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Forum
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RE: Roo 21ss or Roo 23ss Differences?
Counterpoint. I have the 21ss, never have seen the 23ss in person. The slide on the 21ss is significantly deeper and I believe the 21ss has marginally more floorspace because of this. In fact we've turtled it with a full size queen air mattress on the floor with room to spare. Counterspace is short for sure. We find there is adequate storage space but an extra closet would be nice. Went with the 21ss because it fit the space I have to park it and found it used, we're over 100 camping days in it now and it works very well for us.
Buying new I'd seriously look at the 231kss though. Not sure I'd worry about not being able to reach the bathroom on the road, it only takes a moment to push 1 slide out enough to get past, and with the 231kss you can even choose which side :)
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Jetta03
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02/10/13 03:09pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: cash, debit or credit
I'm in the "use a credit card, then pay it in full" camp.
One thing to consider regarding debit cards vs. credit cards -- debit cards take your money immediately, so if a fraud is committed your money is often gone by the time you discover it, then you have to fill out paperwork to recover your lost cash. This can cause bounced checks and all sorts of problems. A credit card, however, protects you from that because they bill you -- so you still have possession of your money if you find yourself disputing fraudulent charges.
This. Do not use debit cards for purchases, if that pin is compromised you have a difficult time recouping lost funds. Credit card on all purchases allows you the protection of disputing any charge, and if you pay it off in full each month it's no cost to you. Of course cash for emergencies or times a card isn't accepted.
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Jetta03
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01/29/13 05:56pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 2013 F150 payload low?
IMO a supercrew F150 is essentially a redneck station wagon. I have a 2010 Lariat and my wife's honda minivan has more cargo capacity based on the doorjam stickers :(
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Jetta03
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01/26/13 09:04am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Suggestions
If there is any question about setup hassle etc. then you want the tt. Sounds like you have room to park a 30 footer and plenty of tow vehicle to pull it. IMO The only reason to go hybrid would be to keep a shorter trailer for storage or to fit into smaller sites, but if these things aren't issues definitely go for the tt.
Personally if I had a few more feet storage area I'd go for a Lance 2185 tt, but until then a shamrock 21ss htt fits us just fine.
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Jetta03
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01/06/13 03:40pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: If I often camp in the shade, is solar worthwhile?
May or may not work depending on what you require. How long do you tend to camp for, what is your power draw per day? How large is your battery bank?
For example we spent a week last summer camping in Mt. Robson park BC. Tall trees, no direct sun, lots of cloud and rain. Definitely less than ideal conditions but our 230 watt panel still managed to put about 30 ah back into the battery bank per day. Not alot I know, and I'm sure our battery bank was gradually getting more depleted over the course of the week. But the panel let us last a week when otherwise we would have lasted only a couple of days.
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Jetta03
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12/25/12 08:01am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Best solar charge controller for this panel?
I have similar setup, 230 watt panel with sunsaver MPPT 15 amp controller. I contacted morningstar before I bought mine and they told me no issues with going over spec on the input from the panel, it will simply limit to 15 amps output to the battery. Works like a charm, no issues at all with mine. Go for a remote meter (I have the morningstar rm-1) if you like to see how your setup is working.
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Jetta03
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12/08/12 05:33pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar or inverter or both?
Definitely don't need to break the bank on solar and inverter, although you can go as big as you choose I suppose. We did 230 watt 24 volt panel (just under $400 year and a half ago but prices have dropped since then), 15 amp mppt controller ($200), 1000 watt pure sine inverter (ok, a bit of a cheapo $150 on sale). Installed myself so add say $100 or so for wiring, fuses. I already had upgraded the battery bank by adding a second group 27 12 volt deep cycle battery.
IMO you can setup a very nice solar system with inverter and some bells and whistles for well under $1000 dollars including upgrading your battery bank if needed. As far as coffee maker is concerned I bought a llittle 300 watt one for the trailer that works great with our setup. Full size coffee maker can be 1000w or more meaning you may need a bigger inverter. Ditto for running your microwave, although keep in mind the draw on your batteries will be very large from these 2 for anything more than a few short usages per day.
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Jetta03
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11/29/12 08:26pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Legnth of payment terms on new TT
Its a big TOY.
Absolutely. Save up and buy what you can afford to pay cash for. New RV's are horrendous money losers between cheap/poor construction, massive depreciation, and long term financing. If you cannot afford to pay cash then I'm sorry, but there is no way you can afford to throw away that kind of money.
The upside is the used RV market is absolutely full of hardly used units for thousands less than new. Too many people find they've over-extended themselves and used the machine too seldom. Take advantage!
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Jetta03
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10/28/12 09:17am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Advise wanted on purchase - new vs used
Definitely used. As someone said the new one will be worth the same as the used as soon as you drive it off the lot. RV's depreciation from new is unreal. Used however you can keep for years and still get a good chunk of your purchase price back if you kept it in good shape. We camped in our first trailer (used) for 3 seasons and sold it for exactly the same price we paid for it :)
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Jetta03
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10/13/12 03:11pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Solar, 235W Sharp panel- expected output?
No worries. MPPT on 12 (17ish open) volt panel is probably not a big advantage since you need about 14 volts to charge. But on a 24 (36ish open) I think it makes more sense. I'd love to see a comparo that had say 200 watts of 12 volt panels with pwm/mppt vs 200 watts of 24 volt panels with pwm/mppt charging a 12 volt battery bank.
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Jetta03
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10/06/12 06:19pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Survey of TT lengths
We use a 21 foot hybrid with a slide-out. We're an active family so we're not looking for a 'cabin with wheels', just a place to crash after biking/kayaking/fishing/hiking or whatever. Alot of the bigger rigs won't fit in the sites we frequent anyway.
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Jetta03
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10/06/12 06:12pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Solar, 235W Sharp panel- expected output?
"High voltage with mppt really extends the length of time you can charge during the day compared to 12 volt and pwm"
I think that could start quite an argument. :)
MPPT guys make all sorts of claims to justify their empty wallets. I bet it also prevented elephant attacks on your rig while camping. Proof being that there wasn't one elephant attack the whole time!
You're obviously more knowledgeable than me, I'm no expert and certainly not an 'MPPT guy' whatever that means, I'm just relating my experience for the OP and the mppt setup seems to charge in surprisingly dim conditions. I'm assuming you've got some experience with MPPT vs PWM and have done a comparison of some sort?
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Jetta03
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10/06/12 05:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar, 235W Sharp panel- expected output?
I'm looking at purchasing a "Sharp - 235 Watt Polycrystaline Solar Panel" for my HTT, and trying to decide if 1 panel is enough, or if I should buy 2.
To your original question, I think 1 would do for 3-4 days regardless of conditions. You have a pretty good battery bank so you don't need to fully recharge each day, you're looking at just extending. Some cheap upgrades like LED bulbs and maybe a small catalytic heater would as well.
I have a 230 watt panel and sunsaver 15mppt controller and in the worst conditions (Mt Robson in BC, heavily treed, cloudy, rainy, non-tilt mount) it still put 25-35 amp hours back daily. This was enough to get us through a week of dry camping in not so good weather. High voltage with mppt really extends the length of time you can charge during the day compared to 12 volt and pwm.
More panels would be better of course if you have the room but I think 1 will do for your use.
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Jetta03
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10/06/12 09:16am |
Tech Issues
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RE: solar panel kit...any good?
If you have the space and are willing to shell out a few hundred dollars more (big if's I know) you could go with a 230 watt panel and mppt controller. If you consider that your solar is likely running at well below optimum due to mounting angle, cloud, trees/shade, etc. that 100 watts may be much less than you think in practical use.
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Jetta03
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09/26/12 06:54pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Shopping for 1st Tow Vehicle - questions....
OMG, 3/4 ton for 5000 lb trailer? Really? This is an example of why you don't want to ask about tow vehicle on internet forums, so many seem to think you need such overkill on your tow vehicle. If you asked what tow vehicle you need for a canoe trailer someone would tell you a 1 ton dually is required :S. Keep in mind going overkill costs you more dollars in every way long term. More expensive maintenance, worse fuel economy, pain to daily drive, etc.
For the usage you described I'd suspect either the SUV or the half-ton truck would do a fine job for you. Truck if you think having a bed is necessary, SUV if your worried about how comfortable it is for daily driving. Personally we went with a half ton for similar weight trailer and find the bed great for loading all our camping junk.
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Jetta03
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09/22/12 07:57am |
Towing
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RE: lug nuts and wrench
On my last 2 trailers the lugs matched those on my truck which also came with a workable scissors jack. You may already have what you need in your tow vehicle! It never hurts to check :)
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Jetta03
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09/17/12 09:09pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Solar Set-up Question 2--Option A or B ?
The equalize feature is included with the controller. It is optional as to whether or not you enable it, but not something you have to pay extra for. It's configured by setting a dip switch. If you really want to customize your setup there is an adapter you can buy to hook this controller up to a laptop and configure everything from charging times, setpoints, power timers, data logging, etc. There is a lot you can do with this little guy :)
BTW, don't go through a solar retailer that sells 'rv kits' and the like. When I priced out my setup I found these guys to all be the most expensive, and RV dealerships are even worse! A quick ebay search shows prices close to $200 for this controller.
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Jetta03
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09/09/12 07:18am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar Set-up Question 2--Option A or B ?
I have a very similar setup, same controller with 230 watt panel, similar spec to yours. I think it should work just fine.
Great! So does it sit at 15 amps steady for a while mid-day or does it let the amps through at high noon to show say 17 amps? with 15 earlier and later than high noon?
Thanks
Highest I've seen is about 14 amps. The panel is mounted flat on the roof and we don't worry much about our orientation to the sun, shade, etc. But I believe the max that controller can output to the battery is 15 amps, any excess is not used.
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Jetta03
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09/08/12 07:20pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar Set-up Question 2--Option A or B ?
I have a very similar setup, same controller with 230 watt panel, similar spec to yours. I think it should work just fine.
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Jetta03
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09/08/12 03:56pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ducted AC on a Hybrid - effectiveness in cooling bunkends
I've had both non-ducted (surveyor SL180T hybrid) and ducted (Shamrock 21ss) AC in a hybrid camper. I didn't notice a difference in either noise level or cooling ability. The ducted is nicer if you can point the duct towards the tent end to cool it directly, this is what we do on our 21ss and it seems to work. But honestly the volume of a hybrid is probably small enough that it won't matter either way, I wouldn't base my purchasing decision on it. I suspect noise level is more a function of the brand of AC than anything else.
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Jetta03
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09/08/12 12:21pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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