RE: Does "lite" = cheap quality
I ended up buying a Rockwood TT after a coworker retired, bought a new Rockwood & truck, then traveled all over the USA & Canada. Two years of fulltiming more than 6 months out each year, I looked at their TT again. Jeez, it looked NEW. Holding up very well. They've now had it over 4 years, and have dragged it countless miles. Still holding up VERY well.
So we bought a Liteweight Rockwood. Had it two years now. Great TT. Here's a couple of pics to show some of the construction:
http://www.2manytoyz.com/rockwood/frame.jpg
Bed support aluminum frame in the forward storage compartment:
http://www.2manytoyz.com/rockwood/storage1224s.jpg
Pics of our Rockwood, next to our friend's 4 year old Rockwood, at this link.
Go see one yourself, climb underneath, inside the storage compartement, and open all the cabinets. Our 25' TT weighs 3576 lbs empty. The delivered weight, with all the options, was 3993 lbs. Lots of welded aluminum square tubing used throughout the box construction.
RE: Help, need to find a place to have baseplate attached...
You didn't say what year your Jeep is.
I installed the base plate, and wired up my (previous) 2004 Jeep Wrangler myself.
Having installed one now, installing another complete setup, would only take "me" about an hour. Most of it is all bolt on. Did have to drill one hole, but a piece of cake. During my install, I spent more time trying to decide the best place to route the wires, and place a connector. The RoadMaster kit came with everything I needed, except for a Torx bit needed to remove bumper bolts on the Jeep. I bought a kit from Sears, the rest of the job needed only common hand tools and a drill (one hole through frame).
I posted details about my install, along with pics, at this link.
I can see a shop charging $600, only because there are so few of us hands-on types left. $200 would probably be close to the actual worth, IMHO. A lazy tech shouldn't take more than 2 hours.
No, they don't need your MH to put the base plates & wire up your Jeep. I modified my Jeep BEFORE buying my previous 36' Class A. Plug and play after I bought the MH.
The one extra thing I had to buy was a 6" drawbar drop. The towbar should be fairly close to level. Mine was too high on the MH end. Went to the Camping World store at Lazydays (whom I purchased the MH), and had to ask at the parts counter. Was not a product out on display. This item slips into the MH hitch receiver, and has another receiver box below. There are various levels of drop available: Link. Link2
RE: battery smell
If the smell is coming from one of your batteries, the water level will likely be very low. Had it happen in my garage with a battery connected to an overly enthusiastic battery charger! My battery water level was low, and even after water was added, it was never happy again. Toast.
I now check all my batteries monthly. My TT battery needs water every month. The onboard charger/converter, obviously isn't a good 3 stage model.
RE: Small inverters
....BUT, NO unit is EVER gonna' ".....automagically turns on its high power stages as the demand requires.....", or ANY stages for that matter, without consuming at least a few "standby" watts! (That's what power switches are for!) Convenience has it's price....minuscule as it may be.....
J
Only 1.5 Watts (I have measured this) for my Prosine 1800 Watt inverter in the PowerSave mode (sends out a pulse every 2 seconds). 22 Watts in idle mode. The only downsides to the Powersave mode are the potential 2 second delay for the inveter to "see" the load, and come up to full power, and a light load isn't likely enough for the pulse to wake up the inverter.
Full load efficiency: 90%
1/3 load efficiency: 95%
I'm using this inverter at home for emergency power. I have made some automatic transfer switches to transfer loads (such as a refrigerator) to the inverter. A solar array keeps the batteries charged, and take care of the tiny power draw of the inverter.
I've not measured the actual efficiency of my inverters, but everything else I've measured, are right on the money. Have no reason to doubt the figures quoted by Xantrex.
Here's some info about a few of the inverters I own, and use daily:
http://2manytoyz.com/inverters.html
RE: Are the fires near Disney World?
No, the fires weren't near Disney. But we stayed at FW over New Years...
Might as well have been hit by a fire:
http://www.2manytoyz.com/camp/fw/fwcampsite.jpg
http://www.2manytoyz.com/camp/fw/neighborcampsite1.jpg width=640
We had reservations for 12 months, they made a mistake, and we ended up in the 2000 loop. Looked like a hurricane had hit. No sewer hookups, and NO dumpstation! No other choice other than leave. Disney doesn't reserve sites, and there's no guarantee what loop you will end up on, despite what the paper says that you show up with.
We won't stay here again. Premium price, worst campsite I've stayed in 39 years. Hope your stay is better.
RE: Towing with minivan. Looking at SUV.
Most any SUV (not a cross-over) will tow your Popup with ease.
My SUV pulls our 25' TT just fine. I know it's back there, but I have plenty of power. When I tow our boat, which is closer to the weight of your Popup, can't hardly tell it's back there.
FWIW, I'm getting 18-20 MPG in mixed driving. 265 HP, 284 ft-lbs of torque. 4400 lbs, 4x4.
Bargains to be had right now for sure. But keep in mind a brand new Titan (with warranty), 4x4, 4 door, most of the bells & whistles, is $25K. I'd be careful not to pay too much for a used vehicle since the prices of the new gas guzzlers is coming down.
RE: 4x2 or 4x4?
If you camp during nice weather, and in paved parking lots, get a 4x2.
If you camp all year, and in places that dirt, or sandy campsites, might want to rethink this.
I was camping at Highlands Hammock SP and watched a lady back her TT into the campsite. Halfway in, the trailer slowed, and the back end of her truck sank. I went over to offer assistance, she calmly stepped out of her truck, flipped the front hub locks, and proceeded into backing into her campsite. Made it look easy. It was almost down to the pumpkin, and it walked itself out of the two freshly dug holes. Seen similar situations quite a few times. Our SPs tend to lack pavement.
There's virtually no difference in gas mileage between the 4x2 and 4x4 vehicles "I" have owned. The price difference you pay up front for the 4x4 feature is about how much more that truck is worth when you sell it. So it's a write off to me.
I never worry about getting stuck. I never worry that I can't move my TT from a campsite with soft sand, or wet grass. Also never have an issue pulling my boat up the ramp. Steep hill to back the TT up? No problem 4x4 low with the flip of a switch. A casual bystander has no idea what I just did, nor why it's so easy for my smaller SUV to manhandle the TT.
You don't need it 'til you need it, then it's too late. But don't worry, those of us with a 4x4 usually carry straps for those who don't.
Say "hi" to Pete...
http://2manytoyz.com/temp/mud1.jpg
LOL!
http://2manytoyz.com/xterra/onfjan06/onf4640.jpg width=640
See you on the trails... or maybe not. :p
RE: Towing A Jeep Wrangler
No towing restrictions on the 2004 Jeep that I towed, nor on our current 06 model.
Towing or driving, the differentials are spinning. No difference. This uses a splash lubrication system.
Many newer TRANSMISSIONs have an issue being towed. Not a splash lube setup. Uses a pump to move the fluid around. Engine off, pump off, lack of lubrication can damage the transmission.
A Jeep Wrangler has a REAL transfer case. When it is in neutral, the transmission is completely disconnected. The owners manual says to put the transmission in PARK when towing.
If you've had an issue with a differential, it has nothing to do with towing, period. There's no difference in the operation with the engine on or off.
BTW, you have the best TOAD on the market, depsite this isolated incident. Most other vehicles have a speed, distance, or both limitation when towing. Jeep Wrangler does not on the TJ series.
I put 30K on my Jeep before trading it in. Gawd knows how many miles it was towed. Odometer racks up zero miles being towed. ;)
http://2manytoyz.com/camp/longkey05/6109.jpg width=640
Miss that setup, but couldn't afford it and a house both. Hope you have no future issues with your rig.
RE: Nissan pathfinder and TT
You will need a dually diesel. No way you can tow anything more than a Popup. Wait for it, such responses usually follow, especially from people who don't have such a setup. Armchair quarterbacking. ;)
As an fellow Nissan owner, I have the same chassis setup as you. Slightly smaller wheelbase, so my tow rating is 5000 lbs.
My TT is 25', weighs 3993 lbs empty, but with all the options. I travel with the waste tanks empty, and very little fresh water onboard. I travel light as much as possible.
I have an AT, so I leave the OD off when towing. This puts the 5 speed AT into 4th gear. My RPMs at 63-65 MPH (max speed of trailer tires) is 2500-2750. I get 8.5-11 MPG, typically right at 10 MPG. I have plenty of power left over for on-ramps, passing (though not done often), hills (no mountains in FL). Sharker6 on this forum also tows his heavier TT with his Xterra. He tows in the mountains, and has posted many times about how well his rig does. Search the archives.
Here's my setup:
http://2manytoyz.com/rockwood/tow3.jpg
http://2manytoyz.com/rockwood/ready2roll.jpg
If I didn't think my vehicle was up to the task, I'd go buy a new Titan. But I can't justify it. It does that well.
I recommend getting a Prodigy brake controller with the pre-wired adapter cable, makes it a plug-n-play installation. Also an Equalizer hitch. My rig rides level, and is stable. Your slightly longer wheelbase will pull a trailer even better.
RE: Inverters : modified sine or pure sine wave
Info on inverters: http://2manytoyz.com/inverters.html
My 42" HDTV, Bose Sound System, etc, functions the same when running on a MSW UPS unit, or from the wall. Just as clean & crisp, no noise. Most things will run will operate fine on a MSW inverter. $29 will get you a 400 Watt Vector inverter. Try it, you'll probably like it. ;)
RE: USB Tuner or TV?
I used one for a while. The downside was the resolution was limited to 640x480, so had a less than full screen window. Manufacturer said the hdwe had the ability to go with full screen, but the software limited the size. They were trying to get people to buy the more expensive USB TV. Shame this wasn't mentioned on the packaging! Hauppauge lost my business after that.
These DO work, but read the reviews for specific models to see if they work as advertised. A full screen picture on the box doesn't mean a full screen image on your computer, as I found out.
I've had two Class Bs, so I understand wanting one item (computer) to serve multiple functions. ;)
RE: Yamaha EF2400is Pricing ?
Got mine through Wise Sales. But check on the Yamaha website for potential rebates. When I bought mine, got a $100 rebate. Total cost delivered (free shipping, no tax, & rebate) was $1047. Since then, the price has come some. So not sure if Yamaha will offer a rebate again.
RE: The Blue Tote
I have one also, but haven't had need of it yet. I did buy the tow handle, but the wheels leave a lot to be desired.
Rather than modify the tote, have you thought about simply strapping it to a handcart?
$26 at Harbor Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/32400-32499/32410.gif
This picture shows the cart laying down. The handle can be reconfigured to use it up right. Slight modification so it can be attached to a hitch. Scoop up the blue tote, tip the handcart back, connect it to the hitch. Handcart folds up fairly small when not in use. Might be a cheaper, easier alternative, to modifying the cart.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32410
RE: Need a new cooler!
The Xtreme coolers are excellent. As long as you pre-chill your food & drinks, and limit the number of times you open the coolers, they WILL last 5 days in the FL heat.
These pics were taken at the 4 day mark. Look like they'll go another day?
http://www.2manytoyz.com/camp/gear/cooler1.jpg
http://www.2manytoyz.com/camp/gear/cooler2.jpg
http://www.2manytoyz.com/camp/gear/coolers.jpg
Not even in the shade.
The Achilles’ heel, so to speak, is rain. If these are left in the rain, the water will fill up the cooler, and melt all the ice. Just the way the seal was designed.
RE: How hard is it to install a Equal-i-zer hitch yourself?
First, watch the installation video on their website. Makes the installation much easier. It took me about an hour. I wasn't in a rush, and tried a couple of settings before getting the measurements where I wanted.
No special tools are needed, EXCEPT for the socket as previously mentioned. I did order my Equalizer hitch through RVW, and they installed the ball for me, which saved the day. The nut for the ball is in a recessed portion of the hitch, making it impossible to use a wrench. You must use a socket. I eventually bought the right sized socket at Northern Tool.
This is definitely a DIY project.
RE: Need replacement 6V batteries - where to buy?
Can't prove it by me. I watch my Voltage levels several times a day for the past year. The Exide batteries are doing just fine. Even after a load on the batteries for 6 hours every night, they are still between 12.7 and 12.8 Volts UNDER LOAD. That's still 100% rating according to the specs. When the load turns off, and they're allowed to rest, the Voltage comes back up.
http://2manytoyz.com/hardware/inverter/remote/ps6598.jpg
My batteries are recharged via solar panels, so the readings at night aren't artifically high due to a charger.
http://www.carnetix.com/regulators/battery-voltages.png
So what's your battery Voltage the next morning, without the charger?
Got a Trojan battery in my boat, it does fine too.
No magic about this. Most all batteries are made by 3 companies. Not a huge difference between them. Chemistry is the same, so the Voltage will be too.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/premium/consumerreports/silver.html?id=95700426
RE: Equalizer storage
I put the spring bars in the TT bumper after removing the stinky slinky. If I'm going to stay more than a day or two, I wrap an old towel around the hitch head, and put it in the cargo compartment of my TT. This keeps grease off everything, and doesn't scratch up the vinyl flooring within the compartment.
RE: converter buzzing
I noticed in my TT that the charger/converter buzzes if there's no load. Turn on a light, it goes away.
However, this only occurs when the water level is low in my battery! So I'd recommend checking your water level. My battery needs to be topped up every month or two, or this happens again.
RE: Xantrex XM1800 question
I have the same unit. Having looked at the circuit board on the LCD display, I believe those to be "data lines", not simply a set of power wires. Lot more involved than simply tapping into those wires. Two of the wires might be data lines, and two might be 5V power for the TTL circuitry. Dunno, not stabbed it with my DVM.
