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Messages - BeerSnob

#1
Quote from: oregon on February 19, 2018, 06:05:22 PM
I'm wanting to purchase a 2017 16TBS, thinking it would be an ideal small and lightweight singe-axle aluminum travel trailer.  It is fairly small, and it's not excessively heavy overall at 3370 pounds (per Livin Lite's brochure), but it puts a lot of weight on the tow vehicle's ball. 

Dry Hitch Weight is listed (per brochure) as 442 lbs, but I read that in normal use that number can increase very quickly, due to the '17 16TBS's single axle.  For example, an owner-measured ball weight of 625 pounds was reported here:
https://aluminumcamperforum.com/index.php?topic=391.0.  In the same thread, the double-axle version weighed in with a 540 lb tongue weight, and it makes sense the 2nd axle would help somewhat, given that it's located further forward.

That's a lot of added pounds for a small/light camper to put on the tow vehicle, and more than the 8%-10% U.S. guideline for the ratio of tongue weight to trailer weight.  A weight distribution (WD) hitch could potentially help, but that does just add more total weight to the system and many tow non-truck tow vehicles aren't approved for a WD hitch.

Other than pick-up trucks and massive truck-like SUVs (think Tahoe, Suburban), I could find almost nothing that can handle a 625 hitch weight; a Touareg (now discontinued) and a Jeep Grand Cherokee can manage it though, if properly set up.

Am I correct in concluding that if I buy a CampLite "lightweight" and fairly small single-axle 16' trailer (specifically, in this case, the 16TBS), that I need a pretty special rig to deal with it??  I originally thought my 300hp Audio Q5 with factory towing package should by able to tow a 16' aluminum travel trailer, but the more I read, the more I am concluding I was probably wrong to think that.  Heck, even the exceptional and discontinued Touareg seems barely sufficient!

I read here...http://caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=68200 and
http://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/driving-towing-towing/towball-weight-and-trailer-stability...that in Europe the recommended upper-limit on ball weights is 100kb (220 pounds)! It seems strange that the dry weight of an aluminum 16' trailer should already exceed more than double that amount (i.e., the 442 lbs hitch weight of the 16TBS).  What gives?

Am I over-thinking this and reading too much?  Shouldn't a standard SUV with a factory tow package be able to handle a 16' aluminum CampLite trailer?  I'd love to buy one, but don't want to be super restricted to a few and very large tow vehicles.  I'd really appreciate other perspectives on this.

Re: VW Touareg (I'm the owner in the above link) - pretty sure they're still available just not the TDI version. We have a 2014 gasser and tow a 2017 16TBS with no problem using an Andersen W/D Hitch. We even towed up and over 11,000' mountain passes last summer without issue. We were really happy with the performance considering we're towing with a mid-sized SUV. Overall, it felt really stable.

When I was doing my research for this combo 18 months ago I also found that certain builds of the Dodge Durango could accommodate the 16TBS. I also did extensive reading on the Touareg owners forum partly because there are some documented discrepancies about the tongue weight it can take. If you haven't looked at it go check out what people tow with their Touaregs. It gave me the confidence to go for it and so far I'm glad I did. I didn't want a full size SUV or truck as a daily driver and I love the Egg for that. I did agonize over weights and spent a lot of time checking and re-checking tongue weights and tow weights. I still run through the local grain elevator scale each time we load up for a trip. Loaded we run around 4200 lbs with about 600 pounds on the tongue. Well within the Eggs capacities.
#2
General Q & A / Re: How to hitch the Andersen hitch
July 23, 2017, 11:22:06 PM
Mitch's method seems to match the manual.
Here is the installation manual and at the bottom is the hook/unhook procedures.
https://andersenhitches.com/uploads/WD%20Hitch%20installation%20manual%202016%20sm.pdf
I found this is actually good review for us even though we've done it a lot lately. I didn't realize you are supposed to lower the coupler onto the ball but not set all the weight on it until after you tension the chains.

Also, regardless what the dealer showed you, I would follow the manual. We have a great dealer but I wasn't happy with the install - I had installed our previous one and frankly think I did a better job. It took me 3 times longer but I felt it was right when I finished. The dealer didn't have the chains anchored the right distance away.
Advice....practice, practice practice. It gets easier
#3
Same here for the bulb in our 2017 16TBS. It had a 12 volt, 10 watt wedge base bulb. I couldn't find a 10 watt replacement so went with 7. Installed it last night and it works.
#4
QuickSilver Tent Campers / Re: kitchen storage
April 24, 2017, 10:05:03 PM
Sterilite user here too. I have one that holds all utensils and cutlery and another holds dishes.
#5
CampLite Travel Trailers / Re: 16tbs Receiver Height
April 02, 2017, 09:15:08 PM
I think our 2017 16 TBS with single axle and 15" wheels is about 24".
#6
New Members / Re: 2012 13QBB
March 24, 2017, 10:41:02 PM
Nice! Congrats on your new camper! We had a 2012 13 RDB that got us hooked and just moved up to a 16 TBS we bought from SIRV.  We needed the little extra room to accommodate the added canine (to the existing 1 canine pack). I have to say that so far we've been pretty happy with our experience at SIRV with all the same folks you mentioned. I think you made a great choice and look forward to hearing about your adventures!
#7
Sounds cool, do you have a link to the lock you used? I'd be interested in something like that I think.
#8
New Members / Re: Total newbie from MN
March 10, 2017, 12:38:17 AM
Cool! You're gonna love it!
Do you get a factory warranty with it? I'm assuming it will be winterized when you pick it up and you may not get a demo on the water systems because of that. That's what happened when we took ownership of a 2017 16TBS in early December. A couple weeks ago we had a real warm spell - long enough for us to do a shakedown camping run for the weekend and use all the systems and still have a week to re-winterize it. I did find a leak (shower drain) and had it back to the dealer to be repaired. Right now I'm trusting that it is fixed because they re-winterized :)

If you don't get a demo on the water systems be sure to test them thoroughly the first chance you get.
#9
New Members / Re: New Member, probs with our camp lite...
February 21, 2017, 11:36:48 PM
We have a new 2017 16 TBS that we were just able to take out for the first time last weekend. We seem to have a plumbing leak originating in the shower drain area. Otherwise everything else seems dry and solid. Will be calling the dealer to make arrangements to find and fix this leak.
#10
I pulled my lock to measure it and this is what I found. See attached (if it works).
I presume my measurement should be the yellow arrow since it appears the latch is offset.
#11
Thanks!
#12
New Members / Re: Our First Travel Trailer!
February 07, 2017, 11:08:50 PM
Congratulations! We just bought a 16TBS too and haven't used it yet. It was an upgrade from a 13 foot LL that was bare bones. Can't wait to get this out and have some reservations and plans already made.
#13
Open Discussion Area / Re: Camping starter info
February 07, 2017, 11:06:52 PM
Quote from: 7Thunders on February 06, 2017, 04:37:07 PM
Ok..Yes we are new and haven't used the camper yet until spring comes but here is a few questions.

If we were to find a campsite WITHOUT electric, how would one camp ? The battery would run basic lights right? and help the propane operate  refrigerator. what else would you use as far as the electric goes...water pump, hot water heater?  Powered Jack on hitch! Canopy! Radio? Tv?   So do those that camp this way use a solar charger to keep battery charged? I am just assuming that as we travel there may be times that we won't have an electric hookup so I want to understand and know what/how to operate..

just pondering......... LoL
Rob

I'm barely more than a newb myself but having camped 2 seasons with a bare bones LL and just upgraded to a new 16TBS I think I can answer a couple things. We've boondocked (no hookups) a few times for up to 3 days with no problem. With our old camper we only needed power for the lights and water pump.

Check your owner's and appliance manuals but I don't think you need any power to run the fridge or water heater - just propane. I did find out on our new camper that you need battery power for the furnace ignition and blower.
Our old camper had a manual awning and I haven't yet read the manual for our power awning but I'm assuming you run it off the battery.
Obviously all your electronics will need power. Our old camper did not have any entertainment systems.
With some planning you won't need much power for the basics - jack/awning/slide/water pump/fans. You can always use flashlights to minimize using your lights. But you're out of luck (or will drain your battery) if you need climate control or entertainment I think.
I know quite a few use solar, we haven't. I've also read and assumed that you can hook up to your running vehicle to charge your camper battery.

I highly recommend testing a lot of this out in your driveway if you can. Or at a campground near home for a first run. We're lucky that our camper is in the driveway so I've been testing all the systems except water to make sure I understand them before our first outing. As soon as I can de-winterize I'll be testing that system out too. Of course our dealer showed us all was working (except water because it was already winterized) but they did it all and I don't learn anything until I do it (wrong) myself!

Good luck and happy camping! You're gonna love it!
#14
I'm wondering if someone can tell me what size the cam locks are on the 2017 trailer's storage doors? We have a 2017 16TBS and I want to replace the locks with locking thumb cam locks if I can find the right size. On our old camper we got tired of always having to have the key to latch the bins shut when we didn't want to lock them. TIA!