R-Vision Trail Lite TCLE-29BHSS

PAThwacker wrote:
Check everything over with a fine tooth comb 6-side vaccuum trailers that leaked are basically scrap Foam floor,sides, and roof is 1/2 inch luan/1inch foam/1/2 inch luan. 30/30/30 tanks, crappy bal Bolt together frame or worse

I already visited it twice before even buying to make sure, but it looks really clean, nothing soft and all the seams and corners are nice and tight and still sealed. Calk work on it is excellent, I give them credit it looks like a well made unit.

Check everything over with a fine tooth comb 6-side vaccuum trailers that leaked are basically scrap Foam floor,sides, and roof is 1/2 inch luan/1inch foam/1/2 inch luan. 30/30/30 tanks, crappy bal Bolt together frame or worse

miltvill wrote:
I sold my TT in my sig in October. It was a great TT the only problem I had was the microwave died after 10 seconds. The dealer replaced it under warranty. Then the manufacture went under. That was a awesome TT. Just make sure you keep up on the maintenance. My TT had every option. The crappy radio died and I replaced it with a better one and I also replace the mattress. The tv also bit the dust and I replaced it with a better tv. A great TT.

Thanks, there's no TV in this one so I'll be buying a new one, and I have a memory foam mattress I'm swapping from my old camper. Hopefully the microwave is fine, the TT has a 30 day warranty from the dealership so I'll be sure to test it out. Ultimately I can deal with a dead microwave anyway, the one I am trading in had a broken microwave for over 2 years and I didn't really care anyway LOL...

Tom

I sold my TT in my sig in October. It was a great TT the only problem I had was the microwave died after 10 seconds. The dealer replaced it under warranty. Then the manufacture went under. That was a awesome TT. Just make sure you keep up on the maintenance. My TT had every option. The crappy radio died and I replaced it with a better one and I also replace the mattress. The tv also bit the dust and I replaced it with a better tv. A great TT.

Well I'm picking up the R-Vision next week, did all the paperwork and whatnot Monday so she's mine, they just need to do their whole dealership prep thing etc. and do the punch list of things I asked for.

Really hoping to enjoy this new camper, the layout is great and the weight is unbelievable. Should be an excellent season!

Tom

d2tw4all wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

d2tw4all wrote:
The R-Vision has a more aerodynamic profile for sure at least when compared to my Starcraft. The front of it is much more tapered etc.

The only trailer design I'm aware of that can be demonstrated to actually flow through the air more efficiently and thus reduce fuel consumption is the "airplane" shaped aluminum style such as the Airstream, everything else is a barn door. Front panel slope makes no difference whatsoever, nor do V-nose shaped trailers which manufacturers also tried to claim would "flow better". It's all advertising hype, along with the claim that an enclosed underbelly will have any meaningful effect at all on towing. It's all gibberish.

This really intrigues me. So you're saying there is no difference between a completely flat front relative to the ground, and a pointed front? This seems to defy common sense at least, so do you have anything to back this assertion up in terms of actual tests done, wind tunnel evidence, etc?

This would mean that any vehicle with a flat front would be no less efficient than one with a tapered front. I guess all those race cars with a sleek tapered nose are just doing it for looks? Just doesn't make sense to me, the more it is tapered the less air resistance it should have...

The problem is the rear end, even if the front is "streamlined" the way the air dumps off of the rear of the flat back creates major drag. That's why you see semi trailers with the aero "duck tails" and air deflectors underneath. If you were to add the duck tail and underskirts then maybe you could measure the difference between a flat and curved front but unless you do it's unlikely you would be able to quantify it.

LVJJJ wrote:
The 2000 30' Trail Lite we had was the easiest towing TT I'd ever had.

Our 2007 C21RBH RVision TrailCruiser didn't tow any differently or better than the 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX that followed it but weighed 1500 lbs more nor did it tow any better than our current Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS which averages ~ 800 lbs more. Mileage figures towing these trailers with 3 different GM 5.3L trucks has always consistently run between 10 to 12 mpg, falling right in line with averages everyone else reports they get while towing any full height trailer. Logic says that any improved towing characteristics significant enough to notice would be reflected in improved mileage returns ... with the exception of designs like Airstream they're not, it is what it is, with the slope of a trailer's front wall having little bearing at all on any trailer's towing characteristics. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. :W

Soundguy, Don't want be disrespectful or start any angry arguments, but until you've towed with my rig you really can't make that statement that its an old wives tail. Since I've towed with a 1965 Chevy Van flat front for many years, I have become an aerodynamic semi-expert. After trying rooftop air deflectors on the old van I discovered that its the shape of the rear of the trailer that makes the most difference. So, whenever I owned one of those stupid flat back trailers (terrible design), I always used a rear air foil at the back of the roof to direct the air off of the roof down the back of the TT to break up the vacuum created by the air flow that is trying to break loose of the trailer. The vacuum actually is pulling you backwards. That always helped a lot, I could really feel the difference when towing with the van because it was very sensitive to air flow.

If I didn't have the aerodynamics right, I could feel the headwinds and rear vacuum pulling me back. Google "flat back vehicles" and you'll find a lot of info how to over come the vacuum. Also, note which end of an airplane is skinniest, the rear comes to a point.

The statements regarding differences in towing with a pick-up or Suburban make sense. It would seem that air coming off of the cab of a pick-up would dive down then have to go back up over the trailer. Air coming off of the long roof Suburban doesn't have a lot of room to dive down when leaving the Suburban. So that may make a difference in our towing experiences, never thought of that since I've never had a pick-up.

The 2000 30' Trail Lite we had was the easiest towing TT I'd ever had. So this time we wanted to find a Trail Lite or Cruiser that had the floor plan we needed. So, after months of looking we found one. It weighs about 700 lbs more than the 22' Tahoe we had. However, it towed a lot easier than the flat back Tahoe. The Trail Cruisers have a curved roof radius at the back and the lower back angles back toward the front around the tail lites. The upper radius allows the air to slip off of the roof a little easier than from the abrupt edge of a flat back. The lower angled back allows the smooth air coming up from under the smooth underbelly to be angled up to help break up the vacuum. (Notice how semi's now have side panels underneath angling from front out to the wheels to deflect air from under the tractor to minimize turbulence, some also have rear deflectors). As the black and grey tanks are tucked up underneath so they don't hang down, the only disruption are the two narrow axles running across the TT. It's got that rubber suspension so the axle pipe have a small diameter. Of course the very slippery front end doesn't hurt, it has no flat surfaces and it slants back at a very steep angle to the top.
R-Vision even used jacks that tuck up underneath instead of those heavy x shaped jacks that hang down, stupid design.

A trailer with many things hanging down and lots of pipes going across underneath creates much turbulence that affects aerodynamics and makes it more susceptible to sway. Again, I have learned these things by first hand experience over the last 30 years of towing. We've probably had 20 trailers over those years, some towed decent, some were awful. The Trail Cruiser is a delight. We are currently towing with a 1994 GMC Surburban K-1500 in pristine shape but with a weak engine, so like the van, it is sensitive to trailer aerodynamics and weight. Aerodynamics trumps weight, up to a certain extent.

Anyway SoundGuy, just wanted to explain why my earlier post is correct. The problem with the RV industry is that towability and aerodynamics are usually the last thing they think about. I guess the only thing that can TRUMP aerodynamics is the almighty profit dollar.

Darn, have to edit again, keep forgetting things. The last thing I care about is gas mileage. I've never notice much difference in gas mileage with all these different trailers and aerodynamics. The van got 10 mpg up, down and level. The 94 Suburban gets 9-10 all the time. If I get 10 mpg, I'm happy. I've also come to the realization that if I worry about gas mileage and gas prices, I'm not having fun RV'ing, that's just part of the expense that I'm willing to pay. Don't even look at the gas pump anymore while filling up.

If the trailer was going into undisturbed air, the front shape would make a difference, but not a huge amount. Look at modern semis; they have a rounded shape instead of that huge flat front. But they have to drive lots of miles to see a benefit.
I am sure that if I had calculated my mileage figures to 3 places, I would have seen a difference between the 3 shapes I have towed with the same truck (V-nose, sloped flat, and curved). They all got around 10 mpg.
It’s no where near what it seems should be.
Aerodynamics can be a slippery slope.

d2tw4all wrote:
So you're saying there is no difference between a completely flat front relative to the ground, and a pointed front? This seems to defy common sense at least, so do you have anything to back this assertion up in terms of actual tests done, wind tunnel evidence, etc?

This would mean that any vehicle with a flat front would be no less efficient than one with a tapered front.

I don't have to "back up" any "assertion" :S ... you don't believe the slope of a trailer's front wall will have so little impact on towing then don't believe it, won't change a thing. :R