KarenLukens

We're pulling the Elite II always full of water and sometimes half full of waste water with a Mercedes ML350 Bluetec Diesel 4matic or awd. The milage really varies with the speeds in different states. From Hohenwald across the USA to Virginia Beach and then back across Arizona to the California State line at 70 to75mph we averaged 15.8 mpg. Now we're back in California with 600 miles on it and we're averaging 19.4mpg at 60mph. So the tow speed really makes a difference with the Mercedes. Not towing it averages 27mpg. The Mercedes pulled like a champ even in 65mph cross winds in New Mexico and Arizona last week. No hills are too steep, and with push button posi, it does well in desert terrain with stock Firestone AT's. It has a 7200/600lb tow rating and has around 10,000+ miles of towing, so far... We upgraded from a Hummer H2 that we still use as a 4x4 tow vehicle because of comfort, age, and milage. The old 2005 H2 gets 11.5mpg when towing and 13.5 normally with 35" Nitro Trail Grappler Tires for serious off-road (35/70/R20). So we still use both vehicles, but for different terrains. I upgraded to the H2 from a 76 Chevy Silverado with the stock 350 engine that averages 6 to 8mpg towing...

If you're going to get a truck, basically the sizes are the same, just the engine and suspension are bigger. Plus where a smaller vehicle makes the difference is that a lot of places block out anything over 22' for parking because they figure the trailer size from being pulled with a truck. So if you pull with your smaller car, they will let you in. But if I had to choose a truck, a 250 would be my choice. http://fortune.com/2017/04/02/ford-recalls-f250-pickups/

So the end of the trail is in sight :) It was supposed to be over today but... The Mercedes has been telling me that I have an emissions problem, so we stopped in Sacramento for a couple of days to get it fixed and because, this is 15 miles from where we usually get service done and Mercedes of Sacramento is owned by the same family as the one that we usually go to in Rocklin, and we have friends at both. AND... there was a huge wreck on the freeway and we didn't feel like sitting in miles of stopped traffic on a Sunday when there was a nice Park close by with full hook ups. While they service our car, they give us a loaner, so we will see what kind of Mercedes we will be driving tomorrow for a day or 2 :) We spent the night last night in the apartment complex where our son and his family live, so we had a chance to visit some of the family and snap a few pics with the grand kids :) Going 6 high isn't recommended on these Camco blocks, but that's because they're used on real heavy trailers also. For a few thousand pounds on one side, I'd feel safe going 8 high if needed but the 6 high here is about the most I've ever used at one time. We're almost home :)

There is a port free, then you could run a wire down to the tool box and put a plug-in port there inside the box. With the rubber gasket, I don't think it will be an issue closing the door on the smaller wires of a Solar Suitcase style. I have an extension for mine but so far, I don't see a reason for any extra being that our is fully charged usually by 3pm on clowdy, rainy days. We haven't had one day in the last 2 months that the Solar didn't take full care of itself... And I have been watching it to the point of thinking that the 2 battery standard system would be more then enough for me alone, but with Karen's cooking in the instapot and then her CPAP that runs all night, it's nice to know that we have more then enough power. I took this pic at 5:30am yesterday just before the sun came up... This pic tells it all... No loss even after being used all night for the fan, heater, and CPAP. The key is the 4 bars on top showing full, not the battery charging indicator showing at 3, because it's not meaning 3/4, it just means that it's fully charged with no charger running. The only way to get the 4th on the left is when the blue light on the lightning bolt goes out during the day. There is a learning curve but it runs itself just fine as is.

Thanks GG, I will check all of ours and then get back to the thread. We had another drawer open again today on the 2 hour ride up to Sacramento. It opened up an inch and it's the second time on this drawer below the sponge door in front of the sink... Then look up at the bathroom door... Nothing out of place with the towel behind as a cushion... We can't figure out how the mirror cracked... The door was locked closed, nothing was out of place... Only the usual road bumps... And then we find the drawer open and a cracked mirror door... Time to duct tape the mirror for today :)

The awning is one page back Buzzy :) This is our second trailer with these awnings. One of the nice things is that they can safely be put out and left open in high winds. If we didn't like them, we wouldn't have added them to yet another trailer :)

With longer screws into the face the drawers are doing good so far but it's too soon to tell. We were in Albuquerque, NM driving on pavement when ours came out. It was a paved washboard... The short screws just can't handle rough roads at all, even in town. Blum sells them with these screws, Oliver just needs to throw them away and put in their own longer screws in and fill the holes. That should solve the problem :) Our Magma's are up top also. Edit: If you're going to be on Forest Service roads a lot, then I would brace them with the table cushions, etc. The drawer slides will hold the weight on them really well, but those Blum Catches in the front won't handle really rough roads. I'm going to use a collapsible shower rod backed with our cutting board to hold a cushion in place over the front of them. I've had the lift style drawers in other RV's but I really like these and can work with them easy enough. I'm not driving this over the Rubicon by any means, but I will be hitting the back side of it in different spots. My old Jeep made it over the Rubicon 16 times, the last being back in the 80's, then I walked it as a boy scout before that... Of course Great Granny beat us all over that trail in that covered wagon...

We had no signal at Red Rock Canyon State Park until we turned on the Wilson Cell Phone Booster that Oliver put in. Then we had 2 Bars and 4G :)

There are separate magnets for all 5 drawers but adding in at least one magnet from your link above to each drawer will add that much more. Jason sent us an email today offering to send us 2 new drawers, so all is good with them. At this point, I'm not sure if I need the new drawers yet. I'm waiting until we get home this weekend and then I'll open the screw bin and see what I can come up with. I'm thinking that the longer screws coupled with the 2 extra short one's that I installed will be enough to secure the drawer. I can also add a lift pin for the rectangular hole but we'll see how it feels first.

Yup... A magnet that doesn't do much. [attachment file=48588]

A good app to use for boondocking is "ultimate us public campgrounds" or the icon says UC. If you type in UC public, it's the first thing that comes up. We use it all the time. It's in the app store on your phone.

Then here's a good video on the adjustments.

"Did you remove the slide from the cabinet?" Nope, the slides ripped out of the drawers by the screws, because the screws were too short... If it was screwed into hardwood, it would have held. But the pine is too soft for those small screws to hold in an RV. So 1" screws will work best while having them screw through the drawer pannel and into the face. I added 2 more screws to each one today. [attachment file=48528] So now there are 4 screws holding each slide lock instead of just the 2 that proved themselves inadequate. Oliver uses the Blum 1901 series, and I found this video on them We didn't hear back from Oliver today, but it feels strange having a new trailer that I'm working on just like the old ones :) I guess it never ends, I must have been dreaming when I thought that this new trailer wouldn't need any work... At least it doesn't need much :)

After thinking about this, if I had known beforehand, like you all do now... :) I would pull all of the short screws out, put in #8 x 1" into the drawer face and into the front pannel. Then take the short screws and put them into these holes into the bottom of the drawer. You could also glue the drawers onto the rails but with all of the screws in place, it may not be needed. [attachment file=48499] [attachment file=48502] In the bottom pic, the screw is there for reference, but a good flat head screw will fit in this rectangular hole.

Thanks Bill :) We had it in our Casita as well, they really do help keep me sturdy when stepping down out of our trailer, but like you said, the grab bar holds all of the weight with the right hand, and with the left hand on the screen door handle, everything is smooth as can be :)

My favorite cook Karen, fresh out of the shower, in the kitchen with her blender, making Bullet Proof Coffee [attachment file=48487]

We also picked up the screen door support bar that gives you something strong to hold onto when coming in or going out. This is another must have item that really makes a difference. [attachment file=48466] [attachment file=48469] Plus we picked up some "Under Cabinet Shelves" that work great for glasses, watches,small change,cell phones, etc... We put one on each side of the bed. [attachment file=48472] [attachment file=48475] The colors match well, it was just the lighting that makes the walls look yellower. And Then... [attachment file=48480] Breakfast was a 2egg omlette, feta cheese, fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, thin sliced turkey breast cooked in Ghee (Clarified Butter), with fresh strawberries on the side.

The rollers themselves didn't open. There's a little clear plastic piece that broke on the front of each end bracket that caused the drawers to tip down and slide out, leaving the arms still locked in place. There's over an inch of wood to screw into but they used only 1/2" thru a 1/8" plastic L bracket and maybe 1/4" of that screw was actually holding the drawers in place. The top drawer was full of plastic and rubber cooking utensils, so it wasn't a weight issue, it was empty holes where the rest of the screws usually are put in, along with small screws that wouldn't do the job. Plus they were screwed into soft pinewood, so they should be glued first, then screwed in with #12 x 1" screws. Not #8 x 1/2" because the #8 threads aren't thick enough to hold in soft pine. [attachment file=48450]

Command hooks really make the Lil' Nugget complete. I have them in my tool shed, under the bed, outside to hold the ropes for the chocks, and then these inside the shower. Lowe's has the best selection that we've found and this type put in the shower, does double duty. When not showering, they hold the broom and mop, but when showering... They really make the difference. Plus they also double as holders for our grand kids. Just use your imagination :) [attachment file=48382] [attachment file=48385] [attachment file=48388] [attachment file=48391] [attachment file=48394]

Congratulations Malcolm, #204 is a great number :) and she's already named Olivia? Haha, a great name. We've racked up close to 5000 miles already on ours, and it's been a lot of fun :) We had them add this bar in for getting in the door but it also doubles as an extra hand hold when getting up from the toilet or stepping safely out of a wet shower. Every Olli should come with this - [attachment file=48375]

The awning is nice and here it is in use. [attachment file=48355] It blocks the sun well and also allows you to see out, but nobody from seeing inside. I like it over the dinette. [attachment file=48358] [attachment file=48361] [attachment file=48364] [attachment file=48367]

We drove maybe 5 miles from our last store and when we came inside, we walked into this - [attachment file=48331] What happened is that the drawers were not screwed down to the roll outs and only these 4 screws , maybe 4 threads were holding the cabinets in. [attachment file=48334] So over the last 7 weeks of driving home the little #8 x 1/2" screws vibrated their way out, cracking the wood and those 4 screws in the face were ALL that was holding the drawers in place. The actual slide outs were still in, and never slid out with the drawers as you can see in the first pic. There should also be screws into the wood from the holes in the pics below [attachment file=48337] [attachment file=48340] And this way, the drawers would be screwed in properly and would have never pulled out the screws in the face. This is something that everyone should check. To do so, simply open the drawer and look for the holes above. If there are screws in them then all is good. If not, then they will need to be screwed down. This is a pic of one of the drawers still in place and you can see that it hasn't been screwed down either... So, now, it's off to a cabinet shop to get them fixed. We left a message with Jason, but it was after 6pm in Tennessee, so we will hear from him tomorrow. So take the time to check all of your kitchen drawers and make sure that they have all of the screws needed to keep them held together. Had this been installed like this in a house, there would have probably never been a problem, but in an RV with all of the vibrations from the road, it's just a matter of time and bumps in the road before you will be crossing this hurdle. [attachment file=48343]

We also bought these Spice racks for the kitchen [attachment file=48288] [attachment file=48291] Then you can see the refrigerator button guard. We weren't going to get it at first but then last week the fridge got turned off for a half hour, so When Karen reached for something in the upper cupboard, it must have gotten bumped. This was the only time that it has been hit in the last 6 weeks, but once is enough... [attachment file=48294] Then we also got the stainless steel fridge door hinge replacement, and that's a given if you've owned a Casita and seen all of the people who break the plastic ones it comes with. [attachment file=48297] More to come... [attachment file=48300] [attachment file=48303]

Today, we're in Texas at Little House Customs getting a few mods. They're putting on the stainless steel refrigerator hinge & pin for the door, and Larry's installing an awning over the dinette. More pics to come... [attachment file=48220] [attachment file=48223]

I'm thinking about building a separate compartment, behind the tanks, that totally separates the tank area and the front electronics into their own compartments and then enclose the back area for blocks, etc... I've got a sheet of 1" flat expanded stainless steel at the house for flooring. Then I also have a roll of the black V- mat and a roll of belting for insulation or vibration protection on the walls.