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02-01-2014, 03:51 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Posts: 195
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First Trip Report
Just got home a couple of hours ago and I thought I would report on our first trip with our A128S. We went to Brazos Bend State Park which is only about an hour away from us. It’s one of our favorite parks and we go there often to ride bikes. We left Thursday morning and came back this morning. It was cloudy the entire time but no rain with a nice breeze all the time.
The camper pulled great. Could barely feel it back there. Wife followed me in her truck since we don’t have a bike rack yet so she carried the bikes. She told me when we got to the campsite that she thought my tires on the camper were really low. I checked when we set up and they were. The tires show on the side of the tires a max of 65lb of air when cold…both tires were running about 40 and the spare only had 28lb. I thought the camper bounced a bit when I pulled it the first time but never considered checking the tire pressure…lesson learned. Since 65 lb was the max I aired them to 60 lb and the camper really pulled great then. (What pressure to ya’ll run in your aframes)
Once set up we checked everything out…air conditioner, fan, furnace, heat pump, hot water heater, top roof fan, shower. Everything worked great except one thing.
We found two things that will have to be fixed. The shower nozzle had a small crack in it down toward where it screws onto the hose. Water sprayed out of the crack so I’ll call Toppers Monday and have them send me another one…I’ll mail that one back to them.
The second thing we found was on the window in the door on the inside there is a black metal strip that goes completely around the window. It looks like it’s two different pieces….the bottom piece was broke and missing and all but two very small pieces were left at the bottom of the window. The top portion and two sides were there half way down from the top.
I consider these two very small things and not really worried about them.
I was really surprised at the refrigerator. We put 4 sandwich bags filled with ice in the frig and it kept all the food (which we had pre cooled) cold as could be. When we got home today all 4 bags still were frozen for the most part. I couldn’t ask for anything better. We are going to buy a small portable ice maker though.
Still working on making my wife comfortable on the bed. She said her bed was unlevel and leaning. I double checked the camper in different places and it was perfectly level. When I sat on her bed it seemed like the foam on the cushion was more firm on one end than on the other end which would account for it seeming to be unlevel…I know that sounds weird but it sure seemed that way. Next trip she wants the other bed for her side.
We used a small ceramic heater and a small fan to keep her warm at night….had to turn the heater on low and the heat setting low or it would have burned us out of the camper….tried the air conditioner during the day just for a few minutes and within a 3 minutes I don’t see how someone would be able to stand inside with the air running…I mean it was getting cold. Gotta figure out how to set the thermostat next.
I was always worried whether the wife would like it but she would be sitting outside and looking at the camper and she would say out of the blue, “I just love our little camper.”
So I’m perfectly happy with our purchase and wouldn’t do anything different. Getting Trailer Valet within the next couple of days and then ordering a bike rack.
We saw 3 deer, 8 aligators, possums, birds, too many squirrels to count and one of the biggest raccoons I’ve ever seen.
__________________
Tow Vehicle: 2012 Durango 3.6 Pentastar Engine
Total nights camping 2014-(10)
Total Nights Camping 2015-(9)
Total Nights Camping 2016-(5)
Total Nights Camping 2017-(4)
Total Nights Camping 2018-(7)
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02-01-2014, 04:02 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Moundsville Wv
Posts: 1,504
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Congratulations sounds like you will have some good times
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02-01-2014, 04:30 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 79
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Being outside when it’s cloudy is better than being stuck inside when the weather is perfect. Especially when your camping. From the photos it looks like you had the place to your self?
__________________
Never try to teach a pig to sing, it's a waste of time and annoys the hell out of the pig.
OutAndAbout
2014 Rockwood A122S
2014 Tacoma 4x4
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02-01-2014, 04:42 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 649
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And that’s what it's all about!
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Ohio
2016 Cedar Creek 36ckts
2015 Ford F-350
4WD SRW Diesel
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02-01-2014, 04:52 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Posts: 195
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OutAndAbout
From the photos it looks like you had the place to your self?
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Thursday and till about noon Friday there may have been a dozen campers...they started moving in around noon....this morning I drove through and you could barely find a vacant camp site. That's what I'm going to love about retirement....camping and fishing during the week when others are still at work or school.
__________________
Tow Vehicle: 2012 Durango 3.6 Pentastar Engine
Total nights camping 2014-(10)
Total Nights Camping 2015-(9)
Total Nights Camping 2016-(5)
Total Nights Camping 2017-(4)
Total Nights Camping 2018-(7)
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02-01-2014, 05:00 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: California
Posts: 479
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Sounds pretty fun...
__________________
2004 V10 4X4 Excursion
2014 FR Wildwood 32BHDS
2013 Days Camped 14
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02-01-2014, 08:08 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,770
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Sounds like a great time. I was supposed to be at BBSP this morning (Saturday) and was going to look for you. But life intervened and I was stuck inside a church meeting room all morning.
__________________
Tom
2012 Rockwood A122S
2008 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4
Former owner of a 2002 Coleman Niagara GTE
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02-01-2014, 10:04 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 147
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Looks like a great trip!
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2006 Palomino Puma 27FQ Bunkhouse
2007 Gulfstream Innsbruck 36FRS Park Trailer
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02-03-2014, 02:21 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 525
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First Trip Report
Nice...I can't wait to do that again. My 2012 A128S is covered for the winter...2 more months of waiting
I inflate all tires to 65 PSI.
Here are pics of my bike rack setup, give you some ideas:
The rack could be tilted down and turn 180 degrees so the bikes are far away from the SUV rear door, which I could open freely. It is ok to have the tanks there. I take mine off because of front heavy issue on my TV max 350 lbs tongue.
Keep posting your trips, I enjoy reading them.
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02-03-2014, 07:23 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Illiniois
Posts: 250
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Looks like a nice trip. 8 alligators? Wow, guess didn't know Texas had alligators Never made it down to that part when I lived in Texas.
__________________
2020 Rockwood Roo 235S
2010 Ford F150 Lariat
Nights Camped in 2021-?
2020-8, 2019-27, 2018-12, 2017-29, 2016-33, 2015-22, 2014-22, 2013-20
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02-03-2014, 07:25 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 649
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Who is the manufacturer of this bike rack?
Here are pics of my bike rack setup, give you some ideas:
Attachment 45743
Attachment 45744
The rack could be tilted down and turn 180 degrees so the bikes are far away from the SUV rear door, which I could open freely. It is ok to have the tanks there. I take mine off because of front heavy issue on my TV max 350 lbs tongue.
Keep posting your trips, I enjoy reading them.[/QUOTE]
__________________
Ohio
2016 Cedar Creek 36ckts
2015 Ford F-350
4WD SRW Diesel
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02-03-2014, 11:31 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 223
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You just have to keep rubbing your 1st trip in. Knowing I won't get mine in until the weather breaks and I can go pick up the little darling. Except for some minor glitches sounds like things went well.
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02-04-2014, 07:41 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,770
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What I have read everywhere, including manufactures web sites is to run the tires at the listed maximum pressure. The higher the pressure, the less the sidewalls will flex and the less the tire will heat up. Down here, when it is 100 degrees out, the road surface is blazing hot from the sun and traffic is zooming by at outrageous speeds, heat is the enemy to tire life and towing safety.
__________________
Tom
2012 Rockwood A122S
2008 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4
Former owner of a 2002 Coleman Niagara GTE
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