Post by smkranz on Oct 26, 2020 10:09:29 GMT -5
We returned from our first trip yesterday with our new 2021 E160RBT. Here are some of the notes I took during the 5 days:
A/C was clutch during camp setup, weather pretty warm and keeping cool inside was great.
Smoke alarm went off twice from campfire smoke with camper door open (doh!). It also went off the first time the furnace fired up, but was fine afterwards.
1.5” memory foam mattress toppers (Bed Bath Beyond) helped bigly, beds were comfy. “Full” RV sheet sets from Amazon fit well with the topper on top of the mattress. Rear bed is a major PITA to make because of access.
Bed is too short for 6’2” me, but I knew that before we purchased. I have to sleep somewhat on the diagonal which is OK.
Fridge and freezer capacity are great. A couple items in fridge got frozen (set on 5 stars), turned it down to 2 stars and fridge temp stayed at 35-38.
Bathroom (using toilet for its intended purpose) is very tight. Took a little practice but finally got the right moves down. Shower is serviceable and actually tall enough for 6’2” me to stand upright.
Stereo is cool, actually sounds decent. No phone/internet at Cunningham Falls, so couldn’t play Spotify thru Bluetooth. But it also plays from the memory stick I use in my SUV. The remote only seems to work when pointing it straight at the stereo from inside. Trying to find the point of it.
Using the fresh water tank (no water hookup at site). Added 4-5 gallons of water twice just to make sure we didn’t run out, since I don’t know accuracy of the level indicators. Let’s spend some hours actually calibrating them to know how many gallons used from a full tank results in the indicator lights changing from full, to 2/3, to 1/3, then Empty. Same with gray and black tanks if we can.
Black tank indicator still shows 1/3 full after dumping and rinsing with addl flush water.
Decide whether to put shelving inside the closet, I like the closet to hang clothes, SWMBO would prefer having additional storage to get rid of at least one of the totes we use for camping stuff.
Find something to carry and store that trailer hitch. Too heavy to put in storage trunk, and don’t want to damage floor inside camper. Already broke two plastic tubs.
Did not use indoor stove this first trip. Stove cover made from large plastic cutting board and wooden legs worked great to add counter space, dish drying rack, etc. Used a propane Coleman stove on a table outside for cooking.
Electric outlet above the sink should be on the wall instead, so you can actually plug something into it like a coffee maker, and not have the cord dangling down.
Camper tows very easily with the Dodge Durango, which has factory tow package. Weight dist hitch is a bit of a pain, and since this camper is only a couple hundred pounds heavier than the old popup I wonder if it is really needed, specially for short trips. Need to research.
A/C was clutch during camp setup, weather pretty warm and keeping cool inside was great.
Smoke alarm went off twice from campfire smoke with camper door open (doh!). It also went off the first time the furnace fired up, but was fine afterwards.
1.5” memory foam mattress toppers (Bed Bath Beyond) helped bigly, beds were comfy. “Full” RV sheet sets from Amazon fit well with the topper on top of the mattress. Rear bed is a major PITA to make because of access.
Bed is too short for 6’2” me, but I knew that before we purchased. I have to sleep somewhat on the diagonal which is OK.
Fridge and freezer capacity are great. A couple items in fridge got frozen (set on 5 stars), turned it down to 2 stars and fridge temp stayed at 35-38.
Bathroom (using toilet for its intended purpose) is very tight. Took a little practice but finally got the right moves down. Shower is serviceable and actually tall enough for 6’2” me to stand upright.
Stereo is cool, actually sounds decent. No phone/internet at Cunningham Falls, so couldn’t play Spotify thru Bluetooth. But it also plays from the memory stick I use in my SUV. The remote only seems to work when pointing it straight at the stereo from inside. Trying to find the point of it.
Using the fresh water tank (no water hookup at site). Added 4-5 gallons of water twice just to make sure we didn’t run out, since I don’t know accuracy of the level indicators. Let’s spend some hours actually calibrating them to know how many gallons used from a full tank results in the indicator lights changing from full, to 2/3, to 1/3, then Empty. Same with gray and black tanks if we can.
Black tank indicator still shows 1/3 full after dumping and rinsing with addl flush water.
Decide whether to put shelving inside the closet, I like the closet to hang clothes, SWMBO would prefer having additional storage to get rid of at least one of the totes we use for camping stuff.
Find something to carry and store that trailer hitch. Too heavy to put in storage trunk, and don’t want to damage floor inside camper. Already broke two plastic tubs.
Did not use indoor stove this first trip. Stove cover made from large plastic cutting board and wooden legs worked great to add counter space, dish drying rack, etc. Used a propane Coleman stove on a table outside for cooking.
Electric outlet above the sink should be on the wall instead, so you can actually plug something into it like a coffee maker, and not have the cord dangling down.
Camper tows very easily with the Dodge Durango, which has factory tow package. Weight dist hitch is a bit of a pain, and since this camper is only a couple hundred pounds heavier than the old popup I wonder if it is really needed, specially for short trips. Need to research.
