RE: Coleman Fleetwood 12 volt system problem
Techwriter, I think the member status is more about how many posts/replies rather than calendar time. Just get into some lengthy discussions with RoyB, Oldman2, and Bondebond and you'll be a senior member in no time!
RE: hooking up a battery
Thanks RoyB for the correction. My post above has been edited.
I can always rely on you and/or Bondebond to help when I get my wires crossed!!!
(Pun completely and fully intended):S
RE: hooking up a battery
The black wire should connect to the battery POSITIVE terminal. The white wire should connect to the battery NEGATIVE terminal. (Edited per RoyB's correction!)
Before you connect the battery:
0. UNPLUG/DISCONNECT THE TRAILER FROM ANY AND ALL ELECTRICAL SOURCES!!!
1. Use a multimeter set to measure resistance (Ohms - the symbol looks like a horseshoe), set at the lowest value possible.
2. Put the two leads together to verify a ZERO or near zero reading.
3. Find a good point on the frame to touch the meter lead#1 to (it doesn't matter which one for this test). The frame point shouldn't have any paint, rust, mud; it should be nice clean metal. Hold it there during the following steps.
4. Touch the meter lead#2 to the WHITE wire's conductor. The meter should read ZERO or pretty close to it.
5. Touch the meter lead#2 to the BLACK wire's connector. The meter should read a really high value (or display no value at all).
This should verify that which wire is connected to the trailer's frame and will connect to the negative battery terminal.
If this is not the case, post back for further advice.
Welcome to the forum!
RE: More Battery Questions
Really appreciate the helpful information. I'm reminded, too, that I need to go online and get the instructions for our brake controller. The seller gave us his and we had it installed but we didn't get any instructions with it. definitely several things here to put on the to-do list.
Hope it's a proportional controller and not a time-delay, but at any rate it's better than nothing!
Where are you planning to store the trailer? If it's anywhere that is easy for others to access (i.e. storage yard), I'd consider removing the battery and propane tanks when not in use to deter theft. Even along side of the house is prone to theft. One of the best things about most pop-ups we can store most in the garage at home!
RE: Coleman Fleetwood 12 volt system problem
Agree with the broken wire/broken connector. The power wires to the roof can easily get pinched and broken when the roof is lowered. If yours is like mine, the connector will be near a corner post and low near the box. Mine is at the left-rear post. I've had to repair it once already.
RE: 13" Tire Rec for Popup
davpratt, I know JLTN_James has talked about going from 13" to 14" on his Fleetwood, but he's also done an axle flip, so clearance wouldn't be an issue. Poke him to see if he actually did it.
I haven't upsized my tires & wheels yet. Kind of hard to justify when the trailer has those nice aluminum wheels and the tires are in great shape.
RE: Almost packed
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Trailer%20Modifications/Misc/2013-05-01_Weather_zps2cc96404.jpg width=500
This photo was taken this morning! Monday we hit 80-degrees with sunshine and blue skies. Yesterday was in the 70's. Today has snow. I think I'm going to hold off for a few more days before heading out again.
RE: 13" Tire Rec for Popup
Ultimately for me, it was speed that killed my tires. Once I slowed down to 60-ish MPH, I quit blowing tires.
Speed = Heat
I make sure to drive a bit slower when the ambient temps are high. I'm going on 4th season (approximately 15,000 miles) on my tires.
And the other benefit of driving 65mph instead of 75mph is better fuel economy!
RE: Still New... :) Inverter generator question
The 30 Amp converter will output a maximum of 30 Amps at 12 Volts.
Read the generator specifications very carefully. Here's a few things to be aware of:
Sound level: Manufacturer's test their generators differently and there's no clear cut standard. Some test at 25% load and from 21-feet away. Others test at 50% and 25-feet away. It all varies and can be very misleading so be careful of what the fine print is. Sound level is measured using decibels (dB) and for every 3dB increase the sound level is doubled.
Run time: Typically this is measured with the generator running at half load but there may be some using quarter load.
Continuous output: Generators have two output ratings; continuous and surge. The generator can run at the continuous rating all day and be just fine, but can only operate at the surge rating for a few seconds. Many generators are advertised based on the surge rating. A generator listed as "2000W" may only have a 1700W continuous rating, which is what you should use for identifying the generator's capability. Things such as air conditioners have a large surge when they start up and might overload the surge capacity of the generator.
Elevation: Generators lose the ability to produce power as the elevation goes up. The general rule of thumb I've used is 3% for every 1000' above sea level. Think about where you might use the generator and what you need to run at those locations.
Weight: Where will you be transporting the generator and how much can you lift? The weights listed will be empty without any oil or fuel. The oil probably won't make much difference but you could end up with a few extra pounds of fuel in the tank. Gasoline weighs a little over 6 pounds per gallon.
Hopefully this helps you choose the correct generator for you needs.
RE: Cable Hatch Replacement
While you were in there, would you have considered going to a quick-disconnect socket instead of staying with the hard-wired lead that was already in place?
Just being curious...
I thought about going the inlet route, however it's a pop-up with limited storage access when closed. Like many, I plug it in for a few days before a trip to charge the battery and cool the fridge, then again for a few days when we get back. I don't want to run the risk of driving off without the cord!
Plus the hatch was cheaper.
RE: sales tax on site?
Colorado charges tax on nightly and weekly but NOT on mouthly. Figure that.
After 30 days, the state views it as paying "rent" or "long-term lodging" instead of "temporary lodging".
When we moved from OR to CO, we lived in a hotel for a month before we could close on our sticks & bricks. When we took posession of the house, we could have moved out of the hotel and paid for 27 days of room rate & lodging taxes, which would have cost us more than keeping the hotel for 3 extra nights and paying the montly rate and no lodging taxes.
A hotel/CG will include the lodging taxes on your bill until you hit the magic xx-day mark, and at that point they "refund" the taxes charged. This way, they've already collected the taxes just in case you leave early.
RE: Backing Newbie
Good for you on practicing, but you're depriving the rest of us of campsite entertainment!
I've towed and backed trailers enough prior to buying our PUP that I felt pretty confident and comfortable. DW, on the other hand, didn't really know much about spotting. (We provided lots of CG entertainment!:B) So eventually I had her watch and listen while my father spotted for me (he taught me in the first place). Once we did that, she figured out what commands/info I needed and WHEN. Our method has evolved such that now I'd rather have my DW spot instead of my father!
RE: What food to bring?
Like most of those who posted before me, we eat camping very similar to when we are at home. One thing different is that we will prepare foil pack dinners that can be put on the grill.
Use heavy duty foil squares sprayed with oil, put in a turkey burgers, onion, peppers, spices, sweet potatos, and whatever else suits our fancy. Wrap tightly, place one meal worth in a gallon ziploc bag and freeze. When ready to cook, we simply place the foil packs on the grill, turning occasionally until done. I prefer using the frozen turkey burgers over beef burgers to reduce the fat content. We've also done it with pre-cooked chicken tenders, rice, & veggies. Pre-cooking the rice & chicken ensures fully cooked and quick meals. Packaging the foil packs by meal makes it really easy to keep organized and quick to grab.
We picked up some small 1qt plastic mix & pour containers at WM (Clicky) and pre-mix scrambled eggs. One container usually fits two mornings worth of eggs and they have measurement markings that make it easy. This way, all the herbs and spices have plenaty of time to blend & flavor our breakfasts. I like using them so much that over this last winter, I brought them inside and use them daily for shake-mixing my eggs.
Since our fridge is smaller than most, we also use an ice chest or two for longer trips. We keep the often accessed items (lunch meat & cheese, condiments, fruit/veggies, OJ, milk, etc) in the fridge. Frozen meal preps in one ice chest, and liquid refreshments in another. It's pretty easy to get ice blocks along the way if necessary.
We also have a clear plastic dry-goods box that stores the things like bread, tortillas, chips, Crystal Lite mix, granola bars, cereal, etc. Having all this in a separate box makes it easy to load & unload.
RE: Is it that time of year again?
Sigh.
New home ownership is killing the camping season AND the budget. Another weekend at the big home improvement store down the road. Who knew you could buy 2,200 lbs. of dirt and it not be dirt cheap?
Anyway, you guys go camping and post pics of your trips.
I know exactly how you feel. Been there, done that, twice. I refuse to landscape the back yard of my house because last time I got the landscaping "done" the way we wanted it, we sold the house a couple of months later! So I plan on leaving the backyard with plenty to do so I don't have to move.
Just for you, Bondebond, here's a few photos of my Scout camp trip a few weeks ago.
This area of Fort Robinson State Park was damaged by Nebraska's largest forest fire in 1989.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Scouts/Tree%20Plant%202013/04062013-01_zpsce985fd0.jpg
This year, approximately 900 Scouts & Leaders participated in the 24th annual tree plant.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Scouts/Tree%20Plant%202013/04062013-02_zps5d5c4981.jpg
With the goal of sucessfully planting 10,000 bare-root seedling pine trees. This one was planted last year.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Scouts/Tree%20Plant%202013/04062013-03_zps2fa2f1a8.jpg
Cable Hatch Replacement
The OEM cable hatch broke last season and wouldn't stay shut while driving down the highway. I'm not a fan of the power cord dragging on the pavement so replacement was required. My temporary fix of Gorilla Tape helped, but lacked the convenience factor.
This is the broken OEM hatch with the tape holding it closed.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_001_zps959434f3.jpg width=500
Close up of the broken hinge.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_002_zps3510ea52.jpg
Since the trailer is a pop-up with a 30A service, I had my father pick up a 30A cable hatch on his way past CW. Turns out, the OEM is a 50A and is significantly larger. The 30A is on the left, the OEM is on the right.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_003a_zps25963015.jpg
After some searching my local RV parts suppliers, I couldn't find a round 50A hatch that fit the hole. I decided upon the rectangle hatch so I can keep the 15A adapter right there with the cord.
Here's a view of the hole for the OEM hatch with the cut lines shown for the new hatch.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_005_zps83e0ebbc.jpg
I used my hand-held scroll saw with a fine tooth blade to cut the aluminum side, after ensuring no wiring or other conflicting objects were in the way. I used the blue tape to protect the trailer's finish. I pre-drilled 3/8" holes at the corners for making the angles.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_006_zpsd13f4949.jpg
Test fit of the new hatch.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_007_zps08ad2911.jpg
New hatch installed. Yep, I used all eight screw holes. It won't go anywhere. The interior panel was really broken up on the bottom (see 4th photo) so I removed the broken material and cleaned up the hole.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_008_zps2135810b.jpg
I can keep the adapter on the cable, or put it inside on the left when using a 30A receptacle. Also on the left is some steel support plate, so I'm planning to glue a magnet to the adapter to help keep it in place when not in use.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_010_zps1f4f4b63.jpg
Here's the hatch closed with the power cord exiting the trailer.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_009_zpsbb00862d.jpg
And finally, with it all closed up and ready for the road.
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/JLTN_James/Electrical/Cable%20Hatch%20Replacement/04142013_011_zpsf98f8f74.jpg
Total working time was about 30-45 minutes, including taking the photos. Tools used included the drill with 3/8" bit & 1/4" driver; scroll saw with fine-tooth metal blade, tape measure & square for marking the new opening.
RE: PUP Awning worth the darn?
I camp in locations where winds can come up quick and often. I rarely put up the awning. If it's included in the price, then why worry, just don't use it if you don't want to. If it's an extra, I'd probably not bother. Just my opinion and how we setup camp.
RE: Blizzard coming
So much for the storm here! We only got about 6"-8". Was hoping for more. Roads were kind of slick this morning, but by noon most were just wet and many dried out by early afternoon. Tonight will be cold, presently 12-degrees.
The storm went further north than expected. My family in SE Wyoming got +16".
Glad we went camping over the weekend with temps in the upper 60's!
RE: break controler
Proportional brake controllers are preferred for the electronic controllers The Prodigy P2/P3 are probably the most common in use, and for a good reason. They sense how hard you're braking the tow vehicle and apply a proportional amount of braking power to the trailer.
Time delay controllers are the cheap ones and not very good. They apply braking power based on how long you've been pressing the brake pedal. They start with little power and ramp it up to max power over time.
In a hard emergency stop situation, the time delay won't apply full braking for several seconds where the proportional controller can apply full braking right away. This in itself is probably the biggest selling point for the proportional controllers.
Likewise, a slow, gentle stop with a time delay controller will end with the trailer at full braking when it doesn't need to; the time delay will apply gentle braking power similar to the tow vehicle.
