First Look

[TxTiger]

So I drove about 75 miles from home to look at my first truck camper. After much online review I like the weight, amenities and pricing of the Travel Lite 890/840 sbrx. This dealer had a limited inventory of about 4 units but did have one 840 sbrx.

Nice people but I wasn't impressed with the caulking/sealing on the unit I looked at. Owning a TH I know the areas to inspect as your worst case scenario is a leak, particularly in a new unit. Looking closely at the cab over part of the camper where it turns under and goes back to the camper (lower part of cabover), it was obvious that the sealing had been compromised because it simply wasn't well sealed. I put my fingers along the bottom where the rubber strip covers the screw channel and felt water in the channel. Then I got under the cabover section and pushed up on the siding and water squirted out the seam under the camper.

We haven't had rain here in at least 10 days and this unit has probably leaked since it left the factory. What a shame. The trip wasn't wasted as I got to see it in person as opposed to seeing pics of it.

The drive home resulted in the fuel pump failing on my Chevy truck and I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for about 2 hrs in 97 degree temps. There was a cross breeze and I'm alive today so no harm.

Hopefully the next trip to view campers will prove more fruitful.

[Desertboy]

travelnutz wrote:
Well, just because Travel Lite TC's are at about entry level in truck campers doesn't mean they should be so poorly sealed on any they had built. We had looked at some new Travel Lites locally and were much less then pleased with what we'd seen. There's a reason they are cheaper! I just researched the 890 series and the holding tanks are beyond any common sense for capacities. Barely large enough for a one overnight stay for 2 people at best. Yes, they are light in weight but does that also reflect in the minimal build quality and materials used that are needed for a long TC service life? Sure makes me skeptical as we have learned over the last nearly 50 years!

We'd learned by having had 8 TC's since 1965 and extensively traveled with them to every U.S. state including multiple trips to Alaska and all but 3 Provinces of Canada and seen the very disappointing effects of poor quality/light builds until we began purchasing the much higher quality TC's! Large enough holding tanks and having them enclosed and heated along with adequate TC insulation and sealing against water and both hot and cold temps is priceless and also extends your TC usable season tremendously. How do you put a price on being truely comfortable in any weather?

Magically, the problems with leaks and structure etc issues actually disappeared when we upgraded to the better quality well sealed TC's! You'll only get what you pay for and not a bit more!

Perhaps we all look for different uses and resale value in the RV we purchase. One thing that is a real clue is to look at some used ones from the same various manufacturers that are 3, 5, 7, or 10 etc years old and compare prices and conditions seen as what you buy will become older each year too. Depreciation and failing structure etc is an ugly thing but it's a real and gives you an indepth clue!

WOW! Now thats a great post! I sure appreciate all that, Im new to all this, And that all makes great sense!

[travelnutz]

Well, just because Travel Lite TC's are at about entry level in truck campers doesn't mean they should be so poorly sealed on any they had built. We had looked at some new Travel Lites locally and were much less then pleased with what we'd seen. There's a reason they are cheaper! I just researched the 890 series and the holding tanks are beyond any common sense for capacities. Barely large enough for a one overnight stay for 2 people at best. Yes, they are light in weight but does that also reflect in the minimal build quality and materials used that are needed for a long TC service life? Sure makes me skeptical as we have learned over the last nearly 50 years!

We'd learned by having had 8 TC's since 1965 and extensively traveled with them to every U.S. state including multiple trips to Alaska and all but 3 Provinces of Canada and seen the very disappointing effects of poor quality/light builds until we began purchasing the much higher quality TC's! Large enough holding tanks and having them enclosed and heated along with adequate TC insulation and sealing against water and both hot and cold temps is priceless and also extends your TC usable season tremendously. How do you put a price on being truely comfortable in any weather?

Magically, the problems with leaks and structure etc issues actually disappeared when we upgraded to the better quality well sealed TC's! You'll only get what you pay for and not a bit more!

Perhaps we all look for different uses and resale value in the RV we purchase. One thing that is a real clue is to look at some used ones from the same various manufacturers that are 3, 5, 7, or 10 etc years old and compare prices and conditions seen as what you buy will become older each year too. Depreciation and failing structure etc is an ugly thing but it's a real and gives you an indepth clue!

[TxTiger]

mkirsch wrote:
Just because that particular unit wasn't up to snuff doesn't mean they ALL are that bad.

The balance of the inventory looked ok with respect to sealing. But that unit is toast. If I were the dealer I would check on sending that one back. I think you have to view several units to get an idea of a manufacturer's quality of work. There is always the chance just one bad one got through. But there were other areas on this particular unit that caulking was very poor. Looked like Stevie Wonder did it.

[mkirsch]

Just because that particular unit wasn't up to snuff doesn't mean they ALL are that bad.

[Bumpyroad]

that 890 video impressed me. too bad the camper isn't up to snuff.
bumpy