pbrooks101 wrote:
Congrats on your purchase! I purchased a 2004 1161 last year for $10,500 which included a 48" class V hitch extension and the unit has the onboard genset. Not sure if the difference in construction from the '04 and previous model years to an '05 is worth that much more but then again, I am not in Alaska!!! I haul with an '06 F350 DRW 6.0 diesel dually with stabilloads and airbags and my tie downs are the Torklift frame mounted type. I think you will like the set up in general. Only change for me is to ditch the POS 6.0! Looking at an F450 with the 6.4 but not convinced that is any better. When I purchased my 1161 I went through it with a fine tooth comb. No slide sag (and still isn't). Skirts in good shape. All caulked places looked in order and no fouls smells or stains. Good luck and happy camping!!
Just got home, ran into some snags but we got her done. First I discovered Lance used some sort of goofy mini 6 pin plug so I had to goto my RV guy and he made me a 7 ft. Lance pigtail adapter (100 bucks) that I plugged into my 5th wheel 7 pin port. Next, his front tiedowns were too short so I was forced into buying the extra long Fastguns to reach my frame mounted tiedowns. Though I can see after installing them these are going to be a worthy purchase. Camper sags a little bit on my stock F350, not much but I noticed it, will look into the stable loads. Drive home took her nice and easy, didn't really feel her at all till I went over some bumps and then I could feel the inertial movement.
I looked over the slide real good, no sagging. We did have one problem tho. Seller had one of those big old tube style tv/dvds on the dinette table when he was driving to my place, and it slid off and smacked into the oven and smashed one of the gas burner cooktop knobs to pieces. It still functions but will have to replace that knob. Standard Dometic RV range, should be no problem. Very happy with the camper, it is so big inside I keep having to remind myself I am inside the box of my truck bed and not a small class C RV. Remarkable!
