Aluminum Camper Forum

@charliem

Good work. And good trouble-shooting. Classic install error at LL.

Check again on that breaker cost. 2 pole 30A GFCI breakers for 240V power can be expensive, but for your camper you just need a single pole 120V GFCI breaker and here in the U.S. those are only $56US at the Home Depot.

Inverters are different than gas generators. Some have the neutral bonded to the equipment ground, some don't, and some are actually both. They bond the neutral to the ground when you use their receptacles but do not bond those when used hardwired to an electrical panel. It's important to have only one place in the electrical system where the neutral and ground are connected. The operating manual for the inverter should tell you what to do about the ground, so I won't guess.

That's a deep trench!  I suppose the sand is to keep the wire from chafing on stones.

In the U.S. the National Electric Code requires an outdoor 30 or 50 amp power outlet to have a GFCI. (15 and 20 amp too). It's a minimal cost for important outdoor electrical safety. (Per the NEC)

Generators connected to a building are grounded via the building ground. Generators powering equipment from the generator outlets are grounded via the generator frame and there is no need for a separate ground. (Per OSHA).

Put your underground wire in per code. Where I live local code is 19". Use direct burial wire and/or conduit.

I order all my tires from the Tire Rack. I've never had an old tire from them. They are owned by Discount Tire, but do a much better job of on line sales. I just take the tires to my local Discount Tire for mounting. And, trailer tires should be balanced. Be sure to ask because they don't do that automatically.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?zip-code=48840&width=185/&ratio=80&diameter=13&rearWidth=255/&rearRatio=40&rearDiameter=17&performance=ALL

I second the EternaBond tape, especially for large cracks or anywhere caulk is missing completely. It's good stuff.

Silicone is not your friend for that. If you mean the horizontal surface on top, I would use Dicor self-leveling caulk. If you mean the sides on a vertical surface, Dicor regular caulk is a good choice. Either way, the success will depend on how well you clean the area. You can't clean too much! A final scrubbing with alcohol will help get soap/grease/residue off before caulking.

 Good report on sway!

I have moved to the Maxxis 8008+ in 185/80R13.  Excellent tire all around and I recommend that size. At the same time I added a wireless TireMinder TPMS and have been really happy with that.

Interesting! I always wondered what is in the furnace area. Wiring is not a LL strongpoint. I bet that external diesel unit is a great asset to cold camping.

What a great trip!  The Windsor>Detroit crossing on the Ambassador Bridge is a busy one with lots of trucks. Plan a bit extra time for that one, or consider the Sarina>Port Huron crossing too. As you cross Michigan if you need anything let me know. I'm in the Lansing area. I check the forum everyday.

En route from Michigan going west, I've made the trip from Chicago to Portland a number of times and have some favorites. I've always used 80, 84, or 90 as the main interstates, so I've never been down to 70 at St. Louis.

How will you be getting to Chicago from Canada?

Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton Indiana just outside Chicago on Lake Michigan is a gem. Nice campground with lots of local things to do.

Mormon Island State Recreation Area near Grand Island, Nebraska has nice sites and very convenient access, if you are on I-80 by then

Antelope Island State Park in Ogden, Utah is a must. It's a truly unique camping experience on an island in Great Salt Lake. Huge sites and you won't forget the experience.

I've stayed a many others on that route, but those 3 are those I will stay at again next time I go. The others are mostly "meh", just places to stay overnight en route. I've had some bad experiences with noisy and poorly maintained KOA Journey campgrounds, so if you stay at any KOAs, I'd avoid those labeled Journey.

Oddly enough, I've never had any luck scoring a campsite in the Columbia River Gorge. They are always full when I do trip planning, so I can't help with recommendations there. I've stayed just east and west of the gorge; most recently had a nice stay at Hood Park in Pasco, Washington east of the gorge. It's another Corps facility with great sites, but it's a bit north of I-84, so not right on your route.

Nice job! Good follow-up. I bet Charlie will talk you into side bolts.

Scary cracks! Good thing you noticed. I also assume the strips are there to reduce galvanic action between steel and aluminum. Etrailer will know what to use there, so give them a call or email.

Member @charliem added side bolts to his hitch to reduce the stress causing the kind of cracks you have. I'll see if I can find his photos of that. As long as you're drilling, you may want to add those too.

Where is it located?

Good time to be in Key West. 

I also now have Starlink and am very impressed with the service. I do need to get a pole and wondered about that HF telescoping pole you mentioned. It working out ok?