Buying a new 310 GK

[DBISS7]

Hey Team -

Stepping into the 5th W world and about to buy a new Solitude 310K - would appreciate anyone's input on 'must - have' upgrades to the base Solitude models...

-Fridge size
-Generator
- Slide Awnings
- Camera's

etc......

thanks crew

[Cenerus]

Are you planning to full time in the 310gk? If so then that has a big impact on what options you may want to get.

Either way, you may want to consider dual pane windows, disk brakes and slide toppers.

[bertschb]

Stepping into the 5th W world and about to buy a new Solitude 310K - would appreciate anyone's input on 'must - have' upgrades to the base Solitude models...

It's 100% personal preference. What one person considers a must have (e.g. full body paint, MORryde IS, etc) the next guy will say it's a waste of money. if you search for the options you're considering, you will find dozens of threads with hundreds of opinions.

Basically the same things as gas vs diesel or F-250 vs F-350.

[SolarPoweredRV]

I would recommend the Reese GooseBox (20k Gen2) along with the factory "Puck System" on your Tow Vehicle.

We also really like having the "Snap Pads" on our landing gear and leveling legs.

We also replaced the OEM Television with a Samsung TV and Samsung Sound Bar that fits neatly in front of the fireplace (held it down with Velcro).

If you install a Washer and Dryer you will want to install shut-off valves in the basement (easy install) on the water lines because the OEM valves are not accessible once the unit is installed.

PS: Congratulations on your new 310 GK, we love ours!!!!

[traveldawg]

We don’t full time but do travel 5 to 7 months at a time. We don’t Boondocking but do end up dry camping for a few days at a time occasionally. We opted for...

> Dual pane windows - keeps noise out, providers better insulation and no condensation on the inside.
> No slide toppers - way too noisy in the wind; no big deal to either blow any debris off or sweep.
> Disk brakes - although I had to install them.
> No generator - use too infrequently and 2 Honda 2000i’s lighter and more versatile.
> Heat pump A/C - inexpensive & handy for cooler nights (not cold nights).
> Residential refrigerator - always cold.

I’d get the 8000lb axels of doing it again.

Tons of mods; you can see them by searching “kalakamods” without the quotes.

Have fun shopping & choosing. It’s part of the good times you’ll have.

[pengle]

Hey Team -

Stepping into the 5th W world and about to buy a new Solitude 310K - would appreciate anyone's input on 'must - have' upgrades to the base Solitude models...

-Fridge size
-Generator
- Slide Awnings
- Camera's

etc......

thanks crew

We've had out new 310GK for about 10 weeks so we have an opinion... HAH!

Heat pump A/C: I've always had a heat pump when we owned a home, so I'm very familiar with them. So far we've been in temps as low as 30 and as high as 60. The heat pump will run for a long time at temperatures below 40. There isn't anything electrical that shuts it off. It just produces less and less heat as as the outside temp gets lower. Above 40 the outlet temp in the living room is around 95 degrees. That being said, it is wonderful when the outside temp is above 50. It doesn't stay on too long and the outlet air feels warm and comfortable.

Slide Toppers: It's a love/hate relationship. IF they installed them high enough on the side of the trailer there would be enough slope so that the rain would not pool on top of the slide. The rain pools on all three slides. The slides also don't go PAST the edge of the slide so the water runs off the slide topper, onto the edge of the slide, and down the window. They make noise in 20 - 30 MPH winds but that's when the rain water is shed off the toppers! We don't have to brush off the slides with these installed, when pine cones and needles are constantly dropping from the trees.

Dual Pane Windows: Less noise for sure. No sweating when the temps are cold outside and we are running the furnace.

Upgraded axles: We full time, so upgraded MORryde IS 7K axles and disc brakes were important for us. They are a huge expense so you'll just have to keep researching what level of upgrade YOU want for your situation. I don't think you'll find anyone who isn't happy with an axle upgrade or the disc brake upgrade. It all depends on how much money you want to put into the trailer.

Solar: We are planning "some" boondocking, but like a few others this was a way to "get into solar" and find out what it can and cannot do for you, how the pieces work together, and what the limitations are. We bought a couple Lithium batteries as well.

Washer/Dryer: We were on the road for 6 years without a washer/dryer, so we had one installed when we bought this new trailer. We love having it. Yes the loads take 90 min, but we don't just sit and watch it.

Good luck with your researching. We've been there...

[boyscout]

The heat pump will run for a long time at temperatures below 40. There isn't anything electrical that shuts it off. It just produces less and less heat as as the outside temp gets lower.

@DBISS7 either GD or its supplier has changed something or @pengle's system isn't working as it should.

Our 310GK will run the heat pump down into the forties (and it's true that it doesn't produce a lot of heat in that range) but if it's colder the thermostat ignores our instruction for HEAT ELEC (heat pump) and starts the furnace. If it's started on HEAT ELEC within a range in which the heat pump will operate, it will automatically switch to the furnace if the temp drops below the heat pump operating range. I've seen a number of other owners report similar behavior... it's at least how they USED to work way back in 2018 models.

The heat pump is a terrific option in the range from about 50 degrees and up ambient temps, especially when electricity is "free" because propane never is. It's perfect when living with a wife who thinks 68 degrees is "freezing".

Slide Toppers: It's a love/hate relationship.

Ours is mostly love. They're not perfect (we have one that collects a swimming pool in rains) but they sure beat cleaning the tops of slides, and they also reduce noise of rainfall - quieter when sleeping.

Dual Pane Windows: Less noise for sure. No sweating when the temps are cold outside and we are running the furnace.

True. We've had GD trailers with single-pane and dual-pane windows, strongly recommend dual-pane.

[bertschb]

...If it's started on HEAT ELEC within a range in which the heat pump will operate, it will automatically switch to the furnace if the temp drops below the heat pump operating range.

This is how ours operates. If it's 65 degrees inside the RV and we set HEAT ELEC to 72, the furnace will turn on. If we set HEAT ELEC to 66, 67 or 68, the heat pump will turn on. Any temp differential greater than 3 degrees and we get the furnace.

[pengle]

What @boyscout and @bertschb say about the heat pump operation are exactly how our heat pump and furnace and thermostat work. I guess my comments were in response to the statements from salesmen that you may hear that "the heat pump doesn't operate below 40 degrees."

It does "run" below 40 degrees. There is no thermostat outside that prevents it from running (like in residential heat pumps). It just runs longer. At 30 degrees outside and the wind blowing and the amount of heat-losing windows we have the temperature will actually start dropping. The thermostat is designed so that if the temp falls 5 degrees below what you set it at that the propane furnace will kick in. But who is going to want the temp to fall from 72 down to 67 before you get heat again (via the propane furnace)? The more you learn about how the system works the easier it will be for you to decide if that's an option you want.

Maybe because of supply shortages currently I see that they don't even have the Heat Pump option available on the 310GK build. It is still listed in the Features area as an option, but not listed in the Build & Price area. Our heat pump option cost $290 and it was well worth buying for us.

[Gran Casita]

Hey Team -

Stepping into the 5th W world and about to buy a new Solitude 310K - would appreciate anyone's input on 'must - have' upgrades to the base Solitude models...

-Fridge size
-Generator
- Slide Awnings
- Camera's

etc......

thanks crew

@DBISS7, the options can certainly be “endless!” I will start with what our 310GK came with: 2-way RV Fridge, single pane windows, 7K Dexter Axles w/conventional electric brakes (shoes), no generator, no rearview camera, no TPMS, no slide toppers, the “infamous” Westlake G-rated Tires, & a single 12V deep cycle battery.

During the last 3-years & over 33,000 miles coast-to-coast, we added the following with the following results: A portable Champion Dual-Fuel Inverter Generator (used infrequently but nice to have in an emergency), in-motion rearview camera (useful for backing-in, backing-up & lane changing), TireMinder TPMS (useful & critical to safe travel in my opinion), MORhyde CRE3000 Equalizers w/X-Crossbrace (OEM EquaFlex failed & casting cracked in numerous areas/replaced in an emergency repair), Sumo Springs (added as an upgrade in lieu of shock absorbers due to bolt-on application versus frame welding/modification to improve ride handling over terrible highways), after 22,000 miles we replaced our Westlake Tires with Taskmaster Provider G-rated Tires from America’s/Discount Tire (contrary to other RV’ers’ experiences we didn’t have a bad one, we replaced our tires as a routine maintenance item & matched the replacement tires based on weight & speed ratings), 2-6V GC2 Golf Cart Batteries in-series (in my opinion RV manufacturers need to ditch the single 12V battery nowadays. It’s just not adequate for these modern RV trailers anymore.)

Currently, the primary upgrade I would love to add in the future would be disc brakes. In the meantime, I will make sure our current setup is properly lubed, adjusted & maintained. There are numerous opinions about which fridge is best, RV versus Residential. I will let you figure that one out. I would only recommend “the bigger the better.” A lot of your decision will depend on what type of camping you plan on doing. We don’t have slide toppers, but don’t feel like we need to have them.

Finally, I think just starting with a vastly popular & reliable Solitude 310GK is as good a starting point for future options/upgrades. What I mean by that is, everyone’s camping “style” is different and you will find a need for some options that others can do without. For example, I added Solar to our 310GK but don’t use it or need it so much based on our current style of camping which usually is at a campground with FHUs. Of course, it does open up more “dry camping” opportunities in the future. Kind of like our portable generator. We haven’t used it frequently, but it is available in emergencies & has been used when the campground’s power is out for either maintenance or outages.

Good luck & hope our experiences help you in your RV choices! -Diego