B+ motorhomes

[Daniel_C_]

I just bought a Trail Lite B+ 211s with 8.1 Chevy
engine. This is my fifth motorhome (others range
from an old 20' Vagabond, and three Winnegagos, from 19 to 32'. This vehicle is fantastic. I am
using it as a mobile office (and sneaking in a fun
journey from time to time). It gets about 9.5mpg
and I believe I could pull a bus behind it if I wanted! I paid low $40's which is about what I had expected to pay for a five or six year old Chinook with a nicer interior, but fewer features
(slide). I am delighted thus far.

[wlbjrincctx1]

If your water heater is a DSI unit (direct spark ignition), then turning on the switch will start the water heater.
Flip the switch and listen for sounds from the water heater. I was not told how to manually light the water heater, since my unit is a DSI heater.

[wacushing]

Trail Liters
While I have your attention, a question, on our unit(211S)there is a red switch (right beside the water pump) that says heater. It comes on and off just like the water pump switch, but seems to do nothing. My wife says the Dealer said it was the hot water heater at the same time he showed me how to manually lite the water heater outside. Possible on some models this is the water heater (with an igniter)? Can't find anything in the manuals! Just thought I'd ask.

Weary Willie

[B-Plus]

I think that the same will happen to the RV industry as it did with the Auto industry. If Japan ever gets into the RV industry their in trouble. Right now they have a captive audience, wait until they get some quality competition! Unfortunately I don’t think it will be any time soon.
I retired from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft as an Engineer for 30 years and I saw our company do a complete turn around on quality. My job the last 10 years was to work with the Japanese consultants that the company brought in, which cost them Millions of dollars do. The only reason they did it was because of competition.
Why do you think that the Auto Industry cleaned up their act? It’s not because they were concerned about quality to the consumer, it’s because the consumer had a choice of other quality products that were far superior to theirs and they were losing money. That’s the bottom line. Until this happens in the RV industry we are ever stuck with these inferior products.
Although I have to say my trail-lite B-Plus has been trouble free so far for 12 Months and 13,000 miles. Knock on Wood !!!
Dario

[Gene_in_NE]

Gary - I think you described your unit adequately about quality. I also agree with you that the more I drive ours, the better I like it. It is too bad that RVs in general do not have better quality control. I suspect it is a money issue. Spend time on every unit to ensure quality, or spend time to fix only the ones that are not quite up to spec.

Weary Willie - Gary and I have the same type of unit, he scares me with some of the latest problems he has written about. I did a visual check of my slide and microwave, but not detailed enough in the specific areas that Gary is mentioning. Our unit is in storage now, so will do further checking when it warms up. I too like the brand names of the appliances...and in general they seem to be built sturdily.

Anytime that I feel we may have bought an inferior product, I read some of the posts on the higher priced BT Cruiser. Makes me feel much better.

Gene
211 - S w/Chevy 5.7

[wacushing]

Gary
Thanks for your comments, I feel the same way as you, RV's have a poor record for craftsmanship. With the Trail Lite having the popular chassis, Onan gen, other proven appliance I'd hoped to get something average out of the unit, but should have looked closer at the slide-out. I too am not giving up but hope it will hold together. One point though I had a swing-out accident (turned out back end hit RV parked next to ours) with the unit, other older unit was badly damaged ours suffered practically no damage. My feeling on that is that the Trail Lite basic structure must be solid (?).
Drive Carefully.
Weary Willie

[Gary_Swanson]

Bill,

Search my posts in B+ motorhomes thread. You will find my answer to the leaking slide plus lots of other problems and fixes.

I currently am scheduled to have the slide worked on once again. The "base" the slide slides on is loose, and as a result the slide loudly and harshly and slowly grates/grinds its way in and out. This loose base allows the slide to "sink" just enough during driving (or with a person's weight on the couch) to remove the tension on the slide's articulating side arms. This allows these arms to rattle (which was one of my complaints long ago) and the "sunken" slide to scape along on its base when moved in and out.

The convection microwave trim piece/mount also broke on our last trip. I removed the oven and found the factory added subfloor in the cabinet was installed so as to provide no support for the oven's front legs. The oven's front trim piece has therefore been the sole support for the front of the oven, and it ultimately broke. Correctly repositioning the subfloor took about 5 minutes.

Quality of workmanship is miserable on these units. It is miserable on most RVs regardless of price paid. I hope this will be my last complaining post, but I am neither young nor nieve. Nevertheless, I am keeping this rig because it suits our needs and gets better and better with each fix.

[wragans]

Bill,
Don't have slide so cant help you there. I see you are from S.D. We are in Southwest Iowa. If you are down our way look us up.

We will be leaving Lenox, Iowa January 25th for points south. Hope to see Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Louisana, Texas then home. Maps out about 5,500 miles in a little more than a month. Hope the weather holds untill we get futher south. Happy Trails.

Willie and Susan
2002 Trail-lite 211
Ford Chassis

[wacushing]

Willie,
"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel" is Kenny Rogers retiring? I tried the manufacturer, pictures, begging, and threats. Thanks for the confirmations on the wheel flop; it's seemed like the best back-up. We do have towing insurance but sometimes it's easier to do it yourself if possible, we spent better part of a day with the last tow. You did so well with the tire solution, what do you have for the leaky slide-out, it only seems to be a problem if we're leaning to the right? (I know don't lean to the right, but sometime we must or AARP will sell us down the drain).
Thanks Again Bill

[wragans]

Wcushing and wlbjrincctxl,

Yes all the wheels a interchangeable on the Ford 1 ton and 2 ton chassis. The outside dual is dished in and the inside dual is dished out. The front tire is dished out.

You can in an emergency take ther rear outside dual and put it on the front end. You will have one tire on the rear. This can be done for an emergency situation.

Again if you have tow in insurance (which is very inexpensive)your insurance company will tow it to the closest shop for repair.

As for the rear bumper tire holder, I found that it will cover the rear tail lite if you install it on an motorhome with a rear center door. I have seen one that had an extra tail light and turn signal installed above the tire.

I would contact Trail-Lite about loosing the spare. Don 't give up, the squeeky wheel gets greased. maybe you could sing the old song "You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"

Lots of luck and Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night..

Willie and Susan
Trail-Lite 211
Lenox, Iowa

[wlbjrincctx1]

Same wheels, same tires. You just turn them around. What went against the inside rear wheel now goes to the outside when you put it on the front.

Bumper mounted spare tire carrier; 25 bucks. Blocks your rear door..move it over a foot or so.

[wacushing]

Willie
Sorry to get in this so late, but are you sure about using the dully on the front in an emergency. My dealer said that was not an option, but he didn't seem to want to sell me a spare either. We have a Trail Lite 221S on Ford 350 chassis with V10 and would sure like to know for sure, then I can forget the spare we lost last year or any other ideas, thanks.

[Lyle___Janet]

While traveling on our first big run to Florida from Iowa last April, we found that we could not put much gas in our unit also. Men on board were VERY frustrated. FINALLY, figured out that the air vent to the gas tank (I think this is right) was dropped down. It had been fasted up with black electrical looking tape (go figure!) and couldn't stand the journey. Anyway, once that was fasted back up with one of those little plastic securing ties that my husband had on board, we have been fine ever since. Did hear quite a bit of interesting language before he crawled clear under the unit and found the problem.

Lyle & Janet
Worth County Missouri
Chevy Chassis

[wragans]

thanks Toni,

We will give that a try.

Willie

[TonyTiger]

My previous B+, a Starflyte, did not have waste tank heaters. I used a half a gallon of antifreeze in each waste tank (and poured a little more in the traps before bed each night. I also added a gallon of antifreeze to the fresh tank (we DON'T drink it, use bottled water exclusively). We were out in one snow storn in Massachusetts with it and survived okay. None of our experience was with sub 20 degree weather however.
My new B+, the Trail-Lite, we got tank heaters. Had one night in the upper teens this November and didn't worry once.

[wragans]

Any one traveled in the winter in a Class B+ WITH OUT HEATERS IN THE HOLDING TANKS?

Have made several tripis in cold but not extreeme cold. I plan to trave in January and February from Iowa to Florida and know I will hit some below normal Temps.

Thanks

Willie
2002 Trail-Lite Ford 211