What "options" to get when buying my RV

[COGrandDes]

Just curious, the dealer converted the Starlink from 120 volt to 12 volt? Never heard of that from a dealer before.

No----I do all my own work. No dealers for me unless it's critical including my cars, truck, camper, etc. I did the conversion of our new Starlink system from AC to DC so that when we boondock, I don't have to run my inverter to power the Starlink PoE setup and wireless router.

 

[docque]

One thing that I don’t see and was pointed out by the GD SRT at Big Muddy Rally was if you have lithium batteries you also need to be carrying a CLASS D Fire extinguisher in case of battery fire.

Yup, I got all those. I tend to go overboard when it comes to safety. Three in the RV, one on each side of the pass-through, one in the truck and two in the truck bed. I have different types for different things.

 

[rrlowen]

The only real plus to the double pane windows is the noise reduction. Other than that, the R value is about 2 which is just a little better than the normal windows. Get better R value if you close the blinds and we added thick curtains to each window which is way better at keeping out the cold/heat.

So, it looks like most are saying to have the dealer add all the things vs doing some after which surprised me. I would think someone would state that it is best to do the inverter after.

Ok, I am one who says get it done afterwards. We purchased a 303 new in late 2021. Added solar, inverter, batteries later. I heard too many complaints about the lower quality of the installations by dealers. There can also be some limited expertise at the dealer level which is usually eliminated when you deal with someone who specializes in RV solar & battery installations.
I may be out of date but when we bought I was unimpressed with the knowledge shown by the dealer when it came to electronics.
You might spend a bit more but you should get better results.
And, get the 3000W inverter. We can run one AC unit on ours for a few hours with 400AH lithium & 650W solar.
If you use Victron accessories, you can use their app to monitor the solar and battery systems.

 

[lorend]

My Wife did not like the bedroom in the 337RLS. The 303RLS will be just fine. We are minimalists and we even thought about it and the 231RK we could full time in just fine.

Not interested in a dually due to its size. Bad enough we park the furthest away from any store we go to with the F150. We just can't be "that guy" (or gal) that takes up four parking spots close to the store.

I know that they are really upping the payload capacity on the newer trucks and so am curious what kind of payload you are getting with the 2022? I am with you on the parking way far away from the store. Have to much money tide up in a truck to have someone dent it.

 

[docque]

I know that they are really upping the payload capacity on the newer trucks and so am curious what kind of payload you are getting with the 2022? I am with you on the parking way far away from the store. Have to much money tide up in a truck to have someone dent it.

Well, my F150 is a 2021 and it has 2142 lbs payload. I figured I should easily get 3800 lbs on a F350 if I build it correctly.

 

[ajg617]

Ok, I am one who says get it done afterwards. We purchased a 303 new in late 2021. Added solar, inverter, batteries later. I heard too many complaints about the lower quality of the installations by dealers. There can also be some limited expertise at the dealer level which is usually eliminated when you deal with someone who specializes in RV solar & battery installations.
I may be out of date but when we bought I was unimpressed with the knowledge shown by the dealer when it came to electronics.
You might spend a bit more but you should get better results.
And, get the 3000W inverter. We can run one AC unit on ours for a few hours with 400AH lithium & 650W solar.
If you use Victron accessories, you can use their app to monitor the solar and battery systems.

This is how the dealer installed my Battleborns. Nuff said.

 

[kb0zke]

If it was me ordering a new trailer, I'd have the factory put in the double pane windows and anything else that might be considered structural. You can put in all the solar stuff later and, as others have said, have a better installation for the same money.

One other thing to consider: If one of the mobile service guys has to work on your trailer under warranty he "will take out what you put in and bring it back to the way it left the factory." That's what I was told at the Midwest Rally last month. I don't know if that means everything or just whatever he has to work on. I would hope it would be just whatever he has to work on.

 

[COGrandDes]

This is how the dealer installed my Battleborns. Nuff said.

View attachment 48602

Sad! But I see this kind of work all the time on cars and campers.......thus the reason I only do things myself.

 

[NAKemp]

Dual pane windows!

Definitely. when we put our order in that was at the top of the list along with the A/C. To me somthing is better than nothing.

 

[NAKemp]

Well, from experience (we have dual pane windows), it has really helped in keeping the coach cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I used my laser temperature gun on the inside from my coach and the inside of a friend's coach and the difference was about 15°. It also helps to cut down on noise.

So, each to their own.

somethiing is better than nothing which is why we had them installed at the factory. no regrets.

 

[huntindog]

The only real plus to the double pane windows is the noise reduction. Other than that, the R value is about 2 which is just a little better than the normal windows. Get better R value if you close the blinds and we added thick curtains to each window which is way better at keeping out the cold/heat.

So, it looks like most are saying to have the dealer add all the things vs doing some after which surprised me. I would think someone would state that it is best to do the inverter after.

Single pane windows are R1, Dual panes are R2 so that IS a big difference. I have the DP on my present coach. I no longer have to carry a Dehumidifier around as it just isn't needed with DP. The sound reduction inside is amazing as well. The only downside (like most nice things) is the price.

 

[COGrandDes]

Single pane windows are R1, Dual panes are R2 so that IS a big difference. I have the DP on my present coach. I no longer have to carry a Dehumidifier around as it just isn't needed with DP. The sound reduction inside is amazing as well. The only downside (like most nice things) is the price.

How much more are the double when ordering the coach? Can those be added later? I'm wondering if you can order them from GD and swap them out yourself? Also...do they have argon or some other gas between the panes that will likely leak out and cloud the panes at a later date....kinda like a house window? It's something I thought about upgrading on my 303.

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

How much more are the double when ordering the coach? Can those be added later? I'm wondering if you can order them from GD and swap them out yourself? Also...do they have argon or some other gas between the panes that will likely leak out and cloud the panes at a later date....kinda like a house window? It's something I thought about upgrading on my 303.

You could probably order them later and install them yourself, probably at a higher cost than having the factory install them. Plus, they would take away from the CCC of the coach and not be noted on the sticker.

They do have argon between the panes, but a very small amount. They are sealed as well and could become hazy (a possibility with all double pane windows). We've had our coach since January of 2021 and haven't yet had any negatives for uptight for the dual pane windows.

 

[huntindog]

How much more are the double when ordering the coach? Can those be added later? I'm wondering if you can order them from GD and swap them out yourself? Also...do they have argon or some other gas between the panes that will likely leak out and cloud the panes at a later date....kinda like a house window? It's something I thought about upgrading on my 303.

I do not remember the cost. Your unit will be different anyways.

 

[ajg617]

How much more are the double when ordering the coach? Can those be added later? I'm wondering if you can order them from GD and swap them out yourself? Also...do they have argon or some other gas between the panes that will likely leak out and cloud the panes at a later date....kinda like a house window? It's something I thought about upgrading on my 303.

The list price on our dual pane option when we ordered was $2509 and we received about 28% off of MSRP so to me, that was a small price to pay for the dividends I was reading about on this and other forums. The 310 has a lot of window area. So 150 nights in two years - zero condensation on the inside and only twice did I turn on an AC fan for white noise to kill railroad/interstate noise - we were 100 yds from both - and the R values did make a measurable difference. We were comfortable in 37-40F nights with only the fireplace going. When I used my heat gun, biggest areas of loss were the side of the slide-outs.

 

[Jims94vmx]

We like our dp windows for all those reasons. But they are NOT filled with anything btw...just air.

 

[puffdaddy]

So, we decided on getting a 303RLS (slight leaning to the 337RLS) for our full time rig. The question I have is what options to you order from factory. I will clarify what we want in the rig before we hit the road.

1. Free standing Dinette. I think this is a given and should be part of the order.
2. 2nd AC
3. Double the solar power.
4. Inverter. Not sure if we need 3k or 4k. I think 3k.

Batteries I will deal with after purchase. So, what do you think? Add all when we buy or do some after?

Hi Docque. I sent you an email, so if you get a chance please take a look.
Thanks
Puffdaddy

 

[huntindog]

We like our dp windows for all those reasons. But they are NOT filled with anything btw...just air.

I have seen posts on this stating several different things.
I do not know the truth as I have not broken any, or cut one apart just to see.IMO, it is not important. What is important is that they work...And they do.

 

[Jims94vmx]

I have seen posts on this stating several different things.
I do not know the truth as I have not broken any, or cut one apart just to see.IMO, it is not important. What is important is that they work...And they do.

We had one fog and window guy came out last year. Just 2 pieces of glass with a spacer.....trust me.

 

[PeterInNH]

Yup, I got all those. I tend to go overboard when it comes to safety. Three in the RV, one on each side of the pass-through, one in the truck and two in the truck bed. I have different types for different things.

[MENTION=47665]docque[/MENTION]

Reading up on this it appears LiFePO4 batteries are not a fire hazard ? Are we talking Lithium Ion or somethign else ?

Thanks !