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Re: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
We survived our first weekend of camping and it was a mixed bad of good things and some "ok" things. Nothing bad, it was just kind of noisy at the camp ground we were at. I think we're going to look for more "quieter" spots. First off, I will say that I don't know why anybody would buy any other camper. I'm a little concerned about the quality of the construction, but I think this may just be TT world, which I'm just getting used to. The only really dumb thing we did was fill up the gray tank with another day to go. So, all teeth brushing was outside and no washing of dishes. LOL In the two days were were there, we used just about every gadget and feature on the trailer. Outside kitchen: Perfect for bacon in the morning. Outside fridge, awesome. I also thought that I would not like how the door does not swing all the way up, because I think it will "brown" over the years from the cooking, but I now love it because it keeps debris from falling in whatever you are cooking. Outside shower: Perfect for hosing off dirty kids and we washed the dog with it after he got muddy. Fine to tow with a 1/2 ton pick up truck. I won't win any races, but it performed just fine. The Blue Ox Sway Pro and the Yakonsha P3 are the perfect combo. LOVE the LED lighting on the awning. Outside speakers, could be a little louder, but it was great to have them. U-shaped dinette, perfect. Our family of 5 fit around it nicely. 32" TV nice to watch a movie and let the kids simmer down at night. A little wobbly, I may look into braces for this thing. The heat in the morning was HOT and the A/C was COLD (but we were in shade, not direct sunlight). As for the noise outside, we just turned on the fan and it drowned out any noise and we all slept great. Power tongue...awesome. Emptying the black tank was not as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. Actually kind of no big deal. The kids played outside a LOT. No real complaining about the lack of video games and my son can throw a frisbee like a champ. Who knew? We had a good time and looking forward to our next adventure. Just overall a really great experience. We needed one more 2x4 to level the trailer perfectly, but oh well. You live and learn.491Views0likes0CommentsRe: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
I searched today, but couldn't find a good site, where can I find a 15k AC unit that will fit the trailer? Looks like this is going to be a job I'll have to take on myself one day. BTW--I got the P3 Brake Controller for the price they quoted the Voyager to me. I think I've pushed them enough....maybe...491Views0likes0CommentsRe: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
So, quick update. I just decided to let the dealer install the hitch and brake controller. It is the Blue Ox Sway Pro, but they wanted to give me the Takonsha Voyager, which I told them was garbage and that I wanted the P3. Still waiting on an answer there. They quoted me a price of $1500 for the A/C unit. Yee-ikes. We'll just have to see how far the 13.5k can get us. I had not seen the Funfinder you noted, but if this deal falls apart, then it is definitely one worth looking at. The walk-through is set for Saturday as long as all goes well with the financing. Friday night we are going to take one of the checklists from the "start here" thread and go shopping. I already have the campsite reserved for this weekend, looking forward to giving this a shot on this Memorial Day weekend!491Views0likes0CommentsRe: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
Thanks all, one point of clarification: A lot of folks mention the dealer doing the install. What exactly are they installing? My truck has the two package and has receiver hitch, I think the only thing I need is the sway bars and load leveler. Does that require expert installation as well? I'll also ask them for the bigger A/C unit. Late last night, I got some paperwork from them and they had a $439 "Processing Fee" on there. I absolutely HATE this kind of stuff when try to buy something from a dealership of any kind. Anybody had good experience getting the dealers to drop this?491Views0likes0CommentsRe: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
mbopp wrote: The limiting factor on 1/2-tons is payload, not tow capacity. What's the payload rating on the yellow drivers-side door jamb sticker? 7100 But this number just doesn't seem right, because... About two weeks ago, I bought good-size pallet of damp sod, and I read that those can weigh 2000# or more My truck bed was low, but the truck had no problem driving around with the sod or stopping. So...if the truck is roughly 5600# plus 2000# for sod (and ALL of the weight was on the rear tires), that puts me at 7600 or depending, up to 8000#. I still had a decent gap between the well and the tires, but I wouldn't want to drive around like that forever. Which brings me to the trailer. With 5600# for the truck and 1100# tongue weight, that is only 6600#. A full thousand pounds less than the truck with sod. My family only weighs about 500# (we're on the smaller side). Still, don't see carrying any extra gear in the bed, but this should work. Thoughts?491Views0likes0CommentsRe: About to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
Thanks all, this is great info as always. Based on the info here, I have decided to delay my purchase for a few days while I research the sway bars, weight distribution system rig and a brake controller. Their price of $990 for all of that from the dealer just seemed too high and some searching on Amazon seems like I can get it all for around $650. I have friends who tow that can show me how to set it up. (Any recommendations for which I should get?) As far as the weight goes, I've done a fair amount of research on this and while I won't be passing any vehicles on the hills in the Shenandoah Valley, I feel confident I will be ok. The truck is less than 6000#, plus tongue weight of around 1100#, plus the humans means that I will be at the max there. I won't be hauling any 4-wheelers in the back (or really anything in the bed at all). The truck is rated to haul just over 10000#, but I don't think I'll ever be that close. The trailer is 5500# and I doubt I'll ever go over 7000#, even with a full 46 gallon water tank (which I will probably never do). The combined weight of the truck is rated at 16000#, and I think the max I will ever be at is 13000#. So, with 3000# of gap, that's a lot and makes me think we will be fine. Thanks for the feedback on the 15k A/C, I will look into it. I might need to get the 14yo to lay in the back, but if the bunks are too small for her, there is the couch and table/dinette. And that will alleviate the "I want the top bunk" arguments that have ALREADY started. We hadn't thought about putting gates up, but we do have some because we had bunk beds before. They slide under the mattress or I can make something. Thanks again!125Views0likes0CommentsAbout to buy a FR Surveyor 295BHS Appreciate Expert Advice!
Hi all, I have been watching the boards for a while and am about to go in tomorrow to finalize a deal for a Forest River 2015 295BHS. But, I have a few questions and would really appreciate any feedback the experts on this forum could provide. As a little background, we chose this model because we have 3 kids (14, 11, and 7) and it has the BH in the back. I also liked the outside kitchen. We also chose this model because the dry weigh is only around 5800#, which I thought was good since my tow vehicle is a 5.7L Tundra (with tow package). 1) We settled on a price of $21,160 for the trailer, seems reasonable. Any feedback here? 2) This trailer has a "short slide" meaning that it only sides out 3'. This helps reduce the weight, and it still feels like plenty of room in the trailer, but will that significantly hurt me if I ever need to sell? 3) We opted not to do the 15k A/C as it comes with a 13.5. We live in Virginia, but it does get pretty hot in the summer. Most folks on the Forest River forums upgraded to the 15k A/C, but is this really necessary? 4) We are buying the hitch, sway bars, load balancer, and brake controller (all installed) from the dealer and they came in just under $1000 for all of that. This part seemed too high, but I'm not an expert here. 5) Do I need the 50 amp power cord? It comes with a 30amp, but again, other folks have suggested getting the 50. Thanks all in advance. I've picked up a ton of tips and advice on these forums and it really, really helped when I went in to negotiate.4.1KViews0likes22CommentsRe: Our First TT, will it be a hobby nightmare?
Thanks all, based on the info here, it looks like the 28BHBE will work. Per the specs, the dry weight is 6100# and is 28' which should be fine for our truck. We have five, so we need a little extra room, especially on rainy days. The only thing it doesn't have that I read about is a portrait window, which some have said they like to have to back up to nice views. How important is this? We could make do without the bunkhouse. I also considered an outside kitchen, but this seems to just add more weight and I have a Coleman two-burner camping stove which I can take to cook the bacon outside. How useful is an outside kitchen? And as far as the brake controller, I was told they were necessary. Are you all saying that maybe it is not? For <$200, I'm probably going to get one to be safe. Again, thank you all. Buying a TT is a tough decision. There are almost too many options. But, we should be able to find the "perfect" one.422Views0likes0CommentsRe: Our First TT, will it be a hobby nightmare?
I'm contemplating buying an RV and this particular thread had a lot of useful information, especially with respect to towing info. My wife and I like the layout of the Jayco 28bhbe for the most part. The biggest question I have is, how is your Tundra pulling it? I have a 2010 Tundra (with the Rock Warrior package). 5.8L V8 Having any problems pulling something that heavy? Also, did you install a Brake Controller and did you get some type of add-on for your mirrors so you can see down the side of the trailer?421Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 20, 202544,030 Posts
