Visit our Popular Forums

bradk · 05-17-2006, 08:58 PM

Ok, so I went out to visit the bambi today...just because...

Anyway...

3 questions.

1. While we were tinkering with the trailer, we couldn't figure out the reason for the red switch by the door...I even read the manual and couldn't find a reference. Thanks for the obvious answers:

http://www.airforums.com/photo...0&userid=11392

2. The rear emergency exit window in our trailer does not have any push-slides to open it. Are we missing the ability to open this window or is it supposed to remain closed?

http://www.airforums.com/photo...0&userid=11392

3. How does my equalizer setup look? Measurements come in within a half an inch of eachother and tows very well. Any comments/corrections welcome however.

http://www.airforums.com/photo...0&userid=11392

cheers,
brad.

dwightdi · 05-17-2006, 10:04 PM

You need to buy a drop hitch ball. Your ball is way to high. The rear window releases with the little handles at the bottom and pushes out.

Frank S · 05-17-2006, 10:27 PM

Hi bradek & dwighti--Looks to me that you need to lower the ball on the hitch, and it appears from the photo that there is enough adjustment left to do that. Don't understand what measurements are within a half inch of each other. It is not the horizontal plane of the trailer, which appears to be several inches high in the front. When correctly hitched both your tow vehicle, and trailer when viewed from the distance you took the photo should appear parallel to the ground. The front of your trailer should be slightly higher than the rear, but probably not more than an inch. May have to lower the ball one or two holes on your hitch. Looks like a great setup.--Frank S

AZstreamin · 05-17-2006, 10:39 PM

Hi Brad,
Check out the video on equal-i-zers website for adjustment instructions or have your dealer do it you'll need a serious wrench to get the proper torque.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/support/instructions.php

It should be a straight body line: Here is our new rig with the equal-i-zer and a 30' safari

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ngs-22502.html

I like the silver tow and silver combo she looks like a beauty.

AZstreamin.

spinyman · 05-18-2006, 01:24 AM

Brad, I believe that switch is for the refrigerator fan.It is on a thermostat so it does not come on immediately.I was told to switch it on when the reefer was in use or the coils would freeze up.It is annoying at night when it cycles on, so I just switch it off along with the reefer.Six or seven hours off doesn't seem to bother my food.
I push open the back window a couple of inches for a little ventilation,but it takes two people to close it back up.Nice rig.

flyfisher · 05-18-2006, 03:29 AM

Brad -

When you are lowering your ball mount, as others have already suggested, make sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of torque on the bolts when you reassemble the hitch head and the ball mount to the hitch bar (shank).

I seem to recall that my Reese hitch requires something like 300 pounds of torque, which is more than I can apply manually, and I'd imagine your hitch is similar. You don't want it to fall apart sometime on those Canadian mountains!

John

bradk · 05-18-2006, 06:50 AM

It's an equal-i-zer hitch, I am going out to the hangar tomorrow to readjust the hitch ball. I have accounted for too much sag it appears in my setup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwightdi

You need to buy a drop hitch ball. Your ball is way to high. The rear window releases with the little handles at the bottom and pushes out.

I understand how the window opens, my question is: should I have the push slide bars on this window or is it meant to have only the latching mechanism? Like on the front window there are push-bars on either side of the window to open it. My rear window does not have the push bars and I am wondering if that was missed or is it standard for the emergency exit to not have the sliders.

bradk · 05-18-2006, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfisher

Brad -
I seem to recall that my Reese hitch requires something like 300 pounds of torque, which is more than I can apply manually, and I'd imagine your hitch is similar.
John

thanks John, Equalizer recommends 200 foot pounds on the bolts. I have a torque wrench that allows me to get it up there...with considerable groans however.

b.

lewster · 05-18-2006, 07:39 AM

Hey Brad,

That little red switch on the left as you enter your CCD is for your tank heaters. WHAT? You didn't know that you HAD tank heaters? I didn't either!!! I asked the same question at the dealer when I picked it up and no one know, I could not find it in the manual, and everyone I asked was clue-less. Took a call to the Factory and they had to ask a few people but that's what it is!

PS: spineyman, the refer fans on the CCD's are on a thermostat and don't have an on/off switch.I would assume that all of the newer trailers are set up that way.

spinyman · 05-18-2006, 07:49 AM

LEWSTER,No wonder the fan didn't come on immediately!I stand corrected.

spinyman · 05-18-2006, 08:05 AM

BRAD and LEWSTER,Do you actually use the back bins under the bed or have you come up with a better system?
BRAD,that back window doesn't have the pushout arms because they would inhibit an emergency exit.I have propped mine open with a stick occasionally.

bradk · 05-18-2006, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewster

Hey Brad,

That little red switch on the left as you enter your CCD is for your tank heaters.

Well that explains it, man we tried everything and couldn't figure out what the heck they were. one more thing...which tanks do they heat? Must be the grey/black tanks but I was under the impression that the furnace pumped heat in there. Cool extra feature!

Spineyman...I am using the bins but haven't come up with anything better yet, they're a pain in the butt to reach and I was hoping my BABY-Q would fit under there but to no avail. I need to spend another few weekends out there and figure it out.

brad.

crazylev · 05-18-2006, 09:05 AM

BradK.

We have a 2004 19 CCD and we don't have a switch like that on our unit. I question whether this is actually a tank heater only because I have read here that the 19 CCD tanks are suppose to stay warmer by having heat ducted to them when using the furnace. I think this is true for the regular bambi and safari bambi as well.

I would check with AS or maybe someone on the forum knows for certain about that switch. At first reading your post you were describing what I thought was to be the disconnect switch next to the dinette, just below the interior light switches.

But let us know. You've got me scratching my head. Or do I have fleas again?

As far as the rear window, yes that is a stupid design and you are not missing any parts. If you look at how that window is installed, there is no way a second arm-lever opener thing could be installed because of the proximity to the bed/bathroom wall partition.

It is interesting that the little brackets, at least on our unit, are in place on the glass, and there looks like there is even the slot where the lever arms would go through. I toyed with the idea of jury rigging something, because we actually open that window more times than we thought.

This window is meant to be an emergency escape so it needs to open to it's max to allow for human egress.

Right now, my fix is: find a short firm stick nearby and prop the window open. Just don't forget to close and latch before travel.

Cheers.

Jonathan

spinyman · 05-18-2006, 09:45 AM

Brad, Lewster,
I just looked at my trailer, and guess what?That switch is labled on it,"refer fan switch".Evidently,2005 is the only year it was labeled.I would take a photo for you but can't figure ou how to reduce the size of my shots.

bradk · 05-18-2006, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazylev

BradK.

We have a 2004 19 CCD and we don't have a switch like that on our unit. I question whether this is actually a tank heater only because I have read here that the 19 CCD tanks are suppose to stay warmer by having heat ducted to them when using the furnace. I think this is true for the regular bambi and safari bambi as well.

I would check with AS or maybe someone on the forum knows for certain about that switch. At first reading your post you were describing what I thought was to be the disconnect switch next to the dinette, just below the interior light switches.

Morning Jonathan,

the red switch, as in the picture, is on the fridge cabinet just above the fire extinguisher. The battery disconnect is on the other side of the door. We tried everything to see what it did, a red switch would seem to have some importance, but nothing either connected to power, on battery, furnace on, fridge on, etc. seemed to make a differerence.

As for the rear window, on inspection, I saw slots and everything for the push bars and thus was wondering if that got missed. You're right on about the proximity of the bunk and biffy wall though, that would restrict it. I'm tempted to try to rig something to get the airflow through there. With the upper bunk option, the side window does not open either. The 2nd fantastic fan helps a bunch with the flow but it would be nice to have that fresh air flow from the rear window. I'll see if I can come up with something fancier than the stick option...but that works just fine too.

b.

crazylev · 05-18-2006, 09:52 AM

spinyman and bradk.

Ah Ha!!! That's gotta be it. A fan cut-off switch for the fridge. A way to check that is the first warm/hot day with the fridge on, fan kicked in, try the switch and see if it turns the fan off.

We look forward to spring and cool weather camping: few bugs, not alot of other people, and less fan noise from refer when sitting outside.....

Let us know.

Jonathan

Colo_StreamN · 05-18-2006, 11:11 AM

We have a ’05 Bambi 19’ CCD and the switch to the left of the door is labeled refer fan so that is probably what that switch is for.

But Crazylev brought up a good question about tank heaters and I have wondered about that since January (when we bought our Bambi). Are the tanks in the Bambi really heated at all? The furnace in the Bambi has a single forced air output on the front of the furnace and does not have a ducted output like the furnace on larger units. I have searched the bottom of the closet and other areas for openings that might allow warm air into the holding tank area but found nothing.

flyfisher · 05-18-2006, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colo_StreamN

Are the tanks in the Bambi really heated at all? The furnace in the Bambi has a single forced air output on the front of the furnace and does not have a ducted output like the furnace on larger units. I have searched the bottom of the closet and other areas for openings that might allow warm air into the holding tank area but found nothing.

I have a 2004 Classic which is probably different from yours, but in our trailer there are a couple flexible heat ducts under a storage tray that's built into the bottom of the trailer's closet/wardrobe floor.

One of these heat ducts had always been laying with one end loose and exposed. When we took our trailer back to the factory for some service work last month, I asked the factory serviceman why it was left laying that way and he said it shouldn't be, and that the exposed, open end needed to be placed down beneath the subfloor to heat the holding tanks. So, he did this. I guess they never did it when our trailer was built.

John