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Old 04-24-2005, 11:49 AM   #26
katbird
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Default being a little picky

Just finished our first trip in our new 3124KB, over 2,000 miles to Big Bend National Park and back. Loved our TM--it was very easy to tow and I'm a pretty nervous driver, but it went pretty well once I got some practice passing, pulling into gas stations, etc. Haven't gotten parking down yet, but there is always another camper there who directs me (and doesn't get exasperated, like DH does!).

My only complaints are:
1) The water pump is noisy.
2) It adds 20 minutes to breakdown time folding up and storing all the bedding. (Can the trailer be closed over a Travasak that is left on the bed?)
3)The stovetop grate bounced off onto the floor going over (extremely) bumpy I-10 in Louisiana--evidently there are some clips, but they don't hold very well or I don't know how to fasten them correctly. (The fastener that holds the outside storage area door closed also broke off during that phase of the trip. I still think it was the bad road.)
4) You can't fill the fresh water tank with the trailer folded. (I did read one post about doing it upside down through the drain valve? Sounded complicated and time-consuming.) Looking through the front window and seeing the cap right there so temptingly close, yet so inaccessible. . . has anyone tried to rig the window so they can open it from the outside? I sure wish the factory would solve this problem with some sort of outside window opening and closing/locking mechanism.

We picked up a nail somewhere and had a flat on the TM. It was very scary because we had just arrived at Big Bend when we noticed it and the park is a v-e-r-y long way from ANYWHERE. A very nice man at the Panther Junction gas station inside the park changed it and patched it for us (even staying 20 minutes after closing time to finish) and it held up well throughout the rest of the trip and home. (But you do have to open the trailer to change the tire! I wouldn't like that much had we been on the side of the road instead of at a gas station.) The lug nuts were so tight he spent 30 minutes and it took all his strength to get them loose.

These are my only complaints and I consider them minor ones. The bed slept great with just a 1 1/2 inch memory foam addition, all of the appliances worked great. Plenty of room for 2 adults. We dry camped for 6 nights and the dealer-provided battery stayed on G (I'm assuming the indicator works correctly). We used battery-operated Coleman lanterns for light at night since we had read that the cabin lights deplete the battery. Didn't need the furnace or air conditioner. Cooked outside most of the time and used mostly paper plates, but did wash the silverware, an occasional pot, and glasses (dumped my dishwater in the drains provided by the campground when my holding tank started showing 2/3 full) and of course used the pay showers (next time I think I could sneak in at least 2 showers in the trailer without exhausting the holding tank). Took bottled water for drinking and the fresh water tank was nowhere near empty, gray water on 2/3, and toilet nowhere near full when we left (used it all the time except for #2). I was really pleased with the way the trailer lived and everything worked.

So far I have not been able to open the trailer by myself (easy when both of us pull, though) but I can close it by myself except that occasionally it takes two of use to lock the bars (the ones midways of the sides of the trailer)--one to push down and the other to push the clamp into place. It seems to be getting easier the more it is opened and closed, though. Next time I want to try the trick posted earlier about lowering the jack on the front and then the rear prior to opening the shells.)

Have to say that all of the knowledge I gained from this website made a huge difference in the success of this trip with two novices. The orientation at the dealer's and the owner's manual just wouldn't have sufficed!

Kat
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