Best Of
Re: 400 Front Window Warping & Marring - Replacement Available - see drodabaugh 9/2 and 9/10 posts
Just got an email from nuCamp that they are sending me a new window. Even though I was hopeful that they would help me I wasn't expecting it. As I stated earlier, I bought used and had no warranty. This really goes to show just how much they stand behind their product. I am so, so impressed and thankful!
Re: how to retrieve flash light drop into waterpump area
If you want to add another gadget to your toolbox 👍 you have this option:
https://www.amazon.com/DEPSTECH-Waterproof-Inspection-Megapixels-Smartphone/dp/B01MYTHWK4/
Once you find it use your flexible magnetic or claw retriever to snag it.
To justify the ROI you can drop something of more value down there too like a ring. 😁
https://www.amazon.com/DEPSTECH-Waterproof-Inspection-Megapixels-Smartphone/dp/B01MYTHWK4/
Once you find it use your flexible magnetic or claw retriever to snag it.
To justify the ROI you can drop something of more value down there too like a ring. 😁
Re: how to retrieve flash light drop into waterpump area
Oh, that wall is just a little piece of plywood with some pretty paper on it. Nothing a few select power tools can't take care of... ;-)
Cold weather Camping - Some real experience
My wife and I just returned from Banff NP in Alberta Canada, we were up there for a week where the temperatures ranged from ~50 deg highs on one day to a whiteout blizzard to extreme lows overnight (-6 F). With all the discussion on this forum recently about winterizing, cold weather camping and tank heaters, I figured I’d share our experience.
IMO, you have 3 problems, in general, to deal with. Inside heat, condensation and freezing lines/tanks/dump gates.
Starting with the easy one - inside heat. The Alde system works well on either electric or propane BUT it takes a very long time to heat up the trailer from cold on setup. I’m talking hours. One example, we arrived to one camp ground and it was ~45 out. Hooked up to power and running the Alde on 2kW AC it took over 2.5 hours to heat the inside temperature of the trailer up from 45 to 65.
On the plus side, once the trailer gets hot, it seems to stay hot. During the extreme cold stretch where we hit -6F and 2 days with HIGHS of 20 deg F, the Alde kept the inside of the trailer a balmy 70 deg F. In this case we found that hotter is better because you’re going to run into condensation issues.
To avoid condensation, you’ll need to do a few things. Above 25-30 deg F or so you’ll want to vent a side window and the top vent. Below 25F the air will be dry enough that you really only need to vent the top vent. On top of that, the outside air will be so cold that any side window venting will result in cold spots on certain walls.
Here’s where condensation, heat and ‘trailer configuration’ will come together. First off, it’s best to leave the front table/couch area setup as a table. Setup as a couch, the front Alde vents are blocked and you’ll get extreme cold spots on the inside front walls. This will be exaggerated by the seat cushions. These cushions will act as insulation, and you’ll end up with a super cold wall. This cold wall will start to sweat and you’ll get lots of condensation on the back side. At night we got into the habit of pull the cushions off the walls to create a small air gap.
Other spots that will be condensation problems are the top cubbies where your speakers are and above the bathroom cabinets. There’s just no airflow in these pockets so they form localized cold spots and start to sweat.
The next time we go ‘extreme cold weather camping’, we’re going to add small oscillating fans (tiny USB powered ones) to push air into these corners. I might also add some vanes behind the cushions to create tiny air pockets. Airflow is your friend in this case.
Now onto the tanks, valves and water supply lines.
Before the trip we added DC powered tank heaters. One to the grey tank, one to the fresh for ~35W each. This was plenty. I saw somebody post on here they thought 4 were necessary; that’s just not the case. These tanks aren’t really prone to freezing* as the Alde will be keeping the inside of the trailer nice and hot - which will somewhat leak down. Even at -6 outside, under our trailer underside was just below freezing.
We did not add any heat to either our cold water supply line or the valves and these ended up being our problems spots. If I were to redo my prep work, I’d forget about the tank heaters and focus my efforts in these areas. I think everyone else planning work should take that into consideration.
The first freezing problem we had was our cold water supply line. This is the blue line behind the drivers side wheel that feeds the water pump. It’s a 1/2 inch pex line and is the first thing prone to freeze. I had hoped the tank heaters would keep this warm enough, but that’s only true when using the water. Overnight this froze. Thankfully pex can expand/contract a bit. We put a space heater under the trailer and unfroze this line multiple times.
The second and more concerning freezing problem we had was our grey tank lines. We ended up wrapping them with kitchen towels and running the space heater on them. The towels kept the heat in and we successfully dumped on our last day when the outside temps were ~15 deg F.
Overall I was very happy with our first ‘extreme cold weather’ [email protected] camping. However, being an engineer, I can’t leave well enough alone. Before our next trip I’m going to insulate the entire basement and come up with a insulated/heated solution for the dump valve area.
My advice for others looking to do this is to focus on airflow inside and the valves/supply line underneath. That’s going to be your problem.
IMO, you have 3 problems, in general, to deal with. Inside heat, condensation and freezing lines/tanks/dump gates.
Starting with the easy one - inside heat. The Alde system works well on either electric or propane BUT it takes a very long time to heat up the trailer from cold on setup. I’m talking hours. One example, we arrived to one camp ground and it was ~45 out. Hooked up to power and running the Alde on 2kW AC it took over 2.5 hours to heat the inside temperature of the trailer up from 45 to 65.
On the plus side, once the trailer gets hot, it seems to stay hot. During the extreme cold stretch where we hit -6F and 2 days with HIGHS of 20 deg F, the Alde kept the inside of the trailer a balmy 70 deg F. In this case we found that hotter is better because you’re going to run into condensation issues.
To avoid condensation, you’ll need to do a few things. Above 25-30 deg F or so you’ll want to vent a side window and the top vent. Below 25F the air will be dry enough that you really only need to vent the top vent. On top of that, the outside air will be so cold that any side window venting will result in cold spots on certain walls.
Here’s where condensation, heat and ‘trailer configuration’ will come together. First off, it’s best to leave the front table/couch area setup as a table. Setup as a couch, the front Alde vents are blocked and you’ll get extreme cold spots on the inside front walls. This will be exaggerated by the seat cushions. These cushions will act as insulation, and you’ll end up with a super cold wall. This cold wall will start to sweat and you’ll get lots of condensation on the back side. At night we got into the habit of pull the cushions off the walls to create a small air gap.
Other spots that will be condensation problems are the top cubbies where your speakers are and above the bathroom cabinets. There’s just no airflow in these pockets so they form localized cold spots and start to sweat.
The next time we go ‘extreme cold weather camping’, we’re going to add small oscillating fans (tiny USB powered ones) to push air into these corners. I might also add some vanes behind the cushions to create tiny air pockets. Airflow is your friend in this case.
Now onto the tanks, valves and water supply lines.
Before the trip we added DC powered tank heaters. One to the grey tank, one to the fresh for ~35W each. This was plenty. I saw somebody post on here they thought 4 were necessary; that’s just not the case. These tanks aren’t really prone to freezing* as the Alde will be keeping the inside of the trailer nice and hot - which will somewhat leak down. Even at -6 outside, under our trailer underside was just below freezing.
We did not add any heat to either our cold water supply line or the valves and these ended up being our problems spots. If I were to redo my prep work, I’d forget about the tank heaters and focus my efforts in these areas. I think everyone else planning work should take that into consideration.
The first freezing problem we had was our cold water supply line. This is the blue line behind the drivers side wheel that feeds the water pump. It’s a 1/2 inch pex line and is the first thing prone to freeze. I had hoped the tank heaters would keep this warm enough, but that’s only true when using the water. Overnight this froze. Thankfully pex can expand/contract a bit. We put a space heater under the trailer and unfroze this line multiple times.
The second and more concerning freezing problem we had was our grey tank lines. We ended up wrapping them with kitchen towels and running the space heater on them. The towels kept the heat in and we successfully dumped on our last day when the outside temps were ~15 deg F.
Overall I was very happy with our first ‘extreme cold weather’ [email protected] camping. However, being an engineer, I can’t leave well enough alone. Before our next trip I’m going to insulate the entire basement and come up with a insulated/heated solution for the dump valve area.
My advice for others looking to do this is to focus on airflow inside and the valves/supply line underneath. That’s going to be your problem.
How I camped in sub-20 degree weather and lived to tell about it
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” ―
G.K. Chesterton
I just returned from a glorious 23 day trip that did not go exactly as planned. Although snow is a possibility any time you visit the Rocky Mountains, and especially if planning a fall trip, it is not exactly a common experience. Over the past 10 years I have occasionally encountered snow, but nothing disruptive. For those of you who know me, you know that I relish having my trip interrupted by snow. This year I got my wish in major ways.
Chuck & Kathy
My second cousin and mid-west [email protected], Mary
I had a very pleasant drive out, spending a night mooching-docking with Chuck & Kathy in Indiana, who had been my uCamp neighbors, having coffee with fellow [email protected] and recently discovered second cousin, Mary Darrow and her husband in Ames, IA, and then finally landing in the Tetons, where my friend and fellow [email protected], Kim, met up with me. I boondocked in the national forest, where I enjoyed stellar views (see Campendium.com for more details) in an open area with a front row view of the Tetons and a wide open space that gave Rocky a lot of space to play frisbee at full tilt. This particular area is piloting a program with volunteer hosts to help keep the site clean and free from some of the problems that popular sites in Colorado have faced.
Here is a video of Kim arriving in the Tetons with her [email protected]:
When Kim arrived, we discussed the impending storm and worked our way northward, through Yellowstone, spending a night mooch-docking at the beautiful home of a friend of Kim's, that overlooked Helena, MT. This is where I first, I learned that we needed to shift our plans to camp in Two Medicine Campground in Glacier National Park due to an early season blizzard. I spoke with a couple locals who advised that West Glacier was the right place to go, and so I stocked up at the Helena Walmart, including the purchase of a shovel, and began the very scenic drive up to Great Falls, than Vallier, over Marias Pass, and into West Glacier.
Glacier Campground in West Glacier, MT
I took my [email protected] and my sister-in-law changed their RV rental through Outdoorsy, to Glacier Campground, just outside of the Apgar entrance to Glacier National Park. This was a beautiful, wooded campground with very private sites. The owner seemed to be amused by our enthusiasm to camp in this weather and graciously allowed us to stay past their closing date and gave us discounts! This campground is feels more like a forest service campground with hookups than a commercial campground and if camping in West Glacier and you need hookups, this place is wonderful. All in all, we received no measurable snow in West Glacier but it was an easy place to camp and make day trips to the snowy areas. While in Glacier, the temps took a major dive, below 20 degrees at night and in the 20's during the day.
Next, we traveled to Banff, where I camped at the Lake Louise Campground. This campground reminded me more of some of our busier NPS campgrounds where you are very close to neighbors with little privacy. Temperatures remained quite cold, and below freezing. Snow squalls followed us pretty much the entire time we were in Canada and it did not warm up until the day we left Canada. We took a quick drive up the Icefields Parkway, I camped a night at Wapiti Campground in Jasper, and then back down the parkway for a night at Tunnel Mountain II before our return trip to the US. While at Tunnel Mountain, I had the pleasure of meeting up with [email protected], Jennifer Tipping-Paulin and her partner, Scott. There were 4 [email protected] and a [email protected] in the campground that night!
While at Tunnel Mountain, I learned that another major snowstorm was expected to hit Montana and the plains. When we returned to West Glacier, I realized I needed to make my way east if I wanted to be back at work on Monday, the 14th, so I headed towards Billings, first, then to Spearfish, SD. My logic was to get as far east as reasonable before the high winds arrived. I arrived on Tuesday, with near 80 degree temperatures and secured a spot at the KOA, which weas the only campground open this late. I had electric, sewer, cable, and wi-fi and access to the single bathroom in the office. The staff was rushing to get the water lines cleared and dealing with a broken air compressor. Temperatures plummeted on Wednesday and were in the teens by Thursday AM. The winds arrived on Wednesday, and I was glad to be stationary after dealing with high winds while driving from West Glacier to Billings. I had high winds on every part of my return drive until I reached Elkhart, IN, where it was still breezy, but not nearly as difficult as the winds on the plains.
Icefields Parkway and Glacier Hyperlapse:
I departed Spearfish on Friday, pulling out of the snow, easily, with my Jeep, and headed east on I-90. I thought it might be nice to make a stop at the Badlands, but the road to the entrance was more snow-covered than not, so I turned around and headed east, where I lost count of how many semi's and cars I saw in the median from the westbound lane. The highway had frequently iced over from the wind blowing the snow and the high winds had toppled many high-profile trucks. I contemplated pulling over, but I deduced that all the mishaps seemed to be impacting westbound traffic and that the [email protected] was significantly lower in profile than what I had seen. I also had to keep moving to make it back for work, so I pressed on to Sioux Falls, SD, where I tried my hand at another KOA. I wanted shore power so that I could warm up the [email protected] as quickly as possible. It was not a great KOA. Practically right on I-90, there was substantial truck noise, all night. However, I did get the [email protected] all toasty, despite being caked in frozen slush from my Badlands excursion.
When I departed Sioux Falls, I was disheartened to see that the snow and high winds were following me into Minnesota, so at Albert Lea, I headed south into Iowa, where the weather followed me for about an hour, before gradually warming up into the 50's. Energized by clear roads, I kept going until I reached The Cracker Barrel in Elkhart, IN, just before they closed to pick up my take-out dinner order and retreat to the [email protected] to warm it up and give Rocky his supper, too.
Today, I wrapped up another wonderful [email protected] trip. Almost 7,500 miles, 23 nights, including exceeding my 200th night in the [email protected], 8 US and Canadian National Parks and the Icefields Parkway, 8 other [email protected], and a whole lot of great memories, later, I can happily say it was a wonderful trip.
So, now, the burning question: did I winterize? Nope. Here are the important details:
1. First and most importantly: I have a 5 gallon freshwater tank that is inside. That means I was able to keep that cupboard door open and everything was good.
2. I kept the bathroom door ajar.
3. I used the sink, shower, and toilet, but kept RV antifreeze in the p-traps, especially starting in Spearfish.
4. I kept the bed made to allow the warm air to circulate more freely.
5. I kept the [email protected] heat higher than I prefer (remember, I like it cold.)
So far, I have discovered no apparent damage. It was a calculated risk to use the [email protected] plumbing without winterizing and I cannot comment on whether you would have similar experiences or not, especially with the outside freshwater tanks.
My apologies that the photo resizer seems to have crushed the image qualities of the photos. You can see higher resolution on either my or Rocky's Instagram accounts ( @jenngroverphotography @haverockywilltravel)
Re: How hot is “hot” on wheel bearings?
That's a really good question! Many trailer folks worry about that without understanding what "hot" is. The answer to that depends upon the source of the heat. First, a wheel bearing should never be so hot that you can't put your hand against the hub face, or grease cap. It's probable that you have a stamped hubcap in the center of the wheel that prevents you from even accessing the hub directly. That larg-ish cap is part of the wheel assembly, not the hub itself. The bearing hub is cast iron (steel) with a small stamped steel cap on the end. Assuming you can't actually feel the hub, put your hand on the wheel face in the center. If you can hold your hand on it, it's okay. If it uncomfortably warm to the touch at the wheel, the hub is too hot.
90% of heat induced failures in hubs comes from hot brakes, not bearings. Keep in mind that the metal parts of a bearing set would be perfectly happy and function just fine at temperatures that would sear the skin off your hand. The. Problem (and answer to your question) lies in the boiling point of the grease within the hub. Once that happens, the pressure causes the wheel seal to fail and quickly empty the hub of its lubricant. I have seen that many times.
What to do with a hot hub?
1. Take a break. Get off the road and let the hub cool down for 15 minutes or so.
2. Dial back your brake controller. That's probably where the heat originates...not the bearings.
3. Check behind the wheel to see if you can see grease around the brake drum that has escaped the hub. (It will probably be obvious, as in, a sloppy ring of grease thrown off the drum covering the back of the tire, the frame, the wheel etc.)
If the hub cools down quickly, there's no grease-ring on the back and the wheel feels tight when pushing/pulling on the top of the tire, you can try to move along cautiously for a bit. After a few miles, check it again.
When wheel bearings fail mechanically (something actually breaks inside the bearing) it happens rapidly and catastrophically, almost always resulting in what's called a "spun bearing" where the bearing race itself starts to spin against the axle. That generates heat very quickly (within a mile or less) up to the melting point of metal with lots of smoke and noise. Thankfully, that seldom happens. The usual scenario is you are coming down Wolf Creek Pass with your foot on the brake. The brakes heat up the grease to the point that it loses viscosity, boils and blows the wheel seal. Once the grease escapes, things mechanical go south quickly.
OR:
You have a brake "dragging"...as in, the adjustment is too tight or a brake shoe is "stuck" and doesn't retract away from the drum when the brakes are released. Different scenario, same result.
The answer to your question lies in the boiling point of the grease. If you can comfortably lay your hand on the hub/wheel face. You're fine. I check my hubs every time I go out. Drive a few miles, pull over and feel the hubs. If they pass the "touch" test, check them each time you pull in for fuel. It's also common (on my trailer at least) for one side to be warmer than the other. As long as they aren't wildly different, they're probably fine.
Tapered (wheel) bearings are rugged and can take a lot of abuse. What they can't stand for long is a loss of grease. Do the "feel" test, watch for thrown grease and when in doubt, back off on the brake controller a bit...
WilliamA
90% of heat induced failures in hubs comes from hot brakes, not bearings. Keep in mind that the metal parts of a bearing set would be perfectly happy and function just fine at temperatures that would sear the skin off your hand. The. Problem (and answer to your question) lies in the boiling point of the grease within the hub. Once that happens, the pressure causes the wheel seal to fail and quickly empty the hub of its lubricant. I have seen that many times.
What to do with a hot hub?
1. Take a break. Get off the road and let the hub cool down for 15 minutes or so.
2. Dial back your brake controller. That's probably where the heat originates...not the bearings.
3. Check behind the wheel to see if you can see grease around the brake drum that has escaped the hub. (It will probably be obvious, as in, a sloppy ring of grease thrown off the drum covering the back of the tire, the frame, the wheel etc.)
If the hub cools down quickly, there's no grease-ring on the back and the wheel feels tight when pushing/pulling on the top of the tire, you can try to move along cautiously for a bit. After a few miles, check it again.
When wheel bearings fail mechanically (something actually breaks inside the bearing) it happens rapidly and catastrophically, almost always resulting in what's called a "spun bearing" where the bearing race itself starts to spin against the axle. That generates heat very quickly (within a mile or less) up to the melting point of metal with lots of smoke and noise. Thankfully, that seldom happens. The usual scenario is you are coming down Wolf Creek Pass with your foot on the brake. The brakes heat up the grease to the point that it loses viscosity, boils and blows the wheel seal. Once the grease escapes, things mechanical go south quickly.
OR:
You have a brake "dragging"...as in, the adjustment is too tight or a brake shoe is "stuck" and doesn't retract away from the drum when the brakes are released. Different scenario, same result.
The answer to your question lies in the boiling point of the grease. If you can comfortably lay your hand on the hub/wheel face. You're fine. I check my hubs every time I go out. Drive a few miles, pull over and feel the hubs. If they pass the "touch" test, check them each time you pull in for fuel. It's also common (on my trailer at least) for one side to be warmer than the other. As long as they aren't wildly different, they're probably fine.
Tapered (wheel) bearings are rugged and can take a lot of abuse. What they can't stand for long is a loss of grease. Do the "feel" test, watch for thrown grease and when in doubt, back off on the brake controller a bit...
WilliamA
Re: Post up some shots of your [email protected] set-up at the camp site! Part 2
September 20-22, 2019
Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
Dry camping at another quiet 7-site National Forest campground and treated to gorgeous fall colors, scenic views, waterfalls and an explosive, colorful lightning storm. Not seen: Kevin Costner.
Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
Dry camping at another quiet 7-site National Forest campground and treated to gorgeous fall colors, scenic views, waterfalls and an explosive, colorful lightning storm. Not seen: Kevin Costner.
Re: Air8 Performance in [email protected] 400 Disappointing
UPDATE: I just got a call from a representative at Elwell. A very promising exchange and constructive call. We talked about fan/cooling mode programming, location of temp probe, etc. They acknowledge they have design issues to resolve and are working on them with Nucamp. He even said they have a new prototype coming in that is more powerful that has the same footprint as the current unit. Now that we are heading into Fall, I’m feeling more optimistic they’ll figure this out.
Re: Post up some shots of your [email protected] set-up at the camp site! Part 2
Second leg of our trip was Holliday Lake State Park, near Appomattox (where the civil war ended) in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest.
Can you find a [email protected] here? We had the whole place to ourselves, except for one other camper in another section.
There wasn't a single level spot that wouldn't have required some L/R leveling. Since it was hilly & weren't riding bikes here, we stayed hitched up, since it was fairly level front-to-back.
We enjoyed our spot though, on the outside of a turn surrounded by woods.
And there were some vey nice hiking trails around the lake..
..which led to some pretty overlooks..
This was our favorite place with pretty trees lit by the morning sun, and even a little hint of fall color.
We stopped by the picnic area before leaving.
And had a relaxing lunch by the lake. The bikes were still doing well on the new clamp-on hitch rack.
On the final leg of our tour of three more state parks that we hadn't been to yet, we stayed at Twin Lakes campground in the Price Edward-Gallion State Forest, south of Farmville, near Green Bay, VA..
We appreciated having a nice shady spot on another 90-degree day, with mid-70's at night & sleeping with the A/C on.
More from Twin Lakes..
This was our 16th Virginia State Park where we've stayed since getting our [email protected] about 2 years ago, so 7 more left, and we hear there will be two more parks eventually that are still under development.
Can you find a [email protected] here? We had the whole place to ourselves, except for one other camper in another section.
There wasn't a single level spot that wouldn't have required some L/R leveling. Since it was hilly & weren't riding bikes here, we stayed hitched up, since it was fairly level front-to-back.
We enjoyed our spot though, on the outside of a turn surrounded by woods.
And there were some vey nice hiking trails around the lake..
..which led to some pretty overlooks..
This was our favorite place with pretty trees lit by the morning sun, and even a little hint of fall color.
We stopped by the picnic area before leaving.
And had a relaxing lunch by the lake. The bikes were still doing well on the new clamp-on hitch rack.
On the final leg of our tour of three more state parks that we hadn't been to yet, we stayed at Twin Lakes campground in the Price Edward-Gallion State Forest, south of Farmville, near Green Bay, VA..
We appreciated having a nice shady spot on another 90-degree day, with mid-70's at night & sleeping with the A/C on.
More from Twin Lakes..
This was our 16th Virginia State Park where we've stayed since getting our [email protected] about 2 years ago, so 7 more left, and we hear there will be two more parks eventually that are still under development.
Re: Post up some shots of your [email protected] set-up at the camp site! Part 2
September 22-24, 2019
Devils Tower, Wyoming
So magical we stayed another day. And we scored one of the awesome sites with the perfect view AND shade in Belle Fourche River Campground. Dry camping with water available.
Devils Tower, Wyoming
So magical we stayed another day. And we scored one of the awesome sites with the perfect view AND shade in Belle Fourche River Campground. Dry camping with water available.