Give me your "gotta have" travel trailer advice/gadgets/suggestions...

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Josh,

Congrats.

Couple things:

1). Develop a routine for everything you do on the trailer, so that it becomes second nature i.e. hooking up and dropping the trailer, dumping the trailer, loading the trailer, doing an outside and inside "walk around" of the camper prior to moving it, etc. Think of a pilots walkaround of a plane prior to take off.

2). Have a running log for the trailer. For this I keep a notebook in the trailer. Write down what you want/need as soon as you think of it. This way you forget anything.

I use the log to write down what I need to replace in the trailer be it food or other supplies. I also write down things to add for the next trip i.e. a warmer coat, a rain jacket, different flies, rods, etc. I also write down things I need to fix on the trailer i.e. a broken cabinet latch or a leaky faucet.

3). Both my Dad and Father- In- Law, told me, "Once you own a travel trailer, you better carry a big toolbox". I now know exactly what they meant. There is always something to fix or replace. Simple hand tools, simple electrical supplies, roof patching cement etc. are good things to start out with, in your toolbox.

Both my Dad and Father-In-Law are gone, I am not a super great fix-it guy. Those two were. Youtube has become my best friend. There are a lot of fixes on RV's, that can be done by an idiot like me, thus a lot of money can be saved. Plus it is always cool to learn new skills.

4). Lastly, if you havent done so, replace all interior lights with LED bulbs. FWIW, I didnt go the 6 volt route. I kept with 12 volt only because it works for me.

I do a lot of boondocking for 5 - 7 day periods. I dont use a generator as I cant stand the noise for one and for two, like mentioned above, I am not a great mechanic. Motors and I dont get along.

The installaton of the LED interior lights has saved incredibly, on my battery drain. In 21 years of using my travel trailer ( manufactured in 1987 btw, so old school technology ), I have only run out of battery power twice, once in a snowcamp trip and once because my toddlers and wife, left all the lights and the heater on, for long, extended periods of time. However, both of these incidents were prior to the interior LED lights being installed. Since then, Ive never run out of battery power.

Sorry for the long post.

Hit me up if you have any other quesitons.

Have fun with your new toy. In the woods, it is so nice to be able to return to a warm dry camp.

Bob

What he said. Silly as it seems we have a printed check list to go over every time we hook up the trailer. Even when you know you have done everything right we go through it point by point. Additionally, I have a laminated card that reads STABILIZERS DEPLOYED that I put on the dash of my car as a reminder, a friend left his deployed twice when pulling out.

 

[Russell]

Turn your f$&@“n generator off so I can enjoy my tent camping.

 

[Russell]

That advice is for when you decide you need a generator

 

[Triggw]

When you uncouple from the hitch and start cranking the trailer tongue up, make sure the breakaway brake cable isn't caught under the tongue jack such that it pulls the plug out of the switch and activates the electric brakes. It'll drain your batteries in a few hours. (Don't ask me how I know.) And the advice on not leaving the awning up overnight or when you're away is right on. (Don't ask me how I know that either.)

After one experience when a tire blew and I didn't realize it, I now use a tire pressure monitoring system on the trailer tires. (Although I suspect that with a single axel you would know pretty quickly.) Have extra fuses on hand. And carry a pack of crimp-on electrical connectors and tool. I've had the cable get pinched in the hitch and sever wires on two different trailers.

Watch your fuel consumption while traveling, and fill up before you think you need to. It'll use way more fuel than you're used to.

 

[BCO]

All of the suggestions offered are valid, but the majority of the time that you have the trailer it will be parked
in the driveway and exposed to the weather. If you can , get it under cover if possible. A carport (trailer port)
that protects against solar and moisture exposure will increase the life of the roof and sealants around the seams and windows. Leaks are your worst enemy. Throwing a tarp over the roof only creates a moisture trap that promotes the growth of mold.

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

All of the suggestions offered are valid, but the majority of the time that you have the trailer it will be parked
in the driveway and exposed to the weather. If you can , get it under cover if possible. A carport (trailer port)
that protects against solar and moisture exposure will increase the life of the roof and sealants around the seams and windows. Leaks are your worst enemy. Throwing a tarp over the roof only creates a moisture trap that promotes the growth of mold.

Yes, your RV is an investment. So also protect it with products such as 303 Aerospace Protectant, Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax All, and Dicor Sealants.

 

[M_D]

So, I ended up getting kinda screwed out of the bass boat I was going to buy. But then, a great deal on a travel trailer popped up for sale locally and I decided to give family non-tent camping a try. Not a giant trailer, 18 ft. Jayco Jay Flight SLX 184BH. Dinette turns into a bed for the wife and I, two bunks for the kids. But still plenty bigger than our old tent trailer.

So, those of you who have owned or used travel trailers, what advice do you have for me? Always have a dryZair inside? Never release the grey water before the black? No getting frisky before the stabilizers are down?

GIMMIE ALL THE LESSONS!

View attachment 8065

View attachment 8066

Is your head swimming yet? Who knew there was so much stuff to consider when owning a trailer....and yet I'm gonna add a couple more things.

For what it's worth, I pretty much have the same trailer. The only difference I see in the floor plan is where the fridge and microwave are placed. We got ours in 2011 and still enjoy it.

My first suggestion is to have a plan to use it. Our household was pretty crazy, especially when the kids were in school and it frustrated the crap out of me to have this trailer sitting in the driveway, unused, for 11 months of the year. So we ended up creating a 'Trailer Weekend' and blocked out 2 or 3 days on the calendar each month (or as often as we could) to make sure we went somewhere....even if it was to the state park one hour away...at least we were out of the house. Unfortunately, my wife and I have gotten away from doing this...so I need to take my own advice and restart setting aside time. There are soooo many places in Washington state, alone, to check out....and sometimes the no name/undiscovered places are the best...in my opinion, anyhow.

Electrical. I'll reiterate what others have said.... two deep cycle 6 volts instead one 12 volt. You can get them at Costco...golf cart batteries.

Standby, this got posted somehow before I was done.....

Swapping out the incandescent lights for LED's has greatly increased battery life....for us anyhow. We prefer to go off the grid and do the 'Dispersed' camping....boondocking, dry camping, or whatever it's called. I could get about 2.5 days of power with the incandescents and newer batteries. I haven't determined what we get with the LED's but it's beyond 3 days.

Solar: Is nice if you're gonna do the 'dry camping'...the set up can be kind of expensive, though....but it might be something to consider for the future. There are some nice products out there.

Weight: It was pretty easy to overload ours at first....with all the stuff we thought we needed. I suggest loading it up with whatever you think you're gonna need including water, propane, whatever and then drive out to RDS ( the garbage dump off Slater Rd) and get weighed. They will give you a certificate for $5 or $10. If they're slow, you can even figure out your tongue weight. Maybe you have a better axle and suspension since your trailer is newer, but it was an eye opener for me to learn how easy it was for us to go over the manufacturers recommendations.

Bike rack: Unless Jayco has some sort of new & improved bumper at the rear of the trailer, don't connect anything to it that might add torque. I had a bike rack there for a couple summers and ended up beginning to tear the bumper loose. I had it re-welded but I don't even keep the spare there, any more. Consider a rack like this, if biking is something you're in to....



Storage: I'm too cheap to pay for storage so I keep our trailer in the driveway. I've used an Adco soft cover for years. It keeps sap from the neighbors tree and UV rays from destroying the trailer. They're about $200 but work well for me and are fairly easy to put on or remove when they're not too wet.

During the rainy season, I use a DampRid buckets....




because they're harder to spill than the Dry Z Air products. You can get them at Walmart, or Al's RV...etc.

I think I'll stop here...go out and have fun...you'll figure the rest out.

 

[Triggw]

...
Electrical. I'll reiterate what others have said.... two deep cycle 6 volts instead one 12 volt. You can get them at Costco...golf cart batteries.
...

OK. Help me out here. I keep hearing people insist this is the way to go. Other than the increased cost, what's the advantage?

 

[M_D]

Depending on the battery, you should get more amp hours or longer use between charges when using two 6 volt batteries connected in series when compared with a single 12 volt battery.

Don't ask me to 'splain it cuz I've forgotten waaaaay more about DC electricity than I learned to begin with

Good question, though. It made me think about it. I suppose if one doesn’t want to go off grid and is content to be plugged in wherever they stay, two 6 volts wouldnt be the way to go

 

[Draketake]

Josh,

Thought of some other things. If you have plastic Vent Covers, look into installing " Max Air " vent covers, ontop of the factory vent covers. The " Max Airs ", allow you to leave your factory vents open, inside the trailer, even when you travel down the road. Personally, I dont keep my vents open as I travel.

The Max Air Covers are very rigid plastic. They are aero dynamically designed so that their apex is about 8 inches higher than the factory vent covers. This is what allows the factory vents to be deployed, under the "Max Air " cover. Due to their rigidity, the " Max Airs", protect against snow weight on the factory trailer vent covers. They also cut down on the UV deterioration of same. My Max Airs have lasted over 20 plus years. Very reasonably priced I might add.

If you dont already have the 6 volt series on the trailer, dont fret. You can add this later. Like I said in my above post, Ive used my 12 volts system, on the same trailer, for over 20 years. I dry camp, in Central Oregon, about 70 nights a year, during all months of the year. Most trips are 4 - 7 days. As mentioned in my original post, I dont use a generator but I do carry a spare RV Battery just in case. Ive only had to use that spare once.

Your biggest 12 volt drain in my opinion, is the heater fan or your 12 volt TV. Personally, we dont do TV in the camper so that undoubtedly has added to my battery life.

Im looking at purchasing a Renogy 200 watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Suitcase. A very good friend of mine has this setup. He did a ton of research and brought it to our Spring Fish Camp last year. Its very impressive what it can do, to include producing some energy via moonlight. He used it all week for everything 12 volt in his trailer ( cell phone charger, laptop charger, heater fan recharge, refrigerator, shower, toilet pump, water pump, hot water heater etc.).

Lastly, think about sealing the seams in your roof, at least every other year. Takes me about 1.5 to two hours, to do my 22 foot travel trailer. Knock on wood, no leaks since before 2001. Hope I just didnt jinx myself .

Everyone have a good weekend.

Bob

 

[Triggw]

Depending on the battery, you should get more amp hours or longer use between charges when using two 6 volt batteries connected in series when compared with a single 12 volt battery.

Don't ask me to 'splain it cuz I've forgotten waaaaay more about DC electricity than I learned to begin with

Good question, though. It made me think about it. I suppose if one doesn’t want to go off grid and is content to be plugged in wherever they stay, two 6 volts wouldnt be the way to go

I don't want to go too far down this rat hole, but it is in line with what the OP is asking. So...

I'm still trying to understand this 6v thing, but so far I just think it's a myth. A 6v 200 aH golf cart battery cost about $200 and weighs 60+ lbs. You've got to put 2 of them in series to get the 12 volts your RV system requires, and, in series, you get 12v but still only 200 aH. So for $400 and 120 lbs you've got 200aH of battery. I buy 12v, 100aH batteries from Walmart. They cost $75 each and weigh 45 lbs. You hook them up in parallel, so for $150 and 90 lbs I get 200 aH of battery. They last me 3 to 4 years. Now people say the golf cart batteries last longer, and maybe they do. But they would have to last 10 years to make it financially worthwhile, and you'd still be struggling with 60 lb batteries when you take them in for the winter. Now @Josh looks up for that, but I'm done with it.

We mostly dry camp, and my wife uses a CPAP, which craps out if the voltage gets below 12.5 or so, so I carry 3 100aH, 12v batteries plus a backup. Last year I added the 200w Renogy solar suitcase someone mentioned. If we can get reasonable sun, it can completely resupply what we use in a day (which usually includes an episode or two of Northern Exposure at bedtime). With no recharging at all--and maybe a little less Northern Exposure--we can go 4-5 days. I also installed an Aili battery monitor system, which is the best $45 I've spent on the camper. I guess my point on the battery situation is do the math before you feel the need to spend a lot of money. (And we won't even talk about LiFePO4, which is the ultimate scam.)

Whatever you do, Josh, you and your family will have a great time. Good camping!

Oh, and I'll add that another good upgrade is a powered vent fan like a Fantastic Vent. They can clear the camper of hot air--and bacon fumes--in a few minutes.

 

[_WW_]

telescoping ladder

 

[JohnB]

Triggw not to continue the battery sideshow but I'm curious about how LiFePO4 is a scam? From my experience(from a non RV usage) they last longer as well maintain their voltage better through their operation and are way lighter.

 

[Triggw]

Triggw not to continue the battery sideshow but I'm curious about how LiFePO4 is a scam? From my experience(from a non RV usage) they last longer as well maintain their voltage better through their operation and are way lighter.

Well, maybe "scam" is too strong., I agree they're "better" in some respects. As far as I can tell, the major advantages for RV use are you can discharge them below the 50% point, which supposedly degrades lead-acid, and they recharge faster. (And I like that they're lighter.) But they cost 5-10x for similar capacity in lead-acid. And you can't charge them if the temp drops below freezing. To me, the value just isn't there, and the up-front cost is a show stopper.

I guess a lot of it depends on the way you view RVing. For many, the approach is to put thousands into a solar system with batteries and a 4000 watt inverter that can power the microwave, Instant Pot, air conditioner, etc.--everything you've got at home. For me, it's camping. Don't need that. I think when the cost comes down to about 2x they'll be a more reasonable alternative for people other than "full-time RVers" looking to feed their YouTube channels.

 

[teerex]

A nice carpet for outside your doorstep. 5x7, 8x10, whatever is yo pleasure.

 

[_WW_]

I like to be able to open the tailgate on my truck when the trailer is hooked up. It makes it easier to load up the dog while making pit stops and allows you to get in there and get stuff if you need it. I had one of these on my last trailer and ordered one for the R-POD yesterday.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002UENOM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007TQWJM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

My understanding with the 6 volt golf cart batteries is that they can be drained much lower than Marine batteries without sustaining damage. But don't trust what I say, talk to a professional. I have a two 160 watt solar panels (I only use one) to keep my battery topped off. I always carry an extra propane tank in a milk crate since my trailer only mounts one.

Blocks of wood (beam chunks) to put under your trailer jack at camp.
We put rubber backed rugs on our floor that can be taken out and shook for cleaning while the floor gets swept, you'll need a broom. Then when I get home I can hang them on the fence and hose them down.
Command Hooks of the 3lb variety.
Check your RV dump hose condition before you go on a trip.

 

[Draketake]

Josh,

Not a bad idea to lock your batteries and/or your propane tanks.

You Tube has some great ideas on how to lock your batteries down with some DIY adaptions. I made a nice battery lock off one of the videos. Cost like $5.00, Another $5.00 for the padlock. Took like 10 minutes, using flat strap bendable steel. There are some commerical options available also at about 45.00. This s a must have for me as I had both batteries stolen once, during daylight hours. Tweaks get $5.00 each for them. Cost me about $300 to replace both.

I also lock up my propane tanks via a 1/4 inchish rubber coated cable with loops on each end. Padlock the loops.

Great ideas all.

Bob

 

[M_D]

@_WW_

That was my understanding, as well, regarding the golf cart batteries. For what it's worth, I paid $99 per battery in 2020 at Costco. Still, it will be something to re-evaluate come battery replacement time.

Those rotatable trailer jacks are nice. I ended up buying a slightly longer hitch to solve the tailgate problem for me.



....the locking pin gives a little piece of mind, too.

One other thing for @Josh that could ruin any trip is to verify whatever tire jack you have fits where it needs to on the trailer. Luckily, I've never had a flat but I found the bottle jack from my truck does not fit under the trailer axle and I don't have enough arm strength to crank up an aftermarket scissor jack to lift the trailer in order to change a tire.

Josh, from what I could see in your photo, you might be fine since your axle extends from the center of your wheel. Mine has a different design and basically extends from the bottom of the brake drum/wheel housing. A bottle jack won't fit under the axle when the tire is inflated, let alone if it was shredded and on the rim.

My current answer is to use my collection of leveling boards to raise the wheel enough to get the bottle jack where it needs to go. All I'm suggesting is to verify you have something that works.

On an aside, anyone use one of these?


if so...what are the pros & cons?

Good call @Draketake. I had both trailer batteries stolen a couple years ago......just so some petty thief could get the $7 turn in fee at a nearby gas station....grrr.

 

[_WW_]

@_WW_

That was my understanding, as well, regarding the golf cart batteries. For what it's worth, I paid $99 per battery in 2020 at Costco. Still, it will be something to re-evaluate come battery replacement time.

Those rotatable trailer jacks are nice. I ended up buying a slightly longer hitch to solve the tailgate problem for me.

View attachment 8569

....the locking pin gives a little piece of mind, too.

One other thing for @Josh that could ruin any trip is to verify whatever tire jack you have fits where it needs to on the trailer. Luckily, I've never had a flat but I found the bottle jack from my truck does not fit under the trailer axle and I don't have enough arm strength to crank up an aftermarket scissor jack to lift the trailer in order to change a tire.

Josh, from what I could see in your photo, you might be fine since your axle extends from the center of your wheel. Mine has a different design and basically extends from the bottom of the brake drum/wheel housing. A bottle jack won't fit under the axle when the tire is inflated, let alone if it was shredded and on the rim.

My current answer is to use my collection of leveling boards to raise the wheel enough to get the bottle jack where it needs to go. All I'm suggesting is to verify you have something that works.

On an aside, anyone use one of these?
View attachment 8573

if so...what are the pros & cons?

Good call @Draketake. I had both trailer batteries stolen a couple years ago......just so some petty thief could get the $7 turn in fee at a nearby gas station....grrr.

What is that thing?

 

[M_D]

It's supposed to be a 'gee whiz' trailer jack.

The theory is to place the axle in the small notch and then slowly roll forward or backwards to raise the wheel off the ground.



I read somewhere that they tend to slip or move before the rotation & lift starts so I thought I'd see if anyone had experience with it.

What is that thing?