Wet weather trip report

Just a not so quick trip report to share. We have just returned from a 2 week, 1200 mile round trip from Portland, Oregon, to see the in-laws at their 100 acre ranch in Redding California.

For all of you out there wondering how a TM does in inclimate weather, I can share that we stayed warm and dry in heavy rain and 60 MPH wind! Redding got 38 inches of rain in December and half of it fell over the Christmas holidays while we were there! We had no leaks, and no drafts from cold air either. (We worked the circuits off that ceramic space heater!!)

A question?  ??? This being our first wintertime trip in our 2619, has anyone got any suggestions regarding how to handle condensation? It wasn't a huge problem, but it would occasionally dampen the blankets if they bumped the walls, and we had to constantly wipe off the windows in the mornings...

Temps were high 30's to mid 40's. So freezing pipes weren't an issue. Ran the unit's gas heater to heat the place up, but maintained the heat with a small ceramic electric heater. Worked out great! less noisy

Someone on this site mentioned the draft from the bathroom vent. I too noticed this. Solved the problem by hanging a folded bathmat over the vent (when the vent was not in use... ) Got the chance to use my newly installed stand up shower fixture Many thanks to the guy who came up with that one!

The trailer towed well over the mountain passes in Oregon and Northern California even in icy, wet and foggy conditions. I am however considering getting an equalizer hitch system! seemed a bit sloppy on the curves... :-/

After this trip I have added several things to my TM TO DO list  - 1) Find a way to plug the large vertical gap at the corner of the shower and inside wall near the rear bed. (I put a towell up there so my feet would stay warm anyway...); 2) Instal a semi-permanent coat rack near the front door for hanging wet rain gear on; 3) Install some sort of cloth or other removable material as flap seals at the sides of both beds where there are no TM installed seals or covers; 4)Find a way to easily deal with the condensation; 5) Buy a pair of 2 way radios to make the camp site backup's easier :; 6) Install step carpet on the steps & get one of those shoe scrubbers as well!  ANY SUGGESTIONS APPRECIATED!

I also committed a ROOKIES mistake. On our way home we stayed at the Umpqua Light hourse state park just south of Reedsport, Oregon. A wonderful campground! We plugged into the sites 15 amp AC power. I blew 2 fuses on the re-circ toilet before I realized that I had the refrigerator still on it's AC setting! OOPS :-[ :. Luckily I had the small 5 amp fuses with me! ;D Won't make that mistake again!! ;D

I had to make a quickee repair too! > Has anyone else experienced this? ??? In the very back - righthand rear corner, where the seals meet at the corner. One morning I discovered air coming in where it hadn't before. I was cleaning up condensation... I discovered that the silicone installed by TM was actually torn revealing a little flap hole about the size of a dime. What I found most alarming was that when I lifted this silicone flap, I could see a whole bunch of staples that someone at the factory had used to staple the flaps into place. Unfortunately, there they were now sticking out into thin air :P So I took out my tube of trusty rubber glue and filled in the hole completely with rubber cement being sure to fill in around the staples, and then put at duct tape patch in the corner over the spot. It worked. seems to have set up nicely. Showed a slight drip spot underneath, but seems to have worked otherwise. Unfortunately, now I have a small piece of silver duct tape at that corner on the inside, but oh well... :'(

Anyhow. 3 of us lived for 15 days in our little 2619. It truly is a little home away from home. Happy New Year!