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Messages - Biewers on the go

#31
CampLite Travel Trailers / Re: Dry camping
May 22, 2017, 12:18:59 PM
The electrical outlets will only work if you use a portable inverter that you plug into your auxiliary cigarette type plug in your RV or run it in from a separate battery.  Of course, that means you must have a way of recharging your battery as the inverter use will run your battery down when things are plugged into it.

Hope this helps.
Rayne
#32
New Members / Re: Found a keeper!
May 22, 2017, 12:02:18 PM
I have a 400w Inverter that I can plug into my auxiliary outlet behind my TV to use the basics, but I want to be able to run my A/C unit too, hence the solar option.  Thanks for all the suggestions though, and feed back.  I'll keep you posted on how I end up too! 

Oh, and I am looking into the GEL batteries as I do not want to be dealing with battery acid leaks from boiling batteries in my outside compartments.  Anyone else ever use the GEL ones yet?  Pros and cons?
Thanks
Rayne
#33
Okay, here's my problem, I have a 8.4S LL TC, and the only handle to use getting into and out of the rear and only door is one of the assist handles that can be lifted and folded flat against the back outside of the camper to get them out of the way.  Unfortunately, when you have a truck camper on the truck, and your truck is 4 wheel drive, it makes the back end of the camper's first step about 2 feet off the ground.  So the obvious thing to do is grab the handle to help pull you up securely right? 

Not if you have one of the "assist" handles because they end up coming away from the wall (not coming out of the wall, just away) and then their weather seal is pulled away from the camper's outside wall, exposing the two fasteners to water from weather. 

I would like to know if anyone else had a different handle handle added to use when you need to pull yourself into your campers, and if so, what one did you get and how do you know you aren't interfering with the wiring of anything when you have your dealer install it?  Remember the old style hard aluminum handles that were about 10 inches long and matched the camper's exterior?  I sure do and I want that kind again. 

Yes, I know I should put a step stool or ladder to help me get in and out, but when you already have that packed and you forgot one more thing, you don't always want to take the time to get that out.  Besides, the new TC doorways are downright narrow making it just a security thing even to grab a handle while you fit yourself through these very narrow doors now used. 

Dan Miller, how can I also post this to the suggestions and modifications section here? 

Rayne B.
#34
General Q & A / Re: Contacting Livin Lite
May 19, 2017, 11:30:44 AM
I have to say that I agree with you about the dealership issues to purchase a Livin Lite camper.  I called and emailed our nearest dealership 90 minutes away 3 or 4 times within a week as I wanted to get this camper ordered and to me asap last August.  Well, I finally ended up calling Livin Lite, and I haven't a clue what number I called or where it was from, but I was answered or called back promptly and they said they would contact the dealership sales manager to let him know to get in touch with me and he did.  He was very helpful, but he never told me on first contact that it would take about 2 months from the date of my deposit to delivery, and he quoted me things that were and were not correct and then had his salesman contact me the following week.  Since they didn't have any in stock like I wanted (who does these days right?) I had to sort of order blind from LL's TC website and ended up having to argue with the dealership about what LL listed as being part of the basic package versus what they were trying to include as an extra cost to me on their end.  It was a royal pain.  Then the salesman would take 2 to 3 days to get back to me and it led to delay after delay on their end.  I finally got delivery on my end on November 1st and had to directly put it into winter storage without really being able to try it out much at all, let alone camp in it since I live in Central NYS and we have winter.  Ha Ha. 

However, I have found the folks at LL to be extremely helpful and great to talk to and get help since whenever I call the dealership the only answer I ever get is; "you'd have to bring it in and let us take a look at it and then we could probably tell you what it is or how it works.  That response makes me crazy.  There is some level of generalization that can be made about how something works on many of the things on campers and TC's as well, and I know that.  I am also not impressed with the dealerships that close for the winter like mine did which meant I couldn't have taken mine back for warranty repairs or anything else until March of this year.  Nice way to kill nearly half of my warranty period on most of my camper too.  Now they are saying they will need a minimum of my leaving it there for nearly 2 weeks or more for them to make some tiny warranty related fixes, and put a roof vent cover over my Super vent so I can leave it open, and to put a new entrance handle on it that isn't one of those assist handlesthat you aren't supposed to pull on, just use to "guide" you into the camper.   

Rayne B.
#35
Hi, I have a 2017 Camplite TC, the 8.4S, and I am sort of a newbie as I mentioned earlier, but know a little bit about a lot of the stuff involved as I camped in trailers and TC's and even tents all my life with my parents and then while raising our children with my husband.  Unfortunately, he passed last year and we had planned on buying this camper to downsize from our big motorhome, so I went ahead and bought it for my use since it is nice and small and fits our truck nice.  So, I have been making a lot of calls, asking a lot of questions etc. since I am not an electronics tech/ maintenance whiz as my hubby was.  So below are links and info on what I have been learning as I have been trying to figure out how to dry camp a week at a time and be able to use my toys, electronics like sewing machine and stereo or TV if the grandkids are along too, and of course everyone's laptops. 

I see one of you mentioned the Zamp solar, I have talked with the folks at LL and they confirmed what I thought after my own research and that is that all that connector if used does is recharge your battery.  You cannot use that system to "run" things in a dry camp situation as I plan to be at.  In the process of my research I did find a Youtube video on exactly how to modify your own solar plugin to the Zamp one so you don't have to buy a zamp if you already have another one or something like that.  It was an excellent video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LShSQeddlgk

I also found one on installing a Go solar system in a truck camper in truck camper magazine. after they had tested this same system on a camper that already had it installed.  This is a 150 watt system. I wish they made ones that were affordable and light weight enough to run an AC unit too.

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/systems/installing-a-solar-panel 

I hate using a generator due to the noise and dealing with the gasoline etc.  Besides, I  can't even lift one of the darn things!  I also noticed that since I will need to park in partial shade at minimum when dry camping since I won't be able to run my AC, I will therefore need a solar system that is not the portable, foldable monocrystalline type.  I need an amorphous one like I unfortunately sold alone with our motorhome.  But, that was only enough to recharge the battery anyhow.  So then we run into the weight issue with the TC's because everything is always about weight added to your truck and making yourself too top heavy too.   So, my info is a piggy back to what DavidM posted in April, but maybe some more helpful stuff too.  Good to learn about the golf cart batteries too, and why to use two 6 volt batteries versus the single 12 Volt.  Thanks for that info folks.  Now, to figure out where to fit the two 6 volt ones if they won't fit in my TC battery box compartment.  If anyone wants to shoot me the dimensions on these 6 volt babies I'd appreciate it much. 
Rayne B.
#36
General Q & A / Towing behind a TC various
May 16, 2017, 10:52:17 AM
I am a newbie to the TC traveling as haven't done it solo ever before, but we used TC for many years when the kids were young so not a complete newbie, even towed with it, but had a 1 ton truck without extended cab so very different.  So, my question is, I have the TC 8.4s on a Ford 250 Super Duty diesel with towing package and extended cab.  I need to haul a bumper pull horse trailer behind this and my overhang and step are adding an addition 32" to my hitch length, YIKES.  I know I will need stabilizer or weight distribution bars on my hitch too, but has anyone else towed much with their TC's and have any insite or suggestions for me to avoid problems down the road? 

oh, and I had the Road master TC springs added, and new shocks put on but now am debating whether to add another spring to my leaf springs or to have air bags installed.  Has anyone had any problems with the airbags?  I live in upstate NY where we have winter and can't find anywhere indoors to store this baby in the winter so far as on my truck is too tall to get into the barns doorways. 

Thanks,
Rayne
#37
Okay, I am a newbie, why would you change from one 12 volt battery to the two 6 volt ones?  Thanks,
#38
I have a 2017TC 8.4S and the model of my converter is not one of the ones that you have manuals posted for Dan.  I now know it is not the battery that is my problem, and my slide-out gives the alarm of circuit going to ground when I unplug it for a short time from the power as the battery cannot charge much due to something draining it constantly.  I know my converter fan runs quite a bit as soon as I plug the electric back in to the camper too. 
#39
New Members / Re: Found a keeper!
May 09, 2017, 11:24:18 PM
Hi Newbie, I am another Newbie to this brand and to being the one in the know and who has to know too.  Camped in RV's otherwise for years, all kinds.  Started with a Truck Camper way back and now have the 8.4S and noticed you are looking to put your 150W solar kit on yours and bypass the zamp solar one.

So, not being electronically savvy in terms of ever having done it, I am curious.   If I put a couple extra deep cycle batteries (is that what I would need to run a 150w solar kit) in my only exterior compartment it is  underneath my slide out dinette.  it is also in the rear overhang at the very back side end of the camper, how do I get the connection to the interior of the truck camper to the charger and then to my Inverter that isn't the one that came with the camper either when there isn't any internal access in this compartment?  The battery compartment in this camper is on the opposite side and only allows space for one marine/RV 12volt battery.  How do you know where you can and can't drill a hole in these RV's? 

I have been trying to read up on the solar kits out there, and I know I'll want one that is an Amorphous silicon and not the monocrystalline panels, and I want to install them on the roof in a way that I can take them down when I put the RV into storage, or go into a heavily wooded area where they could be damaged by tree branches when gaining access to the off road location too.  What will I need to do wiring wise, and exactly how does this all work?  I want to be able to have no electrical hookup, yet run my microwave, charge my laptop or phone and run my stereo or TV.  Most importantly, I want to be able to run a small computerized sewing machine with the stereo on or microwave/convection oven on intermittently too.  In a perfect world, I'd like it to run my AC unit too.  I've heard that is nearly impossible to put one that big on my little camper. 

Can you help me with this by chance?  Or, can anyone else?  Thanks,
Biewer's on the go