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RE: Bathroom tips - water everywhere
This would require replumbing, but isn't going to drip all over the floor. The plumbing is all behind the enclosure, though, so you can route it in slots in the wall rather than inside the wall.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/UGQMJ-IMG_0351.JPG width=480
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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12/01/08 05:01am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: locking wheel chocks
I tried the BAL tandem wheel locks but they wouldn't fit between the tires of my Roo 23SS. Glad they didn't, the Roto Chocks are superior in ease of installation (no tools, not even "furnished tools") and they're made of non rusting stainless steel, glass reinforced nylon, and nylon strapping.
They're made in several sizes. Measure between the tires.
Shown with Level Air Bags on my sloped driveway.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/77299211-2008_10_04_0393_S.jpg width=640
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/30/08 11:56am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Bathroom tips - water everywhere
during showers water runs down the hose and drips all over between the shower basin and vanity
Assuming no leaks run the hose up higher than the head. Water from the head won't run up hill.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/30/08 11:50am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Cold weather sleeping
Two Group 24s ought to give you 110 useful amp hours. For a pair of 12v batteries sum the RC of the two batteries and divide by 2.4 for useful amphours.
If you're dry camping a lot look at the T125s when replacement time comes as they have the same footprint as Group 24 but are an inch or inch and a half taller. Our winch handle clears.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/IMG_0964.JPG width=640
Since we planned to dry camp a lot (more than we have) I have an Trimetric 2020 amphour meter (purchased from Backwoods Solar -- see the link on the first page) in the trailer to keep track of what's left in the battery. The perfect gift for the battery "junkie."
Here indicating 68% charge remaining and 12.3 volts after 5 months winter storage with the battery switched off for the winter.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/56627579-IMG_0706.JPG width=640
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/13116794-IMG_0705.JPG width=640
Keeps track of our battery very closely with dry camping.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/28/08 02:18pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Cold weather sleeping
A good battery set is required to run the furnce as it pulls 4 amps while running and a small, dealer furnished Group 24 battery only supplies about 55 useful amphours, or 13 or so furnace hours at this amperage draw. And that assumes no other 12v use such as such luxuries as the water pump and lights!
You'll get 20+ hours of flame time from a full lp bottle, but will run out of battery power long before that time.
The nice 12v mattress pads sold by Backwoods Solar use about 5 amps each and if you're using both beds will quickly deplete a battery.
I put a pair of Trojan T125 batteries on the tongue to ensure I could run my furnace on "dry" campsites.
Both US and Canadian Forces have extreme cold weather sleeping bag sets. The US versions are frequently for sale in new or near new condition. The US version is three parts plus a storage bag. Two sleeping bags that are used separately as the temperature dictates, or together, one inside the other, when it gets real cold, and a weather resistant cover is stylish woodland camouglage.
http://store.colemans.com/cart/images/3093.jpg
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/28/08 08:27am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: refrigerator lights
The gas light is probably lit because the refrigerator is set to run on LP. ;)
It can't do this if the LP valve is turned off, but the refrigerator only reacts to the switch settings. If set to LP it stays in that mode, LP available, or not.
Set it to AUTO or Electric. I think the Mode button toggles between AUTO, LP, and Electric.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/24/08 06:52pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: HTT Wardrobe Improvement
Looks good to me!
I like the direct access to the water heater as well.
-- Chuck
http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq281/ts21sso/AbbiDinnerschool005.jpg width=640
http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq281/ts21sso/AbbiDinnerschool009.jpg height=640
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Chuck_S
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11/21/08 02:27pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: HTT Wardrobe Improvement
OK, just an AFTER photo will be fine! The other Travelstar 21SSO owners will (hopefully) figure it out. ;)
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/20/08 08:37am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: HTT Wardrobe Improvement
You realize it's your duty to take before and after photos, right!...
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/16/08 07:13am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Another season ends...
Not an improper question at all!
$330 for the season, November to April. Five months. $66/month to be snug and indoors.
My outdoor storage (no room for the camper at home) runs $55/month here in metro-Cleveland, so the "net cost" of indoor storage is only $11/month over what I already pay. I'd put her in the barn regardless, though, over leaving her outdoors all winter in our weather.
My sister-in-law lives up in Thornton and when we visited a couple of Thanksgivings ago I saw an old Class C motor home in their driveway. It was maybe two years old, the high altitude sun had bleached the external graphics extensively. They built a barn on the back of their property with a workshop, etc., and keep their camper under cover all the time now. I ain't got their money! :(
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/16/08 07:10am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Mid-March Camping......Advisable??
We've camped in mid-April in places like Gettysburg. Maybe we've been lucky but we've never had a hard freeze. We only run the furnace when we're in the trailer and we're seldom inside during the day. Regardless, 40 pounds of propane is good for 40 hours of flame time on the furnace so that's not an issue.
Unless you have electricity (or a genset) on site the issue is battery power as the furnace uses 4 amps and the typical Group 24 battery only has 55 useful amp hours, or less than one tank of propane of power. (UAH=RC/2.4 -- a rule of thumb that works well in campers and boats of this size). We have a dual Trojan T125 6v battery set just for the ability to camp literally anywhere in most weather. There are some little, out of the way state parks we've used that are very nice -- but no facilities other than pit latrines. Since fitting the dual 6v set we've not needed the genset. Yeah, we rough it without the microwave and make cofee in the Melita, not Mr. Coffee!
We have the heated waste tanks but have never used them other than confirm they work.
There should be some on-line almanacs that indicate weather trends for your proposed area for the month of April and long range weather forecasts (up to two weeks) are available.
One of the worst sunburns I ever experienced was early April camping a few years ago. Bright, clear, warm weekend and not a leaf on the trees here in Ohio. Never could get out of the sun and who brings sunscreen camping in April?! I do -- now! :)
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/15/08 05:43am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Is an extended warranty a good purchase?
Why do folks ask advice about things like this after they're purchased them? The near-universal response is these are profit packs for the dealer and of little value to the purchaser.
At least this is of fairly low cost compared to the folks who buy new minivans or pseudo SUVs and want to tow trailers with them. :(
And don't forget the timeshare campground memberships.
I always feel like the bad guy when I answer these post-purchase questions...
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/14/08 04:57am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Newbie needs some help
As Honda points out in their chart the maximum towing capacity is really only with the vehicle empty, or in Honda's chart just a driver and one passenger. However it still remains in the 4300 range with your family on board and the trailer maxes out at 3500. You can safely pull this trailer as you can pull 100% of the rating.
You will need a Weight Distribution Hitch. Based on personal experience I recommend the 600/6000 pound Equalizer. $439 delivered to your front door. You'll need a ball for it and a good socket set to assemble it. Follow the very detailed instructions. This includes sway control.
Problems may occur when you start adding the extra battery and almost certainly with your fleet of bicycles.
Two 6v batteries will add about 60 pounds to your tongue weight. That's what we experienced on our Roo 23SS with two. The WDH will handle this, though.
Carrying five bicycles along with the trailer and other stuff will be severely taxing as they'll probably add another 500 pounds to the load.
Not knowing your popup, but based on the above I expect you're very close to overloading the Pilot right now.
I would not do this (but I'd never have bought a Pilot to tow anything in the first place, sorry). The weak point is the automatic transmission. Over-heating it will kill it. HD Tow packages routinely include an auxillary transmission radiator. I'd want one on the Pilot. I'd also want a transmission temperature gage. Larger engine radiator is another common HD Tow feature. In your case I'd want an engine coolant gage as well. The aux trans radiator and gages are common parts. (I have no idea how you're going to mount a front bicycle rack, there's no frame to mount it to I'm aware of.)
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/14/08 04:49am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Roo 17
Point the lever to the primary tank. When that tank runs dry the automatic changeover valve will -- wait for it! ;) -- automatically changeover to the other tank.
The valve indicator will changeover from a green to red flag in the little bubble window on top to alert you that the primary tank (tank pointed to by the lever) is empty. No need to change the lever until you replace the empty tank with a full one.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/13/08 09:57am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Roo 17
It's SAE and in my standard socket set so I'm guessing 1-1/6" -- and since you've already tried 1" and 1-1/8". :)
I've been leaving my fully charged battery on the tongue the past two winters and did so again last week. It's critical to disconnect the battery, even between camping trips. The past two springs the battey has been at 12.3v and an indicated 68% charge.
Won't hurt to bring it into the garage and give it a charge every month.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 08:19pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Jayco 23 B owners?
My yard neighbor is selling his Jayco 23B in the spring. He states it's because of the U-dinette and the need to crawl over it to use the larger front bed. Not so much as getting in as out. He and his wife are very slim and trim so it's not that.
After crawling over a bench seat in my popup to use one bed I had "no crawling over anything to get into bed" at the top of our hybrid priority list.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 01:00pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Measurement for Atwood power jack install on 23SS
Best I can do. Lots of clearance for the Ultra Fab 3500. Not as tall as the propane bottle cover.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/IMG_0717.JPG width=640
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 12:52pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Roo 17
Takes one (1) gallon for my Roo 23SS. I doubt you'll need more.
This is gonna sound complicated but I doubt takes 15 minutes.
For starters I bypass and drain the water heater, drain the fresh water tank, and run the pump until it just sucks air. Anti-freeze should never go in either of these. If you pour it in the freshwater tank to pump thru the system you'll dilute it severely.
I remove the water filter (anti freeze will ruin it -- don't ask how I know this!) and fill the canister with something to avoid using a quart just to fill it. (I now have a bypass but it's a PITA to install.)
I then blow the water out of the system thru every faucet, shower, and the toilet. A portable air tank will do this, but it's a great excuse to buy a $100 compressor at sears for keeping the trailer tires at 50psi, your wife's car, and the kids bicycles up to pressure.
At this point all the water is gone. To make sure there's nothing to freeze inside I pump RV antifreeze right out of the bottle and let it run thru every faucet, shower, and the toilet. You can just connect a short hose to the water pump inlet or buy a nice little Tee-valve to do this. Just need enough to get there, no need to run much thru it. As noted, one (1) bottle does this for my trailer. It's cheap at Walmart, though, so buy 2 bottles just in case.
At this point the system is doubly empty of water.
Since tasteless RV antifreeze ain't tastless I then blow the antifreeze out of the system. Certainly a redundant blow-pump-blow procedure but it never freezes and the water remains drinkable all next season.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/310581879-2008_10_04_0397_S.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/492710194-2008_10_11_0408_S.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/892154/22123851-2008_10_11_0410_S.jpg
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 07:32am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: 19' Shamrock, buy used or new???
A brand new, fully equipped 2009 Roo 19, the twin of the Shamrock 19, is $13,167 if you're willing to take a day's drive to Ohio. What's the price on the used trailer?
Gas is under two bucks a gallon here right now and the new Roo 19 is in stock at RVWholesalers, a long day's drive from you. I figure 100 gallons of mogas will get you up and back. Gotta put aside 3 or 4 days, though. Day up, day there, day back.
Or use the $13K price as a hammer on the "local dealer."
$10K is about right for a 2007 Roo 17, but I'd sure pay the extra $3000 for a '09. For on thing they're a full 8' wide, not 7-1/2' and that's a major difference in interior space especially in a 19-footer.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 05:40am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Roo 17
I just pulled our tanks last weekend (fairgrounds storage requirement). One tank was stil full. The other had 4# in it. Complete camping season. But no severe weather.
I'm betting NJ's tanks weren't filled.
The BAL leveler requires good grease on the threads. I think the Pop Up Explorer site's store has a "pizza bag" designed to hold this and keep the grease off everything.
-- Chuck
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Chuck_S
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11/12/08 05:25am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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