travelandy
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Re: Brake controller install
Oops! Sorry! Like I said - I'm new to this part. It's a Reese Brakeman Digital and the TV is a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder, so no "plug and play". I've got it wired up but had not run a ground wire from the battery so I'm wondering if it's really necessary to go this route. Thanks, Andy347Views0likes0CommentsBrake controller install
Getting ready to install my first brake controller (Never needed trailer brakes till now) and the controller comes with a short ground wire that has a ring terminal already installed. But ... the instructions say to attach it to the battery terminal. I've always thought that a good solid ground was enough and that it wasn't necessary to go all the way to the battery. Am I missing something? And why did they put a ring terminal on a short wire if they wanted me to go to the battery terminal? How have some of you folks done it? Andy2.2KViews0likes10CommentsBonaire trailer
We've been looking at used lightweight travel trailers and we've run across an ad for a 2002 19 ft. "Bonaire Snugo". I've never heard of the brand nor can I find any info on it and I wonder if anyone on the forum is familiar with these. The picture does seem to show an "E" on the end of the name, so it is "Bonaire" and not "Bonair". I would appreciate any info you can pass along. Our other choice is a 1989 19 ft. Taylor Coach - a brand that is, by all accounts, an extremely well made (Right here in Ontario!) TT and reasonably light weight but the "Snugo" is newer and has a couple of useful options (A/C and heater)which may make it the better deal for us since the price difference between the two is only $700 - A/C for a TT around here is around $1,200 installed. Thanks for any info. Andy7.3KViews0likes9CommentsRe: First travel trailer
Thanks for the info, Soundguy. A couple of items there that I hadn't thought about. As a buyer of old motorcycles, I am only too aware of the hazards of old tires and am well versed in checking the production date. One of them claims to have new tires and rims. That makes me think it may have sat in a park somewhere for awhile, although that's just speculation on my part. I think I'll go see the closer on first and if it looks good, I may just go with it. The only other interesting unit to show up is a 21 ft. Trail-Lite Bantam (1999)which is a hybrid. Equipped as the other two, but I have concerns over another trailer with fabric to worry about. Never had a problem but, with my luck ... Thanks, Andy267Views0likes0CommentsFirst travel trailer
We've used campers before but now that we're retired and somewhat older, the thought of putting up a camper when we're tired or if it's raining just isn't very attractive. So, we've decided to go the travel trailer route. We're presently looking to go see a couple of local trailers for sale (privately), both of which happen to be 21 ft. Aero Lite trailers. I'm wondering if there's anything special we should be looking for beyond the usual checks for leakage, water damage or soft spots. I've heard that certain brands occasionally were prone specific problems but I haven't heard anything about these. One is a 1997 the other a 1998 so obviously they'll have to be checked out carefully. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Andy2.4KViews0likes7CommentsRe: First travel trailer
tatest wrote: Starting out with "do I buy XXX as a tow vehicle" to tow something "I don't know what it is going to be" is the wrong way to approach the problem, from my experience. The more limited your budget, the less freedom you have to make big mistakes. Starting with "this is the tow vehicle I want to buy" is the biggest mistake, in my experience. Thanks for the tips and so sorry to hear about your wife. Unfortunately, up here in the Great White North, many things are quite a bit more expensive to buy than in the U.S. Even a half decent van conversion was way out of our budget range. Basically, any such vehicle with less than a 160,000 km (100,000 mi,) and less than 10 years old was into the $17,000 to $20,000 range or more. We did, however, check out what we felt we needed space-wise, etc. and settled on a travel trailer in the 17 ft. to 19 ft. range. We had previously stayed in TT's of this size (rented) when our kids were younger and still at home. Living in one would have been problematic, but we were just using it as a "motel room" and spending our days elsewhere. Once we decided on that, I looked into what TV could safely tow this size and weight TT while staying within our budget. The Pathfinder came closest and in this case we were able to get one in excellent condition even though it was an '04. Again, we are looking for a place to sleep and eat and occasionally relax between runs to various touristy areas. We really don't need a huge living space and there's no way we want to spend the $20,000 or more (more likely) to buy a pickup and larger heavier trailer. The HiLo caught my eye because when I checked out figures, I discovered that for some years, the weights were at or under 3,000 lbs for the 21 footers, which after all my calculations, gave us a reasonably good margin of safety. I realize that it's not the perfect solution, but I feel is a workable one and ,well, it is the one we can afford. Worst case scenario is that we don't like it and have to sell the TT at a loss. I'd rather be trying to unload a $3,000 to $4,000 TT (More potential buyers) than a $10,000 to $12,000 one. A lot less funds at risk. And as I've said , but will repeat, we have used TT's in this size and we were satisfied with them for the use at the time. I wouldn't want to park it in Florida or Arizona to live in for 4 or 5 months, but that's not our plan. We will travel, stop here and there to rest and to visit and then be on our way. Not a huge difference, I realize, but we feel it is workable and worth trying. Andy418Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Feb 18, 202544,025 Posts
