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Old 09-04-2010, 10:51 PM   #1
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The Results of our First Adventure :)

We had wonderful weather this past week here in SW Ontario, and could not have picked a better time to try out the new trailer and for our first time ever camping in a trailer.

We learned a fair bit over the past week, it helped us figure out where we should place things like hooks for towels, organizing all the cupboards and just getting used to everything. Our trailer has an outdoor kitchen as well as a bbq that is attached to the back bumper and swivels around, this received a lot of use. There were a couple things we discovered that will need some attention from the dealer, but nothing too big. I must say that the AC was a blessing this past week, as it was very very hot. It poured like mad one night, and I do not miss my tent in the least.

We were gone for 5 days, and between my wife and myself and our three wee lads, we managed to not need to empty our tanks, I was pleased with that. We did need to replenish our fresh water at the end of day 3, and the kids enjoyed helping with that job.

Do people find the monitors for the fresh, grey and black levels, actually work? Ours was telling us the grey was 2/3 full after the first day, the black never went above 1/3 (even though at the end of day five, we could see the tank was full) and our fresh water gauge would register 1/3 , even though it was empty.

I was really impressed with the shower, worked a lot better than I had expected. We have an outside shower as well, and this worked great for rinsing off after a day at the beach, or when the kids were done playing around the site.

Now for some things that gave us a good laugh. When we first pulled into the site, we parked roughly where we wanted to have the trailer, climbed inside and look at the level gauge for side to side and it was showing we were high on the driver's side a fair bit. Since I forgot to bring some boards, I backed the trailer up, dug out a couple inches and after some fine tuning, it appeared we were level and life was good. That night, my wife kept saying it felt like she was gonna roll out of bed, as for me, I was just rolling towards her haha. The trailer did not feel quite level either, so I remembered I had brought a 4 ft. level, took it out and I was a good 2 1/2 inches low on the driver's side. So much for the gauge mounted inside the trailer from the factory . So after all my hard digging, it ended up that I could have just parked it and been perfect LOL.

When we packed up to go home, I must say it was the least stressful packing up we have ever had, compared to the tent and a handful of kids and the day after an all night heavy downpour. Anyhoo, we pull up to the dumping station, something I was not looking forward to doing. I hook the hose up and then put the one end down into the hole (my big rookie mistake) lol . I do all the right things, my wife tells me what a good job I did and that I was worried about nothing, then I pull the hose out of the hole and YUCK!!!! A good 2 feet of it had stretched out and went down that hole and well you can just imagine. So I now know that I should just put a bit down the hole and use that lid or my foot to hold it in place to make the clean up after a lot easier .

Now to do some fine tuning and get ready for our next little trip in a couple weeks!

Best Wishes,
Chuck
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Old 09-04-2010, 11:02 PM   #2
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WE LOVE PICTURES.

Great job and glad to hear you had a great time. So funny on the leveling. I added small bubble levels to my dash and door on our rig while I was leveled up in the garage and wouldn't you know it, neither one stuck right and they are both off!

The tank gauges are just a rough "estimate" no they don't work worth a hill of beans. I have never had a rig with good tank monitors. I would really like to add the Seelevel II monitor system to our rig which reads in percentages to 100%

For your sewer hose take a look at the Rhino Flex system. We bought one of these a few months back to replace our old hose and I have to say it's worth the money. It collapses down and stays that way and it has a 90 degree elbow at the end for the dump hole. The elbow is clear so you can see that things are done flowing.

Good to hear ya had a good time though.
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Old 09-04-2010, 11:39 PM   #3
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Thanks for the tip on the Rhino hose, I will definitely look into one of those.
On a Travel Trailer, where do people normally store these? I know the bumper has a spot, but I am not so sure that is where I want to keep it, and would prefer to put it in something (just not sure what would be good) and keep it in the storage compartment.
Best Wishes,
Chuck
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Old 09-05-2010, 05:38 AM   #4
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Congrats on your first trip out in the new trailer. My wife and I are first time new owners this year as well and although we don't have kids we know all about the joys of packing up with wet gear.

About the levels, I bought some of those stick on levels and they are not worth it, I ended up mounting a bigger level on the front that I can see in my rear view mirror to get it as level as possible while parking it. It also has a smaller level on it for front to back level. Works great but still takes a bit of work with knowing when and how much to put under the wheels to get it level.

I also bought a Rhinoflex hose and they work great, as for storage my trailer does not have the square hollow bumper so after I dump the tanks, I rinse out the hose really well, collapse it down and put the caps on which do seal really well and put it in the storage trunk and have never had any leaks or surprises.

Reading this forum has also provided a lot of good info and tips from the seasoned people on here and like my wife and I, over time you will learn little things that make it even better.

By the way, we are both originally from Sudbury, where in Ontario are you from?
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Old 09-05-2010, 08:36 PM   #5
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I was wondering why those levels were so big that you mount on the front of the trailer, but I now see why and they sure could come in handy . I picked up a Rhinoflex system yesterday, so that should make the messy job a whole bunch cleaner.

We are just outside the big town of Wingham Ontario here, and I see you are in Nova Scotia. We plan on taking a 2 - 3 week trip out that way next spring, as my wife has never been to the East cost and wants to scout it out as a possible place to move to at some point.

Best Wishes,
Chuck
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Old 09-05-2010, 08:49 PM   #6
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And here are some pics outside :)

Just a few pics, but better than nothing.



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Old 09-05-2010, 08:52 PM   #7
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some more pics inside :)

just ignore the dirty laundry bag hahaha

This was at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.





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Old 09-05-2010, 09:03 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flumpydog View Post
On a Travel Trailer, where do people normally store these? I know the bumper has a spot, but I am not so sure that is where I want to keep it, and would prefer to put it in something (just not sure what would be good) and keep it in the storage compartment.
Best Wishes,
Chuck
As Ray pointed out the hose comes with caps for each end. Just put the caps on and store in a storage compartment. On the motorhomes there is a "water bay" which is where the valves and drain are located so there is a convienient spot to put the hose.

Looks like everyone had a great time. Thanks for the pics.
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Old 09-05-2010, 09:58 PM   #9
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Trust me dude, you WANT to store the hose in the rear bumper. I would invest in the end plugs that are rubber and when put in place you push in on the hole in the middle and it makes it tight. I have yet to have one come loose, however the ones from the factory constantly tried to pop out!
Locking Bumper Plug - Item - Camping World

If you always dump the black first, then gray the hose will be clean enough to store.

And wasps can get in the bumper, make sure they are not in there when you take the plug out, don't ask how I know this!LOL
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Old 09-06-2010, 12:19 AM   #10
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Congrats on a successful first trip, you guys sure got some nice weather right after we headed back from Barrie on the 26th. As for sewer our dealer gave us a kit with 2 10 ft hoses and a 90 degree elbow that will screw into just abt any sewer. We keep the hoses in the bumper and only bring out what we need, the plugs in the bumper stay put quite well if you make sure you put them in right.
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Old 09-06-2010, 12:30 AM   #11
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Nice looking trailer. Glad you had a good first outing. Where were you camped. We came past the edge of Wingham (hwy 86) on our way back from Port Elgin on Sunday night but it gets so dark so much earlier these days we didn't get to see too much on the way home. We went up a different way via Chesley, Paisley and then the River Road and I recall seeing a trailer much like yours parked somewhere on the way up but I couldn't say where for sure. I have heard that if you camp at Inverhuron or Macgregor Point Provincial Parks you should be sure to have an extra long hydro cord or an extension cord and 15-30A converter as the hookups can be quite a distance from the camp pad area. Both these parks are close for you so be prepared if you go there. Anyway we hope you have many more good trips and if you go east let me know as we did that trip this year and really enjoyed it and the people as well. Old Guys
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Old 09-06-2010, 12:53 AM   #12
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Nice looking trailer. Glad you had a good first outing. Where were you camped. We came past the edge of Wingham (hwy 86) on our way back from Port Elgin on Sunday night but it gets so dark so much earlier these days we didn't get to see too much on the way home. We went up a different way via Chesley, Paisley and then the River Road and I recall seeing a trailer much like yours parked somewhere on the way up but I couldn't say where for sure. I have heard that if you camp at Inverhuron or Macgregor Point Provincial Parks you should be sure to have an extra long hydro cord or an extension cord and 15-30A converter as the hookups can be quite a distance from the camp pad area. Both these parks are close for you so be prepared if you go there. Anyway we hope you have many more good trips and if you go east let me know as we did that trip this year and really enjoyed it and the people as well. Old Guys
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Old 09-06-2010, 05:24 AM   #13
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I don't think the Rhino will fit tin a bumper unless you take the ends off. I put all of my sewer components in a closable bin in the storage compartment. I don't put anything else in that bin because I don't want to risk cross contamination.
I'm not sure how your hose end went down into the septic tank at the dump station. You best to use a plastic elbow on that end of the hose. That stops the hose sneaking down the hole but it's true that you have to hold it with the dump station lid or your foot. It is also important if you are hooked up to a sewer at the camp site because the elbow fits into the gasket that fits into the sewer to stop odours.
Glad that you had fun. It will only get better as you adapt to the trailer.
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Old 09-06-2010, 06:14 AM   #14
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Hi flumpydog, I am quite familiar with Wingham, I have an old buddy down there I went to college with who is from Blyth. Been down that way many times, very nice area down there except in winter when it storms. If you are looking for info on planning a trip to the East Coast let me know and I will see what I can do to help. It sounds like you have been here before yourself though, it is beautiful down here.

I think you will like the Rhino as it comes with the elbow you need to pop it in the sewer and all. As someone else mentioned though it won't fit in the bumper and my trailer doesnot even have the square bumper. This is where it comes in handy with the caps but a plastic tote or bag to put it in is a good idea just in case it does get dirty.
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Old 09-06-2010, 07:07 AM   #15
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I keep my hose in a plastic container in the drain compartment. Just like Jackhartjr said, dump the black, then grey. Most dumping stations I have been to have a hose to rinse out the drain hose after you are done. I also keep some rubber gloves in my container. I always rinse everthing out again when I get home.
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Old 09-06-2010, 10:06 AM   #16
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Sorry about that double posting. Guess I should have gone to bed after the first one. It was a long day. We use the Rhino hose and store it in the bumper after we remove the elbow which I thoroughly rinse and store in a pail in the pass through storage compartment. There are also end caps available for the hose if you want them. I put the end that hooks to the trailer in last as it must be turned just right to fit and we also rinse it well before storage. For that I use a rinse cap which attaches to the trailer end of the hose and has a hose attachment for a garden hose. (Won't work at some dump stations with only an air hose type water supply). All these items are available at your local TSC store and unfortunately they just had a 25% off sale on all in stock trailer supplies. If you are lucky your local store may still honour those prices. We got our wheel covers at Princess Auto in London (also on sale about twice a year) but that is a bit of a drive for you unless you are coming down that way. Old Guys
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Old 09-06-2010, 10:36 AM   #17
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Another tip to watch for if dumping your tanks at a dump station is to make sure your trailer is either level or slightly sloped towards the drain. I found this out the wrong way after thinking I had completely dumped my black water tank only to find out after it was still showing 1/3 on the monitor. I know these are not always accurate but a qhick peak down the toilet also confirmed it.
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Old 09-06-2010, 11:01 AM   #18
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Correction on that bumper storage. I don't actually remove the elbow. Just the piece that looks like a funnel and fits into the sewer pipe. Old Guys
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Old 09-06-2010, 08:02 PM   #19
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Thanks for all the great posts, I will try to reply to all of them here.

Someone was wondering how the hose ended up like it did, simple, very simple. When you stick about 6 inches of it compressed down into that dump pit hole/tube, then it stretches out to 2 - 3 feet and goes way down that hole and, well you get the picture. It was a lesson well learned ;-)

At MacGregor, it was listed as being 66 ' to the plug, I have 30' on the trailer and brought a 50' extension, and had plenty left over. They had both regular receptacles and the 30 amp ones, so I did not need an adapter. I do have rubber caps on my bumper ends, I was just not sure about putting the pipe back in the bumper as I was not sure about it going missing. I might just get a small plastic tub with a lid to keep it in for now. Good tip on making sure the trailer is level or leaning out to drain things better.

We did go up to MacGregor on the Sunday and stopped at Timmy's around 1pm in Wingham, so perhaps you did see us parked. I see old guys, that it appears you have a v-cross? If so how do you like it? I did like the looks of them, however McPhail's in Harriston, did not have one with bunks in stock, otherwise who knows what we would have ended up with. We are definitely going out east next spring/early summer and yes rockin'ray, I have been out there myself many times. It is a small world here ;-) . You are right about the winter's here, but I love the snow.

And I have made a few trips to TSC and Canadian Tire, it is a good time to catch everything on sale. We picked up some great bargains at Zellers as well.

All the best,
Chuck
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