Considering a Cedar Creek

[plasma800]

After much debate and looking, and talking.. I've placed a Cedar Creek Hathaway 34RL2 at the tip top of my list.

And I wanted to open a line of discussion to verify, clarify and justify some of my reasoning.

This would be our third RV behind a 40' Class A (too big, too many gremlins), and a 28 foot travel trailer with no slides (too small, but nice and light!)

Also on my list is the DRV 36 footer and the Grand Design solitude.

Aesthetically, we like the Grand Design the very best. It's got a great layout, tv that lowers, great windows, we love it. What I DON'T love on it is the lippert axles and the lippert slides.

The DRV... always looks a little more like grandma's house.. not so hot on the decor, plus it's like 20k more expensive.

So that leaves me at the cedar creek 17/18.

I *think* it checks most of my boxes.

The decor is "good enough"
The storage is "good enough"
The Floorplan is "good enough"
We didn't exactly want to go over 36 feet in length....
I think I like the Dexter Axles??
I think I like the slide mechanisms??
I think I like the wall construction??
We'd really like an onboard generator.
I'd really like a third A/C.

A friend with an '08 FR Berkshire sings many, many praises for Forest River FROG rallies, and the attention and service he receives from Forest river techs at the events. This is a HUGE sway for me.. if what he's telling me is true, then that really makes me want to be on the FROG side of things!

After owning RV's, I'm VERY averse to mechanical issues. I also live in Texas, and I'm VERY averse to an RV that's 90 degrees inside with the A/C's blasting full blast.

Can anyone add any commentary as to the mechanical soundness of their FR CC?

Any comment on the axles, brakes, hubs and tires?

Any comments on the slides?

Any comments on the tank valves and the overall soundness of the entire water bay?

Any comments on the leveling jacks?

Any comments on the A/C system, and it's ability to handle some heat?

Any comments on the FROG rallies, and Forest River's support of your units?

thank you thank you thank you!

[florabama]

Originally Posted by plasma800

Can anyone add any commentary as to the mechanical soundness of their FR CC? Solid, insulation is superb, just what you would expect from a top notch manufacturer.

Any comment on the axles, brakes, hubs and tires? EZ lube axles, tires right now are Westlake which I'm okay with after just putting 7,000 on mine. For this tire size ST 235/85R 16 the options are very limited. Goodyear makes one but it is a "LT" tire and I will probably move to these next year.

Any comments on the slides? Hydraulic just like the jacks/leveling system. I would recommend adding the slide topper awning to keep them clean and dryer.

Any comments on the tank valves and the overall soundness of the entire water bay? Mine have been fine so far, others have had issues with the valve cables being too long and coiled up, breaking or stuck.

Any comments on the leveling jacks? Auto level is great. Although the Level Up system is listed as an option, Cedar Creek will not build a unit without them.

Any comments on the A/C system, and it's ability to handle some heat? We are in Florida and have 2 units. We do not have the dual pain windows either; had them on a motorhome and they fogged up. Excellent ducting system and pretty darn quite as compared with others. I really don't think you will need the 3rd unit unless you have some specific reasons.

Any comments on the FROG rallies, and Forest River's support of your units? Excellent, excellent and I consider the best in the industry as far as after sale support. But of course if you don't have a good dealer you will suffer. I recommend using a local dealer if you have one. Cedar Creek unlike many other manufactures can be contacted directly by the owner and they will in many cases send you parts directly; it has to be reasonable request. We hope to go back to the FROG rally again next year.

We have the same model; 2017 34RL2. The unit is actually 38 feet nose to tail. I have put some comments above.

[mwdilday]

I cannot comment on the Cedar Creek (we have a CC Champagne 38EL on order mid September delivery) but we have owned several Forest River travel trailers. Forest River is top notch. The layout and quality of construction is first rate. Their customer service is good from the factory folks. FROG rallies are fun and informative events - that is where we found out CC that is on order. The wife fell in love with it at first sight. Also at the FROG rally they will fix anything on your unit that would have been covered under warranty no matter how old it is. We had a few things fixed on ours year before. Didn't make it this year cause we are between an already sold travel trailer and a soon to be ours 5th wheel.

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by florabama

We have the same model; 2017 34RL2. The unit is actually 38 feet nose to tail. I have put some comments above.

How do you like your dodge ram in combination with the 34RL2? I am considering this same truck.

Which hitch are you using? Any comments about the truck such as "be sure you get the air suspension" or "I like my 68RFE transmission"?

We LOVE state parks.. this is why we thought 36 or less... simply because of the Forest River service, I might could get away with 38 foot... any issues in your travels with the length?

As to local dealers... I suppose my local dealer is simply "okay".. not known to be the worst, but also not known to be the best.

Generally I have my work done by an independent, on my last trailer, I paid cash for any warranty work, and was reimbursed by the manufacturer.. and I like this arrangement.. hoping I can do the same with the same repair shop; really like those guys.

[plasma800]

OH and I had a question about batteries..

I noticed in photos of one at a local dealer, there were no batteries.. in another dealers photos, there was a single battery....

How many batteries should the unit have? I'm thinking two at least right?

So then also, does anyone know anything at all about generator prep? and / or is an LP genset even an option?

[spock123]

We have had two Cedar Creek's , our first one was a 30RL and the second one is a 32RL. Both have been good. I'm looking at a 38FBD, maybe next year. I like our 32RL , it's 36 feet long, makes it easy to get in campsites. The 38 is 42 feet long. We have done a lot of mods and that makes this one hard to get rid of. Plus I would definitely have trade trucks, I'm on the fence about trading trucks.

[florabama]

Originally Posted by plasma800

How do you like your dodge ram in combination with the 34RL2? I am considering this same truck. Comment: Love it! Plenty of clearance even with it being a 4x4 short bed.

Which hitch are you using? Comment: Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel. This is what give me more clearance between the front cap and truck cab. It is offset to sit about 8 inches behind the axel allowing tighter turns without dealing with a heavy, expensive slider hitch. I can remove the Andersen by myself in less than 5 minutes--it weights 38 pounds.

Any comments about the truck such as "be sure you get the air suspension" or "I like my 68RFE transmission"? Comment: The 68RFE did great up/down and across the Rockies mostly in cruse mode this summer. I do not have the OEM air but I did have sag when I first hooked up. I have the Onan 5500 generator which adds about 300 lbs to the pin weight and DW has a "ton" of stuff in the front closet. I put on Tembrins which took care of most of the sag. I still have about an inch, it rides great and I'm thinking about air bags but concerned on how it will affect the ride.
You didn't ask about pin box but I did not get the Trail Air and it is not needed with the Andersen hitch. I only get a little chucking on concrete surfaces with the joint seams. And I don't think any arrangement will make these types of roads any better. So I went with the standard pin box and glad I did.

We LOVE state parks.. this is why we thought 36 or less... simply because of the Forest River service, I might could get away with 38 foot... any issues in your travels with the length? Comment: I too wanted something not over 36 feet but it wasn't in the cards for this level of camping luxury To me it has not been a problem. We also like state parks and in my area of SE US it has not been a problem. Even across country I never had a length issue and I'm not the best driver/backer in the park.

See above. And let me know if you have more questions about the RAM/CC.

[Jim34RL]

I have an older version of the similar style, mine is a 2016, 34RL ( wife would have ordered the 34RL2 but was not available at the time).

I will try and answer some of your questions.

1. The mechanical soundness of the CC model. Is great I have had this unit for two years now and my unit works great putting 14,000 miles on the trailer so far.

2. I love the wet bolt system on the Cedar Creeks, one of the reasons I bought this trailer. By now I would have had to replace the suspension components, if this was the run of the mill plastic bushings instead of the Bronze Bushings that are grease-able. I have the stock tires still on my trailer which are Westlake tires. These have held up will with no issues to date. I do check the tires before each trip and inflate/deflate them accordingly to air pressure readings, maintaining 110 PSI in them.

I would order the optional awning on the Main slide room (curb side) instead of the third A/C. You will find that the third awning will be used more to shade the trailer and sitting under the awning. than the 3rd A/C. We have camped down at the Gulf Shores in Sept/Oct. Daytime temps and humidity were still high. The 2 A/C's are more than adequate to maintain a pleasant 72 deg temp in the trailer. But it would have been nice to have the extra shade to sit under when outside.

I would also order the Trailair Air Ride Hitch pin box. This is one option in my opinion you can not do without.

Now on to the Ram truck! In my very humble opinion you could not get a better tow vehicle on the market today. Why?

The Cummins engine it will just run and run as long as you maintain the engine. I have a 108,000 miles on my truck and the engine has just been broken in. My oil samples come back in the norm evertime I submit them at my oil change interval.

I have the 68RFE auto transmission with a Mag-Hytec deep dish pan which holds 3 extra quarts of oil. This transmission has performed flawlessly for me. I change the filters (2) and oil every 40,000 miles.

My truck is a 2008, Mega Cab 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins, 68RFE, 4X4 with air bags, Mag-Hytec Differential covers front and rear, Smarty S67, with gauges.

Now If I was to buy a new 2017/2018 Ram truck. I would order a 3500 HD Big Horn or higher trim level, 4X4, Cummins 6.7L, with the Aisin transmission, SRW, CC. The truck would also have the factory hitch and puck system.

Why the Aisin transmission over the 68RFE transmission? The simple reason is you just cannot cause the Aisin transmission to fail. This is a medium duty truck transmission and was used for years in the Cab Chassis line of ram trucks.

[florabama]

Originally Posted by plasma800

OH and I had a question about batteries..

I noticed in photos of one at a local dealer, there were no batteries.. in another dealers photos, there was a single battery....

How many batteries should the unit have? I'm thinking two at least right?

So then also, does anyone know anything at all about generator prep? and / or is an LP genset even an option?

The dealer is responsible for adding the batteries. You are most likely getting the residential refrigerator so two 12v batteries is what CC recommends. I went to a electrical seminar at the FROG rally and Forest River's position is that their converter will boil out a 6v battery and they recommend only 12v 24 or 27 series.
LP Onan 5500 is what CC installs and I have one in my unit. It is in a metal box in the front compartment and uses the onboard LP tanks. I haven't done a lot of testing with mine but it looks like it will only run one A/C at a time, I may be wrong since I think there was a TV as well when the breaker tripped with 2 A/C unit online.

[W5CI]

Plasma800, you go to cedarcreekrvownersclub.com there is several Happy owners of the Hathaway who are members there. they can tell you everything you want to know there. Good Luck with your purchase

[plasma800]

sounds great.

I'll toss all answer to the previous posts here.

I planned on a long bed DRW Laramie truck, at least then I have all the head room in the world.

The 32RL i guess isn't made anymore.

I found a 16 34rl, and frankly, I like it a little better... but I haven't seen it in person, so who knows.

Slide toppers are a must.

I'll check out that website, thanks!

[plasma800]

OH and one other thing, I'd almost prefer the fridge that runs on Gas over the resi fridge... I know that sounds weird.. but those residential fridges seem to eat batteries in a hurry.

[Rollingdunder1]

We have a 2015, CC 38rd, Hathaway. Use it heavily. The two A/C's have provided sufficient cooling even in Texas and Arizona summers. Replaced the original tires with Goodyears. Always check air pressure before moving. Don't use slide covers. Few mechanical issues. Nothing serious. Handled myself or use local RV tech. 2014 Ram, 3500, dually with Cummings 6.7/Asin. And, long bed. Absolutely, no trouble pulling on flat or mountains (just returned from Colorado). 40' rig is a bit large for some places. We adjust. Texas probably best in fall. Just stay weather aware and have a plan for shelter. Happy camping.

[hollandsam]

I'm much like florabama. Bought the 34RL2 a few months back and have made three trips. Two short ones and one over 1500 miles. TV is 2017 Ford SD 4X4 CC with air bags...SRW. Know several folks that love their Rams and probably can't go wrong with either of the big three but right now I have the Ford. No problems with 34RL2 to this point. Use the ultimate anderson fifth wheel hitch. Smooth hookups etc with level up system. A must. Looked at tons of units before purchase and talked to several satisfied owners. All units have there strengths and weaknesses of course but seemed to get more good reports on CC and FR than others. Several dealers were high on CC. Bought local only because didn't want to haul unit hundreds of miles if service needed. Try to do most upkeep myself. Hope things go well for you . Safe travels.

[SlowrideHD]

Hathaway model is super. Great construction. Cedar Creek is very well built with very few and limited problems. I like the Dexter axles and EZ lube spindles. Definitely get slide toppers, they add a lot of life to your rig. I don't care for residential fridge, I like the gas/electric and gas cooktop because I never know where I might want to stop for a day or two. I did add two "29" series batteries to mine with a pure sine wave inverter so I have good, clean 120v power while boondocking. Don't care for the Onan because it goes through propane quickly. I use a Honda 2000 inverter generator for the occasional use. It will run my 15K main a/c and is very quiet and efficient. I like the MoRide rubber pin box for absorbing the concrete joint chucking and rough roads. It also damps the starting and stopping jolt.

[hollandsam]

Jim34RL
What is the Smarty S67 you talk about on your truck? Interested.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by plasma800

OH and one other thing, I'd almost prefer the fridge that runs on Gas over the resi fridge... I know that sounds weird.. but those residential fridges seem to eat batteries in a hurry.

Same here if I order a new camper it will come with the gas/electric refrigerator. I have a residential refrigerator and four six volt Trojans and have no problems with the refrigerator, I can go for four days on my batteries.

[Jesse]

We have had a Cedar Creek Champagne 5th wheel, 38EL, for a year now. Spent about 70 days camping so far and only had one problem. A piston seal leaked internally in the hydraulic cylinder to the bed slide preventing all the slides moving at one touch of the button. Had to manually switch system to each slide, 3 knobs. Seal was replaced under warranty and we have had a great time in this roomy home even with our 70 pound bird dog. No worries here. I would buy another.

[donniedu]

You do realize that Cedar Creek uses Lippert components stuff, right?

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by donniedu

You do realize that Cedar Creek uses Lippert components stuff, right?

Is there an RV towable manufacturer that doesn't use Lippert for any component?