Chuck_S
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Joined 24 years ago
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Re: Am I making the right hybrid manufacturer decision?
For us camping is sleeping in a tent or tent trailer for which a hybrid qualifies with the added niceties of a nice galley, and bathroom. Different strokes for different folks: my wife refuses to even consider a hard-sided "RV." We have a camper. :) Sleeping under canvas remains paramount for us. Yeah there are compromises including drying the tentage if you have to close up with it's wet. But that's really all there is. Ya gotta make choices. Temperate weather with all the screens open is wonderful. 14 camping seasons in the same 2006 Roo 23SS with just minimal preventive maintenance and tiny repairs. 4 camping seasons prior that in a Coleman Bayside popup which was only replaced because we ran out of room inside. My wife and daughter used every cubic foot of space for their "stuff" and I literally had to keep mine in the truck. We plan to get another 14 seasons out of the Roo. Because of their complexity popups and hybrids are often more expensive than "sleep in a box" trailers so they're not necessarily stepping stones to a RV. -- Chuck625Views0likes0CommentsRe: Similar to your Rig?
I see this thread is still running. I towed a 5000-ish pound 2006 (purchased early in 2005, of course) Roo 23SS at max capacity with my 2002 full frame, 4WD (RWD) 4.0 V6 Explorer for two seasons. 5500 pound max tow rating This Explorer was purchased to tow a 3500 pound popup which it did effortlessly. "I could have had a V8" but the 7200 pound rated V8 seemed excessive for the popup and we never thought we'd buy a hybrid two years later. Never comfortable flogging the V6 up hills and against the wind so it was replaced in 2007 with a full frame 5.4 V8 Expedition with a 9000 pound maximum tow rating. Ran this truck for 180,000 miles until the '17 Expedition. Smallest towing engine yet at 3.5 liters. Even my wife's Subaru has 3.6. :) The Explorer remained in the family another 10 years as my daughter's car. Typical, minor problems with the truck during that time but none related to the drive train which I assume would have been the the result of towing the bigger camper very near max rating. -- Chuck617Views0likes0CommentsRe: Are the newer style Roo and Shamrock bunk doors better?
Leakage around the perimeter of the door has never been a problem for me. Water intrusion of the bed doors seems to be from the bottom seam where the door and door frame meet. Water collects here and is drawn into the door by capillary action. Keep this well caulked to prevent. My front door became delaminated and was replaced by a RV shop a couple of years ago. Didn't fit right when they were done and barely fits right now despite a couple trips back. The large rubber seal along the bottom edge was never fit properly. Keeping an eye on it. Forest River shipped the door to me along with new decals. -- Chuck166Views0likes0CommentsRe: Electric trailer brake control
You write "the truck." Any idea what kind of truck it might be? :) My Fords have all the trailer connections run thru relays and fuses so if any of those are out the connections at the rear won't work. They're also tied to the ignition so the truck has to be running (or at least the key in the On position). Different brands are sometimes different. There are inexpensive trailer connection testers. You can wire this one permanently or just use it as a tester. -- Chuck707Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Mar 12, 202544,028 Posts
