Your Trail Lite is a great little RV.
Since early May we've totaled almost 12,000 miles on our 213 including our 10 week trip to Alaska this summer. We've kept it out of storage until we return from our current trip to our daughter's in VA that will end Tuesday. Then the Phaeton, our "home", comes off it's vacation (storage) of over 4 months and back to work. The 213 takes it's heated inside storage spot over by the end of this coming week. Tomorrow we pickup our two "new" Scottish Terriers, that we are "re-homing" in WV on our way back to the Phaeton. This pair of middle-aged girls will be traveling with us in the years to come.
'06 Phaeton 40' QSH
'14 Ford Flex SEL AWD Toad
'04 R-Vision Trail-Lite 213
Scottiemom's Pet or husband to Dale
RV.net Rallies 13, Other Rallies 21, Escapades 7
Fulltimers since 2005, Where are we?
Our Travel Blog
I've got cataract surgery coming up & my Sweet Bride has some time off work. We'll be putting in another coastal trip soon.
The bed issue seems to have a number of reasonable solutions. I'm trying another one by having some high density foam wedges cut to run the length of the sofa crack, over which the queen air mattress will go. Then on to some of the solutions demonstrated here.
Having TT for the last 25 years, we've never had to consider a toad. While I have a Jeep Wrangler, it weighs 4000#. I'm not so sure I want to add all that bulk. Then again, the notion of peddle bikes etc may have to be explored.
Cheeze: it looks like you regained some major under-box room. I'll have to review the other links to see exactly what the process was.
Thanks everyone for posting.
I just returned from my 50th high school reunion.....not sure whether it was the right place, there were a bunch of old geezers there!!!
Teacher's Pet - You have put on a lot of miles in a short time (Alaska trip). We plan on 2 more outings this summer. We have had 3 already, but much shorter than yours - about 700 miles roundtrip for two and 1,100 miles for one.
2002 Trail-Lite Model 211-S w/5.7 Chevy (click View Profile)
Gene
That's funny about the reunion. Yeah, time flies.
I haven't weighed my 213, maybe someone who has can chime in. Gene (I think) weighed his TL and reported it was a bit over 9,000 lbs. The GCWR (gross combination weight rating) for the chassis is 16,000 lbs. That means that with the right hitch, a 9,000 lb TL would be able to tow up to 7,000 lbs.! But, we only have 3,500 lb. hitches. I looked at the hitch, and the weld attachment is pretty flimsy. I think a good welder could strengthen it to make it effectively a 5,000 lb. hitch. Or a 5,000 lb. hitch could be installed in place of the OEM one. Then you could tow your Wrangler with ease.
I just bought a Ford Focus, about 3,000 lbs., and intend to tow it on our longer trips where we will be sitting for days at a time.
Currently RV-less but not done yet.
It seems reallyREALLY easy to get ready to roll compared to the TT routine.
I'll be checking the towing set ups. The Wrangler already had some frame brackets and wiring installed when I bought it 3 years ago. The previous owners never did get around to towing with their Class A. Personally I'm so relieved to NOT be towing at this point I'm not enthusiastic about a Toad....still, they are handy.....but so is a 23' Trail Lite.
We use REI self inflating mattresses on top of the fold out which allows one to tailor just the right amount of support and they deflate easily for storage. We like what Cheeze1 did but we are going to live with this for another year before we go to demolition mode.
We live in MN, so we have a few more weeks before we need to winterize. But what a great summer we had!
Dennis Siemsen
Cresco, Iowa
2007 Holiday Rambler Augusta 213 B+
thanks for the idea. Are you using them the length from passenger side to driver side, as a lay-on mattress, or along the crack of the sofa as a filler of some type?
Here in western Oregon we're still picking tomatoes but their days are numbered....even had to add a blanket to the summer bed cloths. Season is changing for sure.
Chas Morristown, NJ
Trail Lite
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