Picked up my new Travato, first trip

[bigdomino]

Anyone use a masserator with their unit?

[tjjeeper]

The Travato comes with a macerator for the grey water tank only.

[bigdomino]

Isn't it to be used on the black water?

[gggplaya]

Originally Posted by tjjeeper

The Travato comes with a macerator for the grey water tank only.

What's the point in even having a macerator then??? Might as well just use a regular pump.

[wincrasher]

It is not a macerator. It's just a pump to move the gray water from the tank to the discharge outlet. I'm sure it's a trash-grade pump to handle the soapy water and possibility of food debris in the water.

The black tank is gravity. If I had to choose, I'd much rather have a pump on the gray. When, not if, it fails, a lot easier to deal with than a poo filled pump.

Ideally, you get both on gravity, but that is not the case because of the layout and limited room under the Promaster.

[bigdomino]

Has anyone put solar panels on their Travato? Would think they would be great while camping without hookups.

[gggplaya]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

It is not a macerator. It's just a pump to move the gray water from the tank to the discharge outlet. I'm sure it's a trash-grade pump to handle the soapy water and possibility of food debris in the water.

The black tank is gravity. If I had to choose, I'd much rather have a pump on the gray. When, not if, it fails, a lot easier to deal with than a poo filled pump.

Ideally, you get both on gravity, but that is not the case because of the layout and limited room under the Promaster.

Ahh ok, i have a macerator in my basement, but it's designed to move POO up a few feet into the main sewage line. It has little blades inside that spin and chop everything up, and a pump to move it all up.

I guess "macerator" for the travato is a misnomer.

[trvlguyjim]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

I just got back from my trip to Florida. Stopped by last nite at Tybee Island, Ga.

Had a great trip. Cruising at 65 mph, I got 18.5 mpg. I can image if you were not on interstate and cruising country highways at 55 or 60 mph, you'd get near 20.

I'm constantly being asked about my weird looking, cheap van. People love it. I met a couple last nite that was fretting about the 5 mpg they were getting with their C class.

I am getting accustomed to my tank sizes and water capacity. I can go 4 days before I need to dump and fill my water tank.

The box I recommended will arrive Friday and I'll install it. I've decided I'd much rather have all the outside gear in a box. Just easier to deal with. Plus, I can bring a few more items that I don't frequently use, but are handy if the need arises.

Refrigerator on 12v is no problem, even in the Florida heat.

I have a 97 Xplorer 19' I have found less is more..Fewer things...with multiple uses..paper plates..paper cups.. fewer real plates...who are you expecting?.Same with pots and pans. .If you have alot of stuff in the aisle, you have too much stuff. I cook one pot meals and freeze in ususable tupperware, which fits in RV freezer..Microwave it or cook it in pot and it's done. Dont prefill water tank. Water = 8 lbs/gallon. How much do you need now? then fill along the way. Same with black water. Dump in rest stops to keep weight down and capacity up. Things to HAVE onboard: duct tape, small tool box, voltage meter, battery charger, small air compressor. New or old....your RV is never going to break down in your driveway. Be Prepared. See you down the road!

[tjjeeper]

The Travato Plumbing Diagram calls it a pump-macerator.

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by trvlguyjim

I have a 97 Xplorer 19' I have found less is more..Fewer things...with multiple uses..paper plates..paper cups.. fewer real plates...who are you expecting?.Same with pots and pans. .If you have alot of stuff in the aisle, you have too much stuff. I cook one pot meals and freeze in ususable tupperware, which fits in RV freezer..Microwave it or cook it in pot and it's done. Dont prefill water tank. Water = 8 lbs/gallon. How much do you need now? then fill along the way. Same with black water. Dump in rest stops to keep weight down and capacity up. Things to HAVE onboard: duct tape, small tool box, voltage meter, battery charger, small air compressor. New or old....your RV is never going to break down in your driveway. Be Prepared. See you down the road!

I think most people continue to tweak what they carry. I constantly go thru and thin out stuff. Or move stuff around to improve storage, or just convenience. Lately I've bought a lot of nesting and collapsible stuff to fit in these tiny cabinets. My folding grill tools are a recent favorite. Also I have bins for specific destinations - like I have a beach bin that has stuff you'd only need or want at the beach.

[cjscotty]

We were at the Hershey show and saw a small Coachmen that had a solar panel that was portable on the ground. That doesn't seem bad on a small unit if you have storage for it. Said it was about $350. How does the Travato drive in the winter?

[wincrasher]

I have a portable panel. It works pretty well, but I don't really see the need with the van. You can get a whole day's worth of solar in about 30 minutes of engine running to recharge the battery. Unless you are going to sit for days, it's just not worth it IMHO.

Don't know how the Travato drives in winter, as it's not winter here yet! I can only assume it's pretty good considering it's front wheel drive. It's very sure-footed in the rain.

[cjscotty]

Been enjoying all the info I've been getting on the Travato. That Hershey show one we saw this weekend really got to us. I'm just hoping it's going to be enough RV for us. We do have an older Trail-Lite B+ 25 ft (no slide) now, it's a decent size not to have to tow, and there are lots of times we wish it were a tad shorter. Just don't know if it's going to be a little too small or not. We do mainly long weekends, overnight, day trips with our kayak and bikes, and 1 or 2 week long trips a year. Also would be nice to take out when we go cross country skiing. Hoping to be able to go 2-3 nights dry camping. Totally comfortable for a week in our B+ 25 ft with hookup and places to restock food which is very similar to the Trend. I honestly like the Travato better than the Trend. The larger doors made it feel more open to the outdoors and really liked that and the ability to use more often.

[wanderso]

We have loved having our Chinook (21 feet, same as travato) this season over the 25 foot class c it replaced. It has really opened up additional day trips for us and no worries about finding parking spots.