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Cabover Campers & Camper Trailers (pickups)
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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