get slide awning, power tongue jack, fantastic fan, Maxxair vent cover. NO CARPET, black tank flusher and day/night shades are on my must list. upgraded air-I only have 13.5 on my 33 footer, and it works great.
Keith, Suzy two teenagers and a dog
2005 Seneca 35 GS Super C
2009 Surveyor 294
Pro-Pride 3P hitch
2006 Dodge Durango with 5.7 Liter Hemi
I'm going to add RainKapp to my trailer this summer. Reduces runoff onto the windows, doors and rear clearance lights. Not really necessary if you plan to cover. I think they require carpeting in the slide area, but delete it wherever you can.
I thought I read on here one time of slide awnings that got debris underneath them, making them more nuisance than none at all.
I did watch my buddy get on his 5vr roof to sweep the tops of his slides but I think that TT's are low enough to reach with a small stepladder and broom.
I actually do often take this superlight 5 foot stepladder with to string DW's lights but we don't have a slide, so I don't know if the slide awnings are really good or not.
12V Dry Cell EV/Deep Cycle Sealed Battery
You'll need 1 battery at least. Two if you're going to do any dry camping.
Minimum Carpet
Frankly, we like carpeting. Certainly, it's more difficult to clean than a hard surface, but even with 2 dogs we prefer it.
Heated Holding Tanks
I'm assuming you're referring to an enclosed basement with ducted heat from the LP furnace vs. heating pads on the tanks. If you're going to be in places where it's below freezing, then this is a must. If not, then it's not an issue. We've always had an enclosed basement, but our TT's have been on the larger and heavier side where an enclosed basement is the norm.
Slideout Awning
Plusses and minuses, but we prefer having one. We had big problems with rain on the slide awning on a Holiday Rambler (standing water on the awning prevented the slide from retracting) yet none on our even larger Arctic Fox--probably due to a better angle of the awning so the awning puddle was shallower. We're often in heavily forested areas so the awnings keep 99.9% of the debris off the roof of the slide and out of the coach & seals.
15.0K BTU Ducted Air Conditioner
The standard 13.5 should be adequate for a 25' TT. We've had 13.5 A/C on every TT we've had, including the 34' HR Presidential. Granted, it was marginal when we were in Sedalia, MO for 9 days and it was 107-109 every day with 110% humidity. If you're in CA and need AC, you're probably in the central valley where it's hot but dry, so the AC has it easier.
Day/Night Shades
We hate those things. They block off the ventilation, especially at night so it's stuffy inside. We take them out and put in mini-blinds and save the day/night shades for the next owner.
Aluminum Wheels
Mostly an appearance item, although they do make a small contribution to a better ride for the TT because of the reduced unsprung weight. OTOH, they're all cheap Chinese cast wheels and we take them off and replace them with rugged steel wheels for our off-pavement traveling. For most folks, the standard wheels are A-OK whether steel or aluminum.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
One of the aftermarket TPMS systems will cover both the TV & TT and can easily be moved to the next TV/TT. We have the Doran 360RV and like it very much. A factory or dealer installed system is likely to be pricey.
Fantastic Fan
No less that 2. Every roof vent in our last 4 RV's has had a Fantastic fan.
RainKap
Our Arctic Foxes have those as standard equipment. They seem to help a little but not enough to get excited about.
RV Cover
We have a barn, so I guess I could say yes to a cover. A fabric cover does mean you'll need to get on the roof. That's easy for some of us and a problem for others. IMHO, personal safety trumps putting a cover on the RV.
My general suggestions are to keep it simple and keep your eyes on your intended travels. If you're planning on short trips around sunny CA staying at places with full hookups, then your needs will be pretty simple. OTOH, if you're going to take long trips and/or dry camp for more than a day or two then you'll want to invest in things that suit the needs. For example, adequate solar panels and a good bank of batteries makes a huge difference.
* This post was
edited 11/11/09 04:53pm by SteveRankin *
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
2009 Arctic Fox 24-5N
2007 Ford F350 4X4 Crewcab LB 11.5K GVWR
PullRite 18K SuperGlide
The Equalizer hitch works well. Also, add my nod to getting an electric tongue jack, perhaps the first option to get. It is that much better than the hand crank especially with the Equalizer hitch getting the spring bars into place.
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed airbags overload springs bumpers
I would definatly get the power tongue jack. I didn't and I am regretting it. Slide awnings are great. I have never had a problem with it . I always look to make sure there is nothing under it. But there never has been. When you go to purchase your TT I would get a quote from one of the mentioned places and then take that to your local dealer. They should be able to get within $500.00.
Then you will have a good place to take your TT for any warranty work that you may need.
jplum13 wrote: Hello All! I have been following this forum for the last year after inheriting a "too small for us" TT (I have learned waaay more than I thought there even was to know). We have spent the last few months searching for the floorplan that fits our needs and alas, success! Before we start the order/bid process, I thought I would see what options were important or "must haves" to everyone here.
A little background...family of 4, Mom, Dad, 4 y/o and 1 y/o. TV is a 2006 Chevy Silverado CC Z71. New TT will be a Rockwood Ultra Light 2501SS. Planning on getting an Equilizer hitch. Most of our camping will be 3 to 4 day trips in CA at either the coast or mountains.
I will probably be going through either RV Wholesalers or RV Direct.
We know the feeling, it took us a number of weeks to find the perfect TT!
However, I would advise you to look into the TOTAL cost to order from RVW or RVD. The price on their website is NOT your total cost.
Issue #1: Getting it to you. Expect to pay UP TO $3000 or so to have it delivered.
Issue #2: You still have to pay CA sales tax when you go to register it, figure about 10% of the sale price for tax and license. If the sale price is $12000 then expect to pay another $1200 to the DMV.
I went through the same process and had we gone with RVW or RVD it would have been MORE expensive than buying locally once shipping was tacked on. Have you talked pricing with your local dealer? They are much more "reasonable" in this economy than they were before, it's not hard to get RVs at or just over invoice price. We paid $1500 over invoice for our 2010 TT and the dealer included a Reese SC hitch and Prodigy brake controller. RVW and RVD have great prices, but they really only makes sense for people that have a need/desire to visit their area anyway and will drive out there to pick it up themselves.
Quote:
I'm wondering what your thoughts are on:
12V Dry Cell EV/Deep Cycle Sealed Battery - Nice upgrade but not necessary
Minimum Carpet - Good option for kids!
Heated Holding Tanks - I would opt for these even though some people have said they're not necessary since you, like us, are in California. Who says we're only going to stay where it doesn't freeze? And that CA doesn't have freezing temps? Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Options like this tend to also help resale as people, like myself, wouldn't want a TT without them
Slideout Awning - Nice but not necessary, IMO
15.0K BTU Ducted Air Conditioner - We did opt for this as we do travel places that get rather hot (AZ), a larger AC unit doesn't have to work as hard to cool or keep things cool. The price difference over the 13.5k BTU unit is almost nothing
Day/Night Shades - After dealing with the standard miniblinds in our TT I would get these for sure, easier to deal with and they can also provide some level of insulation
Aluminum Wheels - They look nice, but I wouldn't spend much extra in order to get them unless you plan on staying AT the beach for long periods of time
Tire Pressure Monitoring System - Unnecessary, just check your tires before each trip.
Fantastic Fan - Get it for sure!
RainKap - I honestly don't know how much more effective this is over the standard rain gutters and spouts. If you keep the TT covered while in storage then I don't see a need for this
RV Cover - Depends on how long you plan on going between trips. We plan on using our TT almost year-round and having to deal with an RV cover is quite a chore. If you're going to use the TT 1-2 times a month or less then I would get a cover as it will help prevent the sealant from degrading, which is where the black streaks come from.
I don't want to waste money on options that we will never use but I also don't want to be kicking myself for not getting those fancy shades or awesome a/c. Any advice on these or other options/upgrades is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all for your wisdom on other threads as well! The rv.net forum has become a daily experience for me.
I wouldn't go crazy on the options and get EVERYTHING, but there are definitely options that make the experience more enjoyable and the trailer more desirable when it comes time to sell. Keep in mind that options that aren't "built-in" can always be added later, for that reason I would generally say to always upgrade things like the AC unit when you have the chance. $150 to do it now vs. 10x that later, it's not a hard decision.
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Hogan & Clan
2005 Nissan Titan CC SE 4x4
2010 Keystone Hideout 31BHSWE
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