New trailer - most important upgrades in beginning

First - Thank you for all the advice on buying a trailer. We put our deposit down on a new Jayco 23mbh this weekend. I got a great bottom line price on it thanks to the advice I got here, but any upgrades etc are on my dime.

I had also been looking at the x213 but couldn't get a chance to see one in person so we went with what we could actually see.

The http://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2015-jay-flight/23mbh/23mbh is a bit longer than I wanted and storage is tight as the Murphy bed eats up most of the front outside storage space. I'm ordering a camper shell for my truck to give us some additional storage. The kids really like the 23mbh though. The bunks are full length and can hold 300 lb apiece, so it should be useful as the kids hit high school. I think the 2nd door will help a lot with traffic flow and it feels bigger than it actually is with the dinette slide and murphy bed.

My problem is that I need to give them a list of any upgrades/changes tomorrow. I bought it from a small dealer and his primary RV mechanic is going to be away for a few months beginning in June. He told me any necessary warranty issues that interfere with use of the trailer would be dealt with promptly this summer, but any cosmetic/upgrades/customizations that I don't get requested tomorrow will have to wait until his primary mechanic is back this fall. If parts don't come in before June then it will have to wait as well.

I'm going to get a black tank flush added and am ordering cabinet doors to install under the bunks to better access a storage area. I was planning on getting a Fantastic fan installed, but the dealer suggested that I try the trailer without it this summer (we will be in Colorado/Montana/Wyoming etc this summer) and then get it if I still think I need it this fall. It has Towmaxx tires on it and I'm wondering if I should invest in a tire pressure monitoring system or would it be just a good to get an IR temperature reader and a good pressure gauge?

Any other things I should get the dealer to install before we take it out for a couple of months? Will I really regret not getting the Fantastic fan installed now?

Chandalen
Explorer
Jun 02, 2015
Upgrades... hmm... the list could be huge!!

In no real order::

*Find out if pin #4 on your light hitch has 12v applied all the time, or only when the TV is on. This is the constant 12v line that may or may not be pluged in on your tow vehicle. The last time I went camping our neighbors stayed plugged into theit TV. In the morning their TV battery was dead (their RV battery was bad and drained the TV) FORD has an automatic relay to turn this off when the truck is off

*LED lights vs the standard bulb type. The power savings is WAY more than you would think.
*Second battery
*Solar
*Golf Cart (6v) batteries (must be in pairs)
*PSW inverter to run 120v items off your new Solar panels you just bought
*Fridge fan The inside the fridge fans are cheaper, but I have found the solar fridge exhaust type, or behind the fridge type work MUCH better.
*Awning secure latches (assuming the awning does not have a built in cover) These gems will stop a random awning unfurling while driving in heavy winds.
*12v plugs in sleeping areas. These are AMAZING because everyone has a 12v plug for their cell phones.. this allows easy charging w/o an inverter
*A PURE SINE WAVE inverter, this is NOT an inverter that is usually available for sale at WalMart, or normal retailers. It will say PSW or TrueSine, on it.
*Rear hitch recepticle (non weight bearing) to put the new flagpole and Texas flag on.(or Chive flag, both are equally acceptable)

Again.. could keep on going!
jareddustin
Explorer
Jun 02, 2015
power tongue jack is a must if you are running with weight distribution hitch, i did 3 trips with our toy hauler cranking up and down and i bought one off amazon, it is so simple to install only three bolts and a wire that hooks up to the battery, you will love it.
BubbaChris
Explorer
May 27, 2015
x2 on the Maxxair vent covers. Really valuable to be able to keep the vents open during the rain while stuck inside the TT.

We use our Fan-Tastic Fan on almost every trip. We opted for the version with the manual controls on the fan (no remote, no thermostat) and that works fine for us.

Power tongue jack would be next on my dealer-installed mods.

Actually in our case we found a mobile RV tech to do most of that type of stuff (but our TT was pre-owned)
Allworth
Explorer II
May 26, 2015
We can't know just how "handy" you consider yourself, but if you can take care of simple maintenance around the house, then you can make most "upgrades" yourself at about a quarter of the cost of having a dealer do it.

Adding a Fantastic Fan is probably a dealer job since it involves water seal at a roof penetration, but most other things are simple jobs, Adding towel rods, coat hooks, sliding baskets in a pantry, night lights at floor level, sewer hose carrier, hooks and brackets in the storage areas. All easily doable as DIY projects and you gain the advantage of knowing how it was assembled.

You will have to get creative at times because of the type of wall construction used in RVs but a little thought will produce solutions.

I like the idea of writing things down and not making a revision until the "want" has appeared three times on the list.

In the mean time, have fun out there.

PS: A good credit card and a nearby Lowes or Wal-Mart go a long way toward solving most things you run into.

PPS: Driveway camping for a couple of weekends will identify most of the things that need immediate attention. A lot more convenient than finding out about something while at Big Bend or Fort Davis.
4X4Dodger
Explorer II
May 26, 2015
I would not get anything now. First I would use it to see what is truly useful and not. I definitely would not rush in to new tires it is totally unnecessary. You will probably not use it during the winter and that will be plenty of time for the upgrades you really want and need.

The best advice is to do a very very thorough inspection with the dealer and this should take hours not minutes.

In the RV ownership game it's very easy to let yourself be convinced to buy and do a lot of things that are costly and totally unnecessary. Especially on this site. Take a step back. Patience is your best friend in this kind of stuff. Mods I thought at one time were very desirable have over time faded to unimportance the more I use the vehicle and I find what is truly needed.
westend
Explorer
May 26, 2015
Handheld multimeter for diagnosing any electrical problems. A couple of shore power cord adaptors to connect to 50 amp and standard 15 amp receptacles. A roll of Eternabond tape for emergency water problems. Spare tire carrier? Tools.

I'd probably install a sewer hose holder immediately, too. The 5" fence post cover makes sewer hose storage very easy.

Happy camping!
lantanatx
Explorer
May 26, 2015
Lots of miles! We will be going from far South Texas to Glacier and Yellowstone for about a month this summer and shorter trips in Texas to Big Bend and NE Texas during the year. Next year I'm hoping to be on the road for 6 weeks in the summer. Some close trips for fishing but we bought this to escape the heat and see the couuntry.
lantanatx
Explorer
May 26, 2015
Comes with LED lighting so that is covered. I went back and forth on the batteries with him. That was when he dropped the price below even the REdirect price, but with me paying out of pocket for any upgrades. I'm going to take the standard 12v he puts on them and see how that does this summer. I figure switching to 2 6v BC batteries is a mod I can do and it would be useful to see exactly what our energy needs are first...and if I screw up and ruin the battery by draining it too far it will be one I didn't pay for.
Muddydogs
Explorer
May 26, 2015
How far are you towing the trailer to go camp? TPMS and a temp gauge are not really needed especially for short trips. Keep your wheel bearings packed and tire pressures right and you won't have a problem. People tow 1000's of miles a year without TPMS or checking their wheel temps, heck most don't check their tire pressure or pack there wheel bearing every year or two. You have to remember that most guys that post to forums like this are hard core trailer dudes and the trailer is there hobbie and they like to play with there hobbie hinc all the extra stuff. Use your rig and decide for yourself what you need and don't need.

Kind of funny if someone brings up nitrogen in the tires they are run off the forum but the same guys turn around and tell ya to get a TPMS system. Well I don't have the pressure fluctuations that air does with nitrogen so I am not always messing with air pressure in my truck or trailer when I go from 60 degree weather to 100 degree weather. My findings are the TPMS system will drive you crazy unless you have nitrogen in your tires and even then my TPMS system has been known to tell me I have a flat tire one minute then telling me the tire is fine the next so a good pressure gauge is a good idea.
time2roll
Nomad
May 26, 2015
Wait until you need/want something three times before spending money.