1st time RV Owner with Imagine 2800BH

**gucciglampers** · 01-13-2020, 07:21 PM

Hello!

We just purchased our first RV at an RV show this past weekend and have a few questions for the experienced campers in the crowd.

1) Is the dealer extended warranty recommended? (Purchased from General RV in Richmond, VA and they offer Cornerstone United)
2) Is the Platinum Ultimate Plus clear coat protection worth the $2950? Seems like a good DIY project with a good RV/Marine wax
3) Are the factory tires good enough to get by for awhile? (Short local area weekend trips)

Any other "getting started" suggestions from the crowd would be very appreciated! We've enjoyed reading the great posts on this forum and look forward to learning from others' vast RV camping experience.

Gucciglampers
Two former Air Force pilots, 3 young kids
Can fly jets for food, still learning RV basics

**FT4NOW** · 01-13-2020, 08:40 PM

Welcome! Items 1 and 2 are profit makers for the dealer. If you're handy, skip the warranty and put that money aside for repairs down the road. As for tires, not sure what comes on them, I ordered mine with Goodyear G614s and am happy with their performance. A lot of people do get new tires right away, but I think it depends what came from the factory.

There are a lot of getting started threads if you search or look around. Best thing you can get is an EMS for your electrical system. Search for EMS on here, there are a bunch of topics on that as well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

**cfowler55** · 01-13-2020, 10:51 PM

Ditto on items 1 & 2 from my perspective. I never get extended warranty on anything. On tires I suspect it has D load rated , which I would be a little concerned about if you intend to put many miles on it. Personally I would upgrade to an E rated Goodyear Endurance , if available in your size. Also recommended a tire pressure monitor system.
Good luck , Charlie

**Houndbb** · 01-14-2020, 04:26 AM

Hi, and welcome!

As stated above, lots of topics here to read to get you started. You’ve got the right idea, starting out local with short trips to begin. Try to keep meals simple so you’re not spending all your time on prep and cleanup. Watch the amount of gear you take along, and once you’ve settled on gear, go get your weights. We established our “stash of stuff” and felt like we stayed within limits. Come to find out, while we were under our limit, it was distributed very poorly. It took some creative thinking to redistribute the hefty items. We are 3 years now on our original tires. We inspect them frequently, check pressure frequently, cover them from sun, and check temps with an inexpensive temp gun we got on Amazon (especially on longer trips-but we tend not to drive longer than 4 hours). You’re farther south and your season for use will be longer, and you may be willing to stay on the road longer, so it’s up to you when/if you invest in a TPS. We’ve been able to do without it, and I’m keeping close track of our mileage. We’ll replace them with better at any sign of wear, or when the predicted lifespan is up.
Good luck and happy travels,
Nancy

**jw^2 family** · 01-14-2020, 11:48 AM

Congratulations on your new travel trailer and welcome to the forum.

Regarding factory tires, we had no problems with the original Westlakes on our Imagine 2800BH through about 3,500 miles. We changed to Goodyear Endurance tires after experiencing uneven wear on the Westlakes due to an axle problem. If it weren't for the axle problem, we would probably still have the original Westlakes.

If your 2800BH is a 2020 model year, then it has heavier rated axles than our 2018 model year.

As others have mentioned, we appreciate the peace of mind that a TPMS for the trailer tires provides.

**gucciglampers** · 01-14-2020, 08:52 PM

Hello FT4NOW,

Thanks very much! Appreciate your backing up our gut reaction to the dealer offers, and will be sure to take note of the type/quality that comes from factory upon delivery. Appreciate your post and advice!

**gucciglampers** · 01-14-2020, 08:54 PM

Hello jw^2family,

Good to know about the tires, and yes we also saw the updates on the 2020 2800BH axels. Appreciate your inputs on the tires and also the TPMS, we've been noting the many comments on the boards here on those.

Appreciate your comments! -- It's exactly why we joined the forum, and thanks for the warm welcome!

**gucciglampers** · 01-14-2020, 08:57 PM

Hello Charlie,

Thanks for the tire and equipment recommendations! Also appreciate and agree on the extended warranty. Thanks so much for helping us newbies and for being one of our first responses in this forum!

**gucciglampers** · 01-14-2020, 09:07 PM

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for this! Great advice on the "stash of stuff" that we'll be sure to get weighed and distributed! Thanks for being so helpful and welcoming -- we are really looking forward to our prep work and first trip!

**SGT ROC** · 01-16-2020, 07:05 AM

Welcome to the forum. As you can see, lots of knowledge and help here. I have done a lot of research on the tires. Mine are Westlakes. They would fit into what most people call the China Bomb category. What I have found is that if the tires are treated properly - don't overload, proper inflation, don't go over the speed rating, most tires hold up well. My old TT had many miles after 6 years - no issues that I didn't cause (Lost a tire and wheel due to stupidity).