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Old 04-29-2005, 08:51 PM   #1
CC_Turtle
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Default remove roof air?

Hi,

we are moving to a place with a lower garage - but want to park the tm in the garage. If we didn't have the roof air - it would fit easily. We have only used our air once--and could live without it--but don't want to get rid of it permanently because of resale value. does anyone know if it is possible to remove the air and then add it back on later? how labor intensive would that be? really expensive?

we only need to lose about 2" ... is there away to lower TM - such as letting air out of tires to get the TM in?

thanks for any input.
Teresa
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Old 04-30-2005, 06:44 AM   #2
RockyMtnRay
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Default Airing down the tires will work...but has major cautions

Quote:
Originally Posted by CC_Turtle
Hi,

we are moving to a place with a lower garage - but want to park the tm in the garage. If we didn't have the roof air - it would fit easily. We have only used our air once--and could live without it--but don't want to get rid of it permanently because of resale value. does anyone know if it is possible to remove the air and then add it back on later? how labor intensive would that be? really expensive?

we only need to lose about 2" ... is there away to lower TM - such as letting air out of tires to get the TM in?

thanks for any input.
Teresa
I would lean much more to the temporarily-deflate-tires-to-get-clearance approach than the remove-the-AC approach.

The sidewall height of the tires is around 5 inches @50 psi...if you were to drop the pressure to around 10 or 15 psi, you should be able to reduce the height to around 2 inches...enough to get the AC unit under your grarage door. Rolling the tires when mostly deflated for only 2 or 3 feet with the the trailer as empty (lightweight) as you can get it shouldn't hurt the tires to any significant degree. However, you are putting extreme stress on the tire's inner structure (and bonding between the cords, belts and rubber) when rolling it with a load in a severely underinflated state. Tires are designed handle a certain amount of such distortion...they distort every time you hit a large bump (e.g. edge of a pothole) in the road...but each such major distortion really stresses the tire. Rolling 2 or 3 feet in a severely underinflated state is probably not a big deal...but rolling 20 or 30 feet with the tire that severely underinflated could be.

Therefore, it would be an extremely good idea to reinflate the tires immediately after getting the AC past the garage door opening. Don't roll the trailer even 1 foot farther than you have to with the tire pressure that low. And never store the trailer with the tires severely underinflated. That basically means you will need to have some form of air compressor on hand...the 12V "mini" compressors like these are what you need...something that's built well enough to do repeated re-inflations of the trailer tires and that has enough flow volume (~30 liters/minute) to re-inflate each tire in a reasonable (3 to 5 minute) time. As you can see, you should expect to pay around $50 to $90 for such a device. I would strongly suggest you not buy the "4-in-1" emergency powerpacks with lights and compressors...or $9.95 compressors...as these contain compressors that probably won't last beyond a half-dozen re-inflations of the trailer tires. Of course, you certainly can get a real 120V compressor with air tank...but those take up quite a bit of room and are bit pricey.

And do keep in mind that you will have to go through this deflate...roll under door...re-inflate process each time you take the trailer out of the garage as well as each time you put the trailer in the garage.

The alternative of permanently removing the AC could be somewhat tricky...

First, you will need an overhead hoist to lift the AC out of the roof (keep in mind that it weighs around 100 lbs)...this is not something you should do in a driveway.

Second you will need to craft a watertight, corrosion resistant cap to fit over the opening...getting a permanent seal might be a bit challenging. And you will also need to do something on the inside to aesthetically cover the cavity (which will have the AC's power wire dangling inside)

Third...and possibly the most challenging...is you may not be able to sufficiently adjust the torsion bars to account for the missing weight on the roof. These bars have a relatively narrow range of weights they can support and are chosen specfically by TM for the expected load. Remove 100 lbs of AC and you may find that even at their lowest adjustment, the bars will cause the front shell to spring up and be quite difficult to close.

Removing the AC gets you into the business of re-engineering your trailer and, unfortunately, you may encounter a surprise after you've already started pulling the AC out of its mounts.

Methinks that temporary deflation/reinflation of the tires before/after each trip is a whole lot simpler and less subject to surprises than removing the AC. And you will also always have the AC on the trailer if you should happen to want to go somewhere quite hot. Without the AC, your options become quite a bit more limited.
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The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


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Old 04-30-2005, 10:20 AM   #3
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Ray,

thanks for the input.. i think either trying to temp deflate or finding a way to just push up the door a little more may work.. i don't want to move the Ac but i don't want to pay $80/month for storage. removing the Ac doesn't seem pratical.. thanks again!
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Old 04-30-2005, 10:41 AM   #4
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You might want to check your garage door, also. My door will go up farther if the opener is disengaged and it is lifted manually than it does with the opener. If I need to raise it farther, I just disengage the opener, open it by hand and block it with a 2X4 giving me about an additional 2 inches. Measure your door frame and then determine if there's enough track for the door to go farther up. This may save you the hassle of inflating and deflating your tires.
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Old 04-30-2005, 12:15 PM   #5
Bill
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Default

Right you are, Jim. By the way, every garage door opener I have seen has an adjustment that allows you to tweak how far it opens and how far it closes.

On some of them, the tweak is on the power head itself - look for two small screwdriver adjustments called something like "Up" and "Down", or "Open" and "Close".

On others, the adjustment is on the track. There is a small movable piece on each end of the track, secured in place with a small screw. A magnet-thingy on the piece tells the controller when the door is fully opened or closed. On the piece closest to the power head, you can loosen the screw, move the piece a couple inches, and tighten the screw again. Tweak it until the door goes up to the needed height.

If you still have the manual that came with the door, it will outline the procedure precisely, since it must be done when the door is first installed.

Bill
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Old 04-30-2005, 03:49 PM   #6
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True! True! I was just trying to make it as simple as possible. I have installed garage doors and adjusted them with the "thingy" you're talking about - commonly known as a limiter switch. I was just saying that if there's more movement in the door, an "easy way" to take advantage of it is to release the door opener. My son was messing with his limiter switch and his son (age 6) hit the switch and now the door needs to be replaced. A word to the wise - don't mess with the limiter switches if you're not fully acquainted with how they work because if the door goes past the limiter, the opener will just keep going until the door breaks! I'm not arguing with Bill, just agreeing and cautioning about the possibilities of error for someone who isn't totally familiar with door adjustments. If you feel confident you can do it -by all means don't let me stop you.
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Old 04-30-2005, 08:32 PM   #7
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True! True! I admit, Jim, that I get enthusiastic about many of these things. I never post about something that I personally haven't done, and don't understand, but (and that's a big but), I always make the unspoken (!) assumption that no reader will blindly undertake something he doesn't understand, or is not capable of doing, just because I say so. Probably not a good practice. And I have to admit that I have been on the other end of this assumption, and broken more than a few things by experimenting when I didn't know what was going to happen. I always tell myself "It's part of the learning experience!" My wife doesn't always buy this excuse.

Thanks for the reminder

Bill
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Old 04-30-2005, 08:43 PM   #8
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Default

I had the same problem with a low beam in the carport. Found that deflating for a few feet and having somebody heavy staning on the back bumper lowererd the ac by about 2" and that was all I needed.
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Old 05-01-2005, 09:26 PM   #9
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Default How about some 12 inch wheels

I was contemplating the exact same issue two months ago. I was nervous that when my 2720 arrived it would be too tall. It fit fine, with one inch of clearance so I am off the hook.

However, my brother-in-law had a good idea. Does anyone make a smaller wheel. Perhaps 12 inch. It should not take long to swap a pair of wheels. Use the 12 inch for storing and the 14 or 15 inch for towing. If you have a good hydrallic jack it won't take long to swap the wheels.
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Old 05-02-2005, 11:49 AM   #10
Bill
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Default Question - height of the new air conditioner?

My TM has the old-style Duo-Therm Brisk-Air air conditoner. It has been a long time since I've seen my TM, but if I recall correctly, the top of the A/C stands about 14" above the middle of the roof, including the little riser box that it is mounted in.

I understand that new TMs are being shipped with a low-profile unit. Can anyone tell me - how high is the top of the low-profile air conditioner above the middle of the roof?

Thanks

Bill
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