Hello forum. I just purchased a 2014 Camplite 14DBS, from Skyriver RV, in Paso Robles, CA. I pick it up this Friday. Any suggestions for a new RV owner would be greatly appreciated?
Thanks.
Welcome & Congrats on your new 14DBS! Plenty of knowledgeable folks here with tips!
Congrats, we got ours about a year ago, the same 14dbs. Read a ton here and post questions, very nice and helpful people here. Safe journeys.
Welcome.....
The 14DBS is a really nice camper. Good choice. There is a thread on this forum about some things to consider when inspecting it at the dealer (PDI):
http://livinlite.proboards.com/thread/325/create-check-list-livinlite-campers
Thanks for the warm welcome and checklists.
Welcome! Can't help but notice some similarities DMac.... From CMac who owns a 14DBS that's pulled with a Jeep. We've had ours since last June and love it.
[quote source="/post/8749/thread" timestamp="1427918150" author="@dmac"]Hello forum. I just purchased a 2014 Camplite 14DBS, from Skyriver RV, in Paso Robles, CA. I pick it up this Friday. Any suggestions for a new RV owner would be greatly appreciated?
Thanks.[/quote][p]Aha ! Us 14DBS owners are coming back strong against the 21RBS hordes ![/p][p]
[/p][p]Seriously nice trailer, especially for someone new to trailering and RVering.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Big enough, not too big.[/p][p]
[/p][p]I recommend camping out in your driveway a few nights to figure out bedding, storage, etc.
[/p]
I have a 14DBS too, just pulled it 1200 miles to Moab, UT then back to Tucson, Az. Pulled great I filled the water tank up about halfway up to Moab because where I was going to camp was dry. Water lasted me the 4 days I was there. Love the large tanks on this model.
Good choice, I have a 13QBB but was looking at the 14DBS too
Congrats in advance!
My advice is don't get too caught up in mods at first. Let it simmer for awhile and just enjoy it for all it is and is not. It will scream out what it desires while using it.
Second piece of advice is close the cabinet doors....always....they can really take a bite out of you. Mod one, round the corners.
[quote source="/post/8786/thread" timestamp="1427980386" author="@whoofit"]Congrats in advance!
My advice is don't get too caught up in mods at first. Let it simmer for awhile and just enjoy it for all it is and is not. It will scream out what it desires while using it.
Second piece of advice is close the cabinet doors....always....they can really take a bite out of you. Mod one, round the corners.[/quote]Do NOT skip this last piece of advice. Do. Not.
Thank for all the advice. I'll need all the help I can get.
Quote from: @pinstriper" timestamp="1427985845" source="/post/8797/threadQuote from: @whoofit" source="/post/8786/thread" timestamp="1427980386Congrats in advance!
My advice is don't get too caught up in mods at first. Let it simmer for awhile and just enjoy it for all it is and is not. It will scream out what it desires while using it.
Second piece of advice is close the cabinet doors....always....they can really take a bite out of you. Mod one, round the corners.
Do NOT skip this last piece of advice. Do. Not.
How do I round the corners?
Use this, or similar. [a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-22-019-Bastard-Handle-8-Inch/dp/B00FWQ7AM8/ref=sr_1_48?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1428006392&sr=1-48&keywords=mill+bastard+file"]http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-22-019-Bastard-Handle-8-Inch/dp/B00FWQ7AM8/ref=sr_1_48?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1428006392&sr=1-48&keywords=mill+bastard+file[/a] Don't use a rasp as it would be like driving a buckboard wagon at high speed on a corduroy road- not recommended. Also, aluminum can clog the file and you may need one of these ? I believe that Wal Mart may have the file card, I know that they have the file. [a href="http://www.amazon.com/Osborn-International-75116SP-Steel-Length/dp/B00J06IPQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1428006874&sr=1-1&keywords=file+card"]http://www.amazon.com/Osborn-International-75116SP-Steel-Length/dp/B00J06IPQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1428006874&sr=1-1&keywords=file+card[/a] Use a black Sharpie to hide your work.
Here are some other thoughts. My 14dbs is 1 year old, 25 nights in 2300 miles. Perfect size, would not do anything different if I had to repurchase.
The detailed checklist was very good, try to hit the highlights, if not all of that.
Also, here were/are my issues:
Atwood thermostat on wall. Run this thru its cycles. The top right lever, moves 1/4" to the left or so to turn on the system. The lever on the lower left, moves right to adjust the temp. My top lever requires jiggling to make the connection, not good. And that top lever is incredibly tight, you think you will break the lever. Do check this out.
Check all window latches. On my big window, one latch does not match up well, so I just took it off. It still has four, if not more latches. Wish I had checked this at the dealer.
Check the fans in the ceiling and make sure that the connection posts, thru which a screw is threaded, are not broken. One of my fan covers would not work well, and the post was broken, allowing the fan to drop a bit. Check the travel of the fan covers. Mine was an easy fix, so I just fixed it myself.
ALSO:
Put city water on the system, and check all faucets and allow the water heater to fill. Also check the blue coiled hose at the rear outside faucets, the connection is stiff, and if there is pressure on the water, you cannot get the hose to insert, there is a way to relieve this pressure with a phillips screwdriver. Getting the hose to release is hard too.
WE tow fine without a stabilizer, or weight distribution hitch, and our regular stock Honda Ridgeline mirrors.
After towing, feel all four trailer rims, looking for excessive heat in one or more. Doubtful on this one.
GET READY for noises, so consider this:
--Cycle the water heater thru a cycle to be sure it heats and turns off properly. Note the noise, as this will wake you in the night when it comes on for the first time or two.
--Tow around to get used to the noise. Consider a $20 Stow Away to take away part of the noise.
--Cycle the a/c, get used to the compressor turning on and off, and make sure it cools
--Turn on the stove burners.
--Remove the city water, add some water to your fresh water tank, and turn on the water pump, to verify it works and hear the sound it makes.
--Of course cycle the slide, for verification and sounds.
Check:
--Toilet valve.
--Keys, make sure you have adequate door and storage keys.
Those are my thoughts based on issues I found and things I wish I had explored at the dealership, as they came as a bit of surprise to me.
Best of luck, post a picture, I would like to see the color.
r
[quote source="/post/8805/thread" timestamp="1427998305" author="@dmac"][quote source="/post/8797/thread" timestamp="1427985845" author="@pinstriper"]Do NOT skip this last piece of advice. Do. Not.
[/quote]How do I round the corners?[/quote]As James said, a file, or in my case, I just hit it [em]ever so lightly[/em] with a sharpening stone to knock the razor edge off, then touched up the white metal with a black sharpie.
Oh, and while it is a good thing to do during an inspection, I would not recommend leaving the water heater on overnight. No point in using the propane or hearing the noise (it's right under the bed, by the way) just to keep the water hot when you aren't using it. Dead cold to hot water is 15 minutes or so in my experience.
[p]We don't have the black trim on the cabinets so I was able to use a Medium grit Emery Cloth strip and work it along the corners like a two man saw. Just a few strokes to take the edge off. It would still scrape if hit hard enough but at least it will not get into the skull bone now.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Oh, by the way OP, how did Christmas morning go yesterday?[/p]
Here it is and my little Jeep that got to tow it.
[attachment id="679" thumbnail="1"]
Picked it up in Paso Robles and drove it back to Los Angeles. Haven't towed anything that big in a longtime. The first hour was nerve wrenching but once to got use to the trailer, it wasn't that bad. Had my dad in the car for moral support.
If you can tow a trailer in L.A., you can tow anywhere. Congratulations on your purchase; I am sure many great camping adventures are in your future. Along with some embarrassing mistakes!
This looks like a very nice rig!
Beautiful. Silver or champagne? Best of luck to you. Enjoy.
Well, I have some bad news. Just two days after I picked up my trailer, I noticed that the middle support bar for the fresh water tank was broken.
Here's a photo.
[attachment id="682" thumbnail="1"]
Somewhere along the 200+ miles trip from the dealer to my house, or maybe even to the 50 miles trip from my house to my parents, it broke.
And yes, the tank was full. I didn't not know this at the time, but when I got to my parents to give it a good shake down, I went to fill the fresh water tank and it took less then a minute to fill. Then it dawned on me that the tank was full.
Well, now to go get it fixed.
[quote source="/post/8877/thread" timestamp="1428273260" author="@ron"]Beautiful. Silver or champagne? Best of luck to you. Enjoy.[/quote]Its champagne, and thank you. I hope to enjoy it a lot this summer.
Quote from: @dmac" timestamp="1428344513" source="/post/8920/threadWell, I have some bad news. Just two days after I picked up my trailer, I noticed that the middle support bar for the fresh water tank was broken.
Well, now to go get it fixed.
[font size="3"]That's a failed weld. Probably should have been welded top and bottom. Welds are very difficult to control and inspect.
[/font]
Hey regarding the sharp corners, we just picked up our 21BHS last Thursday and the first thing i noticed was a plastic cover for most of the exposed sharp edges on the couch and corners of he cabinets. When opening the cabinet doors someone from Livin Lite I guess very quickly filed off the very sharp corners some better than others. According to our dealer service manager Steve Morgan, he had been complaining to LL for some time about this very dangerous issue as he also has grand children and they are the ones in most danger running in an out.
Bottom line new trailers seem to be fitted with the plastic caps and some filing of cabinet doors. They did not bother to paint the filed areas however so they are easy to spot.
[quote source="/post/8940/thread" timestamp="1428365466" author="@monted"]Hey regarding the sharp corners, we just picked up our 21BHS last Thursday and the first thing i noticed was a plastic cover for most of the exposed sharp edges on the couch and corners of he cabinets. When opening the cabinet doors someone from Livin Lite I guess very quickly filed off the very sharp corners some better than others. According to our dealer service manager Steve Morgan, he had been complaining to LL for some time about this very dangerous issue as he also has grand children and they are the ones in most danger running in an out.
Bottom line new trailers seem to be fitted with the plastic caps and some filing of cabinet doors. They did not bother to paint the filed areas however so they are easy to spot.[/quote]Yes, the 2014 I just purchased also had the plastic corner covers. Must have been a lot of complaints.
Quote from: @dmac" timestamp="1428344513" source="/post/8920/threadWell, I have some bad news. Just two days after I picked up my trailer, I noticed that the middle support bar for the fresh water tank was broken.
Poor welds (or more accurately -
really poor welds).
A weld should not sit on top of the base aluminum like a booger. It should look like it's melted right in.