Looking to order a 245BHS, help choosing options..

[FISHTAIL]

So; we've decided to get a 245BHS, and to avoid timing issues with selling our R-pod, and trying to get a 245 on the lot, we figured we'd just order one and leave the 6 weeks to get our current trailer sold, or we'll just own two for a while (Pod is paid for).

So now the question is...which options are worth the money, and which aren't? There are a few I know we want they are;
15k A/C upgrade
Bike Rack
Wood look flooring (color should hide dirt better)
Maxx Fan in the bathroom.

What I'm not sure about are:
Roof Ladder
Slide Topper
Serta Mattress

I like the idea of both ladder and topper from a functional standpoint, not sure I like the idea of extra holes to watch over though. Anyone had issues with either? Thoughts?

As for the mattress, we'll be upgrading it anyway, but I wasn't sure if this one was decent or if we should just get one from the store.

Really not sure about:
Equaflex suspension

I've read good and bad about these. Not sure how I feel about it. More opinions are welcome.

[FISHTAIL]

Oh, and has anyone spotted any difference between the Cocoa and Cream interior colors other than the pattern on the back of the dinette?

[clarkbre]

My thoughts in red:

Originally Posted by FISHTAIL

So; we've decided to get a 245BHS, and to avoid timing issues with selling our R-pod, and trying to get a 245 on the lot, we figured we'd just order one and leave the 6 weeks to get our current trailer sold, or we'll just own two for a while (Pod is paid for).

So now the question is...which options are worth the money, and which aren't? There are a few I know we want they are;
15k A/C upgrade Ours has the 13.5k AC and it works just fine for the same size trailer. If you're in a more southern area of the US, the 15k would likely be a good upgrade. The larger one would have to work less to cool the same area.
Bike Rack Pass on it. If it's the flip down rack on the bumper, bikes are difficult to secure to it and it's always in the way of the water heater. It also weighs about 80 lbs empty. A better solution would be the bed of your truck or a bedrail rack above the bed of your truck.
Wood look flooring (color should hide dirt better) No comment, go with what you like but have a good broom to sweep out the trailer daily
Maxx Fan in the bathroom. Absolutely! That is one option we will be upgrading to very soon. The standard fan is noisy and pulls quite a bit of 12v amps.

What I'm not sure about are:
Roof Ladder Do get a ladder. The holes are very minimal and your roof is completely walkable. The factory ladder is one less item to carry in the truck or trailer and provides very safe access to the roof.
Slide Topper Pass. Consider how much debris will really be on your slide and how much you really need the topper. If the trailer is set level, the slide will naturally shed water to the outer edge and drain.
Before pulling the slide in and leaving camp, use your trailer mounted ladder and broom (see, 2 must have items!) to sweep any debris off the slide
Serta Mattress Pass. Plan to purchase whatever mattress you choose for your comfort. It took us a solid 4 nights before seeing the dents in our stock mattress. We bought a $175 queen mattress on Amazon and it's actually much more comfortable than our mattress at home. Don't let Forest River pick where you will spend 1/3 of your time while using your trailer!

I like the idea of both ladder and topper from a functional standpoint, not sure I like the idea of extra holes to watch over though. Anyone had issues with either? Thoughts? No issues whatsoever here.
The ladder on our trailer was actually forgot in manufacturing so the dealer put it on. We haven't had any issues and I've used it more than I thought I would.

As for the mattress, we'll be upgrading it anyway, but I wasn't sure if this one was decent or if we should just get one from the store.

Really not sure about:
Equaflex suspension Do get this. Ours has it and the trailer rides perfect. It allows the trailer to ride softer and tow straighter.

I've read good and bad about these. Not sure how I feel about it. More opinions are welcome.

2 other opinions or thoughts that come to mind with your special ordered rig:

1. Dual, 6 volt batteries are a good thing. For the same weight as 12v, you'll have more even amperage and just plain better batteries for boondocking.

2. Takes some of the money you've saved and plan on purchasing Maxxis M8008 tires in the first year. The tires that FR puts on these trailer are not of good quality and susceptible to blow outs and tread separation.

After all of our PM's, I'm happy you're going with Surveyor!

[FISHTAIL]

Yeah, we are an in area where it gets hot. Summers here are frequently in the mid 90's with humidity to match. Heat index tops 100 pretty often. I don't see the smaller A/C unit keeping up if we go mid summer, which is the plan now (we have avoided camping all summer long in the past due to weather..typically only going in early spring/late fall).

As with the slide topper, 95%+ of our camping areas are heavily wooded, and debris on the slide roof has always been a problem. I have to sweep the R-pod slide every single time before we pull it in. My biggest concern with the topper was where it was mounted, I'm just trying to keep all possible leak area's to a minimum. Especially because HOA regulations won't let me keep the camper on my property where I can check it easily. But I saw after I posted this, that the slide cover actually bolts into the wall of the slide, and not the roof, so that's a plus for me.

I'll pass on the factory order of the suspension upgrade, but I might throw it on myself later. While looking at that, I also saw posts about folks that add shocks. So now I have some reading to do...but in either case, I can add that stuff myself easily.

I do wish they offered a solar panel option, I'd get that for sure.

Dual 6v...I'll ask coaches, see if they'll do that. And good to know on the tires, I knew those were an issue on the R-pods, but was kind of hoping they weren't on the Surveyor line. Not surprised, but somewhat disappointed.

Thanks again for all your help on the weight stuff. I learned a lot. I've been helping my folks now, who are also shopping for a camper (but smaller, they have a 2016 explorer). My Dad REALLY wanted a Lance, but the one they liked was just pushing the envelope a little too much. I sent him some info on a GeoPro and they are going to check one out next week.

Originally Posted by clarkbre

My thoughts in red:



2 other opinions or thoughts that come to mind with your special ordered rig:

1. Dual, 6 volt batteries are a good thing. For the same weight as 12v, you'll have more even amperage and just plain better batteries for boondocking.

2. Takes some of the money you've saved and plan on purchasing Maxxis M8008 tires in the first year. The tires that FR puts on these trailer are not of good quality and susceptible to blow outs and tread separation.

After all of our PM's, I'm happy you're going with Surveyor!

[FISHTAIL]

Oh, and I can answer my own question on the decor. It's the pattern on the dinette. That's it.

[Jayhawker]

Thought I would give my two cents worth on options for a new Surveyor. We bought a 2018 243RBS Surveyor last June. Here are some prices of options for last year: A/C 15k is $217, MAX fan in $ 123, Fireplace is $ 308, Rear ladder is $ 137, Slide topper is $ 261, Equa-flex suspension is $ 181, Floor covering upgrade is $ 72. Hope this helps!

[FISHTAIL]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker

Thought I would give my two cents worth on options for a new Surveyor. We bought a 2018 243RBS Surveyor last June. Here are some prices of options for last year: A/C 15k is $217, MAX fan in $ 123, Fireplace is $ 308, Rear ladder is $ 137, Slide topper is $ 261, Equa-flex suspension is $ 181, Floor covering upgrade is $ 72. Hope this helps!

Thanks, no Fireplace option for us...trailer is too short. But it does look like we are getting a solid deal on the rest. Slide topper and ladder together were 273, fan and flooring upgrade together were 135.

Suspension was about the same, but I'll deal with that myself later.

[mawilson]

We got the ladder, bike rack, A/C upgrade (Florida. 'Nuf Sed), slide topper and Equa-flex on our 243RBS. Of those, I haven't used the bike rack. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably skip it. The slide topper does a great job of shedding tree droppings. It also shades the slide out keeping it marginally cooler.

[FISHTAIL]

Originally Posted by mawilson

We got the ladder, bike rack, A/C upgrade (Florida. 'Nuf Sed), slide topper and Equa-flex on our 243RBS. Of those, I haven't used the bike rack. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably skip it. The slide topper does a great job of shedding tree droppings. It also shades the slide out keeping it marginally cooler.

So I ended up getting the topper, ladder, flooring upgrade, A/C upgrade, fan, and the bike rack. I skipped the mattress, suspension and TV. The suspension I'll do later myself, I want to do some research first. I saw a shock setup that looked pretty good, I am leaning towards doing that.

Any issues with the slide topper in the wind? And as for the bike rack...I've got two little kids, so I suspect I'll get some use out of that, at least initially.

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by FISHTAIL

So I ended up getting the topper, ladder, flooring upgrade, A/C upgrade, fan, and the bike rack. I skipped the mattress, suspension and TV. The suspension I'll do later myself, I want to do some research first. I saw a shock setup that looked pretty good, I am leaning towards doing that.

Any issues with the slide topper in the wind? And as for the bike rack...I've got two little kids, so I suspect I'll get some use out of that, at least initially.

A family of 4....You guys are going to love that size trailer! Big enough for some elbow room but small enough to be very easy to tow and maneuver. Let us know when you get it.

[FISHTAIL]

Originally Posted by clarkbre

A family of 4....You guys are going to love that size trailer! Big enough for some elbow room but small enough to be very easy to tow and maneuver. Let us know when you get it.

Yeah, we are really looking forward too it. The R-Pod, as much as we like that little thing, gets really cramped with all 4 of us and the dog. We skip out on trips all the time if it looks like we will get stuck in the rain...just because there isn't room inside to hang out.

[DK-in-SC]

Do any of you know the weight capacity of the rear rack/bike rack? Our new 251RKS has one and I was hoping to use it for things like a cooler, beach cart, etc.

[FISHTAIL]

That's a good question. I want to say it's about 200lbs, and I can't remember why I want to say that. Interested to hear a definitive answer. If nobody comes up with one, I'll go find out.

[davem50]

Originally Posted by FISHTAIL

Thanks, no Fireplace option for us...trailer is too short. But it does look like we are getting a solid deal on the rest. Slide topper and ladder together were 273, fan and flooring upgrade together were 135.

Suspension was about the same, but I'll deal with that myself later.

I have a 2019 243RBS with the fireplace, it definitely saves on propane when you need a little heat instead of using the furnace. I also did the suspension upgrade, only paid $125 extra for it

[Anderson15]

Originally Posted by FISHTAIL

What I'm not sure about are:
Roof Ladder
Slide Topper
Serta Mattress

Worth it
Worth it
Worth it

[Anderson15]

Originally Posted by davem50

I have a 2019 243RBS with the fireplace, it definitely saves on propane when you need a little heat instead of using the furnace.

x2 well worth it

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by davem50

I have a 2019 243RBS with the fireplace, it definitely saves on propane when you need a little heat instead of using the furnace. I also did the suspension upgrade.

That's the one upgrade I can't, for the life of me, convince my wife to do.

Chadande did an awesome fireplace upgrade in his 245BHS and it looked great. Here is the link 245BHS fireplace install

Not only does it look good but functions as a 750w/1500w electric heater. My wife has a small space heater that puts out the same heat near our kitchen island that we use anywhere we have hook ups. Even just on the low, 750w setting, it will keep the trailer warm and use a fraction of the propane.

My point: Even if you don't have a fireplace, get a small 750/1500w heater and use it. It will pay for itself in saved propane.

[FISHTAIL]

Originally Posted by davem50

I have a 2019 243RBS with the fireplace, it definitely saves on propane when you need a little heat instead of using the furnace. I also did the suspension upgrade, only paid $125 extra for it

I would have to install the fireplace aftermarket, it wasn't a factory option. We camp at places without electrical hookups more often than not though, so I'm not convinced it would get much use for us anyway, though they do look nice.

The suspension, I'm still not sold on. I saw some videos where it was causing wheels to lift under heavy breaking, etc. I'm leaning more towards adding shocks instead.

[debit]

We bought our 251rks three years ago, this coming June. We have had virtually nothing wrong (other than a leak in the shower, which I fixed). I wish, however that it had come with a stronger tire than the load rage C. I changed the tires to a load range D.
As for heat, we have never used the furnace. Instead, we use an oil filled electric heater on a separate (independent from the trailer's system) electric plug and use a 2000 watt inverter. We upgraded to the golf course 6 volt batteries.

We also wired an external Sat TV plug for Dish TV. (splitters can not be used with the Dish outside sat dish).
..............
Ram 2500 diesel / FR Surveyor 251rks

[FISHTAIL]

Geez, how long does that heater run on the inverter? Most of those things draw 1500 watts at full power.

I've been looking at the 6v battery setups and am seriously considering asking the dealer if they'd be willing to do 2 6v's for us before I get it.