New 2003 Trail-Lite

[slydog75]

Hi all, I just purchased a 2003 Trail-lite travel trailer. It's in overall good condition but needs a number of replacement parts (mainly exterior covers and vents). It also appears that the tank monitors and battery monitor aren't working (the tanks are all empty but 2of them register as at least half full and there is no battery at all right now but it reads as 75% charge).

I'm very new to campers, what's my best source for finding the right parts and getting the monitors working? I found the site http://www.r-visioncamping.org/ but it seems to be dead (I tried to register yesterday but never received the activation email).




Thanks for your time

[TheFrailer]

We've been full timing a 2003 Trail Lite 5th wheel for about 3 months now. The holding tank lights kinda come and go as far as working. FWIW.... you can look down the toilet and see when the black water holding tank is full and tell when the gray water tank is full when it back up in the shower. That said, we kinda know when they reach capacity. We dump out about every 3-4 days.

Judging by you picture, you might want to think about painting your roof. At the very least, give it a good cleaning and inspection. We cleaned and painted our roof with Henry Tropi-cool 887HS, as we live in Florida.

We've only been in it a little over three months and have already put about 1800 miles on it. Loving it so far, hope you do too!

[Mike_Taverniti]

We had a 2002 Traill L ite. It was a very solid RV. Routine maintenance and you will be satisfied. Enjoy.

[SoundGuy]

slydog75 wrote:
I just took a look and the refrigerator is a Dometic RM2551.

There are a couple of different styles of Dometic fridge vent covers but if you remove your old one, measure between the holes and find them to be 21.75" and 4.25" apart then this Ventmate 65528 will fit.

Thanks for downsizing your pics but the aspect ratio is a bit off ... you can set width and height separately in your link with "height=xxx""width=xxx" ... preview before you post and you'll see exactly what you have.

[slydog75]

SoundGuy wrote:


Your pic files are too large, causing the page to scroll ... try posting smaller sized images..

Sorry, should be better now.

SoundGuy wrote:


The roof vent for the fridge is make specific - Dometic or Norcold - so identify just which make / model of fridge you have ... new vents are available through any RV dealer's parts store or online. Same for the A/C shroud - you have an older Doemtic Brisk Air A/C so that's ***Link Removed***.

Excellent, thanks! I just took a look and the refrigerator is a Dometic RM2551. Would this be right: ***Link Removed***

Edit: Looks like there's a minimum post count to post links? The link is to an ebay auction for a Dometic Refrigerator RV Roof Vent Lid Cover Ventmate . Looks like the same part but I don't know if there are minor variations that wouldn't be obvious.

[SoundGuy]

slydog75 wrote:
Updated my OP with a couple pics.

Your pic files are too large, causing the page to scroll ... try posting smaller sized images.

In the trailer pic, you can see the cracked refrigerator vent cover. The AC cover is cracked as well.

The roof vent for the fridge is make specific - Dometic or Norcold - so identify just which make / model of fridge you have ... new vents are available through any RV dealer's parts store or online. Same for the A/C shroud - you have an older Doemtic Brisk Air A/C so that's the shroud you'll need.

[rbtglove]

There is an R-Vision Forum you might want to try -http://r-visioncamping.org/, to find manuals and info on where to get parts. Had too Trail-Lites. Vents covers are standard RV stuff. The tank gauges are a problem and need you need to clean tanks regularly to keep them working. Might try putting a couple bags 0f ice in the tanks and drive around then dump and hose out good. I generally just go to Sam's and get a big 12 volt battery. Good luck with your new trailer.

[coolmom42]

slydog75 wrote:
Thanks all, I'll post some pics of the parts I need soon. Yes, the readings on the meters were all taken while connected to 'shore' power (boat terminology?)

westend wrote:
By law, you need a working battery when pulling the trailer if you have electric brakes. It's essential for powering the emergency break-away switch for your brakes.

Wow, I did not know that. What's a good battery to get for these?

The battery you need depends on your intended use. If you expect to use the RV where you always have shore power, almost any 12V battery will do, and an inexpensive one will get you legal.

If you expect to use the trailer with no electric available, you need to invest in a single good quality, good size battery, or a pair of 6V golf cart batteries.

Read the link suggested above, the 12V side of life. It is a very helpful site. After that, you will have a better handle on your battery needs.

[slydog75]

Updated my OP with a couple pics. In the trailer pic, you can see the cracked refrigerator vent cover. The AC cover is cracked as well. Then there's a missing vent on the right front. Anyone know the parts I need off the top of their head? Or what key words to search for?

[rbpru]

As stated you need a battery to run the break-away switch. It will be a deep discharge type not an automobile battery. The important thing is to not fix what is not broken.

I get most of my TT needs from the eBay or Amazon and there are also numerous trailer oriented web sites.

You will need a basic understanding of how things are supposed to work, then you can figure out why it is not working. This board can be a real help there.

[slydog75]

Thanks all, I'll post some pics of the parts I need soon. Yes, the readings on the meters were all taken while connected to 'shore' power (boat terminology?)

westend wrote:
By law, you need a working battery when pulling the trailer if you have electric brakes. It's essential for powering the emergency break-away switch for your brakes.

Wow, I did not know that. What's a good battery to get for these?

[westend]

By law, you need a working battery when pulling the trailer if you have electric brakes. It's essential for powering the emergency break-away switch for your brakes.

[GrandpaKip]

Congratulations.
I believe the Trail-lite organization folded a couple of years back.
Black and grey tank monitors hardly ever work. Can't speak for your battery monitor, but you probably should have a battery installed.
I had a 2007 Trail-lite 23QB that we loved until it started to delaminate. It had too much water intrusion that I knew nothing about until it was too late.
All the covers and vents are not trailer specific. They can be bought from most any RV supplier.

[gbopp]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your TT.

If you're very new, there is a lot to learn but, it's fun stuff.
Don't get too concerned about the tank sensors not working properly. They're not known for always being accurate.

I assume you are plugged into shore power?
The battery should be charged and all connections clean and tight before you start to diagnose any electrical problems.

Read The 12 Volt Side of Life, it may help you understand the 12 volt system a little better.

Many of the parts you need can be found on Amazon. Decide what you need and start looking.
Don't hesitate to ask questions on the forum, there is a lot of experience and information available.

I think the first important thing is, check your roof for leaks, rips or possible problems. A small leak can cause a lot of damage if not repaired quickly.

Eternabond and Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant are two of the best products for rubber roof maintenance and repair.