Camp-Inn 500, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...ailers T M Owner s Manual Great Little campers For the great Big outdoors Camp InnTM Travel Trailers Petenwell Industries LLC 555 Kucirek Street Necedah Wisconsin www TinyCamper com 2020 Petenwell Ind LLC Revised 2 10 2020 ...

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Page 3: ...ry Meter 25 Charging 26 29 TriMetric 27 Solar Charging 28 Troubleshoot Charge 29 Battery Life 30 Battery Isolator 31 Replacement 31 RaindropTM Couch Bunk Beds 32 33 Options Alcan Cover 34 Receiver Hitch 34 Windscreens 34 Furnace 35 38 Air Conditioner 39 Door Screens 39 Roof Fan 40 Drop Front Desk 41 Roof Rack 41 TV Radio 42 43 GPS Tracker 44 Maintenance Cleaning 45 47 Wheel Bearings 48 Brakes 48 5...

Page 4: ...u are traveling If you smell propane NEVER use a flame to detect a propane leak Check for leaks using a soap solution on connections NEVER use candles fuel type lanterns fuel type heaters or any other oxygen depleting device inside the sleeping compartment ALWAYS open a side window or fan at least inch for ventilation and to reduce condensation when the sleeping area is occupied ALWAYS pull the tr...

Page 5: ...such as spare tire first aid kit fire extinguisher or raincoats Pack heavy items as close to the axle as possible Heavy items packed directly above the axle will not affect the trailer tongue weight See the section on Teardrop Tips for more information on weight distribution Trailers often ride rougher than your car or tow vehicle Items may bounce or shift during travel Objects rubbing together ma...

Page 6: ...e trailer should be leveled side to side Adjust the leveling jack on the Low side first When the trailer is level side to side lower the leveling jack on the High side until it touches the ground TIP no pun intended A food can laid on it s side on the countertop will indicate level side to side The can will roll toward the low side Also small adhesive backed levels are available at many hardware s...

Page 7: ...entally lock the doors and be unable to understand how to unlock them this has happened Also when packing make sure there are no boxes or other items that may accidentally bump the latching lever and lock it this has happened If this happens and a window is unlocked open the window and push in the screen You can get a tool to reinstall the window screen at a hardware store If both inside latches a...

Page 8: ...the prop rod upward along the groove As you guide the bottom end of the prop rod toward the top of the groove slowly lower the hatch The hatch should close smoothly without binding If you feel resistance do not force the hatch closed Check for items that are too tall and may be hitting the hatch ribs or prop rod Check that the prop rod is sliding along the groove properly When new the hinge may sl...

Page 9: ...and the hinge end is lined up with the trailer hinge 4 Pull the latch lever back and slide the hinge halves together 5 Rotate the brace on the bottom of the table so it is at right angle to the table 6 Open the tabletop 7 Level the table by pushing the button on the leg and moving lower leg section in or out of the upper section 8 To stow the table reverse the order of these steps 9 Pull leg befor...

Page 10: ...f pans adjust the air mixture screws on the sides of the valves to make the flame burn blue with slight yellow or red tips Stowing the kitchen stove To safely stow the kitchen stove follow these steps 1 Never slide the stove under the cabinet when burners are lit 2 Turn off burners and allow the stove to cool 3 Clean the stove with mild soap and water 4 Turn off the propane tank at the front of th...

Page 11: ...or furnace for at least 5 minutes 2 While running stove or furnace Check Gas Meter 3 Read the scale based on the ambient temperature Green Plenty of fuel Yellow Fuel level low Red Empty or almost empty To check the level of the tank without a LP Gas Meter 1 Unhook the propane tank 2 On the collar look for the Tare Weight example TW 13 4 This is the weight of the empty tank 3 Weigh the tank of prop...

Page 12: ... tank onto the adapter with the other hand 6 Do not over tighten the disposable propane tank 7 Position the propane tank so it is upright or upright at an angle DO NOT place the tank horizontal or with the top downward To REMOVE the Reserve Propane Adapter hold the ADAPTER FIRMLY with one hand and unscrew the disposable 1 lb propane tank with the other hand Then remove the Adapter from the propane...

Page 13: ... gallon fresh water tank an electric on demand water pump and an eight gallon gray drain water tank Drain Flush and Fill the freshwater tank before each use Filling the fresh water tank Unlock and open the water access door on the side of the trailer Flip up the blue tab on the water tank fill cap Unscrew the cap Fill the tank from a hose You can fill the tank from a jug pitcher or bucket but you ...

Page 14: ...shwater system is activated by a switch The switch is located in the kitchen on the right side near the AC and DC outlets The switch is lighted in the ON position If you will not be using the water for a while turn the pump switch OFF A slightly dripping faucet may drain the freshwater tank in only a couple hours Turning OFF the switch will prevent any dripping as well as prevent unnecessary pump ...

Page 15: ...sconnect The zip tye will need to be replaced when re assembling Water System Hookup Kit A City water quick connect and pressure regulator B Four feet long water hose C LP accessory gas line Using the City Water Hookup Install the city water quick connect and pressure regulator A on the male end of a regular garden hose Attach the female end of the garden hose to the spigot at the campsite To atta...

Page 16: ...er filled wastewater will flow out of the tank s vent under the trailer To drain the gray water tank remove the cap from the gray water tank drain valve then open the drain valve The valve handle is on the underside of the valve To more fully drain the tank raise the tongue of the trailer You may want to attach a short hose to the drain valve to help direct the flow away from the camper or down a ...

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Page 18: ...pink Turn off the pump switch Unscrew the head of the sprayer and shake out remaining water Leave the sprayer head off until warmer weather returns DE Winterizing the water system Before using a water system that has been winterized you should fully rinse the freshwater tank Screw on the sprayer head if it was removed during winterizing Fill the freshwater tank and drain it by removing the drain c...

Page 19: ... by running the faucet and allowing the bleach water to go down the sink drain This will help clean out the gray water tank as well Refill the freshwater tank with fresh water Run at least one gallon of water out of the faucet sprayer and side water outlet do not get on clothing skin or eyes Drain the tank again by removing the drain cap Replace cap and refill fresh water tank with fresh water Run...

Page 20: ...ters A four feet long LP gas hose is provided for easy connection to your accessories One end of the LP gas hose has a male quick connect for attaching to the trailer The opposite end of the LP gas hose has a fitting like those on the disposable 1 lb propane tanks This hose can be attached to any LP accessory that normally uses the 1 lb disposable tanks ALWAYS turn off the main trailer LP tank bef...

Page 21: ...ctor when it is fully engaged Before mating inspect both connectors for corrosion on the contacts If light corrosion is present plug and unplug the connector several times Usually this is sufficient to self clean the contacts If the corrosion is more severe you can scrape it with a tool or clean with a small piece of sandpaper In the most severe cases the connecter will need to be replaced To mini...

Page 22: ...sing the Reset button on the GFCI ground fault circuit interrupt kitchen receptacle If you still do not have AC power check the source outlet for power Try a different AC source outlet or a different circuit If the source outlet is improperly wired it may cause GFCI tripping or GFCI may not operate or GFCI may not Reset AC Fuse Breaker The AC Circuit Breaker is located next to the GFCI outlet in t...

Page 23: ...ulb with the same size and type Use a clean cloth or paper towel to hold the new bulb when replacing Do not touch the new bulb with your fingers Oils on your hands will reduce the bulb life Tail Lights Using a small screwdriver gently pry the light module out of the black rubber trim ring Unplug the connector from the back of the light module Replace with a new light module Carefully push the ligh...

Page 24: ...ort circuit If the Battery Circuit Breaker trips Reset it by pushing the button in the hole using a pencil eraser pen or stick FUSES A 15A Kitchen USB and Kitchen DC outlets Volt Amp Meter G 10A Battery Charger GPS Tracker B 15A Cabin USB and Cabin DC outlets H 10A Solar Controller Solar Connector C 15A Front Storage USB and DC outlets I 1A Tri Metric Battery Monitor D 10A Cabin Lights J 10A Water...

Page 25: ...Metric battery monitor Volt Meter Charge Amp Meter Located next to the DC Load Disconnect Switch is a dual meter The top meter shows the voltage of the battery The bottom meter shows how many charging amps are being put into the battery This meter will show charging Amps from the Onboard Charger Solar Panel or Tow Vehicle The Charge Amp Meter does not show the drain on the battery caused by the li...

Page 26: ...d the tow vehicle s engine is running Some newer vehicles reduce the charging voltage to the point that it will not fully recharge the trailer s battery You should recharge using the on board charger any time your have shore power available On Board Charger Your Camp Inn is equipped with an onboard automatic charger To recharge your on board battery Below the right taillight there is an AC power 1...

Page 27: ...ry levels battery use and battery condition The three primary displays are Volts Amps and Full Pressing the Select button cycles between the three displays The fourth position turns off the display to conserve power The TriMetric remains active when the DC disconnect switch is turned off It also remains active when the TriMetric display is turned off The TriMetric has to cycle through a couple dis...

Page 28: ...t that bypasses the controller You may use a solar panel with its own solar controller or a solar panel without controller Follow the chart below to wire your solar panel to the Male Solar Connector provided The outer cover of the Male Connector is flexible and must be pried off to make wiring connections These connections should be made by someone with the proper electrical training MALE SOLAR PA...

Page 29: ...29 Charger Troubleshooting Flow Chart ...

Page 30: ... t leave battery discharged for a long time Leaving a battery discharged causes damage that reduces the capacity of the battery Even short times less than 24 hours will cause small amounts of damage Leaving a battery deeply discharged for a week may reduce its capacity by 25 or more Battery Circuit Breaker If the Volt Meter is blank even though the DC Load Disconnect Switch is turned ON the Batter...

Page 31: ... vehicle s battery To prevent discharging the tow vehicle s battery you must either disconnect the trailer s 7 prong electrical connector or use a battery isolator A battery isolator electrically disconnects trailer and tow vehicle any time the tow vehicle s engine is shut off If you did not get the Battery Isolator Option you should consider installing a battery isolator in your tow vehicle Check...

Page 32: ...n the frame to make a seating area If only one cushion is used it will lay almost flush with the mattress and will extend the length of the bed for taller people Converting Bench to Couch For more comfortable semi reclined seating 1 Move all the cushions out of the way 2 Lifting the frame pull the frame toward you until it can be dropped onto the notched blocks near the doors 3 Lift the backrest a...

Page 33: ... 5 Lift the side of the frame closest to you up higher than the window sills 6 Extend the two bolt latches outward and make sure they lock 7 Lower the frame until the bolt latches rest on the window sills 8 Raise the headboard that is attached to the floor 9 Swing the two wings on the ends of the headboard outward until they contact the walls 10 Put one cushion on the upper bed and one on the lowe...

Page 34: ...e Alcan Cover is an ideal place to test any aluminum cleaners After testing rinse area and let completely dry before using on other areas of the trailer Receiver Hitch Option If your Camp Inn is equipped with a receiver hitch you can use it to haul bicycles The receiver hitch has a 150 lb load limit bikes and bike carrier weight combined It is designed and intended only for a two bike carrier It h...

Page 35: ...storage box of your trailer 2 The appliance is equipped with an ignition device which auto matically lights the burner Do not try to light the burner by hand 3 Turn propane tank shut off valve to ON or Open 4 Set thermostat to desired setting The fan should start 5 If the fan does not start try a higher thermostat setting verify that the electrical power is ON and check the furnace fuse 6 If you a...

Page 36: ...ostat Switch the Altitude Compensator switch to the HIGH position Turn ON the thermostat and set to the desired temperature If the furnace again shuts down after 30 45 seconds with the Altitude Compensator switch at the HI speed position there are a couple possible reasons You are at too high an elevation for the furnace to operate even with the boost There is another failure in the furnace If the...

Page 37: ...oved from the trailer to clean the igniter Running the furnace at lower altitudes will help to burn off some accumulated soot and may help to keep the igniter cleaner and prevent fouling of the igniter If the igniter is fouled the furnace will not ignite even at lower altitudes until the igniter has been cleaned If the furnace will be used almost exclusively at higher altitudes smaller orifices ma...

Page 38: ...38 If the kitchen stove operates normally with both burners lit for more than one minute the propane tank valve is ON and there is sufficient propane to light the furnace ...

Page 39: ...e air conditioner has a filter on the right side of the face The filter slides out sideways Remove and clean periodically with mild soap and water The air conditioner has a GFCI plug where it plugs into the 120VAC wall outlet If the air conditioner does not run at all try pressing the reset on the GFCI plug If this does not solve the problem see section on AC Power 110VAC for troubleshooting infor...

Page 40: ... to 1 2 or 3 4 AND That the Thermostat is set high enough The vent should be closed during travel Always close the vent fully during inclement weather Rain Sensor Fantastic VentTM This option has an automatic closing feature when the fan detects rain For Rain Sensor to operate the Speed Control must be set on 1 2 or 3 If you set the Speed Control to 0 the Rain Sensor WILL NOT FUNCTION to automatic...

Page 41: ...parked Various YakimaTM accessories such as bike racks cargo haulers kayak racks etc are available at sporting goods stores nationwide and online For hauling long items such as canoes you must tie a rope from the front of the canoe to the tongue of the trailer and a rope from the rear of the canoe to the rear of the trailer If you do not have a rear bumper or receiver hitch option you must provide...

Page 42: ...ion the DVD will eject and hit the inside of the cabinet DO NOT OPEN the TV Wait about 10 seconds and the TV will retract the DVD Then carefully open the TV making sure that the DVD is back inside the TV Opening or closing the TV while the DVD is ejecting may break the DVD and may damage the TV DVD player Antenna Jack There is an external antenna jack provided on the driver s side of the camper Th...

Page 43: ... and kitchen rear speakers Radio with TV The headphone output of the TV is connected to the AUX input on the radio Set the radio to the AUX input to hear the TV Adjust the TV s volume with a combination of the TV s and radio s volume controls Power Antenna If you have a power extension antenna there is a separate antenna switch This switch allows you to disable the power antenna if you are using t...

Page 44: ...sing the button on the top of the device lights will illuminate 2 After 1 5 minutes the device should obtain a GPS signal and will enter Track Mode 3 Keep batteries installed even when using line power 4 Log into your account to edit the following features Tracking Movement Alert Low Battery Status Power Off Dock Mode Important Note A reconfiguration of Spot tracker is required after certain featu...

Page 45: ...ge Sink Drain Flush and Fill fresh water tank and check pump operation Check sink drain for clogs Drain gray water tank Hatch When new the hatch hinge may slide from side to side If the hatch binds when almost closed open hatch about half way and then tap it sideways to center it Make sure the area between the side gaskets and the body is kept free of dirt leaf litter and debris This may cause wat...

Page 46: ...um regularly with WalbernizeTM brand cleaner For heavy oxidization or stains use Bon AmiTM cleaner on a damp rag Rub very gently in the direction of the original brushed finish Use only the pressure of the weight of your hand Any more pressure when rubbing will cause scratching Randomize the rubbing stroke length so the edges of the cleaned area are feathered out Practice in a less visible area be...

Page 47: ...ps off the end When re installing the curtain end clips do not fully tighten them The curtain end clips are supposed to be free to move Interior Moisture and Condensation Under normal use it is common for condensation to accumulate in the cabin overnight The condensation is more apparent during colder weather as it forms on the insides of windows and on aluminum trim Leaving the side windows or ro...

Page 48: ... Brakes should be adjusted after the first trip or after at least 2000 miles of operation when the brake shoes and drums have seated After that brakes should be adjusted at 4000 mile intervals or as performance and use requires The brakes should be adjusted in the following manner 1 Park on a flat level surface and chock the wheels Make sure the parking brake lever is released if installed 2 Jack ...

Page 49: ...rchangeable Use waterproof connectors for making the electrical connections Autowbrake Controller Calibration Calibration is required the first time you use your Autowbrake 1 Connect trailer to tow vehicle and plug in trailer connector 2 Calibrate on a level driveway or parking lot this allows Autowbrake to determine the common towing position 3 If you will be heavily loading the trailer or the to...

Page 50: ...e braking force and Down button is used to decrease braking force There are 5 brake force levels available 1 At a complete stop Press brake pedal and use Up Down buttons to increase or decrease the braking force 2 In motion Lightly press the brake pedal and use the Up Down buttons to increase or decrease the braking force 3 If you are not sure where you are at 1 5 Press the Down button 5 times to ...

Page 51: ...e handle is not moved periodically it may rust or seize in place Driving with Parking Brake On If you accidentally drive with the parking brake applied and you smell hot brakes you may have damaged the brakes Release the parking brake and allow the brakes to cool before proceeding You should have the brakes inspected as soon as practical to make sure they are still working safely If you drive more...

Page 52: ...e the jack to about 45 degrees Crank the jack handle to lower the wheel exposing about 10 inches of the jack tube With a brush wipe a light coating of general purpose grease onto the lower jack tube Give special attention to areas showing wear Crank the jack handle to raise the wheel all the way Make sure the lower tube goes into the upper tube without scraping off all the grease Spin the lower tu...

Page 53: ...ding Leaving the windows and hatch open for a while will help dry out the cabin and kitchen areas A temporary shelter like those made by Shelter LogicTM are a good second choice www shelterlogic com If you cannot store it in a building or a temporary shelter you should use a Camp Inn storage cover This storage cover is weather resistant and water repellant but like any cloth cover it may develop s...

Page 54: ...t of passengers and cargo hauled in the car Determining the actual weight of the trailer with all your gear can be difficult The easiest method is to load the trailer and then take it to a truck stop and weigh it on their scale Make sure you disconnect the trailer from your tow vehicle to get an accurate reading Tongue Weight Tongue weight is the downward force of the trailer tongue on the tow veh...

Page 55: ...hey will be interchangeable Another reason would be if you have other heavier trailers you plan to pull All three Classes may not be available for your tow vehicle Hitch Height To make your Camp InnTM trailer look right when it is being towed the ball on your hitch should be set at the proper height for your trailer model Receiver hitches have inserts with different offsets so you can adjust the b...

Page 56: ... jack until you have locked the trailer tongue onto the ball hitch 10 Hook up safety chains Chains should be crossed The chain on the left side of the trailer tongue should be hooked to the loop on the right side of the hitch and the chain on the right side of the trailer tongue should be hooked to the loop on left side of the hitch this prevents the chains from binding when going around corners a...

Page 57: ...own 5 By cranking the jack handle jack up the trailer tongue until it is clear of the ball hitch 6 Lower the hitch lock lever to horizontal position 7 Replace the safety locking pin or lock 8 Unhook safety chains 9 Move tow vehicle away from the trailer 10 Jack trailer tongue either up or down to level the trailer 11 Lower rear leveling jacks to stabilize or level the trailer side to side Your Cam...

Page 58: ...you need to reduce the braking strength it is advised that you slow down your traveling speed To properly set the brakes 1 Find a straight section of road clear of other traffic 2 Slow down to a safe speed less than 20 mph Slower on ice 3 Adjust the brakes to a low setting 2 3 4 Apply the brakes hard 5 If the trailer brakes do not lock up or skid turn up the brakes 6 When the brakes DO lock up or ...

Page 59: ...you will only need to intermittently use your brakes The steeper the downgrade the lower the gear and the slower you should go Without applying brakes your engine should hold below 2 3 of the red line RPM if red line is 6000 RPM don t exceed 4000 RPM If the engine exceeds 2 3 of red line you are in too high a gear and going faster than you should On long downgrades stop periodically to allow your ...

Page 60: ... parking lot Practice backing into a parking spot away from other vehicles One trick is to put one hand at the bottom of the steering wheel Push that hand in the direction you want the trailer to go When the trailer starts turning turn the tow vehicle so it follows the trailer If the trailer begins to jackknife turns too sharply pull forward and try backing again When backing it is helpful to have...

Page 61: ... Size Street 195 70R14 SUV 205 75R14 Spare Tire The Camp InnTM spare tire is rated for a loaded trailer at highway speeds Being smaller diameter it will cause that side of the trailer to ride lower You may use it to drive for extended distances but it is recommended that you repair or replace the original tire as soon as practical so you will have a spare tire available The Camp InnTM provided spa...

Page 62: ...e is about 4 less MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE long trip over 2 000 miles Check trailer lights safety chains coupler X X X Daily on trip Check cabin kitchen lights X X X Drain Flush Fill freshwater tank X X X Test water pump X X X Check tire pressure X X X Check spare tire X X X Check charging voltage X X X Lubricate locks hinges X X Lubricate hitch jack and leveling jacks X Test Adjust brakes X X 4 000 A...

Page 63: ...nters of the bottom ends of the fitted and flat sheets Then pin them together and machine stitch the two sheets together sewing only between the two elastic corners of the fitted sheet If you sew onto the elastic corners of the fitted sheet you will tear both the stitches and sheets when you try to put them on the mattress 3 Trick for making the bed Lay the fitted sheet on top of the mattress in t...

Page 64: ...lb load would have on different points on the car and trailer Weight Added or xx Removed As you can see where you add the weight can affect the ride of the car and trailer Since a Camp InnTM trailer is rated for 500 1000 lbs of cargo carrying you should use it to haul all your heavy gear The best place to haul heavy items is to slide them into the footwell area of the bed inside the cabin As you c...

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Page 70: ...ack See receiver brake fade 59 brakes adjusting in use 50 58 adjustment parking 51 controller 49 50 58 how to use 58 59 inspection 49 parking 6 51 breaker 110VAC 22 bunk bed 32 33 charge meter 25 charger battery 26 solar 28 troubleshoot 30 charging battery 26 charging from tow vehicle 26 chock blocks 6 city water hookup 15 cleaning 46 aluminum 46 countertops backsplash 47 curtains 47 exterior 46 f...

Page 71: ... leveling jack 62 leveling jacks 52 locks 7 62 tongue jack 52 62 wheel bearings 62 lug nut torque 61 maintenance 45 62 marker lights 23 meter amp 25 battery 14 25 volt 25 water tank 14 monitor battery 27 packing 5 parking brake See brakes park power AC 120VSee AC power 110 120V power disconnect switch 25 53 power shore See shore power prop rod See hatch prop rod propane accessory outlet 20 check f...

Page 72: ... weight 54 torque lug nut 61 towing basics 54 towing capacity 54 trap See sink drain Tri Metric 27 troubleshoot AC power 22 charger 30 furnace 38 water 17 TV DVD ejecting disc 42 power switch 42 TV DVD player 42 unhitching 57 vent See roof fan ventilation 4 VIN tag 5 volt meter 25 washing See cleaning water city hookup 15 de winterize 18 hard water 19 pump switch 14 side outlet valve 15 troublesho...