An update from Lil Snoozy Land

[Jim Bennett]

I believe Floyd is talking about it stored, not running. Correct?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I believe Floyd is talking about it stored, not running. Correct?

Correct!

[Mike Magee]

Can someone remind me what kind of axle the Snoozy has? Is it a torsion, or leaf springs?

[Francesca Knowles]

If the center upsweep is any indicator, it looks like a torsion-type.

The Snoozy also has surge brakes rather than regular electric if that's any concern for you.

Francesca

[rabbit]

Doesn't bother me that the proscenium divider between bed and board disappeared. Is there more or less storage (I don't mean a duffel bag shifting from floor to sofa to bunk) in this new layout? Looks like "low-use" only under the "twins" as the walkway between is necessarily pretty narrow.

Does the access to the interior of the bed platforms face the aisle or is there access under the under cushions? Anyone have the interior width of the Snoozy? Bit confusing as the listed width appears to to measured to outside of fenders. Is anyone "fit to be [grid]tied" over the all electric. Are customers with no experience of LP not missing it? How's that work out with customers who do?

jack

[cpaharley2008]

The all electric issue was one reason I sold my Nest Egg. It seems a lot of state Parks, particularly here in Pennsylvania, limit electric to "Non-Pet" units. Thus the solar and propane flexibility is beneficial.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Doesn't bother me that the proscenium divider between bed and board disappeared. Is there more or less storage (I don't mean a duffel bag shifting from floor to sofa to bunk) in this new layout? Looks like "low-use" only under the "twins" as the walkway between is necessarily pretty narrow.

Does the access to the interior of the bed platforms face the aisle or is there access under the under cushions? Anyone have the interior width of the Snoozy? Bit confusing as the listed width appears to to measured to outside of fenders. Is anyone "fit to be [grid]tied" over the all electric. Are customers with no experience of LP not missing it? How's that work out with customers who do?

jack

Being an electrician I kind of like the all electric approach . The problem in my area is the fact that a lot of the county & state parks do not have electric available at the camp sites and non of the public parks (state county or municipal) allow generators. I find LP to be a necessity if only for refrigeration and heating water when electricity is not available

[Bill in Pittsburgh]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Being an electrician I kind of like the all electric approach . The problem in my area is the fact that a lot of the county & state parks do not have electric available at the camp sites and non of the public parks (state county or municipal) allow generators. I find LP to be a necessity if only for refrigeration and heating water when electricity is not available

As I have said in other threads, Lil Snoozy being an all electric camper manufacturer need not be a deterrent to a persons interest in their product. They offer a really nifty "Propane Ready" option that allows a propane company located a few miles from their plant to do a retrofit in a minimal amount of time and at a very reasonable cost. Lil Snoozy is not insured for propane installation but is always eager to please their customers. After taking delivery, you simply drive down the road a few miles and the propane company can install your propane and appliances in less than two hours!

[BigLew]

Originally Posted by Bill in Pittsburgh

As I have said in other threads, Lil Snoozy being an all electric camper manufacturer need not be a deterrent to a persons interest in their product. They offer a really nifty "Propane Ready" option that allows a propane company located a few miles from their plant to do a retrofit in a minimal amount of time and at a very reasonable cost. Lil Snoozy is not insured for propane installation but is always eager to please their customers. After taking delivery, you simply drive down the road a few miles and the propane company can install your propane and appliances in less than two hours!

Can't beat that, Bill.
The nicest thing I love about the Snoozy, besides the owners (I've met both father and son), is the HUGE windows! IT made the Snoozy so bright inside. BTW....I'm 6' 5", and I had no problem with room inside the Snoozy. They sure have come a long way with their decals....etc.

[Mike Magee]

The interior width is 6.5 feet.

Surge brakes would be undesirable for a cargo carrier because the weight changes constantly. I've written to Nicholas for a price quote and specified that normal electric brakes would be desired for the cargo hauler I'm after. It would seem simple enough to delete the surge unit and add a 7 pin plug, so a controller in the tow vehicle could apply the brakes instead of an inertia device.

[Francesca Knowles]

Good idea...

Frankly, I think that surge brakes are a bad idea in any kind of towing except perhaps for rental outfits that have to deal with folks that don't have controllers...but I'm very conservative in that department!

Francesca

[Mike Magee]

Yes, being able to apply trailer brakes without tug brakes is a great safety tool should sway ever start.

I'm still waiting for someone to say what kind of axle is under the Snoozy.... maybe an owner? In the back of my mind I think they are torsion axles, but I am no longer sure.

[David B.]

Mike, Snoozy does use rubber torsion axles, but have Disc brakes activated by surge control unit. If electric braking is desired, I think magnetic/drum brakes would have to be used. Does anyone know if electric disc brake are available for trailers?

[Francesca Knowles]

Disc brakes are hydraulically actuated but there are methods of "converting" them to electric/manual actvation via an onboard brake controller. Here's one such method.

For trailers as small as ours I think there's little gain in using disc brakes, but there are those who disagree.

I wonder if the Snoozy's available with standard electric brakes? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought they got their frame/axle assemblies from a boat trailer supplier and that they all come with surge-type drum brakes due to some preference for drum over disc in marine applications.

Francesca

[David B.]

Francesca, their web site pictures shows disc. Disc brakes work much better than drum brakes when wet. I don't know about preferences when it comes to salt water though, as materials used for disc might not like the salt.

[Francesca Knowles]

So they do come with disc- thanks, David!

Francesca

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

So they do come with disc- thanks, David!

Francesca

Yes, they do have disc brakes, and yes they sit on a boat trailer.
I asked Alan if they had the floating versions yet. He said it would float if the door under the bed was sealed and the back door was sealed. lol.

[Mike Magee]

Thanks for the axle and brake info. I had forgotten completely about the disc brakes, but now I recall having heard it before.

It can float, eh? We'll have to see about a transom and an outboard motor!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Yes, being able to apply trailer brakes without tug brakes is a great safety tool should sway ever start.

I understand the logic, but I have never had any reason to want to manually apply our Boler's brakes. We don't use any kind of weight distribution or anti-sway device, and there is nothing special about the trailer.

Between the Boler, a club's travel trailer, various borrowed flat decks, a couple of car transporters, our utility trailer, and a U-Haul rental, the only time I have had a sway issue was with the old travel trailer being used to carry equipment to an event which had been unloaded and re-loaded without being unhitched, so I didn't notice that someone had piled everything at the back - it had negative tongue weight and I had a tense few seconds on the highway!

A drag 'chute might be a handy backup for high-speed brake failures, but I don't carry one...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by David B.

Does anyone know if electric disc brake are available for trailers?

As Francesca explained, light trailer disk brakes (meaning the calipers) are hydraulic, and an electric-over-hydraulic actuator (such as a Dexter DX) allows them to be run from an electric controller. Heavy trucks and their trailers have air-actuated calipers when they use disk brakes.

There is a direct electrically operated brake caliper design which works very well and is intended for motor vehicles, but would be great for trailers. Unfortunately, it has not made it to production; trailers would not be a sufficient market (especially since the system would be very expensive by trailer standards), and the motor vehicle industry is not ready for "brake by wire" yet:
Siemens VDO Electronic Wedge Brake
There are no electric calipers for road vehicles (either motor vehicles or trailers) in production.