Category Archives: Camper Upgrades

Andersen Camper Levelers — 2 Year Review

Camper Upgrades

Normally I don’t like to do short-term reviews because there are just three important criteria:

  1. Does the product work as it should or is advertised
  2. Is the price consummate with the perceived value
  3. Is the product durable

Seems to me that 10 years of use is a good point to do a real review. In this case, Andersen offers a lifetime guarantee, so as long they don’t go out of business or discontinue the product, durability isn’t a concern for me. At this point in time, after two years of use, I don’t see a durability issue.

I really don’t like to use the term “best” when describing products, but the Andersen Camper Levelers are the best trailer leveler I have used, and I’ve used a few over the decades. Additionally, I’ll state it is one of the best camper products I’ve ever purchased based on my criteria list.

Continue reading Andersen Camper Levelers — 2 Year Review →

Honda Generator Maintenance and Storage

Camper Upgrades, General Talk,

As we near the end of October, many campers are “winterizing” their campers and putting them into storage. Given our location and easy access to year round camping we “winterize” differently. 

This summer we bought a pair of Honda generators as I shared a while back. These were purchased only for use in summer when temperatures are in triple digits (meaning we won’t have any camping neighbors). They also can be used for backup electricity in case of a power outage. We won’t need them for at least 6 months, so it was time to winterize them – meaning to do any required maintenance and prep them for storage. Just in case you have Honda EU 2000 series generators and haven’t read the manual, other than the Quick Reference Guide, here is the maintenance schedule.

Continue reading Honda Generator Maintenance and Storage →

Battery Water Filler

Camper Upgrades

Adding water to flooded RV batteries can be somewhat difficult as the above picture shows on our 2014 Milan 26RLS. The battery bank is behind the propane tanks and the front of the trailer slopes forward over the batteries. This isn’t a problem if you have sealed batteries that do not require topping of the water. I prefer flooded batteries that can be tested with a battery hydrometer as I shared in this post with instructions on using a battery hydrometer. The downside of these flooded batteries is they periodically need to be topped of with distilled water. As with most things in life, there is a proper tool to add distilled water to a flooded battery — the battery water filler. Continue reading Battery Water Filler →

Favorite Gear of 2018

Camper Upgrades

This topic is a favorite on backpacking blogs. Although it is only August, I thought I’d be the first!

Actually my favorite backpacking gear hasn’t changed in years, so there is no use posting that (again).

Since I just finished all my Christmas shopping (yes, I don’t have to worry about it or stress out like most folks do), I thought it might be helpful to share the most popular items that PopUpBackpacker readers are buying – and there isn’t anything related to backpacking – because the majority of readers here buy stuff for their campers, so all the items on this list are camper related. I approve – too many backpackers are obsessed with gear and are in a constant loop of new gear purchases.

Camping stuff, on the other hand, are usually purchases that are made for the long haul. Readers might find some of the stuff interesting or even a great Christmas gift idea. Since Christmas is several months away, might as well start thinking about it before it creeps up on you and you freak out. And to be upfront, there are product links in this post that will earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Don’t buy any of this stuff if you don’t need it! Continue reading Favorite Gear of 2018 →

Get Ready to ‘Flip Your Lid’ (How to Replace an RV Vent Lid)

Camper Upgrades

Last week was time to wash and condition our membrane roof and to clean the solar panels. While I was on the roof getting ready and inspecting everything, I noticed a small hole in the corner of one of the plastic roof vents. The lid was falling apart due to UV exposure. Checking the other two vent lids, they were also getting brittle and needed to be replaced. So I ordered three lids and postponed the roof and solar panel cleaning.

Hole in the vent lid as seen from the inside of the camper.

Roof vent lids are easy to replace.

In this post I’ll go through the step-by-step instructions. Continue reading Get Ready to ‘Flip Your Lid’ (How to Replace an RV Vent Lid) →

Extended Dual-Run Fuel Tank for Honda Generators

Camper Upgrades

Recently I wrote about our Honda “EU” series generators for use in extremely hot weather to run our camper’s air conditioner. One thing I didn’t discuss in much detail was the limited fuel capacity their built-in gas tanks have. At the time I mentioned I would be purchasing an after-market extended run fuel tank. The generators barely had enough fuel capacity to run through the night, and had it been hotter or more humid they would have run out of fuel.

Disclaimer: Usually I include a disclaimer if I receive any commission from any links in a post. After researching tanks, I only found one that I was comfortable buying – that is, given my professional experience working with fuel systems, the one I bought was the only one I felt was safe. I paid the regular price, I don’t know the seller, and there is no financial benefit for me to review the product. I could have linked to some tanks that might generate income for me, but I am unwilling to do that.

This post will review the extended run fuel tank and accessories. Continue reading Extended Dual-Run Fuel Tank for Honda Generators →

“Are we out of propane, Again?”

Camper Upgrades, ,

Ah, it’s a common malady for some campers. Running out of propane on a camping trip is truly inconvenient – especially if it happens during the middle of a cold night and your furnace quits running.

Most portable propane tanks usually don’t have gauges. If they do, they don’t work well – probably better to say they don’t work at all. So what is one to do? Continue reading “Are we out of propane, Again?” →

When Should I Replace My RV Batteries: Testing and Ponderings

Camper Upgrades, Camping, , ,

It has been almost five years since we bought our Milan 26RLS travel trailer. Hard for me to reconcile the fact that each year seems to accelerate faster and faster towards the end of the game. When we bought this trailer it replaced our 2006 Fleetwood Niagara that had been “totaled” by our insurance company when vandalizing thieves destroyed it.

Two Exide CG-135 6-volt golf cart batteries installed in September 2013.

That whole process meant we didn’t go camping all summer. Once we got our new Milan the first order of business was to install a solar system and other electrical upgrades prior to its maiden voyage. At the time I was working so there wasn’t a lot of time to shop for the needed materials and components. Fortunately the best deals are on the internet if you know what you really need. There is one exception: batteries. Since 6 volt deep cycle batteries weigh over 60 lbs. each, in 2013 shipping costs made the internet cost of lead-acid batteries prohibitive. Not having a lot of time, and no local retailers close by that sold Trojan brand batteries, I compromised and bought a pair of Exide 6 volt golf cart batteries. At best, at the time, I hoped they would last for 5 years. Continue reading When Should I Replace My RV Batteries: Testing and Ponderings →

Rock Steady: How to Level, Chock, and Stabilize a Travel Trailer

Camper Upgrades, , ,

Back in 2013, before we bought our double-axle Eclipse Milan 26RLS, I wrote this post on How to Level and Stabilize a Tent Trailer.  I should have titled it, How to Chock, Level, and Stabilize a Tent Trailer.

I finally have, after almost five years and some not-so-good products, come up with the solutions to quickly and securely level, chock, and stabilize our travel trailer.

Through trial and error, and a couple of almost disastrous and dangerous events with our Milan, I have finally figured things out so we can camp safe and secure. Not only have I eliminated some potentially serious problems, our travel trailer now sits rock solid without any noticeable shaking when we move about inside.

Hopefully this post will help my readers who own campers to avoid some of the mistakes I have made with our tandem axle travel trailer.

The solutions include a pair of Andersen Camper Levelers, a Fastway ONEStep Chock, an Ultra-Fab Odyssey 4000 electric tongue jack, a pair of BAL Industries X-Chock tire stabilizers, and replacement stabilizers jacks that are 6” taller than the originals that came with the trailer. I will review each of these and go through the process of how to level, chock, and stabilize a tandem axle travel trailer. The steps should be applicable to any multi-axle trailer including 5th wheels. Continue reading Rock Steady: How to Level, Chock, and Stabilize a Travel Trailer →