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Old 08-04-2008, 10:44 PM   #3
grakin
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As for upgrades, I don't know much about the electric stabilizer jacks, but do know that many people here use a 1/4" allen wrench in a cordless drill to raise and lower them, and that is way cheaper.

For me, the things that made the TM more livable were:

1. A better heater thermostat

2. I have a way to transfer fresh water and dirty water between tanks in my truck and the TM (seperate tanks of course!). This means I can dry camp somewhere (no hookups) for weeks at a time, but still use the toilet, sinks, etc, without too much worry - because I don't need to drag the whole TM to the dump station. If you always camped with hookups, I doubt this would be as important!

3. A portable generator lets me stay dry camping longer, especially in winter. It's also good reassurance that I'll have a heat source should something happen to the propane furance while camping (it wouldn't be impossible for me to be snowed into my TM while camping) - I could run my little electric cube heater. If I were camping frequently in heat without hookups, I'd want a generator to run the AC (assuming I'm not camping somewhere that would annoy people, of course!).

4. A little electric ceramic cube heater. This saves a ton of propane when camped in winter at someplace with electric hookups.

5. A set of "self-hitching" rods. Basically, these are two long fiberglass poles, with a magnet on one end of each. You stick one magnet on your trailer hitch ball, the other on the trailers' coupler, so they stick up into the air. You can then backup and hitch up without the need for someone to give directions - it means your relationships will be stronger by not having all the yelling you'll ferquently observe when a significant other is giving directions to someone else at a campsite.

6. Dual batteries are very handy if you do a lot of "dry" (no hookups) camping, especially in the winter.

7. I keep a spare propane bottle in my truck. In winter, when it is around or below zero degrees, you can use a lot of propane - even nearly a bottle a day! (for comparison, camping this summer I've not refilled a single bottle - and I don't try to conserve propane, and use the heater nightly - I've campeda about 20-25 days this summer) In winter, I don't want to be caught without heat (the little cube heater will let me survive, but I'll be under more blankets than I'd like).

8. Good dishes and cookware. I started with cheap pots and pans and dishes, and have learned that I enjoy having the same quality cookware in the trailer that I have at home - so I've slowly been adding to my cookware, just with slightly smaller pots and pans, and focusing on unbreakable plates and glasses (for instance, I use metal bowls). But I still keep plenty of disposable dishes in the camper too - sometimes you have no desire to do dishes!

Things I wish I have, but don't have yet...

1. Electric tongue jack. For some reason, raising and lowering the tongue is something I hate doing.

2. I keep meaning to mount 12 volt flood lights at the corners of the TM, so that I can light up a campsite I'm backing into at night.

3. I keep eying the Travasak (spelled right?) sheets/blankets. Making the bed in the TM is difficult, at least for my 2619.

All these things said, I would love camping in the TM even straight off the factory lot! It competes very favorably with more expensive RVs, and has most of the little things already in it. I wouldn't buy one with air conditioning personally, although everyone is different. Other than that, decide if you want an oven (which works without electrical hookups or generators) or a microwave in the TM. The other appliances give you nearly the comfort you have at home.

A lot of the things I have which make my life nicer would be extra, unnecesary, baggage for someone else. And others carry things I'd consider useless. Everyone camps differently, so part of the fun is making it "yours". I camp for weeks away from hookups in winter - that means I carry stuff appropriate for that, that would be completely unnecessary for someone staying at campgrounds in the summer - yet they would probably want things I have little use for. So think about what you want!
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