Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-28-2021, 06:04 PM   #1
Boomerang camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: FL
Posts: 23
Epro 19FBS New Owner observations

I took delivery of a 4/21/21 built Epro19FBS on July 6, 2021. Overall we are very happy with the trailer, although there re a few places where the factory should consider (minor cost) improvements.


Here is the short list of issues I have seen and fixes applied after 2 months of camping in the eastern US:
1) Sofa lower panel breakage. It is held in place by 3 angle brackets and 4 short screws. I find it incredible that the factory skipped adding limit blocks behind the panel ends to prevent continuous breaking of the panel. $3 in screws and 2 pcs of 1 x 3 x 5" pcs prevent this. This is poor design!

Solution: install a 6 ft long piano hinge to permit ease of storage access for "seldom needed" items like a toaster or mini-food processor behind the lower sofa panel. While there, add 3/4" spacers under the sofa frame to enhance thigh support for the sofa. Otherwise, the cushions are totally flat and far less comfortable. The finishing touch is to add a pull handle to lift the panel for storage access.

2) Faucet aerators - the OEM stuff is high flow rate (2+ gpm). If you are boondocking, the 30 gal gray water tank will fill in 2 days! You REALLY need these!

Solution: buy low flow < 1.5 gpm aerators for the kitchen and vanity sinks. $10 spent here will save on multiple tank flushings!

3) Kitchen drawer slides - the supplied "Hardware Resources" slides are garbage! The first long trip and the drawers slide open, then break These slides are rated < 50#. Inadequate!

Solution: Do yourself a HUGE favor and replace them with slides rated for 100#. I also opted to add drawer locks for $7 apiece and end this nonsense altogether. H-D has these items in stock in many locations.

4) Refrigerator - it arrived hinged on the Right. That's great if you go mostly into the ice box from the entrance stairway, otherwise it's just inconvenient. It is straightforward to reverse the doors, but plan on 45 mins to complete the task.

5) TV connections - OK, you have 2-3 sources of content. Over the air (purple cable), Campground Cable (a male RG6) connection behind the TV and finally a HDMI input to the TV for Satellite or Roku/Fire Stick streaming device. This leads to modifying the connections every time your source of video changes. A complete hastle!

Solution: Add A-B video switch ($14) and 2-18" RG6 coax cables ($2 each) to connect the coax sources to the TV video input. This permits merely sliding the switch from A to B (or vice versa) when the TV source changes.

NOTE: This trailer comes with just 2 USB charging ports. I added several more for convenience. One is integral to a reading light added above the bed and the other two are contained in a dual port USB charging port added below the Go Power Solar charge control panel. I hate using "wall warts"!
slbroug74 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-29-2021, 07:02 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 127
Thanks slbroug74, a few items to think about. On the drawer lock, are you talking a lock with a key, or some other lock that simply keeps the drawer from opening ? I have one drawer that opens when traveling.

I have many many changes to my EPro, replacing the heater thermostat with a digital is one for you to consider.
__________________
Kean M

2019 F150 Extended Cab, STX, 2.7l, 4WD
2021 Flagstaff E-Pro 19 FD
mcbridek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2021, 07:04 PM   #3
Boomerang camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: FL
Posts: 23
19FBS Upgrades- continued

Yes, the drawer locks I am using are the 90 degree key operation type.

The thermostat was replaced the day I picked up the trailer. A $20 Honeywell is fine for this purpose.

I also added a second 200W solar panel to the roof adjacent to the A/C unit, just above the slide out. With the idea of boondocking one day, I also splurged for a LiFePO4 battery. 100AH is only 26 lbs, so this helps reduce hitch weight as well. With this system I can pull 80AH without harm to the battery and recharge in 2 days of Solar (~12-14 hrs) BTW, the 12V fridge is a keeper. Be aware that it draws 3.5A initially, so without A/C you can flatten a lead acid battery in 2 days. The current draw drops to ~2A once the thermostat is satisfied. It is amazing how well the interior is designed to hold more than you might expect. It is only 4.5 cu ft!

Please share any ideas that you have. I am always learning and don't plan to stop any time soon.
slbroug74 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2021, 06:54 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 127
Ha, we have many of the same changes, I added a solar panel, 125ah lithium....
Although I have a 2021 unit, mine was before some of the mid year changes, so my refrigerator is dual fuel, but smaller and had a 100v solar panel, now has two 100w panels.
The only other thing I can think of is I changed the kitchen faucet to a delta bar faucet, the shape would be similar to yours. In fact I got the idea after seeing the mid-year changes. When I installed the bathroom faucet yesterday, I put pex 1/4 turn shut off valves and braided supply lines. I’m going to go back and do that to the kitchen faucet. The pex connection they use to the faucet is really cheap and difficult to get tight.

We are headed to CO and Eastern Utah later this week for a 5 week trip...
__________________
Kean M

2019 F150 Extended Cab, STX, 2.7l, 4WD
2021 Flagstaff E-Pro 19 FD
mcbridek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2021, 01:37 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 28
We have the GeoPro FSB19, with the "4 lift. We're happy with it. A few thoughts...the overhead lights are sufficient for surgery. Any kind of paper (I used brown coffee filters) can be placed inside the fixtures to dim them. I removed the microwave, since we normally boondock. The stereo head and speakers were of poor quality (one speaker failed within a year). I removed them in favor of more storage and streaming to a BT speaker (which I use for TV). I also modified the jackknife sofa, removing padding from the backrest, adding fold-able legs to support the seat section when extended, and creating storage boxes underneath. As mentioned, attention to some details would enhance the trailer. The drawers are weak, and our water filter bracket failed. However, I suppose all of those things would increase the cost of the unit. Several friends and RV owners who have seen the trailer were surprised by the price, guessing it was 40K. I tell people that if you don't want a hobby, or don't enjoy the work, don't buy an RV. Cheers, Bryan
ElyWhy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2021, 02:26 PM   #6
Boomerang camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: FL
Posts: 23
McBride,

Your CO & UT trip sounds great. Safe travels! Initially I thought about adding shut-offs to water lines to conserve water, but decided it was more expedient to just change the aerators. Other than the Shower Miser, Forest River made no effort to extend gray tank dumping frequently. 30 gals fills up very quickly! So you can limit flow rate partially closing the added PEX valves. Nice!

ElyWhy,

Thank you for you comments.

Yes, the ceiling lights are overkill. I was Leary about removing the lenses to see how to dim them about 50%. A series resistor would work also, but is more work than using coffee filters. Normally.I would think fire hazard, but LEDs run cool so it's not a valid concern.

It kills me that $14 for two cylinder locks would save every look owner having b to red engineer the most used drawers in the trailer. Ditto for the lower sofa panel! A 6 ft long piano hinge is $20! Instead FR decided to "go cheap" with 3 angle brackets into MDF! these may seem like minor inconveniences, but the owner hours spent "finishing" what could/should be designed in are inexcusable, IMO. DO THEY TEST THESE THINGS? I'd guess not.
slbroug74 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2021, 10:13 AM   #7
Member
 
rzims's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 63
very similar changes here - we've had ours for a couple of years now. Did not come with solar on the roof and just bought a suitcase which works well.
Also removed the microwave. I was able to order doors directly from the mfg to cover the opening. (pic attached)
The drawer under the dining sofa failed almost immediately and had to be rebuilt/reinforced and new slides installed.
The fridge (Dometic) works well, but the bottom piece that holds in the front panel keeps falling off when you open the fridge allowing the front panel to fall out.
Overall we love this thing. Just got back from 10 days up in Oregon and realized I need to lift this thing. Scraped on several of the dirt roads we went down.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	cabinet doors.jpg
Views:	41
Size:	141.8 KB
ID:	262383  
__________________
2019 E-Pro 19FD/2019 Ram 1500 with Tow Package
rzims is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2021, 04:12 PM   #8
Boomerang camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: FL
Posts: 23
Those doors to conceal storage where the microwave lived look great. We use our microwave quite a bit, so will see if we do enough boon docking first to consider the change. I will say that storage is quite limited in this trailer. I originally wanted the 19FD for the Murphy bed until we realized it was a double bed. It did have a roomy bath linen closet though. Small trailers require compromises and the extra floor space from the slide won out. The space was vital during our initial 8 week excursion this summer due to rain and high heat.
slbroug74 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2021, 01:36 PM   #9
Member
 
Newday's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Cornelius, NC
Posts: 37
In my closet I added shelves for storage. Also swapped to a larger bar sink from Lowe’s which was a big improvement to me along with new faucet for it. On the roof air added a 7” round adjustable vent to it the helps adjust the air flows when needed. Didn’t quiet it down but like directing the air where needed. Also the folding table seemed so long for my needs took 12” off each end and easier to handle now. Insulated the cargo hold also. Agree with all the drawer slides being junk and will upgrade soon. Did the couch trick with new hinges to lift up amd raise the front up some. Have to try the paper in the lights. They are bright. Got where I check plumbing after each trip for leaks from experience. New batteries on the list soon. I enjoy it much
__________________
2019 E-Pro 19FBS
2018 Dodge Ram 1500
Tucker - Cockapoo Copilot
Home is where I park it
Newday is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
19fbs

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:48 AM.