DesertTed

I did a lazy man's (or should I say a lazy woman's) attic. I took some heat shrinked butt connectors and took off each bolt from the plastic overhead (one at a time), looped them through the cargo net and put the bolts through both ends of my jury-rigged eye hooks, did the same thing in the rear of the net and Voilà! We have light, but bulky stuff up there-down blankets, hats, jackets. It comes in very handy and helps keep the clutter down while camping. Ted

Hello all, this is Hub's post, he is using my screen name: I am having difficulty with the passenger seat swivel from swivels-r-us. Please tell me I am not crazy. I have a 2017 NV2500 high top. The swivel I received measures 17 1/2" X 18". I measured the bolt distances for the passenger seat, 16 7/8" X 22 9/16". I have been going around and around with swivels-r-us via email, and they insist I have the correct swivel, and that I don't know what I'm doing. Try as I might, there are no measurements of any of the swivels online. Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know what dimensions the swivel should be? Thank you,Steve

Hi all, It's been a while, between traveling and I've been ill. Both vans are done and both vans have been all over AZ and NM. Both vans have gone to the East Coast and back out West, separately. My 2016 3500 pulled the trailer there and back, Hub took his 2017 on a two month trip by himself in his van. When we leave the trailer to vandwell, we have been using Hub's van ~17mpg on the highway. He set up his more comfortably for traveling and plenty of room for the dog crate. His also has the microwave. I wish I would have put one in my van. So long story short, here are the photos. Questions about the side solar? We have found out that they produce four times the wattage than the overhead panels when facing the morning sun. And in the winter, if we need to, we face the panels South in the winter to get more watts all day long. Aside from crappy mileage while pulling the trailer (9.5-10mpg), we couldn't be happier with either van.

The van has the three solar panels and vent fan cover. The trailer has five solar panels and two vent fan covers. Both rooves have plenty of wires. Most are zip tied before going through the roof.

The van has the three solar panels and vent fan cover. The trailer has five solar panels and two vent fan covers. Both rooves have plenty of wires. Most are zip tied before going through the roof.

I don't know if the high roof makes the difference, but I have the three solar panels. Including the folding one hanging on the driver's side of the van. Also I have the big Fantastic Vent Fan cover on top. I wanted to post a photo showing that, but I can't seem to do that in a response. I'll try to post it separately. I think my slow speeds contribute greatly to to the mpg. I can't say that I hypermile, but I do the best I can with the behemoth. It could be much worse. Ted

We have ours with Geico, but the circumstances are a bit different. We're insuring the '16 3500, the '17 2500 and the Lance trailer with replacement coverage. AND we're full-timing, which makes it more expensive. We're paying about $3K a year with generous coverage. I'm sure there's cheaper out there, but I haven't gotten around to shopping. The full-timing thing is always a pain as there are some insurers that won't cover that-like USAA and Liberty Mutual. Ted

Hi all, long time no post. Been on the road traveling. I'm in Florida now after a 2K mile trip from New Mexico via I-25, I-10 and I-95 (so you know what kind of roads I've been traveling). I've been pulling the 5500# trailer with the van, about 14,000lbs between the two of them. I drive from 61-64mph on cruise control. I've gotten just over the 10mpg the entire drive so far. Thought somebody out there may be curious. So far, not any problems with the van hitting 20K miles tomorrow. The trailer hitch and I have established detente. I get by, but I don't hate it enough to drop hundreds of dollars. Ted

Hi, I was wondering now that you're had the camera for a while what do you think of it? What model/manufacturer is it, and where did you get it. Thanks.

So, last week, I did my next towing trip, down the Rio Grande (I love NM!). As per your instructions and those of the campground host up in Elephant Butte, I was able to get the bars in with less than a dozen tries. I got down here and wasn't able to get one bar off at all. The campground host here eventually was able to dislodge it enough with a flathead screwdriver and showed me how to do it. Took him about 30 minutes fiddling with it. He wanted to take the entire assembly off with the bar attached, but I explained that I could barely pick it up with no bars on it and I would never be able to hook it back up without a team. He persevered. Ya gotta love these campground hosts when you're a woman on your own. He wouldn't even take a proffered beer. I wish I could just leave that head unit (the 40 lb. monstrosity that you slide into the receiver) on the van, but it completely occludes the vision of the rear camera and beeps nonstop while in reverse. Without back windows, I can't back up without a working camera or sensor. Even with a lock, I'd be afraid to leave it on, it's heavy enough to be sold for scrap. With the Anderson hitch, can you leave the thing on? I tow again next week. I dread each move and don't sleep well the night before, wondering what problem I'll have with towing the next day. I need to save up for another stinking hitch assembly, with no guarantee that it will be easier for me. Until I actually use it, I will not know if my $500 (of course I will have to pay someone to install it) will make towing easier. I understand why many women forgo travel trailers and stick with Class A's, B's and C's or truck campers. Hitch manufacturers assume that every user is a strong male, it seems. You would think that there would be a hitch specifically manufactured and marketed to a physically weaker demographic, instead of haVying to hopefully depend on word of mouth and theorheticals. Ted

Wow, that looks really nice. The price, not. But I will give my current setup a little more time (gotta save up for it in any case). I dread hooking up the trailer, but if it doesn't get easier, I'll just have to bite the bullet and get the Anderson. My biggest problem is that the wind is so constant here in NM, that I can't get out early enough to beat it if I'm having trouble. Especially when I have to dump first. 20mph is a light wind this time of year here. 30+ sustained tomorrow. And I dont always have the luxury of waiting until the wind moderates if I've hit my 14 days at a park. I dont see how that the eazlift monstrosity will get any easier to carry over to the receiver. The bars are very difficult for me to put on and take off. The dealer said "No problem, it's not that heavy and easy to hook up". Easy for a young male to say that. Can you tell that I'm peeved and frustrated? I don't like to have an audience watching how difficult it is for me alone. And, backing up the van requires 50 ins and outs from the cab to get the ball right, under the trailer because the monster hitch blocks the camera. And if I dont feel secure leaving the engine on and the keys in the ignition, I have to restart the engine however many times. I also have to invest in that second camera up above. That should help with that aspect. I see why some women alone don't do trailers and do class A's B's or C's instead. I love the trailer, except the hooking it up and off. I don't have any problem driving it. Thank you, Ted

Text from Hub: "The distance from the metal on the floor to the bottom of the window is about 29 5/8"." Installation of the CRLawrence windows is easy. You just cut out the preexisting window template. The hardest part is taking an angle grinder to the sheet metalon a brand new van. Ted

Hub put a bottom vented CRLawrence window on rear driver side. https://www.dkhardware.com/2011-nissan-nv-all-glass-look-t-vent-passengers-side-sliding-door-alum-fw805r-vcp-1-product-125718.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz86g_Ma82gIVEL7ACh3X_wNZEAQYBCABEgLpp_D_BwE He's on the road in TX right now, but I texted him a message to see if he has a tape to measure exactly. I'll let you know if/when I hear back from him. Ted

I went ahead with the WDH because of the windy weather out West. Today it's only blowing at 30mph, though the trailer is rocking pretty vigorously right now. Yesterday the weather apps said gusting to 65mph. I can't always control my travel days, so I figured that it wouldn't hurt to have a bit more stability. I find that if I can get out while it's early, the winds are less.

I figured I would give the board a status update on what I've done. I did buy that Lance 1685 and have been full-timing four months. I'm at about 9000# for the van and assume that I'm close to the trailer gross weight of 5500#. I'd rather overestimate as I haven't weighed the trailer yet. Probably less because I dump the tanks before traveling. I have the Tenoshka P3. The trailer dealer installed an Eaz lift wdh with sway control. I went with that because that's what the dealer customarily installed and I didn't want them to experiment with something different at my risk and expense. The verdict? She (the trailer is female) tows like a rock. Driving with the trailer attached seems to be more stable with winds than when I dont tow anything, if that's possible. The brake controller works. The only thing bad is that it is a son of a gun to hook it up. I'm old and have a pretty broken down body. I dont know what its called, but that thing that slides into the receiver weighs a ton. If I didn't have a HitchGrip Hitch Coupling tool that I found on Amazon, I would not be able to do it. I carry the hitch thingy a foot at a time, drop it on the ground (gently), take a rest and usually reach the van by the seventh or eighth time. Hooking up the bars is a bastard, and by comparison, the swaybar is easy. Unhooking the whole shmear is about as unpleasant. As an old woman doing this alone, I wish it were easier. It takes a couple of days and lots of Tylenol to recover. But towing? Very stable. I'm getting better at the entire process. I don't know what WDH would be better for me, but I suspect that they all are pretty heavy. I'm not going to investigate changing systems unless I become physically unable to hook up/unhook the assembly that I currently have. I wish I could drag along someone on retainer to do the job. Hub is out traveling in his own NV, so he's not here. But, having gotten rid of the burden of the house is lovely. I've been camping in the New Mexico State park system for over a month and enjoying the heck out of it. The annual camping pass ($225) that allows unlimited free sites is wonderful. Thought you guys would be interested in my very honest assessment. Ted

I had the dealer install my Tekonsha P3. I'm still under warranty, so I figured if there was a problem with the installation, they would own it. Congrats! Ted

In December, I bought a travel trailer with a max weight of 5500#. Since my van is still under warranty, I had my dealer install the brake controller, a Tekonsha P3. That way, if there was a problem, it would be their responsibility. The trailer I have came with an EasZ-lift WD hitch and sway bar. It seems to work okay, but since I've never towed a trailer before, I wouldn't know better. I just don't like how heavy the thing is(the part that slides into the receiver), but I guess they're all heavy. There is not much more buffeting with the trailer hooked up to the van (hightop), than without, so that's good. Towing that little bit of weight is not at all difficult for my van. I will have to get used to how wide the trailer is, about 8 feet, I think. Ted

I have 300ah of auxiliary battery on my 3500. I have the Kriëger 1100watt inverter on her. Hub has 450ah auxiliary battery on his NV 2500. He has a Kriëger 1500 watt inverter. Our battery banks are charged with solar power (540 Watts on Hub's, 445 Watts on mine) and the alternator while driving. We use the CTEK d250s and Smartpass for charging through the alternator. I bought a travel trailer and just installed 660 watts of solar and 400ah of battery. I'm using a Kriëger 2000 watt with her. We also have small inverters (I'm looking at my cute little red 150watt one right now) for small needs. We only turn on the big inverters when we need them. Make sure you get a remote on/off switch. The bigger the inverter, the greater the parasitic drain while standing by. All inverters may have their problems, but we're sticking to what works for us. Ted

Did your vehicle get the software update? My husband's '17 was doing about the same and the update took care of it. Ted

I have a Kriëger 1100w/2200w peak inverter. I'm able to run a TV off of it with no interference or problems even though my van is chock full of ground loops. I use it for my low wattage rice maker and hot pot. Also have used the heat gun for heat shrink wiring, and electric drill.I've even used a microwave with it, though it dragged because the wattage (950w at the upper limit of the inverter) AND (or?) I only have 300ah of battery. I also ran a tiny space heater (150w blowing into the dog crate). I'm sure there are better ones, but I'm okay because I don't have high expectations for a cheap MSW inverter. Ted

We've had a Nature's Head for about a decade. It has been used on a full time basis about six of those years (by one person) in a casita (guest house) without sewer access. The vent hose could be put though the floor, in fact I would not feel comfortable running it through the side of the vehicle, especially with wind and rain at highway speeds. Resale value change? Don't know, but a small hole with the diameter of the Nature's Head hose shouldn't make a big difference. I have three floor vents cut in my van. You will want to run the supplied fan, otherwise you WILL have to deal with stink. Even with the urine separator, composting fresh fecal material still smells...like shit. I'll be getting a travel trailer for full timing after our house is sold (soon, I hope). I've never had to deal with a blackwater tank, but if I don't like it, I'll be replacing the trailer toilet with another Nature's Head. I'll need a new one, though as the current one stays with the house. A little advice-to prevent having to clean skid marks off the toilet bowl after your deposit, use a large drip coffee maker filter. The filters reduces the time between emptying, but my son still only had to empty it no more than every two months. Also, have a spray bottle of white vinegar to clean it, that won't interfere with the composting process. The filters do dissolve. A spoonful or two of brown suger reduces the urine smell between emptying the bottle. As you can see, my concerns center around odors. I have a very sensitive nose. I would keep the maximum distance between my nose and the toilet in the van, just in case. Even in the trailer I'm getting, the toilet will be at the opposite end from a front bed. Good luck and have fun, Ted

Hub put in the same window, except the position was on the driver side. Thougo, his was a new install, not a replacement. It was easy (just follow the cutout of the window area on the van). The quality of the window appears to be good and the opening vents is really nice. My only potential concern would be if someone were to decide to break into the van by putting their arm through the t-vent to open the sliding door. Ted

I don't think I would do 4wd just because of mandatory lift. I was on a pretty gnarly dirt track (I was lost) in October. I was staying out of the very deep ruts and at several points, I was at such a steep sideways angle, I was regretting the high center of gravity that I had with the stock ground clearance. It was "hold on and hope for the best". Even if I had a lift, I would have been concerned that the wheels didn't have a great enough diameter to keep me going in the deep ruts. Over the decades, though, with very careful and very slow picking out my path, I have found that I've been able to go amazing places with 2wd, both front and rear. I had a little fwd Toyota Corolla that I took everywhere. I carry a tow strap, the wheel thingies to help getcha out of sand and mud, a bigger bottle jack, a shovel and a shackle. I also have the tow hooks. I don't have a winch and I hope I don't regret that. But, if the Hubby ain't happy, maybe you won't be. My Hubby and I ended up with his and her vans because of our different styles and travel desires. He would have had a heart attack on that drive I mentioned above. Wuss.

Thanks guys. I will adhere to the KISS principle. Given that I can choose whether or not I want to drive high winds (it's nice to be retired) and that I rarely drive more than 60mph on the Interstate. I'll just see how things go. Now, if my house under contract will close, I'll be ready to pull the trigger on my purchase of the trailer. Ted

That sounds great. But, I forgot to mention that I'm going to be in mountains in the West. Just two weeks ago, I was going down an 8% grade. Will a simple set-up like above be adequate? Thank you, Ted