Hello. I'm new to the forum and learning a lot to help me decide which QS I want to buy this summer.
I would mostly just travel around Wisconsin with my 97 lb Chesapeake Bay Retriever; very rarely, friend or family could join me. The 6.0 should be fine, but I don't want to feel cramped or to have to stay home when it rains. I believe I could manage opening and closing on my own with some patience and practice since it sounds like many people do it, but the 6.0 seems like less of a hassle to open and close.
Thanks for sharing tips and information. I'll continue to read and learn. 8-)
Welcome! We plan to camp in Wisconsin in August. We still have family there.
Welcome, I have a QS 6.0 and travel with a chocolate lab pup. I really appreciate being able to set-up the 6.0 by myself. It is much easier than the old tent and air mattress. Wisconsin is a great place to during the summer. I am sure you will enjoy whatever you get. I have set mine up in pouring rain. It takes less than 5 minutes to be in the dry confines of the trailer.
Michael
Thanks for the welcomes gbpack, and thanks for the reassurance Michael. I can't wait to buy mine!
The 6.0 is perfect in my opinion for 1 to 2 people. I liked the fact that it could even be left attached to to tow vehicle while open if you wanted.
Something to consider though, if you don't want to be cramped the 6.0 might feel small after a shirt time cooped up. I have two mixed breed labs one is mixed with great dane. I feel like if just the dog and I shared the 6.0 on a rainy day we would be on top of each other all the time. The alternative would be the 8.0. It's a bit bigger, with two bunks and a bit more elbow room. I think it's still easily manageable for 1 person to setup and maintain. Keep in mind that I regularly setup my 10.0 alone.
You can't go wrong with anyone you choose.
-Sean
Good to know about the dogs and feeling cramped. I hope I can get to the dealership on Saturday and take a look at both the 6.0 and 8.0.
I picked up a 2016 Quicksilver 6.0 (with rear deck and A/C) this week and am eager to do my shakedown trip in early June. After a 13 hour day of driving and pickup, I have yet to teach myself how to back the thing up. That'll happen after work today.
Other comment, I sure wish drivers would go the construction speed limit in those zones. It's wild out there on the roads. Be careful.
Congrats on the purchase I'm sure you'll love it
Thanks, Sean!
I'll bet the QS 6.0 will be a great camper for you and the pup. I wish you well in the backing-up learning curve. Lots of youtubes on that!
I sure agree on the construction zone traffic speeds. It's as though no one wants anything to slow them down, even a few mph..
[quote timestamp="1462840881" author="@idlerockfarm" source="/post/21094/thread"]Hello. I'm new to the forum and learning a lot to help me decide which QS I want to buy this summer.
I would mostly just travel around Wisconsin with my 97 lb Chesapeake Bay Retriever; very rarely, friend or family could join me. The 6.0 should be fine, but I don't want to feel cramped or to have to stay home when it rains. I believe I could manage opening and closing on my own with some patience and practice since it sounds like many people do it, but the 6.0 seems like less of a hassle to open and close.
Thanks for sharing tips and information. I'll continue to read and learn. 8-) [/quote]
I also had the same thoughts when looking at the QS models. Even though I camp alone, I wanted the space. I chose the 8.0 and made a small modification with ropes in order to open and close it myself. A 100 lb dog would be cramped in the 6.0.
Welcome and congratulations on your purchase. The backing thing will come to you after some practice. Just remember small corrections go a long way with a small trailer. I tend to correct like I'm driving a tractor trailer the first few corrections. Lots of time in an empty parking lot! Have fun!
Quote from: @idlerockfarm" source="/post/21597/thread" timestamp="1464365756I picked up a 2016 Quicksilver 6.0 (with rear deck and A/C) this week and am eager to do my shakedown trip in early June. After a 13 hour day of driving and pickup, I have yet to teach myself how to back the thing up. That'll happen after work today.
Other comment, I sure wish drivers would go the construction speed limit in those zones. It's wild out there on the roads. Be careful.
Best way to learn to back up a trailer is to get a riding lawn mower and a yard trailer. Once you learn that, an RV is a piece of pie.
Everyone should have a riding lawn mower. Even city dwelling apartment renters. If you don't have one, you won't understand. Once you have one, you'll know why.
[quote timestamp="1464365756" source="/post/21597/thread" author="@idlerockfarm"]I picked up a 2016 Quicksilver 6.0 (with rear deck and A/C) this week and am eager to do my shakedown trip in early June. After a 13 hour day of driving and pickup, I have yet to teach myself how to back the thing up. That'll happen after work today.
Other comment, I sure wish drivers would go the construction speed limit in those zones. It's wild out there on the roads. Be careful.[/quote]Over the road truckers will tell you that it's actually easier to back a 40' trailer than a shorty like a Quicksilver. The short trailer responds instantly to the least flick of the wheel. Do not be embarrassed or intimidated! You can learn to do it! But practice a much as you can in a safe place like an empty parking lot.
One trick I was taught that I still use is steering from the bottom of the wheel. The problem with backing any trailer is that you have to "steer opposite," so if you want the trailer to go, say, left, you have to turn the steering wheel right. If you put your hand on the bottom of the wheel, though, and you want the trailer to go left, you push your hand on the bottom of the wheel to the left. This turns the wheel to the right but you're not thinking about it; you are just pushing the bottom of the wheel in the same direction that you want the trailer to go. For me it's easier than trying to think about "steering opposite."
Short trailers just take off. I call it "skating." The trick is to slow waaaaay down. Don't try to hurry because the faster you try to go the more likely you are to jackknife the thing. Take as much time as you need. If you have practiced beforehand in an empty parking lot in an industrial zone on a Sunday you'll be much more confident. If some fool is watching you don't let it rattle you (which is easy for me to say as I am easily rattled :D ). Make very small corrections. Don't be afraid to "back and fill" as much as you need. The straighter you can get the rig the easier it is to back.
I personally have few qualms with taking the trailer off the hitch and pushing it in! There can be situations where the site is tight and you have to back around 90 degrees. That's tough even for an expert. If the site is level and you think it's safe, just unhook it and shove it in. Be careful if the ground is soft as your jockey wheel can sink in. Also watch if the site has any appreciable slope as you can lose control (it happened to me once but never twice).
WELCOME TO THE QUICKSILVER FAMILY! :)
The problem with practicing in an empty parking lot is there are no vertical landmarks the way we use them for driving a car. We tend to watch the corners and sides of the car, but with a trailer, you have to watch the tires.
So do two things: pick a lane/parking spot, and mark it with those little soccer cones, or buy a tube of those red party cups so you can mark a series of landmarks and your path.
Then adjust your mirrors down so you can see the tires and road.
Now, unless you are directly straight, you'll notice very quickly that you can only see one side or the other in your mirrors. So what you have to do is know how far your opposite rear corner is from the tire you can see. Walk it to be sure. Then pick a spot on the side you'll be keying on, set out a marker that you want to "hit", and navigate the tire you can see to that target, knowing that you have enough distance in the other direction from any obstacles. Learn it so you can trust it. "My wheel has to be here to miss the gate." If you like, you can get out every foot or so and mark where your tire is, as well as the opposite corner, so you can see your true path.
Finally, there's another dynamic to backing that you aren't really used to. When you turn the wheel and move the front of your tow vehicle, it sets a bend that points the trailer in a direction. If you keep your wheel turned, you will continue adding to the bend, and the trailer will turn more and more. So turn your wheel back to straight. Add bend on one direction or another to correct, and come back to straight. And don't forget obstacles that may present to the front of your tow vehicle as it swings. Don't be afraid to stop, pull forward, and approach it again. That's normal.
I ended up just pushing the trailer onto the grass, moving the car, and pushing the trailer into the garage. That worked for now as I had dinner plans. I LOVE that I was able to do that. Even 100 more pounds might have made it impossible. The 6.0 was the best for me for that reason.
I am hoping my dog remembers how much he hates tents and forgives me for the small 6.0 size. He should be fine. He was stuck under a picnic table for tarp setup on the last rain trip, so the 6.0 is a
Palace in comparison.
I hope to own a riding lawnmower someday.