New 2608BS

[bob213]

Wife found the 2608BS and has to have one. What options do I need?
We generally camp with full hookups so is the 200W of solar enough or should I opt for the additional panel. LifePo battery?
I want slide toppers. Is leveling system worth it?
I have an equalizer hitch with 1000lb bars on a GMC 2500 diesel. Do I need heavier bars or a different hitch?
Any suggestions would be helpful. TIA!

 

[MrPukaShell]

I would add an extra panel or two and upgrade the battery. Auto leveling is up to you I don't find it hard to level the trailer. Hitch weight will be somewhere between 1000/1200 when fully loaded. Rockwood has another front kitchen model that is really nice check them all out. Good luck

 

[rxgac]

If you dont boondock, extra solar and batt are just added expense. Plan on 12v fridge to use 5a per hour if you think about more batt. You would need much more and bigger inverter if wanting to run an AC. Second AC with heat strip in bedroom. Second maxair is nice. Ours had both.

 

[bob213]

Is the thermopane window option worth the cost? It's about $1400 when you order from the factory. We live where it can get to 105 degrees or more but seldom lower than 25.

 

[Scotts Gone]

Wife found the 2608BS and has to have one. What options do I need?
We generally camp with full hookups so is the 200W of solar enough or should I opt for the additional panel. LifePo battery?
I want slide toppers. Is leveling system worth it?
I have an equalizer hitch with 1000lb bars on a GMC 2500 diesel. Do I need heavier bars or a different hitch?
Any suggestions would be

Wife found the 2608BS and has to have one. What options do I need?
We generally camp with full hookups so is the 200W of solar enough or should I opt for the additional panel. LifePo battery?
I want slide toppers. Is leveling system worth it?
I have an equalizer hitch with 1000lb bars on a GMC 2500 diesel. Do I need heavier bars or a different hitch?
Any suggestions would be helpful. TIA!

I have a 2024. I installed a second solar panel myself toward the front of the camper (approx $300 and not difficult). We boondock quite a bit and the main problem is the factory installed panel is at the rear of the camper in the trees…main problem initially was the fridge draining the battery running all the time before the recall mod cutting the additional vents in the fridge compartment. I also swapped batteries but only to Duralast deep cell ($120 each and appear to perform much better than factory installed ). I do carry small 2kw duel fuel generator ( run on propane) as a back up ….never needed for camper but use it for coffee machine morning latte’s instead of draining camper through inverter.
Slide toppers are a must.
Hitch weight is high due to front kitchen. I have 1200lb bars. Fresh water tank is at the rear of camper….i travel with full tank ….takes around 200-250lb off the hitch & back to a more normal hitch weight for this size of camper (& a much better ride)

 

[Ex-tenter]

Is the thermopane window option worth the cost? It's about $1400 when you order from the factory. We live where it can get to 105 degrees or more but seldom lower than 25.

Thermopane won't help your temperature much, but should reduce noise. Worth it? Your call, but I'd say no.

 

[Ex-tenter]

Wife found the 2608BS and has to have one. What options do I need?
We generally camp with full hookups so is the 200W of solar enough or should I opt for the additional panel. LifePo battery?
I want slide toppers. Is leveling system worth it?
I have an equalizer hitch with 1000lb bars on a GMC 2500 diesel. Do I need heavier bars or a different hitch?
Any suggestions would be helpful. TIA!

It depends, as the standard response goes. We have a 2021 model year 2608BS which we ordered from the factory. I will answer based on my experience with that.

We camped for 4 seasons with the original "factory" 12V Lead Acid crap battery with no issues, as we are typically at a full hookup site. We have just the one 190W panel (they were 190W back in 2021 model), 30A PWM Go Power solar controller. Those lead acid batteries just don't give you much reserve.

We just put in a pair of 100W LiFePO4 batteries. Same weight as the old "100Ah" (really only about 80Ah) but quadruple the capacity as we can run them down to almost nothing, where the lead acid shouldn't be drained below 50%. So, to clarify, 200Ah new batteries we can use fully, as compared to about 80Ah we can only use 50% of. Really almost quintupled usable capacity. So if you're going to upgrade anything, stare with LiFePO4 batteries. Two Group24 size will fit in the typical battery box supplied on these. With a pair of these, the 200W panel might just barely keep up with the fridge, depends on your outside temperatures somewhat. I agree with the earlier comment to add one or two more if you can, and switch to a MPPT solar controller (likely my next upgrade).

Slide toppers... I didn't get these, and occasionally wish I had, i only to reduce the noise on the slide in the bedroom when it rains. Other than that, no, you don't really need them.

My leveling system consists of the power tongue jack, the powered stabilizers and a LevelMate Pro. They didn't offer a leveling system when we purchased. What we have works pretty well for us, the LevelMate really makes it easy to tell when you're level, once you get that calibrated. An automated system would be cool, but more stuff to fail, so your call.

We also have the Equalizer hitch. You've got enough truck (we pull with a Chevy 1500, which is borderline not enough - we don't do mountains). Your 1000lb bars should be okay.

 

[Ex-tenter]

Almost forgot to add, there's a 2608BS-specific thread, lots of good stuff posted over the last few years. Check it out.

 

[Oaklevel]

Extra solar panel a waste of $ since you do not boondock. I would go with the battery the dealer provides . Replace later.

Leveling system might be nice depending on where you camp the most.

I would keep it simple.