Palomino Columbus 320RS First Trip

Last Wednesday I picked up my new 2013 Palomino Columbus. In the following posts, I'll review my experience so far, impressions and results of my first trip. I've embedded some photos, particularly of options I got that you just can't find pics of online.

My dealer is Tom Johnson of Marion, NC. I ordered this unit the last week of September and she was ready to ship the first week of November. Scheduling a driver, and a convenient time for me to pick it up, plus the holiday, got us to the last week of November.

Here she is at the dealer's campground -



Note that one of my options was the fold down rack - rated for 400 lbs.





Here is the street side - up top is the winegard travl'r HD antenna I had the dealership install

You can also see the extra legs for the 6-way auto-leveling system I got. This thing is fantastic - levels the coach in just a few minutes with the press of one button. It is electric and not hydraulic.

The PDI went well, but was not as thorough as I had hoped. The technician admittedly did not know much about the electronics, so some things I had to check out on my own. Luckily, nothing was found to be wrong. I stayed at TJ's overnight in their campground so that I could tinker with things and be assured it would be alright to hit the road. By Friday morning, I was ready to roll!

Another thing I opted for was the Trailaire Tri-Glide. This thing was expensive at around $900, but it was well worth it. I could only feel some movement from the trailer under very rough road conditions. Really, really smooths out any impact from the trailer. TJ also installed the Timbrens I had bought for my truck - I didn't have a big enough jack to do the job. This together with the Tri-Glide makes my 2500 HD a good match for this trailer.




Here is a close up of the extra legs for the leveling system:



Another option is the 5000KW LP generator. Seems to run very quiet. Haven't run it enough to comment on LP consumption. Odd thing is that the control panel inside is mounted in the washer/dryer closet. Seems like a strange place to put it - I suspect it was due to the length of the supplied control cable. Otherwise, it would have been nice to have been mounted with the other interior switches/monitoring panel in the kitchen.



This thing has a killer amount of storage. A big step up from a tag-along.



TJ installed my hitch. Got the Reese Elite 18K with underbed mounts. I like this hitch. Easy to hook up. It clears my bed cover, so I don't have to remove it. Don't think I'll ever need the slider feature as you'll see in later pictures. Like that you can pull 4 pins and completely remove it from the truck and have a flat bed for hauling things.




Columbus has 3 20lb gas bottles. One side is fixed, the other on a slider.




One custom thing the factory did for me was install the old style door that has a window that opens. The new door has a fixed window and a screen door. I hate screen doors.



My unit is 1000lbs heavier than the standard unit due to options. With all my stuff, I estimate I'm around 13,000lbs total, 2500-2600 pin weight - right at the max I'd be comfortable with on my 2500.




One of my must have options was a washer & dryer, stackable. I searched high and low on the internet and could not find a single pic. Hope this helps someone else considering this option. I did one load of laundry. It works well - around 12 gallons for a wash. It's very quiet, but there is some vibration throughout the coach. This is because these units are bolted down. Your home units are allowed to float, so you don't get vibration in those..


Queen sized bed with storage underneath. Got the Trump pillowtop mattress. Very residential feel. I like it as much as the memory foam mattress I have at home. If you opt for the king size bed, you get extra drawers in the bed base, but less bulk storage compartment.




The bathroom in these Columbus' is terrific. 30"x 60" shower. A sink big enough you can wash your face and not hit your head on the medicine cabinet!




Here is a view from the upper deck down into the living area. Note the kitchen island is on casters and you can move it anywhere you like. To travel, you push it against the couch and cinch it down with straps to hooks in the floor. I immediately got heavy duty straps as the factory supplied ones seemed to flimsy to me.




Also note the LED lights in the ceiling. There are LED lights everywhere in this thing - over 40 of these puck type lights. You can make it very bright inside, and some are on dimmers.

I like the 42" LED TV. The brand I never heard of - HiSense - but the picture is great, it's 1080p. The bedroom TV is the same brand, but 32" size. The surround sound system is Samsung, but unfortunately they hooked the tv up via RCA. Not optical, or coaxial because the Samsung doesn't have the jacks! I'll replace this soon with a Blu-Ray home theatre unit.


Earlier I mentioned I got the Winegard Trav'ler installed. Unfortunately, the factory and the dealer lied to me on how this was to be installed. They told me that the trailer is pre-wired for this dish with an access panel and pigtail on the roof at the install location. The truth is that there is no such pigtail. They run the cables across the roof to a vent that leads down to the basement compartment. From there they run to the back side of the satellite coax jack in the service compartment and the then route the control cable up under and into the closet area. The control box goes into the closet. It works well enough, but I am really disappointed in how this all looks and not being forthright about it.

The kitchen area. The fridge is a bit bigger that what I had in my tag-along, but is smaller than the typical side-by-side you can get in a motorhome.



These I love. Supplied by Ashley Furniture. Great viewing position across from the TV. These are a leather/polyester synthetic material. Tag says 17% leather. Feels like leather to me. Not plasticey.





Table has a cool storage compartment.





Here she is hooked up.



As I mentioned earlier, there is no danger hitting the front cap. Also, she rides very level, as it should.



Seem enormous looking at it, but driving it, it seems smaller than my tag-along was. Certainly easier to deal with.



This last Saturday, I proceeded up to my campsite in Pennsylvannia. My route took me up thru NC, TN, VA & WV. It's a beautiful drive, but there are quite a few steep grades - 5%, 6%. Even though this new trailer is 4,000 lbs heavier than my old tag-along, it was much easier going this route. Mileage was about the same - 10.5 to 11.3. Most of the way I was on cruise control at 65 mph - speed limit most of the way was 70, so I enjoyed a relatively stress free cruise as I hung out in the right lane with everyone zooming by me. My truck has the exhaust brake, which I find is a must-have if you are going to do mountain driving with a big trailer. Overall, I think the 2500HD is a good match for this size trailer.

Gripes? Not many so far. I did break the pantry slide-out, so I'll have to request replacement for that - looks like an easy repair I can do myself if they provide the parts. I did find that the front door glass is not thermo-pane like the rest of the windows, so I will request that part as well - otherwise I can remove the screen and replace with a piece of plexi for the winter. Other than these two things, everything is working as it should.

Vile & Depraved Timbrens Install

The following is a description of the Timbrens installation I just completed on my 2012 Suburban LT 4x2. Some folks will find this thread vile and depraved, as we will be showing the hard protuberances in the nether regions of one of Chevrolet’s finest as well as talk positively about the dreaded hard rubber Timbrens. There also is a topless photo of my trusty assistant for those of you brave enough to make it to the end. So if this is too much for you, give me an indignant gasp, clutch your pearls, and head for the exit!

Now on with the install!

This really is easy if you do 2 things. First, throw the instruction in the trash or use them to pick up dog poop, cause they are about useless. Second, search “timbrens install chevy” on the youtubes and there is a cool video that shows how to do this on a 2005 Chevy Suburban. It’s the same basic procedure I used on my truck.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, a Timbren is a product that is an alternative to using airbags on trucks and SUVs that experience rear end sag. It’s basically a hard rubber helper spring that goes in the place of the rubber bump stops found on most vehicles. On the Suburban, there is only one type of airbag that will fit – I tried that already – the Airlift 1000 – and it goes inside the coil spring. I didn’t like these things and there is another thread where I talk about that.

First you remove the factory bump stops. This was really easy – they just pulled right out. If you have a 5 year old neice or grand-daughter, she can handle that job for you.

As you can see here, the factory bump stop and the timbren are about the same height. But there is no comparison in the rubber. I don’t see how the factory bump stop would keep the suspension parts from crashing into each other as it is so thin and flimsy.

Once the bump stops are removed, you jack up the rear end of the truck to create some space between the axle and the bump stop cup:

You then push the timbren into the cup – you will be lucky to just get it in enough to stay in place. Put some pieces of 2x4 to act as shims. Watch out for any brake lines or other delicates – like wiring – are not contacted.

Then all you do is slowly release the jack. The wood helps compress the timbren and force it into the cup so that it is held securely. Then you jack the truck back up, remove the wood, and lower it back down. One side done. Here is a pic of the Timbren in place – it’s blurry, so sorry about that – but you can see it’s in place with about 1 -1/2 inch of space between the bottom of the timbren and the steel plate on the axle.

You do the same for the other side, and then you are done. I went for a drive around town, over bumpy roads and such and found no difference at all in the ride. Smooth and silky as always.

Next up – test towing!

First I measured from the fender lip to the floor – 37 7/8” as it always is.

Then I hooked up my Surveyor 189. As shown in another thread, this trailer has a 500# tongue weight. I took a pic under the truck with this trailer attached. As you can see, the Timbren is just making contact with the plate on the axle – doesn’t look compressed.

With the trailer hooked up, it’s 36-1/8” to the fender lip. So that’s about 2” of sag.

I then went out for a tow. Amazing is all I can say. The ride is as smooth as it always is, but now the truck feels like a firm, stable platform. Bumps and breaks in the pavement are a non-event. This picture shows me hooked up. I’m using the 5-1/4 drop hitch – think I’ll go back to the 3-1/2” drop so the trailer sits a bit more level.

Then I went back to the shop to hook up my Sunset Trail 25RB. This trailer has a 1000lb tongue weight and weighs about 7000lb loaded. Just for fun, I hooked up the trailer without the WD bars set and measured – 35-1/4” floor to fender lip. With the 1000# bars hooked up, I measure 35-5/8” – interesting.

Here is my WD setup. Look good?

So I went out for a tow with this trailer. Again, rode beautifully. Actually, I think this bigger, heavier trailer tows better than the smaller one. In fact, it seemed like I had much more reserve engine power. Must be the aerodynamics of the fiberglass front cap.

These pics seem a bit deceiving – looks like the truck is sagging more than it really is when you are standing by and looking at it. Anyways, 2” drop and stable handling characteristics - I can live with that.

Mr. Bonz, my trusty assistant, approves!

Sherline Tongue Scale

I mentioned in another thread that I was going to order a Sherline Tongue Scale. I bought the 5000lb version so that it would have enough capacity to measure 5th wheel pin weights. This device comes in 1000, 2000 and 5000 lbs sizes. According to the instructions, it is a hydraulic device. Accuracy is 2% in the mid range, and 3% at the extemes. That seems good enough to me.

Here’s what came in the box:




It’s all heavy metal and seems very well constructed. The manual is actually quite good and there is a good section on towing that every newbie should read. Here is the link to the manufacturers site on the device, you can read all about it and also view/download a PDF of their towing guide:

Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scales

The black peg like thing you see in the pic above is just that, a peg that you screw into the baseplate of the scale. This allows you to put the trailer hitch on the scale just like you do on the ball when you are getting ready to tow. Here it is attached:

I have 2 trailers I wanted to test this thing out with. As described in the manual, probably the easiest way to do this is using a floor jack. Here I have a 3000lb aluminum floor jack I bought at Northern that works very well.



You just pump up the jack until you lift the tongue support just off the ground – maybe ¼” or so. This first trailer is a Surveyor 189 that is supposed to have a dry tongue weight of 384#. As you can see below, I just have the tongue support plate off the floor by that much.




The trailer is fully loaded from my last trip out including 5-6 gallons of water, but the waste tanks are empty. 

500# even! Not really a surprise as most of my gear is loaded in the front compartment. I don’t use a weight distributing hitch on this trailer, as I’m below the 600 limit on my truck’s hitch. I may start using one, but discussing that in another thread.

Next I moved over to my Sunset Trail 25RB. This trailer is supposed to have a 600 lb tongue weight dry. In fact, the dealer insisted on providing only 600# WD bars with this trailer, as doing anything more would be “crazy” and “unsafe”. Well, was he right?




I set up the same way, but needed a wood block as the tongue height is much higher than the Surveyor.

950#! Guess my dealer is an idiot, just like others report.

I did fool around with the height of the jack to see if the trailer at an angle would vary these weights. Well, in my experimenting, it makes no difference if the trailer is level, slightly pitched forward, or slightly pitched back.




I know this was long, as I like to ramble, but I hope this is helpful to some. I think this is a cool gadget that most folks could find useful to have. Amazon $155 delivered.

Moonshine Creek

Labor Day weekend I went to Moonshine Creek Campground in Balsam, NC for a little relaxation. Thought I'd share a few photos and tell you about some new stuff I got to try out.



















This campground is west of Asheville off I-74. For me, it's fairly close to home - about an hour drive. As I've posted in another thread, I'm still having issues with my Suburban while towing, but I was able to get over the mountain without exceeding 3500 rpm this time. My airbags failed (lost air) on the way up, but we arrived OK otherwise.



Our space was really cool. We were along the creek on a site that paralleled the access road. So neighbors were to the front, and to the back, not to the side.







Even though every spot was filled, it was a very relaxing, peaceful place. We just spent time sitting by the creek, going for walks and playing with the dog.
Highly recommended!

I got to use several items I had purchased recently.

First up is the Coleman camp kitchen and the Coleman grill/stove. This outdoor kitchen setup folds up into the tabletop - it ends up as a little suitcase. All aluminum. Is very solid and holds the camp stove very well. Nice to have a big spot for all the stuff when cooking. The grill/stove works as well as you'd expect for a gas stove from Coleman - that is perfectly. Lots of heat. Non-stick grill surface that fits in the camper's kitchen sink for cleaning. Coupled with the FRP gas bottle, no worries about running out a 1 lb bottle prepping dinner. I also like the flexibility to set up outdoor kitchen anywhere I want, instead of being tied to a propane disconnect on the camper.




Beans 'n brats!




Large Tiki Citronella Lantern. Got these at Lowes for cheap. Kept the bugs at bay. Burns for 8 hours on liquid fuel. The shafts are screwed together, so it all fits into a small cardboard box for storage. Made of all metal.




Pico chair. These chairs fold into a package the size of a laptop computer. Very sturdy. Comfortable as the back and seat are a mesh material. Stays cool when it's hot outside. Sat in for many hours without feeling pinched anywhere. Kinda pricey though, but you could store a lot of them in a small space.

Exterior TV bracket. My camper came with this factory installed. I researched it and found that it's sourced from Jensen to go with their TV's. Look for Jensen MAF010. About $20. They are standard though - VESA 75 & 100mm and 40lbs. So that would fit just about any TV up to 32". It was cool to watch Clemson/Auburn and NASCAR on Sunday under the canopy. Unfortunately, I can't say anything good about the Jensen LCD tv. It's basically an obsolete hunk of junk. I broke the antenna lead taking it out of the bracket inside the camper, so I either have to get it fixed or replace it.




Speaking of canopy, I got to try out my LED lights. They worked perfectly. You can change colors, faded/flash, adjust brightness, etc. I got a lot of positive comments and people coming up to inquire about them. The big thing, I thought, was that under colored light - red, blue, green and yellow, had no attraction for bugs. Set it to white and look out - bug central.




The Camco propane campfire is just awesome. I did get to use it on my last trip, but this time had it on a 20# gas bottle, so I was able to burn at full tilt without worrying about running out of gas.




Generic Amazon zero gravity chair. Really comfortable and solidly built (heavy) for $40!
I got a good nap in it there by the creek.




Camco water filter. Got these in a 2 pack. Probably have this hooked up wrong - see others with the filter at the end of the hose with a small piece of hose attached to the camper. But they were cheap and worked really well - no taste in the water.




I highly recommend taking a dog camping. They love to pee on every single bush, shrub or post. Tires are fair game too. Mr. Bonz here must hold about 10 gallons, he is just amazing. Unfortunately for him, Moonshine Creek was devoid of rabbits.