Tow Mirrors 1 The CIPA Universal tow mirror is quite an admirable device. Sleek and aerodynamic, there's virtually no vibration and they stow easily. Here you see the business end: the knob, when pushed in, engages a ratchet; you cinch down the single looped strap to which a pair of clips are attached (clips come with both wide and narrow mouths). The mirror rests against the backside of your tow vehicle's using wide rubber feet on adjustable, lock-down posts. To release, pull out the knob and pull on the mirror to loosen the strap. Yes, they'll require a quick bit of adjusting each time they're deployed. When going solo I use a 4' 3/4 rod with a rubber foot at the end to adjust the passenger-side mirror from the driver's seat (gross adjustment before leave home; minute adjustment at red lights). I highly recommend wide angles lenses, available at extra cost. Also be sure to request some extra rubber feet and several each of the 2 sized clips; you may need to mix/match clips and expect to swap out one or more feet annually.
Tow Mirrors 2 Here's the mirror as viewed from the side you'll most often use! If CIPA slide on tow mirrors are available for your model tow vehicle, they'll be quicker/easier to deal with. These universals save the day otherwise.
Transmission Temperature Gauge A properly installed tranny temp gauge will reveal how hard towing is working or overworking a transmission. This Nordskog 2.125" digital gauge is from Summit Racing. The custom-made but stocked pillar pod is from LoTek in Durham NC (a very rare object for a 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a very lucky find; thanx Geotex!). I did the cabin install and ran the wiring harness leads; my shop did the in-line sending unit mechanical and the final electrical hookups.The sending unit screws into a brass tee with barbed fittings clamped inline; they braised on a grounding connection. However, you can obtain a machined sending unit tee with integral ground connection. LoTek will custom make pillar pods; you must _give up_ your existing pod, sacrificing it to the pod-making gods there. I surmise that someone did this some years ago for my model car, hence it's availablility as a stocked item. *** See below for the story about early June tranny temps while towing over the Continental Divide.
Tranny Temps over the Continental Divide I did my first trans-continental divide trip, keeping an eye on TV operation, noting: - ambient temp range at the summits - RPMs and MPH - temperature - gear. Overdrive was offf in all cases on my JGC, a 4L/6-cyl, perfectly capable for the flats and modest grades/elevations but strained under Continental Divide conditions. See my site’s unSkinny page for weighing details from several years ago. For folks w/light trailers and/or 8-cyl TVs this is all probably moot and you may well haul a!!. These variables changed moment to moment as I traversed two very steep long high Rocky Mountain passes in close proximity to eachother: Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel, apprx. 20 miles apart (the tunnel traverses the Divide). Except for the moderate ambient temps and towing dry (towing wet maxxes my trailer hauling capacity and removes a good portion of my TV hauling reserve), these conditions represent close to the worst the continent can offer (on any grade I’d consider towing over). What follows is the best I can remember (you didn’t expect me to write it down en route, did you?) BACKGROUND - tranny fluid temps: 175* typical street, 100k miles 195* max street, 50k miles if sustained 250* varnish forms 300* change your fluid/filter immediately after this trip to refresh and dissolve varnish WESTBOUND (eastern approaches) - ambient summit temps: 37-45*f, mostly cloudy - ambient plains temps: ~55-60*f, mid morning; - distances: dunno - durations: dunno - typical tranny temp: 185* - highest tranny temp: 195* blip - slowest speed 35mph on the blip part; typical 40-45 on the worst approach grades - typical gears: drive, D2, D1 EASTBOUND (western approaches) - for some reason both passes’ western slopes are much more intense than their eastern approaches. - ambient summit temps: 58-62*f, mostly sunny - ambient plains temps: ~65-70*f, mid afternoon - distance: aprx 7 mile climb(s) - duration: aprx 1/4 hour each - tranny temp range: 185-220* - typical rpm/mph for temp range: 3000-5000 (redline 5500)/35-20 - typical gears D2, D1 I am in no way a mechanic or car geek. I just drive and am learning about these issues. Acccording to my sources all this is well within safe tolerances, and I aim to go a touch faster next trip (that’s a brutal last mile or two up the Eisenhower @ 20mph but ultimately no big deal, tho I am curious to know the additional temperaure rise going 25-30mph, my max at that place, would create). The fluid going back to the tranny is much cooler, of course, after processing through the cooler (tho I don't have a post-cooler gauge to measure that temperaure). At slow speeds the airflow doesn’t carry away nearly the heat quotient away as it does at high speeds. I played the gas pedal to force downshifting, and/or manually downshifted. Each lower gear makes an enormous and, at more moderate high temps, immediate temperature drop difference (around 200* it takes some serious slowing down, 10mph, to begin lowering the temp). Controlling tranny temp is sort of interactive; totally unlike if your radiator/engine overheats and you need to pull over for 30 mins. DOWNHILL - noticed that once moving downhill either in gear or coasting the tranny temp dropped to 144*f at 60-65mph.
Dashboard Goodies Wish I may wish I might that the overdrive off switch was mechanical and its setting persisted through vehicle off/on cycles. But it is electrical and defaults to OD on whenever turning the ignition on. Towing requires that OD be turned off. Since my panel had a blank zone beside the pushbutton I affixed some small reflective boat letters (black on silver) in this spot, which I look directly at when inserting and turning the key. (the camera's flash make it look like the stickers are lit up). Another accoutrement I use is the little hangers that sox come on. I slip one into the dash (see right arrow) and ue it to hang the cel phone earpiece on. The top hanger (left arrow) I've cut one end off and velcro'd next to the ignition—it captures the large side of my keyring caribiner so the keys do not hang down on and rub against my knee. Plus, according to Click and Clack the car guys, excessively heavy keyrings hanging down can over time ruin the ignition lock, so having the sock hanger bear the keyring's weight serves double duty. Actualy single duty, now that I've moded the driver's seat to get it back further…
WiperShaker Ran across this product in an airline magazine and learned a) it's made in Canada and b) its available as single or double units with cig-style 12v plugin (yuck) or as a "factory install" kit w/2 shakers, switch, etc. The WiperShaker vibrates and induces shaking in the wiper arms, lifting the blades off the windshield surface. This accomplishes several vision-enhancing things: • allows debris (leaves, dirt, snow) to blow off • reduces accumulation of snow along the A-piller (the vertical street edge of the windshield) • allows for broader/wider distribution of washer fluid across the glass before the blades push it aside, which ought to enhance road-trip dirt and bug removal • though the main impetus for Shakers is to shatter ice sticking to the blades or arms. Installation is very straightforward: Pix1 shows the view from in front of the vehicle. The Shaker housing clamps onto the wiper arm with stainless hardware and a nut pushing up into the nut-shape indent in a small wedge-block. Uses an allen wrench, which is recommended remain in the vehicle in case it's needed to tighten in the future. Vinyl cap slips over bolt head; I used some red loctite on the inside edge of these caps. Best practice is to center Shaker on blade arm for equal vibrational distribution. I opted for slightly off center to allow clearance to change blades without having to remove the Shakers (one Shaker per blade in the dual kit). You can see the its cable coming off the right side and wire tied (8 ties included in kit) to the arm with the cable running underneath. Pix 2 shows a side view. Note: adequate clearance below and underneath the Shaker housing is required. Pix 3 shows where I installed the spring-loaded switch (the Shaker is used only momentarily for a second or two): on the unused blank cover of the upper bay of my pillar pod gauge holder (the lower bay holds my tranny temp gauge). Each Shaker's pair of leads is enclosed in a sheathed cable; I wire tied these to the plastic surround below the wipers just beneath the edge of the hood and over to and around the door gasket (I'm outa room in my OEM firewall passthrough and have zero clearance to get a drill down there). I've successfully run my 2a solar panel's wiring harness on the curbside this way will no ill effect to the harness, the gasket, and I can't feel any air leakage into the cab (tho I surround the cables with split loom). My TV has a gap at on the dash edges into which I can slip the harnesses and right into the bottom of my pillar pod. Wire up the switch, ground it, and tap into a hot lead that's only on when the car's on and the Shakers are in business. • Note: the switch requires a 3/4" hole with a tiny notch. I have a 3/4" hole saw as part of an el cheapo kit, so cheap that the saw won't seat flat over its mount. I wound up drilling with a hole-bore drill on the drill press set to the slowest speed so as not to melt the plastic I was drilling through (ask me how I determined that ;). A bit of enlarging and notch-cutting with the Dremel and the switch was mounted in this panel. Without my pillar pod bay I have no idea where I would have mounted it, aside from finding or making some L-shaped bracket, maybe bolted to the side of my brake controller bracket. Since the idiot light is at eye level I may dim it with a dab of paint. Here's lookin' at you. Pix 4 shows the only view in which the Shakers add any visual obstruction, when the wipers are in motion and when they're vertical or leftward…during most of their travel the wipers obscure the Shakers. Consider this pix a "freeze frame"; with the wipers in motion you hardly know the Shakers are there, and I am sure will soon recede from notice just like my pillar pod bays have receded over time. With wipers at rest you have to look to see the Shakers. (no it's not raining, just blurred the background using Photoshop). Because I'm meticulous, this installation took about 3-4 hours, mostly given to mulling over how/where to route the harness and solder/crimp/insulate leads and connections. When washing the window you can see the pattern made as the blade skips across rather than drags across. Hard to say but seems like the blades lift every inch or so as they sweep across the glass. Docs say they lift about 1/8" off the surface. It's a very rapid vibration. To use, start the wipers then momentarily depress the Shaker switch. Becomes a two-handed procedure, or a very quick one-two, if triggering the washer. WiperShaker.com says a primary use is long-haul trucking, esp. where special large/heavy platforms are required for truckers to clamber up onto the hood of their rigs to reach the wipers and windshield. Shakers are not a replacement for typical inclement weather windshield maintenance, just an ehancement to keeping the glass clear of obstructions after any normally-required manual attention by the driver.
Modified Driver's Seating Took me a while to learn that you can mod your driver's seat. I did three things: - move the seat back for more legroom: use a shop that mod’s vans for the disabled, doing things like removing, rebuilding/lowering floors and installing folding wheelchair ramps. These folks will be highly qualified certified welders and will fabricate and attach seat track mounts to move your seat back. Be sure they finish the job nicely after welding by removing old paint from the assembly and using good rubber paint to finish the old and new metal. Pix 1 shows the custom brackets made for and welded onto the seat track, and the seat moved rearward in my new driving position; now I have ample arm, body, and legroom. - Pix 2 shows a pedal extension ("pedal pad" I made out of very stiff antiskid shoe sole material. After moving the seat back I found that periodically the toe of my right foot would catch under the edge of the gas pedal closest to me. Most aftermarket pedal pads are large, metal, and not made for my Grand Cherokee. The pedal measures 1.75 x 6"; my pad is 7.5". I doubled the extension area with glue and countersunk screws to really stiffen up this part, which floats beyond the pedal platform. Because it abuts the pedal edge it cannot fold downward. The extension in no way interferes with or limits full pedal travel. • I flattened the bolt heads due to the shallow pad depth so that they would not protrude and painted them black with auto touchup paint. In real life, sans a closeup lens and flash, the pad, carpet, and brake pedal are all an undifferentiated grey color. • Pix 3 shows the pedal pad as the human eye typicallly sees it; everything is a nicely blended grey. - reshape the seat foam: you can add, and remove, foam from the seat. Use an auto interiors shop for this and schedule a trip there during your lunch break the day it’s done so you can work with them to make the final finesse cuts/adds before they smooth things out and recover the seat. Not a mod, but you may find heat is a great lower back reliever on long trips. Many vibrating cushions include a heating element. This is my first line of defense against back pain while driving (stretch breaks and body toys, both of which restore circulation, are next).
AirBag Schrader Valve Placement I installed the valve stems for my Air Lift airbags (which adjust rear ride height, eliminating virtually all sag from the Jeep's cushy ride) behind the gas cap door where they're nicely protected. They are just to the right of the gas cap. I use metal caps in case I drop them (chrome is more visible than black plastic). I inflate the bags with my Xantrex Power Pack 400 Plus's air pump/gauge; the pump sits in the left rear cargo bay corner and its hose just reaches the valves.
Hitch and Tongue Goodies My 10' trailer (box) with trunk is a bit this side of requiring a weight distributing hitch. But it, and I, benefit mightily by the adjustable friction sway control bar. The Vee in front of the tongue is the Australian time saving Couple-Mate. The Vee slips into a backet permanently bolted on under the ball, and captures the tongue when you back the tow vehicle up in the vicinity of the tongue — meaning that hitching up requires only two exits from the tow vehicle instead of up to 10–15 depending on the terrain (this presumes you cannot directly see the coupler and ball from the driver's seat when backing up). After you're hitched you stow the Vee. You may also observe that the ball I use has a thick 1" riser neck, to help finesse the last bit of levelling under tow. Of minor note is the little plastic box strapped to the A-frame, which is a temporary home for the bow-tie style hitch lock when it's taken apart during hitching. The keyring lives there at those moments too, so I never have to wonder where I've laid it. While nothing provides the security of a boot or something to prevent the wheels from rolling, tongue locks have their utility. The top, "bow-tie" lock locks the lever which secures the tongue to the ball (use a similar, larger lock on the hitch itself; get a set kayed alike). The chrome Masterlock prevents the trailer from being hitched to someone else's ball and driven away at speed. This lock's base coveres the entire cup area. Unseen are the Timbren Rubber load assist 'springs', as they call them, installed under the Grand Cherokee in place of the original equipment rubber stops. These rest on the axle and support the load even as they give under it, reducing tow vehicle sag from 3.75" to an acceptable 1.25" (that's figured with a batch of weight already in and atop the truck). They also help control roll on turns without diminishing the JGC's cushy ride. Hats off to Surfin Sarah, PUX personality, for the nifty idea of making some sort of holder for the sway bar so you don't need to totally remove it. My apdaptation is this chromed metal hook I had laying around. Bolted to the frame w/two screws. I just rotate the bar 180 degress and its open loop, that normally rides atop and locks onto the ball, slips right over the hook. And Surfin Sarah gets double billing for this wonderful idea to use hooks on the chain ends to attach to the TV. I hated half crawling under the hitch and bumper to turn and tighten each locking chain link. Now it's ClickClick and I'm done! Thanks Sarah!
Dual LP Tanks Tray and Securement Hate J-hooks? Install a dual tank tray including the cross-bracket. I really lucked out; on my rig the existing OEM welded-on angle bars offered just enough clearance for the tray to sit right in them! I drilled 4 holes through the tray and bars and used stainless steel bolts and double locknuts to fasten the tray. I enhanced the screwed rod by: • using large flat washers lockwashers/nuts on either side of its tray mount • using two nuts locked together partway down the shaft to capture the cross-bracket when it's loosened to allow tank removal • adding hosees over each end of the large wingnut to make for easier handling • installing cotter pins on each end of the rod so no parts can come off a) should the bottom nuts losen and b) when I losen the wing (who needs lose parts? … not me!) This pix is not the final install—in which I rotated the tank covers inward 90* so the cross-bracket clamps directly onto each tank rather than capturing the fabric. Doing this necessitated running the two feed hoses in between the tanks where they drop down, laying against the tanks under each cover while runnng up to each connection fitting. This makes for a tight bend coming off the tee but not kinked. The bass tee is a check tee. If both tanks are open they will equalize. I do not want this, so my scheme is to open the zipper on the tank I'm drawing from and keep the other tank's valve and zipper closed. Either tank may be removed for filling; the check tee closes to prevent leakage. The tray came with the wide slot precut; obviously a place to mount the regulator stack but handy as a cable-lock passthrough.
BAL Popup Trailer Leveler and Lift Tools This has become a very hot item as an alternative to using wood or Lynx interlocking blocks (both of which I also carry as backups). Here the BAL is fully extended; you can level ~4-5" side to side. The BAL's chock blocks are grabbing my 13" tire. Note the double loop of 5/16" line attached to the unused wrench end. This let's me twirl the wrench for the initial several inches of rise until the leveller has angled enough for the wrench end to contact the tire's hub. Thereafter the loop helps provide additional leverage without resorting to a big, heavy pipe extension. The second pix shows the BAL from the tire's perspective. It also shows the rubber hose I keep on to provide a turning grip (and grease protection) until I need to slip it off for more extreme levelling (note: it took a while to find a hose that had just the right fit to a) slip on/off and b) not turn freely when hand-turning the screw). The blue strip is a loop of double sided velcro which keeps the hinged halves together for easy handling when moving the leveler. The third and fourth pix show the lever I made to make cranking easier once the screw travel has risen to the point where I can't rotate the wrench, via its loop, 360* any longer. It's a ~22" piece of schedule 40 1.5" ABS pipe that just slips over the wrench end...after removing the blue edging (which cracked through, presumably after dropping it somewhere). You'll need to be highly sensitive, when using such a cheater bar, to ensure you encounter no friction. Keep the screw well lubed or you might strip the threads under the trailer's load (tho spare screw/nut are available from BAL/Norco/Adnik/Flo Dynamics, whatever their name really is. 9/05: another twist on manually turning the BAL screw is shown in the final two pix. This speed handle is a BAL product apparently made for travel trailer stabilizers. As sold, a socket is welded onto the shaft. However, the leveler screw raises to vertical very quickly and the speed handle's handle bumps into the side of the camper after only an inch of lift. I cut the socket off and had a universal welded on, then purchased a $2 6-point 3/4" socket from Napa. It so happens that the socket is a very tight fit to the universal, so I didn't bother welding them together. I found a welder with a $20 minimum, so while we were at it I had him lay some long beads on the underside of both pads, plus lay it on my original left hand, now spare, screw. The early screws had a pinned-on hex head; now it's welded. In use, the speed handle must be maniuplated much like serious bike riders pedal. When locked into their pedals via clamping bike shoes, one leg pulls up as the other leg pushes down. When turing the speed handle one hand must puch while the other hand pulls. Running up aprx 50% of the 4.5" travel is easy. the 3rd quarter up is more difficult; I have not tried running that last 1/4 (1.125") travel -- a max levelling I'ved needed only on an occasional lakeshore. Running down from any height is easier. Even if I need to revert to the ratchet for the last 1/4 travel, using the speed handle for the first 3/4 is much faster since you can make full circular motions, whereas the ratchet limits your turning radius to 180º. Plus, you can work the handle from a standing posture. The handle is 24" long and perfectly fits the OEM bas box on the diagonal. For $23 + $20 (welding) you get the best alternative to a $250 metal-geared drill.
Battery Box Lock and Reminder I fashioned this battery box lock out of 1.5" x 1/8" aluminum. A few hours peaceful bending in the vise, fitting each turn as I went. Hinge is affixed with Chicago screws and lock-tite. There's no purchase on the external side. Made it a very tight fit, it sits securely in the box top's strap indentation. Casual theft supression. Pix 1 is the foward orientation; pix 2 faces the LP tanks and shows the padlock in the lock tabs, which I've bent such that they require pulling together in order to snap the lock shut; you want that tension in the system. Now that I charge my battery correctly, it stays in the workshop on a Battery Tender. Since the trailer is stored remotely, this means that despite almost always bringing it home the night before a trip, I've come very close to leaving to primitive, non-electric, camping without the battery aboard. So, I popriveted these reflectors taking up drawer space to the lid as a reminder to check. • Sharp eyes will also see my RMR05 site prize, a clip-on 12v cigarette style outlet, dangling from under the lid's lip. This so I can plug in a volt meter directly to the battery (or some other appliance, for that matter).
Tire Lock I opted for this boot-like tire lock manufactured by Fulton under license from JME Products of Atlanta GA (www.trailerlock.com). Probably the ultimate security if the trailer's not otherwise locked to the ground. A bracket sits under a lugnut, neither of which can be removed when the lock is in place. 5-pin tumbler, shaft totally unexposed. Drill some drain holes on each side (top/bottom) at the join of the "J" shape to drain rainwater that accumulates via the pinholes. Best purchase value at www.cabelas.com. 2005 note: to minimize any chance of wheel deformation at the lug holes (a problem less to do with the Keeper than cheap popup wheels), consider double nutting the stud on which the bracket will be put (mount a longer stud if need be). First, use a regular nut on the stud that'll seat in the wheel's hole. Use a second nut to affix the bracket. Enlarge the bracket's mounting hole so the right lug nut's lower shank can slip through it. A washer between the shank and the nut's wider head will cinch down the bracket. The nut can't be too long; you may need to finesse the parts using a bench grinder.
Tire Covers Protect your trailer tires from damaging UV rays during winter storage (or between trips if you want to mess with putting them on/off repeatedly). ~$20/pair; measured according to tire diameter, not rim size.
Gas Can 2 gallon gas can affixed to bumper without brackets, drilling, and bolts. 2 bungees. Front bungee pulls to C-channel under trailer body. Rear bungee pulls to underside of bumper C-channel. Applied 3 strips of car-door edging to protect edges of channel and underside of gas can. Also applied velcro hook to underside of can and clear tubing to S hooks. Cinched S hooks to bungee in bench vise. Very secure and easy to remove. • Some question the wisdom of placing a gas can where it could be rear-ended. I dunno about stowing it inside the trailer, and wouldn't want it inside the TV. I have no options for stowing atop either vehicle—unless I connive a way to squeeze it between windsurf masts atop the Jeep. I may try that. Meanwhile, I know it can stow on the bumper here, and for the moment, it's empty.

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