rovobay
Damascus, Oregon (Portland Suburb)
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looking at buying this
1999 Cameo by Carriage 26-FLS 28' with slide. good for dry camping? what about the overall quality of the unit. rarely used in great condition.
here is the ad on Craigslist
1999 Cameo by Carriage 26FLS bought in February 2012 (our first trailer)
TV is a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4X4 Crew Cab Short Bed with a 6.6l Duramax and Allison Transmission
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rovobay
Damascus, Oregon (Portland Suburb)
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couple more pics
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Road Runners
Tampa Bay, Florida
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Joined: 12/19/2001
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Carriage made good solid fivers and trailers. Too bad they went out of business. We purchased our 30 ft cameo new in 2000 and have since put over 85,000 miles on it. We are planning to take it on a 6000 mile trip this summer.
'05' F-250 Power Stroke
'00' 30' Cameo Fifth Wheel
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Joined: 12/06/2007
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For any brand or model trailer, it depends. You need to check to see if the trailer has at least two batteries. Having over 200 amp-hour (AH) is best. The RV also needs at least a 3-stage converter/charger of 45 amp charging or better.
Check to see what any trailer you check acually has. With the above equipment you can use a 2000 watt generator running 2 to 4 hours a day to get by.
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
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Ron3rd
Upland, CA USA
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Joined: 03/22/2004
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That trailer is fine for dry camping depending on how long you go out. For extended trips, battery capacity becomes an issue so having a good 2000 watt generator comes in handy for charging the batteries. The trailer looks to be in good shape from your photos so it comes down to how well it was maintained. Check the roof very, very carefully for leaks and check inside for any water damage which is the biggest killer of trailers. If all is sound, go for it as most anything else you can fix yourself if you're handy.
2007 Tundra SR5 CrewMax 5.7 V8
2004 Aljo 250LT
Eaz-Lift WD Hitch
Single Friction Sway Control
Prodigy Brake Controller
Honda EU2000
"I have this plan to live forever; so far my plan is working"
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rovobay
Damascus, Oregon (Portland Suburb)
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I am a rookie who has read a lot and looked at this trailer for 90 minutes yesterday. . . I found that the low point drain pipe under the trailer is leaking (pex is easy to fix) there are 2 battery trays, but once the 110v power was unplugged the lights were very dim (batteries need to be replaced). unit has sat in same spot for 2+ years and tires were not covered and show cracks and will need to be replaced.
fired up gas stove. furance kicked on and blew warm (is it possible to have an electric furnace? or dual source? seems like there is an exhaust point on the outside of the trailer under window near front door) just curious. . .
I should take a checklist and make sure I look at all the appliances and hardware. I did get eyes on the converter/charger.
all said, the unit has no scuffs/scratches/dings and is in fine shape. I just wanted to pick the forums brain about people whom have used or seen a Carriage in dry camping action.
saw the original paid price back in 1999 at $23,000+
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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The furnace uses 12v dc to run the thermostat and may have electronic ignition for running on propane. The batteries are most likely close to shot. The converter/charger would supply 12v voltage to the circuit to allow lights and furnace to operate while on shore-power. If the charger is only single stage? If so it would only charge batteries at from 3 to 10 amps per hour plugged in. Not good enough for using a generator. Did you find out if the charger is multistage? Did you check with the owner, or locate the information found on the converter/charger?
You will need to upgrade to a multistage battery charging to be able to dry-camp for more than on day at a time. Please note that the standard 7-pin connector will not allow any useful charging to take place while driving (about 10 amps per hour of driving).
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mlts22
Austin, Texas
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Joined: 11/15/2010
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First things first: Check the roof, and if you have a RV dealer around, perhaps take it in for a Sealtest. One hidden leak may mean the difference between a trailer with a good resale value versus one that is valued at the scrap cost of the metal inside. If the roof is solid, first thing is get on top with the Eternabond out.
Second, check for leaks and soft spots around the slide. If you can afford it, get a slide topper. I'd also consider replacing the rubber seals if possible, as they should get pulled every 4-6 years, sooner in dryer climates. If you find any discoloration, soft spots, bubbles, or water stains, run, don't walk.
I'd chuck the jars. Might as replace them now with either 12V batteries wired up in parallel (make sure to wire them up correctly, or else one battery will take the brunt of the discharging and wear out faster than the others), or use pairs of 6VDC golf cart batteries. I like using AGM batteries because once wired right, I can essentially forget about them for 5+ years, plus they can take a lot more incoming amps than other battery types.
Then I'd look at is chucking the converter. I've not done this, so will defer to the experts. You want at least a three stage converter, so it won't boil your batteries when hooked into shore power for a long period of time. You can also buy an inverter as well, which can help with low current drawing appliances.
One small thing: I'd also pull the door handles and rekey/replace them. It isn't like the RV locks are pick proof, but being the only person you know that has a key to the RV helps with peace of mind. Plus, RV latches get worn out, so it can't hurt to replace them anyway.
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rovobay
Damascus, Oregon (Portland Suburb)
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Sold. . . picking up tonight. got a great deal well below the asking price because I know it will need work. Tonight I will be the proud new owner of a dry beautiful trailer. it is going to be a good summer
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MAU MAU
New Hampshire
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Joined: 01/15/2012
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Congratulations on your new toy! I expect more pictures once you get her home and keep us updated on all of your mods and changes.
Roadtrek 170 Popular
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