sent you a PM

 

Anyone have a check lists or tips for long haul camping trips? Just wondering if there is anything I am overlooking.

I have an upcoming trip which will be a bit over 2000 miles in 9 days and I have done the following prep.

Truck prep:
1. Oil changed
2. alignment/ tire rotation
3. new shocks/tierods/upgraded rear swaybar
4. trans flush and fuel filter change
5. new coolant filter
6. checked belts/hoses/for leaks/etc
7. I have a full sized spare in good shape
8. all fuses are good

travel trailer prep:
1. Tires in good shape
2. spare in good shape
3. propane tanks full
4. fuses are all good

My current floor jack is not rated high enough to lift my X to change a tire, so buying a larger capacity jack is on my "to buy" list. I always set tire pressures when I hook up the camper.

Anything else you would recommend?

We will be heading from IL to an RV park in Destin, Florida to celebrate the 4th of July and the upcoming finalization of the adoption (approx. August) of the siblings we have been fostering for 19 months now.
So with 4 kids and 2000 miles, I am trying my best to make sure its as trouble free of a trip as possible.....if that is even possible with a 6L

 

It all sounded good until that last sentence! Really, I think you got everything. It's hard to prepare for the unexpected.

 

One thing I like to do is check the lights and brakes a day or two in advance, just in case wires drug on something or a connection came loose. I've had a brake controller fry between trips and didn't discover it until I was ready to pull out of the drive. If you haven't sanitized your water system yet this year, that wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

I'd suggest repacking the wheel bearings on the trailer and adjusting the brakes while you are in there.

 

Great post. I have 4 young kids and it sounds like how our family camps. We are hardly "roughing it" but it sure beats having the kids watching tv or playing video games.

 

I have heard good things about the Reese dual cam set up. I just picked up a set of Husky anti-sway friction bars for my TT. More pricey for the dual cam setup so it was a cost issue for me.

 

Thanks, I always pull my TT out of storage a couple days before leaving. I'll make sure I get those things covered as well.

 

My TT is a 2011 with 4,000 miles on it and I am admittedly "wheel bearing ignornant" My plan is to repack them once a year before I put it into storage for the winter. I have no idea how to tell if they need it sooner than that.

 

Yeah, this truck has left us on the side of the road a few times.

With the new long block, and all the parts in my sig I am expecting the cooling issues to stay a thing of the past.

 

With a trailer that new, I would say it's likely they are OK. But keep in mind, they might have been packed at the factory in 2010. Possibly 2009 if the frame sat around for a while before it got a trailer built on it.

At least jack up the trailer wheels and check for play in the wheels and listen/feel for them to rotate smoothly.

 

Good point, thanks

 

If done every year you should never have any problems with them. Our ToyHauler has the E-Z Lube spindles/hubs so I just gave them each 2 pumps with the grease gun when we bought it. I was not very impressed with the brakes on the TH after our first long trip so I planned to pull them to adjust/replace before the next trip. Glad I did, all 4 of the rear hub seals were blown out of the hub and were just hanging on the spindle base and there were loads of grease all over every bit of the brake shoes and magnets. It was everywhere! Apparently sometime before we bought it a previous owner went a little overboard with the grease gun and loaded so much grease into the hubs it blew the seal off the back allowing all that grease to soak the brake shoes. Now with 4 new seals and brake sets it has amazing braking power, much better. Now I don't use the E-Z Lube feature and just pull and repack every other year. I have seen a few brand new trailer bearings with so little grease that now I pull and repack right away, our utility trailer's bearing were nearly dry when I pulled them. Burning up a bearing on the road can make for a less than fun travel day.

 

Just pulled in yesterday from our trip. Had an absolute wonderful time! Everything went flawlessly as well!

I must say the new bigger wheels and tires on the TT made a night and day difference in towing! Traveling to the campsite was a nice calm day so I didn't get to see exactly how well the TT handled with the new tires besides the couple semis that passed me. Leaving and coming home however was a very windy day and I was a bit nervous for our trip home. But I was surprised that the trailer pulled just like it did on the way up. No more swaying, no more being pushed around by semis, it is wonderful! I am very happy I went with the new bigger wheels and tires! I was also very pleased with how the bias ply tires rode, very smooth. I honestly didn't even know I was towing anything behind the X! However according to the lie-o-meter I lost .5 MPG with the new tires. Not sure if it is the size or because they are bias ply. I am thinking it is because they are bias ply tires and are harder to roll with weight on them than the radials. But for that .5 MPG I will take the great handling and ride! Well worth it!

Also got a new rig pic that I will have to crop and put in my sig later.

 

Here's a great idea for camping to make omelets for your family...very easy way to do it while camping...all you need to do is boil a pot of water!...depending on how many you are making determines the size of the pot...LOL

Here's a photo of my setup cooking dozens of omelets at the SAME time at our last Excursion Diversion a couple of years ago!!!





They are really very simple...

What's cool about them is that you can feed lots of people ALL AT THE SAME TIME and everyone gets WHAT THEY WANT!

First...get a box of quart size ziploc FREEZER bags...go with the brand name bags...don't skimp here...don't ask how I know...LOL

Next take a sharpie marker and write your name on the bag.

Have all your toppings pre-made in bowls...bacon pieces, sausage cut up, onions diced, tomatoes diced, mushrooms cut up, spinach cleaned, cheese shredded, you name it...prepare it before hand and have it all in bowls.

What we've done at the gatherings is have everyone bring the toppings and we'll supply the bags and eggs...but you can have everyone bring everything if it is an outting or something...

But get the bags ready with your name and get the toppings ready for use.

Next put whatever toppings you want in the bag...don't over over do it...put in what you like...

Once the toppings are in there...take 2 eggs and break them out of the shell directly into the bag...

Don't put 3 eggs as it doesn't cook that good...if you want more just make a second 2 egg omelet

Zip the bag closed and squish away to break the yoke and mix everything together.

Next step...carefully open the bag...slowly roll the bag from the bottom pushing all the air out and then zip it closed.

Place the baggie in a bowl waiting for everyone else to get their omelet made up in the bag.

Have the water boiling (notice I used two fairly large pots of water for how many omelets I was making...there were well over 30 omelets in those 2 pots)...

Once all the omelets are made and air squeezed out of bags...drop them into the boiling water.

They need to cook for 13 minutes...keep them stirred if there are many like I have or you will get some that are half cooked...so take your tongs and move them around periodically...

Once the 13 minutes are up...pull them out one by one...call off the persons name...have them bring you a plate...use a pair of scissors to cut the zip part off and a little pillow of omelet will just come out in one piece onto their plate...and whalla...you can feed many people all at the SAME time!...perfect every time!

Hope that helps!

let me know if something isn't clear.

ENJOY!

Joe.