2024 22MLE first shakedown trip rants and raves

camp-n-couple

Advanced Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2023
Messages
35
Location
Ontario
Just spent our first weekend in our new 22MLE and have a few observations. First off we absolutely love the size and layout of this trailer. Very open and lots of storage space. Huge drawers and cabinets. So far the build quality seems very good although I have doubts on the longevity of all the Furrion components. They seem very cheap, but then again all RVs these days have cheap electronics so we'll have to wait and see.

We actually really like the on demand water heater and the fact that you can set the max temperature. We set it to 105f (similar to a hot tub) open the hot valve in the shower and get in. No messing with mixing the hot and cold to get temp right while wasting water and filling the tanks. The water pump is fairly quiet and has really good pressure but is located under the bench seat, right in the middle, making the rest of the space unusable. I plan on moving it to the side, cleaning up the wires and hoses and opening about half the bench space back up for storage.

The mattress was comfortable but too soft for my back. A new firm memory foam mattress is on order. There is room for a full size queen, not sure why GD wouldn't use one.

The TV is pretty useless unless you have satellite. Couldn't get any channels with the antennae. As mentioned in a previous post the new Imagines don't come with a radio or speakers. Kind of miss that.

One of my biggest peaves is the location of the control panel. Who thought it was a good idea to put it inside a cabinet?? Who wants to open a cabinet door to turn the lights on every time? And talk about a waste of cabinet space. It would be better mounted to the outside of the cabinet right by the entry door for easy access. It's a very simple fix though. The new LED strip ceiling lights are nice, but very bright. GD had complaints and added a dimmer switch beside the control panel. Only issue with that is that you need to turn the lights on first, then turn the other switch on to control the dimmer. If the dimmer is on you can no longer turn the lights on/off with the Compass app. The sensor activated floor lights are terrible. Super sensitive and if you have dogs like us the trailer will be lit up all night. There is no off switch. We covered them with electrical tape for now.

Really like the app. Handy for turning lights on/off while sitting around the fire or pulling awning in if the wind picks up (which you will need to. The awning is very easily flipped up by winds) . I like being able to put the slide in/out while watching it from outside. I wish it didn't have an "in motion" lockout. I wanted to check the levels while at the dump station but I couldn't use app because it thought we were driving still.

Not a big fan of the raised slide floor. Can't tell you the number of times toes were stubbed. If you want to use the stove you are guaranteed to stub you toes and if you are taller you will bump your forehead on the upper trim next. Something to get used to I guess.

The ceiling vent fans are tiny and really loud. Fantastic fan on order. Anyone know if it will fit inside the factory housing? Can I pull the factory fan from the housing and install new one in it or do I have to remove the entire assembly, removing the roof caulk and everything?

What tire pressure are people using? I've always set tires to max cold pressure. The Goodyear Endurance tires say 65psi. Owners manual and stickers say 55psi. Dealer says both are more than needed and set 50psi. Haven't weighed the trailer yet but I estimate we'll be around 6k loaded based on previous trailer scaled weights.

JT Strongarm stabilizers are also on order to get rid of the bounce and wiggle while set up. Had them on our last trailer and loved them. Kids could run around and you wouldn't feel a thing. Can't imagine a trailer without them now.

All in all a good first trip. Going out again next weekend for one last time before it goes away for winter storage . Can't wait.
 
... The TV is pretty useless unless you have satellite. Couldn't get any channels with the antennae...

Just to make sure... did you:

1) Make sure the antenna amplifier was turned on?

2) Scan for channels for the location?

3) Were you in a location with broadcast signals available?

This tool is handy:

https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

That said, we packed up our Dish Network equipment and put it in storage this summer. We weren't really using the programming and stream everything we watch, now.

Rob
 
The TV is pretty useless unless you have satellite. Couldn't get any channels with the antennae. As mentioned in a previous post the new Imagines don't come with a radio or speakers. Kind of miss that.

To put it diplomatically we have found the Wingard 360 to be an under performer. We can't even pickup all of our local stations that our cheapo $10 antenna in the house does with the trailer sitting in our driveway. I plan on replacing it with a King Jack directional antenna like we had on our Micro Minnie.

We don't care for the TLC TV either and I am going to replace it this week with a Samsung we will be taking out of our exercise room that is being converted into our granddaughter's bedroom.

The mattress was comfortable but too soft for my back. A new firm memory foam mattress is on order. There is room for a full size queen, not sure why GD wouldn't use one.

Our 2023 22MLE came with a full size queen foam mattress but we replaced it with a better memory foam one before ever using it.

What tire pressure are people using? I've always set tires to max cold pressure. The Goodyear Endurance tires say 65psi. Owners manual and stickers say 55psi. Dealer says both are more than needed and set 50psi. Haven't weighed the trailer yet but I estimate we'll be around 6k loaded based on previous trailer scaled weights.

On our 2023 the stickers call for 65 PSI so that is what I have been using.

The ceiling vent fans are tiny and really loud. Fantastic fan on order. Anyone know if it will fit inside the factory housing? Can I pull the factory fan from the housing and install new one in it or do I have to remove the entire assembly, removing the roof caulk and everything?

I have a Maxxair on order for the bathroom and will probably replace the kitchen vent down the road. It is kind of important as I found out a few weeks back that my wife can't reach the knob to open the vent. As a result I decided to get a model with a remote control and electric opening. My plan is a full removal of the old vent and replace it with the new vent.

Overall we are happy with our 22MLE and have 14 trips under our belt to date. For the most part it is living up to expectations and I think once we really get settled in will last us for a good number of years.
 
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Just to make sure... did you:

1) Make sure the antenna amplifier was turned on?

2) Scan for channels for the location?

3) Were you in a location with broadcast signals available?

This tool is handy:

https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

That said, we packed up our Dish Network equipment and put it in storage this summer. We weren't really using the programming and stream everything we watch, now.

Rob
Yes, amplifier was on, cables all connected and tight. Scanned for channels at home in driveway and at campground. Found nothing. Previous trailer got several channels.
 
Yes, amplifier was on, cables all connected and tight. Scanned for channels at home in driveway and at campground. Found nothing. Previous trailer got several channels.

It's that crummy new antenna, then. It may have been archaic and required user interaction, but the old crank-up antennas that you could aim were much better.

Rob
 
We love our 2022 MLE. I agree the control panel is in an odd location but there’s so much storage we have not missed not having that cabinet. Unlike you, I hated the mattress so the wife got a memory foam topper. She loves it, I think it’s an improvement but not great.

As for tire pressure, we bought our trailer used and the tires were inflated to 65 psi and clearly showed signs of over inflation. I went to the Goodyear website and they have a chart that correlates tire pressure to load for their Endurance tires. The max GVW of the trailer is 6,995 lbs. Since there are 4 tires divide by 4 to see what the weight is on one tire. Each tire carries roughly 1,750 lbs at max GVW. The Goodyear chart say to inflate the tires to 50 psi for 1760 lbs. So, I run my tires at 50 psi cold. If you interpolate, the exact pressure would be 49.5 psi. 50 is close enough for me. I also use a TPMS and after 500 miles I am comfort that the tires are not under inflated. In another forum this topic got testy. Just to be clear, I am not telling you what psi you should use for the tires on your trailer. I am explaining what pressure I am using and WHY I am using it. I won’t debate the issue. It is my understanding that 65 psi is the max cold pressed for that tire and Goodyear designed that tire and knows what it can do and how to do it. Here’s a link to the chart I referenced. https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf
 
Good comments....we got our 2023 22MLE in March and did a short first trip in June with two grandsons. I had done a few mods prior....
1) cut in and put sliding doors on the bed base. When we picked up our rig, the first thing we did was take our queen mattress from our previous rig (purchased at IKEA) and put it in the 22MLE. It's a 10" mattress, made lifting the platform more difficult. So, had to make it a little more accessible.

2) replaced all of the lights with lights which each one having an on/off switch, dimmer, and nite light. Has turned out to be one of the best, as we may have only one or two lights on as needed, and the nite light option is invaluable.

After that trip and some frustration with the TCL tv, I put in a Bose 'tv speaker' sound bar. Helps some, but the Furrion stereo is inadequate, and you can't run tv sound through it and the overhead speakers. It's on the chopping block. Whole heartly agree with placing the control panel behind a door. It is a pain, and wasted space. Not completely sold on the internal water hookup and 'outdoor' shower, as it seems like an accident waiting to happen. We do like the tankless water heater more than we thought we would, as long as we can use it below 32 degrees. Which I guess was an issue with the first generation WH's. We just got back from a 3-week trip to the northeast and Canada. Everything worked pretty well...held my breath every time we moved the slide in and out. Will be replacing the acid core battery with a lithium battery. The battery seemed to have a hard time keeping up a charge with the solar panel for the dc fridge. Before we left we had a tech, who is also certified Lippert tech, to go over and check out our A/C. Everything checked ok. I also asked him about tire pressures. He said that you fill them to whatever the manufacturer sticker says. So in our case, 65 psi.

Overall, we really like the layout of the 22MLE, and my wife and I agreed during the trip that we are getting used to it, it's growing on us, and it is an improvement from our previous rig in a lot of ways. We'll upgrade the battery, and I've got an EasyTouch thermostat to put in.........

Proof is in the pudding, as they say
 
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I replaced our TV and at first I'd Bluetooth to the radio for the inside speakers. Bought a small sound bar and haven't used the radio since, don't even bother to set the clock. We also stream all our TV with cell or Starlink, plenty for us. Never slept on the factory full size queen mattress, replaced it with a Serta. Came in a box from Costco, and was on sale.
 
I have the 2020 version of the 22mle. Love it!! Mine has the controls outside the cabinet by the door. Very handy. The radio has a dvd player as well as am/fm and bluetooth. Works great. I use my iphone with a hdmi connector to stream through my youtube tv subscription. When in Boise, Vegas, Phoenix or other cities i usually get at least 60 channels through the existing antenna. Not sure if the newer models have a different tv antenna. Finally i use 60 lbs of tire pressure but realize that the goodyear endurance tire site recommends around 50 lbs for the weight we carry. IMO, go with 55-60 lbs and should have no problems. We have at least 15,000 miles on our trailer.
 
We love our 2022 MLE. I agree the control panel is in an odd location but there’s so much storage we have not missed not having that cabinet. Unlike you, I hated the mattress so the wife got a memory foam topper. She loves it, I think it’s an improvement but not great.

As for tire pressure, we bought our trailer used and the tires were inflated to 65 psi and clearly showed signs of over inflation. I went to the Goodyear website and they have a chart that correlates tire pressure to load for their Endurance tires. The max GVW of the trailer is 6,995 lbs. Since there are 4 tires divide by 4 to see what the weight is on one tire. Each tire carries roughly 1,750 lbs at max GVW. The Goodyear chart say to inflate the tires to 50 psi for 1760 lbs. So, I run my tires at 50 psi cold. If you interpolate, the exact pressure would be 49.5 psi. 50 is close enough for me. I also use a TPMS and after 500 miles I am comfort that the tires are not under inflated. In another forum this topic got testy. Just to be clear, I am not telling you what psi you should use for the tires on your trailer. I am explaining what pressure I am using and WHY I am using it. I won’t debate the issue. It is my understanding that 65 psi is the max cold pressed for that tire and Goodyear designed that tire and knows what it can do and how to do it. Here’s a link to the chart I referenced. https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

Just to toss a hand grenade in there, isn't it better to inflate as much as you can while maintaining even tire wear, so you are not quite as overloaded on a single tire in case of a leak or blowout?
 
Congrats on your purchase. We have the 2023 model, which we purchased last fall and have a full year of camping now. A few notes from our experience:

* Our TV reception is generally pretty good. All depends on where you are of course, but if you are not getting any channels at all where you expect to get some, I wonder if something in the antenna setup was not connected correctly at the factory.
* Ours came with a full queen mattress that we find adequate with addition of a memory foam topper that we had extra.
* If you are thinking about lithium batteries, the space under the dinette seat next to the water pump is one place to put them. See my post here: https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/showthread.php/48152-22MLE-Electrical-Upgrade
* Same as Don, I consult the Goodyear load inflation table. To provide a little extra margin, I run at 55 psi cold.
* We added a Maxair fan to the kitchen vent and love it. The dealer installed as part of the purchase, so can't speak to level of difficulty.

Enjoy!
 
Going to replace our 12v acid core battery with a Lithium battery. Replaced both fans (bath and kitchen) with the Vortex II fans. I'm sure the Maxxair is a little better, but these are a significant upgrade over stock.
 
Good comments....we got our 2023 22MLE in March and did a short first trip in June with two grandsons. I had done a few mods prior....
1) cut in and put sliding doors on the bed base. When we picked up our rig, the first thing we did was take our queen mattress from our previous rig (purchased at IKEA) and put it in the 22MLE. It's a 10" mattress, made lifting the platform more difficult. So, had to make it a little more accessible.

2) replaced all of the lights with lights which each one having an on/off switch, dimmer, and nite light. Has turned out to be one of the best, as we may have only one or two lights on as needed, and the nite light option is invaluable.

After that trip and some frustration with the TCL tv, I put in a Bose 'tv speaker' sound bar. Helps some, but the Furrion stereo is inadequate, and you can't run tv sound through it and the overhead speakers. It's on the chopping block. Whole heartly agree with placing the control panel behind a door. It is a pain, and wasted space. Not completely sold on the internal water hookup and 'outdoor' shower, as it seems like an accident waiting to happen. We do like the tankless water heater more than we thought we would, as long as we can use it below 32 degrees. Which I guess was an issue with the first generation WH's. We just got back from a 3-week trip to the northeast and Canada. Everything worked pretty well...held my breath every time we moved the slide in and out. Will be replacing the acid core battery with a lithium battery. The battery seemed to have a hard time keeping up a charge with the solar panel for the dc fridge. Before we left we had a tech, who is also certified Lippert tech, to go over and check out our A/C. Everything checked ok. I also asked him about tire pressures. He said that you fill them to whatever the manufacturer sticker says. So in our case, 65 psi.

Overall, we really like the layout of the 22MLE, and my wife and I agreed during the trip that we are getting used to it, it's growing on us, and it is an improvement from our previous rig in a lot of ways. We'll upgrade the battery, and I've got an EasyTouch thermostat to put in.........

Proof is in the pudding, as they say

Do you have a link for the lights you bought? Also, will the EasyTouch thermostat work with a GE A/C unit?
 
I don't know about your 2023 version, but on our 2021 version we run the TV sound through the radio using an AUX cable. The is a headphone jack on our TV (on the back near the HDMI jacks) and then run the AUX cable into the AUX jack on the radio. The sound is much better, and you can use the TV remote to control the volume. It was always difficult to find the volume control on the radio remote but very easy with the TV remote. We also use the AUX cable to play music from our phones through the radio.
 
Just to toss a hand grenade in there, isn't it better to inflate as much as you can while maintaining even tire wear, so you are not quite as overloaded on a single tire in case of a leak or blowout?

I don’t see the “grenade” in your comment. I think you’re correct as long as you don’t mind buying tires more often than necessary. Physics will tell you that there’s a relationship between the load on the tire and inflation. I believe that is what the Goodyear chart of tire pressure vs weight does. Goodyear has done the work for you and probably more accurately than any of can do on our own. But nothing is preventing anyone from determining this empirically for themselves.

Having said that, it’s up to each person to inflate the tires on their trailer as they see fit. I don’t see a safety issue with over-inflating tires, so long as you don’t exceed the maximum and you check the tread wear regularly. If you do those things, the worst that should happen is you wear the center treads out prematurely…like the guy that owned my trailer before me.

My comments and observations are offered only to explain what I am doing and the logic I used to make my decision. If anyone thinks I’m wrong they are free to both ignore my advice and if they’re inclined, point out the fault(s) in my logic. However, saying Grand Design cites Goodyear’s max inflation as a counter argument misses the point that max inflation isn’t necessarily the correct inflation; hence, the Goodyear chart.
 
And...I have thought about taking that door off.....and, how hard would it be to move the panel to the outside on the side of the cabinet?
 
I find it interesting that when you review the Goodyear chart there is a statement that says you should always inflate to the Max pressure. I guess that's how they cover themselves because they know that most people do not know the weight of their trailer, or they just want to increase sales...
 

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