Community Forums

dgrant09 · 11-13-2011, 12:46 AM

As for the cable, our second cable is fraying and has created it's own hole next to the factory drilled hole. Our TT is in storage with the dealer now and is one of the items to be fixed by next spring..
Next summer I plan on putting a pin in each bumper cap in hopes to keep our sewer hose for the next stop..
Glad your trip went well with the Tundra!!

taken · 11-13-2011, 07:13 AM

Glad it worked out so well for you Jim. I hope I'm not one of the ones who you considered "preaching." I too go way over my ratings when I have my atv's in the bed of my truck and have added air bags to help with the rear end sag. (3300# between the machines, the carrier they are on, and the tongue weight of my trailer.) My only concern for you and anyone with a half ton is the tongue weight you are carrying. My trailer is at 1300# on the tongue with the tanks empty, the propane full, two batteries, and loaded for travel. That's way over a stock half ton hitch's capacity. I would also be pretty concerned with your rather undersized wd system with no sway control. I wouldn't get over confident because you had no sway so far. Nothing bad happens until it happens. Hell, I brought my trailer home from the dealer on a standard ballmount. No wd, no sway. It was fine for the 20 minute drive home. Would I travel with it that way? Absolutely not. Other than that, you've got plenty of wheel base and plenty of power. As for your av wires, I zip tied them all together and then zip tied the bundle to the back of the tv. Problem solved. Our end caps work out as well, but never got away from me yet. I usually tap them back in at gas stops etc. with my foot. All of our rubber pieces came unglued and were hanging from our slide cables. Our dealer reglued them on one of our warranty visits. We don't program the clock on the micro and leave it at zero unless we are at a full hookup site for an extended period. Otherwise, we use the clock on our large indoor/outdoor thermometer. (A great addition to the rv!) We use this one and put the sensor outside in the shade somewhere when setting up... http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technol...1190050&sr=8-5

JimEli · 11-13-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taken

...
My only concern for you and anyone with a half ton is the tongue weight you are carrying. My trailer is at 1300# on the tongue with the tanks empty, the propane full, two batteries, and loaded for travel.
...

Thanks for the info. I think we'll invest in your clock/thermometer idea. And I always keep 2 hands on the wheel

.

Wouldn't filling the tanks reduce your tongue weght? Certainly fresh water would.

taken · 11-13-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimEli

Thanks for the info. I think we'll invest in your clock/thermometer idea. And I always keep 2 hands on the wheel

.

Wouldn't filling the tanks reduce your tongue weght? Certainly fresh water would.

Yes, fresh certainly would. I have upgraded my hitch to a Reese Titan so I'm not worried about it, but for those that are close, that would be a definite help. As for the clock/thermo, we love it! Just don't forget to pick up the outdoor sensor before leaving the campgroud! Again, glad your Tundra does so well with the unit. If I never took an ATV with me, I would buy the new GMC half ton with the max towing package. It has the new 6.2 motor in it with over 400 hp and over 400 torque. Plus it's IFS would ride so much better than my Ford with it's solid front axle. But, I love to bring the atv from time to time and also have a plow for it, so I'm stuck with 3/4 ton...

JimEli · 11-13-2011, 04:48 PM

We paid as much attention to where we loaded items as to what we brought. Proper loading is probably more important than total weight. Speed is also overlooked when it comes to sway avoidance. Since swaying _usually_ starts because of aerodynamic jostling (i.e. crosswinds, semi-pass, etc.) most don’t realize aero loading increases as the square of speed (I’m a former test-pilot). By my calculations aero loading increases by 36% at 70 vs. 60 mph. That’s significant. Additionally, my off-road suspension package means my shock damping is greater, which also helps. I must say I was impressed with my package’s stability.

BTW, the numbers you quote for the GMC ½ ton diesel are nearly identical to the Tundra gasser.

When I pulled the DVD player to replace the TV cable, I found a 6’ radio antenna simply coiled up behind it. I unwound the wire and spread it out behind the cabinetry at the back of the TT. I haven’t tested if reception has improved, but I can’t imagine it got worse.

taken · 11-13-2011, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimEli

We paid as much attention to where we loaded items as to what we brought. Proper loading is probably more important than total weight. Speed is also overlooked when it comes to sway avoidance. Since swaying _usually_ starts because of aerodynamic jostling (i.e. crosswinds, semi-pass, etc.) most don’t realize aero loading increases as the square of speed (I’m a former test-pilot). By my calculations aero loading increases by 36% at 70 vs. 60 mph. That’s significant. Additionally, my off-road suspension package means my shock damping is greater, which also helps. I must say I was impressed with my package’s stability.

BTW, the numbers you quote for the GMC ½ ton diesel are nearly identical to the Tundra gasser.

When I pulled the DVD player to replace the TV cable, I found a 6’ radio antenna simply coiled up behind it. I unwound the wire and spread it out behind the cabinetry at the back of the TT. I haven’t tested if reception has improved, but I can’t imagine it got worse.

Did the same with our antenna. Agreed on on the causes of sway. I'm just of a mind that there are times and conditions that we simply can't prepare for. $450 for one of the best wd/anti sway systems out there seems to be cheap insurance in that regard.

BKBOATER · 11-15-2011, 05:33 PM

My wife and I will be picking up our new Cougar 321RES this Saturday. We really liked the floor plan and have been following this forum since the start, and after hearing about yet another issue with the cables on the slide outs I am secound guessing my decision. Is this something that will be an ongoing problem? Or just something I should have them check when I pick it up on Saturday? What should I look for and where?

taken · 11-15-2011, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKBOATER

My wife and I will be picking up our new Cougar 321RES this Saturday. We really liked the floor plan and have been following this forum since the start, and after hearing about yet another issue with the cables on the slide outs I am secound guessing my decision. Is this something that will be an ongoing problem? Or just something I should have them check when I pick it up on Saturday? What should I look for and where?

Don't worry, there is no issue with the cable operated slides at all. What is an issue is small, non structural, and an easy fix. Where the cables enter the vehicle there are small 2"X4" pieces of replaceable rubber. They are glued to the trailer and the cable slides through them. They are just there to cover the larger hole that the cable passes through. It will be easy to see what I'm talking about when you get your trailer. The issue is, there is insufficient glue to hold this small piece of rubber to the trailer and it comes loose and hangs from the cable. It can be reglued if caught in time and not lost. Otherwise it can be replaced. Again, don't second guess anything. It's about a dollars worth of rubber that is probably not 100% necessary. You'll love the trailer!

BKBOATER · 11-15-2011, 06:24 PM

Thanks, for the reply! This forum has been very helpful and useful in helping us select this travel trailer!

JimEli · 11-15-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taken

Don't worry, there is no issue with the cable operated slides at all. What is an issue is small, non structural, and an easy fix. Where the cables enter the vehicle there are small 2"X4" pieces of replaceable rubber. They are glued to the trailer and the cable slides through them. They are just there to cover the larger hole that the cable passes through. It will be easy to see what I'm talking about when you get your trailer. The issue is, there is insufficient glue to hold this small piece of rubber to the trailer and it comes loose and hangs from the cable. It can be reglued if caught in time and not lost. Otherwise it can be replaced. Again, don't second guess anything. It's about a dollars worth of rubber that is probably not 100% necessary. You'll love the trailer!

Not exactly. On our trailer, the small patch of rubber came off. That's the non-issue. However, what that has exposed is that the cable has worn a 1/2" groove in the side of the trailer. I haven't observed the cable as the slide transits in/out, so I don't know if the groove was caused during extension/retraction of the slide or from the slide moving while on the road.

I also haven't checked under the other rubber patches to see if this is a systemic problem.

Also, don't strap down your recliners back-to-back during travel. They constantly rub against each other and will start to show signs of wear where they touch. We now strap ours both facing aft, with a slight space between.

iluvcamping · 11-16-2011, 06:37 AM

Congratulations on your new trailer BKBoater...you'll love it! We also had a couple of those 2"x4" rubber pieces come loose but they're cosmetic and super glue took care of it. No problems with our cables. We did get our mattress replaced but not sure if it's for the better and dealer replaced our Vizio tv (it just stopped working)...our sewer caps keep wanting to pop out, too. These kind of things can happen to any new trailer. Just stay with this forum and we can keep each other informed. We were glad to read (JimEli) about the radio antenna....would have never thought to look 'behind' the thing. Ours is in storage for the winter now but will keep that in mind and check it out. We were wondering were the antenna was....the service guy at the dealer didn't know either...now we know. Thanks! We also installed a "Jack" digital antenna. Those things are great! We get channels that we didn't know existed. All you have to do is take off the existing 'wings' of the regular antenna and put this in its place. Only cost about $45 but great when you're camping out aways from a city.

dgrant09 · 11-16-2011, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimEli

Not exactly. On our trailer, the small patch of rubber came off. That's the non-issue. However, what that has exposed is that the cable has worn a 1/2" groove in the side of the trailer. I haven't observed the cable as the slide transits in/out, so I don't know if the groove was caused during extension/retraction of the slide or from the slide moving while on the road.

I also haven't checked under the other rubber patches to see if this is a systemic problem.

Also, don't strap down your recliners back-to-back during travel. They constantly rub against each other and will start to show signs of wear where they touch. We now strap ours both facing aft, with a slight space between.

I too have the cable issue wearing into the trailer wall. Rear Aft lower kitchen cable and have posted twice here on that issue.. We are having the second cable replaced, it has also frayed. This is an issue to watch for!
We also learned about the recliners and wear and have adopted the same tie down method.
Working out the little bugs..

JimEli · 11-16-2011, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrant09

I too have the cable issue wearing into the trailer wall. Rear Aft lower kitchen cable and have posted twice here on that issue.. We are having the second cable replaced, it has also frayed. This is an issue to watch for!
We also learned about the recliners and wear and have adopted the same tie down method.
Working out the little bugs..

DG,

I've read about your issue, and thats what keyed me to look closer. Where was the cable frayed? inboard/outboard/all over? What year was your built? Ours is a 2011.

Without a doubt, this board has been a great resource and I thank everyone for posting.

dgrant09 · 11-17-2011, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimEli

DG,

I've read about your issue, and thats what keyed me to look closer. Where was the cable frayed? inboard/outboard/all over? What year was your built? Ours is a 2011.

Without a doubt, this board has been a great resource and I thank everyone for posting.

Our trailer is a 2012 (titled) model was delivered to the dealer in mid May 2011 and to us in early June here in Alaska. The cable strands were completely broken with only 4 or 5 strands left on the 1st cable. The second now has only 4 or 5 frayed strands. Both events were on the lower aft kitchen slide cable, with the kitchen slide extended, exterior side.
I have to agree about this discussion and the excellent transfer of information - I have found several faults because of the members here and we send our Thanks! It would be nice if we were closer than Alaska - having the opportunity to meet folks - and use our camper longer!

Thanks again,
Dan