terryrey
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Re: How is this for a power system? Solar vs battery balance?
We have an Outfitter Apex 8 with the NovaKool 7.5 CF compressor fridge, two 6 Volt 230AH golf cart batteries (last summer was their 11th season and still going strong!), 375 watts solar, tv / dvd, radio, LED lighting, 1700 watt inverter, and the usual other stuff like AC, propane heat, stove, etc. We also carry a Honda 2000. The one electrical upgrade I made that really made a huge difference in keeping the camper batteries charged was installing a high amp direct charging circuit from the truck directly to the camper batteries! The factory charging circuit may deliver 10 to 12 amps - maybe, because of the small gauge wire. I use 1-0 welding cable and can deliver over 100 amps. Of course the batteries can only accept around 25 amps, but still this allows the batteries to come to a full state of charge in much less time than with the factory charge circuit. If it is sunny 5 or 6 hours a day, while parked, we never run out of battery because the solar keeps up, even with the electrical draw of the compressor fridge, furnace, etc. If it is cloudy or rainy, and we don't run the truck, but do run all of the electrical systems, including furnace (the largest single power draw), we have battery for less than two days. Since we mostly travel where it is sunny (we live in Utah) our economical Interstate battery installation along with solar and high amp charge circuit means that we don't use the generator and always have power to spare. Clouds and/or rain (no sun), however, means that we have to get the generator out by the end of day two, if we stay in one place for several days and don't drive the truck. Terry PS. Be sure to get the aux cooling fan on your NovaKool.463Views0likes0CommentsRe: Whazoo's Trip of a different color
Dave: You are a truly gifted photographer and journalist! I love your trip reports (and your truck and camper...) Every once in a while I think back on my growing up years in Montana - motorcycles, cars, camping, exploring, girls and all of the crazy things we did - and am amazed that I survived to adulthood. However, I think you have me beat in the surviving department. By the way, we were on US395 and the Eastern Sierra in May - part of a 4400 mile, 4 week, 8 state road trip with the truck and camper. Terry865Views0likes0CommentsINTERSTATE 2500HC 6 VOLT BATTERY EXPERIENCE
I currently have installed in my Outfitter Apex 8 two Interstate 6 volt golf cart batteries. They are 6 years old and have given wonderful service, but at some point will have to be replaced. After doing some research online, I have decided that good replacement batteries would be two Interstate 2500HC 6 volt industrial deep cycle batteries. Interstate 6 volt golf cart batteries are also classified as an industrial deep cycle battery, so the same longevity and durability features of the golf cart battery are shared by the 2500HC battery - this was confirmed by Interstate Customer Service. Interstate GC2-XHD Golf Cart batteries are rated at 232 AH (20 Hr rate), weigh 66 lbs, and are 10.25" long X 7.125 wide X 11.125 high. By comparison Interstate 2500HC batteries are rated at 283 AH (20 Hr rate), weight 77 lbs, and are 11.625 long X 7.125 wide X 11.625 high. So for an increase in weight of 11 lbs per battery (22 lbs for two 6v batteries in series) and a slightly larger footprint (which will fit my battery box) the 2500HC's give an extra 51 AH capacity, a 22% increase over the golf cart battery. So the purpose of my post is to ask if anyone has used Interstate 2500HC 6 volt batteries and, if so, what was / is your experience - good, bad...? Thanks for your input...Terry3.2KViews0likes7CommentsRe: Outfitter Apex 9.5 Help
I also agree with Whazoo. I have had my Apex 8 since 2011 and Bob and Outfitter have bent over backwards to answer my question. You get a more prompt response if you call, however. They have made repairs on my camper at no cost to me several times. Please don't be negative about them. They have outstanding customer service!! Also, any owners manuals that is not associated with the structure Outfitter gives the customer the factory manuals at purchase and the factory warranties apply. Do you have the factory manuals? Glad to have another Outfitter owner in the forum...Terry628Views0likes0CommentsRe: LT 285/75R16 Michelin LTX Tires on stock GM Rims
Hi Troutguy: Please find below an excerpt from a previous post I made in July of 2012 about LT 285/75R16 Goodyear tires on 16X6.5 inch wide stock GM PYO forged aluminum wheels: "My Input: My 2007 GMC 2500HD 4X4 D/A CC has put 43,000 miles on Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor 285/75R16 tires mounted on the stock PYO forged aluminum wheels. These are all terrain tires with "durawall" side walls to resist cuts and have a load rating of 3750 lbs at 80psi. The Tire Rack sells these tires for $244 each. Bought locally they cost about $280 mounted and balanced before tax. Loaded with the camper wet and all gear, I carry about 4700 lbs on the front wheels and 6500lbs on the rear and travel extensively off-road, as well as on road. I average between 14 and 16 highway MPG on my truck and camper, I now have an average of just over 5/32" of tread left on the tires and project to get at least the 50,000 miles tread life advertised by Goodyear before reaching the wear indicators in the tread." I, in fact, did get 50,000 miles out of those tires and then bought another exact same set of tires. My truck was always rock solid with no sway, wandering, bouncing or other uncomfortable handling on the highway (at speeds up to 90 mph - passing) and on gravel and off road trails. I did have to modify my suspension to carry the weight of the camper so I did not get "rock and roll" off road. It is true that the tires do bow up a little in the center, but, for these tires at any rate, this did not significantly affect tire life. Based on my experience, 6.5" wide wheels will work just fine with 285/75R16 tires. The problem you will face in going to aftermarket aluminum wheels to get an 8" width is the wheel weight rating seems to top out at 3650 lbs, which is less than the tire weight rating. The stock PYOs can carry about 3800 lbs. Also cast aluminum wheels weigh about 50% more than the forged wheels. Hope this helps...Terry948Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why did the front plug/connection come into being on TCs?
I'm not sure why truck campers plug in at the front - it is a chicken and egg thing for me: The truck manufacturers first put the wiring up front causing camper manufacturers to put the plug-in outlet up front, or visa versa. Probably the front plug-in was selected so the rear trailer plug-in remained available... My preference is to have the camper plug into the rear trailer outlet on the truck - it saves having to add wiring into the bed of the truck. Much simpler that way. Then where does the trailer plug in? Well, my Outfitter Apex 8 was designed and built by folks who really understand truck campers. The camper plugs into the truck's rear trailer outlet and then Outfitter provided an auxiliary outlet on the back of the camper to plug in the trailer. Simple but totally effective. Perhaps all campers should be made with this feature...? Here are a couple of pictures of my Outfitter's connection features. The camper pig tail is on the left and plugs into the truck's rear trailer outlet. The auxiliary trailer outlet is to the right of the door. The red cables on the right are my dedicated high current camper battery charge lines - one positive and one negative. I already had 1/0 cabling run to the rear of the truck for my receiver mounted winch (and also run to the front receiver hitch), so I simply ran #2 gauge cabling into the the camper batteries and used Anderson Power Point connectors to plug them together. Many thanks to Cal Willis for his input and help in adding this feature to my camper. Terry434Views0likes0CommentsRe: Outfitter camper
I believe Outfitter now installs only manual holding tank valves on their campers. Bob told me they did that because the electric ones were unreliable. My 20ll with cassette and 7.5CF NovaKool compressor fridge (375W solar and many other options and modifications) has a manual valve for the grey tank (cassette doesn't need one). Please check with Outfitter to confirm. You can also get a new Apex 8.5 with a four 6V battery capacity compartment located under the rear dinette seat. - 460AH. You can't beat an Outfitter for features, customization, capability, storage room, off-road capability, and comfort in a pop-up! They are not cheap, but for what you get are price competitive. Terry PS. The bed-drawer is a perfect large clothing storage drawer - meets the storage needs for for the two of us for any length trip we undertake and will handle clothes for three when we have someone on the dinette bed.473Views0likes0CommentsRe: Outfitter camper
Hi Sepeman: I also have an Outfitter Apex 8 (2011 model) and love it. I carry it on a short bed 2007 Classic GMC 2500HD, Duramax & Allison, 4X4, CC. If you click on the "Advanced Search" feature and then put in "terryrey" in the Author box (leave the "key words" box blank) and then select "Archive - more than 1 year ago" in the date posted drop down and search you will see many of my posts on my Outfitter, including modifications, new owners report, first year's owner's report, and others. Maybe these will give you some additional insight into an Outfitter Apex 8. Terry473Views0likes0CommentsRe: Score one for the weight police :)
This is an issue that many of us worry about and based on what I have been able to find out the only sure fire way to get a wheel rated (3750 lbs or more) for the load many of us carry on our SRW truck camper is to go with 19.5's, but many of us don't want the ride 19.5's give. Notice I said wheel, since we can buy tires that have sufficient load ratings. There are low pressure cast aluminum aftermarket wheels rated as much as 3650 lbs, but experience in our TC community has taught us that these cast wheels can break even when loads are within the wheel specs. Forged aluminum wheels on the other hand seem to hold up to the high loads much better, but I have not been able to find 16" X 8" 8 lug (8" width needed for 285/75-16 tires) aftermarket forged wheels with a load rating even close to 3750 lbs. I would love to be able to find and buy my "perfect wheel" - forged aluminum 16" X 8" with 8 X 6.5" lug spacing, 4.5" backspacing, 0 offset, and 116.7mm hub bore (hub centric). Does anyone know where such a wheel might be found, even if it is lug centric and not hub centric? I would even change tire diameter to 17" or 18" if such a wheel could be found. If not, then I would like to get the opinion of our TC community on the feasibility of the the following, somewhat unique, out of the box, solution to my "perfect wheel". My thought has been to do the following, with cost not being a factor, only performance and durability: Take two sets of GM stock PYO 16" X 6.5" forged aluminum wheels and cut / machine the outside rim lip off of both sets. Then weld the cut off rim lip from one set onto the wheel of the other set, sized to give an 8" rim width. This would create a forged aluminum wheel specifically designed to fit my 8 lug GMC truck, but with an 8" rim width to meet the 8" width specified for 285/75-16 tires. Although the PYO wheels do not have an official weight rating, it is accepted by many that they can hold 3800 lbs. In fact, I have, as have many others, run stock PYO's and 285/75-16"s for over 60,000 miles with 6800 lbs on the rear axle (on and off road), which gives me great confidence that the PYO's can carry the load. Although I have not had a tire problem running 285's on 6.5" wide rims, and in fact, have gotten 50,000 miles out of my first set of tires running that way, I would really like to get a set of forged aluminum wheels that hit the midpoint width spec for 285's. Your thoughts and feedback are appreciated. But please remember this discussion is about the feasibility, capability, and durability of my "out of the box" solution and not about the weight rating of PYO's. Thanks...Terry429Views0likes0Comments
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