New 2005 2720 ordered

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TM 2720 is now home

Uneventful but exciting day today. Our new 2005 2720 is home, but not yet in the garage. First time in, I would prefer to back it in during the daylight. Towed nicely. It did bounce a little. I do not have a WD hitch. I don't foresee any problems with sway, but sometimes it felt like a bucking bronco. As if the rear bumper of the truck was going up and down a little more than it should. TV is 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500hd crew cab 4wd. Will a WD hitch help the bouncing? Is it worth the money?

What I learned today...

There is an interlock switch controlling the overhead lights. If the bathroom walls are folded down the lights go out. Makes for an interesting situation when trying to fold it down after dark and I don't have a flashlight. Always have a flashlight!!!

Always fold the step up first when closing. Once one of the shells is down, the step can not be folded up. I learned this trick twice in one day. I’ll probably learn it a few more times on the first trip out next month.

While parked on the city street, leaning slightly curbside, it is just as easy to open as when it is level. However, it is not as easy to close. It took two of us to close it while it was leaning.

Guess what the dealer uses to operate the jacks? A cordless drill with an allen wrench, of course.

I was discussing generators with Clayton, the service technician at Dinuba RV. I was explaining that I had heard that most people prefer dual Honda 2000's instead of a single Honda 3000 because the Honda 3000 is a little heavy for some people to load/unload from the TV solo. Clayton says he has mounted Honda 3000 generators on the tongue of the 2720, even with the swing away hitch. This requires relocating the propane cylinders a little wider apart, but apparently it has been done. Interesting. BTW the front battery tray has room for 3 12-volt batteries, but it only comes with one.

We like the blue interior color scheme.

There is a single switch on the inside by the door. If you go to bed and realize that you left some of the exterior lights on, this one switch will turn them all off. Nice touch. I like that. I have had to go outside before and always grumbled.

It came from the factory with a small plastic step for climbing onto the bed. Another nice touch. I don’t need it, but it was thoughtful.

I had the checklist from the forum with me. After Clayton showed me how to operate everything he left us alone for a couple of hours while we scrutinized everything. We did not find a single item to report. Considering that Dinuba RV had in for not more than 6 hours before we arrived is a tribute to the factory. It is a little dusty inside and could use a good wipe down, but definitely does not require any scrubbing. Others have said that it should be spotless when delivered, but we were unwilling to wait another week just so someone could wipe it down. Being 200 miles away and closed on Sundays it only leaves Saturdays for me to pick it up. BTW I'd like to thank the assembly crew for the extra screws that they left behind in various odd places. I have some matching spares now.

I need/want towing mirrors. Though I wouldn't say it was dangerous to drive it home with the stock mirrors on my 1500hd crew cab, changing lanes required extra care. Wider mirrors would help a lot.

I had a hard time keeping the speed down to the legal limit of 55 mph. If I didn't watch the speedometer, I found I was running as fast as 65 without even realizing it. I think I have more tow vehicle than I need. But it was very comfortable with 4 adults.

In a previous post I believe that I mentioned that I wanted the lift kit but was concerned that it might not clear the garage door. So the plan was to order the trailer without the lift kit and then measure actual clearance as I backed it in. The dealer can add the lift kit afterwards. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men... If it doesn't fit I will have to have the lift kit removed. But I think it will fit, so my backfired plan may work out for the best anyway. I'll find out tomorrow for sure.

 

[RockyMtnRay]

Upgrade the truck's shocks; you may/may not need a WDH

It did bounce a little. I do not have a WD hitch. I don't foresee any problems with sway, but sometimes it felt like a bucking bronco. As if the rear bumper of the truck was going up and down a little more than it should. TV is 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500hd crew cab 4wd. Will a WD hitch help the bouncing? Is it worth the money?

Some (maybe a lot) of the bounce in the rear may be due to fairly worn shocks on the truck (especially at the rear). If they're still the OEM ones, they're likely pretty worn out and probably were not very good to begin with. I suggest you invest in a set of high quality gas shocks like those made by Bilstein that have dampening that's proportional to suspension vertical velocity.

I recently helped a TundraSolutions member with an ill-behaving truck that he was using to pull a 6500 lb trailer. He had the Hensley hitch (with both 1000 lb and 1400 lb bars) but was still getting a lot of pitching motion in the truck. Turned out he had the stock (soft), linear dampening Tokico shocks...once I got him to upgrade to the substantially better (and stiffer) Bilsteins that Toyota included in the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Suspension options, his problems largely disappeared.

And yes, a WDH will also likely reduce the bounce by quite a bit. Part of the bounce is at the rear but some of it is also from the front of the truck being so unweighted by the tongue weight. The WDH will reweight the truck's front suspension. And simply removing a great deal of the tongue weight (plus transferred weight from the unweighted front suspension) will let the rear suspension return to near-normal loading/ride-height/behavior.

Since you seem to have an aversion to getting/using a WDH, if I were you I'd upgrade the shocks on the truck first. Then, if you still have bounce, get the WDH.

My truck came with the TRD Off Road Suspension (tuned springs and Bilstein shocks), I use a WDH (750 lb bars), and I've never had any noticeable bounce despite having a heavily loaded TM and a shorter wheelbase than your 'burban.

 

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TM 2720 Day 2

RockyMtnRay, thanks for the tip on the shocks. Hadn't thought of that. More than likely the shocks are still factory and there is 62,000 miles on them. Time for an upgrade I think.

Spent all day cleaning, fussing and stocking a little. Tried to install a radio, but at full volume it barely put out any sound. I don't know if it is the radio, speaker or wiring. I have other radios collecting dust in the garage and some speakers lying around also. I'll do some bench testing and figure it out. The radio I was trying to install came out of my son's truck. I think that the current rating of 10 amps is a little high for something I intend to play off of the TM trailer battery. I may look around and see if I can find a more efficient radio.

Learned how to fold it down in the rain. We had decent weather all day until closing time.

TM fit in the garage, even with the un-anticipated lift kit. I had about an inch of vertical clearance. If the garage were 6 inches deeper I wouldn't need the swing away hitch. I ended up nearly 2 feet from the sidewall. There is a low profile dolly in the JCWhitney catalog that I intend to purchase and give a try. I should be able to back onto the dolly and then push the TM sideways to make a little more room to park a car or the truck next to it.

One thing I'll need to modify is the overhead storage over the front bunk. This has been designated as where our son can keep some of his clothes. At least socks and underwear. The wiring in both corners for the speakers and the lights are not protected. If he overstuffs the cabinet he will be pushing on the wires. I'll need to figure out how to create a barrier. Maybe just a couple of pieces of styrofoam cut to shape will be adequate.

I think I forgot to mention in a post yesterday that Clayton at Dinuba RV claims he can completely engage the jacks by using his electric drill with the allen wrench. He uses a Sears Craftsman dual speed. Use high speed when there is no load and switch to low speed when there is a load. I think he said it was a 19-volt model. I know mine is 16 volts. His looked a little larger than I recalled mine was. Clayton says he never needs to use the hand crank.

There was a lot of black stuff under the stove. My guess is that some of the black paint in a non-visible area cooked off the first time it was fired up. I’ll keep an eye on it and see if any more shows up.

 

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What I learned about gas mileage

For the trip home, 193 miles, I got 12.2 mpg. I tried real hard to keep my speed at 55, but it crept up as high as 65 if I took my eyes off the speedometer for too long.

My mileage is 13.5 with no cargo at 70 mph. So the penalty for towing an empty TM 2720 is I have to slow down to 55 and my fuel economy drops off 1 mpg.

 

[hingarfi]

Height of Wayne's 2720

Wayne:

Sounds like you are having fun with the new 2720. I have read this thread because I would like to order a 2720. Is your configuration: 2720 + 15" wheels + lift + Low-Profile AC ? If so, could you tell me height. My garage door is 82" and I would like to order the above configuration and still get it in garage. Any info you provide will be appreciated.

Bert
TV 2002 TrailBlazer EXT I6

 

[wesslvm]

There was a lot of black stuff under the stove. My guess is that some of the black paint in a non-visible area cooked off the first time it was fired up. I’ll keep an eye on it and see if any more shows up.

PB,

We experienced the black paint peeling off the base of the oven our first several trips out. DW really hated the mess. Finally, we decided to leave the grill off the cook top (we store it in the base of our chair), and we no longer have this problem. I think the grill rack was vibrating.

Good luck!

Vince

 

[PopBeavers]

Sounds like you are having fun with the new 2720. I have read this thread because I would like to order a 2720. Is your configuration: 2720 + 15" wheels + lift + Low-Profile AC ? If so, could you tell me height. My garage door is 82" and I would like to order the above configuration and still get it in garage. Any info you provide will be appreciated.

Bert
TV 2002 TrailBlazer EXT I6

Bert,

My garage door vertical height is 83 inches. I have the 2720 with stock wheels, tires and axles. Lift kit is welded in. A/C is roof mount. As far as I know they only offer the low profile A/C. If the TM was an inch taller it would not fit.

FWIW, the closest thing to dragging on the ground going in and out of my driveway, standard city situation, is the battery tray in the front. I clear the ground by about 2.5 inches. I have closer to 6 inches ground clearance at the rear end, bumper with factory welded hitch receiver.

Traler is presently hitched and loaded. I take it to work tomorrow and then leave from their for the first trip out. I should have a bit more to share when I get back.

 

[B_and_D]

Please share your trip report with us! The weather should be pretty good. I can FINALLY start going on weekend trips again...and can't wait. I hope you really enjoy having your TM.

Take pictures, too, OK!

D'

 

[hingarfi]

Wayne's 2720 Height

Wayne:

Thanks for the details. My garage door sounds about the same as yours. Looks like I will have to chose either 15" wheels OR the 2" lift if I want AC.

Thanks for your help and have fun with the new TM.

 

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2720 and 15 inch wheels

Bert,

I called the factory before my 2720 was built to inquire about getting 15 inch wheels with the heavier axle.

They have done it before but only a few times. It also requires that the build occur outside the normal fab line. I think I posted a few more details a few weeks ago on this topic.

My limited recomendation is if you need the weight capacity then consider the 15 inch wheels with heavier axle and no lift kit. If you just need the extra ground clearance then go for the lift kit and stay with the standard wheels and axles. This was the factory recommendation and I think it will work out fine for me.

hth

Boy, it sure took a lot longer to pack the first time. At least next time a lot of the stuff will stay onboard, saving time on future trips.

If anyone is around Salinas/Monterray CA this weekend stop by. I will likely be the only TM in the parking lot camping at Laguna Seca. Should be easy to find me.

 

[Frenchy-TMO]

You may want to have your TM wheels balanced if you are getting that kind of vibration.

 

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TM 2720 First trip report

I looked around to see if there was a better place to post a trip report but nothing jumped out at me. Since I started this thread I figured it made some sense to keep it going for a while longer.

Arrived at Laguna Seca Raceway for the Sea Otter Classic mountain bike race Wednesday 4/13 and returned home Sunday 4/24. This was a relatively short trip. About an hour and a half each way.

Our son placed 19th out of 78 riders in the pro class. This is his first year pro. Some of the time the TM will be used as a race support station. He also did well in two other events. For anyone interested in race results check out their web site at www.seaotterclassic.com

We have a lot of friends at the races that we have met over the years. Everyone that stopped by thought that the TM had some very clever engineering.

One stranger stopped by. He used to own a TM 2720 but traded it for a regular trailer. His wife could not tolerate the lack of air conditioning when camping in Spokane in the summer. It also was annoying to set up and take down in the heat he said. He also lives on 5 acres so storing it is not a problem.

In an earlier posting I had been inquiring about bucking like a bronco. I think this may have been caused by too low tire inflation. Apparently my local mechanic keeps my tires around 50 psi. This is great for driving around town empty. Apparently this wasn't very good for towing the TM home from the dealer. Factory recommendation on the sticker is 50 psi front and 80 psi rear. Tires are rated for 80 psi. My mechanic suggested 60 psi front and 70 psi rear when towing. He isn't fond of running tires at maximum pressure unless there is a good reason to. I liked the handling at 60 and 70 psi.

I don't like the McKesh mirrors. They vibrate. Based on comments from others I was expecting the vibration to be zero. This is what the factory mirrors deliver. At the race I checked out a similar truck that had the factory extendable mirrors. They are worthless. Extended out to the maximum setting they were still 3 inches too far in when compared to the distance I had selected for my McKesh mirrors. At least with the McKesh mirrors I could see behind me. It was just annoying that they jiggled so much. Also, the installation instructions don't warn you to loosen the three screws at the bottom of the mirror. The first time I attempted to adjust the mirror it cracked the glass. After loosening the mirror I could adjust it. However, it is difficult to find a screw tightness that is loose enough to allow adjusting the mirror and tight enough that it doesn't vibrate out of the adjusted position. This will become very annoying when we go on longer trips and alternate drivers. Every time we change drivers we will need to readjust the mirrors, which will require the use of an angled screw driver. I also don't think the bolt that attaches the mirror to the extension bracket should have arrived rusted. They should be bolts that can tolerate rain etc. Perhaps they should be stainless steel or galvanized. Not just cheap junk bolts with black paint on them. These bolts also wiggle loose. Maybe some locktite will help. The split ring washer was inadequate to hold one mirror in place. Driving home solo at freeway speed in heavy traffic I suddenly found that the passenger side mirror had swiveled so far out that I could not even see the glass mirror at all.

Batteries don't last long. I have two group 24 batteries. For Wednesday and Thursday nights we ran only one florescent light fixture each evening, except for brief intervals when looking for something. The furnace was used for half an hour Wednesday night and a little more Thursday night. The stereo was on 4 to 6 hours each day. By Friday morning it was showing Fair instead of Good. It wasn't clear to me that when I should charge the batteries, so I charged them Friday. Using the meter built into the TM how can you determine when you have reached the maximum recommended discharge level and know that it is NECESSARY to start the generator to charge them? I don't want to damage the battery from too much discharge and I also don't want to start the generator unnecessarily. Gotta figure that one out somehow.

I learned that the fridge can freeze tomatoes. It looks like if the daytime high is around 80 and the overnight low is below freezing then there is no single setting for the fridge that will work. So until I figure out a better way I will need to crank it up in the morning to a very cold setting and then set it back to a warmer setting when I go to bed. I want cold beer at high noon and I also don't want anything to freeze overnight.

My wife thinks the mattress is too hard while I think it is perfect. At home she thinks the mattress is perfect and I think it is too hard. Go figure.

The TM had plenty of storage for the trip, but it is not very convenient when in camp. For the first time in my life I have experienced the importance of "a place for everything and everything in its place". The straps that keep the curtains open are perfect for storing my reading glasses when not in use. The tops of the cabinet and closet are great for the TM binder (I had to look a lot of stuff up and it sure was nice having it handy) and other flat stuff. There was a tendency for clutter to accumulate on the counter top. No one want so put anything away after they take it out.

Not sure what to do about the toilet chemicals. The dealer recommended a quarter bottle. The documentation said to use the whole bottle. I decided it was easier to add some than to take some out, so I used a third of the bottle. After two days it didn't smell very nice so I added some. It still didn't smell very nice so I added the Potty Toddy tablet that I had forgotten about and the odor problem went away. Gotta fine tune that issue.

The brand new Farberware pots slide around on the stove very easily. Need to be careful about that before I end up with hot water in my lap.

The furnace worked well. Though it is a little noisy, at least it cranks out some pretty serious heat in a hurry. It can warm up the TM nicely in about 10 or 15 minutes.

Not knowing how much water we would use I took along 10 gallons of bottled water for coffee and cooking, plus the 40 gallons under the seat. The gauge shows a quarter tank remaining, but if I lift the seat to look at the side of the tank it is closer to half full. I plan on adding water to an empty tank, 5 gallons at a time, and calibrating it so I have a better idea of what the gauge actually means.

The holding tanks showed full earlier than I had expected. I don't know how full it actually was. I intend to calibrate that as well by adding water to the holding tank until the gauge shows full. Then add more water until it starts to back up in the shower. Then I'll know how much time I have left after the gauge shows full.

I’m going to look for some sort of round rod that will fit through the holes in the front and read rock shields when they are open. This will make a great place to dry towels in the sun.

Care must be exercised when setting up the bathroom walls. When swinging the side wall forward from the back wall it has a tendency to catch the lower wall at the bottom of the hinge. I have found that I need to lean against the rear bunk while performing this operation.

I’m glad we ordered vinyl floors instead of carpet. Camped in a paved parking lot we still had to sweep every other day. In the future I will be camped in dirt parking lots. Carpet would not hold up well for us. I am considering looking for remnant carpet, cut to fit, with edges hemmed. This would be nice to have in cold weather. We could take it out to clean when we get home. It should be cheap enough that I could replace it every five years or so.

Tear down went so well and quick that I left my wedding ring and watch inside. That wasn’t on any check list I saw!

My wife didn’t know she was supposed to remove the D cell batteries from the little fridge fan.

When I was swinging away the hitch in the garage I heard a fan running. I disconnected the batteries and the noise went away. I’ll have the TM open his weekend for a better cleaning and figure out what we left on.

I don’t remember turning off the water heater. Propane is off at the tanks and the battery is disconnected. I can’t image that any damage will occur. The check list without the reference to wedding rings and watches probably said to turn off the water heater, but us know it alls don’t look at check lists, even when we have them. Maybe next time.

Forgot to make sure the latches were clear before closing the top down. Had to lift it back up because one latch was jammed under the top. I don’t recall reading that in the check list. I’ll have to look that one up.

The bolts for one of the latches are loose. This is the latch that initially captures the top as you stand on the foot loop. It wiggles enough that it requires two people to close the TM. One to stand on the loop and another to close the spring loaded latch. I’ll try adjusting it, but it may need to go back to the dealer.

I plan on adding a tube for storing the sewer hose. This will free up some space in the bumper storage for other things that would be nice to have accessible while the TM is closed.

I had to wire the radio ignition lead to the battery. There was no time to install a switch as others have done. So I just pull the fuse when I close the TM so the radio has no power.

Forgot to turn the two outside lights off before going to bed. My son thought it was clever that there was a switch inside that would kill both lights without having to go outside. I wasn’t expecting to utilize that feature the first night.

That’s enough of my rambling for now. All in all the TM performed very well and we are quite pleased with it.

 

[RockyMtnRay]

I don't like the McKesh mirrors. They vibrate. Based on comments from others I was expecting the vibration to be zero. This is what the factory mirrors deliver. At the race I checked out a similar truck that had the factory extendable mirrors. They are worthless. Extended out to the maximum setting they were still 3 inches too far in when compared to the distance I had selected for my McKesh mirrors. At least with the McKesh mirrors I could see behind me. It was just annoying that they jiggled so much. Also, the installation instructions don't warn you to loosen the three screws at the bottom of the mirror. The first time I attempted to adjust the mirror it cracked the glass. After loosening the mirror I could adjust it. However, it is difficult to find a screw tightness that is loose enough to allow adjusting the mirror and tight enough that it doesn't vibrate out of the adjusted position. This will become very annoying when we go on longer trips and alternate drivers. Every time we change drivers we will need to readjust the mirrors, which will require the use of an angled screw driver. I also don't think the bolt that attaches the mirror to the extension bracket should have arrived rusted. They should be bolts that can tolerate rain etc. Perhaps they should be stainless steel or galvanized. Not just cheap junk bolts with black paint on them. These bolts also wiggle loose. Maybe some locktite will help. The split ring washer was inadequate to hold one mirror in place. Driving home solo at freeway speed in heavy traffic I suddenly found that the passenger side mirror had swiveled so far out that I could not even see the glass mirror at all.

Hmmmm....never have had any vibration problems with my McKesh. The nylon strap has to be very, very tight though. Have had some problems with the mirror mounting bolts twisting loose...but a bit of wrenching solved that. Not sure what to say about the other adjustment issues as I'm the sole driver of my rig.

Batteries don't last long. I have two group 24 batteries. For Wednesday and Thursday nights we ran only one florescent light fixture each evening, except for brief intervals when looking for something. The furnace was used for half an hour Wednesday night and a little more Thursday night. The stereo was on 4 to 6 hours each day. By Friday morning it was showing Fair instead of Good. It wasn't clear to me that when I should charge the batteries, so I charged them Friday. Using the meter built into the TM how can you determine when you have reached the maximum recommended discharge level and know that it is NECESSARY to start the generator to charge them? I don't want to damage the battery from too much discharge and I also don't want to start the generator unnecessarily. Gotta figure that one out somehow.

If the TM battery gauge is on "F" after the battery voltage has had time to stablize (about 15 minutes with no electrical use), then you have only about 30% of capacity left and its definitely time to recharge. Taking those RV/Marine type batteries below 30% charge will definitely shorten their life. I doubt you can stand to run the generator long enough (it would need to run for about 8 hours) to overcharge the batteries.

I would bet the stereo was what was killing your battery time...typical car stereos use 2 to 5 amps (or more) of current even at moderate listening levels. At 5 amps that would equal 30 amp-hours per day...which is a heckuva lot. Learn to live without tunes more of the time if you want more battery life.

I learned that the fridge can freeze tomatoes. It looks like if the daytime high is around 80 and the overnight low is below freezing then there is no single setting for the fridge that will work. So until I figure out a better way I will need to crank it up in the morning to a very cold setting and then set it back to a warmer setting when I go to bed. I want cold beer at high noon and I also don't want anything to freeze overnight.

Don't you know you should NOT refrigerate tomatoes. Most produce people will tell you it kills the flavor, the nutrients, the texture.

That being said, I have no problems keeping the beer quite cold, the ice cream frozen, and the delicate lettuce from NOT freezing. And I don't have to continually re-adjust the refrigerator temperature either even though I allow the trailer interior to drop into the low 50s at night and rise into the low 80s during the day. The trick is to use a fridge fan (as you are apparently using) and leave LOTS of room around objects in the fridge to allow the fan to readily circulate the air. Don't try to cram a lot of food into the fridge...even with a fridge fan you will get spots that are too cold and others that too warm. It also helps enormously to have a Fridge Alarm to be able to precisely monitor internal temps of the refer compartment and to sound an alarm if it gets hotter or colder than you want. I set my Fridge alarms for 45 degrees on the high side and 35 degrees on the low side and seldomly ever have an alarm go off with the refer control set at about "3" (Dometic refer).

 

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Music, tomatoes and fridge alarms

I would bet the stereo was what was killing your battery time

Don't you know you should NOT refrigerate tomatoes.

It also helps enormously to have a Fridge Alarm.

I thought it might be the music that was the big drain. But if I turn off the music in the trailer then the music will get turned on in car. That just moves the problem. During the day it might make sense to play music on the truck that will be driven the most as that one will get a chance to recharge. In a campground this won't happen. But at bike races our trailer will be the pit area with untold quantities of 20 somethings hanging out repairing bikes. I kinda like them hanging out at our place. Makes it easy to see what sort of friends our kids have. At age 16 this was a good parenting trick. At age 22 I'm just nosey.

But Ray, I LIKE cold tomatoes on my sandwich.

Didn't know about the fridge alarm. I have seen posts about using an indoor/outdoor thermometer to display the temperature. The alarm looks like a better mousetrap. Thanks for the tip. Yours is the first reference to the fridge alarm that I have seen, and I have spent a lot of time reading the TM forums plus RV.net.

 

[RockyMtnRay]

20 something guys and their music...solar is your best answer

I thought it might be the music that was the big drain. But if I turn off the music in the trailer then the music will get turned on in car. That just moves the problem. During the day it might make sense to play music on the truck that will be driven the most as that one will get a chance to recharge. In a campground this won't happen. But at bike races our trailer will be the pit area with untold quantities of 20 somethings hanging out repairing bikes. I kinda like them hanging out at our place. Makes it easy to see what sort of friends our kids have. At age 16 this was a good parenting trick. At age 22 I'm just nosey.

I appreciate the problem...it's nearly impossible to separate 20 something guys from their music and just about as impossible to have the music at a low volume level (e.g. one that doesn't suck a steady 20 amps out of a battery ). I was once like that myself so I really do empathize.

Sounds to me like you need some means of automatic daily battery recharge. Solar is pretty darn good for this since it works all by itself whenever there's sunshine. Even a single 100 to 120 watt panel would give you around 7 amps in full sunshine and it would do it all day long. If you're mostly parked in open areas (like parking lots) for these bike races...where the steady use of the stereo will be highest...you'll also likely have a lot of sunshine, at least in Cali. Solar isn't cheap, but if you can keep the panels in full sun, it's a great way to keep batteries charged up when you have high and unavoidable levels of daily battery drain.

P.S. Having solar power will also most likely raise your "coolness" factor amongst your son's friends.

 

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Why safety chains come off last

I accidentally learned the optimum sequence for disconnecting the TM from the TV yesterday.

1. Unplug electrical connector
2. Disconnect hitch from TV with wheel on tongue.
3. Disconnect safety chains.
4. Disconnect breakaway cable.

The sequence of 3 and 4 is not critical. The sequence of steps 1, 2 and 3 *ARE* critical.

I had one wheel up on a ramp a few inches and forgot to chock the TM wheels. As the hitch released the TM rolled backwards until:
A. The TM brakes locked.
B. The safety chains were stretched tight.

This being in front of my house on a nearly level street it wouldn't have rolled very far. If I had disconnected the brake cable and safety cables first then this could have been a disaster. This is why I recommend leaving at least the safety cables attached until after the hitch is released.

I had actually considered leaving the wheel off the tongue and just setting a wooden block under the post. Good thing I didn’t do that. The post wouldn’t have rolled very well without the wheel.

The reason that I recommend disconnecting the electrical connector is because I know that many people use the Prodigy controller. According to the Prodigy manual you should unplug the TM from the TV when *TESTING* the breakaway brake switch. According to the manual this will permanently destroy the Prodigy controller. I still had the electrical cable connected. If I had the Prodigy I might have toasted it. However, I bought the Odyssey, anticipating that some day my kids would accidentally manage to do what I did yesterday and fry the Prodigy. Perhaps my choice of the Odyssey just saved me a hundred bucks.

I have never heard of anyone actually damaging the Prodigy controller by doing what I did. I'm just going by what the book says. I can testify that the Odyssey controller appears to be working fine.

So, you might wonder, how did this happen.

Midway through my procedure of disconnecting the TM I stopped to gossip with a neighbor. I resume where I had left off, but skipped one step, chocking the TM wheels. I wasn’t working from a checklist, just going from memory.

Lesson learned. I'll never make that one again.

At least no harm or damage occurred and I can laugh at myself. My wife and kids are probably thinking it has something to do with my heritage, Polish Oakie. Or as my brother would say, a Pollie-Oakie.

 

[PopBeavers]

I don't like the McKesh mirrors. They vibrate. Based on comments from others I was expecting the vibration to be zero. This is what the factory mirrors deliver. At the race I checked out a similar truck that had the factory extendable mirrors. They are worthless. Extended out to the maximum setting they were still 3 inches too far in when compared to the distance I had selected for my McKesh mirrors. At least with the McKesh mirrors I could see behind me. It was just annoying that they jiggled so much. Also, the installation instructions don't warn you to loosen the three screws at the bottom of the mirror. The first time I attempted to adjust the mirror it cracked the glass. After loosening the mirror I could adjust it. However, it is difficult to find a screw tightness that is loose enough to allow adjusting the mirror and tight enough that it doesn't vibrate out of the adjusted position. This will become very annoying when we go on longer trips and alternate drivers. Every time we change drivers we will need to readjust the mirrors, which will require the use of an angled screw driver. I also don't think the bolt that attaches the mirror to the extension bracket should have arrived rusted. They should be bolts that can tolerate rain etc. Perhaps they should be stainless steel or galvanized. Not just cheap junk bolts with black paint on them. These bolts also wiggle loose. Maybe some locktite will help. The split ring washer was inadequate to hold one mirror in place. Driving home solo at freeway speed in heavy traffic I suddenly found that the passenger side mirror had swiveled so far out that I could not even see the glass mirror at all.

It took me awhile to find my own post. I knew that I had posted some negative comments regarding the McKesh mirrors. I have a positive update that I wanted to share in a rebuttal to myself.

I finally contacted the factory regarding the purchase of a mirror to replace the one I had cracked. I mentioned that I found the mirrors difficult to adjust when changing drivers. I find it necessary to keep the screws tight while driving and then loosen them to adjust the mirrors. When I did not lossen them before I adjusted them I cracked the glass.

The factory responded to my email with an offer to replace the mirror at no cost to me if I would pay the shipping. I was a little surprised because I had purchased and then broke the mirror back in April and just never got around to dealing with it until now. I think this was an excellent offer from the factory. The mirror arrived today.

I still am not happy with the amount of vibration I get in the mirror. But I am very happy with customer service.