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  1. #1
    Seasoned Camper EddieK82's Avatar
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    Just Put Our Order In For a Brand New 320MKS!

    We are really excited to finally be able to upgrade to a 5th wheel! We are hoping that this will be our "Forever" camper for the next 10 years if it can hold up to full time living/traveling.

    We opted for the King Bed and the Dinette with a 2nd AC unit.

    I have a few questions as this is my first 5th wheel.

    1. What system should I have installed in the truck to connect this to, I would like to have the dealer install this for me.
    2. What washer and dryer combo should I put in this thing?
    3. Should I get the over the slide toppers?
    4. Are there any outlets under the desk, or is the only one above the desk? (would like to drill a hole in the desk and run the wires under for cleanliness).

    Any other stuff I should know about this particular unit?

    We can't wait to get it in as we will be full timing starting October and heading west with it as well as Florida.
    Last edited by EddieK82; 03-11-2021 at 12:35 PM.
    Ed & Kaitlin
    2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    2018 F350 SD Platinum FX4 Crew Cab Short Bed SRW, 55 Gallon Titan Tank, Air Lift 5000.

  2. #2
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    We are really excited to finally be able to upgrade to a 5th wheel! We are hoping that this will be our "Forever" camper for the next 10 years if it can hold up to full time living/traveling.

    We opted for the King Bed and the Dinette with a 2nd AC unit.

    I have a few questions as this is my first 5th wheel.

    1. What system should I have installed in the truck to connect this to, I would like to have the dealer install this for me.
    If your truck has the tire package, then there is nothing else you need. The brake controller is built in. If not, you will need a brake controller.


    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    2. What washer and dryer combo should I put in this thing?
    We have the individual Splendide washer and dryer.

    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    3. Should I get the over the slide toppers?
    We didn't. There are several threads on the forum about the noise they make in wind.

    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    4. Are there any outlets under the desk, or is the only one above the desk? (would like to drill a hole in the desk and run the wires under for cleanliness).
    No outlets under the desk. You might be able to fish one down. It would help to remove the drawer under the refrigerator to put it in.

    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    Any other stuff I should know about this particular unit?
    It will be slightly heavier on the left side, so keep that in mind when loading it.

    I added a 2 stage water filtration system next to the Nautilus panel in the basement, the 50 amp Power Watch Dog which I hardwired into the trailer behind the connector, next to the Nautilus panel.

    I would have the dealer swap out the pin box that it comes with for the MORryde Rubber Pin Box.

    We replace the MORryde Step Above steps with the Torklift Revolution Glow Steps.

    There are many more things we will be modifying in the future as funds permit.

    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    We can't wait to get it in as we will be full timing starting October and heading west with it as well as Florida.
    Congratulations, and welcome to the family!

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  3. #3
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by EddieK82 View Post
    We are really excited to finally be able to upgrade to a 5th wheel! We are hoping that this will be our "Forever" camper for the next 10 years if it can hold up to full time living/traveling.

    We opted for the King Bed and the Dinette with a 2nd AC unit.

    I have a few questions as this is my first 5th wheel.

    1. What system should I have installed in the truck to connect this to, I would like to have the dealer install this for me.
    2. What washer and dryer combo should I put in this thing?
    3. Should I get the over the slide toppers?

    Any other stuff I should know about this particular unit?

    We can't wait to get it in as we will be full timing starting October and heading west with it as well as Florida.
    Congrats. We had a 320MKS, nice unit.

    1.
    Some characteristics of the truck will steer what you have to add to it to tow your trailer. We have a short-bed SRW truck so I opted for the Pullrite Superglide hitch which automatically moves the trailer back in the bed as you're turning. Without it, an incautious sharp turn will ram the trailer into the back of your cab, and many tight campsites and fueling stations will require a lot more careful wiggling around with much-increased turning radius, so I opted for the carefree fuggedaboudit auto-slider.

    I don't love it - it takes up roughly half the bed of the truck, weighs several hundred pounds so it never comes out, and it gets pretty oily and dirty, but I'm VERY glad I have it for the carefree extra mobility it gives me.

    Alternatives are fixed hitches, and hitches that don't auto-slide but allow you to "manually" slide the trailer back in tight situations. You'll doubtless hear from people who own them, and then have to make the choice that's best for you.

    Whether or not you need to add airbags or anything else is again determined by what truck you have. My advice is, don't do this with less truck than you need. Do it with MORE truck than you need if you can afford that. It's worth it.

    2.
    I don't know - we didn't install one - but be forewarned that washer-dryer sets don't usually just drop into place in these trailers. You likely have to do some venting and some additional plumbing, and in at least some GD trailers it's necessary to partially dismantle the frame of the washer/dryer closet door to get the units in there. It's not a job I'd do myself, though others here have done it.

    3.
    Yes. We didn't have slide toppers on our 320MKS, but we have them on our Solitude and would put them on any future trailer after experiencing the benefits of them. They reduce the noise of rain on slide roofs quite significantly - very noticeable in bed at night - and they almost certainly help keep the trailer cooler in sunny weather.

    4.
    I know, I know, you didn't have a number 4, but you don't mention getting double-pane windows. Again, we did not have them on our 320MKS and we do have them on our Solitude. They quite noticeably reduce noise from outside, and condensation on the windows when temps drop towards freezing. They might also help a little in maintaining temperature inside the trailer, though I can't swear to that.

    One final bit of advice: plan to do a VERY thorough pre-delivery inspection of the trailer before you hand over your check for it. Plan to spend a couple of hours at least, ask the dealer to put the trailer somewhere with full-hookups so you can test everything, find on the internet lists of things to check, and then check them all, every one. It is generally MUCH easier and faster to get the dealer to look after problems before you pay for the trailer and drive away than afterwards.

    Congratulations again.
    Last edited by boyscout; 03-11-2021 at 01:02 PM.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  4. #4
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    Congrats. We had a 320MKS, nice unit.

    1.
    Some characteristics of the truck will steer what you have to add to it to tow your trailer. We have a short-bed SRW truck so I opted for the Pullrite Superglide hitch which automatically moves the trailer back in the bed as you're turning. Without it, an incautious sharp turn will ram the trailer into the back of your cab, and many tight campsites and fueling stations will require a lot more careful wiggling around with much-reduced turning radius, so I opted for the carefree fuggedaboudit auto-slider.

    I don't love it - it takes up roughly half the bed of the truck, weighs several hundred pounds so it never comes out, and it gets pretty oily and dirty, but I'm VERY glad I have it for the carefree extra mobility it gives me.

    Alternatives are fixed hitches, and hitches that don't auto-slide but allow you to "manually" slide the trailer back in tight situations. You'll doubtless hear from them, and then have to make the choice that's best for you.

    Whether or not you need to add airbags or anything else is again determined by what truck you have. My advice is, don't do this with less truck than you need. Do it with MORE truck than you need if you can afford that. It's worth it.

    2.
    I don't know - we didn't install one - but be forewarned that washer-dryer sets don't usually just drop into place in these trailers. You likely have to do some venting and some additional plumbing, and in at least some GD trailers it's necessary to partially dismantle the frame of the washer/dryer closet door to get the units in there. It's not a job I'd do myself, though others here have done it.

    3.
    Yes. We didn't have slide toppers on our 320MKS, but we have them on our Solitude and would put them on any future trailer after experiencing the benefits of them. They reduce the noise of rain on slide roofs quite significantly - very noticeable in bed at night - and they almost certainly help keep the trailer cooler in sunny weather.

    4.
    I know, I know, you didn't have a number 4, but you don't mention getting double-pane windows. Again, we did not have them on our 320MKS and we do have them on our Solitude. They quite noticeably reduce noise from outside, and condensation on the windows when temps drop towards freezing. They might also help a little in maintaining temperature inside the trailer, though I can't swear to that.

    One final bit of advice: plan to do a VERY thorough pre-delivery inspection of the trailer before you hand over your check for it. Plan to spend a couple of hours at least, ask the dealer to put the trailer somewhere with full-hookups so you can test everything, find on the internet lists of things to check, and then check them all, every one. It is generally MUCH easier and faster to get the dealer to look after problems before you pay for the trailer and drive away than afterwards.

    Congratulations again.
    I agree! Dual Pane Windows! We ordered ours with them.

    As for the PDI. Search for my name and PDI. I started a thread with the PDI I used. It is also uploaded in both PDF and Word format so you can edit it as need be.

    Found it: https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/showthread.php?p=330924


    Where did you order from?

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 03-11-2021 at 03:38 PM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  5. #5
    Seasoned Camper EddieK82's Avatar
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    I called the place you recommended and they wouldn't give me enough for my trade, so I called the place near me and told them what was offered and they beat it pretty handily. I ordered from Stolzfus RV in West Chester, Pa.
    Ed & Kaitlin
    2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    2018 F350 SD Platinum FX4 Crew Cab Short Bed SRW, 55 Gallon Titan Tank, Air Lift 5000.

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