, but I know with 5 of us and all of our toys (5 bikes, 2 grills, full of water, extra 35 gallons of water, etc), I know we are heavy and over our weight limits. The truck actually does OK and sits level. If you were to just "look" at it, you would have no clue it is over weight.
I think I could tell by looking. But I have an idea of the weights and tow ratings involved. I also believe once you upgrade and tow your TT with a more capable truck. You will realize that your current set up doesn't really perform as well as you thought. My comments are not meant to bash your set up, but to point out that many feel they are fine until they eventually use the correct vehicle and learn from the driver's seat they were just getting by. This idea applies to vehicles of all sizes not just 1/2 tons.
I towed my prior 10K loaded 11k GVW TT with a 7.3 PSD Excursion.
AS mentioned most 3/4 ton vehicles with diesels or big blocks are capable of hauling the larger bunkhouses without issue.
I also towed the same TT w a V-10 X as well. The PSD did a much better job. But the V-10 was capable as well.
I've pulled with diesel trucks before. I know how they pull. I've been towing campers since I was 16 years old, so I've been towing for a few years now. So I know how they are supposed to tow. This isn't a new adventure for me. I also tow our 18' utility trailer w/ tractor and our 16' stock trailer. Did I say this truck tows it great? No, I said it does OK. Am I having to work it? Yep. Would have to do that with a bigger truck? No, but again it does OK for what it is.
Again, I think just looking at this picture, you wouldn't believe this truck is as far over GVWR as I think it is.
Truck and trailer in driveway
RE: 8,500 lbs plus dry weight
We have a Jayco 32BHDS. It weighs 7984 as shipped from the factory. I'm towing it with the '99 1500 Silverado in my signature. Looking to upgrade. But probably not for another year or so. Haven't weighed it loaded, but I know with 5 of us and all of our toys (5 bikes, 2 grills, full of water, extra 35 gallons of water, etc), I know we are heavy and over our weight limits. The truck actually does OK and sits level. If you were to just "look" at it, you would have no clue it is over weight.
RE: Small Troybuilt type mulcher
I bought a version of one of them from Lowes a few years back. They were closing it our. Had been $169 or something like that. I ended up getting it for $35. It does OK on most of the small stuff, the basket under it fills up pretty quick and it wants to not pull the stuff in completely all the time. Also have a bit of a problem with the "mulch" staying up in the unit and not coming out. But it does OK other than that. It won't win any speed contests. Since what I was doing was quite a way from the house, I was running mine off my Champion generator. The generator ran it fine.
If I would have paid full price, I probably would have returned it, but for what I paid for it, I feel it does the job. Like you, I couldn't justify $600 - 700 for one of the bigger units.
RE: Splicing Into Fridge 12V?
I tapped the 12-volt wires that power my fridge. There is apparently something else on the circuit for my fridge as Jayco just tapped the wires for the fridge and then they continue on somewhere else. I did exactly what you are describing. Up the awning pole, across the roof about 14-16" and down the fridge vent and tapped the 12-volt. The control box is mounted to the inside of the fridge side cover with the IR receiver sticking out.
RE: Harbor Frt Cordless Drill or Impact
I used my DeWalt 18-volt drills to raise and lower the jacks. I used my impact drivers once. While they did a great job lowering them, everyone in the campground knew I was doing it. They were so loud when they echoed off the frame I said never again. Went back to the drill and leave the impact driver in storage for driving screws and such.
RE: Awning LED Strip install
I also installed our lights by going up over the roof and down the fridge vent and tapped the 12-volt from the fridge. I then covered the wire on the roof with Eternabond tape so that I know nothing can grab it and pull it loose. I have mine mounted to the awning roller and unplug it when rolling it up. For the winter storage I covered both the pins and the end of the light with dielectric grease. I have the control box mounted to the inside of the fridge vent cover and have the IR receiver sticking out.
RE: depreciation of travel trailer
I don't know if our case is typical, but here is what we experienced:
In May, 2012, we traded our old trailer for the trailer in our signature. We still owed $11,000 on the old trailer - which was about the NADA value. The 2012 Outback 277RL was built in June, 2011, so it was less than a year old when we bought. We were the second owner - for what it is worth, the salesman said the original owner bought it because it was the biggest trailer he thought his truck would handle, but after one trip, he traded the trailer and the truck for a huge fifth wheel setup. It still had plastic on the furniture and carpet, and the head had not be christened yet.
For comparison, the same day we looked at an essentially similar NEW 2012 277RL at the dealer up the street. It had a manufacturer's suggested list price of $36,382, and the salesman was talking somewhere in the $28,000 area. Who knows what that deal would have worked out to be, but I still see the same unit listed on the dealer's webpage.
For the used unit we got - which the original owner had installed a Barker power jack, two slide toppers, and MaxAir covers - no money down - just the trade - included taxes and whatever, we ended up financing almost exactly $30,000. After paying off the old trailer, that means the dealer ended up a total of $19,000 in the deal.
You can do the math, but I would say that we got it for almost 50% off the sticker price, and more than 30% off what a brand new "leftover" would go for ....
I'm confused on this. You say you owed 11k on the trailer and it was worth that, what did they allow you on trade in? It seems as though the old trailer should have paid itself off (or came real close) and then you would have only been financing the new trailer. Seems like adding taxes and such, you paid about 27k for the new trailer in order to have to finance 30k.
What am I missing?
RE: I was a busy boy today......
I just want to know how you got the water hose rolled up that neat and tight. No matter how I try, I can never get mine rolled up that neat.
RE: Tekonsha P3 Question
I guess I use mine a bit differently than others here. I set the voltage on both my P2 and P3 when I installed them, don't remember what they are each set to though. If I'm running my flat utility trailer empty I run without boost. If I have something on it depending upon the load I will go with B1 or B2. When pulling our stock trailer empty I will typically run B1 until I put a load on it then I will go to B2. Once I hook up to the camper (which I don't do with our Suburban which has my P3 on it) I take it to B3. According to the little diagram that is what boost is for as you go up in trailer weight on the same tow vehicle. As often as I switch trailers (sometimes pulling all 3 (and others) in the same day) I would hate to think I was always having to change my voltage whereas the boost is quickly and easily changed.
RE: goofy , but true ?
I think the LEO was doing his/her job. There was just an article in the paper the other day around here. I forget if it was sheriff or highway patrol pulled someone over for no license plate light. You say, big deal? Why pull them over? Guess what, they found something like 200k worth of drugs in that car and two folks that were wanted for other charges. So yeah, big deal, a burnt out license plate light.
BTW, is that the next thing, move the plate to the front err...rear of the vehicle, now does it need a white light on it?
RE: Would an upgrade be a downgrade?
I had a '97 ECSB 4x4 with the 5.7 and 3.73 gears. Traded it for my current '99 ECSB 4x4 with the 5.3 and 3.73. I bought both new, so I wasn't comparing old and worn out to new. I pulled Mom & Dad's 30' Dutchmen with it. Probably around 5k dry and probably close to 7k loaded the way Mom packs. The '99 outpulls the '97 in every way shape and form and getting better fuel mileage while doing it. We also have a 2008 Suburban 4x4 with the 5.3 and 3.73. It pulls Mom & Dad's camper OK, but my '99 Silverado still pulls it better even though the 'burb has more horsepower and torque. I won't hook onto our camper with the 'burb because of the coil springs on the rear, but I do pull our stock trailer and utility trailer with the 'burb. Again, it does these OK, but the Silverado does better so unless there is a reason I need the 'burb, I will usually tow with the Silverado.
RE: Power tongue jack --Why ?
Mom & Dad bought their first camper in 1984 - I was 12. It was a 24' footer. Then they bought a 30'. Then my wife and I bought a 28' one. All had the manual tongue jack. No big deal to do. Then we bought this camper. We took it on one weekend trip. I ordered the Barker as soon as we got home. Much easier, much faster. I also use my 18v cordless drill to raise and lower my stabilizer jacks - much, much faster.
As a matter of fact, I liked my electric tongue jack so well, I bought one for my 18' utility trailer. Once I save my pennies up, I will have one on my stock trailer as well.
RE: Second door with direct access to washroom
We have it and very rarely use it while camping. Now once we come home and unpack we use it to get the dirty clothes out of the bathroom. It is also nice to be able to get to the bathroom with the slides in. Biggest reason to get it - when you get the door they increase the size of the bathroom. One disadvantage to it is the window in the door. I like the light let in, but I know on some of the newer ones Jacyo did away with the window in the door. Other than "looking funny" from the outside, I wouldn't have been opposed to not having the window in the door.
RE: Changing the floor plan on existing trailer?
Sell it and by one that works for you. To completely redo a camper layout and get the balance and everything right could be asking for a lot of issues once you consider tank locations and everything. Changing the layout of a camper is a lot more involved than just moving rooms around in a typical house.
RE: Installing PlexiGlass on TT Screen Door
I did our plastic on the inside of the screen. I used 3 seperate pieces, one for each section of screen. I cut ours so that it goes in the little groove that goes around the screen door. It just pops in there. If I want to take it out, I just pop it out. We did it last spring and have really liked it so far. No velcro, no clips, nothing, just the little grooves on the door. I've since showed 2 others folks how to do it and they love it as well.
RE: The latest thing at a RV show... TVs and lots of them
We camp, but we also use our camper at the county fair for 10 days. When you are there and it is 95+ degrees and you've been working with animals already for several hours, believe me it is nice to come back to the camper and sit down in the A/C and watch a little bit of TV. We will do that this year again and also we plan on attending some shows with our goats. So that means the camper becomes less of a recreational vehicle and more of a home away from home.
