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  1. #31
    Seasoned Camper ncitro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lance Glogowsky View Post
    I have a 2018 303 RS fifth wheel trailer with the 12 ft.³ double door refrigerator from Dometic. The refrigerator has been a nightmare. it has been back-and-forth eight times since last October to my General RV dealership. It has been there now for the last two weeks. They have failed to get it working properly since then. Without exaggerating I have been able to camp only twice this summer. My wife is so discouraged she wants to trade in our Grand Design trailer. It is a fact Dometic is having a lot of problems. I know Norco has had some. In my opinion whatever you do stay away from Dometic.
    Yes, my Dometic four door is in my slide, with four fans in the back cooling it still couldn't maintain temp in hot weather. I finally gave up and installed a residential fridge, got a slightly dented unit in a store, it's cavernous compared to my old one, cools super quick, makes ice and most importantly holds temperature. Was a piece of cake to install, the hardest part was sealing up the access panels.
    2018 Reflection 28BH
    2019 F350 Platinum 6.7L LB 4x4

  2. #32
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    Did you set up an inverter for dry camping? I’m am going to switch the double door out but we dry camp and need to run the fridge while traveling too....

  3. #33
    Seasoned Camper ncitro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jfraizz View Post
    Did you set up an inverter for dry camping? I’m am going to switch the double door out but we dry camp and need to run the fridge while traveling too....
    I already had an inverter installed, as well as solar so that made it easy on that end. I did upgrade from golf cart batteries to lithium when I did the fridge. My golf cart batteries had gone dry a few times and needed replacing anyway.
    2018 Reflection 28BH
    2019 F350 Platinum 6.7L LB 4x4

  4. #34
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    230 rl

    Quote Originally Posted by shutterbug View Post
    We've had our 230RL for 2 seasons now and absolutely love it! It does have the 8 cubic foot fridge. We wanted 28ft or less, and the amount of livable space you get in the 230RL at that size is incredible. The shorter length coupled with the turning point pinbox allows me to turn on a dime, I've taken this into spots and through gas stations that my friends with 30 foot+ units fear to tread
    We also have a 2018, 230RL for about 1.5 years now. Just finished second, month long trip in addition to many "long weekends". I have the Anderson Ultimate Hitch installed and find that is very easy to hook up, especially by myself. I use a 3/4" x 3/4" long stick with red tape at the top, "bungeed" to the hitch vertically that directs me to the hitch box of the ultimate. I can see this tall stick from my rear view mirror. Its very simple but works like a charm! If I'm off backing up by an inch or so, it doesn't matter as the ball centers itself as the trailer drops down into it. Once hooked up, I remove the stick and it just lays in the truck. Overall, it rides beautiful and smooth. Can turn on a dime and clears my truck at almost 90* jackknife position. I also very much like the fact the hitch weighs very little and is so easy to remove from the bed of my truck.

    That said, I drive a stock, 2015 Ram 2500 short bed with Cummins Diesel. No modifications to the vehicle. It has zero problems pulling this 230RL and frankly, most often, this truck rides smoother when Im pulling something or at least there is 300 lbs in the bed! Truck sag, mountains, passing tractor trailers, sway and/or reaching 70 mph are of no concern whatsoever (note: Ive previously experienced all those negative issues with another vehicle and trailer). Payload sticker is at 2,022 lbs.

    I have completed many modifications and have several thoughts/comments about this 230RL model. Maybe start another thread just about this particular model....?

  5. #35
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    Re: 8 cu fridge....
    This size has been adequate for us even with longer length trips. But, we also tend to shop every 5 days and go out to eat.
    I have found that it can be difficult in 85 degree and hotter sun to keep it the fridge portion very cold. I keep a thermometer in the fridge at all times. Freezer has been ok. At one site, I hung an exterior fabric sun shield on the slide out/fridge to help with the problem.

  6. #36
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    Three Gs - With your Ram 2500 short bed and use of the Anderson, it sounds like you have no need to use the Turning Point swivel feature. That is good to know as the Ram 2500 is one of the trucks we are looking at. I know the Anderson and the swivel feature cannot be used together. Your payload sticker is at 2022. Have you ever checked your travel-loaded pin weight? Seems like with just over 2,000 lbs of payload you may close to the payload limit.

  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by my12by60 View Post
    Your payload sticker is at 2022. Have you ever checked your travel-loaded pin weight? Seems like with just over 2,000 lbs of payload you may close to the payload limit.
    I tow my 230rl with a RAM 2500 Hemi. My payload sticker is 2997. A diesel in this same truck would have put me right around 2000lbs and I would have been over my payload. I have weighed this combo several times at the CAT scale. On average, I'm at about 2400lbs of payload, and we only have 1/2 of the available cargo in the fiver (~1100lbs). If I really load up and carry a full water tank, extra fuel, bring my generator, etc... I calculated I could hit 2600lbs pretty easy. In the RAMs, you really need to move up to the 3500 if you have the cummins to get decent payload.

  8. #38
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    Shutterbug: Just the info I am looking to hear as I do my research on trucks. The brochure pin weight for the 260rd is 130 pounds more than for the 230rl, so the 2600lbs loaded estimate for your 230rl becomes 2730lbs for a loaded 260rd. But your gas Ram 2500 would still be within spec even with a heavily loaded 260rd. What model year do you own? Tradesman or Higher Trim? Any heavy factory accessories on your truck? Have you done many high elevation mountain passes with the gas engine? We had a 2006 F350 dually with the 6.0 liter diesel when we had our Cedar Creek fifth wheel for about 10 years. When loaded, we were pulling about 15000lbs. So we were not exactly flying up the steeper grades. Payload, however, was no problem with the dually.

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by my12by60 View Post
    Shutterbug: Just the info I am looking to hear as I do my research on trucks. The brochure pin weight for the 260rd is 130 pounds more than for the 230rl, so the 2600lbs loaded estimate for your 230rl becomes 2730lbs for a loaded 260rd. But your gas Ram 2500 would still be within spec even with a heavily loaded 260rd. What model year do you own? Tradesman or Higher Trim? Any heavy factory accessories on your truck? Have you done many high elevation mountain passes with the gas engine? We had a 2006 F350 dually with the 6.0 liter diesel when we had our Cedar Creek fifth wheel for about 10 years. When loaded, we were pulling about 15000lbs. So we were not exactly flying up the steeper grades. Payload, however, was no problem with the dually.
    I have a 2018 RAM 2500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Hemi.
    The truck is stock except for running boards that are about 180lbs (which I calculate into my payload of course)
    I've pulled this rig up "the world's toughest towing test" (if you ever watch TFL trucks on youtube), i.e. Colorado, I70 from Dillon up to the Eisenhower tunnel. It's a 7% grade for 8 miles and tops out at about 11,000 ft. If you can tow up this, you can tow anywhere. I do the speed limit up 75% of that hill, but the last 2 miles are a real bear and I slow down to about 45mph, but I get there It's a gasser, so obviously you have to rev it good to get your peak torque which can get fatiguing if you're doing alot of mountain driving, but outside of the torture test noted above I have no problems maintaining 65mph+. The new 2019/2020 RAM HD Hemis have 8 speed transmissions, I only have a 6-speed and boy would I have liked that 8!
    I tend to average 9-10mpg

    I didn't go with a Diesel because this is also my daily driver, and I'm only towing usually 2 longer trips a year, and then weekends. I didn't want the extra rough ride of a 3500 for a daily driver, nor did I want diesel maintenance and up front cost. However, if I were towing months out of the year (which I hope to do when I retire) I would absolutely opt for the diesel in a 3500. With that said, the Hemi is no slouch, it gets the job done and obviously has far greater payload.

    Check out TFL Truck on youtube. These guys are based in Colorado and do some great truck reviews/torture tests/etc...
    Last edited by shutterbug; 08-25-2019 at 06:03 PM.

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by my12by60 View Post
    Shutterbug: Just the info I am looking to hear as I do my research on trucks. The brochure pin weight for the 260rd is 130 pounds more than for the 230rl.
    I found that the 'brochure' pin weight is misleading. I think mine stated the unloaded pin weight as 1195. That didn't account for batteries, full propane tanks and I'm not sure what else, but when I weighed my trailer empty right after driving it off the lot, my actual pin weight was closer to 1300lbs.

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