I'm new!! Dumb questions alert... :)

Hi there,

I have bought a 2000 Coleman Timberlake yesterday and am camping this weekend. Nothing liking jumping into a lake before you can swim!! And it's my first pop-up / camper! I have had boats and know my way around a bit in terms of calking, electrics, etc., but am definitely in virgin territory. At least the camper is in very good shape with all new canvas and an awning and looks very clean inside. I still need to test all systems in the driveway or at the campsite.

Ok, so here are my dumb questions... Any help would be greatly appreciated as I just need some basics.

1. Electric Hitch / Brakes - I have a 4-blade round on my Honda van. The PO rigged the old 7 blade to work with a 4-blade round so that all lights work. I'm assuming that I won't have electric brakes going until I have a proper 7 blade out of my van to the 7 blade on the camper, correct? I saw a great video on e-trailer with a list of parts I need for the van.

2. Electric water pump - I have been told by the PO that the electric water pump is bad. Is this difficult to replace? Do I just need it if I am going to a site without electric/water?

I'm assuming it's fairly easy but I don't even know where it's located.

3. Battery - The old deep cycle battery was toast and wouldn't take a charge and was severely corroded. I have the new battery from good old walmart and bought their biggest deep cycle boat battery. Q - 2 black wires were going to positive and once white was going to negative. Is this really the way it goes on RV's? One of the blacks goes to the emergency brak chord that goes to your trailer hitch so I'm assuming it's an electrical switch so positive makes sense.

4. Documentation/manual - Would anyone happen to know where I can get a manual for this camper so I don't have to ask all these dumb questions???

Thanks so much for any and all help. I want to pretend that I know what I'm doing when I set the camper up on Friday. Fat chance on that happening! :)

Looking forwards to helping someone else out here on this great resource when I know a little more than a doughnut.

Take care, Dave

Folding Trailers

20 Replies

davpratt
Explorer
Jul 30, 2014
opnspaces wrote:
two things on the dead 120v outlets.
1) you must be plugged in to 120v at the campground for the outlets to work. The battery will not power them.

2) Check the entire trailer inside and out for GFCI outlets. Press the test button on each one and it should click. No click means it either has no power (plug trailer in) or it is already tripped. Then press the reset button firmly. Make sure you check the outside compartments like the inside of the refrigerator compartment for a GFCI outlet.

We have the twin to your camper and the reset button on theoutlet was a bit tricky to find because it is a white resessed button on a white background... kinda the proverbial polar bear in a blizzard look. Hope you were able to get it working! -Dave
mebirkle
Explorer
Jul 03, 2014
Thanks... I'm at an RV repair place right now and they say it's the whole valve that's bad.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Jul 02, 2014
I don't know the answer on your water heater, but you might want to start a new thread for it. Otherwise many of the readers might miss it as they recognize the original subject and skip over it because they read it before.
Try posting in the tech issues forum and you'll probably get quite a few replies. Just make sure to let them know the make year and model of trailer and model of the water heater if known.
mebirkle
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
Howdy, another question about the new camper.

I have a suburban SW6P water heater. My burner turns on for 30 seconds or so and then just cuts off without really doing any water heating. The pilot also never stays lit after cut off and has to be relit by hand. I got everything working in the driveway and the burner stayed on until the water was piping hot. Now it just cuts off with no real reason.

I swapped gas tanks with the grill and also blew air threw it. I ordered a brush to try to clean out the burner tube. The flame is fairly blue with some orange tinge on the outside.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks everyone!!
davpratt
Explorer
Jun 19, 2014
Oh and on the outlets... ours has one GFi on the outlet on the aisle about half way from the front to the back. Its a white button on a white background so its tricky to see. I found ours when all the outlets lost power at once, but the trailer still had power (main breaker still on). its right in between the two receptacles!
Like others have said we learned lots about our Timberlake the hard way. but I am happly to pass learned lessons on.First thing we learned: In set up swing all the stabilizers out first- and you may have to lower the tongue to be able to swing out the rear stabs. But do not tighten the stabs untill you have popped up. level the trailer side to side then front to back, then crank 'er up. To help with side to side leveling get a BAL leveler, We love ours. If you need help finding one LMK. Just as a reminder I can send you a setup list I worked up a few years back for my DW when she went camping by herself. I put my email addy in the PM. Gotta go Enjoy your Timberlake! -Dave
davpratt
Explorer
Jun 19, 2014
Hi Dave & welcome!as a fellow Dave and a 2000 Timberlake owner WELCOME!!;)i SENT YOU A pm, check it out.Hope you enjoy your Timberlake as much as we have ours (for 11 years!!)Post Questions when you have them. this forum is one of the best I've found... very helpful folks here!Best Wishes & God Bless!
mebirkle
Explorer
Jun 14, 2014
The issue with the 120v outlet was a bad gfi plug which I replaced. I am now figuring out why my hot water Hester pilot light won't stay lit after heating up the water to temp. Fun stuff... I am loving the camper and the experience. I think I am hooked!
opnspaces
Navigator III
Jun 06, 2014
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opnspaces
Navigator III
Jun 06, 2014
two things on the dead 120v outlets.
1) you must be plugged in to 120v at the campground for the outlets to work. The battery will not power them.

2) Check the entire trailer inside and out for GFCI outlets. Press the test button on each one and it should click. No click means it either has no power (plug trailer in) or it is already tripped. Then press the reset button firmly. Make sure you check the outside compartments like the inside of the refrigerator compartment for a GFCI outlet.
bondebond
Explorer
Jun 06, 2014
Welcome to the forum and PUP ownership. Sorry I'm late joining the discussion. There's lots of good advice above and you'll find more as you ask additional questions.

For your PUP's manual, go to this link at Popupportal.com. You'll have to create an account to view the manual but also a site full of good advice and information.

This link is to the 2000 Coleman Repair Parts catalog with description and part numbers. It can be very helpful as a troubleshooting reference as well.

Here's a link to Coleman's 2000 Accessories manual. Nice to know what an option was or if you want to add something "original".

The rest of the manuals you might need are going to come from the manufacturer of that component. The lift system will have a manual, if ever needed but the appliances all came from other manufacturers, such as Suburban, Atwood, Shurflo, etc. Do specific searches for them as needed.

A couple of thoughts on the Centurion converter in your PUP. First, it is not a three stage "smart" charger for your battery. Second, every time I hear people mention Centurion, it is usually in reference to having to replace it because it has partially or fully failed. My suggestion is to be prepared at some point in the future to replace it and certainly be on the lookout for any abhorrent electrical behavior.

Welcome aboard and good luck this weekend. Come back and tell us if you had any opportunities to learn something new, either the hard way or the easy way ;) Most of what I learned came via the hard way.