An All Electric Camper

[Tamid]

I'm wondering how heating up the unit works if totally electric? We went from Calgary to Arizona and back over this X'mas holidays. We left in -18C and it was more than -20C the first evening in Idaho Falls. Same thing on the way back. In a small unit I can see some form of electric heater working okay but in our 25' unit even the solution for my contacts was frozen. With the propane furnace we got everything unthawed and spent a very comfortable night.

On generators, I use a Yamaha 3000. It is the most quiet at 47db on eco mode. While camped at a BLM in Yuma I was quite surprised by how loud some of the generators were on the big motorhome units. Some 4 campers away drowned out the sound of mine when I was about 10 feet from mine. I couldn't imagine sleeping with one of the loud generators rumbling underneath me. On the otherhand almost all units at this site had an array of solar panels.

[Ray N]

I don't know about temperatures as cold as you're reporting, but this week we've had lows here in NW Florida in the mid 20s F. It's the longest and coldest spell I've seen in our 33 years here. I didn't completely winterize the egg so I've run the built-in electric heater on the coldest nights. I keep the heater dial at the lowest setting and it stays about 50 F in the egg. I know the heater doesn't click on very often, but can't say how often in the early morning when it's the coldest. I'm pretty sure it would keep you snug even at sub-zero temperatures.

[Dennis O]

Hello,
I apologize for not checking in on this forum. I'll make a point of doing so more often.
We drove from MI to SD (total of 840mi one way) to pick up our EGG Camper. It was worth it. The seller bought it in Aug 2009 & shortly after family issues came up. It was stored in a shed & was never used. They accepted our offer, so it was worth the trip.
I stopped in to see Jim Palmer for some tips on pulling it & whatever else I could learn from him prior to our trip.
We picked it up in Brookings, SD just before nightfall. We stayed in a state park a short
distance away & plugged her in for the night. It was GREAT! The 2nd night we stopped in a rest area for a 4hour nap & then finished the journey home. We had no problem pulling it with our 1996 Town & Cuntry Minivan.
Shortly after we brought it home, I winterized it & put it in storage.
We are making plans for spring break to take it down to Savannah, GA area & Nothern Florida (Jacksonville) the first week in April.
We are planning on purchasing a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander to replace the minivan.
After much research on single axle trailers & what would meet our needs, this fits the bill.
Any questions or comments are welcomed. We've learned alot from this web site.

[Robin G]

Dennis, Whoo Hooo! Congrats! Hope you guys enjoy many years of great camping in your new Egg. They are very nice trailers, Enjoy!

[Ron F]

Oh, and I have a question for all of you other EggCamper owners, do any of you have the weight distribution hitch? Jim Palmer talked us out of getting one, he told us that with a light, well designed, and balanced trailer, (like ours), WDHs cause more problems than they solve. After towing it over 1000 miles, I think his advice was correct. Did any of you find differently?

Hi Ray,

I'm towing our EggCamper with a 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan. I don't have WDH or sway bars and I haven't had any problems towing. The Sienna has the smaller 3.0 liter engine. I did add a transmission cooler to the van, which I believe is a must for any tow vehicle.

Ron

[Jane P.]

Hi Ray,

I'm towing our EggCamper with a 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan. I don't have WDH or sway bars and I haven't had any problems towing. The Sienna has the smaller 3.0 liter engine. I did add a transmission cooler to the van, which I believe is a must for any tow vehicle.

Ron

Dennis, that was a great buy! Egg Camper was on my short list, and I did spot that listing. A drive from Calif to SD was not feasible and I figured it would go to a deserving and lucky family. Use it in the best of health.

Ron, what is a transmission cooler?

Jane

[Radar1]

Dennis,
Congratulations on the new camper! I haven't camped near Savannah yet, but there's a really nice state park near Beaufort, SC called Hunting Island that is really nice and secluded. It's about 90 minutes from Savannah and Beaufort has some nice looking homes too. I believe Forrest Gump was filmed in Beaufort and Savannah, and lots of movies used homes in Beaufort for a backdrop, including one of my favorites, "The Great Santini".

Any Eggcampers headed to the Scamp Camp in Sebring, FL in February? We're hoping to compare lots of fiberglass campers there that week.

John H

[Ken C]

I have never seen one, but looking underneath the eggcamper frame on your hands and knees is the floor enclosed in a fiberglass belly type pan like a casita or is it exposed wood like a scamp? I am assuming it has a wood floor as I type this.

Second, What about when you walk inside the trailer if you peel back the carpet is there a bare wood floor under the carpet like a scamp/escape or is the floor encapsulated in fiberglass like a casita? Thanks in advance.

[Orlen Wolf]

I have never seen one, but looking underneath the eggcamper frame on your hands and knees is the floor enclosed in a fiberglass belly type pan like a casita or is it exposed wood like a scamp? I am assuming it has a wood floor as I type this.

Second, What about when you walk inside the trailer if you peel back the carpet is there a bare wood floor under the carpet like a scamp/escape or is the floor encapsulated in fiberglass like a casita? Thanks in advance.

The EggCamper floor is wood encapsulated in fiberglass resin. It is completely sealed top and bottom.

[Ron F]

Any Eggcampers headed to the Scamp Camp in Sebring, FL in February? We're hoping to compare lots of fiberglass campers there that week.

John H

John,

I know that there'll be at least two EggCampers in Sebring. We'll be there with friends from CT, who also have an EggCamper. We're REALLY looking forward to getting out of the snow for a while.

Ron

[Ron F]

Ron, what is a transmission cooler?

Jane

Jane,

We added an after-market transmission (fluid) cooler to our tug. It's a small radiator that cools the transmission fluid. For vehicles with an automatic transmission, there is a small transmission cooler at the lower end of the vehicle's radiator. The transmission fluid passes through the cooler and heat is dissipated by the cooling fins. That's fine if you aren't putting extra load on the transmission. But, if you're towing, it's a good idea to add cooling capacity to maintain the fluid temperature at a lower level. The transmission cooler just adds that capacity.

Ron

[Jane P.]

Jane,

We added an after-market transmission (fluid) cooler to our tug. It's a small radiator that cools the transmission fluid. For vehicles with an automatic transmission, there is a small transmission cooler at the lower end of the vehicle's radiator. The transmission fluid passes through the cooler and heat is dissipated by the cooling fins. That's fine if you aren't putting extra load on the transmission. But, if you're towing, it's a good idea to add cooling capacity to maintain the fluid temperature at a lower level. The transmission cooler just adds that capacity.

Ron

Hi Ron,

OK ...

Did a repair shop or your auto dealership add the transmission cooler for you? Does it matter what brand you go with?

Thanks.

[Ray N]

Hi Ron,

OK ...

Did a repair shop or your auto dealership add the transmission cooler for you? Does it matter what brand you go with?

Thanks.

I bought my cooler at a local "Advance Auto Parts" (chain) store and had my neighborhood "Precision Tune" (another chain store) install it. Considerably less expensive than having the dealer or Pep Boys do the job. If I remember correctly it was about a third as much as the dealer and half as much as Pep Boys. However, I've slept since then so I'm not too sure about the details.

[Radar1]

John,

I know that there'll be at least two EggCampers in Sebring. We'll be there with friends from CT, who also have an EggCamper. We're REALLY looking forward to getting out of the snow for a while.

Ron

Ron,

Hope to see you down there! We'll be in our pop-up camper this year, but hopefully in a fiberglass camper before next year.
For what it's worth, we're still having some school closings in Atlanta from the inch of snow we got last Friday, but mostly the problem is the broken water mains that freeze overnight. This cold wave has really dipped way down South!

Is your Eggcamper an all-electric model?

John

[Ron F]

John,

For what it's worth, we're still having some school closings in Atlanta from the inch of snow we got last Friday, but mostly the problem is the broken water mains that freeze overnight. This cold wave has really dipped way down South!

Yeah, sometimes the weather does funny things. Sometimes we get above freezing and we get an early taste of mud season.

Is your Eggcamper an all-electric model?

Yes, ours is electric. It sounds like we may be using the heater. It works well down into the 20's. I haven't camped in the egg in anything colder than that yet. Besides, once it gets down below freezing, the water becomes a problem.

Ron

[Ron F]

Hi Ron,

OK ...

Did a repair shop or your auto dealership add the transmission cooler for you? Does it matter what brand you go with?

Thanks.

Jane,

I had a shop install it. We have a shop that specializes in trailers here in Manchester and I just went with their recommendation. I don't remember the brand. It wasn't that expensive and I suspect that it will save me a lot of grief and money.

Ron

[Tamid]

I have a Chevy 1500HD with a built-in towing package. That package includes the transmission cooler. When I pulled my 25' Bigfoot the first time over the mountains I had continual transmission overheating. I then had a talk with my bother-in-law who is a licensed mechanic. I found out I have the largest transmission avaialble for the 1500 or 2500 series and have a very small, very simple transmission cooler. I had the cooler changed out to the largest possible with a much more sophisticated temp control. This one has sensors and regulates the fan so the transmission temp gauge shows about the same temp all the time regardless of load. Much like the engine temp guage. Calgary to Arizona no problem.

The lession I learned was get the largest and most controllable cooler available for your vehicle. Cost of mine installed was around $150 and I think that also included a transmission fluid change. (Sorry I don't know the brand but it was purchased in NAPA Auto Parts)