A Little Whining

[Oakman]

When we gave up tent camping and got into RVing I decided that every five years I would trade in for a new trailer to avoid any maintenance due to age or wear and tear. I want to spend my time traveling and RVing not repairing things. Besides, I’m not all that handy anyway.

So here we are in our third fifth wheel and it is going into its six year. My wife and I have been scouring the Internet and can’t find a new RV that has the floorplan and features we have in our current trailer. Even Cedar Creek no longer makes our current floorplan. I’m kinda bummed and I guess I’d better start carrying more than a basic toolkit with me. Apparently my wants and needs in a trailer are completely different from most other RVers.

Hmmm, I wonder if I could start a campaign to get Cedar Creek to start building my floorplan again.

[A32Deuce]

I would rather keep what I have/like then change and go through some of the problems others have. Mine is a little older like yours and it sounds like they may have been built better. 5 years old, days in a shop for repairs maybe 7 days total. I will keep those odds plus the mods!

[Mountndream]

Originally Posted by Oakman

So here we are in our third fifth wheel and it is going into its six year. My wife and I have been scouring the Internet and can’t find a new RV that has the floorplan and features we have in our current trailer. Even Cedar Creek no longer makes our current floorplan. I’m kinda bummed Apparently my wants and needs in a trailer are completely different from most other RVers.

Hmmm, I wonder if I could start a campaign to get Cedar Creek to start building my floorplan again.

completely understand. we found the perfect camper for our needs and we were ready to order it new. They stopped making it. We had to buy something left on on the lot. But given that fact that there were some left on lots, i understand why they stopped selling them

[Cowracer]

The flagtaff 8529IKBS is awful close. Biggest diff is it has an island in the kitchen, but 20 minutes with a Sawzall will take care of that...


Cedar Creek 29RL:



vs.


Flagstaff 8529IKBS



Tim

[Mountndream]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

The flagtaff 8529IKBS is awful close. Biggest diff is it has an island in the kitchen, but 20 minutes with a Sawzall will take care of that...



Tim

Both Tim and I are close, I bet for a small fee (payable in fluid Oz) we could come over with our Sawzall's and take care of it for you.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Mountndream

Both Tim and I are close, I bet for a small fee (payable in fluid Oz) we could come over with our Sawzall's and take care of it for you.

Gee, thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass.

Actually the Sierra/Sandpiper 2850rl comes very close to what we want. Along with the open floorplan one of the must haves in a trailer for us is access to the fridge when the slideouts are closed. We have no choice but to keep our trailer at a storage lot and because our spot is narrow opening slides to load the fridge for a trip can be an issue. I was hoping to find a 2850rl locally to see if the slideout cutoff access to the fridge but no such luck.

Along with the open floorplan there are other wants/needs such as having dump valve handles in an area easy to access such as a docking station. I’m turning 72 and dump handles under the trailer are not my cup of tea. A hitch weight my F250 can handle is a consideration and a trailer length under 35 is a want also.

[Mountndream]

LOL

Completely understand. DW loves the Open Floor plan. Every floor plan that had an island, she would ask me why anyone would want that in the middle of the floor.

Hope you finally got your rig out this year.

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by Mountndream

LOL

Completely understand. DW loves the Open Floor plan. Every floor plan that had an island, she would ask me why anyone would want that in the middle of the floor.

I'll field that question. I like the island in our new camper. To me it helps 'define' the kitchen area, and the extra counter space is always welcome.

I find open floor plans too "open". I sit and look at them and wonder "why would you crowd everything to the edges and have a big 'ol waste of space in the middle. Most Class 'A's nowdays make me feel that way.

To each their own, i guess.

Tim

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

I'll field that question. I like the island in our new camper. To me it helps 'define' the kitchen area, and the extra counter space is always welcome.

I find open floor plans too "open". I sit and look at them and wonder "why would you crowd everything to the edges and have a big 'ol waste of space in the middle. Most Class 'A's nowdays make me feel that way.

To each their own, i guess.

Tim

That floor space is great...if you're having a square dance.

[Powerman]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Gee, thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass.

Actually the Sierra/Sandpiper 2850rl comes very close to what we want. Along with the open floorplan one of the must haves in a trailer for us is access to the fridge when the slideouts are closed. We have no choice but to keep our trailer at a storage lot and because our spot is narrow opening slides to load the fridge for a trip can be an issue. I was hoping to find a 2850rl locally to see if the slideout cutoff access to the fridge but no such luck.

Along with the open floorplan there are other wants/needs such as having dump valve handles in an area easy to access such as a docking station. I’m turning 72 and dump handles under the trailer are not my cup of tea. A hitch weight my F250 can handle is a consideration and a trailer length under 35 is a want also.

Check out an Avenger 28dbs 2 doors , no island , access everything when slide is closed, may come in fifth wheel. So called entry level ,but everything is nowadays. Never have had to repair a thing. Did some mods but it's now my construction trailer for house in Tennessee. Everything works every time I open her up. Couldn't be happier

[BandJCarm]

I have an island and can still access refrig, bathroom, and bedroom, all with slides closed.

Certainly, get what you like. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla!!! LOL

All that can be done.......but "shorter than 35 feet" would be the limiter to all that, I'd think.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Mountndream

LOL


Hope you finally got your rig out this year.

Yes, we did finally get our Silverback out of storage and dewinterized. We took it up to Cuivre River State Park the first week of June and had a full hookup site for four days. Dewinterizing went smoothly…except forgetting to put the anode rod that I had taken out of the water heater last fall back in. Oh and forgetting to put a water filter cartridge in the canister.

Since this was our first trip of the year we brought a lot of the staple food items that we would be using for the camping season along with a couple of new goodies we bought for the trailer over the winter. One of those goodies was a new battery operated can opener.

That first evening we decided to have chili dogs for dinner and when Joyce looked for the new can opener she couldn’t find it. No big deal I opened the can of chili with the manual can opener. After dinner we began the quest for the new can opener. We both remembered putting it in the truck to take with us but neither of us remembered unpacking it. That evening we looked in every nook and cranny of the trailer and the truck without success. Periodically over the next four days we would search again for the opener. We never did find it. Well we did find it when we got back home and it was in the Walmart bag by the door where we had put it so we wouldn’t forget to bring it.

That first night around 1:30 AM Joyce woke me up and said she thought the smoke detector was chipping. Sure enough the low battery chirp sounded off. No big deal, I’ll change it in the morning hon…WRONG! Wife says change it now. It’s the middle of the night, I don’t have my glasses on, and my brain is in a heavy fog. It took me a bit to remember how to get the darn 9v battery out of the smoke detector. Finally I get the old battery out and the new one in and as I’m heading back to bed I’m kicking myself for not remembering to replace that battery.

I no sooner get back into bed and I hear the low battery chirp again. What the heck, did I replace a weak battery with a defective one? I get back out of bed and stand by the smoke detector in the hallway and listen for the next chirp. When it chirps again the sound is coming from behind me. It was the CO detector in the bedroom that was chirping all along, ARGH. Once I replaced that battery and all was good.

Part of my routine when opening the trailer for the first time each season is to replace both of those batteries, I can’t believe the one time I forgot to put in new batteries the low battery warning chirp goes off in the middle of the night.

We had a little rain that first night but the rest of the time the weather was outstanding. We’re heading out again and going to Coles Creek on Carlyle Lake this Monday.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by mjones12

That floor space is great...if you're having a square dance.

Also the floor space is great if you're camping with friends and it's pouring down rain for the pot luck dinner.



The main reason I like the open floor plan is when you spend a month or two at a time in it you don't feel closed in, especially if you have 3 or 4 consecutive days of rain. It happens.

[Wobbles]

I added my TT to my ritual of replacing all batteries every time I have to change the darn clock on the stove for daylight savings.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

I have an island and can still access refrig, bathroom, and bedroom, all with slides closed.

Certainly, get what you like. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla!!! LOL

All that can be done.......but "shorter than 35 feet" would be the limiter to all that, I'd think.

It's tough enough getting into many of the MO state park campsites with a 35 footer, at almost 40 feet long the 36CKTS is a bit more than I want. You do have a beautiful fifth wheel though.

[BandJCarm]

I wish it was shorter. DW wishes it was longer.

Funny, but many Arkansas state parks have huge sites with 50 amp sites available and FHU's. It is COE sites that are often too small and almost none have sewer. But there's a ton of 'em here.

[Oakman]

Here’s what I don’t like about many of the campgrounds in MO state parks, narrow roads and those three feet tall wooden posts with the campsite number close to the road. You not only have to be sure you don’t back your trailer in the post on your campsite, you also have to be sure you don’t swing the front of your truck into one of those short posts on the other side of the road. You really have to be very aware when backing into these sites and a good spotter is a great help too. Why they didn’t put those posts at the rear of the campsite is beyond me.
If you click on the picture it will get larger.

[BandJCarm]

Yes, Bob! Man, do I agree. And many of the COE parks here are, naturally, at lakes.......and they tried to keep as many trees as they could. So, take every one of those marker posts in your picture and replace them with 40 year old maples and oaks! Those don't 'give' much!!

It's as if campgrounds folks never have camped in a trailer.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Yes, Bob! Man, do I agree. And many of the COE parks here are, naturally, at lakes.......and they tried to keep as many trees as they could. So, take every one of those marker posts in your picture and replace them with 40 year old maples and oaks! Those don't 'give' much!!

It's as if campgrounds folks never have camped in a trailer.

At least the oaks are taller; maybe a little easier to see. But I know what you mean.