Wife and I got started camping again in March 2012 with new truck and TT trailer. Did a lot of studying along the way waiting for retirement and the time to travel. Thought I would pass on a few of the things I learned the hard way.
1. If running on 30 Amps do not run A/C and Micro Wave at same time, watch what you have running or the Circuit Breaker on the Pedestal or in the trailer will open.
2. Do not run the toilet fan when the toilet valve is open (flushing) you wind up drafting air down the Black tank vent and into the trailer, not good on the old nose!
3. Buy if you do not have a clear pipe for the Black Tank drain hose and when you dump attach to the trailers drain pipe, helps know when tanks are empty and if you have a Black tank flush when the Black tank is clean.
4. Getting weight checked at a scale is a very good idea. Keep weight down as best you can. If trailer is TT check height of wheel wells front and back of truck before attaching trailer and after, want front height to be same loaded as when unloaded, this will show how well weight transfer hitch is working.
5. Check tire pressure on trailer each time you hit the road.
6. Check date on your tires, (DOT4512 example) tire made in week 45 of year 2012. Tires age out faster then they where out. Four to five years.
7. Watch your speed, heavy trailers are hard on tires, and 55 MPH gives better mileage and less heat in the tire.
8. Tire Minder is a good investment for safety.
9. Hand signals agreed upon before backing up and the person signaling should always be visible to the driver.
10. Small portable electric heaters work great and save LP gas when temperatures above freezing.
11. Sky lights, they can let in a lot of light in the morning as well as heat and cold, Camping World has a great push in cushion that just fills the skylight.
12. You can run Refrigerator on LP the night before loading so it is ready to go in the Morning if no 110V is available.
13. Wipe dishes and drain any cans into garbage bag, do not dump down drain, rots and can build up in Gray tanks.
14. Cougar remote control, if you turn on the floodlight you must turn off with the remote or it will stay on. The remote can turn on the flood light even if you have the power from your batteries turned off and are not attached to shore power!
15. Electric hoist on a TT is a very nice addition.
16. Before taking off or putting on Spring Bars, run the jack up to help take weight off the bars. Always set both sides the same number of chain links, check tow vehicle front wheel wells to see if before loading height and after loading trailer and spring bars the height is the same or close, this to make sure you are transferring enough weight back onto the front wheels after attaching trailer.
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2012 Cougar TT, 24RKSWE, 27'
2012 Tundra 4.6V8, 2wd, dbl cab
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