We are towing a Palomino pony across the west starting next week. Im sure we'll learn a bunch, but two quick questions
1) We've never used the water tank in the pony (we bought this used from a friend last year, its a 2004)...whats the best way to clean this? DO people use these? Seems like it would be nice, but im not sure id drink it and since its cold water not great for washing..but i hate to let an empty tank sit there...thoughts?
and
2) What are safe towing speeds with one of these? 65? 70? 75?
If you aren't going to use the water don't fill the tank. You would just be towing more weight which will reduce mileage and stress your tires more. You need to carefully look at your tires and see if there is a max speed rating on them. If you have 13 inch tires then be careful, even 14 inch tires can be speed rated tho.
Be careful loading the trailer, heavy stuff in FRONT not in back, watch out for sway. If you start getting it reload the trailer to front load it. The nose of the trailer should be level or slightly down.
How big is this TT? Do you have a WDH or sway control?
Oooh..you have 12 inch tires! Be very very careful to find out what the max safe speed is on those, call your dealer if you must. Be extra careful about keeping them inflated correctly. And do not overload the Popup.
If you have 12 inch tires, I wouldn't go over 70 MPH. Keep the bearings full and keep an eye on tire pressure when you stop for gas. Just go back and touch the wheels. I found that proper pressure and well greased bearings will extend the tire life as well as safety.
I have had my share of Pop-Ups.. and Travel Trailers.
Good Luck and have fun!!! Thats the only requirement!~!~!~!
Smooth Roads!!!
2006 Damon Challenger 372F Triton V10
2007 Ford Edge
If you don't think you'll use the water, then don't fill the tank. It is extra weight that you don't need to carry. I'd say that 62 would be a good speed for you to drive with that PUP. Have a fun trip! I'm jealous!
2006 Hornet 28BHDS-Bunk House, Dual Slides
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 HD
5.7L Hemi, Factory Towing Package
Reese Brake Controller, WD Hitch and Sway Bar
ok, sounds like we wont fill the tank. i wonder if we will want it at all....is it easy to make in drinkable?
and if it starts to sway, slow down (slowly) i assume?
and lastly, greasing hte bearings...i imagine i should do this as these are the original tires. It doesnt have a lot of miles on it-it hastn been used much which is good, but it hasnt been cared for much either. Should i run it to a tire store to have them grease them? Or do it on my own?
You could clean out the tank before you leave. Fill it with water and add a small amount of bleach. Let it sit for awhile. Draw the water through the pipes/faucets. Let it sit again.
Then empty. If you decide to use the water tank it will be sanitized.
I suggest that you look through the Beginner's FAQ's (a "sticky note") at the begninning of the Beginners Forum. Lots and lots of good info there.
Here is a forum thread about sanitizing the water tank
Have fun on your trip!
Marilyn w/ Joe, 2000 Xplorer Class B van, usually pulling a Ranger bass boat.
Smudge, (in photo) a Shih Tzu/Yorkie Mix and Gizmo is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge
About 1/4 cup of bleach should be plenty for sanitizing a popup water tank. Put a little water in the tank first, as straight bleach shouldn't be poured into an empty tank. Then fill the tank, and pump water to your faucet (or faucets, if you have a shower inside and/or outside). Let it sit overnight, then drain the tank, fill with fresh water, and flush out the water lines with the fresh water (I run each faucet until the strong chlorine smell disappears). Then you will have a sterilized water system. If you have any residual chlorine taste, then a second draining and flush should remove it, unless it is coming from the water that you are using to fill the tank (i.e., your city water).
Most RV tires are rated for continuous duty at 65 MPH maximum, although most RVer's drive faster than that. If your trailer has sat for a long time, then the tires likely have stress cracks and ozone/ultraviolet damage, and they may disintegrate on your long trip. My neighbor's did--all four--within the first 200 miles, after the 4-year old trailer hadn't been used in a year. Might not be a bad idea to have new ones mounted before you leave if you have any reservations about the tires. When they let go and disintegrate, they can disintegrate your trailer, too.
You didn't say what you're towing the Palomino with, but unless it's a very small vehicle, you shouldn't have an problems with sway. The best way to stop sway is to engage the trailer brakes without engaging the tow vehicle's brakes. But with your small popup, you may not have any brakes, or if you do, you may have surge brakes (which are activated by the trailer's pushing on the tow vehicle's trailer ball). This is not the ideal situation, as the only way to engage surge trailer brakes is to brake the tow vehicle.
Sway usually continues or even gets worse if you try to slow the tow vehicle down without trailer brakes, as the trailer's weight and force against the ball is actually putting even more lateral loads in both directions on the ball when the tow vehicle is braking but the trailer has no brakes. If you have electric trailer brakes, practice applying the trailer brakes manually on the controller, without applying the tow vehicle brakes. Make sure you can do this in a hurry. If you have surge brakes or no brakes on the trailer, and you experience escalating sway (if the trailer doesn't move from side to side and then resume it's position straight behind the tow vehicle, but begins to sway further and further with each oscillation), brake VERY cautiously, and slowly try to bring the rig to a halt. Hard braking with the tow vehicle with no trailer brakes will increase the force of the trailer tongue pushing sideways on the trailer ball, and can cause complete loss of control.
But I doubt you'll have any problems with the Pony if you have a fairly substantial tow vehicle. You can't really use a sway control and/or equalizer hitch unless your vehicle has a receiver hitch or the manufacturer says it is permissible to have one mounted.
Wish we were going, too. Have fun!
2003 GMC Sierra Crew HD; 6.0L; Prodigy
2006 Thor Tundra 30RL-DSL; Reese Strait-Line & Dual-cam HP
2001 Honda Elite Scooter
Jim & Gayle Bryant
Murphy's Law: "Anything that CAN happen, WILL."
Bryant's Law: "31 years of RVing? Probably already HAS."
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