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RE: Tundra Towing
I have a 2010 Tundra 5.7 liter 4x4 with the towing package. We pull a 2011 Keystone Bullet, 30' ball to bumper. We live in the mountains of Virginia. When pulling, we're getting 12-14 miles per gallon. Last year we did two long trips and averaged 13.6 (yes, I keep records). I guess I should consider us lucky.
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eabc5454
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09/16/11 08:37pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: First long trip, opinions needed...
If you can, trade off driving. It isn't as hard if you share the behind the wheel time. Get started early (pack the night before), take breaks every two hours for walking, bathroom and snacks, and you could get there as early as 3pm. That's plenty of time for setting up camp and relaxing. Take a pre-made dinner.
I have three dachshunds and a Dalmatian. All are good campers, but we don't leave them at camp if we're not there, as we know the little dogs will bark. If we're going on a long trip we take two and board two (the barkers).
We camp at several state and federal campgrounds, and usually get electric hookups. We fill with water on the way in if there are not water hookups. We have 80 gallons of fresh water, so that gets us through several days. We stayed at a state park for a week last year. We had water and electric hookups, but knew that we'd fill our gray tanks. We bought a blue tank - 25 gallons with four wheels, and it made the trip much more enjoyable as we didn't have to worry about gray water issues. And, as someone mentioned, you can flush it or pour it down a campground shower drain if you don't want to go to the dump station.
Happy camping, and good luck with your trip.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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09/06/11 12:24pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: First haul of KZ Frontier....Is this normal?
I'm towing a 30' TT with a 2010 Tundra with the towing package. I can feel the trailer, but with a good WD/antisway hitch and keeping speeds around 60 or so, we travel easily and safely. I have the Equal-i-zer hitch. It took two adjustments to get it where I wanted it. I have a rear kitchen, so I am tail heavy. We adjust by storing heavy things (water, extra canned goods, etc.) under the front bed.
Take it easy and see the scenery. Traveling to new places is half the fun.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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09/06/11 12:09pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: recommendations on an adequate electric tongue jack?
I got a Barker 3500 for my TT (2011 Keystone Bullet 250RKS), and I'm extremely pleased. Got it at Adventure RV for under $200, and their customer service is great. And no, I have no vested interest in Adventure RV! The electric jack makes the difference between a stressful event and a seamless, pleasurable one.
Installation isn't difficult, and you can do it yourself if you're able to do minor household repairs.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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09/01/11 10:33pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: New TT nightmare
I am sorry for your troubles. It stinks that you've not been able to camp this summer as you intended.
I consider us lucky - we ordered a 2010 Keystone Bullet 250 RKS in February 2010 for delivery in April. When they didn't deliver in April as promised we got a 2011 at the contract price for the 2010, and took delivery in May. We've had absolutely zero warranty issues - the camper hasn't been back to the dealer since we bought it, and we camped with it for over 70 nights now.
I agree with some of the other posters - I think the weak link is your dealer. Go to the manufacturer, state your case and clearly spell out what your expectations are. If they balk, state them again. And again. Sometimes you need to keep repeating things until they hear them.
I hope this gets resolved and you get to go camping.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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09/01/11 10:27pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: How Many Loan Your TT
I wouldn't do it. My insurance policy is pretty strict in terms of "renting" it out, but I really would rather not deal with the insurance at all. If someone borrowed it and had an accident, I would be the one to deal with all the paperwork headaches.
I agree with earlier posters, who said it took them blood, sweat and tears (and a few bruises) to get where they are to tow their campers safely. If I do something stupid I could live with the consequences, but if they do something stupid I still have to live with the consequences. Besides, I like that our camper has only been slept in by us. It was one of the things that made us buy new rather than used.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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09/01/11 09:59pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Maybe I'm a wimp, butttttttt.....
Electric tongue hitch, lock, and life is good. We both have lifting restrictions for physical issues, so we use a metal shop cart. The hitch slides out onto the cart and rolls into the garage. It works for us!
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/31/11 08:10am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Trying to narrow it down to three (newbee)
Hi:
We bought a 2011 Keystone Bullet 250RKS last May, and absolutely love it! It has performed perfectly, and we have had zero warranty problems. We haven't had it back to the dealer for anything. We had our annual state-required inspection at a local dealer for this year, and they said everything looks great. We camped 47 nights last year, and enjoyed everything about the camper.
For us, it was features, price, weight and floor plan. It met all of our requirements, and we paid $19100 for ours. That included a weight distributing hitch, but we opted to upgrade to an Equal-i-zer and Prodigy brake controller. We also upgraded the mattress - camper mattresses are pretty awful. We got a memory foam (not through the dealer) and it is very comfortable.
My best advice, though is do your homework. We were told that our 4Runner with a tow package (7000 lbs) would handle our trailer, and by the numbers it worked. Bringing it home empty was fine, but add gear, passenger, food, clothes, lights, coolers, pots, pans and kitchen equipment, plates, jackets, flashlights - the list is amazingly long, even though we were careful with the weight, and the 4Runner was working too hard. Going uphill at 40 miles per hour was not acceptable, and the 4Runner was not going to be able to handle it. Also, with the short wheelbase it felt a little like the tail wagging the dog. On our first trip out, we parked the camper, unhitched, drove to town and bought a Tundra with the tow package (10,300lbs).
Enjoy your new camper,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/31/11 07:55am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Travel trailor insurance
We use our local farm bureau, too. $350/year, but we carry $3 million in liability. We have a swimming pool, so carrying that much protects our future income.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/31/11 07:42am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: A word about weight
To the lady with the Tacoma - I learned from experience - many salespeople will greatly overstate your vehicle's capability to tow "with no problems."
We bought a trailer that we were told could be pulled by our 2005 Toyota 4Runner with the tow package rated at 7000lbs. Bringing it home empty it was no problem...until. Loaded weight, including tongue, hitch, people, gear, gas, etc. was 6200lbs. on a scale. I think if we lived in the flat lands we would have been OK. We live in the mountains of Virginia. On our first trip loaded we experienced a lot of strain on the engine, the transmission was complaining and I didn't feel safe because we had nothing else for the engine to give if we needed it. We parked the camper at the campground, unhitched, drove to town and traded the 4Runner for a Tundra with the tow package - 10300lb rating. It made all the difference for us, and we happily go on short and long trips through the mountains and the flat lands.
Peace,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/29/11 08:42pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Electric Tongue Jack
We bought the Barker 3500 for our TT, and I love it. No cranking up and down when it's 95 degrees and 99% humidity. It worked flawlessly. The only thing I regret is that we didn't have it installed last year, our first towing a TT. Invest in the money - it is well worth it.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/27/11 08:45pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: A different outdoor kitchen
I agree - with cherry cabinets, microwave, stove, oven, glass shower enclosure, HDTV, multi-zonal speakers, and queen-sized memory foam mattress, we're really roughing it! We call it Gucci camping. We take the fan, too - it also keeps those pesky skeeters away.
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eabc5454
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08/27/11 06:56pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: A different outdoor kitchen
Our outdoor kitchen is a picnic table under the awning and an electric skillet. It is great for almost everything from pancakes to one pot meals. Easy to clean, doesn't heat up the camper, cheap from WM, and we use it every time we go camping.
Peace,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/27/11 06:13pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Can't Unlock My Deadbolt :(
We needed to cut some additional keys for our TT. We called Keystone, and they sent six blanks free. We took the blanks to the local locksmith and he was able to copy the keys.
Call the manufacturer if you need more blank keys.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/17/11 08:02pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Newbie looking for info
Essential equipment - a credit card.
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/17/11 07:44pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Clensers
Walmart carries a black streak remover. You can dilute it in water to make a wash or use it full strength on the stubborn streaks. Make sure to rinse it well, and follow with wax. I agree about the dirty roof - wash it, too. Also, if you need to clean the awning, use a spray bottle to saturate it with a gallon of water, 1/4 bleach and 1/4 cup Dawn dish washing detergent. Roll up the awning, let it soak while you wash the rest. Extend the awning, and scrub with a soft brush or scrubby sponge. Rinse well.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/15/11 07:56pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: RV "break-in" advice?
Congratulations on your new camper. We got ours last year, and made lots of lists. We ordered the camper in February and took delivery in May. We bought everything we thought we'd need and a few things that were splurges. The first thing was a memory foam mattress, and it is worth every penny. The rest was bedding, water hoses, etc. We planned well - we had everything we needed except one item, and the campground store had what we needed - a flyswatter.
Camping in the driveway is a good idea. We said to each other that we would not go into the house unless something horrible happened, and we realized that we had planned well.
On the other hand, we took a few things back to CW - mug hooks (didn't want to put screws into the new cherry cabinets) and the stinky slinky - we never needed it.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/15/11 07:51pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Where to RV in Virginia (Petersburg area)
We live in Virginia and I learned a great cold weather trick last year. When we arrived at the campground I filled my fresh water tank to about 90% capacity. I also hooked up to city water. The temperature dropped to about 20 degrees. Everyone there who had only hooked up to city water had no service because their hoses froze. I still had water in my fresh water tank. Later in the day when the hoses thawed out I filled up the fresh water tank again. I always fill with fresh water on arrival and use it before we leave. We've been in campgrounds several times where water service was interrupted, usually after someone backs over a water spigot. It works for us.
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eabc5454
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08/14/11 09:06pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Tacoma to pull a TT?
Hi:
I can tell you our experience - maybe it will help. Last year we ordered our first travel trailer. It is a 2011 Keystone Bullet 250RKS, which is actually about 30 feet long. The "dry weight" is 4885. We were assured that our 2005 Toyota 4Runner with the tow package would be a good tow vehicle - tow capacity 7000lbs. So far, so good. Took delivery and towed home with no problems.
Then we added all of our stuff, and we went as light as possible. On the scales weight was 6200lbs, so we were within our stated tow capacity. On our first camping trip we had to go over a 3500ft mountain pass. The 4Runner was struggling, shifting gears and RPMs climbing. We got to the campground, set up and unhitched, drove to town, traded in the 4Runner and bought a new 2010 Tundra. The Tundra has a tow package, and is rated for 10300lbs. The Tundra pulls it like there's nothing back there, and I love the comfort that the extra umph gives me when I need to move quickly in situations like on-ramps. It feels much more stable than the shorter wheel-based 4Runner.
Our neighbor had a similar situation. He bought a 17ft trailer, pulled it once with his Tacoma and traded it in for a Chevy 1500.
All that being said, only you will know what you are comforable with. Most pop-ups will be in a suitable weight class, but we love our ultra-light camper. We have never had a warranty issue, and everything has worked out fine. Make sure you have a good weight-distributing hitch (we like our Equal-i-zer). Most of all, have fun. Camping is a lifestyle, and we couldn't be happier than when we are on "camping time."
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/04/11 07:29pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: TT stabilizers
Hi, Dick - the Dalmatian is given many hours of run/walk time a day. He just won't settle down, as he gets up to investigate every little noise. He is from a rescue, and is very easily startled.
For all the suggestions, thank you. After reading this, I think the center stability is where the problem lies. We will be getting longer jack pads and a center stabilizer and see how that goes.
Happy camping,
elizabeth
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eabc5454
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08/03/11 09:19pm |
Travel Trailers
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