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RE: OEM brake controller, where have you been all my life?
Yes, OEM controllers are great. They sure simplify things and that is a fact. But, my Toyota came with a piece of.......well, a not so good one. Bought an '08 Tundra and had to add a Prodigy proportional controller. It worked very well.
Got a new '17 Tundra with built in controller and found out it was a timed controller! They called it a "solid state" controller. It was terrible. Wouldn't help in a panic stop and would lock up at slow speeds. They said I needed to adjust it. I told them that every other manufacturer were installing proportional units and that they should get on board. They didn't want to listen.
I do love my Toyota, that issue aside. It runs and runs and runs and is a good truck for my situation. The brake controller is their weak spot. Hopefully the newer ones have been corrected.
My solution was to find an adapter so that I could mount my Prodigy in the dash. Things are good once again for me.
If you need a "new" Toyota controller, I have one in a box in my basement.
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aftermath
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08/23/19 08:03am |
Towing
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RE: Tires
I just looked at the KZ website and didn't find a "Sportsman" that was 28 ft. long. Most likely, you have an older one. That said I noticed that the weights for those close to 28 ft and above started at 6K and went into the 7000 pound range quickly.
If you are running a 14 inch LRC tire I think you need to upgrade a bit. My trailer runs down the road very close to 6,500 lbs. I had the earlier Marathons that I inherited when I bought used. Got rid of them after the first year, 4th on the trailer because I had some noticeable bumps on the tread surfaces of two of them. Got some Maxxis and were happy with them but I did have to have them balanced a few times. I now am running the Carlisle HD with a load range E rating. These are also rated at 80 mph on the highway which gives me a nice 15mph cushion not to mention a very nice weight cushion.
I have had them 3 years now and have just about 17K miles on them. They still hold air too. Fill them up in the spring and might add a few pounds in the fall. Great tires....so far.
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aftermath
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08/22/19 10:12pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Replacing all my bulbs with LEDs
I was also concerned about the blue/white of some LED bulbs. Never liked the gymnasium look. I also heard about some electronic interference issues with some bulbs. I went to LED4RV and got great advice and products. Get dollar bulbs and take your chances. I suppose you can buy cheap and if you like them you will save a ton of money. Even when they burn out you can replace them and still be ahead. I just don't like all the fuss.
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aftermath
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08/03/19 09:25pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: MN new laws August 1st
I am not going negative here. We need laws because people can be, and often are, really poor drivers. That said, I have found the drivers in Oregon, particular those driving I84 in and near Portland to be particularly decent and polite. Trying to negotiate 84 as you near I205 heading into Vancouver in and around rush hour is quite a chore expecially when I am towing my trailer. I am always allowed to merge and drivers there have always been polite to me.
Back to the rant. Washington and particularly Spokane are quick to make laws and then ignore the enforcement of them. Left lane drivers, people using cell phones, bicycle helmet laws and speeding. I like them but nobody follows them. What is the point?
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aftermath
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08/01/19 09:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Are Airstreams low maintenance?
I have an Airstream. Purchased it used back in '09. Low Maintenance, I don't think so but then I consider maintenance as something you need to do regularly to keep everything looking good and running well.
Yes it has "protected" aluminum skin but you still need to wash and wax it. Your cars and trucks have nicely painted skins and you still need to take care of them. Folks today look for low maintenance so they basically think they don't have to do any maintenance. Vinyl siding is a good example, as are plastic fences.
I owned a white box trailer and the outsides both required much the same attention. What I have found is the the insides, the doors, the drawers, the faucets, the cabinets all require much less "fixing". The exteriors have seams that need to be watched and caulked when needed. The finish on the aluminum is not bullet proof. I have had birds with bad diets deposit stuff on the trailer that has eaten through the clear coat. This is not an easy fix.
So, when you consider everything, Airstreams are not maintenance free. Less perhaps, but that will come back to what kind of owner you are.
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aftermath
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08/01/19 08:37am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Weight distribution systems, which one is best?
If a Equalizer or Blue Ox hitch is too expensive for the OP, there is no chance that he will consider a Hensley or Propride.
In addition to the Equalizer and Blue Ox, there is also the OG of integrated sway control hitches, the Reese Dual Cam.
If this is true then my only recommendation would be to get a hitch with BUILT IN sway control. I never liked the idea of adding the bars. How many do you put on? How tight do you adjust them? What about backing up? I know that many out there use them and have had no trouble with them. I personally would be asking myself too many questions.
I have and Equalizer and have used them over the last 15 years without an issue. The Airstream forum pushes the HA and PP. They are the best I am told. I am happy with my Equalizer and have never had an issue. I don't like the big cost of those hitches and the challenge of hooking up. Experienced users say they get onto to it with a little practice. I watched a guy try to back up onto the stinger. It wasn't an easy exercise.
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aftermath
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07/23/19 10:01pm |
Towing
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RE: Tariffs trip up the all-American RV industry
WalMart did NOT do anything but provide products that people wanted at the price they wanted to pay.
Don't think anyone has been forced to shop at WalMart. Personally don't care to shop there.
And here it is, the truth. Go back and read through this thread. It starts off with mentioning that tariffs are hurting the RV industry. Actually they are hurting more than just this one industry as examples flowed. Then the believer jumps saying that he is willing to pay such a small sum if it will bring China down. China is the bad guy here and the reason why the tariffs came about in the first place.
Then we end with this statement. You simply cannot ask for China's head and then load up the rig and take the family to a Walmart. Yeah, you hate China but you support them at the same time. Where is the logic here?
I never knew that Walmart has actually saved small towns. That was a revelation.
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aftermath
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07/19/19 12:08pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Tariffs trip up the all-American RV industry
Americans are a very interesting and quite complicated group. We wave the flag and chant, Buy American, but we turn out by the millions to support stores like Walmart who import the majority of their products from other nations, China being one of them. We are driven by low costs and will do anything to save a buck but, many of us will support the tariffs because somehow, magically, it will drive these wicked countries to their knees. At the same time the tariffs will increase costs to the consumers.
Keep in mind that a tariff is a self imposed tax on the consumer. How much will a 25% tariff cost you. The debate goes on and you have heard some of that here. I am not an economist but to say that a 25% tariff will only raise costs 2.5% is a bit of a stretch in my mind. The extent of this impact is yet to be felt because of available inventory but when that is gone, the new costs for the new goods will start to rise. The question is how much are you willing to pay?
Take a look at the soy bean farmers. A huge tariff placed by our country has dramatically hurt these people. The answer was for our government to come up with something like $12 billion for a bailout. A self imposed tax that will hurt all of us, farmers and tax payers alike.
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aftermath
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07/18/19 04:36pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Which comes first, the trailer or the hitch system?
This is a hot topic. There are many different brands out there and understandably, many different opinions too.
My only real suggestion is to avoid any system that requires an add on friction sway control device. Yes, these work but I choose not to get involved with an added complication when it comes to hooking up. Get an all in one, and there are many to choose from.
I am an Equalizer fan but there are others out there that will do the job as well as mine. Way back when I first got involved, I did not like the idea of snapping chains to engage the hitch. Things are better now so I am not sure that is still an issue. I like the easy of hooking and unhooking my Equalizer. I have over 60k miles on two different trailers and have never had a problem hooking or unhooking either one. I have mine tuned in nicely, have greased the hitch points and have little to no noise. And, more importantly, have never had a sway issue in all the miles and conditions I have towed.
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aftermath
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07/16/19 09:51pm |
Towing
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RE: Bad taste/smell to fresh water
What Grit Dog said,
I sanitize my tank each year and drink the water! Yeah, I really do and neither I nor any of my family have had to go to the hospital. Imagine that. There have been a few occasions over my 30 years of camping out of a trailer where we did get a strong sulfur odor. This, I am convinced is from the water we loaded on while away. Once it was so bad we had to go out and buy water but that was the only time.
Use the bleach method to sanitize your system. It is important as others have mentioned that you get this solution in all of the lines. If you have introduced the bad water into your HW tank I suggest you drain it and fill it with the bleach solution too. Get them all, outside shower, spray nozzle at the sink, get them all.
You really can't over do the bleach. If you use a weaker solution you will have to let is sit longer. I use 1 cup in my 30 gallon tank and let is sit for 3 hours or longer.
Good luck. Let us know how you fixed this issue. We all would like to hear.
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aftermath
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07/07/19 04:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: (update bought Hankook tires)
just me, I,d never buy a carlisle tire for anything but a lawn mower. there junk period. p,s are the way to go ,
You hear a lot of this kind of "reasoning" along with the "china bombs" attacks. Just because a tire was poor many years ago it doesn't always follow that they will always be poor. I had a new hybrid trailer and lost a Carlisle tire to a blowout. I fought the company and they agreed to cover my cost of replacing 5 tires. I had to sign an agreement where I wouldn't trash the company. I have since changed trailers and had trouble with my Goodyear Marathons that were made in America. I replaced them with a set of Maxxis, that are not made in America, and they were great tires. Replacement time came and my dealer talked me into the new Carlisles. Told me that they were a new design and that the performance record was very good and that they stood behind them. I am on my third year and they are the best I have ever had. They have a speed rating of 80, run smoothly, haven't overheated and maintain air pressure. So, stay informed, continue to research and make the best decision for your situation. Closing the door on a product might not always be the best way to go. Things change.
The Marathons were problematic but mine were made in the US. That alone does not make a tire better. Maxxis are not made in the US and they continue to have great reviews. It is not the country where they are made, it is the attitude of the company who makes them. Usually, I will concede, moving to China is a cost cutting thing. If the company only wants to make money it will end there. Quality control can be maintained overseas as easily as it is done here. Keep an open mind and research.
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aftermath
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07/07/19 04:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Camping World about to go under??
This is an interesting thread. Bass Pro purchased Cabella's a year or so ago. It should be no surprise that their prices are lining up.
I prefer to shop locally but am not a fool when it comes to paying inflated prices. Whenever they say something is "on sale" they usually inflate the regular price, then drop it for their sale. Many times you end up paying more than if you shopped around.
Which brings up the internet and buying on line. I use the internet to check prices mainly. If there are things I can't get locally then I will buy on line but I feel that I need to support the locals whenever I can.
Someone said that CW is like Walmart. Well, not in my area. They use the typical ploy of offering very high prices and then have the gall to say you can save 10% if you are a member. I have read many stories about how the sales division of CW regularly play their customers by adding on fees for unwarranted services.
Which, gets me back to the OP. CW is a big company and wants to get bigger. A monopoly has a real advantage. They are in the act of hooking up with Gander Outdoors/RVs and my guess is that you will see many of the stores keep their original names. CW will not disappear as Gander will maintain many of their stores. That way, a person looking to purchase an RV who might have a problem with CW will just go over to Gander and buy one, not knowing that they are all the same corporation. Just like Bass Pro and Cabella's today.
So, buyer beware. Big business makes a lot of money off the ingnorant customer. It is the American way after all.
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aftermath
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07/05/19 08:25am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: WDH
That would be my suggestion. You say "a little more nose down", does that mean when empty your trailer is nose down? I would see if I could get it level.
Lets go with the 40 gallon tank. Full it would weight 320 pounds but you say you usually travel with it half full. So, the difference you are adding is 160 pounds. Unless these 160 lbs are sitting directly on the tongue, they shouldn't make that much of a difference.
I say adjust the hitch. If you can't do that then move some of your existing weight to behind the axle.
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aftermath
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06/25/19 08:22am |
Towing
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RE: Dish Tail gater walk away ?
Our tailgater was installed on our roof. Now it is sitting on the garage floor.It worked and then it was a pain in the butt. Chevman
Help me here. Why is it now a "pain in the butt"? Does it no longer work? Did it not work on the roof and you had to move it to the floor? Is the "pain" caused by trying to secure it? The OP wanted to know how to secure one of these things.
My cousin moves his up to the roof of his trailer each time he sets up. It is not an easy thing to walk away with now but it is a "pain" to set up each time. He also uses this same antenna on his camper so it has to remain mobile.
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aftermath
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06/25/19 08:16am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Survey-- City Water vs pump
I hooked up once 7 years ago. Then I had an issue with the valve so I just capped off the city water line. I use my tank and pump. I shut off the pump at night or when I leave the camper.
Did you try to fix the valve?
I really like having the option of either tank or hook up. We do plenty of dry camping so the tank comes in handy. We usually turn off the pump when we leave. Have heard horror stories of something breaking or coming loose while people are away and return to a flooded trailer.
When we have hookups I always use the campground water. I prefer this because it is much more quiet, our pump is not silent. There have been a very few instances where the campground water was not the best so the tank would be better but that is not worth all the hassle of towing all the weight around. I have a pressure reducer and I try to turn off the water at the faucet when we leave. Truth be told, I often forget.
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aftermath
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06/25/19 08:08am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What can I do with/expect from a generator?
That's an interesting link, over my head a lot of it... I have left our rig plugged into a 110 socket for months at a time. It runs the fridge and LED lights and in the winter the furnace on subfreezing nights, maybe 20 nights per year. Battery panel always says fully charged but I've never tried to look in closer detail. I've also never, gulp, checked the water level. Have had rig almost two years. I'll try to figure that out today.
We are building a true 30 and 50 amp hookup this summer.
When I first read this I interpreted "for months at a time" as basically meaning always hooked up. Before I did any winter camping I would have those batteries checked. Here is what happened to me. We bought our trailer used and the PO left it plugged in all the time. The converter was constantly overcharging the batteries and they were shot. When we looked at it, everything was working just fine and the monitor showed fully charged batteries. On the way home we stayed overnight and plugged it in. On our first dry camping trial it all came home, we had two bad batteries and a bad converter too. As long as you are hooked up your batteries will always show full charge. Unplug the trailer and wait a few hours and then check them.
So, to charge batteries you don't need a big generator but you do need a good converter and two good batteries. We have a Honda 2000 and a few hours a day works for us.
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aftermath
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06/25/19 07:59am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Cleaning Canvas
Chuck, I applaud you for trying to get this trailer looking great. Cleaning tent trailers and hybrids is really important as a clean canvas will last longer and remain water proof PROVIDED you don't use some kind of cleaner that will damage it.
The rubbing alcohol sounds like a good option but I would caution you to be very careful. Check with the manufacturer and see what they say. If you can't do that carefully test a small patch before you go crazy. This is all common sense so I apologize if I somehow insulted you. Sometimes good intentions do go astray.
We had a hybrid for about 5 years and still am amazed at how open and spacious it was. I did get some gizmos but only used them when we camped in very cold conditions. My bunk ends were clean when we sold it. I used basic car wash soap with a soft brush. That worked for me. I did remove some very small spots of tree sap using a bug and tar remover formulated for car finishes.
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aftermath
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06/23/19 09:53am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Is this forum dead, wow
I got out of tent trailer life years ago but continue to check this forum out of interest. I have also noticed a diminished number of postings. I believe that part of this is the fact, perhaps, that there are fewer pop ups on the road these days. When we had one we would see many on the roads, some just like ours. Now we look and still see them but the numbers are down. What we see these days are the very large trailers and fifth wheels.
Facebook has changed things for sure but I continue to refuse to go there. There have always been rude posters and they will continue to muck things up with their attitude but most of us can get through them. I would hate to see any forum disappear. Hopefully, even if the numbers decline, we will be able to read about this great classification of RVs. Long live the tent trailer!
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aftermath
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06/23/19 09:45am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: New 2020 Rockwood Premier 2716g, ready for camping
Mike, very nice pop up. When it comes do doing things "easier" there are lots of ways to look at that. I had a pop up that our girls grew up in. We had it for 17 years, moved up (?) to a hybrid and now have a regular trailer. I found our old pop up on Craigslist and bought it back about 3 years ago, fixed it up and turned it over to our youngest daughter. I love that trailer.
Each move we made created issues for us. Things got easier for us in that we did far less packing before trips. All of the dishes, bedding and cooking utensils remained in the trailer. The refrigerator was a huge step up because I no longer had to pack heavy ice boxes out to the trailer. But, things did get harder for us in that access to some of our old places became much more difficult if not impossible. Storage of the trailer was harder, towing more complicated but the care of the trailer, while it did change, was not any more time consuming that what I put into the pop up.
Setting up my current trailer actually takes much less time. Back it in, level it, unhook and you are basically done. I guess it comes down to your point of view. What is really important is that you enjoy whatever kind of unit you are using. I still miss the pop up especially when I have to put up a tent now at my favorite fishing spot because I can't get the trailer in.
Your trailer looks great. I would love to have had something as nice as this all those years ago. Looks like you made a good decision. Enjoy every minute using it.
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aftermath
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06/23/19 09:36am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Refrigerator not working Norcold N611
Thanks for checking back in. These things happen but usually when you are out on the road. Glad it will be ready to go for you soon.
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aftermath
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06/22/19 08:09am |
Travel Trailers
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