2024 Imagine 23XL SLDE shake down cruise

Robert Boyd

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2024
Messages
11
Its a 23xls LDE I couldn't edit the title. A 2 week shake down cruise with just my wife, pooch and I, in May with our new camper 3,070 miles from N.W. Wi. to Alabama and the Gulf and return.
Some numbers, camper empty weight listed 5704. Actual from the dealership empty 5860 included 2 solar panels, 2 group 24 batteries and 2 full 20lb propane tanks.
Loaded camper for the trip. Camper 6480 includes all kinds of stuff, tanks empty except 15 gallons of fresh water. tongue weight 740 lbs.
Equalizer hitch 1000/10,000. I was just under the max GVWRA of 7,000 lbs. on the truck. 2013 chevy Silverado 5.3 engine. Average 9.2 mpg
Boondocked 4 nights, campgrounds the rest.
Some thoughts. Flat country no headwind the 5.3 is adequate, hill country, head wind mountains, I would like more hp, less engine rpm and shifting.
The camper: Love everything about the floor plan. Everything worked as advertised. I couldn't open my tail gate because of the size of the head on the Lippert tongue jack. I had the dealership turn the head 90 degrees, the holes were drilled and tapped already to do that.
Regarding the solar: The mppt solar controller is mounted in the celling of the storage compartment a little inconvenient. I added a Go Power shunt and battery monitor before we left. I installed a battery shut off at the battery. I installed screen door handles. I had the dealer install max air vent hoods and the second solar panel and second battery.
Still nervous about the Schwintek slide out, following all the directions and a small prayer before pushing the buttons.
That's it for now.
Bob
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob, sounds like a successful shake-out trip! Experiment with locking out some gears to eliminate some of the shifting. I lock out 5 and 6th gear on a 2012 Tundra pulling a similar trailer and it is a much better towing experience, slightly better gas mileage too.
 
You're pretty close to maxing out that truck. Maybe consider moving to a 3/4 ton? I think you have a lot more leeway weight wise than with a 1/2 ton.
Nice camper. Sounds like you've done some cool mods.
YMMV
Rich
 
We have had ours for about 1 1/2 years. Love the floor plan and the only real issue was the black tank valve failed (stuck) on the 3rd trip. Got it replaced under warranty and since then have done the cooking oil trick and lub it with silicone spray every time I dump. Don't want that to happen again! Enjoy, It really is a great floor plan.
 
With the tank completely dry, dump a few cups of cooking oil down the toilet. Let it sit for a bit and work its way into the gate valve to lube it. Put a bucket under the drain and work the valve back and forth to lube all of the moving parts. Not sure if it helps or makes a difference, just doing what I can to avoid any problems.
 
Hi All. Because I kept coming up against 7,000lbs GVWRA on my 2013 1500 Silverado and the 5.3 engine I up graded to a new 2024 Chevy 2500 HD crew cab with a 6.6 engine and 10 speed Allison transmission. The hills will be a little easier now.
Took a short trip with the camper today I love it so far although all the bells and whistles are confusing.
Bob
 
I'm quite excited about our first trip with this camper. We just bought it in December. I'm towing with an Armada Platinum and well within the weight spec.
 
Congratulations on your first trip. What a success.

Our '23 bought in '22 has been a dream for us. We haven't had an issue with our slide to date.....just follow the retract/extend instructions....keep your button pressed for 5 seconds past opening/closing to keep the motors in sync. Maintain your slide seals as suggested by GD and make sure you do not get anything caught underneath the slide.

Our biggest issue has been the lack of airflow in the bedroom, but a fan can easily help. Stay on top of your bathroom tanks.....or you will find out. You have a tank vent near your bedroom vent and during the summer it can cause odors drawn back into the camper.....whew!

The only issue that we encountered post purchase/use has been the MPPT. We switched to lithium. We learned (while out) that the MPPT was faulty and would not switch to Li. I called Lippert and went through some field corrections with no good results. Lippert sent me a new unit under warranty. We are down for the season but in the spring when I install the new MPPT, I may relocate it to more convenient location.
 

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