New 2016 Roo 183 owner with questions!!

[ebcobra93]

Hello all,
I just picked up our new 2016 Roo 183 this past Saturday. Overall, we are very happy with the trailer and will be taking it out for our first trip over Memorial Day weekend. Then, in June, we are doing a 6300 mile cross-country trip with it. At approx. 8 mpg, it will be an expensive trip.

Three questions (included pics, )...

I found a black nylon strap in one of the storage cabinets. What is this for?

Inside the pass-through storage areas are very flimsy panels used to cover exposed wires and plumbing. Mine are not screwed together very well and one is already broken. Has anyone done anything to these panels to either make them sturdier or free up more space? There seems to be a lot of wasted storage space behind these panels.

The right rear running light isn't working (but the brake light is). I found that there is a black wire coming from the light that isn't connected to anything. Is there supposed to be a wiring standard in use? I was surprised to find white wires connected to green, green connected to white, and black connected to white wires. I will have to get back there with a meter to find where this wire is supposed to be connected.

I am also having a problem with my TV audio, but I think I found the answer to that issue in another post.

Thank you in advance for reading my very long post. I appreciate any input/help you guys can provide. Thank you!

[TURBS]

Strap is for your awning in case awning motor fails.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "4 nights"

[ebcobra93]

Thanks Turbs! That is what I was thinking, but I haven't had a chance to figure out how it would work yet. Appreciate the quick reply.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by ebcobra93

Thanks Turbs! That is what I was thinking, but I haven't had a chance to figure out how it would work yet. Appreciate the quick reply.

Go to the library here on frf I believe there's a pdf instructions on what to do.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "4 nights"

[Big Vic]

It looks like the "T" on the strap would be inserted into the groove on the roller of your awning to pull it down if necessary. You would start at one end of the roller and push it to the middle. It can be attached when the awning is down and will roll up with the awning leaving a small loop exposed.
The flimsy panels are typical; you can unscrew them from the floor and relocate them if you wish. They are very light duty.
You might have a bad bulb or the wiring is faulty. Using a multimeter would be helpful in defining the wires. Also look at the other side to see how it is connected.

[dudleydoo]

Thanks for posting picture of that strap. I found one as well and just put it in a tray along with other odds and ends hoping one day to find each item a home. One home found, just need to learn how to use it.

[ebcobra93]

I did find the PDF instructions that Turbs mentioned in the library. They do describe how to use the strap in case the awning power fails.

Big Vic, thanks for the reply. I was mostly annoyed that the wires were not tied up better (if at all). Once I moved the flimsy panel out of the way, the wires were just hanging and jumbled up (like behind my TV stand at home). I think I will remove the panels all together in order to free up more storage space. I'll have to devise some way to keep the wires from getting snagged on things that I store in there though...some sort of easily removeable cover or conduit...

[rsdata]

I have a 2014 Shamrock 183 that I got last May. I did a few weekends in it and some driveway camping to get used to it last summer. Then I used it for 10 weeks with the wife over the winter in FL... Luv IT! Amazing how much room is in that traveling box for such a small size and no slides. I have never put up the dining table, preferring the storage space the bed gives for clothes and such. I can still store some things under the table in containers.

I removed all of the false panels in the cabinets... there must have been 6 or 7 altogether to free up some room. Probably doubled the small amount of space the 183 gives you. Make sure you got your vac handy as you will find plenty of debris to clean up that was covered up by these panels.

The wires under the entertainment center and through the cabinet I merely bundled together with nylon ties. I removed the bottom shelf in that cabinet, then used it to cover the hole in the floor, so I could stand a toaster and some foodstuffs on it. I purchased at HD some 16 inch wide wire shelving, and two pairs of brackets to hold two shelves that I cut to size. That gives me the floor and two shelves to store goods on instead of the floor and one very tall shelf. The wire shelf lets me look through to the lower shelves instead of getting on my knees to see what is in there. I screwed the brackets into the very thin back wall with a number of coarse thread screws to distribute the load and hopefully they won't rip out. I don't plan on loading the wire shelves down with heavy cans... those can go on the floor.

I used some 2x2 lumber cut to length and screwed them to the sides of the overhead cabinet above the sink. I added a cut-to-measure wire shelf held up by the 2x2's to nearly double the storage in that cabinet.

I bypassed the water filter and bought an add-on hose filter on Amazon, as I read that they can come loose and run water all over the unseen flooring in the front compartment.

I bought a bar to put on the inside of the screen door to be able to push or pull on it from the inside, again from Amazon. That strengthened the entire door. I had to replace the flimsy screen door latch that broke about the 10 time it was used.

My outside door opened more than 90 degrees, and while putting up the awning, the key was hanging out the keyhole on the door and it bent and broke off the key in the lock. That won't happen again as I moved the door stop cylinder screw-on location on the door to prevent the door from opening more than 90 degrees, therefore not interfering with the awning anymore.

I took off all of the rims/tires and took them to the local tire store to have them balanced as I thought I felt an imbalance while towing the TT home for 2 hours for the first time. Much better towing now.

My radio/amp/DVD was only wired to the left side of the two inside speakers... the right side was completely unhooked... made playing CD's sound weird as you only got 1/2 the stereo sound. I added some bookshelf speakers up front and wired them for B, while using A left/right on both inside speakers. Pull off the amp trim from both sides to expose the screws holding the unit in if you have the same problem.

I am in the process of adding LED lights to the inside of all compartments and shelves to aid in seeing what is in them. The wife and I both used the fan/lights over the beds much more then I thought we would. I ordered replacement LED lights for all of the incandescent lights recently. I got mine through M4 Products Click the link

I bought a cloth shoe keeper, a large one and screwed that onto the inside of the bathroom door. This gave me a place to not only store shoes, but lots of other stuff in the pockets where shoes would be stored. That reminds me, I had to move the door latch striker on the bathroom door cutout as it would not hit the latch and would not allow the door to remain closed... a small quality issue from the factory.

I bought replacement, better quality plastic plugs for the rear bumper, these are without large holes, as bees found the holes in the OEM plugs and built a nest in the bumper. I also glued in screen on all the outside air panels for fridge and such to prevent bugs from getting in and building nests.

I stocked up on nitrile gloves at the Harbor Freight store to use when dealing with the black water/sewer dump station.

I washed and waxed my unit twice last summer ( extra heavy on the front), and the protective wax seems to still be doing a good job. I will reapply soon. I just washed my roof with SPic and Span last week, and it looks nearly new again.

I bought a small 1.5 gallon vac and a bunch of vacuum storage bags that we use for pillows/blankets chair cushions and anything bulky. They crunch down to 30% or less and can be stored a lot easier when traveling. The vac stays in the front compartment when not being used to clean the floors from dirt, etc or restoring unused bedding to a vac bag.

I did not like the idea of wires hanging off the electric brakes unprotected. I cut off the wire ties on most of the underside wiring on my unit. Harbor Freight sells wire loom pretty cheap that I used to cover and protect all of the exposed wiring under the trailer.

I am sure I missed something that I have done, but this covers the most significant things I did to my 183 in the past year. Looking forward to some weeks and weekends this summer, before heading back south this winter with the wife.

I'm sure you will enjoy yours.

Roger

[Button]

We moved our wall by water filter back to give more room in pass through, also moved the water filter bracket to the top of the frame so you have more room to get it out without spilling water everywhere. the type of filter they have in these now seem to tighten down well and we haven't had any problems with them leaking. Strap yea for awning. Might check with dealer on light.

[sparty047]

We have the 2016 183 Shamrock-----so we have different decals (lol)



1. Strap will work if power fails......our dealer directed us to the connector on the same end as the entry door. This connection is exposed when the awning is fully extended. You can buy a 2 prong pig tail connector that will plug into the motor end. Wire a fuse holder on the positive side of your emergency pig tail and enough 12V wire to allow you to stand on the ground. In the rare event of failure, you can plug this pig tail into the roller side of the connection. Touch the wire ends to a common 9V alkaline battery and it will provide enough power to raise and lower the awning until you can get it properly tended. Simply reverse the leads on the 9V battery to reverse the motor.


2. Since this is a brand new unit, the dealer should have thoroughly checked everything out and connected that wire before you took delivery. Personally, I'd take it back, or at least call the dealer for specific information before making the repair yourself. I believe I recognize your picture of wasted space as showing behind the outer door located above the rear bumper on the driver's side. The wire you found should have been passed through the wall behind the light assembly and be clamped into one of those harnesses you see (if you equate Right Rear with Driver's side). If you're referring to the right rear light as the passenger side, you'd better be far skinnier than I am to crawl through to where that wire should have been connected.


3. Keep it in mind that electric codes governing the manufacturer probably require some sort of guard be installed wherever a 12V or 120V wire is not "enclosed". They use scap veneer paneling and place these panels where powered impact drivers will easily fit and workers can quickly reach. This reduces construction costs, but waste our space.

If you have decided, like we did, to forego hauling cannon balls (or similar unsecured heavy objects that might shift with catastrophic results) then you can safely remove those panels and replace them with something that protects wires and plumbing runs from lawn chairs "shoved into storage by a teenager's strong right arm" and does not waste so much space. In most cases, I simply unscrewed the 1x1 brace from the floor and cut most of the panel away on my table saw, leaving the 1x1 brace with 2-3 inches of panel still attached. I then drove several more crown staples through the panel to make this shortened guard sturdier and reattached the brace snug up against the water pump/wire/hose/drain it guards. To guard a single wire (as in the far left hand lower cabinet of the kitchen) I cut the length down to 3 inches and reattached it at a 45 degree angle between the side and back wall, butted right up against the wire. Others, I left full length but moved closer to the back wall (you'll note it takes some time to do this right!)

I modified every panel except the one in with the water heater. In every case, care was taken to preserve the nice veneer panel. In turn, I re-purposed these panels - Under the bathroom sink, I made a lower shelf that lays atop the drain (atop small cleats the height of the drain run, which bear the oppressive weight of RV toilet tissue and my wife's hand towels) and an upper 1/2 shelf. I ran attached a 1 inch strip at the top of the cabinet, so items could "ride" there without falling off.

I even removed the microwave - and found there was wasted empty space behind that panel between the fridge and the microwave. I used repurposed panels to make a floor over the electric run and side walls. Now there's a tall narrow "cubby" for stacked tumblers, boxes of morning cereal, etc.

ONE WORD OF CAUTION THOUGH! Be careful that you do not drive a long screw completely through the floor and risk puncturing a wire, or plumbing run. Know what's beneath the floor closer to the item you're guarding, or use shorter screws.





Hope this helps......also see the posts about pulling the mattresses in ~1.5 inches this side of the hinges; turning both roof vent fans to 4 (high); and closing windows and the door. When you close the bunk panels, the negative pressure literally sucks the sides of the awning material into place, making it much easier to stow.



Have fun, be safe, peace/out

[ebcobra93]

Thank you all for your replies.

Sparty, your deciphering of what side of the trailer I meant was spot on. I actually mis-typed it originally. The light with the unattached wire is actually on the left rear (driver's side) of the trailer, not right as I said previously.

Thanks to your posts, I have a lot of really great ideas now for my new trailer. I just have to keep in mind that I can't do it all at once...

I have tried to contact the dealer where I bought the trailer, but have not had much luck in getting them to do anything about it. So, I am going to make the repair myself as I need the trailer for Memorial Day weekend.

[bzales]

Congrats on your Roo 183. We love ours. Lots of trips planned this summer.


2014 Rockwood Roo 183
2007 Chevy Tahoe LT 4x4

[ebcobra93]

How do I verify that the trailer brakes are working? I tried looking/listening to the brakes while my wife hit the pedal inside the truck, but I couldn't see or hear anything.

Once again, I appreciate your help.

[rsdata]

cut and paste from help article on how trailer brake controller works...
You DO have a trailer brake controller don't you?
If you do, then I think you must be moving to make the trailer brakes work...

If when you tow, you should be able to "feel" the braking power of the trailer slow you down. If this does not happen then the controller may be adjusted to low or not hooked up correctly.

Trailer Brake Controller Information | etrailer.com


A proportional brake controller senses how the tow vehicle is slowing or stopping and applies the trailer's brakes with the same intensity. So if you slam on the brakes in your tow vehicle, the controller will activate your trailer's brakes just as forcefully. With a proportional controller, you can adjust the initial braking power and aggressiveness based on your trailer's weight and your braking preferences.

A time-delayed (or solid-state) brake controller activates the trailer's brakes with a preset intensity (power output) and rate of application (sync), both of which are determined by you. With this type of controller, there is a delay between the time that you initially apply the brakes in your tow vehicle and the time that the controller reaches maximum power output to the trailer's brakes. However, this delay can be adjusted with the sync setting.

[sparty047]

Your controller should have come with instructions.....if you've misplaced them you should be able to search the make/model for owners manual as a PDF file online.


That said....there's usually discussion about an initial setting for the brake controller.

Then you go out on a lightly traveled side road....again outlined in owner's manual. Apply brakes at slower speed and note whether if feels like the trailer's brakes are "assisting" with the vehicle's braking. Adjustments are then made to get the correct proportion of trailer braking to assist the tow vehicle's braking action.


Usually, you can also travel at 15-20MPH and (manually) gently engage only the trailer's brakes. You should "feel" that the trailer is braking/slowing both itself and your tow vehicle.

Or........you can jack up the trailer axle while attached to the tow vehicle, remove the wheels, and visually inspect the braking mechanism while a second person engages the brakes......a great hassle and totally inferior to doing it on a road test.





BTW If you have "break away" cable (look this up if you do not know what I am referencing!) there is a separate procedure for verifying proper activation of trailer brakes (which requires a 12v battery be attached).

[rockfordroo]

My prodigy P3 manual said to drive about 25 mph and manually turn on the trailer brakes. If the trailer wheels don't lock up, you should increase the boost. You want the boost at the point where the wheels just lock up.

[ebcobra93]

When I picked up my trailer from the dealer, I was told (by the dealer) that my vehicle is pre-wired from the factory to control electric trailer brakes and no other device was needed. My owner's manual also says that it is pre-wired for electric brakes. I was expecting that the trailer brakes would function without the need to purchase a brake controller based on the information from the dealer as well as the owner's manual.

I've already driven with the trailer for a few hundred miles and have not noticed any issues with braking...I just didn't want to assume the brakes were working and would feel much better if I could see (or feel) them actuate.

[ebcobra93]

Just read a few Ford Explorer forums...it appears that my car is pre-wired for a brake controller...but one may still be needed in order for the brakes to function. If that is the case, the trailer dealer will be getting an angry phone call tomorrow.

I'm surprised I didn't notice that the trailer brakes weren't functioning when I was towing it.

[bikendan]

If you're saying that your truck has an integrated brake controller, then you don't need a separate controller.
But saying "prewired" confuses your info.
Prewired usually means it has the wiring to attach a brake controller.

You should know if it has the integrated BC or not.
Have you looked at the trucks owners manual?

[ebcobra93]

The vehicle owner's manual isn't much help. Trailer brakes/wiring are mentioned on one page (attached pic).

The trailer dealer looked at my 7-pin connector and stated "you are pre-wired for electric brakes". I never thought to ask if that meant that the brakes would actually work.

I am trying to figure out if I have an integrated BC...maybe a call to Ford will be needed.

The last trailer I owned had surge brakes, so electric trailer brakes are new to me.