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I am pondering a few more things related to putting my Alaskan 10 footer on my Dodge 2500, and thinking about the spare tire under the truck. I'm about to get new tires installed, and will get a 5th one as a spare underneath. Problem is: given that I need to have my tailgate down to carry the...

While the insulation is a great idea, the difference in the dry weight of the Granby (795#)to a Alaskan's (dry weight of 1549#) is substantial and the Alaskan will crush foam insulation at the perimeters. Typically, factory installs of Alaskans have a frame of 2x lumber to clear the bedwall of...

Robert, Keep in mind that the tie downs are only as good as the weakest link..... The jack plates are designed for support (standing) and they are attached to 1/2 inch plywood seats in the camper.... When you reverse the tension and pull the jacks from below the plywood takes the brunt of the...

For those interested, I ordered the front and rear frame-mounted tie-downs (Billis, about $260 each CDN). I'll attach eyebolts next to the jack plates, and get the necessary chain and turnbuckle to attach to the tie-downs, once the camper's on the truck. Air bags, we'll see... I suppose if...

Thanks to PanelRacer for pointing me in the right direction about the neutral and ground. Then that link I provided (pro electrical forum) cleared things up nicely. Once I ensured neutral wasn't bonded to ground in my box, reinstalled everything, all works just fine!!! I also replaced the...

Couldn't find a similar-sized breaker box so will reinstall the old one. Based on the following thread, I deduce that the breaker box inside my Alaskan should NOT have had the neutral and ground bonded, as was the case. My link So I'll remove the neutral bus screw that connected it to the box...

I would think that your GFI problem is that the neutral and ground are connected on the load side of the GFI plug. This will allow current to flow through both the neutral and ground wires whichever has the least resistance. The GFI will trip with any current on the ground circuit. As was stated...

With that description, I would suspect your GFI outlet itself, or the cords. Does a saw or other 3 wires device plugged into that GFI outlet work fine? You know, when this first showed up in the Fall, before putting away the camper for the winter, I had the same idea. Bought a new GFI outlet...

Thanks again Rusty. Have no fear, I don't do ANY work on there without the shore power being disconnected. ;) I basically taped the ends of the 3 wires at the fridge outlet, the ground is non-functional so I'll have to figure out what to do to get that outlet functional again at some point. I...

Hi again, different topic, I've read the post discussing various ways of securing an Alaskan to a pickup. How to secure I plan on ordering Billis frame-mounted tie-down (number 3007) in the front (similar to Torklift). Billis front For the rear, I can get a Billis frame-mounted tie-down, or...

(...) Electrical problems are best not solved online. Confusion runs amok and shorts in a camper can be disastrous. That being said...your circuit breaker panel is set up for one or two breakers. Typically there is only one 15 amp breaker installed. The black or hot or line voltage wire...

Also keep in the back of your mind that solid copper wire like used in your camper (and also in FWC, etc.) is not designed to be used in our campers. In a house it is stationary, in a camper it is constantly being vibrated and the solid piece can fatigue/crack over time. Hopefully that isn't...

This may sound silly, sorry, but did you ensure your extension cord is not the problem? As for inside, the open ground issue: Does your bare ground wire connect to the white wire anywhere you can see? If it does then you have 2 paths for ground and that reduces teh chances of seeing an open...

Ok, so my 70's Alaskan restoration/re-use project is moving along. I have re-caulked the entire camper (seals, windows, etc.) and it has successfully passed a test during recent torrential rains, with no signs of water coming in. Now I'm trying to diagnose and repair a nagging electrical...

True and not true - There are D rated tires with the same weight rating as similar E rated tires. But when you go to E rated tires you get another rating up in the sidewall category from "8-ply" to "10-ply". Not that they have 10 sidewall plys anymore (probably 2 or 3) - but it is a stiffer...

Hi all, Happy 2011! Planning a tire upgrade in the Spring. Truck is now fitted with 6-7 year old 245/75/R16 range E tires. Some cracking gives me concern, so I'll get new trucks on the truck (96 Dodge 3/4 ton with helper springs and sway bar in the back) before heading very far with the...

Hi Robert, Princess auto carries a four pin round to four pin flat converter. I think Canadian Tire has them to.The four pin plug is only meant to power the clearance lights the turn and break lights not charge a battery. You would need much heavier wiring,as has already been mentioned for the...

Hi again, I have a couple of questions about the 2 external electrical connectors on my Alaskan. 1. the 120v AC connector. Mine has a Bell metal plate with flip-up cover, with a Leviton flanged inlet receptacle attached. That receptacle is broken and I've tried everywhere locally to find an...

Thanks to all for the replies. I'm definitely going to take the liner out in the Spring (getting a little late for that), and inspect the bed. Lifting up edges of the liner, I can see there's a good accumulation of dirt and grime under there, so a pressure-wash will be called for, followed by...

Hi again all, it's been a little while since I've been on here, life is busy etc. Anyway, I've been casually looking for a suitable truck to carry my 10ft NCO Alaskan next year, and after looking at a couple of Dodges, I bought a 1996 RAM 2500 12 VALVE CUMMINS AUTO 4X4 EXT CAB with only 60,000...

Thanks Tris for the great writeup of your experience with one of the very early Alaskans, and then comparing with one of the newer ones. Sounds like the newer ones share some basic attributes with the original ones, have similar attention to quality of construction, feature many improvements...

Yes to all of the above.... It may seem a little extreme but when I took on the paint job a few years back I replaced...ALL....of the screws on the camper. The old plating had worn off and rusted screws have no place on a new paint job. That's my post about the bedding of the jack plates in...

Hi Rusty and thanks for taking the time to write that out. Sounds like I've opened up a rather more complicated subject than I originally thought ;) I think I'm following what you're saying about the butyl tape, but just to put it in my words so I can see if I understood: not only does one...

Yes it can, read Mike's thread. http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3697/ Cheers, Kevin. Thanks for the link. Sounds like the top-raising CAN be an issue, and some kind of tie-down for the top is a good idea to design and install, when travelling at high speeds in windy...

Hi again. As I indicated in my introductory post, I'd like to re-seal and re-caulk my Alaskan while in the garage this Fall. Areas to re-seal my Alaskan I put arrows on this picture of mine, to show the places I figure should be re-caulked with new sealant, and would appreciate confirmation...