|
10-22-2018, 07:03 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 4
SUN #10954
|
Hello All!
Hi everyone!. My wife and I recently purchased a 2005 Sunline Solaris T-1950. We are leaving for a cross country trip in 2 weeks and are excited and nervous. We are camper newbies and are learning as much as possible in the short time we have before we leave. Any tips, tricks or just usable info is welcome. We ran tests of everything last weekend with a 12ga extension cord and also with just the battery and everything worked as it should. We also cleaned out the fresh water system and drained all the tanks. I am sure we will have more questions soon. Look forward to being a part of the community! Eli
__________________
__________________
|
|
|
10-23-2018, 08:16 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vermont
Posts: 845
SUN #3259
|
Hi and welcome ! There are lots of helpful folks on the site. Ask any specific questions and they will be sure to be answered. Enjoy your trip !
__________________
__________________
Tom and Debbie
2018 Dodge Ram 3500 HD w/Hemi (The Poppie Mobile)
1972 Chevy K10 Custom 4 x4 - (Mellow Yellow) Orig. owners !
2001 Sunline Solaris T-250 SR
|
|
|
10-23-2018, 09:10 AM
|
#3
|
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
|
Welcome Eli!
I would highly recommend having the trailer's bearings serviced (replaced or repacked as necessary), as well as have the tires replaced before that long of a trip. Trailer tires usually don't wear out, they age out. We recommend replacing them every five years, regardless of mileage. It's pretty cheap insurance. Replacement plastic fenderskirts are available now for your trailer, but they aren't cheap, and you could almost buy two tires for the cost of one shipped. When a trailer tire blows out at highway speeds, it quite often takes the plastic fenderskirt with it. If you're lucky, there won't be any damage to the metal siding, but it does happen. The tires should be run at max sidewall pressure too, in order to handle all the weight and stresses of the trailer on them.
If you're completely new to this too, check the speed rating on the tires you buy. For many years, trailer tires topped out at 65 mph. The Goodyear Endurance introduced recently goes higher than this. Previously, you'd have to install LT truck tires in order to gain speed range. Towing over 65 in general isn't the safest, but when out west in wide open spaces, you can certainly be a danger if you try to do 65.
Depending on your tow vehicle, you'll also want a good weight distribution hitch and sway control system matched to your tow vehicle. If you need recommendations on what to buy or how to correctly adjust one that may have come with your trailer, let us know.
It sounds like you're already off to a great start! Since you are completely new to RVing, I'd highly suggest a shakedown trip close to home to help you get comfortable with everything before you take off on the long trip. There's a lot to learn and absorb!
__________________
2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
|
|
|
10-24-2018, 05:55 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 373
SUN #2943
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElicoloradoB
Hi everyone!. My wife and I recently purchased a 2005 Sunline Solaris T-1950. We are leaving for a cross country trip in 2 weeks and are excited and nervous. We are camper newbies and are learning as much as possible in the short time we have before we leave. Any tips, tricks or just usable info is welcome. We ran tests of everything last weekend with a 12ga extension cord and also with just the battery and everything worked as it should. We also cleaned out the fresh water system and drained all the tanks. I am sure we will have more questions soon. Look forward to being a part of the community! Eli
|
Pretty exciting!
The advice sunline fan has is good. It is amazing how many blowouts there are on campers.
Where in ct are you?
__________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2006 Sunline T-1950
2019 Ford F-250
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
10-24-2018, 06:20 PM
|
#5
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 4
SUN #10954
|
Yes, tires and bearings are all new. I have not checked speed rating on the exact tires but already had it in my head that we would not be traveling over 65 mph. Good tips and thanks for the advice!
I do have a problem with the height availability from the style of weight distribution hitch that came with the camper. Hitch is a Reese #54990 "L" style shank. It's too high when up and too low in the down position. It's hard to explain and I do not know how to share media on here yet. I found another reese shank online that is more of a "T"(reese#3214). I hope it works but any input might help.
I drove the camper home from Long Island through New York traffic back to Seymour, Connecticut. I think that gave me confidence for towing it. I have towed other equipment trailers also. I believe the hitch height being wrong did not allow for the weight distribution part to do its job.
Now that I know how to properly hook it up. Thanks and I look forward to being a part of the community!
__________________
|
|
|
10-25-2018, 09:37 AM
|
#6
|
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
|
Hmm, I'm not quite following your specific hitch issue, but they do make different drop shanks that are taller and shorter. You can buy these individually without replacing the rest of the hitch.
__________________
2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
|
|
|
10-28-2018, 02:14 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,126
SUN #4040
|
One thing I would suggest is tires pressure monitors. Not only do they monitor tire pressure they also monitor tire tempatures. I use TST monitors
I helps to have tires balanced or use balancing beads.
__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
|
|
|
10-28-2018, 04:47 PM
|
#8
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 21
SUN #250
|
I had a T1950 for several years. Probably one of the best floor plans for that size trailer. I also have a Reese 54990 it is capable of 4 possible height positions. You mentioned it is too high in the up position and too low in the down position. Like Sunline Fan, I also don't quite follow your specific hitch issue. Seems to me that if up is too high and down is too low, try a middle position.
__________________
|
|
|
10-28-2018, 04:47 PM
|
#9
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: California
Posts: 5
SUN #10869
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElicoloradoB
... We are leaving for a cross country trip in 2 weeks and are excited and nervous. We are camper newbies and are learning as much as possible in the short time we have before we leave. Any tips, tricks or just usable info is welcome. We ran tests of everything last weekend with a 12ga extension cord and also with just the battery and everything worked as it should. We also cleaned out the fresh water system and drained all the tanks. I am sure we will have more questions soon. Look forward to being a part of the community! Eli
|
Just for practice I'd "camp" in the driveway for a couple of days... figure out what you need, and what you don't need... This way if you forget, say, coffee filters, you can walk into the house and grab some. And you might find that you can leave some "stuff" behind.
Next, make sure your spouse is comfortable as the driver. Something may happen to you where she has to sit in the left seat. Better to be prepared than wish you had been.
Good luck and keep us posted!
__________________
__________________
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Sunline Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|