Turtling without unhooking

[adirondackcamper]

Anyone ever do this? We want to get an earlier start than we had originally planned and know there are places that we can stay with out adding an extra night and change of reservation fees. So to make it easier we thought we'd just turtle one night (probably open just the back bed) and stay hooked up to the TV. Hubby is worried about not being perfectly level for the refrigerator. Anyone do this or have any thoughts on doing it?

 

[JeepMama]

Re: TURTLING WITH OUT UNHOOKING

Yes we have turtled twice hooked up to the TV. Although we have a TT not a hybrid. No issues with the refrigerator.

 

[Snow]

Should be to much of an issue.. I know a few people who stop at campwalmart for over night stops... they have never had any issues with the fridge..

 

[Jimbow]

If it is level enough to sleep, it will be level enough for the frig.

With the title in all CAPS I thought it was an emergency

 

[jayco1997]

we have turtled for a night and even left the one bed end opened in our hybrid as we moved from one site to another. We just drive very slowly even thought people say you should not move the camper in this position and we never had a problem. When I had the pup I moved it in the same position also on a few occasions and everything was fine. I got the idea because I see the RV stores moving campers around the lot in this manner.

 

[adirondackcamper]

No not an emergency I'm not too computer savvy and I just left it on from what I was previously doing.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

We have turtled in our hybrid without any problems. We have completely turtled with both bed ends closed, but we also found that we can stay hooked up to the tv, and the front bunk can still be folded down without touching the Expedition, so we have opened the beds up and slept in it for a quick overnight without having to unhook it. Not sure that would work in every situation, but we have queen-sized bed ends and it works. When we have done that, we have been in very level places, so that wasn't an issue.

 

[Jimbow]

No not an emergency I'm not too computer savvy and I just left it on from what I was previously doing.

I thought you might have been stuck inside. Which would have been a great SPUT

 

[Snow]

keep in mind most parking lots will be fairly level to start with..

 

[seigell]

Remember to unhook the 7-pin umbilical from the TV, especially if you might be drawing heavily on your Battery for Lights or Heat overnight. It could turn into an embarrassing SPUT if you draw down the TV Starting Battery such that you have to flag down someone to give you a Jump Start in the AM. (And, obviously, don't Idle the TV for any length of time for fear that the Tailpipe Emissions might waft into the HTT.)

 

[densim]

We turtle on trips that take more than a day to get to. Never had a problem with the frig, though as mentioned, unplug the TV. I switch the frig from Dc to gas when parked. I have forgotten to unplug and needed a boost.

 

[Snow]

Run your fridge on propane and all you'll need the trailer battery for will be a couple lights and the 12 volt circuitry for the fridge to run .. then unplug from the TV... In the morning, start and run TV without plugging back in first, then shut down and plug back in, starting the TV immediately after doing so, just incase the trailer battery has dropped, it won't drain the TV battery trying to charge up again ..

 

[mamabean5]

We camped last year with friends who never unhooked the entire trip---and they were in a pop up!

 

[tfischer]

When we were pulling out yesterday we saw a pup that was nearly fully set up, parked next to one of the water fill spigots, adding water. I'm not sure if they were setting up, then realized they needed to add water?

Our first trip ever with our pup this year found us on a site that had very poor drainage, and literally a muddy lake right outside the door. There was no better place to move it on that site so when the one next to us freed up the next morning, we called the office and ended up moving to that one. I did as little tear-down as possible: we put in the bunk ends, cranked it down a little over halfway, and did the move, just walking over most of the support pipes and such. I almost had a major SPUT as I didn't zip up the windows before putting in the bunk ends... came very close to tearing one when sliding in one of the bunks... it actually got caught in the track, but fate was smiling on me that day. Learned early that the bunks aren't designed to move unless the roof is fully up and the windows zipped tight.

 

[Old_Geezer]

Anyone ever do this? We want to get an earlier start than we had originally planned and know there are places that we can stay with out adding an extra night and change of reservation fees. So to make it easier we thought we'd just turtle one night (probably open just the back bed) and stay hooked up to the TV. Hubby is worried about not being perfectly level for the refrigerator. Anyone do this or have any thoughts on doing it?

I have done it, and used the dinette for sleeping and not opened either bunk. I would definitely unhook the 7 way so no chance of killing the TV battery, although one night of furnace use and lights should not kill either the camper or TV battery if fully charged. The only 12V power the fridge uses is the control and lighting circuits which is nothing, no 12V option for operation like a 3 way to worry about. Are you planning on turtling in parking lots? If not you'll probably have 110V hook up options if stopping at Campgrounds or Parks.

The fridge will be fine as long as you are no more than 3 degrees out of level side to side and 6 degrees out front to back. My understanding of this also is you need to be a good bit more than those out of level and for a substantial amount of time to damage the evaporator.
How much is 3 degrees out? ......... a lot 3 degrees out would be enough that most people would not want to sleep like that.

 

[adirondackcamper]

Thanks for all the great advise and especially unplugging the TV, just didn't think of that! And because where we are planning to turtle in the Adirondacks on a back road in the woods, we would have been hard pressed to find a jump for the TV. WHEW I fell like we just side stepped a SPUT!!

 

[campfreak]

I have leveled without unhooking, just by using blocks, even on a regular campsite. If the pup is low at the hitch end, put some blocks under the TV rear wheels. If it's high at the hitch end, put an extra block under the pup wheels, while still accounting for your side to side leveling.

 

[Phranc]

Just a side note about overnighting/turtling. Most TVs with factory tow package and 7 pin plug have a relay that cuts off the 12volts to the trailer connection when the ignition is off. You can check the the pin at the 1 o'clock position on the vehicle to confirm power is off when the switch is off.

 

[Loraura]

We turtle on one-night stops. Hubby sleeps on the couch, I get the dinette. I purchased some wire shelving from Home Depot to bridge the gap between the couch and dinette, and now we can lay our queen mattress topper across both and have one big bed if we want.

I've measured, and I don't think I can open the front bunk while still attached to the truck. I never thought about using the back bunk though (since it is a double, not a queen, we rarely deploy it). There are a few places we camp where we don't use the truck to go anywhere, so it would be easier to use that bunk, and leave the truck hooked up. I'm going to try this next time!

 

[mocamper]

Good advise, most lots are level enough. Happy Camping.