phil-l
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Re: Roof construction
My experience isn't quite applicable to your situation - but, since no one else has shown up, I'll share it. I have a 2004 Rockwood Roo 25BH - and I have done quite a bit of work on the floor (the previous owner let it sit - water got in through the hybrid bed door and other places). My floor is framed with 1.5" square aluminum tubing, 16" on center for the floor, with foam insulation between the aluminum frame tubes, then layered with thin plywood on both the top and bottom of the frame. The floor additionally has a heavy layer of black plastic tarp-like material on the bottom (sadly, this layer is so watertight that it held water in the floor, contributing to rot). It looks like they used some kind of vacuum press to glue the whole sandwich together. It's basically a good approach - as long as everything stays dry. The dry portions of my floor are in good shape. From what I have seen during my rehab project, the walls and roof of my Roo appear to be framed using the same basic structure - except the walls and roof have different outer and inner layer finish materials. I recently found a soft spot in my roof, so I'll find out more about my roof structure at some point. If you're interested, I can supply some pictures of what my floor structure looks like after removing lots of wet rotten plywood. Send me a private message!153Views0likes0CommentsRe: hybrids that sleep 8-10
Look at the tire/weight/loading sticker, which should be inside your tow vehicle's driver's door jamb. It will include important things like the vehicle's GVWR ("Gross Vehicle Weight Rating": The most the tow vehicle can weigh after loading it up, including passengers, cargo, fuel, etc.). It will also have GAWR ("Gross Axle Weight Rating") figures for front and rear. Keep in mind that "dry weight" refers to the weight of a trailer *before* adding things like cargo (clothes, sleeping bags, kitchen gear) and other supplies (food, propane, water in the tanks). So the "dry weight" is lowest weight the trailer will ever be; it will always weigh more when you add your gear. Camping trailers often make it easy to put more stuff inside, which is a problem when you're trying to fit within a weight rating. There are many discussions on this forum about weight concerns and towing; I won't try to repeat them here.893Views0likes0CommentsRe: hybrids that sleep 8-10
I have a Rockwood Roo 25BH; quad bunks in the rear with a front fold-out hybrid bed, plus couch and dinette beds. No slide. Some thoughts: - Yes, it's an older model. No one seems to make quad bunk hybrids anymore. Our goal, after several years with a popup: A bed for each kid that doesn't need to become a couch or dinette during the day. Of course, I don't have 6 kids - but it does have a theoretical sleeping capacity is 10, presuming a fair number are kids. - Its GVWR is 6500, but dry weight is probably within 4500 (sorry, haven't weighed it). - I got a deal on it ($5000) because it had the infamous soft floor from prior water damage. I'm willing to work on it, so I am happy with it. But I have learned: Hybrid bunk doors leak. The big problem isn't while camping - it's while the unit is stored. In my experience, you *must* have some kind of additional water protection (a cover!) to avoid problems over the winter. - Pay close attention to your vehicle's realistic tow capacity - and be sure to allow for the weight of passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle. For many larger tow vehicles with a family inside, you'll end up exceeding the rear axle rating before you reach the tow rating. Be safe! - Our family has been happy with the layout: Good internal storage; decent for meal preparation. - We have taken bikes inside (we've put 4 between the bunks without problem). Your bike count is bigger than ours!886Views0likes0CommentsRe: Travel Trailer Tires
Another thought: I recently purchased an older camper that originally came with 14" tires that needed to be replaced. I quickly discovered that 14" tires are no longer as common a size as when the camper was new. After some careful measurement, I determined that current 15" tires and wheels would fit my camper without modification (i.e., same bolt pattern and there was enough clearance). If your trailer can handle it, I highly recommend this approach: I got tires with a higher weight rating than 14" tires. Another reason I took this approach: If I were to need a new tire while on the road, I'll likely find 15" tires in stock without problem. 14" tires can still be found, but I suspect many tire shops will have to order them.545Views0likes0CommentsRe: towing with family
Some quick checking indicates that the 2005 Armada towing capacity is more like 9000 (depending on specific equipment; requires optional tow package; check your vehicle). More problematic: It looks like it has a payload capacity of 1693 pounds (according to Edmunds; check your vehicle's details). By the time for you account for the trailer's tongue weight (could be 900+ pounds for a properly-balanced 6600 pound trailer), you'll rapidly run out of cargo capacity as you add passengers and cargo to the Armada. While I couldn't verify this, it looks like the 2005 Nissan Armada has a rear axle rating of 4200 pounds; the Armada has a curb weight of about 5500 pounds. It's surprising how quickly you reach the axle limit figure when towing with family on board. For reference, I recently faced a similar problem with a family of 5 and looking to upgrade our camping equipment. We opted for a 2005 Suburban 2500 (5500 pound rear axle; 2527 pound payload; 7600 pound towing capacity, a realistically usable figure even with family on board).442Views0likes0CommentsRe: longevity of the 3.5L ecoboost engine
Quick somewhat-related question: How did you rent a pickup truck such that it allowed towing? Every vehicle I've rented (well, short of box trucks) came with an agreement that specifically prohibited towing a trailer. Test-towing a trailer before buying the tow vehicle sounds like a great idea.404Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow Mirrors for 2004 3/4 ton Suburban
APT wrote: $155 Ebay Interesting: The info within the auction link supplied by APT above claims that these mirrors fit the Suburban 1500 - but *NOT* the Suburban 2500. Can anyone confirm if this is really correct? I just picked up a 2005 Suburban 2500 this weekend, so this topic is timely for me.439Views0likes0CommentsRe: where to replace popup trailer tires?
One item to consider: Many automotive shops do not have the correct equipment to balance trailer wheel/tire combinations. Most trailer wheels are "lug centric", while most automotive wheels are "hub centric". This matters when balancing. Feel free to Google something like "trailer wheel lug centric hub balance" for more info. I had to hunt around to find a shop with a lug-centric balancing machine. Of course, after surveying a number of pop-ups and many other trailers, I'm one of the few who bothers to balance trailer wheel/tire combinations...617Views0likes0CommentsRe: How Fast For 12 Inch Tires
One item to consider in this situation: I upgraded my utility trailer to 5.30 x 12 tires to buy some extra load margin. This size should fit the same wheels as a 4.80 x 12 tire. I've got thousands miles, mostly long trips on the highway, with widely varying loads on these tires - and no problems. In my experience, bearings aren't a problem, even for the low-end utility trailer kits. My bearings are still original from 1992 - but get re-greased regularly. 5.30 x 12 tires are a fairly cheap and easy upgrade that makes the typical low-end utility trailer kit much more capable for long trips.4.6KViews0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Dec 15, 201444,028 Posts
