Help With Options Please

[Doubleheader]

We're ordering our Eagle 293RKDS this weekend. There are 3 options which I'd really like advice. They are 1. The Girard Gen 3 tankless hot water system, 2. Dual Pane windows, and 3. Electric Auto leveling. For those of you with experience and knowledge do you feel these options are worth the price of admission? I've had 2 dealers tell me the dual pane windows add very little in terms of insulation, but I wonder in the real world if that's the case, and I also wonder if they would improve resale. As for the Girard system I guess I just wonder about reliability and functional value, and last but certainly not least, is auto-leveling worthwhile? It is a pricey ad-on, but if everyone is ga-ga over it I will definitely consider adding it. Thanks for your opinions. We have been researching 5th wheels forever but we've never owned one, we're strictly newbies.

[luvs2camp7164]

We have the double pane windows and auto level system on our unit. We like both features. Not all windows are double but most are. The cut down on outside noise and moisture buildup.
We do mot have the tankless hot water system but i did talk to the jead mechanic at our dealer and he said that he would only recomend that brand at this time. He went to thier location to train on setvicing that unit.

[klassic]

I don't have the windows, but I've never heard of anyone regret getting them.
Single pane sweat in the cold when the heat is on and I rarely do that and I rarely run the AC. So it wasn't worth it to me.
Depends how you camp and where you live.

I've heard of many problems with the tankless. Even the gen3. The Atwood 12gallon works for me. It recovers fast enough for 2 showers. Again..depends on how you camp. I can see the tankless advantage for full timing.

If it's 4 point Ground Control3 and not 6 point. Then I see no advantage over manually leveling with boards or blocks. When on a site that isn't close to flat you will need to "pre level" side to side and put blocks under some jacks so they don't run out of stroke.
Ground Control is only semi stable for movement...there is hardly any difference between having rear manual stabilizers.
I've pushed on a rig with hydraulic Level Up and it is almost solid compared to my 6 point Ground Control 3
There is no way I would want a 4 point system due to the fact there is no point between the front jacks and the rear jacks. IMHO the rig shouldn't be lifted by the back end and the front end...I would think that would stress the frame. The middle needs support too.

If you are pinching pennies, 4 point isn't worth it..6 point is almost worth it. If your pockets are full then it's fun to have.

[blujay40]

We have dual pane windows and the Girard in our Eagle TT.

We are happy with both but it seems sometimes that we are in the minority around here rather than the majority.

We think the dual pane windows do keep the outside noises outside better than single pane windows do. We also have done a "sensory" test with them in regards to not only how much heat we feel being radiated thru the double panes vs. the single panes in the side of the slideouts as well as how cold the window inside feels on colder mornings. In both instances, there is a noticeable difference for us in regards to what we "feel". We also have yet to see any condensation on them but we have only had them for a few months and it has been spent entirely in Florida, so our testing situations are very limited. But at this point, we are glad we got them.

As for the Girard WH, we also are glad we got it, even in the face of all the complaints about them and many deciding to go back to a traditional tanked gas/electric WH. There are some quirks to it that you have to be able to deal with, or should I say "adjust" to. The first and most important one is that the Girard is NOT really suitable for boondocking or if you camp a lot where there are limited hookups. They do and will use a lot of water, even if you take navy showers. There are at least a couple of threads on this site about the Girard, so I won't turn this into yet another discussion on all the pros/cons of them, but it it would probably be prudent for you to peruse them none the less if your seriously thinking about the Girard.

Can't speak to the auto leveling, but if I had the option to have gotten them added to our TT, I probably would have.

[rsday75]

I cannot speak to the water heater as I have the tank type.. Only thing I have heard on them is that at low flow, they sometimes will not fire and heat the water.

I have the 4 point Auto Level on a bigger rig and love it.
I do have to sometimes put boards under the rear jacks if the site is not very level, but we are talking 3+ degrees out of level. It has lifted the wheels off the ground with ease to level my rig. When traveling, and stopping for 1 night, it is great.Push the button, and the rig is level by the time I have the water and power connected. I will never go back to the whole backing on boards to level.

Double pane windows are great. MUCH less heat & cold pass. No condensation on cold mornings. Much less noise intrusion. Love them.
Our local dealer also said they were not needed, but they were really pushing me to buy a unit off their lot. Ended up going with a different dealer and ordered exactly what I wanted....

[RayPayne]

Dual pane windows I find are better for noise than heat / cool. Not that they may not be good for insulation improvements too, but going from R2 to R3 (not sure of the figures, bit it's a small difference) isn't going to make a world of difference. The fact I have more sound insulation to not hear noise at night, or to not hear noises from inside the RV as much when I'm sitting outside make it worth the cost. Especially with kids a little more sound proofing is a good thing.

Auto leveling has been a must have on my list for years now. You think maybe it's worth it, until you're out there leveling in a downpour with a big temperature drop. Doing that sort of setup to level manually and doing the same with an automatic system made an absolute convert of me. It's nice when it's perfect weather outside. It's fantastic when the weather sucks.

I have tankless at home, but not the RV. I've heard of too many people with issues there, so I figured I'd do that upgrade myself at a later date. In general Tankless is better than Tank based hot water in my opinion. But a poor quality product doesn't thrill me. I postponed that and just went with a tank in the RV until I've done enough research. It's not very difficult to upgrade later, but the windows and leveling are.

[Cdash]

We got the dual pane and auto level (4 point).

At first, I wasn't sure about the windows, but in the heat of the summer, and our winter camping in January proved their worth to me. In the summer, the AC would actually cycle, rather than running all day long like our old rig. In both hot and cold you could feel a difference sitting next to the window at the dinette. With single pane, you feel the heat/cold. With dual pane, not so much. I'm glad I got them!

Auto level - love it. It only failed to level me once, and that site was horribly unlevel, one of the worst we've ever been in, and we've been in some bad ones. The rear jacks ran out of stroke before we leveled. We were so close that we left it and enjoyed our weekend. Other than that, it's been problem free. The key is to put Legos under the rear jacks (as many as you can fit) and you won't have a problem. I credit it for saving my marriage, too. My DW had a tendency of reading the level on the old rig backwards, meaning we'd end up putting a board under the high side, making the high side higher..... Then I didn't trust her if I double checked...... Now she just has to tell me where she wants it on the site, I get it there and we take turns on who has to push the button!

[Mopar_Earl]

We have a 293rkds on order. We got the auto leveling and the dual pane windows. We did not get the tankless. Heard too many stories on them. Maybe they are better or perfected by now.
I also recommend dual pane windows. It does help. They aren't like house windows but they definitely help and also cut down on noise.
My trade has 4 point hydraulic level-up. So we got this electric version ordered. I pulled most of my hydraulic items off my trade. So if we dislike the electric leveling, we will swap it out for the hydraulics.

We got the following options:
*Dinette booth
*Cashmere interior
*Dual pane windows
*Rear camera
*Auto leveling
*Theater seating
*Mor/Ryde pin box
*Dry camping package (gen prep)
*US made Goodyear tires (mandatory option)
*2nd AC for bedroom
*12 cubic foot RV fridge
*Bedroom TV
*Special ordered/request Jayco to install a low profile AC for the bedroom
*Special ordered factory add on rear electric stabilizers



Earl

[dpi7800]

Question, do you only set up in designated RV sites or do you also boondock? I do 50/50, so having concerns for ripping off one of the auto level jacks when on a non maintained forest/BLM road, I opted not to go with an auto level. I use the Anderson levelers and as many here who use then also can tell you, they are super fast and easy.

[Cdash]

Originally Posted by dpi7800

Question, do you only set up in designated RV sites or do you also boondock? I do 50/50, so having concerns for ripping off one of the auto level jacks when on a non maintained forest/BLM road, I opted not to go with an auto level. I use the Anderson levelers and as many here who use then also can tell you, they are super fast and easy.

I understand your concern, they do look awfully low. However, with them placed so close to the rear wheels, I find that they are well protected. We boondock at times and I haven't found the placement to be an issue, yet. I guess most of it depends on what you are driving in to get to your site and how bad is it.

[Mopar_Earl]

The 293 is a 4-point auto level. The rear jacks are higher off the ground than the big luxury trailers. The 293 is overslung so the trailer sits higher than the giant underslung trailers. The 293 also has adjustable suspension to raise or lower the trailer. The rear auto jacks also have adjustment. The 293 I looked at had the rear jacks about the same height off the ground as my hydraulic level-up on my current trailer.


Earl

[bdreinv]

Originally Posted by Doubleheader

We're ordering our Eagle 293RKDS this weekend. There are 3 options which I'd really like advice. They are 1. The Girard Gen 3 tankless hot water system, 2. Dual Pane windows, and 3. Electric Auto leveling. For those of you with experience and knowledge do you feel these options are worth the price of admission? I've had 2 dealers tell me the dual pane windows add very little in terms of insulation, but I wonder in the real world if that's the case, and I also wonder if they would improve resale. As for the Girard system I guess I just wonder about reliability and functional value, and last but certainly not least, is auto-leveling worthwhile? It is a pricey ad-on, but if everyone is ga-ga over it I will definitely consider adding it. Thanks for your opinions. We have been researching 5th wheels forever but we've never owned one, we're strictly newbies.

Auto level auto level we love it,the manual wont tell you the step by step instructions are behind the propane door on driver side!Dont know about other two! Happy Trails

[Doubleheader]

Originally Posted by dpi7800

Question, do you only set up in designated RV sites or do you also boondock? I do 50/50, so having concerns for ripping off one of the auto level jacks when on a non maintained forest/BLM road, I opted not to go with an auto level. I use the Anderson levelers and as many here who use then also can tell you, they are super fast and easy.

Thanks for all the responses from everyone. The overwhelming opinion, however unscientific, is auto-leveling -yes, dual pane- yes, tankless HW- no. Well, I'll be adopting 2 of your 3 recommendations as I think I'm going with the Anderson manual leveling system. I know, I'm cheap, but how long can leveling really take, and it's expensive. Thanks everyone. Can't wait for Saturday to roll around so we can get this buggy on order.

[bdreinv]

We dry camp most of the time we found an easy way to auto level on uneven spots.4X4 blocks under rear jacks. Drop front jacks about 7" before you start the unhook program. Happy Trails

[Mopar_Earl]

Originally Posted by bdreinv

We dry camp most of the time we found an easy way to auto level on uneven spots.4X4 blocks under rear jacks. Drop front jacks about 7" before you start the unhook program. Happy Trails

Drop the legs 7" or run the jacks down 7"?


Earl

[bdreinv]

Originally Posted by Mopar_Earl

Drop the legs 7" or run the jacks down 7"?


Earl

Hi Earl we pull pin on front jacks drop about 6 holes or 7" each side. Then we place 4X4 under rear jacks and start auto level unhook process. On our Eagle the direction were behind propane door drivers side! Happy Trails

[rsday75]

[QUOTE=Doubleheader;490988I'm cheap, but how long can leveling really take, and it's expensive. .[/QUOTE]

It is expensive, but wait until you have to do it in a downpour, or in the baking Florida sun with mosquitoes buzzing, or you have to pack the muddy leveling blocks in a downpour as you go to leave, etc.

At that point, worth every penny.

Another thought, I find the RV much more firmly planted with the leveler system as opposed to our old rig with the stabilizer jacks. The Auto Leveling jacks are much more robust and seem to remove much more shake...

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Doubleheader

Thanks for all the responses from everyone. The overwhelming opinion, however unscientific, is auto-leveling -yes, dual pane- yes, tankless HW- no. Well, I'll be adopting 2 of your 3 recommendations as I think I'm going with the Anderson manual leveling system. I know, I'm cheap, but how long can leveling really take, and it's expensive. Thanks everyone. Can't wait for Saturday to roll around so we can get this buggy on order.

I, for one, think you made the right decision.

Put these on in the front
https://store.lci1.com/jts-jack-stabilizer-fifth-wheel

And these on the back
Power Stabilizer Jacks

And your rig will be way more stable then 4 point Ground control.

[Mopar_Earl]

I would never own a trailer without an auto leveling system. Too many years I was in the heat and humidity or rain trying to get the unit level. Than by the next day it sinks and you have to hitch back up and relevel. With an auto system you can fine tune it with some buttons. Systems are worth their weight in gold!!! Now if you only camp in resorts that actually have true level pads, than you wouldn't need an auto leveling system.

My unit is on order and I special ordered the factory to install the rear electric stabilizers to enhance the system. I also plan to get JT's as well.


Earl

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Mopar_Earl

I would never own a trailer without an auto leveling system. Too many years I was in the heat and humidity or rain trying to get the unit level. Than by the next day it sinks and you have to hitch back up and relevel. With an auto system you can fine tune it with some buttons. Systems are worth their weight in gold!!! Now if you only camp in resorts that actually have true level pads, than you wouldn't need an auto leveling system.

My unit is on order and I special ordered the factory to install the rear electric stabilizers to enhance the system. I also plan to get JT's as well.


Earl

Now you have something that will work well Earl.
Or Jayco could just abandon this electric system and use 6 point Level Up.

And I'll go back to my point on page 1.. I don't think lifting a long frame from the back and the front, and leaving it stressed in that position is a very good idea.