What kind of camper do you have???

Picked up new camper today. Can tell its heavier, but no problem whatsoever.

 

This looks a lot like the size of trailer that I'm pulling. What I really like about my Hike is that it's narrow enough that I don't need extended mirrors. And since I mostly use it by myself or with 1 other person, I really don't need the additional room. It sure beats camping in the bed of the truck!

 

My trailer is 7'-4" wide so it makes seeing around it so much better. I don't need extension mirrors either.

 

Figured y’all would appreciate the color matching I’ve been working on.

 

^^ That's fantastic! I love it!

By no effort on my part, and not nearly on the level as your matching, I liked that my old GeoPro matched my leather, though only visible with the windows down...

 

Definitely still counts! I catch some flack around the house for my obsession so I would be stoked if something worked out that way lol.

 

Well, we made it! 4,000 miles…Pa. to Alaska. Towed 7k like a champ, averaged 10 mpg. More pics later, I have some camping to do.

 

Congrats on the safe journey there. I have so many questions, but mostly what comes to mind is how long did it take you? I see one of your posts back in early June, is that when you left?

 

Very cool! I did that trip from Texas to the arctic circle on a motorcycle a few years ago, would love to do it again but this time with the trailer. BTW, you picked the perfect time of year to do it, the weather is great!

 

Just a quick heads up:
For anyone with Ryobi tools and in the market for a portable fan for their camper, I was at depot the other day and found one on the clearance end cap for $30. I'm assuming they are changing the design and discontinuing this one. Works great for a small space and relatively quiet on low.
If the stars all align and you have Ryobi stuff, need a fan and have a depot that still has them on clearance,....$30 is a good price.

 

Anyone rocking one of these?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2v8nf5d3cD0&feature=share

they even make them for FGTs, this one looks like mine

 

Very nice! Wife and I are leaning toward an Airstream but those Embers look really nice.

 

Jayco SLX 212QB

 

I looked at 2 diff NoBos, and they are pretty ergo design, and VERY light weight. We ended up with an Apex Nano 185BH. LOVE having a front window like the Nobo. We did not like the dining table configuration of the Nobo- basically a fam of 4 cannot eat together. Nobo does have some nice storage designs. and a full pass through up front under the bed.

I dont think the Jayco is nearly as nice and has a much smaller fridge.

 

Guess I hadn't posted in here.

We have a 2021 Apex Nano 185BH.

Pic from last month in San Diego.

 

I'm glad our Coachmen Freedom Express is old enough not to have a front window. The only way I'd want one of those is if it had a metal cover like my parents' 1983 Vanguard.

 

Just picked this up yesterday. Going to sell the trailer. Went from a 22 ft trailer to a 29 ft motorhome.
Wanted something bigger with more room and storage. Planning a big trip for next year already.

 

You planning to tow a car with it?

 

not sure yet. The 3 vehicles that I have cannot be flat towed. Have looked at some tow dollies.

considering all options.

 

I'd suggest getting a little trailer and a motorcycle or two. Way easier to tow and lots of fun!

 

I've wondered why the tundra doesn't have a neutral option on the transfer case.

 

Not sure if you guys want some trailer mods posted, but I found myself with a bent axle on my 30ft Jayco. I had worn about half the tread off the inside edge of my tire in about 400 miles. Talked to several trailer shops and did a ton of reading. 3500# axles are insufficient on a 30ft, 7000# trailer. It was not cheap at all, but I went to 6000# axles.

Sitting on my new 26" harbor freight jack stands, stabilizers extended all the way as a fail safe.:


Edit: bolt torque issue was solved with new, straight 9/16 bolts instead of the stepped 7/16 ones.

 

Small update on this. Got the hubs assembled and the brakes adjusted. Working on the brake wiring when I can find some time with temps below 95°.

The trailer definitely sits higher, about 3 inches is my best guess. I forgot to take before measurements so resetting the hitch for level and tension will involve some guess and check.

For those curious, it was just over $2000 in parts plus wheels and tires. We decided to bite the bullet and cry once.

 

This is my 5x9 Hiker Offroad. It was a stripped down model when I bought it and have made it fully self contained with solar, (2) 100Ah batteries, ARB refrigerator, and an on demand hot water heater.

 

Bloody Hell, that's a beautiful spot! Cool rig too.

@Mattedfred - For comparison, Two 100Ah Lithiums is what I have in my travel trailer and it's plenty! We rarely use more than about 70Ah, and that's if it's cold enough to be running the furnace. Not being at all conservative, watching a couple movies, running wifey's CPAP, everything.
Usually replaced by noon (600W of solar)
Granted, my frig is running on propane, but those ARB frig's are surprisingly low consumption. (Like less than 1 amp IIRC) I'm thinking 200Ah in that nifty little rig is pretty good reserve.

 

For the first 4 years before I got the 600W on the roof we got by pretty well with just a 100W portable and two Grp 31 FLA batteries. The problem was when we were out exploring during peak sun hours and I didn't want to leave the solar suitcase out 'cuz I was worried it'd grow legs.
Keep in mind that I'm in CA and a lot of our camping is in the desert, so sun is usually quite plentiful.

The maiden voyage after getting my rooftop solar was to the desert in January so the sun's path was pretty low in the sky. My flat panels on the roof were only producing just a bit over half of the 600W capacity.




A good portable is handy when you have a shady campsite and need to set it up away from the camper, or need to augment your 180W. The nice part about the suitcase is you can angle it right at the source, and get very good production by chasing the sun as it moves.
My 100W Renogy has served me well.



One of the guys on my Lance Owners RV forum who's VERY solar savvy just got a couple of super light 200W portables that he's pretty impressed with so far... they weigh like 11 lbs. (For comparison, my 100W Renogy portable weighs about 25)

$270 200W Portable Solar Panel for Power Station Generator, 12V/24V Flexible Foldable Solar Panel Kit Lightweight High-Efficiency Solar Charger Power Backup for Outdoor Van Camper Boat Caravan Off-Grid

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9SMD8BC?ie=UTF8

 

I gotta' tell you though, I do love not having to think about it... just let it do it's thing!

I think it's kinda' poetic the the 26% tax credit we got back for putting solar on our house (The one with no wheels) is what paid for putting the solar on the little rolling house. I guess with the 26% we got back from THAT I should've put a couple panels on the truck! It's like infinity.

 

I'm running AGM batteries, so I can't discharge them fully like you can with lithiums. I've tested my system in just about every condition for multiple days and with 200w of solar I never have any issues using too much power.

The ARB fridge is rated at like .85 amps/hour at 80 deg. F. Very efficient. I really tested it on our last trip as we were out for 3 days and the temps were around 100 F. The fridge ran a lot and never put a dent in the power storage.

Here's another shot of our little campsite.

 

Holy smoke, what a gem!! I won't even ask where this is.

What's the trail like getting in with a trailer? No sweat with yours, but your buddy with the tent trailer have any issues?

I love our Lance but I don't have the ground clearance to get to the REALLY remote places I'd like to. At some point I may put a small lift on it.

 

My buddy just got that GMC AT4 and this was his very first time using anything with 4wd. The road in is very steep, but only about a mile from pavement. There are a few sections of deep holes that will flex your suspension out. He crawled that thing out of there like a champ. After this trip I know he's looking to get rid of that trailer and get something a little more offroad worthy.