| AWNING ROLLER |
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Wether you have a pop up or a travel trailer installing an awning roller to
your entry door can save you from an unexpected tear in your awning. The one
pictured here was on our pop up. |
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CAREFREE BAG
AWNINGS |
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Setting up your pop up awning can sometimes be troublesome, but if you
follow the steps below you should be able to do it with just one
person.
1- Crank your
roof up to about shoulder height.
2- Unzip the the
bag and undo the velcro strap that keeps the rolled up canopy in place.
3- Unroll the
lead bar assembly with your hands until the canopy is completely unrolled
and touching the ground.
4- Hold one end
of the lead bar as your helper unfolds the arm section and attaches the free
end to the bottom bracket mounted on the trailer.
5- Next have
your helper do the same thing with the rear arm.
6- Finish
cranking your roof up and then unfold both the front and rear top brace
sections and slide the free ends into the loops on the awning rail portion
of the roof.
7- Tighten the
canopy by extending the top braces and raise the awning by extending the
side arms.
8- If you have a
larger awning, place the center brace in place.
9- Adjust your
awning braces and arms until your awning is tight then lower one side about
an inch for water run off and you're all set.
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AN EXTRA STEP |
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Sometimes we run into sites that are very un-level. They may slope towards
your trailer or have a depression in front of the door. That makes it
somewhat difficult for the kids to get in and out or can be an awkward
step-in height for us big kids. What I did to help was create a step or
small platform to place in front of the door.
I built this 2ft x 3ft patio
step from 2x4's and 1/2" treated plywood. Then I covered it with carpet
using a staple gun. It took me about an hour or so to do and I used a scrap
of carpet left over from the house.
The step is a great place to
keep your shoes and offers easier access for our little ones. We store it on
the floor of the trailer while we are in route. So far the biggest advantage
of the step has been on a rainy weekend where our site flooded from heavy
rain. The step offered a dry place to stand while cooking under the awning. |
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FIRST AID KITS |
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It
is very important to have some type of first aid kit with you. You never
know when an injury is going to happen. Consider a ready made first aid kit
designed for families. It may cost you a few bucks, but it's money well
spent to protect you and your family. If you want to make your own I would
suggest including the following items:
1 Elastic Roll
Bandage
Aspirin or Ibuprofen
Adhesive Tape
Alcohol Swabs
Antacid
Antihistamine
Toothpaste (for bee stings)
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Antiseptic
Ointment
Adhesive Bandages (assorted
sizes)
Butterfly Bandages
Chemical Hot & Cold Packs
Dry Wash Pads or Wipes
Diarrhea Medicine
Gauze Pads
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Non Latex
Surgical Gloves
Hydrocortisone Cream
Cotton swabs (sterile)
Safety Pins
Scissors (Swiss Army Knife)
Sunscreen/Aloe Vera Gel
Tweezers. |
Inspect the contents every
few trips and make sure the tools are clean and you replace expired
medicines. Make sure the container is durable and waterproof and stow it in
an easily accessible place. It is also important to know how to use
everything in your first aid kit beforehand. You won't have time in the
middle of an emergency to read an instruction manual. You should also know
where the local hospitals are and carry a cell phone so you can summon help
if it is needed.
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SAVE GREY TANK
SPACE |
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Have you ever wondered why your gray water holding tank ALWAYS seems to be
full? Here's a tip that will help you stretch the size of your tank.
First let me explain the
difference between the gray-water tank and the black-water tank. The
gray-water tank captures waste water from the sinks and showers; the
black-water tank collects waste from the commode. While camping we create
more gray water than we do black water, so the gray water tank fills up
faster. Meaning you always have to empty your gray water tank before the
black.
To combat making multiple
trips to empty gray water I've picked up a few tips from fellow campers I'd
like to share.
1. Obviously, the less fresh
water you use, the less waste water will fill your tank. So conserve water
while camping.
2. Use the campground’s restroom and shower facilities.
3. Don’t let the water run. Whether you are brushing your teeth, washing
your hands or taking a shower.
4. Use paper plates for dining and papertowels for cleaning up.
5. Switch to an electric or rechargeable razor while camping.
6. Use a dish pan to wash your dishes instead of the sink and when your
done, dump the dish water into your toilet to add water to the black water
tank.
These six tips should help
you conserve tank space, but eventually you have to empty your tank. When
that time comes you have two choices. Close up shop and drive the whole rig
to a disposal station and empty or use a 25-30 gallon blue tote. The totes
are around $100 bucks and come with everything you need to drain your tanks
including a bracket to hook your tote to your hitch.
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INSULATE YOUR
BUNKENDS |
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| Expandable
trailers are not the perfect recreational vehicles for camping in the cold.
Obviously the canvas/vinyl sides don't hold the heat as well as hard sides.
But there are a few ways you can warm things up. Since most of the heat loss
in an expandable trailer is through the bunk ends, you'll want to insulate them for
those cold trips. Thanks to the message boards out there on the net, I have
picked up some tips to share. Method #1:
Add solar bunk end covers like popupgizmos. They install over the top of
your bun ends and are reversible to perform in both warm and cold camping
conditions. installed with the colored side out they attract the sun and
warm your bunk ends. Installed shiny side out they reflect the sunlight and
keep your bunk ends cool. They also reduce condensation and keep your bunk
ends clean.
Method #2:
Add Reflectix. (thin layer of mirrored bubble wrap insulation that
reflects heat) Place some under your mattress to keep your body heat from
escaping and place some on the top of your bunk end with clothes pins to hold
the heat in. Reflectix is available at most home improvement centers. It can
also be used in the summer to reflect the sun off your bunk end keeping
things cooler inside. Another optional material to use would be solar
blankets, they are very cheap and can reflect heat as well.
Method #3:
Add 1/2inch foamboard insulation. Cut the 4x8 sheets to match your window
openings and then zip them between your windows and screens. They have to be
cut a few inches smaller than your windows and you may want to paint them to
match your trailer. Black for tinted windows or white to match the canvas.
You have to add and remove them before popping up or down. You can also use
the foamboard under your mattresses.
Method #4:
Take the cushions from the dinette and stand them up between your bunk end
mattress and the tenting vinyl side out. This will keep the bunk end warmer by
blocking some of the draft and holding in some of the heat.
Method #5:
Add thick wool blankets or comforters under your mattress. This will help
keep the cool air under your bunk from sucking away your body heat. Electric
blankets will also help keep you warm in bed at night.
No matter what method or combination
of methods you use always have a fan running to circulate the air and reduce
chances for condensation. Hopefully some of these tips will help you extend
your season and see things you may have otherwise missed.
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LEVELING YOUR TRAILER |
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When you arrive at your campsite
inspect it for level. You will want your trailer to be as level as possible.
Back or pull your camper into
the site and before un-hitching check for level side to side. If it is level
your all set, If not you can use many things to get it level. Many campers
use Lynx Levelers or BAL levelers, but we use a few 3 ft. long pieces of
treated 1x6 placed under the low side tires.
When your trailer is level
from side to side chock your wheels, un-hitch your tow vehicle and pull it
forward. You can now use your trailers tongue jack to adjust the level from
front to back. When everything is level begin the rest of your setup
procedure.
DO NOT USE YOUR STABILIZER JACKS
TO LEVEL YOUR TRAILER! Stabilizers are designed to stabilize your trailer
and keep it from rocking during use. They are not meant to be used to level
your trailer. Damage may occur to both your stabilizers and your frame so
beware.
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GET A BIKE RACK & BASKET |
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If you have
a pop up and would like to bring your bikes along, get a rooftop bike
carrier like the one pictured. It is made by Yakima and has an optional
cargo basket. You can get them to carry 2 or 4 bikes and the basket comes
with a cargo net to keep extra gear like coolers or rubbermaid bins secure.
Only downside is the extra setup time. You
have to unload everything from the rack before you set up your trailer.
Pictured is our two bikes in the rack and
our Burley bike trailer in the cargo basket. The rooftop rack worked really
well during the five years we had our Rockwood. |
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NO MESS GRILLING |
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When
using your portable grill you often get grease drippings, food, and sauce
all over the place. Well this can be easily avoided by laying down a piece
of aluminum foil under your grill. The foil will catch the mess and you can
just throw it away when your done cooking.
You can also cover your grills grate with
foil so you don't have to scrape the mess left behind by barbeque sauce and
marinades. Just crumble it up and toss it out.
Less clean up = more relaxation. |
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SAVE YOUR PROPANE |
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The double wardrobe in our kiwi has plenty of space, but is not very organized. So a future mod coming to the wardrobe will be the addition of shelving in one side. That should allow us to hang coats in one and organize our clothes on the shelves in the other. |
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QUICKER STABILIZING |
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Most trailers come with manual crank down stabilizers. You can reduce the
work and increase the speed of stabilizing your trailer by purchasing a
socket genie. The
socket genie is manufactured by Custom Cylinders Inc. and it fits into the
end of any cordless drill. All you do is attach it to your drill, place it
on your stabilizer, and squeeze the trigger. In seconds your stabilizers are
down and your ready to enjoy your weekend. |
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USE A TABLECLOTH |
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Cleaning up
after a meal can be a real bummer, so we have started using disposable table
cloths. Buy a roll of your favorite color from the local party supply store
and just unroll it on the picnic table and cut it to length. After eating or
doing crafts you can wipe up the mess easily and us it all weekend. When
your trip is over all you have to do is ball it up and throw it away. |
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CHOCK YOUR WHEELS |
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| We
used the yellow plastic wheel chocks from Walmart with our pop up. They
seemed to work pretty well, but we are getting a little trailer movement
with the kiwi. After
doing a little research on the web I found plans for some homemade wheel
chocks. Created with threaded rod, nuts, washers, lock nuts, and treated
4x4's. The cost was less than $12 and they took about an hour to make.
First time we used them I
noticed a considerable difference. The trailer doesn't seem to have as much
movement. If your looking for some inexpensive chocks, I recommend making a
set of your own. |
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