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  1. #11
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    rebelsbeach... we changed out from our 36' Class A to a 310GK-R last May and couldn't be happier. One of the things t surprised me the most was that I really like entering into a more "home-like" feel rig; no more walking past driver and passenger seats and staring at a dashboard (very vehicle-like feel). I didn't expect that. For us we are very happy with the change.

    We do use ours on a regular basis. Lots of folks in our community have them in a permanent setup and don't have tow vehicles. They all seem pleased too.

    Because we got spoiled a bit with the high end finishes and look of the class A's we wanted a nice interior look as well as residential frig, washer/dryer, and full wardrobe closet. Our 310GK-R meets those requirements. The furniture is no more of less comfortable than the class A although the kids don't care at all (nor do we) for the cheap sofa bed as the bed is uncomfortable.

    While there are no more stairs into the rig (I think you will like the solid staircase although we put on folding steps), there are also the interior steps into the bedroom to consider.

    Welcome to the forum and best wishes on your choice. I don't think you'll go wrong with Grand Design. I hope you find the floor plan you like.
    Larry KE4DMG
    2022 F-350 KRU SRW LB - Airlift 5000+, ForScan, 37 RDS Aux Tank,
    2019 310GK-R - Sailuns; MorRyde IS; Disc Brakes; 20K Reese Goosebox
    Search kalakamods for my mods


  2. #12
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    Sending out a huge thanks for the replies to my thread questions.... I took the boss over to Palm RV here in Fort Myers yesterday to see the 380FL and the short answer is that, when she walked in the kitchen and looked around she was wowed.... We both absolutely love the floor plan and the fact that it gives us so much more living space than our motor home.

    We made the deal and now we're in packing mode until the 9th, when we deliver the motor home to the dealer and swap everything out. First impressions of the dealer are very good, as it seems they have a genuine interest in getting the rig "right" for us. We're adding towel bars in the full and half bath and in the washer dryer closet, we're taking the shelves down and adding a second hanging bar lower.

    I will make one "somewhat negative" comment.... To me anyway, the hanging closet design is a bit weird in that they don't make the closets in the bedroom "deep" enough for you to hang clothes in normally, so they use a "sliding bar" arrangement. This means that the buttons of a shirt for instance are facing you as you open the door and not at a right angle to you when you open the closet..... Since the wall sticks out further than the closet, I don't know why they couldn't have deepened the closet and used traditional hanging bars.... With all the closet space, we'll be fine.....it was just weird.

    On another note, what is everyone in GD land doing for surge protection? I don't really want to use the portable "dog bone" surge guard that hangs from the pedestal, but I couldn't find anywhere where I'd want to mount a permanent one, unless I brought it into the compartment in the space in front of the wet bay?

  3. #13
    Long Hauler howson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rebelsbeach View Post
    Sending out a huge thanks for the replies to my thread questions.... I took the boss over to Palm RV here in Fort Myers yesterday to see the 380FL and the short answer is that, when she walked in the kitchen and looked around she was wowed.... We both absolutely love the floor plan and the fact that it gives us so much more living space than our motor home.

    We made the deal and now we're in packing mode until the 9th, when we deliver the motor home to the dealer and swap everything out. First impressions of the dealer are very good, as it seems they have a genuine interest in getting the rig "right" for us. We're adding towel bars in the full and half bath and in the washer dryer closet, we're taking the shelves down and adding a second hanging bar lower.

    I will make one "somewhat negative" comment.... To me anyway, the hanging closet design is a bit weird in that they don't make the closets in the bedroom "deep" enough for you to hang clothes in normally, so they use a "sliding bar" arrangement. This means that the buttons of a shirt for instance are facing you as you open the door and not at a right angle to you when you open the closet..... Since the wall sticks out further than the closet, I don't know why they couldn't have deepened the closet and used traditional hanging bars.... With all the closet space, we'll be fine.....it was just weird.

    On another note, what is everyone in GD land doing for surge protection? I don't really want to use the portable "dog bone" surge guard that hangs from the pedestal, but I couldn't find anywhere where I'd want to mount a permanent one, unless I brought it into the compartment in the space in front of the wet bay?
    Based on the floorplan outline on Grand Design's website and watching a video showing where your 50A cord hooks into the unit, I'm guessing your external power comes in under the hutch in the kitchen. Your WFCO converter and furnace are probably there, too, just like in my 315RLTS.

    *If* I'm right, you can get a hard-wired EMS installed like mine. Check out the writeup in this thread (post 12): https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...l=1#post178294

    Congrats on the Solitude. They are amazing rigs.
    2017 Ford F-350 DRW 6.7L Platinum
    2019 315RLTS (purchased 16 Jul 18 from Campers Inn RV in Byron, GA)

  4. #14
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    Wow.....thanks Howard. Pretty work!!

  5. #15
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Hoping to post a pic of our new baby....

  6. #16
    Rolling Along kevinpo's Avatar
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    rebelsbeach,
    Great picture! Congratulations and hope you have many good memories from your purchase.

    Cheers,
    Kevin
    2015 Ram Laramie 3500 4x4 LB Dually Crew Cab
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    68RFE Transmission Auto Level Rear Air Suspension 3.73 gears


  7. #17
    Rolling Along jim1521's Avatar
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    Bob, welcome to the forum. I too live in Fort Myers and can offer you some insight...

    We are putting our condo up for sale here within the month (I'm actually late as I totally underestimated what it takes to get a house that you've lived in for 16 years ready to sell). My wife and I went round and round on what we wanted - 48' DeFever trawler, Newmar Class A, back and forth. We finally decided that our knees weren't going to hold up to 4-6' seas, and we couldn't simply pull over for the night, so goodbye DeFever. Next came the Class A. Beautifully built vehicles, very luxurious. Wife is retired interior designer, so she was big into fabrics, cabinets, etc. We got our "starter trailer" - a 37' Grand Design 313RLTS on a whim (my boat was in the shop for extended repairs and wife says I got bored). Anyways, we got a super deal on the GDRV. Along came Hurricane Irma 7 weeks after we bought the RV. We had already rode out Charley and Wilma, so when Irma came along we decided to bug out, and headed up to GA. The storm chased us there too, so we evacuated over to Alabama, and spent two weeks across the bay from Pensacola. WE LOVED IT!!!

    We came back home and started looking for more campgrounds and travelling. We ended up finding a beautiful campground up in northern GA as well as a beautiful RV resort and marina in Port St. Joe, FL (very near Panama City, which got wiped out my Michael). We fell in love with the GA campground. My wife then said "Let's just put one RV at the GA campsite, and leave the other down in Port St. Joe? And since we're going to do that, why do you want to spend $30,000+ on a diesel motorhome that you're not going to drive anywhere? GREAT POINT!!

    So now our plan is to sell the condo, buy a big fifth wheel, and park it up at the GA campsite. Take the GDRV and move it to PSJ. Do our summers in GA and our winters in PSJ. Great plan, and that's what we're executing on.

    I TOLD YOU ALL OF THAT, TO TELL YOU THIS:

    If you don't have a truck that is capable of moving that fifth wheel when a hurricane comes, be prepared to write off the trailer.


    My plan assumes that I can drive down to PSJ with enough warning time to hitch up the GDRV and tow it out of harm's way when a storm comes. I also went ahead and bought a big enough truck to be able to tow any trailer or fifth wheel as needed. Florida is absolutely beautiful, and I love calling it home, but with that beauty comes hurricanes. Irma was the first time we'd ever evacuated for a hurricane, and I learned an ENORMOUS lesson: There are only two roads out of Florida: I-75 and I-95. They both become JAMMED when the state evacuates. We evacuated from Ft. Myers 4 days prior to Irma hitting, and we were still trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic from Ocala all the way up to the FL/GA state line. If I had it to do all over again, I would evacuate 6 days prior. What this means to you is that you're going to have to plan WELL AHEAD if you're going to try and have someone tow your trailer out of the way - and then plan on a LONG tow.

    I guess what I'm saying is if you're thinking of upgrading the F150, you might want to take a look at the numbers that would be involved to tow it out of here in the event of an impending storm - and plan for a big enough truck.
    Last edited by jim1521; 02-09-2019 at 08:35 PM.
    2016 Grand Design Reflection 313RLTS
    2020 Riverstone 39FK
    2016 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7L Powerstroke Lariat 2WD DRW

  8. #18
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    Thanks for the insight Jim.... I never really gave a hurricane any thought, but it should've been on my mind as several folks in our park lost their gazebos in the last storm and we're fortunate here, as there was some serious damage in places in Fort Myers....
    Even with the weight of this 380FL, with all the recent research I've done here and on IRV2, I feel certain that an F350 PS would pull her down the road rather nicely.
    That's in fact what the dealer used to put her on the the lot here.... I rode with him over from the dealership and we jumped on I75 for about five miles and it seemed to ride rather nicely....

    My fiancee is likely to have me committed, if I show up one day with a new truck, but hey.... what a way to go....right?

  9. #19
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    Front street side compartment..... Dealer tech and I walked through several locations and being as this was "closest" to where the 50A came into the coach and on a pretty sturdy wall, I elected to have it installed here. Being right inside the compartment, it's really easy to read.

  10. #20
    Rolling Along jim1521's Avatar
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    I
    Quote Originally Posted by rebelsbeach View Post
    Thanks for the insight Jim.... I never really gave a hurricane any thought, but it should've been on my mind as several folks in our park lost their gazebos in the last storm and we're fortunate here, as there was some serious damage in places in Fort Myers....
    Even with the weight of this 380FL, with all the recent research I've done here and on IRV2, I feel certain that an F350 PS would pull her down the road rather nicely.
    That's in fact what the dealer used to put her on the the lot here.... I rode with him over from the dealership and we jumped on I75 for about five miles and it seemed to ride rather nicely....

    My fiancee is likely to have me committed, if I show up one day with a new truck, but hey.... what a way to go....right?
    Bob, agree that F350 is more than enough truck to pull it. Congrats and enjoy!
    2016 Grand Design Reflection 313RLTS
    2020 Riverstone 39FK
    2016 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7L Powerstroke Lariat 2WD DRW

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