Does your front hatch door stick when it is jacked on level ground?
Mine did but we just fixed that. It was unrelated to the cracking issue, I believe. Basically we just tapped the high spots down with a hammer and a block of wood.
We also fixed the leaking compartment door. The gasket is easily removed and rides on a metal flange. Bending that flange in or out is the way to get the gasket to fit evenly around the door (an easy fix) so that it neither gaps or makes the door difficult to shut.
One preventive action I am planning is removal of the open/close knob for curb side window near the door (I will keep it in a cabinet for adult use only). It seems that a child could open the window wide, and the door could hit it, resulting in a broken window and/or a dent in the door.
I just cut a piece of swimming noodle (the kind with a hole in the middle) to slide over the lower edge of the window when it’s open. Just cut to length, then cut the inside edge to the core. Pipe insulation would work too, but it’s not as thick.
Now the door will rest on the soft foam when it is open all the way, thus avoiding scratches. If the door hit it hard enough, the window might still break, but I think it will be worth the hassle.
We also fixed the leaking compartment door. The gasket is easily removed and rides on a metal flange. Bending that flange in or out is the way to get the gasket to fit evenly around the door (an easy fix) so that it neither gaps or makes the door difficult to shut.
Thanks for the heads up on this issue.
No evidence of water yet, but upon further inspection, I've adjusted the closures to hold the door more firmly on one side and a little looser on the other. I noticed that there was a bit of play on one side when it was latched. This could have led to leakage when driving in the rain, since the door wasn't tight on the gasket.
I also just ordered a set of Enkay Rock Tamers (AS Forum members recommended, thanks again!) to cut down on spray and debris hitting the AS.
I would have to say that the trailer's length has rarely been a real issue. It has many times been a "perceived" issue, in that we've had to work a bit to fit into certain spots, and there have been times when we've been temporarily stuck in a tight spot -- but we've always gotten out without damage.
I think the perception that you might get stuck is what really scares most people. I know it scares me from time to time! We had a tricky incident a couple of months ago in a driveway in CT where we easily got in but couldn't get back out. I had to stop and remind myself that there would always be a way to get out, it just might be time-consuming. We ended up having to knock over part of a stone wall, but we got out...
When caught in a super-tough spot, I also take solace in the fact that we can always unhitch, move the truck to a more desirable angle, and re-hitch. This maneuver basically gives you the flexibility of a forklift. Never had to do it yet, but we came close in CT, and another time at a car wash (I won't go in car washes anymore).
I think in 15 months full-timing we've encountered four or five campgrounds that prohibited trailers over 25 or 28 feet, and about the same number of roads. Only once have we had to skip a campground we wanted to visit because of our length.
We routinely get into campsites that are for shorter trailers. One easy trick is to back up the wheels right to the curb and let the rear end hang over into the sites. Often we'll park the truck sideways in front of the trailer, as we did in Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in northern CA.
Overall, the real problem with a long trailer is that you have to be much more careful about gas stations and parking lots. Those are considerably more risky than campgrounds, in my opinion. I always look ahead to evaluate the situation before I enter, and if there's any doubt, I don't go in.
I'll be maxing out the chain saw and moving the offending rocks this spring Rich. Tell your bunkhouse buddies they're all welcome to courtesy park with us anytime and that we'll get em out and on the road without a hitch! (Uh, I mean without a problem.)
It has many times been a "perceived" issue, in that we've had to work a bit to fit into certain spots, and there have been times when we've been temporarily stuck in a tight spot -- but we've always gotten out without damage.
I can certainly relate to that one. On our third camping trip we were at our favorite place in the World...Disney's Fort Wilderness and the road was narrow and curved to the left and our camp site was on the right side of the road. The two sites across from us had long 5th wheel trailers and their trucks were out to the edge of the road. It took several attempts but I made it with only one of the "neighbors" offering to move their TV. For the other I had to lower my driver's side window and fold my mirror in so it wouldn't drag across the hood of the other guy's truck hood when I eased by! But I made it. Probably wasn't the prettiest backing job, but by the time I was backed into the site, I had an audience. I had just as much difficulty getting out of the site as getting in! I guess they didn't have as many 30 footers in 1971 when Ft. Wilderness was laid out as they do now. BTW, my first two camping trips I had pull-throughs so this was my first attempt at backing into a camp site!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rluhr
Overall, the real problem with a long trailer is that you have to be much more careful about gas stations and parking lots. Those are considerably more risky than campgrounds, in my opinion. I always look ahead to evaluate the situation before I enter, and if there's any doubt, I don't go in.
I have had some interesting experiences at these too. Once I had to back away from the pumps because the angle of the trailer was such that I would have hit the bollard with the trailer if I had pulled forward. Another I had placed the safety chains on the outside of the spring-bars (I guess to keep them from dragging the road??!) and while maneuvering out of the station I must have snapped them because they were in tact at the pumps but were both broken and dragging the ground when we reached our destination.
Isn't camping fun!
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
As I said on an earlier post, our family was on a three week, 5,000 mile trip when we decided we had to have a larger AS for our family. My wife and I determined that only one campground during our trip (Rising Sun in Glacier National Park) would have been too small for a thirty foot unit (technically our 25 AS was too large by the posted maximum length, but she fit with a bit of maneuvering).
With only a few hundred miles under my belt with the new BH, I can relate to the perceived length. The first time I slipped the trailer into my storage space I must have jumped out three times to be sure the rear end was not near the motor home parked next to my unit on my blind side. It wasn’t any closer than my 25 footer was when I pulled into the space. Once into the spot, it appears that the 30 foot unit has about 2 feet more length from the rear wheels than the 25.
Like Rich said, most campgrounds are not the problem, but rather parking lots and gas stations. One must always look for an acceptable exit before making a commitment by turning in. I have got caught twice without an escape route, making for a difficult and long reverse trip out.
Build date: July 2004 and titled as a 2005 model. Purchase date September 2006. It sat on the dealers lot for a long time before someone decided to purchase….
Rick
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2005 30 Bunkhouse
2005 Chevrolet Suburban 2500, 8.1L 4.10 rear axle
Honda 2000 Air #99 WBCCI #8895 (Grandpa's number from the 1960's)
These photos are unique to the 30' model, but I thought I'd share them anyway.
The first photo is a solution my wife came up with. Originally we used a little plate storage unit that held the plates horizontally. The plates are melamime so they are shatter proof. The bowls and cups are Corell. However, every time we opened the flipper door when we arrived at our destination invariably the plates had shifted and would fall out in our face. (Think RV with the daughter). While at Lowe's one day my wife started looking at their wire storage solutions and bought two pot-lid holders. I secured them to the back rail of the overhead storage bin with the screws that came with it and the plates are securely held in place.
The second photo is a coat rack I secured to the inside of the bathroom door with molly screws. We selected it because it had the curved shape of the overhead storage doors and the brushed aluminum hooks fold up flush and match the aluminum look and the wood came as close to matching the wood finish in the Airstream as we could find. We hang our towels on the hooks to dry.
The third photo is our TV setup. Our coach didn't have the AV package. I'm glad it didn't. If I had ordered it, I would have ordered it with the audio only package with an exterior speaker. However, after some of the problems I have heard with the external speaker, I might not have got that either. Anyway, I'm not too happy with the wire situation and will be looking for options for storing them or at least making them less visually cluttering. We have the single disk Sony stereo. Does anybody know if there are external aux ports on that stereo that the TV and combo VCR/DVD player can be routed into to play the audio through the existing four ceiling stereo speakers?
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
Does anybody know if there are external aux ports on that stereo that the TV and combo VCR/DVD player can be routed into to play the audio through the existing four ceiling stereo speakers?
Our factory installation came with an in-line FM modulator for the CD changer. You would tune your existing head unit (existing car type stereo) to an unused radio station that is set on the FM modulator. Your VCR/DVD player plugs into the modulator and the modulator is inserted between the antenna lead and your head unit.
Hi all! We want to put XM Radio in our trailer and fix the speakers so the IN/OUT/BOTH switch works. Also, want to be able to watch a movie and have the sound come through just the TV speakers instead of the surround sound speakers. So, this past weekend we pulled the CD changer, radio and the console out. And by we, I mean mostly Roy! First, we found the source of the saw dust that would magically appear on the dinnette seat every time we moved the trailer. The picture does not do justice to the true amount of sawdust caked between the two pieces of cabinetry. We discovered the sub-woofer under the bench of the dinnette. We don't think it was plugged in correctly and probably isn't contributing to overall good sound quality being stuffed inside a closed bench without any venting. Still working on straightening out the speaker wire. For some reason, the rear speakers play all the time. Also, we ran the wire for the sat. radio antenna up through the FanTastic fan. Ran out of time last weekend so will pick it up again on Saturday, hopefully. Oh, and Roy fixed the furnace! One of the spade connectors was loose.
For some reason, the rear speakers play all the time.
Our subwoofer was not connected correctly either. The RCA plugs were connected to the "out" instead of the "in". Once connected correctly, it worked fine. I was thinking about putting a port in the cabinet to let it breathe better. Our In/Out/Both switch does the same thing (back always on). Please let us know if you figure out how to make it work properly. I’d consider adding and outside set of speakers, but haven’t heard any success stories, yet.
It looks like everyone has the same issues with the A/V system. Quality control?
I was also thinking that I could use wireless speakers by splitting the RCA outputs that go the subwoofer to the wireless transmitter. I have some Acoustic Research wireless speakers that should work.
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First, we found the source of the saw dust that would magically appear on the dinnette seat every time we moved the trailer. The picture does not do justice to the true amount of sawdust caked between the two pieces of cabinetry. We discovered the sub-woofer under the bench of the dinnette. We don't think it was plugged in correctly and probably isn't contributing to overall good sound quality being stuffed inside a closed bench without any venting. Still working on straightening out the speaker wire. For some reason, the rear speakers play all the time. Also, we ran the wire for the sat. radio antenna up through the FanTastic fan. Ran out of time last weekend so will pick it up again on Saturday, hopefully. Oh, and Roy fixed the furnace! One of the spade connectors was loose.
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