| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: It’s the little things! Gravel Pad for my TT!!
I did something similar. Instead of a gravel pad, I got 4 3'x3' concrete paving blocks and embedded them in the ground so that they were all level relative to one another and spaced to match the camper's tires.
https://i.imgur.com/VyYysg5l.jpg
A benefit of this is that I have a specific spot to aim for that positions my camper exactly where I want it, and more importantly, it results in a perfectly level placement. This is especially good when pre-cooling the refrigerator before a trip.
|
ADK Camper
|
11/23/20 10:10am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Schwintek slide system.
We have a Schwintek slide in our FunFinder. The mechanism has worked without incident for almost 10 years. I wouldn't describe our slide as a "superslide" though. It has a sofa in it so it is probably a little over 6' total length. We did have one issue with it that I was able to resolve myself: Under the slide are three rollers attached to the main frame of the trailer. The slide rides in and out over these rollers. One of mine was impacted with caulk during the manufacturing process, and so, did not rotate. As a result the slide skidded in and out over this immovable roller. The accumulating damage went un-noticed for a time because it was all under the trailer. When I finally discovered it there was some damage to the floor of the slide. I managed to free up the roller and repair the floor and have had no problem since.
|
ADK Camper
|
10/28/20 11:51am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Battery Monitor Install
Hey SpeakEasy, good luck with your planned installation. Because you reference a "clean" installation (a man after my own heart) may I offer some additional information that may be helpful. If you plan to install it in an interior hollow wall as I did you may be able to cut the opening using a jig saw. However, when I tried this it worked fine at the beginning, but I discovered there was a wire inside the wall that was in danger of being cut. I switched to a utility knife for the remainder of the cut. The camper walls are so thin that I actually got a nice clean cut with no difficulty. The only additional recommendation I have is that you make the hole as accurately as you can to ensure a nice snug fit. There are little plastic tabs on each end of the monitor that will compress when you insert it and hold it in place. So a sloppy fit might not hold very well.
|
ADK Camper
|
09/25/20 11:40am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Battery Monitor Install
If you are considering installing one of these monitors, here is some information that may help.
Before you begin, disconnect shore power, and disconnect your battery. You can probably access all the necessary connections in the wiring behind your converter. So if you can access that area it is the place to start.
https://i.imgur.com/eqvPgghl.jpg
This is a picture of the back side of my converter. As you can see neatness is not a priority during factory assembly! Look for a bus bar that gangs many of the negative returns from various camper accessories (lights, fans, refrigerator etc.) One of these wires will return to the battery negative terminal and so carries all the current from all the camper's electrical systems. This is the wire to disconnect and connected to the shunt. You must supply another wire (8 gauge) between the other shunt terminal and the disconnected bus terminal. It might be tricky to find the correct wire to disconnect from the bus. In my case it was the only wire from the bus that went through the floor so that's something to look for. To verify you have the correct wire disconnected, reconnect your battery and check that no 12 volt accessory works.
The positive 12 volt connection should be easier to find. At the back lower left of my converter are a red and black wire. If you remove the converter front panel you will see these are tied together at a terminal labeled +12 volts.
|
ADK Camper
|
09/17/20 08:43am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
Battery Monitor Install
I installed a battery monitor in our camper. It cost less than $20.00, and gives far more information than the OEM battery monitor. Among its various features is an alarm to indicate when the battery voltage drops below a set level.
https://i.imgur.com/X4pPmYzl.jpg
The monitor is mounted on an interior wall that is near the converter so I could access the necessary connections. It must be connected to the battery's positive terminal, and a shunt (included with the monitor) installed in series with the wire directly connected to the battery's negative terminal. The other end of the shunt also connects to the monitor. The shunt enables the it to determine the total current being supplied by the battery. I used telephone wire (remember when the phone was hardwired and bolted to the wall?) to connect the display. It requires a total of 4 light weight wires. Telephone wire is perfect because it conveniently consists of 4 color coded wires in a single cable and it only costs 19 cents a foot!
https://i.imgur.com/pUVl4D7l.jpg
The monitor displays the instantaneous battery voltage and current (amps). Form these values it calculates the instantaneous power (watts) and calculates the cumulative energy (watt-hours) used since the monitor was last reset. It has a switchable backlite to illuminate the display if needed. The picture was taken with everything OFF. The .2 amps therefore is the total of the parasitic loads (Propane/CO detector and radio).
|
ADK Camper
|
09/15/20 03:59pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: What's your battery setup on your travel trailer?
Ktmrfs said: And finally, the weakest link in most trailers isn't the battery, it's the WFCO charger which almost never will go to bulk charging mode so (1) batteries never get fully charged and (2) charging current limits to around 10A which means you can run the generator all day and not get the batteries charged. Solution is a Iota or Progressive dynamics converter.
I have found this to be true in my camper. I use an inexpensive manual battery charger to recharge my battery. Works faster than the WFCO OEM charger. But the reason for your battery discharging so quickly may be because of parasitic battery loads. If you have a Dometic fridge it may be that the door heater to control door condensation is always on. Some models have a switch to turn it off. But some models such as mine lack a switch. If yours is like mine you can install your own switch by cutting the heavier red wire inside the fridge interior light and installing a switch there. I did this and it extended the battery life by days.
|
ADK Camper
|
08/23/20 07:22pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: new RV purchase advice
Can't respond to all your questions, but for what it's worth I'll share some of my opinions. I've had a funfinder for 9 years. It's been relatively trouble free. Sounds like you're looking for a "couples camper" I suggest you Google that to get some ideas. I suggest giving priority to a walk around bed, and a sofa. If seating is limited to a dinette, I believe you'll find it uncomfortable for extended seating (think rainy day). A sofa AND dinette may be very hard to find in the size trailer you want unless you pick a floorplan with a Murphy bed. We do not have a dinette and don't find that to be a problem. We use a small gate leg table pulled up to the sofa, or sometimes we use folding chairs. Definitely insist on a slide: it will really open up your floorspace.
|
ADK Camper
|
06/10/20 08:29pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: cruiser MPG 2550RB
Just a thought on that layout if you like to watch the tv at all. That layout doesn’t have any comfortable positions to see it from. The sofa would be most comfortable but it’s at a 90 degree angle. Booth dinette seats aren’t usually comfortable and are also at an angle.
The TV may be attached with an articulated mount so that it can be pulled forward and turned towards the sofa. So comfortable viewing may not be a problem.
We have a 2011 FunFinder 210WBS. It's been a good camper with no significant problems. We're very satisfied with it.
I agree that this is a very nice floorplan. The dual bathroom sinks is a luxurious touch, but I wonder if it's practical. Is the room really big enough to accommodate two adults?
Slide out mounted refrigerators are somewhat less efficient because they vent through the sidewall rather than through the roof. Some are equiped with a fan to improve ventilation, but if boondocking battery drain may become an issue.
About the mattress. Most camper mattresses are of mediocre quality at best. Rather than replacing it try a memory foam topper. You need not buy one specifically for an RV; buy one anywhere and if necessary cut it to fit the campers mattress size.
|
ADK Camper
|
02/04/20 10:12am |
Travel Trailers
|
