Razz wrote:Awesome job on the mods.
I am tired of wrestling with a tent when I go camping and looking to buy one of these in a few months and will likely be using some of your ideas. Currently gathering price quotes and info on them now. This will be my first camper so I am a noob to all of this. A few questions on what you have done with yours:
1. I like the idea of a good comfortable mattress. Air mattresses and camp cots are not very comfortable to me. What brand/model is yours? The specs on the camper are about 3/4" narrower than a full queen. Is it a full queen and just squeezed in?
We bought a standard queen-sized memory foam mattress on sale from Mattress Firm for $400'ish. It was snug, but it does not induce any wrinkles or folds. I measured the width and then the mattress and it fit just fine. Our requirements were: Semi-firm, memory foam, as thin as we could find. Our mattress is abut 8" thick, but we have never hit our heads sitting up. Only while kneeling. For added convenience, regardless of the mattress you choose, check into Beddys. Beddys.com. We loved ours so much we bought one for the house as well!
2. The camper is prepped with an exterior plug for a Zamp solar kit. The manufacturer does not give any more info than that so I am guessing it is all wired to the battery and a Zamp kit would just be plug and play. Does yours have the Zamp connection? After some preliminary research, I see the Zamp kits are a bit pricey. Did you choose the Renogy kit because it was more affordable? What all was in the kit? Did the inside monitor come with it?
The "prep" is a joke. Yes, they install a connector that keeps you from drilling holes. No, it isn't connected to anything, nor is there a charge controller with the camper when you buy it. So the connector is all you get and the wires are just tied back. I went with the Renogy for price. They have a good reputation, but are not top-of-the-line. More than adequate for my little camper build and budget. I used an actual solar entry block and ran the wires that came with my Renogy solar kit. This allowed the wires to be as big as possible and the setup to be very efficient. The charge controller was a part of the kit. It goes between the panels and the battery and controls the charging from the panels. As for the "prepped connector": That connector is not proprietary and it is very easy to find at many auto stores and online. If you were going to hook up a small, portable panel (50 Watts or smaller) and want a simple way to connect the panel, then use the connector and connect the wires inside to your charge controller. In most cases, they could be connected in parallel with existing, permanent panels on the roof. Or you could buy a small portable kit and use the controller form it. There are many ways to skin that cat. The other option is to wire it so that you have an external outlet and use it for 12V accessories. That is what I did with mine. You need a little knowledge to do the wiring on any of this, but it is all pretty straight forward.
3. I like the dual Foxwing awnings. Can side panels be attached on all sides to create a sort of closed tent? Just wondering if they can offer enough privacy to simply change clothes rather than trying to get dressed inside the ca, but not rock hard, thin as we could findmper. I am short but not that short, lol.
The panels can be put on ALL straight sides of the awning. That said, if you put up panels on all sides you would not have a good entry/exit point, as the open space left would be a bit narrow and those same spaces mean you don't have total privacy. The panels don't have a door in them and they are not convenient to "open" or pull back. A better option would be to get the add-a-room made by Rhinorack and would cost about the same as that many panels. It would also zip onto the awning (one straight section) and give a complete room for you to use and change in. Another (much cheaper) option is the popup changing room/shower/privacy room that you can find online. It is easy to carry, easy to setup and allows you about 2.5' x 2.5' of space that is tall enough to stand in and change. For us, it also doubles as the bathroom when we are dry-camping and take the port-a-potty. Search Amazon for "Pop-Up Privacy Tent".
4. I will also be towing mine with a lifted JKU. I am getting electric brakes and the lift kit on mine. You mentioned concerns about keeping tongue weight to a minimum. Even though these are light weight trailers, would a weight distribution hitch be something to consider?
If you are not going to go through the effort to try shifting weight back like I did, then the weight-distributing hitch would certainly help prevent sag and make the whole setup drive level. Remember, the overall weight of the trailer is not what drives a weight-distributing hitch, it is the tongue weight vs what the vehicle can handle. At ~400#s, the Flyer can certainly benefit from a weight-distributing hitch. I have a .5" rake (higher in rear) on my JKU for just this reason. Between that and the lowered tongue weight (about 290# now), I sag about .75" in the rear when loaded. It's acceptable. I do wish I had brakes. I'm sure you will love having them.
by smakee » Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:54 pm 
