Boondocking report. Propane/Battery edition...

WilliamA

Hey all,
I'm working on my after-trip maintenance and thought I'd report my experience. I was out for a bit over 2 weeks and only did 2 nights of "luxury" camping. (Shore power and water) I used my stove daily in wind and relative cold. Morning temps were around freezing. In 2 weeks of camping I used a pound of propane. I took my 5lb cylinder off and had it weighed at the same place I got it filled so I could be sure of consistent data. I really like the 5 lb bottle as it gives consistent pressure at low temps which the 1 lb cylinders don't do. It's much lighter than the 20 lb cylinder and still has plenty of capacity for long trips. Perhaps if I lived in my rig I'd want the 20 lb'er but for what I'm doing the 5 lb'er is fine.
My battery was fine for the trip and I didn't think about it much. Other than checking the gauge occasionally I ignored it. I charged it on the road with my TV and when stopped for 2 days in the same place, ran my generator for half an hour or so each day. I mostly needed the generator to charge my laptop so I could keep dumping digital photos by all of my other devices (phone, tablet, camera) I charged using my USB port in the trailer. I never got below 12.3 volts indicated. I'm happy with that. When this battery goes boots up, I'll probably just get the same thing again to save weight.
Other than a loose wheel bearing, I was able to do 6,000 miles in every kind of weather without incident. Before I head out for Moab in April, I will do a full-blown "pull and pack" wheel bearing service, mostly so I can remove the brake drums and dump the brake dust out so they don't squeal, and will replace the wheel seals and grease caps at that time.

WilliamA

nbrandt

William,
Thank you for this report. These are good things to know.
I too took out the 20 lb tank and replaced it with two 5 lb tanks, leaving one in the tub all the time providing fuel for the stove (which we also used multiple times per day), and I was able to easily lift the other tank out of the tub (though I do travel with it secured by a winged nut strap) and took that to the back of the trailer where it powered both a tankless water-heater and portable BBQ grill. Had plenty of fuel for everything for a whole season of camping.

The one thing I have contemplated is putting a tee on the propane line at the back of the trailer and then being able to use quick connect ports to fuel multiple auxiliary devices (i.e. water-heater, BBQ, Propane Lantern, etc).
That way I would be able to go back to one tank in the front tub and reduce weight on the tongue and not have to lift the tank out of there all the time.

I don't have a generator. Do you store that in your TV? I do have a solar panel which I am able to store beneath the bed on one side - however, carried it all last summer and never used it. The controller has a USB charging port on the controller, but we were able to charge phones and IPad in the TV during the day.
Again, thank you for sharing your experiences with others.
NathanB

WilliamA

Nathan,
I do carry my gennie in the back of my Jeep. I have some ideas for a permanent mount on the front of the trailer but need to shed at least 35 more total pounds before I feel comfortable putting it there. I'll keep working on that one. I just ditched my Microwave and will be getting rid of the A/C too, but all in good time. My income has never been able to keep pace with my ideas! For hot water, I just make my dinner, then while eating, heat my dishwater in the pan/pot I used for cooking. I find I use a lot less water that way. I do heat water for washing as well, but use the stove for that.

WilliamA

SueBHunny

I'm really liking the idea of ditching the 20 lb propane tank. Right now I'm only using it for the stove, which is a bit of overkill. Two fives and adding a little red campfire sounds ideal...

nbrandt

William,
Concerning the wheel bearing... did you lift the trailer to determine that it was loose? There have actually been a few people talking about wheel bearings and I am beginning to wonder if the wheel bearings on this trailer deserve more attention and or maintenance than what I am accustomed to doing. I do check lug nuts and watch closely for grease leaking from the hubs and I shake the top of the tire back and forth checking for slop with the tension on the bearings - but perhaps I should be lifting it off the ground.
I have kept a log of how many miles the trailer travels - for the purpose of bearing maintenance. Finally, do you carry a bottle jack with you?
Thanks again for your insights.
Nathan

WilliamA

Nathan,
Wheel bearings....hmmmm..... As I've said before I've been a mechanic all my life so that means I'm neurotic and paranoid and always amazed when ANYTHING works for long. As to checking my wheel bearings, I check them every time I stop for gas. It's as easy as putting a knee up against the tire and pushing it to see if I can feel/hear any play in the hub. I feel the hubs to see if they are overly warm, check the side play and have a quick look to see if they are puking out any grease. I can check both sides while filling my tank and do so regularly. I don't jack anything up to check my side play. If there is any and you push the trailer, you'll see or hear it.
I use my car (Jeep Wrangler) jack for my trailer.

When on the road and I need to do a bit of bearing maintenance, I jack up one side of the trailer while it's attached to my TV. I carry a couple small pieces of 2x4 just for versatility.

Engineers would tell you that: "All tapered bearings need some preload to work." In a perfect world, that's true. A tiny bit of preload makes them track better and will help the races last longer. That said, I like to run a tiny bit of slop in my bearings. How much? When I do adjust preload, I jack the tire up, spin the wheel and tighten the spindle nut by hand with just a large pliers. Once the nut gets a tiny bit snug, I'll back off the nut enough so I can get the lock back on and that provides the freeplay I want. I'd much rather have a tiny bit of freeplay than too much preload. In the real world where I live, it's nearly impossible to get it exactly right because the spindle nut lock will either be too tight or too loose. I just tighten up to contact, then back off until the shoulder on the spindle nut lock lines up with the spindle nut flats.

Wheel bearings get loose for a number of reasons. First, they get loose because the inner races haven't been properly seated on the spindle. This is very common when trailers are new. Second, they wear in as the bearing works on the races. Third, they were too tight and wear quickly. Fourth, they get hot. The primary cause of overheated bearings is too much preload or misadjusted or dragging brakes. Having said I worry about everything, I can now say I don't worry about my wheel bearings. I just check to make sure they are well greased, have a proper preload setting and then just do a quick check on them as I travel. Occasionally, if I have to tighten them up while out on the road, I just jack the wheel up and do my quick adjustment. I don't take the tire off to do it. Takes about 10 minutes or so, most of the time which is spent getting the jack out and putting it back....

WilliamA

Michigan_Mike

It's a good idea to carry an extra set of bearings and races with you when traveling. You'd be surprised that even the remote auto parts stores won't have what you need when a crisis arises 2K miles from home.

WilliamA

I carry a spare hub and spare bearings. It doesn't have a brake drum but I have my brake controller switched so I can turn it off.

tagurit

Getting ready for an 8,000 mile voyage this July. I don't understand what makes the trailer hubs so particularly susceptible to failure if they have been maintained. I keep close watch on our boat trailer hubs but they are in and out of water and sit for long periods of time. I don't plan on bringing along extra hubs for our car, why do I need to for the trailer? I can easily, I'm just not sure why. I have essentially brand new hubs I removed when I added brakes, also two sets of bearings and races I ordered by mistake when I didn't realize the drums came with them!

WilliamA

@tagurit said:
Getting ready for an 8,000 mile voyage this July. I don't understand what makes the trailer hubs so particularly susceptible to failure if they have been maintained. I keep close watch on our boat trailer hubs but they are in and out of water and sit for long periods of time. I don't plan on bringing along extra hubs for our car, why do I need to for the trailer? I can easily, I'm just not sure why. I have essentially brand new hubs I removed when I added brakes, also two sets of bearings and races I ordered by mistake when I didn't realize the drums came with them!

As Mike said up there, it is more a matter of parts availability. Also, automotive hubs are much more robust and (generally) have sealed for life bearings and non-adjustable preload. In the event my Jeep front bearings go boots up out on the road, there's no way I'd have enough tools to do a roadside rebuild. The trailer hubs are small, don't take much space, are the same side to side and easy to swap out. I install the races in the spare hub to save that step too. I have run many miles without a spare hub but I do a good bit of off-grid/out of the way camping so there's that to consider. If I were sticking to main roads, I probably wouldn't worry about spares.

WilliamA

nbrandt

William and Mike,
I have a 2017 T@G. I have looked through the Owners Manuel but came up empty. Is there a place where the numbers for these bearings can be obtained - without taking them all apart?
I really like the idea of carrying a set of bearings with me. If they are hard to find or must be ordered - that could save some time while traveling. It would let you fix the hub yourself on the side of the road (providing your had the tools and grease) - but even if a shop does it - you have to have the right bearing or you are stuck until you do.

Secondly, while on the subject of obtaining such information. I read in the Owners Manuel that one is to refer to the Specification Chart for Wheel Lug Nut Torque specs - but I can't find that Specification Chart anywhere in the 2017 T@G Owners Manuel. I finally did find a general specs chart in a Dexter Brochure that came with the trailer, but nothing specific for this particular trailer - they just said if you have 13" wheels your range of is between "this number" and "that number" and if you have a 14" wheel and so on..
Thanks for your help.
NathanB

tagurit

etrailer has this kit available, not Dexter but has good reviews.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bearings-Races-Seals-Caps/TruRyde/DL21792.html

WilliamA

Keep in mind that if you carry spare bearings but don't have a spare hub, you'll need a few roadside tools specifically for swapping out bearing sets. The most important thing that comes to mind but might not be in your tool kit is a punch (drift) to drive the races out and in. It should be brass or non-ferrous metal. There are tons of videos on youtube showing how it's done. Don't forget your Harley Davidson part #40! (Hammer) also known as a punch-motor....

WilliamA

Jms

Just to follow up to nbrandt's question about torque specifications for lug nuts....what are the recommendations for the wheels on a 2018 T@G Outback edition? The Dexter brochure that comes with the trailer only lists specs for Dexter steel wheels, which are no longer manufactured. Thanks!

WilliamA

It's not so much a matter of the kind of wheels but the size of the wheel studs. For me, I use 80-90lbs for 1/2" 20tpi studs. I think that's what all the T@G wheel stud sizes are. It's as important to check them often. Steel wheels are a bit more forgiving because they have a built-in deflection (like a spring) around the stud holes. I prefer steel wheels but run what I have. As soon as I get my lottery check, I'm switching to steelies...

WilliamA

Jms

Thanks, WillaimA. Good info. I wish nuCamp would include more of this information in their manual for the trailer. It wouldn't be that hard to do.

Jms

I found this chart on etrailer's website that looks useful:

WilliamA

One needs to be careful with the 2 piece lugnuts used on T@Gs. The chrome "cap" can easily start to spin on the steel nut underneath and result in a difficult problem to fix. When that happens it's necessary to cut the chrome skin off the nut with a chisel and then hammer a 6 point socket on the remaining nut. That happened to me twice on my Little Guy 5 wide before I changed all the lugnuts to 1 piece jobs. Overtorque or using an impact gun only make the problem worse.

WilliamA

Jms

That's good to know. Thanks!