successful 1st outing with Burro thanks to FRV

[gwc]

So after a winter of work on the '85 Burro, and a lot of help from all of you, our 1st camp outing was successful without incident. Before leaving I told my wife this would probably be the one & only trailer pulling experience for me. Too much complexity, too much differing opinions on critical issues etc.


After getting the Burro weighed (1100 lbs) & adjusting tongue weight to the limits of my 4 cyld. Rav4 I had a bit more confidence I wouldn't do damage or place us in any more risk than we lived with in a '66 VW Bus. It was hard to believe how well the trailer towed, how well the TV managed it, and the surprise of 22 - 24 mpg mileage we got. About a 450 mile RT drive to the ocean (Kalaloch Wa.). Planned not to drive over 50 mph but after a few miles of what seemed steady & secure, we felt comfortable at 60 unless a road proved to be uneven, rough or curvy. Little Burro did prove to be "pretty bouncy". I'm sure the torsion system could be replaced for less of that. Has anyone heard of installing some sort of shock on these things?



One minor surprise was the fairly steep slop to the back of the parking pad. I had made one ramp type level block thinking side-to-side level would be the likely issue. Solution was running one wheel up on the parking curb with a chunk of fire wood under wheel on front and back sides & the other wheel rolled up to maximum height on the ramp...choke on each. With jack wheel lowered all the way & stabilizers at rear we were close to level & stable. With no fridge it didn't really matter. Speaking of fridge......as some may remember, my 3 way wasn't working on 110 or 12vlt. so pulled it out thinking we'd give the past used ice cooler a try. Drilled a hole for a drain, inserted and RTV'ed a pvc stub & used a levered expansion plug to close it off. Our gal. + 1/2gal jugs of frozen ice lasted 3 days with enough left for probably another night. Put an upside down rectangular cake pan lid in the bottom for any water/condensation to live under keeping food dry on top. Simple daily drain seemed to work to our satisfaction. Did keep an old Army poncho liner over the box which may have help with ice retention. Cooler is bigger than we need so may line the walls with some sheets of foam core stuff.


Again thanks to everyone on this site for answering questions & sharing opinions & ideas. I'm talking about towing next year back to Kentucky & New Orleans to visit relatives.

[mglyons]

Thanks for the great trip report! Sounds like you had a very positive trip. You will quickly gain confidence as you travel with your little Burro.

We have a '99 Burro and nearly lost our 26 year marriage over learning how to back it up our steep driveway, having to back across a relatively busy Seattle city street! Now we do it like old pros, and we're still happily married. :-)

Enjoy the journey, the adventures, and the learning.

//Marcia

[Arthur II]

Originally Posted by gwc

So after a winter of work on the '85 Burro, and a lot of help from all of you, our 1st camp outing was successful without incident.

You just can't beat a positive trip!


Arthur


.

[Lynn Eberhardt]

Great first time out report. Two simple suggestions:
1. Balance the trailer tires if you haven't done so already.
2. Carry a half dozen 14" long 2x6s with ends cut at 45º.
They can be driven onto/stacked under wheels or jacks to cover most
leveling situations.

[Noel Gilbrough]

I owned an 85 Burro for 10 years and got an automotive scissors jack from a junk yard and welded metal on top of the jack so I had a very safe attachment to the back bumper with a slot cut in the welded section and sides that help on the front of the trailer. This allowed me to jack the back of the trailer level and help to support the front in a safe maner.
Noel