Jay Feather 199Mbs Questions

[jeepin95]

We currently have a '21 SLX 154BH that is great but have recently been thinking about upgrading to sometime with a little more room where we don't have to swap the bed around all the time. I found the Jay Feather Micro 199MBS and an Evo with an almost identical floorplan that look interesting online but have some questions before we go to far down that route.

Our tow vehicle now is a 22 F150 Powerboost with max tow and a payload capacity of right around 1400lbs. and a max WD hitch weight of 1klbs but in reality less with 3 people onboard. For anyone that owns this trailer what is a realistic hitch weight for the trailer. The dry weight is listed as 655lbs and GVWR is 5790, so at 15% that covers to 862lbs. I think we were pushing 700lbs hitch weight on our little 154BH Baja on our first real trip with full fresh water, but that is all the way at the front inside. We don't normally travel full but did for the short drive to the scales to try worse case. Even with 3 on the truck and 3 bikes in the bed we are able to currently pack for 2 weeks and stay within the limits of truck and trailer as confirmed on CAT scales. If we were to pack the same stuff in the 199MBS world most of that cargo weight be biased toward the tongue or does most of the cargo weight stay over the trailer axle more?

How are the 12v fridges for efficiency? We currently have a tri-mode fridge and like the gas option, if we don't have power how long will the fridge last on a stock battery setup? I'm not super worried about this as the truck has a 7.2kw inverter onboard so we can power up anytime, but don't want to have to keep it running all the time. Our current fridge drains the battery in hours not days, but I understand the compressor fridges are more efficient.

Is the tankless water heater gas only or is it also electric?

How do you like the unit overall, is there something you would look at instead in that weight and price range?

Thanks

[Kim Gass]

Does the unit under consideration have a solar panel?
And will your camping be in a forest or in the open?

We have a solar panel and a 12v fridge(no gas option).. Fridge drains the battery in about six hours in the forest.

Doesn't seem to drain it at all in the open sun.

[jeepin95]

We haven't picked a specific unit yet but would prefer the solar option or would add my own and just install my Victron MPPT controller. We are in the Pacific Northwest so much of our time is in the forest without full direct sun so that is good to know.

I would probably go with a 100ah lifepo4 battery then which may get me a day?

How well does it keep cold like an ice chest when not powered?

Thanka

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by jeepin95

We haven't picked a specific unit yet but would prefer the solar option or would add my own and just install my Victron MPPT controller. We are in the Pacific Northwest so much of our time is in the forest without full direct sun so that is good to know.

I would probably go with a 100ah lifepo4 battery then which may get me a day?

How well does it keep cold like an ice chest when not powered?

Thanka

No formal test (we should have stuck a thermometer in there)but we loaded up with food a day before leaving and had two days after on the road..The fridge should not have been running.. The temps were between 0 and 32 outside. We had no frozen lettuce. A good sign.

We camped for six days nonserviced site in Newfoundland in sun and the fridge kept its cool. We ran the genny only for morning coffee(spoiled by a brew system)

a thermometer in there would be a good idea.

I have considered thinking of it as an ice chest while camping in our forested sites and not starting the portable generator. Why not?

[DonBr]

I recently added a third 100AH battery, and I have 380W nominal solar. Currently at the 5th day of first trip since adding that battery. Crescent City CA and Gold Hill, Oregon, partially treed, about 50-50 on overcast. Have been on shore power, but both factory and Victron charger are disconnected, both to test and to let the batteries have some variation. No attempt to reduce 12V power. 12V refrigerator on max, not off-grid setting. 12V television on about 5 hours per day (baseball season!) lights, etc. The battery monitor showed a drop of 60AH the first night, with a lot of propane furnace use. Since then using electric heater, no furnace, and maximum drop has been 40AH in a night. Gains a lot of it back every day, but not all. Lowest it has been so far has been down to 225AH (75%). I suspect that, if conditions were to remain exactly the same, I would be in trouble in about a month. Give me some days of real sunshine and the power would be infinite.

[Birdhouse199mbs]

Get it with a standard dual powered refrigerator. So you have the option to run on electricity or propane. Also upgrade to 2 batteries and the solar should be enough without any issues.

[FISTEP]

At the RV show yesterday, the salesman said that all manufacturers are dropping propane powered fridges because they have too many warranty claims on them. I've never heard that. I said that did not fill me with confidence since he sold me a new trailer at last year's show. He quickly backed up and said that if it didn't have a problem right away, it was probably fine.

Any horror stories on propane fridges late? Our last one worked flawlessly for years and we used it a lot.
I hear lots of complaints about 12v/120v only fridges draining batteries.

[DonBr]

I suspect that problems with 12V refrigerators, from a warranty standpoint, are at least as high. Part of that is that they are relatively new, and have problems with things like low voltage.

My guess is that the real reason is a) they can, with reduced cost of solar and lithium, and b) liability. Absorption refrigerators have been one of the more common causes of RV fires over the years, and 12V is far less likely to be a problem that way. I don't want to imply that even 1% of propane refrigerators have caused fires - it is probably way less than that - but 0.001% would still be a tremendous liability issue.

[FISTEP]

The salesman was saying warranty issues related to failures, not fires from what I got from the conversation. The Jayco manufacturer rep was there and I talked about a few issues but unfortunately, not the fridge since we haven't had a problem with them.

[DonBr]

I understand the "official line," just not buying it. Far more common these days to hear of warranty repair/replacement of 12V refrigerators, particularly in Micros. I think it is likely those are "growing pains" and the rate of failure will drop, but I'm not at all sure it will ever be better than for the absorption units. What I would not expect, is for a company person to EVER say anything about refrigerator fires. Admissions of that sort give lawyers nightmares.

[Birdhouse199mbs]

Issue resolved