2205S Owners Thread

[Camp11053]

By any chance did you look at the Apache Flats RV park while you were out and about?

 

[AnneJohn]

To the person with TDS:
Please refrain from tarnishing this forum for American made Forest River products by bringing politics to a place where it isn’t wanted. I have plenty to say about your comments but I won’t contribute to downgrading this forum. If you don’t like your made in Indiana USA manufactured 2205S I would highly recommend getting rid of it and then you won’t have to worry about the windshield anymore.

Aren’t ESCAPES made in Canada?

 

[Pacifictime]

Camp11053,
Don't know about Apache Flats but the photos from their website look very much like Quail Ridge. It looks like it requires some military connection to stay there.
I was really surprised on how much there is to do and see in the area.

 

[Retired Dave]

I was looking at some of the mods shown in the (gasp!) 2109S thread and ran across this mod of installing rechargeable LED puck light over the bed and under the wardrobe cabinets.

I liked it so much that I ordered some from Amazon yesterday. They should be here today.

 

[Pacifictime]

I have the 12-volt refrigerator and think I would benefit from a fan to move air on the inside. I've looked for a fridge fan but all I see use C type batteries. I've never been a fan of the C battery. Does anyone know of a better fan? One that uses AA or AAA batteries or maybe is easy to hook up to trailer 12-volt?

 

[Retired Dave]

I did a very quick look on Amazon and found a couple that take two D-cell batteries. One of the two didn't have great reviews but I've bought stuff that turned out to be great items even though they had bad reviews.
The Magic Chef 12-volt fridge in our 2205S works very well as long as the food in the freezer isn't packed against the fan housing. I have an inexpensive fridge temperature display with a sensor in each compartment ( which by the way, had terrible reviews). The freezer is 5 degrees F and the fridge section is 34 degrees F with the temp control on 2. No icing problems at all.

 

[Fuzz81]

I have the 12-volt refrigerator and think I would benefit from a fan to move air on the inside. I've looked for a fridge fan but all I see use C type batteries. I've never been a fan of the C battery. Does anyone know of a better fan? One that uses AA or AAA batteries or maybe is easy to hook up to trailer 12-volt?

Have you considered using a small rechargeable fan like this, Pacifictime?

https://www.amazon.ca/Otlonpe-Portable-Handheld-Ultra-Light-Rechargeable/dp/B0CR2ZT5BG/ref=sr_1_51?crid=2A7SRD8GM3K93&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pBSS8qKTmUl2UrSm4C-3vqkgWcKFkefiteVpUoQJq1nRJj6a49S_NqWycEgFRHIlZEkTKLV0gy_bZY8zIKI6VrXrtgWdIuehdGxQewt6FyrCDfv2sIHjiUELM0ocXfXer65fCP9R5N8QpSitM7uO-OipkIwQhc769B-BsA5lL3gO4ZImRA35zokowGtrRa8uhpToSMNl3gHeK6K6IrVi1jugwLezoi2-F2QAjqyRpevmAa4XGt8GusG6OmawL-p14nyFgNCLdykhwV-Ax6CqrifRbAU4GOyj9V0FLirrcLc.euqeLLK29yyXxQz7-raJpjOW2XqsM_hvMQmnq4yoxGA&dib_tag=se&keywords=rechargeable%2Bfan%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bbeach&qid=1746886506&sprefix=rechargeable%2Bfan%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bbeach%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-51&th=1

My wife has something similar to this one that she uses to stay cool at the beach. They're dirt cheap and you could probably buy 2 so you always have one charged up to swap out when the battery on the other one runs out.

 

[Pacifictime]

Thanks for the help. I have a temperature sensor like Dave describes. It really helps to monitor the fridge,. I don't worry about how cold the freezer gets as long as its below freezing. It's the refrigerator section that seems to have freezing spots and other sections as high as 40 degrees.
Fuzz, I hadn't searched for a mini-fan, I only searched for a refrigerator fan. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Idoru99]

Good morning! Just spent the last few days reading through this thread.

Wife and I picked up a 2024 2205S last August.

Initially, I was interested in a Wolfpup 16KHW and found a Black Label version at a local Camping World. Wife wasn't impressed with the dinette set up and wanted a sofa or theater seats. So, they showed us the Flagstaff 22FBS, which we both really liked. However, the "sales associates" seemed off-putting (sleazy isn't quite the right word, but something close), the normal car dealership crap plus a bit extra uneasiness.

After a bit of research, figured out the Rockwood 2205S was the same thing, made by the same people with different stickers - so the search began for a 22FBS or 2205S. Towing with a RAM 1500, so I knew I wanted to keep the dry weight to 5,000, leaving about 1900 for passengers and gear.

We found one we liked and priced right at Bish's in Coldwater, MI. Made the call and while our salesman was still a salesman, the overall experience was a lot better. After a bit of negotiation, we ended on a deal, and I went and picked it up at the end of Aug, towing it back to VA.

We did take it out for a weekend last year, close to home, and we really enjoyed it.

So far for upgrades: Starlink for Internet. I also wasn't impressed with the FLA battery since I doubt it will handle my CPAP and the fridge if I have use a Cracker Barrel / Bass Pro shop for an overnight. SO I purchased a 300 aH LiFePO4. I figure between that and the solar already aboard, should be sufficient to run both on travel days/nights.

I've enjoyed reading through the thread, but I can see a lot of recommendations that may end up starting me down more and more upgrade paths.

 

[Pacifictime]

I tow with a RAM 1500, its an Ecodiesel. I find that often conditions are testing its limits. Last summer went to Moab and with temperatures were in the hundreds, grades and headwinds, I had to be very careful to not overheat the truck. I find the coolant temps and transmission temps normal but the oil temps soar. Is your RAM an Ecodiesel?
Also I wanted to ask, what solar you have? I got an extra 190 Watt panel (for a total of 380 Watts) installed when I bought the trailer and I installed a 200 AH Lifepo4 battery. I am considering adding to my system. At least changing to an MPPT controller. My system is sufficient to run the trailer and refrigerator, but barely.

 

[Idoru99]

I do have an Ecodiesel. I doubt I'll be going out toward the MOAB area. We will be towing up to Michigan this summer, near the end of July, I think that will be our longest annual trip.

The solar I have is the 2 panel 400W GoSolar from the factory.

 

[Fuzz81]

Good morning! Just spent the last few days reading through this thread.

Wife and I picked up a 2024 2205S last August...

Welcome to the 2205S family, Idoru99. You'll find this is a great group (and the 2205S is a great trailer). These posts were a great help to me when we got ours in 2022 and I think you'll find that if you have any questions about your trailer, someone in this group should be able to help out. Enjoy!

 

[Idoru99]

Thanks, Fuzz81. We are loving the trailer so far and planning a few trips for the season.

For now, I'm putting together a small tool kit with some pieces and parts for repairs - hope I'm not going overboard.

 

[Fuzz81]

Underbelly Questions for Other 2205S Owners...
I was under my trailer repairing some seals in openings / pass-throughs in the underbelly of our 2205S where the factory installed caulking had started to peel away from the coroplast underbelly. While I was doing so, I noticed that every opening in the underbelly was caulked from the factory, except right around the fresh water drain pipe. My instinct was to close that opening off as well, but I thought I'd better do some due-diligence first to find out if anyone knows whether this was left open for some particular reason. Was this left open as well on your trailers? Is this intentionally left open in case of an overflow when filling the tank (not that I've been able to find any evidence of an overflow vent on our fresh-water tank) or for some other logical reason I haven't thought about?
Looking forward to any feedback you might have. Thanks all!

 

[Camp1-FRF]

I had to caulk and seal multiple locations under mine as well. Just the way the stuff is built. Don’t believe there is any reason for it as they are building these things as quickly as possible. I believe the tank will overflow out of the fill tube. I also had to rebuild the framing for my 3 drawer set as mine did the total collapse as referenced in some previous posts. Part of RV ownership. Otherwise we really enjoy the rig.

 

[Fuzz81]

I had to caulk and seal multiple locations under mine as well. Just the way the stuff is built. Don’t believe there is any reason for it as they are building these things as quickly as possible. I believe the tank will overflow out of the fill tube. I also had to rebuild the framing for my 3 drawer set as mine did the total collapse as referenced in some previous posts. Part of RV ownership. Otherwise we really enjoy the rig.

Thanks Camp1. I thought that might be the case but figured I should check before closing-in that last remaining opening in the underbelly.

 

[Fuzz81]

Stumped by my FIC-ETJ3500 Electric Jack...
I know a lot of RV owners have had issues with FIC jacks due to water intrusion and corroded contacts on switches & boards, so when mine started acting up (what goes up, does not come down!), I fully expected to see the same thing when I pulled mine apart. To my surprise, it was pristine. There was no evidence of water intrusion or corrosion, the contacts on the switch are all covered in shrink wrap to keep them dry and the power module is fully enclosed. It dates from 2022 by the way.
In an effort to find out what was wrong, I tested everything I could think of, but to no avail:

• I have a good ground.
• The switch functions properly, and I get 13.6V out of the switch (both for up and down, with the voltage reversed as expected).
• I have good continuity across the main connection downstream of the switch and good continuity through the motor itself.
• There's no binding in the gearbox as I can hand-crank the unit up or down.

The motor runs to raise the trailer, but won't run at all when I ask it to lower it. I can't think of anything else I can check, so I'm guessing that there must be something wrong with the motor itself. Am I missing anything?

I'm debating whether to order a replacement motor, but after including shipping costs, that'll set me back more than half the cost of a complete new jack, with no guarantee my issue will be solved. As a result, I'm seriously considering replacing my FIC jack with a better one, so if any of you have any recommendations on a good quality replacement that won't break the bank, I'd love to hear what worked for you.

 

[flyflotrtim]

Does the jack work when you raise and lower it manually?

 

[Fuzz81]

Does the jack work when you raise and lower it manually?

Yes, it works fine manually.

 

[Camp1-FRF]

Mine was intermittent during raising. I replaced the switch and relay board. I pulled the switch apart and it was pristine. The relay board had some green corrosion on the bottom. I suspect the relay contacts were corroded and it eventually would not raise at all. If there is a way to temporarily test the motor by bypassing the switch and relay I would try that. Sometimes continuity will be fine but if you put a load through the bad contacts there might be too much voltage drop to drive the motor.