Trailer Mod - Battery Disconnect Switch

Sorry for the long absence.  The railroad has me working hard.  I have been doing little things to the camper to get it ready, but took a few trips off to go camping this weekend.

Today's mod, we put in a battery disconnect switch.  My Roo did not come with one from the factory, although, I believe new models are coming with one.

The main reason for the disconnect is so that you can store your trailer without hooking up the power.  What happens, there are little parasitic draws on the battery, and if you don't disconnect or plug in, you are going to kill the battery.  Drawing the battery too far too many times is a good way to shorten its life.

Some of the parasitic draw are:

• Refrigerator Electronics (never had this issue in the 90s)
• Safety Devices (Propane alarm, and any other 12v detectors)
• Clock Radio
• Television

On the forums, some people said to break the ground, so that if you accidentally ground the terminals on the switch, no harm.  The problem I see with that is the trailer breakaway is now disabled if you forget to turn the switch on.  So, I decided to break the positive just before my converter charger and put the switch there.

I bought a single battery switch from Blue Sea Systems, model #6005.  I liked this because there were 3 mounting options, a removable "key" to turn it on and to remove when off, and it was quite small. I chose mounting it by sandwiching the paneling between the front and back, and using the thicker wood on the sides to help brace it.  I also had to shave some of the edge off my propane alarm due to the tight fit.  One mistake I did, the hole saw grabbed and marked the wood.  I will have to get some of that furniture fix stuff to get rid of the mark.

Besides the switch, other supplies I needed were:

• 4 #10 by 2 1/2 screws and nuts (Ace Hardware)
• 6 foot piece of 8AWG battery wire (Autozone)
• 3/8" 8AWG terminals (Autozone)
• Holesaw (Ace Hardware)

Battery Disconnect mounted and in the ON position.

Proximity to my Converter.  Only needed on short piece of 8 gauge wire to do the job.

Campground Review - Webter Park Campground

The second part of my June vacation, I visited a friend in Rochester, NY. I was looking for something close, and found a County campground in the town of Webster. As I do with every campground, I look at both the campground map and Google Earth images. I saw that all sites had 30 amp electric, with some having 50 amp electric, I decided to give it a try.

Google mapping had the location of the facility about 1/4 mile or so East of where it was. Pulling into the facility, I noticed how clean and well cared for it looked for a county campground. I was quite impressed.

Drove up to the camp manager's office and was greeted by a friendly couple. They gave me a choice of sites, and I picked a random one. Price was $25 a night, which was about $5 cheaper than the KOA and half the diatance to my friend's residence.

Sites pretty much looked fairly level, needing minimal blocking. My site was a little tight to back into but others looked a bit easier.  The sites were 100% grass, lined with trees on the sides.  Electric pedestals look fairly modern and in good condition. Campground rules also allowed you to tie into the water spigots that line the road every few campsites as long as you use a wye adapter.   Also, depending on the site, a lot of hose may be required.

There was one comfort station in the center. Facility was exceptionally clean and well maintained. There was a large wash sink outside for doing dishes. One negative was that there was no hot water to this sink or the bathroom sinks. There were also 3 large unisex showers on the opposite side of the facility. These showers were token operated costing 50 cents for 5 minutes. Once again, very clean and well maintained.

There was a nice playground facility for the kids next to the comfort station. Once again, well maintained.  There was also a nice large open field for the kids to play in also.

I most definitely would camp here again if I visited Rochester. The campground is located not far off Lake Ontario. There is a waterfront park just down the road. Overall, a very nice facility.

Campground Review - Greenbelt National Park

For my vacation on the railroad, one of my destinations I decided was to head to Washington DC to visit some friends and their new baby. Campgrounds near their house went for $60+ a night.  So, I decided to give my first try to camping without hookups and save myself at least $45 a night.

When I arrived, first thing is a big hiway sign warning about ticks. And yes, they were right as I found a few on me the three days that I was there. As I followed the signs towards the camping area, I realize how wooded the place is. I pull up to the camping area and see that the ranger station is under construction and the guard house is locked down with signs pointing me to self registration. Of course, there were no envelopes there, and got lucky and found some outside the ranger station.

There were signs directing scouts only to loop A, large campers to loop D, tents only to Loop C. So, I decided to give Loop B a try. I found myself a site next to the comfort station.  The place to me was pretty dead for a Saturday in June.

Sites in Loop B were small to me, as my 21 footer and Liberty barely fit with the wheels on the back edge of the pad. Sites on the inside of the loop were fairly level, but on the outside would require blocks. Lucky for my short tow vehicle and trailer, I was able to back up into the tight fit. Other sites had a little more room to maneuver.

Comfort facility was old and could definitely use refurbishing. They were somewhat clean, probably due to the lack of patrons. I would hope they do a better job when more people use them. There was one large shower in the facility. Shower was free and the hot water was ok. The facility had lots of bugs due to people leaving the door open and I also saw a salamander crawling around.  Outside of the facility, there was a large washing sink for dishes.

One thing I liked was that the place was well wooded. When checking the place out by Google Earth, I had a hard time finding the campsites. This thick forest is good for keeping the camper cool, but would make a solar power system almost useless and also satellite TV.

The camp host for my loop was friendly. They stopped by checking to see if you registered.

The dump station was located by Loop D. It was your basic dump station with a hose on a pole for rinsing your hoses. Of course it leaked at the top giving you a cool shower. There was also a potable was spigot and also potable water spigots around the loops.

If I was going on a cheap vacation to the DC area, I would go here again. Especially in cooler weather, as I like my creature comforts. But if it was going to be hot and muggy, I would probably stay at a nearby campground with hookups.

Tow Vehicle Maintenance - Tires

I feel one of the most important parts of any vehicle are the tires.  Last year, when we towed our rental, I felt like I was driving on marshmallows.  I thought an LT tire was going to be in my future, but in the size that I wanted, 245/70R16, the choices were slim.  Then, this winter, when I went to pick up the Roo, I had my Firestone Winterforce P245/70R16 tires on.  I noticed no marshmallow feel over my stock Goodyear Wrangler ST P225/75R16 tires.  That is when I opened up my search to both P rated and LT rated tires.  My tire finalist were Falken Wild Peak LT, Cooper Discover AT3 LT, BF Goodrich Rugged Terrain P-Rated, Firestone Destination AT P Rated, and the Hankook Dynapro ATm P-rated XL Load.  All seemed to be good by the reviews.  But, some of the best reviews went to the Hankooks, and that is what I got.

I can't tell you right now how they tow, since I only have less than 50 miles on them.  But initial impressions are good.  No noticeable increase in road noise over my stock tires (sound of the diesel may be drowning it out).  The tire feels good.  And, I like the fact that it is good for 50PSI and 2403lbs of load (Load Index of 111)

 Nice aggressive tread pattern.  Good for a bit of off road trails.

 I wanted the white lettering out.  That was my preference.

 Extra Load Baby, with LT high pressure valve stems.

 Rated at over 2400 pounds!!!  My gross axle rating is 3150, and the CAT scales says I am about 3000 while towing.  More than enough.

I got a 5th tire on the way to replace the spare.  But, the spare marshmallow is rated at less than 2000 pounds.  And, there is a 6 pound difference between the tires.  It will suck for fuel mileage, but I didn't buy the Diesel just for the fuel mileage.

Trailer Mod - MaxxAir II Roof Vent Cover

One thing that I wanted for my trailer was roof vent covers.  First one to be put on was the one for the bathroom.  Since this one already had a high powered fan, I decided to put on a MaxxAir II cover.  Installation was simple, and was complete in less than one hour.  Any handy RV person, who is not afraid to get on his/her roof (yes, I am afraid, but grew a set and got on there) should be able to complete this project.

I was hoping that this was going to be more simple than it was, since the previous owner had roof vent covers and had removed them.  WRONG.  Difference brand/style of covers, and the holes didn't line up.  So, I had to make my own holes.

 First, attach the hinged side.  I took my time, making sure everything was correct.

 After 2 screws, I took the cover off to get to the other 2 screws.  The instructions said to use the self tapping screws for installation in a Fan-Tastic fan installation.

 I then put the cover on, and mark where the brackets lined up for the clip side.I then drilled and installed the 4 self tapping screws.

Finished Product.

My other roof vent will get a MaxxAir TurboMaxx fan.  That, is a bit more expensive, and a bit more work.  I hope to have that installed by the end of summer.

RV Maintenance - Cleaning the Roof

One thing that has to be done a few times a year, is cleaning the roof of your RV and inspecting the seams.  This being my first RV with a rubber roof, I asked Rousseau's RV what to use.  They recommended BEST Rv Roof Cleaner with UV Protectant.  Just say, it worked quite well.  I am going to do it a few times a year, especially since I park under a tree at either my house or Jen's.

I used a spray bottle to spray it on at full strength.  The bottle suggested full strength for annual or semiannual applications, and 1:1 dilution for more frequent use.  I will be using the 1:1 for the monthly and/or pretrip washes. 

 Rinsed the roof off first.  The shine from the water makes it look better than it was.

 Good example of how dirty it was.

 Here is a 50/50 look.  Top is unwashed, bottom is washed.  Damn, what a difference!!

Another look at the clean side.

 This is the dirty side, looking over at the clean side.

 Finished product!!!

So much better looking now!!!

Trailer Mod - Range Hood Exhaust Vent

Last weekend, I washed and waxed the Roo.  While washing it, I noticed that the flapper for the range exhaust vent was missing.  Come to find out, the Heng exhaust vents are known for it, and they sell replacement flappers.  I was happy that it was going to be a sub $10 fix until I cut and cracked the housing while trying to cut and pry the caulking.  So, it turned into a $20 fix..plus cost of the mod.  Luckily, these were in stock at my Friendly RV Supply, Rousseau's RV.

I saw on the Forum that someone used mini hinges to fix theirs.  Well, I took that person's idea.  I cut up a brand new Hengs Range Vent and modded it to last.

While shopping for the hinges, I had to pick up a rivet gun, since I didn't have one.  A good rivet gun is a must for RVing.  There is so much that can be riveted in an RV.  But, my local Ace, Schwartz Hardware, had everything I need.  Actually, I prefer them 99% of the time over the Big Box Stores.

Here are some pics and explanations of what I did.  Sorry about the poor quality, as all my cameras were being borrowed, and I had to use my DROID Bionic.

 Here is the Flapper for the Heng's Vent.  Those 2 little hinge tabs are very weak.

 This is the flapper after I did some cutting.  I had to make notches for the new hinges. 

 Flapper installed onto the main part of the assembly.

Here is the back side of the assembly. 

Installation onto the camper was not too hard.  Butyl tape and Proflex RV Sealant Caulking is all it takes.  I still am not that good at shaping the Caulking.  But, I am getting better at it.  The finished product works great!!