Mike and Carol

6 gallon is pretty big, I’ve got one about that size that stays in the garage. Like Bill, I carry a small 12V compressor that is rarely used but I have it just in case. Mike

Do you have any route information? I assume I-10 through Houston on to San Antonio then north to Austin? Or will you take some back roads to avoid cities? We don’t do many commercial campgrounds, would you be interested in state parks? Texas has some good ones. Mike

Mine does. I got my Champion 2K at Tractor Supply on sale for $349. Mike

My Champion 2K generator is 37 lbs. It’s quiet, too. Mike

I will be interested in how well it works moving your trailer around. Please let us know! Mike

I believe the 3000W inverter is what allows the new models to run the AC off their lithium batteries. If that was your ultimate goal, I think you would need to upgrade. Mike

I just noticed on the Battle Born page that their standard 100aH case blemish battery is $675. It says the battery is 100% functional, but the case has a blemish. Mike

Doesn’t sound right to me. We did some clean up on my cabling and replaced the old non-lithium capable PD4045 adding two Battle Borns and I don’t think I spent more than $3K.

If you stand them up like your current AGM batteries you’ll only be able to get three in there. Some have turned them on their sides and got four in. Not sure of the specifics of that, but someone will answer. Here’s what two Battle Borns look like. If I remove the spacer in the front I would be able to get one more in standing up. So far two have been more than adequate. Mike

The shades are held on by a couple of clips on the bottom and the top hooks over a metal piece. Put your hand behind the bottom of the shade and you should be able to feel the two on the bottom. A light tug at that point and they should pop off. Then lift up, the top sits on a couple of brackets, it should come right down. Lay them out in the sun to see if that helps. Mike

We’re not air freshener people either. Bill’s method for removing the screens is how I do it. I’d get a bucket of soapy water (Dawn), lay the screens on the driveway and scrub them good. I don’t think they absorb odors and whatever is on the surface should get washed away by the Dawn. I usually wash the screens after each long trip when I do the windows. Mike

I agree with the advantages of lithium over AGMs, but our factory AGM/solar set up served us very well over 5+ years. Anyone who goes that route will be fine in whatever style camping they do. I’m glad I upgraded to lithium but don’t regret the AGM days (especially since it was the top end upgrade at the time!). Mike

More and larger windows would be great. Some of the places we’ve camped lend themselves to just sitting and taking in the scenery. I agree with Sherry that a front window would be cool once on site, but if you don’t protect it while traveling it will end up chipped or cracked. Some come with a cover that you use while traveling. The back window offers a view, but it isn’t a large window. I wish all the windows were larger but am happy with what we have. Also, maybe a small window in the kitchen, could be used as a pass through to the grill master outside! Here’s a shot out the back window when we were camped at Indian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park in January a few years ago.

We found that our 4 AGM batteries and 320W of solar worked well when we were off grid for extended periods. I run the fridge on propane while traveling and we were always fully charged when we arrived at our next location. Mike

rferg800, welcome! You make some good points that I’m sure will start some good discussion. Just some general comments as my brain wakes up this morning…. We have been happy with the Dometic fridge. We only run it on propane or 110 if we have it. It is very efficient on propane. We also have the 30 lb propane tanks, but would be happy with 20 lb tanks for a couple of reasons (easier to lift, easier to exchange/refill, can easily swap out with what I carry in the truck). We have the older 320W solar/Blue Sky system with 4 AGM batteries. They worked well for years. I swapped them out with 2 100aH Battle Borns and have found them to have ample capacity. I’ve thought about adding a third, but haven’t been able to justify doing it just because I have room for one more! Congrats on your order, hope to hear more from you. Mike

Carol and I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving wherever you may be! Mike

I’ve got the yellow Camco pedestal surge protector. I’ve never locked it up, maybe folks don’t like the yellow color and only go after the black progressive units. I may be too trusting, but we’ve never had anything stolen from our site. Mike

Congratulations on your order! We weren’t sure about the solar either but have found we use it quite a bit, especially in a lot of the National Park campgrounds that have no hook ups. As Bill said, it gives you flexibility on where you can camp. Mike

There are plenty of F150 with the 3.5 V6 towing Oliver’s with no issues. I’m sure they will chime in. Congratulations on your upcoming Ollie! Mike

I didn’t realize how big a difference a diesel makes on braking. With the air brake on I rarely touch the brakes on downhills and slowing. Mike

We have USAA and they use Progressive for customer RV insurance. Mike

Replacing our AC is near the top of my mods list. We’ve been complaining for years about the noise, it has even influenced our camping locations… we tend to go to much cooler climates and endure the AC while we’re escaping the Texas heat. Although loud, it does cool the trailer down pretty quick. We’ve camped in 100+ degree weather and ran the AC on low. Ear plugs help! Mike

This is the hitch I got when I went to the 2500. Top of the ball is just under 24” and I get about an inch of drop when the trailer is connected.

With an F250 I don’t think you need to worry about an Andersen hitch. I used the WDH for 5 years with smaller trucks but when I got my 2500 last year I took the Andersen off and now have about 10K towing miles without it. Absolutely no issues. Mike

If they are still using the Cooper tires, I just put a set on my trailer last January and I’m very happy with them after a little over 10K miles. I’m thinking I’ll use the same tires on my truck. Mike