Another 28bhbe ordered - couple of questions

Logan0171 · 02-22-2016, 02:39 AM

I finally put the order in this past week. After looking and researching for months we kept coming back to this floor plan. We (myself, wife, and 2 kids ages 12 and 10) are upgrading from our first travel trailer. A KZ unit we bought in 2008 that we have now outgrown. It worked great when the kids were toddlers but not so much anymore. I ordered the Jayco with every option available except for the television. It seemed pricey for a 720p panel. I went back and forth on the fiberglass sides and ultimately decided to keep them. Same with the 2nd AC. In the end I figured it can't really hurt. Our KZ which was much smaller managed just fine here in the Florida summer most of the time. Occasionally, usually when there was little shade, it kept the unit comfortable but ran almost non stop. Comfortable being a relative term as my wife complains it is too cold when the temp gets down to 76. We will be towing with a new 2015 F350 diesel SRW that we just purchased as well. This brings me to my first question.

Can anyone tell me the ball height for the trailer when it is level? I currently have an Equalizer brand hitch which I have been very pleased with over the years. Unfortunately it is the 10k model so I will be buying a new 14k one for the increased tongue weight capacity. I also plan on getting a shank to fit the truck's 2.5 inch receiver. I am trying to calculate how much of a drop I will need. Equalizer makes 2.5" shanks with both 4" and 6" drops. They are adjustable in 1.25" increments. My current KZ requires a 3" drop.

Second question: can anyone tell me the width and height measurements of the area for the television? I would like to see if I can find a 40" or maybe even 42" that will fit. My dealer is a couple of hours away making for a not so easy visit. When I asked the dealer for measurements I was simply told to buy a 39". I am willing to get rid of the swivel mount if it gets me an extra couple of inches.

I'm sure I will have more questions as I start planning mods / improvements. Can't wait! It looks like we will get a couple of more trips out of the old KZ while we wait. Thanks in advance for any replies.

MIFL19H · 02-22-2016, 06:56 PM

Congrats on the custom order!

We ordered one in mid November and it made it to our dealer on Friday, I ordered everything except the Fiberglass Sides, Bumper Grill, Electric Stabilizers and Sway Control.

I spent a lot of time pondering the Fiberglass sides and after getting info direct from Jayco, including pics and info of the building process and some other sources I decided to go Aluminum, the Sliding windows also led me that way. I did request some other mods and Jayco did most of them.

I also am wondering the height of the tongue, I meant to measure it last Friday when I took a peak at the camper but forgot. I just ordered a 12K Equalizer, we are towing with a 2015 F250 and the Max Tongue with WDH is 12K so I felt the 14K was a little much, and I hope to keep my tongue weight as light as possible though having the 2nd AC does not help. I had a 10K on my last camper and like you liked it.

As for the TV I wanted it to be factory installed so went with the 39", price seemed high but after the discount I got it cut it down pretty good so it was worth it to me to get it from the factory.

I am fairly certain this is the TV that comes with it after seeing it in person…

39â€ HD LED TV - FURRION

It pretty much takes up the whole opening but I would think you could get a 40" in it, maybe a 42"… if you look at the trailer in this link you will see the 39" in the opening.

https://terrytownrv.com/new-rvs-in-g...0648-for-sale/

Where did you order it from if you don't mind me asking?

BigJohnD · 02-22-2016, 07:44 PM

Hey Logan, just to give you a few ideas, you can look through this thread. Page 5 shows where I ditched the TV swivel and put a solid wall there. The TV in the picture is the one that came with the rig, so it'll give you an idea of how much room you might have. If you need a measurement, I'm sure my wife can help me out and send one since I'm offshore now. Some pictures are sideways in the thread but you'll get the idea.
http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...e-30052-5.html

Might find a few more mods that might interest you in there too, like residential fridge. Overall it's a good rig. We full time in ours with 3 kids. Goes without saying we're a "close" family.

fielro · 02-22-2016, 08:13 PM

Welcome aboard. Wish I could help answer your questions

Logan0171 · 02-22-2016, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Where did you order it from if you don't mind me asking?

I ordered from Tradewinds RV in Ocala. I felt they would provide better service if needed.

oldmanAZ · 02-22-2016, 08:34 PM

Congratulations on the new 28BHBE and welcome to the JOF.

Logan0171 · 02-22-2016, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJohnD

Hey Logan, just to give you a few ideas, you can look through this thread. Page 5 shows where I ditched the TV swivel and put a solid wall there. The TV in the picture is the one that came with the rig, so it'll give you an idea of how much room you might have. If you need a measurement, I'm sure my wife can help me out and send one since I'm offshore now. Some pictures are sideways in the thread but you'll get the idea.
http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...e-30052-5.html

Might find a few more mods that might interest you in there too, like residential fridge. Overall it's a good rig. We full time in ours with 3 kids. Goes without saying we're a "close" family.

Great mods! I do suspect that the Tv pictured there is smaller than the 39" currently available. I have seen some pictures online and with the 39" it does appear to have only an inch or so of space around the sides. When I get around to some mods of my own I might have some questions for you. Especially when it comes to sealing the roof. Does that coating over the skylights block all light or is it more translucent?

Logan0171 · 02-22-2016, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

Congratulations on the new 28BHBE and welcome to the JOF.

Thanks!

BigJohnD · 02-22-2016, 09:44 PM

I've never done the outer coating alone. I'm sure it might show a little something through it. Always have done the insulation and reflectix along with painting the inside of the inner dome, which blocks 100% of everything. Feel free to PM or post on that thread with any questions. Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing what all you mod on your rig.

IceOnFire · 02-27-2016, 02:04 AM

We also purchased an Equalizer 12k, as we also thought the 14K was a bit too much. We ordered our model (which came in last week) with the 32" knowing fully we were going to replace it with a Roku 40" TV. Well, Jayco accidentally included a 39" with my trailer which I ended up selling. The entire opening where the TV sits is 37 1/4" wide and my 40" is 36" which fits perfectly. The swivel mechanism is pretty horrible, and we may end up ditching it like BigJohnD has.

spoon059 · 02-27-2016, 07:21 AM

When you say you are upgrading your hitch... I think you mean the actual hitch arm bars, correct? If so, you shouldn't need to upgrade anything. The head and ball are rated to 14K. Everything is the same on the kits from the 6K to the 14K with the exception of the hitch arm bars.

Your 28BHBE should work just fine with the 10K bars. I am using 10K bars on my 29QBS, which is a little bit longer and a little bit heavier.

For the drop of the shank, its hard to know without seeing it in person. I can tell you that I had to purchase a 9" drop shank for my 2015 Ram and my 2015 29QBS. The standard shank was several inches too high. Something else to consider, the drop shank is a standard size offered by multiple manufacturers. I had to get a new shank in a hurry because we had an upcoming trip and a new truck. I went to my local RV parts guy and he had an Equalizer brand for $160 and a Husky brand for $90. They had the same weight rating (14K), same size holes, same hole spacing, same angle bracing... almost half the price. The point is, shop around before you drop twice as much money.

About the TV, you get the television and the mount. Its ridiculous what they charge, but you do get a properly mounted TV. I opted against the TV, because at the time they didn't offer a swivel mount and you couldn't comfortably view the TV from the couch without the swivel. I bought a regular swivel mount and tried to install it, only to find out that the backing for the TV is particle board and my mounting screws were just chewing through it, not biting into anything. I ended up getting a piece of 3/4" plywood, cutting it to fit, staining it to match and gluing it to the particle board and screwing it in from the side of the swivel. It ended up being a lot of work. In retrospect, I would have just paid the upgrade and gotten it installed from the factory...

IceOnFire · 02-27-2016, 11:48 AM

Even thought the price for the TV is a rip off, I opted for it just for that reason. With the 40" TV, I ended having to lower the bracket on the wall itself, but there is solid backing, so TV isn't going anywhere. We're debating whether we should reinforce the swivel mount of make a solid wall. Each option requires some amount of work.

Logan0171 · 03-10-2016, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spoon059

When you say you are upgrading your hitch... I think you mean the actual hitch arm bars, correct? If so, you shouldn't need to upgrade anything. The head and ball are rated to 14K. Everything is the same on the kits from the 6K to the 14K with the exception of the hitch arm bars.

Your 28BHBE should work just fine with the 10K bars. I am using 10K bars on my 29QBS, which is a little bit longer and a little bit heavier.

For the drop of the shank, its hard to know without seeing it in person. I can tell you that I had to purchase a 9" drop shank for my 2015 Ram and my 2015 29QBS. The standard shank was several inches too high. Something else to consider, the drop shank is a standard size offered by multiple manufacturers. I had to get a new shank in a hurry because we had an upcoming trip and a new truck. I went to my local RV parts guy and he had an Equalizer brand for $160 and a Husky brand for $90. They had the same weight rating (14K), same size holes, same hole spacing, same angle bracing... almost half the price. The point is, shop around before you drop twice as much money.

About the TV, you get the television and the mount. Its ridiculous what they charge, but you do get a properly mounted TV. I opted against the TV, because at the time they didn't offer a swivel mount and you couldn't comfortably view the TV from the couch without the swivel. I bought a regular swivel mount and tried to install it, only to find out that the backing for the TV is particle board and my mounting screws were just chewing through it, not biting into anything. I ended up getting a piece of 3/4" plywood, cutting it to fit, staining it to match and gluing it to the particle board and screwing it in from the side of the swivel. It ended up being a lot of work. In retrospect, I would have just paid the upgrade and gotten it installed from the factory...

I didn't realize the hitch head was rated for 1400lbs. All the documentation I have seen shows 10,000lbs trailer weight and 1000lbs tongue weight. I am definitely more concerned about exceeding 1000lbs tongue weight. I will place a call to Progressive to see what they say. I was planning on buying a whole new setup and selling my old one with my current trailer. This would save me some money if I can just upgrade the bars.

I was concerned about the swivel mount for the TV so I figured I would be doing the solid wall mod anyways. I was hoping to fit a 42 in there but I found a Vizio local dimming 39" for $188. I just went ahead and bought it.

On a different note the dealer notified me that the unit should roll off the assembly line the 2nd week of April. They are going to send someone to pick it up. Given that I put the order in the middle of February that puts the build time at about 2 months. Not sure if that is indicative of build times for those just ordering units but for those waiting a little information is better than nothing.

Thanks all for the input.

tslarson · 03-10-2016, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan0171

I didn't realize the hitch head was rated for 1400lbs. All the documentation I have seen shows 10,000lbs trailer weight and 1000lbs tongue weight. I am definitely more concerned about exceeding 1000lbs tongue weight. I will place a call to Progressive to see what they say. I was planning on buying a whole new setup and selling my old one with my current trailer. This would save me some money if I can just upgrade the bars.

The 1000/10,000 lb equalizer is NOT the same as the 1200/12000 or the 1400/14000. I just upgraded from the 1000 to the 1200 last year and called Progressive with that same question. The larger capacity hitch has larger bars and the hitch has larger sockets in it to accept the bars. There is no way just to upgrade the bars and use the same hitch. I purchased a whole new hitch less shank.

SkyBound · 03-10-2016, 07:33 AM

The only two Equalizer hitches that utilize the exact same bars is the 12K and 14K with hitch head metal thickness being the only difference. The 10K hitch (what I have) is not enough for a 28BHBE in my opinion. If I had that trailer, I would have a 3/4 ton truck minimum and the 14K hitch.

need-a-vacation · 03-10-2016, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tslarson

The 1000/10,000 lb equalizer is NOT the same as the 1200/12000 or the 1400/14000. I just upgraded from the 1000 to the 1200 last year and called Progressive with that same question. The larger capacity hitch has larger bars and the hitch has larger sockets in it to accept the bars. There is no way just to upgrade the bars and use the same hitch. I purchased a whole new hitch less shank.

While an awesome wdh system, this is a small downpoint of the Equal-I-Zer models not being interchangeable with different rated wd bars. The Reese SC is a very similar design, but the hitch head is the same for all models allowing for swapping just wd bars when and if needed.

Logan0171 · 03-19-2016, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tslarson

The 1000/10,000 lb equalizer is NOT the same as the 1200/12000 or the 1400/14000. I just upgraded from the 1000 to the 1200 last year and called Progressive with that same question. The larger capacity hitch has larger bars and the hitch has larger sockets in it to accept the bars. There is no way just to upgrade the bars and use the same hitch. I purchased a whole new hitch less shank.

I did double check with Progressive and they confirmed exactly what you said. There are differences in the head between models. Given a max weight of about 9200lbs and a possible tongue weight of 1300lbs or greater they recommended the 1400/14000. I still haven't been able to come up with a good estimate of which 2.5" shank to buy (how much drop). If anyone has a ball height measurement for a level 28bhbe on stock tires it would be greatly appreciated.

MIFL19H · 03-22-2016, 09:21 PM

I had my 28BHBE out today setting up my Equalizer, I opted for the 12K Unit, my hitch is only rated at 1250 LB WDH tongue weight with a 12,500 LB tow rating. I also added Air Lift 5000's for insurance if needed. I have a 2015 F250 4WD and I ordered the Standard shank and it is just fine as far as the drop, I have mine turned upright at the moment, I know the F350's are a couple inches higher in the rear because of the taller blocks. If you asked Equalizer for the same drop hitch that comes standard but 2 1/2 shank size you should be good but make sure you do the math.

After setting it up per the manual (had a 10K before so am experienced with this style hitch) the trailer is too nose up so will be dropping the ball height another notch this week. 3rd pic shows the coupler level and the truck loaded for camping less people and the ball where it should be, but once you apply the WDH it raises the nose of the trailer to high.

The trailer sitting level by eye and measuring the frame front to rear, the coupler height was approximately 26 to 26 1/2" as instructed to measure by the Equalizer Manual (top OD of the coupler).

Logan0171 · 03-23-2016, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIFL19H

The trailer sitting level by eye and measuring the frame front to rear, the coupler height was approximately 26 to 26 1/2" as instructed to measure by the Equalizer Manual (top OD of the coupler).

Thanks. Exactly what I needed. I did have to reconfigure my 10k to the new truck last week for our spring break trip. We are currently camping in the mountains of North Georgia. This is our last trip in the old travel trailer. I should be taking delivery of the Jayco in 3-4 weeks. Using the stock 2" shank I had to put it in the drop position and use the lowest setting. This was our first time towing with the 350. What a difference. I was comfortable towing with our Durango before but never realized how much better it could get. Plus I went from 8mpg in the flat land of Florida to 12mpg in diesel though. I was worried about the smallish 26 gallon tank Ford puts on the diesels. I was contemplating upgrading to an aftermarket 50 gallon. The downside of the 50 is that I would have to remove the FX4 package gas tank skid plate. If I can stay in the 11-12mpg range pulling the Jayco then I can live with the 26g tank. That's just enough range for me before I'm ready to get out and stretch the legs a bit.

MIFL19H · 03-23-2016, 09:03 AM

Glad I could help... Let me know if you have anymore questions, I keep it at the house so am close to it. We are on Spring Break as well but could not leave for the week so I scheduled to pick our camper up this past Saturday so I had the week off to spend getting it prepped for Camping, this time last year we were in North West Georgia at Cloudland Canyon State Park which was our last Camping trip in our old Hybrid. We are heading to Moss Park in East Orange County Friday for a 2 night shakedown cruise.

I'm not sure what size KZ you have but if you were towing it with a Durango it was not the size if this BHBE. This trailer is a whole nuther ball game, I have the 6.2 Gasser which pulls it with no issues but the physical size/weight of the trailer lets you know it's back there. Physically our trucks are the same except for the engine and the F350's have taller blocks in the back probably stiffer spring pack.

We had a Jayco X19H towing it with an Expedition EL before and was comfortable towing, if I had the F250 with that one it would have been a big difference as well. This new rig will definelty take some getting used to and learning to not wince over every bump expecting the trailer to break off the back of the truck!!

Safe travels on your trip back down to FL...

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