wiredgeorge
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Re: Air conditioning in new 5th Wheel
I own an old 5th wheel (2002 Cougar 27' long) and have one 15K BTU A/C. It is pretty new and replaced the original 13.5K btu unit. Some of the things we have done are to tint the windows so 90 percent of UVs are blocked. On our camper, the ends of the A/C runs just blew into the ceiling void so these are blocked with pool noodles. I also used aluminum heat duct tape to retape and the factory tape jobs as much of the air was not confined to the ducting system but ran into the void. In south Texas, temps of 93F require winter jackets and normal July temps are generally over 100F so we also have a 8K BTU portable A/C that I vent out through a side window and our cabin temps stay pretty comfortable. Don't use the portable A/C to augment the 15K unit in the winter. As noted, your dual A/Cs should keep your cabin nice and cool so look at how much heat your windows are letting in and check to see that ducting isn't loosing your cool air. I also had to redo the seal between the return side and outlet to the ducts up in the upper unit of my A/C as that was leaking cold air. I did this by taking off the lower part and doing it from underneath.684Views0likes0CommentsRe: Reality check - 2006 Chevy 2500
Inside your door jamb is a yellow sticker that will say "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed .... lbs." What does your sticker say. The fiver you are looking at will be about 11K lbs loaded for camping and normal real world tongue weight will be 20-25 percent of the trailer gross weight so you are looking at 2200 pin weight minimum. Compare that to your yellow sticker payload. The diesel/automatic and bigger cab and 4x4 on your truck tells me your payload may be right at 2000 lbs or perhaps less. Last, the term "half ton towable" Keystone throws around is marketing and not real world and should never be taken as true in almost any case. There are few, if any, half ton trucks capable of towing a 5th wheel safely. Head over to https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/index.php and talk to the folks there.592Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow Truck Policy
Recently changed insurance carriers (the Hartford) for my 5th wheel. They don't offer towing insurance for my camper as the previous carrier did so I am looking at options. I saw RV Advisor offers RV Advisor Motor Club and they appear less expensive and have quite a few more areas of coverage than most of the emergency roadside service/towing plans. I just can't find any reviews on this service. Anyone with any experience with RV Advisor Motor Club?0Views0likes0CommentsRe: Thinking about project 5ver
theoldwizard1 wrote: You need to assess the sub floor. If it is soft/spongy in places repairing/replacing it is a MAJOR undertaking. At that age and with poor maintenance, assume you need a completely new roof, plywood decking and all. Roof is a sheet of aluminum and they don't have issues. I am pretty good with Suburban hot water heaters and we don't dry camp so a tankless will work for us. I do understand about the flooring. Decking was laid before anything else attached to a wall so it can be a chore.333Views0likes0CommentsThinking about project 5ver
Have a chance to buy a 2002 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 33SKT REAL CHEAP. The camper surely needs new tires but also has a broken window. Supposed to be a small window and I have never repaired a window. Also has a slide that has to be cranked in and out manually as the electric doesn't work. Water heater doesn't work. Not sure what the issue is; guy never tried to fix. The floor will also need to be replaced as the PO put self stick tiles down and the slide rips them up when pulled it (guess the main slide isn't the issue). I would go linoleum through the trailer and have it installed. How much would a slide cost to get repaired? I know HR is obsolete and parts may be an issue. How do you replace a window. I can get the glass cut but not sure about how to get it into the frame. I have used vinyl flooring in trailers before and know you need to put 1/8" plywood strips under the slide when it is retracted or the slide will scrape the vinyl. Will probably install a tankless water heater anyway and make sure propane tanks are recertified, if needed. Anyway adding cost of tires, window fix, slide fix and new floor will tell me if cheap means worthwhile1.2KViews0likes7CommentsRe: Hot water problem
Seriously, if you really need help, OPEN THE OUTSIDE DOOR ON THE WATER HEATER and get make/model and perhaps something intelligent can be said. I know Suburban hot water heats and they have a electric heating element which operates via a thermostat on the outside and they also work MUCH better using propane as the first fuel source. The electric heating element alone would take forever to heat the water and then doesn't replenish quickly at all.415Views0likes0CommentsRe: AC problem
Almost all ducted a/c systems are not sealed well at all. First, remove the cover over the inside a/c unit and note that there was a feeble attempt to seal between inlet side and exhaust side. Buy some A/C vent tape and fix the problem. Also note where the outlet duct enters the ductwork, this may also need some sealing. Pull off all overhead vents and note that the sealing with A/C tape is similarly poorly done. Some folks put a barrier (styrofoam is the material of choice) at the ends of the run if the duct just dumps in to the void beyond. Cleaning up the sealing issue greatly enhances the effectiveness of the A/C system.520Views0likes0CommentsRe: Keystone Hideout "quality" ?
I would try keystoneforums.com as you are more likely to find actual owners. I own a Cougar and can't speak to that model. You do know that is a bunk house model and that means you could have small people stowing away while you try and relax and get away to camp. Hmmmm KIDS! That's what they call them... almost forgot. Seriously, looks like a nice family trailer. The F350 should be plenty of truck for that trailer as noted. Just one more note, if the trailer is somewhere being sold in a galaxy far far away, keep in mind most dealers don't much care to honor warranties or work on trailers they didn't sell but you probably already knew that. Lots of folks on the Keystone forum go traipsing off to discount sellers thousands of miles away and then find that the local Keystone dealer doesn't know them... good luck!603Views0likes0CommentsRe: Retro Riverside 5th wheel
Have looked all around the web and have seen a lot of older posts where quality issues seemed pretty rampant with Riverside Retro. I really liked the 5ver with the rear kitchen BUT can't see ANY feedback on this 5ver anywhere. The Riverside Owners Forum is pretty useless (I did ask there and no one responded). One other fella also had asked about quality for the 5ver and no one responded. This is a new RV maker so some initial quality issues are to be expected but they have been around a few years now and I suspect things may have improved some. I also didn't like the 14" tires on the rig... feel uncomfortable about their load carrying capacity. Most initial issues I noted were plumbing and sealing (most everything from roof to windows).271Views0likes0Comments
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