Hemisphere 26BHHL

[Chancetlu]

We are looking at pulling the trigger on a 2020 Hemisphere 26BHHL. Does anyone have any experience or insight with these? Bunkhouses are very hard to find right now.

Looking at $24.5k including hitch, upgraded sewer hose, typical starter pack, leveling blocks, and the addition of an LP connect near the outdoor mini-kitchen

About $2k TT&L as well.

First TT. Tow vehicle is a 2020 F150 3.5 with max towing package.

[oxcamper]

Welcome and congratulations on joining the RV community.
Sorry can't help with your specific unit or bunk house.

[Karbean]

Wish I could help with the TT but we tow a little lighter at a 22RBHL. However, we do tow with the same vehicle. You didn't specify if it was 2 or 4WD so my comments are specific to 2WD as that's our experience.
Our rig is 5400# dry and tows quite easily. With 3.55 gears and the 10 speed trans we average about 12 mpg.
Something you will see quite often on this site is the discussion of GVWR, Towing Capacity and payload. If you already know this, let me apologize ahead of time. Check the drivers door jamb and get your vehicle specific payload. Mine is a little over 1,700 with a crew cab Lariat. My tongue wt is around 650 leaving me a little over 1K for hitch, gas, people, dogs, and other cargo. Call me overly cautious but I always try to keep well below the factory "limits"......well, just 'cause. We spend a lot of time on the road so the likelihood we will run up and down the Rockies or across W Va. (the worst) is real and I refuse to take "white knuckle" drives because I'm towing at or over the capabilities of the truck.
I found the Ford suspension a little soft and didn't want to take tongue wt off with the WD hitch and create a "tail wagger". So I invested in Roadmaster Suspension Sys to solve that issue.
As for Forest River quality overall, we are satisfied with out 2020 model. We particularly like the 65 gallon grey water capacity. Extends our stay at no sewer parks by a few days. Lots of comments about the 12 fridge as well. I can't speak to longevity as ours is only 4 months old, but IT GETS COLD! No more soupy ice cream. I hope it stays that way.
Good luck shopping. Cliff

[Chancetlu]

Originally Posted by Karbean

Wish I could help with the TT but we tow a little lighter at a 22RBHL. However, we do tow with the same vehicle. You didn't specify if it was 2 or 4WD so my comments are specific to 2WD as that's our experience.
Our rig is 5400# dry and tows quite easily. With 3.55 gears and the 10 speed trans we average about 12 mpg.
Something you will see quite often on this site is the discussion of GVWR, Towing Capacity and payload. If you already know this, let me apologize ahead of time. Check the drivers door jamb and get your vehicle specific payload. Mine is a little over 1,700 with a crew cab Lariat. My tongue wt is around 650 leaving me a little over 1K for hitch, gas, people, dogs, and other cargo. Call me overly cautious but I always try to keep well below the factory "limits"......well, just 'cause. We spend a lot of time on the road so the likelihood we will run up and down the Rockies or across W Va. (the worst) is real and I refuse to take "white knuckle" drives because I'm towing at or over the capabilities of the truck.
I found the Ford suspension a little soft and didn't want to take tongue wt off with the WD hitch and create a "tail wagger". So I invested in Roadmaster Suspension Sys to solve that issue.
As for Forest River quality overall, we are satisfied with out 2020 model. We particularly like the 65 gallon grey water capacity. Extends our stay at no sewer parks by a few days. Lots of comments about the 12 fridge as well. I can't speak to longevity as ours is only 4 months old, but IT GETS COLD! No more soupy ice cream. I hope it stays that way.
Good luck shopping. Cliff

Thanks! I ran all the numbers through a towing spreadsheet I found on an RV facebook group and should have plenty of room to spare. Payload is the main thing I have to watch due to passenger weight and tongue weight. Out of curiosity, how long does it take the 12V fridge to cool and does it stay cold on the road via battery hookup?

[Karbean]

Chancetlu: Takes about 12 hours to get cold-cold. Yes, once you are connected to a tow vehicle, it keeps your on board battery charged while powering the fridge. Tow vehicle or shore power work equally well.

[{Tpc}]

The thing about the 12v fridge is if you have to start it the day before. We have a 25rbhl and the fridge gets cold quick. Unfortunately because of the size of the unit, I can’t get in the drive before trips, and no place to plug it in.

They told me that it would take the battery down in about 6 hours and they were spot on about that. I’ve added a second battery in parallel which theoretically should give me about 12 hours which works if I start it in the am before work with plans to leave after work.

As for towing, we are using a f150 with the 5.0. It pulls it well, but I’m not happy with the hitch setup, so still needs some adjustments. We have just under 900 on the tongue, 1863 in payload.

[glen1971]

Originally Posted by Chancetlu

We are looking at pulling the trigger on a 2020 Hemisphere 26BHHL. Does anyone have any experience or insight with these? Bunkhouses are very hard to find right now.

Looking at $24.5k including hitch, upgraded sewer hose, typical starter pack, leveling blocks, and the addition of an LP connect near the outdoor mini-kitchen

About $2k TT&L as well.

First TT. Tow vehicle is a 2020 F150 3.5 with max towing package.

We bought the exact trailer about a month and a half ago and love it! We loved the floor plan when we saw it in February. When doing our walk through we had no big issues, just a couple of little things. The one I was not a fan of, was when they built it they used a 5" square hole for a 1" hose or electrical to run through. The dealer caught them before we took it off the lot.
Neither of our fridges are 12 volt. The inside one is bigger than our last trailer and is propane or 120 volt. The outside beer fridge is 120 volt.
Biggest thing I've noticed is the aluminum frame definitely makes the floor a bit cooler first thing in the morning. One morning we woke up and it was 4°C out. On a good note, the furnace works well!
The outdoor propane connection works great with our Camp Chef stove! The only thing we've added so far is a surge protector.

[Chancetlu]

Originally Posted by Karbean

Chancetlu: Takes about 12 hours to get cold-cold. Yes, once you are connected to a tow vehicle, it keeps your on board battery charged while powering the fridge. Tow vehicle or shore power work equally well.

Thanks for the reply. With this being a single AC unit, do you have any issues with keeping up with summers in the south?

[glen1971]

We got up to 37°C inside the trailer a couple of weeks ago when we returned from work and it cooled off pretty quickly. I think it was 34 or 35 outside.