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  1. #1
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    Getting Closer! Need some Experienced Advice

    Looks like I may have found a GD Imagine 2670MK. I guess I'm going to have to mention what options I want on it to be included with the sale.

    I want slide covers but wondering if one is needed for the one on the door side? I know the rig has one long awning on the door side, that also cover that one slide. Just wondering because there will be times when the main awning may not be deployed. Opinions??

    I'm also going to ask if the fans are not Fantastic Fans, that they be installed. Ive heard negatives about the rain detectors not working and just get roof covers for them. Is this an accurate option request?

    I'm al little concerned about the tires. No idea yet what are installed, and not sure if I need to be concerned with as they are new? But we have a long cross country trip from the PNW to Fl. and I want to be safe. Is this something to be addressed now or should I be OK for this inaugural trip on new tires.

    Batteries? Not sure if one is enough, doubt I can afford lithium at this point, so what options do I have available - don't think one is enough. Cant guarantee we will be in a full service park each night, and I use a CPAP.

    We want a booth rather than a table and chairs. I'm leaning towards a ProPride Hitch - is that something I buy on my own and bring with me? From the dealer? I'm not sure what its called, but there is a foldable rack that attached to the hitch in the back - for bikes, grills, etc. Is that something I should shop for elsewhere (better quality/options from 3rd part)?

    Are there any other options we will need to consider, or something important I'm missing?

    Finally, if we get to the point where we finalize a deal - I will be doing a pre closing inspection. Does someone from the dealer tag along, or do you do your insp. and document the list and they address???? How does that work? Or is it something that just varies??

    Thanks!
    Steve

  2. #2
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Wow, that is quite a list of questions, I can't answer them all but can a couple.
    We have 2 Fantastic fans, One covered and one with the sensor. In the 5 years we have had the trailer the sensor has only failed a couple times. Keeping the sensor clean is the key to keeping it working.

    If you go woth the slide covers do all slides. There will be plenty times you don't deploy the awning and the slide would be exposed.

    Being on a Cpap a bank of batteries and even a small 100 watt solar panel might be a good thing

    Good luck with your purchase, I'm sure you'll get more of your questions answered


    Last edited by WhittleBurner; 07-01-2020 at 08:28 AM. Reason: missed a 0
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
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  3. #3
    Site Sponsor livinthelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pencka View Post
    Looks like I may have found a GD Imagine 2670MK. I guess I'm going to have to mention what options I want on it to be included with the sale.

    I want slide covers but wondering if one is needed for the one on the door side? I know the rig has one long awning on the door side, that also cover that one slide. Just wondering because there will be times when the main awning may not be deployed. Opinions??

    I'm also going to ask if the fans are not Fantastic Fans, that they be installed. Ive heard negatives about the rain detectors not working and just get roof covers for them. Is this an accurate option request?

    I'm al little concerned about the tires. No idea yet what are installed, and not sure if I need to be concerned with as they are new? But we have a long cross country trip from the PNW to Fl. and I want to be safe. Is this something to be addressed now or should I be OK for this inaugural trip on new tires.

    Batteries? Not sure if one is enough, doubt I can afford lithium at this point, so what options do I have available - don't think one is enough. Cant guarantee we will be in a full service park each night, and I use a CPAP.

    We want a booth rather than a table and chairs. I'm leaning towards a ProPride Hitch - is that something I buy on my own and bring with me? From the dealer? I'm not sure what its called, but there is a foldable rack that attached to the hitch in the back - for bikes, grills, etc. Is that something I should shop for elsewhere (better quality/options from 3rd part)?

    Are there any other options we will need to consider, or something important I'm missing?

    Finally, if we get to the point where we finalize a deal - I will be doing a pre closing inspection. Does someone from the dealer tag along, or do you do your insp. and document the list and they address???? How does that work? Or is it something that just varies??

    Thanks!
    Steve
    The one I can address - tires. Of course, it depends on what tires are actually on your rig. We had Westlakes (china bombs) and one of them went flat just sitting in storage in the first month. A second one developed a cut and large bubble on the inside of the tire when it was about 8 months old.

    We replaced all the tires with Goodyear Endurance and have been very happy with them.

    On the PDI, someone from the dealership walked through with us. Probably the same at most dealers. Anything you find, small as it may be, document it.....and don't accept delivery until everything is exactly as you want it.

    2017 Reflection 26RL "Mili"
    2016 Ford F250 Extended Cab Gas Engine "Buck" (the truck)

  4. #4
    Setting Up Camp
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    Steve,
    I only feel I can chime on a few items:
    Fans: So far I've upgraded one of my fans to the Maxx 7000k (7500k is black version). I really like this kind because unless you are in crazy heavy rain, it's designed to not let it in while open. The air flow is way beyond the factory 4" fan. My unit came w/ one of the Maxx fans that has the auto rain detect, but is only 4 speed. It doesn't impress me as much as the 7000k. It's not a priority to replace, but if I was paying, I'd look at the 7/7.5k fans. The install myself wasn't that bad. Just a lot of time scraping lap sealant.

    The Imagine I used to have had the Westlakes for tires. I put ~2500 miles on them bf upgrading. I was warry of them, but I also never overloaded them. I'd look at the tire weight rating vs how loaded down your camper will be, then decide if you need to upgrade.

    Batteries: Of course Battleborns are the gold standard, but are pricey. Costco is running a deal on a different brand of Lithiums at a discount, but I haven't heard reviews from anyone yet. On my Imagine, I opted for the Costco / Interstate 6 Volt Deep cycle batteries (2 in series). This decision really comes down to how long you plan to be w/o shore power and what you plan to run while boondocking.

    I'm a huge fan of the rear view camera's. The basic pre-wired Furrion works fine for me, but of course you can always spend more / get fancier options like bigger screen or multiple views. The Furrion system installs in minutes and has lasted through 2 trailers for us.

    PDI might vary by dealer? I've only ever used 1 dealer. A few days after agreeing to buy they setup the walk through. If anything is noted, you can decide based on severity if you want to take home or have fixed bf accepting. The small things I noticed, I opted to fix myself as it was easier than following with the service department. I think you find the real issues the first few times you camp. You can log those, and then get them serviced at the end of the season unless they are major items.
    Gus & Em
    2020.5 311BHS *Now w/ Disc Brakes from Stopyourtrailer.com
    2013 F250 6.7L Long Bed (200k+ and strong) w/ 5k airbag system

  5. #5
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pencka View Post
    Looks like I may have found a GD Imagine 2670MK. I guess I'm going to have to mention what options I want on it to be included with the sale.
    To your must-have list, add beer for all the guys who are helping you.

    SLIDE COVERS

    Get 'em, they're great for a few reasons, and yes, cover all slides largely for the reason you already know. You may get quite a bit less use from the main awning than you're hoping - it's not very robust and tends to get used only in ideal dry low-wind conditions.

    FANS

    We've had two trailers with the same stock fan in the kitchen and never had a problem with the rain detector not closing the vent as it should. However I've often looked lustfully at the MaxxFan Deluxe BECAUSE the kitchen fan closes up when it detects a spatter of rain. We find that the rain doesn't always hold off until we're finished cooking or cooling the trailer; maybe it's just us.

    https://www.airxcel.com/rv/maxxair/p...maxxfan-deluxe

    We have the smaller stock fan in the bathroom and the dealer had GD's checkout facility install a MaxxAir cover over the bathroom vent (included in our price) to protect that vent while in transport. Another MaxxFan Deluxe would be luxurious to have there (multi-speed, remote control, more air movement) but the cover does a good job of keeping rain out.

    TIRES

    We've had two trailers with Westlakes, roughly 12-15K miles, lucky so far. I run just below rated pressure - 105 on our current trailer, 75 on our last one - check it before most trips, and have a tire pressure monitoring system which has so far only provided comforting confirmation of the pressure.

    BATTERY

    Pretty much zero chance of you making through the night on CPAP with a typical dealer-installed Group 27 80-100 amp-hour battery. Your machine may need about five amps and if you use a heater on it about eight amps. You'd be taking your single battery below 50% capacity most nights, which would soon make it junk-able. I have four 6-volt Trojans configured as two 12-volt batteries giving me roughly 450 amp-hours, so I can run CPAP (unheated) for several nights. Whatever you do, your batteries should be matched, so either add another battery like the dealer-installed one or replace it with a couple of better ones; lots of options.

    Lithium is a clear winner though - if I didn't already have $1,000 worth of Trojans I would scream painfully and buy at least one lithium. Unlike lead-acid batteries they can be discharged to nearly their rated capacity, rather than 50% of it, so one lithium might get you through the night on CPAP. They recharge much more quickly and should last years longer than even good lead-acid batteries will last. So, as they say about most things painful, "it's an investment".

    HITCH & RACK

    Dunno about travel trailers but I'd ask the dealer about towing hitches, in part to have the dealer responsible for everything when you drive away.

    For a bike rack, learn about the maximum weight capacity of the rear hitch on your trailer. They are NOT very robust / won't carry a ton of weight. Once you know that you can plan and shop accordingly. Lots of folks here have them - search for threads - but my impression is that there's no clear one or two winner products. There are plenty of stories of people having to beef up the rear hitch for their needs, and concerns about frame warranty when they weld or re-weld the hitch.

    PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION

    I dunno if it's universal but generally a dealer representative is on the PDI with you. Don't assume that he/she knows what they are talking about! Ours told us some really eye-rolling falsehoods before we knew any better - he was just a nice kid with no knowledge and nearly no training.

    As advised in another message, if you can possibly arrange to go with your own ally who is not as trailer-inexperienced as you are, that would be best. If you don't have a friend with experience you could arrange for a mobile RV technician to go with you. It would cost a couple of hundred dollars or so but it might very well save you hassles and weeks or months of loss-of-use of your trailer when problems are found after you've taken possession.

    Let the dealer know in advance that you're going to do a very thorough PDI with full hookups before closing. That warning may be enough to get the dealer to actually LOOK at your trailer before you arrive. Ask the dealer when you arrive for the Grand Design PDI checklist - they may have this already all neatly checked-off ready for you to sign. (Like a fool, I took my dealer at his word and did sign.) Check everything on the list yourself, either with your ally or by asking the dealer rep to show you what every item is and how to determine if it's as it should be. You're not there to make friends, you're there to get what you deserve for your tens of thousands of dollars.

    Do this and you will almost certainly have a happier first few months with your trailer. In the first six months of owning our Solitude the dealer had it for nearly FIVE months doing warranty service! That's on the high end of bad experiences but it is by NO means rare for warranty service to be a really prominent irritant if the PDI is not diligently-done.

    Good luck.
    Last edited by boyscout; 07-01-2020 at 07:09 AM.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  6. #6
    Seasoned Camper
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    Some great information here, thanks to you all for taking the time to share your experience and particularly the time to help the less experienced!!! Some very valuable info and it is much appreciated!!

    Unfortunately, I had my first dose of disappointment. the GD2670MK is hard to find in the PNW. I did call GD in Indiana, got the names of a couple dealers in Oregon that showed having the rig, but when I called they were already sold. A couple had "incoming" rigs, and I suggested that perhaps I could put down a refundable deposit, be able to lay our eyes on it to confirm (in person) that his is the rig for us, and if we were able to come to terms - complete the deal. When we started to discuss figures - they wanted $38K before we even added any options. Thats more than I wanted to spend, and told them so. Thats where we left it.

    Now I will continue the search, and see what happens.

    Thanks again too all who share their knowledge!!
    Steve

  7. #7
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pencka View Post
    Some great information here, thanks to you all for taking the time to share your experience and particularly the time to help the less experienced!!! Some very valuable info and it is much appreciated!!

    Unfortunately, I had my first dose of disappointment. the GD2670MK is hard to find in the PNW. I did call GD in Indiana, got the names of a couple dealers in Oregon that showed having the rig, but when I called they were already sold. A couple had "incoming" rigs, and I suggested that perhaps I could put down a refundable deposit, be able to lay our eyes on it to confirm (in person) that his is the rig for us, and if we were able to come to terms - complete the deal. When we started to discuss figures - they wanted $38K before we even added any options. Thats more than I wanted to spend, and told them so. Thats where we left it.

    Now I will continue the search, and see what happens.

    Thanks again too all who share their knowledge!!
    Steve

    Always remember these trailers have wheels. You can make a trip of getting one and have some good experiences taking it home. As far as having to get repairs, odds are if something goes wrong you will be on the road and it would be more convenient to have it serviced at a different dealer anyways.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  8. #8
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhittleBurner View Post
    Always remember these trailers have wheels. You can make a trip of getting one and have some good experiences taking it home. As far as having to get repairs, odds are if something goes wrong you will be on the road and it would be more convenient to have it serviced at a different dealer anyways.
    Morning!! Everything you said makes sense and I completely agree. However, I'm not sure what you mean by "it would be more convenient to have it serviced at a different dealer anyways."?

    We plan to move from the Seattle area and move to Florida, prior to 9/1 (assuming we can find and complete the purchase of this rig). My point is we may buy from a dealer in this area or even somewhere else, but not likely to see them again after the purchase. So I don't understand that last part of your sentence. Does the dealer you buy from try to lock you in to be serviced from their dealership?? I surely wouldn't need, or want to do that.

    Thanks for clarifying.

    Steve

  9. #9
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pencka View Post
    Morning!! Everything you said makes sense and I completely agree. However, I'm not sure what you mean by "it would be more convenient to have it serviced at a different dealer anyways."?

    We plan to move from the Seattle area and move to Florida, prior to 9/1 (assuming we can find and complete the purchase of this rig). My point is we may buy from a dealer in this area or even somewhere else, but not likely to see them again after the purchase. So I don't understand that last part of your sentence. Does the dealer you buy from try to lock you in to be serviced from their dealership?? I surely wouldn't need, or want to do that.

    Thanks for clarifying.

    Steve

    No not at all about being locked in to any one place. A lot of people are concerned about purchasing near their home and that is where they would have the trailer repaired if needed. Just wanted to say buying from anywhere in the country would not be a bad thing. You had already called Oregon so you are open to going anywhere. Guess I'm too used to people not wanting to travel to buy a trailer.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
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    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  10. #10
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    This would be my advice...

    First - about buying and moving... Why not wait and buy something in Florida? From a dealer closer to where you plan to stay. I think you'll find a good dealer and it will be closer if needed. Even tho you can go to any GD dealer for warranty after the purchase I think going back to the selling dealer is a better option - assuming your dealer is a good one. Finding a good dealer is just as important as what you buy. I don't see why you can't find a dealer and order exactly what you want; although, now, you've kind of locked yourself into a deadline so maybe you don't like the idea of waiting?

    Second - accessories: Negotiate what you can. I don't think you'll find the dealer making any special considerations. And I KNOW GD won't - they are so rigid and not interested at all in any special orders.

    More accessory thoughts.... get the rig, use it, then decide what you need. At least the items you can't negotiate with the dealer. Save some money for purchasing those accessories after you get the rig and find out what you really need. I gone the route of getting accessories before the item (trucks, cars, RVs, etc.) only too find out sometimes I didn't really want or need what I pre-bought.

    Of course, advice is just advice - it's all over the place. I'm sure things will work out for you. Sometimes ya just gotta' hand-in-there 'till they work out.
    Larry KE4DMG
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