Hoping to pick your brains a little for ideas or suggestions. We are going to order a Camp Lite 16TBS for a spring 2016 delievery. We currently own a QS 6.0. Retirement travel is five years out and want to get a Camp Lite that will let us travel and have a place for potential grandchildren to stay. What are you must have options or wish you had items if you are doing factory orders? What did you learn from the process? What went well and what could have gone better?
Here is our list of items so far:
-XL Living Package (Includes 13.5K BTU Low Profile Penguin A/C, Hi?Power Vortex Vents, Dual 20Lb LP Tanks w/Cover,
Tank Monitor System, 12' Awning, Upgraded Leatherette Seating & Cushions, Wood Plank Vinyl Flooring)
-Outside Shower connection
-Outside Stove LP Connections under canopy
-Rear Deck or 2" receiver hitch for bike rack
-Floor insulation
-9.2 BTU Polar Cub Low profile AC (Runs on 2KW Generator)
-Black Tank Flush Kit
-64" Sofa/Bed with Dinette Trays IPO Dinette in Slide
-Scissor Jacks
-Convection Microwave
Thanks in advance!
Chuck & Karen
Decal delete? Som have complained about the front decal peeling after a year or two... including me. Although my trailer was purchased off the dealer lot with decals, If I had the chance to order from the factory I would strongly consider no decals.
[font size="3"]Congratulations on selecting Camplite and on choosing to special order. That's the way to get it exactly as you want it. LL is very accommodating of customization and are very easy to work with. Your list looks good, but here are a few thoughts:
[ol type="decimal"][li]The standard water heater is gas only. A gas/electric version is available.
[/li][li]If you plan on doing much camping away from electric hookups dual propane bottles and dual batteries are required. The dual batteries should be two 6 volt golf cart batteries in series (GC2), not two 12 volt paralleled batteries.[/li][li]Don't get too excited about the OEM tank monitors. The supplied 4 light monitors don't work well at all in CLs or any other camper. Eventually you will want a SeeLevel monitor installed.[/li][li]For bikes the extended platform or a 2" receiver will work, but I prefer a beefed up rear bumper. LL will beef up the standard bumper by adding a second 2"x4" tube to which you can attach any standard 2" receiver bike rack. Swagman makes several nice models. This mod has been ordered by several forum members. Search this forum for pictures.
[/li][li]Don't waste money on the sprayed on floor insulation. It does not add any insulation and doesn't even properly seal the floor. Several of us learned this the hard ($$) way.[/li][li]If the ceiling fan(s) is not by FanTastic Vents you should request an upgrade. The standard small fans are noisy and ineffective. There is some indication that LL has switched to Fantastics, but it's not certain.[/li][li]Additional 12V outlets by the beds and somewhere near the dinette are really useful for phones, pads, computers, etc. Easier now than later.[/li][li]However you outfit it initially, prepare to add/modify as you use it. That's a big part of the fun and it just gets better with time!
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I think you should consider a third air conditioner.
You've got the Penguin, and the Polar Cub. Maybe see if anyone makes a Narwhal model ?
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You may want to check out a 21RBS or 21BHS out if you are thinking about taking potential grandchildren with you. We currently have a 2014 16TBS. We love our unit, but it is a bit small when you have even one child with you. The sofa bed in our slide does not have support under the mattress. We use a piece of plywood (oh that word!) under the mattress for support as other supposed fixes did not work. Livin Lite tried to get a fix for it; even special ordering a jackknife sofa bed to fit the slide. But we have decided to stay with the original sofabed. (long story). There is not much room when the bed is extended out; only about three or four inches between the end of the bed and the cabinets.
The Fantastic fans are well worth it! But, you may want to think about the vent covers also. We put in vinyl garage flooring that come in squares and fit together like a puzzle. We have never had a problem with water coming up through the flooring. The tiles look like ceramic and hold the heat pretty good.
LivinLite will work with you on the designing of your rig. IF we were to do it all over again, we would go with a 21RBS and have the twin beds installed instead of the queen. The dinette could fold down into a bed also. You can design your own interior. It might be a bit more money wise, but it might be worth looking into. The refrigerator and freezer are a bit bigger in the 21 also and the 21RBS also has a bigger bathroom with a sink and storage (well worth thinking about) and also has a fair sized pantry. We are looking to upgrade in the near future and will probably be going with a 21RBS.
We have a 2014 16TBS, so using your list as a guide, this is what works for us:
XL Living Package (Includes 13.5K BTU Low Profile Penguin A/C, Hi?Power Vortex Vents, Dual 20Lb LP Tanks w/Cover,
Tank Monitor System, 12' Awning, Upgraded Leatherette Seating & Cushions, Wood Plank Vinyl Flooring)
Consider the smaller 9.2 KBTU A/C. It will cool fine and will be more easily run by a Honda, but some think it is noisy. Twin LPG tanks is overkill and you don't need the extra tongue weight. We get at least 20 nights with one tank. I hope the vinyl flooring seals leaks through the aluminum floor panels. Ours came bare and we installed carpet squares, but these don't stop leaks.
-Outside Shower connection - Have it, never used it, but since it is part of a package, go for it.
-Outside Stove LP Connections under canopy- We would never use it.
-Rear Deck or 2" receiver hitch for bike rack- We don't carry bikes, but if you do, a 2" receiver is a good solution.
-Floor insulation- What Charlie said.
-9.2 BTU Polar Cub Low profile AC (Runs on 2KW Generator) See above
-Black Tank Flush Kit- Overkill
-64" Sofa/Bed with Dinette Trays IPO Dinette in Slide. This is what we got. The sofa is really crappy and the trays on arms are junk. If I was buying/building my camper for life, I might forget the OEM sofa and install a real piece of furniture. It would be heavy of course and wouldn't jackknife into a bed, but the sofa is too short to do much good as a bed.
-Scissor Jacks- Definitely
-Convection Microwave- We haven't used ours yet, but you may.
Some comments on other posts: Charlie is right about two 6V golf cart batteries being best, but we have camped for as long as three days without moving (which lets the TV recharge the battery) and one worked fine for us. But we don't run fans or the furnace which does suck up juice. So you might want to see if you can get along with one battery and if you need more then replace it with two 6Vs. The second battery will add about 60 lbs.
I don't know what the factory is doing now, maybe providing USB outlets, but ours has one cigarette lighter outlet to the left of the stove. We plug in a three way splitter and use a plug in USB adapter for one device and a cigarette plug for another. It works ok. Not sure where I would add more.
Also ours has a big, deep and intrusive cabinet between the two beds. I does block the light when one person wants to read and the other sleep. If it were me, I would build it about a foot higher so that you can see the other person across from you. BTW, ask them to move the overhead bed lights as far forward as possible even on the front surface if possible. Where they are shines in your eyes when reading lying down.
I am amazed that people like power jacks so much. Nuff said.
PM me your email address and I will send you the quote for the 16TBS which lists all options that we got on ours.
David
[font size="3"]Other than the personal preference items like microwave, outside shower and grill connections, etc. there is one item David and I will have to agree to disagree on. The black tank flusher. I've had one on both of my trailers and think they are "necessary". When I ordered my 21RBS LL pushed back a bit, but then did a beautiful job installing one. Now I see they include it in the XL living package.
That said this forum tolerates mild disagreements and both David and I are still welcome and respect each other's opinions 8-) . Camp on!
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Chuck and Karen, as a previous owner of a 2013 16 DB and current owner of a 2016, 21 BHS plus a 10 year old granddaughter I hope I can give you some insight. We custom ordered both our campers and loved our 16 but it did not have a slide. Our granddaughter slept on a jack-knife sofa and without a slide we had very limited room between the sofa and counter. I highly suggest you make sure you get a slide and bunk beds if you can work it out.
No graphics because they fade and peel but this is your preference. Some people just want the color. Both of our were the same color and neither had graphics.
We upgraded our countertop to solid surface because the OEM counter will delaminate with heat. This was a $500 option for us but after replacing 2 countertops in our 16 well worth it.
Skip the 9.5 AC unit unless you plan on running the camper on a generator at some point.
We skipped the laminated flooring for a couple of reasons. They are glued down so not easily repaired and they provide no real insulation.
We also ( in both campers) went with aluminum interior walls. Easily cleaned and just did not like the Adzel look. Our has the retro look with Pweter walls and white cabinets.
We added a reinforced rear bumper to accommodate a bike rack as described above but the dip sticks added a 2X3 support instead of a 2X4. Only found this out when driving home from Yellowstone and could not figure out why the bike rack kept getting loose. Bottom plate was bending. Flipped adaptor over and all was fine until I can correct the problem in the shop.
We got a spare with the matching rim of the camper. It will come standard with a steel rim so a worth upgrade for $75.
Duel propane tanks and a power jack were both well worth it. Make sure you get the upgraded stereo that should come standard with the XL package depending on model. The under cabinet stereo is lacking at best.
We are in the process of upgrading our fans to Fantastic so Charlie is right if you can get them installed by the factory do it. The OEM fans are noisy at best
Finally we special ordered our through SIRV and got a great price. Get what you want and don't be afraid to do some modifications and upgrades the make your camper everything you want it to be.[/a][/quote]
Now you've got me curious about custom orders. Who is SIRV?
SIRV = Sunny Island RV, RV dealer in Rockford, IL, where several of us have placed custom orders for Camplites. I ordered a 21-BHS, with a lot of changes, including a tip-out bunk, which I love. I ordered extra outlets, the quick connect for the external propane connection, and a front U dinette that converts to a queen bed. We travel with 2 dogs who love the lower bunk. We put dog beds on top of the bunk mattress, so they are cozy and even have their own window.
My husband was not impressed with the outdoor shower at first. Then he saw other campers using theirs to wash dishes out back. Now it is his toy. He has even used it to wash up before entering the camper.
Have fun deciding how you will use your camper!
[p]We like both the black tank flusher and the outside shower. We use both to flush the black tank when there is no water hose at the dumping station which is ~50% of the time. Our active pooch loves the outdoor shower as well. She likes to roll in poo on the trails...she does not like to sleep outside.[/p][p]
[/p][p]We use the LP connection under the awning every trip. So much so that I added it permanently fixed as an aftermarket addition. In your case the LP line will be a low pressure line, attached after the tank regulator. You will need a grill that is low pressure compatible so if you intend to use one you already own you might have an issue. But, hey, what's another $100.[/p][p]
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In my case, it was $200.
[quote timestamp="1440889536" author="@leslie" source="/post/14690/thread"]In my case, it was $200.[/quote][p]From what I've seen for prices on some of those low pressure models, you got a good deal[/p][p].
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Well the order was placed last week 16 TBS. Expect delivery after the New Year. I appreciate all your input and comments. A fan upgrade was not an option while discussing with our dealer. We requested a extra 2" x 4" tube for the rear bumper to allow us to bolt on a receiver hitch for the bike carrier. Went with the folding sofa bed and the decal delete too. Now to work up a post for the sale of our QS 6.0.
Quote from: @chuck" timestamp="1444316702" source="/post/15897/threadWell the order was placed last week 16 TBS. Expect delivery after the New Year. I appreciate all your input and comments. A fan upgrade was not an option while discussing with our dealer. We requested a extra 2" x 4" tube for the rear bumper to allow us to bolt on a receiver hitch for the bike carrier. Went with the folding sofa bed and the decal delete too. Now to work up a post for the sale of our QS 6.0.
How exciting! Keep us updated- can't wait to see some pictures once it's delivered!
[quote timestamp="1444316702" author="@chuck" source="/post/15897/thread"]Well the order was placed last week 16 TBS. Expect delivery after the New Year. I appreciate all your input and comments. A fan upgrade was not an option while discussing with our dealer. We requested a extra 2" x 4" tube for the rear bumper to allow us to bolt on a receiver hitch for the bike carrier. Went with the folding sofa bed and the decal delete too. Now to work up a post for the sale of our QS 6.0. [/quote][font size="3"]Did the factory accept the order for the upgraded bumper? Just wondering with their stated no custom order policy. [/font]
Yes, the factory will accept an order for an upgraded bumper. We just ordered ours this way and got approval from the factory prior to ordering, but I don't think you need prior approval.