Modifications To Your Trailer You Wish You NEVER DID!

[trainman]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

In the case of many pickups, just the opposite approach is useful. My F150 has 1495 pound payload capacity. While this sounds more than sufficient, from that number comes every option added after the factory, including my bed cap, tow mirrors, bed liner, and side steps; then you have the payload itself of tongue weight, receiver hitch, everything in the truck, the weight of driver, passenger, and dog. We have maybe 100 pounds of payload capacity left, sometimes less due to the stuff we have in the truck.

If we add 250 pounds to the truck, we are way, way over payload at that point. If we add 250 pounds to the trailer, the truck only sees the additional tongue weight of between 30 to 40 pounds max. Meanwhile, our tow rating of 9,800 pounds, we are very far away from that limit.

So in general, the heavy stuff for us needs to go in the trailer, and the light but bulky stuff needs to go into the truck.

If a truck is close to maxed out on towing capacity, then usually its well over payload limit. Now many SUVs are different, with relatively high payload capacity and relatively low tow ratings.

For me this would not be camping, it would be taking everything I own when I camp, I'd just stay home where all me junk is, rather then move it around with me.

trainman

[Joe & Cherie]

I measured the space for a custom mattress and ordered a custom made expensive 54x87 mattress. Little did I know there was a such thing as a Full XXL at 54x84. Now my off the shelf FULL XXL mattress cover and sheets seem a tad tight

[Rzrbrn]

Originally Posted by trainman

For me this would not be camping, it would be taking everything I own when I camp, I'd just stay home where all me junk is, rather then move it around with me.

trainman

I'm the opposite. I prefer to clamp. Like to explore, see new places, don't have a campfire, prefer a screened in area, like to cook, really like electricity and AC, like a nice shower at the end of a long day hiking and like to relax.

[Civilguy]

On camping...

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

I'm the opposite. I prefer to clamp. Like to explore, see new places, don't have a campfire, prefer a screened in area, like to cook, really like electricity and AC, like a nice shower at the end of a long day hiking and like to relax.

That's the exact same way we camp, I don't see that you take any more stuff then we would, or be without electricity and water. Maybe you thought we like the rough it, wrong.

trainman

[Raz]

I did the bed mod, that is, rotating the sleeping position 90° by placing an extension in the aisle. The theory is you gain lots of space for your upper body giving the feeling of a hugh bed. Unfortunately I'm a side sleeper. There just wasn't enough leg room.

[Kip in Ga.]

Only things we have done to our 2003 Casita 17 SD are to make life more simple for us. Nothing really spectacular as far as appearance.

1. What I should have done but didn't was to strip the Poly-Glow from the exterior,
so I could give the gelcoat a good cleaning, and reapply the poly-glow. Owner before me didn't, and he put the Poly-glow over a stained exterior. Sealing the stain. Now there are too many reasons to not get on a ladder and do that. So it won't get done.

2. Should have purchased Michelin Truck tires instead of the Special Purpose trailer May Pop tires. But that can be dealt with next time.

The rear hitch receiver is one of the better improvements. We use a commercial type bike rack plugged in there. Receiver, rack, and bikes add about 110#. And the Casita SD 17' heavy tongue still has plenty of weight up front, so sway is still not a problem. That may be because I always dump the near 50# of water from the WH.

When ya think about it a full fresh water tank and full WH are at the rear and would likely weight more than the bike stuff.. Yes the bikes are farther back and that adds leverage. But apparently not enough to be a problem.

Most regret is that we discovered FG campers so late in the game.

[Defenestrator]

I had the factory reinforce a wall so I could mount a screen to it on an arm, to use as a second display so I could work from the road. Turns out, there's really no good way to mount it so it's useful and not in the way, so I ended up just getting an external USB3 monitor instead.

[Kai in Seattle]

Lotsa little stuff; most nagging mistakes were hanging up (screwing on) the various tin decorative posters rather than, I don't know, taping them up for a while? Paul is in despair every time I say, "Gee, that tin thing looks a a little too far to the left..." as he contemplates having to fill more holes in his once pristine new paneling.

Putting the heavier of the two IKEA "as is" mattresses in the back, rather than in the front.

Making the cushion hold-backs for the permanent dining seats too high (Paul fixed that last week). Making a pull-on cover for the portra-potty, and a matching liner for the laundry bin that ended up so tight it is a literaly work-out to get it in and out again. Not using 3/4" ply, or better yet, some kind of permanent flooring product instead of the 5/8 plywood floor we did use, though we've had fun with the scraps and the marine ply in general, it's such a lovely plywood.


Not working harder to use the wine rack for the upright supports in the galley. It woulda been snazzy!


Ahh...not getting a 12V/110 cooler to begin with. SOOOOO much nicer than an ice chest! We travel with it in the car, plugged into 12V, and then Paul puts it under his bed when we park and plugs it into 110/120. SO nice!


Hurrying on renovations. Seemed important at the time, but we've gone back on a number of things and tweaked them better. Many of our most recent 58 to-do items were redos on little things.


Not being more meticulous putting the decals on the outside. I can see every place they're not totally straight. And I feel like everyone else is just being kind to the stupidone (me).

Not cleaning those windows as well as we've just done--they're all done and working so much better now! Thanks those who helped us figure out why they were so darn sticky! PlastX on the inside plexiglass, rubbed well in and then well off has made them just super nice. As much as possible for windows this age. And we believe now the front and front/side windows have been replaced, as they seem a LOT newer, and have a different seal type. They also work better, smoother...


Changing the base of the galley to remove a 2" cable pass-through "thing"--we could've left that and worked around it better if we'd realized what it was for...not that we're using it for what it was for, anyway, though.

Not putting enough shelves in the closet area to start with...we've fixed that now, and Paul painted all the new bits white to match the rest. MUCH better use of space.



So lots of little things. Plenty of things we like about what we've done, though, too.


BEST
Kai