Month: November 2020

Storing Our Travel Trailer

by JRWilkinsonRVing / Travel Trailer

We live in a neighborhood with a HOA that prevents us from parking Howie in the driveway or on the street for more than a few days. With 2020’s RV surge in popularity, storage lots in our area are pretty full. Luckily, we were able to find a spot in a nearby outdoor, gated RV storage lot. After looking at rather tight 10’x20′ spaces tucked between other RVs, boats, & trailers. We waited for a 22ft space on the end of an aisle to become available for $171/mo (as of Oct 2022; $148/mo Dec 2021; $114/mo initially). With the extra few feet, our 20ft trailer sits comfortably in an accessible corner.
After hooking Howie to my truck, on our way to the storage lot. We spent an hour in a large, uncrowded parking lot practicing backing up the trailer between cones both right & left. Although I was hoping I could pull straight into our spot, some backing in was necessary. With the practice session, this was done easily.

Extra Space Storage for RVs is outdoors so we decided to use a cover to reduce sun damage & keep the exterior clean. It doesn’t rain much here in SoCal so the moisture issue many cover users complain about shouldn’t be a problem for us. There is a lot of plastic on Howie so sun damage, if stored uncovered, could cause these parts, like hose connectors, to become brittle over time.
Some complaints on covers is they only last a few seasons and are prone to tears. So I bought a couple things to minimize the sharp edges that could shorten the life of our cover. The King Bird 5-layer cover had pretty good ratings on Amazon & other online RV cover reviews. It has three zippered side panels on each side for easy access to the trailer door & trailer portals when covered. There are also well-sewn reinforced straps to help streamline the “silhouette” and keep the cover from moving during high winds. Lastly, the 18-20ft cover is long enough to cover the entire trailer including the rear ladder and front tongue jack & tanks. Four wheel covers also come with the set so we used two of them to cover our trailer wheels.
The water heater was drained and four stabilizer jacks lowered onto pads.
2021 update: We had some severe rain and winds in January on the West Coast. The cover weathered the storms well with only minor shifting on the driver’s side.

Some RV’ers remove their batteries and propane tanks when storing away from home or during freezing weather. Freezing should not be an issue in SoCal so we haven’t removed anything.
I added 2 metal straps that wrap-around & lock the battery box. I also drilled a pass-thru hole in the propane clamp to fit a lock. If someone really want these, the mods will only slow them down a little. Our storage facility has video security so hopefully we won’t lose anything – so far, two months in, all is good (kow).

Our batteries continue to read 100% with the battery shutoff engaged. There does not seem to be any real drain of our two 6-v batteries. If the LP/CO detector, which is always on, is using any power. Perhaps, what little light passes through our cover is enough for the solar panel to trickle charge & compensate.

Customizing Howie

by JRWilkinsonRVing / Tow Vehicle / Travel Trailer

Starting our RV life at the end of 2020, we made some highly recommended tweaks to improve our overall experience.

  • Rear view camera – since Geo Pros are pre-wired for a backup camera, installing one was one of the first addons to improve safety. We installed a Furrion system since the Geo Pro mount is Furrion. Some dealers offer a rear view camera standard or as an incentive. Ours didn’t come with one so to make the installation easy, I installed a standard Furrion 5 system. Took 10mins with no drilling or additional wiring. The amount of extra wire in the Furrion base was longer than needed. So I fed all but ~8″ into the wall instead of cutting it shorter. We plan on adding two Furrion side cameras since we prefer not to use side mirror extensions. So far the rear view camera is working well wirelessly, viewable on the 5″ monitor setup on the dash.
  • Painted trailer tongue – painting the black trailer tongue where the ball hitch attaches was one of the best tips we saw on YouTube. Painting the ball hitch receiver light grey makes it easy to see on the Tacoma’s backup camera when hooking up. The light color can be “blown out” in camera view under bright sunlight, but still useful. The Tacoma’s backup camera is slightly off-center on the tailgate so the ‘centerpoint’ crosshair is slightly off to the left.
  • Dinette molding – the cabinet corner next to the dinette is already showing wear from the few times we’ve scooted out, rubbing against the wall (see photo). So we added oak molding stained to match the interior to the corners.
Worn corner from us sliding into the dinetteSolution: oak molding glued to corner

After taking a few trips and seeing mods other GeoPro owners have done. We made a few more changes to make living in our G19RD more comfortable.

Bed Extension (click for full description)

The east-west full size bed is fine for us but a north-south modification makes it easier to get up without crawling over. Plus it adds extra room for Bodhi, our terrier-poodle, who sleeps next to us.

Dinette Table (click for full description)

The dinette table that comes in the G19RD is relatively huge. It doubles as the bed platform so is wide and long enough to covert the dinette into a queen size bed. Unfortunately, it makes getting in & out of the dinette cumbersome, having to shift the table to the opposite side to slide in.
We installed a Lagun table arm that swings the table top in different positions. Plus we can use different table top sizes to open up the dinette area. We’ll keep the stock table for trips where we need the extra bed. But for most of our trips, we’ll use the small table.

Shakedown Trip: Campland-On-The-Bay

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Campgrounds / RVing / Southern California / Tow Vehicle / Travel Trailer / Trips

After some very basic additions to our Geo Pro G19RD “Howie”, we did a three-day shakedown trip to Campland-On-The-Bay Nov 18-21 2020. We bought a long list of support equipment recommended by the numerous YouTube videos we watched on essentials.

Following a tip I saw online, I painted the trailer’s hitch a light gray to make it easier to see in the Tacoma’s backup camera. It helps a lot when aligning the ball hitch to trailer hitch without a second person. It took awhile to remember the sequence of attaching the Equalizer E4 wdh but after referring to my notes and a few retries, I had it hooked up properly. An electronic tongue jack, standard on the Geo Pros, really helps speed up the process.

Campland-On-The-Bay is an “urban” bay-side campground in San Diego on Mission Bay, about 34 miles from home. It’s a short drive through town then mainly freeway, with only minor elevation changes. Towing went fine until we pulled off the Campland freeway exit then I noticed a slight “push” from the trailer when braking. The brake controller read “n.c.” – n.c. means “no contact or connection” so we lost our trailer brakes. Fortunately, the G19RD is less than 4000lbs & light enough for the Tacoma to stop unassisted. Campland is less than a mile from the freeway exit so we were able to make it to our campsite without issue. My wife booked a pull-through site so I thankfully didn’t have to remember my trailer backup skills. We leveled the trailer using a bubble level, Beech Lane leveling block and our LevelMate Pro+ which I had calibrated at home. Campland has full hookups (photo) so I connected the pressure regulator, water filter and fresh water hose. The water pressure gauge initially read over 60psi(!) so I adjusted it down to ~45psi. Next was power, attaching the 30amp surge protector and power cable to Howie. I threaded a cable lock through the surge protector since I read they are often stolen. Lastly, I attached the Rhino flex hose to the sewer fitting, using the hose-support slinky and sandbag to keep it seated tightly. Everything worked fine – no leaks were detected inside because of the initial 60psi water pressure. On shore power, we used the electric water heater vs propane.

The “east-west” full bed was comfortable but cozy with two smaller adults (5’9″, 5’1″) and 38lb dog (photo). We added a memory foam topper to the stock mattress and it’s good enough for now. It’s a heated mattress but we didn’t test it out. San Diego in November was still warm.
Our next mod: someone in our Geo Pro Facebook group posted a modification that extends the mattress, converting the “east-west” bed to “north-south”. They constructed a short, retractable, plywood board that pulls out from under the mattress. Adding cushions the height of the mattress, extending the length the bed.

Day 2 started with breakfast cooked on the propane griddle that comes standard with the Geo Pro/E-Pro trailers. I hooked it up to the external propane connector and it works really well. We read that using it against the trailer can scorch the side panel. So we used it on a separate stand-alone table well away from Howie. The exterior metal shelf, also standard, works fine for holding plates, utensils & food. The kitchen’s propane stove was used to boil water for tea & coffee. A small Nespresso machine will travel with us next time. But this time I used a manual Nespresso coffee press which worked fine but requires some effort. Microwave-heated milk topped the latte – I’m debating on whether a milk frother is worth carrying. The 12v fridge worked great although some bins or bungees could be useful to minimize shifting of taller items during transit. Since we were hooked up to shore power, our 2 6v batteries never dropped below 100%. We tested the AC & furnace – they worked fine although a bit noisy – but neither was needed. It was cool enough during the day to just open the windows & use the MaxAir fan. At night, we used a small electric space heater instead of the furnace. Moisture was visible on the stove top when using propane even when using the oven fan hood. But the windows never had significant condensation since we kept the MaxAir fan on low full time & a window cracked. We also had a DampRid passive dehumidifier. But buy the end of our shakedown, there was very little water condensed at the bottom. The weather was dry all 3 days with very little humidity even though we were bay-side.

Getting back to the brake failure problem: I fussed with my Tacoma’s fuse box to see it the brake control circuit needed a new fuse. It was fine – the Tacoma’s main fuse box is in the engine compartment. It’s lid has a key to all the fuses, identifying the brake controller fuse (photo). There are also a few spare fuses & a fuse puller clipped to the fuse box lid. I brought assorted spare fuses (bought from Amazon) too since trailer fuses often need to be replaced. I called my RV dealer and the service manager gave me some trouble-shooting tips to try. The best tip he gave me was to ask my neighbor if I could hook up my Tacoma to their trailer to see if the brake controller works. It did, so we knew the problem was with the brand new trailer.

Next, I tried Forest River Roadside Assistance (FRRA) that’s listed in the binder that came with the trailer. It’s the wrong number but the person who answered gave me the right number (866)209-2895. Since we did not have a membership # yet, FFRA couldn’t really help us – when you take delivery of the trailer, your RV dealer submits the application to Forest River for you. If they do not submit your application right away, it can take quite a long time to get your card. Some dealers wait until they have a stack of applications to submit, so ask your dealer to expedite your application just in case you need roadside assistance early.
When I called our dealer back for a service appointment. They said, because of Covid, “walk-ins” were not allowed & the next appointment was in March 2021 (so much for buying locally getting priority). I asked about our Forest River Roadside Assistance application & they said they would check on its status & expedite submission if needed. (Update: we received our membership # & card yesterday Jan 19 2021 after taking delivery Nov 12 2020.)
I was able to talk to a Forest River’s technician but his suggestions didn’t fix the problem.
Finally, I asked the concierge at Campland for a mobile repairman recommendation and he gave me a card. The mobile RV repairman (Guillermo from www.sosrepair.services) was kind enough to squeeze us into his full schedule. He came by ~6:30pm Nov 20, diagnosed & fixed the problem in 10mins. I took him longer to do the electronic paperwork, invoice me $150, & accept payment.
The problem he found was the ground to the brakes were faulty. He replaced the two crimp connectors (photo), which he thought were the wrong gauge, with the correct ones. (Sidenote: if you want a career that’s in high-demand & great-paying, become a RV repairman.) After explaining our situation & experience to Forest River. They were kind enough to reimburse us the full $150. Something they said they do not usually due.
We had a great first trip and learned a lot about setting up a rv. We are planning our 2021 trips although in California. Many campgrounds are still closed due to the pandemic.

Equipping Our Travel Trailer

by JRWilkinsonGear / RVing / Travel Trailer

After watching dozens of RV YouTube videos, we’ve outfitted our Geo Pro G19RD with the essentials plus some extra safety equipment. Like other rv’ers, we ended up with a huge pile of Amazon boxes. A few items were ordered from Campingworld.com using our Good Sam membership discount. We also shopped at a local Camping World store. Being able to see & handle the gear before buying is educational & practical.

Outfitting “HoWie” our Geo Pro G19RD 20ft Travel Trailer
After watching several YouTube videos & reading online articles on RV essential equipment. We ordered many many items from Amazon and Walmart. Geo Pros come with some nice standard equipment like electric tongue jack, 190w solar panels, propane tanks, batteries, & a propane grill. But none of the gear to interface with campground hookups except the 30amp power cord.
Fresh water hoses (35ft, 10ft x 2), black water hoses & connectors, black water hose cradle, hose fittings & regulators, leveling blocks, aluminum folding table (Walmart), voltage surge protection, Dewalt cordless drill w/ 3/4″ stabilizer socket, torque wrenches & sockets for truck & rv, air compressor for truck & rv – there’s a lot of stuff to get setup and be safe.

Essentials+Extras Travel Trailer Shopping List

“Howie”, our 2021 G19RD

by JamesGear / RVing / Travel Trailer

It started as an idea to do a van conversion when I retired but ended up a quest for a small travel trailer. We searched long and hard for just the right travel trailer. With the Covid pandemic causing poor availability of small towables, it was quite a challenge in mid to late 2020.
We looked at different tear-drops like the T@b 400 Boondock, Little Guy Mini & Max; small trailers like the Intech Sol, R-Pod, Jay Feather, Airstream Bambi, Basecamp & Nest. We looked hard at Airstreams cause we love their aluminum, iconic silhouette. The Basecamp 20 was a strong contender but really hard to get since it was brand new and in high demand. We looked hard at the T@b 400 Boondock but saw one driving, loaded with gear on the back slope – not enough storage internally apparently. Plus any travel trailer with combined grey & black tank were dropped off the list.

So when the opportunity to buy a Geo Pro G19RD in San Diego presented itself, we pulled the trigger Oct 28 2020. The GeoPro G19RD was the very first travel trailer we walked through in June 2020 at GiantRV Temecula. But we were not ready to buy just yet since we had just started shopping. Turns out it was the one with our favorite floor-plan and price-point so we were fortunate to find another one in October at a similar price.
One 12v battery typically comes with the trailer so we upgraded to two 6v 200mA batteries for a few hundred more. Buying these through the dealer cost a little more but it included installation.

The Geo Pro G19RD floor-plan has a reverse layout of an Airstream Bambi with a front bed and rear dinette with ‘wrap-around’ windows. The G19RD dinette windows are not panoramic like an Airstream but open on three sides, so similar. Other pluses: the G19RD has a dry bath, 3 separate tanks, 190w solar, heated tanks, 3″ off-road lift & tires, TPMS – so many ‘extras’ were standard, making it “the one” for us.

Note: Specs have changed on later 2021.5-2022 G19RD. A thicker floor adds ~100lbs to the overall trailer dry weight & ~20lbs to the hitch weight. Rockwood weighs each trailer as they come off the assembly line and ours has a dry weight sticker of 3151lbs. The newer G19RDs also list a slightly smaller 31gal fresh water tank; but same exterior length of 20’2″ & 13′ awning size. So the take-away is, there can be slight variations in the specs depending on what month your trailer is assembled due to part availability (especially during Covid).

There isn’t a slide to worry about but this also means the center passage between from bed & rear dinette is narrow. It is not a problem unless someone is standing by the stove. The small dry bath is across from the kitchen but adequate for our size. Considering we were thinking of a van conversion, we have a lot more room & storage.

With a serious backlog on RV orders in 2021-2022, Forest River is focusing on their most popular models since the availability of appliances & parts is problematic. Geo Pro models with bunks and/or slides are their best sellers so the G19RD is discontinued. We are really happy with ours and feel fortunate we found one before they become unavailable new.

Bringing Howie Home

by JRWilkinsonRVing / Tow Vehicle / Travel Trailer

We first saw the Geo Pro G19RD in September at GiantRV in Temecula, along with other small trailers like the Kodiak Cub & Jaybird. We weren’t ready to buy just yet, trying to decide if we’d prefer a teardrop like the Tab 400 or Little Guy Max. After shopping around, we decided the slightly larger G19RD weight & floorplan met our ‘sweet spot’. But by October, there were none available locally. We drove to Arizona to find one or something comparable but again no luck. Fortunately, one arrived at RV Solutions San Diego Oct 29th. We did a walk-through and put a deposit down immediately. RV Solutions agreed to our “out-the-door” price (~$3k below MSRP). We could have bought it much cheaper by ordering online from a wholesalers out of state. But after hearing new owners wanting to replace the 110v fridge and plastic toilet on the latest inventory. We are happy getting what we wanted by paying the SoCal low inventory “Covid-premium”. We picked Howie up on Nov 12th, going through the new rv-owner orientation. We could have picked it up earlier but we needed to arrange storage since we have a HOA that forbids RV storage at home. Plus we added RV insurance to our USAA auto insurance with a Nov 12 start date.
We towed it early Thursday afternoon to beat the rush hour – towing a TT for the first time through SoCal traffic at rush hour is something we didn’t want to do. Rush hour traffic hasn’t been bad since Covid has people working from home but why chance it. RV Solutions installed our weight-distribution hitch as part of our agreement & overall price. We had the hitch & brake controller already. We towed it home 33mi without any problems and were able to park it curbside next to our house. We outfitted it with rear-view camera, food, clothes, dog supplies, and necessities.