Xlr 24hfs

[SIBELL]

Hello everyone. I am brand new to the forums and to camping for that matter. Never been much for sleeping in a tent under the stars with no comforts, but with this thing I am content.

I picked up a used 2013 XLR 24 HFS and love it. I have owned it for about a month and have used it almost every weekend since the purchase. I have a few questions and hoping you can help me out.

I have a 2013 Dodge 1500 Big horn, max tow 10,300, I am noticing that it pulls the trailer just fine, but I do get some sway. how do I determine what sway hitch and stuff like that to put on? I am going to be hauling 2 harleys in there, one is a street glide, 850 lbs and the other is a road glide 850 lbs. The person before me must have had a sway system on it, as there is mounts or something on trailer already

I have figured out the dump station procedures by reading some of the posts on this website and that is going well, but what do you with the fresh water can you just dump it or do you need to do that at the dump station? What is the proper etiquette?

Fresh water meter doesn't work, I have a warranty, but sounds like it will take time to fix, just not wanting to turn it in yet for that.

The spot for the TV seems really high, anyone else able to find a mount that would lower to a more acceptable level?

Cooking with both burners, the heat alarm goes off.

Shower curtain, everytime I take a shower and turn around the shower curtain follows me and pretty soon I am wrapped up in it like a soaped up tamale. Not a good visual

How often should you clean the outside and can I use a pressure washer to do that? Also same with the roof?

[RFK]

I can help with some of the questions. We have a 27 hfs. A weight distribution hitch may solve the sway problem. I have the Blue Ox Sway Pro and have towed with two dressers inside without a problem. Sounds like you have the mounts for a WD hitch already on the RV Smoke detectors go off every time we cook inside. I think we're being told to go outside and cook. Ha ha. Sounds funny, but yes we cook everything outside now An electric skillet is perfect for breakfast I would not drain the fresh water at any campsite and draining it at a dump station might be tricky too. I let mine drain at home in the driveway But it sounds like you're enjoying your new camper and that's the most important part. Congrats !

[Kaboom]

Congratulations, I also have a 27 HFS and truly enjoy it. As far as a tow bar I have the EZ lift that was installed by the dealer at time of purchase. The sway control is the flat bar type and so far has worked just fine. I am a big guy and have not had a problem with the shower curtain,"YET". but ours bows outward at the top. I noticed one on-line at camping world that bows out ward to give more room. We cook outside most of the time, but have had our alarm go off when cooking inside.

I wash mine when ever it looks dirty. I use a soft brush and regular car washing soap. I have not cleaned the roof yet because I'm not sure the roof would support my weight.

Like RFK I wait until I'm home to drain the water tank.

[portert]

We just ordered a 24HFS and are planning on putting two Harleys in it. We have a Dyna Low Rider and a Softail Deluxe at this time but hope to eventually get 2 street glides. Have you put both your harleys in the garage yet and if so how did you work the tie downs? We are hoping both bikes fit! would you happen to have a picture of both bikes in the garage? We would love any input you guys could give. we are new to the toy hauler scene.

Jim & Terry
2014 XLR 24HFS
04 Low Rider
08 Deluxe

[Kaboom]

PORTERT, Not sure about loading in 24 HFS , ours is a 27 HFS. I posted some pictures in a thread some time back . Look under XRL and 27HFS haulin harleys.

[supreme87]

aha,someone else with the same shower issues!ok,what i have done is got tablecloth weights with a clip and put them on the bottom of the curtain.its not 100% better,but it definately helps.as far as the tv mount goes,i installed a full motion mount that also tilts.works out alright.weight distributing hitch works well for me,gmc 2500hd towing it,no sway issues ever.
How do you find the beds?my bunk is so uncomfortable,i only slept on it the one time...back was so sore after that.

[SIBELL]

Portert, I use a system similar to this.

ADJUSTABLE MOTORCYCLE TRAILER WHEEL CHOCK BIKE STAND on eBay!

What I do is strap the wheel chock down, drive the bike into it and then strap the bike in. Works like a charm. I put the street glide all the way forward and strap it in, the other bike goes in almost behind it, but angled a little bit using the same wheel chocks.

supreme87, thanks for the tip on the shower I will have to give it a shot and for the bed, I purchased a memory foam thing and put that down under the mattress to give me some extra comfort. it helped a lot, I think I paid $75 for it

[portert]

Thanks for the info. We ordered the trailer contingent on whether our bikes fit in the trailer. We can not find one on a lot anywhere to go look at and we are not sure how both of our bikes will fit. Was hoping that someone with a XLR 24HFS would have pictures of how they put their bikes in the garage and whether they have enough clearance going in the ramp. My bike is a Dyna Low Rider and my husbands is a Softail deluxe.

[SIBELL]

Next time I load them up I will take a picture. Both of your bikes will fit in there. I have a street glide and takes up a lot of room, heck if I were to take the bags off, I could probably get 3 bikes in there. Might exceed the weight limit though.

[avolnek]

Originally Posted by SIBELL

Hello everyone. I am brand new to the forums and to camping for that matter. Never been much for sleeping in a tent under the stars with no comforts, but with this thing I am content.

I picked up a used 2013 XLR 24 HFS and love it. I have owned it for about a month and have used it almost every weekend since the purchase. I have a few questions and hoping you can help me out.

I have a 2013 Dodge 1500 Big horn, max tow 10,300, I am noticing that it pulls the trailer just fine, but I do get some sway. how do I determine what sway hitch and stuff like that to put on? I am going to be hauling 2 harleys in there, one is a street glide, 850 lbs and the other is a road glide 850 lbs. The person before me must have had a sway system on it, as there is mounts or something on trailer already

I show the dry hitch weight of this trailer from the manufacturer is 876 LBS. So yes, I would highly recommend a weight distribution to return much of the weight to the front wheels of the truck. I also would suggest looking at a set of air bags to help keep the truck level with a firm ride. I know the few years before the rams had coil spring rear suspension and this allowed for an air bag to be fitted into that spring... very nice setup, I had them on my previous 2010. Also, with that much weight you may want to look into E rated light truck tires if you don't already have them. You will be okay with the lower rated but the sidewalls of the passenger tires aren't as stiff and can cause the truck to sort of wander in the lane while at highway speeds.

I have figured out the dump station procedures by reading some of the posts on this website and that is going well, but what do you with the fresh water can you just dump it or do you need to do that at the dump station? What is the proper etiquette?

Fresh water can legally be dumped anywhere. I generally open mine up as I am pulling out of the park so it is dribbling down the highway... no right or wrong here really if using some common sense.

Fresh water meter doesn't work, I have a warranty, but sounds like it will take time to fix, just not wanting to turn it in yet for that.

Smart thinking, I have a few minor things that I will be sending mine in for after I am done using it for the year.

The spot for the TV seems really high, anyone else able to find a mount that would lower to a more acceptable level?

I do not have your trailer and cant speak for this, but have you looked into an adjustable mount. They make some you can pull away from the wall and position however you would like. Then when you are done you just return it to the stored position.

Cooking with both burners, the heat alarm goes off.

Are you using the fan above the stove top on the range? Is the vent flap open? The fan there can make a huge difference. We use that fan anytime anything is on the stove top or in the oven.

Shower curtain, everytime I take a shower and turn around the shower curtain follows me and pretty soon I am wrapped up in it like a soaped up tamale. Not a good visual

Have you seen the extendable curtain rods to open up some more space?
Stromberg Carlson Extend-A-Shower RV Curtain Rod/ Drip Rack


How often should you clean the outside and can I use a pressure washer to do that? Also same with the roof?

I clean mine when it's dirty And when it is convenient for me to do so. I would highly suggest cleaning the roof at least twice a year, if not more depending on what is on the roof. IE tree sap, acorns, snow ect.. I generally get to wash the outside of my camper about every other trip. I just make the time to do while it is in the driveway.

Alex...

[djmac1964]

Originally Posted by supreme87

How do you find the beds?my bunk is so uncomfortable,i only slept on it the one time...back was so sore after that.

We cut a thin piece of plywood to go under the mattress, and then cut down several camping mats to go between the mattress and plywood. it actually took two pieces of plywood, cut to fit the bunk space, and I can't remember if it took three or four foam camping mats to cover the plywood, but once it was all put in place, it made a world of difference! I couldn't even lay on the bunks before doing it, and it's not bad at all now. My wife and I actually slept back there when we took our Fl trip, and let our guest use our bed in the front, out of convenience.

[Kaboom]

The rear bed was to uncomfortable to sleep on. I read in another post about cutting plywood and putting it under the mattress. I tried this and it was better but still not comfortable. I also noticed that when I sat on the bed it would bow alot and one time I heard wood crack. after that I never trusted it.

I decided to spend a saturday and fix it. I went to the hardware store and bought two 1/8" by 2"x2" aluminum angle stock long enough to span from side to side. I cut it to fit between the wood bed frame and the metal brackets of the bed lift. This way it spans from side to side on both the front and back. I had to remove the trim boards front and back and that's when I found that both were cracked. I removed the naugahyde covering, (alot of staples) and found that it is just thin cheap plywood and both were cracked. I went back to the lumber yard and bought two pieces of solid douglas fur almost the same dimensions. I cut them to length and recovered them with the original naugahyde. I then reinstalled the side boards by predrilling through the aluminum and used longer screws. The bed frame is now solid and even with my weight (280lbs) does not bow. I decided to put a full queen mattress on it. It is now as comfortable as our regular bed. love it.

[djmac1964]

Originally Posted by Kaboom

The rear bed was to uncomfortable to sleep on. I read in another post about cutting plywood and putting it under the mattress. I tried this and it was better but still not comfortable. I also noticed that when I sat on the bed it would bow alot and one time I heard wood crack. after that I never trusted it.

I decided to spend a saturday and fix it. I went to the hardware store and bought two 1/8" by 2"x2" aluminum angle stock long enough to span from side to side. I cut it to fit between the wood bed frame and the metal brackets of the bed lift. This way it spans from side to side on both the front and back. I had to remove the trim boards front and back and that's when I found that both were cracked. I removed the naugahyde covering, (alot of staples) and found that it is just thin cheap plywood and both were cracked. I went back to the lumber yard and bought two pieces of solid douglas fur almost the same dimensions. I cut them to length and recovered them with the original naugahyde. I then reinstalled the side boards by predrilling through the aluminum and used longer screws. The bed frame is now solid and even with my weight (280lbs) does not bow. I decided to put a full queen mattress on it. It is now as comfortable as our regular bed. love it.

That does sound like a lot better solution, especially for the comfort aspect. The reason I did mine the way I did, was due to weight issues, and I also have the second bunk added. I just didn't want to add the additional weight of two traditional mattresses. We tent camped for years, and to be honest, the bunks aren't that uncomfortable, and are much better than they were without the plywood and pads.

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by djmac1964

That does sound like a lot better solution, especially for the comfort aspect. The reason I did mine the way I did, was due to weight issues, and I also have the second bunk added. I just didn't want to add the additional weight of two traditional mattresses. We tent camped for years, and to be honest, the bunks aren't that uncomfortable, and are much better than they were without the plywood and pads.

It was some work, but I did not have much choice after I heard the wood crack. weight wise I thought about a queen air mattress and may go that way at some point. I don't have the second bed so I may be close weight wise.