Picked up E23 Friday

[LRL]

Good experience at ETI. Love the trailer! Wishing for a bit less rain, and a lot less traffic through the Seattle area (on a Saturday!!)

[MN Traveler]

That is exciting. Which version did you get?

[MrLynn]

How does it tow? Got a photo?

[LRL]

Just realized the photos didn't attach. Poor connection at Grayland State Park.

[LRL]

Queen. I'll happily post a few interior photos once we've cleaned up a bit!

[LRL]

I thought I'd posted a couple of photos... now done. It tows more or less as I expected: a bit more cumbersome around corners than the 21, but going straight down the highway, just fine. I'm certainly more nervous about towing than I was the 21, which is only based on experience. The 21 was the first thing I'd ever towed. "What could go wrong?" Right. So now I'm worried about every turn etc. Clearly, needs more space to make a turn, but overall no problems. And thus far I've not hit anything.

[MrLynn]

Looks like the high-lift option. That's one great-looking trailer!

[LRL]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Looks like the high-lift option. That's one great-looking trailer!

Thank you. Yes, we're quite happy. Though I wish there'd have been the option for the spray on underbody foam that we had on the 21.

[jack sparrow]

Congratulations Lee & Nancy on your new trailer.


Cheers to ya........ and Happy Trails...... Jack

[Tonny LR]

Originally Posted by LRL

Thank you. Yes, we're quite happy. Though I wish there'd have been the option for the spray on underbody foam that we had on the 21.

Congratulations Lee & Nancy on your new trailer. I noticed that you have an Andersen WDH installed. Did ETI put any thing to insulated between the aluminum frame and stainless steel hitch to slow down metal incompatible effects. Thanks
Tonny LR

[LRL]

No. They did the install (I asked). It came loose the next day, and I re-did it. Also moved the bars back a few inches... sort of wish I'd have done it myself to begin with. But they were well meaning.


So far so good. No one ever mentioned "metal incompatibility." How would that be different from what they would have wanted to install, which would have been iron on aluminum?



And most importantly: is there something I should put between the Anderson bars and the aluminum?

[Tonny LR]

Originally Posted by LRL

No. They did the install (I asked). It came loose the next day, and I re-did it. Also moved the bars back a few inches... sort of wish I'd have done it myself to begin with. But they were well meaning.


So far so good. No one ever mentioned "metal incompatibility." How would that be different from what they would have wanted to install, which would have been iron on aluminum?



And most importantly: is there something I should put between the Anderson bars and the aluminum?

I do not know the proper way of protesting the Aluminum . May be some forum members can help.
Tonny LR

[Centex]

Congrats on your new trailer!

Originally Posted by Tonny LR

I do not know the proper way of protesting [sic] the Aluminum . May be some forum members can help.
Tonny LR

IIRC someone has posted that ETI installs some "sacrificial anodes" to mitigate issues with steel-aluminum interfaces on the E23, you might ask ETI about that and their location(s). If they do, that may make further mitigation unnecessary.

Attached just FYI, perhaps of general interest. I know that when B&W installed my steel underbed Turnoverball hitch which has contact with the aluminum bed of my F150, they used a heavy plastic film to physically isolate the dissimilar metals at that interface.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Centex

Congrats on your new trailer!


IIRC someone has posted that ETI installs some "sacrificial anodes" to mitigate issues with steel-aluminum interfaces on the E23,

I'm not understanding that at all. I've used anodes on boats but I thought that they only worked when immersed in a solution like salt water. I've never heard of them being used dry.

Too bad they didn't try it on the aluminum bodied Austin Healeys, they died a slow death from galvanic corrosion.

Definitely an interface between s/s or steel and aluminum is desirable. Anyone who has tried to remove s/s bolts from an aluminum mast will know that. Sometimes, unfortunately, the bolt will snap making the job at hand harder.

Good timing for this thread. I installed a trailer hitch for my new ebike and wrapped the aluminum rack frame with vinyl tape before installing the s/s brackets.



Ron

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I'm not understanding that at all. I've used anodes on boats but I thought that they only worked when immersed in a solution like salt water. I've never heard of them being used dry. ....

Just FYI here's a post by an Oliver Staff Person about their protective measures. Seems they use both physical isolation and sacrificial zinc anodes.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/for...anic-reaction/

I'm not commenting on the efficacy or appropriateness of any of this - just sharing info I've run across from manufacturers building products with the potential for the concern. Make of it what you will.

[LRL]

So it seems that the issue is if one lives near the ocean with salt in the air, or in an area that uses salt on the roads during winter. Still, it sounds like it would be a good idea for me to put a barrier of some sort between the steel brackets and the aluminum frame. I'll look into vinyl tape. That's new to me. Thanks for all the feedback.

[Ron in BC]

Interesting stuff. Still don't know how a dry anode protects anything. I'd like to see one that's been on a trailer for a long time and see what it looks like.

It's not a bad idea to isolate the two different metals and it's easy to do.

But all aluminum isn't created equal. For example I use 6061 for structural purposes but for marine use, 5052 which is very resistant to corrosion. I don't know what alloy ETI is using on the frame. Probably not 5052 but it still might be a corrosion resistant alloy.

Ron

[EscapingDan]

I really like how they notched out the roofline for the awning, better than just bolting it on as others do.

[EscapingDan]

Moisture is always present, corrosion will still occur but probably just slower

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

.... It's not a bad idea to isolate the two different metals and it's easy to do. ...