B+ motorhomes
I just bought a Trail Lite B+ 211s with 8.1 Chevy engine. This is my fifth motorhome (others range from an old 20' Vagabond, and three Winnegagos, from 19 to 32'. This vehicle is fantastic. I am...
Forum Discussion
To All,
Thanks for all of the useful information regarding the 211. Not wanting to eat the initial drive-off depreciation of a new unit, I decided to locate and purchase a 'near-new' used 211.
Using this thread as a checklist of things to look for in a used unit, I was able to quickly inspect a 2002 211 before making a final purchasing decision.
Practically every problem reported was detected and is being repaired or replaced by the dealer (the unit is still under mfg warranty). I opted for the extended warranty coverage 6yrs/80,000). May be the best $1900 I ever spent.
Most, if not all, of the Drawer Rails were loose or broken. Which would have been odd because the unit appeared well taken care of. No, this a 211 issue ... poor choice of railing mechanisms.
The Spare Tire is gone. So I wonder if it had been bumped loose along the way and is alongside one of our highways. Dealer will mount a new spare and ensure the mounting hardware works or is repaired.
The end caps on the sofa decided that being attached to the frame was too much to bear. Go figure. Dealer will repair (rebolt) them.
The GenSet wasn't pretty, oil everywhere. Dealer to Service and Cleanup the Gen.
The Awning has a tear (perhaps the unit parked a little too close to a tree). The Dealer is replacing the canvas.
I guess the rule here is, when purchasing used, purchase one from a qualified service dealer while the unit is still under warranty.
This unit has 16k miles and is mounted on the Ford 460 chassis (That's more than fine, I'm partial to the 460 engine anyway).
Also, regarding the +/- 1" lean to Left or Right, the previous owner had air-shocks installed. Which I'm going to assume was done to correct that problem. The air-shock system controls and meters are located on the left-side bottom of the driver seat. The system was professionally installed with both mfg & installer plates. At first, I was shocked by the presence of the apparatus on the left side of the drivers seat., but consider it an additional + to this B+.
I noted that the inner cabnet bottoms are rather flimsy and bow downward at the slightest touch. Likewise, the exterier bottoms of the cabnets bow upward. This leaves me to believe that these are constructed of 1/8" ply with about 1" of air in between the inner and outer surfaces. A couple 1x1/2" cross members should have been used there to support the inner bottoms. I doubt that the tail of the unit would drag with the additional weight of those. Post-Manufacturing of the cabnets doesn't appear to provide us with a means to incorporate the cross-members now. So, I'm thinking of replacing the 'air' with injection foam, by drilling two small holes at each end of the cabnet. One end for injection and the other to allow the air to escape and the foam to fill the void. When set, the hardened foam should (inconjunction with the upper & lower panels) form a more solid bottom for the cabnets. I'll post the results of this experiment when I give it a try.
The Dealer just called to let me know that the unit will be ready in 7-10 days. Had to order replacement awning material. Fine by me!
Have a good day...
Ken
Thanks for all of the useful information regarding the 211. Not wanting to eat the initial drive-off depreciation of a new unit, I decided to locate and purchase a 'near-new' used 211.
Using this thread as a checklist of things to look for in a used unit, I was able to quickly inspect a 2002 211 before making a final purchasing decision.
Practically every problem reported was detected and is being repaired or replaced by the dealer (the unit is still under mfg warranty). I opted for the extended warranty coverage 6yrs/80,000). May be the best $1900 I ever spent.
Most, if not all, of the Drawer Rails were loose or broken. Which would have been odd because the unit appeared well taken care of. No, this a 211 issue ... poor choice of railing mechanisms.
The Spare Tire is gone. So I wonder if it had been bumped loose along the way and is alongside one of our highways. Dealer will mount a new spare and ensure the mounting hardware works or is repaired.
The end caps on the sofa decided that being attached to the frame was too much to bear. Go figure. Dealer will repair (rebolt) them.
The GenSet wasn't pretty, oil everywhere. Dealer to Service and Cleanup the Gen.
The Awning has a tear (perhaps the unit parked a little too close to a tree). The Dealer is replacing the canvas.
I guess the rule here is, when purchasing used, purchase one from a qualified service dealer while the unit is still under warranty.
This unit has 16k miles and is mounted on the Ford 460 chassis (That's more than fine, I'm partial to the 460 engine anyway).
Also, regarding the +/- 1" lean to Left or Right, the previous owner had air-shocks installed. Which I'm going to assume was done to correct that problem. The air-shock system controls and meters are located on the left-side bottom of the driver seat. The system was professionally installed with both mfg & installer plates. At first, I was shocked by the presence of the apparatus on the left side of the drivers seat., but consider it an additional + to this B+.
I noted that the inner cabnet bottoms are rather flimsy and bow downward at the slightest touch. Likewise, the exterier bottoms of the cabnets bow upward. This leaves me to believe that these are constructed of 1/8" ply with about 1" of air in between the inner and outer surfaces. A couple 1x1/2" cross members should have been used there to support the inner bottoms. I doubt that the tail of the unit would drag with the additional weight of those. Post-Manufacturing of the cabnets doesn't appear to provide us with a means to incorporate the cross-members now. So, I'm thinking of replacing the 'air' with injection foam, by drilling two small holes at each end of the cabnet. One end for injection and the other to allow the air to escape and the foam to fill the void. When set, the hardened foam should (inconjunction with the upper & lower panels) form a more solid bottom for the cabnets. I'll post the results of this experiment when I give it a try.
The Dealer just called to let me know that the unit will be ready in 7-10 days. Had to order replacement awning material. Fine by me!
Have a good day...
Ken
