Bringing home a Surveyor 252rble tomorrow.

chewie37 · 04-09-2020, 07:47 PM

As Dr. Sam Beckett says in Quantum Leap - Oh Boy.

Excited, but staying level headed too. I may post the back story on how we got here at some point, but I'm also notoriously long-winded so I may not.

TL;DR version is (as my DW says) we're going from a Studio to a 1 Bedroom. Traded in a 2017 Surveyor 201RBS for a 2020 Surveyor 252RBLE.

We were able to take an informal walk through last Saturday (didn't spot anything drastically boned up) and PDI is at 8AM tomorrow morning.

Reverse_snowbird · 04-09-2020, 08:11 PM

Congratulations!

It's great to have a new toy.

debit · 04-09-2020, 11:07 PM

Congratulations. As the footing below notes, I have a 251rks. I like the length of this TT, every time I am on the road with it. I have made a few changes, but not many, and it has never been back to the dealer for any repairs. As you wrote, it is nice to have that bedroom.

Best wishes
..............
Ram 2500 diesel / FR Surveyor 251rks

chewie37 · 04-11-2020, 06:40 AM

PDI went very well - all systems functioned as expected. One minor cosmetic issue with a drawer face in the bathroom area that was taken care of before we signed off.

Since we live just one exit away from the dealership we chose to empty our old unit here at the house. So we'll be spending the weekend moving everything back in to the new one.

Which works out well since as we practice social isolation. Guess we'll be camping in the driveway for our first trip!

U.S.ArmyVeteran · 04-11-2020, 12:50 PM

Congrats!!!

Good Luck and hopefully you ( and all of us ) will be able to hit the road again.

RV there yet

CYAH OUT THERE! · 04-11-2020, 04:28 PM

Pictures please

chewie37 · 04-12-2020, 02:33 PM

Well, lame as this may seem at first . . . https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/trave...d/252RBLE/4853

Because the color scheme shown on the manufacturer site is what we have. Apparently, much like the old story about the Ford Model T, you can have any interior you want as long as it's this one. At least that's what we were told, and so far every other video we've seen bears that out.

There are some options available, a few of which we sprang for. Opted for the 15K AC vs 13.5, 32" TV, EZ-glide sofa bed, roof ladder and a slide topper.

Have been working over the weekend making it 'ours' and I'll see if I can get some of those one-off pics up later.

chewie37 · 04-12-2020, 02:44 PM

Oh, one thing learned already - the Everchill fridge in the outdoor kitchen is a plain old 110V 'dorm' style compressor fridge. But the outlet it's plugged into is wired up to the power center to provide 110 via 12v. (Inverted?)

Schematics are not my thing so don't ask.

But, it works when running off battery alone.

Interesting idea in some ways I suppose. If you're not a big fan of traveling with the propane on you could put some 'critical' supplies in here and solve that wrinkle.

On the other hand I suspect it would eat battery hours like candy if boondocking. Although if you know that, easy enough to unplug.

One other odd bit - there's no temperature control inside the fridge. It's located in the back. Given the tight space, one has to remove the hold down bracket and pull the fridge out to gain access.

debit · 04-12-2020, 03:06 PM

chewie,
We made several changes. One was to add a voltage meter next to the light switches. I was even using it today, to determine the voltage in the batteries.
We also added a switch a the battery to disconnect it.
We removed the door to the bathroom on the living room side.
...........
Ram 2500 / Surveyor 251rks

chewie37 · 04-12-2020, 04:30 PM

Ok, let's see how this goes with pictures. Did a bunch of stuff, most of which I guess I'd classify as 'the usual.' Installed bug guards, tpms sensors, battery lock, propane lock and various command hooks that we had on our old camper.

Items that for us are not 'the usual' - storage box mounted on the back bumper. *Reinforcement brackets installed beforehand. We keep the 12v inflator in there as well as an EMS and a couple of 30A exension cords. It's set up so the EMS can stay out of sight when in use.

Also, this unit did not come with gas lifts for the storage space under the bed. We knew that ahead of time and had ordered a kit. Put that in and it went OK. Didn't like the flimsiness of the deck plywood so added a reinforcing strip to keep it from bowing.

DW did all the measurements to determine the right kit and she it hit spot on. But, the struts are right on the edge of 'jack in the box,' so I added just a teeny bit of velcro - all good.

SPHiss · 05-04-2020, 05:11 PM

We took delivery of our 252RBLE last weekend. Installed a Dish Wally receiver with DVR hard drive, a new TCL Roku TV (moved the installed one to the bedroom), and a Vizio sound bar. Replaced the factory steps with a SolidStep. Pix attached.

Swapped the included EZ Glide sofa for a RecPro theater loveseat. Sold the EZGlide on Craigslist for $420.

When I went to test the Dish setup with the Playmaker dish connected to the outside jack, I discovered there was no connection to the Satellite jack inside the entertainment center. So now I have to take it back to the dealer for warranty service.

SPHiss · 05-04-2020, 05:17 PM

We're also planning to install a Nautilus solid retractable shower door in lieu of the shower curtain. Custom order, took about 10 days to arrive, and just needs to be installed. Installation looks simple with just a hacksaw to get the width correct and a caulk gun to seal it once installed.

We are looking at the QAV wifi booster that was advertised on the window of our unit. Their web site sucks and can't get much info without calling or emailing them. And when you're ready to order online, you can only do through PayPal, which failed for me. So I guess it's a phone call and credit card over the phone if I want to move forward. I'm guessing the Surveyor is not pre-wired for everything needed by the wifi booster, so will have to improvise on that if we move forward...

Reverse_snowbird · 05-04-2020, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPHiss

When I went to test the Dish setup with the Playmaker dish connected to the outside jack, I discovered there was no connection to the Satellite jack inside the entertainment center. So now I have to take it back to the dealer for warranty service.

Well, that's a bummer. You just got it and now you've got to go in for warranty work. That's not something you'd catch on a PDI.

Like your mods. It's a good looking rig. Congratulations!

SPHiss · 05-04-2020, 05:33 PM

Yes, I spent an hour on the phone with Dish trying to figure out why it wasn't finding the satellite. I finally unscrewed the wall plate in the entertainment center to check the connection, and there was no coax connected!

debit · 05-04-2020, 06:35 PM

HPHiss,
On the Dish problem, You may find what Dish told me.
That is, you must have a direct line (no splitter) from the outside sat receiver to your Wally.
I bought a connection plug and mounted it on the outside wall. Then, I connected it to an inside cable to the Wally.
So all I have to do is to connect the sat receiver to the new plug.
Of course, the Wally has to do a search each time you are in a new location.
It was easier for me to install the plug, than to take the TT back for service (which I have never done)
.........................
Ram 2500 ' Surveyor 251rks

SPHiss · 05-04-2020, 09:00 PM

Good to know. But I bought a brand new trailer and it needs to work 100%. I demand satisfaction! lol

dbledan · 05-04-2020, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPHiss

Good to know. But I bought a brand new trailer and it needs to work 100%. I demand satisfaction! lol

Well you are entitled to that and I am glad to see someone holding them accountable.
However, depending on the issues you find you may not use your camper very much while under warrenty if returning for things like disconnected cables. It will depend on your dealer and how good they are. You may be better served working with the factory in advance and independent RV repair techs rather than waiting weeks to months for RV repair to get to fixing your cable. Dealers just don't make a lot on warrenty work and therefore don't prioritize it. Your results may vary, and I hope they do.

chewie37 · 06-08-2020, 06:44 AM

Question for SPHiss. Since you've managed to get the factory intalled tv relocated. Where's the release located to unlatch it from the hanger? Not readily obvious and my big ham hands don't fit in that small space very well to find it by touch.
Thx!

SPHiss · 06-08-2020, 06:47 AM

chewie37, lift the TV straight up. It is only held by gravity and a bracket on the back of the TV drops into the wall mount.

SPHiss · 06-08-2020, 06:58 AM

The shower door is a Nautilus custom-made model by Stoett. Pretty easy to install, although the edge of the shower is pretty wavy. But plenty of caulk took care of that.
The roof antenna was swapped out with a QAV CA-1000 Wi-Fi Booster. Not yet working correctly but hoping the dealer can resolve that.
Sorry for the sideways photos; not sure how to fix that on this site.

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