New to me TT have some questions

Integritas wrote:
Okay this is going to a bunch at once! We just got a new to us TT. it is a 23' Fleetwood Pioneer. I have a 2018 F150 with Max tow package. I am hoping this is going to be sufficient. I will check the truck rating later today. The trailer is 6600 GVRW.

We took out the couch that folds out to a bed, AND took out one side of the dinette. I am getting some captains chairs today to put in those areas. Not sure if that will change the weight or not by removing those things. I hope it was okay to do so. We will not have anyone going with us anywhere and we thought the space would be nicer for us than additional sleeping area.

I am wondering...... I got pads for the leveling jacks, but am wondering if putting them on blocks would be a good idea so we don't have to extend the jacks all the way?

I got an electric tongue jack I will be adding this weekend, any tips on that?

I am thinking solar would be a good thing to put on to keep the batteries topped off if it is not plugged in, any recommendations?

I will need to put a new AC system on it after this winter because the previous owners removed the system because it failed. Any recommendations for a good economical system?

I changed all the light bulbs to LED bulbs and hope that helps a little bit with power consumption. Trying to make it as good as possible for us! We will be traveling around mostly the west coast to courses and competitions for our company. Just 2 of us.

Thanks for any input you might be able to give!

The tow rating of the F150 depends on how it was built. Things like reg. cab, ext. cab, crew cab, 2 or 4 WD, engine etc. all make a difference on the towing capacity. Your truck owners manual has the max tow rating listed. If you can't find it look in the Trailer life towing guide which has most all configurations listed. I'm guessing you'll be fine towing a 23' 6600 lb. trailer with a proper weight distribution hitch setup.

Its OK to remove and replace furniture and yes it will affect the total unloaded weight of the trailer. The GVWR is set by the TT mfg. and won't change. If you like, You can get the trailer weighed at some truck stops, local trash dump, highway weigh station etc.

Pads for the stabilizing jacks are fine, I have the plastic lego type blocks but found they break very easily so I use 6x6 wood blocks with mine so jacks don't have to extend more than needed. Also as mentioned, bring extra blocks. I have a stack of 2x6's I bring since you never know how level the ground will be where you camp.

As mentioned, put a proper sized fuse inline when you install the electric tongue jack.

Most smaller TT's use a 13,500 BTU A/C unit. they are pretty standard and will fit in the same rooftop opening.

I too changed all my interior lighting to LED's which cut down of amp draw and generate less heat.
(Note to Bill & Kate, Let me know which LED lights you have that are too bright. I have bought LED's 2X so far and both sets are still too dim for an old fart like me.)

Can't help much with a solar charger as I keep TT plugged in at home for charging and don't camp anywhere without power. I do have 1.5A solar chargers on my 2 other trailers (car and dump) to keep them topped off. Picked them up at HF store a couple years ago.

My two cents on your concerns:
We use scrap wood for stabilization jacks and under tires for leveling. I trash pick 2 x 6, 8, and 10's and cut them about a foot long with 45 deg angle on each end. I also have an assortment of 4x4, 4x6, and 6x6 blocks for under the tongue jack and under the stabilizers - as you say, the less you extend the stabilizers, the sturdier they will be. I prefer plain lumber (especially cedar) to pressure treated as it is lighter, and if it splits you can use it for kindling wood.
The electric tongue jack is well worth it to me. As said, when you install it make sure you have a slow blow fuse or a circuit beaker in the hot feed. Also pay close attention to the grounding. Most of them are grounded through the bolts to the trailer frame, and those connections corrode frequently. I usually run a separate ground wire from a screw on the power head direct to the battery.
A small solar panel to keep the battery topped off can work well, and can easily be installed. More important would be a battery isolation switch to disconnect the battery to avoid all the parasitic loads. A full blown solar system for power when boon docking is much more involved and expensive.
Any of the name brand RV air conditioners will install in the same hole you have, and use the same AC power wiring. There might be a difference in the wiring for a remote thermostat, so check what you have first.
LED lamps work well, but we had trouble finding ones that gave the color of light we like - most were too bright white for us old farts ....

Solar charging can work, but also remember when it's cloudy and cool, or even raining, you use the power but solar will not produce much.

A small generator can really help at times. Two batteries will only need less than an hour a day of generator to keep things up.

Get a battery voltage meter with two decimal places and observe the battery voltage when power usage is low. (Not while running the furnace). You will learn how long your batteries last this way.

Blocks and pads in combination can make it easier. Every so often run them out just so you know it works well.

I'll answer one of your questions? The stabilizer jacks: Bring along extra blocks, if that be Lynx plastic lego style or lumber. The less you have to extend the stabilizer jacks, the more stabil and the less rocking you'll experience. I think a photo saved a thousand words. Here's some situation we found ourselves in over the years and I was glad I had the extra lumber:

"I am thinking solar would be a good thing to put on to keep the batteries topped off if it is not plugged in, any recommendations?"

Not just "topping off" but rather solar should fully recharge your batteries almost every day. I suggest any of the big names, that you do any energy survey to determine your probable AH use each day then multiply by 1.5., buy batteries at least twice that number and that you have at least one solar watt per battery AH.

"changed all the light bulbs to LED bulbs and hope that helps a little bit with power consumption."

Won't help a "little bit." It will hugely help reduce power use.

Your plans so far are going to be good for off grid, boondocking situations. Dont forget to have sufficient battery capacity. There are all sorts of formulas to aid tou in figuring that out. AC? Not going to work off grid, so pick a 13.5K BTU Dometic, set it in place and move on.
As for the truck trailer combination? Should be fine. Even a low load capacity f150 is capable of handling 6600 pounds easy enough.
Electric tongue jack? Personally I never saw a need. But if your doing it, be sure to add an inline fuse to protect things