Front Jack Brackets

We're in the process (With a Little Help From Roger) of devising a MUCH better plan for the front stabilizer jacks on our 16-foot 1988 travel trailer.  Short captions are below each photo.

Here's what the finished product will look like when in place.

First, we checked our channel iron pieces to make sure they fit the front frame.

Ordinary round tops of Old School jacks simply slip off the narrow 1988 frame.

The idea is to weld on channel iron to the stabilizer jacks.

Each channel iron piece is 2 inches wide, same as the top of the jack stand.  The red lines indicate the areas of welds needed.

Above is our stabilizer box.  It's packed too tight. By switching to the new plan, a big chunk of space can get opened up.

These two pieces can come out and never be carried again.

We will be able to fit in numerous more shim pieces.
Note that the front jacks would now be shimmed from the bottom.

LIFE IS GOOD!

THANK YOU, ROGER!

 

The Bloody Mary Kit

Every Travel Trailer needs a BMK--The Bloody Mary Kit. It's an essential part of Travel Trailer Survival. We have prepped what we feel qualifies for The Ultra Light BMK. It weighs in at a mere 2 pounds, 5 ounces and measures in under 10 x 6.5 x 4 inches. It fits our modular cooler packing scheme and it has everything except vodka, tomato juice and limes. (Those essential fundamentals are rigged elsewhere in the travel trailer.) We're going to describe The BMK with a series of photos in this blog post. Here goes.

Stuffed olives are always a part of any great Bloody Mary.  We always buy high quality olives but the problem is how to stow the olives in the BMK.  VOILA!  Enter The Pillsbury Icing container found at the Dollar Store.  We threw away the icing and made it an olive container.

Believe it or not, a full jar of Lindsay olives fits precisely into a Pillsbury Icing container.  Who knew?

One of the other great ingredients of The BMK is THAI Green Curry Paste.  OH!  What a Great addition to a Bloody Mary.  Well, the jar sure won't fit our packing plan but we decanted some of the paste into a small BPA-free, USA-Made container.  Good enuf.

More cowbell!  More pepper!  More chile!  More MOJO!  Well, ground black pepper is the spice of life, as they say, and a BMK can NEVER have enough ground black pepper.

We carry all the usual pepper suspects but the BMK needs its own dedicated ground black pepper source bag.  There are over two ounces in that bag, enuf to satisfy the hardest of the hard core Bloody Mary aficionados.

No BMK would be complete with industrial strength horse radish.  Got horseradish, We sure do!

One of The Keyest Of The Keyest ingredients of a Super Fine Bloody Mary is the Worcestershire Sauce.  DO NOT BUY CHEAP Worcestershire Sauce!!!! But the BEST, no matter how it hurts to pay the price.  We decant the big bottle into a small hot sauce bottle.  Lee & Perrins is Famous for making you buy more of their product than you will ever need.  But we have beat Lee & Perrins at their own game and are proud to have a Lifetime Supply of this vital Ingredient of Existence!  One wonders how the early spear chuckers were able to eat tough old woolly mammoths without Lee & Perrins.

I mean, what's not to LOVE about this ingredient label.  And NO High Fructose Corn Syrup!!  YEA!

But just in case...just in case you don't make your taste connection to the Anchovies, here it is!

This is the Base Layer of the BMK. Olives, horseradish and L&P.

Then we add the green curry paste and the black pepper.

A very vital component of The BMK are these small skewer sticks that we use for the olives.  Olives are worthless when they fall to the bottom of a Bloody Mary. These tiny NSF skewers are just the ticket to keep your olives feng shui.

Finally, the finishing touch is a small package of celery sticks.  Celery LOVES to breathe and HATES being cooped up in a plastic bag.  But we've learned the Hearts of Celery never got the memo and they do just fine in airless confinement.

Here's how the whole thing calc's out. Just under two pounds, five ounces.

Elsewhere in our "Cooler Plan," we DO keep some pristine celery tops because they look and feel SO much better in a Bloody Mary.  But the fresh tops need special care so the BMK contains only celery parts that are content to be in the dark without air.

Obviously, a key ingredient of a Bloody Mary is vodka and that ingredient varies from person-to-person so we won't go there.  As far as the tomato juice ingredient, we use ONLY name brand V-8 Spicy Hot Juice.  NO other juice will suffice.  Also, we ONLY use Cholula to add heat to the mix.

Well, we hope you've enjoyed our journey into this HOT Tomato, Spicy Topic!

Happy Trails & Many Cheers!!!

The Boat Galley & Sil-Glyde

The Boat Galley Facebook and website are easily THE most useful resources for keeping out 16-foot travel trailer in tip top shape while make THE most efficient use of  every cubic inch of space. The Boat Galley is designed for and used primarily by recreational sailors who typically are full timers on their boat. However, so much of Carolyn Shearlock's incredible advice applies directly to the situations we face in our travel trail.  It's uncanny, actually.

https://www.facebook.com/TheBoatGalley/

https://theboatgalley.com/

We read every single Facebook posts and website article that Carolyn puts up, even if at first the post and article might not seem applicable.  We often glean insights "between the lines," so to speak.  We've lost count of the number of products we've bought because Carolyn recommended them.  We trust her advice 10,000%.

Our latest purchase based on The Boat Galley recommendation is Sil-Glyde, a silicone lubricant carried at all NAPA stores.  The local NAPA price (including tax) was less than $7.  Short comments are below each photo.  Here is Carolyn's commentary on why we needed Sil-Glyde.

https://theboatgalley.com/maintaining-gaskets-and-weatherstripping/

The Sil-Glyde was actually hard to find in our big, new NAPA store in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  I had to ask a salesm twice and then finally get him to show where it was located in the sprawling store.  Based on Carolyn's advice, I figured I would try several methods of applying the gooey stuff.

Here's our 16-foot 1988 travel trailer.  As you might expect, there are seals and gaskets galore.  We've been worried about all those seals and gaskets but really didn't know what to do to extend their service life.  Voila!  Enter Sil-Glyde!

The primary gasket that has worried us is the seal on the refrigerator door. If that seal failed, it would be a huge mess and a giant hassle finding a replacement for a 29-year-old trailer fridge.  We used our fingers for the large exterior surface of the seal and then a small brush to work the Sil-Glyde into the small crevices on either side of the center portion.

The brush worked much better than our fingers for the all the other seals.  Each window has two seals.  The oven has seals and there are two sets of seals for the entry door.  The brush made quick work of those seals.  All-in-all, we used less than half of the small tube of Sil-Glyde to coat every seal in or on the trailer.  We let the lubricant sit on the seals for a few hours and then wiped off the excess with a microfiber cloth.  We will continue to check for errant excess Sil-Glyde.

In the meantime, it's Great Peace of Mind to have treated all of these vital little seals, especially the critical one on the fridge.  THANK YOU, Carolyn!

Axle Alignment

Believe it or not, our 16 foot trailer's single axle needs to be aligned!  We bought two new 205 75R 14 radial tires in April 2016, not even 18 months ago.  We've kept a close eye on them and checked their pressure before each day of travel.  We've studiously kept them at precisely 50 pounds.  We've even used a digital non-contact laser thermometer to monitor their temperatures to make sure the temps are not excessive.  In short, we thought we were doing everything "right & proper."  NOT!

We've been noticing rapid and excessive wear on the outer groove of both tires, especially the passenger side tire. The wear really accelerated during out last two Road Trips which covered less than 2000 miles between both of them.

Today, we used a manual tread depth gauge to measure the groove depth of each tire.  After tallying the data, we became dutifully concerned.  The outer groove on the passenger side had dropped into the red zone with only 2/32nds of tread left.  The tires had a uniform depth of 9/32nds in each groove when purchased now.  Now look at them:

We spent quite a bit of time online and came to the conclusion the excessive outer wear was due to a mis-aligned axle.  But how would we determine how to verify that diagnosis?  Luckily, we found a great website explaining how to check axle alignment.  All it took was a four foot level and a tape measure. See: http://www.centrevilletrailer.com/how-to/trailer-axle-alignment-trailer-tire-wear/

Well, practically the minute we used the level and tape measure, we learned the axle was canted out of alignment.  Luckily, our neighbor knew of an outfit here that can realign axles.  We scurried over there last on a Friday afternoon. The guys there knew immediately what the problem was as soon as I described my measurements and the tread wear.  They both did a bobble head belly laugh when I told then it was a 29-year-old trailer.  Then they rattled off what it would need and said the cost would be somewhere between $75 and $150.  We agreed to drop off the trailer Monday after lunch.

Of course, we're now going to have to buy two new tires, too.  We figure the whole job will probably cost out around $400.  But it's surer worth it for the peace of mind that comes with knowing we probably just avoided an inevitable blowout somewhere down the road.

When you start getting into red zone tread depth on the outside of a tire, it's time to pay attention or pay the price!

Condiments

After what seems like a lifetime of trial-and-error, we feel like we're getting a few things actually figured out as far as how to provision our Tiny Home, The Mosey Inn.  For the past year or so, we've settled in on six primary non-refrigerated condiments, plus salt and pepper, of course. Comments are below each photo.

 Here's our Six Pack of non-reefer condiments: (l-r) Safflower Oil decanted into a hot sauce bottle; pure sesame oil; worcestershire sauce, lite soy sauce, Zaaschila Habanero Hot Sauce and Cholula Hot Sauce.

We now prefer only Safflower oil for a variety of reasons to complex to discuss here.  The sesame oil adds zest to many of our camping meals.  We tend to buy cheap worcestershire sauce.  Ditto lite soy sauce.  But we might be changing.  We might decant better quality worcestershire & soy sauce into these bottles.  We each have our own favorite hot sauce.  I love my Zaaschila and she loves her Cholula.

 The key thing is keeping these condiments corralled.  If they aren't tightly contained, they roam around and spill all over the place.  We bought this container at the dollar store and it works perfectly.  It also contains the inevitable spillage and seepage into one place.  Periodically, we wipe off each bottle (especially the oil bottles) and then wipe the container clean.  This helps reduce potential for mold and bacterial growth.

 This is how the condiment container fits into our overhead above the sink area.

 Salt and pepper containers are notorious for making a mess.  We've finally found a way to corral their nefarious traits and bad behaviors.  We tend to use regular store salt because it shakes better than gourmet salt blends.  However we buy the best grade of fresh ground black pepper we can find at specialty stores.  Nothing quite amps up a camping meal like really good ground pepper.

This is how the salt/pepper container is situated with the condiment container. All-in-all, we've found this combination to be our most effective method of carrying common condiments without making a perennial mess in our overhead area.

Blog Purpose

This blog is maintained for only two reasons:

1) To have a place for the blog author to keep handy tips, ideas and useful information

2) To help Dear Friends better understand how to enjoy their travel trailer.

This blog is intended primarily for single axle trailers but much of the contents are applicable to any travel, boat or cargo trailer.

The blog was created on Memorial Day weekend 2016.

Trailer Backing

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brine-Field-Cones/23703540

Backing up a trailer is rarely, if ever, classified as "fun."  However, trailer backing can be far less stressful with one simple word: Practice.

There is absolutely no substitute for serious, focused, dedicated trailer backing practice.  Whether you area new to owning a single axle trailer or maybe your trailer has sat idle for many months, this practice.

Always have on hand at least four small orange cones,  These are not the heavy, hard cones used by road construction crews.  The cones we are talking about are very small, lightweight and collapsible.

The small cones are made to be safe for use in children's soccer games.  If a child falls onto one of the cones, the child will not be hurt.  The cone will simply collapse.  Such cones are sold in most sporting goods stores.  Wal-Mart has the best deal on them about $8 for four 9-inch cones.

Simply find a large, empty unused parking lot with few light poles or other obstructions.  Use the four cones to create a mock campsite or parking spot.  Spend about an hour practicing the art and skills of trailer backing.  Make notes that you can review.

If possible, have a spotter help you.  The spotter should be wearing an orange vest and carrying an orange flag.  That way if stray traffic happens into your practice area, the spotter can wave them off and keep you safe.  (For more about the orange vest and flag see this blog post.)

Below are links to various articles on trail backing.  Read them all and print them out if you are truly serious about learning the ever-useful skills involved in trailer backing.

No two applications of trailer backing are ever the same.  Each time you back up a trailer is a unique experience unto itself.  Remember to always, always, ALWAYS scout the area into which you plan to back up.  Look for loose debris in your path, check left, right and behind for fixed obstructions.  Check the radius through which the tow vehicle will turn.  And NEVER forgot to look UP for tree branches, wires or other stray obstacles overhead.

Once you have practiced backing up in a zero-stress practice environment, doing the real thing under pressure will be MUCH easier.  It may not be fun, but it's going to be a lot less stressful than it would otherwise be.

Trailer Backing Links

Don't let the name of this website fool you.  It is brim full of incredible advice.  This is an especially useful article:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/02/06/how-to-back-up-a-trailer-like-a-man/

The purpose of including this short 1:45 video is simply to show a typical practice area setup.  The video is from a foreign country where the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle.  As such, the video isn't very useful but seeing the practice setup is instructive.

https://youtu.be/CDTvoA_uEik

The U-Haul company has probably had to teach more people about trailer backing than any other company in the world...ever.  Here is their introductory 2:48 video.  It contains a very nice wheelbarrow analogy and helps people focus on the hitch ball--which is really a vital piece of awareness.

https://youtu.be/jo0MLjY8ppU

This particular forum thread has a lot of really good advice.

http://www.scampowners.com/forums/training-backing-trailer

We will post other online advice resources as we find them.

Orange Vest & Flag

Travel trailer owners and users should always carry a readily available orange vest and flag.
When practicing backing a trailer, the spotter can use these two items.  If you have a flat tire, the items could help prevent injury or a collision by altering oncoming traffic of your situation.  You may rarely use these two items but when you truly need them, they are priceless.

When traveling with our trailer, we keep our vests and warning flag material instantly accessible just inside the trailer door where all of the flat tire changing tools are also kept instantly accessible as well.

Trailer Tires

Eventually, this blog post will become much more detailed.  For now, we want to mention  the necessity to carry these two items:

1)  A small, accurate, reliable digital tire pressure gauge.  Here is the one we use.  It's available at Wal-Mart for under $10, including tax.  Stick gauges are worthless.  Get a digital and keep it handy.  Check your tire pressure EVERY single time on each and every day before you get out on the highway.  NEVER pull away without checking your trailer tire pressure.  If there is ONE single thing that can keep you safe towing a trailer, it is keeping your trailer tires are the precise recommended air pressure.  It is as important to trailer tires as breathing is to humans!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Slime-Digital-Tire-Gauge/16782752

2)  A high volume air pump.  Do NOT buy a pimpy little $10 air compressor used to inflate children's toys.  They are totally worthless.  Buy a real high volume air compressor.  The best deal on such a device will always be at Harbor Freight.  It is the unit we have carried for years and we simply wouldn't leave home without it.  Period.  Ever.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12v-100-psi-high-volume-air-compressor-69284.html

Back Up Balls

Prior to getting these back up balls, hitching the trailer was a huge pain in the anatomy.  Some people call these back up balls "marriage savers."  We call them, EZPZ!  I can now hitch the trailer totally by myself and my wife doesn't have to be involved.  Hitching the trailer is totally painless using these.
I simply wouldn't know what to do without them.  Trust me, they are one of the single best things you can possible possess as a travel trailer owner.

http://www.harborfreight.com/magnetic-trailer-alignment-kit-69778.html

Hitch Lock

Most of the time, you really don't need to worry about your trailer getting stolen.  But...there ARE times and places where the theft of your trailer is a distinct possibility.  Buying and using a hitch lock is cheap peace of mind for those times.  There are Many variations of hitch locks and one can spend a LOT of money on such a device.  Bear in mind that a hitch lock only deters casual thieves.  A determine thief can cut off ANY known hitch lock. Typically, however, such skilled thieves have bigger fish to fry and won't be interested in your small one-axle travel trailer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/ez-lock-trailer-lock-98518.html

The Boat Galley

This is easily one of THE most useful websites for anyone who owns a small single axle travel trailer.  By definition, single axle travel trailers tend to be very small and compact.  Space is always at a premium in such units.  However, a typical single axle travel trailer is generally HUGE in comparison to a typical sailboat.  That's why The Boat Galley blog and Facebook are so useful.  We have found innumerable fabulous tips and tricks on this website. Likewise, we have actually bought items that have been featured there.  We keep a very close eye on this blog.  You just never know when something's going to appear that can really make a b ig difference in the efficient use of space in your travel trailer!

http://theboatgalley.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheBoatGalley/