Just a list of things we’ve found useful, but are not modifications to the trailer.
Table of Contents
Wood Blocks (!?)
we travel with various scrap blocks that we use constantly! Most are around 4-6″ and vary in thickness. How we’ve used them:
- Under the entrance steps, to keep them from sinking into the mud
- Under the ramp door when loading/unloading to level it and prevent scratches from asphalt, rocky sites, etc.
- Extra height on the sewer hose supports
- Kickstand blocks for the motorcycles on soft ground
- Leveling picnic table legs
Other blocks:
We use 2×8 (x16″) boards on our stabilization jacks, and a homemade block for the hitch jack – both are shown on this page.
Key Hooks
How do we manage to have SO MANY KEYS!?!
Even on vacation the little boogers seem to be self replicating.
Brenda found this one on Amazon and it’s pretty lightweight. We used regular screws to attach the included plastic hangy-bits to the wall, but also used (12 lb capactiy) Command Strips on each of the lower corners to help keep it in place.
Ladder
I hate throwing extra junk in the RV! It takes up space, counts against our max weight limit, and is that much more stuff to maneuver around (read: trip on) when camping.
So why did I saddle myself with this 8 foot ladder!?! Because. Just because.
Ha, kidding. There were enough times that I found myself wishing I could get on the roof (without creating a precarious chair stack on the deck that would make Evel Knievel grimace) that I finally spent the $100 and got this Werner 8 foot, 250lb capacity aluminum ladder (roughly 21 lbs).
With an 8 footer, I can reach the top of the slides to sweep debris off before pulling them back in.
I can also put the ladder on the deck and get onto the roof.
I generally transport it in the garage, strapped against the wall (well, against the collapsed couch), and then leave it under the trailer while camping.
Oh, yeah, and I use it every trip to put up the antenna mast, as I like to have one of the suction cups sort of high on the trailer.
RV Tires
Not very exciting!
Unless you are a tire dealer, in which case this may be similar to the thrill of roller coasters, too much coffee, or unexpected backrubs.
We had two of the original tires blow (like nuclear bomb type of blow) in one trip. That was the only trigger I needed to start looking for a better quality tire on the trailer.
Between Google and the RV forums I found a number of recommendations for Hercules.
The originals were CastleRock ST226 – 235/80R16.
- “L” speed rating (75 mph)
- “E” load range (10 ply, 80 psi)
- 124 load index (3,520 lbs)
I replaced them with Hercules H-901 ST 235/80R16.
- “L” speed rating (75 mph)
- “G” load range (14 ply, 110 psi)
- 129 load index (4,079 lbs)
I’m ok with the “low” speed rating because the handling of the trailer and poor gas mileage usually keep us under 65 anyway.
We upped the load index because I’d much rather have some “wiggle room” than to run them at or near max load.
Sway Bars and Hitch
Left picture is what I use to help me see the black trailer hitch against the black ball hitch in the black shadows.
To the right is how the that looks in the car stereo head unit display in the truck as I am backing up.
The two arrows point to two white spots shown in the left hand picture – a sea shell and a piece of paper with a rock to hold it down.
Not a whole lot to say about the Equalizer anti-sway bars.
They work great, pretty easy to put on, and we made sure we went with the 14,000 lb bars on our 13,000 (max wt) trailer.
There have been a few times we had to put the jack down to lift the hitch enough to get the bars in place, usually on hills.
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