B+ motorhomes

HI. This is my first post. I read the entire posting today. My husband and I have looked about 5 years for the perfect small motorhome and just purchased a 2003 Trail-Lite B+ 225 with a Ford V-10 Chassis. We have never even slept one night in a motorhome but are not totally ignorant, as we have some close friends who have full-timed it 2x and have given us good advice. We also bought from a very reputable dealer who has been in business 35+ years (actually 70+ years selling Fords). We were assured we could take this on w/o too much difficulty. We decided to buy new so we wouldn't have problems. Now, I'm wondering if we did the right thing. We go April 11th to pick up our RV and we have a half day training session at the dealer's. We go through the RV with an inventory check list. Does anyone have any advice to offer us before we drive it away (specific questions for the dealer, certain things to make sure and check)? Thanks. Judy

Great report!

Glad to hear you pretty well have your rig "up to snuff".

Enjoy ! ! !

Gee Tara, if I had read your post before I purchased my B+, I wonder if I would have bought one.

And I now consider myself quite fortunate with regard to break-in problems.

Good luck and best wishes for problem-free future travels.

Dear TRAIL-LITERS:

After reading and scanning through the very informative Trail-Lite B+ messages, I thought I'd stick a single woman's 2 cents in, in the hopes that my experiences will help others.

I purchased a 2002 model (no slideout) in July 2001. I average 13 to 15 mpg. I drive 68 to 70 mph on the interstates (Chevy told me not to go over 70 with ANY van-type vehicle). I work full time, so I have "only" been able to drive my Trail-Lite 13,000 miles since I bought it....

The first thing I did was have the sofa bed converted to a twin-size, permanent bed, keeping the storage area beneath the bed intact. (I had this done at a private shop, not the RV dealer.)

The wheel covers that came with my Trail-Lite had to be removed everytime I wanted to check tire pressure. Ridiculous! So the second thing I did was replace the wheel covers and add valve stem extenders on ALL FOUR of the back tires.

I purchased a DFS 7-year extended warranty for $1200 from the dealer (I negotiated the price down from $1800).

After almost 2 years, I am very happy with my Trail-Lite B+. I had two previous, very top-heavy camper vans, and the Trail-Lite is BY FAR the best way to go.

Most of the problems with the chassis and the coach occured within the first 15 months. I won't tell you how frustrated I was during this lengthy break-in period.

Here's a summary of what went wrong the first 12 to 15 months:

CHEVY CHASSIS:
(1) Power steering fluid leaked (Chevy replaced gear box).
(2) Wheels terribly misaligned. (Chevy will realign the wheels if you bring it in before it is 6 months old.)
(3) "Service engine soon" light came on(sometimes steady, sometimes blinking) on four occasions.
(4) Engine bounced and coughed at startup (on two occasions)(reason for the blinking engine light). After 2 weeks in shop, Chevy fixed problem with guidance from GM's tech support by increasing air gap between crank shaft reluctor and crank sensor, using a factory-built part that contained a shim. Do I understand this? Heck no, but whatever they did, worked!

TRAIL-LITE B+
(1) Sewer hose storage compartment end cap not glued on, so hose went out other end and onto parking lot. This happened during the dealer's walk-through.
(2) Bathroom skylight cracked in two corners. After it was replaced, bathroom leaked like a sieve when it rained because skylight hadn't been sealed properly when reinstalled. Rainwater worked its way in from there to bathroom light fixture, then out onto floor. Rainwater staining on upholstery by ceiling had to be dry-cleaned.
(3) Dinette table wouldn't fit into tracks for bed conversion. Table had not been mounted properly.
(4) Wallpaper trim peeled off behind stove. Discovered that rain was leaking in from outside the coach where stove exhaust fan exits.
(5) Microwave worked its way out of cabinet because screws were inadequate. Replacement screws aren't adequate, either. I'm "making do" for now.
(6) Two big drawers (one under microwave and one under closet) bounced off their tracks, and tracks broke. (A common complaint from owners.)
(7) TV antenna wouldn't turn from the inside. Had to have extra sealant on roof removed.
(8) Entire bathroom installed on a SLIGHT angle so that sink water AND shower water won't totally drain. Dealer talked me into living with this problem, which would have been a major and time-consuming re-do and still might not have solved the problem, depending on my Trail-Lite's floor.
(9) Coach battery did NOT charge when Trail-Lite was driven, and battery disconnect switch could not be turned off (red light was always on). Dealer replaced isolator and battery switch and reconnected wiring, which had been loose and not making contact.
(10) Trim on top of curved ledge that runs along side of kitchen counter (between sink and dinette) popped up. Dealer re-glued, but it hasn't worked. I'll figure something out myself.
(11) Two upholstery buttons missing (one on back of dinnette seat, one on TV wall).
(12) Kitchen window mini-blind wouldn't open - had it replaced.

CONCLUSION: Except for the slightly angled bathroom (which affects the floor and sink drainage), I am now, AT LAST, very happy with my Chevy Trail-Lite B+. I've had it on the interstates, on 2-lane country roads, on dirt roads, in the mountains, and all the way to Canada (I live in New Mexico). This summer I'm planning a 6000-mile trip, besides several weekend camping or fishing trips in state.

Happy Traveling, from Tara

TonyTiger,

Thanks for the advice.

I contacted DOW Chemical regarding the product (Great Stuff Ployurethane Foam) and was told that the product doesn't contain formaldehyde and would be safe for use in an enclosed living space (rv). However, the product and its fumes are highly flammable during dispensing.

In addition, some discussion was had regarding the application of the 'expanding' foam and the possibility of the foam bowing the panels outward. They suggested applying weight to the upper panel and upward presure to the bottom panel and apply the product slowly to allow it to expand properly in the direction of least resistance.

That said; I'm seriously considering 'Plan B'. Measure, Cut and Place 1/4" Plywood bottom panels (floors) into the cabnets (on top of the existing). This may be a better approach.

Be careful and do some research. Most "expanding foam" sold in home supply stores uses formaldehyde and releases that as a gas. It is usually used for outside work. Of course, most of our toilet products use something much the same, but that is vented to the outside.
Is it possible to insert toggle bolts from the sides? The expanding action of the toggle might add support to the top and bottom of the cabinet surface.

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

Greetings from
Captain Joseph L. Naselli

Tony, The TV is operated on 110Volts unless you have purchased an inverter (12v to 110v). The main 110 volt panel located under the sink, brown in color, is control to the 110 Volt TV, and also the 110 Volt converter which changes 110v to 12volts, has that been tripped??? If so, you will not get any battery charging. The use - store control by the doorway is only for 12 volts.

Interesting comment. The Captain's advice is quite helpful. Plusit, I'm having a Trail Lite problem where the battery does not charge when connected to Shoreline power. In fact, I can turn the Store/Use switch to store while connected. When I do this, the coach is dark but I can run the TV! My 235S is in the dealer again today to try to figure out what is miswired. Any of you "elec techs" have any ideas??

Capt.,

Many thanks, again, for the pertinent battery info—it clears up my nagging muddle. I noticed that when the unit's power cord is plugged in, the disconnect "Use" light is always on and can't be turned off.

With regard to the electrical schematic, if it comes with the unit, then I must have it with my paperwork—but at this point I don't need it.

Regarding the second battery, I'm lost without pictures and I just can't picture it in my mind with words.

I'll read your instructions again in front of the house battery compartment.