About to order a Surveyor, have questions

[p40whk]

Hi all,

This will be my first RV purchase and I've been doing quite a lot of research and decided on the Surveyor 191T as my choice for an RV.

There are just a few questions I can't find the answer to and the dealer wasn't much help either.

First, I'd like to have a utility rack to haul my Paramotor (weighs about 50#) and notice in the brochure that the rear rack is not available for Surveyor's Expandable models. Not sure if this is a structural issue or just not an option? Obviously I can't mount anything on the front without affect opening of the bunk. I can weld and could make my own that attaches to the frame but do not want to void my warrantee. I'm not sure why they are not available because I have seen photo's of a 2014 model with that rack installed See below:



Second, There aren't any of these in my area to look at and I haven't found anyone online that can give a review of these so I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the Expandables that could provide some of the ins and outs of their units.

Thanks!

[pt1655]

Congrats on the new trailer and welcome from northern Az.!
Sorry, I'm not familiar with the 191T, but unless your back bumper comes from the FR factory setup for a rack like our Surveyor 220, be real careful how much weight you put on it. Too much and you could bend the trailer frame and void the warranty, not to mention the safety factor of something falling or breaking off of the add on rack. Best bet is to have a reputable shop look at your back bumper and see if they could weld on reinforcements to the frame or something like that to accomadate a rack. Better to err on the side of caution and safety! Happy camping!!

[Humteddy2]

X2. They are attached to the frame, not the bumper.


Humteddy2

2014 Silverado Z71 LTZ 1500
2017 Surveyor 285IKDS

[p40whk]

Thank you! I actually have the dealer contacting FR to see what my options are. Agree about the safety aspect and wouldn't add anything attached to the bumper.

Not sure why it's not an option on these models when they sell it with just about every other trailer they make.

That's exactly what I'm referring to Humteddy2 and is all I really need. I know they can be purchased separately but am concerned that the dealer took away this option in lieu of a less stout frame in this area.

[litespan46]

Don't know about the bumper rack but check what supports the sofa/ bed. It was 1x2 wood and staples. We had to rebuild the entire support system for front and rear sofa/beds. Btw if you have the inflatable beds the staples will put a hole in them first time out. Drive the staples home and tape every place they put a staple. Not sure what your model looks like . We have the surveyor sv305. We threw the inflatable beds away and we bought folding 12 in thick quilted foam mattresses . Other than that fit and finish and all systems were good to go

Gene

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by pt1655

Congrats on the new trailer and welcome from northern Az.!
Sorry, I'm not familiar with the 191T, but unless your back bumper comes from the FR factory setup for a rack like our Surveyor 220, be real careful how much weight you put on it. Too much and you could bend the trailer frame and void the warranty, not to mention the safety factor of something falling or breaking off of the add on rack. Best bet is to have a reputable shop look at your back bumper and see if they could weld on reinforcements to the frame or something like that to accomadate a rack. Better to err on the side of caution and safety! Happy camping!!

x2 from another 220 owner. Can't help much with your question, but will say that this is our second Surveyor, and we love it. Our rack looks exactly like the one in your photo. Sticker says max 250 pounds.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by litespan46

Don't know about the bumper rack but check what supports the sofa/ bed. It was 1x2 wood and staples. We had to rebuild the entire support system for front and rear sofa/beds. Btw if you have the inflatable beds the staples will put a hole in them first time out. Drive the staples home and tape every place they put a staple. Not sure what your model looks like . We have the surveyor sv305. We threw the inflatable beds away and we bought folding 12 in thick quilted foam mattresses . Other than that fit and finish and all systems were good to go

Gene

The OP has a Surveyor hybrid TT. The beds are on drop down bed platforms. The mattresses have to be folded. The bed platforms are supported by cables, like a truck tailgate.
So there aren't any wood and staple supports.

So a 12 in mattress wouldn't work.

[p40whk]

Looking at the pictures for the Surveyor Expandables it looks like the rear bumper doesn't stick out far enough to use the Lippert fold down bike rack.

I sent an email to Forest River asking if one could be added to the frame (Lippert as well as others make these) and this was their reply:

"You are more than welcome to make any modifications you want, however, Forest River cannot stand behind the modifications nor can we warranty them. Any damages caused by a modification can void the warranty on that part of the travel trailer."

Thank you,
Samantha Ferguson
Surveyor/Rpod
Warranty Claims & Part Returns

The sad thing is, I can find all the options I want in an RV on just about every brand out there, I just can't find all the options on just one brand!

The Surveyor 191T has just about everything I need except this rear rack so I'm on the fence. I have things I do not want to store inside the camper as well as won't fit in the tow vehicle so do you take the chance and add the hitch mounts to the frame? or wait till your warranty has expired?

[Thunderbolt75]

For what's it worth, we picked up our 2016 Surveyor 191T last summer. We have camped 6 times from July until November and a long weekend in March of this year and have had wonderful experiences. Our unit has been thus far problem free. We have camped through rain and wind, in the woods and at the shore. We love the floor plan and towing it is a dream.
Good luck.


Sent from my secret hardened bunker.

[p40whk]

Originally Posted by Thunderbolt75

For what's it worth, we picked up our 2016 Surveyor 191T last summer. We have camped 6 times from July until November and a long weekend in March of this year and have had wonderful experiences. Our unit has been thus far problem free. We have camped through rain and wind, in the woods and at the shore. We love the floor plan and towing it is a dream.
Good luck.


Sent from my secret hardened bunker.

Thunderbolt, if you don't mind me asking, what other TTs and or floor-plans did you look at prior to settling on the 191T and what made you choose this model?

[Herlitzke]

Originally Posted by Humteddy2

Attachment 106445
X2. They are attached to the frame, not the bumper.


Humteddy2

2014 Silverado Z71 LTZ 1500
2017 Surveyor 285IKDS

Do you have any pictures of how you secured your bikes to the rack?

[Thunderbolt75]

Originally Posted by p40whk

Thunderbolt, if you don't mind me asking, what other TTs and or floor-plans did you look at prior to settling on the 191T and what made you choose this model?

We've had a 40' KZ fifth wheel since 2006. We love that but it's simple too big to get into many campgrounds in our area. As a result we were looking at smaller pop-ups. This eventually grew to larger pop-ups with full bath options. After looking at dozens with roof issues, we started looking at smaller trailers. We saw a used 191t on a local lot. It was a little rough and the dealer wanted far too much money for it. We ordered ours from Jeff Couch RV in Ohio and made a 1,200 mile road trip to pick her up.
Good luck with your quest.


Sent from my secret hardened bunker.

[ezitin]

We purchased a 192t from couch's rv and had it delivered. Love the unit! I installed http://www.mount-n-lock.com/index.php bumper support and hitch receiver. I threw the camper spare in my truck. Works perfectly, safe travels.

[benf]

I am on trip number 4 with my 2016 192t and love it. A major difference I found between the the 191 and 192 is the 192 had a tub instead of a corner tub. Im really glad I went this route since it is very difficult to to keep the water in the shower of the corner units. No help on the bumper mount since I didn't had the receiver dyer they told me it would void my warranty. Quality of the surveyor is excellent in my opinion. Good luck!


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