Happy Aliner Camper
Ross & Cathy Duncan
purchased an Aliner Expedition (sofa bed / front dinette model). I was
really impressed with the construction of the unit and the ease and
speed with which it can be set up and taken down. Light weight and low
profile were high on our list of requirements. We intend to do some
travel during our retirement and this will surely do the job for us. We
will pick up our camper within the next couple of weeks. All we need now
is to get through the winter. Camping, here we come! Thanks to all on
this NG for all the interesting articles such as heaters, porta potties,
etc. I would like to hear from other Aliner owners concerning their
experiences and suggestions. I hope we can contribute some of the
lessons we learn as well.
Cheers, Ross
Gerald Pearson & Sue Sarlette
>
> Finally, after a couple of years of research, my wife and I have
> purchased an Aliner Expedition (sofa bed / front dinette model).
> I would like to hear from other Aliner owners concerning their
We got the same model early this year. Slept in it 33 nights & towed it
a little less than 5000 miles. We like it very much. It's just the 2
of us -- no kids or pets. I'm retired [early], and Sue still works.
You might be interested in some things which we have done.
1. USE OF THE FRONT PART OF THE DINETTE SEAT.
With just the 2 of us, we use only the outsides of the U shaped dinette
in front and not the bottom part of the U which is along the front of
the trailer. We removed the cushion there so we have quick easy access
to the storage space there, and so that I could build in a few things
above the space. About the right 1/3 of the space is used for setup
stuff -- wheel chocks, leveling blocks, stabilizer crank, and a rolled
up plastic "welcome" mat. The rest of the space is used for food and
cooking stuff, stored in plastic tubs with lids.
2. MICROWAVE OVEN WITH TINY COUNTER SURFACE ON TOP.
I shock mounted a tiny microwave oven to the front left, just over the
seat, built up high enough so that the oven door swings open _above_ the
seat cushion on the left side. I did the construction using part of the
"seat" plywood, some scraps of 1x2"s, some 1" aluminum angle, some
carpet padding, wood screws, epoxy, some sheet aluminum with a
decorative hole pattern in it, some stainless steel wire, a couple of
springs, some scrap 12-millimeter baltic birch plywood, and some scrap
formica. For travel, the glass tray is held cushioned in place by
Styrofoam packing material; the door is held closed by a velcro strap
which attaches to small velcro strips on the door and the side of the
oven. If anyone is interested in more details, please post the question
on this NG and _also_ email me a copy.
Since I mounted the microwave oven in the popup, and since we
discovered Dinty Moore dinners, we have cooked almost all our "camping"
meals in the microwave oven. Dinty Moore makes several 10-ounce dinners
which keep indefinitely at room temperature, are ready to microwave
[just remove the sealed plastic tray from the cardboard box, punch some
holes in the tray's cover with a fork, and nuke for 2 minutes], and
which taste better (IMO) than most of the frozen dinners on the market.
Stuff like lasagna with meat, beef stew, chicken & noodles, turkey &
dressing with gravy, and several others.
3. GRAY WATER TANK
+ We never use anything more than an electrical hookup. For [sink]
drain water, I use 5-gallon [red] "gasoline" jugs with the spout at one
end. These are the only cheap 5-gallon jugs which I could find which
are [just barely] low enough to fit under the trailer. I screw a 4"
scrap of hose onto the drain fitting in order to direct the water into
the jug. We carry a total of 3 such jugs, although 2 would be enough.
To dump this water, we can carry them either in the back of our van or
in the Aliner under the sofa. These things are easy to store and easy
to carry.
4. AIR MATTRESS
We found that the 4" cushion material was a little hard for our taste.
We put a 52"x75" air mattress over the standard cushion material,
inflate it with a 12-volt high-volume air pump, & use standard sheets &
pillowcases, as well as a fleece blanket.
5. 12-VOLT OUTLETS
I installed a couple of 12-volt outlets just to the right of the
converter/breaker/fuse box. Instead of the usual cigarette lighter
style sockets, I chose to use 1/4" mono phone jacks.
6. FAN
For moving air around, I use a 12-volt muffin fan -- 4" square --
designed for cooling electrical equipment. Only draws 0.66 amp, which
is great while dry camping. Not a hurricane, but an adequate breeze.
Hope some of these ideas are useful to other people.
-- Gerry
Jim and Linda King
>purchased an Aliner Expedition (sofa bed / front dinette model).
>Cheers, Ross
>
Hi Ross,
I've always been very interested in Aliners, and I'll look forward to hearing
how yours is for you.
I recently got a packet of info. from them, so I could get a better look at
what they offer. I see they now offer a model with the front storage trunk,
although I don't recall that one's name.
Linda King
'94 Chevy Astro
'99 Coleman Bayside
Ross & Cathy Duncan
The front trunk is part of the new "expedition series". The frame is extended to
18' and the storage capacity of the front trunk is 32 cubic feet. You can also
load up a few items on the 12 inch extended bumper. It really looks nice. I was
really impressed at how bright and roomy the interior is. At 6' tall, I really
felt comfortable inside and even sitting on the sofa, my head did not touch the
ceiling. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating so I will feed back
my comments as they happen. I may camp out in the back yard to experience the
snowy winter and the change to Y2K.
Cheers, Ross