new 122s just purchased

[ridgeline1]

thanks for info on upper door problem/just wondering how many campers are using screen room from FR/just seems like it is a lot of problems putting up and down/I have a ez up also/is their any good video on putting it up/down/I am new to forum/purchased a 2014 122s in nov 2013 are most of the bugs out of units by now

[handbuilder]

I use a commercial EZ Up canopy. I have the Dometic awning/screen room that I negotiated into the trailer's purchase, but still haven't felt the desire to attach it to the A-Frame after using my A-Frame in less than desirable weather conditions. I've been using an EZ Up for years & love the portability it offers.

Here's a video on taking down the Dometic screen room for the A-Frame. It's the visual mess of stuffing it inside when breaking camp on a rainy day that prevents me from using it. Weather can turn pretty fast (just wait 5 min) - so it's the primary reason for my continued EZ Up use instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y52_...e_gdata_player

[mzak]

This is a video for putting screen room up

2013 Dometic Screen Room Set Up Video By Dick Gore's RV World - YouTube

[MinneweeseMI]

We just got an A122S as well. We love it. And now we know what those felt pads are for on the ceiling!

The screen room was a real challenge the first couple of times. In their set up video, there has to be a lot scenes they deleted. How does she get inside so easily with the wall down? When I did it, the neighbors reported a bear fighting a tarp.

But seriously, once I got the hang of it, it got much easier. I lay the poles out where they will be placed; I know just where the corners need to be so that when you flip the wall up, the pole sockets will be correctly positioned. We travel with a small 2-step fold-up ladder so that makes it easier to get the doors zipped in place. (The ladder is a handy shelf for the rest of the trip.)

I also put some gaffer's tape on the lower-left corner of the upper half of the door. It's a little sharp there and I managed to tear a one-inch hole in the fabric.

The tent stakes are a little wimpy, but they work fine unless you are in a sandy location.

We like the mosquito net skirting. It seems to attach just fine and works well. We did replace some of the Velcro. I can't recall how much of the 2" Velcro comes with it, but we put two strips where the sidewalls meet the camper walls. It doesn't look out of place at all.

Overall, I think it's a great screen room and if you take the time to learn how to put it up it provides a great entry room. We store a lot of stuff under it we don't want wet. My wife has made it into a bit of mud room, letting us take our shoes off before we go inside.

It has slowed us down once in a while when we get up and it's wet from rain/dew, but that just means another cup of coffee while it dries out. One time, I detached it because it was too wet, usually we brush it off and flip it inside when we fold it down. (I still don't look as cool as the model in the video when she folds it down, but I am working on it.)

Enjoy!

[Pooneil]

My main problem with the screen room is the sticky back Velcro is pealing off, again. The stuff the dealer used just doesn't stand up to the sun. It hardens and starts to flake after a few months.

So I din't know yet what I will do in the long run. So far my camping has been with a group that strikes camp early, so I just don't have time to take the screen room down.

[ridgeline1]

question on brake controllers/how many of you are using brake controllers/what brand /I have a a122s with a prodigy p3/please let me know you power setting and boost control/I know settings will vary/what has been your thoughs on brake controllers I have a new 2014 jeep grand Cherokee/v6/tried towing unit with out controller on first trip but unit had much more stopping distance than normal/ sorry if I messed up thread/have not towed it since I added prodigy

[ridgeline1]

p s is there a thread on towing with A frames on forum/ I may have missed it?

[rawlus]

Originally Posted by ridgeline1

question on brake controllers/how many of you are using brake controllers/what brand /I have a a122s with a prodigy p3/please let me know you power setting and boost control/I know settings will vary/what has been your thoughs on brake controllers I have a new 2014 jeep grand Cherokee/v6/tried towing unit with out controller on first trip but unit had much more stopping distance than normal/ sorry if I messed up thread/have not towed it since I added prodigy

there is no one setting - when pulling out, adjust the boost so that it feels even when braking, that the camper is neither dragging or pushing your Jeep. you can use the throw lever also to sort of lock up the brakes a bit before heading out and clean them of surface rust first before you do that adjustment.

if you are doing it correctly, the brake controller should remove the feeling that you have a trailer behind you when braking... this is something to make a habit of adjusting (only slightly after your first adjustment) each time you go out - do so on a side road or long driveway or some safe place before you get into traffic. i do it in the parking lot/roads of the storage facility where i keep the camper when not in use.

[ridgeline1]

thanks for info on brake controller/has anyone had a bad situation occur buy having a too hi setting/my dealer set mine at 3.5 on power setting/1 for boost setting/mfg says start at 6/go up to lock trailer wheels/then come down to just under locking/says use lever on bottom to do these adjustments/are these settings done while moving or before setting still with TV connected/maybe others can weight in on this/just don't want to be over tight on trailer brakes/thanks

[MinneweeseMI]

We use the Prodigy controller as well. Our experience was that the brakes changed as they either warmed up or "burned in."

The first time we used them, they were set very high, but did not seem to do much. We also had no experience with brake controllers so didn't know what to expect. A buddy told me his could lock up the trailer wheels coming up to a red light. (I think his trailer was very light.)

When we got back from a 100 mile trip with them set that high, the trailer wheels were quite warm and we smelled burned brake shoe. They looked just fine so I think they might have been getting bedded in.

They work great now, but I do notice they seem to get a little more grabby once they are warmed up. We start with them a little high and I turn them down a bit. Rawlus is right, you shouldn't feel them much, make small adjustments, then probably leave it alone. Your numbers (3.5 on boost 1) sounds about like ours.

After bedding-in or break-in or whatever it's called, you probably don't want to stop for gas, get out of the vehicle and smell hot brake shoes.

And yeah, there are probably some threads on break controllers, maybe Mr. Moderator will move these.

Cheers!

[MinneweeseMI]

We are having good luck with the industrial 2" Velcro brand. But then we live where we don't see the sun.

[rawlus]

Originally Posted by ridgeline1

thanks for info on brake controller/has anyone had a bad situation occur buy having a too hi setting/my dealer set mine at 3.5 on power setting/1 for boost setting/mfg says start at 6/go up to lock trailer wheels/then come down to just under locking/says use lever on bottom to do these adjustments/are these settings done while moving or before setting still with TV connected/maybe others can weight in on this/just don't want to be over tight on trailer brakes/thanks

the vehicle needs to be moving to know which way to adjust and by how much.

dont overthink it, the manufacturer instructions should be pretty clear and to restate what i said in my first post...

1 hookup the trailer and have an uncrowded place where you can tow with it for a little bit without distraction or interruption as adjustments require moving the vehicle

2 i usually like to hookup and drive 500 or so feet with the boost lever pressed, this will make it feel like you are dragging the trailer or that the trailer brakes are applied too hard - but i do this to remove surface rust from the trailer brakes before starting any trips - you dont have to go all the way, use the lever to adjust the amount of drag short of lockup but hard enough that the brake shoes are scrubbing off that surface rust - again, a short distance is okay.. you dont need to grind them..

3 after completing step 2, use the dial to adjust the brake voltage setting, start somewhere in the middle and drive a little bit and apply your vehicle brakes as you drive and slow down and sense whether you think the trailer is pushing the car, the car is dragging the trailer or you are in perfect balance where the trailer brakes and the car brakes are applying the same amount of pressure

4 adjust the brake voltage dial up or down to achieve the balance, if it feels like the trailer is dragging your tow vehicle (like the trailer brakes are locked up too hard), then dial the voltage down so the trailer brakes arent applied as hard, if it feels like the vehicle is doing all the braking and the trailer isnt doing enough (like the trailer is freewheeling behind your tow vehicle and pushing it while trying to stop), adjust the voltage up to make the trailer brakes do more work.

5 there is no set number to use as every trailer, vehicle and their brake systems are variables. so you are tuning your trailer brakes to your specific vehicle.

6 the boost lever is used for instance in a panic stop or where you need to slow down quicker than usual and the pre-set adjustment isnt quite enough to keep the trailer from "pushing" your tow vehicle under those conditions - think of it like an emergency or helper brake. it should not be needed often, if it is, that means you need to adjust your brake voltage up a bit to make the brakes on the trailer apply a bit harder under normal driving conditions.

if you do a youtube search for adjusting prodigy p3 brake controller im sure you will find a lot of video examples which may be easier to understand.

its a very basic and simple mechanism and it will likely always require a bit of minor adjustment every time you use it - its not a scientific adjustment, its just an adjustment to how it "feels" when braking. get used to this.

i would tend to ignore what the dealer says - only because i think they tend to provide very general advice and do not take into account your vehicle, your experience, your comprehension and your needs. so dealer advise tends to be very rule of thumb. the P3 manual should have excellent instruction and like i said, youtube is probably full of great examples. do some research and learn some more about how the system works, what it does and how it does it and if you still have questions you can visit them here.

good luck

[Manypalms]

The reason we purchased our A frame was for simplicity. The screenroom is like putting up another tent. That's why we stopped tent camping and purchased the trailer. Forget about it in the rain. Stick to an easy up.

[ridgeline1]

rawlus and others thanks for info again on brake controller/my p3 has up and down power buttons on left side of controller/boost on top right and set button under boost button/I assume all p3s are the same/ what should I do when I back up /seems like unhooking 7 way would be right thing to do/I know a small portion of manual deals with that also/I have backed up in my long drive way to get in garage/did not seem to have any resistance backing?

[Pooneil]

I use a Prodigy too. As others have said, when the trailer hasn't been towed in a while, the brakes feel almost useless for a few minutes. When I pulled in from the dealer, the brakes were so weak I almost took it straight back. Instead I held the controller lever over while I drove down the feeder street further than I needed to. After a bit of that and some cooling down on the highway, the brakes were easy enough to set.

My prior controller was some other brand. It was given to me and was always either too loose on high speed stops or so tight that it would stop my TV with a jerk in traffic.

[rawlus]

trailer brakes should stay connected while attached to the tow vehicle - you are just as likely to need brakes backing up as moving forward. just like with any vehicle.

remember, the trailer brakes are activated by your vehicle's brake pedal - the P3 interface is just an adjustment, it does not actually apply the brakes. your foot applies the trailer brakes when you use your tow vehicle brakes. do you use your vehicle brakes when backing up? yes, so you will want to keep the trailer brakes connected too.

i would strongly encourage more reading of the manuals that came with your unit and perhaps even watching some videos, these should have been things covered in your pre-delivery inspection at the dealer when you bought your camper.

i sense by the questions that there may be some gaps in knowledge and/or experience that you will want to fill before venturing out. this forum can be a great help, however, it is not a sufficient replacement for your own active learning and research - i wouldnt want you to have trouble on the road because you didnt ask the right question here or we didnt provide the right answer because we dont know your specific setup.

speaking of which - it might be useful to update your profile signature with the details of your camper, tow vehicle, and pertinent equipment so everyone helping you has a baseline understanding.

ill also suggest that the/way of/typing your/messages can be a bit difficult to read.

my advice about brake controllers is not specific to the P3 but all the prodigy products work on the same principle - please read the specific p3 manual to understand the operation of all the buttons.

good luck.

[ridgeline1]

dealer did not give me very much info on unit or use of brake controller and other items/ A frame/manual is not the best in world either/only used unit once then stored for winter/yes my pc skills are lacking/being a red neck may have something to do with that/thanks again////

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by rawlus

speaking of which - it might be useful to update your profile signature with the details of your camper, tow vehicle, and pertinent equipment so everyone helping you has a baseline understanding.

I agree. It will make it easier for people to provide more specific responses to your questions if you put the make and model of your camper and tow vehicle in your sig line. You might also put the engine size of the TV in case you have towing questions.

Follow this link

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...=editsignature

[ridgeline1]

could someone give me a good location to buy LED replacement bulbs for my 2014 ai22s/owners manual says 1141 porch light and 921 for overhead as standard bulbs/would like to keep brightness as much as I can/thanks

[Pooneil]

I picked up these for my exterior lights. They are only slightly different in brightness and color from the stock incandescent "heaters."

Warm white LED interior light - LEDTrailerLights.com

The company once sold the same light with a 921 base, but does not have the exact one in stock now.