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Old 10-19-2007, 10:42 PM   #11
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Imagine coming out of a tunnel, on a curve, with wet roads, while towing down hill and you suddenly see a big rig blocking most of the road and you have to make a panic stop.

I5 at CA14 SoCal, October 2007.

Stuff happens. Be safe.
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Old 10-22-2007, 11:19 AM   #12
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Well spoken, Wayne.

I work for Caltrans, and I spent 28 out of 48 hours there between midnight Friday & midnight Sunday!

Nasty, nasty stuff!

Gary in Van Nuys
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Old 10-23-2007, 12:41 AM   #13
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I've driven the truck bypass in that spot many times and there are a few blind turns in it. At normal highway speeds I don't think our 4Runner would be able to stop or manuever in time. With the TM attached we wouldn't have a chance. My daily driver is a sports car which likely could avoid the accident but that might not stop the next guy from running into me.

I've come through some 10,000ft passes in UT with 6-7% grades downhill towing the TM and I had to pay serious attention to my driving. I have new respect for truck drivers.
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Old 10-23-2007, 07:24 PM   #14
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Something to consider is what length the park will allow (if you are planning that type of camping). Most of the state parks in California have a relatively small (24' or less in most cases) limit for trailers. We chose the 2720 to allow us to take the trailer to places where their bigger rigs can't or won't go. We also want to boondock and I wanted to have a smaller trailer to deal with in the event we start to boondock. Here are pics from the Portola State Park in California. It is on the San Francisco peninsula just south of San Francisco. Beautiful old growth Redwoods...we couldn't get in here with a bigger trailer!
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Chip & Kat Carter
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2007 2720SD, Dual 80 watt solar panels, flat screen LCD TV mounted on side wall, 210 Ah AGM Battery, Link 10, Dual Honda 2000EUi's
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Old 10-23-2007, 07:38 PM   #15
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That's a good point. Interestingly, All TM's are pretty similiar on the inside. They all have the same size bath as the 2619 and roughly the same kitchen area. Bed sizes vary and the dining or couch areas also vary some but it seems to me that they all the same basic trailer. Or?
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Old 10-23-2007, 08:13 PM   #16
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Chip & Kat do have a point about being able to fit into more spaces with a 2720. We are glad to have our smaller trailer when we go to a first come, first served type campground; it seems that the smaller, harder to get into spaces are easier to find. Also, I've found that the larger spaces in the California State Parks and the national parks book a lot faster than the smaller spaces.

On the other hand, if we were to stay at commercial RV parks exclusively, it probably wouldn't matter and I'd love to have the extra space since we have the kids with us now. Once they move out and don't go camping with us anymore, the 2720 would be all we'd need, unless we decide to go full timing for a while.
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Old 10-24-2007, 05:16 AM   #17
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Chip,

How in the world did you get the camper in the position you have in the second picture? It looks like there is a post right in front where the TV would/should be.

Keith
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Old 10-24-2007, 06:30 AM   #18
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Chip & Kat:

I notice your antennae is raised. Have you found a TV (television, not tow vehicle ) that works on 12v and doesn't run your batteries down when boondocking??

Chap
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Old 10-24-2007, 06:34 AM   #19
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This thread gives the impression that there are lots of campgrounds that limit trailer size to the 30' range. While I don't doubt they exist (perhaps particularly in the Ca state park system), I can honestly say I have never run into this. 36 feet, yes. 31 feet, never.

Maybe I've just been lucky, but have many run in to 31 length limitations often? Driving down the highway, there aren't many RVs that fall under that limit in my experience.

I would have guessed a 31' restriction (or less) is the exception.
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Old 10-24-2007, 11:44 PM   #20
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Keith,
You're right. That's one of the advantages of the low weight of the TM...I pushed it! I take a trailer dolly with us on the road. I disconnect the TV then lower the TM onto the dolly and push it around as required. I have my wife walk along side the TM next to the TM wheel that will travel the greatest distance with a chock at the ready should things get out of hand due to slope, but I haven't needed her help yet. When it's flat I can move it around quite easily. I bought the dolly from Harbor Freight for somewhere in the neighborhood of $59 I believe.


Chap,
You'll note on the top of the trailer I have 2 large solar panels and I bring along a Honda 2000 generator or 2 of them if we are going someplace where the AC might be required, to recharge the 200+ Ah battery I use. I installed a 1250 watt inverter with a remote control on/off switch so we can turn it on and off from inside the trailer. I wired directly into some of the AC outlets so an inverter powered outlet is always with in reach should I need it. That leaves some AC outlets run by shore power and some by the inverter. At night if it is too cold to stay out by the fire, we move inside and watch a DVD or TV (if we get reception) by using the inverter to power a low power consumption 20" LCD we mounted on the wall. I use my laptop to hook to the tv if we want to watch a DVD.
It's extremely annoying to me to listen to generators at night or in the morning, so we went with this route of power. In the morning we can crank up the espresso machine and anything else AC powered with out having to go outside and start the noisy generator. Later in the day, I use the generator to top up the battery every other day or so if we are in the shade as the picture shows. I highly recommend the digital over the air converter that camping world sells to get rid of the ghosting and static filled pictures you get with weak over the air signals.
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