The all encompassing RV thread

[utee94 15,722]

1 hour ago, troph said:

Meeting my lady friends parents in a few weeks - they are bringing their motor home and meeting us on mustang island at one of the local parks. My kids are coming too. He’s a huge Aggie and retired Col in the Marines. Worked at the pentagon for the last couple of decades of his career. Should be fun and interesting. We’ve got fishing planned on a Friday and football and a shrimp/crab boil planned for Saturday - her dad’s favorite thing to do on a Saturday. I mean I can’t argue, watching football all day with the beach in front of us and a cold beer in our hands sounds devine. Colorado boondocking was hella fun but I’m stoked about camping the Texas coast with full hookups and making it a CFB weekend.

We'll be in Port A on Columbus Day weekend/TX-OU.  I'm bringing our outdoor TV setup including the projector for any night games we might want to watch.

[Knoxtnhorn 5,908]

How are y'all handling your tv viewing needs at various sites?

We've got YouTubeTV, so we're good as long as we've got a connection.  I know with satellite you're set, regardless of location.  Just curious how hit or miss wifi or hot spot accessibility is.   

[troph 24,028]

We are debating getting dish network they have an RV plan you can pause anytime. Or maybe that’s directTV. Also willing to stream on a roku to with cellular hotspot if it would work. Her folks have sat tv too so this trip we are good worst case. I want the RV plan tho.

[utee94 15,722]

51 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

How are y'all handling your tv viewing needs at various sites?

We've got YouTubeTV, so we're good as long as we've got a connection.  I know with satellite you're set, regardless of location.  Just curious how hit or miss wifi or hot spot accessibility is.   

 

46 minutes ago, troph said:

We are debating getting dish network they have an RV plan you can pause anytime. Or maybe that’s directTV. Also willing to stream on a roku to with cellular hotspot if it would work. Her folks have sat tv too so this trip we are good worst case. I want the RV plan tho.

I've got the Dish tailgater satellite unit, we use it for camping, tailgating, all that jazz.  Like troph said, you can suspend or keep the plan as you like.

Streaming/wifi at some RV parks is good, at some not so good.  State parks and national parks don't typically have much, or any, wifi connectivity.  You can hotspot through your phone,  but if you do that a lot, obviously the data charges add up and it still tends to be intermittent for large data transfers.

We don't really use the TVs all that much when camping, when it's rainy maybe some DVD/Bluray we run, or a nighttime movie on the projector outside.  But for camping during football season or tailgating, we definitely use the Dish tailgater.

 

 

 

[troph 24,028]

Yeah that’s all I want it for too.

[Knoxtnhorn 5,908]

Exactly what we'd be using it for - sports.  We're good on data because we're on an engineer friend's employee plan.  I guess I won't know if I need a booster or whatnot until I hit up a few spots.  95% of our camping will be in and around the Houston-Austin-DFW triangle, so we won't be too far away from civilization.

[utee94 15,722]

Oh, and although you can get satellite dish receivers that mount to your RV, I recommend getting a portable one that can set on the ground, or the roof of your car, or a picnic table, or whatever.   Because sometimes I'm setting up a tailgate party or watch party and my RV is NOT present. 

But definitely get one that is motorized and finds your satellites for you.  I spent way too many hours in the early years of satellite dish based tailgating trying to carefully, manually aim my dual-LNB dish, sitting on a tripod.  

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by utee94

[Knoxtnhorn 5,908]

Thanks.  We're still looking and now will probably wait until the beginning of 2021.  I'm reading too many articles about half-assed assembly.  Demand is so high and the manufacturers got behind due to lock downs.  Supply is also glutted at the moment.  So, we don't want to overpay for something that might not be of quality.  As previously mentioned, I am not very mechanically minded, so the idea of fixing things constantly is not the route I want to go.  Once we do end up buying, I want to be able to watch the occasional sporting event.

[troph 24,028]

Oh, and although you can get satellite dish receivers that mount to your RV, I recommend getting a portable one that can set on the ground, or the roof of your car, or a picnic table, or whatever.   Because sometimes I'm setting up a tailgate party or watch party and my RV is NOT present. 

But definitely get one that is motorized and finds your satellites for you.  I spent way too many hours in the early years of satellite dish based tailgating trying to carefully, manually aim my dual-LNB dish, sitting on a tripod.  

 

 

 

 

We’re going to get this modification tool set so we can mount on the roof but take off easily when we store it. Will probably store it at home on the off chance we want to use it elsewhere without the trailer.

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SDMLZ2/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_rUGzFb0VQY17M

[troph 24,028]

We'll be in Port A on Columbus Day weekend/TX-OU.  I'm bringing our outdoor TV setup including the projector for any night games we might want to watch.

I had the weekends wrong we are there same weekend. On mustang island a few miles down the road.

[davidg 4,015]

Thanks.  We're still looking and now will probably wait until the beginning of 2021.  I'm reading too many articles about half-assed assembly.  Demand is so high and the manufacturers got behind due to lock downs.  Supply is also glutted at the moment.  So, we don't want to overpay for something that might not be of quality.  As previously mentioned, I am not very mechanically minded, so the idea of fixing things constantly is not the route I want to go.  Once we do end up buying, I want to be able to watch the occasional sporting event.

 

 

Here’s the thing on RVs, they are all dogshit. You are basically buying a cheap apartment, then driving it down the road repeatedly to where you sleep, then driving back home. Things will break. They are all built with the same components, use the same fridges, A/Cs, stoves, power converters and axles so any of them can have the same issues with components.

 

What mattered for us was floorplan (we looked at 3 mfrs with the exact floorplan), interior color scheme and the reputation for the mfr in dealing with warranty issues. I consider myself pretty handy and while not a tv repairman, I still have an ultimate set of tools and will dive into just about anything given the time; so sorting out issues with the plumbing, electrical or running gear doesn’t bother me a bit.

 

IMO, you need to be able to fix some stuff or you will find yourself bitching about long service lead times and/or costs. Basic skills would include the ability to inspect your roof and seams, then recaulk as needed, chase down electrical issues with a Volt meter, repair leaking hoses/pex/fittings, and service wheel bearings.

 

We picked up our trailer Aug 6 and have spent 2 long weekends and one night at the dealership in it. Including punch items found during our PDI, we have fixed: several spots on the roof caulk, sealed leaky seams between pieces of the roof gutter, glued and nailed a couple of pieces of trim that came loose and replaced a broken spray port cover. Not really a lot so far so we are fairly satisfied with our purchase.

 

We did notice dripping water from the underbelly after backing into our driveway after our last trip. It could be a leaking hose, etc or it could have be from towing in the rain on that trip. Next weekend I will get the trailer from storage and put it in the driveway and mess with the plumbing to see if I can replicate the issue. If so, I will let the dealer look at it the weekend after at our 60 day service appointment as I really don’t want to deal with taking down the underbelly.

[Knoxtnhorn 5,908]

@davidg Thanks.  I've gotten much better after buying my first home about 6 years ago.  Before that, I never had the need or desire to fix anything.  My deal is that my mind usually makes the repair more difficult than it needs to be.  Well, that, and very little patience.

I get that the reputation of shoddy workmanship will probably still be an issue in a few months.  I guess we're just gun shy between that and the lack of inventory/jacked up prices.  

[utee94 15,722]

I'd expect supply eventually to catch up to demand, and the prices to come down, but probably not until sometime next year.  Leadtime on these is pretty long, and nobody in the entire supply chain could have predicted the huge demand spike, so all the way down to the raw materials level, the supply chain is pretty empty right now.

Beyond that I completely agree with @davidg -- the quality of even the most reputable builders, is going to be pretty low.  Going into it with that expectation, and then being able to manage for yourself, is going to be important.  Service department lead times are lengthy.

For example, I took mine in for warranty service on 9/1.  I made that appointment on 7/24 and it was the earliest they had.  Even so, they just finally took a look at it last week and called me with the itemized list on Friday 9/18.  And one of the parts, an awning arm, will take another week or two to arrive.  I have my next camping trip scheduled for 10/9-10/13 and it should be ready by then, but suffice to say I've got my fingers crossed.  

Sill, I love owning an RV and the memories we've created with and for our children are unbelievable.  They love it, they love camping, they love tailgating, and they beg me for opportunities to use it.  Back when all the state parks were closed a few months back, we pulled it over alongside my house on two different weekends and had our own streetside camping adventures. 

[troph 24,028]

Speaking of memories I can’t wait for Texas OU RVing on the beach to be honest.

[troph 24,028]

Speaking of memories I can’t wait for Texas OU RVing on the beach to be honest.

And to the quality, we bought gently used for this reason. $30k of fun, stuff will break and get used up and I’ll assume we sell it for half that. So be it.

[HOOKEM4 4,949]

I am seriously considering selling our shit jayco and turning the pole barn into barndo if these crazy prices don't come down by January. Hell, might even sell the airstream as well. Could have a 100k to bankroll the new quarters. Shit is just stupid now. Wish I had a motorboat I wanted to sell as well. 

[horn4life 3,749]

The wife and I bought a  2017 Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS back at the beginning of June, and finally made our maiden voyage to Port A this weekend.  Unfortunately due to tide surge they forced us to leave Sunday morning at 10AM.  So a 3 day stay instead of a week. 

IT was frigging awesome for what we want.I got a killer deal for $15K from the most detail oriented owner you can imagine.  AFTER we settled on the $15K price, she discovered that the warranty she was transferring to me has a cash value of over $1400, which I knew she did not know was an option when we settled on price.  I thought that simply her taking the refund and splitting it with me was fair. So I saved another $700, then she gave me a $300 surge protector and a bunch of other stuff she was going to keep for a future trailer, but decided just to give it to us.  You know you made a good deal when the prior owner has every receipt, every manual, and laminated check lists for set up and break down.  I figure I would have spend at least another grand on things that were included like sway hitch and the like!   I did a shit ton of research and got lucky, as I wanted an aluminum frame, and azdel instead of wood for rigidity and less expansion and contraction due to moisture, since the coast is our main go to. I wanted light, sealed underbelly, good insulation and a 15K BTU AC.  This baby checks all the boxes, and with my 3500 watt dual fuel generator beachfront camping on PINS will be green lit before too long.

For us this little trailer was perfect!  Basically a couples trailer and from our spot the beach was maybe 150 yards away, and I could get a little glimpse of the surf from the kitchen window. From the dinette window we could see the big ships coming and going at the jetty.  Ultimately the trip was a success, with my only fuck up, failing to screw down the latches on the propane access cover which blew away on the way back yesterday.  I even managed not to get any shit on myself with the blackwater tank drain and flush.  We are gonna be at Port A most weekdays that have good weather and good tides from now until the end of October.  The tow down was easy but with a ferocious headwind and side winds along with heavy traffic on the return, my portion of the drive on I-37 was a bit unnerving.  I need to make the hitch about an inch and a half higher but other than that the first voyage was perfect.  Our plan is to just rent a spot for a month and zip back and forth to Austin depending on the weather.  

I too will be in Port A for the OU weekend which has been our tradition for right at 20 years now.  Now I just need to figure out how many redfish fillets fit in that freezer!

Edited September 21, 2020 by horn4life

[horn4life 3,749]

19 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

I am seriously considering selling our shit jayco and turning the pole barn into barndo if these crazy prices don't come down by January. Hell, might even sell the airstream as well. Could have a 100k to bankroll the new quarters. Shit is just stupid now. Wish I had a motorboat I wanted to sell as well. 

I just looked online and the same trailer I bought for 1/3 more without all the extra shit I got.  I am telling my friends who are interested in joining us to just wait 18 months, and them buy something manufactured BEFORE March of 2020.  RV construction is notoriously crappy even when put together by the "A team!"  The covid B and C team assembly... I can only imagine what you can't see when the visible quality is shit.  Demand is crazy high but it's only gonna last for so long.  I view RV trailers sort of the way I view, bikes and treadmills, you are crazy to buy new.  But SELLING in this peak demand and buying back in 18 months is probably a financial winner for you!  My Dad said the guy across the street sold a boat with a book value of $4600 for $9200 this weekend.  Boats and RV's are ridiculously priced right now, so get them money while you can if you are a seller!

[utee94 15,722]

Definitely agree on selling now, and buying back in a year or two from now, being a decent way to make some money.  But then I wouldn't have my trailer and wouldn't be having all that fun and making those memories in the interim.  However, I'll probably go ahead and do that on our aging boat that has troubles mounting, I can likely sell it now for a lot more than I will be able to in a year, even with its current "challenges."

As far as quality issues with "COVID-manufactured" trailers, I don't think anyone should worry too much about that.  Even on their best days, the most trustworthy manufacturers still have issues.  You just have to understand the nature of the market, have some basic skills so you needn't rely entirely on the service departments, and have a little bit of a sense of humor about it.

When things fail on the RV, it often turns out to be a funny story when retold over the campfire years later.

When things fail on a boat, on the other hand...

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by utee94

[troph 24,028]

Uh, rules...!! Pics or GTFO.

[JMFP 1,113]

I don't even remember posting the other night, I was up way too late with the Captain...

 

I see the last few post but got talked into buying right now anyway. I'm tired of working on the old one and ready for a new one I guess. We've put our name on the Sabre 36BHQ. We went to our closest Sabre dealer on the 12th and they had one that was supposed to be in this week. I found one in stock about three hours away (which doesn't have near the options as the first one) but was able to get my dealer to match their price. We've got the deal worked out and I've got a refundable deposit on the one coming in, whenever it gets here. I spoke to my salesman this morning and he says that it's still in the factory waiting on a few windows and a water pump? Forest River has run out of parts and is waiting on their vendors for who knows how long. The new one's supposed to have all the packages and a solar panel from the factory...

[TXLNGHRN10 341]

Can some one recommend a good RV site on the middle coast?  Rockport, Sea Drift, Port O'Connor, Matagorda, Sargent  or some where there bouts? 

I'd like to do a week or long weekend sometime next month and possibly Thanksgiving

[troph 24,028]

There is an LCRA park at the mouth of the Colorado that we’ve looked at before. Don’t remember the name. It’s on our short list.

[utee94 15,722]

14 minutes ago, troph said:

There is an LCRA park at the mouth of the Colorado that we’ve looked at before. Don’t remember the name. It’s on our short list.

It's called Matagorda Bay Nature Park, I've stayed there many times and really like it.  It used to be a private RV resort so it has full 3-point hookups.  There's also a decent bathhouse and separate room with clothes-washing machines and driers.

https://www.lcra.org/parks/matagorda-bay-nature-park/

If you want to drive on the beach, you need to buy a permit/sticker in-town, before crossing the causeway and driving out to the park itself.

 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52,118]

Welp, crammed her on the side of the house- tricky because of utility boxes, winterized the plumbing, and disconnected the + battery leads. There she will sit until April or May. 

[JMFP 1,113]

Got the new Sabre today!

[troph 24,028]

Nice ! Interior ?

[JMFP 1,113]

It came with a king bed but we traded it out with our queen mattress from the old trailer. Gave us a few extra sq ft of floor space in the bedroom.

First trip is next weekend to Greenleaf State Park near Gore, OK.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

I sleep with one of these to stay cool -- life changing.  They can also keep you warm.  They are awesome for RVs.  I pack it with me when we go.

 

https://www.chilitechnology.com/products/ooler-sleep-system

[JMFP 1,113]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

I sleep with one of these to stay cool -- life changing.  They can also keep you warm.  They are awesome for RVs.  I pack it with me when we go.

 

https://www.chilitechnology.com/products/ooler-sleep-system

That makes me think of the old school waterbed/heater I had when I was a teenager.

[cabowabo 4,390]

I decided to join the fun and acquired this 2007 Fleetwood Bounder 35E a couple of days ago.
Looking forward to taking it out on its maiden voyage in a couple of weeks and taking my first shit in it.

[Cajun 11,659]

^^Seems methy

 

j/k

[Cajun 11,659]

Remind me to open up gas stations next door to each one of your houses.

[Cajun 11,659]

Until one of you fuckers gets one of these, I am not entertained...

[Pato del Muerto 52,118]

20 hours ago, JMFP said:

It came with a king bed but we traded it out with our queen mattress from the old trailer. Gave us a few extra sq ft of floor space in the bedroom.

First trip is next weekend to Greenleaf State Park near Gore, OK.

What’s the sleeping configuration?  Just the couch on the back end?  I don’t see much else that can change. 

[TwiceHorn 30,851]

On 9/17/2020 at 9:27 PM, Knoxtnhorn said:

Exactly what we'd be using it for - sports.  We're good on data because we're on an engineer friend's employee plan.  I guess I won't know if I need a booster or whatnot until I hit up a few spots.  95% of our camping will be in and around the Houston-Austin-DFW triangle, so we won't be too far away from civilization.

Even at nearby and "in-town" Cedar Hill SP, cellular service is very hit or miss, more miss.  Haven't been in a few years, so that may have changed.  But it is possible apparently for cell companies to "isolate" an area they don't think will require much use, even if surrounded by areas that do.

[TwiceHorn 30,851]

1 hour ago, cabowabo said:

I decided to join the fun and acquired this 2007 Fleetwood Bounder 35E a couple of days ago.
Looking forward to taking it out on its maiden voyage in a couple of weeks and taking my first shit in it.

As I guess you are our first motorhome (Class A?) participant, will be interesting to see what's up.

Looks like it's held up well if a little dated.  How many miles?

[utee94 15,722]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

As I guess you are our first motorhome (Class A?) participant, will be interesting to see what's up.

Looks like it's held up well if a little dated.  How many miles?

Well, there was wulaw, for that brief, glorious minute...

[TwiceHorn 30,851]

14 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Well, there was wulaw, for that brief, glorious minute...

Oh yeah, forgot he actually ended up with the motorhome.  The truck "toad" deceived me.

Well, in any event, I suspect Lat22 is going to be a bit more mechanical and able to tell us the pitfalls of a 13 year old coach.

[davidg 4,015]

4 hours ago, cabowabo said:

I decided to join the fun and acquired this 2007 Fleetwood Bounder 35E a couple of days ago.
Looking forward to taking it out on its maiden voyage in a couple of weeks and taking my first shit in it.

Have your purchased a sex tent yet?

[utee94 15,722]

We throw the kids into the tent, and use the RV for that stuff.

[JMFP 1,113]

What’s the sleeping configuration?  Just the couch on the back end?  I don’t see much else that can change. 

Yeah the couch in the back flips out into a full size-ish bed. Then there's the bunk room in the middle with same couch in it. There's a loft above the bunk room that is about the size of a queen size bed. And up front is the main bedroom.

We have three girls: 15, 11, and 4 . The oldest and youngest share the bunk room and middle one gets the loft.

[troph 24,028]

We throw the kids into the tent, and use the RV for that stuff.

That’s doing it right.

[troph 24,028]

Yeah the couch in the back flips out into a full size-ish bed. Then there's the bunk room in the middle with same couch in it. There's a loft above the bunk room that is about the size of a queen size bed. And up front is the main bedroom.

We have three girls: 15, 11, and 4 . The oldest and youngest share the bunk room and middle one gets the loft.

That’s a nice set up.

[cabowabo 4,390]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Oh yeah, forgot he actually ended up with the motorhome.  The truck "toad" deceived me.

Well, in any event, I suspect Lat22 is going to be a bit more mechanical and able to tell us the pitfalls of a 13 year old coach.

Lat22?  I’m Cabowabo bitch. 

Anyway, to answer the question above is has 72k miles on it. It was owned by a retired military guy who took really good care of it. His wife has come down with Alzheimer’s disease and he doesn’t have time to do the upkeep anymore. It is really clean inside and out and has a lot of nice upgrades. Wingard dome satellite dish on the roof, Pioneer stereo with Alpine amplifier and subwoofer that’ll rock the trailer park, relatively new tires, numerous suspension upgrades, snap on covers for the exterior windows, and other shit I’m sure I’m forgetting. Plus, he gave me a lot of accessories...sewer hose, power cords, camp chairs, and numerous parts. He also gave me all the service records.  Seeing all the money he has spent on it made me shit my pants a little.  I got the whole package for under $35k. I was initially looking at Class C”s and looked  at several which were newer and more expensive, and they didn’t look half as good as this one does. When I saw this I decided that I could handle a 36 foot Class A. Next purchase will be a tow dolly so I can haul my sweet as Hyundai Ioniq and take my talents on the road. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by cabowabo

[LebongJames 1,771]

We just sold our 2019 trailer over the last weekend. We had it almost 2 years and we sold it for $4k less than we paid. I felt like that was awesome considering what I have heard about RV depreciation.

[JMFP 1,113]

8 hours ago, troph said:

That’s a nice set up.

Thanks! Our bumper pull was nice but this is another level. My goal is to be in this one for at least 8-10 years and then when it's just us and the youngest I'd like to start looking for a super C.

 

Now I just need to figure out how to tie up my motorcycle to the back of it... It's got a hitch already but it's only rated for 300 lbs. and my bike weighs about 500. We're still planning a trip to Mt. Rushmore sometime and love to be able to take it too and hit some OHV/Jeep trails...

[Knoxtnhorn 5,908]

 Really wish my truck was more powerful.  When I purchased it a few years ago, I had no inkling of ever being in the market for an RV.  We saw one a couple of weeks ago that was 2-story.  There were actual stairs that led to a bunk that overlooked the main seating area on one side.  On the other side, there was a sort of play area/secondary sleep area that was sealed off from the rest of the RV.  Kids would have loved it.  Now, I state all this full-well knowing that towing it would be an absolute nightmare that I'd probably eschew. 

In looking through our finances, we are FAR more capable of making this purchase than I earlier imagined.  The month-to-month cost would be budget neutral due to the amount of money we generally spend on hotels each year.  I thought getting past the down payment, hitch purchase, plus everything else involved in getting an RV would be painful.  Doable, but painful.  Turns out, we're far better off than I thought for this purchase which is making me antsier about doing so.  The idea of sitting next to a lake during the fall and watching a football game with a chill in the air....

[JMFP 1,113]

3 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

 Really wish my truck was more powerful.  When I purchased it a few years ago, I had no inkling of ever being in the market for an RV.  We saw one a couple of weeks ago that was 2-story.  There were actual stairs that led to a bunk that overlooked the main seating area on one side.  On the other side, there was a sort of play area/secondary sleep area that was sealed off from the rest of the RV.  Kids would have loved it.  Now, I state all this full-well knowing that towing it would be an absolute nightmare that I'd probably eschew. 

In looking through our finances, we are FAR more capable of making this purchase than I earlier imagined.  The month-to-month cost would be budget neutral due to the amount of money we generally spend on hotels each year.  I thought getting past the down payment, hitch purchase, plus everything else involved in getting an RV would be painful.  Doable, but painful.  Turns out, we're far better off than I thought for this purchase which is making me antsier about doing so.  The idea of sitting next to a lake during the fall and watching a football game with a chill in the air....

That's kind of where we were too financially speaking.  I just refinanced the mortgage and had paid off another loan so that freed up some monthly budget money and we figured our trade would just depreciate even more if we waited til next year. So when the dealer came down on their price to match the other guy we took it.

[Chewbacca 7,629]

7 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

 Really wish my truck was more powerful.  When I purchased it a few years ago, I had no inkling of ever being in the market for an RV.  We saw one a couple of weeks ago that was 2-story.  There were actual stairs that led to a bunk that overlooked the main seating area on one side.  On the other side, there was a sort of play area/secondary sleep area that was sealed off from the rest of the RV.  Kids would have loved it.  Now, I state all this full-well knowing that towing it would be an absolute nightmare that I'd probably eschew. 

In looking through our finances, we are FAR more capable of making this purchase than I earlier imagined.  The month-to-month cost would be budget neutral due to the amount of money we generally spend on hotels each year.  I thought getting past the down payment, hitch purchase, plus everything else involved in getting an RV would be painful.  Doable, but painful.  Turns out, we're far better off than I thought for this purchase which is making me antsier about doing so.  The idea of sitting next to a lake during the fall and watching a football game with a chill in the air....

RE: the bolded, I give it 6 months before you get the "We don't ever go on vacations except for in the RV anymore" talk.  Good luck with that.  I bought a whole second house and still get that shit.