Our Owner’s Guide: nüCamp 2018 T@B 320S BD
Carol and Tom Bruegge June 2, 2022
This manual is a place for us to record information relating to the operation and maintenance of our 2018 T@B 320S BOONDOCK camper. To begin, we copied the contents of a PDF file found on the T@B forum named unofficial_t@b400_usersManual.pdf (V1.1 4/19/19 ©2019 David Weinstein, Unofficial nüCamp T@B400 Resource Guide, 2019). We then edited to fit our model, and lessons learned from our own experiences and advise from other T@B owners.
Along with this guide, we keep onboard an envelope containing documentation provided by the factory. This includes manuals for the equipment they installed and their user’s manual. We have found this information insufficient to get us started as owners, particularly as we purchased our camper used and in need of some major repairs. We are particularly grateful to have access to many seasoned T@B owners, through Facebook groups such as “T@B Camping Trailers” and “The T@B forum”. Through posts to these sites, we have been able to succeed in our repair and maintenance projects and have had completed upgrades that we otherwise could not have done on our own. It has also been instructive to attend T@B rallies, such as T@BAzona, where over 100 campers and their owners gather each year to exchange ideas and have some fun. Although this manual was written as a reference for ourselves, we hope others may find one or more tips useful as well.
1. 2018 T@B 320S Boondock specifications 11
Jensen receiver and television 15
5. ALDE Heating System and Controls 20
Hot Water Flow Tank Air Cushion 23
Debugging No-Heat Situations 27
6. Tires, Brakes, and Wheel Hubs 28
7. Waste Water (Drain, Flush, and Tablets) 31
8. Tools and set-up equipment 32
10. Towing and Sway Control 34
11. Boondocking power consumption 36
2. Hitching up and safety check 38
Spare and Replacement Parts 43
1. Grease (Per Dexter Specifications) 52
Tires, Brakes, and Wheel Hubs 54
2. Tire Change and Jack Placement 56
Tools, Sealants, and Lubricants 60
Dicor Lap Sealants (Non-Sag and Self-Leveling) 62
Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure 62
3. Alde Outdoor Temperature Sensor 71
4. Victron SmartShunt 500 Amp battery monitor 71
Introduction
Manufacturer: nüCamp Pleasant Valley Teardrop Trailers, PO Box 395, 661 Belden Parkway, Sugarcreek, OH 44681844.823.9112, info@nucamprv.comnucamprv.com
NüCamp is an Amish company, located in Sugarcreek Ohio, building teardrop camper trailers with quality materials. Ours is a T@B320S Boondock model which has an axle and tire combination offering high road clearance and off-road tires. The “S” in the model number refers to the existence of an indoor shower. Another popular model is the “CS-S” which is a camper-shell model with shower. This model has an outdoor kitchen underneath the rear hatch.
This manual is a supplement to the User’s Manual provided by nüCamp. It is not official, but rather meant to be a place to record the lessons we have learned in performing repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. Any reader intending to make use of the information contained here should confirm for themselves the recommendations. This can be done by consulting the official User’s Guide, by calling nüCamp, or by researching through on-line resources, such as the Facebook Group “thetabforum”. This guide should be useful to other T@B320 owners, both the newbie who is getting acquainted with the camper for the first time, and the willing owner who is willing to take on some upgrades or maintenance on their own. To meet the needs of these diverse groups, the guide is divided into three parts:
- Daily operation and general safety.
- Maintenance, Repair and Emergency Situations
- Upgrades and accessories: Those done to date and some to consider for the future
The first section needs to be read and understood before you take the camper anywhere. The second section is our reference for maintenance projects we have undertaken. Anyone using their trailer, where temperatures might get below freezing, must read the winterizing and tank heater pages. As we live in Southern California, we do not winterize our camper, but am grateful to have this information at hand should it be needed in the future.
We’ve done our best to seek out and incorporate the best practices of others wherever possible. After gleaning ideas from experience on the road, at RV and camping gatherings, or trolling RV and Camping forums, we’ve sorted through it all and stocked the trailer with tools and this guide which hopefully ties it all together.
To minimize confusion, drivers’ side and passenger side refers to use on North American roads. The abbreviations TT refers to the T@B Travel Trailer and TV refers to the Tow Vehicle.
Definitions
As with any hobby or pursuit, there are words and abbreviations which the people around you, and the sections of this Resource Guide, will assume you already know.
- 7-pin: We need some way to connect the electrical systems of the tow vehicle with those of the trailer allowing the driver to apply trailer brakes and illuminate the signal lights. There is a thick black cable running from behind the propane tub on the front of the trailer, attached along the black rails heading towards the hitch connector and when not in use, dangling from a hanger on the jack hoist. It terminates with a cylindrical plug which mates with a receiver on the rear of the tow vehicle.
- A-Frame: The black rails on the front of the trailer form an “A” starting at the hitch coupler, past the jack and ending at the propane tub.
- Alternating Current (AC): There are two types of electrical current used in the camper. AC, sometimes referred to as Line Voltage, is what you use daily in your home and operates at ~120-volts. What we think of as electrical current is better described as electrons moving from one atom to the adjacent atom. In an AC circuit, they first go one- way, reverse course, and then go back again; typically, 60 times (cycles) per second. This is in contrast to Direct Current (DC) which relentlessly flows in one direction. There are four AC outlets on the T@B320: under the front cabinet, driver’s side rear cabinet, on the floor next to the electrical panel, and one outside near the Lagun mount. For the T@B320, these can be used when connected to shore power, but they are otherwise non-functional. The T@B400s do have an inverter, and these outlets are powered even when dry-camping.
- AGM Battery: In general, you will find some kind of lead acid battery in a typical tow vehicle and most RV’s. The type installed in our 2018 is an Absorbed Glass Matt battery. The Battery section covers this in more detail, but for now know that an AGM battery differs from a maintenance free or serviceable flooded cell car battery.
- AMPS or Amperage: Again, we can think of an electrical current as electrons moving from one atom to the adjacent atom. The pressure the electrons put on each other as they push along is referred to as Voltage and the sheer number of electrons which are moving, we call Amperage.
- AMP-HOURS: Rated AMPS times HOURS operated. Somewhere on each electrical device you will find a tag stating the number of AMPS it draws. A refrigerator, for example, might use 5.15 AMP-Hr. Should you decide to use the maximum setting during the hottest part of the day which requires running 4 hours to reach temperature, you would consume 20.60 Amps (5.15 x 4) from the battery.
- Battery Disconnect Switch: Round red switch located in the propane tub at the front of the camper. It cuts power from the battery to the 12-volt side of the camper’s electrical panel. It doesn’t turn off the Solar or Charge Controller.
- Black Water: Like most Recreation Vehicles (RVs), the camper has a two separate tanks for waste water. The “Black” tank stores toilet discharge and the “Grey” tank handles the sink and shower drain. The Grey tank is larger than the Black tank for obvious reasons. Logically, there is also a black valve and grey valve used for emptying these tanks independently. This is covered in detail in the Waste Water section.
- Boondocking: Refers to camping in your RV without water, sewer, or electrical connections. It can take the form of parking deep in the backcountry or pulling over at a highway rest stop. Boondocking usually refers to camping outside of a developed campground, versus dry camping which refers to camping in a campground without access to hookups.
- Brake Controller: The tow vehicle needs some way of applying the trailer brakes in proportion to how hard the tow vehicle brakes are being applied. As the trailer brakes are electric, for 2014 models and newer, this is done with a device mounted in the tow vehicle which connects to the trailer brakes through the 7-pin connector. This is covered in some detail in the section Tires, brakes, and wheel hubs.
- Breakaway Cable: Should the trailer somehow separate from the tow vehicle the safety chains are designed to cradle the hitch coupling while the breakaway cable activates the trailer brakes. There is a thin cable connected between a removable pin and the TV. Since the cable is shorter than the distance the trailer connector must fall after disconnecting from the hitch ball, the pin gets pulled out thus closing an electrical circuit activating the brakes. When connecting the trailer, don’t forget to attach this cable! **SAFETY NOTE: If the battery in the trailer is dead, or if someone turned the battery disconnect switch to OFF, even if the breakaway cable is pulled, the trailer brakes won’t be applied because trailer brakes are electric!!
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM): The Federal agency which manages public land. The BLM sets asides dispersed campsites, that is land set aside for camping with no facilities or services. These sites can be remote, or near cities such as those in Quartzsite, AZ, but are free in both cases. Popular BLM sites might require you to register with a host upon arrival, and as reservations are not available, these sites are available on a first come, first serve basis.
- Chains or Safety Chains: The trailer “A” frame has a permanently connected pair of chains that must be clipped onto the hitch receiver of the tow vehicle. They are crisscrossed when connected such that the passenger side chain gets connected to the driver’s side of the hitch receiver and vice-versa. The chains are designed to catch and cradle the trailer hitch coupler above the ground if the trailer somehow detaches from the tow vehicle while travelling. **SAFETY NOTE: Since its purpose is to hold the trailer hitch coupler above the ground while in motion, the chains can’t be too long allowing the trailer to nose-dive into the pavement nor too tight preventing the trailer from turning as it follows the tow vehicle. They should never be twisted to shorten, as this will weaken the links.
- Check Level: When parking the trailer, you want it to be as level as possible for comfort and for efficient operation of the refrigerator. Leveling can be simply accomplished by use of a manual level, or even better with assistance of a leveling component. We use the LevelMatePro, which connects to an app on our phone via Bluetooth and tells us how many inches side-to-side and front-to-back are needed to obtain level. See the Hitching section.
- Chocks (for Tires): Bright yellow plastic triangles you put in front and behind the tires to keep the trailer from moving when it has been disconnected from the tow vehicle. ** SAFETY NOTE: You set the chocks BEFORE you detach from the tow vehicle, or you may well find it starts rolling away from you with disastrous results.
- Direct Current (DC): Type of electricity used by many fixtures in the trailer, such as lights. See Alternating Current.
- Dry Camping: Camping at a campground without connecting to a power outlet, water hose, or sewer. See Boondocking.
- Dog Bone Adapter: The only electrical connection point to the trailer is through a special twist-lock round 30-amp RV connector. In order to connect to a home 120 V line, this adapter is required. House current is typically 20-amp, so you will need to alter the Alde settings to the 1 kW setting.
- Cold Tire Pressure: This appears on the tire sidewall where it states the Maximum PSI. Most of us understand this to mean at first light when the car hasn’t been driven anywhere as driving heats up the tires and the air inside. Engineers would more specifically say that the MAX is the inside tire pressure when the ambient temperature is at the index value of 68° F and that this changes by 2% for every 10-degree of temperature change. For the rest of us this means that since the vehicle rests on the tires, and tires are supported by the air inside, when it’s hot out the air expands and when it’s cool, the air contracts. If you drive a perfectly inflated vehicle from Florida at 70° average temperature to Canada with a 45°average temperature, the tire will need more air when measured cold the following morning because cooler temperatures are contracting the air volume and the air volume is what keeps the tire inflated. The reverse is true when you go in the opposite direction, and you’d need to let some air out when you got to Florida to stay at your MAX rating. That is why you check tire pressure seasonally.
- Dump Station: The grey and black tanks have a limited capacity which you can determine from the SeeLevel monitor. You first empty the black tank using its dedicated valve, then the grey tank and then flush- out the black tank at the dump station. This is covered under Waste Water.
- Grey Water: Water from the sink or shower that ends up in the Grey tank. See Waste Water.
- Hitch: There are many components here but in general it refers to the place and method that the trailer connects to the tow vehicle. The hitch with its square tube called a receiver is attached to the frame of the vehicle. There is a place on the hitch for the trailer safety chains to be mounted and this visually appears as a set of circles or ovals on either side of the square receiver. A ball mount is a heavy device which slides into a square metal receiver onto which a hitch ball is firmly connected. A hitch pin securely locks the ball mount to the receiver. The trailer is physically connected to the tow vehicle by mating the hitch coupler on the front of the “A” frame of the trailer to the hitch ball on the tow vehicle, taken together, we refer to the whole combination of equipment on the back of the tow vehicle as the “hitch” although that isn’t entirely the correct verbiage. The vehicle manufacturer has rated the hitch for a certain weight carrying capability and this is different from the vehicle payload capacity. When considering payload capacity, you need to take hitch weight into account but when considering hitch capacity, you don’t need to concern yourself with payload capacity. In circumstances where you want to pull a trailer that is heavier than the hitch capacity (rating), a Weight Distribution hitch can be used which will move some of the weight from the rear of the vehicle to the front axle of the vehicle and to the trailer axles. Our camper does not use a weight distribution hitch. The words to remember are: hitch (bolted to the vehicle chassis and containing square receiver) hitch ball (chrome), hitch receiver (square metal tube on the back of the tow vehicle), hitch coupler (gadget on the front of the trailer with a latch that locks onto the hitch ball) and ball mount (heavy thing that carries all the weight and slides into the hitch receiver).
- Hitching or Un-Hitching: Process by which the trailer is connected to (or disconnected from) the tow vehicle by mating the hitch coupler on the front of the trailer to the hitch ball on the rear of the tow vehicle while also connecting the two safety chains and a breakaway cable to the tow vehicle hitch. In addition, the 7-pin connector from the trailer is inserted into the appropriate place on the tow vehicle and visually confirming that the trailer signal and brake lights illuminate. **SAFETY NOTE: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP EVER – EVER. YOU DO NOT WANT TO TRY STOPPING WITHOUT TRAILER BRAKES OR TURNING WITHOUT TRAILER SIGNALLING.
- Hooked-up: Connected to any combination of: electrical outlet (shore power), water hose, or sewer. Ideally all 3.
- Inverter: An inverter turns DC current from the battery into AC current. This allows you to power low wattage devices while dry-camping. Newer T@B400s have a built-in inverter; the T@B320s do not. One option a 320 owner has is to plug their own inverter into the 12V outlets. As these have a 15A fuse, there is sufficient output to charge phones and other accessories with low power draws.
- Jack Base Plate: The jack on the “A” frame can either have a wheel or a flat base plate on the bottom. The wheel allows for minor position adjustments while hitching-up but is otherwise removed for travel. We have the wheel.
- Jockey Wheel: See Jack Base Plate, above
- Leveling Blocks: It is more comfortable to sleep when the trailer is level front-to-back and side-to-side. The “A” frame jack tilts the trailer so you can get it level front-to-back but sometimes you need to lift it higher than the jack foot will go. Equally, to get the side-to-side level you need to raise one tire to bring it level with the other when on uneven ground. We have leveling blocks, a BAL leveler, and the LevelMatePro assistant to accomplish this task.
- Parasitic Drain: All batteries loose charge even sitting unconnected. This drop-in charge occurs because there are some devices that are always on either through poor design or for safety purposes. The Victron charge controller is always on, as an example, as is the Jensen television LED (although this can be turned off in settings). So even if you’ve turned off all the switches, the battery is being discharged, albeit very slowly, all the time. We believe the parasitic drain is on the order of 4 Amp-hr.
- Power Converter (Converter): Electrical panel for the 12V-DC and 120V-AC circuits.
- Recreational Vehicle (RV): This can have many meanings as some think of a massive home on wheels and others, like many in the nüCamp family think of a minimalist shelter with just a bed on wheels. Suffice it to say that when we say RV in this guide, we are referring to our T@B 320.
- Rectify: What happens when you convert AC to DC current such as when you plug in the trailer and let the Converter/Charger provide 12-VDC power for the lights. This is in contrast to the Inverter which turns DC current into AC current so you can run your toaster.
- Shore Power: Marine term meaning connected to the AC electrical grid.
- Stabilizers: These are generally misunderstood to be devices that level out the trailer. This is NOT what they are and if used this way will damage the stabilizer, the trailer or both. A stabilizer is an arm that extends down from each corner of the trailer to touch the ground. It helps dampen movement when you walk around inside the trailer and no more.
- Tongue: Refers to the place where the trailer coupler attaches to the tow vehicle hitch ball. Once connected, it gets latched into place. **SAFETY NOTE: You must use the latch lock before departing as this helps prevent the trailer hitch connector from disconnecting from the ball during transit.
- Tongue Weight – TRAILER: The weight the trailer exerts onto a scale when the trailer is perfectly level and the scale is placed directly under the hitch coupler where the hitch ball would rest. We have estimated our tongue weight by locating a nearby CAT scale.
- Tongue Weight – TOW VEHICLE: Any weight placed immediately behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. This includes any cargo in the very back of the tow vehicle plus the weight of any hitch equipment plus the trailer tongue weight. All 3 weights.
- Tow Vehicle (TV): the vehicle that pulls a travel trailer
- Travel Trailer (TT): an RV that is pulled behind another (tow) vehicle.
- VOLTS (Voltage): AMPS (Amperage): What we think of as electrical current is better described as electrons moving from one atom to the adjacent atom. The pressure the electrons put on each other as they push along is referred to as Voltage and the sheer number of electrons which are moving, we call Amperage.
- WATTS: If voltage is the pressure one electron puts on the other in a wire and amperage is the sheer number of electrons then if you multiply them together you get a measure that electricians call Power and the rest of the speaking world calls WATTS. Ohm’s Law even says POWER(watts)=AMPS * VOLTS. This formula is important because sometimes vendors describe their equipment in WATTS and other times in AMPS. If you know one, you can figure out the other. Thus, AMPS = WATTS / VOLTS. The formula would state that as I = P/V where I = AMPS, P = WATTS and V = VOLTS.
- Winterizing: When temperatures fall below 32°F or 0°C, the fluids in the trailer can freeze unless precautions are taken to maintain internal temperatures and protect the holding tanks and piping in the unheated areas below the trailer. The minimalist approach would be to drain tanks and use an air compressor to blow water out of the lines. Other options include adding antifreeze or putting a skirt around the trailer and a small 500 W heater in this space to keep the tanks and piping warm. We have seen one post where the owner completely insulated the underside of his camper.
Daily Operations
T@B320S tour
2018 T@B 320S Boondock specifications
Technical Specifications for the standard 320S (non-Boondock) are as follows:
Exterior Width | 78” |
Exterior Height | 89” |
Bed Area | 70”x73” |
Interior Height | 69” |
Interior Width | 71” |
Fresh Water | 11 gal |
Gray Water | 19 gal |
Black Water | 8 gal |
Tire Size | 205/75/14 |
GAWR | 2,900 lbs |
Tongue Weight | 140 lbs |
Tongue Weight w/o LP and Battery | 200 lbs |
Total Weight w/o LP and Battery | 1,788 lbs |
Total Weight w/ LP and Battery | 1,848 lbs |
Roof vent | 14”x14” |
The Boondock package adds 5 9/16" to exterior height and increases overall weight by 160 lbs. The exterior features off-road wheels, a Yakima roof rack with a cargo basket and spare, custom aluminum platform and diamond plated tongue box. Inside there is cargo netting above the windows and über-tough Marmoleum floor.
Exterior
Passenger Side
The porch light over the door is meant to illuminate the area for evening activities. Ours is white; newer T@B models now use orange lights which are less prone to attracting bugs. The winch controlling the spare tire mechanism is located on the side just below the aluminum tub housing the propane tanks. There is only one cargo area but it is large enough to store all the equipment and tool bags needed for daily operation. The GFCI outlet is designed to provide ground fault protection should whatever equipment in use while connected to it experience a short between the HOT and ground such as what may happen if doused with water.
The sidewalls are composite panels consisting of a thin fiberglass layer affixed to a sheet of polypropylene Azdel bonded to an aluminum frame. The entire assembly becomes a structural component called Azdel which is free of formaldehyde, it is fade resistant, sound absorbing, half the weight of a similar wall made of lauan wood and impervious to water penetration greatly reducing the possibility of mold and mildew formation. The porthole window adds little besides boosting the cute factor.
Front
As mentioned above, an aluminum tub sits on the front platform. It contains a propane tank, battery, and holds the sewer hose that is used to flush the grey and black water tanks at the dump station. Latex gloves are also included here, to keep your hands clean while handling the sewer hose.
At the front, another large picture window gives visibility when cooking or washing dishes at the front. The jack has a jockey wheel on the bottom which helps to adjust the trailer position while hitching- up. A flat jack base plate is an option which we don’t use or have. Also visible are the hitch components which connect the trailer to the tow vehicle. The two chains are safety devices which catch and cradle the “A” frame in case the trailer separates from the hitch during travel. While highly unlikely, should that happen, a thin cable would manually trigger emergency brakes.
Drivers Side
All the utilities are located on the driver’s side. There is a fresh-water fill port, a connection for city water with a PSI of 50 or less, a 30-amp electrical connection for shore power or generator, blade valves for the grey and black septic holding tanks, the heat exchange vent for the air conditioner, the exhaust port for the ALDE furnace, the radio antenna, and two stabilizing jacks. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN#) can be found on the Tire Inflation tag located to the left of the Air Conditioning (AirCond) vent. In addition to showing the maximum inflation for a cold tire, it also shows how much cargo (1,010 lbs) you can carry. The rest of the weight figures and a second printing of the VIN# are on the silver tag located along the black “A” frame just forward of the tubs.
Rear
Hand grips allow you to slide the trailer manually when the hitch has the pivoting wheel installed instead of the flat skid plate. The 105-watt flexible plastic solar panel keeps the trailer battery charged when off of shore power, the ceiling and the AirCond fans are the remaining items you can see from here.
Interior
Windows
The large operating windows over the kitchen sink and two sides have both a bug screen and blackout shade. With the shade open there is a significant amount of light for the main area. The window latches allow an open, vent, and closed and locked position.
Tank monitor
As you enter the trailer, you see the SeeLevel II tank monitor on the wall to the left of the sink. The Black, Gray, and Fresh tanks are mounted under the floor in an unheated section of the trailer. Note if it gets below freezing, these tanks need to be emptied and the trailer Winterized.
Air Conditioning
The trailer has a Danby Air Conditioner (AirCond), which is only available while hooked-up to either shore power or a generator capable of providing a steady 20-amp current. It has been noted that hot air that is exhausted to the outside is caught and directed back into the intake, reducing efficiency. To improve efficiency, we have taken the lead from other owners and purchased magnetic air deflector registers. We have added washers to the AirCond frame and install the registers as needed. Also, the AirCond vent is a place for water and debris to enter. For this reason, we mount a plexiglass panel to the frame, using Velcro to secure. We keep this panel on when storing and when washing. (We take the trailer to a self-serve car wash when returning from trips.). We store the panel while driving so it doesn’t fly off and get lost in transit.
Refrigerator
There are some compromises you need to make when living in an RV and one of those is adjusting your expectations for the refrigerator. The Norcold was designed for mobile and marine use so it can be switched between shore and battery power, and propane, depending on what is available. There is a knob to select the temperature, with indicated temperature ranges from warmest (*) to coldest (***). When the trailer temperature is between 70° and 90°, keep the thermostat at the warmer position. Because this fridge cools via absorption, it must be kept level. To turn on the fridge with propane, push in the gray knob while hitting the spark button. Hold the gray button down until the indicator goes from white to green. If you have problems, you may want to light the stove first, to get gas flowing. Then shut off the stove and try again. There is no freezer section in our unit, though we have found some of our items freeze when place close to the cooling fins. We use this fridge for some of our less-perishable foods, such as syrup and jams.
We have found the fridge to lack reliability, in that temperatures have risen to 50° while on propane. It also has limited storage space. For this reason we have purchased a 45 Liter, 12 V car fridge as our primary unit. We love this. While driving we plug our Jackery 240 W battery into the car’s 12 V outlet at the rear of our minivan. We then connect the fridge to the Jackery. In this configuration the fridge continues to be powered even when we stop and turn off the car. We have a portable solar panel for the Jackery, thus keeping the battery powered while camping. We have also fabricated an insulating blanket that we keep on the fridge.
Safety note: When operating on Propane the side vents should not be blocked. Opening and latching the door will do so; a standoff brace can be added to the latch as an upgrade.
Stove
Despite what the knob seems to indicate, there is no electric ignitor, and you must light a match. We found the instructions on the glass stove top to be a bit confusing, so this is what we do:
- Open the ceiling vent or the window behind the stove as burning propane both gives off water vapor and requires oxygen and the RV is small enough that you need all the O2 you can get.
- Put a lit match against the burner ring so when gas comes out, it lights quickly and there is no time for propane to gather while you struggle to light a match.
- Push the control knob in and turn left bringing the flame symbol on top.
- By keeping pressure on the knob, propane will flow at a higher rate making ignition easier. Keep pushing in for 8 seconds after the appearance of flames and then release.
- Vary the height of the flame by moving the knob between the flame symbol and the OFF position.
- If you don’t get a full circle of flame, then one or more of the jets have been obstructed. As insects like to build nets in BBQ and stove burners, clean the jets prior to use if they are obstructed and don’t operate when only part of the circle is operating.
- To turn the burner off, move the knob to the OFF position.
Water Pump
If you need to use the sinks or shower while dry camping, a 12-VDC pump located in a compartment behind the toilet supplies the water pressure. A pressure switch monitors the water lines and when the pressure drops, such as when you turn on a faucet, the switch activates the water pump causing water to leave the 11-gallon fresh water tank and enter the plumbing system. Use the WATER PUMP switch to activate the system.
If there is air in the plumbing lines, or if the water tank is empty, the pump may show its displeasure through banging noises (hydraulic hammer) in the water lines or simply refuse to turn off. You may see reduced water flow or no water at all. If this occurs: Confirm there is water in the freshwater tank. Just like when you try to pour water from the 5-gallon jug, there needs to be another source of incoming air to replace the water that is leaving, or a vacuum will be created. On the 5-gallon jug you open the little knob opposite the water spigot to let in air. On the nüCamp, you open the faucets allowing the pump to displace the air with water. Once the system is fully charged, turning the pump on or off results in a short noise while the system re-pressurizes. Should you switch from City Water to Water Pump, you may run into the water displacement issue and must open faucets. I’ve found that for a fully discharged plumbing system, I usually must open the hot and cold water for the outdoor shower as well. Wastes some water but gets the system going.
Another source of plumbing noise and reduced water flow would be a clogged water pump debris filter. This is located right next to the water pump. The clear plastic cover unscrews from the housing and the metal filter inside can be cleaned-out of debris. ** When reassembling, make sure you include the gasket and that it seats in place completely.
Lastly there is the problem of the water pump running constantly. This situation arises when there is a leak somewhere in the system causing the pump to stay on trying to keep up with a slow leak. Try the simple checks first by looking at the outdoor shower or slowly running sinks. Absent that, water dripping from the bottom of the trailer is usually a dead give-away. If you fail to find a leak, the problem could be the diaphragm on the pump has given way and you need a replacement. Unlikely but possible. A Shurflo 4008-101-A65 can easily be found on the road.
Jensen receiver and television
The Jensen television is connected to a JWM70A receiver giving you CD, USB, MP3 and Bluetooth inputs. While you can operate everything from the control panel, it’s easier to download the smartphone APP and use Bluetooth to control everything. Search for JCONTROL.
We have put the Netflix App on our phone, then download content when connected to the Internet. While camping, we go to the Netflix App, then to settings to make sure the “WiFi only” button is OFF. Then go to Downloads and play back content. Obviously, you need to reconnect to the Internet to download additional content. An HDMI to Thunderbolt connector is required to play back from your phone. We have also purchased a 2-input, 1-output connector, to keep the DVD cable plugged in as well, which comes from the receiver.
Fan-tastic Fan
We have had problems with the fan on occasion, because there is a switch to detect when the roof vent is closed. When closed, the fan will not operate. The problem is that this switch gets stuck even when the vent cover is open. The only fix is to get a ladder, and press this switch up and down a few times until it is no longer frozen in the closed position. The fan will then work again.
Note: the screen on the vent can be removed for cleaning.Under the bed
The bed consists of 4 separate cushions because there are four compartments accessible by lifting different hatches. The passenger side (left) wheel well storage area contains the LevelMatePro control unit. We also keep food storage containers and a bag with all water attachments (pressure regulator, nozzle for filling the fresh-water tank, the hose bandit, and a hose-bib tee). The passenger side rear compartment contains the microwave, slats for the bed, and the surge controller when not in use. The driver’s side wheel compartment contains the ALDE system, bypass valve, and drain valves. The driver-side front compartment contains the Victron charge controller and DC to AC inverter. There is no user storage in these two latter compartments.
Battery
In the outside storage tub, we have a 12 V Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM) battery in a black plastic box. (Press the storage tabs IN to open the box.). It is a VMAX MR107-85 12V 85AH AGM Deep Cycle Marine Battery. If allowed to reach full discharge, it reduces the lifespan of the battery. For this reason, we never go below 50% of charge, which is 12.1 volts. Since the electrolyte is totally absorbed by the AGM, the VMAX is classified as “non-spillable and non-hazardous”.
BACKGROUND There are long discussions on battery alternatives, such as Lithium batteries, or combining two 6 V batteries in series. But for now, we are sticking with the recommended Group 24 Marine Deep Cycle AGM battery. Deep cycle batteries are designed to discharge down to 80%, as they have thicker plates. This is contrast to car batteries, called Starting (SLI) batteries, which are designed to provide a high current for a short amount of time. A marine battery is a hybrid of the two. Batteries are also categorized by their size. A Group 24 battery is 70-85 Amp hours, 12 V. An AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Battery uses AGM between the plates and has many advantages over Wet Lead Acid Battery technology, however they are more expensive. AGM batteries use a very fine fiber Boron-Silicate glass mat. These batteries have all the advantages of gelled but can take much more abuse. Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken. This also means that since they are non-hazardous, the shipping costs are lower. In addition, since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.
To get an accurate voltage reading of your battery, you must disconnect the trailer from shore power, or you will see a voltage of between 13 and 14 volts which means the battery is being charged. The 100 W solar will further throws off the reading because you may be checking voltage when the sun is out. Once removed from charging, the batteries must rest and cool down before attempting to measure voltage. While the high (14.7) and low (11.6) voltage points are fixed, it’s overly simplistic to rely on a single voltage measurement to get an accurate picture of how much energy is remaining in the battery, especially if you are checking them while appliances are running. The voltage you see while equipment is in use tells you the strain being put on the batteries at a given moment in time but not how much more energy is remaining before you must start turning off equipment. Since knowing how much energy you have is crucial to planning, we consult a Victron battery monitor (SmartShunt 500) which allows us to track current being drawn from the battery.
A few things to keep in mind with batteries that complicate easy comparisons. The amount of power a solar power provides to battery is dependent on batter charge. So solar in clouds will generate more power to a low battery than solar in sun provides to a full battery. Second, the charging profile of voltage changes over time. A battery charging can go as high as 14+ volts and then when the charger determines it is appropriate it will lower the voltage down to 13.6. Also, the voltage on a fully charged battery changes as it rests, dropping down to around 12.7 (from memory) after a day or so. Lastly, the voltage on even a fully charge battery will measure lower when it provides any current to a load (due to internal battery resistance) so a fully charge battery can show 12.5 or less (as an example) if enough current is being pulled out of it. Again, 12.7 is the full charge on a resting battery. It only goes higher than that when there is charge going in from the solar panel or some other source.
Batter Disconnect Switch
A battery disconnect switch can be found on the right side of the cargo area when looking through the passenger side exterior hatch. Its purpose is to disconnect the battery from the Converter. The way the RV is wired is that the battery, solar charger, inverter and converter all connect to a power distribution block.
The battery disconnect switch sits between this power distribution block and the converter. This means that when the switch is in the OFF position, the converter is disconnected but the power distribution block is still live allowing the solar panel to continue charging the battery and permitting the inverter to operate. You can see from the small gauge red wires in the photo above that this switch only controls the light duty 12-VDC devices.
** SAFETY NOTE: There is NO WAY to disconnect either the solar panel or the inverter from the battery without removing the fuses which protect these two systems, meaning they are always LIVE.
When the battery switch is ON and the trailer is plugged into shore power, the batteries will be charged by the converter and the 12-VDC needs of the RV will be met by the converter.
When the battery switch is ON and the trailer is NOT plugged into shore power, the batteries will be providing the 12-VDC needs of the RV. This is the Dry Camping / Boondocking mode.
Solar
The solar panel on our used camper was not functioning and needed to be replaced. The benefit of at attached mounted panel is that the panels can provide charging when any ambient light is present, whereas a portable panel needs to be set-up first. That is a huge benefit and allows the battery to be charged while in transit or even when a trailer is parked. We purchased a Sunflare 105W flexible panel from GTFoverland. Sunflare modules have bypass diodes on each individual cell. This means that when a cell is being shaded, only that individual cell will be inactive. Therefore, the power output of the module will be proportional to the amount of the module being shaded, i.e. if half of the module is shaded, you should expect half of the rated power output. The panel has a 25-year warranty.
105W MODULE SPECS
Dimension: 47.3±0.1 in X 32.6±0.1 in
Weight: 2.9 kg (6.5 lbs)
Module Thickness: 1.7 mm
105W ELECTRICAL
Peak Power (+5/-0%) : Pmax 105W
Avg. Panel Efficiency : 11.0%
Peak Power Voltage : Vmpp 16.27V
Peak Power Current : 6.2A
Open Circuit Voltage : Voc 21.0V
Short Circuit Current : Isc 7.4A
105W MECHANICAL
Solar Cells : CIGS
Junction Box : IP-65, MC4 Compatible
Hot Spot Protection : Bypass Diodes Per Cell
Temperature F : -40° F to + 185° F
Max Load : Wind / 50 psf, 2400 Pa Front and Back.
Impact : 1 in Hail at 52 mph (23 m/s)
Charge controller
Our charge controller is a Victron MPPT 75/10. The first number refers to the fact that the maximum PV open circuit voltage is 75V and the maximum charge current is 10A. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) regulates the voltage between the solar panels and batteries. They provide an increase in charging efficiency up to 30% compared to PWM controllers. The device allows us to monitor the solar and battery charge history by usage of the VictronConnect bluetooth paired with the phone. An optional accessory, is the Victron SmartShunt 500, which allows you to monitor battery current output. This is useful when boondocking to know how carefully you need to manage power usage before the battery can be recharged when towing, solar, or shore power.
We wanted to confirm that a 10 A charge controller is sufficient. One rule of thumb is to divide the solar panel wattage by 14.4 V, if charging a 12V battery. We get 105/14.4=7.2. Thus, a 7.5 A charge controller might be sufficient, but best to go up one step higher. A more precise way would be to compute the total Amps needed per hour. This is done by adding up the Amps each device will use. We have not done this exercise, but as the refrigerator and ALDE work on propane, while boondocking, we feel that a larger charge controller is not necessary.
BACKGROUND The amount of electricity the 105-watt flexible solar panel on the roof puts back into the battery is directly proportional to the amount of uninterrupted sunlight it receives. An engineer reading the spec sheet for our A copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) style flexible panel by Sunflare would tell you that under Standard Test Conditions (STC), the optimal operating current of 6.2 AMPS is reached at 16.27 VOLTS when the suns irradiance reaches 1000 W/wm2 just as the voltaic cells reach 52.1 degrees Celsius and the angle to the sun is 1.5. Since this perfect intersection of temperature, time of day, location and angle to the sun will rarely if ever be achieved, much less sustained for hours on end, our panel will produce some percentage of this optimal rating. In reality, we just don’t know how many watts you will get on a given time but you can use the Bluetooth Victron solar controller APP to tell you how much power was generated today.
The main screen isn’t shown here because it shows you what is happening right now which isn’t terribly useful as you need to know cumulative data. Looking at the History tab you will see the screen on the left. You will notice the bars read “Float, Abs(orption), and Bluk”. If the bar gets to Float on a given day, the battery was fully charged.
Since the panel produces less in mornings and evenings compared to mid- day, and less in winter vs summer, a value called Pmax shows the highest wattage at a moment in time that day. Similarly, Vmax shows the peak voltage while Yield shows total Watt Hours generated. If yield says Kwh instead of Wh, then you are seeing a figure for kilowaht hours vs plain watt hours. You can calculate total generated Amperage as Wh/13.72-volts or Kwh x 1000/13.72- volts.
The controller uses 3 different methods to recharge the battery depending on the state the battery is in at a given moment. In BULK mode, as much electricity as possible, in the highest voltage as possible (up to 14.6 VOLTS), it crammed into the battery plates. Once it hits a certain point, it switches to ABSORPTION for the final 10% at a lower voltage and charge rate.
Once the battery is fully charged, it receives small amount of current in FLOAT mode to keep it topped off at 13.2 to 13.4 VOLTS.
In the example above, the controller used 100% of its 9-hours and 49-minutes charging time in the BULK mode. This means that the battery was either discharged before the solar panels started receiving sun, that there were electrical demands on the battery during the charge phase or some combination of both.
Reading the data below the bar chart, we know that the panels generated a total of 250-Watt hours (Yield) and the highest wattage our panel produced today was 92-watts (P max).
On the BOONDOCKING DECISION pages is a spreadsheet giving you the tools to estimate how much power a given component will draw per hour. An estimate for average usage hours for each season is shown along with the total amperage those hours would draw the battery down
3-Stage Charger
The goal while charging the battery is to get to 100% capacity as quickly as possible without over-stressing the battery. Due to somewhat complicated chemical processes, it needs to be done in stages and with varying voltages. The term absorption rate refers to how much energy can be put into a battery without overheating it.
The first stage is called BULK or QUICK CHARGE because a constant 14.4 volts DC is supplied to the battery until a combination of the battery’s voltage and resistance indicates an 80% charge level. The charger next shifts into ABSORPTION mode of 14.3 volts DC declining gradually to 13.6 Volts DC until the battery reaches full charge. This second stage takes a long time because the last 10% is much more difficult to achieve than the first 90%. The third and final stage is the trickle charge or FLOAT mode which provides a steady 13.2 Volts DC to keep the battery at full charge by replacing whatever loses occur while the battery sits. These losses, called parasitic draw, comes from natural battery chemical reactions and power draw from equipment that is always running such as the LP detector and Jensen radio.
Thus, the battery level can read anywhere from 14.4 to 12.7 V, when read on the SeeLevel monitor. As mentioned earlier, a Shunt can provide additional information on remaining battery capacity.
Surge protector
We use the Hughes Power Watchdog. This is a large piece of hardware. Although there are modules that can be installed in the trailer, ours plugs in at the electrical post. Should a surge damage the unit, the internal board can be replaced. We can view information on the incoming power source via a phone app. The EPO (Emergency Power Off) model constantly monitors park power. If harmful conditions are detected, the unit will automatically cut power to the coach. Some users use a bicycle lock and cable to secure the unit as theft prevention.
ALDE Heating System and Controls
BACKGROUND The ALDE equipment provides both central heating and hot water. There are 5 convectors around the perimeter of the TT, one under the shower floor and one panel radiator just below the shower controls. Glycol fluid circulates through the piping heating the convectors. The rising heat draws cool air from the vents along the bottom of the trailer cabinetry setting-up a convection current that creates an invisible column of air swirling along the perimeter walls and being drawn back down into the center of the TT where it cools and goes back into the floor vents. Since the convectors are built-into the cabinetry they act partially as a convection radiator and partially as a radiant heat source by heating their enclosures and by convection, causing the entire interior to warm up. The upside is that the heat is very even, but the downside is that the trailer can take a while to come up to temperature.
ALDE is only found in the very high-end trailers and even then, only on their high-end models. The combination of ALDE, the quality of the wood used in the cabinetry, Azdel construction and the 12-volt appliances make these small trailers so popular.
The system can operate from the LPG tank, from shore power, or both at the same time providing a wide range of flexibility. When connected to shore power, the electrical heating elements can be operated at three power settings giving you flexibility when working on a limited power budget. The lower settings just mean it takes longer for the system to heat-up. Since the system can run on electric and LP at the same time, this turbo boost can be welcome on very cold days. Just like home, however, setting the thermostat higher than you want the eventual room temperature to be for comfort won’t get the TT warmer faster, it will just overheat the inside by eventually reaching the higher temperature. Similarly, save the turbo boost capability for when it’s really needed as this uses significantly more energy than just operating at normal temps and speeds.
A mixing valve can be found by opening the driver’s side compartment, also called the ALDE compartment, and looking on the right- side floor. This mixing valve should already be set properly but in case it has been inadvertently adjusted, it can be used to increase or decrease the water temperature. Turning the knob clockwise INCREASES the temperature and counter-clockwise DECREASES the temperature. A 1⁄4 turn in either direction roughly corresponds to a 44.6-degree F change and you can turn the knob a maximum of 1⁄2 turn from the neutral setting.
Best performance will be obtained by keeping the air intakes clear and providing a way for stale air to exit. Under each convector is an air intake of some sort that you’ll be able to see at the bottom of the cabinetry. Don’t block these areas while the Alde is in operation as cold air is needed for the convection process to take place. Similarly, warm and moist air needs a place to vent out if you are to avoid condensation and stale air syndrome. Just open the main vent, on the ceiling, one-inch high (1”) at first and use your observations to determine if you need to open it wider. Temperature, humidity, cooking, number of people in the TT all contribute to the amount of venting required. At night, additional air venting will be necessary due to the number of hours you will be sleeping and emitting moist CO2 and we’ve found that opening the kitchen sink window and the side vents to their smallest openings will do the trick.
Annual glycol refresh
The tank is drained by opening the drain pipe from underneath the trailer (remove red cap viewed on the attached photo). No need to remove the skirt that covers most of the trailer underside. Then you put the drain cap back on, and refill the tank from the inside. For our 2018, this involves removing some screws to get access to the tank. There are labels on the tank indicating how much fluid to add to replenish. The Alde manual says the level should be 0.5" above the minimum line, when cold. My guess is that you need to add a gallon or so back in to replenish. The century fluid can come in concentrate, or premixed. I buy the concentrate and mix to 60% distilled water+40% concentrated glycol.
Before Use
If the system hasn’t been used in a while and before starting-up for each season, the following checks MUST be performed to avoid damaging the equipment or putting yourself in a dangerous situation.
- Check the fluid level in the expansion tank located in the rear of the closet next to the bathroom. The glycol level should read be about 1⁄2” above the minimum indicator when cold. If the tank needs additional fluid, you must use Century Chemical TF-1 as that is what it currently is filled with. Using any other brand requires you to flush the entire system and refill completely with the other brand (Rhomar Water). Mixing them can lead to coagulation.
- Before using the Hot Water Flow system, flush any standing water from the tank by opening the hot water tap of any faucet and allow at least 3-gallons of water to flow through.
- Confirm the exhaust port is free of snow and ice as this port contains both the fresh air intake and the carbon monoxide exhaust flue.
- Make sure the trailer isn’t parked next to a physical object which would block the exhaust port. Similarly, make sure the trailer isn’t parked inside or is blocked in such a way as exhaust gasses wouldn’t be free to dissipate but instead would build-up in an enclosed or trapped area.
- Perform an air circulation check making sure that all the fresh air intakes below the cabinets are free of obstacles.
Safety Warnings
The Alde manual is replete with a variety of warnings and they should be read and understood. From a daily use standpoint, there are a couple that we’ve reproduced here as a friendly reminder.
- Never operate the Alde system ON PROPANE while the TT IS INSIDE A BUILDING. Electric is OK but turn off the LP flame at the panel. As a byproduct of burning propane (LP), it’s exhaust contains dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. While the trailer is equipped with a CO and Propane detector, don’t risk your life or the lives of others. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness and/or nausea. If you have any of these symptoms, get fresh air at once and seek immediate medical care.
- Never block the exhaust port located on the driver’s side towards the rear by parking too close to an object which might block it. This applies equally to using the TT while surrounded by deep snow as there would be no place for the exhaust to go but back inside the TT.
- When cleaning the TT, never spray water into the exhaust outlet.
- Hot water at temperatures above 120-F can cause serious scalding injuries. The Alde system can deliver hot water at temperatures above 185-F. There is a mixing valve installed which is designed to bring these temperatures down to safe levels. DON’T MESS WITH IT!
The Alde 3020 boiler has the following SAFETY FEATURES built-in which may cause you to believe the equipment isn’t working when in fact, it has been shut down for safety reasons. Be aware of these conditions when debugging a failure to operate problem.
- Flame monitoring: If the flame goes out, the gas supply is switched off by a flame monitoring device.
- Low-voltage shutdown: If voltage drops below 10.5 V DC, the gas supply to the burner will be switched off.
- Monitoring of the combustion blower: A failure of the combustion blower causes the gas supply to the heating system to shut off.
- Monitoring hot water temperature: A water temperature switch helps avoid excessively high-water temperatures above 194 °F
Always use caution before exposing the skin to heated water. The exhaust temperatures from the boiler can be up to 392-F so keep clear of the exhaust port and piping in the rear of the boiler itself while operating under LP. For this reason, the ALDE compartment is not suitable for storing anything and shouldn’t be used in this way. Hot Water Flow Tank Air Cushion
There is one maintenance task that comes along with the great features of the ALDE and it involves draining and refilling the hot water tank every 10-days. As water is heated, it expands a little, so the Alde Flow hot water tank expects there to be a small air pocket at the top to absorb pressure surges. For reasons I don’t understand but which have to do with fluid dynamics, after a series of showers and heat-expansion cycles, the pocket starts to dissipate and must be renewed. Furthermore, the Alde manual says that the air cushion helps protect the heating system against pressure surges from the heat pump.
Some signs that you may need to restore the air cushion before the generic 10-day period are: (1) reduced water temperature and (2) small puddles of water under the Alde compartment on the driver’s side as the hot water tank vents from increased pressure.
Restoring the ALDE air cushion
- Turn off the water pump.
- Turn off the ALDE system.
- Open the kitchen and bathroom faucet turning the lever to HOT. This provides replacement air as the water exits the closed system.
- Locate the yellow valve shown in the picture to the right. On the floorplan at the beginning of the ALDE section, it was labeled 4 and is attached to the red PEX hot water line between the 3020 boiler and the Flow tank.
- Lift it vertically and wait until water stops pouring out of the bottom of the TT.
- Locate the red automatic check valve on the rear of the 3020 boiler. It is near the top and towards the front of the TT. Check to see that it is open by listening for a hissing sound as air enters while the water drains below.
Standby Screen
When the ALDE system is turned-on but in standby mode, you see the screen to your right Since the BACKLIGHTING option can be set to OFF by using the TOOLS menu, your only indication that the system is in standby mode would be a green LED on the power button (G). Press the screen or MENU to light it up should this be the case. The display reads as follows:
A. CLOCK shows time and Day and can be set in the TOOLS menu.
B. OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE is not installed in our T@B320
C. INDOOR TEMPERATURE is always displayed
D. CIRCULATOR PUMP symbol shows when it is running
E. PLUG shows when ALDE is connected to a 120-volt source.
F. MENU button for entering the sub-menus
G. ON/OFF to turn the Alde system on and off.
Settings Menu
TEMPERATURE setting is shown on the 1st row next to the thermometer icon. By using the touch screen to press the -/+ icons, you can raise or lower this setpoint from a low of 41 F to a high of 86 F. If the NIGHT AUTO or DAY AUTO options in the TOOLS menu were selected, then the -/+ will be greyed out. These AUTO settings allow temperature changes by time of day.
The 2nd row with a shower icon indicates the current hot water setting. A 2.2-gallon hot water tank is part of the ALDE system and instead of heating elements inside the tank or using an open flame under the tank, there are coils filled with heated glycol fluid wrapped around the tank. When hot water is called for, the system sends heated glycol into these coils and indirectly heats the water inside the tank.
There are three temperature settings: OFF, HOT and VERY HOT (“BOOST”). In the example shown here, the hot water is set to HOT. The gauge between the icons is partially filled but would be empty if set to OFF and full if set to VERY HOT. If the NIGHT AUTO or DAY AUTO options in the TOOLS menu were selected, then the -/+ will be greyed out. These AUTO settings allow temperature changes by time of day.
While in the VERY HOT mode, the circulator pump which sends glycol through the heat convectors would be turned off thereby permitting the boiler to provide all its heating capability to the hot water tank bringing it up to 149 F and allowing up to 1-gallons per minute to be supplied.
The 3rd row operates the two 950-watt electrical heating elements inside the ALDE. When plugged into shore power, you have the option of using propane or electric, or both as a turbo boost to heat faster.
There are three settings: OFF, 1 kw and 2 kw. In amperage, they equate to OFF, 8-amps (950-watts) and 16-amps (1900-watts) at 120-volts. You must be on shore power to use these settings. When active, the + icon will turn from blue to green as shown in the example above and the power level will be shown. If you have the available amperage and really need lots of hot water quickly, the 2-kw setting will do the trick. If you can wait or have limited electrical reserves available, use the OFF or 1-kw. It’s all about giving you the options to use the available electrical connections wisely. Sometimes you may be connected to a 30-amp panel and other times to a 20-amp.
Note: When operating in turbo boost mode, Alde will use both electric and propane to get the inside temperatures up to the set temperatures and then switch to electric for maintaining temperature to conserve propane.
The 4th row has two functioning icons and one greyed out option that isn’t installed on this trailer. Any time you see an icon that is greyed out, it either has been disabled by another menu or isn’t installed here. Note: an external temperature sensor can be purchased and installed into the Alde. The outdoor temperature will then be displayed on the Alde monitor.
LPG/Propane icon on the left activates the boiler. The icon will change from Blue to Green when turned on as shown in this image. The icon on the far right brings-up the TOOLS menu shown below.
Tools Menu
There are four menu pages available, and you scroll through them using the up and down arrows. Each icon calls a sub-menu with more features. You can press the round black MENU button marked (F) on the silver plastic faceplate to exit the TOOLS MENU. We will briefly describe the 4 main menu options here but show the detailed sub-menus in the YELLOW section.
ICONS 1,2 and 3: NIGHT AUTO , DAY AUTO and PRIO. The Night and Day sub- menus allow you to set temperature, standby display brightness and hot water options for either one day during the week or for the entire week and differently for night and day.
ICONS: 8, 6 and 4: BACKLIGHTING, ROOM SETTING (greyed out and unavailable) and CLOCK. The Backlighting setting determines the screen brightness level when the ALDE system is in standby mode. The clock must be reset when 12- VDC power is lost and is necessary for the Night and Day settings to function.
The RETURN icon takes you to the prior menu.
ICON: Celsius/Fahrenheit button toggles C and F and the icon will highlight in green the selected option which in this case is Fahrenheit.
ICONS 10 to 13 are greyed-out and unavailable.
ICONS 14, 15 and 16: AUTOMATIC TEMPERTURE INCREASE, OFFSET, and HIGH- ALTITUDE MODE. As a safety feature to reduce the risk of legionella building- up in the hot water tank, turning this on will activate the boiler at 2 AM and run the Hot Water Boost Mode for 30-minutes. The Temperature Offset allows you to adjust the displayed temperature, so it more closely matches the actual internal temperature. High Altitude is used when operating above 3,000 ft. To use this, first turn off the propane ICON on the panel, select this switch and turn on the propane ICON to activate the LP burner.
ICONS 17, 18 and 19: CIRCULATION PUMP, AUTO START and AUDIBLE ALERTS. You can choose to run the circulation pump in continuous operate or controlled by the thermostat. Normal mode is Therm and you shouldn’t change this. The AUTO START feature turns the heating system on for 24-hours once each week on the day and time set. To activate it, enter day/time and turn the On/Off button to OFF. Sound lets you silence the audible alerts for Hot Water reaching temperature and for Gas Failure.
ICONS 20, 21 and 22: RESET, EXTERNAL START, LANGUAGE If you reset to factory, the panel will revert Boiler OFF, electrical heat in Level 1, LP Gas in ON and indoor temperature set to 72-F while all other functions are OFF. External Start has an OFF and 120V option giving you the ability to have the heating system turn itself on when it senses shore power is hooked-up. You’d have to choose the 120V option and turn the control panel OFF for this feature to activate. Language should be set to English although no matter what you select here, the SERVICE menu below will always be in English.
ICONS: 23 and 24: INSTALLED FUNCTIONS and SERVICE MENU. By selecting Installed Functions, you see the accessories that are activated on ALDE. The Service Menu shows the following screens and are updated every second.
Debugging No-Heat Situations
The suggestions below are things that you can fairly easily perform while on the road. If these ideas don’t solve the no-heat problem, you will need to seek professional attention at a nüCamp dealer or mobile RV repair service.
- Propane Check: If you are not getting heat while on propane, confirm that propane is flowing into the trailer. Simple check is to turn on one of the burners on the range. If it lights, you have propane. If it doesn’t, either turn the valve on or refill the tank.
- 120-volt Power Check: If you are getting heat while using propane but are not able to get the electrical elements to operate when hooked-up to shore power, confirm that shore power is present. The simple test is to look for the plug icon (above) on the ALDE standby screen. If the plug is not present, then you need to figure out if the trailer has 120-volt power connected. First, look at the surgesuppressor and see if there are any error codes that would indicate power isn’t being supplied to the trailer. The table to debug these codes can be found in the YELLOW section. Second, look at the BMV-712 and check the battery voltage. If it is 13-volts or above, then the converter is receiving 120-volt power and is trying to power the battery. If you believe you are getting 120-volts to the trailer, check the converter panel just below the closet door and reset the ALDE breaker by switching it left and then right again. Lastly, lift the hatch cover shielding the ALDE compartment and make sure the ALDE 3020 boiler is plugged into the electrical outlet on the right side.
- Air Pocket Obstruction: It is possible that air pockets have formed in the glycol somewhere along the piping connecting the expansion tank, ALDE equipment and the convectors. The goal is to get those pockets to shift and rise naturally into the glycol expansion tank. Often this problem arises when the ALDE system was left on and has been operating while the TT was being towed. To clear an air pocket obstruction,
- Turn off the ALDE system at the silver control panel.
- Block the tires front and back.
- Lift any stabilizers as if you were departing
- Remove the TT from the TV if connected.
- Raise the trailer to it’s maximum reach on the hitch jack which will cause the rear to drop down and the “A” frame to lift.
- Do the reverse and lower the trailer by cranking the hitch jack as low as it will go.
- Return the trailer to level and check to see if this cleared the obstruction by turning the ALDE back on so it calls for heat.
- 12-volt DC Fuse Check: There are two fuses physically mounted to the ALDE 3020 boiler. One protects the control board and the other protects Alde accessories which may be connected. The one on the control board is the one you are concerned about. These can be found by turning to the FUSES section of this manual and identifying fuse #5 and #6. One or both 3.15-amp fuses may have blown. To check the fuses:
- Turn off the ALDE at the control panel
- Unplug the ALDE from the outlet
- Remove the green cartridge holding Fuse #5 and look at the fuse.
You should see an intact wire inside the glass tube. If this wire is not intact, replace it using one of the fuses from the spare fuse kit in the toolbox.
- Do the same for Fuse #6
- Plug the ALDE back in
- Turn the ALDE back on at the control panel
- Check for heat.
Tires, Brakes, and Wheel Hubs
BACKGROUND Trailers use special tires constructed with very stiff sidewalls which allows them to carry heavy loads and resist the natural urge to sway when being pulled behind a tow vehicle. Traction comes second to weight carrying and anti-sway capacity. Light truck tires or even passenger tires, give the vehicle traction and their softer sidewall allow for better road control and a softer, more-comfortable, ride. Tires with an M rating implies a speed rating up to 81-mph. Don’t go this fast!! We never go faster than 65-mph. Remember, you are pulling your house behind you, “where are you in a hurry to get to?”
Travel trailers generally do not have suspensions such as shock absorbers dampening the ride as nobody travels in them while on the road. The result is that everything gets jostled, pushing cabinet latches and storage cubbies to their limits. A Dexter Torflex® axle was used instead of the leaf-springs you often find in trailers because it insulates the trailer from road vibration, allows each wheel to travel independently and its low profile allows for maximum road clearance. To make this happen, there are 4 large bands made of rubber inside the axle housing which are connected to a torsion arm. As the wheels follow the road, the torsion arm moves causing the rubber cords to provide a rolling/compressive resistance through a process called hysteresis.
One trade-off for using this system over the typical leaf spring setup is that you absolutely CAN NOT jack the trailer from the axle. The housing isn’t designed to hold the weight and doing so would damage the torsion system requiring the entire axle to be replaced. If you MUST jack the trailer for service, ONLY do so at the locations shown in TIRE REPLACEMENT and JACKING.
The brakes are electric as opposed to the hydraulics you have in your car. This means the brake controller mounted in the tow vehicle sends a variable voltage to a pair of magnets causing them to apply the brake pads against the wheel drums. If you stand next to the trailer while the brakes are applied without the vehicle moving, you can hear the magnets hum.
The wheels consist of 15” aluminum rims mounted with off-road special trailer ST235/75R15 tires. From a safety perspective, there are three safety checks you should be making:
- A pressure check should be done first thing in the morning while the tires are cold.
- A visual check will tell you if there is any sidewall damage, cuts or nails in the tread.
- A Hub temperature check should made once during the day after several hours of driving.
The wheel hub is what connects the tires to the axle. The bearings allow it all to rotate. An early indicator of serious trouble is when the hub on one side gets significantly hotter to the touch than the other after several hours of use. When this happens, it usually means the bearing is in trouble either from lack of lubrication, the wrong lubrication, a bearing failure or too much weight on the trailer. While you can just test the hub with the back of your hand, we’ve included an infrared thermometer from Home Depot to remove any guesswork. Simply aim the device at the center of the wheel and press the trigger. It’s the part that says T@B shown inside the red circle in the adjacent photo. If the temperature readings between drivers and passengers side differ by more than 30-degrees, then the hub bearing may be in trouble.
Brake Controller
The trailer has its own set of electrically operated brakes and when everything is working properly, can stop itself without needing the braking power of the tow vehicle. In order to make that happen, we need some way to communicate the amount of pressure being applied to the brake pedal in real- time to the braking system of the trailer. To accomplish this, the electrical systems of the tow vehicle and travel trailer are connected by a thick black cable that originates at the front of the trailer and is connected into a 7-pin connector on the rear of the tow vehicle. One of the 7 pins carries an electrical signal from a device called a brake controller that is part of the tow vehicle.
When the brake controller senses that the TV brakes have been applied, it applies a voltage to the trailer brakes causing magnets to apply its brake pads against the wheel drums. The amount of voltage sent to the trailer brake assembly through the 7-pin connection depends upon how quickly an accelerometer in the brake controller determines the tow vehicle is slowing down.
The TV brake system uses a hydraulic reservoir to transmit brake pedal pressure via fluid through stainless-steel hoses to mechanical brakes at each wheel. The harder you press the pedal; the more pressure gets sent to the brakes and the quicker you stop. Since there is no way electronically to sense how much pressure is being applied to the hydraulic brake system when the tow vehicle brakes are being applied, the brake controller must rely on electronics to approximate how hard you are pressing on the brakes. The variable pressure (gentle, firm, or hard) on the brake pedal is translated into a strong or weak electrical voltage sent to the trailer brake assembly.
The controller also has a lever that allows you to manually apply the brakes to the trailer. The more you pull the lever, the harder the brakes get applied. This feature is a critical safety tool that allows you to brake the trailer without braking the tow vehicle and is the only way you can straighten out the trailer should it begin to sway. If this is at all unclear, re-read the previous section on ALL ABOUT TOWING.
We have used both the Curt Echo brake controller, and later installed the Tekonsha P3 controller. The former got us started quickly, in that it plugs in between the TV and TT 7-pin receptacles. We then used an app on our phone to connect to the Echo via Bluetooth. Settings allowed us to control the sensitivity between hitting the TV brakes and the voltage sent to the TT brakes. It also had a setting that you dialed in depending on the size of your trailer. A two-axle trailer would require a greater voltage than our small T@B. In order to activate the TT brakes in an emergency, a display button on the iPhone would allow us to do so. The disadvantage of this system is that you need to phone app to be up and accessible, in case of such an emergency. Because of this we later went to a hard-wired system with the Tekonsha system, which we mounted below the dash below the steering wheel. The manual brake lever is on this device, always ready. We keep the gain set to 5 out of 14. Once set there is no need to adjust, but the control unit is easily navigated should there be a need.
There are two situations where you would use the manual brake levers. The first is when testing the trailer brakes to confirm the GAIN setting is correct and the second is during an emergency braking maneuver such as what would happen during a trailer sway event. The manual brake control is a slider on the Tekonsha control box. You slide it to the left to activate.
To test the Power setting:
- On a dry level piece of paved road, drive at 20-MPH
- Take your foot off the gas
- Slowly apply the trailer brakes manually using the bottom lever (move it to the left).
- You DO want to feel the trailer slow the equipment down
- You DON’T want to feel or hear the brakes lock-up and skid.
- Too much Power setting and the brakes will lock-up and possibly cause an accident by making you lose control. Too little and you won’t havethe braking power you need when you need it.
- If you aren’t getting the feel of it, do #1 but on a gravel road. You’ll hear and feel things more clearly on gravel. Once you get the feel, then you’ll know what to look for when doing the test on asphalt.
There is also a Boost setting (off, plus 3 levels). The heavier your trailer, the higher the Boost setting should be. For our T@B, the boost can be off, or B1 at the most.
The Tekonsha User’s Manual is here: Tekonsha P3 manual
Waste Water (Drain, Flush, and Tablets)
People tend to make a big deal out of the tank emptying process, and it isn’t a big deal.
- Once you’ve determined that the tanks need to be emptied, it’s a matter of driving the TT to the dump station and roughly lining-up the dump valve with the receptacle in the ground.
- Following the checklist, you first put on disposable gloves that you will find in the propane tub. Find and remove the sewer hose from the storage bin.
- Connect the ends so the clear elbow goes into the ground and the other end attaches to the trailer in the picture above where it says dump valve cover. Note: You first must remove the cover by twisting it counter- clockwise in order to attach the pipe.
- You can see that the GREY tank is controlled by the grey handle on the right and the BLACK tank is controlled by the black handle on the left.
- Open the black tank valve observing the flow in the clear elbow until it slows to a trickle.
- Open the grey tank valve until it slows.
- From the inside, flush the toilet for a few seconds to wash out the line.
- Repeat as many times as it takes until the water running through the clear elbow is clear.
- Watch the elbow until nothing is left to drain out.
- Close the GREY and BLACK valves.
- Use the dirty water hose (provided at the dump station) to clean the Rhino sewer pipe.
- Put everything away.
- Before leaving the dump station, wash your hands with soap and water.
- Put a Porta-Pak tablet into the toilet and flush it down with 1-gallon water
Several owners say they like “Happy Camper”, which liquifies waste solids and household tissue. Looks too harsh for me.
- Wash an Elemonate tablet in the kitchen sink to deodorize the grey tank.
- Put a long squirt of Dawn Dishwashing Detergent (Original Blue) into the toilet and fill the toilet partway by holding the lever down gently. The detergent will slosh about cleaning the bowl and when washed into the tank, will clean the tank.
Tools and set-up equipment
BACKGROUND We have a place for each tool and equipment needed to support all the features of our camper. These go in designated places, listed here, in order to find them easily.
Hitching and setup
- Crank for stabilizers: in Blue bag (an insulated picnic bag) is carried in the TV
We use a manual crank for the stabilizers, but several owners prefer to use a cordless drill.
- BAL leveler, wedged chocks to stop the TT from rolling, stacking leveling blocks: rear of TV
- LevelMatePro: mounted in passenger wheel well box
Electric
- 30 Amp black shore power cable: Blue bag
- Adapter for 15A and 20A to 30A RV blade: Blue bag
- Extension Cord 14-guage, 15AMP 20-feet: Passenger wheel-well
- Spare Fuses for the Trailer: Passenger wheel-well
- Multimeter: Passenger wheel-well
- Plug-in Surge Suppressor (Hughes power Watchdog)
- Surge Suppressor Lock and Cable
Campgrounds are notorious for having bad and sometimes outright dangerous electrical wiring. If there are too many people for the design of the electrical system, you will not receive enough voltage and when it drops too low, it causes irreparable damage to motors such as your refrigerator and air conditioner. Alternatively, you could have 220-volts coming out of an outlet designed for 120-volts causing the reverse but explosive situation. For these and other reasons, we carry a surge suppressor and always use it. The process is very simple:
- Plug the surge suppressor into the shore power outlet
- Plug the 3-blade end of the shore power cable into the surge suppressor and the round twist-lock into the RV. The connectors can only go one way.
- Wait to see the WatchDog face illuminate with a white outline. More details on the quality of the power can be found on the WatchDog phone app.
- Lock the expensive device to the shore power pole.
The rest of the equipment is to provide options should you have anything other than a perfectly situated campsite. The 50 AMP dogbone adapter lets you plug your 30-AMP RV into a 50-AMP outlet that is usually reserved for the very large RV’s and motorhomes. Nothing bad will happen if you do this. The reverse, however, isn’t true. If you plug your 30-AMP RV into a 15-AMP or 20 Amp outlet, you run the risk of drawing too much power and tripping fuses. This means, specifically, you can’t run the Air Conditioning on a low amperage supply.
Water
Accessories for dealing with fresh water are as follows.
- 6-gallon Jerry can, to refill the fresh water tank when dry camping: strapped to the front platform
- Fresh water hose: Gray bag
- Clorox wipes: Gray bag
- Smaller items are kept in a clear plastic bag, stored in the Passenger wheel-well
- Brass water pressure regulator with Gauge
- Water diverter adds another faucet at the city water
- Camco Water Bandit for water faucets without threads
- Teflon tape
- 6 ft food grade siphon hose with self-priming valve
- Camco water tank filler with shut-off valve
Water setup is as follows.
FIRST: Use the supplied Clorox wipes to clean off the spigot before connecting anything. This is because some people will use the dirty water hose when flushing their black tank before leaving the campsite. These actions mean that the hose which was connected to the spigot marked NON-POTABLE at the last dump station is now connected to the spigot you are expecting to get clean water from. It’s simple enough to avoid this by just wiping down the spigot and handle before connecting your clean water hose to it.
SECOND: A sticker next to the City Water inlet side warns that the plumbing system can handle a maximum of 50-PSI. Above this pressure, fittings get stressed and either leak slowly or burst unexpectedly. National parks and commercial campgrounds are notorious for highly fluctuating water pressure levels, so we use a reducer. By using the pressure reducer as the first connection to the spigot, we take strain off the hose, eliminating the need to replace a burst hose at an inconvenient hour.
The Water Bandit (#4C) is used when the threads on a campsite spigot are so worn out or damaged that you can’t connect a hose, or when only a faucet style water spigot is available. This fits over the stripped threads making a secure seal. While you can’t rely on the connection staying put under pressure for any length of time, it does give you some flexibility when all you need is to fill the fresh-water tank. Teflon Tape (#4D) can be used when the spigot threads are so worn that water drains past the fitting as it tightens up the connection enough to make it secure.
Maintenance
Tire Gauge: in tow vehicle glove box
Safety
- 12’ jumper cables 4-guage
- Work Gloves
One commonly asked question, with regards to jumping your TV, is what order to you connect things.
FIRST: DEAD BATTERY positive terminal
SECOND: BOOSTER BATTERY positive terminal
THIRD: BOOSTER BATTERY negative terminal
FOURTH: METAL BRACKET in engine compartment of dead battery at least 6” from the dead battery but away from moving parts
You make the final connection away from the battery because there may be hydrogen gasses coming from the battery and should a spark jump from the cable to the battery, they could ignite. This raises the question of which way electricity flows: negative to positive or positive to negative.Security
These trailers are relatively light, making it easy for them to be hitched and towed away. We use a MasterLock hitch lock, and a Trimax wheel chock. The latter needs to be inserted at the front of the tire, as otherwise the trailer could be dragged with the lock in place. We keep our camper parked at home, in our front driveway. In addition to the two locks, we typically have a car parked in front and to the side of the trailer.
Towing and Sway Control
Most any vehicle with a hitch strong enough not to fall off under the weight of the trailer can get the nüCamp to move forward. The real question is how to properly size the tow vehicle so it stops when it needs to, maintains control during an emergency maneuver, can withstand the buffeting effects of a tandem trailer whizzing by at freeway speeds, can pull uphill at over 45-MPH in the mountains and otherwise not quit when you need it to keep going. All while being small enough to be manageable and fun to drive.
Our tow vehicle is a 2008 Honda Odyssey, with a 3500 lb towing capacity. We use this vehicle as we are tandem bike riders, and a minivan is the only vehicle that can be used to transport our bike. We remove the front wheel and secure the front fork of the bike to a fork mount, purchased from eTrailer.com. The 320S trailer weighs about 1800 lbs, giving us about 1000 lbs for passengers, water, propane, passengers, and luggage. (We wish to keep within 80% of the 3500 lb rating.) Also, we are mindful that the tongue weight should be between 10- 15% of trailer weight. We have the brake controller switch easily accessible, should the trailer start to sway.
An example of trailer sway is shown below. The TT and TV are happily motoring along when something induces the trailer to sway. It could be the wind from a strong storm, a tandem trailer passing by, or an incorrect relationship of tongue weight to trailer weight. Doesn’t matter, sway sets-in. The natural tendency is to turn hard the other way which has the effect of swinging the trailer in the opposite direction resulting in the driver overcorrecting again until they lose control and jackknife or otherwise leave the road in an unexpected manner.
Should you find yourself in this situation where the trailer starts to sway:
- DO NOT BRAKE!
- DO NOT STEER!
- DO NOT TRY TO SPEED-UP! You can’t outrace what you are towing.
- Instead, manually apply the trailer brakes without locking-up the trailer wheels so the trailer gets pulled backwards while the truck goes forwards something like a rubber band being pulled at both ends. This will cause the trailer to straighten out.
- When you apply the trailer brakes, take your foot off the gas and gently let the rig slow down until you can regain control and carefully exit the road at a 45-MPH speed so you can figure out what is going on.
Be careful not to SLAM on the trailer brakes causing them to lock-up. This may create a bouncing situation just at the wrong part of a sway from one side to the other and make things worse. Ease into it so the wheels slow down but are still rolling. Just like you can lose control slamming on the car brakes causing the front end to nosedive and turn unexpectedly, same with this. Easy does it but firmly and with the purpose of creating tension behind the tow vehicle so the trailer slows down.
Boondocking power consumption
This spread sheet is from Jenn Grovers web page. Adjust hours used to estimate your power drain.
Accessory | Estimated Amps-Hr | Hours | Total Amps | Notes |
Parasitic Drain* | 0.3 | 24 | 7.2 |
|
Fridge DC mode | 11.7 | 0 | 0 |
|
Fridge (LP Gas Mode) | 0.24 | 24 | 5.76 | 0.1 to ignite, 0 .24 power draw |
Alde Heat & hot water | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | While the circulating pump is in use. 0.1 amp for a few seconds while starting |
Alde hot water | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | Only while the circulating pump is in use |
Water Pump | 4 | 0 | 0 | Pump spec sheet |
Radio/Stereo | 3 | 0 | 0 | LG Manual |
Television (12 volt) | 4 | 0 | 0 | LG Manual |
Fan (at half speed) | 1.25 | 2 | 2.5 | Mash2 |
USB 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
USB 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Battery Monitor | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Reading Lights | 0.12 | 2 | 0.24 |
|
Overhead Light | 0.24 | 2 | 0.48 |
|
Over Counter Strip | 0.55 |
|
|
|
Porch Light | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
29.4 |
| 16.18 | Total Amps | |
LG T@b Owners Manual | ||||
*Cannot disable/turn off | ||||
When hooked-up to shore power, city water and septic, there are no constraints on the length of your shower, amount of water used to wash dishes, ALDE heat setting in winter, use of electric tank heaters and so forth. Once you disconnect the umbilical cord and start to dry camp or boondock, you must ration your use keeping in mind how long it will be until you can empty the tanks, find fresh water and recharge the batteries through solar or shore power. Actions have consequences and it is especially true in the RV.
You have the following available to you:
11 gallons of FRESH WATER (per spec, but 8 gal in reality)
8-gallon BLACK tank
19-gallon GREY tank
85 of usable Amp-Hours in the battery
Get used the idea that you are on a natural resource diet. You have no choice regarding what goes into the BLACK tank, but the GREY usage can be managed. While boondocking, you will generally carry one or more 5-gallon water containers in the TV. To avoid prematurely filling-up the GREY tank, you can place a tub in the kitchen sink and use the faucet for hot and cold water. This lets you wash semi-normally but prevents the water from going down the drain into the GREY tank. As the tub gets filled, you empty it outside in a responsible manner. This lets you limit the GREY TANK to the bathroom sink and shower. To the extent you can use the external shower and refill the fresh tanks from the 5-gallon portable tanks, you can further extend the boondocking time until you need to find a dump station. You will find that 8-gallons of BLACK is plenty while 19-gallons of GREY goes quickly. Assume you will use 1.5 gallons of water for every minute in the shower.
A detailed spreadsheet on the previous page provides the amperage used by each electrical device. Multiply AMPS by OPERATING HOURS to get the Amp-Hours that usage will consume. You have a maximum 85 Amp-Hours you can draw out of the battery before you need to add more through solar or shore power. The Boondocking Spreadsheet makes seasonally changing usage assumptions to give an idea of what you might expect.
Departure
Checklist
Inside
- Close and latch all WINDOWS; SHADES and curtains open
- Main Vent FAN turned off, closed, and latched
- TELEVISION off and secured with the bungie cord
- ALDE panel: off
- STEREO: off
- Water PUMP off!!
- Kitchen COUNTER items stowed away
- Towel and paper towel HANGERS stowed away
- TRASH emptied and over-door frame stowed away
- Large trash can stowed and SHOWER DOOR latched
- Take down CLOCK
- Lights off
- Stow inside: picnic cloth, microwave, (3) tables, (2) chairs, rug, broom, surge protector
Outside
- PROPANE off
- Disconnect and stow SEWER, WATER, and 30A lines
- Remove any external AirCond attachments (registers for air flow, storage panel)
- Step stowed
- Door locked and deadbolted
Hitching
- Remove and stow hitch and wheel locks
- Retract stabilizers
- Put hitch into hitch receiver making sure COTTER PIN is inserted
- Raise front of trailer to proper level for hitching
- Hitch trailer to TV making sure that PIN is inserted through hitch ball lock
- Remove wheel from trailer jack and raise jack
- Connect chains and emergency brake cord
- Inspect 7-pin plug for debris and plug in; make sure that connector is properly “latched” and use string for added safety
- Test trailer brake and signal lights
- Move slightly to remove stress on chocks
- Remove and stow wheel chocks
- Confirm brake controller is operating
Hitching up and safety check
When hitching the trailer to the TV you are doing the following:
- Using the hitch jack, raise the trailer hitch connector so it is higher than where the hitch ball will be when the truck backs up. Otherwise, you will hit the trailer causing damage to the jack, anything surrounding the trailer and even the connector itself.
- Remove the hitch ball cover and confirm that the hitch ball has an amount of grease on it that could resemble butter thinly spread onto bread. Place the cover in the driver’s door.
- At the front of the trailer A-frame is the hitch coupler. Remove any lock or pin that might still be in place preventing you from lifting the lever in the rear. Pull up on the lever while pulling back on the lever tab and the coupler will slide rearwards opening the latching mechanism below. The photos below give you an idea of what it looks like open and closed.
- Once the ball is in place under the connector, lower the trailer onto the ball using the jack and lock the connector latch into place by pushing it forward. You may have difficulty latching it for a couple of reasons: (1) ball not directly under and rearward of the hitch coupling, (2) not aligned left or right or (3) ball doesn’t have enough lubrication. For 1 and 2 once the hitch coupling is resting on the ball, you can often push or pull against the A-frame to get it to drop into place. Sometimes it will be necessary to put the vehicle in gear and let it move 1/2” to 1”.
- Once it is latched, continue raising the jack until it goes as high as possible. Remove the Jockey Wheel and stow it in the TV.
- Locate the thin silver metal emergency brake cable on the passenger side of the A-Frame. It has a carabiner on the end. Slip it into the safety chain loop on the right side of the TV receiver and double back, clipping it onto itself. If for some reason the trailer separates from the hitch ball and the safety chains fail, the cable will remain connected to the tow vehicle as the trailer falls behind and a pin will be pulled from the emergency brake switch causing the trailer brakes to apply.
- Take the driver side safety chain and latch it into the passenger side receiver safety chain loop. Do the same for the passenger side safety chain but hook it to the driver’s side loop.
- Remove the 7-pin plug from its storage position and inspect it. Should you see debris or corrosion cleaning the contacts.
- Insert the 7-pin plug into the TV making sure that the protrusion on the plug catches the lip on the TV door that folds down. Pull slightly on the plug to make sure it stays in place. A loose connection means one or more pins won’t make a reliable connection affecting brakes or lights or both. Secure with string as an added precaution.
- Performing a light check means you are visually confirming the following:
- Both tail lights illuminate when the BRAKES are applied.
- Both the driver’s side and the passenger side signal lights illuminate
- The driver is responsible for the tire check and knowing if the lug nut torque needs to be set and there is a reminder for what the settings should be. Periodically you should check these using the manual gauge.
Trip card
The departure trip card is part of the trailers log and helps tell the story of where it’s been, how it’s been used and what problems there might be with the equipment. If you use it, it will also force you to think about when you need to dump or refill water/propane/food next. We record on a laptop, with backup to our Google Drive. Optionally, you might use a dedicated notebook for this purpose. The log should include comments on what you liked and what you’d like to try out next time. Knowing who came is part of the trailer log so unless the name is obvious, the first time that person is coming please use first and last names as seeing BOB doesn’t help that much.
We record the TV mileage because it is also a reminder to do certain maintenance operations when you hit major 10,000 milestones and keeps oil change timing at top of mind. If there is a problem with one of the systems, you make a note next to a % sign saying something like, BROKEN – LEAKING – STUCK and so forth. The mileage tells us how long this problem has been going on. By tracking the propane, you can look back and see how long a tank lasted, where you were and what you were doing so you have an idea what to expect next time. It will all make sense once you start using it.
Trip Card
Date: ______________
Location ___________________________ State______
Who Came? What did we do?
Stayed at:
Has: Elect___ Water__ Dump __ Shower__ Lake/Pool___
Next time we should try?
Arrival
Checklist, Leveling
Very often we use the TT to stay at a Cabela’s, Whole Foods or Cracker Barrel while on the road and don’t unhitch because we are in transit between one place and another. In these cases, we don’t bother with the whole leveling procedure because it’s just a place to sleep. We’ve found it best to find a place in the parking area where it slopes so the engine is higher than the tailgate as this would make the trailer level. Its considered rude to put down the stabilizers and unhitch for these temporary stops as you run the risk of damaging their asphalt. It’s perfectly safe to use the trailer while hooked-up to the TV but you should make sure to apply the parking brake.
If you are just staying overnight, leaving the 7-pin connector won’t create any problems as the TV has protection against the trailer trying to drain the battery. Longer than that, you should unhitch anyway.
To level we turn on the LevelMatePro and monitor level as we adjust the BAL wheel leveler and blocks (for left/ right adjustment) or hitch jack (for front/ back adjustment). Then
- Put up trailer shade
- If using the Clam Quick set, be sure and secure using ground and side stakes
- Turn on Propane
- Erect folding camp chairs and tables, as appropriate
- MEAL PREP or RELAX
On the Road Safety Check
Get out of the vehicle every 2-hours and walk around. It will help keep you alert; the driver will mentally get a break and hopefully a refresh. As you walk back to the vehicle take a quick eyeball over the items below. This is especially important if all you are doing is swapping drivers because the driver is responsible now for the entire rig and there is no way to do that without checking it over. You may think this isn’t necessary because you’ve driven this rig hundreds of times without problem and you can do it in your sleep rain or snow. That is true until someone forgets a step or road vibration or debris changes things.
- Obvious signs of tire damage from road debris, potholes and so forth. Looking for nails and bulging on the sidewalls. Is one tire looking flat?
- If you are doing this after mid-day, it’s a good time to check the wheel hubs for uneven heating. Take an infrared heat gun (Home Depot purchase) and aim the red dot at the center of the wheel where it says T@B. Remember the number and do the same on the other side. They should be within 30-degrees of each other and range between 130 and 175-deg F.
- Count the lug nuts. There should be 5.
- Eyeball the hitch confirming the chains are in place and not too loose (dragging close to the ground) nor too tight (preventing turning) and that the brake safety cable is in place.
- Eyeball the roof for open vents and the TT for open windows.
Tips for Daily Operations
Condensation
Activities such as cooking and breathing put moisture into the air which is difficult for the confined space of an RV to dissipate. Condensation is what happens when water vapor hits a cool surface and changes back to a liquid. If the humidity level is high, the surface doesn’t have to be very cool before droplets appear first on the walls and windows. Over time, condensation leads to mold and rot because if you see it on the bathroom wall or kitchen window, it is also on a hidden surface that will be slower to dry and permit mold to form.
An analogy works well here. Think of humidity level as being the wattage of a light bulb in that for the moment, the quantity is fixed. Temperature becomes the dimmer except when you raise the dimmer it gets colder and when you lower it, the humidity drops. The colder the surface, the more the water vapor will condense there and the warmer the surface, the less condensation will occur. Therefore, while opening the windows in winter may seem counter- intuitive, it gives the humidity a way to exit the RV through the normal heat exchange of hot air rising with water vapor out of the interior.
We have found the best way to keep condensation down is to crack the window over the kitchen sink by opening the latches, pushing them past the resting point and then closing the latches letting the window fall back and rest against the window latches. That gives you enough fresh air intake for one person and one pet. For additional people or when it gets below freezing, do the same for another window. At the same time, raise the ceiling fan cover so it has a 2” opening. Over time you will get a feel for how much fan venting and fresh-air you need to counter the amount of condensation generated for a given temperature and quantity of people.
You will be wasting energy as hot air will escape. Through the process of convection, the rising hot air will draw cool air in through the open windows and exchange moisture laden air with cool air. You want enough of this exchange to avoid condensation on the walls and windows of the RV but not so much that you overwork the ALDE heater and waste more energy than necessary.
Too Many Night-Lights
The numerous electronic devices that make the T@B so convenient to use can also be annoying when trying to sleep. This is a quick guide for dimming them:
The Jensen radio can be dimmed, and the display even turned totally dark by pressing the DIM button and using the volume control to raise or lower the intensity of the display. First turn the radio on. Then press and hold the DIM button while turning the volume dial off.
The Jensen TV has a blue light that can’t be turned off. A piece of black electrical tape from the tool bag will effectively turn this off. Many have posted DIY solutions which require installing a switch.
If you are using ALDE for evening heat or to schedule morning hot water, the backlighting can be set either to Light or Dark while the panel is in Stand-by Mode. Press the MENU button to wake the screen.
- Press the Tools icon in the lower right corner.
- Press the Backlight icon for Settings. You will see a screen titled Backlight.
- Use the left and right arrows to cycle between Bright, Inverse and Dark. If you just want to dim the screen, you can choose between 3 brightness settings.
- Hit MENU to exit.
Maintenance and Repair
Spare and Replacement Parts
NüCamp will no longer allow you to order replacement parts by calling them directly. You must now contact a dealer, who places the order for you. The dealer does not have to be local, as the part is shipped directly from nüCamp to your house. (We use Eric at Little Guy Trailers, San Diego). Often, we have discovered that they are better parts than the original. This is the case for the Fresh Water tank inlet cover. Ours came broken, and we did replace with the original part. But we now know that a better alternative would have been to replace this with a cap.
Screws
The first thing you will notice when trying to replace a part, is that nüCamp uses screws (Robertson) with a square indentation on the head. We now know that you use a square drive (size #2), which is available in drill kits.
ALDE Glycol refreshing
The T@B forum and other sites have long discussions on how and how often to refresh the glycol solution, which is a propylene glycol chemical with corrasion inhibitors. The complication is due to the fact the ALDE now recommends the Rhomar Water (RhoGuard-Ready to Use - 50/50 Mix RG-RTU-50), rather than the Century TF-1 that has been used for decades. We have elected to keep the Century fluid, and drain our expansion tank annually, by opening the red drain plug found underneath the carriage. This does not completely drain the system, as there is still fluid in the lines. We test what we drain. If the solution becomes too acidic (less than 7), this may degrade the aluminum tank and a complete flush will be necessary. We purchase our fluid in the 1 quart undiluted size, then dilute with distilled water I a 60/40 ratio of water to glycol. (Deionized would be even better, but hard to find.). To access the expansion tank, remove the panel to the right of the headboard, unscrewing the 2 Robertson screws. We use the 1-quart containers to pour into the tank, with an optional funnel. About 6 cups of fluid is used to fill the tank to the “max” line.
We note that if we ever do choose to use the new fluid, this will require a complete drain, cleaning flush, and refill. This is because the old and new fluids are incompatible with one another. Cleaning with Rhomar's "Hydro-Solve 9100", and use of pump systems is an expensive and complex process. If we need to have this done, we will go to a T@B RV specialist such as John Shilling in San Diego. Many RV service centers are unfamiliar with the process, and many just open the drain valve, which we can do ourselves. As another owner once posted: nüCamp never said that the new fluid needed to be "retrofitted" with the Rhomar fluid. The century fluid has been running in tens of thousands of hydronic systems for decades. There is nothing "wrong" with keeping the century fluid.”
Cleaning
NOTE *** Don’t use anything with abrasives anywhere on the trailer
EXTERIOR: West Marine Boat Soap is suited to the fiberglass and painted metal roof while being biodegradable, non-toxic and phosphate-free. DO NOT USE any other chemicals like Armor
All or tire dressings. Don’t need nor want those chemicals!
SIMPLE GREEN ALL PURPOSE CLEANER: This age-old cleaner is non- toxic and biodegradable and contains no abrasives. Follow the instructions on the spray bottle.
MURPHY OIL SOAP: A gentle biodegradable vegetable oil-based soap which works well for furniture grade wood and cleans vinyl without leaving any residue.
SURFACE | DON'T USE | OK TO USE |
Laminate Counterto | NO Abrasives or | Simple Green |
Laminate Walls | NO Abrasives or | Simple Green |
Vinyl Flooring | NO Abrasives or | Simple Green |
Wood Cabinetry | NO Ammonia or | Murphy Oil |
Plastic Shower/Sink | NO Abrasives or | Clorox |
Toilet | NO Abrasives or | Clorox |
Trailer Exterior | Soap | West Marine |
Fuses
From: Fuses for Newbies
Rather than try and assemble each of these, we just purchased a small fuse kit.
Fuse | Equipment | Location |
30A inline blade; 1.5 cm | Battery | Propane tank |
10A | Fan | Power converter |
15A | Fridge | |
10A | Light, radio, television | |
10A | Pump | |
15A | Alde, AC fan | |
30A | Battery charger | |
F3.15AL Fast-Blow Fuse 3.15A 250V Glass Fuses, # T3.15AL250VP, 2.3 cm | ALDE | Remove black ALDE cover |
7.5A, 1.5 cm blade ATC | Jensen | Must remove cover |
10A, 1.5 cm blade ATC | Radio | |
7.5A In-line, 1.2 cm, mini ATC | Television | |
LF.F1AL250VP, 2 cm glass fuse | CO2 detector | |
125V4A | Fan fuse | |
1A, Buss AGC 1A 250V | Norcold (a factory fix) | Must remove cooktop |
20A Buss AGC 20A 32V | All 3.2 cm long | |
3A Buss AGC 3A, 250 V | ||
20 & 30-amp ATO (Auto) | Victron |
BACKGROUND The T@B320 trailer consists of appliances and equipment sourced from third -party vendors such as the refrigerator, the radio and so forth. Any RV electrical system is even more complicated than a typical home because it needs to contend with operating on 120-volts AC while plugged into the wall, 12-volts DC while operating from the RV battery and even 120-volts in a special inverter circuit that converts 12- volts DC into 120-volts AC. When plugged into shore power, both 12-volts DC and 120-volts AC are operating at the same time.
AC and DC are different systems and, uniquely in the RV, you sometimes want normal 120-volt devices such as a blender to work even when you are boondocking somewhere on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in a remote area of Wyoming. nüCamp had to figure out how to make all these things possible, whenever and wherever you want them to be. Since the appliances were designed to stand alone and are best of breed from various industries, and not knowing how they would eventually be used, their manufacturers built-in safety fuses to protect them from all eventualities. This means that there are thirteen (13) hidden fuses that nüCamp didn’t add but the appliance manufacturers did. The following pages show pictures of where to find these hidden fuses should it turn out that some appliance stops working and a check of the main fuse and circuit breaker panel doesn’t resolve the problem.
The toolkit checklist includes “SPARE FUSES” with both fuses and a detail listing by type and amperage. In case that kit is missing, the list is included at the end of this section so you can buy while on the road.
** SAFETY NOTE ** Fuses and circuit breakers exist to protect the wires which power an appliance, not to protect the appliance itself. The logic is that a wire of a given size can handle only so much electrical current before the insulation literally burns away and the wire melts. For our purposes here, that breaking point is measured in AMPS. For this reason, if a 7.5-amp fuse blows and you only have a 10-amp one, DO NOT EVER go higher than 7.5 amp but you can go lower in a pinch. Make do or do without.
If a fuse is replaced and then blows 10-days later, it is likely due to an overloaded circuit. If you replace a fuse and it blows immediately afterwards, stop what you are doing as there is likely a dead short somewhere.
A glass cylinder with chrome caps on each end and a visible wire inside is called a glass fuse. Some devices briefly require a large amount of power when starting-up and then level off to a low current flow. Others have a steady and predicable current draw during all phases of its operation. For this reason, two fuse types apply here: slow blow and fast blow. A slow blow fuse has a thick wire that might resemble a thin metal guitar string and it can tolerate a high current for a short period before melting. A fast blow melts immediately when subjected to a high current. For what should now be obvious reasons, never substitute one fuse type for another.
We grouped the Hidden 13 by where to find them. Another good resource can be found on the T@B forum.
Victron Charge Controller
There are two fuses protecting the solar controller which is mounted in the ALDE COMPARTMENT but the fuses are located in the BATTERY and ALDE compartments. Fuse #1 is a 30-amp ATO protecting the constant power circuit for the controller. See #7 and #8 as well.
The solar charger is mounted on the rear bulkhead of this compartment and if the bright blue doesn’t catch your eye, it also flashes blue periodically. There are three possible circuits marked BATT, PV and LOAD. BATT is protected by Fuse #1. Fuse #7 is in-line and protects the PV (Photovoltaic) circuit with a 30-amp ATO. Fuse #8 is hard to see because its physically mounted on the underside of the controller, but it is a 20-amp ATO.
Battery
Fuse #2 technically isn’t a fuse, but since it qualifies as a “hidden” breaker, it’s included here. Instead of a simple inline fuse, this is a waterproof 40-amp marine breaker. One weakness to the design is that being located on the floor of a general storage area, it’s possible to accidentally trip the breaker if something presses on the red button.
AIMS Inverter
The inverter is protected by two different fuses. Fuse #3 is a 150-amp Stinger mounted under a clear rectangular plastic housing attached to the heavy gauge wiring on the forward bulkhead of this compartment Fuse marked #4 is physically part of the inverter and is a 15- amp KLKD under a black twist-off cap.
ALDE 3020
The ALDE system is protected by two glass Fuses #5 and #6 directly on the unit in addition to the 20-amp circuit breaker on the electric panel. ALDE includes two spare fuses in a plastic bag directly on the unit and while the tool bag spare fuses contains spares, please use the ones on the unit first. The fuse is a 20 mm Slow Blow 3.15-amp glass fuse rated at 250V with a part number of T3.15AL250VP. To access them, you open the black access panel (right) marked PULL to see the following:
Entertainment
The Jensen TV is a 12-volt DC device. Fuse #10 is an inline Mini-ATC fuse holder with a 7.5-amp fuse.
Fuse #11 protects the 12-volt Jensen radio with 10-amp ATC fuse physically mounted to the rear of the radio. You need to remove the faceplate and remove the screws to take the radio out. No photo appears because frankly it’s not worth the effort to take it out just to show what it would look like if you did.
Refrigerator
According to Norcold Tech Support, the DC line is protected by a 15-amp fuse and the AC line by a 3-amp fuse. Neither can be replaced without taking the unit apart so if the NR751BB fails, it’s a factory fix.
Fuse Kit
We purchased this fuse kit, rather than attempting to purchase one of every type.
Electrical
BACKGROUND There are two types of electric current in our trailer:
Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). Virtually all home electronics operate on DC which is generated when you attach a power supply to AC current. Batteries store and deliver energy as DC so in a vehicle or trailer, using DC for as many things as possible keeps things simple and maximizes the efficiency of the battery. The only equipment which can’t operate on DC is the air conditioner because the compressor and motor require more energy than can be provided by a battery system like ours. Recognizing that there is a difference between Boondocking and Dry Camping and having to choose one word to describe operating without shore power, we use the word Boondocking if only to be aspirational. When you are running only on DC from the battery, we use the term Boondocking in this resource guide.
The refrigerator and the ALDE heating system can use either AC or DC. This takes some demand off the battery giving it time to cool-down and recharge while allowing indefinite use of all the heating and cooling systems while AC is available. When you are plugged in to shore-power on AC, you are Hooked-Up.
Sometimes while boondocking you get an overwhelming urge or need to use an AC device. Whether it’s a pressure cooker or a blender, the RV inverter can handle it. Located under the TV at the foot of the bed, the inverter outlet can supply 1200-watts of AC without a sweat and even go as high as 2400-watts for a short period. Since the inverter is an inefficient way to convert (or invert) DC into AC and using it will cut into battery life, make sure to read the Boondocking Power Decisions topic.
While we have talked about the types of current (AC/DC), it’s helpful to know what is happening inside the wires. The words “electrical current” refers to electrons moving from one atom to the adjacent atom. It is this process of electrons moving which we think of as electricity. The pressure the electrons put on each other as they push along is referred to as Voltage and the sheer number of electrons which are moving, we call Amperage. As the electrons jump from one atom to the other, they must overcome opposition to this move and we call that Resistance.
As you get more deeply involved in the troubleshooting and maintenance of the RV electrical systems, you will encounter the heretical notion that the electrons responsible for electrical current flow from negative to positive.
While this is true from a physics standpoint, it doesn’t really matter except when considering the safest way to wire something such as where to put a cutoff switch and why you place the dead battery negative clamp last and remove it first. As mentioned above, RV’s require a system which can power some equipment at 12V-DC, others at 120V-AC and a few devices which can operate on either. Since AC and DC can’t operate over the same wiring, some wires must be duplicated. The panel needs separate breakers and fuses and for these situations, a sensing device that prioritizes AC current when plugged into shore power/generator and DC current when operating off the batteries. Additionally, when AC power is available, the panel needs to act as a battery charger. For all these reasons, the RV electrical panel is referred to as a Converter/Charger because it converts 120V-AC into 12V-DC and charges the batteries when possible. nüCamp has chosen the WF-8955 power center from WFCO to fill this role. It is also a 3-Stage battery charger which explained below.
The 8955 has a 30-amp main breaker and 5 branch breakers for 120V-AC current. The 12V-DC side uses Littlefuse Type 257 ATO (Replaced by ATOF Type 287) fuses to protect 11 circuits where 2 can be a maxi mum of 30-amps and 9 are20-amp. While we call it a 12V system, it is outputting a constant 13.6V-DC. All told, it has a maximum power output of 950-watts at 55-amps. Like any electronic device, the converter can be damaged by 120-volt power surges and voltage variations. Therefore, we provided a plug-in surge suppressor in the ELECTRICAL BAG and this is explained a few pages later.
NOTE: Should you accidentally connect the POS+ of a battery terminal to the NEG- wire and then connect the POS+ wire to the NEG- battery terminal, you create a situation called reverse polarity. Doing this causes the current to run in reverse which destroys low voltage electronics. Anticipating something like this, many manufacturers install reverse polarity fuses and the Converter has these as well.
The previous image shows an LED inside a white circle. When a fuse blows, or in this case is removed, an indicator light comes-on next to the fuse telling you there is a problem. To show a picture with the LED glowing, we had to remove the fuse but in normal operation, if you see a fuse with a red light like this illuminated, you know the adjacent fuse has blown.
Holding tank cleaning
BACKGROUND GEO Method for Holding Tank Cleaning: Over time, debris deposited in the Black and Grey tanks build-up on the sensors installed inside causing the tank monitors to show incorrect readings. The GEO cleaning method is well known in RV circles and uses a combination of water softener, dish soap and ice cubes to clean both the tank and contacts through agitation while driving. The water softener breaks down surface tension allowing the Dawn dish soap to do its job.
Dump the tanks and fill 2/3 with clean water. Pour 1 cup of Dawn Dishwasher Detergent (the blue stuff) and 1 cup of Calgon Water Softener into the grey and black tanks. Empty a bag of ice cubes into the toilet. They act as a scouring pad. Take the RV for a drive of 20-minutes or more. Dump and check the readings. If the tank reading shows empty, fill the tank and check the readings. If you get wonky results, repeat the cleaning but this should do the trick.
We sanitize the freshwater tank at the beginning, middle and end of each season. If it’s your turn, this is how we do it.
You will be adding water to the grey tank, make sure you have room. Put chocks in front of, and behind, both wheels. Since the fresh water drain valve mounts to the side and not the bottom of the tank, we want a gravity assist while draining the tank. Use the hitch jack to tilt the trailer up so the green level bubble on the A-frame moves to the right. You did chock the brakes, right? Turn off the ALDE hot water system and if it has been running, wait 1- hour for the system to cool down from scalding as it will be drained. If connected to City Water, remove the hose. Turn off the water pump if it is on. Open the faucet and shower, both Hot and Cold valves. When operating the drain valves, when they are perpendicular to the pipe they are closed and when parallel they are open. Empty the freshwater tank using drain valve behind the driver’s side trailer axle. It is very well marked! We need to empty the ALDE hot water tank. Unlock the ALDE access hatch on the driver’s side and locate the two yellow valves. When you lift the yellow tabs 90-degrees so they are vertical, the hot and cold water will drain directly below the valves possibly splashing your feet whot water. Be alert for scalding water. We need to drain the waterlines as these get sanitized as well. Locate the two hot and cold valve drains shown inside the yellow circle to the right and open the valves. They drain directly below and may splash your feet.
Check the tank monitor panel until it reads empty.
Close the drain valves that you opened above, the faucet and the shower.
CLOSE THE BYPASS SWITCH as this will prevent bleach from coming in contact with the ALDE FLOW stainless steel tank. In the picture to the right the valve is OPEN in NORMAL position, Turn it so the red lever handle is vertical. We drain the tank so we know it’s washed and drained several times each season, but we don’t sanitize it. Using UNSCENTED bleach, pour 1⁄2 cup through a funnel into the fresh water tank. It’s the one on the left when you open the door. To sanitize, you need 1⁄4 cup per 15-gallons and it’s a 30- gallon tank. Fill the Freshwater Holding Tank with 30-gallons of water. Turn on the water pump. Open the hot and cold-water valves of each fixture one at a time until you can smell the bleach flow out. The water will bubble, gurgle, and foam. It will slow, surge, start and stop until the air bubbles go away. Leave the water pump on keeping the system under pressure. Let it sit overnight. If you can’t, at least let it sit 3-hours. Repeat steps 6-13 again to drain the system completely. Repeat steps 17-20 to wash out any bleach residue. Repeat steps 6-13 again to wash out any bleach residue. OPEN THE BYPASS SWITCH to allow water to flow back into the ALDE FLOW stainless steel tank. Repeat steps 17-20 to recharge the system. Dump the Grey Tank as needed.
Poop Pyramid
The black tank is designed to always have some water in it. This keeps the solids in a semi-liquid form making it easier for them to exit the tank at the dump station. One mistake RV’rs make is thinking that they can leave the black tank valve open when at a site with full hookups. While this is necessary for the grey tank as it lets you take uninterrupted showers and permits full use of the sinks, it’s a bad idea for the black tank. For a day or two, not a problem but not a good idea. For a week or more such as when on vacation at one park or another, it’s a bad idea that can lead to the dreaded poop pyramid. Just imagine what can happen when human excrement piles-up directly under the toilet with nowhere to go and no way to break down. It becomes a poop pyramid that is difficult and possibly very expensive to clean and remove.
The black tank should be emptied when it is about 3⁄4 full and flushed each time it is emptied. After emptying, it should have about 1 gallon of water flushed down the drain along with a porta-pak holding tank deodorizer. This tablet helps to break down paper and waste while managing odor. We also add about 1⁄4 cup Dawn Dishwashing liquid every other dump. We place a squeeze of the dishwashing detergent in the toilet before travelling for several hours and putting a “normal” amount in the bowl. This washes it nicely and avoids discussion about the nasty work. Plus, the detergent winds-up where it’s needed below.
Another owner has recommended usage of this odor eliminator (Valterra Blue).
Axle and Bearings
Refer to the Dexter Operation Maintenance Service Manual 8k_complete_service_manual which explains how to perform the various services required in this section.
Make / Model | Dexter #10F 4K Torflex | |||
Configuration# | 8136692 | |||
Brakes | 10" D44 Electric Manual Adjust | |||
Down Tail | 10-degrees | |||
Hub Diameter (H-D) | 5 spokes on 4.5" diameter | |||
Hub Face (HF) | 76 | |||
Hub Group | #10F 545 | |||
Hub Size | 10" x 2-1/4" | 24 | ||
Inner Bracket | 59.25 | |||
Mounting Bracket | Norco Tall E-1425 | |||
Rubber Capacity (RC) | 3900 | |||
Studs | 1/2" - 20 | |||
Bearing Service #84 Spindle | ||||
Bearing: KIT per wheel | K71-717-00 | |||
Inner Bearing/Cone | 031-033-02 (Timken L68149 | 2 | ||
Inner Race | Timken L68111 | 3 | ||
Outer Bearing/Cone | 031-031-02 (Timken L44649 | 5 | ||
Outer Race | Timken L44610 | 4 | ||
Grease Seal Double Lip | 010-019-00 | 1 | ||
Replacement Parts | ||||
Brake Assembly Left | K023-462-00 | 20 | ||
Brake Assembly Right | K023-463-00 | 20 | ||
Shoe and Lining Kit | K71-672-00 | |||
Magnet Kit | K71-125-00 | |||
Washer | 005-067-00 | 9 | ||
Wire Clip (Need 2) | 027-005-00 | |||
Retractor Spring (Need 2 | 046-009-00 | |||
BEARINGS Wheel bearings need to be properly maintained and these two videos will help you do that. The Dexter approved greases are listed below and nüCamp uses the Valvoline product. It is important to follow these recommendations because it isn’t the grease that provides the lubrication but the oils inside the grease. Grease is just the carrier for the oil. Most bearing failures can be attributed to either too MUCH, too LITTLE or the WRONG type of grease.
** Very Important **
Don’t mix greases. If you add additional grease, it must be the same brand otherwise the bearing must be cleaned and then repacked. Contamination resulting from mis-matched greases may cause grease failure.
Grease (Per Dexter Specifications)
Thickener Type | Lithium Complex |
Dropping Point | 215 deg C (419 deg F) Minimum |
Consistency | NLGI No. 2 |
Additives | EP, Corrosion and Oxidation Inhibitors |
Viscosity Index | 80 Minimum |
Approved Grease Sources
Chem Arrow | Arrow 2282 |
Chevron Texaco | Chevron Ulti-Plex Grease EP#2 Texaco Starplex Moly MPGM #2 |
Citgo | Lithoplex MP#3 and CM#2 Mystik JT-6 Hi-Temp Grease #2 |
ConnocoPhillips / 76 Lubricants / Kendall | Multiplex RED #2 L427 Super Blu Grease |
Dexter Company | Lithoplex Red MP#2 |
Exxon/Mobil Company | Ronex, MP |
Fuchs | Renolit Uniwrl 2 |
Great Plains Lubricants | Lithium Complex EP #2 |
Oil Center Research of Oklahoma | Liquid-O-Ring No, 167L |
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company | Synthetic Red Grease |
Royal Mfg. Company | Royal 98 Lithium Complex EP #2 |
Shell | Gadus S3 V220C |
Valvoline | Valvoline Multi-Purpose GM Valvoline Durablend |
Brakes
The Dexter maintenance schedule show that the Dexter D44 electric brakes should be checked periodically for current draw:
Brake Pad adjustment is also specified, and this requires placing the trailer on jack stands. Following the procedures in the manual, you would find that the star adjusting wheel is rotated so that the brake shoes are gripping the drum until the wheel is very difficult to turn. Then, the adjuster is reversed until the wheel turns freely with a slight drag between the brake shoe and the drum.
Breakaway cable
The breakaway cable is mounted on the trailer A-Frame and it consists of a pin that goes into a rectangular black box. That pin is connected by a thin silver cable to the truck receiver. Should the trailer disconnect from the hitch for any reason, the pin would get pulled-out of the breakaway switch and the trailer battery would lock-up the trailer brakes. It is a worst case, RV disaster scenario.
At the beginning of the season, we check the switch to make sure it’s doing its job. Since removing it causes the brakes to lock-up, we really don’t want to leave them in that state very long. Bad things happen. So be ready to do the test and then put the pin back in.
- With the TV and TT hooked-up and ready to go, put the TV in park.
- Pull the pin out of the breakaway switch by tugging on the silver cable with about 35 pounds of force.
- Have the driver put the TV in gear and let it inch slowly forward without pressing on the gas.
- The trailer shouldn’t move.
- Apply a little gas and force the trailer to move forward. It should not move easily and don’t drag it more than a few feet.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Put the pin back in the breakaway switch.
- If you could hear the brakes hum when you pulled the breakaway switch but in #4 it failed to hold the trailer or in #5 it failed to resist against the pulling forward, then get the brakes checked. The breakaway switch did its job which is why you heard it hum so it must be a problem with the brake system.
Tires, Brakes, and Wheel Hubs
Distress noise tests
The 3 most likely causes of distress noises from your running gear while in motion are: bearing failure, magnetic brakes being lightly applied, or debris stuck somewhere in the assembly. This guide can’t take the place of a factory repair manual but it can assist in narrowing down problems so they can be better defined and perhaps, even solved on the road. Before doing anything, safely ease the trailer to level area where it can be parked and worked-on without endangering yourself or others. This means pulling off the road into an area that provides physical safety from two and four legged critters and doesn’t expose you to being rear-ended or sideswiped. If that isn’t possible, call roadside assistance for help.
Use the jack to lift the trailer such that the wheel making distress noises is off the ground. Follow the procedures in the jacking section to include: (1) making sure the RV is attached to the TV, (2) that the TV is turned off, (3) applying the parking brake of the TV, and (4) chocking both sides of the wheels opposite the one you are jacking-up.
TEST ONE – Bearing Check
Hold the tire at 9:00 and 3:00 positions and rock back and forth like a see-saw where the center of the wheel is the pivot point. If there is no movement (play) or movement beyond 1/8”, your bearings probably need to be serviced. This is not something you can do on the side of the road. Read the “BEARING SERVICE” section for further information.
How long has it been since the bearing was serviced? Is this the first time an elevated temperature was recorded (check Trip Sheets) and if not, keep an eye on it. This guide can’t tell you what to do but understand that if the bearing fails, the wheel either won’t turn or may fall off. If this happens while on the highway, it would be a catastrophic failure causing injury or death to yourself or others.
TEST TWO – Magnetic Brakes Dragging
As more fully described in the “BRAKE CONTROLLER” section, the trailer brakes are activated when the brake controller senses voltage in the tail light circuit and applies a voltage to the trailer brakes causing magnets to apply the brake pads against the wheel drums. The amount of voltage sent to the trailer brake assembly through the 7-pin coupling depends upon how quickly an accelerometer in the brake controller decides the tow vehicle is slowing down. The TV brake system relies on a hydraulic reservoir sending fluid down stainless-steel hoses to mechanical brakes at each wheel. Your foot pressure on the brake pedal gets applied to the hydraulic fluid and the harder you press the pedal; the more pressure is sent to the brakes and the quicker you stop. Since there is no way electronically to sense how much pressure is being applied to the hydraulic brake system when the tow vehicle brakes are being applied, the brake controller must rely on electronics to approximate how hard you are pressing on the brake pedal. The variable pressure (gentle, firm or hard) on the brake pedal is translated into a strong or weak electrical voltage sent to the trailer brake assembly.
Rotate the wheel two turns and listen either for a humming, a slight squeal or try to feel if the wheel is somehow being held back like it would be if the brakes were applied. If you have parked the truck, shut off the engine and applied the parking brake, then if everything was working correctly, the brake controller wouldn’t be sending any voltage to the trailer brakes. If any of these apply, there may be some stray voltage going to the trailer brake assembly.
To debug, first do a test of the brake controller as described in that section. Failing that, you can test the vehicle side of the 7-pin connector by using a multimeter to see if there is any voltage between the Brake Controller blade (#2 Blue) and Ground (#1 White). This could be caused by a faulty controller or a short somewhere. As the 7-pin assembly has a 12v-DC wire for accessories and charging the RV, it’s possible you have a frayed or defective cable assembly allowing a voltage leak. It is also possible there is metal debris in the 7-pin allowing a connection from the accessory pin to the brake pin. Unlikely but easy to rule-out.
TEST THREE – Debris
The idea here is that there is something stuck inside the wheel hub assembly like a stick, rock or other debris. Aside from observing something obviously out of place, you either need to remove the drum to perform a closer check or look on the backside of the drum while mounted. Since you CAN’T, WON’T and WILL NOT ever go under a vehicle that is jacked but not sitting on jack stands, this option ISN’T open to you. If you feel up to removing the drum, check the “BEARING SERVICE” section for instructions on how to remove the drum and perform a visual inspection. At this point it becomes a judgement call based on your experience, where you are and whether it makes more sense just to call roadside assistance. At least you can tell them what TEST 1 and 2 showed.
Tire Change and Jack Placement
If possible, nudge the trailer until you can get it on a solid surface and have the trailer as level as possible. Sand or gravel can be unstable causing the jack to give way just enough to cause the trailer to heed the call of gravity. If this happens while your hands are awkwardly changing the tire, it could mean serious injury, damage to the trailer or both. So, if you are on gravel, dig down till you can find a solid base to set the jack. If you are on sand, find a way to move the trailer to where it is solid.
- Ensure the trailer is hooked-up to the tow vehicle because it will provide a secure fixed point to help prevent movement.
- Set the parking brake on the tow vehicle.
- Place two chocks on whichever trailer wheel isn’t the one you are replacing. Chocks go in front and behind the tire so there is no possibility of it rolling.
Locate this white 2” PVC tube sitting on top of the large grey pipe running along the back wall of the middle compartment under the bed. Inside will be a long chrome 1⁄2” breaker bar with a 3/8” adapter. A 3/8” x 6” extension is connected to a 3⁄4” deep socket for the lug nuts and both have red reflective tape in case you drop them. The two black rods hook-into the jack letting you raise the jack from alongside the trailer. We chose these tools because here is very little space between the wheel housing and the lug nuts preventing you from using a traditional lug nut wrench. The jack is also in this compartment
- Locate the RED REFLECTIVE sticker just forward of the axle located on an L shaped piece of metal parallel to and alongside the tire being replaced. This is the lowest physical part of the trailer and the most structurally stable for lifting.
- You will be placing the jack assembly under this point. If you are on anything other than a flat paved surface, use the 8” x 8” metal plate marked “JACK BASE” under this point. Note: nüCamp doesn’t provide a jack or lug nut wrench and this came from a Ford F-250. If lost, Part numbers #7C3Z-17080-AE and #HC3Z- 17005-H are shown here.
- Align the jack so the cradle is perpendicular to the tire and the crank handle connection point is angled so the crank handle can turn the big orange knob. Put just enough upward jacking pressure that it is “finger tight” but NOT lifting the trailer. The idea here is to place the jack into place where you know it is stable and can safely lift the trailer but before you drop the spare tire. The red stand just behind the jack isn’t something you will have on the road, but these photos were taken outside the garage and one was available.
- Assemble the rod pieces, angle it into the connection point, slip the end into the center of the lug wrench handle so it forms a T, and you have a jacking handle you can use while safely away from the vehicle.
- Attach the 3⁄4” deep socket and 3/8” x 6” extension to the breaker bar making a lug nut wrench.
For this Boondock model, the spare tire is mounted to the rear Yakima rack. A winch crank is located on the passenger side just behind the propane tubs. Take the 3⁄4” wrench stored in the TIRE bag and crank, the one with the blue plastic along the sides, follow the instructions on the label below the winch nut, and lower the tire. In case the label has been damaged, turn left to LOWER and right to RAISE the tire. The sticker says “DO NOT USE A DRILL!” I got lazy and used the drill attachment we use for the stabilizers and understood why. If you let it down, or up, too fast or with too much force, you’ll break the cable leaving you with a loose tire.
- Remove the cradle that holds the tire against the frame. Place the tire nearby so it can easily be put into place once the damaged one is removed. You want to minimize the amount of time that the trailer is being supported by the jack. While the trailer is still resting on the tire, loosen the lug nuts applying as much pressure as needed. The lug nuts may be set very tight and need a hard jolt to get them moving. It’s much safer to do this while the trailer is on the ground and not in the air on the jack.
- Use the jack to raise the trailer making sure to keep any body parts away from the trailer frame. Vigilantly watch the jack making sure it stays perpendicular to the ground and doesn’t start to lean over. You only need to lift the trailer enough to remove the tire. Once the tire is off the ground, take a moment to slowly turn the wheel for two rotations. If you hear a grinding noise, you may have wheel bearing damage and that would have to get checked and fixed immediately after changing the tire and moving to a safe spot.
- Remove the remainder of the lug nuts and remove the tire. Find the ziplock bag labeled LUG NUTS in the HITCH BAG and use it to keep the lug nut from getting lost and/or filled with dirt and grime if left on the ground. Remember that the trailer is 3500# and is resting on a 1” surface connected to a hydraulic ram which itself is resting on a 4” x 3” base; so, don’t do anything that would jar the trailer and cause the jack below to slip.
- The plastic shroud around the wheel well will make it a little tricky to remove the tire. Tilt the bottom toward you as pull the tire off the threaded wheel studs while also pulling the dust cover towards you. That cover slides and most removal/replacement problems occur when the cover gets wedged part way. As soon as the tire is off the wheel studs, let it slide down to the ground while shifting it to the RIGHT and angling it so it will roll out of the wheel well to the LEFT
- Replace the damaged tire with the spare.
- Put the lug nuts back into place by hand screwing them loosely as far as they will go. You might need to rock the wheel a bit like a sea saw as you push it back, gently, onto the trailer.
- Follow the star configuration shown in the chart to the right and tighten the lug nuts until you feel resistance. No hard-jerking motions. Just get the tire tight on the drum.
- Lower the trailer to the ground
- A long thin black plastic case containing a Husky 20-100 ft-lb torque wrench is in the cargo area. Pull the collar back and twist the handle until the rim sits on the line between 90 and 100. The wrench uses 3/8” drive sockets and there is a 3⁄4” one in the HITCH bag. With the wrench set to 100 ft-lbs, follow step #14 again making sure to keep tightening until you hear the wrench click which means you’ve reached the torque setting required.
- Do the opposite of what you did in Step #6 to secure the damaged tire.
- Return the torque wrench to 0 ft-lbs as this relieves spring tension and helps maintain accuracy of the settings.
- NOTE: nüCamp factory hasn’t provided guidance on the tire changing process nor provided any equipment to do so. My guess is they want to avoid liability for what accidents might come from people misunderstanding their instructions. Review this procedure before taking heading out. If in doubt, of your abilities or the situation you find yourself in, call for help.
NOTE: A Vehicle Jack Adapter Plate can be found along with the jack in a black zipper pouch. If you are in a situation where you want to make the base of the jack longer, such as where the surface is uneven or soft, using the jack plate may be the safest route to take. Using the picture below, note that there is a black plate with four silver oval metal tabs. These tabs have been numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 and a corresponding number is on the plate. The hole to which that number corresponds is circled. On the metal tab is a number inside a circle. That number corresponds to the number of washers you should put under the tab to make it level with the base of the jack. For example: Tab # 1 and 2 each has 3 washers while Tabs #3 and 4 use 11 washers. The photo to the above, right, shows you what it should look like once it’s fully assembled.
Tools, Sealants, and Lubricants
The Table below is unedited, keeping as is from the original David Weinstein manual. He writes “The TV tool bag was designed with self-rescue in mind as follows”:
Allen Wrench Set: Metric and SAE | |
Burnishing Tool 0.25" x 3" - CG-9338 | Stored in zipper compartment |
Carabiner Locking: Small | Stored in outside pockets |
Demolition Tool: Small | |
Diagonal Cutting Plier 8" | Single most used and useful tool here |
Drill Bit Set: Titanium | |
Electricians Tape 3M #88 | #88 is expensive but tough and sticks forever |
Flashlight: Big Larry Magnetic | Uses 2 ENLOOP rechargable AA |
Flashlight: LED Headlamp | Uses 2 ENLOOP rechargable AAA |
Funnel for Oil | One-time collapsable for generator service |
Fuse tester and spares | Two Fuse Sets: One for RV and one for TV |
Generator high altitude Venturi | If using Honda 2000eu above 5000' switch to #60 |
Gloves: Mechanics | |
Gloves: Nitrile | Stored in outside pockets |
Gorilla superglue gel | Replace yearly |
Hacksaw Blades (2pcs) 10" 18tpi | Just the blades - makeshift a handle when needed |
Level: Torpedo | |
Lube: Boeshield T-9 | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Lube: WD40 | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Lube: White Lithium Grease | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Lube: Powdered Graphite | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Lube: Dielectric Grease - Permatex #81150 .33oz | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Lube:DeoxIT-#D100L-2C 2ml | See Lubricants and Sealants |
Paracord 5/32" x 50' | |
Pliers: Needle Nose | |
Poncho: Cheap Plastic | Stored in outside pocket |
Quick Link 1/4" Zinc | Use for rigging |
Ratchet Driver Set 1/2" | Use 1/2" for Airstream - 3/8" for nüCamp |
Scissors: HD Sheer Type | |
Screwdriver - Multi with Bits in Handle | This is where the square and torx heads are |
Screwdriver - Small Jewelers Size | To change batteries on several electronic tools |
Screwdriver Set for Drill | Mixed bits and sockets for 3/8 chuck |
Screwdriver: Demolition Flat | Use like a chisel or pry bar as needed |
Sharpie Marker Fine Point | |
Snap Clip: Double Ended | Use for rigging |
Snchor Shackle Stainless 3/8" | Use for rigging |
Spring Snap Link S.S. 5/16" | Use for rigging |
Steel Wool | Burnishing contacts and removing surface oxidation |
Swivel Adapter Stainless Steel | Use for rigging |
Tie Wrap: 12" Stainless (2-pcs) | Careful using this - has no give at all |
Tie Wrap: 14" H.D. (10-pcs) | |
Tie Wrap: 24" H.D. (3-pcs) | |
Tie Wraps: 14" regular | |
Towel - Microfiber | |
Utility Knife / Box Cutter | Spare blades are in the handle. Unscrew it. |
Vise Grip Pliers - Irvin #10WR | |
Wire Cutter/Stripper | |
Wrench: Adjustable | |
Wrench: Set of Box Style 12pt | Use METRIC for nüCamp |
Before choosing a sealant or performing a repair to the exterior, you first need to know something about the materials in use. The sidewalls are composite panels consisting of a thin fiberglass layer affixed to a sheet of polypropylene Azdel bonded to an aluminum frame. The entire assembly becomes a structural component called Azdel. When thinking about sealants or repairs on the sidewalls, they must adhere to fiberglass.
The roof is a single piece of painted aluminum starting in the front just below the propane tanks at the A frame and running over the top to the rear, ending just after the leveling jacks. The remainder of the underbelly is a black plastic corrugated panel called Coroplast. If any of these surfaces get punctured due to road debris, a physical accident of some type or even a branch falling on the roof, a temporary repair can be made with aluminum tape.
Like the word says, sealants are used between the joints and seams of the RV’s surfaces to keep water from penetrating. It has to stand-up to vibration from road use and degradation from UV rays. Over time, the sealants WILL fail and that will cause the trailer to leak through a factory penetration like a vent, fan or window opening. Each spring and fall the seams are checked for failure and maintained as necessary. It is possible, however, that a section of sealant will fail while you are on the road and reading this should help you through that eventuality.
The word SEALANT was used instead of CAULKING and that’s because when a sealant cures, it remains flexible. This property allows it to remain in place during an expansion/contraction cycle and resist vibration separation. Caulk, on the other hand, becomes rigid making it entirely unsuitable for an RV bouncing along the road.
When you see the phrases “self-leveling” and “non-sag” (beading), pay attention because the products are used in different circumstances. A self-leveling sealant will flow like honey and flatten-out. Using it on horizontal surfaces to seal two seams, a crack and even a flange up to a quarter inch is appropriate. For vertical applications, a non-sag or beading sealant is required because once applied, it holds its shape and doesn’t sag. That also means it doesn’t flow as well into cracks, but each sealant has its strengths and weakness.
On a horizontal surface when sealing a flange greater than a quarter inch, applying multiple layers of self-leveling products just results in a wide but thin flowing mess with little build-up. For these tasks, you would use a no-sag sealant to get the height you need and just realize that it doesn’t flow into cracks as well.
Aluminum Foil Tape
This is what HVAC (Heat, Vent, Air Conditioner) technicians use to repair and assemble commercial air conditioning ducting. It consists of a thin film of aluminum over an adhesive and while it might look like duct tape, it is nothing of the sort. When repairing a damaged metal or fiberglass section, it will act as a moisture barrier sealing out water and provide physical protection. The metal foil won’t break down under UV rays and the adhesive was designed for thermally changing surfaces. To make it easier to make permanent repairs later, use sparingly.
The preferred tape is approximately 4-mil thick and has at least 12 ft-lbs of pulling resistance. A great choice is Shurtape AF100 and you can find it at any air conditioning supply store or even one of the many Grainger locations nationwide. Home Depot carries a thinner version by Nashua called Waterproofing Repair Tape.
Dicor Lap Sealants (Non-Sag and Self-Leveling)
The most likely cause of an interior leak will be failed sealant around a roof penetration. Given the size of the trailer, finding it shouldn’t take that long and the difficult part will be safely reaching the offending area. Assuming you can find a ladder or other means of reaching the source of the leak, you are looking for sealant that is both dirty and easy to peel away from the surface by rubbing your fingers perpendicular to how the bead was laid down. The sealant should be secured firmly, and you are looking for a place where it isn’t. The failed area usually becomes apparent once you use a rubber cleaner as this process moves the material around making gaps visible.
Both nüCamp and Airstream recommend the Dicor brand of sealants. A tube is conveniently kept in the main tool bag; but if missing, can also be purchased while travelling at Camping World. Both the Non-Sag (#551LSW) and the self- leveling (#501LSW) come in 10.3oz tubes that fit into a standard caulking gun you can find at any hardware store. The manufacturer notes that the UV stabilized sealant is excellent for adhering to aluminum, mortar, wood, vinyl, galvanized metal, fiberglass and concrete.
Applying in 50-70-degree temperatures, it will skin over in 5-minutes, become waterproof in 4-hours, cure 80% in 48-hours and cure 100% in 30-days. While the instruction label should clearly describe how to apply and what personal protective equipment (PPE) you should use, expect to purchase a rubber roof cleaner of some type to prepare the area you intend to apply the sealant to and as always, wear protective gloves.
Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure
A mariner named Captain Tolley fought the same battles in the 1980’s that we fight today trying to locate and plug hard to find leaks without having to disassemble his boat. Using capillary action, the water based acrylic co-polymer sealant wicks into small cracks of 1-mm or smaller such as those around screws or rivets. While the Captain used them to seal around stressed fittings such as marine portholes and deck fittings, we can use them around vent, window, and other penetrations where stress cracks develop and allow water to wick from the outside into the trailer.
During application, the sealant should appear a milky white and appear to get sucked into wherever you think the crack is. If instead it immediately pools outside, it probably means you don’t have the right spot. If it just disappears, the crack may be too wide, and you should look on the inside to make sure it isn’t just pouring out somewhere. What you expect to see is the sealant being drawn in, backing up, being drawn in again and then pooling on the outside. Apply sparingly meaning only use enough sealant so you can stop as soon as it starts to pool. As a point of reference, a 1-mm crack would be as wide as three grains of table salt end-to-end, or the gap between the columns of the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse of a US penny or 2/3’s of the width of a pinhead.
As it cures it will look like a small puddle of paint would; firming-up from the outside in. After 24-hours it is fully cured forming a clear, flexible, and strong bond that can be painted or caulked over.
Manufacturer FAQ says: (1) you can apply around existing sealants, (2) once cured it resists most everyday chemicals, (3) the area exposed to sunlight should be so small not to pose a problem (4) it is water-based and non-toxic, (5) best to apply while the area is dry but if a “small degree” of moisture remains, it will still work.
White Lithium Grease
Used when the lubricant must stay in place under medium to high pressure applications such as hinges and garage door rails. PRO: Stays in place, doesn’t drip and prevents corrosion. CON: Water soluble, stays tacky and retains dirt.
Marine Grease
Applied to trailer wheel bearings, shafts and gears that are constantly exposed and often immersed in water. Designed to prevent rust while preventing moving parts from seizing. PRO: Can handle high torque loads while remaining in place and is the most water resistant of any grease. CON: Petroleum based, stays tacky and holds dirt and dust
Synthetic Grease
Applied to trailer wheel bearings, shafts and gears that are under heavy load, high torque, high sheer stress and high temperatures. PRO: Lowest rolling friction of any grease and remains in place under high temperature. Lasts longer than petroleum-based products. CON: Stays tacky and holds dirt and dust. Most expensive.
Silicone
Used on porous surfaces where things slide against each other such as drawer slides, light duty hinges, weather stripping, etc. PRO: Extremely slippery, non- reactive to most substances and repels water. CON: Extremely slippery and holds dirt and dust. DO NOT use on or near electrical connections. Paint will not stick to anything that was sprayed with silicone. NEVER washes away!
Graphite Powder
This dry lubricant doesn’t attract dust or dirt, so it is ideal for locks and tumblers. It can create quite a mess so keep its use limited to small amount in locks.
WD40 Rust Penetrating Oil
This is NOT a lubricant and should be thought of as a cleaner and rust inhibitor first! Unsticks metals that are oxidized together while being a 1-year corrosion inhibitor and a light lubricant. PRO: Rust penetrating solvents get into threads and cracks and breaks down oxidation and rust. It then remains as a corrosion preventative by displacing water. CON: Doesn’t stay slippery very long. Don’t use on hinges, locks or bike chains as it will attract dust and dirt.
McLube Sailkote
Another marine sourced product is Team McLube Sailkote which is typically used to make sails and rigging slide more smoothly. As a dry lubricant it dries quickly forming a slick, smooth, hard surface that doesn’t attract dirt and won’t wipe-off onto other surfaces. Described as a hydrophobic coating, it bonds strongly when applied to a clean surface and the manufacturer bill it as being five times more effective and longer lasting than Teflon or silicone-based products. If this is the product that sailors rely on to make it easier to move heavy sails along their sliding tracks, then it can be relied upon to do the same for similar surfaces in the travel trailer.
Dielectric Grease
A silicone-based grease which lubricates and protects electrical contacts by repelling dirt, salt, oils and moisture. By warding off corrosion, it helps reduce voltage drop It does not conduct electricity but the grease is designed to flow in such a way that permit the metal contacts to touch each other while sealing the connection from the ambient environment. Perfect for the 7-pin connector contact points.
Aerospace 303
Aerospace 303 is to plastics and rubber what suntan lotion is to a bather. It has an SPF45 providing UV protection to hard plastics, black trim, clear polycarbonate, vinyl and the rubber gasket liners of our storage compartments. At the beginning and end of each season, we wipe down all the door and window gaskets with 303 keeping them soft and prevent cracking and aging from UV. DO NOT use it on glass, paint or chrome. According to California, it will kill you or make you grow multiple heads so don’t use it there.
Trailer 7-pin Connector
You are looking at the end of the connector that you plug into the TV when hitching-up. While we provide a storage place on the hitch jack to keep it off the ground and out of the dirt while disconnected, unavoidably this end will at some point get corroded and full of dirt and debris. While it should be checked each time while hooking-up, maintaining it is often an end or beginning of season task. If you are here because the trailer failed its pre-Departure light check, a cleaning is the first step.
The 7-pin connects the travel trailer and TV in SEVEN important ways.
Cleaning procedure
Knock the connector against the palm of your hand while aiming the pin towards the ground to remove as much loose material as possible.
There should be a Ziplock bag in the top zipper compartment of the big tool kit containing a tube of DeoxIT, a burnishing file and a tube of Dielectric grease. NOTE: If using in the State of California, like everything else, it contains chemicals which are known to cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm.
DeoxIT Electrical Cleaner is a fast-acting deoxidizing solution that cleans and lubricates metal contacts. We take these 7-pin connectors for granted but clean contacts mean reliable electrical conductivity which translates into having our travel trailer stop when you press the brake pedal. Think of DeoxIT as soap for electrical connectors. Clean one contact at a time. You only need ONE DROP per contact.
Use the GC9338 burnishing file to gently scrub each contact surface until you can see the copper under whatever layers of dirt or green oxidation may exist. Depending on how bad things had gotten, what once appeared black will now appear light brown / copper colored. On the vehicle side which has the male blades, you need to clean both sides of the blade. The RV side is female, so you only need to clean the inside of the tabs.
Once everything has been cleaned, apply what Grandma would call a “pinch” or “dab” of dielectric grease onto each contact surface. It protects electrical contacts by repelling dirt, salt, oils and moisture. Immediately insert the plug into the truck to get the grease into the nooks and crannies. Take it out and put it in again a few times. The dielectric grease will protect the contacts by lubricating and warding off corrosion which helps reduce voltage drop
NOTE: A clean contact is of special importance for the brake controller since they work by sending variable voltage to the electric brakes. If the brake controller is sending the correct voltage but a lower one is being received due to a bad contact, the driver will think that everything is set correctly when it isn’t.
As an aside, the same problem described above for the 7-pin can afflict the 30-AMP twist-lock power cord connections on the RV. Fortunately, these are larger and easier to clean but the concepts above still apply. At home, we use the large cans of CRC #05113 Dialectric Grease and CRC QD Contact Cleaner sourced at Home Depot. For use on the road, there are small tubes of the following in the zipper pouch of the toolbag.
Product Manufacturer Part
Dialectric Grease 3 oz Permatex #22058
DeoxIT Cleaner 2ML CAIG Labs D100L-2C
Burnishing Tool 0.25” x 3” GC Electronics, GC-9338
Winterizing
As we live in Southern California, we will likely never Winterize while at home. We do camp during the winter months, however, and can imagine encountering weather conditions that would require us to do so. For us, Winterizing will consist of emptying the tanks and blowing the lines out with compressed air. The recommendations call for adding a non-toxic, pink RV antifreeze by pouring down the drains and toilet. If we are expecting below freezing conditions for only a few hours during the night, most likely we will skip this step.
Disconnect the city water hose. Since we will be using a compressor on the ground and because propane is heavier than air, out of an abundance of caution, turn off the tank. Put chocks in front of, and behind, both wheels.
Directions for blowing out water from the lines is found in the nüCamp owner’s manual, but I have copied directions from here. Basically, we need to dump the tanks, drain the fresh water, the water lines, the Alde tank, and blew out the lines with the compressor. The nüCamp manual instructs us to use 50 PSI when blowing out the lines, but one owner notes that the shower plumbing is rated for 40 PSI. I have kept the nüCamp recommendation in this manual but may choose to use a lower setting when the time comes. I have not heard of problems with other users blowing -out a crimp-fitting on the PEX plumbing lines. This would indeed be problematic if it happened behind a wall somewhere.
Turn off the Alde and allow the tank to cool before draining the Alde Hot Water Tank. When operating the drain valves, note they closed when perpendicular to the pipe and open when parallel.
To Drain
- With the T@B level and the stabilizers up, open the Fresh Water Tank Drain Valve located in front of the passenger side wheel. Let the water drain until it stops dripping. Then, lower the tongue to the lowest position to fully drain the remainder of the tank.
- Unscrew the shower heads / hoses and drain the hoses.
- Turn on the Water Pump and pressurize the plumbing system. This will assist drainage of the Alde Hot Water Tank. Once pressurized, turn off the pump.
- With the T@B level, place a bucket under the Alde Safety Relief/Drain Valve and open the valve (yellow flapper). Raise the tongue to fully drain the remainder of the tank. You should get about 2.5 gallons of water. Close valve when tank empties.
- Next, open the Hot and Cold Water Drain Valves that exit through the T@B floor. This will empty your pipes via gravity in preparation for the blow out. Then close the valves.
- Next, place a towel under the water pump, disconnect both pump hose fitting.
To Blow Out
It is best to open, blow out, then close one outlet at a time (faucet/toilet/valve). Blow out until only air exits each outlet, keeping pressure under 50 PSI. If you are using a low powered compressor or bike pump, you must allow pressure to build up after blowing out each outlet/faucet/valve.
- Screw the RV blow out plug into the City Water Fill and attach your compressor.
- Start the compressor, slowly increasing pressure, limiting to a maximum of 50 PSI.
- First blow out the toilet flush valve by flushing several times until only air exits the outlet.
- After the toilet, open the shower taps and kitchen sink - hot and cold taps one at a time.
- Lastly, open and blow out the Cold Water Drain Valve and the Hot Water Drain Valve.
- Turn off and remove the air pressure source and RV blow out plug.
- Confirm closure of all faucets and drain valves. Level the T@B.
To Fill
- Use your favorite method to rinse, then empty your gray and black tanks. Close the valves, replace the covers.
- Pour 2 cups RV antifreeze down the sink(s) and shower drains - to fill the P traps and then, open and close the gray tank valve to replace any residual water with antifreeze.
- Open the toilet trap and pour in 2 cups of RV antifreeze to send antifreeze into the black tank/valves. With the toilet trap closed, add 1-2 cups of antifreeze to the bowl to protect the bowl seal. Close the toilet lid. Lastly, open and close the black tank valve to replace any residual water with antifreeze.
De-Winterizing (Sanitize)
- Mix a bleach solution, “½ cup per gallon of water” Flush the system with this solution to sanitize it.
- Then flush it with 2 full tanks of water to get rid of the sanitizing solution.
Weigh the Trailer
Many RV owners take their setup to a CAT scale to be weighed. You should not pull over to a freeway scale used by truckers, but rather find one at a gas station, dump station, or other station that is not strictly for commercial users. (I can find several near my house using Google Maps.). The phone APP “Weigh My Truck” allows you to drive onto the scales and using Bluetooth, weigh and pay. Two passes are required: FIRST is the truck and trailer with one axle on each of the 3 large pads. SECOND is just the truck with one axle on each pad. Weighing with the trailer attached and axle on each pad, then disconnecting and weighing only the truck, you can do the math and see the tongue weight contribution on the rear axle.
The effect on "tongue weight" of adding or removing weight (W) from various locations is simply the weight times the distance forward of the axle (L1) divided by the distance of the hitch ball socket from the axle (L2). (W x L1/L2).
Moving In
Upgrades
Faucet
We installed a Crea kitchen faucet. This upgrade has a higher height and pull-out sprayer. Installation was straight-forward.
KingCamp trailer shade
Trailer shades be purchased from sites such as Pahaque. We like our KingCamp awning, in that it provides a larger shade area, and only cost $130. We also purchased Keder rope and sewed along the length of the awning. (In the T@B trailer forum, search for King Camp, and look for the post by Kristin Foreman August 27, 2015.) The window of the awning was a problem, so I sewed it shut. We have found that the awning does quite well in the wind.
We would love to have the All Pro Adventures Walker Tent $1850, to add an extra room when camping with the grandkids, but this is out of our budget.
Window awnings
Using a pattern posted on the T@B forum Facebook site, I made window awnings for all three windows. These are not just decorative but serve to keep the camper cool in the summer by providing shade.
Accessories
Clam Quick Set
This tent is easy to set up --- just pull on the side straps and it snaps into place. We have the 11.5 ft, six-sided unit, which fits over campground picnic tables. It provides shade, and keeps the bugs out. We did have a problem in Tucson, when a wind kicked up and blew the tent into our trailer, then it continued on into a tree. The trailer was scratched, and the tent tore in several places. We repaired using filament tape, and continue to enjoy it despite the now cosmetic features. A note – we had the tent secured with the ground anchors when this happened, but obviously needed to add the side guy-lines with the provided string.
Rugs
One of our first purchases. Found this 5x7 ft perfect size for our outdoor needs, and another smaller 2x3 ft for inside.
Tables
Although our camper comes equipped with 2 Lagun table mounts, it did not come with the Lagun bracket or table. Instead, we use a Camp Chef Mesa Aluminum Camp Table. It sets up quickly and easily, has an adjustable height, and stores with an accordion fold to a narrow width. We also use two aluminum foldable camping tables. We move one indoors to stack drying dishes, or use outdoors as side tables for our camping chairs.
Trash
We keep a hanging trash frame hooked to our shower door, using used produce bags. We also have an outdoor collapsible trash bin. We keep two bags in this, secured by clips: one half for trash and the other for recycle.
Cooking appliances
We keep a small 700 W microwave stored under the rear Passenger-side bin. In addition, we love our Cobb BBQ, but a warning. It comes with a basic grill plate, but by the time we purchased the optional frying pan, frying dish, BBQ grid, and chicken roaster --- the cost doubled. We have also travelled with our Dutch oven or instant pot, prior to purchasing the BBQ.
Collapsible kitchen ware
We have a collapsible dish drainer, and salad spinner. Saves space!!!
Storage ottoman
We purchased two 11.8” storage ottomans that are just the right height to fit underneath the bed slats, when the bed is made. I keep my clothes here, in packing cubes. The grandkids use them as tables when they join us.
Décor
Some prefer to be minimalistic and absolutely add no décor, and others love to add color, art, and fun. We are a couple at the extreme but opposite ends of this spectrum. I (Carol) love to sew and paint, and love to surround myself with color and items that I have designed and created myself. This includes a bed quilt, custom made to fit our shortened California King bed, embroidered throw pillows, and two pieces of art that I painted using acrylic paint. I have also added curtains, with a single leather tie-back per window that I purchased from Etsy. You know the saying: “Happy wife, happy life!!”
For future consideration
Propane Tank Monitor
The propane tank is in the aluminum tub on the front of the trailer. A magnet holds a sensor to the bottom of the tank which uses a form of sonar to determine how much LPG remains in the tank and transmits that via Bluetooth to a smartphone app. The smartphone app also shows you the status of the remaining battery life in percent, so you can replace it when needed. Search for “MOPEKATANK CHECK” in the app store to download.
Portable Air Compressor
For emergency winterizing. Amazon.com. Don’t forget the blowout adapter.
Alde Outdoor Temperature Sensor
The Alde monitor panel can display the outdoor temperature. To do so you need to purchase a sensor, which connects into the Alde heater underneath the rear driver’s side compartment. To order the sensor contact Truma at 1-855-558-7862 x2 and ask for the 8 ft. outdoor temperature sensor, part number 3010221, $16 (but $22 shipping). We drilled a hole through the floor, a few inches away from the Alde unit and being cognizant of where it came out from the bottom. Then inserted the connector end up from the bottom, and connected where indicated on the Alde. Their schematic makes it obvious where to connect. The other end screwed into a vertical surface underneath. Used a sealant to finish the task.
Victron SmartShunt 500 Amp battery monitor
The trailer comes with a battery condition indicator on the SeeLevel monitor, and additional information on the Victron Charge Controller. But to really understand battery level, experienced campers recommend a shunt to measure battery output current. We plan to install the Victron SmartShunt 500. This tracks actual usage over time and therefore has the information to tell you what percent of usable battery energy remains.
Generator
- Honda EU2000i propane
- 6-foot propane hose with regulator
- Quart 5W-30 synthetic oil & funnel
- Generator Cover
The Honda EU2000 is recommended because it is relatively light-weight and for those few times when you must run the air conditioner, two can be connected (shown above) using a companion cable. Moreover, they have something called ECO Throttle which adjusts the engine speed (and noise) according to how much power you are drawing which is different from non-ECO models which run at whatever speed (and noise level) needed to produce the full wattage rating regardless of how much is being used. Lastly, we chose the EU because it produces power as a typical generator and then sends it through a device called an inverter which electrically cleans it up making it safe for electronics such as the ALDE, TV and so forth.
The GenConnex conversion removed the gasoline tank and replaced the carburetor with one that uses propane from the 20# tank carried with the trailer. We felt this was safer than carrying around volatile gasoline and you can run the generator for as long as the propane tank has fuel. Plus, it’s easy and very safe to transport the 20# BBQ style propane tanks in summer heat.
The 2000-watt unit would produce 16.6 AMPS at 120-VOLTS at full power. Your typical use would be to run one appliance or to charge the batteries for 3-4 hours bringing them to 100% SOC.
You don’t need the surge suppressor. Use a dogbone and plug into the standard 30-AMP connector using the regular power cable.