Archive - Aluminium Camper Forum

[quote timestamp="1475617527" source="/post/25163/thread" author="@canuck"]Hello,
Well, repairs are done...at least I can now tow with a better conscience. From the repairs (see photo) I think this trailor will have to go to a shop and left for a few weeks and have things done a little better. I can't ask for perfection when I am parked on a friend's front lawn in a small mountain town. I really did not want to tow seven hours through the Rockies knowing what was behind me. Hopefully this will give me some time. Now, I will be checking everything on the frame on a regular basis.
[/quote]

I'm not sure I understand which welds failed - these are the east-west floor supports outboard of the longitudinal frame rails? If so, is the frame flexing more than the body, or vis-versa?

Quote from: @keeena" timestamp="1475607452" source="/post/25156/threadI didn't mention in my earlier reply, but my trailer (VRV, bought May 2016, MY2015) has a hairline crack in a weld by the A-frame in the main center beam. I noticed this the day after I got it home. I specifically checked the welds because I'm aware of how tricky aluminum welding can be. To me it looked like the welds were rushed (the weld pass speed isn't consistent...weldor formed a puddle then jumped too far forward not carrying the puddle). I also see craters at the end of some welds and that does result in a weak point.

I had a couple of issues with welds. The original front end of my late 2011 (2102 model) 16BHB had the side frame rails brought up to the center beam about half-way between the trailer front and the ball, like the 13' and 11' models. That didn't last very long - after a few hundred miles I had  cracked welds, cracked trim and popped screws where the center beam supported the trailer front. I think that single beam design allowed the side rails to flex more than the center beam, so the east-west cross piece as the front of the trailer was flexing up and down a lot (perhaps).

LL came and got it and build a new front end that brings the side rails all the way up to the ball like the 21's. (I think most 16's had the newer design after spring 2012.) That design also had cracks in the welds where the center beam attached to the side rails and crosspiece up by the ball. I had a local shop re-weld those.

FWIW - I noticed that most of the pre-Thor brand new 16 & 21's sitting dealers lots had cracked welds that same spot. I saw at least a handful like that.

I also had a bent/misaligned axle from the factory. One tire worn out after 1000 miles. LL put a new axle on for me.

I all else fails, I'll have a new aluminum frame made and set the old camper on top of the new frame. It'll sit a bit taller, but I need a bit more ground clearance anyway.

I've now towed at least 20,000 miles.

--Mike

Quote from: @keeena" source="/post/25156/thread" timestamp="1475607452
Some of the other posts got me thinking: would members be willing to post up a picture of a representative frame weld (not the best, not the worst), MY date, MF date, model, miles, and if they've ever had issues? I'm just curious. It seems like stuff built pre-late 2014/2015+ hasn't generated any complaints so I'm curious to see what those welds look like compared to mine.

Mine are generally good welds - the failures I had were likely design related.

[quote source="/post/24820/thread" author="@sandroad" timestamp="1474506307"]

Quote from: @sportsman" timestamp="1474486564" source="/post/24812/threadWhy would you go back to leaf springs?  I thought torque flex axels were smoother pulling.

I don't know about ride smoothness, but I know leaf springs are cheaper than dirt. Well, maybe not cheaper, but a lot less expensive than torsion axles of the same brand. That doesn't necessarily make leaf springs worse, but the bushings in the shackles of typical inexpensive leaf springs on trailers are a significant wear item. A recent article in Trailer Life suggested that when (not if) the bushings go bad, replace them with good ones. [/quote]So they went from tandem torque flex axles to a single leaf spring axle?

Sounds like they are making them cheaper to build, not better to own.

Quote from: @ron" timestamp="1474299381" source="/post/24724/thread
So, I have these thoughts.

Here's my[a href="http://livinlite-owners.com/thread/816/winter-camping-16bhb-6deg-52deg"] thread on the topic[/a]. Why quit in December.  

[quote timestamp="1474299381" source="/post/24724/thread" author="@ron"]
-We will take the dehumidifier, which should help the cold weather condensation inside a Camplite 14dbs, and provide some heat too.
[/quote]
Dehumidifier isn't normally needed around here (MN). But the camper might have condensation inside because of the cold outside. Mine doesn't condense until either it's pretty cold, or until we've been inside overnight with the windows and vents closed. I just open the door and windows in th morning and let the moisture out (and the cold in...).

[quote timestamp="1474299381" source="/post/24724/thread" author="@ron"]
-Keep a full propane tank, in case our small electric heaters will not do the job, we will use the furnace.
[/quote]
The furnace will work well. It's noisy though. For electric heat, I get approx 30F of temperature rise for each 1500w electric space heater. Sometimes I need two.  

[quote source="/post/24724/thread" author="@ron" timestamp="1474299381"]
-Purchase a small TV and DVD player, for watching a movie at night.  Per our request, ours did not come with a TV.  When it gets dark at 5 pm, one can only keep a fire going for so long, and I can't go to bed at 8pm, so  TV might be nice, plus a good book.
[/quote]
In winter, I crash early (and catch up on reading).  I agree, it's hard to keep a fire going until 10pm when it get dark so early.

[quote source="/post/24724/thread" author="@ron" timestamp="1474299381"]
In freezing temperatures, we will have drained and winterized our water system, so for 2am bathroom visits, I was thinking of keeping a gallon jug of diluted antifreeze in the shower for flushing the toilet--mainly for my sweet wife.  I'll use the trees outside.  This would hopefully keep our black tank from freezing.   Any experience with this/is this accurate?
[/quote]
Like you are planning, I camp dry in winter, leave the trailer winterized, and I dump RV antifreeze into the toilet as a flush fluid. As long as the ratio of liquid to antifreeze is reasonable, it will be OK.

[quote source="/post/24724/thread" timestamp="1474299381" author="@ron"]
--I thought about a trailer skirt, with a heater underneath, but if we are not even using water, having drained our water, why bother?
[/quote]
I don't skirt. If you were camping wet, a skirt with a heater under the trailer might help though. But if dry, why bother?

The floor will be cold no matter what though. Can't fix that. In the trailer, I wear heavy wool socks that have leather soles sewn in to them.

[quote timestamp="1474299381" author="@ron" source="/post/24724/thread"]
--When exactly does water freeze and cause damage to a camper?  Yes it freezes at 32, but if it dips to say 28 for a few hours during the night, will I have damage?  I just do not know the parameters.  We want to keep water in it as long as possible, just for laziness.
[/quote]
I'm not sure. I'd expect exposed plumbing to be the first thing to freeze.

Quote from: @ron" timestamp="1474299381" source="/post/24724/thread
-Has anyone drained and blow out their system with lightly compressed air while on the road?  My compressor at home has a pressure regulator, most on the road do not.  I guess, worst case, I could just use my water pump and suck 2-3 gallons of antifreeze thru the system, after bypassing and draining the water heater.  [We have been out with predicted lows of 40, only to suddenly have a cold front come thru and get us in the mid 20s.]  

I don't see why you can't use an unregulated compressor, so long as it has a gauge that you can watch.

Here's a few more posts on the topic:

[a href="http://livinlite-owners.com/post/17348/thread"]http://livinlite-owners.com/post/17348/thread[/a]
[a href="http://livinlite-owners.com/thread/1417/cold-weather-camping-setup-21rbs"]http://livinlite-owners.com/thread/1417/cold-weather-camping-setup-21rbs[/a]

Quote from: @michael" timestamp="1451192327" source="/post/17348/thread[quote timestamp="1450746040" author="@sandroad" source="/post/17274/thread"]With the coming of the Winter Solstice tomorrow and in reading posts about folks still camping below the 35th parallel, I'm beginning to lose my resolve to not tow in the winter (snow/salt/ice/stuff).  Maybe still not this winter, but I suspect winter towing is in my future, despite my best intentions to avoid it so far. I'd love to hear from those who have done it. How did you clean the salt off the trailer to avoid corrosion? None of our local carwashes are large enough for our Camplite. If you were ever caught on icy-snowy roads, how did it work out? Any tips or tricks for winter towing? I realize winterizing and de-winterizing plumbing are part of the deal but maybe there are ways to avoid other problems (frozen doors/locks, etc.).  Any adjustment of brake controllers needed for slippery roads? Anyway, too many questions for one thread, but maybe it's a start.

I've camped regularly in winter in MN, but have avoided towing on snow covered roads. I've watched the weather & picked the campgrounds and roads carefully.

[quote timestamp="1472079535" source="/post/24119/thread" author="@kelkat"]Michael

hi found this old post and have a question for you.  What kind of steps do/did you take to protect the pipes and holding tanks from freezing?  i'm thinking about buying a camplite trailer to live in here in Colorado.  

Thanks,
Kellye[/quote]
On mine, I moved the plumbing up from under the trailer into the living space so it's all within the heated envelope. But at those temps, I'm dry camping with no water in the plumbing. It's water jugs for drinking and pit toilets for bathroom.
 
I'm not sure if I'd be able to keep tanks from freezing unless I had tank heaters and an insulated skirt around the bottom. I know that during the North Dakota oil boom, guys were living in trailers that were skirted and had electric heaters under the camper.

There is a thread on this forum (somewhere) where one of the forum members devised a way of circulating hot water back into the fresh tank using the trailer's 12v pump, instead of running tank heaters on the fresh tank.

Aluminum floors are cold in winter. At -0f, spilled espresso freezes instantly.

--Mike

Quote from: @philip47" timestamp="1460156133" source="/post/20344/threadVery surprised at the small wire size ran from the battery box back to the converter.  Was wondering if this should be upgraded in the future?  Hope to add solar 400 watts or more and a small generator in the future.  

Yes.

There are formulas for calculating voltage drop, and if the drop is too high, your batteries will not fully charge.

With two 6-volts's on the tongue, I went with 6ga wire from the tongue to the converter. Probably could have gone bigger (4ga), but the 6ga was readily available.

[quote source="/post/18863/thread" author="@thudd3r" timestamp="1456021945"]added small bungee nets inside the overhead cabinet for small items like hats/gloves/etc.  should help to keep the cabinte organized a little better since that is where we store our clothes.


pretty handy for $23 for the 2 pack



[/quote]
I stole your idea and did something similar in the closet in the back of our 16BHB:


[img style="max-width:100%;" style="" src="http://i67.tinypic.com/2ef22yc.jpg"]

Great idea! Thanks.

[quote source="/post/18618/thread" timestamp="1455231794" author="@ammobob"]Getting a bit tired of looking out back and seeing the camper all covered up! Serious withdrawals here B-|  . The end on March and Death Valley are too far away-hope I can make it until then.[/quote]Get out and camp!

[quote timestamp="1455127635" author="@charliem" source="/post/18572/thread"][quote timestamp="1455123729" author="@aggie79" source="/post/18571/thread"]It's difficult to get apples to apples, but I priced out a 7' x 20' with options.  Retail price not including TTL or delivery was $32,560.  (Base price was $26,995.)  I would construct these myself.  The major options included were: 2" spray-on floor insulation, 3-season plumbing (heaters for tanks and waste lines), 13,500 Btuh A/C, Fantastic fans with MaxxAir covers, & TV/stereo/dvd, and extra 4' aluminum upper cabinet.

  Please note that the price does not include any type of beds.  If I went this route, I would construct dual, twin-size Murphy beds, interior partition with door and windows at ramp opening, and collapsible railing to use the ramp as a porch.

I have no idea what actual retail price would be, but the list price seems very reasonable to me.[/quote][font size="3"]I think you confirm my observation. Considering that your chosen options are not included and/or not even available from LL the ATC price seems right in there.

BTW I think the ATC three season package includes heaters on the water lines, not the waste lines. Probably a typo for you. If you're really considering outfitting for cold weather you might look at the hot water circulating scheme I described. It's a lot easier on the 12V system and the battery if you're off grid.
[/font][/quote]
It looks like ATC is an interesting option - especially if they'd be amicable to customization, or a customer-finish option.

Really slick. I'll reference this when I finally decide to do something similar.

[quote source="/post/17274/thread" timestamp="1450746040" author="@sandroad"]With the coming of the Winter Solstice tomorrow and in reading posts about folks still camping below the 35th parallel, I'm beginning to lose my resolve to not tow in the winter (snow/salt/ice/stuff).  Maybe still not this winter, but I suspect winter towing is in my future, despite my best intentions to avoid it so far. I'd love to hear from those who have done it. How did you clean the salt off the trailer to avoid corrosion? None of our local carwashes are large enough for our Camplite. If you were ever caught on icy-snowy roads, how did it work out? Any tips or tricks for winter towing? I realize winterizing and de-winterizing plumbing are part of the deal but maybe there are ways to avoid other problems (frozen doors/locks, etc.).  Any adjustment of brake controllers needed for slippery roads? Anyway, too many questions for one thread, but maybe it's a start. [/quote]
I've camped regularly in winter in MN, but have avoided towing on snow covered roads. I've watched the weather & picked the campgrounds and roads carefully.

This is the first time I've seen real numbers on using jumper cables from a running vehicle. I've done that in a pinch, but had no idea that it was reasonably effective.

Good info. Thanks.

[quote source="/post/16840/thread" timestamp="1448803167" author="@surfsup"]

[quote source="/post/16788/thread" timestamp="1448472099" author="@billmoore"]..It helps a lot to have two people when you are doing this, one outside with the air hose, and one inside to open/close each valve.[/quote]I bought a male air connection that threads right onto the city water connection, so I should be able to do this job alone?

[/quote]I do it solo, using either the anti-freeze or air pressure method.

For the air pressure method, after draining the hot water heater by depressurizing the water system and pulling the hot water heater plug, I set my compressor to 40-50psi, hook it up via the city water connection with the adapter, then I go inside and open up each faucet, the toilet, the low point drains, and the outside shower (one at a time). I hit each one a few times, just to make sure.

Then (because I'm paranoid, and it's -20f here in winter) this year I bypassed the hot water heater and pump some anti-freeze through the plumbing anyway.

By doing both anti-freeze and air pressure methods, I'm clearly in overkill mode. One would be enough.

--Mike
 

[quote source="/post/16055/thread" timestamp="1444865509" author="@david2015"]What are your thoughts/experiences with full-timing in general, and in a LL trailer in particular?
[/quote]I've met more that one couple who were full-timing in campers no larger than my 16' LL.

They looked happy to me.

--Mike

[quote source="/post/15934/thread" timestamp="1444439468" author="@sandroad"]I'm way off in the deep end on this question. I've got 3 bags of tools and spare parts along for most trips.
[/quote]I end up that way too - having brought along everything needed for a wheel bearing swap and having tested the wheel bearing swap using only the tools in my tool bags.

30 years ago I pulled my engine and swapped out the camshaft in my grandmothers garage, using only the tools in my car and a rented engine hoist. Today? Probably couldn't do that on a new truck or car.

I've had the same thoughts, and I have gauges that likely are off by a few lbs.

Assuming that tire stores haves some means of calibrating theirs?