Bought both truck and trailer three weeks ago

Bought both truck and trailer three weeks ago

Already taken one trip, then sadly had to put it away for the winter as all the campgrounds around here closed on October 15th or earlier.


FWMCBigFoot:

Point the grill of that truck south and giver-some-gas. 😎

New-Ad9282:

Awesome! Have fun

50degreesandsweating:

I have a 17 ram sport with the ram boxes, they are such a great feature.

VisibleRoad3504:

Nice setup, enjoy.

stewie822:

I feel for you – it’s the same where we are. We winterize it and then count down til the spring!

FantasticServe4269:

What state are you in? I know in Utah the online booking is closed, however most state parks allow you to drive up and won’t close until first snow fall

j250ex:

How do you like towing with the eco diesel

Source: Bought both truck and trailer three weeks ago

Class W(TF)

Class W(TF)

Spotted this beast on the way home from the coast on Monday.


bwsmity:

I dig it!

TMC_61:

Well done. Most people do not have the creativity or gumption to pull it off

Sirosim_Celojuma:

Thank you. I’ve been telling my S’O’ that we should do the same, only to be told I’m ridiculous. I now have a picture of someone having done it, and it isn’t so bad. Thank you.

The_Speaker:

I’ll bet you a pack of menthol Marlboro Lights this guy welds.

iforgot69:

It’s awesome

iredditshere:

This is genius… So simple and clean.

VisibleRoad3504:

Get an old wreckerl flatbed and an old camper and combine. Works.

Source: Class W(TF)

Versa Tube Carport Reviews?

Versa Tube Carport Reviews?

As a solo grandma full-time RV-er I’m so thankful for this great group I can run things by. I’m finding myself in need of a carport right away, as I’m tucked under tall firs in WA. Thought I could slip by til spring but am already being hit by debris and it’s only October. My brother and son in law can install it, but I would like your opinion on a couple things first: first, any thoughts on buying VersaTube? I want a steel frame or at least truss, and the size needs to be 20×40 minimum, (cover porch as well). Second, I’m set up on fresh grade, just filled last month. Would it be ok to pour two concrete strips in which to anchor the thing? Thank you so much yet again friends. -Grammie


GnPQGuTFagzncZwB:

This is funny, me and my pal who lives 1000 miles away have the car versions of these things. Mine has to be going on 20 years old now and I have drilled holes in it for some things but it is holding up well. It is ugly as it is under a black walnut tree but not the carports problem. I got mine I think they were going for more like 600 for the car sized ones. Called an 800 number on a sign by one I saw someone put up. I forget how I paid but I think it may have been when they came with the pieces. It was about 4 Mexican guys and OMG they have put those things up before. Just rat a tat tat. Honestly I do not think they were here an hour and the thing looked great. When I saw my buddy had one I told him about getting mine. He had the exact same experience. And he too was amazed at how fast they had the thing done. The one I got was for storage, but now I wish I had got one to put the car under too.

I would say go for it, but how are you at backing the RV up. I am not good. I have had enough go rounds with friends not paying attention that to get into something like that I might have to get out 3 or 4 times to make sure I am lined up etc. The structures themselves, as long as you do not hit them seem very sound.

spytez:

Pretty common design. We have something almost identical except ours have more fancier eaves. About the same price too though we paid to have them put up. They had them both up in about a day but for us to do it would have taken a few days and likely using some type of lift. Yeah people can put these up with ladders but you have to ask if you yourself can do it.

Them0thman:

This is what we have for our two RVs in Florida. It just survived 2 CAT 3 hurricanes in the past 3 weeks to within 30 miles of the eyewall. No damage. Anchor it well.

vampirepomeranian:

I went with a taller model to avoid having to move my travel trailer for headroom during roof maintenance. It’s a good investment.

Source: Versa Tube Carport Reviews?

Finally got to break out this bad boy

Finally got to break out this bad boy

zMadMechanic:

Don’t use it like this… Jesus H Christ

nanneryeeter:

I would probably keep all of that outside while piping the heat inside.

Onaru:

That hot exhaust resting on the window sill can’t be a good idea…

creeper1105:

That is so dangerous, the unit should preferably be outside but if it’s inside the exhaust should be sealed. In your current configuration wind could blow it right back inside and it could kill you. Not to mention the fire hazards, that pipe gets very hot, even though its only near the window frame it will heat the frame and could cause styrofoam insulation or luan to ignite.

Cheap-Possibility1:

This is a disaster waiting to happen. People like this are why there are such stringent safety regulations in the construction industry.

adhq:

So, is that an exhaust pipe through the cracked window? Very efficient 🤔

NorthDriver8927:

What in the Walter White is goin on here?

Source: Finally got to break out this bad boy

Heres my pro tip for those of you with dogs that love to dump the water bowl. One tent stake plus one bundt pan = no more spilled water bowl!

Heres my pro tip for those of you with dogs that love to dump the water bowl. One tent stake plus one bundt pan = no more spilled water bowl!

OptiGuy4u:

I’m not sure which one you underestimate more… our soil or our boxer? 😂

joelfarris:

That cake needs a bit more flour.

ZagiFlyer:

I think that’s genius.

Crossingthelineagain:

That’s a great idea

ratchetology:

clever girl

HotHits630:

Great. Now I’ll have to make cake in the dog dish.

DragYouDownToHell:

Slopper Stopper Dripless. You’ll thank me later. No spill inside or out.

Source: Heres my pro tip for those of you with dogs that love to dump the water bowl. One tent stake plus one bundt pan = no more spilled water bowl!

Fix hole

Fix hole

How can I fix this hole?


Accomplished_Goose55:

Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in¿

Dyanthis:

Commenting to follow/learn how to fix holes myself.

FilmoreSlim1974:

Flex seal tape

skee8888:

Is that in metal?

NewBasaltPineapple:

If that’s as small as I think, I’d probably just epoxy it and ask the person that did the damage to sign their name nearby.

GatorsM3ani3:

The most reasonable answer would probably be to go down to your local hardware store and pick yourself up some Dicor or Geocel and just epoxy it.

Dealership would probably take it in to build you a quote in 2-3 days. Then they would call on the 3rd day and say they just got to it, but it wouldn’t be inspected until the following day. Then, on day 5, they would send you a quote saying to replace the entire panel.

I would say try to bend it back best as possible and weld it. But doing that would probably catch the insulation on fire and burn the trailer down unless you removed the panel for the work.

Tapes are a temporary solution but work great in a situation that requires a rapid response for repair.

New-Tomatillo9570:

Silly Putty?

Source: Fix hole

Repurposing water tank

Repurposing water tank

I’ve got this plastic tank from someone, and I’m going to be using it specifically to hold shower water. It has this pink coloration to the bottom. I know that it was only used for water in the past, and has been sitting more or less covered outside for a year. I can’t really get in there with a scrubber. My question is, what do you think it is, and should it be okay for shower water? I’m soaking it in vinegar now.


Adamcolter80:

Pink color in a water tank could be antifreeze remnants from winterizing.

sqqqrly:

Use an unscented bleach solution, not vinegar. 2 cups bleach per 100 ga. water. Let it sit filled for 8-12 hours. Dump and rinse.

Last-Masterpiece-150:

The city water where we live always leaves a pink stain if we let it dry on something. I don’t know what it is but I assume it is harmless as it is city water.

Source: Repurposing water tank

First time using our oven in the new camper. Is a good cast iron pan a must in a camper? I think so.

First time using our oven in the new camper. Is a good cast iron pan a must in a camper? I think so.

IdaDuck:

Camper ovens aren’t the best and cast iron does actually help even out the heat for things like biscuits or cinnamon rolls or whatever.

sqqqrly:

Yes. Like cooking on an campfire? You can use that skillet, but also consider a camp oven. The feet on the bottom and the lip on the top make it camp oven.

ProfileTime2274:

You are lucky mine didn’t work day one . Was at the dealer for 4 months waiting on a stove.

redw000d:

dutch oven / peach cobbler … oh Yeah!

ResponsibleBank1387:

Dutch oven type are also handy. 
All sorts you didn’t know you needed until you see them. 

VapeItSmokeIt:

Doubles as a security device

NotThatSpecialToo:

Mastering the cast iron arts is something I am very proud of.

It falls under the gentleman’s arts that everyone should know.

Source: First time using our oven in the new camper. Is a good cast iron pan a must in a camper? I think so.

East coast winter spots?

East coast winter spots?

Picture is for attention. I'm going to be starting a new remote job next month. I've got an ibex 19mbh and I want to take it somewhere warmer than NJ for the winter. I'm hoping to get full hookups for less than $60/day and I'd like to be near the coast. I don't want to go to Florida so I'm mostly looking at the Carolinas. I'm hoping to not have to move a bunch of times and I'd like to be there from mid December into March. What do you recommend?

Source: East coast winter spots?

Trailer upgrade

Trailer upgrade

My wife and I currently have a 2013 Winnebago Minnie 1801fb and really enjoy spending time camping (mainly boondock ing) in it. I just bought a full Victron setup and 800ah batteries and now I feel like I need to upgrade to a nicer trailer. My trailer is paid off and I don’t necessarily want to enter a new loan. Should I just be content or…?

Source: Trailer upgrade

What’s this?

What’s this?

Found this under the dinette sofa of a rental. It’s either unmovable or so heavy that I wasn’t able to.


Verix19:

Open the top of the dinette bench…the cushions and cover come off.

Iamyourteamleader:

Maybe hung on something? Is there an opening on the plastic?

goobernads:

It looks like a ring gear for a differential…. That would be heavy.

bsdad1899:

It’s the wheel covers (hub caps). Rental companies don’t put them on because they get list.

Source: What’s this?

Hello tow police?

Hello tow police?

…I’d like to report a serious crime


MonkeyHitman2-0:

The salesman said I was fine.

Erutan409:

WTH kind of side decal is that?

Practical_Body9592:

I heard that one before, happened to me. Had a Sorento we towed a pretty big pop-up a Somerset Mess. We got tired of not sleeping well because of the heat no AC in it and no one would put it in even though it was equipped for it. We bought a small hard side was well under the max towing weight.

When taking it home the 1/2 tank of water in the tank sloshed around rocked us so bad even with the WDH, got it home parked it went and bought a full sized truck the next weekend.

Just because the salesman says you can and it’s under the max towing weight doesn’t mean it can’t control the rocking when going down the road.

lawdot74:

It’s a Toyota. It’ll be fine.

Timmy98789:

Where are the half ton folks at when you need them?

Freakin-Lasers:

Might be everything they own.

bakadado:

You should see what they pull trailers, boats, campers with in Europe. It’s wild!

Source: Hello tow police?

Okay… who brought their own lamp post?

Okay… who brought their own lamp post?

Probably one of the most peculiar RV “accessories” we’ve seen since going F/T.


Erutan409:

Have you not been to campgrounds with seasonal residents? This is extremely tame, IMHO.

saraphilipp:

Did you not see my beautiful leg lamp with fishnets?

dubie2003:

Try and make it down/over to Disney fort wilderness. You will find many people have their own DIY Mickey lamp posts made from 3 opaque fish bowls, a section of pipe, a 5g bucket. It’s on my list of camper crap to make.

CopyWeak:

That’s a “Parking G.O.A.T.” prop you put down after, so it looks like you had to thread the needle like a Boss to get that trailer landed 😎

FunkyLemon1111:

LOL, that’s not bad. It’s kind of cute and embraces the “not camping!” mentality.

You should see what the folks at Disney’s Fort Wilderness bring, particularly around October.

Snarti:

That’s the way to Narnia.

MontanaLady406:

Ok now I want one .

Source: Okay… who brought their own lamp post?

Does this mean heated pads or just underbelly heat?

Does this mean heated pads or just underbelly heat?

2017 Prime Time Air 215. It has the extreme thermal package and the underbelly is enclosed. The online manual is more than useless and I can’t find a printed one anywhere.

Does this mean there are heat pads on the tanks or just its heated with the underbelly vent? There is not a heater tank button but know they could have their own thermostat.


Thurwell:

That would typically mean both. The underbelly is enclosed and heated, plus there are heating pads on the tanks. There’s no specification defining marketing speak though, so if you’re unsure you could contact the company and ask.

Entire_Researcher_45:

I have a 2019 Grand Design Reflection 28BH with artic package.
Heated and enclosed underbelly, tank heaters.the tank heaters are thermostat controlled to turn on at set temp.. mine have no switch.
Enclosed underbelly is chloroplast material covering the underside completely.Heating it coming from a couple of furnace vents, so you’ll need to run furnace to heat the cabin as well as underbelly.

hernondo:

You can also look for a switch in the RV that would say tank heaters.

Troutybob:

I can’t imagine they would install the pads without an on/off switch. The pads are meant for when you are travelling with the furnace off and are normally off when parked. They are a 12v draw and you’d want to be able to control that draw for battery management.

Source: Does this mean heated pads or just underbelly heat?

This look like a red flag to anyone else?

This look like a red flag to anyone else?

Been looking for a 5th wheel toy hauler around the 50k price point. Found one 8 hours away. Ask the salesman for videos / photos of the roof and undercarriage. This looks bad. Thoughts?


loopygargoyle6392:

Definite red flag. Hard pass.

mayuan11:

I had the same issue on a trailer I bought during COVID. The issue was that they didn’t clean off the roof after drilling the holes. Ended up finding a bunch more issues through the trailer. Sold the trailer back to the dealership after 6 months at a $10k loss just to get rid of it.

ElectronicYam3170:

Is this a new or used unit? I have about 16 years in the rv industry. From the picture, it looks like they pulled up the rubber roof and re-glued it. Hard to say for sure without seeing in person or better pictures, but for me yes this is a big problem. A roof replace is like 10 grand on the low end

Santorini64:

Looks like grand design didn’t sweep debris off the roof during construction. This is a pretty common problem with rubber roofed RV’s. I’d personally pass on this unit because they debris will eventually tear through the roof rubber.

Cheyenps:

There have to be better choices.

I’d pass.

Agitated-Bid-8472:

There are million other trailers for sale.
Pass.

Neat-Pumpkin8718:

That is a rotten Roof. I started a Flexarmor location…Get a good deal on the camper because the roof needs replacement, take it a Flexarmor location and put a lifetime roof on it.

Source: This look like a red flag to anyone else?

Can I install a smart thermostat?

Can I install a smart thermostat?

I have a 98 Jayco. It’s in a long term with WiFi and full hookup. Can I swap out my thermostat for a smart thermostat and advice on which ones should I look at.


wondersparrow:

https://www.micro-air.com/products_easytouch_rv_thermostat_touchscreen.cfm

RuportRedford:

Microair makes one specifically for RV’s, bunch of Youtube videos on how to install it as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0-Yvr3YPQo

mayuan11:

Should be able to, but you have to open it to find out. The biggest issue is going to be power. The trailer runs on 12v dc and most thermostats run on 24vac. The Honeywell Home RTH5160D1016/E is an example of a thermostat that will work as it has it’s own power source, but not a smart thermostat.

captainrv:

I did with a honeywell programmable thermostat. Wiring was tricky to figure out, but eventually I got it.

As others have said, the key is to get one that works with 12V

Ellababy13wee:

We have thermostat build in to our 1986 its amazing

gaymersky:

Hell yes you can super duper easy watch a few YouTube videos that’s what I did

quinskylar:

Yes, 5 or 6 wire 12v

Source: Can I install a smart thermostat?

DIY (cheap) generator exhaust

DIY (cheap) generator exhaust

First time at a site that requires generator exhaust be vented over the roof, name brand kits are in the hundreds so I ran to the store and grabbed $7 in aluminum gutter and a hose clamp. Working like a champ, figured I'd share in case anyone else found themselves in the situation.


ricklewis314:

Let the haters hate! Pretty ingenious! Looks like you’re allowing some air flow at the bottom entry. But I would find a way to connect it and leave more of an air gap around the exhaust pipe going into the gutter. Would not worry about the bungee cords as the exhaust is probably cooled down enough at that distance. Get a CO monitor not just for your rig but all the other rigs around you.

Beneficial_Honey5697:

Like this idea but have a question.

Doesn’t there need to be a gap between the exhaust pipe and vent pipe, to ensure a draft is created and the gases flow out properly?

That’s what I always see on the commercial kits.

saraphilipp:

For even cheaper generator exhaust remember to fill up in the morning when the temps are cooler and the fuel is more dense.
/s

The more you know!

Nicely done op. I’d have done the same.

2wheels1willy:

That’s hilarious

mander1518:

If you run into issues or to ease the concerns of others. I think there’s solar powered vent caps that have little fans you could put on top to pull the exhaust up

magicwuff:

Make sure you and your neighbors each have two working CO monitors with this setup.

BuilderUnhappy7785:

ew

Source: DIY (cheap) generator exhaust

Work camping

Work camping

Home for the next month or so.

Working on Hurricane clean up in St. Petersburg/Clearwater, live about 2 hours south, so i decided to camp 30 minutes out.

Old HR still got it.


Fantastic_Depth:

Old HR are where it’s at I have a 90’s aluma-lite absolutely love it. congrats on yours

1320Fastback:

My friend uses his dually stake bed company truck to tow his trailer too.

ProfessionalSeaCacti:

Come see us over at r/WorkampersUS

Source: Work camping

What all the work is for

What all the work is for

Edit: 11.6 MPG, still 11k more than a hotel


Beneficial-Way7849:

Looks like a gorgeous evening.

link-1987:

Hey, what mini you got? Love my Springdale

Theeinfinityyy:

Damn this is something really beautiful.

DanielBG:

And sometimes you’re lucky enough to have cool ass neighbors and blend your parties together.

TheReal_LRChupacabra:

I feel this.

PhoenixTravel:

I misread that as “WHO all the work is for” with the dog right in the middle of the picture 🤣 I like my version better

Source: What all the work is for

Behold! The Behemoth C!

Behold! The Behemoth C!

Far and away bigger than any super C I've seen by a long shot. This thing rattled my trailer as it rolled by. That trailer they're pulling is a triple axle. If I had to guess it's probably close to 75ft long. The spot it's in is about 100ft long.


aneurism75:

land train

Full-time-RV:

Where I come from, we call these a Toterhome.

Upbeat_Experience403:

That is awesome if I had to guess they are into some kind of motor sports

errorrek69:

Is that even legal? 😳🤷‍♂️🤣

MonkeyHitman2-0:

Would love to see it turn a few corners

Thequiet01:

That’s like my partner’s ideal set up.

davejr:

So I talked to a race team driver about his similar rig. A standard tractor trailer has a bunch of DOT regulations attached, when you add either a toilet or a shower, I can’t remember which, it becomes an RV and most of the DOT regs go away. For example, a class C license is not required to drive an RV.

Source: Behold! The Behemoth C!

This is what it looks like when you don’t change your anode for 2 years.

This is what it looks like when you don’t change your anode for 2 years.

Adorable_Wolf_8387:

Looks like you’ve still got a couple months left on the old one /s

RuportRedford:

Hate to say it, but I never change that anode rod. Last RV I used to 12 years and never changed it, and I have 5 years on this RV. Guess I should go look at it. I figured they were good for at least 10 years.

GSDer_RIP_Good_Girl:

How difficult was it to get to?
Any trouble getting it out?

onethous:

Are these a standard size?

NerdOfTheMonth:

Wait… I do not have one of these. I have a plastic plug.

It’s a Prime Time Air with an Atwood water heater (6gal)

Verix19:

That’s what it usually looks like after 1 year. Change them every year folks.

Note: I just finished a call for service and their 2.5 year old 10 gallon water heater tank was leaking….because they had never changed the anode. Cost them near $1500 out of pocket because they had no idea it was a yearly maintenance item.

👍💯

Drugsbunny23:

Soooo what is this..? Lol I’m new. Just got a TT. Trying to keep up to date on things I gotta Maintenance. This is for the water heater, right? would i still have one of these if mines tankless?

Source: This is what it looks like when you don’t change your anode for 2 years.

Just joined the club!

Just joined the club!

Just brought this home and took it out for a first trip. Love it already!


BOGDOGMAX:

Welcome to the club! Make use to check out r/Fiberglassrv

withoutapaddle:

Downsizing to a Casita, Scamp, or Escape is my 15 year plan, when it’s just me and the wife again. They seem so much higher quality and easier to tow with a modest vehicle.

nardlz:

Sweet! Those were on our short list to look at but didn’t find any used in our price range. Really cute!

stressedlacky42:

Welcome to the great outdoors!

Objective-Staff3294:

Spiffy! Enjoy.

2021murican:

I almost got one of these! I may still get one if my other TT doesn’t work out.

Fresh-Bid6315:

Nice!

Source: Just joined the club!

12 mpg, my cat doesn’t like hotels.

12 mpg, my cat doesn’t like hotels.

vectaur:

You guys and your double digits make me sad/jealous.

rdrgrl72:

You’re lucky! We pull our 34’ 5th wheel with a GMC 2500 and are lucky to get 9 mpg. That’s half our normal mpg.

vondur:

When I had my mini duramax and my micro minnie, I could get 17mpg.

LarryHoover44:

It’s worth the fuel. Cooking your own food about pays for all the fuel alone. Eating out with a family is brutal these days!

boozy_emperor:

12 would be great. I get 8-9.

Bulleteer21:

Are you still using 10th or locking out? I started locking out of 10th and my fuel economy gained right at 1-mpg when towing my 43-ft Cedar Creek at 68-72 mph in 9th gear

Amazing-League-218:

It would be great to know specifics. Truck model and engine. Trailer model and weight? Can we learn from your experience,?

Source: 12 mpg, my cat doesn’t like hotels.

Brand new kit. The driver side one is loose and the other side looks it moved a little as some point. The sway bars started making a loud screech sounds when turning. Thoughts?

Brand new kit. The driver side one is loose and the other side looks it moved a little as some point. The sway bars started making a loud screech sounds when turning. Thoughts?


RadarLove82:

So, tighten them up. They’re too loose.

mxadema:

Im not a fan of the loose bolt nor the braket over the head bolt. Both should be fixed.

That sais those bar creak bang and pop. Wven after they wear a bit. Regardless, you have some ground to get stuff done right.

BurnerBoyLul:

The bars are going to make a hell of a lot of noise when you turn. Mine do the same. That’s thousands of pounds of pressure rubbing together.

mayuan11:

They make a shit ton of noise. See the link below for the jackets to get rid of the noise and keep it from loosening on you again.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/manuals-and-guides/installation-guides/sway-bracket-jackets/

ROK247:

You should be worried if they don’t make noise

iRoswell:

I had this setup and my rig was a bit low. So I scraped quite a bit and had to straighten then out several times. It’s worth marking some how where they are currently mounted on the frame so if they drift you can get them back exactly. And ya, like others have said, they are creaky. Gonna make lots of noise.

DrMcLuckypants:

That does not look properly installed to me. Those brackets are too far up,and they should be flush with each other, imo. What brand you got there?

Source: Brand new kit. The driver side one is loose and the other side looks it moved a little as some point. The sway bars started making a loud screech sounds when turning. Thoughts?

10mpg hotel rooms are meh now

10mpg hotel rooms are meh now

DanielBG:

10MPG guy here too. Spent 5 nights on the road back and forth last month. $400 in gas and camped at the most beautiful spots up and down the Eastern Sierras. We were shoreside on a beautiful lake one of those nights with an uninterrupted view of those majestic mountains. There’s nothing like it.

mrpopo573:

Wait you guys get 10mpg??

RCampR6:

Epic Picture 🙌🏽

Remarkable_Body586:

What engine is your F150? I’m getting 10.5 with my 2.7 EcoBoost.

miami01234:

I have a forest river 23LT work & play toy hauler. Tow vehicle is a gas RAM 2500. Fully loaded with my harley inside I averaged 11.5mpg. This was the average of a 6,000 mile trip. In the average mpg, there was approximately 25% driving without the tow vehicle for sightseeing when not using the motorcycle. Pretty happy with the end result. Note that I closely monitor the ongoing mpg and keep my speed under 60. Takes longer but good on safety, tires and mpg. Not in a hurry.

TheRabbitHole-512:

What does “are meh now” mean ?

Source: 10mpg hotel rooms are meh now

Anyone have an idea on how to remove this bug protective film?

Anyone have an idea on how to remove this bug protective film?

It’s like a plastic that covers the front end I’ve tried a heat gun with a putty knife kinda just spreads it around and damages the paint underneath. Any recommendations on some kind of chemical that would melt it away?


Ghettofarm:

Sucks I can’t add pics. I have a 2005 allegro bay that I removed the diamond shield from in spring

Used goo gone and plastic disposable razors from Amazon ….

Pungentarugala:

Go to Napa and buy/order a case of 3m general purpose adhesive remover. And order a a tint scraper tool. The adhesive will setup in seconds and then the film will scrap off like butter. Then just spray again and wipe with soft cloth. It’s a long project but it comes off and doesn’t destroy the paint.

dsmaxwell:

WD-40 is a fantastic solvent for adhesives. You’ll want to get it through the plastic somehow, peel up an edge or something. You’ve said it’s too thin for that but gotta be able to get at the adhesive somehow.

wifichick:

Sorry friend. That’s unfortunate.

We have that stuff, but our previous owner took awesome care of it – didn’t wax it, only did ceramic coating. Whole coach still looks almost brand new. I’m really sad for you that yours looks like that. 🙁

alpine240:

Handheld steam cleaner, but your paint might not be salvageable.

mikes550:

See if you can peel up a corner and use lighter fluid, gas, or coleman fuel to soften the glue while peeling the vinyl off.

Another thing might be to use the sticker eraser tools that go on a drill

Own-Rub2052:

This might give you a lead: https://youtu.be/tFaJYwf_0uQ

Source: Anyone have an idea on how to remove this bug protective film?

Possible delamination

Possible delamination

546875674c6966650d0a:

Yes. Looks like delamination. Good news is it’s on the slide. Smaller area to have to fix.

PhoenixTravel:

Yep its delam. Pull the vent cover off and find where water is leaking in. If it is actively wet try to air it out (put a fan on it or something) before you reseal it.

You fix delam by putting new glue between the outside of the wall and the structure (from the vent hole), and then you put something flat like a piece of plywood against the outside and brace it against a building.

Once the leaking is stopped though it shouldn’t really get worse

Ok_Necessary_5586:

Does this look like delamination coming from the vent? Anyone have experience with this or fixing it? Trying to decide the best way to address this area that is slightly raised. This is on a Sabre 5th wheel on the kitchen slide.

FieldOk6455:

Possible?

Source: Possible delamination

Caravan stolen!

Caravan stolen!

Hello guys,
sorry if this is the wrong sub, I really don't know where else to go.
Our caravan was stolen from our private property in Southern Germany. We're absolutely devastated.
It would mean the world to us if you could share this post and the picture that goes with it in other groups and maybe, just maybe take the time to look out for this kind of model on camping grounds etc. The police doesn't believe we will ever see it again, but we would still like to try. If only to bring these criminals to justice.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and possibly share.

We believe the thieves might have gone the south route so they might well be in France or maybe even Spain already.


dplatt70:

I don’t imagine I’ll see it in Ohio, but sorry that happened to you. That’s an unusual looking RV compared to what we have in the US. I like it.

Fog_Juice:

This reminds me to put my gps trackers in my truck and trailer.

tipping:

So sorry for you. People suck

RandomAdvicePerson:

Do caravans in countries other than the U.S. have the same crappy manufacturing as the ones in the U.S.?

Does Germany have anything like lemon laws that U.S. states have? Or a national warranty law?

dowend:

Not here in texas, I would look in poland.

DanielBG:

Sorry to hear that. It’s a nice looking rig.

alexrepty:

Oh man, that sucks. Did you have a lock on it? We had a Hobby a while back and bought a Winterhoff lock for the hitch.

I also don’t think you’ll ever see it again, so hopefully you had Vollkaskoversicherung 🤞

Source: Caravan stolen!

What’s this pipe and thing

What’s this pipe and thing

Was looking under the sink contemplating adding another outlet on the counter. I saw this random pipe and port inlet. What’s it for?


mxadema:

Drain vent, so when you empty the sink it doesn’t siphon the p trap, and ending up smelling the gray tank.

Penguin_Life_Now:

That is a air inlet valve for your sink drain, it is a one way valve that lets air into the drain pipe

HJHJ420:

It’s the pipe that over flows with water when you son decides he should clean his shoes and fills up the gray tank.

Aepyceros02:

Air admittance valve as others have said. Also the black piece behind and above that is your black tank flush backflow preventer

PopComprehensive5325:

Pushes bad smell out instead of in.

Dapper-Argument-3268:

Air Admittance Valve (AAV).

They often fail and cause drain issues aka vacuum locks.

Source: What’s this pipe and thing

Get a countertop ice maker

Get a countertop ice maker

We have a small trailer with a small fridge/freezer. We never seem to have room for the ice we need as well as everything else to store in the freezer when we go camping. This year we bought an electric countertop ice maker and it's been game changing. We not only use it for our drinks but also to cool the extra food in the portable cooler. We gifted one to my brother and they used it on their next camping trip and said they constantly had ice and the kids loved it.


some_layme_nayme:

Clean it often. I’ve serviced commercial ice machines. I don’t use ice at restaurants. That’s all I’ll say lol

black_zucchetto:

Yup. I removed the outside mini fridge that came with my RV and replaced it with an ice maker. Honestly one of the best mods I’ve done.

ice maker

SerialNomad:

Yes. We are in our second one. Make sure you store it in the shower with the water drain plug out so it can drain appropriately. Otherwise you’ll get slimey pink mould in it.

doomeager:

1000% agree. I have a pop up camper and my favorite “extravagant” item is my ice maker

ImpossibleAd7943:

Love having one. It’s one of the first things to get set-up at the RV site.

mtrosclair:

I’ve been looking at these but there’s a few out there and I wasn’t sure which would be good.

ThatGuyPeopleWannaBe:

Use filtered water cause they love to clog up.

Source: Get a countertop ice maker

How big is your rig and what do you love about it?  Show us what you’ve got…

How big is your rig and what do you love about it? Show us what you’ve got…

We are in our fifth RV: 2020 Grand Design 30’ Imagine 2250RK (discontinued). I love having a back end kitchen with a wide window. Love the theater seating and do not miss having a dinette at all. The electric fireplace is all the heat we need. Easy to pull, park, and maneuver with our pro-pride hitch.


Euphoric-Fan3624:

30’ 5th wheel. I’m a 10 year full timer so the 12 feet of closet space for hanging clothes and 8 drawers is essential to me.

SquirrelOverall2:

2013 42’ 5th wheel fuzion toy hauler- full time live in 5-6yrs.
Absolutely love my 12ft garage with ready lift

VanGoesHam:

That’s a nice looking floorplan for 1-2 people. Very nice. I wish I had a larger window in our kitchen

stykface:

I have a Wildwood FSX 178 single slide: https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/wildwood-fsx/178BHSK/10511

This is the third camper we’ve owned and also the smallest. This is just something for now until we get our “big one” that my wife and I really want. Our kids are getting older and into the teen years so not wanting to do the camping thing quite as much. I bought this for myself, I like to go with a few guys to boondock directly on the beach in South Texas so this is “my” camper for when I do guy weekend type of stuff.

I really like how much this little guy has for only a 21ft camper. It is small but packs as much as it possibly can into it, and the single slide makes all the difference. I mean, granted, I like to be outside anyways so this is just for sleeping, showers and bathrooms and cooking out of the elements. Also has a mini-kitchen outside which is real nice.

Probably 2-3 years away from my wife and I getting our 5th wheel that we will use for serious travel.

Remarkable_Body586:

25 ft closed / 30 ft open

2019 Hybrid Rockwood Roo 23 IKSS

We are finishing up our 4 week journey from Michigan to Acadia and back. So far I love the kitchen island and the amount of counter space. The only thing I don’t care for is how hard it is to reach things when it’s closed up. The opposing slide outs make it really big when opened, but nearly impossible to be in when closed.

ArthurCSparky:

’22 17 MKE Definitely the biggest little rv we have ever had. Huge kitchen, and lots of storage.

Lazy_venturer:

Jayco eagle 332cbok. Love everything about it.

Source: How big is your rig and what do you love about it? Show us what you’ve got…

Winery on the way down to watkins glen

Winery on the way down to watkins glen

Nothing beats driving by the water


Floyd-fan:

Have a blast hiking the falls!!!!

DadJokeBadJoke:

We’re going to be camping near the ocean on the next two weekends. I can’t wait. Small camper gang represent!

cuteintern:

That region is crawling with wineries, lol. Feels like we pass almost two dozen just between Geneva and the glen.

kkocan72:

We live about an hour from Watkins Glen. Go there several times a year. We have stayed at the state park, great sites, when we have had the kids. The last few trips last year and one last month were 1 night quick getaways to Finger Lakes RV Resort which is on the east side of the lake, about 10-15 minute drive North of the town.

Great spots, nice facilities, and it is basically attached to two wineries that you can walk to (less than 5 minutes on a designated path) and if staying on site you get specials at each winery. Bonus is both allow dogs so we take our pup and she gets to sit and eat/relax with us as well.

nardlz:

We are there this weekend too! Beautiful weekend to get out to the wineries and sit by the lake.

FLTDI:

From this angle the front of your trailer looks higher than the back. This can lead to dangerous sway. If this is the case you should lower the ball some

Source: Winery on the way down to watkins glen

Surely there’s a way to remove the tv without unscrewing it.. right?

Surely there’s a way to remove the tv without unscrewing it.. right?

Please help.


Verix19:

Loosen those top screws and it should lift out of the mounts.

printaport:

I bet you could dropkick it right out of there.

skee8888:

Loosen the screws a little bit and it should pick right up and pull out

nanneryeeter:

First time I’ve seen a TV being crucified.

SkippyDragonPuffPuff:

The hangers are mounted upside down

abystander:

It should lift out without loosening any screws. I just replaced mine two weeks ago and I did not need to remove any screws.

Sea_Excitement_7602:

Don’t call me Shirley

Source: Surely there’s a way to remove the tv without unscrewing it.. right?

How do the levels look

How do the levels look

The trailer is not anywhere near road worthy yet. It’s been sitting for a couple of years as a guest house more or less. Needs tires, a skylight a faucet and a full once over (including removing the awning brackets). The tow vehicle is a 2023 ford lightning and has a capacity of 10k lbs. Am I sagging too much in the front of trailer? Thank you!


FLTDI:

You’re going to want a wdh with anti sway. The f150 requires weight distribution with a tongue weight over 500lb.

mtrosclair:

You do want the trailer either level or just slightly nose down for best handling performance. The truck looks pretty close to level even without a weight distributing hitch, I’m assuming this is a fairly light trailer?

Aggressive_Sorbet571:

The true test will be what the scales say. My f-150 was at capacity with a 5800 pound trailer, passengers, and cargo on board. All axles were within 40 pounds of their limit.

1320Fastback:

Looks… Reasonable.

RaspPiDude:

Think you’ll take a big hit on range? Mine is around 3000lbs and I get about 65% of normal range.

Tweedone:

Nothing in the bed…you travel light?

Source: How do the levels look

What the Frankenstein?

What the Frankenstein?

Spotted at San Clemente SB, California. Anyone know what this is or was?


saliczar:

The Airstream at home

ertyertamos:

Cyberbago

hippysol3:

Wow… that’s quite the, uh… unique unit.

Front end looks like an RV but it definitely got kinda… “custom” behind that. The door, furnace vent and roof vent are RV parts but I’m guessing someone said, “Ah Millie, I ain’t spending 100k on no damn RV when I can build one myself outta those scrap parts I got layin’ in the yard” And then he did.

Mr___Perfect:

Proceed with caution. That guy 100% thinks he’s blocking electromagnetic fields.

GoateusMaximus:

I got it one piece at a time and it didn’t cost me a dime
You’ll know it’s me when I come through your town
I’m gonna ride around in style, I’m gonna drive everybody wild
‘Cause I’ll have the only one there is around

Woopsyeah:

Somebody got a rivet gun for Christmas!

Aedelmann:

I imagine it was probably water rotted and full of delamination. They found an easy fix!

Source: What the Frankenstein?

Hurricane Displacement Offer from Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach.

Hurricane Displacement Offer from Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach.

Reach out if you or someone you know could benefit.


Verix19:

Sure hope it’s not profiteering and is actually going to help people.

footlonglayingdown:

Anyone called them to see what this is all about yet?
I’d bet money it’s about putting a camper in everyone’s driveway….for minimum profit of course. 
If anyone is considering this please check your insurance policy for the “additional living expenses” clause. 

Source: Hurricane Displacement Offer from Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach.

Struggling in the woods

Struggling in the woods

It's terrible….I took 3 days off so now I'm forced to be out here for 5 days…all I hear are birds and chipmunks….all I see are deer and rabbits….I don't even have 5g on my phone. Traffic, OMG I can't here any traffic… terrible…just terrible.


nexsin:

Your first mistake was not parking in a Loves parking lot right next to Semi Trucks.
Your second mistake was not bringing your star link and an extra TV for that table.
Your third mistake was not including your tow vehicle in the picture cause we all know you are pulling that with a Toyota Camry.

CobraMisfit:

We shall remember fondly your fight against the odds….

No-Try-8500:

Settle down, glamper

stykface:

Such a horrible thing to have peace and quiet for five full days! Lol, nice spot… and nice camper. Enjoy! 🙂

MrBungle09:

I wanna struggle 😩

Own-Rub2052:

Get yourself under control by lowering those stabilizer jacks.

Jaded-University2788:

Brutal!

Source: Struggling in the woods

Spotted near Newport Beach. Yes thats the tow vehicle.

Spotted near Newport Beach. Yes thats the tow vehicle.

schwartzki:

On the VAG large SUV platform so tow rating is 7700 lbs. Has air suspension, TT V8 w/ 568tq and big brakes. Bet it is a very comfy tow vehicle.

Stelletti:

Had to lookup what that even was. They sell new for ~$250k. Founds a bunch of 2-3 year old ones for ~$80-90k with low miles. Fuck that depreciation.

Cool-Contribution292:

Every pixel in this photo screams California. Except no front license plate…?

Tight-Physics2156:

Good for them. As long as people are getting outside who gives a f

Flat_Potato4946:

What camper is that

CTYSLKR52:

What campground? I’m trying to find one for next summer near newport

Disastrous_Falcon_79:

Holy 🤬
Crazy depreciation

Source: Spotted near Newport Beach. Yes thats the tow vehicle.

How cool is this? 1951 Mack

How cool is this? 1951 Mack

1320Fastback:

Very unique and probably battleship reliable if it’s still running a mechanical diesel.

gellenburg:

Heh. I’d love to see a park try to deny that rig for being over 10 years old.

King__Moonracer:

Never wanted a class C… until now!

Chemical_Math6706:

The only time you are denied isbif you are seasonal with a 10 y/o or older camper. OR a snobby RV Resort fir 100k plus motor homes

Sea-Refrigerator777:

Ver nice.
Paint it all red.

Chemical_Math6706:

Very cool!!

Source: How cool is this? 1951 Mack

How to cool down my 1997 Fleetwood discovery and 115° weather. I’m disabled in a wheelchair and I getting very sick in these conditions

How to cool down my 1997 Fleetwood discovery and 115° weather. I’m disabled in a wheelchair and I getting very sick in these conditions

Infamous_Ad8730:

Drive north for a few months.

DuePermission9377:

I would start by covering up all of that glass. Reflectex works great, I would also look into some good window tint if you don’t already have it.

RuportRedford:

For the money, these are looking pretty slick. I could see hanging one in one of those windows you have that are vertical closing. Bet they use very little electricity and ultra quiet, probably way quieter than rooftops.

https://a.co/d/aDxuTpE

Omygodc:

Start by blocking all of the windows. Sun coming through that windshield and those side windows turn the coach into an oven. You can get fancy with shades, etc, or go desert old school and just put foil in the windows.
I used to live in California where it was 110 or more each day of the summer. A few bucks of foil saved us 100’s on our electric bills.

Oh yeah, Go Dodgers!

Hoppie1064:

One way to help would be to clean the roof, and paint on a coat of Cool Seal. It’s a paint that is so white that it reflects almost all of the sun’s heat. It’s like adding insulation to the roof.

You may be able to run both ACs while running the generator.

Finding a shaded place to park will help a lot.

Hammer466:

Do you have a/c units on the roof? How many and do they work? Our class a is 35’ which is about what yours appears to be. We have 2 duotherm units that work well, it stays nice and comfortable in Texas summertime temperatures so you should be able to at least get a comfortable temperature in yours once things work properly.

Playamonkey:

Honestly, without having a shade structure above it, there are very few effective ways to do it.

Source: How to cool down my 1997 Fleetwood discovery and 115° weather. I’m disabled in a wheelchair and I getting very sick in these conditions

Brand New Brinkley 3610

Brand New Brinkley 3610

This is literally a home on wheels. Great job by Brinkley! The interior is so well put together and the workmanship is second to none.


will4zoo:

Curious to see how this brand holds up. They look great

Affectionate-Map2583:

Looks great! What did you have before, or did you take the plunge straight to a massive 42′ trailer? Did it actually come with pet bowls as shown on the floor plan?

DoubleD3989:

Beautiful rig. Many happy miles to you! I’ve heard so many good things about Brinkley – how they’re made, the workmanship and products used in the building of them. Plus, they have some really cool features that as we get older, we’d definitely appreciate. We have a 5er right now that we are very happy with, Keystone Astoria. But, the end goal is either a Redwood 4001LK or a Brinkley (the one with the outdoor kitchen on the patio). The 4001LK has a half bath a ton of counter space in the kitchen – I bake (a lot), hubby is a chef (literally). I think, if by the time we’re ready, Brinkley adds a half bath, the patio w/kitchen would be our pick.

Capt-Kirk31:

Very nice, congratulations

Outrageous-Royal1838:

I have a GD 398M and think this will be my best rig.

FuShiLu:

Interesting. Wife and I looked at them to possibly be a future replacement for ours. Not that impressed, especially for the price. Hope it has longevity.

eastcoasternj:

Do they make a full profile unit?

Source: Brand New Brinkley 3610

What is this piece called ?

What is this piece called ?

Working on fixing this before I do more driving in the coming weeks.. what is this strip called? I cant find the right strip to save my life ( not looking for advice on the repair. I’m well aware of what’s going on here. 💦)


akriot:

I’ve always called it screw track. I guess they call it flat trim nowadays. Amazon has it in various sizes.

Zinere:

It’s a belt line. 3/16ths stainless steel rivets, 1 inch grip. Take about 10 screws out and push the metal back into place, then drill and rivet. USE A STOPPER SO YOU DONT GO TO FAR INTO THE RV. I suggest a sacraficial piece of wood to only allow the rivet to stick in up to its collar.

dumpyboat:

I would call it broken

jackethoffnow:

I call it broken… or expensive. Yea I’m no help

Fabulous-Print-5359:

Geoffrey

Jpcjtrtj2:

A hole

TheBassMan01:

It’s called Jacked UP!!!

Source: What is this piece called ?

Electrical Issue in my RV

Electrical Issue in my RV

So yesterday I was running my AC & electric hot water heater at the same time getting ready to take a shower. When the breaker tripped I just flipped them back on. This is common since my trailer is a 30amp & when I have the ac & microwave on it trips.

I flipped the breakers back & then a few minutes later they tripped again. This time i noticed smoke coming from behind the panel. I immediately unplugged the rv from the hookup & then unscrewed the panel & found the wires melted.

How screwed am I? Are my breakers bad? Did i blow a fuse? Should i replace the wires? Calling a mobile repair guy tomorrow but any advice is appreciated.


Sufficient-Day-8907:

I had a similar issue I posted about it and it was caused by running the ac the microwave and a portable dryer for a long time. The breaker did trip but I didn’t know. Thankfully I caught it before it became something worse. I replaced some wires and for me everything works great! Hope it’s nothing major and an easy fix for you

River-trader:

Greetings.. those look like the white or neutral wires that are roasted… I’m no electrician nor do I claim to be.. 9 out of 10 times when I see this in the park… Go pull your plug and check your plug and receptacle at the box….. You probably have a bad connection on the neutral at plug / receptacle at the pedestal..
Looks like there might be enough wire there to do some repairs.. if nobody’s looking maybe some heat shrink…

River-trader:

not common for a breaker to trip and.you just flip it back on again..and again. You’re actually pretty lucky..

GnPQGuTFagzncZwB:

Trace back and look for signs of anything arcing. Take the wires out of the breakers and shine them up, you can put a re layers of heat shrink over the part that looks crispy. Clean everything up well and look up the breaker to see if it has a preferred torque, if it does, tighten to that, otherwise tight but not to the point of breaking things. Do not run all that big stuff at the same time again, and in a week or two, recheck the wires are tight. Might be a good annual thing to look at. BTW, that looks like aluminum wire, if it is make sure the breaker and anything that connects to the wire is rated for it. It is bad enough in trailers that are lives in full time, that are usually always at a livable temp and not trucked down the road all the time. In MH’s it really sucks, it has temp extremes and gets vibrated. I think it got loose and arced and that is what you have there. You can clean that up easy.

PadreSJ:

You probably should trace back as much of the wiring harness as possible to look for melted insulation or signs of arcing.

Source: Electrical Issue in my RV

Taking my vintage 16ft rv up into north idaho/montana for a week in mid-late October, cheap heating ideas?

Taking my vintage 16ft rv up into north idaho/montana for a week in mid-late October, cheap heating ideas?

I imagine I'll be off grid most if not all the trip(so no electricity), usually I just bring extra blankets but my pup will be with me and want to keep it safe. I'm pretty broke and so cheap options are appreciated. I was thinking I'd just go with a propane mr heater


TheGalavanter:

Yeah I’d go with a Buddy heater

SquirrelOverall2:

Diesel heater, have 2 in my 42ft toy hauler, never use my wood stove anymore

surelyujest71:

If you don’t mind cutting a hole in the floor (sacrilege, I know), maybe install a cheap Chinese diesel heater. If you have a solar panel, it can keep a deep cycle battery charged pretty well for the amount of power the heater requires, and a 5 gallon jug of diesel should last the week pretty easily. They’re really easy to install, too. The heater could be mounted under a bench, or wherever works for you, and can be pretty well hidden.

wayupinthetree:

If you can swing state park fees for one or two nights, try Farragut – beautiful park and location with electric and nice showers.

NewBasaltPineapple:

An electric blanket averages about 50 watts per hour. Underneath a comforter it’ll keep you toasty in utterly cold weather, you’d just need to be able to supply 0.5 kWh per night (about as much as you’d need to run a counter height 5 cu ft fridge – one typical sized deep cycle battery can safely provide you about 12 hours).

Similarly, you could get a couple hot water bottles, get some water hot, fill them, and throw them under a few blankets. If you’re worried about it going cold in the middle of the night, a nice big thermos could be used as a refill, just don’t spill it on yourself in the middle of the night.

If you do the mr. heater please make sure you have adequate ventilation, a safe place to put it where the dog won’t knock it over, and a CO alarm.

If one night gets super cold, or you’re just trying out your setup and decide you are too cold, have a backup/emergency plan. Maybe some of those cheap air-activated hand warmers, another set of clothes to put on underneath your blankets, and a hot beverage in a thermos to warm you up until the morning. No shame in running your truck for the heater to get yourself warm again. Don’t let water freeze in such a way that it bursts anything.

Good pair of booties or mukluks never hurt anyone.

TweakJK:

Absolutely a buddy heater. I have the single, not the giant one, and I get 3 to 4 hours out of a little bottle on low. I’d suggest getting a 20lb bottle adapter.

sshlinux:

Buddy heater. Get carbon monoxide detector and leave a window cracked. Or get a cheap quiet gas generator and use a space heater or electric blanket.

Source: Taking my vintage 16ft rv up into north idaho/montana for a week in mid-late October, cheap heating ideas?

Should I take the oven out to replace water pump?

Should I take the oven out to replace water pump?

Should I consider pulling the oven out or the breaker and converter or just work through the small opening to replace the water pump?


maximumredwhiteblue:

No , the cabinet under the range has plywood . Easier to unplug the RV , remove the cover from the breaker box , and then unscrew the breaker box and pull it out about 8 to 10 inches . That should give you enough room .

ShitTalkingFucker:

Prolly get to it thru the cabinet on the left. Might be a partition you have to remove.

1320Fastback:

I did to change my water pump. The oven in mine was held in by 3 screws per side along the top sides and one simple gas connection in the rear. After that it slides forward and out. It is not that heavy.

Mine did sit on a shelf which I had to remove and re-staple down.

Oven out and water pump in lower right

Ramtravelbeast:

I would remove the electric panel before removing the oven..

Cool-Contribution292:

That’s funny. Just this morning I was bitching about working on my water pump I finally found behind my three kitchen pull out drawers. You’ve got it worse. I feel better… sorry.

Hfth20091000:

There’s no rhyme or reason as to where they put water pumps.

Ezekiel-2517-2:

I pulled my oven when I redid my counters and cabinets. It’s not as hard as you would think. It does open up all the space below.

Biggest thing to remember is to leak check your gas hose when you reconnect it. Some plumber pookie on threads doesn’t hurt.

Source: Should I take the oven out to replace water pump?

Locking an adjustable drop hitch?

Locking an adjustable drop hitch?

I feel dumb but couldn’t find anything via Google. How do I secure this style of hitch so that someone can’t just pull the pins out and easily take it away. I guess they would still have the ball attached because I have that locked but I feel like I’m missing something…


djzang:

Replace the pins with locking pins.

aeblank49601:

Do people steal hitches? Seriously? Heavy and not that valuable.
Country bumpkin here, don’t lock any of that crap. Never an issue.

BackgroundGrade:

Replace the pins with bolts.

But, be careful: you want the bolts not to have the threads in the gap between the parts. Add washers under the head of the bolt/nut as required to achieve this. Use a bevel washer as the last washer under the nut and use a self locking nut.

https://www.nord-lock.com/learnings/bolting-tips/2015/benefits-of-bolt-shanks/

Regular_Doughnut8964:

Take it out of the receiver and lock it in your trunk or garage until you need it. Save someone’s knee cap

GrillinGorilla:

Outside of welding the entire assembly to itself and to your vehicle, nothing will prevent a determined person from stealing your hitch out of the receiver.

If welding isn’t an option, simply remove the hitch from the receiver and store it in your vehicle. Otherwise, look into Locking Hitch Pins.

And these are like $50 at harbor freight. IMO, there’s no real big risk to simply leaving it as-is.

Turtle2k:

Maybe if you drilled the hole to 1/4” diameter and get this?

schmuckmulligan:

If you don’t want to buy a locking pin, a judiciously applied blob of JB Weld would make removing the pins a major pain in the ass (for you as well as thieves, unfortunately).

Source: Locking an adjustable drop hitch?

Any ideas how this could have happened?

Any ideas how this could have happened?

No_Apartment3941:

Frame broke. Mix of rust and maybe too much load. Was it a camper hauling a load? Checkout the year of truck to see if it is an issue.

ArbysLunch:

In order: sodium chloride, dihydrogen monoxide, and iron oxide.

Darwincroc:

The front fell off.

spytez:

Light turned yellow and the guy slammed on the breaks. Frame welds/rust snapped in half.

Terribleturtleharm:

Oh that? That’s good ol’ Optimus Sub-prime transforming.

Fresh-Bid6315:

They live up north!

MonkeyHitman2-0:

Doesnt have to be rust. There was a newer Ram that broke just because of overloading. Some interesting info about that one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Trucks/comments/101f2rq/broken_ram_3500_dually_shows_a_camper_can_still/

Source: Any ideas how this could have happened?

Shower door options?

Shower door options?

My spouse is picking up our “new to us” 2023 motorhome and driving it 16 hours back home for us to move into. He says the shower door lock failed and this happened. Day one.

We have a 15 day warranty on the motorhome. I suspect that would require use to return to the dealer and that’s less than ideal. The dealer doesn’t usually carry this Make of motorhome, so I’m guessing they’d have to order stuff.

I’m currently staying with my mother in law with our two kids and two cats and it’s been a week and I’d like to get out sooner rather than later.

Is it worth turning spouse around and trying to get them to fix it or refund some money so we can fix it?

Or do we just sigh and go “motorhomes innit” and remove the other half and put up a shower curtain? Or is there a better option for the shower door?


NewBasaltPineapple:

You could install a generic door for a few hundred dollars or substitute for a good curtain. The alternative is to see if the dealer will even cover this under warranty (you’d have to convince them that the motorhome door was defective and not that someone just leaned on it wrong or tried to press it closed incorrectly or with something in the way). Assuming they agree to cover it, yes, they order something, even with motorhomes they normally sell, and with warranty work they’ll have between a 2 to 8 week backlog.

Alternatively, if the dealer will cover this under warranty, you can ask them to order and ship you the door and install it yourself, which can avoid some hassle, assuming you’re handy and willing.

If you can avoid subjecting your motorhome to a schedule it would be for the best. The industry is not in good shape.

Radcliff1050:

If you have 200 to spend I highly recommend the nautilus sliding shower door. I replaced my glass door in my fifth wheel out of fear of having this exact thing happen.

Source: Shower door options?

What is this?

What is this?

Inside of slam latch door


FredZeplin:

That’s where your gas strut attaches.

Biff_McBiff:

It looks like an attachment point for a strut to me.

qazqaz2000:

Some people take the struts off and add magnets so you get a full swing on the bay door.

SophiPsych:

Someone went a little overboard on the fasteners

Difficult-Ad8712:

Its for gas struts. They put them on all doors for some manufacturing. If you have slam latches, they don’t use them as the slam part wouldn’t happen, and they hold the door open. You should have magnetic blocks to hold the door open.

24_Chowder:

Maybe that’s why the removed it?

CTYSLKR52:

Fridge maybe slid over?

Source: What is this?

First time Winnebago

First time Winnebago

Hi all,

I've never owned, operated or stayed in an RV but my girlfriend's mom just bought a 2014 Winnebago trend 23B and without any prior knowledge we are taking it to a campsite tomorrow night.

Can any provide any pointers , tips or advice?

Is the generator gas? It doesn't say in the owners manual. We won't be hooked up to electricity so I'm wondering if I can use the power in this thing?

Anything I should know ?

Thanks in advance


Mumblesa10:

Find and read the manual!!!! Will answer many of your questions

Biff_McBiff:

Based on the photo it looks like you have an absorption fridge. Run it on gas if you do not have power. I do not know if it is a 2-way or 3-way. If it is a 3-way do not run it on 12V unless you are driving as it will deplete the battery in no time.

Can’t say what type of fuel the generator will run on. It might be gasoline or it might be propane and it is possible it is dual fuel. You need to lookup the model number and see. You will need to learn how to get it running in-order to charge the house batteries if they run low during your outing.

You also need to know the type of battery as that determines how much you can drain them before needing to recharge and avoid battery damage.

Source: First time Winnebago

Tow Police: Had to stop traffic to take a picture of this one

Tow Police: Had to stop traffic to take a picture of this one

Saw this monstrosity this morning on my way to work.


happyfuckincakeday:

Those front tires are going to last 100,000 miles

nolecamp:

Relax, guys. It’s a 4×4. That means 4x the towing capacity

fastLT1:

Those front tires are barely touching pavement. Dude should get his license revoked.

1320Fastback:

I bet he used to think his f150 was a bad ass truck, now it’s just bad.

Timmy98789:

Half ton…

NTWIGIJ1:

Parked in front of a liquor store. Lol

PhaTman7:

They put that “Carolina lift kit” on that thang !!!

Source: Tow Police: Had to stop traffic to take a picture of this one

Plane Crash During RV Trip

Plane Crash During RV Trip

We’ve been on the road for 6 months now. We’ve seen some interesting things, including “zombie” drug addicted people appearing out of the national forest in the middle of nowhere, but today will stick in our memories far longer.

My family and I were walking on the east side of the park, walking along a trail, when sheriffs and aid cars started pouring in. The entrance to the park includes an iron gate and toll booth. The park staff opened up the gates, allowing emergency services to pass without stopping, and the parade came in. Initially the police were driving 30-40mph through the park to pass the marina and reach the spit.

One emergency vehicle after another poured in, then personal vehicles of volunteer divers. Boats, jet skis, pontoons, all flowed into the park.

At first we weren’t sure what happened. Having our children with us, I felt the need to hurry back to our trailer in case it was a violent situation. My husband went to the lake without us to assess the situation. Back at the trailer I turned on the local scanner. I heard the words “plane crash.”

It didn’t make sense. We were walking around the lake and didn’t hear anything.

My husband came back without information. Now that I know the kids were safe I left them with my husband, grabbed my camera and went back to the lake.

By this time a crowd had started to form. The first woman I talked to happened to be family of the emergency staff. She told me a plane went down.

A man walked up to our group and shared another story. He was in the airport and witnessed the plane go down. He said the plane did one or two loops before nose diving into the water. His flight and all others were canceled immediately.

On the scanner I heard mention of the deployment of a parachute, but the plane was too close to the water for it to deploy properly.

We left before the recovery process was in full-swing. At the front of the park, at the check-in gate, all visitors were being turned away, even people on foot.

8 hours later now and no one has located the pilot. I sincerely pray for a miracle.


Brutalbonez13:

A plane crashed, and all we got was a pic of a boat and a fire truck?

For shame!!!

Vitrekk:

All I see are two fire trucks, lmao. Forget to post the image?

Source: Plane Crash During RV Trip

Aqua-Magic V leak?

Aqua-Magic V leak?

I woke up this morning to a double whammy in my recentlt full-time RV. The AC capacitor went bad, and the fan motor burnt out while sleeping because I foolishly left it on. I awoke to the burring noise of a locked motor, and when going to the bathroom after turning it off, discovered a soaking we carpet. Attached is where it is leaking, I placed a new O-ring inside but the leak continues. It seems to be coming out of the bottom part. Any advice? Do I need to replace the entire plastic bolt/endpiece assembly? I've never worked on plumbing before recently, and just replaced the Wax seal underneath wirh a Korky wax-free thinking it was the wax getting warm overnight.

Any help would be much appreciated.


PM_me_ur_launch_code:

The pic isn’t the best, but if it’s similar to my aqua magic I had a leak there shortly after we bought the trailer. The fitting just wasn’t tight.

I had to replace the valve assembly this year but that was leaking from the top of the valve. Its possible it may be leaking from somewhere else in the valve and not at the fitting itself.

Mine was very easy to replace as the toilet is about 4 inches from the wall. The YouTube videos I watched they had to remove the toilet so ymmv.

Otherwise the fitting itself may be cracked and that would need replaced. Looks like you have a hose going to it? Mine was pex so that might be more difficult depending on what you have there.

I ended up putting a tee in at the pex behind the toilet and added a handheld bidet.

Source: Aqua-Magic V leak?

Campground hunting is frustrating.

Campground hunting is frustrating.

My wife and I travel for work and move every 3-6 months. Every move we have to find a contract somewhere that has a Rv park close by so we can stay. This in itself can be frustrating as many areas, like the entire state of West Virginia, have few parks and aren’t close enough to city centers to make a daily drive for work.

However that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So many rv parks do not have a website. If web design is profitable then I think I’ve found an untapped market, nearly half of the parks I find do not have one. Then many that do have websites are no longer functioning or are poorly made. I like to visit websites for rates and rules information to see if we are interested and then I’ll call to find out more info like availability.

Another annoyance is finding a great looking park with a great location, plenty of amenities, and spacious lots but it’s a 55+ community. Try finding an open lot in Arizona that’s not 55+ during the winter half of the year. These parks do tend to have a website thankfully but when I see resort in the name I start hunting for 55+ somewhere on the website and it’s a huge letdown when you find it.

Compound this with having to look at 5-10 different cities when searching for another contract and maybe you’ll understand my frustration. Hours and hours of searching that feels like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Forgive me if this is too “ranty” but we’ve been doing this for nearly 3 years now and the process is still just as frustrating as when we started.

On the brighter side, when we have found a place to stay it’s been worth the headache. We’ve been all across the country and have loved this life. We’ve stayed at some great parks, visited amazing scenic areas, and met plenty of friendly rv’ers on the way. We’re still deciding on when to go back home and settle but for now we’re still enjoying traveling. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.


jimheim:

I agree, it sucks. I do software architecture and systems design. This is a tough problem.

I suspect there are a number of intractable issues:

  1. There’s no clear winner in the park-finding app space, so it’s far too much work for park owners to participate in all the different apps and keep their data up to date so it’s searchable in all of them.
  2. There’s no clear winner in the park-management-software space, so integrating with park reservation systems for real-time information on availability, rates, etc. is almost impossible. Much of the software that does exist is total crap. There aren’t web APIs hooked into the reservation systems for data push/pull. There’s simply no practical way to get real-time availability for most campgrounds in one place.
  3. RV park managers aren’t the most tech-savvy lot. A lot of them don’t even have Internet-connected office computers. Even if you gave them all the tech in the world, it’s not going to be easy to work with them. This is a generalization, but I’ve interacted with dozens of them, and I’m confident saying this would be a huge barrier to solving the problem.

I worked on a similar system: Slice. It’s a pizza shop ordering system. They specialize in pizza, specifically mom-and-pop pizza shops. All the problems are the same: no consistent PoS/in-house software; non-tech-savvy owners; etc. It’s a solvable problem, but it takes a lot of work. Slice had the benefit that there wasn’t as much competition for a nationwide ordering site for mom-n-pops, and they managed to largely capture the market.

There are way too many players in the campground-finding space, and no campground has the resources to work with them all (or often to work with any of them). It’s also a more difficult problem. Managing reservations well in advance, and a lot of other aspects of guest services, is a lot harder than taking orders from a menu for immediate delivery.

On a technical level, this isn’t a hard problem to solve. It’s a lot of work, but the implementation is obvious and any team of engineers can do it. That’s why there are so many players in the game already. It’s really a problem of marketing yourself, getting enough campgrounds on board, and getting the campgrounds to put in the effort to make it viable. You need to get enough people on board to hit critical mass. No one’s done it yet.

ThisOldGuy1976:

You’re traveling with a double wide double length mobile home bruh.

fastLT1:

I’ve don’t travel out of state as much so I haven’t run into a 55+ park yet but the parkadvisor app does seem to have a 55+ filter.

Good luck man, sorry you have such a hard time.

Robochao:

4 years. Big same on every word.

Right there with you 🙃

gohfaster:

The solution is to get something under 20′ that fits in the back of your truck bed and isn’t classified an rv in most states. Then everywhere is a campground

Admirable_Purple1882:

I use rv trip wizard and it makes searching for campgrounds much easier. You could filter by not 55+ and view them on a map to gauge location and check pictures etc. It’s definitely effort though I agree.

ThisOldGuy1976:

Here in MN if you want a beautiful camp ground and site you’re booking it 9 months in advance.

Source: Campground hunting is frustrating.

Anyone know what bulb this is?  Looks like it says 120V but looks like an 1157?  Came from camper bedroom reading lamp.

Anyone know what bulb this is? Looks like it says 120V but looks like an 1157? Came from camper bedroom reading lamp.

PizzaWall:

1004 style interior light bulb.

It is also called a dome light.

They are available at any auto parts store.

Actual voltage is 12.8, which looks a lot like 120.

hbigmike1:

Retrofit to 12 volt LED bulbs. I bought a 1996 Motorhome with all incandescent bulbs like the one in the picture. What I found that according to my calculations
was that 10 LED bulbs had the same amperage draw as 1 single 12volt incandescent bulb. These LED bulbs are sold on Amazon. https://a.co/d/ilWvaLl

[deleted]:

[deleted]

[deleted]:

[deleted]

WholeHabit6157:

I think that is a 57 . Replaced mine .

Source: Anyone know what bulb this is? Looks like it says 120V but looks like an 1157? Came from camper bedroom reading lamp.

Some advice please

Some advice please

Greetings people!!
Been looking for a lil'pup trailer for about a year now and finally came up on one without even looking for it this time.. Owners just wanted me to haul it away..
It needs a bit of work (new tires, fix the brake lights, and a little patch up)
Anybody know a place in the OC or SGV area (California ) to patch this old beauty up . I don't mind spending a little bit and getting it looking new…


Thebillyray:

Hope you have a wdh

Source: Some advice please

If you are missing your Winegard antenna…

If you are missing your Winegard antenna…

Stopped at a Cracker Barrel in VA last night and saw something in the trees above where we parked. I retrieved the mystery item this morning. There’s someone driving around this week who just discovered a massive water leak in their roof…
Y’all stay safe out there and don’t forget to look up.


DuePermission9377:

Big oof

Figure_It_Oot-Get_it:

I see the problem, the front fell off. That tends to happen.

some_layme_nayme:

I see they improved their wireless service by junking that trash

rusty52411:

Not really “missing” anything. My Winegard is pretty much useless…

Source: If you are missing your Winegard antenna…

Leveling ramps

Leveling ramps

My wife and I recently got a travel trailer. Its a dual axle and we are RV newbies. I’m wanting to get leveling ramps like the ones in the picture but I’m a little confused as to whether or not I should get a a leveling ramp for all 4 tires. In the picture and all the other images I’ve seen everyone has them only on one side of the RV. Do I need a ramp for all 4 tires? I’m not sure how leveling ramps on 1 side would level the trailer especially since it seems like everyone is already on fairly level ground. Should I buy 2 sets so that in the case I need all 4 leveled I have the option or is that not ever necessary?


RaspPiDude:

If you are not level side to side, find the low side and put the ramps there to raise it until level. No need to adjust the height of both sides, just the low side.

rsw_0913:

Just one side is all you need. These are great.

mikeholczer:

You only need them for one side because you use them on the side that’s lower to raise it up to the side that higher. They are for leveling left to right.

In what situation are you thinking you’d need them on both sides?

Infuryous:

Echo everyone’s response, only need one set for leveling side to side… lift the low side, you don’t want to make the higher side “higher”.

They won’t work for leveling front to back (I suspect this is why you may be thinking you need four.)

The tongue jack is used to level front to back.

chfhimself:

If you use them on all four wheels then they will not level the trailer, just elevate the whole thing.

Popular_List105:

Need them for the low side. Level side to side first then front to back.

fire_works10:

Have a set of these and absolutely love them! It makes leveling side to side so much easier…less bickering between my partner and I during setup is an added bonus!

Source: Leveling ramps

Saw this bad boy today.

Saw this bad boy today.

Haven’t seen anything quite like this before.


allbsallthetime:

We’re staying in a tiny campground for several weeks.

2 nights ago we look out the window and a semi truck with a sleeper shows up pulling a ginormous 5th wheel.

He was 62 feet.

A retired trucker, he pulled in, deployed the slides and awnings , and plugged in in about 10 minutes.

The next morning they disconnected, went into town, came back, hooked up and pulled out just as fast.

It was way too big for the park but man did he know what he was doing.

niktaeb:

That’s a rock star RV. 10/10 there’s at least one stripper pole in there.

printaport:

At what point do you just buy a fucking house wherever you’re going?!

SigmundAusfaller:

Looks like a https://spacecraftmfg.com

lampministrator:

Surprisingly few windows? Maybe a celebrity trailer?

Clear-Hovercraft-925:

only 3 ac units and 2 axles? Seems a little less than what it should be.

CopyWeak:

I’ve seen a couple like that…used by filming crews as dressing rooms.

Source: Saw this bad boy today.

Stinky sink

Stinky sink

Hello, I bought a Raptor 429 to live in full time, it has two bathrooms and the one in the toy hauler garage seems to always smell bad, the other sinks don't, any idea why it might? Picture for flair


Possible-Tap-676:

Make sure the traps are full of water in all sinks

a_woodring:

if it stinks under the sink it might be a bad air admittance valve. If you have one it will be a short piece that sticks up from the drain pipe. The AAV is just screwed on so you can screw it off and replace with a new one from any big box store for about $10.

yendar1:

Sinks would be grey tanks,not black. and they can get smelly too depending on what has been washed away. Shaving, washing greasy/grimey hands ect. What you can try is doing a good rinse, leave about a 1/3rd full and then breaking up a chem pac that’s used in the black tanks and rinse it down your sink. Leave it for a day then flush your grey tank. If it’s a minor issue, this should clear up the smell. If it persists, you may have to have it professionally looked at

rollinbrian:

Kudos for towing with a flatbed, they work so much better with 5th wheels than a stock body.

MoneyPitBoating:

Don’t have a clue, but that thing is huge and awesome. Congrats!

johnson56:

Are you sure it’s the sink that smells? Or is it the bathroom in general? Could be the toilet, specifically if it’s a dometic 300..

stykface:

Man that trailer is way to short. Need to get something longer.

Source: Stinky sink

Our new (and first) rig!

Our new (and first) rig!

Upgraded to a 2500HD Duramax Silverado (max tow) last month in preparation for the delivery of our 25' Reflections. Grew up RV'ing, we are very excited for our family of 5 to have new adventures and make some great memories!


Upper-Exchange-3907:

cmon guys that’s a short 5er, the 2500 will handle it just fine.

h0serdude:

That has to be more than 25 feet. What model is it?

WstrnHntr:

Here’s the numbers:

Truck:
GVWR: 11,750
GCWR: 30,000
RGAWR: 7,250
Curb Weight: 8,184
Max Payload: 3,566
Cargo Capacity: 2,929

Trailering Weight Rating:
Gooseneck/5th Wheel: 21,600
Max Tongue Weight: 3,240

5th Wheel:
Hitch/Pin Weight: 2,450
UVW: 11,700
GVWR: 13,995

CptBiscuits:

Looks great! …and you have plenty of truck.

WstrnHntr:

Thanks all! Let me clear any confusion, I was not worried about the truck being enough for the rig. I’m not sure how others spend money on a truck, but I wasnt doing it without researching it’ll tow more than what I need for this 5er, and with headroom for something a little bigger in the future, if needed. It’s not a coincidence we opted for the duramax and 3500 max tow package.

Anyway, thanks for the support. Just wanted to share our excitement with the RV community. Happy camping!

RC7plat:

Licensing can be a pain for a 3500 in some jurisdictions so this alleviates the issue.

cstaalin:

Nice!

What hitch are you using in that short bed?

Source: Our new (and first) rig!

Birthday trip

Birthday trip

My wife and I have November 2nd through the 9th off from work and we are looking to take the camper out for the week. We live in Central Texas and want to get away, but not so far that we spend half of the trip driving. Does anyone have any suggestions for spots with full hookups, nice views, and not a two day drive from central Texas? If we can stay in the state great but open to bordering states. TIA

Source: Birthday trip

Financed an Rv now regret it

Financed an Rv now regret it

Hi, I’m 27 year old female and I moved to El Paso from Houston Texas. I financed an Rv from camping world for work since I work in road construction and move all over New Mexico. Now my life has taken a turn that I have to move back to Houston due to my father declining health, he got diagnosed with COPD and I have to go there and live with him in the apartment. I have no use use for this rv and I’m lost on what to do. I have thought about voluntary repo but worrying so much about the deficiency balance. I know I made a stupid mistake but I just need to know all my options.


mayuan11:

I would try to refinance the trailer with anyone that gives you a better rate. Looks like you are paying more than 20% interest and that’s kind of crazy.

hernondo:

There’s no magic solution. You signed up for what you signed up for. You know your options, you probably just don’t like them. You’ll have to keep it and continue to pay monthly, sell it and probably have to take a loss, or have it repo’d. I would not rent it out unless you know someone trustworthy that will not destroy it. Campers are not built well, so renting to an average Joe they will most likely destroy it and make the value even less.

Avery_Thorn:

There are three main options that you have.

You can sell the RV, and you’ll need to cut a check to the bank to pay for the difference between what you can sell the RV for versus what you still owe on it. This preserves your credit.

If you turn the RV back in, they will sell it, and they won’t get a good price for it. You’ll still owe the difference between what you still owe and the wholesale price that they sell it for at auction. This option will destroy your credit, and you’ll still get harassed until you file for bankruptcy. This will make your life harder than it needs to be for the next 7 years or so.

Or you can keep making the payments. This is likely the easiest way to preserve your credit, unless you can afford to sell it and pay the difference. If you can put extra in on it, you’ll be out from under it faster. The downside is you’ll still need to pay the insurance, maintenance, and carry costs as well, including storage. If you can put enough money per down to get the RV to be worth more than you owe, you can sell it.

I’m sorry that none of these options are good.

Ecstatic_Worker_1629:

I worked for a company that REPOD motorhomes, 5th wheels, travel trailers and toy haulers. Want to know how to hide them, or what we would look for when trying to find them? We would start with family, and sometimes they would tell us the state he’s in or about the city they are in. We would look for mailbox stores and then RV parks nearest to those mailbox stores.

The ones we couldn’t find were the boondockers, and even if we could find them, which we only did once or twice we cant take them because the person is usually living in them. The banks will NOT attempt to evict you. It’s too costly. Even at RV parks you could just tell the repo person that you are living in it. They can hook it, but can’t take it with you inside. Banks usually give up, and the repo rate is real low. The only times we were able to get them was when the person that owned it died, and they wanted to get it out of there.

XGhostface408X:

Can you not at least sell it for the 23k?

HollywoodGreats:

Is there any other options? I don’t mean to question your family obligations but is your father really in need of a live in caregiver at this point? If so are there others that can share a sitting schedule, like a week at a time with dad if you can get off to do your week rotation? Would he be safer in a care facility with 24 hour staff? Can someone transfer the rig to their name and they take over payments?

Just some options off the top of my head. I’m 70 with COPD and a stroke. I’m alone and just pace myself taking rest breaks when walking or activities. I wish your dad the best, it’s not a diagnosis you recover from but hopefully can manage effectively.

breastfedtil12:

This whole situation is kinda sad. The financial illiteracy I see on Reddit is depressing AF.

Source: Financed an Rv now regret it

I did a thing.

I did a thing.

2024 Alliance Paradigm. First time fifth wheel owner. My bumper tow was pretty big though. What should I know that isn't immediately obvious?


Bob70533457973917:

No dealer getting any free publicity from you. No sir-eee. 😉

Capt-Kirk31:

Check your water line fitting. Look for pex fitting with FLEX lines crimped to it. Not if, but when. Easy fix

myGSPhasADHD:

Grease/check the wheel bearings. Keep an eye on all tire pressure, also watching out for potential “china bomb” tires. Watch your weight, especially loaded with water (but that looks like an F350, so not as concerning with that truck). Maybe get or check to see if that truck has air bags in the rear suspension, so you don’t start blinding oncoming traffic since the trailer weight could raise your trucks front end. Look into getting a back up camera, you can also leave on while driving which acts like a rearview.

Just first things that come to mind for when I traded a class A in for a fifth wheel, you may already have or know these things.

Hitched4fun:

Mark your calendar and check / replace your water heater anode annually.

Livin_In_A_Dream_:

Didn’t wanna spring for a Brinkley eh? 😂
Nice looking rig!!!!

HowsBoutNow:

May it give you many happy memories

NotaCultbutACult:

Looks good. Just wait for the clowns to tell you it’s too much weight. Fuck em. Nice looking rig. Airbags will make a huge difference. Enjoy.

Source: I did a thing.

Dog started yelping when he stepped into the camper (see caption)

Dog started yelping when he stepped into the camper (see caption)

Obviously having a hot skin issue, but I've got no idea where to start. Lucky one of my safety chains was touching the ground – I used a wooden post to lift it up and the meter went up to a full 120v!


magicscholbus:

So the only way to know where the short is happening is to power the unit back on and flip breakers off one by one until the issue goes away. With that info you can then determine which run of 110 has a short and start pulling the receptacles or switches on that leg until you find the issue. If it’s not visible or easily locate-able you have a break in the wiring in the walls. Harder to locate at that point but you’ll have to get into the walls to find the break and repair

ssgtmc:

Good, you have a meter. Are you in a park or at home? Do you have a surge protector plugged in that looks for issues? Is this an RV with a transfer switch? Checking for issues at the pedestal would be where I started. Inspecting and ohming out my power cord would be next. Transfer switch next. If you find a low resistance, then you can flip breakers to see if you can remove the issue.

m0j0j0rnj0rn:

Checking that the ground pin on the shore cable is connected is the first step that I would take here

Skywrench01:

An open neutral can do this. I’d check the outlet that you plug your power cord into. Make sure you see proper voltage between the hot and neutral connections. If you do not see voltage between hot and neutral, but you do see voltage between hot and ground, you have an open neutral. An open neutral can be very dangerous in an RV.

mwkingSD:

Here’s a story for why we should all have a quality electrical management system (EMS) which among other safety measures will not send power to your rig from a miswired post.

Springsstreams:

Check to make sure (or ask someone qualified) that the shore power box is properly grounded.

gopiballava:

One very important detail about multimeters: their voltage sensing range is high impedance. This means it isn’t showing you if there is a lot or a little bit of power available.

You can get stray voltages induced in pieces of metal. The voltage setting on your multimeter will not really tell you if it’s a tiny amount of current that will immediately dissipate if you were to make contact with it yourself.

I’m not actually sure what the best way to measure this would be. Probably connecting a resistor between the multimeter terminals. But I’m going to guess you don’t have resistors with you 🙁

Source: Dog started yelping when he stepped into the camper (see caption)

GE A/C unit in Grand design. It is a new 2021 unit that has almost no use on it. It is not getting cold.

GE A/C unit in Grand design. It is a new 2021 unit that has almost no use on it. It is not getting cold.

I noticed that these 2 thin tubes frost up within 1 minutes of turning on. On the inside (lower unit) the part that resembles a radiator I was told should be is not. I replaced the Freezer Sensor to see if that might work. Please help me. I’m aware that it is a closed unit and can’t be repaired. I don’t see why it would be bad with barely any use. No blockage either. Thanks team


OptiGuy4u:

It kills me that the answer is always “replace” and never find leak/repair/recharge

Neat-Pumpkin8718:

If it freezes in less then 10 minutes, it could be bad. I have replaced every one of those I run into.

AbbreviationsTrue174:

I bought a 2024 TT, neither of the GE acs worked. I had both of them replaced under warranty. The brand name GE isn’t what it used to be. They’re stamping the name on crap

OptiGuy4u:

It kills me that the answer is always “replace” and never find leak/repair/recharge

OptiGuy4u:

It kills me that the answer is always “replace” and never find leak/repair/recharge

Source: GE A/C unit in Grand design. It is a new 2021 unit that has almost no use on it. It is not getting cold.

What is this attached to the exhaust pipe of this Class B?

What is this attached to the exhaust pipe of this Class B?

casey_h6:

It looks like a camco gen-turi vent tube. You’re supposed to stack more pieces on there though. It takes the exhaust from the generator and puts it up higher over the vehicle so you aren’t breathing it. They are used in congested places, like at some race tracks where coach’s are all in tight and everyone runs a generator.

Criticaltundra777:

The extension is a big pipe that is about 5 feet above your roof. I’ve seen hundreds of RVs packed side by side at an airport all running their genies.

Lanky_Landscape1:

Probably exhaust for a generator

seadoo580:

Gen turi generator exhaust stack for close quarters camping. Routs generator exhaust up above the roof of rv. Looks like it’s missing 2 sections. Mine is 3 3’ pieces and an elbow that connects to generator

Born4thJuly:

That’s to add 7hp for windy hills over the pass, they would have gotten 10 but forgot the stickers.

thegreybush:

I can’t help you with the pipe, but that sure doesn’t look like a class B to me.

captainrv:

Looks like a class a or c, unlikely a class b.

Source: What is this attached to the exhaust pipe of this Class B?

Just gonna leave this here

Just gonna leave this here

mgstoybox:

Pretty much. 🤣

Half tons and compact trucks are pretty capable. It’s just that the numbers confuse a lot of folks, and RVs chew up payload like crazy compared to other trailer setups. The dealers aren’t helping the situation either. Math is hard!!

iforgot69:

The advice I’ve seen here is, no matter weights or advertised capacity.

You need a Freightliner M2 in order to tow a single axle ultra lite.

GrillinGorilla:

Haha here I am towing my little popup with a 3/4 ton Suburban with the 8.1 vortec.

I was searching for half tons, but they were all rusted out. The 3/4 tons were much cleaner and about the same price!!

squelchmaker:

It’s funny how most of the comments are just confirming this post

mayuan11:

There is a significant difference between the standard trucks and HD trucks. Same as the difference between having weight distribution hitch and not. I’ve driven ¼ton, ½ton, ¾ton, 1ton and whatever a f450 is. The smaller the truck the less overall control you have. Goes without saying, you lose braking power and payload. Currently I’m driving a ¾ton and it does a hell of a job towing my little fibreglass trailer, but I’m likely to downgrade my truck to a ½ or ¼ ton. A lot of the benefits that are found in the modern HD’s are not going to make a difference for the average user. The upgrades to the new ½ tons are pushing the tow capacity up to the ¾ ton range and negating their purpose. Yes the HD’s are better, but not necessarily more useful to a weekend warrior.

Chance-Yoghurt3186:

I can smell transmissions burning in this post.

BmanGorilla:

You can say what you want, and study the payload/tow ratings all day long, but if you’ve ever had opportunity to tow with both a 1/2 ton vs a 3/4 or 1-ton class, you’d find that even at just 6000 pounds of trailer the 3/4 ton will be a much more comfortable and confident experience. There are a lot of differences between these trucks that aren’t really shown in sales brochures. 1/2 ton uses p-rated tires, 3/4 ton is LT tires, 1/2 is a semi-float rear end, 3/4 ton is a full float, 1/2 has solid boxed frames, 3/4 ton is c-channel. 3/4 ton have much larger brakes, much larger transmissions, stronger steering components, etc. The list goes on and on. I get it that you can make a 1/2 tow 12,000 pounds, but it’s not a recipe for vehicle longevity or safety, driver fatigue, etc.

But, if you’re not towing very often, it may not be worth the cost. Only you can decide.

Source: Just gonna leave this here

My trailer was stolen from a storage facility.

My trailer was stolen from a storage facility.

I live in an HOA neighborhood that doesn’t allow RVs to be parked in driveways, so I used a storage facility that is just a mile from my house. Because I live in the desert, I kept the trailer in a covered space to reduce sun damage. I hadn’t used the trailer since Julie, and had been traveling most of August and into September. A few days ago I got a letter from a police department about 75 miles away, with a parking ticket dated September 5. My wife and I immediately went to the facility to find an empty space where our trailer had been. There was a local law enforcement officer taking a report from a man whose storage unit had been robbed, so we made our report too. Have filed all the paperwork with the insurance company, and are waiting on a response. Of course the police where it was parked were contacted, but it’s not there now.

I don’t know what to do now. I was looking up campsites the night before receiving the letter. My wife says we’re not getting another trailer unless we can store it at our house, which isn’t an option. A friend has offered to let me store it on his property, about 10 miles away, and it is gated, but it would be inconvenient to pick up and it would be out in the full desert sunshine.

I guess I’m rambling here. Still in shock. Maybe things will get clearer in time, and I’ll figure out what direction to take.

TLDR. Trailer was stolen and I’m devastated.


ducrab:

I keep an AirTag hidden in mine.

1961mac:

If you get another trailer, strongly consider putting a tracker in it.

KeyserSoju:

>A friend has offered to let me store it on his property, about 10 miles away, and it is gated, but it would be inconvenient to pick up and it would be out in the full desert sunshine.

Sounds like a very reasonable solution and all you need to get is a cover.

SteelGrayRider2:

Sorry. This sucks! Hoping for a positive resolution. Good luck.

TheGalavanter:

I’m a HUGE fan of Trak-4 solar trackers.
Just buy one, stick it on the roof, set up the account and activate it. You can either pay the monthly fee to get real time location and Geo Fence alerts, or just turn the service off and then if you ever need to know where it’s at, you just hop onto your account and reactivate your plan and it will turn back on.

constructionhelpme:

It was stolen from a gated storage facility? Does the facility not have cameras? Storage space is a complete scam and the people that manage storage facilities are usually the slimiest assholes around and often help their friends steal shit from the storage unit by giving info and getting kickbacks

Evening_Rock5850:

With all of the other stress; don’t forget about the parking ticket. You don’t want that to escalate and cause even more of a headache for you. Your best bet is to contact the agency who issued the ticket, with a copy of your police report. If they’re decent they’ll take care of it.

AirTag / tile is a good solution. If your site has power and you have a means for Internet; you even have the option of geofence alerts and security cameras. I store mine off-site in a storage facility. But I also have solar panels and a cellular modem; a security camera inside and alerts that get sent to my phone if the trailer moves. And to top it ALL off I even have a hidden AirTag.

Source: My trailer was stolen from a storage facility.

Oxidation removal on this 27 Ft Quantum 💥

Oxidation removal on this 27 Ft Quantum 💥

Step 1: Heavy Oxidation Removal
– Use 3D ACA 500 cutting compound with , White Wool on Rotary.
– We used White Wool by Starke on the Dewalt Rotary.

Step 2: Finishing Polish
– Use ACA 520 finishing polish with the rotary buffer. (This step should also be done by Rotary)
– We used yellow wool by Starke on the Dewalt Rotary.

Step 3: Switch to a dual action polisher.
– Use the 520 polish again.
– Use a yellow Money pad by Starke on the polisher to take away any haze or trails left from the first two steps and finish refining the surface

Step 4: Final Protection
– Apply your favorite wax or coating to lock in the results.
– We used soft black CCS pad by Lake Country to apply Shine supply wake up 💥


Supacalafragalistic:

I need this

Scar1203:

I see you’re in Florida so I wouldn’t be able to use your services, but how much did you charge for this? I’ve got a 31′ class c in need of detailing and I suspect the cost would be similar.

CTYSLKR52:

Great job, thanks so much for sharing!

black_sheep311:

Good lord just drive the thing.

Source: Oxidation removal on this 27 Ft Quantum 💥

Solved! Dometic 300 Stink

Solved! Dometic 300 Stink

In another post I complained about the stink and smell that would never go away no matter what I tried.

Tank additives, replacing toilet floor seal, checking vent pipe, etc. Nothing seemed to work. Then I stumbled across a forum describing the toilet bowl having two separate halves that were connected with a less than ideal seal. I pulled the toilet and took it all apart. It was very apparent where the smell was; the giant POOL OF URINE AND FECAL MATTER!!! What the heck Dometic!!?? I still haven’t figured out how or when it happens, but it gets trapped inside the two halves and just sits and smells.

The fix! Take apart the toilet via 4 long screws on the under side. Then 5 small screws and tabs around the bowl to separate the halves. Clean and dry. Then apply liberal amounts of silicone wherever the seals are. Be careful with applying silicone on the oval shaped gasket style seal. The internal flushing mechanism moves close to that area and you don’t want to impede that in any way.

TLDR: The Dometic 300 can hold liquid waste inside the toilet where you can’t clean or wash without taking it apart. Caused by poor seals from the factory.


kcwildguy:

This is actually well documented as an issue with the 300. If you call them and complain, they will send you a new one. You did the fix that most people suggest. I upgraded to a 310 because of this.

RadarLove82:

You have done the community a service by posting this.

dubie2003:

This happened to my 300 that came in my 2018 camper.

Dometic insisted they updated the design but would not send me a free replacement as I was not the original owner so I bought one on Amazon.

2nd one lasted 2 season or there about and same issue.

Dometic approved a goodwill replacement, I asked about upgrading to the 310, they approved.

310 installed and no issues yet (half a season). I have 1/8 gap between toilet and wall now as I was a solid inch plus under their rough opening requirement. It was a calculated risk and it paid off for me.

So, if sticking with dometic, upgrade to the 310 or pivot to another brand entirely.

insufficient_funds:

I didn’t know this was a known issue; but I posted that this is what we found in my camper on your other post.

Crazy to hear it’s kind of a known thing with this crappy crapper.

ProfessionalBread176:

Yeah, it’s strange, but they’re all hollow plastic, to save weight. I have a Thetford which I had to replace the flush valve, and the inside of that thing wasn’t very nice smelling, either

scott_majority:

While shopping for a toilet 6 months ago, I found the Dometic 300 at about half price on Amazon…Thought I’d save myself a few bucks and get it…Terrible decision. The Dometic 300 is cheap, doesn’t hold water very well, and is not good holding back tank odor. I’m half hoping it breaks soon so I can justify buying a new one.

some_layme_nayme:

I’d just buy a new toilet that wasn’t there model. Now I need to see what toilet i have tbh. If it’s this one I’m ripping it out. Thanks for the update that’s gross as hell

Source: Solved! Dometic 300 Stink

New to us TT, battery setup has me stumped.

New to us TT, battery setup has me stumped.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated! We got a used TT that has a dual battery setup with solar and a kill switch on the battery case.

I’m trying to make sense of how it is wired right now, for some reason it makes no sense to me (especially that block at the top of the picture).

We want to set it up for boondocking with some use of the power inverter too. Is it setup right as is? Looks to be in series.


107Heaven:

Those are 6 volt batteries combined to make 12 volts and a shunt to check the power usage and battery’s status , all the negatives go to one side of the shunt then the other negative from the battery goes to the other side

Campandfish1:

The block at the top is a shunt/monitor. Some are Bluetooth compatible, if you can find the brand, you can look to see if there is an app and pair with it, so you can use it as a monitor. If there’s no obvious display for it, it’s likely Bluetooth. 

blkwrxwgn:

I was wrong. These are 6V batteries. So it is wired right as it’s in series making it 12v.

djzang:

Those look like GC2 6v Golf Cart batteries. In series they will give you 12v. The block at the top is a shunt to monitor battery capacity. If you follow the small cable that has the white connector on it, it will likely lead to a display/control panel for it.
EDIT: you can tell it’s 6v because there appears to be 3 vents on the top for 3 cells. a 12v battery would have 6 cells

ricklewis314:

For those who mistook these for 12v and for future battery reference: look at the battery caps. Typically each cap is 2V. So 3 caps is 6V and 6 caps is 12V.

d0r0g0:

You don’t have much capacity for boondocking with those two 6v batteries. Figuring out the largest 12v battery you can fit in your space is a good place to start. Some single LifePO4 12v batteries can store over 500 amp/hrs so be sure to look around. 560ah seems like your best bet if it’s in your budget and can fit

olanandkate:

These are two six volt batteries connected in series to equal 12 volts. You have what appears to be 75 total amp hours but I wouldn’t take it less than half of that so let’s say 35 total amp hours make it easy. The others are correct that the little box on the negative is a shunt. You can see if it connects anywhere to report usage or not, but it could be Bluetooth.

Source: New to us TT, battery setup has me stumped.

Little Camper

Little Camper

Last-Masterpiece-150:

We went camping for the first time ever and our cat loved it too. We were very scared she would get out of the trailer. We took her out walking on her leash at night and she went so far I got scared and picked her up and carried her back to the trailer. She didn’t want to go outside in the daytime choosing instead to nap on the bunks and have a peek out the window every now and again. I have a feeling we may just have to buy her a trailer.

LightsSoundAction:

https://preview.redd.it/p29mq3sbynpd1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f356a0e40213ed62e92d56acd20e1670d208dff

Queen Kai of the camper.

rybread761:

Adorable

all_these_moneys:

/r/mlep

Last-Masterpiece-150:

https://preview.redd.it/qac6wbatynpd1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dfaa7b2b8215fccc09461bd1a254f50348318b2

Not happy!

splitting_lanes:

We take our 19 year old orange female tabby camping. She would get sick from the drive, but she’s more used to it now. She enjoys all the places and is always curious to look outside and see the different things. We have a leash and a harness for walks and when she’s riding in the truck. I really didn’t think that it would be possible to take her camping, but start easy/slow, and before you know it you’ll be doing 2000 mile trips with a cat!

m0j0j0rnj0rn:

blep

Source: Little Camper

What is putting holes in my RV?

What is putting holes in my RV?

space_coder:

There is a chance that you may have a stray current from a battery or other source, and it is causing corrosion where the aluminum is exposed to water or is against a different metal (like a screw, frame, or other fastener). I noticed that the exterior seems to have two pits that are coincidentally along the horizontal.

Precious_Angel999:

Hey all, what do you think about these mystery holes that are appearing on my RV? When the bubbles burst, the grey underneath is chalky. They turn into holes eventually.I feel like this photo shows the entire lifecycle of these blemishes. This is happening on a 2024 rig in Central Texas.

Livid-Beginning359:

Low voltage galvanic cell. Likely some contact with dissimilar metals that creates a cell, and eventually it will break through as corrosion.

Admirable_Purple1882:

Check if there is hot skin with a multimeter

Dry-Bag-4820:

I would take it to the dealership and ask them wtf

Excellent-Hippo-1830:

It looks like someone broke a mercury switch or thermometer. It could be caused by a stray current but I imagine you could feel a current strong enough to do that in a year.

River-trader:

Greetings… I had an older Lance travel trailer and had the same issue.. I would clean them off and spray zinc on them… I figured it was some type of electrolysis or stray current.. I believe I located The source there was several grounds for lighting that were attached to the aluminum skin.. it was kind of strange the electrolysis seem to be localized near the right corner.. hope that helps, 🚐

Source: What is putting holes in my RV?

1972 Boler Question

1972 Boler Question

We picked up a 1972 Boler a few years ago that's had a lot of work done to it.

My question is regarding the power converter (if that's the correct term?). It has two unlabelled switches on it (the black 'buttons' are fuses), but I have no idea what they do. The top switch seems to turn a fan on and the DC Volts drops to around 11.5, the bottom switch seemingly does nothing unless hooked up to a 120v power source, where it then kicks on a fan in high gear.

Switching both on, moves the battery condition needle to the '1' position, with the DC volts needle bumping up to 15 volts.

All the lights hooked up to the battery seem to have power regardless of the switch positions.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!


WestEst101:

I have a ‘72 boler also. This doesn’t look original to the boler, so doubt anyone can answer.

Also, three Facebook boler page is best of all boler related questions. The best boler repair people hang out there..

CandleTiger:

I don’t know what the battery condition meter means.

From the rest of your description it sounds like the bottom switch is an on/off switch for the converter — if it’s on then the converter is providing 15V DC charging current from AC.

The top switch sounds like a battery disconnect, but I don’t know why there would be a fan for that. Maybe a DC/DC charger for charging the starter battery, but at that age that would be weird; normally they just have a direct connection between the batteries somewhere. Maybe a master switch for turning off the DC loads driven by those five fuses? But again, don’t know why there would be a fan involved with that…

Source: 1972 Boler Question

Buying our first trailer

Buying our first trailer

Hey y'all, wife and I usually camp put out of the back of our SUV or Tent camping but with the addition of a dog & future baby the wife wants a little trailer.

I have always been partial to 14ft/16fy 80s trailers (pic) as I think they are a real bargain and we don't need anything fancy.

To future proof ourselves I want to be able to upgrade the suspension as we do like to do camping on public land (I also wfh so something I can work off grid with would be sick) but these tend to have trails/roads still (big hills but no obstacles really ) in the Canadian foothills/Rockies so something with a bit of ground clearance would be nice.

Can't afford a 40k “over landing” trailer.

Are we out to lunch on this? As anyone else done this already, are there guides already?

Any insight would be appreciated!


pariah1984:

I took the same route, I’m a pretty handy guy and we loved the look of the old shastas so I found one that had been moderately restored and modernized and bought it as our first trailer.

I ended up having to partially gut it 3 separate times. I spent way more time working on it than camping in it, and I grew to loathe the thought of taking it out, just wondering what would go wrong next. and it was a small basic one just like you show.

For your situation, I would get a popup. Yeah, they’re kinda disposable, but they’re cheap and will get you out there NOW instead of constantly working on an old trailer.

New-Scientist5133:

I got a busted 1966 Scotsman for $300 10 years ago and spent about $1,500 over a year of fixing her up. Greatest investment of my life.

https://preview.redd.it/z0hwh42xk7pd1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b991af6155493b9e4b2f8ad629c0f164f13ca766

twizzjewink:

To be honest, I hope you aren’t serious.

This will require a MASSIVE amount of work to restore, as a first-time trailer? Unless you have the skills, tools, and space to work on it — find something else.

TotallyNotABot_Shhhh:

Is this in SoCal? If so please PM me. This looks like a trailer I gave away and disclosed information on to the person picking it up.

Jinaric:

Have you looked at any molded fiberglass trailers? If maintained, they can last a long time. Boler, Trillium, Casita, Scamp, Bigfoot, Escape, and Oliver ($$), are some of the more popular brands.

There’s a fair number of vintage (70s, 80s, 90s) molded trailers out and about and still in great shape. Water is the biggest enemy of old trailers, and the molded fiberglass ones have a lot less trouble with leaks.

thecriticalmistake:

We bought one of these. Great shape. Went to add bunks and found rotten framing and a layer of dried dog food in the ceiling. Stanky. Wouldn’t have noticed if we didn’t pull it apart.
Typically, corrugated siding indicates wood framing and rot and instability. Flat fiber siding indicates aluminum framing – less to rot.
Suggestiom is to look at aluminum framing and seal that shit up once a year.

EhRanders:

My first camper was an ‘86 tandem axle fleetwood wilderness Yukon…in 2018.

It’s not for the faint of heart, but restoring it a few years ago made me know exactly what I was looking for in every system across the new RV when I got a 2023 travel trailer.

I would focus on camping in one spot until everything is working well in the camper before you conquer roadworthiness. Most traveling camping trips involve driving away from the store that has all the shit you need, so fix most of it before you’re in BFE.

Source: Buying our first trailer

Worn out fan motor replacement

Worn out fan motor replacement

I’m hoping someone can help me out with this. I have a forest River Salem Cruise Lite and the roof fan doesn’t start by itself anymore. When I turn on the switch it wouldn’t move, but if I start it with my finger, it runs. It has a different sound like a bearing might be worn out. Is it possible to replace just the bearing, motor, or fan, without having to change the whole square thing too? How would I do this? Would I work from inside my trailer or go up on the roof to change it? Thanks in advance

Source: Worn out fan motor replacement

How to Winterize Your RV eBook

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