I passed your message to Attila, haven't heard back but he is usually good to go. I'm going to Paradise so would be available a few days after Christmas.
I pulled my 11 year old water heater last weekend. The pipes are covered in mineral deposits so this was definitely the source of the junk clogging the toilet inlet. I'll install the new heater tomorrow.
I pulled the toilet to flush the lines and found major cracks around the bolt holes. I know this is common, it's been there for years but it's worse now. I'm going to try roughing up the surfaces and applying some steel reinforced epoxy putty I bought at the auto store to add strength underneath. Anyone have any other clever ideas?
For a couple of years I've been looking for an Avion slide in camper in restorable condition. They were made of aluminum and constructed like an Airstream. I saw a beautiful restoration job on one that stopped at a campsite next to us near Jasper Alberta and decided that if I could find one it would be fun to spend about a year in the shop with it.
I've looked at a couple that have turned up and their owners wanted too much for some pretty miserable campers. Once the floor is gone, it becomes a really big job despite the rest of the aluminum framework.
An Avion has just shown up on RVTraderOnline. Located in Fyffe, Alabama. Photos look encouraging. I've left word at the number listed but haven't been called back. Does anyone in this forum live anywhere near northern Alabama. Fyffe is southwest of Chattanooga. I would sure like to have a quick evaluation of the camper by someone who knows campers before running down there from New England. Thanks.
Sorry stabbur can't help you, it's a little too far to run over there from California. Now Mike L may not mind, that's just a quick trip out for him!
I went and looked at a used Four Wheel camper today. It's a Keystone model built in 91, the last year they made that model. It's 9.5 feet long so sticks out a little, and yes Mike it does cover the tail lights. The owner used to work for Four Wheel and likes to rebuild them. He took this one down to the frame and put on all new interior paneling, new headliner, new canvas, used but larger than stock 3-way fridge, and other small things. The cushions were redone shortly before he got it. It really looks good inside, he used the newer style light paneling rather than the original dark paneling Four Wheel still put in then. It has a 4-burner stove top with oven, rare in a popup. Also has a 16,000 btu furnace, electric water pump but not demand type, a smallish single sink, and a large seating area but no table. The Keystone model includes a "bathroom" area in that extra length. It's a compartment with wood walls and a door on the lower half and a wrap around curtain on the upper half. It's sized to hold a porta potty. He said he can't fit in there and just uses it for storage. I would have no trouble fitting and kind of like the idea of having a sort of bathroom rather than a porta stored under the seats or something. I would very much prefer a built-in toilet, I've never used a porta potty before. Are they nasty?
He is asking $6500 obo, we are somewhere between $5000 to $5500 right now. Anyone have an opinion on the price? It's kind of high for a 91 but this isn't a normal 91 since it's closer to new inside. I see that Four Wheel campers hold their value since a similar age Lance sells for around $6k and a new Lance costs 1.5-2x as much as a new Four Wheel.
What this camper doesn't have: jacks, battery, screen door, second roof vent, dead bolt, roof rack, water heater, outside shower. It does have the sliding front window thankfully otherwise my dog would never accept it.
Here is a picture of this model, the second pic shows it best.
Looks good. That's the Turtle camper I remember. Have you talked to the guy about adding some of the stuff you want. Maybe not all of it, but some of the items are more important than others - screen door, 2nd vent, table.
The battery isn't much of an issue until you remove the camper and want to use it. The 4Wheel tie-downs are different. Can the corner brackets be added for the jacks and Happi-Jack tie-downs?
Well I took the plunge and made a deal for the camper. Now I need to go potti shopping, come up with tie-downs, fix up a table, ugh. The fun never stops. Anyway I look forward to keeping up with Mike on the trails now!
Here are some pics of my recent repairs. I fixed the cracked toilet mounting holes with a steel-filled epoxy putty I bought at the auto store. It worked great. I roughed up the surfaces first and mushed the putty into place. After an hour it was hard as a rock and the plastic now has something to support it.
The water heater went in okay. You can see the new two part Suburban design, heater + flange.
Unfortunately the toilet still doesn't flush with much vigor. I flushed out all the lines and the toilet's control valve so I don't know what is wrong. Anyone think a demand water pump wears out? The flow seems normal everywhere else.
Congratulations on joining the ranks of off-road campers. It will be interesting to see how much you mileage changes with the lower/narrower profile.
Does it look like you can fit the corner brackets and use your old jacks? Or will you use the 4Wheel hidden tiedowns?
I didn't think you had trouble keeping up on the trails - at least I didn't feel like I had to wait for you. Maybe now, you'll have to wait for me!
Your new water heater looks just like the one in my Phoenix popup. It works well, but sometimes the overpressure pops as the water is heating up. It must boil just as it shuts down - even on the lowest setting. It's OK, I seldom use the water heater anyway.
We've got about 3 weeks to figure out when/where to meet in DV. Any ideas? We will drive from Las Vegas to DV on Thurs the 26th. Have you talked to Attila? Is he coming?
I carry my Lance 1010 (3,600lbs loaded) directly on my spray-in Rhino liner with no ill effects.
In fact I am not using any other spacer (other than the thickness of my Rhino liner) between my camper and my Ford Super Duty truck. It's a tight fit but so far nothing has hit.
Steve Heywood 2002 Lance 1010 2002 F350 DRW CC PSD
Wow, I thought Ford SD's always needed something under the camper to clear the top of the cab. That Lance 1010 must be a tall camper - at least to the bottom of the front overhang.
We have used them in a 8x12 foot cabin we built on the shore of a NH pond. (No road/power/phone - go in by canoe). It seems dumb but the version with a pump powered by a few dry cells is really a lot more satisfactory than the one that uses a pump to flush. The flush is much stronger. Used with care they are as good as what is in our Sunlight (and sometimes better as when the Sunlight's blackwater tank leaked.)
I don't expect much mileage improvement since the mileage always sucks. Probably will go from 10 to 13 or 14. Percentage wise that's significant I guess.
Since I still have my old hydraulic jacks and the brackets that came with the new ones I'll go ahead and install those and use the front brackets with the Happyjac turnbuckles. I don't know how the rear will fit since the turnbuckle attaches to the bumper, sort of under the camper. How can it reach around to a corner bracket? I'll wait until I have it to figure this out.
I was thinking about the tie downs. The front turnbuckles connect to the bed which is fine, but the rear connect to the bumper. The bumper is connected to the frame, not to the bed, so as the bed moves in relation to the frame there will be a twisting force applied to the camper. This wouldn't happen if the camper were tied down to the bed the way Four Wheel intends. What do you think? If the rear turnbuckles had a spring like the fronts rather than a rubber bumper I'd feel better about it.
The over pressure valve leaking water means you need an air pocket to allow expansion. This is from Suburban:
Why does water drip from my water heater's pressure relief and temperature valve?
Answer: You may experience water weeping or dripping from your water heater's pressure and temperature (P&T) relief valve when your water heater is operating. Water weeping or dripping does not mean that the P&T valve is defective. As water is heated, it expands. The water system in a recreational vehicle is a closed system and does not allow for the expansion of heated water. When the pressure of the water system exceeds the relieving point of the P&T valve, the vale will relieve the excess pressure. One way to reduce the frequency of this occurrence is to maintain an air pocket at the top of the water heater tank. This air pocket will form in the tank by design - however, it will be reduced over time by the everyday use of your water heater. To replenish this air pocket:
Turn off the water heater.
Tturn off the cold water supply line.
Open a faucet in the RV.
Pull out the handle of the pressure relief (P&T) valve and allow water to flow from the valve until it stops.
Release the handle on the P&T valve - it should snap closed.
Close the faucet and turn on the cold water supply. As the tank fills, the air pocket will develop. Repeat this procedure as often as needed to reduce the frequency of the weeping P&T valve. If the weeping persists after following this procedure, you may elect to have your dealer install an expansion or accumulator tank in the cold water line between the tank and check valve to relieve the pressure caused by thermal expansion.
Attila will go to DV, don't know about Terri as she just got a new job so may not be able to take the time off. I have no idea where to meet, I'll get the map out and look. What areas would you like to hit? I wouldn't mind conquering the trail that won last time.
You may have enough room for normal driving but if you really make some radical move, like a fast curb or speed bump, or an emergency maneuver, you'd be surprised how much the bed can move in relation to the cab. Whamo!
Thanks for the info. I don't mind the idea of using the thing, I just don't look forward to emptying it. But there are worse things in life.
I came to the same conclusion as you regarding the model. If it will fit I'm going to buy Thetford's biggest model which does use an electric pump. One push and walk away. It also insures consistent wash downs rather than relying on how much someone is motivated to pump the bellows.
If you're using a Porta Pottie and travel to a higher elevation you have to be concerned about the pressure that builds up in the holding tank. Make sure you relieve the pressure in the Porta Potties tank before you relieve the pressure in your personal tank. Failure to do so can result in a rather unpleasant cleaning job. Don’t ask how I know.
I had airbags on my last truck and they did a great job leveling my truck but it seemed to rock side to side more. I am trying to decide (if I trade campers) whether to go with them again or the Hellwig progressive helper springs. Any comments?
Don't have the rocking side to side problem. I can see where that could happen, because the airbags are nearly friction free.
It could be that your truck couldn't rock side to side without the airbags because it was near the bottom of the suspension, and that prevented more movement i.e. the rocking. And the airbags lifted the truck to allow the rocking.
With a top heavy (hardside) camper, side to side rocking is frequently a problem. Anti-sway bars and extra heavy duty shocks help, but the real problem is the weight up high.
I want to visit the Racetrack and then travel out of the valley over Hunter Mountain. I would also like to see Striped Butte in the morning. Striped Butte is on the road through Mengel Pass and past the Barker Ranch.
We need to figure out when and where to meet. We will be in Death Valley on the 26th. When will you arrive there?
>I was thinking about the tie downs. The front >turnbuckles connect to the bed which is fine, >but the rear connect to the bumper. The bumper >is connected to the frame, not to the bed, so as >the bed moves in relation to the frame there >will be a twisting force applied to the camper. >This wouldn't happen if the camper were tied >down to the bed the way Four Wheel intends. What >do you think? If the rear turnbuckles had a >spring like the fronts rather than a rubber >bumper I'd feel better about it.
I agree I'd rather have spring loaded turnbuckles in the rear. But, I don't think it makes much difference, pickup bed, frame or bumper for the attachments. The frame has to twist for the bed to twist, and the bumper moves with the frame. Maybe a bolt through the floor and into the bed is not a bad way to go. It would keep the camper from moving up and down and yet let it twist anyway it wanted.
Vince, thanks for the story about the overpressure valve from Suburban. I didn't know that.
According to Lance you need either a bedliner or a rubber mat if you haul one of their post 99 campers with a Ford Super Duty truck. I started out using a 3/4" sheet of plywood between the truck and camper on top of my spray-in bedliner (Rhinoliner). To make a long story short I double checked the 2 possible interference points (the top of the cab/cabover section of the camper and the rearmost portion of the bed rails) and determined that I had enough clearance. So I installed the camper with nothing but my Rhinoliner between the truck and camper and it worked. There is less than 1/8" of clearance between the bed rails and the camper and about 1/2" between my cab lights and the cabover of the camper. I check regularly and there is no evidence of contact between the cab light and the camper.
As always if in doubt DON'T DO IT! If not for the thickness of my Rhinoliner I couldn't do what I'm doing. I'm happy with the results.
Steve Heywood 2002 Ford F350 CC DRW PSD 2002 Lance 1010
I went with Tork-Lift on my new truck. They bolt to the frame like mini receivers. I felt the rear bumper on the GMC was too thin for the Happy-Jack set up. I still use the Happy-Jack spring loaded turn buckles attached to the Tork-lift chains. No problems yet with this system. Everything seems to flex together.
I know I'm being anal thinking about flex. It doesn't matter much where it's mounted as long as it's mounted well. I see holes in the small side overhang where eye bolts have been, just like the Lance. I'll install a few on the back and use the Happyjacs. I got lucky on the front, the internal mounts were one small turnbuckle away from the factory tiedowns.
I really enjoy the flexibility the air bags give. I often only need the bags to level the camper in a campsite. I raise the rear at night to restore the headlight aim, and don't have added harshness when driving empty. To enjoy this you really need to have an on-board compressor. I raise and lower as needed while driving.
To really reduce the sway, I'd say a HUGE stabilizer bar and 2 Rancho shocks on each side should do it.
I placed two orders on line last night. One at rvpartsoutlet.com for the Porta Potti plus other stuff and one at jcwhitney.com for cable jacks. As usual, rvpartsoutlet has already shipped my entire order and emailed tracking numbers. I haven't heard a peep from JC Whitney.
I recommend rvpartsoutlet.com, they have great service and the best prices I've found on the web. Plus no tax since they are in Oregon.
When I hauled my camper on a SRW 4X4 truck I considered Rancho RS9000 shocks mandatory on all 4 wheels. (Yes, they made that much of a difference). My 2WD DRW truck handles so much better with the camper onboard that I now consider the Ranchos optional. I run my fronts on 3 (out of 5) all the time, the rears 2 empty/5 loaded.
Steve Heywood 2002 F350 DRW CC PSD 2002 Lance 1010
After hearing Steve talk about Rancho 9000 I bought a set of 4. They do help with floating and rocking. I also run 3/2 front/rear empty but set them to 4/5+ with the Lance. With the popup I think 3/4 is probably the right setting.
If you only put them on the rear it will help damp side to side oscillation but probably won't help much with the front end doing the boat thing, if that is a problem you have. If you are going to the trouble and cost of 2, you may as well do all 4 and have total flexibility to tune the ride the way you like.
I remember from old post that there was a problem with the fit of the Hellwig sway bars on Chevy & GMC trucks. Has this problem been corrected? 01 2500 HD Crew-Cab 4x4 SB GMC
I'm new to this site so bear with me. We just purchased a 24' coachmen lite travel trailer the dealer said our 94 explorer would pull it, after we signed papers found out we needed a class 3 hitch in addition to all the other misc. have to's. We are finding out there isn't enough get and up go with our explorer. We'd like to get a vehicle that would pull with no trouble, be a comfortable ride (for 3 people over 5'8 and growing)and get fairly decent gas mileage. We have sway bars also. All this extra equipment and camper are less then 8 months old. The camper is roughly 6300 lbs loaded. WE have thought about a short box 4 dr of some sort. Is a pickup the best way to go? I've been reading about air bags what's all that about. WE previously had a pop up and didn't have all the fuss but thought we'd like the upgrade. Little did we know!!
OOPS we don't have sway bars all we have are the equalizer bars. In addition is a manual or automatic transmission the best for towing and what's the difference in gas mileage. Anxiously awaiting responses or advice!
If you like the explorer then I would recommend jumping up to an Expedition. If you get the 5.4 with the 3.73 rear end and the tow package you will not have any problems at all, the only downfall is that you will probably get 15mpg not towing and around 11-12mpg towing. If fuel mileage is that big of a concern then the only option is to go with a crew cab diesel but the money you save on fuel will be thrown out the window up front (along with a few thousand extra $'s) due to the added cost of a crew cab diesel over an Expedition.
That is a fairly heavy trailer, nothing will tow it like it isn't there. You will need to drive differently than you do without the trailer.
Mileage will suffer in any case. My dad pulls a 6000# trailer with a 5.3 Silverado. He gets 20+ empty and about 10mpg with the trailer in tow. Expect about the same with your trailer.
Automatics are preferred for towing. Much easier to manage, get rolling, maneuver for parking, etc. While I prefer a manual trans, I can understand an automatic for towing.
An extended cab pickup may fill the bill for you. But, expect it to be significantly slower with the trailer and to get about 10mpg.
I pull my new 28' travel trailer (weighing in at 6600 gvw) with my 2000 3/4 ton 2wd Silverado Ext Cab. It has a 7200 GVW for trailer towing. I have the 5.3 w/auto trans. 3.73 locking rear differential and get 15-16 mpg at best empty and 9-10 mpg towing. Plenty of towing power and room for the kids or whatever with the extended cab. As Mike said move up to an Excursion or try a Yukon from GM if you don't want to go the pick-up route. The Explorers are not meant to handle this kind of wieght.
Ok I found the specifics as far as wight goes. It's 4.127 lbs unloaded and a maximum of 6,020 loaded.. WE hadn't really decided whether a SUV such as excursion, yukon or a pickup is the answer from the sounds of it if we want 4 drs then the larger suv is the way to go unless we want to drive a "truck" for everyday use. Are there any preferences on which would be the best and have the most get up and go such as you can have with all the lbs being pulled?? As far as gas mileage goes, at best we only get about 16 with our explorer empty. Are sway bars recommended with any vehicle and what about the air shocks? Like I said we are really new to this travel trailer thing.
Check with your insurance company - you may find the SUV has significantly higher insurance costs - and that may help you decide.
The SUV will have a more carlike ride, but the pickup may handle the load of the trailer better.
Air Bags (not airshocks) would help the SUV handle the trailer. The advantage of airbags is you can pump them up when needed and lower the air pressure when the trailer is at home. And you can still choose the shocks you want. Air shocks put a static load on the shock mounts that were not designed to carry weight.
Have you taken a closer look at these larger SUV's ? they are actually built on a truck chassis. So to think your not driving a truck because it's an Excursion, Tahoe or Yukon is a misnomer. The combination I have would serve you well or go for the quad cab (4 dr.)set-up now available with a shortened bed for cargo. The length is going to be very close when compared to the SUV's you'd need to tow with, gas mileage will not be oustanding no matter what choice you make.
Congrats, I just got my T100S just before Christmas. I have a Dodge Dakota Quadcab with a V8. I like the camper alot. We put A/C and a few other options. I built a new table becuase the other one was to big and added a under cabinet toaster oven next to the vent fan. Lots of projects done and more on the way.
Sorry, I forgot some of your questions. Not sure which refrigerator you have but if it is the small one, just above it where the outside light switch, waterpump switch and the battery meter is, is wasted space. Cut it out and make storage out of it. Where the heater thermostat is mounted next to the seat is also wasted space.
Change the thermostat out to a digital and add a small 12v fan so you can keep air curculating when the heater turns off, you will be much more comfortable.
The dumb sink drain cap outside, replace it. Go to Camping World, they have a cap that fits it and it changes it to a garden hose fitting. Run the hose to a small jug on the ground or placed in the bed when the camper is still loaded, that way you can always use your sink.
I mounted a lighted ac switch to control the converter/charger. I dont always want it on so now it is switched. All of my switches have been replaced with lighted ones so I can see what I have left on and they dont really draw anything to worry about from the battery (dc switches at least)
I dont have any loading/unloading ideas as I have only done it once so far. Let me know how your doing and if you come up with anything, let me know.
henne, Thanks for your reply. I'll have to talk to my wife before I start cutting holes. I noticed when I was lowering my camper that the back legs would alternate touching the ground when lowering either the front or back supports. I guess that means I could lower one of the backs all the way but that would leave it ready to teeter and I feel better if it didn't move too far. I am also concerned that if it is leaning too far that there would be too much strain on the supports. I also worry about lowering each leg too far would rack the supports and I don't know how much they will take, although #1050 is a light weight.
Also how high do you lift the camper to slide the truck in and out? Probably high enough to allow one to disconnect the electrical outlet, rather than pull forward enough to expose it.
If you unload the camper on a slight slope, will the legs take the strain?
How do you line up the camper? the clearances are rather small. My wife and I are considering putting the camper on wheels so we could push it into more perfect position as well as into the garage between trips.
I have found it is best to only lower or raise each leg 3-4 inches at a time and always keep the front higher than the back.
I connect the powercord after the camper is in all but about a foot or two. When disconnecting, I do that through the access panel from inside so that I dont accidently forget.
Loading, I measure the back of the bed and make sure the front and back of the camper are about 2 inches higher so I have plenty of clearance and I just back it straight in under the camper. I have a natural nack of backing up to trailers and such so I just do it so I cant really give any advice on it. I just back up and its always centered and straight.
When the camper is down in camp mode, there is a little wobble from where the legs slide up inside themselves. I am fashioning a rod or line to put tension on the legs so that the sleeve is always pushed against one side with slight pressure to get rid of the wobble.
we are currently pulling our 24' travel trailer max 6020# wet with a 94 explorer. We just purchased the camper in June and were told this vehicle would work with it. we are finding out however it pulls but that's about it. we are wanting to upgrade but not sure what to go with either a suv or a pickup. 3 people over 5'8 would need to be comfortable on long trips front and passenger seat alike. we are however on a limited budget so the newer vehicles are out of range we are thinking 97-99 in that area. we checked into a suburban but that is a lot of vehicle for 3 people. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.. sorry for the long post!!
Don't count on that Explorer transmission to put up with your trailer for very long. Your best bet is a full size SUV like Tahoe or Expedition if you want to stay with an enclosed rear. Also good would be a 4-door full size truck however they are still too new to be very cheap. Whatever you select I'd try to stay away from one that has been used for towing since it does stress the tranny and you don't know if it was maintained properly to take that into account. Any auto trans towing that load should have an aux cooler. Most trucks do but I don't know about SUVs. It's cheap to add one if needed. You should also have a load leveling hitch with sway control and good shocks like Bilstiens on the truck.
I finally managed to get the FourWheel camper in my garage but it took a bit of work. I can't fit the truck in the garage with the camper on so it has to come off in the driveway, then somehow go up the slanted driveway into the garage.
To accomplish this I built a 4x9' dolly out of 2x6" boards and six wheels, 4 locking casters and 2 fixed, so I can turn it. I mounted a 2000lb manual winch to the back wall of the garage, connected the cable to the dolly, and cranked it into the garage. The back goes airborne as it crests the angle change at the garage entrance but it's always on at least four wheels so it works fine. It was a little scary because I didn't know if everything would hold and it took a surprising amount of pull to get it started. I draped large canvas drop cloths on the cable as MikeL and I learned in a 4-wheel safety class. If that cable snaps it is deadly. In the end all worked well except that I can't park my car in the garage any more .
Comments
I pulled the toilet to flush the lines and found major cracks around the bolt holes. I know this is common, it's been there for years but it's worse now. I'm going to try roughing up the surfaces and applying some steel reinforced epoxy putty I bought at the auto store to add strength underneath. Anyone have any other clever ideas?
I suspect it wraps aroung the back of the truck, and you have to wire the lights up to the camper.
Mike L
I've looked at a couple that have turned up and their owners wanted too much for some pretty miserable campers. Once the floor is gone, it becomes a really big job despite the rest of the aluminum framework.
An Avion has just shown up on RVTraderOnline. Located in Fyffe, Alabama. Photos look encouraging. I've left word at the number listed but haven't been called back. Does anyone in this forum live anywhere near northern Alabama. Fyffe is southwest of Chattanooga. I would sure like to have a quick evaluation of the camper by someone who knows campers before running down there from New England. Thanks.
I went and looked at a used Four Wheel camper today. It's a Keystone model built in 91, the last year they made that model. It's 9.5 feet long so sticks out a little, and yes Mike it does cover the tail lights. The owner used to work for Four Wheel and likes to rebuild them. He took this one down to the frame and put on all new interior paneling, new headliner, new canvas, used but larger than stock 3-way fridge, and other small things. The cushions were redone shortly before he got it. It really looks good inside, he used the newer style light paneling rather than the original dark paneling Four Wheel still put in then. It has a 4-burner stove top with oven, rare in a popup. Also has a 16,000 btu furnace, electric water pump but not demand type, a smallish single sink, and a large seating area but no table. The Keystone model includes a "bathroom" area in that extra length. It's a compartment with wood walls and a door on the lower half and a wrap around curtain on the upper half. It's sized to hold a porta potty. He said he can't fit in there and just uses it for storage. I would have no trouble fitting and kind of like the idea of having a sort of bathroom rather than a porta stored under the seats or something. I would very much prefer a built-in toilet, I've never used a porta potty before. Are they nasty?
He is asking $6500 obo, we are somewhere between $5000 to $5500 right now. Anyone have an opinion on the price? It's kind of high for a 91 but this isn't a normal 91 since it's closer to new inside. I see that Four Wheel campers hold their value since a similar age Lance sells for around $6k and a new Lance costs 1.5-2x as much as a new Four Wheel.
What this camper doesn't have: jacks, battery, screen door, second roof vent, dead bolt, roof rack, water heater, outside shower. It does have the sliding front window thankfully otherwise my dog would never accept it.
Here is a picture of this model, the second pic shows it best.
http://dodgeram.org/bill_s/Turtle.htm
The battery isn't much of an issue until you remove the camper and want to use it. The 4Wheel tie-downs are different. Can the corner brackets be added for the jacks and Happi-Jack tie-downs?
Other than that, it looks pretty good.
Mike L
The water heater went in okay. You can see the new two part Suburban design, heater + flange.
http://home.attbi.com/~vcm/camper/toilet_fix_1.jpg http://home.attbi.com/~vcm/camper/toilet_fix_2.jpg http://home.attbi.com/~vcm/camper/water_heater_1.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~vcm/camper/water_heater_2.jpg
Unfortunately the toilet still doesn't flush with much vigor. I flushed out all the lines and the toilet's control valve so I don't know what is wrong. Anyone think a demand water pump wears out? The flow seems normal everywhere else.
Does it look like you can fit the corner brackets and use your old jacks? Or will you use the 4Wheel hidden tiedowns?
I didn't think you had trouble keeping up on the trails - at least I didn't feel like I had to wait for you. Maybe now, you'll have to wait for me!
Your new water heater looks just like the one in my Phoenix popup. It works well, but sometimes the overpressure pops as the water is heating up. It must boil just as it shuts down - even on the lowest setting. It's OK, I seldom use the water heater anyway.
We've got about 3 weeks to figure out when/where to meet in DV. Any ideas? We will drive from Las Vegas to DV on Thurs the 26th. Have you talked to Attila? Is he coming?
Mike L
In fact I am not using any other spacer (other than the thickness of my Rhino liner) between my camper and my Ford Super Duty truck. It's a tight fit but so far nothing has hit.
Steve Heywood
2002 Lance 1010
2002 F350 DRW CC PSD
Mike L
Since I still have my old hydraulic jacks and the brackets that came with the new ones I'll go ahead and install those and use the front brackets with the Happyjac turnbuckles. I don't know how the rear will fit since the turnbuckle attaches to the bumper, sort of under the camper. How can it reach around to a corner bracket? I'll wait until I have it to figure this out.
I was thinking about the tie downs. The front turnbuckles connect to the bed which is fine, but the rear connect to the bumper. The bumper is connected to the frame, not to the bed, so as the bed moves in relation to the frame there will be a twisting force applied to the camper. This wouldn't happen if the camper were tied down to the bed the way Four Wheel intends. What do you think? If the rear turnbuckles had a spring like the fronts rather than a rubber bumper I'd feel better about it.
The over pressure valve leaking water means you need an air pocket to allow expansion. This is from Suburban:
Why does water drip from my water heater's pressure relief and temperature valve?
Answer:
You may experience water weeping or dripping from your water heater's pressure and temperature (P&T) relief valve when your water heater is operating. Water weeping or dripping does not mean that the P&T valve is defective. As water is heated, it expands. The water system in a recreational vehicle is a closed system and does not allow for the expansion of heated water. When the pressure of the water system exceeds the relieving point of the P&T valve, the vale will relieve the excess pressure.
One way to reduce the frequency of this occurrence is to maintain an air pocket at the top of the water heater tank. This air pocket will form in the tank by design - however, it will be reduced over time by the everyday use of your water heater. To replenish this air pocket:
Turn off the water heater.
Tturn off the cold water supply line.
Open a faucet in the RV.
Pull out the handle of the pressure relief (P&T) valve and allow water to flow from the valve until it stops.
Release the handle on the P&T valve - it should snap closed.
Close the faucet and turn on the cold water supply. As the tank fills, the air pocket will develop. Repeat this procedure as often as needed to reduce the frequency of the weeping P&T valve. If the weeping persists after following this procedure, you may elect to have your dealer install an expansion or accumulator tank in the cold water line between the tank and check valve to relieve the pressure caused by thermal expansion.
Attila will go to DV, don't know about Terri as she just got a new job so may not be able to take the time off. I have no idea where to meet, I'll get the map out and look. What areas would you like to hit? I wouldn't mind conquering the trail that won last time.
I came to the same conclusion as you regarding the model. If it will fit I'm going to buy Thetford's biggest model which does use an electric pump. One push and walk away. It also insures consistent wash downs rather than relying on how much someone is motivated to pump the bellows.
Don’t ask how I know.
It could be that your truck couldn't rock side to side without the airbags because it was near the bottom of the suspension, and that prevented more movement i.e. the rocking. And the airbags lifted the truck to allow the rocking.
With a top heavy (hardside) camper, side to side rocking is frequently a problem. Anti-sway bars and extra heavy duty shocks help, but the real problem is the weight up high.
Mike L
We need to figure out when and where to meet. We will be in Death Valley on the 26th. When will you arrive there?
Mike L
>I was thinking about the tie downs. The front
>turnbuckles connect to the bed which is fine,
>but the rear connect to the bumper. The bumper
>is connected to the frame, not to the bed, so as
>the bed moves in relation to the frame there
>will be a twisting force applied to the camper.
>This wouldn't happen if the camper were tied
>down to the bed the way Four Wheel intends. What
>do you think? If the rear turnbuckles had a
>spring like the fronts rather than a rubber
>bumper I'd feel better about it.
I agree I'd rather have spring loaded turnbuckles in the rear. But, I don't think it makes much difference, pickup bed, frame or bumper for the attachments. The frame has to twist for the bed to twist, and the bumper moves with the frame. Maybe a bolt through the floor and into the bed is not a bad way to go. It would keep the camper from moving up and down and yet let it twist anyway it wanted.
Vince, thanks for the story about the overpressure valve from Suburban. I didn't know that.
Mike L
As always if in doubt DON'T DO IT! If not for the thickness of my Rhinoliner I couldn't do what I'm doing. I'm happy with the results.
Steve Heywood
2002 Ford F350 CC DRW PSD
2002 Lance 1010
I really enjoy the flexibility the air bags give. I often only need the bags to level the camper in a campsite. I raise the rear at night to restore the headlight aim, and don't have added harshness when driving empty. To enjoy this you really need to have an on-board compressor. I raise and lower as needed while driving.
To really reduce the sway, I'd say a HUGE stabilizer bar and 2 Rancho shocks on each side should do it.
I recommend rvpartsoutlet.com, they have great service and the best prices I've found on the web. Plus no tax since they are in Oregon.
Steve Heywood
2002 F350 DRW CC PSD
2002 Lance 1010
If you only put them on the rear it will help damp side to side oscillation but probably won't help much with the front end doing the boat thing, if that is a problem you have. If you are going to the trouble and cost of 2, you may as well do all 4 and have total flexibility to tune the ride the way you like.
Does anyone use cable jacks? These are the type that don't mount to the camper, just lift from each side. Any tips or dangers?
P.S. I have a set of corner jacks I'll practically give away if anyone is interested. Also, Mike L has a 3-step aluminum folding step available.
If you got one of the old units, they would send you the upgraded parts free.
Mike L
Mileage will suffer in any case. My dad pulls a 6000# trailer with a 5.3 Silverado. He gets 20+ empty and about 10mpg with the trailer in tow. Expect about the same with your trailer.
Automatics are preferred for towing. Much easier to manage, get rolling, maneuver for parking, etc. While I prefer a manual trans, I can understand an automatic for towing.
An extended cab pickup may fill the bill for you. But, expect it to be significantly slower with the trailer and to get about 10mpg.
Mike L
As Mike said move up to an Excursion or try a Yukon from GM if you don't want to go the pick-up route. The Explorers are not meant to handle this kind of wieght.
Ray T.
The SUV will have a more carlike ride, but the pickup may handle the load of the trailer better.
Air Bags (not airshocks) would help the SUV handle the trailer. The advantage of airbags is you can pump them up when needed and lower the air pressure when the trailer is at home. And you can still choose the shocks you want. Air shocks put a static load on the shock mounts that were not designed to carry weight.
Good luck,
Mike L
Ray T.
What tricks, helpful hints, etc are out there about loading, unloading, or storage? BTW the ranger seemed to handle the #1000 payload.
I've been following the various discussion on this thread with interest.
Good luck.
Robert
Change the thermostat out to a digital and add a small 12v fan so you can keep air curculating when the heater turns off, you will be much more comfortable.
The dumb sink drain cap outside, replace it. Go to Camping World, they have a cap that fits it and it changes it to a garden hose fitting. Run the hose to a small jug on the ground or placed in the bed when the camper is still loaded, that way you can always use your sink.
I mounted a lighted ac switch to control the converter/charger. I dont always want it on so now it is switched. All of my switches have been replaced with lighted ones so I can see what I have left on and they dont really draw anything to worry about from the battery (dc switches at least)
I dont have any loading/unloading ideas as I have only done it once so far. Let me know how your doing and if you come up with anything, let me know.
Robert
I noticed when I was lowering my camper that the back legs would alternate touching the ground when lowering either the front or back supports. I guess that means I could lower one of the backs all the way but that would leave it ready to teeter and I feel better if it didn't move too far. I am also concerned that if it is leaning too far that there would be too much strain on the supports. I also worry about lowering each leg too far would rack the supports and I don't know how much they will take, although #1050 is a light weight.
Also how high do you lift the camper to slide the truck in and out? Probably high enough to allow one to disconnect the electrical outlet, rather than pull forward enough to expose it.
If you unload the camper on a slight slope, will the legs take the strain?
How do you line up the camper? the clearances are rather small. My wife and I are considering putting the camper on wheels so we could push it into more perfect position as well as into the garage between trips.
I connect the powercord after the camper is in all but about a foot or two. When disconnecting, I do that through the access panel from inside so that I dont accidently forget.
Loading, I measure the back of the bed and make sure the front and back of the camper are about 2 inches higher so I have plenty of clearance and I just back it straight in under the camper. I have a natural nack of backing up to trailers and such so I just do it so I cant really give any advice on it. I just back up and its always centered and straight.
When the camper is down in camp mode, there is a little wobble from where the legs slide up inside themselves. I am fashioning a rod or line to put tension on the legs so that the sleeve is always pushed against one side with slight pressure to get rid of the wobble.
Let me know how things are going.
Robert
To accomplish this I built a 4x9' dolly out of 2x6" boards and six wheels, 4 locking casters and 2 fixed, so I can turn it. I mounted a 2000lb manual winch to the back wall of the garage, connected the cable to the dolly, and cranked it into the garage. The back goes airborne as it crests the angle change at the garage entrance but it's always on at least four wheels so it works fine. It was a little scary because I didn't know if everything would hold and it took a surprising amount of pull to get it started. I draped large canvas drop cloths on the cable as MikeL and I learned in a 4-wheel safety class. If that cable snaps it is deadly. In the end all worked well except that I can't park my car in the garage any more