ScubaRx

I always wondered if he ever figured out that weight and tension on that cable would inevitability pull that "simply caulked-in wall" down. I suppose that Updated Placard says it all. Just so everyone understands, the dividing wall between the coach and the bathroom/closet area in the Elite II is basically just held up with caulking around the edges.

Craig, Tali and I have discussed these and if they're still available, we would love to have them. Thanks, Steve

And they don’t ever see you!

Followup... I took the truck and trailer to Hohenwald on 11-12-2024. I left the trailer to have some custom bodywork done. On 11-15-2024, I returned to Hohenwald in the truck to pick up the trailer. On the way up the Natchez Trace, driving no more than 55mph, I averaged 23.5mpg (about 160 miles). After the drive home, towing the trailer, the combined mpg (for both trips) was 19.5mpg.

Thank you for following up on this. I consider this excellent service.

This is most likely a good part of your problem. Raise the front of your trailer a few degrees. This makes the water in the gray tank run toward the rear of the trailer and the air bubble in the tank to move forward toward the front of the trailer. This is where your gray tank vent pipe is attached and it will facilitate easier entry of the water plus exit of the air.

You have chosen wisely to go with the Weigh Safe Hitch sans dial. I went through three of these (with the dial) and they all failed. I finally bought a Curt 45902 for our Silverado HD trucks. I moved the Weigh Safe Hitch to Tali's Canyon Diesel. All of our other trailers are pulled with that truck anyway and I don't have to swap from the Oliver's 2-5/16" ball to the 2" ball for the smaller trailers. In my opinion, the use of a Weigh Safe Hitch with the dial in towing an Oliver is a WOT after the first use. Unless you are constantly loading the Oliver in different configurations, it's going to register approximately the same weight every time.

You are correct. I changed @JWalmsley numbers.

I re-plumbed the entire rear end of the trailer. I straightened out some lines and rerouted others so that they are neater than they were when our trailer was built in 2014. While I was at it, I put electric valves, that are controlled with a switch in the basement, in both the hot and cold lines going to the outdoor shower. I also ran an airline, that can be controlled with a valve in the basement, to these two valves so that the plumbing of the entire trailer can be blown free of water. The airlines also run to both wheelwells where an air fitting is available for airing up the tires. This entire air system can be supplied via the onboard compressor mounted in the back of the Silverado.

If anyone is interested in trying the Bulldog shocks, AutoZone sells them for $53.99 online only and claims to have them in stock. They state they have a Limited Lifetime Warranty (you can read it at the link provided below.) The part number is HD1214-0656. This link should get you there.

I have almost always been adamantly opposed to hiring someone to do a job that I can do myself, which is virtually everything. I remember years ago I had a stopped up washing machine drain. I called a friend to ask if he had a drain snake and he brought one over to help. After monking with it for about an hour and not doing any good I suggested to him that I should just go out to a rental center and rent a powered snake. He asked what it would cost. I remember it being in the $100 dollar range for a few hours. He stated, "...or you could just call a plumber for about the same price and not have to fool with driving out to get the machine, coming home and messing around with it for another few hours and maybe still not get it open and then driving out to return the machine and still ending up having to call a plumber." I called a plumber. I always consider how long it would have taken me at work to earn enough money to pay for the job at hand. The older I've gotten the more willing I am to pay someone rather than doing it myself. I plan to die with a balance of only 5¢ in the bank. I did pay the CGI boys their fee to do my trailer when they first went into business. I've never met a finer bunch of young men. Our trailer is looking like it needs it again but aside from Hull #045, ours is the oldest Elite II still on the road. I've never waxed it even once and have usually paid to have it washed. Here again, number of hours worked vs amount paid to have the job done. I would take me several hours to wash the truck and the trailer, I pay $125 to get both done at a detail shop. No brainer for me!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2464503650405038

@TimD I see you have discovered the difficulty in starting the installation of a new roll pin. Here's a trick that has always worked for me. And, as usual, there's a You Tube video for it.

Todd, I have logged you into the official owner's list as the new owner of Hull #1305. Wishing for you and your family, many happy future trips. Steve Landrum, Hull #050.

Do you have a mounted bench vice?

A little history of the movie… The trailer used in the film is the 1953 36-foot Redman New Moon model, which sold for US$5,345 (equivalent to $60,869 in 2023). The new car used to tow the trailer is a 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible with a 125 HP flathead V8 engine. During the scenes of Nicky and Tacy pulling their trailer in the mountains, their 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible is replaced with a larger but similar appearing 1953 Lincoln Capri convertible. The distinct Lincoln grille is clearly evident in a shot as the car rounds a curve. The trailer from the movie was made in Alma, Michigan. After filming, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz kept the trailer used in the movie at their home. That actual trailer, or one of the actual trailers from the movie is currently at "The Cove RV Resort" in Blythe, CA its in their rv storage. Since Blythe is only 20 miles west of Quartzsite, we should make a pilgrimage over to see it.

Fiberglass can be painted beautifully. Look at the last 70 years of Corvettes. I’d have it professionally done. All three of the colored shells shown above were painted. Oliver never used a colored gel coat.

I agree on formerly being able to beat the projected travel times. In 1978 a friend and myself left home at 1900 one evening headed west. Twenty Six hours later we were sitting at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. About 1600 miles. We were driving my brand new 280-Z and averaged over 60 mph.

I'm not sure I follow all that but the negative wire coming from the battery should go to the shunt before everything else. Then you can continue on to the buss bar from the other side of the shunt. ALL negative wires should be connected AFTER the shunt or else you won't be measuring all current flowing into and out of the battery bank.

Our Hull # 050 has exactly 11 inches from the floor of the garage to the bottom of the rear jack feet. BUT, our early build came with the (then standard) 16" wheels and tires. The standard for the currently produced trailers is 15" wheels and tires which might make about 1/2" difference.

Two and a half hours, home to Quartzsite. That's great, it'll take us a week to get there.

I found this rather exhausting but expansive post by ang934 on an Audi Forum. Perhaps it will provide you with some useful information. Although personally, I think using any CAR as a tow vehicle for an Elite II is a particularly bad idea, there are those here that will tell (and have told) you exactly what you want to hear. Although I could go on ad nauseam with solid information as to why you should not do what you are about to do, I doubt it would make any difference. So, give it your best shot. Good Luck... I’m new to the Audi club, and bought my Audi over other cars for one big reason, to tow a travel trailer. The Audi has a high tow capacity for the size vehicle. The BMW X5, and Jeep Grand Cherokee are up there as well. I do not own a trailer quite yet, but will be getting one soon. So now that I have the Q7, next was the travel trailer, but how big could it be? I thought that this would be easy to figure out, but it wasn’t. I did some research, spoke to experts, read the owner’s manual, and read other AudiWorld posts. I was finding lots of misinformation on AudoWorld and other places, so I decided to write down what I learned here. There are lots of falsehoods out there, and I wanted to have this info in one place. My goal was following EVERY Audi requirement to the letter and NOT second-guessing what they say. In German style, their requirements are VERY precise. My car is a 2019 Q7 Prestige with 3.0 supercharged engine with a factory installed trailer hitch. If you add a third-party trailer hitch, your weight capacity might be less, but it is NEVER more. Note that the the Audi Q7 2.0 liter is rated to tow much less than the 3.0 liter V6 version. So, let’s get started. Let’s start with the car side. Just how much stuff and people can you keep in the car when towing a travel trailer? The Audi manual recommends to “Store objects in the vehicle luggage compartment, if possible. The vehicle should always carry the heaviest possible load and the trailer should have the lightest possible load.” But what is that load? If you open the driver’s door, there is a sticker on your car that gives a capacity for “cargo and passengers.” On my car its 1367 lb., but keep in mind, this is cargo, passengers, AND trailer tongue weight. The maximum tongue weight for my Audi is 770 lb. and Audi recommend I get as close to that weight as possible, and note the type of suspension does NOT matter. So, let’s say I start with the 1367 lb. limit, and subtract 770 lb. tongue weight. This leaves 597 lb. for passengers & cargo. Before adding any cargo, add your passenger weight. You may have 7 seats, but with a trailer, be VERY careful on cargo weight. For this example, I’m going to assume 597 lb. in passenger and cargo weight. Three or four people alone could get there. Or two people and some cargo. Now let’s move on to the trailer. I got my 597 lb. of passengers and cargo that are ready to go camping. Audi says the trailer receiver you pick should be NO MORE than 6.193” from the locking pin to the center of the ball in length. (Who says Germans aren’t precise.) I searched everywhere, and there was only one receiver that met this requirement. Not surprisingly, it’s the one Audi sells for $70, so I bought it. Whatever you buy, make sure the ball and receiver are rated AT LEAST 7,700 lb. The Audi one is. But a problem, the Audi one comes with a 2” ball, and almost all travel trailers today use a 2 5/16th ball, so you need to switch the ball. Walmart and Home Depot have these, but remember you need a 1” shank. First you need to remove the 2” ball on the Audi receiver. Place it in the car hitch receiver but turned 90 degrees from normal. Then get a VERY large 1 ½” wrench to remove it. Warning, Audi puts this on VERY tight. Before you put on the new ball, we need to talk a bit about trailer stabilizers. I recommend one and there is a bracket you can get that fits between the ball and receiver to connect one, BUT it requires a ball with a longer shank. If you use it, get a 2 5/16” ball, 1” shank that is at least 2.4” long. This is tricky to find, but it can be found. While we are here, I should mention the the “load distributing trailer hitch.” Audi say NOT to use one, so DON’T use one. Period. If you don’t like that, argue with Audi, not me. It should be noted that two companies (at least) make aftermarket trailer hitches for the Q7, Draw-Tite and Curt, and NEITHER are rated for a load distributing hitch. DO NOT USE ONE, no matter how smart you think you are for doing so. If your trailer is over 3000 lb. you also need a brake controller. There are three types you can use. One connects to an under-dash connector, one fits between the trailer and car and connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and one mounts to the trailer and communicates with a wireless receiver connected to your 12V socket. Your choice. I bought the trailer mounted one. OK finally on to the trailer. How heavy can it be? 7,770 lb. right? Smiley face. NOPE. Your capacity is 7,700 lb. but this includes the weight of cargo and passengers in the car. For us this is 597 lb. (Do NOT add the tongue weight here.) You have 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. = 7,103 lb. and a tongue weight of 770 lb. OK off you go to buy that 7,103 lb. trailer, but NOT YET. Audi says for ever 3,200 ft. altitude over 3,200 ft. where you tow, you need to reduce towing capacity by 10% (770 lb.) This one is tricky. If you are only on the East Coast, 3,200 ft. elevation is fine. But in the West, that is a joke. So you will have to figure your own case, but I set an arbitrary altitude of 6,400 ft. NOT TO EXCEED, which means my trailer can be 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. – 770 lb. = 6,333 lb. I’m going to round DOWN to 6,000 lb. That’s not a bad trailer. Maybe 22’ or 23’ So, lets try to understand trailer weight. There is a dry weight, the net carrying capacity weight, and the trailer GVWR, which is what the frame and wheels of the trailer can support. Dry weight + net carrying capacity is always equal to or under the GVWR weight. To be safe, I recommend for your GVWR to be under 6,333 lb. but technically its dry weight plus what you have put in it, including water tanks. Water weight 8 lb. per gallon. Again, Audi also recommends that you keep your tongue weight as high as possible without exceeding the 770 lb. limit. Tongue weigh given for trailers usually does NOT include propane weight or the weight of batteries. Anyway, just buy your AirStream Flying Cloud 23FB and away you go…. Yipee!! Smiley face. So to summarize, watch your car weight limits. You can not have more than 3 or 4 people in your car with a trailer, we’ll unless they are supermodels and weigh very little. If that is the case, have all you want as long as your wife doesn't object. Next, add a 2 5/16” trailer ball and trailer stabilizer if you like. Finally, subtract your car carrying weight from your trailer capacity, and derate for high-altitude driving. Be safe and figure these weight loads yourself. The trailer dealer may lie to you to sell you a bigger trailer with bigger profit. And be safe. I hope this is helpful, and if something I stated here is incorrect, please point it out, but please do not tell me how a load distributing trailer hitch changes all this despite the fact Audi clearly says to NOT use one. Your fight with them, not me. Last edited by ang934; 08-06-2019 at 10:36 AM. Reason: Grammer/Spelling Later, in the thread in response to another member who stumbles through several weight calculations and absurdly thinks one could, “...tow the (Airstream) Flying Cloud 27FB with no issues...Tell me if you think my math is wrong...” he added: I think OK, but definitely on the upper limit. Be careful if you are carrying 4 or 5 people in the car as well. That adds to the weight. I wanted add to my original post on some hardware you will need. If you follow Audi's recommendation, it doesn't allow much wiggle room. First on the receiver you need, Audi specifies a maximum length between the ball and receiver pin. Unfortunately this is shorter than any I could find anywhere, so I had to buy the one Audi sells for $70. I believe its made by Curt just for Audi, but if you can find it elsewhere, by all means get it. Unless you want to do LOTS of searching, buy the Audi receiver. Now you also need to change the ball since Audi provides a 2" ball which only works for small trailers. You need a 2 5/16" ball. The on that will work is the CURT 40039 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball. Finally you REALLY should add sway control, and remember weight distributing trailer hitches ARE NOT allowed. (More on this later.) To add sway control you'll need the Draw-Tite 26003 Sway Control Adapter Bracket. This goes between the receiver and the ball. I used JB Weld epoxy to keep these two together. DON'T get any on the trailer ball threads. The reason for this is to keep the force of the sway control from moving the bracket and loosening the ball. I have heard of people welding the the bracket to the receiver also. And the weight distribution hitch, I know people are in love these, but Audi says NO, DO NOT use one. As it turns Audi does know what they are talking about. The way the trailer hitch fastens to the car in a vertical fashion basically eliminates the need for this type of hitch. It also makes this type of hitch dangerous to use because the weight distribution hitch puts added twisting forces on the ball and the hitch could break off. In end this is a win-win. Weight distribution hitches are heavy, expensive, and a pain, and Audi eliminated their need for you. Again DO NOT use one, but adding sway control, like the CURT 17200 Black Trailer Anti-Sway Bar Control, or similar is probably a very good idea. I have also come across a few electronic sway controls. They basically connect to your trailer brakes, and apply the trailer brakes when there is sway. They look pretty nice, but slightly pricey, but overall look to be an easy solution. Last edited by ang934; 09-06-2019 at 07:57 AM.

As Bill reported, Mike and Krunch Mossy are both alive and well. He asked me to let everyone know.

Now that, I could buy into.

From a Pharmacist's standpoint this should NEVER happen. From a corporate standpoint there should have been an immediately initiated memo stating that anyone that had lost their maintenance medications due to the storm should have them replaced AT NO COST to the patient. When Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005 there were thousands of displaced persons seeking refuge in and around Tupelo. Even though I did not work retail Pharmacy except on a relief basis, I still saw many people that were unable to get to their meds before evacuating. We never turned a single person away and never charged them a cent. They had too many balls in the air to have to deal with not have vital meds.