Never heard of those guys. They are made just up the highway from Phoenix. The height of the section over the cab makes me wonder why they bother with a popup. Seems to be thick enough to cause wind drag and still you have the problems of the softsides. It will have a lower CG. It looks heavier than the listed weight, so they must be doing something right.
I still like the Four Wheel design with only a 6" section above the cab. Then you get the full advantage of the popup. But, maybe that's because I like to travel long distances and still go off road.
I'm not doubting what you said, but I am curious where you got your info. Not being a refrigeration specialist, what I know is only what other specialists have told me and what I have gathered from looking at schematics. If you are one of those specialist, please set me straight. I would love to know just "exactly" how these things work.
This is my take on the operation, again correct me if I am wrong. The ammonia is heated in an expansion chamber. When the ammonia reaches a certain pressure, a valve opens allowing the ammonia to pass through an orifice and expand. The expansion then allows the ammonia to absorb a tremendous amount of heat. Since the ammonia cannot possibly absorb enough heat, from the fridge, to stay in the gaseous state while still under pressure, it collects in a chamber as a liquid. When the pressure drops in the expansion chamber, as a result of the heat source cycling off, another valve opens and the liquid is drawn into the expansion chamber where the heat source cycles on and the process starts all over. I would think the motion would prevent the ammonia from collecting where it is supposed to.
Even the guys who work on these things have never been able to explain it to my satisfaction. Please, enlighten me.
Laurie: That is what I do. We keep our fridge on all through the camping season, usually at 38-40 degrees. Except on camping weekends, I will turn it down to the point where the fridge almost freezes, usually 24 to 36 hours before we leave. That way, I never have to worry about it getting too warm while on the road.
Like in the A/C system of your car... 1. Compressor ups the pressure (energy in), temp goes up. 2. The A/C radiator at the front of the vehicle allows the heat to travel to the cooler adjacent air. (Energy out)still high pressure. 3. The flow then goes through a metering valve that allows a pressure drop causing the temp of the liquid to drop as it evaporates. 4. As it passes through the "radiator" in the vehicle passenger area, heat flows into the evaporating refrigerant making the ambient air cooler. (energy in) 5. It is collected in a reservoir for use by the compressor and it is off on the circuit again.
Is it not the same in a refrigerator with the exception of the "energy in" part being gas heating to make it work? This part, I don't see.
Supposedly I knew a shipload about HVAC stuff when I graduated with an ME about 20 years ago with a certificate in Thermal Transport.....
But, now i just read the manuals and follow what they say ;o)..........
Um, either my old Dometic or current Norcold manual said that flow is encouraged by road motion. The big caution, particularly with older units, was operation off-level which led to some kinda Ammonia breakdown, with precipitation/crystalline formation inside the system, gradually reducing flow and producing poor performance.
My guess is that for some of yawl, the poor performance that you are getting outta your refrig is due to use off level.
I specifically remember somebody writing in to Trailer Life, concerned that continuous operation of the refrig on a camber'd road (like an interstate), would violate the off center rule, leading to refrig damage. Their reply was the natural occillation of the vehicle travelling down the road would be sufficient to prevent damage. I do shut my fridge off when stopped off level for gas or lunch.
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Thank you for the link to that article! That was very interesting to read. Heck, I may run mine on the road now if for no other reason than to stir things up. My owners manual states, regarding the leveling of the fridge, "If I am comfortable, then the fridge is comfortable." After reading that article, I don't know just how accurate that statement is. Now I don't feel quite so anal about leveling the camper using the floor of the freezor.
I always run mine when traveling. I don't want my food to warm up at all. I don't have trouble with it blowing out but if I did I would add the sheet metal baffle or air filter method for sure. It has to work if you can block the primary air flow to the flame.
Running while driving is fine due to the rocking motion as previously mentioned, don't worry about it at all. When parked it should be close to level but Laurie you can relax, it doesn't need to be exact. I used to be really anal about it in my first camper until I met someone who didn't bother to get it very close and he never had any trouble. I have a few bubble levels on the outside of my camper and I just try to not be off by more than 1/2 a bubble. I don't usually have any trouble getting that close. I've been off more a few times and didn't have a problem.
I recently added a fan to my fridge to blow air over the cooling fins like Mike did. I hope it will help on the hottest summer days. Laurie, you only need the fan on when it is really hot out, like mid 90s and up. At least my fridge (Dometic) keeps up fine up to the mid-high 90s.
What does everyone use to level with? Do you use the camper jacks or drive on pieces of wood. Been looking at those stacking type blocks that you drive up on. Anyone have any nifty suggestions for easy leveling? Have a horse show this weekend. Will probably leave early as we're going to get really bad thunderstorms this afternoon. High Wind / Hail, etc. Don't think I'll be cranking up the top of the camper until they pass! Have a great one all. Talk at ya Monday. - Laurie
I use the Lynx(?) leveling blocks, you know, the type that lock together when stacked. They work great and they will stay wherever you put them. Since I don't have the scissor type jacks that can lift, I just level the trailer with the stacking blocks then stabilize it with the jacks. I my boys get very rowdy and the trailer is bouncing around, from them bouncing off the walls, I have a $35 set of aluminum jacks that I can place under the camper where they are needed. In my experience, it's best not to try to jack up an 8k to 10k pound camper unless you have a fairly beefy jacking system.
But, you have a slide-in, correct? When I had one, I still used the stacking blocks to level, then the camper jacks to stabilize and fine tune.
I used to use the camper jacks, before I decided to stop carrying them! I leave 100# at home and use some pieces of 2x6 that I carry. I also use the Air Lifts to raise the back of the camper, and since I run 20psi normally in the Air Lifts, I also can use them to lower the back a little. When we were camped in Death Valley with Vince, I also had to dig holes under the front wheels and put big rocks under the backs to get level on the side of canyon. I guess that means I will do what ever it takes to get level. I don't mind my head being a little high, but I want to be level front to back (we sleep across the camper). See the Death Valley pictures at:
I used a good carpenters level to level the floor of the camper. Then I added stick on levels to the outside of the camper where I can see them from the drivers seat (use the mirror). Then I can make a little ramp and drive up it and stop at the right time without getting out to check 4-5 times.
I like the line - if I am comfortable, then the fridge is comfortable. Older refrig's used to need to be more level. Today that is not much of a problem. And if the camper is way out of level, it has to be more than just an hour or two to cause damage.
Friday storms were very bad. Managed to get to the fairgrounds before two storms came through. The first one touched off a tornado about 20 minutes north of where I was, the second had horizontal rain and quarter size hail. Wicked lightening. Needless to say, the camper roof didn't get cranked up until after the storms went by. Saturday night brought yet another storm with high winds and rain. The camper was rockin' in the wind. Made me just a tad nervous.
I'm such a novice at this camper stuff. Does everyone put their jacks down when you park at your destination site, or just level off by driving up on wood boards / stacker blocks?
I did learn one thing this weekend. You MUST lower the roof in a certain sequence. Kinda funny, I unlocked the safety latch, started to crank, realized I forgot to undo the hard rear panels. So.....I walked to the rear, unlatched the panels and pulled on the knobs to release the folds and....you guessed it...the roof came down reaaaaallllyyyy fast cuz I forgot to reset the safety latch. Luckily the roof is light so I was able to stop it by putting my hand up and I avoided a major headache. Experience is the best teacher. Fridge worked great on gas all weekend. Can't figure out why it won't stay on while driving, when in fact the wind was so much worse when I was parked and the vent was pointed directly into the oncoming wind. Go figure huh?
I used to put the jacks down when camped. The only advantage is stability. But, our camper doesn't move too much when we move around, so we stopped carrying them.
3 reasons to not carry the jacks:
1 - extra weight is never good 2 - the jacks add extra wind resistance and use more gas 3 - if you ever hit a jack on a small wall, pole, post, car, or whatever, it could do real damage to the camper. A fender bender could be a disaster if it hit your camper jack instead. Your camper could be ripped open.
Reason #3 is why I carried my jacks in the cab, behind the seat, when we carried them. I had made a minor modification to the jacks so I could put them on/off with wingnuts and no tools. But, I still wouldn't drive with them on. Just imagine what could happen if you get too close to a bridge or ??
Death Valley Pics are great! I've been very lucky so far getting almost completely level parking spots, so I haven't had a problem. Just need to prepare in case I do. Think I'll buy a set of the kind mullins referred to. I believe they look like giant legos right? Will search on internet today to see what I can turn up.
all four of my jacks are bolted to the camper and not very easily removed. There's four bolts on each side of the "v". It looked like alot of hassle to take them off. They don't stick out any farther than my side mirrors, my overhang on either side of the truck bed is pretty minimal. The fenders on my horse trailer actually stick out farther than the camper jacks. Due to what seemed a difficult process to remove, I just went ahead and drove with them on. I see your point though.
I'm glad to see you survived the storms! Sounds to me like our weekends were similarly stressful, only at different times. It seems you had a good trip to and from, but not much fun while there. I had a blowout going Friday morning, had a wonderful time at the campground, then had another blowout Sunday afternoon coming back. You know, I always though ONE spare was enough. Now I think I may start carrying two. Oh well. I finally limped home at 35 mph with a tire from Walmart. I'm going in the morning to get a new set of tires!!!
levelers today. Found them at one RV store on line / $29.95 for a 10 pack (special of the month), looks like a good price, everywhere else was $37 or more. Also found this post:
"Lynx levelers can create a problem for your tires, by creating too much stress on the portion of the tire that is resting on the plastic (too much weight on too little rubber & plastic). I believe that tire problems could occur further down the road. The entire footprint of the tire needs to be on a flat surface."
Any opinions on this statement?
Jim - that stinks, tire blowouts are one of the things that scare me when I'm hauling. Another one is the dummies who think I can stop on dime and pull out in front of me. Although, my new Prodigy Brake controller is Excellent! Works much better than my old Voyager. Good to see you made it home safely!
Where in NY are you, we had a F1 tornado touch down in Pawling (Dutchess County) this past friday, nobody hurt but a lot of damage done. I'm glad my new trailer is still on the dealers lot (Campers Barn, Kingston). I'll be picking that up Saturday since it will be ready to go by then. Fleetwood Pioneer 23T6 (28'), this will be a little bit of a change for me since I've been pulling a 18' for past five years. Now the truck will get a real workout & I'll have to remember I've got an additional 10' more behind me.
Your jacks are bolted directly to the camper? I've never seen jacks that didn't have some kind of a bracket bolted to the camper, and then the jacks bolted to the bracket. And that is what I have.
I installed bolts and nuts onto the 'C' shaped clamps on the jacks. The 'C' shaped clamps had to be positioned so the the bolts will go through the holes on the camper brackets. The nuts lock the clamps in that position, the bolts go through the holes in the camper brackets, and my wingnuts them keep the jacks from falling off the brackets. Confused? I need to get the camera out and take some pictures.
Anyway, double check if you have some kind of removable bracket, or if you jacks bolt solidly to the camper body.
Laurie; Where did you get the post on the Lynx levelors? I'm wondering if they have anything to do with my recent bad luck. I would like to investigate this a little further.
Mike; My slide-in jacks were bolted directly to the camper. The "bracket" was part of the jack. I had to fabricate some mounts to position the jacks far enough apart to allow for my fender wells to go between. Once that was done, I could easily remove my jacks for transport.
I also put some stick on bubble levels on the outside of the camper, one on each side of a corner. I use the air bags as the first choice but they only give a few inches of travel. Next I use some nice plastic leveling ramps I bought at Camping World, see the link below. I like them because they are smaller to carry and simpler than the Lego block type. I store them in one of the access areas between the camper and bed.
They don't cover the entire width of the tire but I don't agree with that statement that it damages the tires. Tires are made to take an amazing amount of abuse. I wouldn't store it that way for years but for leveling use I don't think it hurts them. After our trip to Death Valley driving the camper over nothing but rocks in some cases, I learned what tires can take.
The ramps aren't very tall so I also carry wood which I can add as required.
but was in Schoharie County for the weekend. The tornado was in Johnstown, NY - 20 Min North West of where I was. I have relatives in Orange County (Goshen to be exact). You're not too far from there.
Jim - I think my jacks are exactly like yours. Theres a bracket on the corner and the jacks attach to that. Found the post on
If the link doesn't work, it's in the Towing Thread - topic was Side to Side Leveling, Date April 27, 2002. The sites's search engine seems slow, but maybe you can find other info there relating to your problem with the Lynx Levelers.
Vince - I like those ramps too. Seems like your combo of wood and ramps would work pretty well. You are just a WEALTH of information....:-)
I really need to get some real work done today. Will check back later. Take it easy folks.
Mike's concerns about his camper jacks damaging his camper are valid since he hauls a small camper which he can take off-road. I however have a 10'1" Lance which weighs over 3,000 lbs and haul it with a dual rear wheel truck. When the camper is on the truck the truck is actually wider than the camper (the dually flares). I would never consider removing my jacks as I use them to stabilize the truck & camper every time we set up camp.
I also wouldn't consider removing the jacks from my Lance. It's not worth the bother and I've never had any trouble with or because of them (on-road anyway).
But if I had a popup that went off road I would definitely remove them. They hang low and could easily create big trouble. Another consideration, Mike stores his camper on the truck so he doesn't need the jacks very often. I store mine in the driveway so use them every time. It really depends on how you use the camper.
I use my jacks for leveling too. Actually I forgot that in my last message. Since I put electric jacks on I use them for some amount of leveling, it's easy and very effective. I usually don't bother dropping them just for stability because the rocking doesn't bother me much. I didn't use my hydraulic jacks for leveling because it was easier to use the ramps than to pump pump pump.
Thanks for the link, but that website is useless!!!!!! I registered so I could reply to the posts about the levelors. Everything goes through fine, but when I put in my username and password to actually reply, it tells me my username and password are invalid. I know I am registered properly as I received an e-mail concerning my registration with my password.
Any suggestions???
BTW: I dropped off my trailer tires this morning to have four new Goodyear Marathons put on. As I was rolling one of them into the garage, the guy at the shop noticed a bulge in the tread area. I almost blew a THIRD tire!!! These are General Ameri-ST's. I will probably hear from PF about this one, but I cannot be silent on this one - DO NOT BUY THESE TIRES FOR YOUR CAMPER!! I live in a town with a Continental-General plant that provides a good living for a lot of families, and my father is retired from that plant. I know a lot of people have had bad luck with Generals, but I have never had any bad luck with them until this weekend. In fact, I have Generals on every vehicle I own and am completely satisfied with them. My father commented as to how sorry these tires are and asked what brand they were. When I told him, he said "Oh my!"
Anyway, PF, I apologize if I have broken some part of the membership agreement.
Is anyone else out there running a slide in camper on a small truck? What kind of truck do you have, and how does it work with the camper on the back? I just recently purchased a used 7.5' hard-sided Travelmate camper, made in BC, Canada. I am hauling it in my 2001 Ford Ranger Supercab XLT 4x4 Off-Road, 4.0L SOHC 5-speed manual. So far, the truck has handled the camper well with the stock suspension, no swaying on the highway or bottoming of the suspension. The truck has lots of power, and even got 16MPG US on my last trip. The camper weight is listed at 1150# full of gas/water. The payload on the truck is listed at 1560 lbs, so that doesn't leave much for stuff after myself, my fiancee and my dog are in the truck. I would like to have it weighed to see how close I am to the GVWR. I am running Pirelli Scorpion A/T tires (paid for by Ford), 255/70R16, at the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall of 35 psi.
the site was lousy. Can't give you any pointers as I didn't register. I was just a lurker. Also sorry to hear about your tires. That's truly a Pain in the @$$.
I spoke with a carpenter friend today and we're gonna draw up plans to make stairs out of exterior grade plywood for the camper. I remembered seeing a picnic table awhile back that someone had made with plywood. It was notched in strategic places and the table went together by placing the proper pieces in the correct notches, kinda like a puzzle. Then, it came apart and stored really easily in their horse trailer, all flat pieces. Figured we can do something like this for a set of stairs. We'll notch and brace it across left to right and the top of the stairs will slide in to a notch from front to back. All I need to do is measure from the ground to the camper, provide him with the number and he's gonna build 'em for me. I'll try to get some pics up when they're done.
dmould - sorry but I think everyone here has a full size truck. Many short beds and popup campers but still full size. What is the weight rating on those tires?
Laurie - your wood stairs sound clever but not so practical. Are you really going to break them down and assemble every time you want to use them? And it sounds like a lot of stuff to store. I use aluminum scissor stairs as you can see in the picture below. They work very well. They can be permanently mounted or attached with a bracket that the stairs just sit on. This is what I do. They lock closed, then I lift them off the bracket and set them on the floor just inside the door. One thing to keep in mind with steps, the distance between the camper floor and the ground is not always the same. Many many times I've had the steps extended too far or not far enough and they still work even though each step is tilted. This happens when you raise the back of the truck to level in which case the floor gets higher. Some times you end up with a up-slope right behind you in which case the floor is lower.
Mike built a small step that goes into the reciver hitch, maybe something like that would do. He can point you to a picture.
Mike, do you still have the old set of steps for sale?
my biggest issue is with my dogs. Who'd figure that two 70 lb dobermans would be so whussy? Your steps are great, but my problem is I only have an 8 ft camper with no overhang. The first step out of the camper is to the step bumper, then to my set of two stairs. Works ok for people, but the dogs are having an issue with the angle to the step bumper. I think their depth perception is funky. They don't seem to see it and the distance to the top step on my folding set is too far away, so they don't want to come out of the camper. My plan was to build them so that the step bumper would be eliminated with a larger platform type step. Additionally they're not very fond of steps with open backs, so getting in is also a challenge. I've only taken them once, so it's all very new to them, but they're certainly not very happy about it. I see your point about assembling/disassembling, but I think if I design them right, I'd only have 7 pieces of wood.
I think the ones you have would work great for me, but we're still dealing with a cash flow issue (have to put about $600 into my little car)and I know these steps are pretty pricey.
Oh and I had a really lousy evening yesterday. After work, I went to have the AC test done on my fridge. Stopped at the grocery store on the way and when I got out of the truck, there was gas all over the ground, pouring out from the top of the gas tank. It only comes out when the motor is running. The top of the tank was wet, not the sides, so that's how I determined that the gas was coming from the top. Had to have the truck (with the camper on it) flatbedded to the dealer. (Didn't want to watch that process). GM Roadside assistance was very helpful. I'm driving a Kia Rio Rental now! Whooooo Hooooo!
They dispatched my truck to the Heavy Duty Truck Service Dept. because it needs to go up on a bigger lift. We'll see. Probably is one of the lines, which is an easy fix, just don't know when they'll get to it. I'm just thankful it didn't happen last weekend while I was towing my horse trailer. That would have been a major problem.
Too bad no one else is using a small truck - I would like to hear some stories and opinions.
The maximum load listed on the sidewall of my Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts is 2271#, at 35 psi. No problem holding the load I put on them. These tires have been good, with a ton of grip in the dry and snow, and no hydroplaning (unlike the Firestones). They seem to wear a bit quickly though - could be related to my heavy foot.
The morons at another dealership replaced my sending unit back in January in an attempt to fix my fuel gauge problem. Apparently, they didn't bother to replace the clips on the hoses and we also suspect that they re-used the original seal. My current dealership has ordered a tank seal and clips which will be installed today, so I'll be getting my truck back tonight. Can't wait! The novelty of driving that Beer Can Kia has begun to wear off :>)
Scary about the gas leak. How old are your dogs? If they aren't senior then I'd think that they could adapt to the bumper, they just need time and practice. My dog was afraid of the steps at first but with some coaxing and time she flys up and down now. Sometimes she's too fast and slips off.
I went out this weekend and bought some carpet pieces to put on the folding stairs I already have. I'll secure it with some of those high priced velcro cargo type straps. I also bought a small area rug for just inside the door and some of that non slip matting to place underneath it. I had put down a clear runner on the interior floor, thinking it would stay cleaner. That works great, but when the dogs get to the edge of the door, their hind feet seem to slip on the plastic when they start the trek out to the steps. I'll put it all together and give them some practice (including lots of doggie treats) before we head out on our next adventure.
Ya know, I didn't really think about how dangerous the gas leak situation was until after the truck made it to the shop and I was on my way home in the Kia. I had only traveled about 1 city block from the parking lot at work to the parking lot at the grocery store, which is right next door to my office. I'm so glad I stopped for that 6 pack! See, Beer Is Good !! Got the truck back on Friday, all fixed up, Zero Dollars out of pocket. Yea!!!!
Spent a week dirtbiking on the CO-WY border north of Steamboat Springs. Drove home last Saturday, pulling 25' Nash TT. Got less than 7mpg last two tanks, dust was so thick, seemed like a blizzard.
Blew a Goodyear Marathon ST225/75-15 on the way out, got ticked as this tire wasn't too old.
Bought 6 LT235/75-15C truck tires. Hope these hold up better, with no belt failures. Gonna have to be better about protecting against UV.
Whatdya all think? How will I like the LT's vs ST's for high speed trailer towing? I know they'll work better in the snow and ice.
I was hoping I wouldn't have to worry too much about blow-outs with my new Goodyears. That's it. If these Goodyears give me any trouble, and considering my luck lately with tires, I'm going to put solid rubber tires on my camper!!! ;p
We know the STs have extra UV protection for a long life when sitting in the sun. But, other than that I thought they were more or less P-series tires. I would expect the LTs to withstand a load better.
Do you have some tire covers you can put over the tires when you park it? Or, cut up some plywood to put up against the tires and block the nasty old sun.
yup, put the order into Camping world yesterday for tire covers. Living at 7,000' elevation in sunny AZ sure does bake stuff.....
also, kept 3 of the old trailer tires, as they were in ok shape. The sidewalls on the ST tires do seem more like P series.
will keep yawl appraised of my LT experiment, but suspect won't know much for a few years. I'm sure the LT tires will hold up better to rocky roads, less bruising.......
Do you offload when camping or keep your slide in on your truck the whole time? If you offload, what do you use to stabilize the floor area under the camper?
has anyone experienced cracks in their metal siding, I have a Lance 11'3" and have developed two small cracks, one right where the curve is on side between the overcab sleeping area and side of the camper, actually right behind the jack, the other in front to the right of the sliding window. It is a 1996 unit and has not been abused, my concern is if these cracks will continue to travel, they are from 1 1/2" to 2" in length at the present time.
Laurie, I've taken mine off but normally don't. It's not worth the hassle unless you need the truck for something. Also it's nice to have the camper with you so you have all your stuff. I've heard here that rv parks don't allow it. I don't know about yours but Lance campers are made to be used on the jacks, no additional support is needed.
Bob, I have two cracks in the metal of my 91 Lance. They are above each corner of the door, between the door and the top rear overhang. They have been there for years and haven't grown but they don't really have anywhere to go. If you have a dealer near by you should drop in and ask about it. With some materials you can stop the crack by drilling a small hole at each end. Maybe worth a try.
I leave mine on the truck most of the time. The summer of 99 I took it off to do some work on it. I had it on a roll around platform, so the floor had support. I took it off last month to reseal around the roof edges, and I put it down on the driveway.
You don't need floor support unless you are going to go in the camper.
that you were staying somewhere for 7-10 days and you had the ability to offload without breaking any rules? I need to look at my manual again, but I think it said using the camper while it was off the truck was "not recommended". When I looked at the camper, the dealer had it cranked all the way down (4 jacks) with no floor supports. I climbed in the bed and didn't feel any instability. The camper weight is 1250 lbs dry with no gear loaded. I was wondering if hubby and I (about 320 lbs total) were to get in the bunk if it would become unstable off the truck. Was thinking of getting 4 to 6 stabilizer jacks to support the floor and possibly taking the camper off when I go for my 10 day vacation. Being there for so long, it would be kinda nice to have the truck. Because it's a pop up soft side slide in, it's a pain in the butt to have to crank down the top everytime you want to go someplace. Just figured the hassle of unloading/loading would be less than rearranging the inside and cranking the top down. Plus I'd get practice at loading the thing. The dealer put it on for me when I picked it up on May 11 and it hasn't been off yet. Been too chicken to try it. :>)
I put the carpet on my folding stairs yesterday. Got out the Savory Treats and worked with the doggies to get their confidence level up going in and out of the camper. The carpet helped, but I think the Food was the better motivator. Now, if I can just figure out how to eliminate the step on my bumper as being the first one out of the camper, I think we'll be all set. Even I have a tought time with that one, the angle is just so steep. Managed to miss it last night getting out myself and have a couple of bruises to show for it. I'm thinking of making some type of platform (out of a material that's strong enough to support weight) that will secure to the bumper and cover the step on the step bumper. Then that platform would be the first step out which would be almost even with the camper door. Have to ponder this one. Maybe a trip to Home Depot is in order. I try to stay away from there, but it's just so hard.....
Comments
I still like the Four Wheel design with only a 6" section above the cab. Then you get the full advantage of the popup. But, maybe that's because I like to travel long distances and still go off road.
Mike L
This is my take on the operation, again correct me if I am wrong. The ammonia is heated in an expansion chamber. When the ammonia reaches a certain pressure, a valve opens allowing the ammonia to pass through an orifice and expand. The expansion then allows the ammonia to absorb a tremendous amount of heat. Since the ammonia cannot possibly absorb enough heat, from the fridge, to stay in the gaseous state while still under pressure, it collects in a chamber as a liquid. When the pressure drops in the expansion chamber, as a result of the heat source cycling off, another valve opens and the liquid is drawn into the expansion chamber where the heat source cycles on and the process starts all over. I would think the motion would prevent the ammonia from collecting where it is supposed to.
Even the guys who work on these things have never been able to explain it to my satisfaction. Please, enlighten me.
Laurie: That is what I do. We keep our fridge on all through the camping season, usually at 38-40 degrees. Except on camping weekends, I will turn it down to the point where the fridge almost freezes, usually 24 to 36 hours before we leave. That way, I never have to worry about it getting too warm while on the road.
Like in the A/C system of your car...
1. Compressor ups the pressure (energy in), temp goes up.
2. The A/C radiator at the front of the vehicle allows the heat to travel to the cooler adjacent air. (Energy out)still high pressure.
3. The flow then goes through a metering valve that allows a pressure drop causing the temp of the liquid to drop as it evaporates.
4. As it passes through the "radiator" in the vehicle passenger area, heat flows into the evaporating refrigerant making the ambient air cooler. (energy in)
5. It is collected in a reservoir for use by the compressor and it is off on the circuit again.
Is it not the same in a refrigerator with the exception of the "energy in" part being gas heating to make it work? This part, I don't see.
But, now i just read the manuals and follow what they say ;o)..........
Um, either my old Dometic or current Norcold manual said that flow is encouraged by road motion. The big caution, particularly with older units, was operation off-level which led to some kinda Ammonia breakdown, with precipitation/crystalline formation inside the system, gradually reducing flow and producing poor performance.
My guess is that for some of yawl, the poor performance that you are getting outta your refrig is due to use off level.
I specifically remember somebody writing in to Trailer Life, concerned that continuous operation of the refrig on a camber'd road (like an interstate), would violate the off center rule, leading to refrig damage. Their reply was the natural occillation of the vehicle travelling down the road would be sufficient to prevent damage. I do shut my fridge off when stopped off level for gas or lunch.
BTW, looked at a '92 Lance 300 last night, going with my buddy to look at at lunch today.
Mike, agree that the outfitter has some negatives re: cabover height. But I sure like their claims about subzero performance.....
If yawl don't know, I'll stop by my Credit Union at lunch.
Getting lots of posts here - Cool :>)..... Now.....if I could just get the fridge to emulate this board on AC Power !
http://www.rvmobile.com/TECH/TROUBLE/COOLDOC.HTM
The article explains a coupla points that are key:
1) off level, new vs old perk tube.
2) traveling down the road with the refrig on.
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Running while driving is fine due to the rocking motion as previously mentioned, don't worry about it at all. When parked it should be close to level but Laurie you can relax, it doesn't need to be exact. I used to be really anal about it in my first camper until I met someone who didn't bother to get it very close and he never had any trouble. I have a few bubble levels on the outside of my camper and I just try to not be off by more than 1/2 a bubble. I don't usually have any trouble getting that close. I've been off more a few times and didn't have a problem.
I recently added a fan to my fridge to blow air over the cooling fins like Mike did. I hope it will help on the hottest summer days. Laurie, you only need the fan on when it is really hot out, like mid 90s and up. At least my fridge (Dometic) keeps up fine up to the mid-high 90s.
But, you have a slide-in, correct? When I had one, I still used the stacking blocks to level, then the camper jacks to stabilize and fine tune.
Have a good weekend!
http://community.webshots.com/user/mledtje
I used a good carpenters level to level the floor of the camper. Then I added stick on levels to the outside of the camper where I can see them from the drivers seat (use the mirror). Then I can make a little ramp and drive up it and stop at the right time without getting out to check 4-5 times.
I like the line - if I am comfortable, then the fridge is comfortable. Older refrig's used to need to be more level. Today that is not much of a problem. And if the camper is way out of level, it has to be more than just an hour or two to cause damage.
Mike L
I'm such a novice at this camper stuff. Does everyone put their jacks down when you park at your destination site, or just level off by driving up on wood boards / stacker blocks?
I did learn one thing this weekend. You MUST lower the roof in a certain sequence. Kinda funny, I unlocked the safety latch, started to crank, realized I forgot to undo the hard rear panels. So.....I walked to the rear, unlatched the panels and pulled on the knobs to release the folds and....you guessed it...the roof came down reaaaaallllyyyy fast cuz I forgot to reset the safety latch. Luckily the roof is light so I was able to stop it by putting my hand up and I avoided a major headache. Experience is the best teacher. Fridge worked great on gas all weekend. Can't figure out why it won't stay on while driving, when in fact the wind was so much worse when I was parked and the vent was pointed directly into the oncoming wind. Go figure huh?
3 reasons to not carry the jacks:
1 - extra weight is never good
2 - the jacks add extra wind resistance and use more gas
3 - if you ever hit a jack on a small wall, pole, post, car, or whatever, it could do real damage to the camper. A fender bender could be a disaster if it hit your camper jack instead. Your camper could be ripped open.
Reason #3 is why I carried my jacks in the cab, behind the seat, when we carried them. I had made a minor modification to the jacks so I could put them on/off with wingnuts and no tools. But, I still wouldn't drive with them on. Just imagine what could happen if you get too close to a bridge or ??
Mike L
"Lynx levelers can create a problem for your tires, by creating too much stress on the portion of the tire that is resting on the plastic (too much weight on too little rubber & plastic). I believe that tire problems could occur further down the road. The entire footprint of the tire needs to be on a flat surface."
Any opinions on this statement?
Jim - that stinks, tire blowouts are one of the things that scare me when I'm hauling. Another one is the dummies who think I can stop on dime and pull out in front of me. Although, my new Prodigy Brake controller is Excellent! Works much better than my old Voyager. Good to see you made it home safely!
I'm glad my new trailer is still on the dealers lot (Campers Barn, Kingston). I'll be picking that up Saturday since it will be ready to go by then. Fleetwood Pioneer 23T6 (28'), this will be a little bit of a change for me since I've been pulling a 18' for past five years. Now the truck will get a real workout & I'll have to remember I've got an additional 10' more behind me.
Ray T.
I installed bolts and nuts onto the 'C' shaped clamps on the jacks. The 'C' shaped clamps had to be positioned so the the bolts will go through the holes on the camper brackets. The nuts lock the clamps in that position, the bolts go through the holes in the camper brackets, and my wingnuts them keep the jacks from falling off the brackets. Confused? I need to get the camera out and take some pictures.
Anyway, double check if you have some kind of removable bracket, or if you jacks bolt solidly to the camper body.
Mike L
Mike; My slide-in jacks were bolted directly to the camper. The "bracket" was part of the jack. I had to fabricate some mounts to position the jacks far enough apart to allow for my fender wells to go between. Once that was done, I could easily remove my jacks for transport.
They don't cover the entire width of the tire but I don't agree with that statement that it damages the tires. Tires are made to take an amazing amount of abuse. I wouldn't store it that way for years but for leveling use I don't think it hurts them. After our trip to Death Valley driving the camper over nothing but rocks in some cases, I learned what tires can take.
The ramps aren't very tall so I also carry wood which I can add as required.
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?deptID=5&subOf=33&skunum=6030&src=TSC
Jim - I think my jacks are exactly like yours. Theres a bracket on the corner and the jacks attach to that. Found the post on
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/CFB/1/TID/221040.cfm
If the link doesn't work, it's in the Towing Thread - topic was Side to Side Leveling, Date April 27, 2002. The sites's search engine seems slow, but maybe you can find other info there relating to your problem with the Lynx Levelers.
Vince - I like those ramps too. Seems like your combo of wood and ramps would work pretty well. You are just a WEALTH of information....:-)
I really need to get some real work done today. Will check back later. Take it easy folks.
But if I had a popup that went off road I would definitely remove them. They hang low and could easily create big trouble. Another consideration, Mike stores his camper on the truck so he doesn't need the jacks very often. I store mine in the driveway so use them every time. It really depends on how you use the camper.
I use my jacks for leveling too. Actually I forgot that in my last message. Since I put electric jacks on I use them for some amount of leveling, it's easy and very effective. I usually don't bother dropping them just for stability because the rocking doesn't bother me much. I didn't use my hydraulic jacks for leveling because it was easier to use the ramps than to pump pump pump.
Any suggestions???
BTW: I dropped off my trailer tires this morning to have four new Goodyear Marathons put on. As I was rolling one of them into the garage, the guy at the shop noticed a bulge in the tread area. I almost blew a THIRD tire!!! These are General Ameri-ST's. I will probably hear from PF about this one, but I cannot be silent on this one - DO NOT BUY THESE TIRES FOR YOUR CAMPER!! I live in a town with a Continental-General plant that provides a good living for a lot of families, and my father is retired from that plant. I know a lot of people have had bad luck with Generals, but I have never had any bad luck with them until this weekend. In fact, I have Generals on every vehicle I own and am completely satisfied with them. My father commented as to how sorry these tires are and asked what brand they were. When I told him, he said "Oh my!"
Anyway, PF, I apologize if I have broken some part of the membership agreement.
I just recently purchased a used 7.5' hard-sided Travelmate camper, made in BC, Canada. I am hauling it in my 2001 Ford Ranger Supercab XLT 4x4 Off-Road, 4.0L SOHC 5-speed manual. So far, the truck has handled the camper well with the stock suspension, no swaying on the highway or bottoming of the suspension. The truck has lots of power, and even got 16MPG US on my last trip. The camper weight is listed at 1150# full of gas/water. The payload on the truck is listed at 1560 lbs, so that doesn't leave much for stuff after myself, my fiancee and my dog are in the truck. I would like to have it weighed to see how close I am to the GVWR.
I am running Pirelli Scorpion A/T tires (paid for by Ford), 255/70R16, at the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall of 35 psi.
I spoke with a carpenter friend today and we're gonna draw up plans to make stairs out of exterior grade plywood for the camper. I remembered seeing a picnic table awhile back that someone had made with plywood. It was notched in strategic places and the table went together by placing the proper pieces in the correct notches, kinda like a puzzle. Then, it came apart and stored really easily in their horse trailer, all flat pieces. Figured we can do something like this for a set of stairs. We'll notch and brace it across left to right and the top of the stairs will slide in to a notch from front to back. All I need to do is measure from the ground to the camper, provide him with the number and he's gonna build 'em for me. I'll try to get some pics up when they're done.
Laurie - your wood stairs sound clever but not so practical. Are you really going to break them down and assemble every time you want to use them? And it sounds like a lot of stuff to store. I use aluminum scissor stairs as you can see in the picture below. They work very well. They can be permanently mounted or attached with a bracket that the stairs just sit on. This is what I do. They lock closed, then I lift them off the bracket and set them on the floor just inside the door. One thing to keep in mind with steps, the distance between the camper floor and the ground is not always the same. Many many times I've had the steps extended too far or not far enough and they still work even though each step is tilted. This happens when you raise the back of the truck to level in which case the floor gets higher. Some times you end up with a up-slope right behind you in which case the floor is lower.
Mike built a small step that goes into the reciver hitch, maybe something like that would do. He can point you to a picture.
Mike, do you still have the old set of steps for sale?
I think the ones you have would work great for me, but we're still dealing with a cash flow issue (have to put about $600 into my little car)and I know these steps are pretty pricey.
Oh and I had a really lousy evening yesterday. After work, I went to have the AC test done on my fridge. Stopped at the grocery store on the way and when I got out of the truck, there was gas all over the ground, pouring out from the top of the gas tank. It only comes out when the motor is running. The top of the tank was wet, not the sides, so that's how I determined that the gas was coming from the top. Had to have the truck (with the camper on it) flatbedded to the dealer. (Didn't want to watch that process). GM Roadside assistance was very helpful. I'm driving a Kia Rio Rental now! Whooooo Hooooo!
The maximum load listed on the sidewall of my Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts is 2271#, at 35 psi. No problem holding the load I put on them. These tires have been good, with a ton of grip in the dry and snow, and no hydroplaning (unlike the Firestones). They seem to wear a bit quickly though - could be related to my heavy foot.
Ya know, I didn't really think about how dangerous the gas leak situation was until after the truck made it to the shop and I was on my way home in the Kia. I had only traveled about 1 city block from the parking lot at work to the parking lot at the grocery store, which is right next door to my office. I'm so glad I stopped for that 6 pack! See, Beer Is Good !! Got the truck back on Friday, all fixed up, Zero Dollars out of pocket. Yea!!!!
Blew a Goodyear Marathon ST225/75-15 on the way out, got ticked as this tire wasn't too old.
Bought 6 LT235/75-15C truck tires. Hope these hold up better, with no belt failures. Gonna have to be better about protecting against UV.
Whatdya all think? How will I like the LT's vs ST's for high speed trailer towing? I know they'll work better in the snow and ice.
Do you have some tire covers you can put over the tires when you park it? Or, cut up some plywood to put up against the tires and block the nasty old sun.
Mike L
also, kept 3 of the old trailer tires, as they were in ok shape. The sidewalls on the ST tires do seem more like P series.
will keep yawl appraised of my LT experiment, but suspect won't know much for a few years. I'm sure the LT tires will hold up better to rocky roads, less bruising.......
Bob, I have two cracks in the metal of my 91 Lance. They are above each corner of the door, between the door and the top rear overhang. They have been there for years and haven't grown but they don't really have anywhere to go. If you have a dealer near by you should drop in and ask about it. With some materials you can stop the crack by drilling a small hole at each end. Maybe worth a try.
You don't need floor support unless you are going to go in the camper.
Mike L