Accessories for a new TC?
Yesterday, I went to a decent TC dealer (Princess Craft), to look around. I've been on the fence between a "B", a short "C" and a TC. However, the nice thing about a TC is upkeep costs. Here in Tex...
Forum Discussion
Thank you for the insight. Again, I'm new to this so I appreciate the wisdom.
The reason I'm looking at a Companion is versatility down the line. I don't have another eu2000i, but if I chose to go that route, pairing would be easier with just two cables. I -think- the eu2000i alone can power a 11k BTU A/C, as per forum posts (I try to always make some searches, but there are always opinion questions that are nice to know, because a thumbs up or down by people who have actually used a product are worth gold sometimes.)
Having the 30A plug with the Companion is mainly for convenience. However, this isn't set in stone, and a "regular" eu2000is coupled with an adapter would provide enough amps to do the job as well.
I should have stated a bed mat is a must. That is what the dealer recommended, and would be part of the sale. Right now, I have a drop-in bed liner for the old truck I have, so I'll end up removing that because it would be way too slippery to safely mount a TC.
The Torklift tie-downs seem to be the best of breed. The others I've seen appear to be ankle-smashers, and seem to require a lot of drilling. So, I'll go with the Torklift models. Again, a little bit more expensive, but this is a one time expense, and I want to do it right.
The tires are a good point. OEM tires on some models of pickups are a joke, so I'd be replacing them soonish anyway, so going with the highest load capacity I can find for the size is wise. Similar with the rear sway bar.
I am partial to the Fastguns for the speed of use, and the price I was offered is less than Amazon... although they are more expensive than normal turnbuckles, they should be a one-time purchase. Locking them is mainly to discourage idle nuisances. Not really for TC theft, but to keep idle hands from fiddling with it.
For the springs, I'm going to see about a shop that knows what they are doing, so it is done right. I consider airbags critical because as pointed out, they allow easy adjusting of the ride.
As for the generator, the inboard genset is useful when going from place to place on a long trip, as propane bottles can be exchanged. However, for serious boondocking in Texas heat, I'd use up two 20# bottles by the second day. For run life, assuming the A/C runs from a 2000 watt model, nothing beats the Honda coupled with an extended run tank. Plus, when done, the remaining gas can be dumped into the truck's (it will almost certainly be a gasser -- personal preference unless a gasoline engine just isn't up to snuff) tank so the fuel isn't wasted.
The reason I'm looking at a Companion is versatility down the line. I don't have another eu2000i, but if I chose to go that route, pairing would be easier with just two cables. I -think- the eu2000i alone can power a 11k BTU A/C, as per forum posts (I try to always make some searches, but there are always opinion questions that are nice to know, because a thumbs up or down by people who have actually used a product are worth gold sometimes.)
Having the 30A plug with the Companion is mainly for convenience. However, this isn't set in stone, and a "regular" eu2000is coupled with an adapter would provide enough amps to do the job as well.
I should have stated a bed mat is a must. That is what the dealer recommended, and would be part of the sale. Right now, I have a drop-in bed liner for the old truck I have, so I'll end up removing that because it would be way too slippery to safely mount a TC.
The Torklift tie-downs seem to be the best of breed. The others I've seen appear to be ankle-smashers, and seem to require a lot of drilling. So, I'll go with the Torklift models. Again, a little bit more expensive, but this is a one time expense, and I want to do it right.
The tires are a good point. OEM tires on some models of pickups are a joke, so I'd be replacing them soonish anyway, so going with the highest load capacity I can find for the size is wise. Similar with the rear sway bar.
I am partial to the Fastguns for the speed of use, and the price I was offered is less than Amazon... although they are more expensive than normal turnbuckles, they should be a one-time purchase. Locking them is mainly to discourage idle nuisances. Not really for TC theft, but to keep idle hands from fiddling with it.
For the springs, I'm going to see about a shop that knows what they are doing, so it is done right. I consider airbags critical because as pointed out, they allow easy adjusting of the ride.
As for the generator, the inboard genset is useful when going from place to place on a long trip, as propane bottles can be exchanged. However, for serious boondocking in Texas heat, I'd use up two 20# bottles by the second day. For run life, assuming the A/C runs from a 2000 watt model, nothing beats the Honda coupled with an extended run tank. Plus, when done, the remaining gas can be dumped into the truck's (it will almost certainly be a gasser -- personal preference unless a gasoline engine just isn't up to snuff) tank so the fuel isn't wasted.
