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LADDER BIKE RACKPRODUCTSWHAT’S NEW>Stromberg Carlson Products unveiled a new bike ladder for 2012that will enhance your recreational lifestyle on the road. Billed as a“no rattle” rack, the Ladder Bike Rack secures to your RV’s ladder,ensuring a safe ride. The aluminum, no-rust rack supports twobikes, perfect for a couples bike ride around your favorite parks. Pinson the ladder can be adjusted after installation. Sidebars slide inplace when positioning bikes for transit or come apart when removingbikes for use. Stromberg Carlson says the adjustable clamps secureto most bikes and are lightly padded to ensure no wear and tearon your bike’s paint job. The MSRP is $74.95 For more information,visit www.strombergcarlson.com or call(231) 947-8600. Circle 218 on Reader Service Card.TRIPMAKERRVND 5510>Rand McNally recently unveiled a GPS designedspecifically for RVers. The TripMaker RVND 5510 includesnavigation found in other GPS devices, butalso includes RV routing customized from 11 RV classes to easily navigate the properroads for your vehicle. With 14 million points of interest such as national and stateparks, festivals and other Rand McNally-researched locations, the TripMaker is perfectfor planning a family vacation, weekend getaway or just a long trip. The TripMakeralso includes information about campgrounds, RV dealers, service locations, parkingand rest areas, travel centers and a variety of pet-friendly locations. The MSRP is$299.99. For more information, visit www.randmcnally.com or call (800) 275-7263.Circle 219 on Reader Service Card.MASSAGE AWAYFROM HOME >After a long day navigating the road or assisting withdirections, your back will inevitably be sore.HoMedics provides a way to get a massage on theroad while still getting to your destination in a timelymanner. The Massaging Lumbar Support Rest includesan adjustable massaging pillow – perfect for reaching the groove of your backthat needs the most attention. With adjustable height, the Support Rest fits justabout anyone’s lumbar system. The Support Rest has a built-in chair strapping systemso you can have your massage almost anywhere – driving, at the breakfast tableor even at the campfire while enjoying a quiet night. Operated by batteries, the SupportRest is ergonomic and provides comfort wherever you are — no need to worryabout finding a hook-up or outlet. The MSRP is $19.99. For more information, visitwww.homedics.com or call (800) 466-3342. Circle 220 on Reader Service Card.52 <strong>March</strong> 2012 TRAILER LIFEA KILLER KITLooking to tow a heavy load orgain more power with yourDodge diesel? BD Diesel Performanceoffers the Killer BTurbo Kit, featuring an ExtendedTip HIP’d 63mm compressor outlethousing — a perfect fit to thestock turbocharger connectionpoints. The pliable High Sil-Molycast iron, dual-volute turbinehousing handles peak enginegas temperatures without cracking,according to the manufacturer.The Killer B Turbo is a BorgWarner/BD engineered complementfor engines developingpower increases of up to 200 HPwhile not increasing the exhausttemperatures. BD’s largelysprung waste gate actuator preventsboost creep, according tothe company, while BD’s TurnbuckleBoost Control allows foreasy adjustment. MSRP: $1,575.For more information, visitwww.dieselperformance.com orcall 800-887-5030. Circle 221 onthe Reader Service Card.Go To:.comUser GuideContents
y Gary WescottPHOTOS: GARY WESCOTTRVers put plenty of energy intotheir lifestyle, from planning thetrip to readying their rig. Whatmost RVers aren’t aware of, however, isthe amount of energy used by their fifthwheelor travel trailer in just the flick of alight switch. That’s why we put somelight-emitting diodes (LEDs) to the test.Here’s what you need to know beforeopening your wallet.In 1962, when LEDs were introducedas a practical electronic component, mostof us didn’t know what they were. EarlyLEDs emitted low-intensity red light, butmodern versions are available across thevisible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths,with high brightness. Today,LEDs are flooding the RV market.There are three types of lights traditionallyused in RVs: incandescent,halogen and fluorescent.Incandescent bulbs, normally usedin brake and turn-signal lights and inmany interior lights, have been aroundfor more than 100 years. They producereasonable light, but they also put outconsiderable heat and use a lot of ampsin the process, draining your batteries ifyou do a lot of dry camping. They have along life and are cheap.Halogens are popular. They alsogenerate a lot of heat, give off a verybright light and are pricier.Fluorescent tubes are common inoverhead or over-the-countertop lighting.They run slightly cooler, consumeless energy, put out a nice amount oflight and don’t cost too much. They arelimited generally to 12-inch and 18-inchsingle or double fixtures, and they havea longer life than halogens. We haveused Optronics’ Pulsar 12-inch and 18-inch dual fluorescent lights for years.LED lights, the newcomer, are extremelycool. Measuring a comparablenormal dual-tube compact fluorescentleft on for several hours and the samefixture with replacement Starlights RevolutionT5-12 LED tubes, we found asmuch as a 20-degree Fahrenheit difference.Take that times four or five lightson a hot summer night and you mayneed your air conditioner. Try to removean incandescent or halogen bulb afterless than a minute and you’ll end upwith blistered fingers. That heat is suckingamps from your batteries and significantlywarming up your trailer.LEDs have such a low output thatUnderwriters Laboratories (UL) has notcertified them. The Recreation VehicleIndustry Association (RVIA) requiresanything greater than 4 watts be listed.In a recent interview, Mike Camarota,president of RV lighting manufacturerITC Inc., said, “You can get similarlight from a 3-watt LED as you can getfrom a 10-watt halogen.” Multiply thatdifference in a fifth-wheel with a coupledozen halogens and incandescent bulbsand you have a remarkably huge differencein power consumption. (Did wemention heat?)LEDs can be expensive; often two orthree times the cost of a halogen bulb.Camarota said the average halogenbulb might last about 1,000 hours, whilean LED can last up to 50,000 hours. In anFrom left: Installing the Optronics LED side markers required cutting off the OEM connections and splicing the wires with Quick Cable buttconnectors. To eliminate any possible problems, all connections used Quick Cable butt connectors that have built-in heat shrink. Polarity canbe checked with a simple multimeter.TRAILER LIFE <strong>March</strong> 2012 53Go To:.comUser GuideContents
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