Cedar Creek Cottage - owners check-in thread

[Big-Foot]

I didn't see any thread like this so thought I would open one up.
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We are recent purchasers of a new (to us) 2014 40CFE Cedar Creek Cottage.
As snowbirds, we are living in our sticks and bricks house in Kenyon MN during the warmer months. Winter months we spend playing in the Sonoran Desert around Gold Canyon AZ where we leave the camper set up on the lot we lease on an annual basis.
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I have a few things on my list to fix / change, but for the most part, I think this will be a pretty good camper for us.
1 - Kitchen sink faucet handle stripped out so I need to replace it.
2 - Carpeting is in terrible shape, so we will remove and install a click-together vinyl laminated floor by TrafficMaster (Allure Ultra) - I've used it before and it worked well.
3 - The TV in the living room is in an entertainment center that pops up/down. The screen of the TV is scratched up by the screws that hold the mechanism together. I will need to replace the TV and re-engineer the mount and retraction mechanism.
4 - Install a single bucket sink to replace the double in the kitchen.
5 - Install an additional water filter and drinking water outlet in kitchen
6 - Install a water softener system (water in AZ is exceptionally hard)
7 - Front AC unit was shot already and had it replaced with another 15k BTU with heat-pump feature like the original.

Once I get started I will post updates here if there's any interest.

So there you have it. Randy and Dar have been married for going on 41 years. We have a small Maltese female dog named CoCoa.

[edt]

Not much posting on Cottage Model pm me if you have any questions

[spock123]

I like the layout of the unit, I really like all the windows. We may do that in about five year if we stay on this side of dirt

[Big-Foot]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

I understand that the tongue of the trailer is removeable (someone told me this - I have not checked it out) Just curious if you know of anyone who has removed this from their Cottage?
My unit will be semi-permanently moored in our annually leased space and it might be nice to recover a little space in front of the unit..

[cck camper]

My wife and I are just beginning our 3rd camp season in our 2015 Cottage CCK and this year being the 1st in retirement. It has been all that we hoped it would be and we are very comfortable with our longer stays. I have added some 15" wide, adjustable shelves in the bedroom closet and w/d closet, fantastic fan covers, an on-the-go water softener and upgraded to a 50" smart TV and sound bar. Our beautiful CG is located on a chain of lakes in southern Michigan so we are now looking forward to warmer weather and pontoon season. I would also like to hear reports from other Cottage folks.

[edt]

We own our lot but county rules require to be mobile with wheeles

[cck camper]

We must also stay tow ready. This pic shows how we dressed up the tongue and tanks.

[Big-Foot]

Thanks for checking in fellas!
CCK, great job on the trailer tongue dress-up! I may just snatch that idea!!!

We're in our second year of retirement and just coming out of a huge fifth wheel toy hauler (which we need to sell) and will be moving the Cottage to our site in the fall when we get back to AZ.

[cck camper]

Snatch away Big-Foot. Credit my wife for the French gothic fence idea because it matches the embossed fence on the front of the Cottage.
Sold at Menard's, it's simply a 4 x 8' section cut in half and screwed back together in a 90, then stained.
Nice AZ setup! Retirement rules!!

I forgot to mention that I spray frosted the 3 piece, clear glass shower door. Works great to hide those water spots.

[Big-Foot]

That's awesome and thanks for the tips!
Yeah, the shower glass in ours has a lot of water spots as our RV park has exceptionally hard water and the glass appears to be etched somewhat..
Water Softener is on our list too!!

BTW! We have the very same squeegee hanging in our shower!

[Mdaniels4]

So far stayed one weekend in our 2017 40crs. So far love it. Seems like a very solid trailer, and one I should have bought in 2012, when we bought the 2011 fiver. Btw. We've got ours in Faribault, MN, and so know Kenyon well! Enjoy!

[Big-Foot]

M - Thanks for chiming in on the thread!
Yes, we are practically neighbors (15 miles or so)...
Kenyon is where our sticks and bricks home is! Lovely community..
Do you Snowbird too? Where from?

[Mdaniels4]

No, Big, we seasonal park it.

[edt]

What did you spray on shower

[cck camper]

I masked the top of each door, while still together, to keep a 6" clear view area with blue painters tape, removed the shower door unit, separated the glass panels, took them outside and sprayed the outside surfaces only. Don't attempt if it's windy. It was a bit of an adventure to reinstall the unit to get all the panels back into the bottom door guides (Some cussing required). That part of the job definitely requires two people. We love the end results. Simply squeegee the inside after a shower and you don't see water spots or hard water buildup.

[Mdaniels4]

Another good product for clear glass is Repel. Spray it on, wipe it with a microfiber and it resists buildup and spotting for quite a while. I use it as a cleaner for my motorcycle as well. Amazed how it repels the dust.

[Big-Foot]

GREAT INFO GUYS!!!!!
Much appreciated!

[Mdaniels4]

Has anybody noticed any issues with their Cottages? All campers will have some, but I thought I'd ask if there is anything in particular that stands out. Like I said. Seems like a solidly built unit. Should be for that price! Wish it had a bit more chassis storage, but it'll do. I just have too much stuff!

[cck camper]

Our 2015 has had very few issues and we have been very pleased. Some of our darkening window shades for the smaller windows don't retract fully on their own. With some assistance they will rise to the top. All of the others along with all of the sun shades work fine. We are seasonal so we have a 7x7 storage shed to house our toys and tools.

[Mdaniels4]

Thanks. We have one night shade that won't retract and stay up. Spring broken. But they'll replace that. No big deal. We also have a 7x7 for the furniture etc. I did get the tools and smaller stuff in the cubbies, so we'll get used to that more.