Alternative to ETI levellers, another 10 pack or Andersons?

[caddoster]

We have one pack of lynx (10) when we have the single axle trailer, did a lot of offroad camping and that was enough. When we get our 19 we got one more pack (10) and that seemed to be enough. Enough = level two tires + 1 for each landing pad + whatever is left over goes under the tongue. Only one time we ran into a situation when we didn't have enough for the tongue, so we have 3 (x10) now...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

Around here, almost every family cooks in and heavily abuses aluminum pots. I'm curious about any difference when it's exposed to the elements.

Are your aluminum pots bare, or coated (such as with a non-stick coating)? Normal wheels are not bare; they are clear-coated. If the coating is scratched or peels, the exposed aluminum will corrode, which is usually only a cosmetic issue.

[Eggscape]

Sorry off topic...but “some say” that because aluminum transfers heat better than steal that aluminum wheels help pull the heat away from the brake drum faster and better.
I don’t like to spend money for looks but our last trailer came with bright aluminum wheels and every time I looked at it, my mind said wow. That may or may not be worth $450 CAD to you.

[C&G in FL]

Seeing that you have a young child and a potential future child, having a microwave available 24/7 to heat bottles makes sense!

[Patandlinda]

Could always heat bottles in pan of water on stove also . Pat

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Could always heat bottles in pan of water on stove also . Pat

Yes, and you could tow an Escape with a team of horses, or use a typewriter rather than a computer with a word processing program.

[John in Santa Cruz]

we raised two kids to adulthood, and never microwaved their bottles. serious risk of burning because microwaves do not always heat that evenly. admittedly, mostly my wife breast-fed them, bottles were mostly for when she was not around.

[Bobbito]

Regarding the aluminum wheels, they can save you a lot of work if you drive down gravel roads where the rocks chip your wheel paint off. On our previous trailer I worked my fingers to the bone cleaning off rust each year. I guess we could have painted the rims every few years, but I elected to clean the rust off with metal cleaners.
The aluminum rims on our Escape have no rust and look great. I am SO glad we got them. Now if I didn't go down these gravel roads a lot I would be happy with the standard painted steel wheels. It also depends on the climate. We have more rust issues here in the PNW.

Bob K

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Yes, and you could tow an Escape with a team of horses, or use a typewriter rather than a computer with a word processing program.

Heating bottles for 9 kids total really wasn't that difficult. Also still have my brother typewriter and did my taxes every year with it until a couple years ago and don't need to anymore . Do have a microwave in trailer but if I was looking for cutting back there is lots of ways to do things . Pat

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

Sorry off topic...but “some say” that because aluminum transfers heat better than steal that aluminum wheels help pull the heat away from the brake drum faster and better.
I don’t like to spend money for looks but our last trailer came with bright aluminum wheels and every time I looked at it, my mind said wow. That may or may not be worth $450 CAD to you.

I’ve had both painted and aluminum wheels. I did not see any difference in brake heat that resulted in fade or in shoe life or glazing. Braking technique, proper voltage to the magnets for the task at hand, uniform adjustment and judicious use of transmission gearing will go a lot farther towards getting you stopped safely than wheel metallurgy in my considered opinion.
Trailering is a marriage of many component parts, experience is once again the best teacher.
Iowa Dave

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Are your aluminum pots bare, or coated (such as with a non-stick coating)? Normal wheels are not bare; they are clear-coated. If the coating is scratched or peels, the exposed aluminum will corrode, which is usually only a cosmetic issue.

our pots are bare. they've had tomato sauce or water in them for a few days enough times to say they are solid products! they seem durable enough that i really am surprised to hear that they do corrode so obviously. that being said, they do discolor or pit a teensy bit in response to acidic or otherwise neglectful treatment. hearty scrubbing can fix this, but this is why i stopped cooking in them. i don't love the wondering what is leeching into my food...

wearing my fingers to the bone removing rust does not sound like the easy maintenance escape that I had in mind. but knocking off some rust and covering with an oil based paint sounds fine. if the former is what it's going to be, aluminum is the answer. we plan on off-roading to some extent, although the surface type I couldn't tell you, and i don't want to be limited. i wonder after a few times of just knocking off the loose rust and painting over it, how bad it would look.

for all the input on kids and microwaves, I support both sides. don't need it, but it's nice. we do use it often, like i said, although not for long. i grew up without a microwave, and i do have memories of how aggravating it was sometimes. but again, not a necessity when not on shore power. if i had a solid idea of what ELSE the inverter would come in handy for, it may make me feel better about the idea that I'm leaning toward spending $950 cdn for a tiny bit of microwaving and...being prepared for emergency 120v needs?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

we raised two kids to adulthood, and never microwaved their bottles. serious risk of burning because microwaves do not always heat that evenly. admittedly, mostly my wife breast-fed them, bottles were mostly for when she was not around.

We raised two and microwaves were just coming out when our first was born. Just had to figure out how long to heat and shake the bottle to “homogenize” the temperature, then test. Never got too hot.

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Heating bottles for 9 kids total really wasn't that difficult. Also still have my brother typewriter and did my taxes every year with it until a couple years ago and don't need to anymore . Do have a microwave in trailer but if I was looking for cutting back there is lots of ways to do things . Pat

I agree, it isn’t that difficult. But we found the microwave both easier and quicker. Quick is important when the child is hungry and screaming for a bottle.

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

. Quick is important when the child is hungry and screaming for a bottle.

One doesn’t need to be a child to be hungry and screaming for a bottle.......Just ask Debbie.....

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

We raised two and microwaves were just coming out when our first was born. Just had to figure out how long to heat and shake the bottle to “homogenize” the temperature, then test. Never got too hot.



I agree, it isn’t that difficult. But we found the microwave both easier and quicker. Quick is important when the child is hungry and screaming for a bottle.

Another thing for us is that my son, although a pretty patient 3 yr old, takes 6 doses of medicine per day. Two are just measure and give, the other four involve crushing and mixing or meticulously dividing miniscule beads in adult pills and somehow getting all of that into him. If his reflux acts up anyway, we can be up for hours at night, and can be night after night. We have a peaceful routine, but we've developed an obsession for doing everything we can to make life simple. In this case it's an inverter, the problem is just that it's such a jump in cost.

The simplicity rule of thumb will likely persuade us over to aluminum rims, although I see opinions differ. Is this aluminum any different from the alloy rims on vehicles?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

Is this aluminum any different from the alloy rims on vehicles?

No. Alloy trailer wheels are comparable in material, construction, and finish to inexpensive aftermarket alloy wheels for cars.

[SouthernCamper]

To follow up on the wheel choice portion of this discussion: what do the wheels look like after they've been sanded and repainted? I'm afraid that if I do it multiple times it'll start to look clumpy and bad.

How much does an aftermarket, non-ETI rim set cost if we would get steel then change our minds?

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

To follow up on the wheel choice portion of this discussion: what do the wheels look like after they've been sanded and repainted? I'm afraid that if I do it multiple times it'll start to look clumpy and bad.

How much does an aftermarket, non-ETI rim set cost if we would get steel then change our minds?

googling for 15" alloy trailer wheels, first site I hit had these, that look a lot like the ETI wheels. I dunno if thats the right bolt pattern, but I suspect it is...

15X6 5-Lug on 4.5" Aluminum Series 03 Trailer Wheel - 356545

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

googling for 15" alloy trailer wheels, first site I hit had these, that look a lot like the ETI wheels. I dunno if thats the right bolt pattern, but I suspect it is...

15X6 5-Lug on 4.5" Aluminum Series 03 Trailer Wheel - 356545

Thank you I didn't know the specs. Not bad, worth trying out the steel at first maybe. Still hesitant with all of the humidity here :/ our aluminum vehicle wheels look great, but little harm done I guess if we try steel and the rust it too bad

[Brian B-P]

If you wait until you need new tires, and buy the wheels and tires as a complete set, the difference between the full set and just tires might be even less than wheels would cost by themselves.

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I dunno if thats the right bolt pattern, but I suspect it is...

15X6 5-Lug on 4.5" Aluminum Series 03 Trailer Wheel - 356545

Yes, those are the right bolt pattern (and offset).

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

If you wait until you need new tires, and buy the wheels and tires as a complete set, the difference between the full set and just tires might be even less than wheels would cost by themselves.


Yes, those are the right bolt pattern (and offset).

I think we'll pocket the $475 then. We can make anything work for enough years to wait until a justified tire change. At that point we can get the aluminum or do a solid overhaul on the steel ones. Leery, but I think it's worth a try.