NO-BO 16.5 owners

[mike22]

Have owned FR TT previous, Flagstaff Micro Lite, 21DS, 23FB and other brands.
Saw the NO-BO's at the RV show in Elkhart, IN last spring. Did purchase a new 2019 16.5 here in Florida this August. In the past five years we have been RV'n have owned several TT 2 Starcraft RD-17,Satellite 16, 1 Evergreen Ascend 17, In-tech Explore 14, KZ 14, Runaway Cool Camp. We have traveled out west three times and up to the Midwest and Florida many times.

Have towed most with a 2015 F-150 2.7 Eco-boost Supercab, great truck no issues towing.

Now have a 2018 F-150 with V6 3.3 non turbo and 6 speed transmission.
The new non turbo tows the NO-BO 16.5 with ease and I am bit surprised same or better mileage 12-14+ mpg towing the NO-BO 16.5 (dry weight 2980, loaded 3500-3700). I'm sure when out west at higher elevation and long grades the difference will be felt between the Eco Boost and FI engines.

We love the 2019 NO-BO 16.5. It is a good fit for us, my wife and our 11 lb Patterdale terrier, "Penny". After having the other TT's this gave us things missing in the others, and in January 2018 we traveled to Qwartzfest, a ham radio event in Qwartzite AZ in the Starcraft Satellite and dry camped in the desert for four nights. I mention the Satellite because it is very close in size and weight to the NO-BO 16.5.

Delivery from our dealer was a nightmare, and we have done that rodeo before as noted above six or seven times. The first 16.5 was not prepped and had numerous problems: rear window leaked enough to soak the bed, front leveler jacks could not be lowered a design flaw at FR, it had the 16" wheels and tires which have now been recalled my FR. Dealer screwed up our title and registration "three times" and we paid cash/trade. I could go on, but I complained as you might expect and they swapped another new in stock 16.5 which only had the usual few issues and 15" wheels and tires, the one we have now. Have and plan to do upgrades to the NO-BO 16.5 and will share.

Sorry to be long winded

Mike, Sharon and Penny

Tampa Bay

[blackfly]

Sweet trailer. I have the one with the slide out (19.5) It had the best layout of any camper, which is why my wife and I bought it.
The tires are a marketing gimmick - There's no way that a person needs a tread that aggressive on any trailer! LOL. Once they wear out I'll replace them with something a little more road friendly.

[mike22]

The 19.5 is a nice TT, at the Elkhart show this last spring we put a deposit on a 19.5.
The next day before we could pick it up we were involved in an accident that totaled my F-150 so no new 19.5 for us. All are OK and walked away but big change on how we would RV. Sold the Starcraft Satellite 16 (Satellite was at Jayco for factory work) that was to be the trade in to a local dealer and came back to Fl and regrouped.



2018 F-150 3.3
2019 NO-BO 16.5

[campwest]

Recently picked up a 16.5. We took it out for a few nights over New Years to put it through the paces, and came away with a good overall impression. There were a few very minor finish issues (a couple of semi-stripped screws on the blinds and shelves), but otherwise it seemed to be clean driving it off the dealer's lot.

We were looking for something simple, roomy, lots of clearance, and light - the 16.5 seems to fill that role well, and looks pretty cool, too!

I did some light winterizing today, blowing out the hoses and emptying the tanks. Not sure about the other models, but the 16.5 has three drain hoses - 2 low point drains on the side (one for hot, one for cold I think?), and one drain for the fresh tank more towards the center. After much consternation and web searching, I also removed the anode from the water heater and drained that, too. When I unscrewed the sheet of plywood from the bench panel that covers the water heater, furnace, and pump, there also appeared to be a water heater bypass built in to the system, so that's cool.

On our first outing, here were a few things I noticed:

- Condensation. It was cold outside, warm inside, and three of us in the camper, so when morning rolled around we had to take a few minutes wiping down the interior windows and drying the place out. Not a huge deal, but I was surprised with the amount of condensation at the base of the windows.

- Get a mattress topper for the master bed - it's hard!

- Close the front door firmly and gently with the door handle already pulled, then release it after the door is firmly shut against the frame. We didn't figure this out until smacking the $%&# out of the door for the first day.

- The stove mysteriously went out a couple of times. I'm sure there was a draft or something, but it was still eye opening to look down and just see gas spewing from the burner while nobody noticed. Obviously it didn't go too long, but after that we were definitely more watchful over the stove flame.

I'm sure this stuff is common to all makes/models, more just learning experiences for new TT owners. Overall we were really satisfied with the No-Bo and its features. Happy with the purchase so far...knock on wood. Can't wait to hear stories from other No-Bo'ers out there

[DES-1]

Originally Posted by mike22

...it had the 16" wheels and tires which have now been recalled my FR.

We bought a NOBO 19.7 end of July, and the dealer had several with 16" and new arrivals with 15". Our understanding was the running change was due to cost cutting measures, and not a recall. The 16" tires were of higher quality and more expensive. At least that was the story. We went with the 16's as that is what the original design called for. We have not received a recall notice. Upon looking online, we see wheel/tire recalls for different models.

In December we received a replacement placard from FR stating tire pressures should be reduced from 80psi to 65psi. The reason stated was to reduce the rough ride and possibility of damage to the trailer If going down the highway can cause structural damage I won't venture onto any state forest roads!

[DES-1]

Originally Posted by campwest

On our first outing, here were a few things I noticed:

- Condensation. It was cold outside, warm inside, and three of us in the camper, so when morning rolled around we had to take a few minutes wiping down the interior windows and drying the place out. Not a huge deal, but I was surprised with the amount of condensation at the base of the windows.

- Get a mattress topper for the master bed - it's hard!

- Close the front door firmly and gently with the door handle already pulled, then release it after the door is firmly shut against the frame. We didn't figure this out until smacking the $%&# out of the door for the first day.

Regarding the condensation - I think the solution is to leave the bathroom fan on low setting or perhaps off and just leave open a bit, and then crack a window in the kitchen area. 2 people just sleeping exhale enough water vapor in a night to cause condensation when temp falls and there is not enough air circulation in the cabin.

The door and screen are something you don't want to apply much force to, as you've found out, not to be forced on the latching mechanism but firmly seated while holding the lever open. How's the fit and finish of your screen door? Any edge gaps you can see through? They are notorious for not being perfectly adjusted.