Questions after first trip out

[rainy029]

Had our first trip with our "new" (to us) TT. Have a few little details to work out. One of the issues is our dogs and the door. We need to put something on the bottom half of our screen door to keep the dogs from "running thru" the screen. I don't want to block airflow though. But will the outside door shut with something in there. The old PUP had the metal on the bottom so this wasn't a issue before.

Our kitchen faucet drips. Like it doesn't shut off completely every time. It is a metal one. Do we need to get one made for a RV or can we get a house one like at Lowes?

And the biggest issue is... weight distribution bars or sway bars.. we know of them but not about them

The guy we bought the TT said we didn't need them. We think differently. We tow a 17ft tri-hull boat also. It doesn't have them. We took the camper to the same lake that we take the boat to. So we know the road and the boat trailer's pull on the truck. The camper did not sway from side to side. But when we went over the railroad tracks, or the bridges. It would "tug" on the hitch. Like bounce the truck. Not bad though. But it isn't smooth like the boat. We know the TT is heavier than the boat and is not gonna pull the same. The truck's rear end does not squat when hooked to the camper.

What is the difference between weight distribution bars and sway bars? And how do we know what weight to get?

[gmw_photos]

My screen door actually has a groove or track on the inside. It is about a 3/16" track. I found thin plexiglass at Lowes's and cut it to fit, and it snaps right in the track. It has gotten scratched from the dog pawing at it, but it still works fine at protecting the screen.

[dadmomh]

Believe CW or others sell the screen door mesh protector....sounds like you've already had an issue with that. Frustrating. Not expensive and easy to install.

RV faucets definitely aren't what you'd call top of the line. We replaced the faucet in our new TT after 1 trip and a constant dripping. Lowe's or HD, standard household faucet. Only problem is that you need a contortionist to install it. Otherwise, just don't mess with trying to fix the old one.

Yes, a good WDH with sway. Towing a TT is completely different than a boat. There are several good brands...Equalizer is very popular and what we had on our HTT. When we moved to our new TT, we got the Blue Ox 1000 and DH likes it even better. You can view a couple of videos on their website. Cost was within $50 of each other. Others will likely suggest brands they've used with good results, just make sure it's a good one.

Happy Camping!

[Dick_B]

I'd bet the hitch weight of the boat is far beyond the 12 to 15% recommended for TT's which would make it ride differently.

[campin_in_the_r]

To save the screen door from the dog at our home we use one of these.

We haven't had issues with the dog in the trailer because he is usually on a cable outside with us or he is passed out in his bed inside the trailer.

For the RV you would have to modify one of those screen protectors which may present difficulty so something like a sheet of expanded aluminum might be a better option because it will likely be easier to modify and then you can apply it with some rain-gutter down-spout screws (probably with washers).

[Old-Biscuit]

Screen grill

RV faucet.......most are plastic throw away junk. Replace with a good quality one from ANY hardware store

[RoyF]

To protect the bottom half of my screen door, I went to a building supply store. In the lighting department, I found a rectangular piece of plastic designed to cover the florescent lights in ceiling fixtures. I cut one to the the right size and drilled holes for sheet metal screws. Use short screws so as not to go all the way through the screen door.

[naturist]

No need to replace the faucet. Should be fixable with a new washer, just like faucet at home. Should you need to replace the faucet, one from Lowe's or Home Depot is fine. It's all standard plumbing at the sink, it's just the piping that is different.

Your boat, besides probably being lighter, is also not the aerodynamic hog that the TT is. Whether you need a weight distributing hitch depends on whether your tow vehicle sags in the back when the tongue weight is applied. A little bit is expected, but you don't want the front wheels being picked up.

Sway bars are another matter, although some WDHs use the same bars for anti-sway. You would know whether you needed either/both based upon the rig's handling as you tow. If the rear of the TV sags, it is likely to also cause a certain "directional instability," in the form of the trailer wagging the tow vehicle. This comes from the tongue weight lifting the front wheels a bit, as well as from the rocking/swaying of the TT itself. If your rig feels like it is trying to dart side to side, or you just feel unstable, then the weight distribution and/or anti-sway would be called for. If not, no need for them, as they are not free.

[robsouth]

rainy029 wrote:
Had our first trip with our "new" (to us) TT. Have a few little details to work out. One of the issues is our dogs and the door. We need to put something on the bottom half of our screen door to keep the dogs from "running thru" the screen. I don't want to block airflow though. But will the outside door shut with something in there. The old PUP had the metal on the bottom so this wasn't a issue before.you can use plexiglas with holes drilled, hardware cloth, etc.

Our kitchen faucet drips. Like it doesn't shut off completely every time. It is a metal one. Do we need to get one made for a RV or can we get a house one like at Lowes?You can replace it with one from Lowe's, Home Depot etc. just measure the width between the cold and hot water feeds, or even better, take the old one with you.

And the biggest issue is... weight distribution bars or sway bars.. we know of them but not about them

The guy we bought the TT said we didn't need them. We think differently. We tow a 17ft tri-hull boat also. It doesn't have them. We took the camper to the same lake that we take the boat to. So we know the road and the boat trailer's pull on the truck. The camper did not sway from side to side. But when we went over the railroad tracks, or the bridges. It would "tug" on the hitch. Like bounce the truck. Not bad though. But it isn't smooth like the boat.More information needed here. Weight of camper, type of hitch in use, length of camper, etc.

What is the difference between weight distribution bars and sway bars? And how do we know what weight to get?

Weight distribution bars are used to help move some of the weight on the ball of the hitch to the front axles of the tow vehicle. This helps you remain level, and take weight off the rear of the truck. Sway bars are of two types. Friction control is a supplemental bar to the WD bars and depends on friction to help keep the sway to a minimun. Some WD bars (equailizer hitch, etc have the sway control built in so you do not need extra friction bars.

[WayneAt63044]

A weight distribution hitch will move some of the trailer tongue weight off the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Too much weight on the rear of the truck will make it "porpoise" or buck in an up and down motion. Anti-sway devices help eliminate sideways movement like when an oncoming vehicle passes you and you feel the trailer pushed sideways requiring a steering correction. You need to know your tongue weight to know which weight bars to get. If you can still read the sticker on your trailer, look at the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and get a hitch system with bars just above 15% of the GVWR. As a guess, based on the age & length of your trailer, 1,000 lbs bars would probably work OK.

[Dog_Folks]

We have used screen grill for years now, and they work well for all kinds of dogs. It mounts of the inside of the screen door.

Link here: Screen Grill