New Travel Trailer

[SpencerPJ]

Thinking about getting a decent fitted cover for it. Don't know if most people recommend them or not. Have to do some research.

 

I have a cover, you'll hear arguments both ways. I keep mine covered to keep the sun off the graphics, cover all my tires for same reason. You wouldn't want to shrink wrap it, it is important that the cover and process breathes, or you will uncover a moldy mess in the spring.

 

A couple tips:

 

I take my battery out, but whatever you decide, you will want to install a battery disconnect switch / lever on the post. I have a keyed type, micky mouse plastic key I mounted to my battery box. The TT will have a parasitic drain, mostly from the propane sensor you will see probably by the floor under the oven, small white box, also the radio. After a month, the battery will be mostly discharged if not disconnected or charging. Some leave TT plugged in, but for me, I only use mine 7-10 times a year, and it sits beside garage. I don't keep plugged in until day before I'm leaving, and I do disconnect battery with switch. Keeps little fingers from playing with outside light switches and power tongue too. (obviously, if you install disconnect, it needs to be on when you plug the TT in, or it won't charge the battery)

 

On the WDH, you will find to use your power tongue, keep your hitch connected, raise the tongue and rear of truck slightly, it will take a bunch of the tension off the WDH bars and make the connecting or disconnecting process way easier. The power tongue is painfully slow, but beats crankin. lol

 

Keep your refrigerator and freezer door propped open when not in use, it will mold inside if you don't.

 

Feel free to PM if you have newbie questions.

[Marcarl]

I think your greenhouse would be most ideal, keeps the UV at bay. I don't cover my tires, but then I wouldn't wear them off anyways and I go with the 6 year plan and change them out then, even if they looked good at 6 years, they would be old enough to be getting hard and loose traction.

 

My TT is plugged in at all times except for hibernation time, then I disconnect the battery and say a nice goodnite until spring.

Use your truck power when running slides and hitch, saves the transformer which have an inclination to give up before the rest of the trailer.

 

Makes sure you never put any antifreeze in the hotwater tank, the flavour will be there for a long time. Drain it and isolate it before adding antifreeze and in the spring give the system a super good flush before engaging the tank. And make sure that both heaters (electric and propane) are both turned off when drained.

I now just blow my system out with 20lbs of air, that way I don't have the AF issue.

 

I use scented dryer sheets to keep the rodents at bay. I put them in every nook and cranny I can find, just not in the fridge. So far no problems. Presently using apple scented. The scent does linger a bit come spring, but a good day or two of airing gets rid of the smell.

 

Clean your roof at least once a year. Don't use strong cleaners, Dawn works really well. Keep the slide weather stripping lubricated with recommended product, helps to keep them supple. We have installed 2 Fan-Tastic vent fans, one in the bedroom and one for the bathroom. We use them all the time, especially the bathroom one. If yours came with the small 4" one in the bathroom, the only good it does is to make noise.

 

Careful when you park this thing. Watch for overhead branches that can rip a hole in your roof very easily,,, not a good thing at all. Get some leveling blocks to get the unit level from side to side before unhooking. The trailer 'jacks' are not for leveling, they are called stabilizers for a reason. Also invest in a set of wheel chocks. We use the Ultra Fab, Chock and Lock. It's ideal, although I have never seen the use of locking it where we go. The handle locking system is what sold me on it, and it works as advertised.

 

The power cord that comes with the trailer should be about 25'. Occasionally that is long enough for us, but mostly I need to use 2 25' extensions and we carry 3 just to be sure. This year we needed a 100' extension, lucky the camp had one to lend. We carry a 50' 12\3 just in case but that would only give us one circuit. When plugged into shore power, you don't get 220v, you get 2x15amp 110v circuits.

 

We found that the light under the canopy just wasn't enough and attracted bugs at night (not so much in the daytime), so I ran an LED strip along the canopy roll. It's a flexible strip that can be bought in a 16' roll and takes 12v power. I made an extension cord to get from the trailer to the roll and put a switch inside the trailer. Works great and doesn't attract as many bugs and those it does are not at the door waiting to be night buggers. On our 12' awning I use about 6' of light strip, 50]50 LEDS

[videoarizona]

It was mentioned that I should put some water in the fresh water tank but the dealer told me on the phone that they would have the trailer winterized so I won't be doing that. It's something that I don't have to worry about when I get home though so that's good.

 

My apologies, Don. I keep forgetting some people live in the cold!! Glad they winterized it for you. I hope they did the pressure test on both water systems before hand so they were confident they are no leaks....dealers have to out here...plus the gas has to be tested for leaks before the sale as well. So you should be good to go.

 

The mention of using the power winch to raise the truck and trailer to hitch up the anti-sway bars is the best advice I got from the guy who set up my trailer. On my hitch, I have to go almost to the top(I marked the height with a red marker) before I can put on the bars easily without using the tool. That's why you see 2 4x6 wood blocks under my jack foot. To give me the travel needed. So that's what I do. Hitch up, raise the assembly up high enough then either put the bars on or take them off. Then let her back down.

 

I have one of those battery disconnects on my battery. Installed right on the side of the case. One of those little red plastic "keys" is left in the battery box as a spare, the other is wired to the battery cable with safety wire and a zip tie. Enough slack to reach the switch, but when let go, it hides down beside the frame. On the picture of my hitch in an above post, you can see the switch.

 

Basic switch idea below. Otherwise a good marine disconnect switch can be mounted on your frame rail...

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BQLZ36/ref=psdc_15719961_t3_B000MTB7XS

 

 

The other recommendation is to add the Mor-Ryde system. I have it on mine. Instead of having everything shake apart inside, mine rides a bunch smoother. The extra travel on the suspension makes a big difference...

 

http://www.morryde.com/products/90-cre3000-suspension-system?return=%2Fproduct-category%2F4-suspension.

 

I'm researching 6 volt deep cycle batteries instead of my single 12 volt. I want true deep cycle capability and the typical car/marine deep cycle is a compromise. They won't last if you discharge them below 50% repeatedly...and they usually aren't more than 80 amp hrs of capacity. The golf cart types are usually around 200 amp hrs and have thicker plates so they can be discharged to the bottom and come right back up. That's what we will need for boondocking. We want to see the National parks and spaces are very limited and often booked a year or two in advance. There are overflow parking areas at most parks close by, but no services. That's good enough for us.

 

Already decided on the Harbor Freight 100 watt solar panel system. 4 panels. $199.00. Use Super Coupon to get 20% off. Cheap plastic frames, but they work well and have good reviews. I will put hinges on each pair so they will fold onto each other...protecting the panels. I can use 2 to trickle charge and all 4 to charge up the batteries after a night of hard use. I may get a generator (Yamaha or Honda) but will also have to add the Easy Start system so I can run the AC off of the little 2kw generator. Also allows you to run the AC at home plugged into a standard outlet...20 amp...with a heavy duty extension cord.

 

https://www.microair.net/collections/easystart-soft-starters/products/easystart-364-3-ton-single-phase-soft-starter-for-air-conditioners?variant=30176048267

 

Last items I'm installing (already purchased) as time permits:

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Furrion-Vision-2-FOS48TAPK-BL-Digital-High-Speed-Wireless-RV-Observation-System-With-Backup-Camera-Monitor-and-Mounting-Bracket-381556/53998483

 

And these little guys to replace the cheap plastic latches on the drawers. I have 2 heavy duty drawers under each dinette seat....

 

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=40618&cat=3,41399,41405

 

That's where I'm at. OH...yes...I have the roll out cover(aluminum shield) over the slide out and will put one over the awning to protect it (UV/weather) while it's rolled in. The one over the slide out was mandatory, IMHO, to protect the top of the slide out from debris, bird poop, dirt, etc. while the slide is out. No more cleaning before putting the slide in when camping under trees!

 

See the slide out cover below..

 

 

Hope some of this helps....

Edited November 18, 2018 by videoarizona
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