My RV Talk

2010 sunset creek 297 sl

buddym — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:49:15 GMT

I am looking to purchase a 2010 sunybrook sunset creek TRAVEL TRAILER 297sl gel coat sides it was a close out from a dealer 700 miles from my house i guess local dealer warranty work will be out of the question but it sounds like it is anyway. What are your opinions on this camper

Breakaway pull pin needed...

HitchnRun — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:27:38 GMT

Someone came along and pulled the breakaway pin out of the schools shell trailer...
Does anyone have an extra they can part with????
PM me.....
Thanks

Air bag suspension assist

busch2fan — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:30:52 GMT

I've decided to put a set of air bag rear suspension assist on my 2006 F250 diesel.

I have done some initial research and obviously have encountered many brands/makes/models/etc.

I'd like to open this to discussion...
Does anyone have any positive experiences from a product/mfg standpoint?

Pros / Cons to different systems?
Onboard compresser vs. valve stem style?

NOTE - Let's set aside the discussion of getting a bigger truck (won't happen) and the discussion of what one should/shouldn't haul or tow with an F250. I'm putting airbags on the truck... I just need help narrowing down the choices.

Thanks everyone!!

hot battery

muddy princess sara — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:29:14 GMT

Anyone herd of a battery getting so hot it boils water? Just last week David filled the battery up with water. Tonight after doing some work on the tongue jack and hooking it to the battery he noticed the battery was realllllly hot. Added a bit more water to fill it up and 20 mins later goes to check on it and the water is boiling. At this point he's afraid to touch it but all power is shut off to the RV itself. Hopefully one of you guys can give me some ideas to share with him on the cause. Im sure someone will ask, Its the simple battery the camper came with.

Roof air not cooling well

markndeb1970 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:49:39 GMT

I have an 06 Jayco Jay Feather with the standard Coleman Mach series roof air. It doesn't cool well. I have had other TT's with this same air unit and you could hang meat if you cranked it down. I have removed the roof cover and cleaned the core and made sure that the fan was running to full speed and unobstructed. I cleaned the inside filter and blew out the core and have good air flow inside. My dealer is telling me that no one can recharge this unit and I should just buy a new unit. The unit will cool after running for hours and will not keep up during the day. Any suggestions???

Classic cars/trucks

staggerlee — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:12:07 GMT

If anyone is familar with classics would you send me a PM?
Its concerning a 1986 Ford Ranger GT.
Thanks,
Lee

2010 Sunnybrook International Rally

Bkins — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:18:01 GMT

This year the rally is Oct. 4-8 th in Ohio. Anybody going?

Glacier Bay - factory tour

busch2fan — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:39:58 GMT

I thought I would post a quick review of our recent factory tour at Glacier Bay. I will apologize now that I didn't take alot of pictures - I was far too interested in learning and comprehending all the information that was being presented...

First of all, I have never been on a factory tour - thus had no idea what to expect. What I did find though... was an incredibly warm welcome and reception - and basically a complete "open book" to Glacier Bay's build process, design, and strategy.

Stan Imboden (The Transporter) greeted us upon our arrival and immediately took us to the "line". We started with a bare frame... He walked through all design considerations in their frames. Why they are built the way they are. Why they chose one design over another. I learned more about 5'er frames in those 15 minutes than I could have ever imagined.

We then moved to a unit that had the exterior framing in place, fiberglass was on, and was getting interior work. Stan walked us around the entire exterior and interior and was incredibly detailed with his explanations of all design/build components. The passion that he has for his products is obvious - and deservedly so - we were very impressed.

The final unit we walked through was going through final prep work and was expected to roll off the factory floor that afternoon. Again... we worked around and in the unit with a fine tooth comb talking about all aspects of "why" Glacier Bay does something they way they do.

We concluded the tour with about 30 minutes of "talk time" in Stan's office - thanked him immensely for his time - and went on our way.

Now the important part... my take aways / thoughts / reactions...

1. Our host: I could not have been more impressed with Stan's demeaner, openness, patience, and overall approach to explaining his product line to a "5'er rookie". Never once did I feel like I was asking a question that was too basic for him to make sure I understood the answer and was obsolved of any concerns.

2. Design / Layout: The attention to design / functionality / and serviceability of the Glacier Bay units was amazing!! Everywhere we turned there were aspects of the units that had me nodding my head in approval. From the low point drain plumbing layout... to the gate valve T handle placement... to gas struts on storage doors - - everywhere we turned we saw design elements that reflected a commitment to build a 5'er that was "user friendly" - with no compromise in quality.

3. Quality: Overall quality of construction was a surprise! I have watched with great interest Stan's pictures here on forum - and I had some idea of what I would see - and my reaction to it. However, that expectation was balanced with what I have come to expect from the RV industry today. In short... no more. The "fit & finish" of each unit was impressive. I didn't see cabinetry that was thrown in place and speed nailed. I didn't see messy caulk lines. I saw a real pride in workmanship from the line workers at Glacier Bay.

4. Customer experience: This is the real "closer" for me. I enjoy feeling like a person - and I relish the feeling like I am "connected" to the company with which I spend my money. Call it pride, call it brand loyalty, call it whatever you like... companies always say "We need/value our customers" --- but rarely does that statement ever flow through to the actual customer. I felt it at Glacier Bay. I admitted openly to Stan that IF we were to purchase one of his units... it wouldn't be until spring of 2011. That didn't sway his desire to spend time with us at all. One of the main reasons that I purchased a ProPride 3P was (as I told Sean), I felt like I had an open line of communication to him --- and he confirmed that. I got that same feeling from Stan. Each "ask" we had was answered... some to the affirmative... some to say "We won't do that. But to not just say "no", here's why...".

I know alot of people will talk about dealer networks, etc - and I am in no way impuning that business model. However, the Keystone dealer network has provided me with no value-add. From warranty work... to routine maintenance --- all I got was, "You didn't buy it here, we'll be able to work on your unit in four months." I thought that this practice was absurd... but it was supported by Keystone.

That being said... for those with similar experiences, who are looking for a different RV buying experience... I believe Stan's model may indeed be exactly what you are looking for.

After the tour, I sat in Stan's office - ready to begin filling out options paperwork, etc. Needless to say, I was surprised when he said, "Jeff - go home. Take your time. Look at other 5'ers / other mfgs. If you want a Galcier Bay... let's make sure that we get every design element, every feature, every add-on right. Let's take our time with this."

WOW!!

Some will say this is nothing more than a "commercial" for Glacier Bay... though not intended... that may be. I am not saying other mfgs / dealers can't replicate what has thus far been an exceptional process....

I just believe in highlighting companies / experiences that are very positive...

Stan,
Thank you again for your time!! We'll be talking soon... :phone:

Stay away from Taskmaster tires

jwstewar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:32:06 GMT

I purchased my Gatormade utility trailer Janaury 2009. It was an '08 model. It had new Taskmaster tires and wheels on it. I thought I was good to go on this trailer for awhile. We decorated the trailer to be used for a float last this past weekend. As I went to shine the tires, I noticed they were severely weather cracked. To the point that I'm going to have look at replacing them sooner than later. Seeing as how these tires had a build date of 0908 on them, I called Taskmaster. Their response was crap. :Rifle:"Those are 2 year tires, that isn't a manufacturer defect. Because of the extreme weather over the last several years, that is to be expected." Please!!!! I'm in Ohio, we don't get that severe of weather. Especially not in just about a year and a half. I've kept the tires covered most of the time when it isn't in use. I'll be looking at new tires for it, but they won't be Taskmaster tires. I was wanting to replace the Kumho tires on my stock trailer because they are car tires, but guess they won't be getting replaced for awhile now. At least they are in better shape than my "new" trailer tires. I'll have to try to get some pics later.

Thousand Trails membership

kemo — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:28:23 GMT

How does membership work. Do I just buy a membership for $499. an then find a camp that I want to stay at. If I go to Texas for 4 momths what do I expect to pay for staying there. What suprises am I going to get. I see Jim that you use it. After my first 30 days do Ijust pay 3 bucks a night. Almost sounds to good to be true.

Tell me the plus and negatives to something like this. Your experiences.
Thanks
Ken

How Does That Work

JEBar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:17:08 GMT

first of all, I hate it when I have to ask an electrical question ..:rolleyes:.. last weekend as I watched a friend rewire a couple of breakers in our camper's circuit breaker box, a question came to mind .... with our 50 amp wiring one hot wire comes into the box and is attached to a metal plate .... that plate has fittings into which half of the breakers are attached .... the other hot wire comes in and is attached to a similar plate which is connected to the other breakers .... that much I understand ..:).. when we are hooked to 30 amp service which has only one hot wire, is there something in the 30/50 adapter which splits the power from the single hot wire coming out of the CG box and connects it to both hot wires in our 50 amp cord .... if not and only one of the two hot wires coming into our box actually is carrying current, how does the power get to both sets of breakers ....:confused:

Jim

Vornado Heater Source

JEBar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:07:31 GMT

with our pending trip to Texas for the winter, I've decided to give Vornado one more try and purchase another one of their heaters .... we were extremely well pleased with the performance of our last one but its longevity left much to be desired .... have been looking around on the web a bit but my skills in that area are somewhat limited .... anybody know of a reliable source from which they can be purchased at a good price

Jim

Question for JEBar (Jim)

wingnut60 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:25:16 GMT

Jim,
Was told on another forum (IRV2) that Jayco does not advocate the addition of pin box extenders (or would that be extended pin boxes) on some-all-most? of their trailers. Any comments on this?
Joe

Winter in Texas

JEBar — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:57:56 GMT

while camping this past weekend we made the decision to once again travel to Texas and spend most of January, all of February, and early March .... our current plan is to leave NC on Monday Jan. 10th (have to attend our granddaughter's 1st birthday party on the 9th) and head west .... on the way we will spend a couple of days in Asheville visiting my folks and have reserved a site at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe CG for us to arrive on Jan. 16th through Feb. 6th .... on the 6th we plan to go to Thousand Trails Lake Texoma CGwere we will stay until the 27th (by the terms of our membership we can't make that reservation for a few more days) .... we do plan to once again stop in Asheville for another visit .... our recent trip out west verified that recent modifications and improvements to our camper worked well while also exposing the need for some additional mods .... some of those were undertaken this past weekend and others will be taken care of in (hopefully) the not to distant future .... hopefully we will be able to link up with several folks from our forum on this trip

Jim

ECU Hail Mary...

JerzeyJoe — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:26:49 GMT

I watched this game on Sunday... was a real nail biter....

+ YouTube Video
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