Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

AlCat,

I actually did loan my 15 month old trailer. GASP
I loaned it to my oldest daughter along with my car to drive (for the better hitch and 7 pin cable plug).

The funny thing is that it was not for family occupancy!!! They are a young couple,
friends of both my daughters and I know them. They and both my daughters families
were going camping at the group's third Grayfox - a 4 day bluegrass festival in NY.
The couple had an 8 week old baby and were a little nervous about tent camping this year.
Last year the shadeless hayfield was sweltering and they were concerned about
the baby napping in a hot tent. A Camp-Inn with opaque roof and a fan is much nicer...
My folding 100 watt Renogy solar panel kept up with all day fan usage.

Funny thing was when I told my daughter how I braked her car onto the shoulder to avoid
being rear-ended and even gave the space to avoid a multicar fender bender. She laughed nervously
and told about the truck that last second saw the "no trailers" sign on the third toll lane
and whipped toward them in the first lane. The corner of the big bumper stopped inches from
my grand daughter's rear door window and the driving tires were about a foot or so from OZ.
Great - All my treasures safe!!!

I got the 560 so I could take grandkids camping in the bunks. At least half of my "local" camping trips
include one or two tents next door with my kid's families.
When I got the trailer after my wife died, I planned that it could be shared/loaned with family.

I got good insurance for the trailer so I don't have to worry.

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Fifteen months sounds about right I might be ready to "loan out" trailer to my son and daughter in law. We also got the 560 with the idea of camping close by with the grandkids. Four year old on the top bunk eleven year old bottom bunk five year old in the middle with us they love it!

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Mark - I think it is great that you like loaning your camper. I was just kidding. I think some of us can get carried away treating our campers like members of the family.

-Al

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

AlCat,

I understand the possesive/private feeling, especially if one is a full timer or even just months in it (snowbird).

If my wife of 35 years was still alive I might have felt more of that.
Since she passed, I wouldn't say I am closer (I always was), but I spend more time with my kids.
I do try to avoid just assuming I am welcome, don't wanna be like one of THOSE inlaws.
Anyway, that may be why the loan is easier for me.

Guess I need to get a girlfriend

Jamie and Nan,

Sorry to hijack the thread, but as you can tell Camp-Inn owners do love their trailers(babies?)
To tie back to Upstate NY, My wife's grandparents were from the Bath area NW of Corning.

I may make the MiTeJo gathering in NH but I have a 560 like JimH.

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Hi Mark,

Just wanted to say hello! Hope your summer is going well...have you been out in your TD?

We are counting down the months until April! It seems so far away! We can't wait to hit the road.

Take care,
Diane

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Mark do you have the renogy 100w
that folds in half

 

Re: Borrowing the Trailer: Hello From Upstate N.Y.

Lee,

Yes I got the Renogy 100W monocrystalline folding "suitcase" panel RNG-F-2X50D for about $244.
It comes with a nice semi-hard case with zippers. It has high efficiency German solar cells (Bosch? +++),
a 25yr warranty, capable of rain (protect rear), tempered glass, 15ft 16AWG? cable.

All solar cells are made and many panels are assembled in China but are varying quality.
Renogy apears to be a US company with engineering, support, and warehouses here.

Go-Power PSK-120 is foldable with a similar case, mono, 25 yr warranty, 15ftx12AWG cable.
Basically quite similar, but 120 watts so 20% more output and also a US company but $523 - twice the cost.

ECO-worthy appears to be selling the same 120W folding panel as the Go-Power at $245 or $289.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to include any case. ECO appears to be a US rep of a Chinese company.
I have seen various prices on Amazon same day, and if a page doesn't say delivery from or US stock
(higher prices) it may well come slowly from China.
Similar low price 20% more power but NO CASE which made my decision.

One flat 80W-120W solar panel w/o charge controller is the cheapest(~$150) solution with CI solar option,
but more awkward to store and no cover, foldable legs, or cable (make/kluge them all on your own).

----

I had the Camp-Inn solar option which includes a charge controller. I moved the output cable from the
Renogy panel's charge controller output screws over and connected it (parallel) to the same screw terminals
as the solar panel inputs. I know I could have totally isolated from their controller with butt-splices
but this was simple and the controller sees no battery and shuts down so minimal draw of the panel current.
Wires can be put back to charger outputs easily for direct connection to other batteries.

I cut off the cable's battery clips to connect to the trailer. You will need to solder and heat shrink
a 6" 16 or 18 AWG tail to any thicker cable to fit into the water proof 12V connector from the CI solar kit.
I cut arcs of ring terminals to solder on top of then screwed that under the plug screws.
Get an electronics handy friend who can solder well if you are so-so.