Solitude 369RL Questions Prior to Order

jascott

Advanced Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
30
Location
DFW
We have narrowed our search down to the 369RL, the Cedar Creek 36CKTS, and the Open Range 347RES. I have a couple of questions and welcome any additional thoughts.

1. The height for the 369RL shows to be 12' 11". We will be ordering ours with the optional front A/C unit. Has anyone measured the height with the front A/C? I suspect it will be 13' 4" or so.
2. What is the actual length of the unit? It shows 38' 9" or something similiar. Is this accurate or is it really a 40+ foot rig?
3. I was planning on ordering the heat pump in the main A/C unit, Dual Pane Windows, and the Goodyear tire upgrade. Does anyone know of any additional "unpublished" options GD would do - or things that y'all wish you had gotten?
4. How do y'all like the trail-air roto hitch? I currently have a Mor-yde on my 5th wheel.
5. I'll be towing this with a 2011 F-350 4x4 SRW short bed. I do have the factory Reese slider hitch, but have never had to use the slider function. Any experiences with the 369RL w/ the Ford short bed trucks?

Thanks in advance!
 
The only question I can address is Moreryde compared to the Roto hitch. I think the Roto hitch eliminates much of the chucking compared to Moreryde.
 
You might check with the dealer to see if the second a/c is a low profile unit. Not much you can do about the height of a fiver with the second a/c.
The trailer length of the factory specs should be accurate.
The heat pump seems to be a popular option, and the Goodyear G614's are preferable. Unless camping in very cold conditions, most don't go with the Dual Pane windows--over $1K and 350 lbs. difference. I would think most would want the $350ish gas grill option, however. Nothing else much needed with so many standard items.
I cannot give an opinion on the different hitch. If there is a bucking problem, they're easily changed to another hitch.
You are fortunate to have the slider hitch--if ever needed. The Solitudes might catch the cab of a short bed truck a few degrees sooner due to their being a little wider. In all reality, you may not find yourself in that situation. There's no substitute for another set of eyes watching you backup the trailer, however.
 
We have narrowed our search down to the 369RL, the Cedar Creek 36CKTS, and the Open Range 347RES. I have a couple of questions and welcome any additional thoughts.

1. The height for the 369RL shows to be 12' 11". We will be ordering ours with the optional front A/C unit. Has anyone measured the height with the front A/C? I suspect it will be 13' 4" or so.
2. What is the actual length of the unit? It shows 38' 9" or something similiar. Is this accurate or is it really a 40+ foot rig?
3. I was planning on ordering the heat pump in the main A/C unit, Dual Pane Windows, and the Goodyear tire upgrade. Does anyone know of any additional "unpublished" options GD would do - or things that y'all wish you had gotten?
4. How do y'all like the trail-air roto hitch? I currently have a Mor-yde on my 5th wheel.
5. I'll be towing this with a 2011 F-350 4x4 SRW short bed. I do have the factory Reese slider hitch, but have never had to use the slider function. Any experiences with the 369RL w/ the Ford short bed trucks?

Thanks in advance!

I tow ours with a 2012 F350 SWR Crew Cab, short box, 6.7 Powerstroke. The truck handles it just fine and we are fine with our towing and payload limits for that truck. The only thing I did to the truck was put a set of Timbrens on the rear. It had just a little too much squat for my liking once the rig was fully loaded. If you have the FX off road package, you should be good without the extra rear support. Definitely get the Heat Pump option. I wish I had it. We have the second A/C in the bedroom and it's low profile. Our height is listed at 12" 9" in our build sheet but I never actually measured it myself. The rig is actually closer to 41ft long if measured from the front cap but the listed length is 38' 11". I would not spend the extra $$ or want the extra weight of the dual pane windows. Cost to benefit not good enough for my taste.
I also have a slider but have never (in 2 years and 15000 miles) had to use it.
I would go with the G614 upgrade. Big peace of mind factor. I just put a set on our Solitude since the Westlakes were starting to get a little worn.

Keep in mind that the Solitude is 101" wide. About 14 sq ft more of living space that the guys at 96" wide at comparable length. Not sure what the Cedar Creek or Open Range width is but a lot of the other guys are at 96" wide.

Good Luck!
 
We tow with a 2013 Chevy 3500 dually 4X4 and measured at the front and got 13'-1" or 2". It was kind hard to tell for sure, but that was close. We have a trailer Saver air hitch so it is hard to tell how much the roto hitch does, but I think it helps. I think the Solitude has it all over the other choices out there. The 8'-6" width made a huge difference and the Grand Design owner involvement in their products is great. They are not controlled by some big city Conglomerate. We have had ours for 11 months now and other than some minor issues that have been taken care of we are very happy with ours. I would definitely get the Goodyear tires. Have not had any problems yet with the Westlakes, but we got 6 years from each set of our Goodyears on our last 5th wheel and when we had broken belts near the end of the 6 years they warrantied all of them.
Hope this helps.
Tom
 
GD offers a low profile front AC om the 365 and 366 models only. They seem unwilling to put this on the 369RL, but I don't underatand why. With that said, for those with the front AC from the factory, is the front AC actually the high point? Wondering if the rear of the trailer is higher or the same height...

Also, does the 369RL tow relatively level with the F350 SRW 4x4 trucks? Is there enough clearance between the bedrails and trailer?
 
GD offers a low profile front AC om the 365 and 366 models only. They seem unwilling to put this on the 369RL, but I don't underatand why. With that said, for those with the front AC from the factory, is the front AC actually the high point? Wondering if the rear of the trailer is higher or the same height...

Also, does the 369RL tow relatively level with the F350 SRW 4x4 trucks? Is there enough clearance between the bedrails and trailer?

The front A/C unit on our 369 is a lower profile than the rear. I can't say if there is an even lower profile model but the 12' 11" height spec is with the front A/C installed according to the spec sheet. The front of the rig is the highest point due to the slope of the roof. As for towing with the F350, ours tows very close to level. It's about 1" high in front but there's plenty of bedrail clearance. I have a Husky slider with the head at the lowest setting.
 
We love our 369. Other than that I don't think I can be of much help. The unit tows nice and I haven't had any height or length issues.
 
Thanks again for the help. I am trying to get the 369RL ordered today if we can agree on pricing... There have been some recent posts about poor underbelly insulation, poorly run & crimped heat ducts, and freezing water lines. I will use this year round and sure hope I don't have to add insulation and fix heat ducting in my new trailer...

I am gonig to order the trailer without the bedroom TV and was thinking of replacing the living room TV with a larger size. Can anyone with the 369RL give me the dimensions of the living room TV? I think I could put a 46" or 50" on a moveable mount and still have access to the cabinets on either side of the TV. I'll move the LR TV to the bedroom.
 
Thanks again for the help. I am trying to get the 369RL ordered today if we can agree on pricing... There have been some recent posts about poor underbelly insulation, poorly run & crimped heat ducts, and freezing water lines. I will use this year round and sure hope I don't have to add insulation and fix heat ducting in my new trailer...

I am gonig to order the trailer without the bedroom TV and was thinking of possibly replacing the living room TV with a larger size and moving the LR TV to the bedroom. Can anyone with the 369RL give me the dimensions of the living room TV and tell me if the living room TV will fit above the dresser in the bedroom?

The L/R TV is approx. 36x22 and should easily fit above the dresser in the B/R. You might ask if the B/R will be prepped for a TV even if it doesn't have one. It'll save a lot of hassle if it is. A larger TV in the L/R is great but you'll loose at least some of the storage from the cabinets on the sides of the TV enclosure.

Unless you're in some REALLY cold temps, a little common sense and preparation will keep you from freezups. We use ours year round and have had no problems BUT our coldest has been in the low 20's. Not sub zero like some parts of the country.
 
Thanks for all the help. My wife and I placed an order yesterday for a 369RL. We hope to have it around the first week of April as we have a trip already scheduled soon after. We ordered it with the following options:

-18 cu foot refrigerator (REALLY wanted an electric residential unit w/ inverter...)
-Swivel Rockers IPO Theatre Seats (Any thoughts on this? The dealer didn't have any w/ recliners to look at)
-Heat Pump on main AC
-2nd Bedroom Ducted AC (not sure if this is a 13.5k or 15k)
-Hide-a-Bed in Sofa
-6-Point Auto Level
-Dual Pane Windows
-Goodyear LR G Tires

Immediate plans are to replace the living room TV w/ a 46" TV on a moveable mount (to allow access to side cabinets), replace the soundbar w/ something better quality, and move the LR TV to the bedroom. I also intend to pull the underbelly (at least in places) to add insulation and seal any outside openings. I'll also wrap all pipes with insulation, and install water shut off valves on the washer/dryer lines. Lastly, I'll be installing a propane quick connect to allow me to hookup a 250 gallon propane tank at our "seasonal" site. I'd like to get some sort of rear camera setup, but the reviews of the Furion don't sound that great...

I will be pulling with a 2011 F-350 4x4 SRW diesel short bed. I already have the Ford/Reese 18k slider hitch and air bags from my previous trailer.
 
Thanks for all the help. My wife and I placed an order yesterday for a 369RL. We hope to have it around the first week of April as we have a trip already scheduled soon after. We ordered it with the following options:

-18 cu foot refrigerator (REALLY wanted an electric residential unit w/ inverter...)
-Swivel Rockers IPO Theatre Seats (Any thoughts on this? The dealer didn't have any w/ recliners to look at) The standard reclining theater seats are really very comfortable but the swivel rockers might be good too. The standard seats have a console between them with cup holders and storage compartment which comes in handy.
-Heat Pump on main AC
-2nd Bedroom Ducted AC (not sure if this is a 13.5k or 15k) I believe it 13.5
-Hide-a-Bed in Sofa
-6-Point Auto Level
-Dual Pane Windows
-Goodyear LR G Tires

Immediate plans are to replace the living room TV w/ a 46" TV on a moveable mount (to allow access to side cabinets), replace the soundbar w/ something better quality, and move the LR TV to the bedroom. I also intend to pull the underbelly (at least in places) to add insulation and seal any outside openings. I'll also wrap all pipes with insulation, and install water shut off valves on the washer/dryer lines. Lastly, I'll be installing a propane quick connect to allow me to hookup a 250 gallon propane tank at our "seasonal" site. I'd like to get some sort of rear camera setup, but the reviews of the Furion don't sound that great...

I will be pulling with a 2011 F-350 4x4 SRW diesel short bed. I already have the Ford/Reese 18k slider hitch and air bags from my previous trailer.

Congrats on you new Solitude! You're gonna love it!
 
jascott, I might suggest adding the generator prep just in case. The Reflection series doesn't offer that option and it's costing me quite a penny to do it all now.

Just a thought.
 
We are shopping for the new trailer and I need to know what the height dimensions are of the baggage door? In other words, what size "containers" can I place under the front of the 5th wheel?
 
We are shopping for the new trailer and I need to know what the height dimensions are of the baggage door? In other words, what size "containers" can I place under the front of the 5th wheel?

I think you need to simply ask what size containers fit in the belly of the trailer. The doors come down below the "tray" that goes across the trailer laterally. The container maximum height will be shorter than the height of the swing up doors.
 
jascott, I realize not all containers are going to be the same but I stack 2 - 55 qt storage boxes and they fit fine. I carry 4 of the 55 qt, and 4 - 30 qt clear storage pods in addition to all the other stuff that fit in there.
 

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