Author Topic: New to Us Toy Hauler/RV (Read 4767 times)

viffergyrl · « **on:** July 02, 2018, 12:22:39 PM »

So as alluded to in the Non-moto thread, we were in the process of buying a toy hauler/RV. The deed is done. We are now the owners of a 2006 Next Level SL Toy Hauler/RV - all 33' 8.5" and 8360 lbs of it.

Here it is in our one car driveway with enough egress for M.Brane to get his motorcycle through in the morning. Fortunately, we have great neighbors because we have to park the left side on part of the strip of ground between our driveway and their house. So they now get to look out on this hulking beast.

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A quick view inside. There is a forward queen with sink, toilet, and large shower on the other side of M.Brane:
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Bought it from the original owner who is a bit of a disaster so we were expecting to do some work. There was also the challenge of getting the title from the lienholder, to the seller, to me, and to the CA DMV. I'm now just a little smarter than I was.

The biggest unknown were the Nev-R-Lube wheel bearings, so we got one apart and yes, it's leaking grease and way too easy to turn, so four bearings have been ordered.

One of the tires is not like the others, as far as load rating, so a new tire has been ordered. As a plus, they are 16" wheels so could in theory put truck tires on it.

The brakes need some work - have to do diagnostics on the electrical harness from truck to trailer first as they don't seem to be firing.

On the upside, the A/C, water heater, refrigerator, freezer, stove, microwave, and oven all work. The batteries still have life in them. Still have to check the furnace. Gas and water plumbing also look good.

Flushed out the fresh, gray, and black tanks. Ran some vinegar through the water system and the water pump seems to be working better. Then we ran a mild bleach solution through the water system and flushed that. As we were filling the fresh water tanks, you could hear some creaking. There's some corrugated plastic with insulation underneath that was sagging. Once M.Brane got that off, we could see that the metal frame holding the fresh water tank was sagging. And would be coming to rest on the axles eventually. Great.

A quick look online revealed the horror stories of people's water tanks coming loose and bouncing down the highway with pieces of OSB flying like frisbees. At least we have a metal frame and no OSB or plywood, but the manufacturer didn't really secure the metal frame to the trailer frame all that well. M.Brane has some ideas about fixing that without adding too much weight.

Which brings me to my first question: Of course the manufacturer says to not tow with filled water tanks. That's kind of crazy in that if you are dry-camping, chances are there is no potable water where you are located. So... do y'alls fill up and tow anyway? A quick look online seems to say this is more the case than not. Any recommendations on securing water tanks? I think we'll have this solved, but just curious if this has been a problem for anyone.

In the meantime, there's all the clamps, locks, latches, light fixtures, and what not to fix or replace and all those doodads are on order.

We also fixed the sound system so now we have music forward, aft, and outside. Have yet to check the awning however.

Anything else we need to look at? We still have to check the generator and fuel tank, but the generator is working. There's an exterior fueling station that we still have to check and an outside shower.

In spite of the work, which we expected some level of maintenance and repair, I'm still pretty pleased with the unit.

sleazy rider · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2018, 12:31:52 PM »

Is that a bed suspended above the garage area?

viffergyrl · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM »

Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

BuckeyeRider · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2018, 01:52:06 PM »

Nice rig. I looked at toy haulers, but I hate towing things, so I went with a small class c.

If I'm going somewhere where I know I'll have a water hookup, I'll try to run my tank down to just a few gallons, so I can travel as light as possible. If not, I fill it up before I leave.

Doesn't seem to affect either my handling or gas mileage much though. But then, I'm in a Class C and my tank is sorta kinda inside and directly above the rear wheels.

Now that I have a small motorcycle hanging off the back on a hitch mounted carrier, I tend to not carry any more water than necessary. The weight I added with the bike is pretty much made up for in the weight I'm not carrying in water.

I also try to empty my grey and black tanks before hitting the road, although if you plan on using the toilet on the road, it's probably a good idea to leave a little extra water in the black tank.... plus the sloshing around helps clean out the tank, especially if you don't have a black tank flush system built in.

You should try to run the generator at least an hour per month, with a load. Helps to keep things from gumming up and ensures there's somewhat fresh gas in the lines and everything else. I usually leave leave the generator running in a Walmart parking lot with either the AC or a heater running, while I get supplies and something to eat. Keeps the critters safe and comfortable too.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2018, 02:11:31 PM »

Thanks for the compliment and the input on tanks and generator. We have a separate Honda generator, which M.Brane hooks the portable heater to every once in a awhile. I'll pass along the suggestion. We're thinking of taking the cat along with us so your comment about keeping the critters comfortable struck home.

chornbe · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2018, 02:52:11 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM

Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

That's a lot like my brother's Vengeance 36' kit. Really nice setup.

st2sam · « **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2018, 03:46:50 PM »

DG
Drag Cartel
racing

Needs a little work, but bet'in a fun rewarding project that'll keep you two outta trouble.

Good luck with her (him?). Thanks for sharing and keep us updated with progress.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2018, 03:55:58 PM »

Quote from: st2sam on July 02, 2018, 03:46:50 PM

DG
Drag Cartel
racing

Needs a little work, but bet'in a fun rewarding project that'll keep you two outta trouble.

Good luck with her (him?). Thanks for sharing and keep us updated with progress.

Bought it from another racing team - Lopez Racing. He drags Acuras. That sticker is gone as well as others. Should have taken a before picture as we are pretty anonymous now.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #8 on:** July 02, 2018, 04:03:20 PM »

50/50 on running w/ tanks full. If I KNOW there's water where I'm going, I probably won't run full. if I'm uncertain, I'll fill up. My tank in the old rig was 40 gal, the new is 43. It's like one pretty fat dude. It's really not that much weight in the grand scheme of things. Your biggest concern is your axles and your tires. Weight distro is probably responsible for more blowouts than anything. Manufacturer is going to spec the unit with the least of everything to meet the numbers. And even then, sometimes that gets screwed up. If you really want to know, get weighed. If you're ~~anal~~ really particular and want to know, get weighed per tire. That is, of course, after you load for a typical trip. Take all the stuff you're probably gonna take and stuff it in the trailer where you think it should go and see how things pan out. You might find you need to move some stuff to compensate for the generator or to get your tongue weight up. You might have to pull the bikes/car/golfcart farther forward to keep things from bopping around on your hitch.

We've had multiple flats on a single trip. So, now I always carry 2 spares and a bottle jack and the appropriate devices to make fast work of it all. If I had my druthers, I'd probably take our little rig to a weld shop and have them do things the right way instead of the way the factory did it. Stairs are spot welded and only where necessary. Couple pieces of angle iron and some welding would lock those things in. Same with the rear bumper. Yeah it's on there but I want to be able to put some stuff on it. Couple pieces of metal will shore things up very nicely. I'll probably put some plastic wire wrap on the wires for the electric brakes because of where they are and how easily they can be severed. Ax me how I know.

Get the axles and the tires right first including weight distro. Everything after that is gravy.

Also, COMMAND STRIPS.

Also, plastic everything. Plates, cups,

I could go on and on and on. I'll wait for questions.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #9 on:** July 02, 2018, 04:11:30 PM »

OK, no I won't...

Black tank.... Every time we dump (empty the tanks), we put several gallons of fresh water in and dump a bunch of the blue stuff in. That way there's no chance of taking a dump and having it turn to concrete because there wasn't enough water in there to make proper work of things. If you're still not sure about the black tank, go get a couple big bags of ice, put it down the toilet, add some water and take the thing for a ride through town. Lots of stop and go and side to side. Maybe ice and bleach. I'm not down with OPP.

Also, find the video where the dude does the test of the toilet paper. Apparently, single ply Charmin (or something like it) is way better than the junk they sell as RV TP at camping places. The world doesn't want you to know about that. Sure you need to use more but if it breaks down better, I don't care.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #10 on:** July 02, 2018, 04:52:13 PM »

Yeah, we have two 50 gal tank with a connection between them, so 100 gal total for fresh water - that's 830 lb. They are flat along the bottom of the trailer and are side by side, biased slightly forward over the axles (I may have to go and re-check that). The 40 gal aluminum fuel tank is at the rear past the last axle (244 lb using the density of gasoline).

M.Brane can weld so we're probably going to reinforce that frame and I'll mention the stairs.

Got the bottle jack and already love it. We have one spare now and we'll have a second when the new tire arrives. We've had to help our neighbor change out bearings by the side of the road. Not fun. We'll eventually get a temperature sensing system. If those Nev-R-Lubes go, they will take the axle with them. The axles are rated at 6K, but the truck can only pull 11,400 lbs. We have two bikes at 500 lbs each, 830 lbs water (if we fill it full), 244 lbs of fuel, leaving us over 900 lbs for LP-gas and our stuffs. But to your point it's also about the distribution. We'll have to pack it and take a little overnighter to see how it goes. Not sure if we'll get around to weighing it, but we might have to. Would rather live in reality than dreamland ("it'll be fine!")

Yes, PO had a blowout and severed the wires - on it!

Black tank has a flushing system, so we're good there. And yes we know about those fabulous pods. Thanks for the tip on the toilet paper! I'll look for the video. (What's OPP?)

And yes, command strips have blipped across my radar, so thanks for reinforcing that. Any tips on securing stuff in the trailer? It looks like some of the cupboards have a lip, while others do not and some have stops to keep the doors open, while others do not.

Of some minor comfort is the fact that this trailer was made prior to the market crash of 2008 so there is a metal frame holding/protecting those water tanks, still it could have been secured better to your point.

Keep it coming.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #11 on:** July 02, 2018, 05:33:52 PM »

Yeah, we may have had an axle get fragged because of a bad bearing...on a trip...on the way home...on a Friday night in New Mexico in a town that rolls up the sidewalks at 5pm. Kim and I had to take the axle off the trailer, load it up, take it into the nearby town MONDAY MORNING and have the guy put metal back where there wasn't any. We were very lucky the thing didn't fly off. After repair, we took the repaired axle back to the trailer and she and I reinstalled it. Good times.

What are you pulling that pig with?

Our last rig was a Holiday Rambler and they made some good stuff. We killed it and it wasn't any fault of the rig that it died a slow painful death in our possession. We pulled that thing probably 40 - 45K miles around the country. Regarding keeping stuff in place, we didn't have too much of an issue as long as you pack smart. In the bathroom, Kim put Velcro on both sides of the medicine cabinet and just ran a piece of nylon from an old ratchet strap from one side to the other to keep the shaving cream, deodorant etc from bouncing out going down the road. You'll learn to keep the heavy stuff low and the breakables at home.

One pothole is all it takes to rock your world from a Kitchen perspective. Some people bungee or child safety thing two cabinets together. We just roll the bones. Kim has taken to getting small square fabric thingies to keep stuff in so there aren't a bunch of little individual items getting tossed around in a cabinet. Something like this costs you almost zero weight but pays dividends in organization and keeping stuff from going rogue.

https://www.amazon.com/Square-Storage-Cube-Fabric-Basket/dp/B0161RM648

Regarding the doors, just take the time to get either good strong magnets or the oldschool strong metal clasps. They might need to be adjusted so they're really tight.

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Roller-Catch-Stainless-Oblong/dp/B01CV16XQA - or some variation on that theme

Sometimes, all you need to do is line your cabinets w/ a grippy drawer liner type thing and put hand towels between pots and pan. You'll figure out that certain containers are just not viable in RV land. Those fridges aren't big so your giant jar of pickles won't be going. Gallons of milk should probably become two half gallons. Tall bottles of anything are a bad idea. Everything should be short and squat so it can take the most advantage of the small little shelves and tiny little door shelves.

ALWAYS open the fridge slowly after a trip. Or wear shoes. That jar of mustard WILL find your baby toe every time. Weight distro in the fridge is a thing as well. Same with cabinets. Even if you have everything nice and still on anti slippy stuff, if there's too much of it on the shelf, the shelf will simply break. BTDT. No matter how well you think something is built, it's still just a couple small screws in some particle board w/ a vaneer on it. That won't tolerate much pounding going down the road before stuff just fails.

Oh, and there are like 3 RV locks in the world so there are probably thousands of people who can just open your RV door with their key should they want to.

We had an RVLock on our last rig and will be getting one for this one too. Just sayin'. Same thing with all your storage bins and external locks and your outside shower and everything else in the world. It's probably a CH751 key. We're getting the combi cam locks for ours.

And I'm sure none of this needs to be said but a reminder probably won't hurt:

Extra drill with a socket adapter and whatever socket fits your stabilizers (19mm) is a life saver. We have guard rail bumpers but if not, a few or several pieces of 4x4 or 6x6 go a long way toward saving time leveling the rig when you're off the beaten path. Breaker bar with whatever size socket fits your lugs stored where you can reach it in seconds, not have to dig for it in some obscure hidey hole. Make sure the nuts holding the spare on (if applicable) are the same size as those on the wheel. Mine are NOT. Separate socket for those. I have spares that never leave the trailer. Same with the drill. Don't risk being without it. All of that is optional of course but depending on how you want to spend your time, they can be the difference between a 15 minute set up and a 45 minute set up. We could be set up in less than 10 minutes with our old rig.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #12 on:** July 02, 2018, 05:36:36 PM »

OPP


! No longer available

I was referring to other peoples' poop

variation on a theme

viffergyrl · « **Reply #13 on:** July 02, 2018, 06:41:09 PM »

Ah yes.... mine is 'other people's DNA'. All three mattresses went into the trash. Yuk. Don't. Even. Want. To. Think. About. What. May. Have. Happened. After. 12. Years.

We're pulling our pig with an F-350 Diesel. M.Brane has already gone through that pig and upgraded the fan, EGR cooler, and oil cooler.

Thanks for all the tips on organizing stuff, keeping stuff together, and having the tools you need; I'll run that by M.Brane as well. We've already thought of a few for our kit. It's the same thing we do with the bikes when we travel. Although now they are going to be traveling in luxury!

squeezer · « **Reply #14 on:** July 02, 2018, 07:38:11 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM

Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

PARTY!!!!!

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #15 on:** July 02, 2018, 08:02:10 PM »

Check the mattress thread for a link to the exact mattress we had in our rig. And its cheaper now than when we bought it 7 years ago.

Virginian · « **Reply #16 on:** July 02, 2018, 08:12:36 PM »

Wow! Looks like a dream in the making and I'm super happy for you two. I hope you share your adventures with us! Love it.

Eric

viffergyrl · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2018, 08:17:13 PM »

Quote from: squeezer on July 02, 2018, 07:38:11 PM

Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM
Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

PARTY!!!!!

Well you can look at this as expanding our living space, so yes, we now have a guest room. With a kitchen and your own bathroom. Could be a cheap place to stay if you are a friend of ours.

PS We're going to get a larger screen and hang it from the ceiling. There's already beer in the fridge.

CLAY · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2018, 09:43:38 PM »

I'm all jealous and stuff- that looks like a blast! Sadly I have no words of wisdom...

Virginian · « **Reply #19 on:** July 02, 2018, 09:44:29 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 08:17:13 PM

Quote from: squeezer on July 02, 2018, 07:38:11 PM
Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM
Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

PARTY!!!!!

Well you can look at this as expanding our living space, so yes, we now have a guest room. With a kitchen and your own bathroom. Could be a cheap place to stay if you are a friend of ours.

PS We're going to get a larger screen and hang it from the ceiling. There's already beer in the fridge.

I'll be right over on the scooter!

viffergyrl · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2018, 03:13:23 PM »

Quote from: Virginian on July 02, 2018, 09:44:29 PM

Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 08:17:13 PM
Quote from: squeezer on July 02, 2018, 07:38:11 PM
Quote from: viffergyrl on July 02, 2018, 12:52:08 PM
Yes. Actually two short queen size beds that function as bunk beds. You can sleep 8 with 3 queens and the two sofas that can fold out into beds.

PARTY!!!!!

Well you can look at this as expanding our living space, so yes, we now have a guest room. With a kitchen and your own bathroom. Could be a cheap place to stay if you are a friend of ours.

PS We're going to get a larger screen and hang it from the ceiling. There's already beer in the fridge.

I'll be right over on the scooter!

You would be more than welcome!

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #21 on:** July 18, 2018, 03:32:34 PM »

updates please

viffergyrl · « **Reply #22 on:** July 18, 2018, 03:59:30 PM »

Holy shit. The PO sold it just in time to avoid any major maintenance on his part. Well he's buying someone else's used trailer so I wish him well.

So he says it has these Nev-R-Lube bearings on the axles. M.Brane reads up on these on the interwebs - yeah, they have a 5-year, 100K warranty. The trailer is a 2006. Plus they tend to fail with heavier rigs and take the spindle (and therefore the axle) with them. So, as noted above, M.Brane pulls one to inspect. Yeah, it's leaking grease. I order four new Nev-R-Lube bearings on sale from Dexter at $120 each.

In addition, M.Brane notices that the trailer brakes don't seem to be working. Oh, yeah, no shoe left on any of the brake backings and no adjustment. And you can't replace just the shoe; you have to order the whole backing plate. Those are $100 each. Next is testing the electrical and manually adjusting the brakes.

After taking apart the rest of the bearings, literally each bearing had one of the races just fall out because there was no grease any more. We were an extremely small finite number of miles from a bearing failure.

The frame holding the water tanks has been reinforced and we're now looking at different materials to protect the tanks from road debris.

After some research, I purchased a Zinus Deluxe Memory Foam 8 Inch RV/Camper/Trailer/Truck Mattress, Short Queen from Amazon for $200. Got a mattress protector for it and had some sheets and pillows already. Which was fortuitous because we got hit with 100+ weather over a weekend. We went off the grid, grabbed the cat, and stuffed ourselves into the trailer using the Honda 3000 to power the trailer. We learned that we can't run the A/C with the coffee pot or microwave, but that's ok. We lived in the trailer for the weekend and the cat stuffed himself into the cubby hole near our bed and was exceedingly content.

The on-board generator needs to be serviced and we have the air filter and oil filter for that.

We liked the Zinus so much that I ordered two 6-inch mattresses for the bunk queens in the back. Just need bedding for those now.

Still need the organizers for the small things in cupboards and to put the racks back in the fridge and freezer. They were rusting, so soaked them in vinegar, scrubbed with steel wool, and spray-painted them with Rustoleum. Got a few Command Strip hooks to hang towels and those are working great.

The lock is fixed on the outside door and we have locks on the back tailgate. Waiting for parts for the screen door, thumb locks for baggage doors, and an inline water filter for the fresh water tank.

Whew!

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #23 on:** July 18, 2018, 04:22:27 PM »

ooooh, forgotten tip. Before you turn the furnace on for the first time, be sure to remove the back cover and suck all the stinkbugs (if that's a thing over there) out before you set them a-fire and smell the whole joint up for a long time. It takes surprisingly few of them to really rock your world. Oh, and the vents too.

I don't remember if you guys already did this or not, but the hoses for the propane tanks are weak w/ little longevity built in. Same with the regulator.

Turning off the AC to nuke stuff will become your new normal. Blow dryer is about the same as the microwave. We can't run the microwave and the electric water kettle at the same time in the house.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #24 on:** July 18, 2018, 04:41:17 PM »

Thanks for the advice on the furnace. We have our own types of varmints so will be sure to open things up and clean it out.

M.Brane inspected the hoses and we're good (for now). Thank you!

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #25 on:** August 22, 2018, 08:45:14 AM »

Poke!

Any new news? Our rig is sitting out back waiting for some attention. We've only had it out three times and it's killing us. Stupid 20 wooded acres requiring near constant attention. I know, Waaaaahhhhh.

Anyway, I need some vicarious trailer love.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #26 on:** August 22, 2018, 11:40:56 AM »

Ha! Well you would think with all the crawling around under the RV we would have thought to check the trailer suspension. Nope! So when M.Brane was traveling to Utah for our 24-hour race, he happen to notice that the left rear trailer tire was looking really bad. Sure enough, the shackles broke on both sides causing the rear axle to move and push the tire against the fender. He was pretty lucky.

However he was in Jean, NV with an ambient temperature of 116F. On goes the generator and the A/C while he proceeds to shop for mobile repair services. Guy comes out and says he needs to get parts... and that was the last M.Brane heard from him. In the meantime, one of our team members who hadn't left for Utah yet calls him and figures he might have the parts to repair the trailer. At 1:30AM he arrives with parts, grease, and jacks and the two of them jack the trailer up on new asphalt.... it was a little sketchy. At least it was cooler - only 90F.

When we got back from Utah, we ordered these to upgrade our suspension: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HOAGBSI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also the vent covers are plastic and disintegrating, so just replaced the forward one with a metal lid. The one in the back will get a complete new unit with fan.

It also looks like we'll be doing some repairs and sealing the roof before it rains as well.... Then there's a table to make for the inside and repairing the pocket door. I hope to be all caught up by the end of the year. Whew.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #27 on:** August 22, 2018, 01:18:06 PM »

Good times. As much as that sucks, he was really lucky. If Youtube is any indication, that could have gone horribly wrong. Glad that didn't happen.

I probably spoke of it before but we had something similar. We had a bearing go and it cooked the whole hub. Amazing we didn't lose the whole wheel. Stopped us in our tracks on a Friday night, luckily in a safe place, and we weren't able to get back under way till Monday night. It involved Kim and I removing and reinstalling one of the axles ourselves. Lots of interesting details in there that make for a long story but, yeah, I get it.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #28 on:** August 22, 2018, 01:30:47 PM »

Our neighbor carries spare hubs exactly for that reason. Probably should add an IR temp gun to the tool kit....

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #29 on:** August 22, 2018, 02:04:30 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on August 22, 2018, 01:30:47 PM

Our neighbor carries spare hubs exactly for that reason. Probably should add an IR temp gun to the tool kit....

They make pressure and temp monitoring systems in a simple Schrader cap style monitor now. Thinking hard about that one.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #30 on:** August 31, 2018, 08:59:42 PM »

Quote from: Vulcanbill on August 22, 2018, 02:04:30 PM

Quote from: viffergyrl on August 22, 2018, 01:30:47 PM
Our neighbor carries spare hubs exactly for that reason. Probably should add an IR temp gun to the tool kit....

They make pressure and temp monitoring systems in a simple Schrader cap style monitor now. Thinking hard about that one.

I believe our neighbor went with that option. I'll report back.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #31 on:** September 01, 2018, 01:22:57 PM »

New suspension bits installed.

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Old parts show the elongation of the holes and the wear.

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M.Brane is installing the new fan in the rear and has already installed a metal lid in place of the disintegrating plastic lid on the forward vent. Pictures to come.

CLAY · « **Reply #32 on:** September 01, 2018, 09:09:02 PM »

That really is an elegant solution for the shackle mount.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #33 on:** September 29, 2018, 01:50:42 PM »

^^Thanks. We thought so too.

Pictures of new metal vent lid in the front bedroom area and new fan and vent at the rear of the trailer above the queen bunks.

The metal lid makes it pretty dark in the front bedroom area which is a plus. At least for trying to sleep in.
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Fan and vent at the rear of the trailer. Unit comes with a remote. You can set the fan to 'Auto' and the vent will open and the fan will turn on at any temperature you select. You can set the fan speed and whether you want to bring air in or out. We open the front vent slightly and set the rear vent and fan to 'Auto' and 'Air Out'. Set the temperature for the vent to open and turn on and voila. Very handy. In fact our neighbor was entertained one morning watching the vent open up on his security camera.

Not the best picture. Have to crawl up there to get a more detailed picture.
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Remote:
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viffergyrl · « **Reply #34 on:** September 29, 2018, 02:11:45 PM »

Got the hardware installed today to secure the bikes in the toy hauler. Bought our neighbor's Pit-Bull set up, which we already had the pins for the VFR. Just needed to order the pins for the Suzuki and two sets of latches. Can't wait to travel with the bikes!

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We took a trip a couple of weekends ago and discovered the water heater wasn't working. Fortunately, we were staying on a friend's property so we could use their shower, but that kinda sucked. Also discovered the furnace didn't work (thought we had checked that, but no). Oops.

So the water heater can use either electricity or propane. The electrical heater has never worked, but the propane heater had previously. Turns out just had to clean the igniter and we are back in business.

The furnace... well... it looks like the PO never used it at all. Opened up the thermostat and found a little plastic protective piece that says 'Remove'. We removed that but the blower doesn't come on so as a consequence, the burner doesn't come on. Also there is only inside access to the furnace and no outside access to the furnace. Apparently this was an option.

In any case, the furnace will need some in depth trouble-shooting at this point. Other things to fix:

Pocket Door between front bedroom/bathroom area and kitchen, living, and hauling area
Replace bathroom faucet with one that has a longer faucet or a curved faucet to allow M.Brane to get his big paws in the water to wash them
Replace the outside shower hose
Figure out why when the trailer battery or generator is on, it feeds electricity into the truck (reverse lights come on) when the truck is hooked up to the trailer
Fuel gauge for outside gasoline fuel tank does not work

Virginian · « **Reply #35 on:** September 29, 2018, 11:28:42 PM »

Wow! It's really turning out to be gem. Outstanding mods you guys have made.

R Doug · « **Reply #36 on:** September 30, 2018, 04:19:48 AM »

The auto fan is a neat upgrade. And, I believe PitBull makes some of the best most secure stuff in the biz. Looking good.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #37 on:** September 30, 2018, 06:34:55 AM »

It drives Kim nuts but I have this thing about disconnecting from the truck before using anything in the trailer. When we boondock, I don't want to risk anything electrical being transferred to or from the truck. Exception is water pump for washing hands on the road. Less worried about new rig since everything is LED. Still...

Oh, and throw pillows stuffed into fan hole make for some good sleepin in or blocking arctic air. For the opposite of arctic, we got a roll of that silver bubblewrap looking insulation stuff and some velcro and made custom inserts for each window to reflect the sun. Really keeps the inside temps down.

BuckeyeRider · « **Reply #38 on:** September 30, 2018, 12:21:10 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on September 29, 2018, 02:11:45 PM

So the water heater can use either electricity or propane. The electrical heater has never worked, but the propane heater had previously. Turns out just had to clean the igniter and we are back in business.

If you look at the outside access for the water heater, there may be a switch you need to flip to change it to electric operation. Usually not marked very well. Most of them work like crap on the electric setting, btw...

viffergyrl · « **Reply #39 on:** September 30, 2018, 12:31:43 PM »

Quote from: BuckeyeRider on September 30, 2018, 12:21:10 PM

Quote from: viffergyrl on September 29, 2018, 02:11:45 PM
So the water heater can use either electricity or propane. The electrical heater has never worked, but the propane heater had previously. Turns out just had to clean the igniter and we are back in business.

If you look at the outside access for the water heater, there may be a switch you need to flip to change it to electric operation. Usually not marked very well. Most of them work like crap on the electric setting, btw...

Ah.... good to know. Thanks for the tip.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #40 on:** September 30, 2018, 01:11:55 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on September 30, 2018, 12:31:43 PM

Quote from: BuckeyeRider on September 30, 2018, 12:21:10 PM
Quote from: viffergyrl on September 29, 2018, 02:11:45 PM
So the water heater can use either electricity or propane. The electrical heater has never worked, but the propane heater had previously. Turns out just had to clean the igniter and we are back in business.

If you look at the outside access for the water heater, there may be a switch you need to flip to change it to electric operation. Usually not marked very well. Most of them work like crap on the electric setting, btw...

Ah.... good to know. Thanks for the tip.

So checked the manual - no separate switch to flip to change from propane to electric operation. In fact you can use both to heat the water faster if you are plugged into shore power (water heater is on AC power).

BuckeyeRider · « **Reply #41 on:** September 30, 2018, 01:57:11 PM »

Quote from: viffergyrl on September 30, 2018, 01:11:55 PM

So checked the manual - no separate switch to flip to change from propane to electric operation. In fact you can use both to heat the water faster if you are plugged into shore power (water heater is on AC power).

I tried

The older ones required you to go outside and change what mode they are in. Mine is gas only, which kinda sucks when I'm staying somewhere where electric is included... I'd rather heat water on their dime.

Vulcanbill · « **Reply #42 on:** October 01, 2018, 12:52:56 PM »

Quote from: BuckeyeRider on September 30, 2018, 01:57:11 PM

Quote from: viffergyrl on September 30, 2018, 01:11:55 PM

So checked the manual - no separate switch to flip to change from propane to electric operation. In fact you can use both to heat the water faster if you are plugged into shore power (water heater is on AC power).

I tried The older ones required you to go outside and change what mode they are in. Mine is gas only, which kinda sucks when I'm staying somewhere where electric is included... I'd rather heat water on their dime.

My new one is just like the old one. Separate switches for gas and electric. On the old one, the electric never worked. On the new one, I kinda don't care cuz I rarely have a need to heat water faster than fire will heat it so the gas is fine.

Oh, and this is the stuff I was referring to for blocking / insulating windows. This is whatever the stuff is they carry at Lowes that looks just like it.

https://www.amazon.com/100sqft-Double-Bubble-Reflective-Insulation/dp/B07G64LKCN/ref=pd_day0_hl_229_3/141-6541962-1318410?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07G64LKCN&pd_rd_r=8271f435-c5a2-11e8-aeee-ad798432617f&pd_rd_w=0WuaN&pd_rd_wg=rhKdH&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=VX6AV0KVC6VY70CE7J9N&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=VX6AV0KVC6VY70CE7J9N

viffergyrl · « **Reply #43 on:** October 01, 2018, 01:01:18 PM »

Quote from: Vulcanbill on October 01, 2018, 12:52:56 PM

Quote from: BuckeyeRider on September 30, 2018, 01:57:11 PM
Quote from: viffergyrl on September 30, 2018, 01:11:55 PM

So checked the manual - no separate switch to flip to change from propane to electric operation. In fact you can use both to heat the water faster if you are plugged into shore power (water heater is on AC power).

I tried The older ones required you to go outside and change what mode they are in. Mine is gas only, which kinda sucks when I'm staying somewhere where electric is included... I'd rather heat water on their dime.

My new one is just like the old one. Separate switches for gas and electric. On the old one, the electric never worked. On the new one, I kinda don't care cuz I rarely have a need to heat water faster than fire will heat it so the gas is fine.

Oh, and this is the stuff I was referring to for blocking / insulating windows. This is whatever the stuff is they carry at Lowes that looks just like it.

https://www.amazon.com/100sqft-Double-Bubble-Reflective-Insulation/dp/B07G64LKCN/ref=pd_day0_hl_229_3/141-6541962-1318410?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07G64LKCN&pd_rd_r=8271f435-c5a2-11e8-aeee-ad798432617f&pd_rd_w=0WuaN&pd_rd_wg=rhKdH&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=VX6AV0KVC6VY70CE7J9N&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=VX6AV0KVC6VY70CE7J9N

Thanks for the tip on the reflective bubble insulation. Gonna give that a try as it does get warm here.

Andrew · « **Reply #44 on:** October 01, 2018, 11:17:47 PM »

Never owned a toy hauler or even wanted one..... but am enjoying the build

Really like the vents

What rating tires do you have on it, going up a load rating has real good effects on the trailer staying in line with the tow vehicle. I went from C to D on my little tent trailer (family camper) best $$ upgrade ever

viffergyrl · « **Reply #45 on:** October 02, 2018, 06:07:30 AM »

We have Load E tires and 16 inch. ST235/80R16. We have two new Goodyear Endurance trailer tires on the trailer. However, the next big upgrade will be the hitch and load plus anti-sway bars. The hitch has been beat to hell. We only have load bars now and the trailer moves a bit, which means constant correction. We tow at 60 mph only.

jadziadax8 · « **Reply #46 on:** October 02, 2018, 06:32:40 AM »

Quote from: Andrew on October 01, 2018, 11:17:47 PM

Never owned a toy hauler or even wanted one..... but am enjoying the build

Agreed!

viffergyrl · « **Reply #47 on:** January 25, 2019, 07:19:33 PM »

Well... it's been awhile so have to get caught up here.

The PO ended up keeping the pocket door so we arranged to pick it up. Bought new, more robust hardware and installed the door.

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It isn't quite straight when pushed back, but we can still secure it.

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viffergyrl · « **Reply #48 on:** January 25, 2019, 07:48:06 PM »

The furnace and the water heater continued to be a total PITA. Fortunately, M.Brane is stubborn and kept reading up on issues with RV furnaces and water heaters.

For the water heater, we had replaced the board, cleaned the igniter, and the damn thing would only work intermittently. We even replaced the gas regulator as the flame looked a little orange, although the refrigerator worked fine and they tend to be more finicky about propane flow. He finally just had to methodically jump over each component and found that the thermostat was, in fact, the culprit. Replaced the thermostat and voila! fires up each and every time.

The furnace has been a PITA in much the same way. There is no outside access door, so doing any work means you have to take it out and then try something, then put it back in to see if it work. So yeah... that got a new board and a new limit switch before we finally cleaned the igniter, and Eureka! it now works! Most of the stuff has been fairly cheap, except the boards, but we found this great little company in Oregon called Dinosaur Electrics. It seems like they have a good little business making better boards than Atwood for RV equipment. You can get their stuff through Amazon and it gets good reviews. Hopefully this will be the end of furnace and water heater woes.

We'll be camping out this weekend in the driveway so we'll see if the furnace and water heater continue to work. Next up: Improvements.

Virginian · « **Reply #49 on:** January 25, 2019, 08:25:32 PM »

I'm really enjoying this thread!