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Old 09-28-2015, 05:22 AM   #1
Timcharlie
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First Time Out

Good Morning All,
Took our 2016 Keystone Cougar 32FBS out for her maiden trip this past weekend. For the most part it went well. Since we are new to the Travel Trailer lifestyle there are some things we need to learn:

Leveling and stabilizing the trailer - I checked the level and was pretty good for front to back. Checked side to side and was off a little so I used the leveling blocks under one side of the trailer and that helped. Put the leveling jacks down but the trailer still seemed "shaky" whenever we or our dog moved around. So i have to learn how to handle that better.

The Hot Water Heater - There is an on/off switch outside on the hot water heater box as well as a switch inside the trailer when running on electric. So we switched on the outside switch and not the inside switch and found not much hot water. So we turned off the outside switch thinking was to be only used when boondocking, and turned on the inside switch only. Got warm water but not hot. So we are thinking both switches need to be on. We will find out for sure when we talk with our sales person next time we are up to the dealership.

One issue we did have was the queen size bed in the master bedroom pulled away from the wall, presumably when we were putting the slide out. It looks like it is only held in place by two drywall screws into the "paneling" on the wall. So I will talk to the dealer and ask them to fix that for us and hopefully make it more secure.

The only other "issue" we had was with our Greyhound .....he was out of his normal element so he was off kilter on Saturday night. He is used to sleeping in the bedroom with us at night at home, and he did not like the bed we brought with us for him to sleep on so he slept on the couch in the living room. It seemed like every hour he was whining because he could not "see"us. So next time we will bring his better bed and one of his favorite blankets and pillow and hopefully that will help a little more. But it looks like we are done for this season as it is getting cooler around here.

How long does it take to get used to the bounciness of the trailer when driving......lol.....it felt like the trailer was pushing and puling a little on some of the more "uneven" roads. Something else to get used to as we go along......

But for our first trip very positive and we will be looking forward to next season.

Tim
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Old 09-28-2015, 07:13 AM   #2
KSH
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The trailer shouldn't be bouncing you around. You need a weight distribution hitch with sway control.

Make sure your tow vehicle is rated for the weight of the trailer you are towing.

I bought a pro pride weight distribution hitch.
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Old 09-28-2015, 07:43 AM   #3
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Agree with the other responder about the weight distribution hitch with sway control. Surprised your dealer didn't bring it up.

I bought one of Eaz-Lift Bent Bar W/D hitch Part No. 48058
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Old 09-28-2015, 09:41 AM   #4
Timcharlie
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Re: First Time Out

Hey Guys,
Thanks for th input. We do have a Weight Distributing Hitch and Sway Bar. We have the Reese Dual Cam HP (High Performance Sway Control). I have not noticed it much before but this was the first time we took it on a longer trip than just up to the local parking lot for test drives. I am going to talk with the dealership next time I am up there in the near future.
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Old 09-28-2015, 09:52 AM   #5
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There are some good YouTube videos on how to properly setup a weight distribution hitch which may be beneficial to you.
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Old 09-28-2015, 10:25 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timcharlie View Post
The Hot Water Heater - There is an on/off switch outside on the hot water heater box as well as a switch inside the trailer when running on electric. So we switched on the outside switch and not the inside switch and found not much hot water. So we turned off the outside switch thinking was to be only used when boondocking, and turned on the inside switch only. Got warm water but not hot. So we are thinking both switches need to be on. We will find out for sure when we talk with our sales person next time we are up to the dealership.
Tim, how long did you wait between switching the inside switch on and checking the water? It takes a while.


I believe the outside switch is your electric water heater element and the inside switch is propane. Both can be used, but the electrical heat is a little more effective and if it's not working currently, you'll want to get that checked out.


A photo of the water heater from the outside would verify.
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Old 09-28-2015, 11:45 AM   #7
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If you have an outside shower, make sure the faucet knobs are closed, otherwise you're mixing hot and cold in your system.
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Old 09-28-2015, 12:02 PM   #8
Timcharlie
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Re: First Time Out

Thanks CBRamsey, I am starting to think I may need to adjust the sway bar setup a little to see if that helps. I will check out the You tube videos for sure.

DCG - we got the campsite late Friday afternoon and set everything up and turned on the switch and left it on overnight. Saturday morning we got up and checked and found warm water in the bathroom but not in the kitchen faucet. So we saw the switch inside the trailer, one marked for electric and one marked for propane so we switched on the inside switch and turned off the outside switch. So by Saturday night we did not have any hot water so we turned off both switches and did without since we were leaving on Sunday anyhow. When we are up at the storage facility next I will take a pic post it.

Scarem - we do have an outside shower and I believe both knobs were off but now I will have to check. Thanks for the info.
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Old 09-28-2015, 12:40 PM   #9
Grbill
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On our trailer both electric switches must be on for electric water heater. For gas it doesn't matter if the outside switch is on or off.
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Old 09-28-2015, 12:57 PM   #10
Timcharlie
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Re: First Time Out

Bill,
I am thinking that may be the case with our trailer as well. My wife was "afraid" to try that this weekend but I am thinking that may make sense since there are two switches, one inside and one outside.

Tim
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Old 09-28-2015, 04:31 PM   #11
Ken / Claudia
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With the right truck, right tires on it, and suspension including the right hitch and that hitch is set up correctly,your trailer should not be pulling and pushing you around. Things like what truck you have and tires and what psi you are using well help get good advice.
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Old 09-28-2015, 05:30 PM   #12
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Without a doubt, you need the switch on the tank "ON" and the switch on the panel inside marked Electric Water Heater "ON" AND the breaker in your converter panel marked Water Heater "ON" in order for the electric to work.

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Old 09-28-2015, 05:31 PM   #13
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The caution with using the electric element is that it can burn out easily if you leave it on without water in the tank. Always throw one or all of the switches to off when in between camping trips.

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Old 09-28-2015, 06:04 PM   #14
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Looking back at previous posts made by the OP, it looks like he is towing his 36' travel trailer with a 2009 Nissan Titan. If that is the situation, then I'm of the opinion that his tow vehicle is not up to the task of towing such a large trailer and the "pushing and pulling" experienced could be a combination of a poorly adjusted hitch, P series tires and a "too small" tow vehicle.

More information on the rig and actual weights of the trailer would be "enlightening."
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Old 09-28-2015, 07:23 PM   #15
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With it being a new trailer that u havent used before check and see if your bypass valve on the water heater is open . It might be just circulating and not giving you the hot water. Just a thought
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Old 09-28-2015, 09:57 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timcharlie View Post
Hey Guys,
Thanks for th input. We do have a Weight Distributing Hitch and Sway Bar. We have the Reese Dual Cam HP (High Performance Sway Control). I have not noticed it much before but this was the first time we took it on a longer trip than just up to the local parking lot for test drives. I am going to talk with the dealership next time I am up there in the near future.
Go to the scales and make sure it's adjusted properly

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Old 09-28-2015, 09:58 PM   #17
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Nissan titan? What's the tow rating on your truck?
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Old 09-29-2015, 04:41 AM   #18
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Re: First Time Out

Good Morning all,
Thanks for all the input and advice. I will try to answer all the questions as well as I can:
Ken/Claudia - My truck is a 2009 Nissan Titan LE equipped with the Tow Package. The tires are Michelin LTX M+S2 at 38 PSI when last checked.

Bill_ Thanks for the input - we will definitely try that next time we are out and i am sure that will be the solution. And we will definitely make sure the switches are turned off when not in use.

JRTJH - John - It is a 2009 Nissan Titan LE with the Tow Package. The listed dry weight of the trailer is 7400 Lbs and we had it empty when we towed it this last time. I am not sure of the actual weights since we have not taken it to any official scales yet.

Willy 3805 - Bypass valve? I will have to look into that and see if that may also have contributed.

KSH - I am wondering if I may need to adjust to smooth out the ride. Since this was the first time we have taken it out for a trip we set the sway bars to the setting the dealership recommended and they did state that we may have to adjust as we go along. So that may be the situation. When we did tow it previously to the nearest parking lot, i can't say we felt the pushing and pulling previously so I will make adjustments and see how that helps.

The tow rating on my truck is 9300 Lbs. with a GCWR of 15,100 Lbs.

Again, thanks for all the input and advice, we, as newbies, can definitely use it.

Tim
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Old 09-29-2015, 05:20 AM   #19
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Leveling, check the side to side before you disconnect. Put leveling blocks down on the low side, and pull up on them.

Stabilizer, those legs ain't worth nothin. My camper shakes when my 10 lb Shih Tsu walks thru. I just ordered a pair of Husky scissor jacks for the rear. Will test them out on next trip.

Water heater, both switches must be on. The inside switch is for convenience, so you don't have to go outside. The electric heating element is only to maintain hot temperature. The gas has a faster recovery time. Turn the gas switch on 10 minutes before you step in the shower. Remember, you only have six gallons of hot water.
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Old 09-29-2015, 05:43 AM   #20
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timcharlie,

Your Titan is a "capable" tow vehicle when used within its limitations. Those limitations aren't "just the tow package rating".

Things to consider:

Payload The weight of your hitch, tongue weight of your "loaded, ready to travel" trailer, passengers, cargo in the bed of the truck and anything else added to the truck since it was built (mats, tool box, extra battery, etc) all must be included in your calculations.

GCWR: The Gross Combined Weight Rating (15,100) is the maximum you can weigh. As an example, if the truck "empty" weight is 4800, then you could tow a trailer weighing up to 10,300. BUT, when you load the truck with passengers and cargo up to its GVW (7100) the maximum trailer size decreases. 15,100 - 7100 = 8000.

FAWR/RAWR: The front and rear axles on your truck have a maximum rating that is listed on the door jamb sticker. Not only are the GVW, GCWR and MTW important, but you shouldn't consider towing if you're overloaded on either the front or the rear axle maximum weight.

Maximum Tongue Weight: The Nissan Towing Guide, 2009 edition, provides information that states the Titan "maximum tongue weight" is in the 890-950 pound range. The empty tongue weight of the 32FBS is listed at 965 (before adding propane, battery and any cargo) which is over the maximum Titan recommendation.

I would urge you to hitch your trailer to the truck, tow it to a CAT scale (or another certified scale) and get some "real world numbers".

Additionally, the Michelin LTX M/S2 (LT version) normally has a maximum pressure of 80 PSI. On LT tires, the size is preceded with the letters "LT" on P series tires, the size is preceded by the letter "P". P series tires normally have a maximum pressure of 41 to 51 PSI. LT tires (LRE) have a maximum pressure of 80 PSI and a much larger "weight capacity". Since Michelin manufactures LTX M/S2 tires in both the LT and P series, you may not have adequate tires on your truck and the 38 PSI might be "close to the max" or in the case of LT tires, may be underinflated, depending on the actual load on the rear axle.

Take a critical look at your combination, weigh the trailer and truck, get your "real world" weights and compare those figures to the "maximum recommendations" contained in the Nissan Towing Guide. I've got a feeling you'll find that you are likely to be overloaded in maximum payload, maximum tongue weight and very near or over your GCWR.

If you have any questions on how to weigh your rig, there are several "step by step" instructional thread on this forum and you can always discuss what you're trying to determine with the scale weighmaster. Most are knowledgeable and can help you, but I've run into situations where the weighmaster was a "new employee in training" and didn't know how to print the weight results, much less answer technical questions, so if you're unsure and the weighmaster seems questionable, ask for advice from someone else at the scale.

Good Luck
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