Best Of
Re: Permanent Side to Side Sleeping for T@B 320 S
Nice job on the mods. No daily set up/take down is a plus. Would be good for solo. We couldn't do it though. We spent a couple of our camping years climbing over each other in a camper van to get in and out of bed and swore we'd never do it again. We're taller so we sleep front to back. One big bed with both of us and our dog or a single twin when I'm using it solo. Gives us more room for our toes.
Re: Battery Box for 200ah
Nice solution @Marceline, but you may want to add a grommet to the wires where they exit the box to prevent any chafing of the wire insulation.
Cheers
Cheers
Re: Alde maybe? Not exactly sure
jillenej said:
@MuttonChops, super helpful and insightful. THANK YOU!
. . . This forum is wonderful and I'm glad to be part of a new forum-family.
I'm glad my reply was helpful and Yes this is an amazing forum & T@B Trailer resource.
Side Note:
While all the other comments on fluids and changing fluid are helpful and correct . . .
I would encourage you to start by doing the minimum needed to ensure correct initial
operation of the Alde (and other trailer systems for that matter) by adding some fluid.
The age old " Keep It Simple " approach!
Once you understand how all your new trailer systems operate & we all hope they will
operate correctly . . . than you can think about maintenance items to improve operation
or extend the systems useful life.
Using the trailer {doing some camping} early/before starting bigger maintenance projects
will educate you and identify any possible items needing attention. Just stay close to your
home base for those initial adventures . . . that makes any Oh No situation far less stressful.
Side Note:
While all the other comments on fluids and changing fluid are helpful and correct . . .
I would encourage you to start by doing the minimum needed to ensure correct initial
operation of the Alde (and other trailer systems for that matter) by adding some fluid.
The age old " Keep It Simple " approach!
Once you understand how all your new trailer systems operate & we all hope they will
operate correctly . . . than you can think about maintenance items to improve operation
or extend the systems useful life.
Using the trailer {doing some camping} early/before starting bigger maintenance projects
will educate you and identify any possible items needing attention. Just stay close to your
home base for those initial adventures . . . that makes any Oh No situation far less stressful.
Re: Alde maybe? Not exactly sure
Yes, our 2014 has the A/C window unit and the Alde heating system. We will be adding the Glycol to the Alde system and running the system to check all the lines and make sure it's all working.
Re: Bed Lights w/ 12v USB
Most likely the 12 volt powered USBs are drawing battery power all the time. That's a no for those of us that don't use shore power. I put all mine on a switch. Way too many things in a T@B that are always on.
Re: Battery Replacement 24 vs 27 AGM
@ReenieG, most group 27 batteries will fit in your tub with a battery box. You may have to slightly angle or change the box position, but it is possible. I have a 2017 with the plastic front tub and I have a group 31 battery in the tub. Due to it's larger size (than a 24 or 27) it is angled in the tub and does not have a battery box. We had to place a piece of plywood in the tub bottom (anchored) to secure the battery onto. We used a plastic battery box lid on top and strapped it down, so that too is doable. 2 6V gc (golf cart) batteries can be arranged to fit also without too much refitting. You have options.
If you change to a group 27 battery, you will need a battery box to fit a group 27.
-Denise
If you change to a group 27 battery, you will need a battery box to fit a group 27.
-Denise
Re: Alde maybe? Not exactly sure
@jillenej welcome to the T@b family and the forum!
I agree with @MuttonChops (and the others) start simple by topping off the reservoir tank and be on the lookout for leaking glycol at hose connections as that could be why the tank is low. If they had the heat running when you picked it up then my guess is the main components are ok but you definitely don't want to keep running it if glycol is leaking out of the system somewhere. You'll have heat convectors (aluminum tubing with fins) as in photo below. There will be 2 long ones in the rear near the reservoir tank, 2 shorter ones under the passenger bench (shown below) and possibly 2 more under the driver side bench. You can follow the hoses around the camper to look for any leaks in the system.
I agree with @MuttonChops (and the others) start simple by topping off the reservoir tank and be on the lookout for leaking glycol at hose connections as that could be why the tank is low. If they had the heat running when you picked it up then my guess is the main components are ok but you definitely don't want to keep running it if glycol is leaking out of the system somewhere. You'll have heat convectors (aluminum tubing with fins) as in photo below. There will be 2 long ones in the rear near the reservoir tank, 2 shorter ones under the passenger bench (shown below) and possibly 2 more under the driver side bench. You can follow the hoses around the camper to look for any leaks in the system.
Re: Alde maybe? Not exactly sure
You should drain and refill the Century TF-1 fluid. It would also be a good time to have a TaB dealer to go through the Alde system, and do a drain/flush/clean of the glycol and replace it with the new Rhomar fluid, now being used in the Alde system. Whilst this can be done DYI, it is not an easy or quick procedure and requires a pump to do it right, and three to four gallons of fluid. There are several previous discussions on this here.
Cheers
Cheers
Re: Communication On the Road
We have a Garmin inReach Explorer that I picked up last year to use when I through hiked the Colorado Trail. It worked really well when I was in the backcountry to update people on my location and to arrange re-supply. I still use it now when I ski the backcountry, go backpacking and go off fishing in the mountains. We also carry it in the truck when traveling in case of emergency or if we break down we can at least communicate with family who can arrange a tow or other non-emergency help if needed. Luckily have never had to use it other than for normal updates on location or how things are going.
Re: For those towing or planning on towing with a Tesla. Some supercharger Tips.
Towhee said:300-400 wh/km works out very roughly to 480-500 wh/mile. This is what I experience on interstates and US hwys at 60 mph with my model Y pulling a 320 bd. If I charge to 300 miles indicated and plan to not discharge to zero this gives me about 100-120 miles of range. I camp at state parks here in Washington so range has not been a problem. Moseying along back roads at 35-40 mph is more like a 30 percent hit. Most parks here have both 50 and 35 camp outlets on the same pedestal which easily charges the Tesla overnight and providing power to the trailer. I also use a 35 camp splitter for those campsites that don't have 50 amp service.
This is hugely encouraging and I can only hope that the Model Y and the R1T are roughly similar in terms of power consumption. If that's the case, the larger Max battery pack on the Rivian (180kWh with a nominal range of 415 miles vs ~115kWh / 300 miles for the Tesla) could translate to an effective range of 140 - 165 miles when towing my 320BD.
While I don't need that kind of range all the time, having it makes longer trips viable.
