Forum Discussion
atreis
Nov 01, 2015Explorer
The things I love:
1. Easy comfortable towing for a family of 5 plus 1 occasional guest.
2. Good gas mileage when not towing, and very reliable tow vehicle.
3. Comfortable place to sleep for a family of 5 plus 1 guest.
4. 340W of solar, and 300 AH of batteries.
5. 12V compressor fridge (replaced OEM Dometic - much more reliable temperature control, only pulls 40W when running).
The things I don't like:
1. Gas mileage when towing. No better than anyone else (and no worse). Wish I could afford a Volvo XC90 hybrid.
2. Floor plan leads to difficulty getting proper TW. I'm constantly putting stuff onto the front bed to try to get it up high enough. (Might move a battery - they're currently under a dinette seat directly above the axle.)
3. Fully loaded the trailer is pretty close to GVWR, and only about 250 lbs under the axle and tire ratings. (They should have used a higher-capacity axle to give more margin, but then they probably didn't think people would stick 300 lbs of batteries and 100 lbs of solar on the trailer. :) )
4. Trailer has attached power cord - pulling it in and out is a pain. Fortunately, it's also something I rarely do (only to run the air).
5. Didn't come plumbed with winterization kit (but did have water heater bypass) - installed one myself. Bizarre thing to not have.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with my new trailer. It has some significant advantages over my old one, but it's not without the usual set of compromises.
1. Easy comfortable towing for a family of 5 plus 1 occasional guest.
2. Good gas mileage when not towing, and very reliable tow vehicle.
3. Comfortable place to sleep for a family of 5 plus 1 guest.
4. 340W of solar, and 300 AH of batteries.
5. 12V compressor fridge (replaced OEM Dometic - much more reliable temperature control, only pulls 40W when running).
The things I don't like:
1. Gas mileage when towing. No better than anyone else (and no worse). Wish I could afford a Volvo XC90 hybrid.
2. Floor plan leads to difficulty getting proper TW. I'm constantly putting stuff onto the front bed to try to get it up high enough. (Might move a battery - they're currently under a dinette seat directly above the axle.)
3. Fully loaded the trailer is pretty close to GVWR, and only about 250 lbs under the axle and tire ratings. (They should have used a higher-capacity axle to give more margin, but then they probably didn't think people would stick 300 lbs of batteries and 100 lbs of solar on the trailer. :) )
4. Trailer has attached power cord - pulling it in and out is a pain. Fortunately, it's also something I rarely do (only to run the air).
5. Didn't come plumbed with winterization kit (but did have water heater bypass) - installed one myself. Bizarre thing to not have.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with my new trailer. It has some significant advantages over my old one, but it's not without the usual set of compromises.
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