Considering Greyhawk 29KS but have some worries

Identifier · 10-06-2013, 09:19 AM

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and new to RVing as well. I'm considering the Greyhawk 29KS as my first RV because I love the floorplan and the outside kitchen seems like an awesome idea. I'm also considering the Forest River 2860DS/2861DS but Jayco looks like it has a better inside kitchen, a nicer look, and the general quality seems to be better in the Jayco than the Sunseeker/Forester. But I do have two concerns about the 29KS and I'm hoping someone on here can speak to them from experience:

My first worry is that the fresh water tank is too small in the 29KS. The specs show that it's only 33 gallons, even though the gray water tank is 40 gallons. Why would the fresh water tank be smaller than the grey water? I guess when you're hooked up then it might be nice to have a bigger grey water tank, but when you're dry camping then shouldn't it be the opposite? I'm planning on most of my time being parked/camped away from hookups (usually in a parking lot for a week or more at a time) so I'm worried that 33 gallons just won't be sufficient (especially if my girlfriend is with me!). I've read that some people resort to those 5-gallon collapsible Walmart water jugs but it seems silly to buy a $100k RV with full plumbing/kitchens/etc and have to resort to lugging water jugs around

My second worry is that there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of outside storage on the 29KS. Even if I didn't have the outside kitchen, none of the storage compartments seem deep enough to carry things like lawn chairs or the grill or most other outdoorsy things. It seems most Class C's these days have a pass-through or at least one large storage compartment somewhere to store the big items like lawn chairs or even kids bicycles but I'm not seeing any place like that on the 29KS. I don't anticipating having a LOT of outdoor equipment, but lawn chairs seem like a must.

For those of you RVers out there, do these end up being issues in real life? Is the 29KS really just meant to be hooked up all the time and not really used for dry camping?

Thank you in advance for any info!

msturtz · 10-06-2013, 11:23 AM

We just purchased a Greyhawk 31FS. It has 32.7 gallon capacity. It is quite thin on water storage. We are able to last a few days. I have added a 2 Gallon accumulator tank to help with the water storage. Having an accumulator tank helps a lot. Jayco uses better quality components than other manufacturers.

Identifier · 10-06-2013, 12:30 PM

I looked up accumulator tanks (I hadn't heard of them before) and it looks like most of the size is used by air, for example with the SHURflo it shows that the 2 gallon version only holds .7 gallons of water (and the 6 gallon version holds 2.2 gallons of water). So I'm guessing it's something other than the extra .7 gallons of water that helps a lot?

(By the way when I first read "accumulator" I thought perhaps there was some new device that dehumidifies the coach and converts the moisture into fresh water in order to last longer when dry camping, but I'm pretty sure you meant the SHURflo pressure-regulating device after googling it. Darn

).

msturtz · 10-06-2013, 07:31 PM

My Greyhawk 31FS comes with a "country fill" feature. The country fill feature allows you to fill from a container. This makes it easy to fill up from a container without moving your motorhome or if you are too far from the spigot.

clydekilgore · 10-07-2013, 03:38 PM

I just ordered the 29KS as well after considering the Forester 2861DS. Finally decided the Greyhawk provided the better value. And the outside Kitchen (which we first saw on the Forester) was a major factor. I think it will fit the way we will camp. I currently do a good deal of our cooking outdoors at home and think that will not change on the road. Even without the outdoor Kitchen, it seems light on exterior storage. But we will see, and make do with what we get. There are always ways to accomplish what you need to do. But then again, I'm a backpacker at heart, and have learned to economize by being required to carry everything on my back. The MH will be luxury, no matter what the external storage.
clyde

msturtz · 10-07-2013, 03:44 PM

Did you request the spare tire?

TX_Arvee · 10-09-2013, 01:32 PM

I think basing the purchase of a unit on the size of the tanks is not a good thing to base your purchase on. Most Class C's are very close in tank size anyway.
I have filled the fresh water tank on a few occasions, but mostly run with about 8-10 gallons. I find myself wishing the greywater tank had about 10 more gallons capacity more time than not. Seems with my crew the grey water storage can barely get us through a weekend at a park without full hookups.

We have used the Country fill when dry camping in Camp Driveway after having to shut hte water off to our house for some repairs. We filled from a clean 5 gallon bucket and it worled like a charm.

You made the right choice with a Jayco. You wont regret it.

msturtz · 10-10-2013, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Identifier

I looked up accumulator tanks (I hadn't heard of them before) and it looks like most of the size is used by air, for example with the SHURflo it shows that the 2 gallon version only holds .7 gallons of water (and the 6 gallon version holds 2.2 gallons of water). So I'm guessing it's something other than the extra .7 gallons of water that helps a lot?

(By the way when I first read "accumulator" I thought perhaps there was some new device that dehumidifies the coach and converts the moisture into fresh water in order to last longer when dry camping, but I'm pretty sure you meant the SHURflo pressure-regulating device after googling it. Darn

).

I do have a dehumidifier but I would not drink the water from it!

. Anyway I had a Shurflo very smallest accumulator tank installed on my JayFlight and it made a world of difference. The system had pressure to wash hands or flush the toilet without the pump even starting. The larger accumulator tanks provide longer run time before the pump refills it. Also keep in mind you get all the water in the tank plus the water in the lines from the tank. The reason for this is is the air pressure in the tank. This means that you will more efficiently use the water you have. In my new Greyhawk I had the 2 gallon tank installed.

msturtz · 10-10-2013, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TX_Arvee

I think basing the purchase of a unit on the size of the tanks is not a good thing to base your purchase on. Most Class C's are very close in tank size anyway.
I have filled the fresh water tank on a few occasions, but mostly run with about 8-10 gallons. I find myself wishing the greywater tank had about 10 more gallons capacity more time than not. Seems with my crew the grey water storage can barely get us through a weekend at a park without full hookups.

We have used the Country fill when dry camping in Camp Driveway after having to shut hte water off to our house for some repairs. We filled from a clean 5 gallon bucket and it worled like a charm.

You made the right choice with a Jayco. You wont regret it.

I had this problem with my JayFlight now with the Greyhawk i run out of fresh water. I found out a quirk that the water will slosh out of the fresh tank in transit. If the road is curvy I can lose half the water in the fresh tank. An accumulator helps with this.

cdrcos@gmail.com · 10-10-2013, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Identifier

... the general quality seems to be better in the Jayco than the Sunseeker/Forester...

Jayco is head & shoulders above Forest River in quality. We have owned a number of Jayco products and were always happy with them including our Granite Ridge 2900.

OnTheGo · 10-13-2013, 04:56 AM

We have the 29KS and don't use FHU sites very often. We often add fresh water from a 5 gallon container on longer stays. We minimize waste water in the grey tank, and drain some when necessary (very seldom). I tell friends when you by an RV you not only have to become a plumber, but you also become the sanitary district. You have to budget your consumption and waste like you would your money. We all do it.

I think you wouldn't be satisfied with much larger tanks because it would change the layout and features. If you go to a large Class A you can get more capacity.

Stevefaync · 02-13-2014, 08:15 PM

We never have enough gray water tank. Many State parks have water and electric, but no sewer. No problem. I bought a 35 gallon smart-tote tank. It is the perfect answer. I keep it stored in the clam shell located on the roof when we don't need it. Google them or visit an rv dealer to look at one. You will be very impressed.

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