- Vehicle side standard seven pin wiring harness
- Brake controller is one of seven pins
- We have a wired controller
- You could use a wireless controller like this one
- Wired is considered safer in case you need to quickly manually active brakes (e.g. sway instability event) - but I've never had this happen
- We use a Lock-n-roll trailer side attachmentt
- Requires towing vehicle have lock-n-roll vehicle side hitch
- For the Highlander, we use part 511 - Slides into a standard, 2" receiver tube. Can be set 2 1/2" higher or lower than receiver tube.
- You will need the appropriate hitch height for your vehicle (Mount Massive is level with vehicle lock-n-roll at 19" - e.g. our receiver midpoint on Highlander is at 16.5", so we need a 2.5" lift in our lock-n-roll vehicle receiver)
- You want 10-15% of trailer weight to be on the tongue for trailer stability safety
- But you also need to pay attention to your vehicle hitch weight constraints (e.g. highlander 350 lb)
- Follow instructions for your brake controller to calibrate the gain (strength)
- You do not want to be dragging tires, ever
- This will rapidly wear out the $300 ea all-terrain tires
- Awning
- Folded away, velcro'd shut, zipped closed
- Cabin
- 2 wooden bars replaced on storage bin side
- Turn off fan and close fan hatch
- Close & latch side door windows
- Ensure interior lights are all off
- Ensure side door flood lights are off
- Deadbolt side doors
- Verify side doors are locked manually
- Electrical
- Disconnect 110 volt and stow extension cable
- Verify fridge is running off of battery
- Check battery charge level for the day
- Leveling Jacks
- Ensure wheel chalks are secure
- Bring down leveling jacks, remove and store
- Galley
- Ensure galley lights are off
- Ensure stopping pin is in fridge slider
- Stow items / clear stainless work area
- Ensure stopping pin is in galley swing doors
- Shut galley, rotate galley locks 90 degrees, lock
- Verify galley locks by hand
- Trailer hook-up
- Crank up trailer tongue jack
- Back up vehicle to trailer
- Lower tongue jack
- Place hitch pin in lock-n-roll
- Insert cotter pin into hitch pin to lock
- Attach 2 safety chains in X patern under hitch
- Loop electrical harness one extra time around trailer if necessary to prevent dragging
- Connect 7 pin electrical haraness to vehicle
- Tongue Box
- Remove chalks and place in tongue box
- Place stool, foot mat, foot washing tub in tongue box
- Lock tongue box
- Confirm tongue box lock by hand (attempt to open)
- Before driving
- Walk around car and trailer to ensure everything is secure and nothing is still attached to the trailer or car (e.g. laundry line!)
- Check tire pressure (at least visually) on trailer and tow vehicle
- Check propane tank valve is off
- Check gas on vehicle
- Check trailer lights (turn signals, emergency blinkers)
- Verify brake controller is set to desired gain
- Trailer Position
- Scope out where the sun will track at your camp site
- I use Android Sunnytrack it has nice AR overlay on phone camera
- Use trees for sun cover where possible
- If possible, place awning opening away from sun for maximum shade
- Scope out where the sun will track at your camp site
- Place trailer chalk under up-hill trailer tire (you will be jacking up the downhill side)
- Rotate tongue jack, place pin and crank trailer up
- Sometimes I have to lift the trailer tongue a couple inches to get the jack to swivel fully down / place pin
- Drive vehicle out from under the trailer tongue
- Level trailer
- I use a soda can or other round object to roll-test forward-backward and side-to-side level
- Jack up low-side trailer
- Adjust tongue jack
- Repeat till rolling object does not roll
- Hook up electrical
- 110V extension cord to front starbard weather sealed plug-in
- Pull out Charge Queen Lithium battery charger, connect alligator clamps to pos / neg battery terminals in trailer galley and plug in to 110V in lower galley
- Awning install if desired
- Awning Damage Potential
- Level the trailer before deploying awning. Potential for damage to awning if you level after deploy.
- Awning is a giant sail, so really keep an eye on wind levels to prevent damage
- If wind predictions are for 20 MPH+ I don't deploy.
- Always ensure it's very well staked down
- Unzip and un-velcrow awning
- Rotate the aluminum arms out, attach nylon tensioners to trailer roof rack rear and fore, apply tension (awning doesn't have to be totally flat / tension at maybe 20-30 lb?)
- Un-velcrow the built-in stabilizing legs and extend them / lock them by rotating them. I normally apply just a bit of upward pressure before locking them (pushing up the aluminum support arms slightly)
- Pin these same stabilizing legs DOWN by use of the ground stakes
- Take two additional stabilizing legs from storage and slot them into round holes in A: the most forward aluminum arm and B: the aluminum arm pointed tot rear near the galley. I do not typically put the third in (which would go to port side of the galley). That third arm is so short and has little to support IMO.
- Stake these two additional support legs and apply substantial stake tension.
- Awning Damage Potential
- Clean cabin entry
- Place foot mat, foot washing tub, stool at doorway of trailer
- Ventilation
- Crank open roof vent in cabin
- If no rain possible, crank open ~7 inches
- If light rain is possible, crank open at most 1-2" (with vent blowing OUT, rain isn't getting in)
- If downpour is possible, Crank open only until sliver of light is visible
- When desired, turn on vent fan
- Blow OUT of cabin to cool cabin and prevent rain from getting in through vent
- Blow IN to cabin when running heater to mix air and draw in light fresh air
- Adjust side windows and / or top vent crank to achieve air flow desired
- Crank open roof vent in cabin
I do this every time we stop - just to verify we re-locked everything and are in good shape to drive again. I've caught issues by this checklist!
- Test wheel hub temperature by hand (likely warm to touch but not unbearably hot)
- If unbearably hot -- bearing issues
- Double check trailer hook-up from Departure Checklist
- Re verify all locks are locked (manually try to open both cabin doors, both rear galley handles, and the tongue box)
- Check tire pressure (at least visually) on trailer and tow vehicle
As Colorado Teardrops has gone out of business, I feel it's appropriate to post Proprietary wiring documentation for owners of now-unsupported trailers. I would note I have two electrical diagrams and they don't seem to be entirely in agreement (The second diagram is perhaps just more detailed?)
- Rivets
- Sealing Blind Rivets, Dome Head, with Aluminum Mandrel, 3/16" Diameter, 0.906" Long
- So far these work for: licence plate holder, door swing stop, interior cabin wood
- Available McMaster-Carr PN 97524A151
- Sealing Blind Rivets, Dome Head, with Aluminum Mandrel, 3/16" Diameter, 0.906" Long
- Door stops for cabin doors (mounted on exterior)
- Deltana Enterprises Inc WB100U26D
- Sold in box of 50, need to find another provider
- The Builder Supply One-Off Offering
- Deltana Enterprises Inc WB100U26D
- Grease seals for bearing hand packing
- P104{6|8|5}9 TB 1.719 2.561 0.500
- Might be Dexter PN 010-019-00
- NAPA PN NOS 17144
- Hubs are Dexter 8-247's with 5 bolts
- Electric Brakes are Dexter Nev-R-Adjust Electric Trailer Brakes - 10" 3.5k
- Dexter part 023-469-00
- Rear Tail Lights
- I believe these are: Peterson Mfg PM V423XR-4 Red LED Surface Mount Oval Stop Turn & Tail Light Kit
- Tires
- Delivered from CO Teardrops with LT215/75R-15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 C
- Calking
- I'm told that CO Teardrops used Dowsil 791 and butyl tape
- Airstream forums and my Father in Law recommend avoiding silicone due to terrible removal pains (solvents don't work)
- Airstream forums like Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure for rivets and small seams
- Airstream forums like Tempro 626 or 635
- See Link
Each of these trips had SO MANY amazing stops and visits - but we'll outline broad strokes where we drove.
Total Trailer Mileage: 28,900 miles
- June '22 Great American / Canadian Road Trip
- 60 nights in teardrop
- 8,900 miles
- Rhode Island to Niagara Falls
- Bruce penninsula and national parks in ON
- Canadian Great Lakes
- Family reunion in MN
- Custer State Park SD
- Wyoming mountains
- Up into Banff and Jasper National Parks, Canada
- Washington state visit
- Idaho Sawtooth mountain range + Craters of the Moon
- Southwest National Park Bonanza (many)
- Tucson AZ temporary storage of Trailer
- Jan '23 Great American Road Trip Continued
- 60 nights in teardrop
- 7_000 miles
- Tucson AZ to Boulder for Teardrop maintenance at CO Teardrops
- Boulder to Austin TX
- Austin TX to Dallas TX
- Space Center Houston
- Galveston Island
- Gulf coast states
- Florida zig-zag / many state parks and springs
- Return to Rhode Island
- May '23 Duluth Visit
- 21 nights in teardrop
- 3,100 miles
- Rhode Island to Indianapolis
- Indianapolis to Peoria, Illinois
- Peoria to Duluth MN
- Duluth to Ottawa, Canada
- Ottawa to Rhode Island
- Summer '23 Canada's Maritimes
- 21 nights in teardrop
- 2,500 miles
- Rhode Island to Acadia National Park
- Acadia to Bay of Fundy
- Bay of Fundy to Prince Edward Island (PEI)
- PEI to Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Highlands
- Cape Breton Highlands back to Rhode Island
- April '24 Total Eclipse
- 2 nights in teardrop
- 700 miles
- Rhode Island to Northern Vermont for April 8th total ecipse
- May '24 Ashville NC
- 5 nights in teardrop
- 2,000 miles
- June / July '24 Newfoundland
- 39 nights in teardrop
- 4,700 miles
- Saint Lawrence River / Quebec
- Newfoundland! Fantastic.
- Maine for the ossippee bluegrass music festival
- Trailer delivered with one rivet un-installed in sleeping foot well of cabin interrior
- Purchased rivet gun and affixed rivet, no issues since
- Sky-light leak repair @ 11k miles
- Very minimal interrior wood damage (not worth repairing)
- Colorado teardrop confirmed manufacturing defect, re-installed sky light
- Claim was that sky light was never applied with adhesive / vacuume bag sealed
- No issues since repair
- Galley minor drip / leak and lower rear wood damage @ 22k miles
- Water-testing with bucket proved water was getting in
- Through license plate holder
- Through tail lights
- Along lower lip of the galley lid (pooling and running around the lid)
- All three were repaired and re-verified by myself using bucket test
- Cleaned / re-applied liberal Butyl tape to license plate holder and tail lights
- Striopped lower liop of galley lid and then re-calked with top-rated RV calk
- Did not repair lower galley wood (cosmetic)
- No further leaks since repairs
- Water-testing with bucket proved water was getting in
- 11,000 miles (Jan '23)
- Colorado Teardrops 10k mile maintenance
- Wheel rotation
- Bearing inspection and re-packing
- Brake inspection
- Water re-test
- 19,000 miles (May '23)
- Tire rotation and wheel bearing re-packing
- 22,400 miles (May '24)
- Tire rotation and wheel bearing re-packing
- 28,900 miles (July '24)
- New tires (2x LT215/75R-15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 C)