Just purchased my first camper and have questions.

[MrClortho]

Lots of good info there, thanks. I'm waiting on the Rampage Mirrors with the Thorn adapters. This camper has a black tank flush attachment for a hose as well as the drain hose. Got chocks and leveling blocks on order too. I've done a lot of homework but you can never know enough when it comes to safety.

...just a quick note...I also use the Rampage Mirrors but Rampage now makes their own adapters and I have them. I got them on Amazon for pretty cheap if I recall. Overall, they work pretty well.

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[Rusty PW]

When you pick up the camper. MAKE sure you and them do a complete PDI walk through. Test everything. Hot water is hot, A/C, furnace works. All the drains drain. No leaks in the shower, etc. If you find ANYTHING wrong. Now is the time to fix. Don't take delivery until it's fix. Been through this a couple of times.

If you have MT type of tires on the JT. Use a bit of caution going around turns. When MT tires are new. The tread blocks will walk in a turn. Had brand new 35" Toyo MT's on my Power Wagon. Coming around an exit on the PA turnpike. The camper tried to push the rear of the PW around. That was an Oh ah shit moment. After about 5,000 on the tires. They started to behave.

 

[legacy_etu]

Personally I don't think you need an anti sway but that is based on my experiences and with a different tow vehicle. I used to tow a 28' sailboat (folding trimaran) that had huge windage and weighed 5.5k lbs. Towed that up and down the eastern seaboard with a Ford Explorer with no issues whatsoever with surge brakes and no WDH. Never swayed. I will qualify this though and say it was dual axle. I'd suggest trying things without one and see for yourself before you spend the money.

I'd also recommend that you keep it slow and enjoy your trip when towing and forget about keeping up with traffic.

 

[Bonanza]

I have a very similar camper. 3400 dry. I'm on 37s and 4.88s. I also have a WDH. I like my hitch a lot. Towing is pretty easy, but I would recommend a WDH. They're not too expensive and simple to figure out.

 

[Finiti]

Congrats, you will love that trailer. We have a G19FBS Geo Pro roughly the same weight and use just a Husky WDH with no problems at all. The Gladiator has electronic sway control built in so i didn't bother getting the sway control attachment. I also installed Air Lift air bags in the rear springs which makes a big difference also.

 

[Mezak]

I tow about the same size camper.. my Dutchmen came with a Husky 32218 Center line TS that’s about $400 at Walmart. I say it’s a must if your driving on busy/fast highways

 

[FloridaMan655321]

staying in the middle lane on three lane highway

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
This is the absolute worst advice for any driver on the road. In fact, there are laws (thankfully) in some states that require slower traffic keep right. I wish all states had laws and were strict on slower traffic keeping right. It's up to the merging traffic to merge onto the highway. Sure it's nice if you can move over for them, but overall it's their problem. SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT!!!!

 

[smlobx]

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
This is the absolute worst advice for any driver on the road. In fact, there are laws (thankfully) in some states that require slower traffic keep right. I wish all states had laws and were strict on slower traffic keeping right. It's up to the merging traffic to merge onto the highway. Sure it's nice if you can move over for them, but overall it's their problem. SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT!!!!

I was going to say the same thing. As a CDL driver with over 30 years of experience trucks towing trailers should drive in the right lane except to pass a slower vehicle. Let’s face it, towing with the Gladiator is not something you want to be doing at 75 mph. Take it slow and easy and enjoy the trip.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I have a Grad design Imagine AIM 15rb. GVWR is 4700I have a E2 WDH/sway and love it. The AIM is 11 ft tall and 20 ft long. It really does not take that much additional time to hook up. The only real difference is sliding the bars on and that only takes raising the jack. The biggest benefit is when you hit wind and trucks that pass.

Put it this way. There is no good reasons to not get it and a lot of good reasons to have it.

 

[Snake Eyes]

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
This is the absolute worst advice for any driver on the road. In fact, there are laws (thankfully) in some states that require slower traffic keep right. I wish all states had laws and were strict on slower traffic keeping right. It's up to the merging traffic to merge onto the highway. Sure it's nice if you can move over for them, but overall it's their problem. SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT!!!!

Depends. That is not a hard fast rule. In some states when you get to metro areas the middle lane is safer for all those involved due to heavy merging from entrances to the highway.

 

[Jaxmax]

Ok perhaps I am wrong but on six and eight lane highways it is nuts to run in the right lane with people merging on, at least in Philly and other high traffic areas trucks cannot be in the left high speed lane but there sure are a lot running in the middle lane through there too.
But perhaps more experienced drivers are correct so perhaps just run in the right lane and be aware of cars merging in from your right…..Jack

 

[KWin]

just to make you feel better about buying the anti sway. When you are towing and pass or are passed by an 18 wheeler truck the wind creates a vacuum that will pull your trailer slightly towards the big truck. You'll get used to it quick, but that first time will be a serious wtf moment and the anti sway will help it stabilize it quickly.
camping near the dealer is better than the driveway if you bought it far away. if anything is broken easy dealer access is good news.

 

[smlobx]

Ok perhaps I am wrong but on six and eight lane highways it is nuts to run in the right lane with people merging on, at least in Philly and other high traffic areas trucks cannot be in the left high speed lane but there sure are a lot running in the middle lane through there too.
But perhaps more experienced drivers are correct so perhaps just run in the right lane and be aware of cars merging in from your right…..Jack

Just to further clarify, if you have 6 or 8 lanes(pretty rare) staying in the right hand lane is probably not the best if you are passing through. As you said that lane would then be used for entering and exiting the highway.
In a 3 lane highway trucks and trailers should be in the right lane, the center lane should be for regular traffic and the left lane should be for passing….I know, I know that is not what we see on most highways but that’s what is suppose to be done. In Germany, which has some of the strictest driving laws and regulations, not following these rules will either get you a severe ticket or you’ll get killed parked in the left lane when a BMW or MB comes along at 140 mph on the Autobaun.
It’s one of my pet peeves to see people camped in the left lane and blocking faster cars from passing them…it just impedes the flow of traffic. Of course the worse offenders are tractor trailers in the left lane that take 5 miles to pass another truck…

Off my soapbox now…?

 

[PlayfulBird]

140 mph on the Autobaun.

140 is for beginners but yeah, you will smoke a lot of engines that are not engineered for German style driving
as to the fines, put a blue light on your vehicle and you will just pay 20 Euro and have the light seized and your clear to drive any lane
german sees blue light they suddenly slow down and they all try to get the heck away from you, like they all knew that they were breaking one of the million laws anyhow and just observe them when the cops are around

 

[smlobx]

@PlayfulBird funny story…

When I bought my first Porsche we did the European delivery. Our customer rep went into great detail on how to drive on the Autobahn and also warned us to not exceed 4000rpm for the first 2000 miles in order to properly break in the engine.
So here we are driving down the highway in the center lane at 4000 rpm going 102mph when all of a sudden a big brown egg shape vehicle blows by us in the left lane. My wife said “WTF was that?” to which I responded, “Honey, we just got passed by a Dodge mini van”!

I’ll never forget her reaction…

That was 20 years ago this month!

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