351-THSS questions...

[fastfreddie]

New guy, would like to be in the market for a new 351-THSS...will probably special order to get the options I want. Any estimates for delivery this time of year?

I'm sure I could get these answers from the/a dealer/MFG but, c'mon, y'all like to talk about this rig, right?

Biggest question, what is the grey water holding capacity?
The home site says 32gals, brochure says 32gals...that can't be right, can it? With 100gals in the fresh and 42gals in the black, why on earth would the grey hold so little? That's what, maybe five showers and no sink usage from one person? The black capacity is enough to hold me for a month of really bad food!

The Master bed, is there storage under the mattress? Is it lined? Raw press board? Pics?

With an onboard generator and Progressive EMS, is it possible to wire the generator so it starts up if the power trips?

I did spend some time looking at this one and it's how I got introduced to the line. When the salesman opened the door, I immediately liked what I saw.
New 2016 Palomino Puma Unleashed 351-THSS Toy Hauler Fifth Wheel at Tom Schaeffer's RV Superstore | Shoemakersville, PA | #10860
I purchased a SunsetCreek 307RL from them in '08 but it may be rotten beyond reasonable repair from a recent roof leak...bad winter, maybe? Waiting on the estimate now. It has full-coverage insurance but I've yet to revisit the policy.

Anyway, if the grey water spec is correct, what are you folks doing when you're off the grid for a week? It almost seems like a deal breaker.
If I were to choose anything else, for my needs/purposes, I'd be looking at a custom ATC which would likely be triple the price.

I'll appreciate any and all feedback.
Thanks.

[ferguson65]

Copied from my paste in the welcome post.

I just recently purchased at 351THSS. I'd go on a guess that you may be looking at the one up at Tom Schaeffer's in Hamburg. (guessed right!) We had them order ours and they ordered a twin to it for stock. I'll offer one piece of advise, that I wish they offered to me. I'm almost 100% sure that the unit they have in stock only has a 30A service and is not prewired for a second A/C. Just like mine. I have the 15K unit but it still takes forever to get cold, and on a hot day I severely doubt it will keep up. I just dropped it off Saturday for some warranty issues, and for a price to convert it to 50A. I know it would have been a LOT cheaper to have it done at the factory. The question now is if it's cheaper to retrofit my unit or trade it for a 50A one.

One a/c isn't enough for that much trailer, and I really wish the salesman would have communicated that to me when we ordered. I would not consider it without the 50A service (which gets the wiring for the second a/c and the roof vent in the garage). Mine does not even have the vent.

Aside from that we really like the trailer. The grey tank I suspect is actually 32 gallons and it does fill up fast. I'm going to have to pick up a tote to deal with sites that don't have sewer. We've filled it on both two night trips we've done so far ( 2 adults).

There is storage under the bed. It's about 6-8 inches deep and is lined with carpet. The mattress sits on plywood that isn't covered. Mine is at Schaeffer's or I'd snap a pic.

I can't help out much on the generator, other than the Puma TH's are all wired for them and have the auto transfer switch. We priced it out, $4600 factory, and $6400 for Schaeffer's to install. We would not use it enough to justify that kind of money, especially when you can pair two Honda eu2000is's together for about $2300 and not have the generator running under your bed all night.

[fastfreddie]

The Hondas are really quiet but I'm sure I don't want to deal with "loose" gear any more. Been doin' it that way for over a decade...it got old, as did I. The other thing is power, I want lots of it.

The amount of usage is definitely a valid point. My mitigating "excuse" is that unreliable power at the race tracks can lead to unpleasant results on the track. If I have a tire warmer(s) fail to function properly or the power to those warmers themselves, I'm hittin' the track on cold tires. BTDT, it wasn't pretty. So, not only do I need to power an RV without interruption, I need an additional 2000 watts.

Gonna see if I can get the 5.5 EFI Onan. It has a really low noise rating, 64db, and operates at lower RPM - better for sleepin'. Going this far, I guess 50amp service would be, yeah, sure...throw it in there.

Not sure about ACs. I'd at least go for the single upgrade. Still more readin' to do...I may want one in the garage.

That leads me to some other things I can think I'd want over the one on Schaeffer's lot...
A HappiJac sofa bed. I have no use for twin bunks in the garage.
Opposed sofas that turn into one bed? Yeah, that'll work. Otherwise, I'd have nothing back there, which would also be okay with me. Well, maybe a washer/dryer could come in handy but with only 32gals grey water? They're killin' this model with that cuz I'd have no qualms about droppin' it from the very short list if that can't be addressed. 32 gals?!? That's ridiculous on a unit this size.

Hope you can get your upgrade without a lot of headache.
If you don't mind tellin', what was the warranty issue?

[panthercity]

Hey fastfreddie!

[ferguson65]

Originally Posted by fastfreddie

If you don't mind tellin', what was the warranty issue?

I have 2 issues I'd consider "major" and a whole pile of "minor" stuff. The big things are that the slide is set too far back in the cutout and the rear window binds up sometimes coming in. The seal is jammed against the slide at the rear and the front has 1", which the seal still covers. Needs pushed front 1/2" and it'll be perfect. The second thing is that they used a "leftover" piece of subfloor that has a 2" hole in it. Or they just misdrilled a hole and put the linoleum over it, rather than replace it. Put a stepstool leg there and you'll be on the ground and there will be a tear in the linoleum. It's smack in the middle of the living area/ kitchen.

The rest of it is just stupid stuff, blinds won't stay up, missing screws/ bolts, trim that is pulling off. Plus some other little tings I've fixed myself along the way.

We looked at the couches in the garage, I wanted them. The bed lift is $1300, and I was told the couch option was other $1300 on top of the beds. I did just the beds, just wasn't worth the extra $1300 to me.

[fastfreddie]

Originally Posted by panthercity

Hey fastfreddie!

Hahahaha. Fancy meetin' you here.
How'd your rig turn out?

[fastfreddie]

Originally Posted by ferguson65

I have 2 issues I'd consider "major"...

A hole in the flooring and a slide jammin' stuff? I hope I don't have to face that.
Good luck with the fixes.

I have to look deeper into the sofa thing...will prolly hit the dealer this week to see what a special order form looks like.

They haven't touched my camper, in for scheduled repair last Monday, and it's startin' to bug me. I'm gonna be sure to let them know. I dislike being a squeaky wheel but, c'mon, they scheduled this. In the mean time, I'm sure my roof leak is lovin' this weather.

[panthercity]

Originally Posted by fastfreddie

Hahahaha. Fancy meetin' you here.
How'd your rig turn out?

Picked it up Thursday afternoon.

Lippert Industries Forest River Palomino Puma Unleashed 30THSS





More later.

[fastfreddie]

Sweet.
Is the break-over for the ramp as tall as it looks?

[panthercity]

There's a second section of the ramp on the inside. Fold out the ramp, extend the little footers then fold out the rest of the ramp. I'll shot some pics as time allows this weekend.

[fastfreddie]

Originally Posted by panthercity

There's a second section of the ramp on the inside. Fold out the ramp, extend the little footers then fold out the rest of the ramp. I'll shot some pics as time allows this weekend.

Got it.

[panthercity]

It's still pretty steep, but nothin' a racer can't make better!

[fastfreddie]

You got that right!
I see some taller footers and a big brass pole.

[JStricklandNCSU]

I am a new owner of a Puma 351THSS and the heat is flashing E1 code. This is after I cut the breakers off a few weeks ago and did not realize the battery would charge with them on so the battery completely died. I cut breakers back on and charged unit for a few days before taking it on a 2 day trip. When I got to my destination the heat ran for 10min and began flashing E1. I have unplugged battery and reconnected, flipped breakers, hooked the trailer electrical harness back to truck and etc but nothing seems to work. I have made sure the unit is level also. Please Help!!