First time out prep questions

We are finally ready to take the plunge and use our 97 2518 that we purchased in the fall. I have been lurking and printing out all the useful information on this site! Thank you all!

I am taking my wife, 5-yr old and 1 month old (yes, that is 1 MONTH old) out this weekend to French Creek SP in PA. This is my first time camping as an adult and am looking forward to it!

A couple of questions. There has been some discussion about tire pressure on the TM. My dealer had them set at 40. The max on the tire is 55. My TV is a 2005 Honda Odyssey that has very soft suspension and a 2400 lb max towing capacity. So, here are some questions:

1. Should I run the TM tires at 40 or 55? 55 seems too hard and it seems to me that it would bounce more over bumps??

2. There is electric at French Creek but no water. Should I tow with the water tank full on the TM thus adding lots of weight, or should I take a jerry can and just lug water and fill the holding tank once I get there? (There is water at the park just not hookups at each site.)

3. Should I charge the toliet before I leave home or fill it once I get there?

Anything else important/crucial I need to know?

Thanks again for a wonderful forum!

Dean

IMO
#1 My tires are rated for 50lb max and I run about 45 seems to work good still kinda soft but not too firm. I would put a little more in if I were you.

#2 not sure what your weight is but you must be very close if not over on your 2400lb limit so I would NOT haul it full of water. Do you know the weight of the TM empty? the 20gal of fresh water adds like 167 lbs plus another 70 lbs or so if you charge the potty and the water heater. I would check the campsite as one that I stayed at had a fresh water fill station near the entrance.

#3 I have never towed with liquid in the potty, heard some sloshing stories on here but know that some just covered it with saran wrap and were fine. Again, you may be very close and every pound counts. My son is 2 now but at 6mo I remember carting tons of stuff for him so watch your weight.

I hope it works great for ya and have a good time! safe camping.

[fcatwo]

We towed our 2619 for three years and 20,000mi with a 2002 Odyssey and it did a good job. We used a WDH and added AirLift bags in the rear coil springs to stiffer it up -- something many Ody owners have done. It also had the self-installed Honda towing package which gave it a 3500lb tow rating. Without the tow package you'll be significantly overweight for towing as the 2518 is only a couple hundred lbs lighter than the 2619 and our's weighed about 3200 lbs loaded. I assume you know about http://www.odyclub.com where Ody owners discuss towing as well as everything else imaginable.

Something else I'd recommend is to check the age of your tires. Normally the tread doesn't wear out on RV tires but they are weakened by age and yours could be 10yrs old if they are the origional tires. Replacing tires every five years seems to be recommended by most. There are numbers on the side of the tires that show when they were manufactured.

[B_and_D]

If I had a 5 yo and a 1 mo I would make sure that I had roadside assistance that covers the TrailManor. The AAA or whatever you might have for your car won't cover the TrailManor, and you don't want to be stuck on the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere with a flat or other problem with two little ones. Do you have one of the square drivers for getting the TM skirts off in case you have to change the tire?

Don't forget to bring your camera, your patience, and your sense of humor. You'll probably need these more than anything else!

Have a great trip; I hope you have fun. I can't wait to get out for the first time this summer myself. My daughter is graduating from high school tomorrow; it seems like just yesterday that we were taking her on her first camping trip....enjoy those kids while you can, they grow up so quickly.

I'm excited for yall. I will begin not the first but the twenty first trip Friday. My first trip I learned to check the valve stems for cracks. The spare too. I have sinced learn to keep the tire press at manufacture required PSI. Mine is 65psi. If you read much on the subject you may find that low tire pressure causes a lot of problems. My experiance was during this first trip air leaked out of the tire's valve stem. I was driving slow, 45 to 35 mph. Yacking at my wife feeling on top of the world. Another driver, a female, smile at me from her car as she past us, them through mental ESP said to me," sweet heart I know you are on vacation so I forgive you driving so slow but please pull over one of your wheels seems to be losing air pressure. My kids ask how did I hear her. My wife laughed and spoke up, the same way he hear me say, " Ask me to marry you before you lose me" eighteen years earlier. Funny story, tell me I'm wrong but our trailor tire pressure is going to be on the test Friday; easy ten point, right Mr. VanDeven, a old High School teacher who tried to teach common sense to us kids. And one more thing, 65 mph is too fast with a TM in tow- If one of us crashes at fiftyfive I bet we live, at seventy five I'll never read your follow-up story.

Originally Posted by Magdefrau

I have sinced learn to keep the tire press at manufacture required PSI. Mine is 65psi. If you read much on the subject you may find that low tire pressure causes a lot of problems.

camp_in_pa,
The above is the best advice any fellow RVer could give you. If your tires are rated for a maximum of 55 lbs., inflate to that pressure while they are cold (drive no more that a couple of miles to the nearest gas station if you need to).

The major failure of RV tires, other than age that someone else mentioned, is under-inflation. Under-inflation causes the tires to run hotter than they are designed to run and blow-outs are the result of under-inflation.

The designed maximum weight capacity of your trailer is based on full inflation of the tires. Inflating the tires to less than the maximum recommended by the tire manufacturer reduces the overall weight you can carry in the trailer, including the base weight of the trailer.

Keep you and your family safe by properly inflating the tires on your tow vehicle and your trailer.

>>My TV is a 2005 Honda Odyssey that has very soft suspension and a 2400 lb max towing capacity.

I second the advice fcatwo gave above - you need to get a tranny cooler to up your towing capacity to 3500. We have an Odyssey and used it to pull a Coleman popup for several years. You can buy the tranny cooler online and install it yourself. A weight distribution hitch is also a good idea.

Thanks for all the great tips.

Thus far I have bought a collapsible water jug, inflated the tires to 65 (as stated on the sidewall), installed a tranny cooler and power steering cooler in the Odyssey, got a Reese Class III weight distribution hitch, got roadside assistance from Affinty (Good Sam's Club), and tested everything I could possibly test in the TM! We made a trip to Walmart to get some fun goodies and picked up some "awning-hanging" lights at Target!

As long as I remember to put gas in the van and the family in their seats, we should be all set!

I'll report back when we are done!

Dean

[fcatwo]

IMHO you were right to begin with on your tire pressure. You need enough air to keep the tires formed correctly and that will vary with the load. Too little pressure and they run too flat, heat up and can fail. Too much pressure and they mimic solid tires and won't cushion the rough spots as intended. Someone here reported finding things all over the floor of their TM after towing with 65psi and I hope that doesn't happen to you. IMO 50psi is plenty for a small TM and the dealers 40psi is likely adequate. Goodyear says it is up to 65mph. 50psi is good to 75mph at your weight.

Originally Posted by fcatwo

Someone here reported finding things all over the floor of their TM after towing with 65psi and I hope that doesn't happen to you.

That was me. I have since returned to 50 psi and things are great, even on gravel roads. For most 2720 models 50 psi may be too high, but I have a larger axle so my trailer is heavier. I have been feeling the tires at rest stops and the temperature seems OK.