Campers
- Thread starter johnbryanpeters
- Start date
really liking my Runaway but the 4x8 is cozy for two. the 6x8 is cavernous. $3500 with A/C
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It makes no sense, but I'm buying a used 2013 R-Pod RP-171. Getting various stuff done to the van to accommodate that.
Excellent. May I suggest that you toss the OEM mattress and put in a real mattress that will give you a good night's sleep. Also put a reflectix foil liner under the mattress for insulation during the cool to cold months
have you received a "if the camper is rockin...don't come knockin" bumper sticker yet?
Nice - show us some pictures when get the beast.
The van now has a seven pin trailer connector and a brake controller all wired up and allegedly working. I am headed south carrying a cashier's check tomorrow morning.
Make sure the brake controller has the proper gain and boost settings after hooking up. Secondly make sure the hitch has the proper rise or drop for the trailer and the correct ball size
Ball size is correct. Lift may require correction.
The RP-171 has landed. It really seems never to have been used. It towed placidly and I managed to back it in without (well, almost) mishap. I'm now going through it with a fine toothed comb, removed the bike rack and the TV, need to put in a 30 Ampere outlet to feed it electrons, test all the appliances, and read about three inches of manuals.
Do the bikes go in the Van?
Absolutely.
Going through the trailer system by system, verifying (or not) that things work.
Put water in fresh water tank, verified that water pump works; holy sulfur smell, Batman! Need to dose fresh water tank with bleach,
CO, Propane, and smoke detectors are now working.
Next: Propane systems, starting with hot water.
Documentation is, ah, chaotic.
Put water in fresh water tank, verified that water pump works; holy sulfur smell, Batman! Need to dose fresh water tank with bleach,
CO, Propane, and smoke detectors are now working.
Next: Propane systems, starting with hot water.
Documentation is, ah, chaotic.
Got Vermont plate today, need to get one who protects and serves to verify VIN and need to get trailer inspected. Got up on roof today, checked A/C, found that spoiler wants some caulking, now need to figure out what sort of caulk. crawled under, found one spot that wanted waterproofing, and did so. Finally got the gas range going, next would be hot water, but I'm going to finish tank flushing prior to firing that up.
Lap Sealant, do not use silicone. For horizontal surfaces use self leveling Dicor for vetical sufaces use non self leveling dicor. It stays pliable in heat and cold and does not shrink and pull away from surfaces like silicone does as it ages.
Seconded.
I guess there is a reason it's cheaper.
Suggestions on surface prep and removal of old sealant?
If you bought new you'd still run into this stuff. Camping trailers are like a car you built in your back yard - small production runs, glued together from all kinds of random shit selected to minimally do a job at the least weight. What you gain if you buy new is the right to argue with a dealership about what's covered by warranty during the first couple of years. When repairs and maintenance become necessary, I'd as soon fuck it up myself.
Ok, for the record I have no camper experience 
Putty knife then denatured alcohol to clean the surface area up. You don't need to go super anal on removing the old stuff. Wear gloves when applying dicor. It is super sticky and a royal pita to get off your skin.
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PVC pipe cleaner. No huffing....
Did I already mention that I built a canopy for my camper to keep the sun off it? Well I did and it was worth it. Keeps the rain off too but that's not as big a deal where I live. The sun though, that fucks shit up. Makes my sealant and caulking last longer. So if you can build it its own house you can then spend more time in the bong shed and less time on future maintenance.
If your fridge has a little freezer in it. Do not leave Grape Popsicles in it before you shut it off. The Super Ants that will take up residence will only be discovered at your next vacation. The fruit fly's from the Bananas you forgot in the cupboards are almost impossible to get rid of.
How noisy?
We have power to go.
I use a Honda 2000 but you need to have a 9200 watt AC if you have a 13500 you need 2400 to a 3000 watt generator. Quiet are Honda and yamaha
I already looked up the towing capacity for the Racing Volvo. To late...
Noisy enough that it's not going to be used unless it has to be. The camper has to be on 110 for the AC and microwave to be run but all the rest can be run on 12v or propane. The primary reason for the genny is keeping the battery charged during patches of rainy or cloudy days.
I have 200 watts of solar panels which keep my two group 31 AGM batteries charged unless they are covered with snow. My Honda 2000 will run the AC or the microwave
I try not to go camping when it's hot enough to need an ac. If it's that hit its too hot to enjoy the great outdoors in my opinion. So I've never used it in over two years. Same with the microwave, I don't have one at home and so I don't need one when I'm camping. It holds my key and wallet and toothbrush though. Hey how do you know the toothbrush was invented in Alabama? Anywhere else and it be called a teethbrush.