I have a 2018 Tiffin RED. I get as good of fuel mileage with the 40’ beast and an F-150 in tow as I did with a 3/4 ton diesel pickup towing a 30’ travel trailer, and I am a lot more comfortable.
Hi, me and my partner want to build a woodstove in our 5th wheel, what is the easiest way and what parts do we need before we start, anyone with part list or scheme? And aprox price? Our furnace gave out and we wanted to do this next month, we are forced to do it this week
Picture just for illustration
But for now we want to build universal chimney to connect different stoves, we have tent wood stove for now and next month will buy something better
So I’m pretty sure the one in the picture the specifically make for tiny houses/vans. If you Google them you’ll find them and all the info you need. They sell them and the surrounds .
Brand new to owning an RV, I’m not a full-time just a part-time. I do live in New York and we get snow and I know that I need a cover but I have not gotten one yet. However, it did snow, am I supposed to do anything about this or is this OK? And almost new RV so all the seals and everything have been inspected and passed. And also it’s been winterized already.
I’ve left my trailers out over the winter for years without a single problem. Getting two more feet of snow is not uncommon here. I do check my seals before storing it and when I take it out. Always have to do a few seals before storing, but in the spring the roof has always been fine.
New England here. It depends on the type of snow. Light and fluffy? Sweep it off every so often. The heavy stuff or higher amounts? Clear it. The late 3′ snowstorm last March collapsed my RV before I could wade out to rake it.
Long time seasonal camper here. Get it off the jacks. Frost heave is a trailer’s worst nightmare. Seen more friends pop silicone and create leaks all blocked up nicely. Chock the wheels and use the tongue Jack only.
We get many snow falls/melts here in Nova Scotia. Keep trailer angled towards the sun, not level, and that will help with snow melt and keeping freeze/thaws away from your gutters and other seams
Definitely need to be getting it off at some regular intervals. It can handle snow ok for awhile and can even help insulate. The issue is once it melts/freezes water/ice can open cracks and before you know it you got a leak and water damage.
I’m a flat roofer for 13 years. Make sure all pipes curbs and skylights are thoroughly sealed around the flanges. Remove old sealant of signs of deterioration and clean using a solvent . Seal with a good quality polyurethane caulking. . membrane roofs are made to keep water out completely but problems do arise when water sits on them for extended periods. Check for leaks when the snow starts to thaw.
We moved into the RV full time while we are getting our new home constructed. It’s been 5 days and I’ve noticed this steady dripping from the blue hose. The ground is getting pretty soaked from all this. The red hose has a tiny drip now and then.
It’s a 2017 Keystone Bullet if that matters at all. Connected to city water. Please help!
They should be capped or turned off. Those are the low point drain lines. Those are used to drain your hot and cold water when you winterize. You’re leaking perfectly good water on the ground.
I could be mistaken here but I also suspect that you are hooked to a water input that is pushing an increased level of pressure to your RV. City water pressure should be dampened down with a pressure coupler/regulator. When you turn off the water to your RV does the leak stop/slow? Hard to imagine that both the hot water and cold water valves are failing simultaneously.
Overkill? If you’re living off grid I don’t think you can have too much power. It’s maybe not esthetically pleasing, but I bet it’s getting the job done.
I refuse to be associated with CW, so this only felt right. I know it is a mutual feeling to a majority out there; on that note, I figured I’d spread the dopamine. Haha.
No this isn’t another newbie horror story. This was fully anticipated. Inevitable. The mfers are the only ones who’d bargain with me in on the unit we wanted in the end.
My wife, son, 2 cats and I sold everything in the last 6 months and went FT in the beginning of November – we love it! Besides the 2 issues on delivery: dead battery and missing window screen, we beat CW 1-0, as far as I’m concerned.
Anyways, just wanted to share. Also, I want to shout out this sub for all the help and insight along the way. It has made our first ‘launch’ successful and we feel like we are setup with everything we need for the winter. We’re in the southwest though..suckers ????
Cheers and happy holidays!
TL;DR: Screw CampingWorld and thank YOU to this community for helping us get on our feet for our first FT adventure!
I didn’t buy from CW but still pulled off all the dealer advertising as soon as I got home. I do the same with cars. Want me to advertise? Pay me the current rate.
I found this in the slotted channel on the upper handle side of the door. Extending from the handle to the top of the door but not engaging with the lock mechanism.
We have this plug in our living room. I am wondering if it possible to change to this a regular outlet without causing issues? I can't seem to find anything posted about if this can be done or not
Hey yall, with winter here (my first as a full timer) it was getting Chilly and i'm ballin on a budget. RV skirts are a total scam for some heavy duty poly cut to fit?
So i went back and forth between various things. Ultimately I installed 1″ foam board under my RV and glued pvc board to it to protect it whilebtowing. That wasnt enough to block the chill so I ordered a 30″x6″ tarp, cut it down the middle and wrapped it around the base of my RV. I added D rings to ziptie to the RV. I do need to go through and caulk the D rings but that's a project for another day.
looks like it’ll do the job… maybe toss a space heater under there on the lowest setting for the really cold days to help prevent freeze… also, get a heated hose if you don’t already have that in your arsenal
That’s great, until the wind blows. If you don’t have the bottom weighed down somehow get yourself some PVC pipes cut to size, fill them with sand and form a frame around the base.
What year is your Flagstaff trailer? I had a 2003 that had the same profile and exterior look as yours, two doors and all. Seven years of summer vacations. Take care.
The simplest way to deal with these is just to unscrew the cover and vacuum out occasionally. Then you vacuum in each direction of the line a little bit, so it pulls dust/debris out in each direction.
When NOT in use, I cover mine from underneath with aluminum foil. Unscrew & pull vent out of the floor, fold the foil around the bottom and up around the sides; screw it back in.
I live in Florida now and only used the furnace while in Texas during a frosting winter. I take the screws and vents out, using my shop vac to suck out the dirt. Wash and dry the vents, replacing them, then cover with two lines of the clears packing tape. I do this a couple of times year, the tape changes a bit as the floor gets washed. That simple.
As someone that lives with two shiba inus a cat and a wife that all shed ???? I just remove the vent cover and vacuum it out, in the summer just throw those magnetic covers over them
They’re the exact same. I have the Westinghouse it’s been great love being able to plug my trailer right into it. One of the largest fuel tanks for the wattage too. I didn’t get the DF because i don’t think I’ll ever use propane
They appear to be identical in specs and construction, so I’d go with the one that costs less. My guess is that some company not named Westinghouse or Cummins actually makes both of these.
I ordered the Westinghouse from Amazon and it wouldn’t start no matter what I tried. They refunded it. Bought the onan (which is just onan Cummins in name) and it runs great. It’s super quiet and I love the remote start. It’s got a big fuel tank for a good run time. There’s also some YouTube videos comparing the two and I believe they showed the Westinghouse over volt protection to not work as well as the onan. It’s been awhile since I was researching these specifically.
I have the Cummins. I have used at 10 degrees Fahrenheit to plug in my travel trailer. Works great, other than need to keep the battery on a trickle charger when not using it
Just noticing that this has been in 12v configuration. My inverter sometimes gets loud /overloaded so I took a look at the batteries. I am on shore power.
1.) should this be in 24v?
2.) should the battery disconnect be off or on?
12v and the disconnect should be in the on position. Only turn it off when you are storing the camper unplugged. Are you sure you are referring to the inverter and not the converter? The inverter shouldn’t be doing any work when plugged into shore power.
I hate to replace the decal because I would have to break the seal around the edges. Thought about covering with a little diamond plate, looking for suggestions
This keeps gunking up the aerators on all of my faucets and shower. I use a camco water filter coming into my camper. What is it and how to I get rid of it?
I have a Floe system on to blow out the lines after use. Does anyone know if I’m supposed to bypass the water heater when I use this? And if I’m not bypassing it today, could this be part of my problem? I’m definitely changing the anode rod yearly
I found a soft spot on the roof, the shop said they found a tiny hole by the AC and the decking is wet underneath so the entire roof needs to be replaced.
Our trailer was around 25k new so yeah I’m having a hard time justifying paying for this.
For what it’s worth, I received a similar quote around $10K from Campers World. Those shop rates are ridiculous and I walked away. I found a guy who worked at a local repair facility and had it done for $1K. My issue was only the rear corner but CW priced it as the entire roof which was overkill.
If I got this TT inspected and it looked good, would this be a good buy? Or would I be better off buying a new Jayco, travel lite, grand design etc?
Looking to live in it full time for next decade.
I had a trailer I bought brand new, a 2017 Gulf Stream. I didn’t know what I was doing when I bought it. It was fine for a while (mostly because I didn’t notice stuff that was wrong), but eventually it had issues. Like the bone-dry black water tank effing fell off. The axle wasn’t straight so the tires wore unevenly. Etc. So I dumped it.
I bought a used Lance, older than this one. It’s a 1985 (the model number, not the year), I think. And I paid more than the one you’re looking at costs. And I’m totally happy with it. I think they’re much better built than a newer but cheap trailer. I think the construction quality of most trailers is really, really low.
We have an entry level 2013 Wildwood Xlite 221 RBXL, bought used in 2018 for $10K. 26 trips and a couple thousand $ later, we are selling the Xlite and buying and newer Lance – the difference in quality is truly astounding. Lance for the win, high quality lasts. We went and saw a new Lance on the lot – totally convinced.
We’ve camped in it for 3 years. One leak where we installed the batwing but we’ve repaired that. I wish it was lifted a little and maybe a tad bigger. We like it though ????
Not a novice, but still have lots to learn. Our first camper, I resealed the roof yearly added more lap sealant if needed and such. We bought a 21 Keystone Springdale and I need to re seal the roof as it has been two years. Yes I know I'm late just been busy. It's an Alpha roof, and they say to use their product. I just want to make sure, as I'm not finding much information about it, that this is the correct product. I used Dicor before on the previous camper and they make it so easy to find a product. Alpha calls it a roof coating, but one page said you needed an adhesive before adding the coating. What are yall thoughts before I drop 90 on this product to cover the rood.
Been doing it 23 years. My biggest advice, keep a checklist on your phone. One for setting up. One for breaking camp. One for supplies. A shareable list with your spouse is even better. You WILL forget something. Some unimportant. Some important.
At first I thought your truck was a Taco and I was really surprised it could haul something that big lol. Congrats on your new rig and your adventures to come! 🙂
Might want to pull in that awning. My parents lost an awning to rain – not wind, just rain. The rain managed to pool on the fabric, and when my dad went out to try to get it to drain off, the roller snapped in half.
With the extensors on your awning, the damage could be a lot more expensive.
Congrats for sure but let’s slow down there Mr. Smileypants Happyguy!
I know your RV looks ready and the salesman told you it’s a high quality, defect free work of art and insisted you get it on the road immediately.
There’s a reason he wants you to get it on the road. In fact, he’s praying right now that you get it far, far away for your first few weeks.
It’s for when (not if) things start falling off and/or discovered inoperable, defective, deficient, missing or downright wrong, you’re too far away to beat him up. Or at least far enough away for the drive to calm you from a Felony assault to a misdemeanor Texas ass whooping.
Take that beautiful rig just a few miles up the road and use it.
Exercise everything, open everything, close everything, turn on everything, work everything. Do it in dry camp, wet camp, hooked up, under tow, level and unlevel. Live in it, fix what you can, list what you can’t and enjoy the short road to the shop versus the stranded in the Mojave surrounded by fire ants…..
TLDR: You don’t need to drive 1,000 miles to find the factory bugs. Stay near the house and commit to flight prepping for the first few trips, versus giddy for holiday. That mindset makes the “interruptions in enjoyment” more tolerable.
So my sink randomly collapsed tonight. It still empties the water through the pipe and it appears everything is still connected plumbing wise. The soonest I'll be able to have this worked on is february at camping world (Arent warranties great?)
So is there a way I can fix this myself? Like if I put gorilla glue around the edges and prop it up?
Or call a mobile tech perhaps?
There should be clips under your cabinet part of your sink that holds it in place. Put your sink back up there. Spin the keepers back around, and tighten the dog shit out of them.
Ok so here is my plan. Unless someone says not to. I’ve got a pair of skis I can use to prop it up, and I’ll put gorilla glue around the rim a d just prop it up. Anyone e object to this?
These aren’t the traditional lady bugs but the invasive Chinese lady beetles that were imported to kill aphids but then grew in stupid numbers in the US and actually bite us and kill lady bugs. You can tell because the spots are symmetrical and they come in varying colors.
Are you in the midwest and currently in staying or living in the rig?
This happened to us in 2022 in Missouri (we live full-time in ours). They came in through the slide seals because they’re looking for a tight space to winter over. Check your seals and windows but they still may come in via your AC vents, etc.
Once they’re in, the only thing you can really do is vacuum them up when you see them and stop the end of the vacuum with paper towel so they can’t get out. They will come out of the nooks and crannies for awhile. If you’re not living in the rig, they’ll probably die off if they can’t get out but you may find them clustered and dead in the tight corners and spaces. Ugh.
I’m purchasing a Cabover trailer and I am having problems find the right adapter for the connector. This have 7 pins which I’m familiar with but it has a space in the top middle and I just can’t find anything that can fit into that. Can someone help me with a point in the right direction?
The only place I could find one like that was on an Australian site, but even it doesn’t completely match (the notch extends outward from the barrel, not inward, and is on the opposite side):
Was able to get them to knock $500 off the freight cost since I'd be driving 11hrs to go get it. Is this a good deal? It's my first camper purchase, so I really don't know what to ask about billing wise
The starter kit, administration fee and prep rv fee is the fluff stuff where the dealership’s trying to make their money.
A “starter kit” usually consists of a water hose and a sewer hose, maybe some chocks, that can all be had for less than $100, possibly even less than $50. So get details about what that kit actually provides, and make your own call if it’s worth it.
Same thing with the Administration fee, find out what that entails. There’s already a separate line item for the plate and title, so what are they charging you for?
And lastly, the “Prep RV” fee. That’s almost 2K right there, so really dig into that one. At some dealers that might be as simple as “wash the RV”. Or they might really be doing a bunch of stuff.
Overall, the charges are probably fine. Given the discount, they’re probably selling the trailer somewhere around cost, so they need to make some money somewhere. Just make sure they’re being honest about it.
I sell rvs… selling a customer a new 2022 now is probally about the meanest thing they could do to you…… thats straight lot rot, probally got to the dealership in 2021, height of covid coaches.
You mention driving 11hrs. Not sure the distance, but my diesel fuel has been a bit over 40 cents per mile while hauling, also consider trailer tires are only rated to 65 MPH so it may take longer to get back home. Driving it back home is good practice in driving with the trailer.
Make sure you have a backup camera. Mine was about an extra grand, installed. They also will have a store with all the essentials, all of which you can order online for probably 1/3 the price.
Also be prepared for everything to break and be warrantied out in the first year. I have needed to return to the dealer (which is out of town) several times. Not feasible if it’s that far away.
Also, consider the warranties they try to sell you, may or may not be needed.
It’s a 2022 model. It’s been sitting on their lot for two years. Floorplan has been completely paid out on this unit. The dealer is into this for the cost of their invoice plus whatever floorplan they paid (that they’re never going to get back).
No RV is ever”worth it”. They are all severely depreciating assets and they all require significant maintenance and repairs.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a small travel trailer or a 2 million dollar bus. Only the amount of dollars change.
That being said, only you can decide if the camping experiences and treasured memories are worth the price paid.
In my personal experience, we spent more than $700,000 (over a period of 15 years) from the time the first RV was purchased till the last one was sold. We lived in our motorhome full time for 10 of those years.
So….was it worth it? Absolutely. I wouldn’t trade that experience or those memories or friendships for anything.
What’s the interest rate, what’s the total interest charged on the loan? Am I blind or is it not mentioned at all? How many payments?
I don’t trust any place that just lists monthly payments without the other details. It’s a way to prey on people, “oh you can afford 300 a month? Cool here’s a vehicle” and people don’t realize it’s like 9 years of 300 payments at 14% yearly interest..
I couldn’t find any DIYs on this so I had to wing it. The drain line was the most difficult, and I didn’t think about winterizing. But it turned out great.
So did you actually change the oven to a dish washer or did you find one the right size and somehow Frankenstein the stove top onto it? You had to punch a hole in your grey tank? Holy crap dude, what type of wizard are you?!
Wow, I pulled my oven out, put in a new counter top with a nice 2 burner cooktop. Then put a Ninja XL in the space below. And I was really proud of myself.
This is absolutely ingenious. Like someone else said, patent this and you could become very rich. It’s mind-blowing this is the first time we’ve all seen something like this.
What is up with these jugs. Even the Red ones say that it isn’t for gas. On the racing jug website? Like wtf? I get color coding on jugs like blue for water, yellow for diesel. But shouldn’t red be ok for gas?
We have had a water heater in our Sportsmobile Sprinter for 9 years. Used it maybe once. We don’t use hook ups since we mostly camp off grid and I can’t remember to turn the hot water on when we are driving. Been thinking about pulling it out and using the space for something else.
There’s no way to test it so it’s a gamble. Looks like a very old style with no electronics so the chances of it working are pretty good. I have a newer style with an electronics board that crapped out. I ended up buying an entire new water heater for not too much more than just a new electronics board.
Camp close to home the first time so it is close if you forget something. Have fun and may the long time sun shine on you and your family on all of your rv adventures!
Glad to see someone finally making a decision wife I have been looking at different making models for what seems like forever. So many horror stories, but I guess you just gotta try.
I'm having a palmetto bug issue and while trying to address the problem I'm looking to see if I can close the areas around the burners because I'm pretty certain these are avenues used to access the counter. I'm wondering, given that the steel wool is metal it and aluminum foil won't catch on fire, and the propane and flame come out the top, would it be okay to close this area off? I also have a Camco range cover which I will be closing.
I just opened up the camper from the off-season which in Florida is the summer, so while I started off with a disadvantage as they've had six months to go to town. I'm launching the counter offensive.
So, we’ve got a Thor Class C, a 2018, recently purchased from an RV dealer second hand. Noticed this gap, it’s on the backside of the coach wall, at the top of the B-Pillar where the cab meets the coach and the overhead bunk starts, right next to the driver door. There is no gap on the passenger side. Can anyone with a class C chime in and tell me if theirs has this strange gap. My gut is telling me it’s a manufactuerer defect, wall piece was cut wrong at the factory and they used it anyway, been letting in water and moisture for 5 years before our ownership? Slight delamination also occurring on the outer wall right at this corner. Or am I crazy and it’s built with an illogical “vent” where water is least likely to consistently penetrate the walls.
That’s just some minor water damage at this point. Nothing to do with a manufacturer defect. As far as normal… it’s super common due to lack of maintenance. Unless it bothers you, just reseal the area and make sure there is not more water intrusion .
On my last camping trip of the year some junk got stuck in the screen of this faucet and I can’t get it out. The tip doesn’t unscrew like household faucets and CLR and backwashing didn’t do the trick. Looking to replace it. Anyone know who makes it? It’s on a 2021 Coachmen Freedom Express.
FWIW, I’ve googled for hours and not been able to find it
It looks like the whole faucet gooseneck unscrews. There appears to be a grip at the base where the goosneck starts. You could try opening and rinsing it that way.
Aside from that you can get a residential faucet and swap with minimal hassle. Alternatively try googling nickel faucets for manufactured homes. They are often cheap, light, and have identical connectors.
Over the summer, my wife and I bought a 2016 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 25B to go full-time in. We’ve been heading down the west coast for the past few months, looking for a spot to stay for the winter. Then we came across the BLM long term visitor areas, and thought that would be perfect! We’re only a few minutes from town and have easy access to everything we need supply-wise.
We both work from home, so we went for it and got a Starlink internet setup. Hotspots can work, but we wanted to have that extra freedom and safety to have coverage in even super remote locations.
We also have 2x400W portable solar panels to plug into as well as 2x110W panels for a smaller solar generator that we run small electronics from. We’re able to run our fridge and everything on solar during the day, and it gets cold enough at night that we can just flip the fridge off, but with dogs and blankets it’s not so cold that we need to run the furnace. Cooking is done over the fire pit outside. Our water heater is propane only, and we try to just flip that on as needed.
Any other tips or suggestions for desert boondocking?
We stay in the Quartzsite LTVA each winter for a month or more. We enjoy it. However do not under any circumstances leave your dog in a pen unless you are right there with them. Don’t even walk inside for a glass of water! Coyotes take numerous unattended dogs every year. Make sure you don’t camp in a wash, and be very careful driving in them – lots of sand. The place gets absolutely crazy in January, and even Starlink might have trouble managing the congestion. Some people head to the Imperial Dam LTVA near Yuma to get away during the crowds, and crowds there will be! Don’t plan on eating out or making a quick trip to the grocery store during the RV show or the QIA Pow Wow (a rock and gem show with vendors from all over the world). There are lots of activities in town. We participate in the OHV group, and I like the quilt guild too. Very active rock, jewelry, crafts, and art groups too.
ETA the LTVAs are pretty safe. The free areas right near town are less safe. Criminals like a quick getaway and to blend into crowds. Scadden Wash is near town and right on the highway – bad combo. Dome Rock area seems to get some crime each winter too. While no place is crime free, long termers get to know each other and look after each other. This is our 8th season, and I have never been tempted to get out the guns except for target practice fun.
Have you looked at a watermiser? It is a valve you plumb in to put a “recirculate” on your shower. With my instant hot water I just flip it to recirculate, let it warm up, then you can take warm, military style showers. My trailer has a small tank but this efficiency has let me go a week or so before needing water.
Converting your fridge to a 12v compressor type will save you so much electricity. I converted mine last week and wow, what a difference. It only draws about 84 watts, about 1/3 of what the gas absorption 120v used.
This is my list of stay away from brands. Any brand that pays workers by the piece will have problems. If you are getting in to RVS these days you better be handy.
That’s soot – I wouldn’t burn real candles in an RV for a lot of reasons. Buy the best simulated electric candles you can with flicker and a scent plug in and get rid of the candles.
If you don’t burn candles, having soot like this would worry me.
Personally, I like real candles. I like the light, I like the smell, I like the way it makes a drink and meal look, and I like the look in the bedroom.
Soot streaks on walls and the ceiling are just part of the ambiance.
Super toxic breathing all those hydrocarbons. None of the fragrances are required to be identified. Not even real fragrances. Try a potpourri pot to kill the RV odor. An open flame in a camper is just crazy dangerous.
This is an outstanding idea! And here I was gonna get deck stair tape from Lowe’s, like a chump.
My only nit (after browsing for almost thirty whole seconds) is that board tape graphics are oriented for boards, not steps. Well, just gotta find the right design I guess. Definitely gonna though. Might still go with hazard stripes, but not from lack of options.
Congratulations on the upgrade. The only reason I stay in a trailer is I can’t stand the neighbor at my house. I pay $400 a month lot space and have cool neighbors. My mom and her husband live in the house and keep it up. If you find a decent neighborhood with good neighbors it’s priceless.
Good for you. I really like my camper, but I like having my house to go home to every day. 11 acres and a pond with no neighbors makes it worth it. Hell, we go camping just to meet people.
This is a screenshot of a week of battery states of charge (blue) and voltage (Orange). I can see the 3 days with my old converter where the state of charge dipped to 87-90% each day (while being plugged in btw!) then the. Day I installed the WFCO-AD, I unplugged and drained the batteries down to about 68%, and since that day I’ve been able to keep my batteries at 100% consistently, but the voltage drops each day.
Does this mean my auto detection in the new converter is working? I’m not so great at deciphering the meaning of these BMV monitors
Maybe just a bit. Probably fine unless you start adding more cargo. Maybe consider flipping the receiver hitch over so it provides an inch or two of lift rather than drop?
Holy gosh, my dude! No WDH and you’re yanking that anchor with a short bed half ton? It’s a menace and a disaster waiting to happen! The semi’s are gonna blow you off the highway while that tail shakes your dog apart!
We painted and it turned out great! Used Zinsser primer after scraping/ sanding some loose wallpaper then regular interior paint. I have read here that people feels it diminishes resale values, though. (Our trailer was basically a gut job anyway so paint was the least of the modifications we did!)
We sanded all the walls to give a bit of texture for the paint to stick too (hindsight it wasnt needed and a ton of work), we used Benjamin Moore Scuff-X primer (left it as primer cause we wanted the Base White color as our main color and used a different one for accent) after a year of living out of it, I worked remotely we climbed and hiked basically every day and are hard on stuff its still flawless, I tried to scratch it in a few spots and held up better then anything else did (nails and wood falling apart and needing fixed and even our floor was banged up) but the paint kept on keeping on, we wiped down the walls once a week cause white shows everything but the biggest suggestion I can give is… TAPE EVERYTHING and triple check before painting (we used a paint gun, 90% prep, 10% work)
That isn’t wallpaper so don’t try to take it off. You can paint it, but be aware that it is a lot of work, and it may hurt your resale value if the RV isn’t really old or extremely ugly already. Basically people get suspicious of covered up water damage when people paint the walls. If you think you might be selling in the next few years take lots of comprehensive pictures before you paint just in case buyers seem hesitant.
Forgot to take a picture of the plug itself so.i can make sure I have the right one. I took this picture. It is a 2022 palomino puma. If anyone is able to help me make sure I get the correct cord that would be great
I have a '21 Ram 2500 4×4 with the 6.7 Cummins diesel. I just picked up a 2014 Palomino Canyon Cat 21 TUC. Empty weight is listed at 5100 lbs and I towed it home yesterday with just my regular hitch.
The seller gave me his load equalizer hitch set up that he used with his half ton, but I didn't notice any issues towing.
Do I need the load equalizer hitch to tow a 21', 5500 lb trailer? It's a toy hauler, so I will be hauling a 400 lb Mule 4010 in the back on occasion, but compared to some of the trailers I see on here, mine is nothing. Would it pull better with the equalizer hitch or not notice a difference. (I hate towing rv's, so I'd like it to pull as smoothly as possible).
I am upgrading my CBE DS300 based system with a Renogy dual input DC/DC + MPPT charger controller and replacing my CBE CB510 AC charger with a 20A smart lithium charger.
I have studied the DS300 manual closely and have done a fair bit of googling and reading about integrating a DC/DC (B2B) charger to DS300 based systems, and think I have gleaned a sufficient understanding of how the DS300 works and what must be done to integrate the new components, but am still unsure about the ultimate correctness of my planned modifications of and connections to the DS300.
My goal is to remove entirely all charging related behavior from the DS300, both charging the leisure battery from the alternator or AC charger as well as trickle charging the starting battery from the AC charger. However, I want to retain as much of the existing stock behavior of the DS300, e.g. relating to step retraction, 3-way fridge control, display of starter battery voltage in the panel, etc.
My understanding is that if resistor R37 is removed, the parallel battery relay will be disabled and the starter battery and leisure battery bank will never be connected in parallel. In addition, if the AC charger signal “S” connection is never connected, the DS300 will never attempt to trickle charge the starter battery.
In order to ensure that the new charger controller will be able to accurately monitor the voltage of the starter battery without being affected by the DS300 in any way, I intend to install a 50A DC blocking diode, which should block all current from the DS300 towards the charger controller while still allowing the DS300 to sense and display the voltage of the starter battery.
In order to ensure that the DS300 does not attempt to charge the leisure battery from the alternator input, I will install an inline 1A blade fuse. If the parallel battery relay truly is reliably disabled, there should never be any significant current being pulled from the starter battery / alternator by the DS300 so the fuse should always remain entact.
The ignition signal connection will be left connected as it is now, so that the DS300 knows when the engine is running.
With the above modifications and connections, the DS300 functions affected by when the engine is started/running, e.g. controlling the step retraction, fridge switchover, etc. should continue to function as before.
Am I misunderstanding or missing something, such that the above configuration will not achieve my goals? Any suggestions how better to meet my goals?
I am also wondering whether it would be reasonable to install a high current blocking diode such as the following on the positive lead from the battery bank to the DS300 input, to block any attempt by the DS300 to charge the leisure battery bank from the alternator input:
Hi! We are a tent family (myself, my husband, and 3 boys) but are looking to upgrade to a pop up to get the extra space of a camper but still somewhat have the feel of tent camping. We are currently looking at a 2017 Coachman Clipper LS 128LS. Before we go any further with it, does anyone have any insight as to the good, bad, or ugly of this specific model of pop up? Photo is the exact one we are considering…. Thanks!
No feedback on that specific model, but for the money (and depending on what you tow with), I would suggest the Rockwood HW 277. A lot more room while maintaining the tent feel you’re going for.
We had a pop up for a year with 3 little kids. The benefit is having a place to sleep and stay warm comfortably, with ease.
Things I’d consider:
How much work is it to get them set up for sleep? Ours had a king (us), queen (shared), and fold down sofa (twin size). Still had the table for kids to use, so we didn’t have to set up or tear down every morning and evening.
Unless you get tarps/gizmos and insulation sheets, it’ll be just as bright, noisy, and cold as a tent.
Our fridge was near the back so we couldn’t access it when closed, so we never used it
What’s your tow capacity? I ask because we had a 2008 Rockwood that had a great setup for 5 and was ~2600. Had a toilet and shower as well.
Hello guys and gals! This community has been a wonderful wealth of knowledge and now I need a bit more!
I have winterized my whole camper except 3 places which is really confusing me… when I picked up the camper a few years back, the guy explains it all to me and I took good notes. I never asked questions before because I didn’t know what to ask and I would typically take my camper in for winterizing amongst other ‘warrantied repairs’ every year. This is the first year I’m doing it myself.
I have a fresh water pump and bypass on board (see picture) so I shut the freshwater line and open the ‘antifreeze line’ (A) and pump through each faucet and low point etc (bypassed water heater…yes drained that too). All is well and pink. What I don’t understand is the below!!!
1) how do I ‘winterize’ the city water line?(from outside camper) Do I just pour antifreeze down it? I don’t have a hand pump.
2) same question above for the black wash line. It’s on the outside but I’m unsure how to winterize that?
3) I released all freshwater from freshwater tank, but the line that goes from freshwater tank to the freshwater bypass line/antifreeze line’ needs winterizing too no? How do I get that and the freshwater tank winterized? I feel when I shut the bypass off, everything before it (to the downward left from arrows) won’t get antifreeze. Am I right in thinking that way?
4) same kind of question as number 3. When I bypass the water heater, there is a cold and hot line going TO the hot water heater obviously, but pumping antifreeze will winterize those too right? Like the liquid will find it’s way to the shut off point and go backwards as it’s blocked yes?
4) see picture one again. Am I supposed to leave the water bypass line closed all winter and then open again in spring? When I use city water, should that bypass be closed? Or open?
Other than that I think I got everything… I appreciate everyone’s help!!!
As mentioned by bb0730, you pop off the screen and press the little button in the middle until pink squirts out. Stand to the side, it will spray pretty far, not just trickle. I learnt that lesson the hard way the first time I did it.
You don’t need to winterize the black tank flush line, it doesn’t hold water, but if you’re really concerned, if you have an outside shower or spray port, you can connect it to the black tank flush and then pump pink through it like that. But like I said, it doesn’t hold water so whatever you pump will just end up in the tank anyway.
2b) Speaking of which, make sure you ran antifreeze through your spray port if you have one. You might remember the outside shower since it has handles like the taps inside, but the spray ports get overlooked.
The water in the line from the freshwater to the pump should have fallen out by gravity, so again, no need to winterize it.
When you bypass your hot water, there isn’t a long run between the bypass and the hot water tank. When you drained your hot water tank, gravity should have drained out whatever was in the little 2-3 inches of line that was there.
Your call on when to switch it, either now or in the spring. Just make sure to note it, and to do it the same way every year so you don’t get confused in the spring, trying to remember whether you did or didn’t flip in the preceding fall.
Bonus: Also don’t forget about the toilet. That’s another one people tend to miss, again, possibly due to the lack of handles.
For the city water line: there’s a back-flow preventer at the inlet. Remove the small filter screen from the city water inlet. With the pump pressurized, you can press in that back-flow preventer with a finger or a screw driver and pink will come out of the city water inlet.
I used a compresser and red pop, so I was a little less worried about the line between the pump and the fresh water tank, but…from my understanding, if there WAS any water in that small line and it DID freeze, because water expands when it freezes, it would expand into the large space of the fresh water tank. We did detatch that small line and blow through it and there was no water in there at all.
SOME people put red-pop in the fresh tank and pump it through the system that way, but some complain of the subtle taste it leaves.
For the line to the hot water tank after the bypass: with the pump pressurized with red-pop, I crack open those bypass lines very quickly to allow a splash of water into those lines. I’ll flush out the hot water tank in the spring for the small amounts of pink in there.
Disclaimer: I’m also relatively new at this and even vet campers will get it professionally done so they have peace of mind.
Do yourself a favour. Go buy the fitting that enables you to to hook up your air compressor to your city water connection. This allows you to hook up 30-40PSI air pressure and blow out all the lines prior to introducing antifreeze. It’s a cheap part and guarantees your antifreeze won’t be diluted. Also, make sure to pour antifreeze down your sink drains and toilet. Also, DONT FORGET THE OUTSIDE SHOWER if you have one and don’t forget to flush the toilet to get antifreeze through the toilet plumbing as well. A TON of people forget the last 2 items.
Purchase a 12v bilge pump and fill a bucket with your antifreeze. Cut a piece of garden hose that will spin on to your city connection. Attach hose to pump and turn it on. You can do the entire RV like this
Hey guys, this is a simple yet convenient deal. I have a few portable power stations. They seem to do pretty well but I’m frequently left with not enough juice from these small packs. I have a 100wh and a 300wh. Although I do use solar panels from time to time, I realized that the MPPT input accepts a wide range of voltage. I got a Milwaukee adaptor plate that came with a switch and a fuse holder, as well as an 8mm barrel connector. A 12ah M18 battery should, in theory, hold about 216WH. I have a fair amount of large Milwaukee batteries, so I charge these up before a trip.
When you clip a battery into the adaptor and plug it into a power station, it’ll start to charge at about 60w. Neat! Make sure you fuse it according to your wiring. I have 14awg so I put a 10a fuse in to be safe.
If you’re a boondocking weekend warrior or tent camper, this is a 5 minute project that can extend the life of your power banks for about 15-20 bucks.
Just got a '23 Primetime Avenger Le. No manual so I have no idea what is what. This is right up front with all the other wiring. I'm thinking solar maybe? It's supposed to be solar ready.
SAE electrical connector. You could plug in a portable solar panel into that or even a standard battery charger, but be sure the connector is properly connected to battery bank before you try to charge.
I have a neighbor who has what looks like a tiny toy hauler RV. I haven’t met them yet as they appear to be gone whenever I’m home otherwise I’d talk to them. The RV says Sunset Creek by Sunnybrook. It’s a bumper pull, and I’ve looked at floor plans but can’t seem to find this make or model with this large pop out door. Anyone familiar with this model?
I dropped off my RV (2015 Forest River Avenger) for winterization ($65/mo) and storage ($85/mo). I then received this estimate for “maintenance” which I was in no way prepared for. I just bought this RV in June. It had been stored outside in weather ranging from 30 F – 90 F with good amounts of direct sun. Is this expected maintenance? Is this fair pricing? Thank you in advance.
OP are you climbing your happy ass up there to do this? What is your time worth to drive to store and order the correct sealant, drive to the storage with ladder in tow, pull out RV so you can see, look for those spots, fumble around with sealant and rags and ladders, get the spots, clean up, put up RV, stow ladder and drive back home and clean yourself up…
Is it worth $200? That’s the only question you need to ask. Some people would pay a grand all day long to not do this and risk a fall and other shit, others wouldn’t pay more than $40 so they’d have to do it themselves because they’re very cheap (nothing wrong with that) so what’s your comfort level?
The price for touching up the sealant seems fair, depending on the average shop rates around you.
What doesn’t seem fair is some of the other stuff you mentioned. From your description, it doesn’t sound like you authorized this work to be performed, so they shouldn’t just be doing it and charging you.
And I really hope that $65/mo for winterization is a typo and you meant it as a single $65 fee. If they were charging you $65 per month for winterizing, then that WOULD be a rip-off. Even a single $65 is kind of a rip-off considering how easy it is to do yourself, but it would be in-line with their shop rate since you’re having them do it. 65 basically works out to 20 minutes at 2.90 a minute (about the same as their shop rate) and $6 for the antifreeze.
A Beetle from that era would have a 1300cc engine, and would barely be able to hit 60mph with a tailwind. Tugging that trailer in a parking lot wouldn’t be difficult because it had good torque in first gear – excellent torque if it had the reduction gear boxes from a Kombi, but no way that’s going anywhere on the freeway.
Having said all of that, I love air cooled VW’s, and would absolutely love to have one of these. I’d also love an old air cooled Westfalia camper van.
Based on all of the great feedback and suggestions I received from my previous plan, I have revised my installation plan as shown above.
Is there anything else I should still do differently / add / remove / whatever?
Thanks.
I have a 2004 SunCruiser that was inherited from a close family friend. Only 12k miles and 100 hours or so on the generator. I've taken it to burning man and a few other things and it's been a blessing.
The A/C broke at the Burn and ive been trying to look into exactly what unit it uses to figure out my best path forward on repair. I found the product manual online (RV may have one but I can't find the copy inside) but I'm clearly missing the section that discusses the model it uses to cool. I know it's a central system and not overhead
This model year uses a Coleman Mach central air system, located somewhere in your basement. You’ll need to find the unit, probably by following air ducts, and grab the model number off it. I couldn’t find any information about what models were in use and installed at that time.
Edit: Winnebago provides extensive documentation (comparatively) about their products, you may get some use out of the diagrams on the owners page, especially wiring diagrams.
its the same on both sides, but this is the ‘busier’ of the two because of the wiring. anyways, the seller didn’t exactly disclose that missing chunk of rubber or w/e, but its sold as is/where is, so y’know. anyways, i’m not exactly into paying rv dealership prices, so how do i seal this properly? it let a fucking ton of dust in from the dirt roads on the way home. the bright square at the top of the pic is the interior of the trailer.
It’s hard to tell, but since you mentioned rubber seal, I’m assuming the seals on the slide could use a replacement. Steelrubber.com should have you covered.
Just bought a new propane gauge and swapped for a new full propane 20lbs, now ive put this gauge on it and it reads almost low gas ? Propane is now extremely costly paying 40bucks for 20lbs/7.7kg and now it says its not even filled?
The fun part about LP is, its a liquid. When it boils off it doesnt matter if you have 20lbs or 200lbs the pressure is constant until you run out of liquid. If you want to know how much lp you have a scale works best.
Pour warm water down the side of the propane tank, then run your hand down where you poured the water. When it gets colder that how much propane you have left.
Most prefilled only go to 15 instead of 20 pounds, and they charge way to much. Find a place that fills and charges by the gallon. Should be between 10 and 15$
Prefilled propane tanks are the worst deal in propane. That tank you purchased has at best 4 gallons of propane inside. The tank will take 5 gallons and still have space for expansion. That’s the way the tank was engineered.
Companies like Blue Rhino fill with 4 gallons instead of 5 for your “safety”. The reality is they do it for their profits. You think you bought a tank with 20# of propane, but you got 1gallon less and paid a substantial amount for at best 16#.
Skeptical? You can verify the accuracy of the gauge by weighing the propane tank. Put the tank on a scale and record the weight. Deduct the tare weight of the tank, stamped on the collar and that’s the weight of propane. Usually propane is 4 lbs per gallon.
Those gauges work poorly at best, especially if it is cold. Also, prefilled tanks usually are only 50% full. I usually do the swap when I have a shity tank I want to replace.
Are there many people using starlink in their campervan?
What are your experiences for power usage? Do you run it with an inverter or some 12v mod?
My van has a fiberglass roof so I actually mounted it on the inside. Only when it rains the link is quickly gone. Running directly from 12V with some DCDC converters
I use a 300 watt inverter to power mine. I turn it off when sleeping. In my opinion, 12 volt conversion is not worth it. I have 770 watts of solar and 400 ah of lithium batteries.
I’ve searched the internet without finding any similar issues. I haven’t found anyone with this terrible buzzing.
The furnace kicks in, then IGNITES. The heat starts blowing… everything works. For about 30-60 seconds. Then it shuts off, and them it starts making the noise in the video.
I’m going to clean the sail switch, but the issues that causes don’t quite match up, so I don’t have high hopes.
I’ve seen this happen several times, and it was always the fuse in the fuse panel. Those “auto resetting” fuses are junk. If your furnace fuse is a large black one, replace it with a regular 15A fuse and give it another go.
Not sure about the buzzing, but we had a similar issue a couple of years ago where the furnace would light and run for less than a minute, then turn off.
In our case it was a hole in the burner, but in my research there is a thermal overload sensor that could be bad, or it could be the control board.
Well my valve was leaking so I took it apart to put in a new one and I was dumb and didn't watch a video before and now I'm furious about how much of an idiot I was …..getting over it . It says right on the pedal to not remove it…..can't you read it….
From what I can't tell my 15 min job will take me hours now…
Any advice before I remove the toilet to try and assemble the pedal back on?
Lesson learned I think, going to try and find a video first 🙂
DO NOT REMOVE THE PEDAL WHEN REPLACING THE VALVE!!!!!!!!
In case anyone does come across this you can reach in the toilet to hold the end while you screw the pedal on….
So it sort of works now but my sealGasket doesn’t hold water, changed to a new one and the pedal just feels weak and still doesn’t retain water.
So I guess I have more research to do but my toilet works… mostly and at least doesn’t leak water but now I don’t have the water to keep the toilet from letting the smells out …
TL/DR: 1/2ton Yukon XL on way out. Need new TV preferably 3/4ton capacity that seats at least 6 if not 8. Good options at budget of $10k?
Looking to change my tow vehicle. My current 2012 Yukon XL (with towing package) had 258K miles and I feel is at the point the next time I need more than an oil change it will be costly and I’m not wanting to sink more into it. It’s also at its maximum for our trailer (6200lb-6400lb) when loaded with about 750lb on tounge. Scaled it an I’m within weight limits and payload. Just really close on rear axel limit.
Not changing trailer but kids are growing which adds to payload in truck. 2 adults, 4 kids and lab retriever in truck rest in trailer.
What else is there to tow with as I plan to spend till next spring looking for the right fit. And hopefully 10k as budget.
Options I see are
1) another standard 1/2ton Yukon XL/Suburban but I’m still at same limits. Feels like at times the tail tries to wag the dog so to speak. Would that improve with a 3/4ton
2) 3/4 ton suburban – but tend to be harder to find fleet vehicles and at budget price
3) Ford Excursion is 3/4 ton correct? But they are all 20yr old. How are they holding up?
4) any good full size van options? Ford E250/350? Chevy? Nissan? I don’t know much about vans yet. Looking as my wife isn’t opposed.
5) 3/4 crew cab truck but kid rides middle front seat and dog in kennel in bed. Not desirable
We have a Honda minivan as my wife’s daily with the kids. My Yukon xL has been our TV, my daily driver and family road trip vehicle (not with trailer to SD, Florida and UP MI from central WI). My daily commute is now 5 miles/12min in town with new job vs 25miles last 5 years I was doing in Yukon. It would be nice to long road trip (about once a year) in something larger and more comfortable than minivan but it can be done in Honda minivan.
It might not help with your drivability concerns, though it won’t make it worse, but it’s probably worth checking numbers on some newer 1/2 ton SUVs. You may gain a fair amount of head room on your max towing and payload compared to a 2012.
Edit: I missed the $10k budget. Unlikely you’ll find much newer than 2012 without more than 250k miles for that budget.
Limited research, but the Express 2500/3500 should be in the running. The 6.0L gas engine, from what I’ve seen, is highly regarded. In 2010 they put the 6 speed auto transmission in there and that should help with towing. Quick search seems to indicate you might be able to find one in the $10k price range.
In this market $10k is going to be a tough find for anything. Vans are likely to be less desirable so might be your best bet. I’d probably look at Chevrolet. From my limited knowledge it seems the drivetrain is the best given your options.
Older Excursions with the 7.3 PS are highly sought after and you’d likely not find one worth the cost. Maybe, but unlikely.
My initial gut says go for the 1 ton passenger van. Lots of interior space for people and cargo.
I know what your thinking, is temp an issue? It is not at all, not for me anyway. However the pc has an AIO, I live at 7,500 ft so our summers don’t get too brutal and the ac sits directly above the pc. I know what else your thinking and yes, he’s a good boy..
I don’t do any super heavy gaming in my RV (but we aren’t full timers either), mostly family fun games like Overcooked, Mario Party, and some other games. So I have a Minisforum mini PC with a Ryzen 6900HX connected to a 42″ LG C2 OLED. It works really well, takes up practically zero space and sips power.
First of all, thank you to everybody who responded on my last post, and helped me realize that this was the best option for my situation.
I have 4 lithium batteries, and will be replacing my WF9865 with a WF9865-AD auto detecting/ lithium compatible converter.
Many have said it’s a super simple project, however the YouTube videos I’m seeing are indicating (without elaborating, of course!) a few things that seem critical that I need guidance on.
1: lithium batteries need to be fully discharged in order for the auto detection to work? Does that mean I need to unplug from shore power (probably overnight) and drain the batteries till they’re dead? Then install the new converter?
2: torque… a few YouTubers indicate torquing the cables to spec was important… but never showed that step… is it really that critical or can i just tighten it a bit more than “finger tight”?
Thank you so much, Redditors, for being my knights in shining armors!
I would recommend returning that converter and getting a different one. I have this exact converter and will be replacing it this off-season. It never puts out more than about 15 amps no matter what charge my batteries have (last time took over 24 hours to charge my 200ah LFP from 18% SOC to 100% SOC). I have seen many other complaints in my various browsings of Reddit and forums. This can easily be replaced with another brand (Progressive Dynamics, Boondocker, etc). Best of luck if you decide to keep it.
Yeah, looks good. I’d add a switch to disconnect the panels and another to disconnect the batteries altogether.
Also, do you not have an inverter? 400Ahrs is a massive amount of battery for a non-inverter setup. The DC things are typically pretty small loads so it would be hard to use a real amount of that energy. Especially considering you have 500W watts of solar.
We have a 21’ TT with 200Ahrs of capacity and 600w of solar. In a normal night we’ll use at most 20Ahrs. This is easily recharged within an hour of sunrise in full sun and even is a forest with spotty direct sun we’ll easily recover our daily usage.
Your wire gauges look light, but it depends on the length of the wire runs. For instance the 6mm from the panels to the controller I’d up to 10mm if the distance is more than 3m (total of the positive and negative lines). The 10mm it also depends, if the controller is right next to the battery it’s fine, if it’s across the RV need to check the distance.
Starting at the panels, 3 is really awkward as parallel isn’t a great choice but usually necessary with an odd number like that paired with that controller. I would try and fit 4 smaller panels and wire them in 2s2p. Get your voltage up so you can charge earlier and later in the day will make a big difference with some shade tolerance.
All that battery and no inverter is a huge waste. If you don’t want an inverter you may as well just throw one 200 watt panel on the roof and use one 100 ah lithium battery. The house DC load will not be very demanding.
We used to full time in a 25ft Sprinter chassis class c as well and we had 400 watts of solar (two 200 watt panels in series) and 200 ah of lithium batteries and a cheap 2000 watt CNBOU inverter and it powered everything for us including laptops and tv watching in the evening. Only needed the generator after a few cloudy days.
The best advice I can give is to get a Victron battery shunt and Victron charge controller. Knowing exactly how many watts you are harvesting and how much you use your battery in amps just by looking at your phone is a game changer.
As for the cabling, I have no idea what AWG translate to MM, but you will want a solar disconnect and if you add an inverter you’ll want a battery disconnect before that inverter. If you stick with that awkward parallel solar setup you shouldn’t need inline fuses for the panels due to the low voltages you will be using.
Guessing he went under something that had almost, but not quite, enough clearance. Enough to trash his A/C cover, but maybe not enough to trash the A/C under it.
While driving cross country, I think in Wyoming, I was trailing a 5th wheel driving in heavy winds. AC unit’s cover got completely ripped off by the wind. Was pretty terrifying as I was following directly behind….. luckily the wind was so strong it blew the damn thing directly perpendicular despite traveling at 70mph!!
Couldn’t believe it at the time. That was before I got into campers myself. Never driven in 60+mph winds before either.
Make sure it has the 6 lug nut rear end. The 5 lug were prone to fail not always but it’s a safety hazard. Also really check for water damage. The things almost 40 years old and a lot can happen in that time. I had one with the 22r engine and it’s not a powerful engine so don’t expect to go anywhere fast or up mountains in any other lane than the truck lane
That looks clean, but first check the roof!!!! Also, is it a 4 cylinder or a 6? Usually, the rear door means it has a rear kitchen. It looks like the rear is a 6lug, but make sure if you count five that a deal breaker unless you got the skills to swap out the whole diff. How many miles and what’s the price ?
Those are nice little rigs. I looked at one for $2K in nice condition. Everything worked. There was too much oil seepage and I did not feel like having to rebuild an engine. Then there is the weak axle hub thing mentioned here if you have the low end hub or whatever. If it is cheap enough, it might be fine for local use or just a limited trip out West where you can plan the low power mountain climbs around traffic.
I think there is a bias her for massive power and huge trailers here but I would grab that in a minute if I knew the mechanicals were in good condition.
It is a Toyota and looked easy to work on. My friend had a Dodge Falcon and I hated working on that thing.
I eventually ended up buying new 17 foot coach to pull with my 3.6 Subaru outback. Overall it is not a powerful or fast rig so I keep it slow and plan around traffic.
Since you’re using an MPPT charge controller, you can wire the panels in series instead of parallel and reduce line losses and also maybe reduce the wire size from the panels to the charge controller.
Newbie to solar here, so is this just and AC to DC system to run DC things only? I don’t see the inverter or know how you get AC? My solar guy is trying to get me to switch over as many things as I can to DC power by ditching the power bricks for tv, computer, etc.. and I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.
Having tried that controller I’d recommend getting a Victron instead. It’s really not user friendly and their support is lacking. Mine didn’t work well at all.
What we are looking for probably don’t exist but we’re going to the RV expo at Camper World tomorrow to see.
We have a family of 5 with 3 kiddos (2 are teens). Wifey don’t want a pop-up so based on what I’ve seen, maybe nothing available for us. But I’m still hopeful that someone may have better suggestions.
Our totally body weight is about 700lbs including our dog. We usually pack lightweight.
All these acronyms are confusing the heck out of me.. so I’ve attached the sticker on our odyssey door for reference.
We want a lightweight trailer with hardship and bathroom that can be towed by our odyssey. Is that too much to ask? ????
I towed that exact trailer with a 2015 Odyssey for a year. The Odyssey towed it surprisingly well however it was asking an awful lot of our minivan. Anything happens while driving, someone cuts you off etc, I felt we would easily lose control. It’s not that it didn’t feel stable, I was just using our minivan for something it was never designed to do. Also, the owners manual specifically prohibited the use of a weight distribution hitch. So any sway and there was nothing back there to help you.
4600lbs curb weight + 700lbs people +126lbs full tank of gas + 100lbs aftermarket class 3 hitch + 300lbs tongue weight (on a 2500lb trailer) is dangerously close to your 6000lbs gvwr. Make sure everybody uses the bathroom first ????
The dinette converts to a bed at night. If your third kiddo is pretty small, you could maybe do this. And/or oust the teens to their own tent.
That sticker doesn’t tell us everything though. It indicates GVWR of 6019lbs but it doesn’t indicate how much your Odyssey weighs. To get the available payload (how much weigh you can load on the van), you need to subtract the actual van weight from the GWVR. That’s usually a separate sticker, or you can take the van to a scale.
Internet seems to suggest Odyssey curb weight is usually around 4500lbs, leaving ~1500 lbs of payload. That seems high to me (higher than a lot of half ton trucks nowadays) but maybe it’s possible. If your family is 700 lbs and your payload is really in the 1500 range, 800 lbs left over should be plenty for the hitch weight of a small trailer.
Personally even if I could get past payload — which is usually one of the biggest hurdles — I’d be worried about other things. I’m pretty sure you will need to look into adding a transmission cooler. And I don’t think the Odyssey’s design allows for a weight distribution hitch, so it may be a pretty miserable towing experience.
Man, for a minivan and a family of five, a pop-up is about it, IMO.
We loved our pop-up, for what it’s worth. And miss it. Simple. Low maintenance. Got rid of it because we do so much road trip camping. But if we did more local (mountain/beach in CA) camping in fair weather where we aren’t moving around as much, we would’ve kept it.
They can tow, but have lots of restrictions that change the tow weight. With the factory hitch and 2 people riding in the front seats it is 3500lbs if the towable has breaks. Adding each additional person drops the tow capacity by 150-200 lbs. That is assuming they all sit in the middle row. Putting someone in the third row drops the tow capacity 1000lbs. This means that you’d really need to put any luggage in the TT and not weigh down your trunk as well.
There are is a chart for the 2018-2020 here https://letstowthat.com/honda-odyssey-towing-capacities/ I believe the elite/touring units have the same 10 speed transmission that is in the 2023 so the tow weight adjustments should be pretty spot on.
We buy, fix, use, and sell motorhomes and I’ve been eyeing something towable for in between units, but the only thing that would fit the bill for a sizeable family is a pop-up, and even some of those are too heavy.
I just wish the B’s were more affordable. It makes no sense to spend that much money when I could get a much nicer, roomier C class for the same money.
Regardless of which class of motorized RV you decide to go with, I strongly advise you to avoid any and all Thor products. I’ve been RVing for close to twenty years and I fancy myself pretty knowledgeable on the motorized variety. All motorhome brands have their issues, but Thor owners consistently report issues far above the norm.
Still had some water in the grey 2 line when it froze up this week, still just waiting for the break next week to finish the skirting and add the winter doodads (new shorter sewer hose and extended valve handle)!
Valuable Tips & Info help you prepare for cold weather. Includes winterization instructions for full-time or part-time winter RV living.
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