Recent content by Timothy Rover

Astrocamper, we've run into an interesting twist related to the Rav4 Hybrid part of this. More than 400,000 of them made between August 2018 and November 2022 may develop corrosion on junctions of the high-current cables between battery and wheel motors, which can lead to an alert message on the...

Old Radios, that 'ready anytime' aspect is great. We are looking to keep things light and efficient, especially as we plan to travel pretty far. We traded in our Prius Prime for a used Rav4 Hybrid, because it is also pretty efficient. It limits us to 1,750 lb towing capacity. The Ranger 10...

Thanks for your excellent and encouraging report, Astrocamper. We expect a trim but not Spartan packing list will make this work. Our needs are pretty basic, and we'll be on the move every couple days. Had the hitch receiver and 7-pin installed, will pick up the Ranger 10 in two weeks, and...

What a hoot! That'd be one slow bug going up hill, I bet.

Thanks Gary! Toyota seems cagey about how they set tow ratings for cars, and I don't think there's a car standard like the SAE J2807 for trucks. I read that Toyota was the first carmaker to adopt SAE J2807, so it seems very likely that it informs their method of setting the limit for cars...

I am treating the 3 limits separately, gross weight of the car, gross weight of the trailer and towing capacity, except that I would count the tongue weight on the car; and as long as the trailer has brakes controlled by the driver of the car. The ratings for gross weights of the two vehicles...

Thanks, Onyrlef. Thou shalt not cook bacon inside, I guess. When we cook inside, we'll run the fan and open the windows. BTW, we'll travel light, just a couple hundred in the trailer, plus the trailer weight of about 1450, as the towing capacity of the Rav4 HYBRID (I meant to say) is 1750...

Thanks, Gary, Our reference point is tent camping out of a car, so we won't be bringing too much stuff, altogether. No cast iron, but lightweight dishes, pots, etc. We'll cook on the stove provided, use the campground facilities, etc. There will be capacity within the towing limit for a...

Great stuff, thank you all! We may just bring a bear-roof cannister when we travel. At home, we keep meat scraps in the freezer until garbage day. We are in hills in the Finger Lakes area, which we love, and I've seen a bear once, and our garbage can passed its sniff test. They're more...

Hi, we are new to trailer travel and going through the pros and cons of hard-top tent trailers vs A-frames, on the lighter side for just the two of us, and this question occurred to me, and I'd love to hear from those with experience. When have you been most pleased at your choice of a pop-up...

We haven't got the vehicle yet, either! We plan to trade in the two Toyotas we have for a Toyota Rav4 hybrid, with its towing capacity of 1750lb. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't sleep with our legs dangling. The slide board with cushions on top would seem to be enough for the layouts we've looked...

Hi folks, Found this likely solution: "Quick Mod - We Turn our Queen Mattress into a King Size Bed!" They put a painted plywood board under their mattress to fit the available space next to it, and slide it out at night, putting suitable cushions on top to support their lower legs and feet. Can...

Thanks, everyone. Well, we do find time for everything; and we value a good night's sleep. The droplet website makes no mention of screens and shades for all those windows, looks like it would be a solar oven on a sunny day, and with no privacy at all. There are others of this type which would...

Hello, looking to buy a lightweight (1500lb or less) pop-up tent or A-frame trailer, as we'll both be retired! Spouse has fond childhood memories of traveling all over the place in one of these. We (6' tall and 5'6) want a Queen size bed, or near enough, but all of them have the bed going side...