Pre-Newbie Purchase Help Needed

[giddyup]

This is our first day on the Forum and we are busily pursuing our Newbie badge. We will be ordering a 2013 X23B in a few days and despite the fact that we have been "lurking" around the Forum for two weeks and have read the manual, we have many questions.

This is entirely new to us but we are committed to moving forward and very excited about this new adventure.

We live in Palm Desert (Southern CA) and it is HOT here. We plan to stay within a few hours of home for the first season or two so staying cool is important to us.

If you can help with any of of this please chime in:

• Does upgrading to a 15K BTU AC make sense instead of the more standard 13.5 BTU?

• Does the AC have a thermostat or is it just an off/on type switch?

• What type of water hose is best for connecting at parks?

• Thanks to the person who posted the long ago thread about how to weigh the TV/TT. There was no way that I could see to leave a "thank you", and I learned a lot from that posting.

• Again, we are in So. CA - do we need mud dauber screens?

• We have a bicycle rack that fits into our hitch. Is there something that the dealer can install so that we can carry our bikes on the back bumper of the TT?

• Can someone tell me about a 12V converter for a Resmed C-pap? Do they work?

• Any suggestions for a rear camera for back end of TT?

• We like the idea of the heated mattress pads (for our colder trips). How do they work? Do they plug in or are they hardwired. Will we need extra batteries or what for these?

• Suggestions for best hitch lock or way of protecting the TT while we are out hiking, etc?

I have been reading about the Jayco UltraLites for the past six months. We are a bit concerned because after reading the Forum we now believe that we are cutting the weight ratings close. Will be upgrading the TV in about 14 months and we are planning to be very careful.

Thanks to all of you who contribute. Your collective help is priceless.

[Brownie]

Welcome to The Forum, and to the world of RVing! I'm not the incredibly technical kind, so can't speak to many of your questions, but there are a lot of incredibly technical folks in the JOF who I'm sure will be able to help. I just wanted to welcome you and wish you Happy Camping.

[Philpaint]

The 15K AC makes sense, because it is usually a 150$ option, so it is worth it. And usually you have a thermostat

[Tunce the traveler]

Welcome to the forum
Pop up Gizmo's on the tent ends do keep the tent ends cooler in the hot weather and warmer in the winter.
I have 2-25' white drinking hoses that I carry in the TT but just 95% of the time I only need 1 for my water hook-up. I fill up my hose and run it for about 30 seconds before I hook it up to the TT.
A good water filter is a must at any location your at.
Always make sure the tire chocks are in place before you unhook the TT from the TV.

[giddyup]

Thanks for the nice welcome. We are (obviously) not all that technical either but we are still hoping to get some answers to our questions.

[giddyup]

Meant to tell you that we are also ordering the Popup Gizmos. Just going with the lighter ones for now.

Thanks

[giddyup]

Is this something that can be changed out at the dealership? (Richardsons RV in Murrieta, CA)

[Camper_bob]

Congrats on your pending purchase!

-Bigger AC definitely makes sense, and usually worth the increase in price at time of purchase, if you find out later you need a bigger unit, it can get REALLY expensive, but keep in mind the extra voltage requirement of a bigger unit

-It will have its own thermostat, but if it's analog, it will allow wide swings in temperature

-Be sure to get a white water hose for connecting at the CG. Don't skimp on cost here, a flexible hose that is less likely to kink and easier to roll up is worth the extra cost; and just go ahead and get 2; I've only ever need my second one once, but it paid for itself that day IMO.

-I would take your TV loaded as it would be for a trip and weigh it, then make sure you weigh your rig after you have it all loaded up

-I have screens on my water heater, refrigerator, and furnace outlet because as a kid in East Texas, we had bugs everywhere. They are cheap, so I figure why not.

-I would not attach a bike rack to your rear bumper unless you have it reinforced. There are brackets you can buy to attach to the bumper, but I've read too many horror stories. Your dealer will not likely be able to make the reinforcement necessary, but many repair shops that have a welder on site can do it.

-Can't speak to the 12V converter, but you wouldn't really need a converter unless you're boondocking (no shore power), and I would imagine any properly voltage-matched converter would work.

-I would not attach a camera on the back of my trailer because I don't see the need, DW is my spotter, and she's WAY better than any camera, but there are systems available (sorry, not much help there...)

-For heated mattress pads, I would just get a regular household one if I used one at all. We use a very small space heater that works wonderful for us, and supplements the on-board furnace nicely but then it doesn't get that cold down here. Just be careful with voltage, anything that creates heat uses lots of power.

-I don't tend to worry too much about my trailer being stolen while it is set up and parked in a CG. But while it's in storage, I use a simple pad lock. If I were worried about theft, I would put a pretty sizable lock on the tongue, and run a cable or chain through the wheels. If they want it, they'll take it, but I want to make it look like a PITA so they move on to lower hanging fruit. It's all the stuff that's hanging around your site that's more likely to get stolen (grills, bikes, generators, chairs...). Thieves are lazy creatures of opportunity, and taking down a trailer that has been setup for occupation and hauling it off would be quite an endeavor and take WAY more time than any common thief would be willing to devote. While at the CG, get to know your neighbors, RVers tend to watch out for each other, and more eyes on your stuff means less chance of it walking away.

Again, welcome!

[giddyup]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Congrats on your pending purchase!

-Bigger AC definitely makes sense, and usually worth the increase in price at time of purchase, if you find out later you need a bigger unit, it can get REALLY expensive, but keep in mind the extra voltage requirement of a bigger unit

-It will have its own thermostat, but if it's analog, it will allow wide swings in temperature

-Be sure to get a white water hose for connecting at the CG. Don't skimp on cost here, a flexible hose that is less likely to kink and easier to roll up is worth the extra cost; and just go ahead and get 2; I've only ever need my second one once, but it paid for itself that day IMO.

-I would take your TV loaded as it would be for a trip and weigh it, then make sure you weigh your rig after you have it all loaded up

-I have screens on my water heater, refrigerator, and furnace outlet because as a kid in East Texas, we had bugs everywhere. They are cheap, so I figure why not.

-I would not attach a bike rack to your rear bumper unless you have it reinforced. There are brackets you can buy to attach to the bumper, but I've read too many horror stories. Your dealer will not likely be able to make the reinforcement necessary, but many repair shops that have a welder on site can do it.

-Can't speak to the 12V converter, but you wouldn't really need a converter unless you're boondocking (no shore power), and I would imagine any properly voltage-matched converter would work.

-I would not attach a camera on the back of my trailer because I don't see the need, DW is my spotter, and she's WAY better than any camera, but there are systems available (sorry, not much help there...)

-For heated mattress pads, I would just get a regular household one if I used one at all. We use a very small space heater that works wonderful for us, and supplements the on-board furnace nicely but then it doesn't get that cold down here. Just be careful with voltage, anything that creates heat uses lots of power.

-I don't tend to worry too much about my trailer being stolen while it is set up and parked in a CG. But while it's in storage, I use a simple pad lock. If I were worried about theft, I would put a pretty sizable lock on the tongue, and run a cable or chain through the wheels. If they want it, they'll take it, but I want to make it look like a PITA so they move on to lower hanging fruit. It's all the stuff that's hanging around your site that's more likely to get stolen (grills, bikes, generators, chairs...). Thieves are lazy creatures of opportunity, and taking down a trailer that has been setup for occupation and hauling it off would be quite an endeavor and take WAY more time than any common thief would be willing to devote. While at the CG, get to know your neighbors, RVers tend to watch out for each other, and more eyes on your stuff means less chance of it walking away.

Again, welcome!

Camper Bob! We only wish that we had someone like you in our family. Wow! Thanks for all the info.

We have had some other responses and we are currently at:

No Bike Rack - they go inside the TT
CAT Scale is first stop - we have all the instructions
Upgrade to the larger AC - if weight allows it
Forget the heated mattress pads for now
Simple lock-up method
(2) 25' white water hoses
No Boondocking until we learn a lot more - )now I don't need to know so much about the 12V system)

Still wondering about the type of hitch and how best to stabilize (other than weighing and redistributing weight).

[Tunce the traveler]

Why I or you might need that extra 25' hose is because from time to time you might find a great site location but it's set-up for a Class A and their hoop-ups are located on the other side because they pull in.
In Winchester Bay, Oregon you have a choice of ocean or bay site but all bay sites are setup for Class A ( need just about 33' for that one).

[RDUBYA448]

If you're only going to b e carrying 2 bikes and have a ladder attached to the back of your trailer, Swagman makes a nice, sturdy ladder bike rack that fits over the top rungs of the ladder and secures to the ladder via ratchet straps. We have one and it does a phenomenal job of holding our bikes nice & tight without any wobble or bounce! here's a link:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ike-rack/65241

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by giddyup

Camper Bob! We only wish that we had someone like you in our family. Wow! Thanks for all the info.

We have had some other responses and we are currently at:

No Bike Rack - they go inside the TT
CAT Scale is first stop - we have all the instructions
Upgrade to the larger AC - if weight allows it
Forget the heated mattress pads for now
Simple lock-up method
(2) 25' white water hoses
No Boondocking until we learn a lot more - )now I don't need to know so much about the 12V system)

Still wondering about the type of hitch and how best to stabilize (other than weighing and redistributing weight).

You're quite welcome! I was a not so long ago, and I still consider myself pretty new to this whole thing, I only bought my trailer last September. But I'm a nut about researching this stuff, DW uses the word "obsessed", I prefer "passionate"!

But please take what I said with a grain of salt. I do not have any experience with your specific unit, or hybrids for that matter, so whatever I said may or may not apply to you or be accurate in any way!

[giddyup]

Since I have never been rv'ing, I did not know this.

That bit about choosing between and ocean or bay site sounds lovely. I am just hoping to make it out of the dealership parking lot and into the closest CAT scale. This is a big move up from backpacking and tenting. We didn't need a torque wrench for that.

Thanks for the reply.

[Allamuchy Joe]

Originally Posted by giddyup

Since I have never been rv'ing, I did not know this.

That bit about choosing between and ocean or bay site sounds lovely. I am just hoping to make it out of the dealership parking lot and into the closest CAT scale. This is a big move up from backpacking and tenting. We didn't need a torque wrench for that.

Thanks for the reply.

I think you are going to find that your TV is going to be completely inadequate for towing the X23B, especially if you take the rig over mountains. The GVWR of the trailer and the maximum tow capacity of the MDX are the same number. That leaves zero margin and that assumes only 1 person in the MDX with no cargo. (I am assuming you are planning on towing with the MDX in your signature line).

We used to tow an X17Z with a Honda Pilot. When looking for our original hybrid trailer, the Jayco dealer inquired about our tow vehicle. When we told him the Honda Pilot, he told us that the X17Z was the only trailer he would feel comfortable selling us for safety reasons.

The Pilot did the job well, but you could tell the 3500 pound trailer was probably the heaviest thing you would want to tow with it. Knowing we wanted to get a larger trailer, we upgraded our TV first (RAM 1500) prior to purchasing the X23B.

Just some thoughts.

[Kellys]

When we purchased our 23b used last october a equilizer hitch came with it '' equilizer brand name'' we have used about 6 times works good reese also makes a good hitch

[Jayco Jacqui]

Not sure how far along you are but I just spent a weekend in 104 degree heat with my 23b and popup gizmos on the canvas. My 13.5 air conditioner was unable to keep up, the trailer was very warm. The canvas ends and rather thin insulation were not a great combo. For Az , I would go large.

[giddyup]

Originally Posted by Allamuchy Joe

I think you are going to find that your TV is going to be completely inadequate for towing the X23B, especially if you take the rig over mountains. The GVWR of the trailer and the maximum tow capacity of the MDX are the same number. That leaves zero margin and that assumes only 1 person in the MDX with no cargo. (I am assuming you are planning on towing with the MDX in your signature line).

We used to tow an X17Z with a Honda Pilot. When looking for our original hybrid trailer, the Jayco dealer inquired about our tow vehicle. When we told him the Honda Pilot, he told us that the X17Z was the only trailer he would feel comfortable selling us for safety reasons.

The Pilot did the job well, but you could tell the 3500 pound trailer was probably the heaviest thing you would want to tow with it. Knowing we wanted to get a larger trailer, we upgraded our TV first (RAM 1500) prior to purchasing the X23B.

Just some thoughts.

Thanks for your thoughtful concern. I am a little surprised that someone hadn't already raised a red flag as this is something that we have debated quite a bit.

The towing capacity of the Pilot is 4,500 lbs. and the MDX is 5,000 lbs.

We started with the x17, but my husband is a bit taller than 6'4" and he felt like he was in a cage. Then we considered the x19h for almost a year and were going to order that, but when we went to place the order there was a new x23b on the lot and my husband fell in love with it. We immediately discussed the load vs our MDX capacity and, I swear, he liked it so much he would have agreed to drive naked in order to make the weight.

So here is what we are thinking: The 23B should weigh between 4,250 and 4,350 lbs including the upgrades. We have weighed everything that we would need for a one week outing - including us; the dog; clothing; food; utensils; gear; beer ; etc. After deducting the 150 lb allowance our total was just under 400 lbs.

We will not load water until we reach the camp and we are having the best and safest hitch etc that we can find. We plan to upgrade our TV in 13 months, and will stay close to home and avoid mountains and boondocking until we do that.

Our first stop will be at a CAT scale and if the TT weighs much more than expected, it goes into a hangar and stays inside until we get a bigger TV.

In the meantime, we'll throw some lights on the awning and our grandkids won't even notice that we are camping indoors.

Did I miss anything? Please let me know, and thanks for caring.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by giddyup

snip...... Our first stop will be at a CAT scale and if the TT weighs much more than expected, it goes into a hangar and stays inside until we get a bigger TV........snip

Sounds like a good plan, but weigh your TV/TT combination under loaded conditions (full fuel, passengers, cargo, etc.), then you will also know if your WDH is adjusted correctly as well. The yellow sticker on the X23B will have the actual ship weight, just add the weight of the battery (or anything else the dealer adds) to get a fairly accurate UVW rolling off the dealer lot.

When you do your weigh-in, pay close attention to your TV's loaded CAT scale weight because the loaded tongue weight of the X23B goes against your TV's payload capacity. My BIL's 23B loaded tongue weight was about 650lbs.

I see you mentioned that you have the CAT scale instructions, not sure which ones but here is the JOF TV/TT CAT scale walk-thru:

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3871

Again, smart move planning a CAT weigh-in.

Bob

[Allamuchy Joe]

Originally Posted by giddyup

Did I miss anything? Please let me know, and thanks for caring.

It does look like you thought about this quite a bit. One other thing to keep in mind -- the wheelbase of the MDX is relatively short. The trailer is going to feel like it is pushing the MDX around a bit. It will be very noticeable when a tractor-trailer passes you. I noticed quite a reduction when I switched from the Pilot to the Ram.

I completely understand falling in love with the X23B -- we just got ours and love it. Beautiful trailer and it has everything we would ever need in a trailer. You can even keep the tent ends in and sleep on the dinette if the weather gets cold (or quick overnight somewhere.) You wouldn't even feel crowded.

Just for reference, our X23B weighed 4286 pounds from the factory (includes propane, but not the battery).

[campingva]

Do not see any mention of a brake controller for your TV. I am going to assume you have one or the dealer is installing one for you. Also look into putting a product called Refletix in the windows of your beds. It is available at Home Depot or other stores. Just cut it to fit in the windows behind the screens. It will help cool your trailer a lot.