First trip with 2619 report

We completed our first trip with the new 2619 over the holiday wekend. We had no major problems other than a flat tire on the tow vehicle from a rock puncture or piece of glass. We are transitioning from backpacking/car camping to a trailer as our young family has grown. The trailer allows us to be loaded up and make faster getaways for our camping trips with young kids.

We dry camped 3 nights 10 miles back on a gravel road on a nice lake. The trailer worked well for our family of 4 (a 4 year old and a 1 year old). The limit for us would appear to be the gray water holding tank at about 4 days without draining. The single battery was almost drained by the end of the weekend.

The trailer is equiped with a 40 gallon fresh water tank(factory installed on special order). I am installing a battery isolater and second battery.

The trailer towed great with no sway at freeway speeds. The light weight allowed 65 Mph up a steep mountain pass. The high ground clearance and short length allowed us to camp where fishermen with cars would not go the last 500 yards of unimproved road to the lake campsite. The last day I realized the outside shower provided a great place to cleanup dishes in a collapsing sink while enjoying the outdoors and using less grey tank volume.

The only problems were dust in the trailer due to gasket sealing problems still to be fixed by the dealer and toilet odor with the chemicals provided. The dealer is working on the gasket sealing issue and we will try to find the recomended toilet oder fixes from other postings on this site.

We are looking forward to many trips out with the trailer in the coming summer.

[Civil_War_Buff]

If you have the one battery now, I don't see why you would need an isolator.  Mine has the 2 batteries in parallel, so the TV will charge them both through the connector.  I always seem to have charged batteries, and I have not had an isolator installed.  

Larry

With a good battery isolater both batteries will charge. The isolater is to reduce the chance of one battery going bad and drawing down the other battery.

[BOB_STRONG]

To answer your question about what chemicals to use in your recirculating toilet, checkout the discussion under  TIPS & TRICKS. It's the subject about re-circulating toilets. My answer is under the date of Nov 23, 2002. I have a reply as to what chemicals work very well even when it's very very hot out.

If I can answer any questions about it, just ask.

Bob Strong

Mtnman -

Last weekend was also our maiden voyage in our new 2619.  Everything went fine in FL in 92 degree heat -- the AC works great.

I too had a question about the smell from the toilet.  We followed the directions on this board yet we had some chem smell -- not waste smell.

My question is -- do all TMs have chem smell?

Mtnman,

Some good advice about using the outside shower for dishes -- I'll remember that one.

Regarding the toilet, ours does have a chemical smell when it is first put in, but after a few uses, and a couple of hours, it seems to go away (I guess because all the perfume smell is used up keeping the waste from smelling!)

[RickNewcomb]

Also, keeping the toilet cover closed when not in use reduces the amount of chemical smell.

[Carol]

Hi!

I can't stand the chemical / perfume smells either (asthma attacks)! I use Odorlos and put in the amount it says for a 40 gal tank. One bottle of the Odorlos that I got once had that directive for Recirulating toilets. Then, if you are dry camping for awhile, add another dose of it after a couple of days. This works pretty well without being overpowered by perfumes and chemicals. The Odorlos also lubricates seals for those of you worried about that. I am thinking about getting some Potty tabs to add to the mix as well for those long long dry camps. After a while though especially if you use the toilet for both liquids and solids like we do, the only solution is to dump!

Also, I sealed the "wood" overhead cabinet and the wardrobe as they are made of some composite material that has a chemical/vinyl odor.  

Enjoy your new TrailManor!