Archive - Aluminium Camper Forum

I really liked the interior of the 28BHS I almost got.  Much better than what I have now.

[p]All in all, I still think the LL is the better product but as those of you know about my saga with my particular trailer, I had to go look elsewhere.  I am also one of those persons who is not comfortable having to go to a third party site to be able to post pics, so I did post some on the other LL forum.  For those of you who want to peak, they can be seen at:[/p][p]
[/p][p][a href="http://livinliteforum.com/index.php/topic,91.new.html#new"]link[/a][/p]

[p]I now have a Progressive Industries hardwired model (EMS-HW30C) that was installed by the manufacturer.  They are in Apex, NC if you want them to do that.  It comes with a remote display to tell you what is going on so that lets you put the unit anywhere that makes sense.  In my case, they put it in a storage area near my campground power receptacle. They then disconnected the power cable from my converter and routed it to the unit, and then ran a new cable from the unit back to the converter.  I purchased the unit from: [a href="http://www.dyersonline.com/"]http://www.dyersonline.com/[/a] [/p][p]
[/p][p]It is completely silent.

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Sorry about the wet carpet.  But in response to the holding tank issues, I thought I would add my own thoughts.

I do not camp in the summer as our backyard is a paradise.  So, I am planning to get one of these to manage not having enough holding tank storage in the early fall:

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/Tote-Along-Portable-Holding-Tank-25-Gallon-p/88-1155.htm

This is the first website to acknowledge that all the new Barker 4 wheel tanks come with pneumatic tires as standard.  If you can find it cheaper somewhere else (hard tires) buy it, as I called Barker service and they said they would send out a free upgrade kit for the pneumatic tires for any recent purchase without the pneumatic tires.  FWIW, I read a post on another forum that the 4 wheel Thetford tanks are being recalled for some reason.  

Issues on any tanks that I have read:

The more gallons the heavier they are when full.  Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon.

If you tow one of these tanks, go very slow.

Hard tires are very noisy and can disturb other campers at night I have read.  That is why I like the pneumatic tires on this brand.

The overflow protection stuff appears to be a gimmick.  I have read that you just listen and you can tell when to close the waste valve. Or, you buy a tote that is larger than your holding tank.

None are made perfectly.


The Barker appears to be the only one with its own slice valve which is why I am getting it.

[p]In response to facilitating LL owners camping together there is a forum that has a lot of luck creating rallies:  [a href="http://www.popupportal.com/index.php?action=forum"]http://www.popupportal.com/index.php?action=forum[/a][/p][p]
[/p][p]They are not brand specific but have a lot of activity and perhaps the structure of the website might suggest a simple way to do that here. [/p]

I wonder if there is a way to move the data from the older server to yours? 

[p]Ok, I can now give a complete update on the Truma.  [/p][p]
[/p][p]It works wonderfully.  There are no temperature fluctuations once you set it to the temperature you want.  You can reduce the flow amount of hot water and cold water if you are boondocking and not worry about having enough water flow to continue to get hot water as with other on demand hot water heaters.  As I noted elsewhere, I begin to get hot water about 10 second after I turn it on from a cold start. ( How long does it take for a standard hot water heater to heat up the water to be usable?)  You will use that same amount of water with a standard hot water heater to flush out the cooler water in your lines so no difference there.[/p][p]
[/p][p]The limits to it are obvious.  It only runs on propane so no hot water when you run out of it.  If you are not at a full hookup, then you are also limited by your holding tank and the amount of fresh water you have. You will be tempted to take longer showers but that is not so bad as you can control that ... maybe (lol)[/p][p]
[/p][p]So, at this point, there is one on demand hot water heater that actually works well.  [/p][p]
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[p]Guess my post created some interesting follow-up postings.  I remind everyone that I noted that all new members to the Trailmanor forum have FULL access to all areas for a period of time.  Only after that time period, and if they choose to, do they pay the yearly fee (which does not have to be $12.00 if you do not want that amount).  Nothing stops someone from signing back up on a forum with a new user name to get the full free access if that is what they want to do.  In your case, you may want a two or three month free period, that is up to you if you want to charge anything at all.  General chat about camping, Trailmanor models, Prospective Owners questions, and other general discussion topics are in the free section that requires no subscription to be paid. [/p][p]
[/p][p]I do caution you about one thing.  If LivinLite becomes the underwriter of this forum, its independence may be questioned by those that become interested in LL products in the future.  Just the nature of the beast. [/p][p]
[/p][p]FYI:  Here is what new members are told about becoming a sponsor on the Trailmanor forums.  The post has not been updated since Sept 2002 so it seems to have worked well for them:[/p][p]
[/p][p]Welcome to the TrailManor Owner's page.

Our site has moved to a Sponsorship system to help cover the costs of hosting. Here is how it works:
You don't have to register at all. You can browse our guest areas for free. You won't be able to post.
If you register as a new user (it's free), you will have complete access to the board, the same access as a Site Sponsor, for 30 days.
At the end of the 30 days, if you haven't become a Site Sponsor, you will be dropped to Registered Guest status. You will have access to all guest areas, and will be able to post in those areas as well. But you will lose access to the Sponsor areas.
If you choose to become a Site Sponsor, you have access to all areas of the board for a full year. The cost to become a site sponsor is $12 payable by Check or via PayPal

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[p]As many of you are aware, I ended up purchasing a camper that was not a LL, but made a number of friends here so I continue to post from time to time.  The forum I use for my Trailmanor ([a href="http://www.trailmanorowners.com"]www.trailmanorowners.com[/a]) charges those of us who want to read all about how to maintain and mod our trailers $12.00 per year.  They have it professionally hosted, we can post as many pictures as we want, and they use  vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 as their software platform.  To do this, they structured the content so that it easily allows people to use the free areas and "hides" the pay areas for those that have not subscribed.  New members are allowed 30 days to have full access so they can see the value of the restricted areas.  [/p][p]
[/p][p]I am not suggesting that you want to copy what they did, but just noting that it works.  We have some very talented electricians, solar experts, battery experts, along with a number of just comfortable trailer owners that all contribute and no one questions the value of the areas that require a subscription.   Just some info on what one other forum has been doing for at least 15 years.[/p][p]
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Trailmanor only has a single axle.  I have installed a TPMS system.  

[p]Saw this on another forum.  Never knew to step on the gas.  Worth watching.[/p][p]
[/p][p][a href="http://www.michelinrvtires.com/tires/tires-101/tire-maintenance-and-safety/how-to-handle-a-blowout/"]http://www.michelinrvtires.com/tires/tires-101/tire-maintenance-and-safety/how-to-handle-a-blowout/[/a][/p][p]
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Looked on Google maps street view and one can see lots of StarCraft trailers there.   Copy and paste the full link and then turn around to see the trailers.  I was looking at what I think the building(s) will be. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.534351,-85.54276,3a,75y,174.23h,71.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s3ooJyEsdhj7XpNVxq9Fwvw!2e0!6m1!1e1

 

Mine cost $1199.00 but saw that someone else paid $1133.00 for the same Comfort model.  If you are in Canada, I would highly recommend you do not get the basic one as it has no freeze protection. Then you need to buy the access cover that fits your installation best.  Mine was around $65.00.  So far they only sell through authorized retailers who will install them.  Plan on $300.00 or less for that.  

Just saw this video where they mention that Winnebago is now using Truma's products for hot water and heating at least on their Class B.

http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-reviews/t...ur-new-review/

[p]If you want an excuse to go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, then this is your lucky day.  The authorized Truma Dealer I bought the unit from is Outer Banks Camper RV and Trailer.  Paul Kaufman is the owner and he can be reached at 252-491-8714.  He uses one of the few certified Truma installers (Percy Houchens at Route 12 Mobile RV Repair) to do the installation.  252-599-0808.  I just finished testing it with water from the house and it worked just as I expected it to.  I completely filled my grey water tank and no change in hot water temperature.  It takes about 10 seconds to get hot water in the shower when you turn it on by opening the hot water side. [/p][p]
[/p][p]I do not have a thermometer so cannot confirm the actual temp of the water, but I needed to mix it with cold water to get it comfortable for me. I am pretty sure the only limit to the amount of hot water is having propane and whether or not you are using your grey water tank or dumping into the sewer at a full hookup site. [/p]