Driftin': Need Advice For Maiden Voyage
unlost dogs
Posts: 12,553
So tomorrow I'm taking camp Unlost Dogs for its maiden voyage from Boston to New Hampshire. Trailerless, I make this trip in an hour. With trailer, I'm figuring maybe 2. As I will be going very, very carefully.
The trailer is in the driveway. It's 23 feet long. I have no trailering experience. Well, except driving it home from the dealership, and then the other night, driving it around the public landing and backing up (and managing not to end up in the water).
I haven't done anything to it since bringing it home from the dealership, except that I made the bed, I put some cookware and paper plates in the cabinets, and some spatulas and cooking implements in the drawers. (Prompting Mr. Unlost to remark, "We have all those things in our kitchen, and you never use them. What makes you think you'll use them in the trailer?" Funny guy, Mr. Unlost.)
Anyway, so I'm off to the RMV first thing in the morning to pay the sales tax and get the plates. Then I'll be on the road by 1 or 2.
Here's the advice I'm seeking: I pulled out the giant packet of stuff that the dealer gave me. I mean pages and pages of instruction manuals about everything from the fire extinguisher to the toilet to the propane tanks and the electrical system. It's all really dense and boring.
Do I really need to read all of it, or do you think I can just wing it?
And please, no subsequent threads with a PJ pool betting on the date that the trailer will a) become unhitched and go rolling down the highway, b) experience a severe plumbing backup, c) blow up or, d) all of the above)
I was going to read the manuals today, but then I got onto the RMV website and started looking for vanity plates and realized that UNLOST is available which would be pretty cool. And then I started posting, and, well, we all know how that goes...
Oh, and when I put the hitch thingie into the receiver on the Pathfinder, there's a bolt that holds it in place. There's a hole in that bolt, anybody know if I need to put a pin in there? Mr. Unlost didn't think it was necessary, but I though, "Hmmm. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to drill a hole through that bolt. I bet they didn't do that for kicks."
Plus I have these four pins... I'm not entirely sure what they're for, but they seem important.
The trailer is in the driveway. It's 23 feet long. I have no trailering experience. Well, except driving it home from the dealership, and then the other night, driving it around the public landing and backing up (and managing not to end up in the water).
I haven't done anything to it since bringing it home from the dealership, except that I made the bed, I put some cookware and paper plates in the cabinets, and some spatulas and cooking implements in the drawers. (Prompting Mr. Unlost to remark, "We have all those things in our kitchen, and you never use them. What makes you think you'll use them in the trailer?" Funny guy, Mr. Unlost.)
Anyway, so I'm off to the RMV first thing in the morning to pay the sales tax and get the plates. Then I'll be on the road by 1 or 2.
Here's the advice I'm seeking: I pulled out the giant packet of stuff that the dealer gave me. I mean pages and pages of instruction manuals about everything from the fire extinguisher to the toilet to the propane tanks and the electrical system. It's all really dense and boring.
Do I really need to read all of it, or do you think I can just wing it?
And please, no subsequent threads with a PJ pool betting on the date that the trailer will a) become unhitched and go rolling down the highway, b) experience a severe plumbing backup, c) blow up or, d) all of the above)
I was going to read the manuals today, but then I got onto the RMV website and started looking for vanity plates and realized that UNLOST is available which would be pretty cool. And then I started posting, and, well, we all know how that goes...
Oh, and when I put the hitch thingie into the receiver on the Pathfinder, there's a bolt that holds it in place. There's a hole in that bolt, anybody know if I need to put a pin in there? Mr. Unlost didn't think it was necessary, but I though, "Hmmm. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to drill a hole through that bolt. I bet they didn't do that for kicks."
Plus I have these four pins... I'm not entirely sure what they're for, but they seem important.
15 years of sharks 06/30/08 (MA), 05/17/10 (Boston), 09/03/11 (Alpine Valley), 09/04/11 (Alpine Valley), 09/30/12 (Missoula), 07/19/13 (Wrigley), 10/15/13 (Worcester), 10/16/13 (Worcester), 10/25/13 (Hartford), 12/4/13 (Vancouver), 12/6/13 (Seattle), 6/26/14 (Berlin), 6/28/14 (Stockholm), 10/16/14 (Detroit)
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Have you though about life insurance :?
I would go and find a 'locking' hitch bolt, they cost about $30 and save you from losing those darn pins.
At least read about the fire extinguisher and how to use the black tank i.e. hook up the hose to the tank and the other end to the dump out station BEFORE you open the black tank valve
add a box of latex gloves to the camper for this procedure...you WILL get black tank goo on you at one point or another no matter how careful you are.
Got a 'theme' to your trailer yet? I still don't have one :(
- Christopher McCandless
also, you can put it on the trailer hitch while storing it, and nobody can drive off with your trailer.
- Christopher McCandless
As for the black tank, I'm thinking I may ban the elimination of solid waste in the trailer. That way I don't ever have to worry about the whole "black tank" nastiness, right? It sounds so ominous... "black tank." And there's a "gray tank" too.
During the checkout, the guy showed me all this stuff, but honestly, I was busy thinking about what would be the first PJ song I'd play (it was "The Long Road") on the sound system, and which show had the best version. (Berlin 2010.)
Then when he was showing me the refrigerator, I was thinking, "I should probably secure the beer somehow so it doesn't roll around." Then I thought about what kind of beer would be best, and I settled on Sam Adams Boston Lager. I know there are two buttons to turn the fridge on. One has something to do with propane and the other doesn't. I'm not sure which one does what, or what, together or separately depressed, they do.
Maybe I should read that part, too.
other tidbits:
* make sure the electrical is working (as in the lights and stuff) ...
* remember your vehicle is now that much longer if you are changing lanes ... give yourself lots of room
* if you are worried about theft ... try and park the trailer so that someone just can't unhitch it and attach it to their hitch
insert the pins!!!
see if Mr. Unlost can install a camera to the trailer and set up a 24hr streaming website for the video feed.
and good luck
oh yah, the dogs will be in the Pathfinder, nor the trailer, right :?
Has Boo Boo already claimed dibs on your Hartford EV tix? If not, I think we should set up a giveaway thread...just in case :twisted:
you'll be fine. i can already see it now. You, driving 30mph on the freeway...manic people all around you honking and screaming obscenities. Do us all a favor..please remove the PJ stickers from your ride. Don't want u giving us all a bad rep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ru1l2gN88
and don't buy the orange/green tank deoderizer junk...I'f you're just going for the weekend, dump out, fluch the tiolet a bunch of times, and that will rinse out the tank...believe me, if you don't dump..it will smell!
I have a new friend, Cottonelle wipes. YES they are ok for the black tank too.
Propane fridges are tricky to start, but awesome.
You do have a hose and shorepower cord right?
oh...you may also want to get 'trailer mirrors' they strap onto your pathfinder side mirrors and extend out...helps you see behind you and are great for merging.
- Christopher McCandless
they're called cotter pins
but go with the locking bolt
from their experiences I have learned a few things:
do not for god's sake call the thing a 'camper', it is an RV, I cannot stress this enough (I actually sneak in camper a few times just to see him get all red and ticked off, hehe)
I do not ever want to know black water or grey water or why they are called that or what they are used for, I prefer clear water.
I prefer hotel rooms, thank you
Would you prefer color or b&w for dramatic effect.
high speed so you can replay key moments in super slow motion
and if twisty ties is putting dibs on your Ed tix, can I put dibs in for Sailor? I want a yellow labbie to match my chocolate one!
- Christopher McCandless
And yeah definitely, use the pins, you don't want that sucker rolling backward down a New Hampshire country road.
And make sure you stop at Sullivan's ice cream shop, they make the best homemade coconut ice cream I've ever had.
and third use for fire to start.
The Pool has begun!!!
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I'm sure I'll be fine as long as I'm going forward. If I'm backing up: Be warned, pedestrians, lawn chairs and telephone poles.
Okay, I will read as much as I can about the refrigerator. And the propane tanks. But this hitching stuff, man it's a pain in the ass! I do remember that I'm supposed to cross the chains underneath the hitch. They look stylin' that way.
But first, off to buy two new pillows and a case of beer. And then the locking pin, the side mirrors and _ ooooh, is that the pizza delivery guy?!?
See you on COPS, unlost!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEHHkx929T8
:shock:
just make sure you link the two chains to the tow hitch as well. if the cotter pin (or locking pin) fails you will save your trailer and perhaps a life.
Okay, I figured out how to turn the refrigerator on. And I know where the fire extinguisher is.
It's all good, it's all good.
Now, what's this about "grounding" stuff and not touching metal parts of the trailer? That seems a little severe. But I am reading the various handouts and I'm making lots of notes.
Holy crap there's a lot to do with this. I just want to pull up, put the jacks down, and crack open a beer. :evil:
that's why my version of camping takes place in a hotel room
But it will be soooooooo nice to wake up and be right there, watching the sun rise over the agility ring... nothing like seeing dawn's first rays illuminating the A-frame.
And man, it sure will be better than my tent was in the rain.
just think, you can just pull up, straighten out, put the jacks up and you'rre set.
I have:
so we pull in, park, un-chain camper from truck, then crank the camper up on the jacks, drive the truck out, then crank the camper down, hook up the shorepower, water, turn on fridge...prob takes about an hour to set up.
believe me, you have it easier! well unless we don't need to drive the truck anywhere, then we just level the camper.
- Christopher McCandless
But first, must check the fridge to figure out if it's cold enough for beer yet.
One must have priorities, you know.
This is by far the most thought out and serious post I have ever made...
so with that I say nutsack
Abrn Hlls '98 - Clarkston 2 '03 - Grd Rpds '06 - Abrn Hlls '06 - Clvd '10 - PJ20 - Berlin 1+2 '12 - Wrigley '13 - Pitt '13- buff '13- Philly 1+2 '13 - Seattle '13