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Old 10-15-2015, 04:59 PM   #1
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Our new 2016 Coachmen Pursuit 31BD

Well... we brought her home! Picked up our new MH last Saturday in Hamburg, PA. Loved our 2014 Flagstaff 26RLWS but decided it was time for an upgrade. Shopped the Hershey show and ended up buying a Pursuit - especially after the dealer gave us what we paid for the Flagstaff in trade. At least we stayed within the FR family! I knew we were buying an "entry level" coach - leaving plenty of room for mods and upgrades. Given the cost of the "next up the line" Mirada I figured I could start here and add what was "missing" for a lot less money than that model would cost me. Besides, modding is half the fun for an electrically & mechanically inclined "home improvement geek" and shop rat. We loved the layout and pretty much everything else about this coach - not withstanding the "bells and whistles" it lacks. No problem - let the modding begin.

The DW is already retired and I'll be in that boat in a year - two years tops... so over that period of time my plan is to equip the coach properly and shake out the bugs (and get the hang of driving it) with some relatively local long weekend trips. After that we don't plan to full time, but may go "half time" at least for a while. Lots of beautiful country to see out there.

The "to do" list is long, but number one was LED lighting. I went with "natural white" bulbs from M4Products. Replaced all the interior bulbs last night. Third pic shows that in-process. Nearest and furthest fixtures still contain the factory incandescents; the two in between have the new LEDs, as does the fixture over the sink. I like both the color and the brightness - happy with my choice.

I ran into an "oddity" in the bulb replacement process. When I replaced the "dome light" bulb out over the dash I ran up the dash instrument light dimmer past the detent - the light turned on. Duh! I ran it back down and the lamp turned off. Again, duh! I walked back to the kitchen counter to retrieve the lens and screws for the fixture and when I returned the new bulb was on - very dim, but on. Huh? There's apparently some kind of "leak path" that runs a small amount of current through that bulb even when the switch is off. Not enough to make the stock incandescent bulb light, but enough for the LEDs. How strange.

Anyway - more on the modding saga will follow as I tackle additional electrical and plumbing upgrades. Pursuit owners feel free to chime in with advice and experiences... the adventure begins!
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Old 10-15-2015, 10:01 PM   #2
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Congratulations on the new Pursuit. Looks like the 31BDP. We are on the 2nd year with ours and still modifying ours. Good luck and safe travels.
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Old 10-16-2015, 02:29 AM   #3
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Congratulations on the new Pursuit. Looks like the 31BDP. We are on the 2nd year with ours and still modifying ours. Good luck and safe travels.
Thanks! Yes, I've variously seen this model referred to as the BD, BDP, and BDPF... haven't broken the code the way I had with my Flagstaff, but as far as I can tell they're all referring to the same unit.

BTW - did you ever get your generator problem resolved?
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Old 10-16-2015, 05:28 AM   #4
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Very nice looking coach. Happy trails!!
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Old 10-16-2015, 06:25 AM   #5
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Very nice looking coach. Happy trails!!
Thanks, Jerry. We're pretty excited about moving up from the tow-behind (which we loved) and starting a new chapter in our on-the-road adventures.
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Old 10-16-2015, 08:20 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pashooter View Post
Thanks! Yes, I've variously seen this model referred to as the BD, BDP, and BDPF... haven't broken the code the way I had with my Flagstaff, but as far as I can tell they're all referring to the same unit.

BTW - did you ever get your generator problem resolved?
The first letters refer to a key feature. Mine is KB for King Bed. BD is most likely Big/Bed Dinette which is your key feature. The P is a throwback from when Pursuit was the low end sub-line of Mirada. The F is for the Ford chassis.
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Old 10-16-2015, 08:30 AM   #7
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The first letters refer to a key feature. Mine is KB for King Bed. BD is most likely Big/Bed Dinette which is your key feature. The P is a throwback from when Pursuit was the low end sub-line of Mirada. The F is for the Ford chassis.
Ah! Makes sense. The sticker by our door just says 31BD... since it's a Pursuit the P is superfluous, and since they're ALL built on F53 chassis the F really isn't needed either...

Love that dinette, BTW... one of the things that clinched the deal for us.
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Old 10-16-2015, 09:55 AM   #8
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So far the generator seems to be working. Installed the fuel pump kit that they sent and insulated the fuel line. Only had one hot weekend to try it sense, and it stayed running even while driving.

On our unit it has 31BDP next to the door and the insurance company and the DVM both have it as 31BDPF along with the vin number.
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Old 10-18-2015, 05:49 AM   #9
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A new twist on the model designation theme: just got my financing paperwork and the bank has my coach listed as a 31BOP! Sounds like a "reading someone's handwriting" issue. Not mine, BTW.

Well... the Esco LPT50BRD transfer switch and Progressive Industries HW50C EMS have arrived in the big brown truck... I know what I'm doing next weekend!
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Old 10-18-2015, 02:03 PM   #10
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A new twist on the model designation theme: just got my financing paperwork and the bank has my coach listed as a 31BOP! Sounds like a "reading someone's handwriting" issue. Not mine, BTW.

Well... the Esco LPT50BRD transfer switch and Progressive Industries HW50C EMS have arrived in the big brown truck... I know what I'm doing next weekend!
Although I have a 30A coach, I suggest you consider installing your PI HW50C with twist lock plugs. If you have a circuit board failure you can bypass the PMS and restore power in seconds (even if that means you have to run the genset), rather then being without juice until PI sends you a new card. Pic of mine below. Also credit to Turbs for the idea.
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Old 10-18-2015, 02:14 PM   #11
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Although I have a 30A coach, I suggest you consider installing your PI HW50C with twist lock plugs. If you have a circuit board failure you can bypass the PMS and restore power in seconds (even if that means you have to run the genset), rather then being without juice until PI sends you a new card. Pic of mine below. Also credit to Turbs for the idea.
Not a bad idea - thanks. As a cheaper alternative I could always leave some slack in the cables to the unit and carry a few wire nuts with me.

Nice looking installation you have there - where did you put your unit? I've got plenty of room in the "baggage compartment" where my power cord and generator outlet are located.

Is circuit board failure a common occurrence with these things?
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Old 10-18-2015, 02:21 PM   #12
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I put it under my soon to be gone L shaped jackknife sofa. Card failure is rare and usually caused by a massive surge. Transformer failure or lightning strike will deliver one of those.
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Old 10-18-2015, 04:14 PM   #13
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If you've explained elsewhere, I apologize, but what are you replacing the jackknife sofa with? 99% of the time it will just be the wife & me in our 31BD, so I anticipate seldom using the dinette, sofa, or overhead bunk as beds... not planning on doing anything with my (straight) sofa any time soon (it's pretty comfortable just as a sofa) but you have my curiosity up...

Actually, the wife sometimes has trouble sleeping so slept on the sofa (watchng TV) while I sawed wood in the bed in our Flagstaff in blissful quiet. But she just slept on the sofa... as a sofa. We never opened it into a bed (or inflated the air mattress it came equiped with).
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Old 10-18-2015, 06:10 PM   #14
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When we removed the jack knife sofa we installed these two theater recliners. Had to extend the base out approximately 4". Much nicer for watching TV and relaxing.
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Old 10-18-2015, 10:26 PM   #15
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My interior is quite different. The L sofa is the only seating other than the front seats swiveled around. The new seating will be similar to the sofa ResQFrog put in but I will have more space so the theatre seating will have drink holders and a center console.
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Old 10-19-2015, 04:51 AM   #16
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Duckogram,
The wife wanted the drink holder section, but there was no way to do it without cutting down the dinette area. They had a matching section that would fit right in.
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Old 10-19-2015, 06:48 AM   #17
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Duckogram,
The wife wanted the drink holder section, but there was no way to do it without cutting down the dinette area. They had a matching section that would fit right in.
ResQFrog,
Please post the details (manufacturers name, model series and number) and where you got it. I'm about ready to begin the search. Thanks in advance.
Ducky
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Old 10-19-2015, 07:23 AM   #18
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I can tell you we got them at the Frog Rally this year at the LCI booth they had set up. Will see if I can find any more details when I get back off the road the end of this week. They were clearing out some of the last year models I guess and the wife got them for basically buy the one half get the other half free. It was a sectional set, with a left and right and if wanted they had two different sizes of center sections, with cup holders. Check out Lippert Components Inc. There was two or three different chair, sofa vendors this year. Had been looking at a couple of Lazy Boy recliners, but would not have been able to reach the release lever when they were installed. On these the lever is on the inside next to your leg.
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Old 10-19-2015, 05:00 PM   #19
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Thanks. Ill check the LCI website.
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Old 10-20-2015, 02:04 AM   #20
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Nice looking Sofa ResQFrog. Food for thought...
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