Roadtrek 1

Again, you're talking apples and oranges...as I said before, the system I was thinking about was more than a dashcam . It was a forward collision warning system... sorry, you just don't get it..... Very sad.

Hmm, it's certainly cheap... I'll give you that. But, not very elegant.... looks like an old transistor radio from the 1960s. Glad it's working for you. I hope you have this securely fastened while you are moving.

Go ahead and laugh it off....a dashcam is not the same as a forward collision warning and lane assistance system....

Thanks Linda. It's not just about the money, although I'm not wealthy and it does bother me that the failure occurred 8 months after I just had the unit at Cummins and they assured me that everything was fine.... it's a lot of labor to have it pulled off and reinstalled on the Sprinter.... it's also about having a vote of no confidence in the unit.... I like many people, I'm sure, don't like surprises where it fails exactly when you need it.. that's horrible... I do mostly everything I can to avoid equipment failure through proper maintenance... that's why I drive two 10 years old cars....it's all about maintenance... I think that the original owners probably purchased this RV and rarely used the generator..it only had less than 15 hours on it when I purchased the RS Adventurous in May 2017...now it has almost 46 hours... still, that's not a lot of use. And, being that it was my first RV, and generator, I didn't realize that this was a problem...in fact, when I got it I remarked to the sales guy that this generator was practically brand new...he didn't disagree or correct me... that was very disengenous....or maybe he didn't know?? Now I know that very few hours is definitely not good. SO...I have to wait for an evaluation of what's wrong... depending on the price of labor...I might consider replacement for the old generator....or something... Seems like a huge expense for something I use occasionally.

I guess the question is …. how much will we be needing it.... I expect that the generator will be around $3,000 to $4,000 and the last service I had was already $ 1,200 just eight months ago for them to service and put in a new voltage regulator and rotor, oil and filter. I'm just wondering whether I'm going to cut my losses and just do one of the following; 1. Fix the generator I have..? 2. Replace it with a brand new one and start over? 3. Skip it and not have one?

There's a push button start inside the coach and along side that is an hours counter, that's all, no LCD panel and no warning lights.

If it were that easy? No, I don't have a control panel showing any codes or LCD screen warnings.

That's correct, but, my A/C only draws a maximum of 2,000 watts ( range is 1400 to 2,000) and the generator manual says it produces 2,310 watts up to 5,500 feet. It ran fine for 30 minutes then just shut down with the A/C running. If it could run for 30 minutes, I didn't think this was the problem; why didn't it shut down say in 5 minutes?

By the way, I do have a Zamp 180 watt solar panel system built in on the roof and two 6 volt AGM batteries, but, it's not enough to power the AC or microwave convection oven. I have a space limitation problem and there's no way I can get enough solar and a bank of batteries like the VOLTA system... just not setup for that.

Thanks, just posted a reply now. See my response to the first one.

Understood. Yes, I exercise it for 1 to 2 hours each month now. Let me explain. I purchased this RV two years ago and being a newbie, when I purchased the RV and discovered that the generator only had less than 15 hours on the unit I commented to the salesman that "Wow, it's like a brand new generator"... and he said "yes, that's correct"... that was not truthful.... as you would probably agree. It would have been better if the two years old generator had a few hundred hours on it. Being a first time RV purchaser with a built-in generator, I didn't know this. Well, it worked fine for just over a year and then we had a failure...brought it to Cummins Onan and they replaced my voltage regulator and rotor... not inexpensive and instructed me to how to keep it exercised... it was fine until we were around 3,000 feet running the A/C … at first it was fine for about 30 minutes and then the thing just shut down....mind you, I have a full tank of propane. That should not have happened. Now, it's back in the shop and they're trying to figure out what's wrong? I hate to have equipment failure just when you rely on it, so, now the big question of how many times in two years have we really used it vs. just fix it right and get everything back to normal? It's a tough question.... yeah, it's great convenience to have when you need it, but, I certainly don't expect to get all the money back at the time of the sale. RV stands for "ruined vacation" as you know and WOW.. this sucks. SO, you think that just going without it would reduce the price by how much in thousands? I might be looking at a complete replacement if the model is a 2500 propane? My owners manual says it's a Cummins KV 2800; that would be better.. the 2500 got trashed on the internet big time, people all over the place said they had less than 50 hours on theirs and were disgusted, mine currently has just under 46 hours. Any further input gladly welcome.

How many times do you actually use the generator vs. plug into a campsite? We have used the generator especially in National Parks where there's no hookups, but, it's limited. Now, it seems like it might need a major service or replacement due to lack of use from the previous owner. Is it even worth doing this, if we mostly plug in? How much of an impact will it be if we possibly sell the vehicle WITHOUT a generator? Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. Thank you.

Yeah... sure...$50 wouldn't even pay for the sales tax on the system I was looking at.... WOW....you know you get what you pay for and it's 2019.

There's a price point, style and design for everyone. . We actually saw several on the road from the Base Camp to Flying Clouds and everything in between. Just remember; you can't take it with you.....just enjoy your life while you can. I don't have 30 to 40 years left….how many of you do..? Here's the link to their coaches and they are pretty nice. https://www.airstream.com/touring-coaches/ I couldn't afford a brand new RV, and wanted a touring model....got exactly what I wanted 5 years old and saved money... What is the average length of ownership on an RV? I would think trading in every 5 or even 7 years is not a good idea. Maybe better to keep your RV for 10 years to get the most value? What do you think?

Great, and I hope luck continues to be in your favor. Statistically, it's all about exposure and depending on where and how you ride makes a difference. Traffic vs. open road for example. Someone commuting in bumper to bumper traffic and splitting lanes is at a much higher risk. People on motorcycles are practically ghosts to car drivers.... And, I certainly don't have to point out that the lack of metal around you is a serious problem. Bicycles are similarly dangerous in car vs. bicycle crashes....the number of cycle incidents in many cities like LA..cars are causing a lot of fatalities.... it's physics. I'm not saying that you shouldn't do it, but, be careful, which you are obviously doing.... you can never be complacent when you are this much exposed. I have to be very careful on my bicycle as well and it's only pedal power....

Understood. What I should have said was that when you "add" another vehicle to the mix as in towing, you need to be sure you have everything covered including coordinated braking, proper weight distribution, etc. It completely changes the dynamics from a single vehicle and I'm sure that the Federal Safety Standards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety would have an opinion about towing vs. just driving one vehicle. What I've heard about motorcycles ( I don't own one) is that after 5 years your number is up. Be careful out there; motorcycles are practically invisible to most car drivers, if you know what I mean. https://www.iihs.org/

YES, I can certainly see that. Although, you have to be very careful towing anything. By the way, sorry, the video from Sweden is not in English, but, you'll get the idea.

Here's the picture of the crashed Sprinter 3500 where the people walked away from the scene. I hope your RV has safety features; it's very important. Old vehicles are "nostalgic", but, you can't fool around with your personal safety. Anti-lock brakes, air bags and electronic stability control are among the most important features you can have on your vehicle. It's terrible that many RV manufacturers don't have these safety items because they're not required. Maybe they should be.

This is not a pretty picture .... and a reminder that Class B's are designed with Federal Automotive Standards, air bags, electronic stability controls and are generally safer than many other larger vehicles without these features. This picture is an example of how strong a Class B is....the head on crash resulted in the couple unharmed and walked away from the accident. This video shows how much damage the front occupants in the Class A would sustain.... not good.... https://www.autoblog.com/2019/05/14/rv-motorhome-camper-crash-tests/ image%3A21522

Are you using the battery operated sensors or the optional sealed sensors designed to last 5 years? I have the battery sensors and have occasionally had to replace them; I carry extra batteries on board for this. Only problem is... I've started to notice a little deterioration / rust on some of the sensors.... I cleaned them up and they are still working, but, the sealed units are more "bulletproof" for that. Only downsides to the sealed units are they don't lock on and their expensive. What do you think about this? Otherwise, Truck System Technologies seems to work well. Easy to work with them, great customer service.

Al, thanks for your answer....No, I'm not trying to start any disagreement here.... please remember that I said there are no right or wrong answers.... I'm very pleased to hear that many people on the forum are inclusive of us part time group and from my experience so far on the forum, most are equally agreeable to letting folks have whatever size RV they want...Class A, B, C, trailer, 5th wheel, or even a teardrop... Please know that I had to quit another forum of people who were not like that...in fact, one person ridiculed me for spending a lot of money on my Sprinter.. and said that the only thing he thought it was good for was a rolling brothel.... that was the last straw and I dropped membership in the club.. extremely rude and offensive. People make individual choices all the time for various reasons... for me.. part time works.. other people may want to be on the road all the time.... There's a couple of people who think I'm envious of this and would like to be on the road more often... I'm very happy with the part time use and we do use the RV...in two years since I've owned it, I've logged just over 18,000 miles... that's not bad... it's being used... Most people have told me that normal annual miles is more like 5,000 per year.. I think the first year was an anomaly, I'll probably go about 5,000 miles per year from now on.. Enjoy your RV and travels.

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but, many people who are full time defend the "lifestyle choice" like they are in some "tribal council"... I've heard people who are say things to me like....you can't possibly "know" the true RV experience unless you are a "full timer"..... How's that? I don't care if you are a full timer or part timer... please do whatever you want....I happen to like the "part time" experience because I want to have a "home base" I don't have to move around...for me, it's easier....I know that many of the "full timers" will say that their home is wherever they are...and if this works for you, great.... So, tell me...are you full time or just a part time person and I hope you enjoy whatever experience you've chosen. What do you think... majority of people are full or part-time in the Escapees Club? Again, there's no right or wrong answers here.

Minivan? LOL. I guess everything is relative. I wouldn't exactly call my RV a "minivan". With the bicycle rack it's almost 26 feet long, 9 plus feet tall and 80 inches wide.., but OK, whatever. The only time we're shopping with the Sprinter is when we're on a trip, if that's what you're referring to..... I guess compared to the "cruise ship" you're driving it's a "minivan".. At least we're getting 18 to 19 MPG.... When we're done traveling, we can come home to a private residence, own backyard, no extraneous smoking campground... very quiet environment....dual pane windows, central air conditioning....and equity..... Sounds like from your profile that you're a full timer. I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just definitely not for us. Vive la difference.

Thanks. We tour in this vehicle, we certainly don't live in it. It's a very comfortable "mini motorhome"... with all the amenities of a larger rig, including an outside shower, complete wet bath toilet and shower, kitchen, king sized bed/convertible sofa, all cherry wood overhead cabinets, and 18 plus MPG. And extremely easy to drive and park just about anywhere. I would never consider living full time in my rig, but, I've heard that some people do. We've easily spent a week or 10 days in it.

Jack, I agree with you 1,000 percent..... I don't use "cheap" mobile electronics.... useless. $50??? That won't even pay for the sales tax on the Mobileye system, c'mon, what a joke. And, what do you expect for $50....it certainly won't do all the things a Mobileye or a system like you're talking about... I have a commercial grade rear camera, a front camera for parking in tight spaces and a fully integrated sound system with Android Auto and Bluetooth. My only challenge is my rear proximity sensors with the new bicycle rack I installed on the rear of my Sprinter....no one has a suggestion for this aside removing the bike rack... I'm not going to do that. You get what you pay for with mobile electronics... plain and simple. Unfortunately, there's a lot of people who can't appreciate this.