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Old 09-25-2011, 06:26 PM   #1
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AFrames draw a lot of attention

Our 2nd trip out with our A126. We absolutely love it. We haven't owned a camper before now, and find the comfort and convenience of the A126 to be more than adequate.

We hadn't even got the leveling blocks out of the camper after the initial backup into our site this weekend and another Rockwood owner driving by stopped to check out the A126. They had one of the FW series tent campers.

Had several other camp folks stop in for a peek and got lots of 'that's so cool' comments.

I would have thought the longevity of the Aliners (been around 25 years) would have shaken off some of the novelty of the hard side popups.

So far the hardest and longest task of setting up the camper has been talking to curious neighbors. We are quickly learning that camp folks are a great bunch of people.
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Old 09-25-2011, 06:37 PM   #2
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I agree with ya! We get to meet lots of folks as they want to stop and chat about the a-frames. Other than my camper, I have yet to see another a-frame in a campground. I have never actually seen the Aliner or Chalets. I would think you would see lots more of us out there. Do you see others?

Of course, we have only been out in ours on two trips so far. But, I have been camping for many years. Before I got mine, I was at a local city park visiting some friends and they said there had been a a-frame in the cg. We were really hoping to see them out and inquire about them before we bought ours. It just didn't work out for us. So, we just jumped in blindly - and so far, so good. Hoping to get out at least a couple more times this year before it gets too cold. Love the fall weather camping - we just keep having something come up each weekend to keep us from going camping. We are keeping our fingers crossed for next weekend.
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Old 09-25-2011, 06:48 PM   #3
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I don't know what it is, but I just think they are cool. I've seen a few around, but I haven't talked to the owners. It just seems like a neat idea.
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Old 09-25-2011, 07:01 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by gsocamper View Post
I agree with ya! We get to meet lots of folks as they want to stop and chat about the a-frames. Other than my camper, I have yet to see another a-frame in a campground. I have never actually seen the Aliner or Chalets. I would think you would see lots more of us out there. Do you see others?
I haven't seen another Rockwood aframe yet. I have a buddy that was out at the same cg with us on our first trip with his ALiner. His was the first aframe I had seen and we weren't campers before....

When i saw his I was like "that is the perfect camper... Small, light, all the conveniences (including cassette toilet) and it stayed on my mind for almost two years before we went shopping and pulled the trigger. Cost was out hold up(Aliners and chalets are expensive!). The Rockwood brought it all together formus.
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Old 10-04-2011, 12:18 AM   #5
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I have yet to see another aframe set up in a campground either. Ours has gotten ALOT of attention too. I saw them online first while looking at different camper models, got my attention. Was at the '11 boat/rv/sportshow in Louisville and made the hubby stop and watch the setup. He's 6'5" and was impressed how well he fit, could stand up easily, fit on the bed, etc. Didn't hurt that a free generator came with it. Sold!
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Old 10-04-2011, 07:18 AM   #6
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WHen we were at the Palmer Gulch KOA at Mt Rushmore this summer, an AFrame came in for a couple days and camped behind us. Interesting thing here, people from Saskatchewan in SD Dakota meet AFrame owners from Alberta???? Go figure.
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Old 10-04-2011, 07:24 AM   #7
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There was another aframe on the market before the Aliner or at the same time. Bonair had a quite big one with severals skylite on the roof.
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Old 10-04-2011, 11:17 AM   #8
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Just got back from Brown County State Park in Indiana. CG was sold out. We walked almost the whole place, hundreds and hundreds of sites, not a single other AFrame. Once again lots of looks and comments. Noticed several time that people just couldn't help but smile as the looked.

Great trip out camping and hiking.
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Old 10-04-2011, 11:29 AM   #9
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We had the same experiences with the Trailmanor we owned previous to our current travel trailer. The Trailmanor attracted a lot of attention while we were setting up or taking down and we rarely saw another in the CG. Only once did we run into another and that was at Fort Wilderness CG at Disney World. They even had the same TV as us (an Avalanche, also a rare item). We were parked side by side at the check in gate, I should have gotten a picture but was in a hurry.
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Old 10-05-2011, 11:24 AM   #10
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We had the same experiences with the Trailmanor we owned previous to our current travel trailer. The Trailmanor attracted a lot of attention while we were setting up or taking down and we rarely saw another in the CG. Only once did we run into another and that was at Fort Wilderness CG at Disney World. They even had the same TV as us (an Avalanche, also a rare item). We were parked side by side at the check in gate, I should have gotten a picture but was in a hurry.
Te trail manor was on my short list when shopping. Turned out to be too heavy for my TV. Saw one trail manor at the CG this weekend.
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Old 02-16-2013, 06:43 AM   #11
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Jeep4Two:

You pull your camper with a Jeep Wrangler? Is that a 4 cylinder engine? I'm worried about pulling mine and I have a 2006 Ford Escape, 4 cylinder. My car's manual says to tow up to 1500 lbs. My camper is listed on my registration at almost 1900 lbs. Any problems or concerns about transmission overheating or strain on the engine when towing? Is the Jeep standard shift or automatic? My car is automatic and my mechanic friend is telling me to always put it in 1 when starting from a stopped position and then shifting to 2 at about 20-25 mph and then to D. (Drive). And if I slow down to 20 or 25, downshift to 2 and then to D when it gets rolling. My camper is a FR Flagstaff 2013 T12RB. My friend has me worried with his comments, to the point that, when I get this camper paid off, get a 6 cylinder. Do you think that's necessary?
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Old 02-16-2013, 09:06 AM   #12
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Hi Jim.

Wranglers have a 6 cylinder engine - a 3.9 litre (although I think they came out with a new version last year).
The 4 door version has a tow capacity of 3500 pounds versus 1500 for the 2 doors. When kitted out with the tow package, they come with an automatic transmission.
They are by no means the ideal tow vehicles, but they get the job done. Last summer, I hauled an 1800 pound A-frame from Lethbridge, Alberta all the way to the Arctic Circle in the Yukon. Lots of mountain driving.

In your case, I would strongly recommend having a transmission cooler installed (or better yet, replace the whole vehicle). You may be looking at safety issues trying to tow with too light a t/v but I'll defer to Jeep4Two as he hauls an A-frame around with one of those wussy little two-doors
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Old 02-16-2013, 09:10 AM   #13
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Your 4 cylinder is pulling more than the printed 1900 lb trailer registration weight if you have packed it with personal belongings (clothes, food, cook & kitchenware, awning,tools, etc) And you are already pulling more than the vehicle's manual recommends (1500) - Yes - Chances are in your favor that you'll be moving up to a 6 cylinder esp if you find yourself on long and frequent trips towing your A Frame. ..
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Old 02-16-2013, 09:52 AM   #14
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Thanks Guys for your tips. Yes, I fully intend to upgrade to a 6 cylinder just as soon as I can. Until I do upgrade, I'm not planning any long trips and I'll stick to the State Parks in South Carolina where it's mostly flat with almost no steep grades, and I'll try and follow my friends advice about shifting up and down. I'm waiting to hear from Jeep4Two on how he does it. My guess is his tow vehicle is a standard shift.
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Old 02-16-2013, 04:54 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by jjdcamper View Post
Jeep4Two: You pull your camper with a Jeep Wrangler?
Why Yes, Yes I do.

I have a 2011 2 Door Wrangler Sahara. All Wranglers starting with the 2007 models I believe, up through 2011 have the 3.8 liter V6. Towing as Don mentioned for the 4 door is 3500 lbs (manual or automatic). The 2 door models can tow either 1500 (or maybe it's 1000) lbs with the 3.21 gear ratio (manual transmission was the only way to have the 3.21 as I recall). Or, with the 3.73 gear ratio towing is 2000 lbs (manual or automatic).

The primary reason for the difference between the 2 door and 4 door is the fundamental safety and balance issues you run into with weights above 2000 lbs on a short wheelbase vehicle. At 2000 lbs the tongue weight rating is 200lbs and at 3500 it's 350lbs. 350lbs on a 2door will create a very light front end and unsafe towing.

My setup (in my signature) includes a weight distribution hitch, because in reality my 1924lb A126 (that said a tongue weight of 220lbs) actually has a dry tongue weight of near 300lbs. The weight distribution hitch gets the tongue weight properly distributed between the front and rear axles for level towing and stable steering and braking.

Additionally, I added an auxiliary transmission cooler since I have the automatic transmission. The B&M part number is in my signature, but it's probably only really relevant to Jeep owners.

When camping I'm towing my camper without any water and propane tanks, my estimated 'dry' weight is closer to 2100lbs. We pack light and I've estimated our gear/clothes/food on most trips to be around 200lbs bringing the total to 2300lbs.

While that's slightly above the 2-door towing capacity, the electric brakes and weight distribution hitch make towing just fine, or at least as good as you would expect from a Wrangler. The 3.8L V6 is a bit sluggish without towing anything behind it, but I am very comfortable on the interstates or backroads. On the interstate I tow around 65mph most times, which these days keeps me moving along with semi truck traffic. Back roads I stick to the speed limit or slightly under on more challenging roads.

Based on the info you provided on your vehicle, I would also recommend as Don has, keep the trips very short. I believe that the engine is a major shortcoming in towing (the 4 cylinder). However the balance of the weight on your vehicle's axles would be a concern for me as well. Next time you hook up, use a tape measure to measure the distance between the top of your front tire to the top of the fender on the body. Then measure again after hooking up. If you have a rise in the body (more distance between the top of the tire and fender) then you are taking weight off the front axle and will end up with a light front end, loose steering and possibly poor braking (especially in emergency braking situations) which could be dangerous. Another measuring method (more accurate to measure body lift) is to measure from the top of the fender to the ground.

Best of luck and be safe out there!
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Old 02-16-2013, 06:41 PM   #16
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Does anyone know if a Volvo XC70 is adequate to pull an A128S? I am planning to buy one in a few weeks. Thank you.
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Old 02-16-2013, 08:32 PM   #17
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Jeep4Two: if you get a chance, would you mind posting up a larger version of that picture of your Jeep with the trailer attached?
What I'd like to do is post up the one in my avatar for a comparison.
It looks to me like mine -with its longer wheelbase and heavier capacity (not to mention a slightly lighter trailer) is actually sagging in the rear end compared to yours.
It would be a good demonstration of the value of weight distribution hitches.
(too bad this isn't a thread about towing )

East coast: a quick search tells me that your car is rated to pull 3300 pounds. Well over the gross vehicle weight of an A128s.
Dealer specs need to be taken with a grain of salt though.
Is your car set up for towing (ie: tranny cooler, class 3 hitch, etc)?

Welcome to the site by the way
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Old 02-16-2013, 11:47 PM   #18
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Ok Don, I looked and looked for a 'before' picture. However I haven't found it yet.

Here's the setup with the WD Hitch attached. It was when returning home from my first trip with it versus no WD Hitch. What a difference.

Very level, great towing:



I'll keep looking for the other. I took a picture with my phone, and I think I posted it here somewhere as well, but haven't found it. I also thought I had a side by side comparison. Maybe those are on my iPad, I'll look there too and post if I find them.
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Old 02-16-2013, 11:55 PM   #19
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Found 'em in my ipad.


These are:

1: hitched up with now WD hitch on a level lot
2: Hitched up no WD hitch at the cg
3: Unhitched for comparison

Notices the rear sag and front loft versus the previous post with WDH. Also not how close to the same vehicle attitude unhitched and hitched with WDH (previous post)
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Old 02-17-2013, 07:08 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeep4Two View Post
Why Yes, Yes I do.

I have a 2011 2 Door Wrangler Sahara. All Wranglers starting with the 2007 models I believe, up through 2011 have the 3.8 liter V6. Towing as Don mentioned for the 4 door is 3500 lbs (manual or automatic). The 2 door models can tow either 1500 (or maybe it's 1000) lbs with the 3.21 gear ratio (manual transmission was the only way to have the 3.21 as I recall). Or, with the 3.73 gear ratio towing is 2000 lbs (manual or automatic).

The primary reason for the difference between the 2 door and 4 door is the fundamental safety and balance issues you run into with weights above 2000 lbs on a short wheelbase vehicle. At 2000 lbs the tongue weight rating is 200lbs and at 3500 it's 350lbs. 350lbs on a 2door will create a very light front end and unsafe towing.

My setup (in my signature) includes a weight distribution hitch, because in reality my 1924lb A126 (that said a tongue weight of 220lbs) actually has a dry tongue weight of near 300lbs. The weight distribution hitch gets the tongue weight properly distributed between the front and rear axles for level towing and stable steering and braking.

Additionally, I added an auxiliary transmission cooler since I have the automatic transmission. The B&M part number is in my signature, but it's probably only really relevant to Jeep owners.

When camping I'm towing my camper without any water and propane tanks, my estimated 'dry' weight is closer to 2100lbs. We pack light and I've estimated our gear/clothes/food on most trips to be around 200lbs bringing the total to 2300lbs.

While that's slightly above the 2-door towing capacity, the electric brakes and weight distribution hitch make towing just fine, or at least as good as you would expect from a Wrangler. The 3.8L V6 is a bit sluggish without towing anything behind it, but I am very comfortable on the interstates or backroads. On the interstate I tow around 65mph most times, which these days keeps me moving along with semi truck traffic. Back roads I stick to the speed limit or slightly under on more challenging roads.

Based on the info you provided on your vehicle, I would also recommend as Don has, keep the trips very short. I believe that the engine is a major shortcoming in towing (the 4 cylinder). However the balance of the weight on your vehicle's axles would be a concern for me as well. Next time you hook up, use a tape measure to measure the distance between the top of your front tire to the top of the fender on the body. Then measure again after hooking up. If you have a rise in the body (more distance between the top of the tire and fender) then you are taking weight off the front axle and will end up with a light front end, loose steering and possibly poor braking (especially in emergency braking situations) which could be dangerous. Another measuring method (more accurate to measure body lift) is to measure from the top of the fender to the ground.

Best of luck and be safe out there!
Jeep4Two:

Thanks for the very informative response. I sincerely appreciate it.

I talked with my mechanic friend yesterday and he told me he would install a transmission cooling system, providing he can fit one in. If that doesn't work out, I'll take my car to the Ford dealer and have one installed.

I did tow the camper back to my house from the dealer I bought it from in North Carolina. A distance of about 80 miles, and I didn't notice any difference between my old camper and this one. Sway, sluggishness, braking, acceleration etc. However, the road between the camper dealer and my house is relatively flat, like most of the coastal Carolina roads. The campground I like to camp at is 70 miles from my house and the roads are all relatively flat. I'm not in a position, financially, to move up to a V6 at the moment. However, it's at the very top of my list of things to do as soon as some money becomes available. For this camping season, I'm going to take my friends advice and start out in 1, shift to 2 and then into D. Keep my speed down to 50 mph on open roads. And in general, just be as careful as I can. It's odd that the dealer never mentioned anything about towing when I bought the camper. He certainly knew about the car as I bought the brake assist package and had it installed at the dealer. So the mechanic knew what engine I have in my car.

Once again, thanks for the info. (I didn't know Jeep Wranglers, like yours, came in a V6.)

The people on this entire website are so nice and so helpful. I am so glad I found it. In less than 2 months of being a member, I have picked up so many really good helpful hints and I've been camping for 40+ years. (But most of that was in tents.)

Jim
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