First outing in our 195RB Baja

[MontanaRick]

We just got back from our first trip in our new 195RB Baja, down to Island Park, ID, for some hiking and biking, staying at USFS Upper Coffee Pot Campground right on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. A truly stunning location, and our site was right at the end looking up the river. Our tow vehicle is a 2014 4Runner.

Some things we did in preparation for the trip (really all a result of reading threads on this forum!):
1. Got an Andersen WDH and a Prodigy Primus brake controller.
2. Reinforced the bed crosswise with a 2x2 frame.
3. Installed a bed lift from Hatchlift (stiff going up and down, but it works).
4. Various command hooks, paper towel holder, and a set of Safelite drawers from Target that fit really well on one of the pantry shelves.
5. A long runner carpet (2x6) going most of the length.
6. We had the dealer upgrade to a series 27 battery.
7. We got some cloth "shelves" from Amazon (10x24) that hang nicely in the bedside cabinets (we lose space, but gain utility).

Overall, we were really pleased with how everything worked. A couple of observations:
1. We had just a few minor warranty repairs the first week, which our dealer (Big Sky RV) handled quickly (except for a new storage compartment lock, which is on order).
2. This combination for towing worked very well. We kept the top speed around 60 mph. Going up one long (several miles) steep hill, we slowed to 50, could have probably gone a bit faster if we really wanted to stress the vehicle (and ourselves). Hitch worked as easy as advertised, no sway issues at all.
3. The refridgerator was probably the biggest issue. Testing it out at home, it got way too cold (refridgerator 26, freezer -10; there is no temp adjustment on this model, it is factory preset). After experimentation, I moved the temperature sensor (thermistor?) as low as it could go in its bracket and still be entirely within the bracket, moved the bracket to the center fin, and moved it to the lowest point on that fin. After that, it seems to be keeping perfect temperature. Also, we came back one hot day (mid 80s) to hear a fan sound, and were surprised to see that there is a small, computer-like fan in the outer compartment, presumably to keep things from getting too hot. It ran for hours.
4. Water tanks . . . One of the reasons we went for this trailer from our old Chalet A-frame was the shower . . . my wife likes her showers. We do know how to take a proper RV shower. At the end of three days, with two showers a day, plus dishes, etc., the gray water monitor was reading full (questions about this on a future thread). Fresh water was at 1/3. (Battery still at 80%!). Luckily, we were heading out the next morning, but this seems to put the limit on our time without hookups unless we either dispose of some gray water (I do have a 7 gal. tote that can be used for this) or fewer showers (less likely, need to keep wife happy).
5. Our only other real issue at this point is storage at home. The trailer is stored on a sloping driveway, and leveling takes the highest block I can fit under the jack, then jacked up to the full extent of the jack. Wouldn't even be possible without the Baja flipped axle, as the rear would bottom out. But I'm thinking about an electric jack, because it takes some work to get it all up that high.

Anyway, thanks for all your posts on this forum, they were critical for our decision and for making everything go as nicely as it has so far. We are very happy with our decision and to be part of this community.