Ideal 66 19' travel trailer manual?

grashley said:

Honestly, it looks better than I expected.  Do you ever plan to be anywhere without electric? 

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Beats my pair of jacks at this point. I was hoping to put in solar,  but I guess that's going for brakes instead.

Moody Loner said:

2008 Toyota Sienna minivan with the tow package - max weight 3500 lbs. I KNOW but the impound yard insisted that the trailer was underweight, and we made it all the way up to Santa Cruz County and still have a working transmission.

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I seriously doubt that the trailer is under 3500#
I also say that there is a max payload that your van is capable to have on it.
I would guess that you have all your personal belongings that will be in the van or trailer.

Sir, you are in extremely dangerous and unsafe territory pulling that trailer with that van.  Dangerous for yourself and everyone on the roadside.  There are plenty of stories (even on this forum) of people that have towed too much, a slight wind, and the whole rig rolls over.  And putting that kind of stress on a 2008 minivan...

We will help you get operational, a tall order indeed.  I HIGHLY recommend you find a place, close by you can park and live in this, and sort out everything.  You do not want to be pulling this around gypsy style.  IMO: You have no chance pulling, with belongings, in any hills without terrible consequences.

Sounds like you also need tires. Look at the manufacturers date code and replace them if they are 7 to 8 years old.

Some comments on what has been suggested so far and the photos you posted:

1. I doubt if it ever had a generator - it is rare in a travel trailer of any vintage.

2. Since there was a 12v system at some point (indicated by that switch), it almost surely had a battery for it. Back then, it was sometimes in a small (battery-size)compartment with outside venting, or sometimes in a box on gthe tongue.

3. Are the brakes electric or surge-hydraulic?  A surge mechanism should be readily apparent at the ball coupler.

4. Coleman made propane furnaces back in the 60's and that exterior cover could be for one of those. The alternative is a water heater, but I haven't come across any Coleman gas water heaters from those days.

5. Trailers in the 60's and 70's were pretty light and this one is gutted, so you were probably ok towing it so far.  However, as you repair and re-install the missing systems and appliances, you could outstrip the 3500 lb limit of the Sienna.  Remember that the Sienna tow limit if for an empty van. It decreases as you add cargo in the van, including passenger weight.

Gary:


1 & 2. Then the vented compartment in the front with the hardware for securing something rectangular must have been for the battery or batteries. Which solves the "how the hell did they fit a generator in there?" question that I've been asking myself.


3. I see no obvious mechanism on the ball coupler, besides the, you know, ball coupler, so I'm gonna guess electric.


4. That makes sense, thanks. I should probably take the pipe out and close that off because I really, really do not trust any propane or LP system remaining. I'll stick with electric.


5. This one was full - literally full of junk from the impound yard. I mean a bench grinder? BMW parts? Bins full of broken hand tools? But we got it over Tehachapi pass and Hwy 17 and we've got the junk mostly emptied out now. The only four-digit number left on the illegible information plate says something like 3182 - I'm not going to go check it because I'm already exhausted and I have a lot to do today - but it was on the strength of that number, our weights, and the few possessions we don't have in storage adding up to less than 3500 and that this one looked least likely to disintegrate on the highway that sold us on this one, because the impound yard said that was the gross weight.


Rene: Already replaced one, will put the other three on the list right after "brakes".


SpencerPJ: Believe me, I know. At least when a high wind rolls us over, destroys our possessions, and kills us all I won't be wondering why. But most of our stuff is in storage and while I'm confident that the weight is under 3500 lbs (though not, you will note, so confident as to actually drag the thing to scales and check) I don't want to be Rromani-ing around the country towing it either. I just don't know what my choices are at this point. No, that's not entirely accurate. I do know what my choices are, and none of them are good ones.

On my way to get supplies and find the jack for the trailer, and taking a last look at the breaker box when I looked at the back of the cupboard door and found this.


So I guess that's the manual.

Too blurry. Can't read it.

The wife, daughter, and brother-in-law chased me inside while they jack up the trailer.


Yeah, my hands were shaking badly. I'll try to get a better picture when the brake nightmare is over (or at least on pause), but it's the wiring diagram for the brake lights and directional signals including where the batteries go.

so we got the brake drum opened


eventually


and a bunch of pieces of metal fell out


I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this is a bad thing.

You are right.  That brake is shot.  And it appears to be an electric brake.

You need the rated axle capacity to start.  This link shows some options.  This place is great answering questions, too!

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Brakes-sf-Electric_Drum_Brakes.aspx

Don't fool around with the old brake parts - buy the entire brake assembly. It comes all assembled on a backer plate and you just bolt it on. Not even very expensive.

I agree, buy the whole assembly.  )

waiting to hear back from etrailer.com and spending my time trying to get a non-blurry photo of the wiring diagram


and failing


yay chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuritis


also heck yeah getting the whole assembly, I will admit to either crazy or stupid but not both

Moody Loner said:

waiting to hear back from etrailer.com and spending my time trying to get a non-blurry photo of the wiring diagram


and failing
yay chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuritis
also heck yeah getting the whole assembly, I will admit to either crazy or stupid but not both

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Specially is you are taking GABAPENTIN to help with the symptoms of your disease. Makes it twice as hard to accomplish anything

yup gabapentin, darsben. But at least it helps with the pain.


So after a discussion with etrailer.com including measuring the drum and counting the bolts holding the back plate on I ordered these brakes and I'm about 85% confident that they will fit. The loose electrical wires trailing on the ground and duct-taped to what I assume is intended to be the axle are a problem I'll face in five to seven business days.


Thanks again for all your help. I suppose while I wait I can check and fix the wiring and maybe even install a battery.

You may want to rewire the brakes while you are at it.  A single wire runs from the trailer wiring pigtail (or connection box) to the axle.  The wire goes to one side of the magnet AND to the other brake.  The second wire goes to a good ground.  Ask e trailer for wire gauge needed.

A break away box connects one wire to the TT battery and the other wire to this new brake wire.  When the break away pin is pulled, it applies full battery power to the brakes to stop the run away camper.

whoever retrofitted the brakes onto this trailer appears to have put them on backwards


apparently this is a thing

Your new ones will actually work then  )
Good Luck.  ETrailer has some good videos as well. 

Things have been busy but now that I have a minute with power and Internet I wanted to thank you all for the help getting our brakes repaired.


We're taking a mental health day at A Country RV Park in Bakersfield, then back on the road.


Thanks again for your help.

Safe travels, come back and don't be a stranger. Hope things are working out.