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03-19-2015, 10:58 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
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First trailer, first trip, new 26DBH
The hubs and I just picked up our very first ever TT yesterday. Just started family camping this past year (wanted the kiddos to be old enough...camping with a baby is just insanity, IMO! The wee one is now 4 and all three kids LOVE getting out and exploring!) We started out tent camping, then bought a box trailer to haul our stuff, then converted it into a tiny trailer with bunks and kitchen, then finally took the leap to the Grey Wolf. Commencing with the maiden voyage tomorrow when the kids get out of school. Can. Not. Wait! These forums really helped us prepare for our walk-through, giving us some background knowledge so that all the directions weren't Greek. Also helped us know what questions to ask/issues to look for. Still a little nervous that we will forget something, but excited to learn!
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03-19-2015, 11:10 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 and welcome to the forum from Wv
__________________
2003 Duramax
2010 Blue Ridge
1 DW
1 mutt
on occasion 1 DD
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03-20-2015, 09:11 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 13,738
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Welcome from Wisconsin and congrats on your new Grey Wolf. Great looking combo!
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03-20-2015, 11:13 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 116
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Mrs. & I have the same 26dbh and have 3 teenage boys, that camper will work for you for a very long time. Congrats & have fun!
__________________
If you don't like my opinion, I'll give you a full refund on what you paid me for it.
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03-20-2015, 11:19 AM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,369
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Make a list!! Put it on a spreadsheet if you have one. I print out my list before every trip and nothing gets crossed off until it is actually loaded. It has saved me many times.
__________________
2021 F350 Lariat 7.3 4X4 w 4.30s, 2018 Wildcat 29RLX
2012 BMW G650GS, Demco Premiere Slider
1969 John Deere 1020, 1940 Ford 9N, 1948 Ford 8N
Jonsered 535, Can of WD-40, Duct Tape
Red Green coffee mugs
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03-20-2015, 12:22 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acadianbob
Make a list!! Put it on a spreadsheet if you have one. I print out my list before every trip and nothing gets crossed off until it is actually loaded. It has saved me many times.
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Ha! My husband makes fun of my obsession with lists, and spreadsheets are my life (I work remotely and am the "data girl" for my employer). Finding it hard to concentrate on work today, as my mind keeps adding things to that list and I want to just close my laptop and start packing up!
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03-20-2015, 12:38 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,301
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I use a spreadsheet list as well. I have 5 cols as follows
Item Packed, qty,item name ,where stored in house, where packed in TT
Take the list with you and add to it as you find things you wish you had.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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03-21-2015, 12:12 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 144
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get air bags for that ram
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03-21-2015, 09:30 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 16
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Bought our 26DBH, two weeks ago. Second trip in it, boondocking for two nights in it this time. What a great trailer! I agree on the checklists. Divide the chores and have fun.
__________________
TT: 2015 26DBH
TV: 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche LTZ w/ HD trailering pkg/Power Stop Brakes/ProCharger Supercharger/Magnaflow Exhaust
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03-21-2015, 11:09 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: NE Georgia
Posts: 74
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a checklist to start is the best way when new to a particular style of camper. After a few setups you will get a feel of what is first, second and etc. Doing the same thing, such as turning on the gas and water heater and etc, will become a habit quicker than you believe. Now about camping with young ones. My wife and I will tell you some of the best times we had were camping with our young ones. We have 2 children 3 years apart with March birth dates but were camping with them by Memorial Day after their birth. Did both of them that way with only a StarCraft 21' pop up camper. A cut down folding crib did great service for the youngest when set up in one end of the bunks.
__________________
2006 Wildwood 22FBS
2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 
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03-23-2015, 02:41 PM
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#11
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Do It Yourselfer
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 169
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Looking at the pic, I'd have to agree with LOCOGK. Appears the rear is sagging a bit. Need Airbags, or a good WDH.
__________________
2022 Alpha Wolf 26RL-L
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It's Easy to take 'Liberty' for granted, When you have never had it taken from You!
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03-23-2015, 02:53 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wuffwuff
Looking at the pic, I'd have to agree with LOCOGK. Appears the rear is sagging a bit. Need Airbags, or a good WDH.
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Looks like it does have bars in the photo... probably not set up as well as it could be. I hook mine up before all the weight is on the truck using the power jack to help with the heavy lifting.
__________________
If you don't like my opinion, I'll give you a full refund on what you paid me for it.
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03-23-2015, 02:54 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 144
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i have a great wdh and i still needed the air bags i got air lift 1000 love them
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03-23-2015, 02:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Idaho
Posts: 279
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Wow.
Very Nice.
Lots of priceless memories in your future.
Congrats
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03-23-2015, 03:38 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 29
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Enjoy your Grey Wolf! We've towed ours to the Florida Gulf Coast two times and have had no issues.
__________________
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L 90,000 miles
2014 Grey Wolf 26DBH
Location: Lewisburg, PA
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03-23-2015, 03:48 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Weatherford, TX
Posts: 977
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Enjoy and welcome from Texas... As to the list thingy... I don't do them. I usually spend a week getting ready so by the time I leave, everything's there. Hasn't failed me yet.
However, being a glider pilot, I ALWAYS use a preflight checklist. Hasn't failed me yet... 
__________________
J & D in Lovely Weatherford, TX
2016 Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH TT
2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4X4 6.7L Cummins
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03-23-2015, 10:49 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Albany, GA.
Posts: 1,359
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Let's give "Mob5" the benefit of the doubt and let's say that he does have a weight distribution hitch (WDH). I also agree that the truck/camper package is not set up correctly as there is definitely some drop to the rear of the truck. Last January I traded up from an '05 29 foot TT to a new 31foot TT and I had to literally start over with my WDH. I pulled the 29 footer with the fifth link from the top attached to the WDH and now I am using the sixth link from the top. The first time I pulled the new unit using the old fifth link set-up the front end of my truck felt light. Adjusting up one more link seemed to put more weight towards the front of the truck and made handling a lot easier. Amazing how much difference just one link can make.
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03-23-2015, 11:26 PM
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#18
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thurman
Let's give "Mob5" the benefit of the doubt and let's say that he does have a weight distribution hitch (WDH). I also agree that the truck/camper package is not set up correctly as there is definitely some drop to the rear of the truck. Last January I traded up from an '05 29 foot TT to a new 31foot TT and I had to literally start over with my WDH. I pulled the 29 footer with the fifth link from the top attached to the WDH and now I am using the sixth link from the top. The first time I pulled the new unit using the old fifth link set-up the front end of my truck felt light. Adjusting up one more link seemed to put more weight towards the front of the truck and made handling a lot easier. Amazing how much difference just one link can make.
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We do have a WDH (Elite Round Bars, I believe?). They are not what we wanted or paid for (dealership is going to pay us back the difference). After the install, we went out to look it over and were notified that the hitch we had selected wouldn't work with the Grey Wolf, due to some new mod on the tongue of the trailer. We were miffed, to say the least. In addition to this news, the WDH we ended up with had to be modified on top of everything. It is supposed to tighten up using chains, like you describe, but could not be installed that way due to the tongue, so there is, for lack of a better word, a wench (???) with nylon straps that we have to use on each side to pull it up tight in place of where the chains would be. We are tightening it up about as far as the installer at the dealership did. Hard to tell since he told us to look at the "white dots" as a guide, the "white dots" being painted onto the straps. Of course the straps come completely out when you unhook everything, so I never saw them again. Guess we didn't roll it back in the way he did? I am not sure what else could be done, in regard to the WDH. When we tighten it up on each side, ther is aporoximately a 5" drop in the straps, where your chain would be. Tighten it even more? I do agree we probably need airbags. The raise is much bouncier than I expected it to be. Sort of like riding on a pontoon boat over waves.
We have never towed anything this bug before, our last trailer being a 6x12 v-nose cargo conversion of sorts. Hubs is already looking into the airbags (and dreaming about a bigger truck, of course). We are learning as fast as we can and really appreciate every bit of advice anyone has to offer! Thank you!
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03-23-2015, 11:32 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ridersfan
Looks like it does have bars in the photo... probably not set up as well as it could be. I hook mine up before all the weight is on the truck using the power jack to help with the heavy lifting.
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Hmm...trying to picture what you mean here. When we are hooking up, I drop the power jack down enough to connect, but I didn't think I was lowering it beyond that before tightening up the WDH. Trying to recall. Avtually, though, the picture here was taken after we left the dealership. They installed the WDH and hooked it up, not us. We have done it once again since then, but I don't think we got a pic from then. Might need to come back to this thread and post a pic when we hook it up again Easter weekend...see if they way I do it looks any different from how the dealer's guy did.
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03-23-2015, 11:39 PM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 23
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Looking over the two replies I just posted...holy typos, batman! Hopefully ya'll can make it out. Ha!
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