Movin' on up!

[Sweet Willy]

Bought a new camper yesterday. We're picking it up tomorrow and going camping Friday. 22' Catalina Santara by Coachmen. Comes with an awful lot of extras. If you want, take a virtual tour: http://www.coachmenrv.com/products/s...urview&id=1554

[cabinetman]

Congratulations. Looks like a fun way to go. It's well appointed. How often and how long do you camp? The last time I "camped out" it was in the sticks, and had no real cover.

.

[dbhost]

LOML wants to get one of those. Probably not that model, but you get the idea.... I don't have a ton of experience towing, particularly backing a trailer into a narrow spot. How hard is it to get used to that?

[chopnhack]

Practice Db... I won't tell you what kind of trouble I got into some years back with a 30' box truck

[LCHIEN]

takes a little practice backing up a trailer, you have to learn to think in reverse as turning right makes the back end swing left.

I can pretty easily back a 21' boat on a trailer (the camper the OP listed is 26') which is probably 24' long on the trailer, into a garage that has ~8" on either side door clearance.

If you really want to make it easy, my friend has a suburban equipped with a front bumper hitch. Having the steerable wheels nearest the trailer allows him to push it into tight spaces, very easily. He tows it around by the rear hitch but when he want to park it he unhitches and swaps hitches.

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Gonna look good behind your '54 !!



- Lonnie

[dbhost]

takes a little practice backing up a trailer, you have to learn to think in reverse as turning right makes the back end swing left.

I can pretty easily back a 21' boat on a trailer (the camper the OP listed is 26') which is probably 24' long on the trailer, into a garage that has ~8" on either side door clearance.

If you really want to make it easy, my friend has a suburban equipped with a front bumper hitch. Having the steerable wheels nearest the trailer allows him to push it into tight spaces, very easily. He tows it around by the rear hitch but when he want to park it he unhitches and swaps hitches.

Funny thing is, I am debating with LOML about putting a winch mount brush guard or full replacement bumper on the F-150. With a full replacement bumper (like a Tactical Armor Group in specific) I can get it built with a front receiver...

I have done some towing, and succesfully backed a 25' boat / trailer into the boat launch at Egret Bay, and a 22' rented travel trailer into one of the RV resort spots at Mustang Island... But truth be told, my total towing experience is less than 1K miles, backing in probably less than 10 times. I have been driving since 1985 (Earlier than that if you count my uncles old Chevy 4x4 and pastures), so you do the math...

But back to the original post...

Have I mentioned I want a travel trailer, or more specifically LOML wants a TT. I personally want a pop up slide in like a Phoenix Pulse (I don't need, or want the port-o -let or the shower in the camper. I have a nice Privy tent from Cabelas, it's old, but a beauty...

[Sweet Willy]

Often when we're going to a car show we'll go a day or two in advance and camp out and do some sightseeing and stuff like that. Also we travel several times a year to FL from here in TN. We're about 30 miles west of Chattanooga. We have a combined family of 7 children, 16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and most of them live in FL.

Lonnie, you bet it will. Before I did the restoration I used to pull my 2 horse trailer with that truck.

We're going on a short camping trip this weekend as kind of a shake down cruise to see if we have everything we need and everything works as it should. Well, except the A/C. We'll have to wait until we get to Florida in two weeks.

I've attached a pic of our old Scotty camper that we're selling. We titled the pic: "RV Envy." And for sure, "we're movin' on up!"

[Lonnie in Orlando]

SW -

If you're gonna be near Daytona on Mar 26, stop by the Spring Turkey Run at the track. There will be about a dozen ol' Chevy trucks parked on the RV pads in the infield for the "Stovebolt.com Florida Gabfest."

- Lonnie

[JimD]

I can back a trailer pretty well by turning around if I can see it. I have a lot of trouble with my utility trailer because I can't see it and it is so short it turns very quickly. I can back the boat much easier because it is longer and I can see it. I need to learn to back using the mirrors, however. That would help with the utility trailer and would also help my getting old neck. If you are somewhat new at this, I recommend using the mirrors from the start.

Jim

[cabinetman]

I can back a trailer pretty well by turning around if I can see it. I have a lot of trouble with my utility trailer because I can't see it and it is so short it turns very quickly. I can back the boat much easier because it is longer and I can see it. I need to learn to back using the mirrors, however. That would help with the utility trailer and would also help my getting old neck. If you are somewhat new at this, I recommend using the mirrors from the start.

Jim

It sure does help if you can see the back end of the trailer. I towed my race car on a car trailer for several years. Backing up if done gradually takes a little practice.

I also have a utility trailer 4'x8', that I put an extended tongue to set it back. The tongue was short, as the trailer used to be a 4'x4' trailer to haul tires and wheels to the track. So, when I rebuilt it, I added temporary "outriggers", so-to-speak, at the two rear corners. I used ½" dowels with holes drilled at an outward angle. Painted the top end that dayglow red used for ground marking. They protrude just enough to see them in the mirrors. They just push in the holes and are removable.

.