RE: My Aliner Experience
BTW, the awning is a home made design. I wanted a small awning for my Aliner, but couldn't find any design I liked, so I went to the drawing board and designed my own.
This was my design criteria:
1. It must be quick and easy to set-up (like the Aliner) with only 1 person.
2. It must be simple, with few parts, lightweight, yet durable (no rust or corrosion).
3. It must be easy to build and inexpensive, no rope, cables or turnbuckles, and it must take up very little space when stored.
4. Though built primarily for shade, it must be waterproof and sturdy enough to take mild weather. If hit by a heavy gust of wind it should give way rather than act as a sail and tip the camper.
Let's see how I did:
1. Moving at a normal pace, I can erect the Aliner with my new awning (from its normal travel configuration with awning disassembled and stored under the sofa area) in less than 3 minutes (timed by DW to keep me honest).
2. There are only 6 pieces to assemble the frame and attach the awning (not counting the 3 threaded sockets permanently attached to the camper). My goal was to keep it under 10lbs. It actually weighs less than 5 lbs!
3. The frame is made of three pieces 1/2" schedule 40 PVC pipe with both screw and push fittings. The awning is made from a 10mil woven plastic tarp (twice the weight of the typical 5mil blue tarps) for durability. I chose this material as it is lightweight, waterproof and extremely durable. When cut, the ends don't fray and unravel (so no stitching around the edges is needed.) It's also easy to repair and cheap to replace if it gets damaged. Not counting the Velcro and the plastic pipe glue, which I already had, I built it for under $20 thanks to Lowes!
4. I used Velcro to attach it to the frame and camper - no ropes or clamps. Not only is this simple, fast and easy, but if the wind load exceeds the strength of the Velcro, the awning will come loose and spill the wind before it rips or overturns the camper.
Here's some pics:
Awning Album
Chip
RE: My Aliner Experience
sushidog, you bring your pet bird along?? At least where I live and have lived, I would keep a close eye on the sky for anything looking to make a meal of your friend. Too many raptors cruising.
Otherwise, quite the set up you've got there. Is the awning from the factory, 3rd party or personally made?
Yes, I've had my sun conure for 27 years. We always take her camping with us. She's fully fledged and can fly back to the camper or more often, fly under my shirt if she feels threatened. She always comes when called. Raptors are my biggest fear, so we both keep a sharp eye out. She likes to hike the trails too, sometimes visiting nearby trees. Occasionally visitors will ask: Aren't youn afraid she will fly off? I always reply, if you had a dog for 27 years would you be afraid that it would run off some day? Of course not, we couldn't get rid of her if we wanted to.
http://i32.tinypic.com/5umrf5.jpg
This is what we look out for. This eagle was at land between the lakes on the Ky/Tn border.
http://i41.tinypic.com/n4i0w8.jpg
Sunny at Horsetrough Falls Near Helen Georgia.
http://i49.tinypic.com/xqe0sj.jpg
For some reason she liked this tree, making for a beautiful shot.
http://i27.tinypic.com/312b58n.jpg
A close-up of her enjoying a mountain stream in the smokies. She actually wanted to get down in it and take a bath in the babbling brook! Ihen I brought her to the edge at a safe spot, she touched the ice cold water and would have none of it, running back up my arm to snuggle next to my neck.
Sorry for the hijack. ;)
Chip
RE: My Aliner Experience
Congrats on your new camper! BTW, what do you pull your Travellite with and what kind of MPG do you get? Yes, an Aliner is a specialty camper that is not right for most people. On the bright side, I'm sure someone will now get a good deal on a slightly used Aliner - like we did.:)
We customized ours extensively to make it suit our needs. Most Aliner owners do. We rarely use our dinette, and couch. Instead, we leave it made into a king bed which gives us very little room to move around inside, but with just the 2 of us camping we're fine with the intimacy. But frankly, what other full-featured (king bed, shower/cassette toilet, fridge/freezer, microware stove, air conditioner, etc.) hard sided camper can you pull with a 4 cyl car and get 22-25mpg towing, and still have a 30+ mpg vehicle to tour the area when unhooked? Of course if you don't travel much and can afford a big dedicated fuel hungry TV then this may not be important. For us, the great gas mileage is less important than the expense of buying, insuring, maintaining, etc. a dedicated TV. We now have over 230,000 miles on our little Chevy Cobalt (about 30k miles towing) and it still runs great, towing our 1,700lb (loaded) Aliner up and down the steepest grades at the legal speed limit (up to 75mph across Texas 2 weeks ago).
We easily live with the cramped space inside. This forces us to spend more time outside when we camp. If you like to stay inside a lot, then you would probably go stir crazy in one. If we're just over-nighting, we often don't unhook, (perfect for those 700+ mile days) like we did a couple week ago at a visitor's center, like this.
http://i56.tinypic.com/20a5hsi.jpg
If we plan on staying a while then out comes the screen room, awning and all the goodies, like this:
http://i29.tinypic.com/54twts.jpg
Different strokes for different folks. I hope your new camper suits your needs as well as our Aliner suits ours.
Chip
RE: Chalet XL1935 A frame with sofa ?
Chalet XL 1935's don't come with a sofa. However here's a couple shots of my Aliner LXE with a sofa/dinette that converts into a king sized bed. You can now get them with dormers too.
http://i55.tinypic.com/a1k9hf.jpg
DW sitting on sofa.
http://i52.tinypic.com/2q0t8gg.jpg
DW and DDog on folded out bed. I top the cushions with soft 1" memory foam (not in picture.)
http://i54.tinypic.com/2qjzxuq.jpg
Here's the kitchen with shower/cassette potty stall on the right.
Chip
RE: Question about Solar ....
If thinking about a high quality ice chest I highly recommend my Coleman Ultimate Extreme (6 day model). It will keep goodies cold for up to a week. Several days in the hot summer before more ice is needed. It will give you an extra day over the regular xtreme (5 day) models.
Chip
RE: What is your longest trip time wise and mileage
My last two trips were 111 days & 18,721 miles (2011 Trip) and 138 days & 16,255 miles (2012 Trip). Both were towing a 2011 Escape 17B with a 2010 V6 Toyota RAV4 Sport (with tow package).
That sure is a sweet rig you've got there! I doubt my Cobalt/Aliner combo could last anywhere near that many miles towing! I've got about 225,000 miles on the clock right now (maybe 18-20k towing) but I'm crossing my fingers going forward.
What kind of gas mileage does your Rav deliver towing your 17B?
ChipWhile I love the combination, I sure don't match your mileage. 25MPG highway unhooked, 15MPG towing. 33,000 miles towing & 67,000 miles on the RAV4.
I guess it's the frontal area of your camper, despite it's excellent aerodynamics. There are some folks towing Chalet XLs (basically a dirty box aerodynamically, albeit a low profile box) that tow with a Rav-6 who get in the 19-20 mpg range towing. I thought your rig might get close to these numbers. Of course I guess towing speed factors into the equation. If I keep my speed down (in the 50-55 mph range) I can indeed hit 25 mpg towing, but in the mountains or towing at 70+ mph my rig will dip down to the low 20's too. But to be honest, my Cobalt SS has been tow modified and tuned for more expensive premium gas to hit those numbers. The bottom line is it takes fuel to make the horsepower needed to pull a camper.
Chip
RE: What is your longest trip time wise and mileage
My last two trips were 111 days & 18,721 miles (2011 Trip) and 138 days & 16,255 miles (2012 Trip). Both were towing a 2011 Escape 17B with a 2010 V6 Toyota RAV4 Sport (with tow package).
That sure is a sweet rig you've got there! I doubt my Cobalt/Aliner combo could last anywhere near that many miles towing! I've got about 225,000 miles on the clock right now (maybe 18-20k towing) but I'm crossing my fingers going forward.
What kind of gas mileage does your Rav deliver towing your 17B?
Chip
RE: What is your longest trip time wise and mileage
I tow my 06 Aliner LXE (low walled model) with a 4 cyl car, getting 22-25mpg towing and 30+mpg when not. It has an inside shower/cassette toilet combo, a dinette/sofa that converts into a king sized bed, a 3 way refrig/freezer, a microwave, 3 burner stove, air conditioner, etc. I added more storage, an inverter powered TV, and many custom features. The most time I've had off work at once was 2 weeks, during which time I took a 4,000 mile trip, though I've make two 9 day, 2,500-3,500 mile trips each year. I've never had a major problem with it on the road, though like everyone, we do experience minor problems almost every trip. For example, I got a flat tire on my car last trip to the N. GA mountains and had a small leak develop in the propane hose leading from the tank to the regulator. I easily repaired it with some JB-weld and was good to go for the remainder of the trip. BTW my little 5,000 BTU factory ac will run half a day on a single tank from my 1,200 watt genny, if needed.
Here's a shot of the cassette potty/shower stall.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2movay1.jpg
Here's a shot of the galley.
http://i54.tinypic.com/2qjzxuq.jpg
One of DW on couch.
http://i55.tinypic.com/a1k9hf.jpg
TV/DVD player mounted in bubble window.
http://i52.tinypic.com/157nkzp.jpg
And one of DW, and DDog on the King bed to illustrate the room and features of this tiny camper.
http://i52.tinypic.com/2q0t8gg.jpg
And a shot of us overnighting in a roadside park in West Texas.
http://i56.tinypic.com/20a5hsi.jpg
Yep, the 30 second set-up is true, perfect for a quick roadside potty or lunch break, giving you the convenience, security, features, hard-sided comfort and insulation (both noise and temp.) of a small TT with the economy of towing a tent trailer.
No, they are not cheap, but then again they are not cheaply made either. They are the only hard-sided camper with full amenities that can be towed with a 4 cyl tow vehicle. If my particular model is too small for you there are bigger Chalets and Aliners with more floor space, higher walls, dormers, even seperate bathrooms with stand alone showers that are 6 cyl towable.
1937 Chalet with dormer and seperate bathroom.
http://i51.tinypic.com/muiy45.jpg
Larger 1935 Chalet with dormer, front kitchen and fold up shower/potty stall.
http://i54.tinypic.com/2ed8sh0.jpg
Chip
RE: Your Favorite Boondocking Pics
A fall morning in the Smoky mountains.
http://i46.tinypic.com/2l9sdmx.jpg
The road less traveled.
http://i48.tinypic.com/28s4p6p.jpg
Chip
RE: Smokin deal on Milwaukee Craigslist
Sweet deal, congrats! I'm sure you'll love it. We sure love ours! Be sure to check out both the Aliner and Chalet Yahoo forums and the Aliner owner's club.
http://alinerownersclub.org/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/alinerchaleta-frames/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/chaletcamping/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ChaletXLownersforum/
Chip
RE: 2008 Avalon or Sun Valley
How do you like to camp? Do you only camp in developed campgrounds or do you like to boondock like we do, for a more remote and private wilderness experience? We use our toilet daily and our shower every couple days.
Chip
RE: Pop-ups and Bears
I wonder if anyone has used anything like this: Bear fence
If camping often in bear country one could mount it permanently on their camper. The camper battery could power it for a very long time. All that would be required is dropping a ground rod to complete the circuit. It might make night time bathroom trips a little more interesting though if one forgets to turn it off.
Chip
RE: 2 new camp bikes arrived
Update: I recently installed one of the new 17t JT countershaft sprockets I received this week. I ordered a pair of these high-quality,Japanese sprockets off E-bay to bump the speed up a little from the stock 15t gearing my bikes came with. With the original gearing, it would easily get up to about 52 mph. In a brief test with the new 17t sprocket installed it hit an indicated 62 mph (100kph) sitting bolt upright, with the speed still climbing, before I shut it down. First gear is much more usable too. More importantly the rpm, noise and vibration level dropped significantly in the 30-40 mph range, which is where this bike will be ridden most. I'm sure I'll notice a little improvement in MPG too. Since their gas tanks holds less than a gallon, this small increase in range will be a useful improvement. For the money spent (less than $18/ea w/shipping) and ease of installation (I just slid the rear axle forward and it bolted right up) it's probably the best performance improvement for the dollar I could have made.
Chip
RE: King Bed Travel Trailer?
I have a 2006 Aliner LXE, if you are looking for a tiny, hard-sided pop-up camper that is 4 cyl towable (mid 20's mpg) with a king bed. Trailmanor makes some king bed equipped ultralight hard-sided pop-up trailers with a lot more room inside than my tiny A-frame - of course you will need a 6cyl+ to tow them (upper teen mpg).
Chip
RE: Winds 25 mph gusts 42mph plus
Though not often, I've been in some pretty high winds in my Aliner and have secured the top halves easily, simply by throwing a nylon rope from front to rear. It is secured at bumper and tongue with a pair of motorcycle tie downs. The camper can't be taken down without loosening the rope, so I know it is safe and secure when the wind blows. The biggest danger comes when trying to erect it or take it down in high winds as the winds can catch the halves and overcome the bungies to spring it outward damaging the camper. However since it erects in a few seconds I have timed setting up the roof between gusts for safety sake. Of course it can always be erected or taken down behind a wind break and towed a short distance inside the campground to your windy campsite.
Chip
RE: 2 new camp bikes arrived
I have a C70B Passport and love the tall tires on this scooter. There is a Chinese copy of this scooter too that uses the same engines as your CT70 copies. Other than running an NGK Iridium plug and replacing the tires, mine is completely stock and original after over 30 years...
I bought a C70 in 1981. I put in an 82cc bore kit, a cam from an earlier model Honda (I don't remember if it was from a cl-70 or a ct-90), and a carb off of ATC-110. I ported and polished the head and intake to match the carb, and gutted and rewelded the exhaust for a stock appearance. After I added one tooth to the countershaft sprocket it could hit 52 mph. Mine was yellow and white.
I wish I kept it. It got great gas mileage too, as long as I wasn't running it wide open.
Chip
