Soon to be owner

[soulman327]

We pick up our new to us Sunseeker 3170 DS in 10 days and have come up with a few questions that I couldn't find answers for.
1. There are no stabilizing jacks. Any suggestions?
2. At campsite, how level should unit be? Should it be slightly higher in front so water runs off back? I've read the most likely leaks occur in the area over the cab.
3. Winter storage. We live in the upper Midwest so basically no camping for 5-6 months. Not a big deal for a TT, just winterize. But there's an engine involved here. So, Stabil and battery tender? Start every so often, maybe even go for a drive once a month?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by soulman327

We pick up our new to us Sunseeker 3170 DS in 10 days and have come up with a few questions that I couldn't find answers for.
1. There are no stabilizing jacks. Any suggestions?
Deep pockets? Aftermarket HWH jacks are a good DIY project. Otherwise, buy some TriLevelers made by Camco or make your own or carry lumber.
2. At campsite, how level should unit be? Should it be slightly higher in front so water runs off back? I've read the most likely leaks occur in the area over the cab. As level as possible but its mostly for comfort and the the fridge. Roof/seam leaks are a maintenance issue.
3. Winter storage. We live in the upper Midwest so basically no camping for 5-6 months. Not a big deal for a TT, just winterize. But there's an engine involved here. So, Stabil and battery tender? Start every so often, maybe even go for a drive once a month? Stabil in a full tank for sure. Battery tender for both house and chassis if you have juice, or solar, or take them home however you should exercise your genset monthly so consider that too. Make sure you get stabil treated gas in the genset carb bowl too.

Insets are opinions, YMMV.

Welcome to the FRF and enjoy your new RV.
Ducky

[rsdata]

excellent suggestions above...

[wrvond]

The direction you bias your level is pretty much personal taste. I have always set my camper (class 'A', 5er, and some TT's) so the condensate runs off the back left corner. That's usually the area that I spend the least amount of time in. Other considerations are:
1. which way is your head pointing in bed? You don't want to sleep with your head lower than your feet. Also, rolling side to side can get uncomfortable.
2. Holding tank valves. Having the camper "leaning" towards the side of the tank valves will help with a more thorough dump/flush.
3. Slides - I try to have water drain away from the body of the camper on top of the slide(s). This can be problematic for campers with opposing slides. In this case, a bit more bias toward the front or rear will help the water drain off faster before it can get up to the gasket around the slide.
4. Fridge - no brainer. Within a couple degrees of vertical for best operation.
5. Shower/sink drains - biasing toward the drain will help the shower or sink drain better, reducing standing water.
It doesn't take a lot of "tilt" at all to get the water (condensate or rain) to drain off where you want it to go.


For just over USD $100.00, you can buy four 5,000 pound scissor jacks and mount one at each corner. Not the fanciest thing for a motorhome, but inexpensive and effective.

[soulman327]

Thanks for the great input! Too funny what wrvond suggested. You're right about leaning toward the slide side. And, of course, I have one on each side. I generally try to guide it toward back left corner, as well, and that will put our heads lower than our feet. It's a dilemma! And the fridge wants to be level. I guess it will be a bit more of a challenge. True, too, preventing leaks is a maintenance issue that will be one of the first things I address to head'em off at the pass.

Naturally, I had several of those scissor jacks until last year. Another good suggestion to implement.

[bayoubelle]

Soul man, check your Ford owners manual it is very specific on how to maintain the powertrain during storage.

[Total Loss]

For leveling I used to use the legos... Then I decided to make wooden step blocks with 3 stages of 1.5 " increments and found a permanent home in the rear storage.
I am set up in minutes now. I back in...stop...pull out a bubble level and throw it on the floor behind me and set up the blocks accordingly.

[PenJoe]

Welcome to the forum.

Having purchased a new Sunseeker, I would have two suggestions not mentioned:

1. If you look under your new coach, you will see that the structure attaching the body to the frame is bare metal. When we purchased our Sunseeker 2500TS, the very first thing we did to it was to undercoat all of the bare metal. We also undercoated under the cab area including the front wheel wells, the bumper mountings and the back side of the front bumper. We used Rustoleum Rubberized undercoat in cans purchased in the automotive section of Walmart. I also coated the hitch and bumper attachments with Rustoleum Bedliner coating. Also in the battery compartment under the entry steps. There is also a large hole in the battery tray that I blocked off to prevent unwanted creatures. Two years after purchase, the underside still looks new.

If you decide to DIY, you will need a tarp to catch drips, safety goggles, a piece of cardboard to prevent overspray in some areas, disposable clothing, mineral spirits for clean up, and of course the spray cans. Us the cardboard to keep the spray material off the exhaust heat shield, exhaust pipes, muffler and catalytic converter. It took about 12 spray cans of undercoat and 3 spray cans of bed liner coating. Probably under a $100 and well worth the effort.

2. Make every effort to store your coach on a hard surface. For some reason rodents are attracted to campers parked on grass. We used mothballs under the coach, in the coach and in the motor compartment. If you were not aware, the wiring insulation is made from soybeans and rodents will eat it, eventually causing a short.

[soulman327]

Originally Posted by bayoubelle

Soul man, check your Ford owners manual it is very specific on how to maintain the powertrain during storage.

Yup, I will when I actually pick up the unit. Just thought I'd get a head start.
Thanks!

[soulman327]

Duckogram, what is an HWH jack?
Penjoe, I've though about the undercoating. Will take a look, but the unit is 6 years old.

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by soulman327

Duckogram, what is an HWH jack?
Penjoe, I've though about the undercoating. Will take a look, but the unit is 6 years old.

HWH is the 3rd major manufacturer of hydraulic levelers for your unit.
https://www.hwhcorp.com/ml56900_lesy_aftermarket.html

LCI LevelUp and Quadra Big Foot are the other two.

Just a word of caution. Aftermarket levelers may not have the safety interlocks that OEM installs have.