Steph and Dud B

I'd be surprised if it was that high. Ours runs around 500-550, fully loaded with water. Maybe if you had wet cell or AGM batteries?

Our cat was always an optimist...

Walking back to our trailer one evening in Grand Canyon we stumbled across some cow elk and their calves. I turned a blind corner around a rock formation in Arches one evening and came face to face with a mule deer heading the opposite direction on the trail. Maybe 4 feet away. She looked as surprised as I felt. No chance to grab my phone before she turned and ran.

We had a springer spaniel that liked to bark and it was problematic in a lot of campgrounds because you're so close to your neighbors. We worked with a trainer and an electronic bark collar to break that habit when we were camping. Back then, we had a long tether that we clipped to our steps. Nowadays, I see lots of campers with folding dog pens, like you see at dog shows.

If you use Amazon a lot, would you get a better return if you used an Amazon Visa for your Amazon purchases? They give 5% back on Amazon purchases (including Whole Foods) and 2% back on gas purchases.

The outside courtesy/belly lights on our 2022 are the same as the porch lights, one switch for both sides. Which gives me an idea: maybe you could swap some wires around so one of those switches is the left porch and left belly and the other switch is the right porch and right belly? Would be better than the current setup. Currently, if we want light on only one side of the trailer, we use the awning light (which is also pretty bright).

Years ago, in the Black Hills, we witnessed the start of a fire in a farmer's field. The first fire engine was just arriving. An hour or two later, on our way back to the campground, the same fire was spreading fast into the hills. There was an air tanker working the fire. The next morning, ash was falling in our campground and we bugged out. For us in the Northeast, this is a slightly alarming anomaly. Can't imagine living where this has become commonplace.

Dim orange sun in CT today. Visibility only a few miles. Air smells like smoke. AQI 160. Never seen this in CT before. Crazy.

No leak with the shower off? Sounds like the shower hose is loose/leaking where it attaches to the faucet, or the shower hose is cracked. Look under the street side bed.

It takes a lot to make me late for dinner. 🙂 We're doing a big loop that includes visiting relatives, a stop at Disney (we go every 5 years since our honeymoon), the rally, and home for Memorial Day with friends. Lots of pieces to this puzzle, but I'm the guy who rented tour buses last-minute to get my students to Nashville for a video convention the day after a storm cancelled our flight. 18 hours overnight with teenagers on a bus - including a bus switch in a rest area at 1:00 AM. We missed the the early-bird contest and opening ceremonies, but got there before dinner!

Be sure to be there plenty early on the 15th if the schedule is like it was this year. Coming over from Disney with an overnight on the way. Planning to arrive around 2:00 on Wednesday.

Well, we were able to find a site at Lake Guntersville next May 15-19. Hope that's right...

Next year is supposed to be our first rally. When should we attempt to book a site? Where? What dates? Hate to miss it.

News story from CO: https://kdvr.com/news/local/camper-catches-fire-in-golden/ Two seriously injured. Looks like a private residence on Google Maps. Hope they're OK.

Nah. I taught video/film production for 19 years. Feels too much like work to me now. 😁

Me, too.

On our other trailers I just flipped the water heater circuit breaker off when the tank was empty, to prevent that mishap. But here's a thought: on our 2022 the water heater and fridge are on the same 20A breaker. So, we couldn't do that with this trailer.

We downsized from a 5th wheel and put a Diamondback cover on our dually. Secure storage underneath and bike racks (or whatever) on top. But it would be a hassle to remove when you want to haul your horse trailer.

That's assuming the power being supplied is stable. On the other hand, in a full hookup campground with marginal power, you can turn the AC element off during the heat of the day - when others' air conditioner use has driven the campground voltage down - and run your water heater on gas only. Then, in the morning when the voltage is nominal again and your wife wants a shower after you, you can flip the AC element back on for a faster reheat and shut it back down after her shower. Been there, done that many times. Well worth the inside switch.

Nice work!

Congratulations on your retirement! My wife and I will be right behind you, leaving the profession at the end of the first semester of 2023-24. Make sure you bring the correct ball hitch and some wheel chocks. (Chocking before unhitching is critical, as @Rivernerd said.) Some levelers. We use Lynx "Lego" blocks but you can usually buy Anderson levelers at Oliver (although they might be cheaper elsewhere). Bed linens and pillows. Utensils. Toiletries. Some basic tools (Harbor Freight has a decent little toolkit for $34: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-sets/tool-set-with-case-130-piece-64263.html). You can leave the whiteboard markers and gradebook at home!

We use a Fort Knox hitch lock. Not as pretty as a Proven Industries but just as tough and a little less expensive. Bulldog Sliding Collar Coupler Lock Includes Cobra-Sidewinder puck lock- BOLT CUTTER PROOF!!! https://a.co/d/gkBIplM I also loop a large padlock through the two safety chains and attach them to the front basket so the trailer can't be dragged by the chains.

Failure cause found. I've installed a few TVs and the mounts often come with some spacers to go between the mounting plate and the TV - to account for obstructions, curvature, etc. Careful examination of our TV and mount reveals that the wings of the mounting plate itself are bent slightly upward. Look carefully at the TV back and the plate mounting screws in this picture and you can see it. Tightening the screws at installation pulled the center of the TV against the center post, causing two of the mount points to pull out through the plastic TV back on the left of this photo. Two possible solutions for the new TV: disassemble and try to flatten the mount plate, or install nylon washers or rubber spacers between the plate and the TV to stand it off away from that center post. https://pointerclicker.com/where-to-put-spacers-on-tv-mount/#:~:text=Report Ad-,Do I Need Spacers for TV Mounts%3F,the back of the TV.

Hmmmmm. Something to consider as well.

OTT is sending us a replacement TV under warranty. We'll travel with the TV in the down position from now on. Our last fifth wheel had a TV mounted in the viewing position without problem for years. I think the TV mount points are designed for a shear force rather than a hanging force.