Community Forums

Superslif · 07-22-2017, 08:15 AM

Quote:

If you're going that far...
http://www.apachecamping.com/default...timber%20ridge
They've got a brand new 2016 at the same price, but marked "pending".

Yes, I checked it out. Were set on the Timber Ridge 24RKS Mountain Series floorplan. Momma has given her two thumbs up on that floorplan. I saw a brand new 18' for $32,700 from a OR dealer. I like the coloring better on the 17's & 18's. Light gray exterior, and the chocolate interior.

Even the dealer we visited had left over 16' Timber Ridge's (Casper WY.).

As far as fuel mileage, speed, wind speed, height of RV, weight of RV and tow vehicle all factor into what it is going to cost to more the box down the road.

What I can control is my speed. The difference from running at 72 to 62mph can be 20%+ difference in fuel mileage. Traveling down secondary roads / highways in the 55 - 60 range saves even a little more. My sweet spot for RPM's is 1700-1800. I have seen some people who were maxed out towing weight wise, or towing with a V-6 say "O she's a little slow and running in the 3500+ rpm range.

If one is only planning the weekend get-a-way here and there 10, 20 or 50 miles away, ya you can get away with a "little" less tow vehicle. But if you do the long hauls like we do (Alaska 14k last summer, 5k Yellowstone this year, a planned 5-6k Utah trip in 18', back to AK. in 19') your going to want the right tow vehicle. And a dependable "tow vehicle".

tomgillotti · 07-22-2017, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

100% correct...On our returning Yellowstone trip last month, we stopped in Casper WY. who had the Timber Ridge 24RKS (Mountain Series) I thought fit our family. Yes, they are $$$$, Yes, they are heavy, Yes, they are built like a tank. Very impressed with the build...They are made to be off road and off grid ready.

They only had higher end Titanium Series (24RKS) (MRSP $52k) on the lot. We want the Mountain Series. We have also been casually looking for about a year. This is the first one the DW said "THIS IS THE ONE". So when momma gives you the thumbs up your golden. The closest eastward dealer is Denver. 1600 miles for me.....

The original poster is not in this price range. Maybe a small Creekside model. He stated the $15k area where you will find a lot of cheaper / mass-market 2017's shorter 15' to 20' range on year end clearance deals right now.

The more I look at these Outdoors RV products, the more I'm really liking them! Well built, made with Boondocking in mind, lots a value added features and some great prices on leftover 16s right now...

Are there any owners on here that can speak to them from experience?

Normal_Dave · 07-22-2017, 08:27 AM

If you haven't spent time here yet...Enjoy.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f282/

ricndot · 07-22-2017, 08:37 AM

has been beat to death. so has 1/2 or 3/4 or 1 ton truck.
if its a dedicated tow rig, get the biggest, baddest diesel you can afford or you'll forever be wishing for one

the power, weight and fuel efficiency are not matched by any of the gassers. get the truck 1st!
then when the inevitable strikes (twofootitis), you won't be limited by your tow rig.
having very recently upgraded from a late model 1/2 ton hemi ram, the difference is truly amazing. 25% better mpg's is nothing to sneeze @ and neither is the comfort and control. call me a "convert".

tomgillotti · 07-22-2017, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Normal_Dave

If you haven't spent time here yet...Enjoy.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f282/

Awesome!! Thank you

Superslif · 07-22-2017, 09:30 AM

Quote:

If you haven't spent time here yet...Enjoy.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f282/

Thanx also. Being a small company and sold only out west I never thought to see if IRV2 had a thread by itself.

Normal_Dave · 07-22-2017, 09:43 AM

Superslif, as you know the Tundra is a mighty admirable piece of equipment. Friend at work has chosen to make a future purchase of an ORV and tows with a Tundra, he's wisely considering wet weight.

I've saved this thread, another great real world story, his Tundra was capable but...hilarious and probably applies to many of us.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f282/orv-...ml#post3257150

I encourage you to reach out to Dexters via PM, and ask him about his purchase decision.

vmonkey · 07-22-2017, 09:49 AM

When I was looking to replace my travel trailer, I made a list of my requirements and posted on a forum (rv.net - I didn't know about irv2) for suggestions. In my case, I knew I needed bunks, length under 30' (closer to 25' was better - we like to camp at state parks), and 4 season. The more specific you are, the better recommendations you'll get. I received several recommendations of makes and models that I might not have found on my own.

RE: Lance, they have great floorplans, nice interiors, a long list of features and are light weight. I think their reputation for quality is overstated (in relation to their trailers). My Lance leaked during heavy rains after 1.5 years of ownership. There are others that posted similar problems on the Lance Owners Forum including one with issues that just days outside the warranty.

Normal_Dave · 07-22-2017, 09:56 AM

Tomgillotti, (bet you're amazed I took the time to spell it right)

I think, reading your original post, you might take a walk through these two threads, "wash them in hot water", shrinking the information down to your trailer and tow rig size goals, and apply it to your situation.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f50/1st-t...es-340439.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/got-a...ck-347926.html

While reading through, (it's a lot of info) consider opening a Word document, and when you read something you like or is very relevant to your needs, simply copy/paste the sections into your Word document, then you'll have a concise outline you can read back over later, and develop your list of must haves.

Good Luck, we're all counting on you, (this thread will self-destruct in 5 secs...)

Normal_Dave · 07-22-2017, 09:59 AM

Hey vmonkey, welcome to the neighborhood!

Might as well tell them what you bought, and how your went about it...I thought it was a good decision making process, and coming from a former Lance owner, that means something.

vmonkey · 07-22-2017, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Normal_Dave

Hey vmonkey, welcome to the neighborhood!

Might as well tell them what you bought, and how your went about it...I thought it was a good decision making process, and coming from a former Lance owner, that means something.

My search took 2.5 months. We went to 5 dealers as far as 3+ hrs away (we checked one dealership when on vacation). I made a list with vital information (length, weight, cargo, tongue weight) and pro/con list (for example, lg bunk was a pro. No ladder was a con) that I could access on my phone. We couldn't find a perfect fit; I suspect everyone will compromise on one or more things.

I ended up going with a 2018 Outdoors RV Mfg Creekside 21DBS after narrowing down my list to 3 "favorites". At the end it was between this one and a 2017 Timber Ridge 23DBS. My wife like the open layout of the 21DBS, the dinette seatbacks seem taller on the 2018 models, and the large single sink. My wife didn't like trailers with the enclosed bedroom (most would see this as a positive). The 21DBS has an East West bed which is a deal breaker for many (and almost turned out to be for us).

I pick up my trailer on Tuesday.

Good luck with your search!

dexters · 07-22-2017, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomgillotti

I'm not against buying a truck but I hate the idea of 12MPG being what prevents us from getting out and enjoying traveling.

If the cost of gas is a problem you might have too little money for RVing. There are a lot of other expenses that come along with a RV e.g. storage, insurance, repairs, RV park costs.

Podivin · 07-22-2017, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

What I can control is my speed. The difference from running at 72 to 62mph can be 20%+ difference in fuel mileage. Traveling down secondary roads / highways in the 55 - 60 range saves even a little more.

I don't QUITE agree with the secondary roads portion of this comment.
Yes, driving 55 - 60 on secondary road is more efficient than 65 - 70 (or more) on the interstate - without a doubt.
BUT you get into many towns with stop signs and stop lights. It takes a lot of fuel to get these things rolling from a stop (I have class A, but that's going to be true of trailers also - the tow vehicle has to work to make it move. It's that 'inertia' thing we learned about in school

). I believe that everything you save by driving 55 on the secondary roads is lost by driving through the towns you're bound to be going through.

That said, we prefer to take the secondary roads just because it's seems a more leisurely way to travel, and the views are generally more interesting than the interstates, but we don't get any better overall mileage on those roads (and it's sometimes worse depending on how close together the towns are).
We only take the interstate if speed/time is more important that enjoying the ride.

tomgillotti · 07-24-2017, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dexters

If the cost of gas is a problem you might have too little money for RVing. There are a lot of other expenses that come along with a RV e.g. storage, insurance, repairs, RV park costs.

I agree... so, I'm at a point where I'm very focused on investing and have recently made some drastic changes to my investment strategy (i.e. investing a lot more now). I am a mrmoneymustache.com reader, though, not fully bought into all of his theories. Through research and a lot of number crunching I have come up with a number (amount of $$$) that I will need to invest over the next 10 years in order to become financially independent (assuming a lot of other factors, of course). I am currently able to meet those goals without making any other drastic changes to our spending habits. From that, I have made a new family budget that, on paper, tells me I have some extra each month. It's not a huge amount and I have enough in savings for emergency situations.

Where I'm at in my thought process is: If I'm meeting what I believe to be an appropriate goal for my investment strategy, should I not "invest" into family enjoyment, satisfaction, excuse to travel, ways to be closer together, etc (son in 4 1/2 right now... don't want these years to pass me by and regret not spending more time)?

Or, the contrary thought is that I could invest that little bit of extra money now and reach (in theory) financial independence sooner, thus enabling full freedom sooner...

Life questions...