Mods to the Travel Trailer

[ridesolo]

Well, if anybody cares I thought I'd throw in another installment or two before winter.

We've decided not to go south this year because of the virus. Not very happy about it but don't want to become a statistic or get sick or get stuck somewhere for a while. Mrs Ridesolo, unfortunately, needs new knees so replacement surgeries are scheduled coming up soon so we'll have a busy winter, her w/ recuperation and PT and me with holding things together (including what little sanity I have).

We've been using a product on the fiberglass surfaces called PoliGlow that makes things look good and helps to preserve the fiberglass. Unfortunately it has to be renewed every 6 to 12 months and it was done last in July 2019 so it was high time to get it done again. For now the sides, a fiber glass/foam/wood sandwich sheet material still look great so I'm just focusing on the molded 'glass nose and rear caps that were sadly in need of attention. The rear cap got 8 coats last week and then yesterday the nose got 10 coats. The stuff is reminiscent of old fashioned liquid floor wax and is spread on by hand w/ a mitt applicator.

We brought it home from storage to get this stuff done and decided that it'll be fine right where it is for the winter. Once it's ready the cover will go in and there it'll sit. (Fine with me, if it snows it'll be about half the driveway I won't have to shovel!!!!)

The real fun comes at the front end! Because it's so tall and my driveway slopes, the "easiest" way to get to it all is to kneel the front down as far as I can then use two step ladders w/ a 2X12 across them in the back of my truck... yeah, right, easy... at least I didn't fall and wasn't too shaky about it.

There are a couple of strips across the top that'll best be done while being up on the top then it'll get buttoned up for winter and covered.

 

[Rider52]

Be careful if you get on top. I've had two friends fall off their travel trailers while cleaning.

 

[ridesolo]

Believe me, I always am! I've been up there more times than I can remember for cleaning, inspections, improvements, and repairs. Every climb has been performed w/ lots of care and prior planning. While I don't believe I've got full on acrophobia, I'm not comfortable on ladders or high places.. Even theater balconies leave me slightly unsteady, so caution and "slow n steady" are the keys for my off the ground projects!

 

[ridesolo]

We had really beautiful weather with sun and temps in the 70s for the last few days but it was windy. We got the cover up there once but it wasn't folded and rolled properly to get it on w/o a lot of jockeying around so when the wind caught it and things started looking like I could enter the America's Cup I just let it slip over the edge. (I've done a little para gliding in the past and this didn't look like the right way to do it!). We laid it out in the driveway and got it folded so it could be spread out and then just drop the sides over the edge. Today we got it up onto the roof and then I pulled it to the front, unrolled it, and unfolded. Hopefully now that we know how to do it things will go easier next time(s). So, here it is; not too bad looking for the first time trying this. Tomorrow I've got to do up a couple more straps around to get everything well cinched so it won't balloon in the wind but other than that it's ready for it's winter hibernation. :-(

 

[Maritime]

wrapped up all snug as a bug like.

 

[Rider52]

That looks like a nice cover!

 

[ridesolo]

That looks like a nice cover!

Thanx!. It had very good reviews and was reasonably priced on Amazon. It seems to be quite well made. I had found a company that would custom make one specifically for this brand and model, but they wanted $1300... yeah, no way! I'm hoping this one holds up. This year it'll be on there over the winter but hopefully it'll be covered in the summers and lived-in over the winters.

 

[Maritime]

Keeping UV off will prolong the life a lot

 

[chickenStripCharlie]

Very cool thread!

How does your truck do pulling that? Looks like a rather large trailer for it.

Also, what is the benefit of the 5th wheel trailers? Is it just because you get that bit of extra space above the bed of the truck?

I know it would probably tow better sitting over the axle as opposed to behind it, which allows it to be heavier, but the expense is you cant put anything in the box of the truck anymore.

We are looking for a smaller trailer (18-22ft) for some family camping but the problem here is parking. We dont have the space for one and to pay someone to just park on their grass property is $100/month

 

[ridesolo]

Very cool thread!

Thank you!

How does your truck do pulling that? Looks like a rather large trailer for it.

It does surprisingly well. The truck is a 2x4 so has a bit higher towing capacity than the same model w/ 4x4. The Tundra was rated as a "heavy half" so it doesn't have quite the towing capacity of a 3/4 ton of the same year, but had a better capacity than all other 1/2 tons that year. The engine is a 5.7L DOHC V8 w/ about 400hp and 400 ft pounds of torque. The trailer is around 9000# and, yes, I'd running pretty close to my max. I've assisted the situation by adding Timbren suspension mods, run 10 ply sidewall heavy duty tires, and closely monitor the brakes and suspension components. Additionally I use the Tekonsha P3 brake controller which is the best you can buy. We carefully plan our trips with terrain in mind so that we aren't stressing the equipment going UP or DOWN excessively. I'm keeping eyes open for a decent price on a used 3/4 ton, but I really like this truck so I'm not in a hurry to get rid of it. I've now pulled this trailer w/ it about 5000 miles and have never once felt stressed, pressed, distressed, or in over my head. Every trip has been comfortable and safe. My only complaint is that It won't quite handle cruise control so I do have to "drive it" when towing. We've made one major change to our trip planning by taking mostly US highways and far fewer Interstates. I do try to stick to the US highways or major state routes, it's far less likely that I'll have overhead clearance issues on major highways.

Also, what is the benefit of the 5th wheel trailers? Is it just because you get that bit of extra space above the bed of the truck?

I know it would probably tow better sitting over the axle as opposed to behind it, which allows it to be heavier, but the expense is you cant put anything in the box of the truck anymore.

It's a big difference for sure. The 5er just follows along much more easily that a bumper pull and the weight is much more evenly distributed on the tow vehicle. W/ a bumper pull of any size and weight you need to use a weight distributing/sway control hitch system and, if properly set up, that will improve the towing experience BUT it still just isn't as pleasant as towing a 5er. I pulled our old trailer with this truck for around 2000 miles and it wasn't nearly as pleasant an experience. Trucks coming up behind and passing push enough wind to cause the whole thing to sway, not alarmingly, but very noticeable. Towing the 5er, about the only thing that'll slightly push it around is a Greyhound bus, not scary, just a little twitch. So far we've spent two winters in the old trailer and two in the 5er. By far we prefer the 5er. W/ the trailer we had around 28' of living space and 28' of trailer back behind the back of the truck. Because of the unique design on the Titanium we have 33' of very usable living space but we're only dragging 28' of trailer from the rear axle back. The whole rig handles road unevenness far better as well. When we bought it we had gone down the highway less than a mile and Mrs Ridesolo, who was the passenger and not driving, remarked that it was a noticeably more comfortable tow.

We are looking for a smaller trailer (18-22ft) for some family camping but the problem here is parking. We dont have the space for one and to pay someone to just park on their grass property is $100/month

Wow, that's expensive! We store at an electrical contractor's company that bought an old 84 Lumber store. Their rates, depending on how much overhead coverage you want run from $35 to $55 a month. We're going to leave it in the driveway for the winter but will put it back into the lot when summer comes.

 

[ridesolo]

OK, one more for this year. After wind and rain I wasn't happy w/ how things were sitting. I unhooked all the straps, moved the whole thing forward about a foot and then cinched it back down; much better. I would have liked to get it forward a bit more but really couldn't, it's just too heavy and awkward to try to move around while standing on it twelve feet above the ground. Next time I'll know what to do. 'Sperience, right?!?!? Yesterday we had lots of brisk wind and it handled it well. (Snow flurries as well. Grrrrrr......)

So there it sits... damn virus! I'd much rather be in the final stages of preparing to leave. Oh well. As you can see from the bare tree, gloomy skies, and leaves on the ground, the winter weather is on the way, we can only hope that it's not a tough one this year but considering how the rest of 2020 has gone...

If we could decide where we want to go and could find a place, we've discussed buying a place to go for the winters. With the right place we'd feel comfortable selling the trailer and replacing it w/ some kind of travel van to use for the annual trip as well as other travels around the country. We had a van (small Class B motorhome) in the past that we really liked and sort of regret selling. I say "sort of" because we liked the vehicle but while it was in very good condition it wasn't really up to modern standards with it's last century technology 350/350 engine/trans package. If/when it comes to that time one of the newer style vans, a mid or hi top with newer mechanicals and electronics, will be in order. Even if we have to get a bare one and do the conversion ourselves. Right now that's looking like the ticket.

 

[ridesolo]

Just out of curiosity I started looking through ads for Class B units. Dang, guess if it comes to going down that avenue I'd better reconcile myself to finding a good, solid van and doing the conversion myself. In my opinion they are way beyond too expensive for what they are. Most of the current Class Bs are very nice and some almost seem to be opulent just for the sake of being fancy (AND expensive). I would like to find one of the old GMC motorhomes like @SONICJK has. There's really nothing else out there like them. Unfortunately they are getting harder and harder to find and are ether in pretty rough shape like his was before he started or have been professionally rehabbed and, like everything else, are just stupid expensive. At least if I had one of those I'm pretty sure I could get my wife to drive it. She isn't willing to drive the truck and 5th wheel lash-up and I can respect that. She'd be willing to and comfortable driving a Clss B or conversion van... bet I could get her graduated to one of those GMCs!

 

[Rider52]

Nearly all the decent RVs have been selling quickly. The Virus has greatly improved sales of RVs, motorcycles, bicycles and boats in this area. The house market is crazy too. Another surprise was new car sales. Our local dealer has sold everything on the lot and is begging Ford to send him more. He told me it will be the best sales year.

 

[SONICJK]

If you have facebook join the GMC Motorhome Marketplace group. Lots of stuff for sale there, some great some rough and everything in between!

You'll miss the room you currently have if you use it, the biggest GMC is 26' and about 5 of that is the driver area. Also narrower than a normal pull behind and not square so the curves lose space as well.
Don't get me wrong I love my gmc but it's not for everyone it's definitely a small vehicle!
There's a really great community around them though which is a huge plus.

 

[SONICJK]

I've read that the number of loans for RV's and Boats went up almost 300% in 2020 due to covid.

 

[ridesolo]

You'll miss the room you currently have if you use it, the biggest GMC is 26' and about 5 of that is the driver area. Also narrower than a normal pull behind and not square so the curves lose space as well.
Don't get me wrong I love my gmc but it's not for everyone it's definitely a small vehicle!
There's a really great community around them though which is a huge plus.

The mission would change if we had one of those. Right now we pull the 5er to somewhere and spend the winter in it. If we can find a place to buy we'd be changing our winter routine to a travel to and from (and around) so more of a travel vehicle would be needed rather than a home. If it were up to me I'd be ok w/ things as they are, I'm not uncomfortable pulling the 5er and all associated w/ owning it but Mrs is sorta nervous while we're doing the drag and would be more comfortable in a larger vehicle that we could eat and sleep in and both of us be able to drive. Having a bathroom handy is nice when you are older, too but neither of us really want to get into a full-on big motorhome. Me? I just wanna get my skinny old ass out of the cold for the winter and would probably be willing to do it on a bicycle if necessary!

 

[Rider52]

When I lived in Florida a lot of snow birds would buy into a trailer community. Actually they were more modular homes than trailers. Usually there was a large covered paved space for an RV next to the house. Most were 2 bed/1 bath. The HOA handled mowing and they had a clubhouse and pool. A few years ago you could get one cheap. A friend has two and I think he paid $25000 for both of them in the Tampa area. He winters in one and his kids use the other when they visit. Most of his winter neighbors are from Canada in a normal year. He built a small garage behind his and keeps a Dodge Hellcat and his Goldwing in it.

 

[ridesolo]

When I lived in Florida a lot of snow birds would buy into a trailer community. Actually they were more modular homes than trailers. Usually there was a large covered paved space for an RV next to the house. Most were 2 bed/1 bath. The HOA handled mowing and they had a clubhouse and pool. A few years ago you could get one cheap. A friend has two and I think he paid $25000 for both of them in the Tampa area. He winters in one and his kids use the other when they visit. Most of his winter neighbors are from Canada in a normal year. He built a small garage behind his and keeps a Dodge Hellcat and his Goldwing in it.

We'll probably end up w/ something like that but preferably not in FL. It wasn't long ago that you could get a very livable place for $12k - $14k, often furnished including dishes and linens. The problem w/ them is the HOA fee. I suppose if we found a really nice place for a decent price I'd even consider $300 a month or thereabouts, but it seems like everything I've heard about is in the $800 range or higher. Guess I could pay that when I'm there but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay that kind of cash every month whether I'm there or not!

I've got a good friend in Gulfport, MS who, among other things, puts up steel buildings for a living. His mother has a place that looks like a largish steel building garage from the street but on the inside is both garage and storage and two bedroom home. Go into the living quarters part and you don't know you aren't in a regular ranch style stick building. Very livable, quite economical to construct, cheap to insure, easy to maintain and secure. I could do something like that in a heartbeat.

 

[Maritime]

That steel building option sounds great. My folks started using the timeshare rentals. Its working great for them when they could go south precovid. 4-500 a month on a resort in myrtal beach 2 bedroom 2 bathroom ljving and kitchen furnished and no other obligations. Do it through Wyndam certs network. Buy the certs and then book a place before leaving. May not always get the exact same one but have liked all the places they stayed for 3 month stretches.

 

[ridesolo]

It's been nearly two years since a post to this tome. We didn't head south for the winter of '20-'21 because of Covid and then stuck around for the winter of '21-'22 because Mrs Ridesolo had a knee replaced in Jan'22 so we endured another Ohio winter.

I did a lot of searching for a used motorhome but didn't find anything; even looked at one at a dealership that seemed to have lots of potential. When we looked at it the outside was a 9 out of 10 but the interior as barely a 5. We are pretty good at fixing things up but we weren't going to spend the time, effort, and money to bring it up to our standards. Now with gasoline the price that it is we've suspended to search for a bit. Maybe a motorhome will be in the plans some day but not for a bit.

So... the main reason for the post today is to shower praise on a great product and company. Back when I knew i was going to be pulling my 5th wheel trailer w/ the Tundra I had done very careful calculations concerning weigh capacity and weight limits and determined that being rated as a "heavy half" the Tundra would handle the Titanium safely as long as we made a conscious effort to be mindful of the extra weight we were dragging around as well as careful trip planning to stay away from excessive up and down-grades to stay w/in the capacities of the engine and brakes. I got the best brake controller made, put on good quality 10-ply sidewall rated LT tires, and added a Timbren SES to the rear springs. They all seemed to work together well and we've never had even the hint of a problem w/ the rig.

The Timbren Suspension Enhancement System unit replaces the OEM bump stops w/ large rubber bumpers that work as overload springs and are made to provide progressive support; the more you push on them the more they resist. The other day I had a fairly good load in the back of the truck and I checked to see if the frame was down on the Timbren and discovered that one of them was missing! I contacted the company to see if they'd sell me a single one and after some email exchanges they sent a whole replacement set at no charge. I like that kind of customer service! So, for a really good product and really good customer service, Timbren Industries of Whitby, Ontario, Canada gets my thumbs up and if I had any more Ichiban Moto stickers they'd get five of them, too!

New one in place: