Our first adventure and a few questions.

[Lesherp]

Thanks to knowledge we have gained from this forum the transition from work life to retired Trail Manor journeyers is going very smoothly. Prior to our first trip to the Oregon coast last week I had 15 inch tires put on. We had a mixture of fair weather and rain so were able to enjoy walks on the beach. My wife was delighted at seeing a bald eagle every day. During a rainy period I was able to hook up the new radio.

I love projects and it looks like I will not be running out of them any time soon. This last week I replaced the 12 volt battery with two 6 volt golf cart batteries, put a deck plate on the water tank, replaced speakers and set it up so we can have speakers outside. I have ordered a couple LED lights, a battery monitor, and a tire monitor kit.

I do have some questions I have not seen addressed.

1. I want to at least put a vent cover on the vent with the fan so it can be used in the rain. Camping World sells 3 different vent covers. There is one that says it is for High-Powered ceiling fans ($76), Maxx Air II ($52) and Maxx Air vent cover ($35). Do you need the most expensive one and if not is there any advantage to having it over the cheaper ones?

2. I looked at the outside lights and they do not have a number on them. They are the wedge base kind. Can anyone tell me what kind of LED lights to order to replace them? Are they all the same?

3. We get a little rain sometimes on Oregon. After the trip to the coast we were fortunate enough to have some sunny days that allowed me to work on the trailer and let it dry out before storage. It was cool at the coast and with the heater running we got a significant amount of condensation on the windows and even the walls over the bed. We wiped everything down before closing but know the humidity inside would still be high. On a rainy day there would be no way to dry the collapsible shells and the first one down would have water trapped between it and the other shell. We are concerned about mold and mildew as there will be times that we will not have dry days prior to storing. Is this a legitimate concern and what if anything can be done to reduce the chance of having a problem? I see Camping World sells something called
Dry –Z-Air.

[Barb&Tim]

I used the Maxx Air II (more air flow) for power vent and the standard Maxx Air vent cover's for the front vents -- works great.



Tim

[wbmiller3]

Re: #3, we are worried about the mildew here in Houston too. If we are forced to close down with the trailer wet on the last day of a trip, we open it when we get home and dry it all out. Maybe overkill, but no mildew after 10+ years.

Just ordered these (same as Barb&Tim);

Two for the front vents;
http://www.amazon.com/Maxxair-00-933...5995052&sr=8-1

One for the powered vent;
http://www.amazon.com/Maxxair-00-933...5995052&sr=8-3

Koz

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...&highlight=led

Koz

[ThePair]

We almost always have wet shells when closing. I just pop 'em open when we get home (often the next day, even) without any mildew issues. One thing you can do if you're concerned about storing it "wet" is to crack open the front window which is underneath the stone shield. This will allow for some additional air circulation without exposing the inside to risk of further precipitation.

I have thought about getting one of those dehumidifying devices/crystals/whatevers, but just haven't really gotten around to it, as the need seems low.

I pop the top front shell up what ever the distance is that the torsion bars will lift it. In my case that puts the rear of the top fron shell about a foot higher than the roof of the top rear shell. I can see the ater that was trapped between the roof overlap.

By the next day it is all dry and I close it down.

I do this in my garage.

I have never seen water anywhere else that I was concerned with when closing in the rain that would result in mildew risk.

But, like I said, I do this in the garage where I store the TM.

[wbmiller3]

PopBeavers,

I will have to give that a try. Depending on how the far the front shell comes up and forward, I might be able to do it in my garage as well.

Thanks for the tip.

Put one or two of these in the trailer when you store it. Works well! The product comes as dry pellets and becomes a container of water. Again, works well.

http://www.amazon.com/DampRid-FG50T-...6288063&sr=8-2

Koz

Originally Posted by wbmiller3

PopBeavers,

I will have to give that a try. Depending on how the far the front shell comes up and forward, I might be able to do it in my garage as well.

Thanks for the tip.

My top shell does not move forward. The front is still resting on the rubber pads on the frame. It is only the rear of the front shell that pops up.

This may depend on how your torsion bars are adjusted.