Trailer Jacks? Directv?

[tscarbroughdc]

Hey y'all. I'm SO happy to say that I'm in the finishing stretch of my Benroy camper!!! I couldn't have done it without a lot of good advice from here!

I have a friend that paints cars and all who is going to paint it yellow with two blue stripes down the side like the Air Tractor airplane my dad used to fly. But before that I am wondering:

1. What do you do for jacks to stabilize it when you unhook it from your truck?

2. Do you do anything to the tongue of the camper to keep someone from just driving off with it while you are asleep at night?

3. Does anyone here have DirecTv in their teardrop and how does that work? How do I set it up?



Thanks!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1392595933.774523.jpg (235.83 KiB) Viewed 656 times

[citylights]

Rear stabilizer jacks (cheap), I have these.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44561-Olympian-Aluminum-Stack/dp/B000760FX4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1392599251&sr=8-9&keywords=Trailer+jacks

Rear stabilizer jacks (more expensive)

http://www.amazon.com/Husky-76862-Stabilizing-Scissor-Jack/dp/B005J1UK2I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392599251&sr=8-3&keywords=Trailer+jacks

Front jack

http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower-74410-Trailer-Swivel/dp/B000CQOIVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392599251&sr=8-1&keywords=Trailer+jacks

Trailer security, I have a pad lock on the hitch. No taking the trailer off the vehicle or putting it on without removing the padlock. When unhooked from the vehicle, I also use one like this...

http://www.amazon.com/Trimax-UMAX50-Universal-Hardened-couplers/dp/B000F3RYGA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392599592&sr=8-1&keywords=Trailer+security

I also have seen chain and padlock threaded through one of the tires and rim as theft deterrent.

[eggsalad]

2. Do you do anything to the tongue of the camper to keep someone from just driving off with it while you are asleep at night?

What sorts of campgrounds do you plan to stay in?? I've never heard of ANYone having a camper hauled off in a campground while the owners were asleep inside! What do the thieves do with the bodies?

Now... when the trailer is parked at your house... that's another matter entirely. At home, my camper is locked to a fencepost with a nice chunk of 3/8" wire rope.

[bdosborn]

I have Dish and it works fine. It takes a little bit to figure out how to aim the dish but it's not real hard after you figure it out.

Here's a bunch of links for Dish but Direct Tv is pretty much the same thing:

Dish Aiming
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/CFB/1/Tid/810182.cfm

Dish Tripods"
http://www.dmbruss.com/zFullTimeLifeStyle/FTLS_TVDishTripods.htm

DIY Dish Mount
http://bbrv.dreamstation.com/sat.html


Bruce

P.S. While we have dish, I found that we don't use it much. We'll watch movies that I've ripped to a USB hard drive but the dish doesn't get used very often.

[tscarbroughdc]

Bruce. What kind of camper do you have there? That looks neat

[bdosborn]

It's a pop up mutant trailer. Here's the build thread:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=21234

Bruce

[Wolffarmer]

A major point of camping is to get away from TV and being constantly connected.

In my humble opinion. Randy

[Vedette]

I am with you Randy
That is why I got rid of our Motorhome that we had for a very short period when the kids were young.
They would be in the Motorhome watching TV instead of enjoying the great spots that we visited.
No regrets once we got back to pup tent camping!!
But, now I don't even own a cell phone......but we do travel with the laptop so I can get my daily Forum fix!
Sorry I am hooked.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Socal Tom]

I have a tv in mine, with a bunch of movies on USB. It's only for after dark, and if the weather gets bad. Often it's just my son and I. It's tough to entertain him and cook. Dinner etc.

[Wolffarmer]

I have a cell phone. but it is pay as I go and the phone is so cheap I can barely hear anything. I often go weeks without using it. Often forget to take it with me. I take a laptop with me. But seldom get it out. I just got a tablet mostly for the reader. So now I have a bunch of books with me. So far one movie on it, that I have watched.



Randy

[tscarbroughdc]

That's what I'm thinking about SoCal Tom!! My wife has voiced her opinion about not wanting to go and so it will just be my two kids and myself. It would be nice to have something for night and rainy days.

What's up with everyone having movies on USB?!?! I'm thinking we have our iPads and the kids have their kindles to watch tv if we stay in places with wifi but my experience with campground wifi has not need very good.

[Wolffarmer]

Back to trailer jacks. I use scissor jacks from cars. The way I mounted mine will not work anyone but me. ( if you see my trailer you would know ) The last one I bought at a wreaking yard was $20 and it is from the same model as my TV, spare jack as well as a spare tire. And I made my tongue "support" also. it is not a jack but a piece of flat iron with holes drilled in it and a bolt welded on the tongue. Again, you would have to see it. Works for me. And so far I have not worried about anyone steeling the trailer. Where I usually camp there is now problem. I am usually alone way out in the desert or at a TD gathering or something ( Burning Man ) like that.

Randy

[wincrasher]

You should use the Tailgater from Dish. You can turn it on and off, month-to-month for when you want to use it.

You simply set the cube out in the open and push the button - it's that simple - self aiming and all. If you want Sat TV, definitely the easy way to go.

I make mine active the summer months an go dormant over the winter months.

[Wolffarmer]

Oh, and for Television. I have not had a TV in anything since May 2001. Of course i don't have kids.

Randy

[wincrasher]

I would think, without television, you'd be up to your chin in kids. I mean, a man has to spend his time somehow.