General Question on 21RBS

[jeshoffstall]

First I would like to say THANK YOU for having me to your board.  Took awhile to find this forum.  The wife and I just sold our travel trailer as it was just "too heavy" and required too much upkeep.  Had looked as some smaller Camplite's and an RV show, but was not really interested in the smaller models.

I have seen online the 21RBS and am very intrigued.  I know they are more expensive than other manufactures, but I like the all aluminum concept.  I have a dealer about an hour away and plan to look that this model closely, but have a couple of questions.

1) Does the roof require the same upkeep as a traditional RV or is the roof also aluminum?  I am assuming caulk needs to be maintained around vents, skylights and such - but is there also caulk where the room meets the body and body panels meet?  (not sure if this is like an airstream or not)

2) Hitch weight - seems awfully low on this unit (250lbs) for a camper weighing 3,350?  I calculate 7% and would be concerned about sway.  I would be pulling with a Toyota Tundra with tow package - would WDH be required?

3) Are there anything these campers lack in able to provide the low weights (things a person would expect to find on a traditional travel trailer).

Thanks - hoping to join the family soon!

Jack

[djsamuel]

I have a 21BHS, which is very similar to the 21RBS with the difference being the inclusion of bunks at the expense of the sink in the bathroom and some storage.  Otherwise they are very similar.  To answer your questions:

1)  The roof is aluminum.  There is caulking around the edges in addition to the roof penetrations, but it is very easy to get to and maintain.  Certainly MUCH better than a rubber roof.

2)  I have had no issues with sway.  Even when towing without any sway controlling hitch, it tows great.  I tow with a Ram 1500.  I now have an Andersen weight distribution hitch mainly to provide additional protection against sway in the event of unexpected conditions.  That is a strength of the Andersen, and I really don't need weight distribution.  It also reduces bouncing when driving across small bridges, etc.

3)  I can't think of anything these campers lack.  We love ours.  Some may say they look more utilitarian since they don't have fancy wooden cabinets, but to us that is a plus.  The less wood to worry about the better.

Hope this helps.

Doug

[jeshoffstall]

That helps a great deal Doug, thank your for the detailed response.  I have looked and the Anderson, but did not feel it was strong enough for our previous trailer (900lb tounge weight).  Sounds like a sweet combination!

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/1822/thread" timestamp="1404333804" author="@jeshoffstall"]First I would like to say THANK YOU for having me to your board.  Took awhile to find this forum.  The wife and I just sold our travel trailer as it was just "too heavy" and required too much upkeep.  Had looked as some smaller Camplite's and an RV show, but was not really interested in the smaller models.

I have seen online the 21RBS and am very intrigued.  I know they are more expensive than other manufactures, but I like the all aluminum concept.  I have a dealer about an hour away and plan to look that this model closely, but have a couple of questions.

1) Does the roof require the same upkeep as a traditional RV or is the roof also aluminum?  I am assuming caulk needs to be maintained around vents, skylights and such - but is there also caulk where the room meets the body and body panels meet?  (not sure if this is like an airstream or not)

2) Hitch weight - seems awfully low on this unit (250lbs) for a camper weighing 3,350?  I calculate 7% and would be concerned about sway.  I would be pulling with a Toyota Tundra with tow package - would WDH be required?

3) Are there anything these campers lack in able to provide the low weights (things a person would expect to find on a traditional travel trailer).

Thanks - hoping to join the family soon!

Jack[/quote]Welcome to the forum! I hope I can answer your questions:

1) The roof still requires seal maintenance, but since it is a continuous aluminum sheet you don't need to worry about delamination or breaks between panels. There is a seam where the sides meet the roof. It appears to be aluminum capped butyl with silicon type sealant on the edges of the cap. So leaks are still possible as with any RV, but if you do get a leak it's not the end of the world, just dry it out and fix the leak.

2) I don't think this has been officially confirmed, but the hitch weight appears to be without batteries or propane. So add 150lbs or so to their figure to get a more realistic number. For the 21' models count on 500+lbs once you're loaded. WDH wouldn't be required for the Tundra, but it would make the ride that much more comfortable and safer. I towed our 21BHS with my Sequoia (same frame as your Tundra) and it was fine, but it feels more solid with the WDH.

3) They lack wood  ... people usually expect that. They also lack any kind of cabinet organization (no drawers or dividers except one shelf in the middle of the lower cabinet). So plan on coming up with your own system. We actually improved our organization dramatically. Normally we'd have all the silverware in a drawer, but now we have a caddy that we can just carry outside to the picnic table. They also don't have tank monitors (although it's been hinted in some of the latest option sheets).

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Jack,

Welcome to our humble forum. I'm sorry you had trouble finding us, but I'm glad you persisted. The forum has only been in existence about 4 months.

I have a 21RBS so I can directly relate to your questions. First I'd suggest you search for and read all the posts on this forum relating to the 21s. There are several of us here with 21RBS and 21BHS models with a growing experience base. And some of the posts on other models are relevant to Camplites in general.

The roof is a single sheet of aluminum. There is a joint where the walls meet the roof and these are caulked and covered by overlapping aluminum angle. As such the roof does not require the cleaning and maintenance of a normal rubber or fiberglass roof. Pretty close to the AS. Just inspect and maintain the caulking around vents, AC, etc. and it will keep the rain out.  

The advertised hitch weight seems low and I don't know if anyone here has ever verified it. My 21RBS with two 6V batteries and two full 20# propane tanks on the tongue, two bicycles on the rear bumper, an electric tongue jack, stuff inside, and empty water/waste tanks measures 525# on the tongue. That said I question LL's 250# claim.

As to what the light weight construction does not provide: Rust and Rot. The only thing we generally find missing is floor insulation. The floor is uninsulated aluminum, but most of us put in rubber flooring or carpet tiles. The newer CLs can be ordered with thin vinyl floor tiles, but it's primarily for appearance.The thick interlocking yoga mat flooring provides great thermal insulation, sound deadening, and a cushioned feel. A little work to install, but well worth it.

Towing with the Tundra should be no problem. I tow with a Tacoma. My take on the WDH/sway control is, although you may not technically need it with the Tundra you'll probably end up wanting it. It smooths out the ride and makes life a little less worrisome.

Feel free to ask anything else. There are no dumb questions and we try to minimize the dumb answers. Welcome aboard.     

Charlie
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[jeshoffstall]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the detailed responses.  $30K is a bit steep for a 21 foot TV, but I am loving the no rot concept.  What WDH hitches are most using for the aluminum frames?  I like the concept of the Anderson, need to do some more research on that as well.

I live an hour our so from Southland RV, so need to go look at these in the next week or so.

Charliem, 525# seems much more realistic, appreciate the info!

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Jack,

I use an E2 WDH by Progressive Mfg. They also make the Equalizer brand. They both include built in sway control. Easy to install and use. The critical attribute is no through hole drilling or set screws into the aluminum frame. The Progressive units attach via clamps.

Southland RV appears to be a good dealer. I think one of their owners is a member here. They should be able to help you with your selection. Also, consider ordering your CL from the factory vs. buying off the lot. The dealer can work with you and LL to get it exactly as you want it. You will have to wait a bit, but it's worth it for the money you're spending.
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[funpilot]

I would urge you to call LL for anything you feel is missing.  Poster ICQ102, who posted this thread on the 28BHS (which I encourage you to look at as he says this model "feels" more upscale that the others) also told me that he has a factory installed tank monitor and battery monitor in his.  

http://livinlite.proboards.com/thread/285/2015-camplite-28bhs-photos

I have added some things to my order for the 28BHS that I thought were missing. If you haunt the postings you will see that almost all of my additional factory install ideas came from the excellent members of this forum.

Upgrades to Fantastic fans and fantastic vents
Black tank flush
More electric outlets
An additional cable outlet
Solar ready with 6 gauge wiring
BBQ quick connect propane line
larger battery tray