Conqueror Compact 5 year/10K mile review/update

fubar

Adventurer
I haven't been very active on the forum for the last few years as there has been little to report and few issues to address. After spending most of the long weekend addressing maintenance and wear-and-tear stuff, I thought I'd post up with an update.

I was one of the folks to get the $5K deal in Feb '09. I had decided to go AT and was going back and forth between the Chaser and the Horizon. This deal came up and , knowing the risks, I decided to take the leap (more on that later).

Transport from ATL to NorCal was only mild drama and the trailer arrived as advertised except for a trashed tent cover. It was improperly secured for the cross country trip and took it tough. After ZERO support from the seller (shocking) I repaired it myself with patches and silicone.

First Mods:

Replaced tires - The originals we OK, but old. Decided to be safe.
Service Convertor/PDU - Messy rats nest. Did the best I could to clean it up without a manual (more on that later)
Moved Wolf-Pacs to the other side. Just made sense to me
Replaced hatch struts - Lots of drama there. Finally found something that worked.
Replaced battery - Died after first outing. Likely related to converter.
Found propane tanks.

Used it well for the first year without any issues. Towed great behind my FJ Cruiser, but you could tell it was there.

Second Mods:

Replaced the axle with 3500 lbs local piece. I could not find replacement bearings for the original and was considering getting electric brakes. Ended up not getting the brakes because I changed my tow vehicle to a Ford F150. That little thing is not pushing my truck around.

I ended up taking the trailer all over the western US with no issues. Some places I never should have...










This year did a Overland Expo and associated pre-trip. The trailer was great until it smoked the power converter and melted the DC line to the fridge (without blowing the breaker). All other systems we unaffected and I replaced the converter and wiring this weekend. I also followed XJBankers approach on Perma-Dri'ing my tent cover.

All in all, I have to say this has been an interesting project and has had had pretty good return on investment. The *complete* lack of dealer/manufacturer support have added delays and frustration to my experience. If I had it to do again, I would have spent the money at Adventure Trailers on the Horizon.

That said...it is, after all, just a box on wheels. It does all I ask of it and more. After drooling my way through all the options at OEX, I intend to keep this little guy. I shall attempt to embrace the "project" aspects and just enjoy.

Cheers. I'll check in NLT another 5 years.
 

XJBANKER

Explorer
There are some things that I would like different out of this trailer and at times even just recently this week debated putting it up for sale. I started looking at what I would replace it with and a socal with a tent on top for the kids would be great. But the cost involved does not make sense when I already have something that works well for our family of four. Even when the kids get older I could invest in an OZ tent to give us more room and still be money ahead. After finding a deal on a new charger/converter I have decided to jump In and make some changes and keep what I have. I am going to add a water pump, instant hot water heater and permanently mount my camp chef in the back on the slide. I am planning on building a new rear door to swing out instead of up and eventually add a fox wing to cover all of the cooking area.

After two back surgeries this last year it may take me a while but I think this will be the best thing for us and our family for what we have invested.

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fubar

Adventurer
XJBANKER - Look at us being practical and responsible! I like what you're thinking too. Might have to steal an idea or two. ;-)

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XJBANKER

Explorer
Permadri is a flexible water proof roof coating used for roofs, foundations, pond liners and other applications. We coated the tent cov
u6yguzum.jpg
er in it. It seems to be great do far.

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