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Palomino Puma 29 FQS Travel Trailer

Marauderer

Marauderer

Grumpy Old Cur***geon
Messages
860
Reaction score
127
Location
Powder Springs, GA
My wife and I have been looking for a travel trailer for a while and she hasn't wanted one. Scroll forward a bit and she has decided she wants a dog, A Rat Dog!! Really it is a miniature Poodle Red color. We travel several times a year and sometimes our Daughter and her dog goes with us. Finding a pet friendly hotel isn't always easy so now i get a green light for a trailer. to throw another factor into the mix I race Radio Control airplanes and that is usually travelling and racing over a Thurs - Mon weekend. We don't want to leave the Rat dog home so we will be getting the Puma this next Tuesday in Chanute, KS. I have my truck all set up for my airplanes and equipment so I didn't want to remove the cap and the bed slide for a 5th wheel setup hence the travel trailer. Wives are neat she only had one significant requirement and that was find one with a King Bed. Ouch!! We found a previously owned 2009 at a price we could afford and we are really looking forward to it. We had a Winnebago motor home back in the early 80's and have tent camped mostly in the last 10 years.

So I am researching what I am going to need when we get this and it should be an interesting trip home and then getting ready for my next race the first weekend in May which we will taking the trailer with us.

The unit is at this link.
 
Thanks Guys!! Got to get the truck ready to go today. Ya know, check all the fluids, new wiper blades, pick up an extra fuel filter and then Monday morning early hit the road. This trip will put the truck over 100 K mi.
 
Got sway control equipment? That's a long rig for a srw truck. Take care and go slow until you get used to the dynamics.

Sent from my SCH-I535
 
Thanks for asking Mike. Yes, I am having an equalizer hitch with sway control installed before we start back. The brand is Equilizer, I have a Prodigy brake controller and am not new to towing but each rig is different and yes caution is the word to abide by. I also have a rear sway bar on my truck. The only thing I might need is a set of airbags to level the truck but, I will evaluate that when we get the trailer. The trailer is about 7K lbs. empty and will be about 9.8K fully loaded. After I get it loaded out I will go down to the truck scales and weigh it all out and see how the weight is distributed and make the necessary adjustments. If you can think of anything else I need to consider let me know, I appreciate all the help I can get.
 
Sway control hitches are always a good idea. One thing I didn't like about the equilizer was it is dependant on tongue weight for the sway control portion of it to work, so just remember to load the front of it down to keep your swap control working. I went from a high trailer to a low trailer, and no longer need the sway control bar. Another thing to watch REALLY close is the seals around the slides. Many people neglect them and water leaks around them, and before you know it the steel frame for the slide is rotted out. I was fortuinate enough to have talked my wife out of one with a slide for this very reason. Many people add the spring loaded awnings over the slides to keep the water from even getting to the seals so you don't have to worry about it.

Other than that make sure the tires are aired up pretty close to the max on the trailer. I know mine swayed a bit when I brought it home, but the dealer I bought it from only had 40 PSI in the tires. Aired em up to 55 and it towed ALOT better. And start shopping for a HONDA 2000 watt or YAMAHA 2400 watt inverter generator. I have one of the HONDA 3000 watt inverter generators, but it is one heavy SOB(about 175 pounds full of fuel) and I hate having to move it around.
 
You shouldn't have any problem with the weight. I pull 16 k frequently but it's low. Height and side wind and semi wash will be the biggest problem.

Sent from my SCH-I535
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Sway control hitches are always a good idea. One thing I didn't like about the equilizer was it is dependant on tongue weight for the sway control portion of it to work, so just remember to load the front of it down to keep your swap control working. I went from a high trailer to a low trailer, and no longer need the sway control bar. Another thing to watch REALLY close is the seals around the slides. Many people neglect them and water leaks around them, and before you know it the steel frame for the slide is rotted out. I was fortuinate enough to have talked my wife out of one with a slide for this very reason. Many people add the spring loaded awnings over the slides to keep the water from even getting to the seals so you don't have to worry about it.

Other than that make sure the tires are aired up pretty close to the max on the trailer. I know mine swayed a bit when I brought it home, but the dealer I bought it from only had 40 PSI in the tires. Aired em up to 55 and it towed ALOT better. And start shopping for a HONDA 2000 watt or YAMAHA 2400 watt inverter generator. I have one of the HONDA 3000 watt inverter generators, but it is one heavy SOB(about 175 pounds full of fuel) and I hate having to move it around.
Click to expand...

Thanks Therm, I have a light duty 3.5kw generator that can spike to 4.5K for starts. Not a Honda so I will be looking for one. I better take my pancake compressor with me and the generator. I don't know if it has an inverter or a battery installed and will find out Tuesday. I have a a 12v/110 1500 inverter and thought I would throw that in the truck also just in case. I will be stopping at the first truck scales I come to unless the dealer has scales and I will check it there.. I am a firm believer in weighing the whole unit and partial assembly so I know what I have and am not guessing. Years ago I really loaded the tongue of a trailer to much and over loaded the rear tires and they blistered and blew out. Not good. The old saying "once is and experience, twice is dumb" is a good one I think. I want to make sure the propane is topped off as well as the potable water tank. It will be good to also make sure the black and gray water tanks have been emptied.
 
It may have the debris awnings over the slides, I am not sure but with everything I have read I will be getting them if it doesn't have them. When we do the walk through before acceptance I will be looking at the slide seals closely. I will also be getting up under the frame and preserving it to prevent problems in the future and anything else that I find that needs work. It is always something. I really need to finish installing the lift pump on my truck and the other items I have for it..
 
When you look at it make sure nobody greased the slides. Alot of places put grease on the slides to make them nice and slick, but it backfires on you quickly. Grease will quickly attract dirt and other debris and makes a real mess to have to clean out down the road. Only use dry film lubricant on the slide outs, and silicone spray lube on the seals for the slide outs. I learned about this one last year helping a friend have to go in and scrape and de grease his slides so we get his slide working again. What a friggen mess of caked up dirt and grease, and he doesn't even go on dirt roads or anything dusty. I mentioned the HONDA and YAMAHA inverter generators because many places will only allow the use of noise approved generators, and the HONDA and YAMAHA units meet the specs.
 
Now that is a tip I hadn't read about, I am sure there are more but, Thanks for the insight on the slides. I figure anything that moves requires extra effort.
 
Here is some advise on your new camper.

The frame is made of wood with aluminum siding. Wood rots, very quickly if rain gets to it and is not stopped immediately. If you think I am crazy check out my truck camper rebuild thread. In my opinion here is what you can do to prevent this.

1. When the camper is not in use store it under a RV cover(car port made for RV's). Fully covered is better but, not everybody can afford that.

2. Inspect any place that has a hole threw the siding. If water can get in, it will finish off that area in no time flat. If you do find something fix it, immediately.

3. Use the camper, enjoy the camper, and have fun in the camper. The worst thing for anything in the world is to just let it sit.
 
Long trip yesterday. We left Powder Springs, GA at 6am and rolled into Iola, KS at about 8:30pm local time. We will be at the Rv center at 8am to get the Trailer.
 
Picked up the trailer on Tuesday morning. We left the Kansas RV in Chanute, KS at 11 am. We got to Sikeston, MO by 6 pm. The trailer pulls great with the Equal-i-zer 4 point sway hitch. The old LBZ was in it's zone just growling along at 70-75 mph on cruise. Went to Lamberts Cafe for supper and then checked in to the local RV park for the night. Temps got down to about 35*F but I started the furnace and we were really comfy for the night. Got on the road at 7 am and got home just before 6 pm. I have lots of small things to do and will post pics by this weekend. I got to work on the Truck also, mainly getting the lift pump installed.
 
Sounds like a great trip and I am glad you did not have any issues. I was about to ask you about Lamberts, but you said you stopped there. I made it a point to go by there in 2006 when I made my big trip out west. I about over did it on eating a big meal with those hot rolls.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your camper.
 
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