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Old 06-20-2015, 10:06 AM   #1
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2013 X23B Do's and Don'ts

Hello, I'm a new member and just bought a 2013 Jayco X23B. I upgraded from a Jayco 1206 Pop-Up which I only used a few times...so I'm not the most experienced RV'er! I did camp a lot as a kid and now have a family of 6 (7 with the dog) that I'm trying to create the same memories with.

Just looking for some help to save me a few headaches. Particularly with leveling...and black water/sewer is all new to me also.

Thanks!!
Jamie
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Old 06-20-2015, 01:33 PM   #2
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We upgraded from a pop-up to a 2013 X23B. Love it. Have been to Alaska, California, Wyoming, Maine, Texas and all points in between. Here are a few suggestions. Not sure how much info you need so this may be overboard. If so just take what you can use and toss the rest.

Always Chock the wheels both sides before you unhook from the tow vehicle. If this thing starts to roll you will never get it stopped. I make it a habit to do this even when on level ground just so it becomes a habit.

We only open one of the propane tanks at a time. That way when one runs out you know you have a full one left. Some people leave both on so it will switch over when the first one runs out. I don't like that system because when you are out, you are out and may be a long way from getting resupplied.

Start the refrigerator the day before you leave on a trip. It takes a long time to cool down but it holds temp well after that. You will be amazed at how little propane it uses. Once we leave the house we leave that switch on automatic. if you are on campground electric it senses that and uses their electricity, when on the road or boon-docking it automatically switches to propane

One of the only complaints about the X23B is the inside shower. Not designed very well. We usually always use the campground shower. When boon-docking we will use the outside shower

Where the bunks close and the two rubber gaskets meet I occasionally dust baby powder on the gaskets. A couple of times the front one has stuck pretty tight. The baby powder prevents this

Sewer is not a really big deal. There are several videos you can look up on You tube. Here is one of many

Black tank gauge will probably always read full. Just one of those things. Our grey tank almost always fills up the quickest so we just dump the black whenever the grey is full. Dump black first then grey

When we are at campground and on their electric we always run a small portable 1500 watt electric space heater instead of the furnace in the camper. Turn on the camper furnace first thing in the morning to take the chill off and then the space heater maintains it after that.

Took us a while to figure out how to get the best reception on the TV. There is a booster button you can push when using the antenna. If that button is on when you are on cable it screws the picture up. We got all the to California from Kentucky on our first trip before we got that figured out.

When cooking on the stove it does make a difference when you open the vent on the outside of the trailer. It is located right behind the stove but it has to be opened from the outside.

Make a checklist of things to watch for when leaving. Antenna down, steps in, stabilizers up, vent cover closed, windows closed etc.

When driving in the rain the awning tends to gather water. Needs to be opened and dried out or mildew will start to develop.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as we have ours. Safe travels

Ed Brodt
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Old 06-21-2015, 10:06 PM   #3
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Ed,
Great stuff!!! Thank you so much for taking the time! Hopefully I'll be able to pay it forward some day! Our first trip with the X23B is Wednesday, up North in our home state of Wisconsin.

Any hints on leveling?

Thanks!
Jamie
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Old 06-21-2015, 10:23 PM   #4
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Congratulations, we enjoy our 23B. Level side to side first, we use wood blocks. One bad thing about hybrids, is ensuring the canvas is not trapped between the seal when closed up. We have had the canvas in the seals a few times along the top edge, out of sight. Opened it up to a little water trapped in the canvas, but everything is dry.
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Old 06-22-2015, 05:36 AM   #5
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Get one of those spinning water spraying wands to connect to your sink and spray into your black tank after you empty it, then drain it again. That spinning sprayer cleans the tank pretty good and will improve the function of the sensors in the tank. Get one of those fans you clip onto the cooling fins on the refrigerator they will help keep the air moving in the fridge. Personally I never use electric for the Fridge, it uses so little gas and I think it works better on gas.
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Old 06-22-2015, 07:33 AM   #6
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Still kinda bugs me, using propane for frig on the road. Knowing it is commonly done and probably 99% safe, I still will not do so seeing my Jayco manual notes in two sections not to. Asked dealer and his comment was "lots do use propane on the road" but would not state anything further (very diplomatic).
It is easier for me not to use it anyway as I only drive at most 8 hours to locations and frig/freezer stay just fine. I use electric where available as frig in this mode does wonderful job. But I do turn on the day before leaving and fill frig with frozen items and rest just hours before taking off...

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Old 06-22-2015, 07:44 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Brodt View Post
... Not sure how much info you need so this may be overboard. If so just take what you can use and toss the rest.

...
Ed Brodt
Great post!

I always level using the fridge. Being level is important for the absorption cooling system to operate properly. If the refrigerator is level the trailer will be level enough for all other purposes.

The RV Doctor: RV Absorption Refrigeration Basics

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Old 06-22-2015, 08:05 AM   #8
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Hi Neighbor!

We've had 2 hybrids over the past 13 years. Some stuff has become so routine for us that I have to think about "lessons learned". Our current '13 X20E is the little brother to the X23B.

We've never had a problem with leaks while traveling in the rain. If you do, it's one of two issues. 1) The canvas isn't tucked in properly and is stuck in the seal. 2) The bed seal is bad and needs to be replaced.

Twice per season, when we "wake it up" in the spring, and when we "put it to bed" in the late fall, I treat all the bed seals with Turtle Wax F21. Our first hybrid ('03 Kiwi 17A) was purchased new and traded after having it for 10 years. The bed seals were in perfect condition.

Someone mentioned baby on the bed seals. If you treat them with protectent, they will never stick. However, we use baby powder on the slide gaskets. It helps the slide out move more smoothly.

Stop leaks BEFORE they occur. 2 or 3 times every season, inspect every seal and seam on the out side of the trailer, including the roof . Re-caulk any seal that looks questionable.

If TV is important to you, get either a Jack replacement head or a Winegard Sensar add-on. These will help pull in more stations. Also get a Singnal finder to take the guess work out of finding the strongest signals.

Get everyone who's old enough in the family to help setup and break down. Don't approach it as a chore, make it fun for everyone.

How you cook and where is purely a personal choice. However, I'll share that we do almost all of our cooking over the campfire. I put down a bed of charcol first, then lay 2 pieces of wood on each side, then cross 2 more over the top. the combination of the charcoal and wood heats up fast and cooks more evenly. We used to use a tripod, now use the Automatic Chef. It's made in Green Bay. We got ours at a store in GB called Cooks Corner.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckworkb View Post
Get one of those spinning water spraying wands to connect to your sink and spray into your black tank after you empty it, then drain it again. That spinning sprayer cleans the tank pretty good and will improve the function of the sensors in the tank.
X2! I have one and have never had an issue with the black tank sensor reading.

That's all for now. I may think of other things later.
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Old 06-22-2015, 10:26 AM   #9
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Leveling....

The stabilizers are not for leveling. Use wood or blocks under the tires to level side to side and then use the tongue jack to level front to back after unhooking the tow vehicle. The stabilizers can fine tune the level but won't correct being out a couple inches.

The other important ones....

Dump black and then gray tank so the gray water cleans your sewer hose and connections. (already mentioned but worth mentioning twice!)

Don't turn on your hot water heater until you are sure there is water in it.

Lots of other good info posted already.

Enjoy the trailer!

Cheers
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Old 06-23-2015, 08:33 PM   #10
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Ours is the same year and model, we have been loving it. We have had ours parked at a seasonal spot for some time now and the only other thing I wish I had done was put some tarps or something over the beds. No leaking issues or anything, but they just get nasty dirty if you leave them out for a long time.
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