TT Guest House

[Cooter_76]

Hello RV folks!

My wife and I are considering the purchase of a TT to use as a guest house at my parents' place. The plan would be to set it up and park it there for the foreseeable future, but I'd like to have the option to take it elsewhere if need be. Elevations would likely not exceed the Texas Hill Country.

I've done some research, but would like to get advice related to my specific situation from people with experience.

Everyone loves numbers:
- Tow vehicle is a '13 F150 Supercrew 4x4 with 5.0 V8, 3.55 axle ratio, built-in trailer brake controller and aux transmission cooler.
- Base curb weight is 5586#, GVWR is 7350# and GCVWR is 13500#
- Max payload (from the sticker on the door) is 1586# including passengers, etc.
- Receiver hitch is rated just north of 1,000# with WD hitch
- Assuming 450# for myself, my wife, our 2-year-old and misc cargo (and taking into account a 15% safety margin) I calculate I'd want a max tongue weight of about 900# and a max trailer weight of about 6900# (at 13% tongue weight.)

Question #1 - Does this math sound realistic or optimistic?

As for trailers, I'm thinking queen bed, bunk beds (for our toddler and perhaps another kiddo in the future), slide out for breathing room and a tub instead of shower. We'd like to find a decent used trailer in the $10-$15K range. Something like a 2008 Jayco Jay Flight 28BHS (dry weight 5215#, GVWR 7500#.)

Question #2 - Does this size/configuration sound appropriate for a family of 3-4 using it for long weekends?

Hookups: My parents plan to install a 30amp outlet and I can get fresh water from their hose bib. I think we can just dump gray water in the pasture (they're on 75 acres.) Not sure about black water. I've read mention of mascerating pump to deal with solids, but I'm foggy on the theory behind this.

Question #3: Can anyone point me toward a resource to learn more about dealing with black water when a dump station is not available? Would it be best consider the TT a poop-free zone?

Purchasing: I'm a residential home inspector by trade, but I'd like to know what to look for specific to used TT's.

Question #4: Is there a checklist out there on the web? Any tips as to problem areas to inspect (roof, tires, floor, walls, plumbing, electrical?)

Operating and maintenance: Having never owned any type of RV before, I'm not familiar with the systems and procedures involved with keeping one in good running order.

Question #5: Do most TT's come with an owners manual that provides all of this info? Is there a resource online that people find helpful?

Thanks in advance!

[wrvond]

When setting your front to rear level, use the kitchen counter, rather than the floor. After all, the refrigerator is mounted there.
That said, perfectly level isn't really desirable either. You will want a slight tilt fore/aft and side to side to allow condensation from the air conditioner and water from rain, etc. to run off where you want it to run off. Allowing the water to puddle, especially around the AC is not good. I normally set mine to run off at the back right corner. This keeps it away from my pass through storage doors and my awning and doors.
By the same token, when you have your awning out, be sure to tilt it so that water runs off at one end or the other. Do not allow it to collect on the awning. This can be very expensive.

[chr_]

Get the ducted unit. As already stated, better air flow, sometimes quieter, depending on where you are in the trailer.

Macerators are nice because you can pump to a toilet in the house through a *specific use* garden hose.

[Boband4]

When my kids were still little we bought a bed rail. It was an "L" shaped frame with a net on one side. You would put the leg with no net under the mattress then the net leg stood up next to the mattress to prevent them from rolling out. It was designed for when toddlers were transitioning to a full bed. Recommend you check the baby sections of the stores if you want to find one.

[SoundGuy]

Cooter_76 wrote:
We've moved the trailer a few times and I've always checked level with a 4' level laying on the floor in the center of the living area. Then I'll wind up raising the tongue 2-3" or until the wife says it's comfortable.

Not suggesting you should argue with your wife :E but rather than rely on her determination of what is "level" wouldn't it make more sense to put your level on the bed platform as well to determine how much difference if any there is between it and the floor? From there you can then determine the right corrective action to take.

[JoeTampa]

Cooter_76 wrote:
How is brightness determined with any of these RV bulbs? At home you have 45 watt, 60 watt, etc.

Loosely determined by the number and size of the LED elements, but mostly by trial and error. I bought the paddle style first and wasn't impressed by the light output, and so moved on to large rectangle style for most of the RV - but found the paddles to be preferable for the bedroom lights and one light by the bathroom that we then used as a nightlight so the little ones could see to pee. 🙂

Cooter_76 wrote:

We've moved the trailer a few times and I've always checked level with a 4' level laying on the floor in the center of the living area. Then I'll wind up raising the tongue 2-3" or until the wife says it's comfortable.

Probably not enough to get anything out of whack. I'd check the levelness of the bed itself - maybe it's not level and augmenting it might be better?

Cooter_76 wrote:

We're going to try to take it camping a time or two next year. Right now the little one is not a happy passenger.

Even taking it for a loop or two around the block every few months might be enough. Maybe combine that with a tank dump? I can say with certainty that tires don't like sitting in one spot for extended periods of time but honestly don't know what that timeframe is like. Our old TT sat for a few months at a clip at most and we had no problems, but I had a driveway queen Jeep that sat for a few years and the tires were pretty shot by the time we tried to move it.

[Cooter_76]

JoeTampa wrote:

Get LEDs with as few elements on them as you can find. I used the ones that look like miniature ping pong paddles for the BR and the large rectangular ones for areas that needed more light. eBay was a good source. Here's an example; be aware that you may have to shave the sides down a tad with a knife to get them to fit.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-Wedge-T10-24-SMD-LED-194-921-W5W-1210-147-168-192-RV-Light-Lamp-Bulbs-Wh...

Cool. I'll check those out. How is brightness determined with any of these RV bulbs? At home you have 45 watt, 60 watt, etc.

JoeTampa wrote:

When you say the TT was level - how did you measure it and where? Maybe it was really off level? Keeping the TT off level can affect the ability of some systems (I usually see the fridge cited) to run off propane, which might not be a factor for you.

We've moved the trailer a few times and I've always checked level with a 4' level laying on the floor in the center of the living area. Then I'll wind up raising the tongue 2-3" or until the wife says it's comfortable.

JoeTampa wrote:

Only other thing that comes to mind on your post is that you may want to take the TT places occasionally to avoid dry rot on the tires.

We're going to try to take it camping a time or two next year. Right now the little one is not a happy passenger.

[Cooter_76]

colliehauler wrote:
On the bunks you could add a cargo net. I would just get a 4 step platform type step that folds, more stable then ladder and can be stored under bed. For headboard lights you can get lower wattage bulbs or go with led's. Instead of putting dimmers in I would just get some plug in night lights. I did the same on the bed and added a longer and thicker piece of plywood, did not need corbels.

Thanks for suggesting the cargo net. My wife's Camry came with one in the trunk that we don't use, and I think it will be perfect!
Not sure what type of 4-step platform you refer to, but anything larger than a ladder would block the door to the bathroom and/or access to the bottom bunk.

[rbpru]

If you are going to spend any amount of time in it, our experience is the floor plan is most important.

[JoeTampa]

Can the 3 year old sleep on the sofa?

Get LEDs with as few elements on them as you can find. I used the ones that look like miniature ping pong paddles for the BR and the large rectangular ones for areas that needed more light. eBay was a good source. Here's an example; be aware that you may have to shave the sides down a tad with a knife to get them to fit.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-Wedge-T10-24-SMD-LED-194-921-W5W-1210-147-168-192-RV-Light-Lamp-Bulbs-Wh...


We kept the short queen and bought a 4" queen memory foam topper. It hangs over the end but doesn't sag, and is much more comfortable than the mattress was by itself.

When you say the TT was level - how did you measure it and where? Maybe it was really off level? Keeping the TT off level can affect the ability of some systems (I usually see the fridge cited) to run off propane, which might not be a factor for you.

Only other thing that comes to mind on your post is that you may want to take the TT places occasionally to avoid dry rot on the tires.

Glad your TT is working for you.

[colliehauler]

On the bunks you could add a cargo net. I would just get a 4 step platform type step that folds, more stable then ladder and can be stored under bed. For headboard lights you can get lower wattage bulbs or go with led's. Instead of putting dimmers in I would just get some plug in night lights. I did the same on the bed and added a longer and thicker piece of plywood, did not need corbels.

[Cooter_76]

Update and some questions about our TT guest house:

We purchased the 2015 Starcraft 25BHS with the ducted AC in September of last year and have spent roughly 20 nights in it at my parents' house. It has worked-out really well for us. We're able to spend more time with my aging parents, but still have plenty of private space. In addition to our 3-year-old son, we now have a 4-month old baby boy. Having some experience under our belt, we would like to change a few things to make our TT time more comfortable.

- Big brother has rolled-out of his bunk a few times. We'd love to install some sort of guard or net to keep him contained. Is there a common solution for this?

- We won't need the top bunk for a few years, but the TT did not come with an access ladder, and there isn't much room to add one. What do people do with kids in this situation? Just toss them up there?

- Our TT came with a short queen mattress, which we promptly replaced with a full-length queen. It overhangs the box just enough to be annoying. I plan to replace the plywood with a longer piece, and perhaps add some corbels to provide support.

- If we set the TT dead level front-to back, our bed (with the head at the front of the trailer) feels head-low, so we wind up orienting the TT nose-high to compensate. Is that common? I guess we could stuff something under the head of the mattress, but it seems odd.

- There are a pair of reading lights mounted under a shelf directly over the head of our bed. These are the typical incandescent C921 12V automotive bulbs. They are very bright and positioned to shine right in your face. Are dimmer bulbs available? We would like to have some dimmer lighting throughout the trailer for dealing with little ones in the middle of the night.

- One feature we wish our trailer had is the swivel TV mount in the entertainment center to face either the living area or the master bed. Has anyone retrofitted this unit in a standard wall?

- TT is currently at the dealership, having mud dauber nests cleaned out of the furnace. 😞 I guess some screens are in order here.

Any advice welcome and appreciated!

Here's our floorplan:

[hddecker]

colliehauler wrote:

Cooter_76 wrote:
OK gang, I have a few more questions.

There are two trailers we're seriously considering. Both are new Starcraft AR-ONE MAXX 25BHS.

Unit A: 2014 model, no oven, no spare tire, non-ducted AC
Unit B: 2015 model, has oven, spare tire and ducted AC

There's a $1900 difference in MSRP between these two trailers (Unit A being less expensive,) however there's a $2300 difference in the quoted price from the two different dealers. The quoted price on the 2014 model is right at 30% off MSRP, 2015 model is 26% off MSRP.

Pretty sure I can get a spare tire and bumper mount fairly cheap. The lack of an oven seems pretty negligible to me (could always buy a toaster oven,) but I could be wrong about that. Dealer for Unit A says the ovens are only big enough to bake biscuits anyway.
My big question: Is a ducted AC worth the extra $$? I know it puts vents in the bathroom and front bedroom, and can see where that would be nice.

Dealer for Unit B says this trailer will hold its value better because of the options and newer year model. I don't consider resale value to be a huge factor and assume that price difference will shrink in 5-10 years.

Which would you buy?

Thanks!

I would buy Unit B with ducted air (more quiet and more even cooling) and oven. You can use the oven for pie, biscuits or pizza without electric hook ups. I always like having a spare tire.

X2 on the ducted air, you can adjust the airflow in individual areas if you so desire.

Your not gonna roast a 20# turkey in the oven (that's why turkey fryers were invented), but who says ya don't want some biscuits or a pizza, I can't live without my wife's Saturday night pizza.

For a residential sized queen you can, A) do nothing, just don't sit on the end of it, or B) replace the K3 if that's what the manufacturer used with plywood. I did option "B saves a few pounds and I drilled a series of 2" holes in the plywood so the mattress can breath a little.

[colliehauler]

Cooter_76 wrote:
OK gang, I have a few more questions.

There are two trailers we're seriously considering. Both are new Starcraft AR-ONE MAXX 25BHS.

Unit A: 2014 model, no oven, no spare tire, non-ducted AC
Unit B: 2015 model, has oven, spare tire and ducted AC

There's a $1900 difference in MSRP between these two trailers (Unit A being less expensive,) however there's a $2300 difference in the quoted price from the two different dealers. The quoted price on the 2014 model is right at 30% off MSRP, 2015 model is 26% off MSRP.

Pretty sure I can get a spare tire and bumper mount fairly cheap. The lack of an oven seems pretty negligible to me (could always buy a toaster oven,) but I could be wrong about that. Dealer for Unit A says the ovens are only big enough to bake biscuits anyway.
My big question: Is a ducted AC worth the extra $$? I know it puts vents in the bathroom and front bedroom, and can see where that would be nice.

Dealer for Unit B says this trailer will hold its value better because of the options and newer year model. I don't consider resale value to be a huge factor and assume that price difference will shrink in 5-10 years.

Which would you buy?

Thanks!

I would buy Unit B with ducted air (more quiet and more even cooling) and oven. You can use the oven for pie, biscuits or pizza without electric hook ups. I always like having a spare tire.

[Cooter_76]

OK gang, I have a few more questions.

There are two trailers we're seriously considering. Both are new Starcraft AR-ONE MAXX 25BHS.

Unit A: 2014 model, no oven, no spare tire, non-ducted AC
Unit B: 2015 model, has oven, spare tire and ducted AC

There's a $1900 difference in MSRP between these two trailers (Unit A being less expensive,) however there's a $2300 difference in the quoted price from the two different dealers. The quoted price on the 2014 model is right at 30% off MSRP, 2015 model is 26% off MSRP.

Pretty sure I can get a spare tire and bumper mount fairly cheap. The lack of an oven seems pretty negligible to me (could always buy a toaster oven,) but I could be wrong about that. Dealer for Unit A says the ovens are only big enough to bake biscuits anyway.
My big question: Is a ducted AC worth the extra $$? I know it puts vents in the bathroom and front bedroom, and can see where that would be nice.

Dealer for Unit B says this trailer will hold its value better because of the options and newer year model. I don't consider resale value to be a huge factor and assume that price difference will shrink in 5-10 years.

Which would you buy?

Thanks!