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RE: Air shocks?
I don't have a Sienna, but my Odyssey isn't all that much different.
I used to tow a Fleetwood Taos. Little 8 foot box, 1,700# soaking wet, 220# tongue weight. I towed it with no wdh and had pretty bad sag once I loaded up the van with people and stuff. Traded up to a much bigger Sun Valley (12 foot box, 2,700# loaded) and installed a REESE 350 mini wdh unit. This wdh is made especially for popups and light duty tow vehicles like minivans. It is based on dual bars which ride on a friction pad to produce BOTH wdh and sway control (similar to the Equalizer brand). The bar gage is light enough to make it unlikely that you can damage even C channel popup frames (versus using a heavier wdh with few chain links set).
Towing the bigger, heavier SV is MUCH better than the Taos was entirely due to the benefits of the wdh.
You will hear guys who tell you you don't need it. But I doubt you'll EVER hear from a guy who GOT one, used it and STILL says you don't need it. It's THAT much better. Ask your dealer to get you a Reese 350mini installed it for $350. That's no profit for him, but he's already made his profit on you. Now he owes you a decent setup.
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Guest
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11/26/08 02:39pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Tow Vehicle as Gen Set??
I took a totally different tack which works very well for us since our actual power demands are small. Our popup will run for 4 days on a ful G27 deep cycle charge, including moderate night furnace, water pump and very little lights use.
I replaced the starting battery on our van with a dual cycle marine battery of similar CCA and decent Reserve Capacity. This type of battery has more lead than typical starting batteries and can take modest discharges (50% or so) without real damage.
If I'm going to camp in one place for 7 nights (the max we've ever stayed in a single boondock place), I run off the TV battery the first night, for the next day, I switch to pup battery and we always end up sightseeing enough in the van in 2 days to fully charge the TV battery again. So night 3 is on the TV battery again.
As I only do this for one long trip a year, the burden on the TV battery isn't too harsh.
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Guest
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11/25/08 03:55pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Glacier National Park - where to stay?
We stayed last summer in the St. Mary KOA for 2 nights and in the Many Glacier CG inside the park for 7 nights. (KOA took reservations offered laundry and had power to give me a good charge going into my looong battery endurance trial)
No comparison. The KOA is fairly clean, well run and organized. But it's a very conventional KOA with crammed sites, loud people everywhere and no privacy whatsoever.
At Many Glacier, we got a site where our camper blocked all neighboring sites from sight, had shade much of the day and were a reasonable walk to the Swiftcurrent shower house.
IMO, the superiority of the Many Glacier environment was WELL worth the need to be hyper stingy on power use. You just have to camp there instead of RV.
In the Black Hills consider the Rafter J Bar Ranch. Possibly the nicest full hookup RV park west of Disney World. Especially the upper Ranch Camp sites on the perimeter.
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Guest
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11/25/08 03:06pm |
Family Camping
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RE: Adopting two tomorrow, you could too!
Wow, great topic. We concluded conventional adoption was WAY out of our price range, but haven't much thought out foster parenting. Now that own youngest is into toddler years perhaps we might be ready for such an adventure.
I know each state is different, but did you find that the foster care stipend actually covered the costs incurred or does the state lean on foster folks to essentially subsidize those costs?
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Guest
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11/25/08 02:55pm |
Family Camping
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RE: Newbie trailer/towing questions
You don't need a small popup, just avoid the huge highwall models. Your Pilot is rated higher in GCVWR than my Odyssey is and we had no trouble taking our family of 5 and 2,700# loaded Fleetwood Sun Valley popup from Chicagoland to Glacier NP and back this summer. The SV is a 12 foot box listed as 2,000# dry (my year). Our loaded (no bikes or trailer AC) combined weight on this trip was 7,940# (CAT scale). That's just a few hundred pounds under the GCVWR of 8,265#. No issues - and the van had 110,000 miles on it - and we've been towing with it since it was a year old. Towing has NOT resulted in any powertrain issues and we had plenty of power even on 8% mountain grades.
You'd be fine with any low wall 12 foot box popup, but might want to leave the bikes at home for really long trips. The extra wind drag would have you downshifting a lot.
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Guest
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11/25/08 07:45am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: mileage?
10 is the universal number people cite as a target for pulling a TT with a stock (i.e. no crazy mods) half ton gasser.
Which is why I always come along and gloat about my 18-19 pulling a midsized popup with a minivan (at 65 mph too). Did I mention 24-25 when not towing? This was a major factor for usin choosing a camper.
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Guest
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11/24/08 05:24pm |
Towing
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RE: TV vs PUP
Depending on the PUP your visability may not be much better as they can almost be as tall as the TV.
A highwall popup has ZERO visibility advantage compared to a TT - unless you are towing with a monster truck.
Stick with a conventional popup with no air conditioner if seeing over the top in the rear view mirror is your goal.
I totally agree. The PUP will have enough of a lower profile, compared to at TT, to benefit your gas mileage when towing, but visibility to the rear will be limited with any but the smallest PUPs. If you want a toilet & shower, you will be looking at the newer, somewhat taller models (a highwall may not be necessary, but only the larger PUPs have the full bathroom).
Raising your vehicle to Bigfoot height isn't the answer either, as that would make the TV inherently unstable. As long as you have good trailer mirrors (you can buy add-ons if your TV doesn't have good ones), you can learn to use them, and you learn to drive making allowances for the extra length of the trailer, etc. In crowded conditions on urban-area interstates, we've learned to just stay to the right and let all those aggressive drivers just go on by.
No, you go way beyond what I was saying. A Utah (12 foot box w/ front trunk) is hardly the smallest of pups. Until the highwalls came out, it was among the biggest! Any minivan will be able to see over nearly any low wall PU as long as it has no AC. We see over our Sun Valley just fine with our Honda van - no monster tires!
It IS very nice to have a functional rear view mirror.
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Guest
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11/21/08 08:45am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: GM Oil Life System
Love it on the CTS. With Mobil 1 and 5 quarts (required for that car and the OLM is calibrated for it), mine doesn't come on for about 10,000 miles - and I NEVER get that car out of Chicago metro area. I wonder how long it would go in lots of freeway cruising?
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Guest
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11/20/08 03:44pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: well that ain't camping
If it is taking you 2 hours to put up and take down your popup, perhaps you are bringing too many "conveniences."
IMO, if they take that long to setup, they aren't convenient and I don't have 'em. No: outdoor carpet, tikis, bikes, screen rooms, deluxe kitchen (OK, I have a stove), gensets, TV (much less cable/sat), flagpole, tacky lights, flamingos, etc. I don't even use the awning unless its hot/sunny or drizzling.
I might feel differently if I had the ability to get out more than 20 nights a year....
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Guest
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11/20/08 03:41pm |
Family Camping
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RE: TV vs PUP
A highwall popup has ZERO visibility advantage compared to a TT - unless you are towing with a monster truck.
Stick with a conventional popup with no air conditioner if seeing over the top in the rear view mirror is your goal. Best of this class is probably the Coleman/Fleetwood Utah. 12 foot box, plus 2 foot front trunk, slideout dinette and 1,000# rated bunkends.
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Guest
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11/18/08 07:50am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Smartest thing you DIDN'T buy??
An RV too big to pull with our family minivan.
Still loving 19 mpg towing our popup! ;)
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Guest
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11/14/08 11:32am |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Cost of equipping a vehicle?
The Sienna already has all the tranny cooling needed for its 3,500# tow rating. The missing engine oil cooler is a bummer, but you'd probably be fine if you run Mobil 1 synthetic oil instead of generic. Bonus, it's easily good for 7,500 miles on an oil change!
Make sure you get the electric brakes wired properly with a good controller. Tekonsha Prodigy is still the best. Do you need the best? No. Do you like jerky stopping? If not, get the best.
You'll need weight distributing hitch. Ask for a Reese 400 single bar unit. Easy to engage and plenty of capacity. Otherwise your hitch will hit the ground on every good bump!
Good luck!
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Guest
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11/14/08 10:31am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Cost of equipping a vehicle?
Not to be a party pooper, but does the 08 Sienna have the factory tow prep package? Check out Siennaclub.org for details. Toyota mucked up the 08's and left off an engine oil cooler (not ATF cooler) on vans sold without the tow prep package. Word is that a retrofit isn't easy or cheap.
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Guest
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11/12/08 04:31pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: And in other news....Peco no longer sells starcraft pups
Of course some of us note that a maker that sells more popups than most of the other brands combined, it is no surprise that brand also sees more complaints on websites. Mike never owned one.
Track his posts and he seems a lot less satisfied about his Starcraft then when comparisons to Fleetwood come up.
In the end, some guys like Fords and other guys swear by Chevys. There isn't always 100% cold reasoning involved. ;)
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Guest
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11/12/08 04:26pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Young Children in a Folding Trailer
We did a 16 day journey this summer with a 7 YO, 6 YO and 12 month old.
Our secrets:
Sound spa with babbling brook sound. We use it at home and away to make enough background noise so that CG noise doesn't wake baby.
For up to about 12 months, we used a Peapod crib/tent on the couch in our Sun Valley pup. Works great and totally confines baby inside.
Lots of munchies for the car ride. DVD is saved as trump card when all else fails. Expect to stop 1 hour per 3 hours of driving: plan ahead.
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Guest
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11/12/08 04:20pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Porta Potty
I don't have a Thetford. Big mistake. Get the Thetford.
I have pour spout envy. ;)
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Guest
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11/11/08 08:26am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: And in other news....Peco no longer sells starcraft pups
Fleetwood doesn't make popups anymore. ;)
IIRC they sold the entire factory, plans, patents and all to another company who will be continuing the line with the Coleman stickers on them once again.
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Guest
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11/11/08 07:49am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: TV and HTT Match?
The dozen rules:
1. Research TV max tow rating and allowance for people/cargo, GVWR, GAVWR, GCVWR.
2. Weigh or calculate options on TV and recalc above.
3. Weigh or calculate weight of passengers and hitch equipment and subtract from above.
4. Research dry weight of trailer desired and standard equipment.
5. Calculate estimates of trailer options weight and add to #4 above.
6. Calculate estimates of gear, food and accessories and add to #5 above.
7. Estimate tongue weight at 15% of line #6.
8. Calculate GVW of TV (empty + #3 + #7) and check against GVWR.
9. Calculate GCVW and check against GCVWR.
10. Estimate rear GAW vs GAWR.
11. Estimate front GAW vs GAWR.
12. Check wheelbase vs trailer length per some rule I've never understood!
Chuck may be very conservative, but at least he's concise.
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Guest
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11/07/08 01:24pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Chevy Traverse - top Tow Vehicle
The Traverse has no more relation to the old Venture than the current Sienna has to a Camry. That's either ignorance or blatant GM bashing.Nope, not bashing. I even said I wouldn't discount the vehicle as being a poor tow vehicle because of it's design. But like it or not, these new CUVs (and GM is not alone here) ARE based on the learning and evolution of FWD unibody vehicles, namely minivans. Some things have changed because of the times, but it would be foolish to believe the new 6-speed auto and 3.6 liter motor wouldn't have eventually found there way into a minivan if the market was still buying them.And note my previous comment. Per objective EPA testing, the FWD Traverse gives up nothing on mpgs compared to the Honda Odyssey EX/LX.Yep the mileage estimates are decent, a move in the right direction for sure. But take that new 3.6 DI motor and 6-speed transmission and place it in a lighter, lower, more aerodynamic vehicle (like a minivan) and you will get another 2-3mpg, AND more real-world cargo and utility from the vehicle. But then of course you couldn't show your face at the local country club if you rolled into the SUV parking area with a minivan. *GASP* What would the neighbors say! The Horror!I wonder if there might actually be some extra structural benefit to the extra steel in a Traverse compared to a Sienna.... Nah, couldn't be.The real question is; Have you ever seen, or heard, or even read of a minivan failing by it's structure because it was towing a trailer? If not, then the additional bloated mass of the new CUVs wasn't added to promote better towing as higher structural rigidity wasn't necessary.
You would think the ditches would be littered with minivans folded in half reading half the posts on this forum.
1. I still say it is rude and deceptive to try to link one of the worst minivans on the market to an all new, cutting edge CUV design. Beyond that, I'd agree that I wish they WOULD put out a minivan on the same platform with sliding doors, sane tire sizes and a cargo well in the back. If they did, it would replace my Odyssey when the time comes, especially if it kept that tow rating.
2. A minivan doesn't have to fold in half to have towing problems from lightweight construction. My 2,700# popup totally maxxes out my FAWR (even though my wdh setting is quite modest). More beef there would be fine with me. The rear springs are very soft. Again, I'd not mind more weight aft combined with stiffer springs and consequently tighter shocks. I can see that my tire alignment isn't ideal when setup for towing and only a couple hundred pounds under GVWR. I don't tow THAT many miles that it messes up my tire life much, but it still would be nice to maintain ideal alignment under full load. You get the idea.
Minivans are great, but all of life is trade-offs. I might be willing to drop 0.5 mpg in town for enough extra steel to deal with the above.
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Guest
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11/07/08 08:24am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Chevy Traverse - top Tow Vehicle
Shame on you Caddy. The Traverse has no more relation to the old Venture than the current Sienna has to a Camry. That's either ignorance or blatant GM bashing.
And note my previous comment. Per objective EPA testing, the FWD Traverse gives up nothing on mpgs compared to the Honda Odyssey EX/LX.
As for arguments about tow capacity being merely a label, I wonder if there might actually be some extra structural benefit to the extra steel in a Traverse compared to a Sienna.... Nah, couldn't be.
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Guest
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11/06/08 10:50am |
Tow Vehicles
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