I got this ad and it made me question camper pricing. If someone is able to give essentially 50% off pricing does that mean 10,20,30 percent off “msrp” is still a bad deal? Gives me, “buy today and I’ll get you a regular price instead of the inflated price you’ll get if you don’t act now” FOMO tactic
I’d eventually like to own a camper (2 years from now) but are prices inflated on most of them? And I’m not necessarily asking solely about this dealer but in general for most camper dealers.
I’m in RV marketing and have several independent dealers doing half off sales.
With curtailments, at some point it makes more sense financially to just sell the unit at or below invoice price just to get rid of it and hope you make a little on parts or service.
Right now you see this a lot with new in-stock 2023s. They can’t afford to order 2025s nor have the space for them with an older new unit still sitting around. Manufacturers also offer better incentives on the latest year compared to older ones.
But….from what I’m hearing now may be a good time to buy and ask for steep discount. End of season and RV dealers are sitting on lots of inventory and vacation industry is slowing down with lots of uncertainty for next year.
There’s a Canadian version of them called Campmart. They have these outrageously big deals. MSRP on trailers is heavily inflated so the “deals” look better. Nobody is paying 40k for an 18ft bunkhouse. But that’s what the MSRP is. They sell for 20k, but it looks good to the buyer when they’re “saving” 50%.
What Campmart does is use these outrageous MSRP discounts,. But they don’t show you they’re about to add a bunch of heavily inflated freight and pdi and other costs before you sign.
I went to buy a grand river 19bh
for “$18,999”CAD but then they added $6000 for freight and pdi. So now the price was $24,999 which is MORE than other dealers are selling similar trailers from other brand for. Usually there is $1000-$3000 for freight and pdi. 6k is unheard of. When I questioned it the salesman straight up told me “well that’s not how the world works” as I refused to pay for that amount of freight.
Her name is big bitch Betsy and it only cost 1500$ God is so nice to me. The inside smells like dog so I have no idea how to remove that but I'm gonna Start with cleaning it with water bucket soap and essential oils vacuum and begin rebuilding.
I'm so fucing happy. I drove it for 41 miles and it was so easy remindsme of a uhual but it's mine 😍
I bought a 94 last year. It was a fun project. Rebuilding the cabover was the hardest part. It looks like your front window needs to be pulled out and resealed properly. Do you have any water damage?
I’m thinking of getting a class c motor home. I would be living in the rv full-time as a digital nomad. I am also a gamer that plays different games. One vr game I play is called vrchat. Which is more like a social game. It’s on steam,quest and other vr headsets, it’s also on android phones as well.
It’s a game that requires downloading speeds https://hello.vrchat.com/
OK stupid question, what does the dim button in the upper right do if you push or hold? IF the radio worked properly I feel like that might be the way to go. But it sounds it permanently turned itself off from one of your other posts so I guess this is moot. 😂
In mine, it seems as if the internal button pad slid, so the buttons on the face of the radio don’t register as what they’re supposed to do. Happened shortly after buying my RV, so I can’t use my radio in mine. (It’s like buttons do what the button beside it should do, my radio just doesn’t even work at all since back then)
I am willing to bet something is going on with the power or neutral wire running into the radio. On the back of the radio should be a wire harness, the wires in there include wires to the speakers as well as power, neutral and ground. Easiest way to troubleshoot this is to run new power, ground and neutral wires from another 12V source (like a nearby light) into the corresponding wires on the stereo wire harness. If it works when you do that it’s safe to assume you have a problem between the radio and the original power source.
You can also take the radio completely out and hook it up outside of your camper to a 12v power supply. Again if it powers on and off correctly you have a wiring problem somewhere.
What is your make and model? Maybe it’s just foreshortening in the picture, but your unit looks a lot shorter than most of the super-Cs I’ve seen, which is good for me. We camp in small spots and most of the well-built motor homes are too big for us.
Originally bought a Springdale 1800BH because I needed to tow with my Tacoma. Family got bigger and so did the truck. After a trip as a family of 4 the smaller trailer felt outgrown so we upgraded to a grand design imagine xls 24SDE. Super happy with the trailer and pretty certain this will be the trailer our family grows with for many years to come!
Was pretty exciting driving this setup through the California redwoods and through the tight costal roads, but it handled like a champ!
Looks sharp, I would have gotten a heavy duty truck though. That way no worries on capacity, much better towing experience, and you wouldn’t need a new truck if you decide to get a bigger trailer later. I know I’m in the minority, though, most people seem to think heavy duty trucks are less practical or comfortable day to day. I’m fine with them, though.
went from a wranger to a Sierra 3.0 towing. It feels like i am driving a missile with this tiny camper, lol https://imgur.com/a/3DyTt87. and getting 25mpg is so much better on the pocket
Looks good! I have that Furrion ac unit. Dont be surprised if you have to fish for the temp sensor buried in the intake and the drop it out of the filter housing. Otherwise I liked it bettet than my dometic.
I’m planning our trip for next year (Oregon Coast),but was thinking about stating in the northern Redwoods, did you make it there? If so, any recommendations for campgrounds?
I’m looking into getting a weight distribution hitch with sway control for my 17’ camper. The biggest issue I see is how the tongue of the trailer steps down where most of the hitches I’ve seen will attach. Normally the bottom of the tongue is roughly the same level as the bottom of the hitch on the truck, so I don’t think I can get a WD hitch to be able to hook up correctly. Any ideas?
Problem I see is that double decker tongue and how far back from the hitch it goes and finding wd brackets that will fit over it…
What’s distance from the ball to where it’s stepped down?
I would call the etrailer.com support/sales line. Ask the rep for an email address and send them this pic with some measurements and ask them for advice on what will work.
They have been really Knowledgeable and helpful the time or two I’ve needed them and…
The biggest issue I see is the piss poor not fully welded step up on the frame, and the welding looks a little sparce on the hitch to frame attachment too….
I got a WDH that came with a 33 foot HiLo that I bought. I used it once and never used it again. The camper pulled like a champ. I guess a lot of campers need them but mine didn’t.
Hello – need karma!!! But also need to replace this terribly uncomfortable sofa in Ibex 24MTH, toy hauler. It folds flat (jackknife) so the Murphy bed can come down. Any ideas?
I used to repair rvs. Strap ons and bondage gear under a bed was pretty unexpected. Had to work on the fresh water tank which was under the bed, customers must not have realized I needed to get under there or something. I left all that crap on the mattress when I was done, so I’m sure they figured it out. Lol
I swear I read a thread about this when I first got my camper and had the same question and the majority said not to seal it because it will end up holding moisture in vs preventing moisture from getting in. I think the gist was little if any moist should get up that high and if it does it needs a way to dry.
You want air gaps there to allow breathing behind the shower panels. If anything make sure it’s sealed well at the base and by the shower door. The top you don’t need to worry about
If you are getting water down in there, you can pull it back and run a bead of clear silicone. Technically however, it won’t “breath” so I can see maybe water getting trapped potentionally. I have not done that, but instead put big blobs of silicone behind it by pulling it back and just emptying a tube inside there , and then bracing it until it dried. That was to stop “flappy walls”, from feeling cheap. Now my walls are glued to the inner Luan plywood, but there are still air gaps going up and down.
Just bought a used 2011 Shamrock 21 ssl and tried to take it camping yesterday and started swaying hard at 50mph. We had everything loaded up front. We have a sway controller connected. Checked tire pressure. Tried with and without water. Tried 2 vehicles. I’m really bummed because this camper is perfect otherwise. What else can we do? I can’t seem to get enough tongue weight.
Something definitely isn’t right. Every picture I can find of a 21 ssl has a deck for four wheelers or a golf cart. Can you post reply with a picture of the full side of the camper? If someone took a 21ssl and shortened the frame to remove that deck you would have the problem you describe. A 21 without that deck would have the axles farther back in relation to the camper body.
This is crazy. Been in the business a long time and have never seen something like this mod. I’m guessing the dealer didn’t realize. If I brought that in on trade we just would end up unwinding the deal. The only way to “fix” it is some serious axle relocation, not certain there is enough frame to do so. Crazy, keep us posted.
Hello everyone… I recently purchased a 2001 keystone hornet 32r… Took it out this weekend and she says all over the place… I'm told I need a distribution hitch.. Camper weighs around 7600lbs.. Does anyone know if this is what I need or is it overkill..
Go to etrailer.com. They carry a bunch of different ones and you can compare them and talk to a person and they can help you narrow it down. Do you know your tongue weight?
The Western Clipper motorhomes/sales vans were designed by Brooks Stevens. They were built for the Western Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin to be used as mobile sales offices.
This motorhome is one of very few known to exist today
Zeppelin air ship styling. Cab over engine configuration. Upgraded 327 CI V-8 engine. Dual rear tires. Over the years 26 variations of these vans and motohomes were designed.
A word of.warning: The brake system will require regular maintenance.
At auction these typically go for $30-$60k in bad shape. If you found this and fixed it up to modern standards you would have one of the most unique vehicles on the road in my humble opinion. Absolutely outstanding.
Looks nice. Campfires are prohibited where we are camping and with good reason since it is so dry and hot. We made it into the triple digits this afternoon. Lucky for us, our power has been consistent but some of our party has been having trouble with the electric not keeping their AC running. The kids are about to put on their annual Talent Show.
Bear: Oh, dude, is that a black stone grill? Noice, up top! It really gives off a great scent while evenly coo– Wait, where are you going? Your breakfast is going to burn.
It looks like a truck bed camper. It's on a trailer of it's own and what looks like what would be the stands on a truck camper are the supports to raise and lower the top half. Has a little patio and everything even. Never seen one like this before.
It’s a hi-lo style trailer, the top half drops down. Everything has to be half size like a pop up and the mechanisms aren’t all that reliable from what I understand.
It is from the TrailManor line of hard sided folding campers. This model is basically just half of their more common versions, and I think it was only made for a year or two. The part stuck out front basically pivots to cover the bottom and the little porch.
That horizontal slat looks like it has a perfectly straight break, almost as if it was two boards and only the veneer was holding them together.
Remove the entire cabinet from the wall and replace those slats with pieces of real wood. Feel free to replace the stapled fiberboard shelves with wood and screws, while you’re at it.
Get used to it. Build quality is shit. I basically rebuilt the pantry with 1x2s and screws. Not pretty but nobody sees it but us, and it will not plague me again. When something breaks I fix it better than it was so I won’t have to do it again.
You could Use a piece of 1×2 cut to length and stain as close as you can, glue and screw underneath to support the broken piece. Maybe do this in all cabinets to match and add support
I have the opportunity to use a RV for a trip and want to return it better than I found it. The wood on the interior could use some help. There are some dings and scratches but overall the wood to me looks dry?
Is there a good product that would shine these right up that anyone could recommend?
Maybe Murphy’s Oil Soap might help. I tend to think you’re not going to get them looking much better, if at all, though. I think the main problem is the cheap finish used on these cheap cabinets. The Murphy’s Oil Soap won’t hurt anything, though.
I've got a 29' bumper pull Kodiak (made by Dutchman) I purchased it used and the seller told me there had been an issue with water ingress but that it had been fixed, and told me that it caused some delamination.
I lived in it for nine months, comfortable and dry. Well, i towed it home 250 miles yesterday and the delamination has become an issue that's too big to ignore.
Anyone have any advice? This is my first camper so any ideas would be greatly appreciated
Professional RV repairsman here. Previous fix wasn’t done well, humidity stayed inside. Adhesives don’t like humidity.
Take the panel out, check for mold, eliminate mold/replace wood if necesary, seal well (I advise epoxy) and use the same (epoxy) as adhesive for your external panel.
No, it is not a DIY job, but since you are asking in here I doubt you’ll take it to a proper garage, so DM me if you want step by steps and help determining the extent of the damage.
I have read on here people using an epoxy glue to get it stick back down. I have not used this product and that looks like a rather large area. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.
Those seem to be standard PEX fittings and the clamps look to be high quality. My only concern would be that the insert inside the PEX is plastic, and I might prefer brass.
Those look pretty perfect to me. Pex can expand and resist freezing. They look properly connected. I would say that looks better than 99% of the trailers I have seen. Its great to have pex.
Note that while pex is both easy to deal with and resists freezing, everything else doesn’t (water pump, etc) so you still need to properly flush everything.
But pex is awesome and also super easy to work on should you need to add a shutoff (they always skimp on them on rvs), add something, etc.
Those are PEX fitting connected to PEX tube (you are good). You don’t want to see PEX fitting on flexible tubing. The material compresses over time and leaks develop.
Yes, they are avaialable after market too. We had a similar solution on our class C which mounted on the hitch receiver and was very convenient for bicycles and firewood.
Ours (now) is a two point hinge mount like this one on the bumper of our TT. I probably like the idea of it more than the actual rack, which I may or may not ever use since I’m pulling the TT with a pickup, I have plenty of transit space for bicycles and firewood in the truck.
It is bolted around the square RV bumper and mounted close to the attachment to the chassis, in the strongest part available there. So coolers, bicycles… I wouldn’t trust it with too much weight, but it’s good for keeping sand out of the trailer.
What I don’t like (about ours!) is that the manufacturer decided that it’s a great place to mount the spare tire (wheel). Which is fine, but doesn’t have a lot of ground clearance when folded down. Who thought that was a good idea?
I have only towed light-weight trailers with small-engine tow vehicles so my experiences are a bit skewed but I would never add that much weight to the rear of my trailer. I feel like fish-tailing would be inevitable.
I am currently looking for one of these that can hold a 200lb generator. Bumper has a hitch, and is frame mounted, but is recessed under the back of the trailer to make a sleeker look I guess, so finding one is giving me issues.
I may have to use a metal fabricator to fashion one.
Their typical weight limit seems to be 400-500 lbs.
Haha… Omg, I took a picture of the same type of thing today going down the road to show my husband! It’s like a hinged carrier installed on the bumper. Love this for travel if you need a little bit more room.
I got a spare tire there. Would be nice to have but I’m not sure if I could add anything but a bike rack for mine and I’m not even sure I’d be able to do that with a tire mounted.
It almost got in too. This isn't my camper or picture, it was in a recent news story, but look how scary! I would have been so scared. The bear almost got in. I guess there must have been yummy food in there.. hopefully they had insurance..
Happened to us but not even close to that bad. We weren’t in it. The bear punctured the covers of the propane tanks and tried to get in the door. No food inside, so we don’t know why
Here’s a picture under my trailer, not inside the belly, fully exposed to the elements, brand new 2022 forest river trailer. Behind my hand is a regular run of the mill metal square electrical box that houses, free floating my connections between the trailer and harness to the truck.
I spent my free evenings after work for almost a month redoing ALL of this because forest river said this was normal and fine. When I dropped the belly the wiring was free hanging in the frame and wires were starting to chafe. I was maybe 1000miles from an electrical fire. Again forest river said this was fine and normal.
If it wasn’t clear this is a FOREST RIVER trailer. Friends don’t let friends buy forest river.
This is why I laugh when YouTube influencers are touting the latest and greatest “high end” 5th wheel trailer. And then have to drag it back to the factory twice a year to have work done on it.
I had a 40’ boat that when surveyed played very closed attention to the wiring. From engines to electronics for navigation and radar to cabin items. Twin turbo diesels and 6K generator. Surveyor said that all wiring was approved, Stranded copper only, no solid wiring due to vibration breakage. How do RV mfg get away with running Romex? I see it in my Newmar and wish it wasn’t.
Which brand of hot water heater do you have? You either need the nylon plug or an anode rod. The manufacture of the hot water tank will define which you need.
To me it looks like you need a nylon plug and not the anode rod.
it’s the winterization drain plug. I think it’s 3/4″ and I think you’ll be surprised how easy it is to find the plug. Get the nylon plug. It expands when wet, and you have to take the plug out at the end of the season anyway.
That looks like the drain plug for your hot water heater. It won’t fill or hold water without it. You can go down to camping world and buy a new one or get one on Amazon.
Thread seems to be a mixture of “it’s a drain plug” or “it’s an anode rod plug” or “it’s both”.
I’m curious why a water heater would *not* have an anode, and what the downsides of adding one would be. Sacrificial metals reduct/prevent interior corrosion, can they be a bad thing?
Hey there! My girlfriend and I frequently go out camping and are getting more into the over-landing scene. With that said, we are thinking about pulling the trigger on a teardrop trailer and renting it out on a platform like outdoorsy or airbnb when we aren't using it. We're aware that doing this will increase wear and tear.
So my question (s) to those of you that have done this – how much wear and tear did you experience when renting out your trailer? How many nights could you expect to rent it out each month? Would you recommend doing this for someone like us that wants to have a teardrop and make a little cash on the side? Is there anything you would recommend we do or stay away from going into this space?
We appreciate any input on this!
This is going to depend heavily on your area.Indiana? Probably not much market. Colorado? Demand could be higher.
Having said that, if you need to rent it out to afford it, you can’t afford it. Personally, I wouldn’t feel like it is my own if it is being dragged around and abused by renters.
You might want to check out the r/OffRoadTrailer subreddit. If you’re curious about overlanding trailers, that’s a good community to bounce ideas/questions off of.
There is a FREEZE SENSOR probe that sticks into the bottom of the blades usually blue and white attached to a white 20 gauge wire. You can reach it from the inside by taking off the ceiling pack and looking up into the blades / coils you’ll see em all u gotta do is look up. It falls out every now and then.
Lack of airflow. The cold from the coils has to be transfered to the air. Wrong air filter? too restrictive? Cool > coils > air > RV. Heat flow in reverse so the coils are getting too cold means not enough warm air over them.
More than likely, air is leaking from the output side of your ac to the intake. Take the bottom shroud off, then use aluminum ducting tape to seal the edges of the foam divider that divides the two sides. Also, check that your thermistor probe is inserted into the radiator because it should be shutting off your compressor before it gets this bad.
Could be a bunch of factors.
Is it a bigger unit for what ventilation you have.
Is it getting airflow
Has it been running nonstop with windows or doors open?
Likely for the other site as well so whichever is convenient (or the one on your side) – do use a pressure regulator – some campgrounds have enough water pressure to bust your pipe fittings in your camper.
Use the one for the side you are on (the green one assuming you are on the left). The handle color doesn’t matter. Not sure how common ball valves are, but that’s what makes it look different to me.
They look like the same source so which ever one your site faces should be the one. Flush your hose a bit with the water before hooking up to your trailer just to clean things up a bit.
Just got to camping spot for the week and noticed looks and feels like oil or lubricant on my cover in the picture. Got under my vehicle and cannot see any signs of leaks, nor did any temps/alarms go off while driving. These marks were not on there before I left yesterday morning. How tf would this get here if I didn’t leak it out? How if there is a leak is there no signs of it?
What the farts am I missing?
I’m just worried for the return trip, maybe just over sensitive. Going for a long drive today to calm some nerves also. If anyone has some thoughts please help! Thanks!
i mean could be 1000s of different things, Roads are dirty and full of other vehicles fluids. Check your oil level, check your transmission level, check your coolant level, look around front and rear diffs for leaks. If all are within spec you should be fine. You can pull over every hr or so at the start and keep checking levels too, see if more accumulation is on the propane cover.
Had similar on a trailer last year. It was a pinion seal leak on the rear end.
Look under your truck including the driveshaft ends, behind the rear wheels and under the motor/trans. You may not see an obvious drip but wetness where it shouldn’t be.
I would personally move one of the fat cables to the other battery’s post to get a more distributed load across both. The wires are fine if you’re only running 12v devices off of them. If you’re inverting to run 110v devices, you should consider upgrading the wire gauge of the smaller connecting wires. At the end of the day, it’s all math.
You didn’t say what wattage the inverter is and what your anticipated load is. If it’s let’s say like my coffee maker (750w) that’s like 70A of load on the batteries with inverter losses. With your setup you’d see a huge voltage drop across those wires. I like to use equal sized wire to maximize the load the second battery can contribute to
I’ve also found on a lot of these batteries there can be significant voltage drop between a screw post and the main battery terminal. So I use only the main terminal for the heavy load stuff.
I would strongly encourage you to use owners forums where there is a lot more knowledge than this sub. You made some good fixes here but 12V DC is not to be messed with, and you’re going to get more reliable and expertly discussed feedback on owners forums than here in general. There’s plenty of pleasant discussion here but the more technical and hazardous stuff should be discussed on the owners forums for your rig.
I know where my rooftop A/C is, I know what the two antennas look like, the plumbing vents, and the interior vents, but this sort of long rectangular thing with a metal deflector in front of it makes no sense. I have an AC-powered fridge, no propane on it, this is roughly over the refrigerator. I do have propane heat and propane/electric water heat. 2019 Jayco toy hauler.
On my roof and I have the exact same one, but mine is black, thats the vent for the refrigerator. Is your refridgerator mounted sideways? If you look carefully, it has a aerodynamic slope on one side and thats the side that faces into the wind. Mine is horizontal to the trailer with that part facing into the wind. Remember, if you have a propane fridge, there is a flame behind the fridge and it must be vented. So on the side of the RV will be a hatch to the fridge and thats also the intake for the air going up and out of the roof carrying the CO2 and CO with it from the flame.
The refrigerator vent’s aerodynamic tapered end is supposed to be pointing in the direction of travel.
Since it’s sideways water was getting blown into the side vents while driving and the DIY wind deflector was intended to remedy that. There will be evidence of the leaks inside.
Regardless whether your refrigerator is using AC or Propane the coils at the back still need to be vented. Heat is moved from inside the refrigerator to the outside where it is vented through the roof – cool air enters below and it rises past the coils like a chimney.
New owner here. Just picked up this used RV and after a heavy Florida rain, the wall and flooring seem to no longer be connected. Maybe it was like this before but I only noticed after I felt the carpet damp in the corner. The wood behind the interior wall panel is damp and I can pull it out in chunks if I want to. This is on the pop out.
Question: How bad is it? Did I get a fast one pulled on me? Seems like the seller knew it was an issue. Only owned for a few weeks.
If you’re handy, making repairs isn’t difficult but can be very tedious.
Firstly Ide find the leak and repair it. Probably go over everywhere else that’d potentially leak and check while you’re at it.
How old is the RV? If it’s newerish to olderish but not ancient by RV standards I would look into mfg documentation for the sealants and adhesives used, there may even be documents for assembly as well floating around.
If it’s an ancient RV and you may be the last owner of its useful life; I’de get under there and make repairs that are leak free, safe, and durable to my liking; no need to ball out on repairing an old RV unless its something that really retains its value.
These things are mostly put together like a middle school art project. Popsicle sticks and a lot of glue. I wouldn’t feel bad peeling apart the layers and making solid if not better than factory repairs at home.
I’m dealing with the same thing and haven’t had much luck… it’s no small task talking about replacing the slide out floor, and even sourcing the materials has been next to impossible 😭 Sending yall the best vibes
They keep honest people honest, which is usually worth it.
In my experience, it is often easier to drill the lock rather than cut the pin, unless you have an angle grinder and do not have a drill with good bits.
I imagine you lost the key but I’ve broken a few keys over the years and now put a drop of oil in my locks now. Also have a little rubber cap to keep the dust out which makes them hard to turn.
I was using a locking pin up until my last trip when despite all my key turning it would not disengage the lock. I ended up pulling really hard and was able to get it off, looking like my locking pin might have been a bit bent but I couldn’t figure out how that would have stopped the lock from releasing the bearings. fortunately I had as spare non locking pin in my truck as I was still out on my trip.
I could have waited until I got home but at that point I really wasn’t sure if the pin was actually locked or not and would come off while driving. and I didn’t want to be driving around with my huge blue ox hitch sticking out of the back.
I spray all those little locks 1-2 times a year w/ a cleaner/ lubricant. The one I use is marketed for bicycles and it reduces friction inside locks so much that the locks feel broken because the key turns so easily.
I took a picture of that same rig at Lowe’s today. Plates were Georgia, but this was in Washington. They were buying evenmorelumber. Guess they want to add a third story.
I use a big rug/mat that’s a woven plastic. I use it as a place to take off my shoes before I go inside that way I don’t have to sweep 10 times a day. It drains sand and water and is easy to sweep off.
I’ll use mine, more of a plastic fabric thing than a cloth rug, on gravel or grass sites. Helps with keeping the dirt down and it’s easier on the feet.
I have a 10×20 outdoor rug that allows water and sand to pass through. It’s really nice that the kids can hang out on it without getting shoes on. As for the inside, we have an entryway rug for you to take your shoes off on, and a runner after that that is nice on feet from the living room area. Both rugs are lightweight and easy to shake out, also I removed all the carpet from our motorhome, and replaced with LVP flooring g that’s easily swept and vacuumed.
I would never use rugs like the ones in your photo outside. I have an 8×10′ plastic “rug” that I use outside under my canopy tent. It’s easy to hose off and dries instantly. Inside my small trailer I have a 3×6′ runner because the linoleum was getting too dinged up. I vacuum that, and take it outside to beat the dirt out periodically. Once a season I’ll hose it down and scrub-brush it on a sunny day.
Outside we use what’s really a plastic woven rug to keep the mud down, and a door mat to wipe feet. Inside is one rag rug to catch the rest of the sand, dirt, stickers and burrs. We bring 2 rag rugs and shake/ swap as needed. The spare one shades the drinks crate.
My lease is ending soon and I don’t know if I should renew it or bite the bullet and go ahead and get some land and an RV. Is RV living really better than apartment living? What are the pros and cons?
Hello, friend. I live in a 30′ bunkhouse travel trailer – there’s a bedroom in the back with 4 bunks (or, one single bed, a shelf full of snake terrariums, and a ton of storage), and a stateroom in the front. In the middle I’ve got a dinette. L-shaped kitchen, reclining sofa, wall mounted tv and electric fireplace.
I’m in my second year, although this is the first year on my own land, completely off-grid. Everything takes work, and preparation is everything. I could speak for days about what I had to do to have a winter with zero issues.
Would I go back? No friggin way. People look at tiny homes as a good idea and a real house, but will shit on RV dwellers…well I look at my trailer as a pre-fab tiny home. I don’t own a vehicle capable of Towing it, and it’s never had a plate on it. I live in the woods with the birds and the blueberries, my neighbours are deer, the rabbits are everywhere. I live in Paradise, just a creature in the forest like all the others ????
The issue is where you put it. Yes it can be cheaper but it will end up worthless in the end.
The problem with these units is finding a spot for them and people underestimate how much maintenance they take to keep water out of them. The components are also cheap and will need to be replaced more often than what you would in a house.
Lot rents are expensive. Often over looked and many parks charge for electricity at corporate rates.
Most areas won’t let you buy a lot and put one on it. Even if they do lot prep is expensive but most areas simple won’t allow you to do it.
Ownership sites can be an option in some states, but watch the HOA fees
The cost to own one of these things is a lot higher than people realize and the fact that it will eventually be worthless is very often overlooked. They have a ton of seals and sealant on the exterior that need to be babied or they leak, when they leak the pressed luan delaminates and creates a mess.
The upside of them are they are fairly easy to repair if you are handy. If you are not not then get used to paying people $180/hr + to come out and work on them.
If you do all your own work, have a place for them and are handy they can be a good deal. The vast majority of people that buy them can’t pick up a screwdriver, don’t have any idea where they are going to put it other than “oh there are RV parks around here” and have no clue how big of a money pit they are.
It’s definitely a lot of hype, but unpopular opinion….. It can also be true. It’s a matter of choices.
I bought a 25′ class c for 50k, financed. My monthly payment is $600. I spent around $8k replacing and upgrading the old crappy solar system, and now I boondock on public land.
The amount I save in rent will pay off my up front costs in like a year.
But that’s not why I do it. I don’t expect my life to be much cheaper now. I do it because I love it. Traveling the country, seeing indescribable sights, having invaluable experiences.
tl;dr if you buy a small cheap RV to boondock and make sacrifices it can save money. If you buy a massive RV and need to stay in campgrounds it will be incredibly expensive.
ETA: as others have said, maintenance and repairs are also a huge factor.
“RV living” is not about parking and being stationary – that’s “tiny house living.” Both are good, but they serve different purposes, and you need to decide what you want your life to be.
And the only people who think RV living is cheap are those who have never done it, but the reward payback comes in the adventures of the nomadic lifestyle.
Went to the KOA above Central City in Colorado this weekend. They won the Best KOA Campground award last year, and we understand why. Friendly staff, the best stocked shop we have ever seen, great scenery, and the park is super clean and well maintained. We will definitely be back.
Hey Peoples! Im trying to decide which used 5th wheeler to buy from the list in the image. All are priced around the $10k mark (and I’m hoping to negotiate a reduced final price). Apart from some of the metrics I have provided they all are pretty summer. Option A & B have the exact same floor plans and Option C is slightly different with the kitchen at the back and more internal storage.
The chosen RV will also undergo some DIY renovations internally before an upcoming multi-month cross country road trip with the wife. We wanted something reliable, shorter and easy to get around to all the national parks. The plan would be to then sell the 5th wheel after the trip and recoup some money (of course we are expecting to loose some money on the resell but want to minimise where we can).
This will be our first fifth wheel so I thought I'd would get some feedback from the internet. What should we be considering when inspecting/choosing? Thank you!!
Ps: Any recommendations on a suitable towing vehicle are also very much appreciated.
I like your use of excel, but after buying a used class B a few years ago I found what matters are not the specs (as long as the layout and capacities are in the range you need) but the condition. 10 or 15 year old units will vary greatly in condition.
Hiii, my boyfriend and I just moved into a 5th wheel. I was nervous at first but I'm really making it my home.
I am curious if anyone has done remodels or something like that. Its very brown, and beige in here and I'd love to change that. The cabinets are a brown wood (don't mind that honestly ), the wall paper beige, the vinyl tile is beige, the carpet is beige. Does anyone has product recommendations, remodels they did, or things they can suggest?
I don't wanna paint the wood cabinets but trying to think of things I can change that make it look better.
Posting a picture, still getting settled and unpacked so don't judge ????
Me and my fiancé renovated a whole 5th wheel biggest difference was painting the walls white it opened up the space and made everything look better we also wall papered the bathroom and replaced the floors but paining the walls is a must.
Seems a little high for just what you are stating. I’m assuming you are running the refrigerator and A/C as well? That would add to the cost, but does seem like it’s a little on the high usage side.
Are you running a 2-way refrigerator on electric for that time? Gas/Electric absorption refrigerators are notorious for being horribly inefficient on electricity. Picture a heating element from an electric range running all the time. Thats essentially what is going on. Try switching your refrigerator to gas mode for a month and see if it lowers.
Use 1/2 or 3/4″ insulation boards cut to fit windows as a substitute or in addition to the reflectix car windshield type material for better results. I even put it on the walls of interior cabinets, the ceiling and sides of our bunks, and on the inside of exterior storage doors. Made a huge difference. I’m on a site in south Florida, so our ac is almost always running. Thankfully, we no longer are on a site where we have to pay for power, water, or sewer…
’22 Cherokee 23DBHL for reference.
ETA: That seems high. I don’t remember kwh cost, but our bill was $200 last summer in a nearby site.
I think someone else is using your electricity. NFW would a light at night draw 1,320 kWh, and yeah that electricity is expensive. You’d need to be running multiple space heaters day after day and even then I’m not sure in a months time you could actually use that much from an RV.
Not enough info to tell. What kind of surface is that and what’s underneath it? What year was it made? How is the upper surface attached to the substrate?
What am I missing here? Look at the tongue. It’s been cut and welded, and hobo WD hitch with chains. Looks like it from my house anyway, unless the tongue failed?
Edit: dammit, sitting outside next to fire with dim screen. I cranked brightness. Just a normal idiot with no welding skills necessary. Seems that’s a tire lol
A few weeks ago, my wife enjoyed a campground so much that she reserved a site for her & the kids during a time I couldn't get out of work.
So last night, I got tasked with dropping off & setting up the camper for the night (and even cooked some hotdogs while I was at it)… All to go home & work the next two days.
I call BS! Perfect camping weather forecast for the rest of the week. Gotta up my rates haha
Took about a decade of training and practice, but the wife can now load her quad into the fifth wheel, hook it to the truck, and go camping, dump it, and park it back into its storage spot.
I like to do that one the other way around, have the family / other half drive out to meet me a couple of days after I have everything setup (provided I have the extra time off)
I’ve learned that I like doing the setup myself, without distractions even if it means more work.
So my grandpa has this RV sitting in his driveway that he now has to get rid of, got in trouble with the city. Obviously with all the memories he has with it he doesn’t want to get rid of it and it’ll be hard for him. I was thinking instead of some random people coming to pick it up for a few hundred bucks I was thinking of telling him i’ll take it, try and fix it up and use for some more good memories myself. I am pretty handy but I just don’t know much about RV’s or mechanical stuff. He said it doesn’t need much to run, but he may not know what he’s talking about as he’s not all there sometimes lol. I guess what im wondering is if anyone is familiar with this RV, do you think it would be worth it? It’s a 1984 Ford Freeport Midas, with only 70k miles. That is the only
picture I have of it right now. Inside is in surprisingly good condition and clean.
If you’re handy, fixing it up won’t be a challenge. Plumbing and electrical can be learned. The motor is old enough it’s not hard to learn either. Just think of the fun you’ll have for grandpa.
Don’t focus too much on the brand, what you have is a ford econoline with a house attached, the house is basically a thin wood frame, with an aluminum skin on the outside and a thin plywood wall inside.
Barring any major mechanical issues with the vehicle or any major water leaks/rot in the back, you have a very solid adventure platform
Just stayed in an old motel “kitchenette” (wish I could post a pic) with a two burner cooktop and sink on top and a small fridge below. All one unit the size of a dishwasher. Oh, and it was an electric cooktop 6 inches from the sink, no safety concerns here!!
That’s the dust cover for your axle bearing grease fitting. If you can take the wheel off yourself, you can probably just tap it back on. Its normally just a press fit.
Since that’s the grease cap, there is a decent chance your bearing grease has dirt in it now. I’ll bet the cap itself has crap in it just from bouncing around in the trim ring.
I would pull the rim/tires off, take a close look at the grease. If it’s at all dirty you need to repack the bearings. Personally I would just repack them, way easier and cheaper to do it now than on the side of the road.
Get in the habit of checking your bearings and tires every time you stop. Make sure none of them are hot.
I know it’s overkill, I have my bearings repacked every year. Still cheaper than breaking down.
Use a cutting wheel to cut most the way through old race, then split it in half with cold chisel
Purchase and install all new bearings with new races
You can also purchase a new loaded hub that comes with new bearings and races already installed
Then learn how to do yearly bearing packs as part of your yearly maintenance routine
The picture doesn’t show it, but some axles have bolt on spindles you can replace. If not I would buy an axle kit. Less than $500 on Amazon. Refitting bearings on a messed up isn’t worth it. You’ll be driving down the road with constant worry.
Just unbolt the whole hub assembly. Take to a trailer parts supply place . you could buy the complete assembly for not that much money . Something in the $ 200 range + Greece which you should get the other wheel bearings new seals and repacked with grease. Not a big job if you are at all handy with tools
If the spindle is badly damaged, replace axle.
Replace linings and hubs.
I repair electric brake trailers for a living.
Hopefully, you got stopped before the wheel fell off.
Axle. The bearings, seals, backing plate, shoes and magnet all come as a kit. Complete bolt on. Drum too. If the spindle threads are damaged, do you feel safe with it going down the road like that? Even with a cotter pin?
We use Six Robless for our stuff. A lot of the axles are made as needed since Covid.
Zooming in the threads don’t look that bad at all. I’d chase with a die. Then tap the race off. Spray it all down with brake cleaner. Then put a new loaded hub on. Then fill the hub with grease through he easy line fitting in the end of the axle.
I have to ask, how long did it take you to get comfortable driving w that setup? I’ll be perfectly honest and say I’m slightly intimidated thinking about driving that.
I’m on the right. Luckily I was leaving the next day but I literally couldn’t fold my stairs up. If you’re in Ft. Lauderdale, avoid Sunshine Holiday RV Park.
How do you park your RV and think its ok to screw over your neighbor like that? I would bang the shit out of his rig with my door every 5 minutes until he moved it.
The USB wall Chargers in my Forest River travel trailer have started to go bad. I understand that they are cheap and were bound to need replaced at some point anyway. My question is, conceivably could I replace those Chargers (which are the size of a standard wall socket) with one of these?
Hard to say without pictures of your current one if it would fit. Make sure to check the wiring size as it may not be big enough to support a 12v power point depending on the draw of what you plug in.
Also keep in mind that the volt meter is really only useful if you have lead acid batteries.
Click bait, no way no how, paid to deliver and set up. No fing way. Does that car have the power? Yes. Tranny? No, brakes, no. Hitch compatibility, f no, suspension, F No lier lier pants on fire, super dangerous and illegal
Even if it’s a little off the beaten path, do you have a favorite campground nearby this route. I’m going the first weekend of October. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Both of your routes are going to have a lot of two lane roads. Even though it is a longer mileage wise I would probably take an I-95 to I-40 to US-64 route. It will take less time than your dark blue route and will only be 15 minutes more than your route through Fayetteville. All of the roads once you are on I-95 will be multi-lane until you turn left or right from US-64 to access Jordan Lake’s campgrounds.
I am a stone cold idiot and left my RV in (outdoor) storage with the heat exhaust vent uncovered. Now, joy of joys, there appears to be a family of wasps/hornets living in there.
Does anybody know enough about the heat system in these rigs to know if they've got access to the interior vents as well? I don't wanna deal with this nest only to have them coming out the interior vents to exact revenge.
Anybody else have this problem/have recommendations to fix it without reenacting the end of My Girl?
Fun Fact: Wasps and Hornets love the smell of ethyl mercaptan, the additive in propane to give it that smell. It’s very common for them to camp in your campers furnace.
It’s too perfect… so… I’ll just say it – when you tow that down the road its going to give you decent gas mileage and that’s not a good thing for gas stations ????????????????
Any more pictures of your setup? It’s so much different than what we have, the awning cover looks very cool. And I bet people would freak out about the size of tow vehicle you have as well. I love it.
First time visiting Colorado. Any recommendations? The shortest route goes through Colorado Springs and Denver. I was curious if the views are worth taking the other, longer ways. Is elevation gain on the mountain roads really steep?
I’d drive up the western route. More scenic and worth the extra time. Just remember it won’t be highway speeds so both routes will take longer than what is reported in my experience.
A lot depends on the RV and how comfortable you are driving more mountainous roadways.
My recommendation is to drive the most scenic route you’re comfortable with. No matter how great the scenery is, it’s hard to appreciate it if you’re white knuckling it on mountain roads.
Depends on the size of your rig and comfort level driving it. The eastern route highlighted is the easier drive if you avoid rush hour times. That’s the route I would take but I have a big rig. I’m very comfortable driving through the mountains but find the highways to be less stressful and if something goes wrong I have better odds of getting it resolved.
Just drove that back from the grand canyon. I25 is based on mostly diving 75mph so the western route is actually faster for those of us that don’t go above 65.
We pull a 20ft camper with a f150 and have no trouble on any of these roads but they will be narrow and steep in many places. My family has a 30 motor home and won’t drive any of those routes
It’s really all preference. You’ll have better gas prices taking the dark blue route, which is something to consider. There is a lot more mountain driving on your light blue routes, but highway 285 isn’t too bad. It’s mountainous in pieces. You have some steap grades, but also have breaks in high plains/valleys.
If you’re a die-hard, and don’t mind mountain driving you can take the scenic route. It is pretty. But there are still pretty, continuous views of the mountains going through the springs and thereafter.
I allowed friends who lost their rental to move their fifth wheel into my back yard after they begged me. The deal was they were to pay 400.00 a month and do all the yard work (raking, mowing, snow blowing, shoveling).
They told me the only things using electricity would be their TVs, phone chargers, microwave, and coffee maker. Well the electricity bill was crazy.
When I went out there after the snow melted, I saw they had a space heater. I told them if the light bill went over 400.00 again (including my usage), then I was going to shut the breaker off to the garage.
I did hear them running their generator a few times when it was hot outside over the summer until they told me they were leaving because they couldn’t afford to run the generator and pay 400 a month to stay here. After that I didn’t hear it again. Of course, the bill that came at the beginning of the month was 470.00.
I have read that if they were plugged into shore power, that everything but their gas cook stove would run on electricity (furnace, hot water, refrigerator). So before I accuse them I wanted to see what this group thinks and if that is true. I feel totally taken advantage of by them.
They have been gone since the day before the light bill came out and living in a tent. Their camper is still here, but they didn’t want to pay the 400 and knew I was going to shut the breaker off when I saw the bill. Also, of note, they didn’t rake, and I have 6 maple trees, so all the grass under them was smothered. I’m sure the area where the camper is will be a disaster, too. He mowed the fenced in area (about 25% of the lawn) once all summer and a week later another 25% out front. I ended up having to hire someone to do it. Only thing they managed was getting someone to plow the driveway so they could get out.
Yeah, you need to be done giving them the benefit of the doubt. Ask them to leave. You might have to evict them with the Sheriff though. Get legal advice before telling them to leave.
Well, they kept insisting there was no way they were using that much electricity. I really want to know if it’s true that if they were plugged in that the heater, hot water, and fridge would run off electric. How many kilowatts a day can an RV use? I mean it was sometimes more than double what the house was using the year before.
I have a kwh meter on my trailer. The heaters use as much power as an air conditioner. 1 heater = 1 ac at about 11 amps and 1300 watts.
Conservatively I used about $4 aday this summer at .15c kwh. About $120 a month on one ac unit. Two, or 3 heaters plus everything else they easily used double that.
Start the process to title the abandoned 5th wheel and sell it for the difference in what they owe you.
I have a 42′ fifth wheel with two ACs. I’m in the New Mexico desert where it’s been over 90°-100° for the past couple of months. My electric bill (not part of my monthly rate) is around $225 a month. 16.75¢ per kwh. And I usually have the thermostat set between 70°-72°. I also have Reflectix on all of my large windows to give me some more insulation which helps a lot too.
I'm interested in getting this old RV for short trips into the nearby forest roads on weekends with my family. The camp spots I am interested in are close so I won't be too worried about the bad gas milage. It looks good inside. When I came for a test drive the steering was a little sloppy and the generator did not start. So I think I'll ask for $2k off the asking price to get those fixed.
One downside is that I'd be buckling child seats into the side facing sofa. But only on low speed rural back roads.
Decent price for a class C in good condition. 120K miles over a 24 year period is far from excessive. A steering stabilizer will cost you about a grand, installed. I’d go for it.
The fit and finishes on this old girl are light-years better than modern class c/b motorhomes. For example, you have solid wood cabinetry, not laminate over particleboard. The only thing I would be concerned about is the occasional tendency of pre-2002 V-10s to pop spark plugs out! Apparently the threads are too short in the cylinder head. Strangely, it is a simple fix. Beyond that, the V-10 is a beast that could easily take you,another 120K miles.
A Roadmaster Reflex steering stabilizer is about $400 from etrailer and takes less than an hour to install. I installed one on my 2004.
Thats quite a few miles for an RV, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. They tend to do worse when they just sit and everything dries out or rots due to roof leaks. I dont see any obvious leaks in the video so thats good.
I had a very similar layout and type but it was a 25′. The nice advantage of them is that you can still drive them into any parking lot and use any double length parking stall without much hassle, so picking up groceries and such is quite easy. Also small and easy enough to drive that the wife didnt mind doing some of that.
If there are only 2 adults and a child Id do it. Its a bit small for any more than that as you’ll be tripping over each other trying to pass in the narrow aisle but for weekend trips to the woods it looks like a good unit.
Not sure why the generator is listed as newer but wouldn’t start. Hmm. Hopefully nothing major.
The lack of leveling jacks could be annoying. Sometimes you want to level but often its just nice to have the unit stable, especially in a wind storm when it starts rocking.
The walkaround bed isn’t really a walkaround. Not sure why they put it sideways but you wont normally want to squeeze into that tiny aisle at the base of the bed with the wall that close. Its more of a “jump over your partner” bed. But its camping, so thats not necessarily a bad thing either 🙂
Just outside of Asheville there is a road that leads up to the Blue Ridge Parkway called Pisgah Hwy. Check out Sliding Rock(a natural slide you can slide down) , Looking glass Falls, and a ton of trails are on that road.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is amazing also. I go there all the time and I can still spend days exploring it every time.
Showalter’s Orchard in Timberville, VA is close to your route, and it’s peach season if you’re into picking your own fruit. They have apples as well. We stayed there with Harvest Hosts and it was a beautiful spot up in the mountains, and really good hard cider.
Sandstone Falls at NRGNP it’s not to far off 64, give yourself about an hour to explore the area, make sure to get off the boardwalk to get the best views of the falls.
Stop in Abingdon/Damascus and check out the Virginia Creeper trail. You rent bikes in town and they take you to the top of the trail head and you just coast back downhill to where you rented the bikes from. Very easy cruise on a paved trail through the mountains and farmland it really is beautiful and worth the trip. 2.5-3 hrs
This seems like a really good way to get a load of buckshot to the face. A barking dog isn’t justification to B&E into someone else’s property. The proper response, if you were actually concerned, would be to call the police, alert the camp/park’s owner/manager, or both.
This does not look ANYTHING like a dog in distress. Laying down calmly, not panting, soft facial expression. There is no urine or feces in or around the crate. The dog is at a healthy weight. The dog has not caused any self-injury trying to break out of the crate.
I bought this Shirflo city mains water inlet as a pressure reducer to my caravan. The 2 I’ve got have the same issue, namely they leak at the entry point.
It doesn’t seem like there is a way to tighten the initial white part that spins to grab the hose adapter.
The rest of the unit is fine, and flowing water through the 2 outlets. Am I doing something wrong? This is the second unit that has the same problem.
I could be wrong…but I think it needs back pressure to tighten the exterior fixture. So when you test it as you are, there’s no way the exterior fitting can pressurize and self seal.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what the little port to the outside is for? The valve limits the pressure going into the RV and the excess water/pressure is shunted to the outside.
What’s the PSI at the garden hose and what is the inlet PSI rating?
I have not had good luck with pressure regulators. They almost always make the water flow to slow, no matter how I have it adjusted. I just run straight hose pressure now. I only use a flow regulator if I get somewhere that has super duper pressure, shoots the water across the site from the faucet which has only happened one time.
While waiting to hook up frac tanks, I saw a guy service a portajohn. No gloves. After he serviced it he went to his lunchbox to get a sandwich. No hand washing in between. His fingers were just sinking into the soft, white wonder bread. That nasty motherfucker still lives in my head, rent free.
Recently finished the interior of my ‘97 Toyota Camroad! For those curious, here is the entire inside including bathroom view.
And for those wondering, it is imported from Japan, is right-hand drive and only 16 ft long! I found this gem on Facebook Marketplace and couldn’t pass it up considering how rare they are in the USA 🙂 this is my first camper and I’m very excited for the adventures to come!
So how do you legally register a foreign vehicle with the steering wheel on the opposite side here in the States? What was the process in your State? I am told this can only be done on vehicles older than 25 years.
Super nice and clean. I would love to own one, unfortunately im too tall, lolol. I’m very curious how does it handle going uphill ? I know those camroad have a 2.8 diesel. How does it hold up?
My daughter had a pineapple shaped plastic drink cup thing from a slushie place and my wife told her to put it outside on the picnic table, not inside the camper. I said, “you sure you want a pineapple outside the camper??” – she immediately called out to my daughter to bring it inside now! ????????
I vaguely recall this is actually a theater production set from Amsterdam. The oldest pic I can find is from 2006 on Flickr which mentions Amsterdam. Don’t have much more info.
I've got water and power but getting the run around on putting a permanent sewer system at my property in time for this years hunt. I've discovered that these portable tanks exist that sit under you trailer. A 400gal one will more than handle my black tank deposits for the season. Anyone have experience using one? Pros and cons?
Make sure you put a valve on the discharge before you start filling it. Don’t want to unscrew that cap and try to attach a hose when it’s full. As long as you can empty it, should work fine. If it freezes in your area you probably want to insulate it. Cover it with old blankets would help.
Be aware some counties require permits and inspections for these. They are most often used at building sites for crew facilities. The fines for non-compliance can be severe.
There’s quite a few where we have our seasonal parked. If they’re installed correctly they work like a champ. Incorrectly and you have my dipshit neighbor who tries to make his shit go uphill.
Sounds like your use case would do well. Just call a septic pumper to suck it out every so often.
Edit: these are intended to be buried part ways underground beneath the camper.
you need to run the vent way up so the smell doesn’t surround your rig
once it’s full, you’re relying on a poo pump truck to empty it, no good back up plan
you’ll have to heat it in the winter
it’s gonna smell terrible regardless
What we ended up doing:
piped a line about 30’ away to assist with grey dump to ground.
held black for about a week then dumped to a transfer tank, picked the tank up with the tractor and took it to our septic field and dumped it. (I understand that may not be an option but you might have a neighbor or something).
What type of land are we talking about here? Is there an outhouse? We have 10 acres of land we leave our unit on (put in a septic tank, though), but one of our neighbours just hauls to his outhouse with one of the usual wheeled tanks to dump the black tanks.
We have a rear living that had a couch in the very back. It was terribly uncomfortable as a couch, the jackknife bed was miserable, and I wanted a desk. So we put the couch in storage, installed an electric lifting desk and are about to get a Cordaroy beanbag/mattress (look it up, they’re crazy).
Taking furniture out I think is great but not returning to stock can make it hard to sell.
We did. We got rid of the dinette set and replaced it with a reclining sofa.
We also got rid of our jackknife couch and replaced with a second refrigerator and a chest of drawers for food storage.
2 1/2 years full-time, and it was the best thing we did to our RV.
Yep, within the first 6 months I learned how much I hated the built in couch (and dinette). Ripped them both out, put in very nice flooring (since the original flooring didn’t go under them) and added a nice residential sofa and setup a better desk / table & chair combo.
100% recommend
Just measure your door opening before buying the couch.
I bought a solid, 6-1/4″ rise tongue for my slammed C10, so i could tow my car trailer. Not once did i even think about using that multi-piece type of system.
Consult the manufacturer of your WDH. Some absolutely do allow an install like this; despite what others are saying. However, use bolts instead of those quick release pins. And make sure your shank is one from the WDH manufacturer.
If it were me I’d upgrade to an Equalizer hitch which is considerably more substantial, and get their extended shank and flip it up. The “leverage” is exactly the same whether it’s pointed down or up, and Equalizer approves of such an install. Then the hitch head will be securely bolted to the shank. The issue with play you’re having is the use of those quick release pins to attach the head to the shank.
Oh I want this for our Jeep. We have this fabulous, built to play, but still pretty Jeep being towed behind our old class C. It definitely looks like it’s stuck pushing the old thing up the hill
You can found cheaper, also you can buy separately.. the only one I can’t recommended is the slide out.. make our slide out squeek like crazy.. I seriously thought I broke something, until I put some star brite “recommended by the dealer”.. the squeek stop right away.. the trailer hitch and windows lubricant are working fine..
These lubricants aren’t magical proprietary chemical concoctions. It’s mostly marketing (which can be help and definitely serve a purpose). But if you’re savvy, just look up what kind of lubricant each of those is and you can buy cheaper options.
I prefer the WD-40 brand of lubricants.
Edit: after I typed this I decided to go cross reference these specific products. Wouldn’t you know, they’re literally made by WD-40.
Edit 2: The RV Care 3-in-1 Slide Out Silicone Spray SDS is identical to the WD-40 Long Lasting Silicone Spray and they’re the same price locally at wally world. Well, my price theory is debunked, but at least I was already using the “right stuff” ????
I have looked at this campground a few times over the years since we have family in the area, hoping they change this policy. I have never hear of a place that doesn't allow slide-outs. The majority of modern campers and RVs I see today have some form of bump-out.
There are so many guesses here, all unfounded. If somebody asks a question looking for information, don’t give them false info. Here’s the real story:
For years, the the spots in this RV park have been individually owned. There is a separate company that owns the rental rights. Owners can stay there with any RV they want. In the past, the rental company allowed any RV to come in. The owners and the rental company split the fee, everyone was happy, guests loved the place.
Then a new owner got the rental rights, and he is a fucking crazy person. He immediately started enforcing an obscure clause in a decades old document to prevent any modern RV from renting there. The owners voted to change the obscure clause, and this guy refused to acknowledge it (claiming it was an illegal vote???) and instead launched three law suits against the owners for all sorts of random bullshit, including the right for them to stay on their own lot, or even the right to use the common road to get to their lot — even though courts have said that staying their full time is allowed and the right of way is clearly a right of way. So Idiot posted an armed guard to stop residents from coming in. (Fortunately the county made that stop).
So now, this idiot is driving away all the business. Sometimes, he’ll accept the reservation and then belligerently tell them to go away when they show up, leaving them with nowhere to go. It is a scorched earth policy.
So what is his game? It goes pretty deep, but basically he’s got friends on the county board, and he is trying to shut down the RV park so he can turn it into a parking lot for his other businesses. His friends on the county board have been helping. He was recently awarded a ferry contract to take passengers to Dafuskie Island, and has totally screwed the pooch on that, too. The boats are not seaworthy, not Coast Guard approved, he can’t handle disabled passengers, the boarding process is not safe, and people have fallen into the water. Google “Dafuskie Ferry Contract Controversy”, dig as deep as you want.
The owners of the RV park want your business. They want the old system back. But this asshole is trying to destroy it for his personal gain. There is also a luxury resort in the picture, but that gets more complicated.
Anyway, there are multiple lawsuits back and forth. The owners are slowly winning, but it has been three years and the reputation of this beautiful resort is ruined. It is truly one of the best RV resorts in the country, and I’ve been to hundreds. But right now, nobody can come there because an immoral asshole is ruining it.
I hope the resort can be restored to its former glory in a few years. The tide is turning against the idiot who is destroying it, but unfortunately it may take a while to get back up to its former self.
Plenty of photos show RVs with slide-outs, but a quick read of their Google reviews kinda show that there was some sort of ownership change 2021-2022 and this new policy is now in place.
It’s Hilton Head – one of the most popular and most pretentious beach destinations in the SE United States. They likely fill up their campground even with these restrictions.
Sounds to me like they’re trying to engineer a way to have only airstreams and motorhomes. The guidance doesn’t say anything about slides on a MH. Just trailers.
My 10 years old panel buttons are not working as they used to. The levels seem to depend on the amount on pressure I put on the buttons. Interestingly, I took the panel off and tried shorting the buttons contacts on the board with a flat screwdriver and it doesn’t seem to make a difference – though the board may be covered with some dielectric conformal coating for protection and to prevent moisture from getting in. Also not sure if the issue is somewhere in the wiring instead.
Is this a known issue? Should I try to resolder new buttons using my resolder station on the panel board or replace the whole thing?
So my wife and I have been out here in our 5th wheel for several days. The tropical storm has just finished up with us, and while the sun is out, the roads have ~6″ of water. We're literally on out own island, in this area of the Campground. Like many campgrounds, the speed limit is 5mph.
So here we are, at 1:30pm, at our dining table, leating sandwiches and looking out the window, when a golf cart approaches the intersection we're next to, and slowly turns left. As soon as there's enough space, some idiot in a Toyota 4Runner just guns the accelerator, speeding by the golf cart, dousing the the guy and wife on the cart. What an asshat!
Fortunately, in an “instant karma” moment, a security golf cart was also approaching the stop sign at the same intersection, and he went after the Toyota.
I don't care enough to stick any of my nasal parts into their business, and don't know what came of the whole thing, but I'll involve myself enough to call that guy a dick.
Isn't the whole point of stressing yourself out, rigging, packing, outfitting, then dragging your RV to a swamp in Virginia Beach – to take it easy and relax?
I’ve always looked at situations like that as free entertainment. I am there to de-stress and I don’t need anybody else’s drama. I have plenty. Grab an adult beverage and chill.
Time to get real about marshmallow preferences – do you like yours lightly kissed by the sun or a full-on charcoal briquette? Personally, I'm a fan of the golden-brown-to-almost-but-not-quite-on-fire range, roughly a 4-6 on the toastiness scale.
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