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Old 01-23-2017, 07:44 AM   #1
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Saw 36fbts at show. Help!

Just left the Tampa RV show. Overwhelming! We really liked the 36fbts but had questions I think can be better addressed by the owners than the salesmen.
1) I like the second AC in the bedroom but I am concerned withe noise of the unit in the ceiling over the bed. Proposed solution was to shut it off, close the living area vents so all cool air goes to the bedroom. Does that work? Seems with the thermostat in the living area the bedroom would get very cold.
2) how does the electric leveling hold up? Most other manufacturers have hydraulic and claim hydraulic is much better.
3) I like the maserator idea. Do you recommend it?
4) I like the thankless water heater. Do you recommend it?
5) I get mixed reviews on slide awning covers. Some say wind can get under them and damage them. Some say you still get debris under them and can't get to the top of the slide to remove it. Others say it is a no brainer- get them.
6) there is tire upgrade to G rated. Some other manufacturers say H is a must have?
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Old 01-23-2017, 07:53 AM   #2
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Just thought of another question. I am considering including a generator. Is the generator, which would be close to under the bedroom, loud in the bedroom? Would it be better to get my own generator and carry it on the back of the camper or in the bed of the truck if there is room?
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Old 01-23-2017, 08:46 AM   #3
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Hey KY! I can only address a couple of your Q's. We have the 2nd a/c and I think it's a must-have. When the weather is mild the rear unit can keep the 5th cool but when it heats up you'll be glad to have the extra cooling. Were not bothered by the noise.

I'm a pro-topper guy. We have them on our 3 sliders and they've given us no problems.

Tires are always a concern. We had 2 TowMax's blow within 75 miles of each other. I replaced them with G'year LT tires. I also have a TPMS which I credit with preventing any damage to our 5th when they failed.
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Old 01-23-2017, 09:04 AM   #4
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1-We like the "white noise" so can't address the a/c.

2-Hyd uses one pump. If it fails nothing works that is one reason JAYCO eng are not too keen about using hyd systems.

3-4 Can't offer any opinion.

5- Every unit we've owned has had toppers. Been through many storms with 50-60 mph wind gusts, never had any damage. Never had any debris issues either. Just had some hellacious storms in Orlando last night and all is good. No drumming or water puddles. If they are installed properly you won't have any problems.

6-I think the GOODYEAR G-614 is plenty tire, gives you 7,500 lb capacity on each axle.
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Old 01-23-2017, 09:13 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KYCAMPER View Post
Just left the Tampa RV show. Overwhelming! We really liked the 36fbts but had questions I think can be better addressed by the owners than the salesmen.
1) I like the second AC in the bedroom but I am concerned withe noise of the unit in the ceiling over the bed. Proposed solution was to shut it off, close the living area vents so all cool air goes to the bedroom. Does that work? Seems with the thermostat in the living area the bedroom would get very cold.
2) how does the electric leveling hold up? Most other manufacturers have hydraulic and claim hydraulic is much better.
3) I like the maserator idea. Do you recommend it?
4) I like the thankless water heater. Do you recommend it?
5) I get mixed reviews on slide awning covers. Some say wind can get under them and damage them. Some say you still get debris under them and can't get to the top of the slide to remove it. Others say it is a no brainer- get them.
6) there is tire upgrade to G rated. Some other manufacturers say H is a must have?
1. Could shut off the a/c in the bedroom but it is not that loud at all unless you put the fan on high
2. Could not live w/o the leveling system and having had hydraulic in another coach I much prefer our electric
3. No idea but .. neighbor had one at a KOA a few months ago and all he did was complain about it.
4. The water heater with electric and gas on our Pinnacle has never failed us when it comes to providing adequate hot water. And we do more wash than the normal two people do
5. I've had one replaced that during a storm the amount of rain caused the awning to buckle because there is not enough of an angle for drainage. I've since learned how to adjust the awning for that issue
6. When it comes to tires go with the safest rating no matter what anyone says
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Old 01-23-2017, 09:43 AM   #6
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I just bought a 2017 jayco 36kpts and it has all those upgrades and gen include which i though was nice perk nice rig it dose what i want it to do and meet our personal needs
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Old 01-23-2017, 10:29 AM   #7
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The 2nd A/C is a must as one will not keep you cool on a very hot/humid day. At night we often just us the unit in the main living area as that will cool the whole unit after the sun goes down. If we need to run the bedroom air at night it doesn't really bother us. I thought the 2017's 2nd air was ducted which should make it quieter. So far we haven't had any problems with the elec. leveling system. I'm glad we have it. We don't have a macerator but if you use the proper chemical and plenty of water in your tank I don't think you'll have any problems. The only on demand water heater I have been exposed to was VERY loud when it ran. We were 3 campsites away and could hear it when it came on. IMO the slide toppers are a must. Yes, when it is real windy the will flap but I think the benefit outweighs the occasional noise. As far as the tires- get the best you can afford. We changed out the junk Rainiers with Sailun H rated 17.5 s637 tires. We love the layout of our FBTS and are very happy with it overall. Just my opinions!
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Old 01-23-2017, 02:35 PM   #8
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The 36FBTS is a great floor plan!
As other posters have stated, the 2nd AC is mandatory. Sometimes we turn it off at night after the unit has cooled all day. Noise not an issue, especially on low.
Definitely get the better tires. Rainiers are junk! We got the G14. Toppers recommended too.
You might want to consider washer/dryer.
We did not have the dual pane windows but wish we had, as this may help w cooling. We also wish we had had the 2nd awning installed, again to help w sun baking in the unit. We live in Southern California.
We opted to not get a generator, and instead had Jayco install 4-6V batteries w solar on the roof. This keeps our refer running w our upgraded invertor.
Good luck on your purchase!
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Old 01-23-2017, 03:11 PM   #9
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Agree 2nd a/c is a must. 1 a/c is typically adequate during sleeping hours if you are concerned about the bedroom a/c noise. Run the living room a/c at night, then the bedroom a/c in the day. If it's too hot to only run 1 a/c at a time, you would probably rather have cool air than noisy bedroom (or at least the option of cool air).

I only have hydraulic leveling, so can't speak to electric. I will say I had one uneven campsite where both tires on one side of the camper were off the ground once leveled. I don't like that, but hydraulic is proven.

I have no experience with the maserator.

I prefer a standard hot water heater tank. We are a family of 5 and rarely have run out of hot water. They are pretty efficient heaters. I'm sure plenty of tankless work great. I would rather stick with a tank. Probably one of those personal preference deals.

The way we use our camper, i'm not interested in slide out covers. If I was exposed to a ton of pine needles, leaves, snow, I may have a different opinion.

My camper came with H rated tires. Regardless of the rating, if it's a quality tire I would take either. One pain with H rated tire is the inflation to 125psi. I need a larger compressor to get to 125psi unless I'm at a truck stop or something.

I would strongly weigh out the pros/cons of having a generator. My generator is not loud, but then again I've never used it while trying to sleep. Thus far my generator has only been run mainly to maintain the engine, plus a couple convenience times where I wanted the a/c's running when off shore power. (we wanted the RV fridge so don't need AC power for that). The generator was a standard option on my camper. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay for it as an upgrade. A portable generator is less money, and can potentially be used with other applications. If you are not sure you will use a generator, a built in one could just cost you a lot of money without much benefit. If you plan to use shore power most of the time, I would suggest spending that money on a washer/dryer..?



Good Luck!
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Old 01-23-2017, 08:06 PM   #10
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I'll keep it simple.

2nd AC yes, must have.

G rated also a must have.

Can't comment on the level system as I opted out due to issues at the time.

Many complain about the tankless heater system on their units here. Have not had an issue with my tank and electric service makes it free. Gas is on you always.

Awning covers 110%. Had both ways and prefer the covers.

Maserator does little for the tank itself and will still need to be flushed as it is most likely after the tank.
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Old 01-25-2017, 09:27 PM   #11
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If you camp in warm climates like the 100 degree summer days we have here in Texas 2 AC's is a must. The generator has many uses.......Can't get a 50 amp hook up, with a 30 amp hook up you can only run 1 AC, 2 o'clock in the afternoon 1 AC won't keep the big girl cool. Unplug, fire up the generator, fire up both AC's and the wife is happy.......Arriving at your destination after a long drive on a hot day takes a long time to cool the big girl off.......About an hour out pull over, fire up the generator turn on both AC's and get back on the road. Arrive at the camp ground and the big girl is icy cold and wife is happy........
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Old 01-26-2017, 07:39 AM   #12
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Have done that a few times, makes it nice an cool on arrival or just stopping at a rest area for lunch
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Old 01-26-2017, 08:11 AM   #13
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I cannot answer to many of your questions

Tankless water heater, unless you plan to park at a site with full hookups, I would NOT go with the tankless water heater. There are lots of complaints about them, lots of people take them out and put in a tanked heater. I have a tankless in my house and it works great, there is no way, with how we camp I would want a tankless unit.

A Coworker has a hydraulic system in his last 5ver, and hatted it, multiple leaks and failures. When the pump goes out, none of the hydraulic system would work. It was the primary reason he said he got rid of that 5ver.

As for the tires, I would consider an upgrade. either the upgrade option or just plan when you replace them to go up a load or two.

good luck
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