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rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
I have a 2015 32’ Jayco bumper pull and a 2018 Ram 3500 to pull it.



Its got a one piece brown front cap thats faded to gray UNDER the gelcoat so it all has to be sanded off, and its got a minor soft spot on the ceiling of the big slide near a skylight. The warranty covered nothing.

If I had any advice on RV ownership I would say be ready to work on it and be hyper vigilant about the tires. And avoid camping world.

I think its getting traded in at some point for a 5th wheel.

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rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

JacquelineDempsey posted:

Looking for any and all advice about maximizing storage space, and how the hell youre supposed to get in and out of that drat top bunk. I have a bladder the size of a walnut and struggle with getting in and out when I inevitably have to pee in the middle of the night. Oh, and speaking of bathroom stuff --- how do y'all deal with your poopatorium?

I assume the table drops down into a bed. Maybe sleep there instead of up top.

As far as the tanks go, use chemicals (they look like blue tide pods, walmart has them), only dump the black tank when its full, use toilet paper that dissolves, and use a flushing wand until the water runs clear. Its not that bad.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Suspect Bucket posted:

Ooh, nice. Any interior pics? Is that a single slide, or are there others on the other side?

God, remember when slide-outs were the newest hottest thing? I was like, 12, and all of a sudden you see these new coaches with extra rooms sprouting out of them woaaaahhhhh fancy. Did any one else's family go on evening walks around the campground to walk the dog / look in the windows of giant class A's ?

And giant native american themed airbrush art?


My dad uses the Verizon JetPack for traveling, he's quite happy with it.

Its got one on either side. The big slide has the kitchen table and couch on it, the small slide has the fireplace and outdoor kitchen. I looked for inside pictures but they all have my 1 yo kid or wife in them. My kid absolutely loves it. He gets to bring all his toys, meets lots of cool doggies and other kids in the RV park and theres plenty of cupboards and pots for him to open and smash on. Plus it holds all my booze and keeps it cold while rolling down the road.

I apologize if I came off as a little down on it. It can get a little expensive. If I have time or someone wants the information I can get technical about tow ratings, types of hitches, what to look for on the tires, the boring stuff.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

everdave posted:

I’d be interested RDB in all you can tell us about those big pull behinds. I see very late model ones selling for 15-20k and it seems too good to be true. I’m not a big truck pulling a big trailer type of guy but I’m fascinated by them.

Well, its kinda complicated. They offer a lot of space, some are trimmed out quite nice mine included. The price is really cheap for what you get.

But pulling them can be difficult. There are reasons you see them in the right lane crawling along at 62, or more likely parked at a seasonal site. The OP touches on the different types of tow behinds, mine being a bumper pull. This shifts all the weight of the trailer behind the rear axle. Even with the biggest truck I could get short of a dually it still squats about 3”. Most people, myself included, use a weight distribution hitch to counter this.

I think the first question people ask when they are looking at one of these is “can I tow it” and the answer is yes. My 37hp tractor can move it around. The problems are safety, legality and longevity. Your vehicle probably has some bullshit tow rating that tells a half truth about its capabilities. Mine (2018 Ram 3500 single rear wheel crew cab 4x4 cummins diesel aisin trans), for example, has a 16,910lb tow capacity and a 3780lb payload. Ample for a 10,500lb gvw trailer.

Looking at that same truck, however, in a 2500 3/4 ton configuration and we start to run into problems. A Ram 2500 crew cab short box 4x4 cummins diesel 68RFE trans is actually rated to tow more at 17,160lbs. But the truth is its limited long before that because the payload rating is only 2380 lbs. Your tounge weight (or pin weight in the case of a 5th wheel) gets subtracted from your payload. A bumper pull like mine probably has an 1,000-1,100lb tounge weight (ideally 10%), which would leave you with ~1200lbs remaining for fuel, passengers and gear. Its workable. But what if we went out and bought that 17,000lb 43’ triple axle toy hauler? Well, its pin weight is about 20-25% of its total weight, so 3500lbs. Your over the payload capacity of the truck by more than 1,000lbs and you haven’t even sat in it or filled up the tanks. You won’t get caught most likely, but its unsafe and an attorneys dream if you injure someone.

So its important to know your tounge/pin weight and payload. But what else? Tires. How much air is in them? How old are they? What kind of condition are they in? Whats the load rating? Whats the speed rating? Not just the ones on your trailer but the truck too. I will try to make this short, but you really need to pay attention to them. RV manufacturers use the cheapest tires they can find. Almost always Chinese in origin and questionable quality with the bare minimum ratings needed. And no one who buys a trailer looks at them until its too late, myself included.

So inflate them to the max PSI (probably 65psi or higher) to get the maximum load rating. Make sure the load rating of all the tires is sufficient for the weight that they will carry, especially the tires on the rear axle of the vehicle. Try not to run tires older than 5 years. Don’t run tires with bulges, out of round spots, plugs, chunks missing, cords showing or any visible damage. Look at the speed rating, its probably “L” (75mph) or lower. Don’t exceed that, don’t even run close to it on a hot day. And check them every time you stop. Its also critically important to inspect and repack wheel bearings periodically and make sure your brakes work.

Actually pulling the trailer? Well, more technicality. Your state may require you to get a different license. Its varies, but its important to remember the rules of your home state apply wherever you tow in the US. That 43’ toy hauler would require a new yorker to have an upgraded license. Indiana would not. An indiana resident traveling in NY would not. A NYer traveling in Indiana would. Your wheelbase is also really long, so turn obnoxiously wide and leave room while changing lanes. Your stoping distance is also huge. Basic stuff.

Plan on using a truck stop for fuel. You pull in the truck entrance and up to a pump. Most of the time you will have to go in first and prepay so make note of the pump number. The fuel nozzles are sized for semis so it comes out really fast and won’t always fit a truck. When your done, pull up to the line in front of the pumps so the truck behind you can fuel up. Truckers get pissed if you don’t. You will have to go back in for your receipt.

As far as expense goes, I can tell you my basics. The truck stickered at $58k. The trailer stickered at $35k. Actual price paid was $49k and $28k. I probably have another $2k in the hitch, hookups, bedding, pots/pans etc. It gets about 11-12mpg towing at a reasonable speed. Maintenance costs on a diesel pickup suck. A DIY oil/fuel filter change is about $150. Tires are over $250 each for decent ones and they last about 30k miles. Trailer tires are cheaper and last 5 years. They rarely wear out unless they are lovely bias ply. Insurance is cheap, about $150 a year on the trailer and $700 on the truck. Registration fees in indiana suck, $300 a year for the trailer and $450 for the truck. It seems like a lot but keep in mind a 40’ class A can cost millions, with a lower end one at about $200k.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

everdave posted:

Very good info, I seriously doubt I will ever be dipping into a big pull behind.

So excited to get my camper but it is a waiting game. As I don't know what it will have/need I have some general questions.

What's up with RV insurance? Can I insure my Japanese Hi Ace as a RV if I keep it for that purpose? Would that cover a total loss at an agreed value if something happened?

Also anyone want to weigh in on things like Generators, Solar and Backup/Rearview cameras?

My RV insurance isn’t agreed value per se they just asked what I paid for it. There are too many models and not enough sales data for accurate book values.

As far as RV power goes, mine is a 50 amp service which is really nice because I can run both AC’s at the same time. 30 amp is the most common, but your going to be limited to about 3600 wats which isn’t really enough for 2 AC units on a hot day. For generators, I would strongly recommend an inverter type, they are much quieter and more efficient. 3000 watts would be sufficient for most applications. You can get by with a 2000 watt generator if you put a soft start on the AC and are careful with power management. I don’t really do solar because I like AC too much on a hot day.

Rear view cameras are nice but you really should have a spotter. TPMS is a really good thing to have on a trailer as well.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
I’m no worldwide voltage expert, but is Japan the same 120v 60hz we are? That would definitely require some work if not.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
Its the hz part thats going to be critical. You might be able to get away with the 100v vs 120v but if its 50hz bad things can happen.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

thatguy posted:

You have any recommendations for a pull behind that has to sleep 2 independently? We do trail construction and maintenance but until now we've had western states in the summer where I used my wall tent and stove rather than an RV. I'd likely put in a mini split so I could reasonably run AC over 15A/1000W. I don't know poo poo about any of these brands, but we'd be living out of it longterm and itd need a shitter and shower. I drive a 5.9 and 6.7 cummins and already tow a 14k trailer with an excavator or trail dozer so weight isnt an issue. Size will be in some cases though, we drive on a lot of dirt roads.

Budget and location? Actually, it doesn’t really matter. Unless its ultra high end (Airstream, Luxe, etc) they are are constructed about the same. Anything with a “bunkhouse” floorplan will have at least 3 separate beds.

I don’t know about the feasibility of cooling one with under 1000w. Its the startup surge/total btu thats the problem. I have read good things about the micro air easy start.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
Something like an Rpod would be ok on an easy fire road. I take my 32’ jayco down dirt roads and up my steep driveway all the time. It works.

As far as being out all the time goes, they are designed for that but will need periodic inspection and resealing of the roof. Any leaks need to be addressed immediately. In my experience the slides are pretty reliable, just don’t walk on them when they are retracted, and make sure everything is clear while extending and retracting them.

Also the smallest honda generator that will run an RV ac is probably the EU2200is. You may still need the soft start kit.

rdb fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Aug 22, 2019

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

thatguy posted:

I'm going to be driving and parking it where the work is. I do bridges, heavy trail construction items, trail construction, but also lighter maintenance. Sometimes I'm sure I'll be using commercial campgrounds, but mostly it'll be on forest roads, sometimes behind a locked gate. Something around that Microminnie size is on the smaller size of side of what I was looking at but yeah that'll totally work. I've just seen a million different brands and don't know anything about any of them. I wasn't sure if there was anything to differentiate them at all.

As for the generator, I have an EU2200 and an EU2000 that I daisy chain together when I have to run a welder. I was just hoping to run everything off one and not run both or have to buy one of the 3k watt ones that are quite a bit louder

Well, most (80%) travel trailers come from the Goshen Indiana area. Many of the people that build them are Amish. There are a few different factories (jayco, keystone, forest river, coachman etc etc) but what you get for your $20-30k is roughly equivalent across all brands. Your not going to hit the limit of your truck with a travel trailer so personally I would go with something like a 28’ bunk house. I like the manufacturer grand design because they at least inspect them before they ship them out.

If you want better you can get an airstream but they cost 3x what a fiberglass trailer costs.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
I worked for a composite panel manufacturer that supplies rv parts for a few years. I managed one of their plants although it wasn’t goshen. There is a lot of fiberglass in your average mid range camper, although I see your point about the fiberglass tub camper being its own class.

There is this newer thing called Azdel which is all composite too, it just comes as panels rather than molded.

rdb fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Aug 22, 2019

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
That sucks Dave, heres to hoping its just a busted hose.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
Does it have to be 30’? Thats on the large end, excursion or 3/4 ton suburban for sure with a good weight distribution hitch and probably air springs. Mine is 32’ and the tounge weight feels like 1200-1500lbs, I havent weighed it. My ram 3500 single rear wheel squats bad and even my tractor, rated for 2400lbs on the three point, doesn’t like it. My inlaws towed it twice with a 3/4 ton suburban before deciding it was too much and gave it to us.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
Picked up a new 2020 Jayco Pinnacle 32rtls this morning. Traded in our 2015 eagle. I was worried about our SRW 3500 squatting and being overloaded but its fine.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Suspect Bucket posted:

Interior shots, both of you. Wanna see that laaayyyoouutttt

I don’t have a whole bunch of good ones. I also keep hitting timeouts trying to upload pictures from my phone so bear with me.


My son, pretending to chill. Only one bedroom, and he is safer on the floor anyways. Camper was optioned with 2 way fridge. I don’t have an opinion on that one way or another. Dishwasher prep next to the stove. Washer dryer prep in front closet. Not adding either at this time.

Camper has really cool accent lights, popup TV, fake fireplace, theater seats with heat/massage that I am sitting on, an Insignia range that has a huge oven, drinking water system that pulls from a five gallon jug underneath the bedroom - also supplies the icemaker in the fridge, solid surface counters in the kitchen and bath, with a little popup outlet/usb. It was optioned with slide awnings, heat pump on the main AC, propane/electric fridge and a couple other things.


Where its parked. Has a loving superb hydraulic auto leveling system. One touch and its done, and its the most stable camper I have ever been in. More so than my inlaws 2017 winnebago pusher. Ut can also pick the goodyear “beast” tires off the ground. We are going to put a carport over it. Got 50 amp service put in at the old house today so the generator went into storage. Water/sewer and gravel to come. House is a tear down, has lead paint, termite and water damage everywhere. Not safe for the little one. But fine for cooking, storage and laundry.


Cool lighting under the awnings.

The whole camper is controlled from an app on my phone. It also has winegard 4g wifi hotspot with the most expensive data plan ever. Still nice to have.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Syano posted:

Hey RV friends. I am picking up my very first travel trailer this week and would love some advice if someone wants to take the time to get it. I have already scheduled 3 trips, a 1 night and 2x 2nights. Can some of you veterans drop some knowledge on an RV newbie. What do I need to know? What should I bring? What should I NOT bring? What are the things you wish you knew before you got started? Thanks team!

Your not on the big end with an expedition. Its a half ton SUV. Your camper is probably well under its towing capacity but well over its payload via tounge weight. Just make sure your good setting up the weight distribution hitch.

If your making a right hand turn, start wide, pull as far out into the intersection as you can and then try to make a 90 degree turn and follow the yellow line until your campers tires are clear of the curb. For that matter, know the total length of your vehicle and plan fuel stops accordingly. Don’t try to get gas at any old station, tight ins and outs don’t work. Flying J usually has some nice RV lanes.

Make sure your tires are good on the camper. Know, and don’t exceed the speed rating. Inflate them to the max.

The stabilizer jacks aren’t leveling jacks. Level it with boards or yellow blocks under the wheels and the front jack before you put the stabilizers down.

Don’t leave the black tank open if you have hookups. Let that thing fill up before you dump it and use plenty of water when you flush. I usually let the water run down the black tank flush port for 30 minutes before I call it good enough. Make sure the black tank valve is open before you connect the flush hose. Make sure you have hoses, extensions and power adapters for the camper.

Other than that, its not bad.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
What was in the tank before?

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Blacknose posted:

Nothing, as yet, but it's a purpose built water tank

It doesn’t have a low point drain? I would look in to adding that. As far as cleaning an RV fresh water tank, a little bit of bleach (a couple tablespoons), some water, long drive, flush and it should be ok. If your missing the flush, add it. Its vital for freeze protection. (Unless you never ever expose it to freezing weather)

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Thought I would throw a couple pictures of mine up. I made a semi permanent site for it, not thrilled with the plumbing job but it works. 50amp electric, sewer, water. I found a pile of gravel in the field and made some paths for it with my tractor. Once I get a dump truck or trailer I will put gravel underneath and make a path to the road for it, so its on a big U shaped loop. I have some old chunks of sidewalk that I want to put under the tires and jacks as well.

Overall I am happy with it a month in. We replaced the lovely lippert mattress with one from costco, although it was a little bit bigger than the “rv king” that came out.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

TangoFox posted:

Honestly with the truck camper on it, it's really not a bad ride, very smooth with only the occasional jarring when you hit a big pothole. We just did 8000 miles in it over the summer, and for some reason, we're gonna do another 8000 miles in December. On road, it's tame, but it does like to follow the grooves in the road sometimes. It also isn't super responsive for abrupt changes, but I wouldn't expect it to be either.

Off road and on gravel, it's a dream. We were doing 55+ on some gravel backroads in North Dakota, and it rode like it was riding on Asphalt. The camper, though, definitely got a little more shaken up, and we had some dishes fall out of the cabinets.

Overall, I'd say it's definitely not an upgrade for the faint of heart, at nearly $5000 or so. But I'd do it again. We were right at OR over the weight limit of the previous tires. The biggest I could get on the rim at the time. Now I'm well under. I actually air down still because the load rating allows it. So we're running about 100 psi all around. I've had them as high as 115 PSI.

There are some headaches with it. It's hard to change a tire, it's hard to get it right. I had to have the tires shaved because 3 were out of round from Toyo. Finding someone to shave the tires, and then finding someone else to align it. Every once in a while, I get a nice vibration that lasts for a few miles, then goes away. I believe it's probably picking up rocks or something in the tire, and it eventually kicks them out and it smooths out again.

I had the balancers on it, the wheel guy after he shaved them put them off, so I had to take the wheels off and put the balancers back on it. They just make everything a little more bulletproof.

It doesn't ride as smooth as the stock ones did, but then again, the stock ones only last me about 40k miles, and I'm already just under that on these and almost like there's no wear. My other ones also had no offroad traction, and these do, quite a bit.

I'll add some more pictures tomorrow. The TC is huge with both slides out. It's the Lance 1172 model. It's heavy as hell, too. About 7k or 7.5k fully loaded, wet.

Wow, that weighs more than a lot of bumper pulls. Whats involved in legally changing the GVWR?

Nice rig. Wish my tires would last 40k.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

TangoFox posted:

There are two shops in my state that can legally do it, so I took it to them, they installed the new leafs and then certified the new weight, including a fancy new sticker on the door.

The legal part of it was never important to me, but I just wanted it to handle correctly. Having that much weight IN THE BED of the truck really can break a vehicle if it's not done right. And I should have probably a 4500 or 450 for this size camper, but this makes up the difference, and it rides great now.

Yeah, no kidding, I am shocked at how much weight that is in the bed.

And I don’t think a 450 or 4500 would have done the trick. The 450 with a bed has a much smaller leaf pack than a cab and chassis. Maybe a cab and chassis with some sort of a utility bed, but even then, its a lot of weight.

You really went above and beyond to make sure it handles right. Hats off for that. Super nice setup.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?


Currently living in a largeish fifth wheel with my wife and toddler. Waiting on our new house to be built. We have taken this one to big bend, have a trip to key west booked, and I am sure we will use it at a few family events whenever thats ok again. Had a 32’ travel trailer before it. And we had a bunch if freezing rain last night.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

French Canadian posted:

Did you have that gravel patch laid for the trailer specifically or was it already there?

I always think about how nice it would be to have a tiny piece of land just to park our motorhome on it for a month or two at a time. I realize a lot of counties don't allow living in RVs per se, but I figure that sort of thing is workable. Would need water and electricity I guess. Maybe I could buy some land next to a nice neighbor and pay them some dollars for it.

No, I scraped up the top layer of dirt and put about 35 tons of gravel down to make the drive. Its a pull through loop. I bought ~100 acres of land, not pictured is a termite ridden house that we are tearing down. I tapped into its electric, water and sewer for now, and stole its 500 gallon tank after the furnace died. Around here 1 acre is the minimum lot size, and the septic would be the most expensive part, and the only thing the county cares to inspect. You need a soil test, permit, and a licensed installer. Health department will actually look at it.

cursedshitbox posted:

How's the new Jayco been? Does it stay pretty warm in the cold weather?

Its been doable. I should probably skirt it but meh. I looked under it and its actually insulated underneath, slides are sealed really well, and over all its ok - for a camper. It uses as much propane as a normal house. We will hit 0F next week and that will be its real test.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

French Canadian posted:

How do you plan to keep your water and waste systems from freezing? I realize it's insulated underneath but do you think that's enough?

The 2021 models can be optioned with tank heaters. Mine has nothing, and I haven’t had an issue. The furnace ducts route underneath and the water lines are close by. I leave the gray valves open and have a steep slope on the poo poo hose. The water hose is heated, and I wrapped the hydrant with heat tape. It hasn’t been an issue - yet.

Propane usage depends on the weather. 2 100lb tanks lasted 15 days. I moved the 500 gallon tank within range and hooked it up on Sunday. It was at 35%, its down to 32-33. Hard to say. I paid $1.17 a gallon for whats in the 500 gallon tank and I need to burn it all so I can change the service valve. It was leaking a bit until I opened it with a wrench, so the packings are probably bad and I plan on using the tank on my new house.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

cursedshitbox posted:

Just outside of view! Colorado river comes through here. There's a small powerhouse at the dam too. Lotta kayakers, boaters, and people on side by sides.




That's not tooo bad given the temperatures. The first bus would suck down two 30s in 3 days during winter if I even attempted to keep it over 68* inside.
I paid $2.40/gal or something in Yuma. Last round was 6-7 weeks on a set of tanks with some left over in one. Furnace is set to keep it over 55*. Genny was eating most of my LP, which turned out was due to my fridge/freezer. Shut the freezer down for the winter solstice and I've had to run the generator once this year. pulled in 3.3kWh a couple days ago so I'm technically able to run the setup on solar only. Its still off for the overhead.

Are you full timing it now? That spot looks nice.

I forget what your fridge/freezer setup was. Mine is a standard gas electric and it will run forever on a bottle it seems.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Syano posted:

arctic blast coming in the south. I opened the low water drains and blew out my water lines. I think I got my water heater bypassed. At least I turned 2 valves, one at the cold inlet and the other at the hot outlet and theres a line between them. I put 4 gallons of anti freeze in the fresh water tank and turned on the pump and ran the faucets til pink liquid started shooting out. I should be good for 8 degrees right?

Its more than just bypassing the water heater. You need to remove the big bolt and drain it. Also, you generally don’t put the antifreeze in the tank. There should be a hose on the pump or you can by a kit that allows you to draw direct from the antifreeze jug.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Syano posted:

I mean... the fresh water tank has a drain plug. How is that not good besides not getting the antifreeze more effectively through the system

Just flush it out for 30 minutes or so, longer if you can still taste it. You will be ok, its just extra effort.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

French Canadian posted:

Would you have to empty the hot water tank...if it was still in use? I guess I don't understand fully.

Its not in use. He’s winterizing it. So its subject to freeze, most RVs aren’t kept in a heated building.

In normal use during the winter no, you don’t have to empty it. Mine does just fine with both the gas and electric turned on in single digit weather. The lines going to and from it get really cold if it sits but no issues yet. Newer stuff uses pex anyways.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
You probably don’t need one for that small of a trailer but if you want one I would recommend tekonsha. The timer based ones kinda suck, the accelerometer/proportional based ones like tekonsha offers are a huge step up. If its possible, one that senses how hard your stepping on the brake pedal is best, but probably not available for an lx470 unless it was a factory option.

E: Yeah, the P3 model like CSB says. I had one in my Tundra and it worked well compared to the lovely timer based reese I had in my duramax. They even had a plug and play harness, and I only had to remove one panel to connect it.

rdb fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Feb 18, 2021

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
You generally don’t want to dump black tanks until they are full. Put 2-3 bowls of liquid into it before you poo poo. Run the propane heater when it gets below freezing and the gate valves/water lines should be ok. I have mine hooked up to the sewer hose full time, gray tanks open, no issues. But I only dump the back tank about once a week, and I keep the thermostat at 70.

Also, mine did freeze this week when it got down to 1F. Couldn’t brush or flush when I left for work, everything was fine when I got home. Winnebago makes good stuff, Jayco doesn’t. I think you will be ok.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
I leave it hooked up to the water hose all the time, water heater running both gas and propane all the time, propane furnace on all the time especially when pulling it down the road in freezing temps.

I have two heated hoses. One Pirit that sucks, the other uses a completely different technology that I like. The sewer hose is not heated or covered, gray valves open all the time.

Here is the heated hose I use: FreezeFreeHose Heated Water Hose https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NSJKPFS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_YXH9FQ28Q44NE5RV3SS3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

And heres what the setup looks like. I have a lot of extra support and angle on the sewer hose to keep things moving fast.



For propane, I have a fifth wheel sturgi stay hooked directly to the 500 gallon tank. The local propane dealer said that I could get away without using a 10psi regulator at the tank because the run was short. If it was longer, there would be a chance the propane would condense in the line. The 100lb tanks were rented and connect to the same sturgi stay. I doubled them using a kit from tractor supply.

Last night got down to 4F. Supposed to warm up from here.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

French Canadian posted:

What is a sturgi stay?

The easy way to hook up more propane tanks.

https://mbsturgis.com/products/5th-wheel-quick-disconnect-sturgi-stay-kit/

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Kylaer posted:

So this is just talk that will most likely lead to nothing, but as a side effect of the pandemic, I've been thinking about RVs, because the idea of just being able to leave my current location and go somewhere else while keeping a roof over my head that I own is pretty appealing. I've read through this thread and some other discussions about RVs, and the ultimate takeaway is that I am unlikely to buy an RV for a bunch of reasons, but it's still something I keep thinking about.

There are a number of barriers to buying an RV for me. Money honestly isn't one, I can afford something nice, but I doubt I'd ever get the value out of the RV to make the purchase worthwhile, if that makes sense. One big obstacle is that I'm pretty tall - I need at least 80" to stand up in, and that's going to be real claustrophobic, so that takes van builds completely out of the picture, as far as I've been able to tell. Some class C RVs have 82" interior heights which is adequate, but these also have more length and would probably be difficult to drive and park. I also would want a bed length of at least 80", which some RVs offer, but a lot seem to be in the 76" range which just wouldn't work. Then there's the issue of having a place to store the RV, since I live in an apartment and don't own any property where it could be parked longterm.

My ideal would be something with a high interior, and a single large bed (I'd be traveling with, at most, one other person, or likely just by myself). I'd like electrical appliances rather than propane fueled - a single good-sized induction hob and a way to plug in an instant pot would be fine for all the cooking I like to do. I'd like the ability to go off-grid with solar power and a large battery bank; a plug-in hybrid drivetrain would be perfect, I think, but it doesn't look like any RV manufacturers offer this. I'm thinking no slide-outs, since it looks like they give you more interior room but at the cost of weight, mechanical complexity, and insulation, and I'd like to minimize the number of failure points since a consistent thing I'm reading is that RVs are maintenance hogs. I'd like storage space for a bicycle and other gear. Looking around, the Winnebago Ekko meets a lot of these desired criteria, and nicely it's not a huge vehicle overall, but the ceiling and bed are right at 80" which is just barely viable.

Anyway, I'm just spitballing here, and if anyone has any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them.

If your tall towables are a better option short of a full on class A or super C style rig. Forget the van builds.

I am 6’6”, 300lb. The full profile fifth wheel I have (Jayco Pinnacle) is fine for me to stand up in. The shower has a skylight which adds 3” but I don’t need it. Grand Design solitude and Jayco Northpoint were ok. Keystone montanas were a little small.

I fit just fine in the jayco eagle bumper pull we had before. Grand Design reflection bumper pulls were an ok fit. Airstreams were a no go.

As far as self contained units go, no issues in my in-laws winnebago forza. The class Cs I have been in were ok but both were older.

If you want a cool hybrid and money isn’t the problem, a ford powerboost F150 with the onboard 7,000w generator is the only off the shelf choice. Any decent bumper pull you like <30ft won’t be an issue with that. Also, almost nothing short of $500k class As and show hauler rigs come with induction ranges. And pretty much everything uses fuel for heating. Sometimes diesel, mostly propane.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
Fifth wheel is easier than the bumper pull. Just make sure you get an F350.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

ilkhan posted:

The plan if we go towable would be a godzilla F-350 lariat. I don't want to deal with diesel's weight, and a 350 gives a lot of room to grow if needed.

We stopped by a camping world yesterday and did a walk-through on a few designs. 5th wheel is likely out until kids are gone, and that is a long way down the road. We liked the Cherokee 324TS the best, so probably going to look at similar size/layouts to that.

Are there any full-time class-A youtubers you can recommend? We know of KYD and a couple of others for towable but don't know of any class A dwellers for comparison's sake.

Class A tends to be older couples on youtube. I also find youtubers in general are way too positive about RV ownership, theres a lot that sucks they either omit or try to put a positive spin on. Smells, shakes, temperatures, lovely neighbors, big expenses etc. I would suggest experiencing it first. And stay away from camping world. Good god, my first one came from there, the service after sale is non existent, my in-laws didn’t have positive things to say about them.

My inlaws currently have a 2017 or 18 winnebago forza. I have slept in it a few times but its not something I wanted to spend that much on. I don’t think they have had any issues with it and they drive it cross country several times per year. Their previous class A had an 8.3 cummins that wound up needing a pump/injectors for $$$$ and eventually burned to the ground from the absorption fridge. Most of the diesel ones are a freightliner medium duty chassis underneath. The gas ones tend to be ford super duty and I don’t think they hold up as well as a bus chassis.

Personally if I did have half a mil to blow the show hauler super c with the cascadia chassis would be my pick.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Twerk from Home posted:

Is there some magic that goes into the "max payload" sticker on the inside of the door jamb that is more than just GVWR - weight of that specific vehicle?

I'm comparing a Durango vs a half ton for towing a modest (4-5k GVWR) trailer, and the Durango does not seem to have anywhere near enough payload for its rated tow ratings. Based on engine, the Durango with its tow package is rated to tow 6200-8700 lbs, but also every single Durango has a door jamb sticker that says "1200 lbs max". That is absolutely going to be a problem with 10-15% tongue weight for trailers anywhere near its max payload rating, but also it's unintuitive that the payload would be identical for every single one, regardless of configuration. To make it worse, Dodge advertises different payload capacity, but if you actually look at the physical sticker on the truck, they're all 1200. Is the only way to figure out actual Durango payload taking it to a scale, and subtracting its measured weight from its GVWR?

For that matter, payload seems to be an issue on the half-ton trucks as well, because the bigger engines have lower payload capacities. For example, a base V6 4x2 Ram 1500 quad cab has 2300 lbs payload with no options, while the bigger engines that weigh more have the payload start falling quickly. That 2300 lbs payload sounds great for the V6s rated ~7k lbs towing capacity. By the time you're at the 4x4 5.7 V8, the maximum payload is down to about 1700 lbs, which feels like it's going to be a big problem if you're trying to pull the rated 11,500 lbs. What am I missing? What's going on here? Why do the "bigger towing" trucks have dramatically smaller payload capacity?

RAM payload chart, showing decreasing payload as tow rating increases: https://www.ramtrucks.com/BodyBuilder/service/Image?imageId=MtQrP%2FFqLY5r%2Fest8MtGjGgHzAHGUTU0WB3rWuqSY7YmQ2vEhuBWBONjPJTiLoD5%0A

To clarify just a little, payload is GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) minus GVW (gross vehicle weight). With all the electronics, extra massaging seat motors, 4x4 components, larger engine blocks etc its normally the case that your better equipped trucks actually have lovely payload. We just had a discussion about this elsewhere.

With the Durango that sticker is probably generic and worse case since its intended to be a family hauler. Trucks generally get more specific. GM does some nice ones. CSB is right about modern 3/4 tons, they are the new commuter vehicles and its entirely possible to find a platinum F250 PSD with a 1900lb payload and a 17,000+ lb “tow rating”. I have heard manufacturers sandbagging GVWR a bit on light duty (everything up to 1 ton) trucks because most people care more about lower registration fees. So its possible the vehicle can haul more, for the purposes of camping you probably wont get checked (outside of a few western states and dedicated enforcement on the NYS thruway), but its not something I would bet my family, money, license or things on. People ignore it (rv dealers especially) all the time. Personally I own a 3500 single rear wheel for this reason. The current ram 3500 singles have a 4000ish payload with a cummins. Significantly more than a 2500 with a cummins. The sticker in mine accurately reflects the added weight of the 4wd and aisin.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?
I grew up way out in the sticks and rode the short bus to school (a squared ford econoline from 1990). That sound brings back some memories, lol.

Looks like fun.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

ilkhan posted:

Does grand design have the same rep for their reflection TT as for the reflection 5th wheels?

Still debating if we want to start fairly inexpensive (Cherokee 321TS'ish) or go straight for a much more robust and comfy but more expensive trailer/5er.

Yes and I would, more for durability, comfort and resale than anything else. GD has a better than average reputation for assembly quality and pre delivery inspection. I don’t think thats changed since being bought out by winnebago. They also market by sponsoring youtubers so who knows. I don’t think there is unbiased 3rd party data regarding rv quality so its mostly anecdotal. The rv roof repair guy seems to think they are all pretty bad, but thats still anecdote.

The best thing you can do is inspect the poo poo out of it before you leave the dealer or pay someone to do it for you if you’re unsure. Don’t count on the warranty for anything. The android jaycommand tablet that controls everything in mine died, its under warranty, but that means two months at the dealer before it gets “fixed”. Thats no bueno when your full time. Thankfully the app still works.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

ilkhan posted:

Is there a point in OAL where it just doesn't make sense to go bumper pull anymore and you should just eat the cost of going to a 5th? The 324TS we walked through has been pointed out as just being huge (40ish foot OAL) but a 5th you not only don't have a big tongue sticking out the front you also have the front x feet overlapping the truck that's towing it.

A 37 foot 5th is damned big, but it's more trailer than that 324TS, more usable space inside, and has gotta be a lot easier to tow than the monster trailer is.

And side note, why are all the TV connections around using loving coax instead of HDMI or DP?

Where do you intend to camp? Do they have sites that accommodate a 40’? Are you comfortable driving something that long? Otherwise its just cost. I got a shorter fifth wheel so it can fit into some of the national parks with a 35’ limit. The fifth wheel will be more stable going down the road and quicker to hook up compared to a weight distribution hitch, but its not that its “bad” to tow a 40’ bumper pull just because its long. My jayco was roughly 37-38’ from hitch to rear bumper and it did fine, even without the wdh since it had a lot of wheelbase and adequate tounge weight. My 12’ dump trailer by comparison nearly killed me with a sway event a couple weeks ago. Its wheelbase is short, one tire was at 60 instead of 80, and its tounge weight is not enough. Also not sure what you mean about coax only, both of mine have had HDMI inputs on the stereo that would play on the TV. All the campground cable connections are coax but I never watch TV and campground wifi sucks so no streaming.

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rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Slung Blade posted:

Keep in mind it's a lot harder to bring a boat with you with a 5th wheel vs a bumper pull. I would love to upgrade to a 5th wheel with a little bigger master bed, but I like having the canoe with me. Until I see a good option to mount a boat rack on the trailer, I think we'll stick with the little bumper pull trailer and rack on the truck.

There are some places (my province is one of them) where you can put a boat trailer behind a 5th wheel trailer. You don't see it often, but it's hilarious to see. Tandem trailering. I want nothing to do with that.

So if you need/want a boat, that's a good reason to stick with a large bumper pull style vs a 5th wheel.



Doubles are legal in most states and its becoming more and more common for fifth wheels to have a tow rated hitch on the back. Semis (think UPS or fedex ground) do it all the time. I debated adding one to mine to pull a small aluminum trailer and my pioneer 1000. But it turns out UTVs aren’t allowed in a lot of places so meh.

If you want to avoid the doubles a lot of fifth wheel designs have a big storage underneath in the back. Not full on toy hauler but big enough to stash some kayaks and a bike on a handy roll out tray. I think Grand Design had a weird one with a really tall bed that would accommodate a motorcycle under it.

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