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Old 01-06-2003, 12:14 PM   #1
2619PDX
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Default 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!
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Old 01-06-2003, 02:05 PM   #2
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

We also have the condensation problem.  Even leaving a vent open does not help.  Part of our winter close down routine is wiping all of the condensation from below the windows, and the ceiling corners prior to closing the unit.
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Old 01-08-2003, 11:02 AM   #3
hal
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

To prevent the cold air from entering the bathroom vent, we picked up some magnetic vynl and cut it to size.  It "sucks" up against the vent and thus stops drafts.  It also is so thin, that we forget that it is attached to the vent.  This material is available in many hardware stores.

Hal
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Old 01-08-2003, 11:51 AM   #4
2619PDX
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

Hal, that's a great idea! Beats using the bathmat!
Gregg
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Old 04-02-2003, 06:01 AM   #5
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

Hi, Woods family!

We also are Oregonians-Brookings to be exact- and leave our Trailmanor stored in the open position all winter. I also was concerned about the humidity in the trailer, especially in this weather! Finally I purchased a small dehumidifier which drains the water either into the sink or outside via a hose run outside through one of the velcro/vinyl flaps. It works great and requires no checking or maintenance. It stays dry as a bone inside.

Only one company makes this kind of dehumidifier, and it is expensive, but a great product. Many people use them in their yachts to keep the moisture down. Camping World sells it as the Dry-Z-Air or somesuch, but it is MUCH cheaper when purchased at J.B.Products in Broadview, Ill. It is called the "Mighty Dry." Sorry I don't have the internet address, but you can find it through a search engine.

I believe it was around $300 which was hard to swallow, but it is really built to last: much better than any others I have seen. And it REALLY WORKS!

Phil
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Old 04-02-2003, 10:19 AM   #6
Happytrails
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

On another note along these same lines, for the heck of it this past weekend, we slept out in our tm in the driveway since we hadn't stayed in it because we didn't know the furnace worked. So we figured what the heck and did, and Sunday morning awoke to 4" of snow on the ground! Lol, we were so warm and comfortable, we'd not have guessed it even snowed if we didn't look outside. BTW, it also thunderstormed earlier that night as well. We were warm and dry as a bone!


[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails...........[/glow]
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Old 04-02-2003, 10:56 AM   #7
BobWilson
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Default Re: Wet weather trip report

A few links to dehumidifiers for RV's. Not all are electric for those dry camping days.

http://www.mightydry.com/

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/c....cfm?catID=191

http://www.wholesalehunter.net/Bueng...rises3D18.html

http://www.humidex-usa.com/rvair.htm

http://americanfiltration.com/stadri.html

http://www.go-rv.com/online/270/show...ails?catid=136

http://allergybegone.com/noneldeh.html
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