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Old 01-15-2021, 08:44 AM   #1
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Josh's 154bh

Hi Everyone,

Proud new owner of a Jayco Jay Flight SLX 7 154 BH!

If there is one thing I have learned when it comes to these types of purchases, its that having a place to share your love for them and to ask for help is extremely helpful.

Plans for this trailer are pretty minimal, I plan to treat it as a luxury tent essentially.

First thing on the list though is to swap out the 10 gallon fresh tank for a 20 gallon one. Can anyone confirm that this is the tank I would want to get? It sure looks the part.

https://www.icondirect.com/jayco-fre...0-gal-0260385/

Second will be to look into swapping out for a compost toilet.

Third is to increase the solar panels as well as the battery bank so off grid will be easier to do. It came with a 100 watt panel and a 30 amp controller but I am thinking ill need closer to 400 watts to be able to continue to run everything without issues.

I am looking forward to sharing experiences and hearing from you all!
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Old 01-15-2021, 07:29 PM   #2
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looks nice, my only input on the solar, is to use what you have and figure out what you actually need after several trips. A nice little generator may be a good safety net while you figure things out or it may be all you need
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Old 01-16-2021, 04:10 PM   #3
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Thanks SuckyFisherman that’s a good idea, main idea for boosting solar capacity would be so I wouldn’t have to run a generator, but I’ll definitely give it a go and see what I can do without messing with it first.
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Old 01-20-2021, 10:22 AM   #4
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So after playing around on this site some more I realized this needs to be in the Mods section... if there's any way a moderator could move it there I would appreciate it. If not then I can just start a new one.

Quick question for yall.

I decided to get a compost toilet because I have kids and a wife that love to use water as much as they can and this trailer only has a 10 gallon tank (soon to be 20 gallons) and I want every drop of that used as sparingly as possible.

If yall were to run a vent to the outside for this compost toilet would you...

A. Go through the rear wall of the trailer to the exterior with a clamshell that would only be 6-8" from the rear of the toilet.

B. Go up to the ceiling and vent out of the top just behind the vent above the toilet.

C. Route the exhaust to the Grey Tank Exhaust which would require tapping into the black plumbing fittings and probably be a way bigger pain in the butt but requires one less hole in the trailer?

D. Go into the floor and figure out a way to secure it underneath the trailer on the side of the black tank (could be alot more challenging than I want to deal with and I would like the floor to be as sealed as possible)

Thanks!
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Old 01-20-2021, 10:43 AM   #5
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Go up through the ceiling. Lower vent might not be pleasant on the outside.
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Old 01-20-2021, 10:46 AM   #6
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ALJO - thanks for the input. Ya that’s kind of what I was thinking. I’m just in a wheelchair so heights are my kryptonite but I’m sure I can find help. Also means if I do that I can use the solar fan vent on the outside and not have to worry about running a power wire to it.
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Old 01-20-2021, 11:14 AM   #7
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Do you have your water-tank under a bench? If so you can calculate your space to what fits.

With Solar power you would have limitations as for example a microwave draws a lot of amps. Even a furnace can draw 2 group 27 batteries down overnight.

Off-road camping versus hookups are also two different subjects

So do your research on that.
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Old 01-20-2021, 11:21 AM   #8
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I do, I actually just ordered the 20 gallon replacement from Icon direct that they use in the Baja models, they had dimensions so it was easy to figure out.

I am not planning on using the microwave if I am on solar. I have never had a microwave before so I dont see a reason to need one now if I am camping "off grid". I still want to maintain some stuff for hookups like the ac and the microwave but for the most part I want to have it setup so I can just go anywhere without worrying about that stuff. The compost toilet is kind of annoying when there is hookups because of its standalone nature but I can live with it knowing I can always use my toilet and just handle it as I need to. I am definitely someone that forgets about emptying things until its too late and having it all small and confined in one toilet will make it much less likely that will happen.

I was debating on pulling the black tank since both my fresh and grey water tanks will be 20 gallons, but I have read some people encountering issues with not having a place to dump grey water but having water hookups. So I figure it isnt going to hurt anything to just keep it where it is and then I can use it to double my grey tank capacity if I get into that same situation.
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Old 01-20-2021, 11:47 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheJoshSweeney View Post
I do, I actually just ordered the 20 gallon replacement from Icon direct that they use in the Baja models, they had dimensions so it was easy to figure out.

I am not planning on using the microwave if I am on solar. I have never had a microwave before so I dont see a reason to need one now if I am camping "off grid". I still want to maintain some stuff for hookups like the ac and the microwave but for the most part I want to have it setup so I can just go anywhere without worrying about that stuff. The compost toilet is kind of annoying when there is hookups because of its standalone nature but I can live with it knowing I can always use my toilet and just handle it as I need to. I am definitely someone that forgets about emptying things until its too late and having it all small and confined in one toilet will make it much less likely that will happen.

I was debating on pulling the black tank since both my fresh and grey water tanks will be 20 gallons, but I have read some people encountering issues with not having a place to dump grey water but having water hookups. So I figure it isnt going to hurt anything to just keep it where it is and then I can use it to double my grey tank capacity if I get into that same situation.
I've heard of people replacing their RV toilet with a "composting" toilet that has a urine diverting setup that dumps the urine into the black water tank. These people usually tie their gray and black water tanks together and consider the urine as gray water.

Just a thought..
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:42 PM   #10
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Deepsea5 - Ya I have seen that as well. I figure that defeats the purpose of having the compost toilet though. Might as well have just kept the original setup. I have a travel toilet in my truck for my two kids that are under 5 so that I dont have to take them in anywhere and they can just go potty as they need to and man urine stinks so ideally I want it out of my trailer as much as possible.
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:47 PM   #11
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Alright first mod is in the books! The dealer lady looked at me funny when I said I didnt want to hear about any warranty stuff or had any questions. I neglected to tell her I usually end up voiding warranties anyway ha ha.

As I dug under the front left bench seat of the 154bh to get to the water tank, I found an oddly located outlet under the bench at the very front. This seemed like not only the worst place to put an outlet but also meant there was wiring running over and around the fresh water tank which I just thought was silly.

So I moved it to a location that I think is much easier to access wether the dinette table is up or down. I plan to leave my bed made a majority of the time and just make my messy kids eat outside as much as possible.
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Old 01-20-2021, 05:06 PM   #12
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That's great and something I'm going to consider doing to our 154BH. We have yet to actually use that outlet in it's current location. Also so glad that you're doing the 20 gallon upgrade - another thing we're looking at doing. Totally following this thread to see how easy it is to replace.

For your solar setup, are you considering permanently mounting the panels on the roof and using the existing connection up there, or using panels you can set out on the ground?
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Old 01-21-2021, 03:54 PM   #13
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Jas and Joce - Ya, I knew from the start theres no way that outlet would get used. I also wasnt a fan of how all the wiring was run next to the main tank and I wasnt even sure if the 20 gallon would fit with the outlet in that location because it is going to be tight.

My trailer came with a 100w panel and a 30 watt charge controller so I am just planning to add a 200w panel (if it fits) and see how having 300 watts of solar will work out before swapping the 100w for a 200w. I think we will be fine with just the 300 but I am not sure yet.
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Old 01-21-2021, 09:15 PM   #14
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I have a single group 27 and have only done single nights as I have no solar. I contacted Renogy and they recommended either 2 100 watt or one 175 watt panel as the minimum to keep my battery recharged daily using a MPPT controller for max efficiency. This was under the assumption I did not add more batteries. I think for 2 big 6 volts you should consider 300 watts.

One other thought, have you added all the weight of 10 more gallons water, 2 larger batteries and whatever else to your total payload calculation? Hate to go over the safe amount on the axles, tires or frame.
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Old 01-22-2021, 09:36 AM   #15
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RogerR - Thanks for the info and questions!

Current plan is to keep my 100w panel and the 30 amp charge controller and add an extra 200w (190w) panel bringing my total to almost 300w. Then instead of going with 2 6 volt agms I have decided to just jump into the Lithium game since I would only be spending 200$ more for a battery that I could use the total 100w and has better charging characteristics.

This also means that instead of having a heavy 68 lb battery on the tongue, I can throw a 25lb battery just inside the trailer (Lithiums dont like extreme cold or hot) under the right side which should help level out the left to right since im adding another 83lbs of water to that left side. I would be worried about going over the weight limit but Jayco sells this exact same trailer with this bigger 20 gallon as part of their "Baja" upgraded models.

I do plan to add an extra 20lb propane tank to the tongue as well so i figured moving the battery inside would free up room on the a frame and move some of the weight off the very front.

I was initially just going to get the two 6 volts but after looking at the weight of the batteries, the cost, the fact that I only really only get half of those batteries available to me I am just going to lithium. My solar PWM (which is was MPPT) charger is already made to charge lithiums and my shore power charge controller will charge lithiums to 85% (according to the manufacturer) but they will be releasing a newer model (only 150$ I think) that will allow shore power to also charge Lithium so that makes it easy. I also like that if the 100w isnt gonna cut it, I can get another 100w and just link it to the other battery and be all set.

I am by no means made of money but I would rather buy once cry once and get it right the first time so I dont do what I always end up doing in the past which is buying something and then being upset with it and having to spend a little more than the original amount to get what I want.
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Old 01-22-2021, 02:06 PM   #16
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Ok I need some help with some stuff ive been going back and forth on.

1 - Do I need a trailer sway control system on this small of a trailer? I just towed a 7x14' trailer with my 2020 F150 with no rear sway bar in some seriously windy conditions from portland to boise and was totally cool with it. Now I get this trailer and am wondering if its something I should invest in. If nothing else should I just get the truck sway bar and run that first to see? This is the first truck I have gotten that came with a heavy duty tow package and no rear sway bar. Doesn't make sense to me but it is what it is.

2 - Can I replace the A frame tongue jack with a side mounted one and be alright? I ask because I want to be able to lower my tailgate and aside from getting a longer hitch I think this would be an easy modification. Also, being in a wheelchair it means getting out and jacking up the trailer would be alot easier for me having it right there on the right side of the trailer. I have the stow n go trailer hitch which I love and I dont really want to get rid of if I dont have to even though im sure just getting the longer hitch would be the easiest solution.

Thanks!
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Old 01-22-2021, 02:13 PM   #17
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1. try it and if you feel comfortable under most conditions leave it the way it is.
2. you might be able to turn the jack 90 degrees. (your hitch you can also extend by drilling an extra hole)
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Old 01-22-2021, 02:46 PM   #18
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ALJO - thanks for the advice. I’m gonna have to look at those options.
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Old 01-23-2021, 08:59 AM   #19
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20 Gallon Tank is in!

It was actually really easy and I was careful and able to reuse everything which made it super convenient.

I will let the pictures do most of the talking but basically...

I took the 10 gallon tank out by loosening all of the clamps with a flat screwdriver (the connection at the bottom is easiest to remove from underneath). Broke off all of that cheap black spray foam they just throw in there which was actually really easy. Carefully removed all of the hoses and the sensor leads from the tank and then just moved it forward and up.

Once that was out I vacuumed and cleaned up inside the storage area, shortened and secured some wires that were just flopping around in there all willy nilly and addressed all of the underside of the trailer cleaning it up.

Once the 20 gallon tank came in I compared the two, saw that the one was 2x the size of the other and decided I would install the bigger tank in the trailer so I could have twice as much fun.

I swapped the fittings over which was easy, and this time used some thread sealant so I would feel good about the install and not worry something would loosen and leave me with a wet floor.

Went to install the 20 gallon tank and with the fitting in on the underside it wouldnt clear the crossmember so I pulled that up and out, and amazingly all the small nails and staples they use work really well ha ha.

Then I just dropped the tank into place, shortened the underside hose that attaches to the water pump tee because it was a smidge too long (which was good because removing it damaged the end a smidge) and then tried to make it look as factory as I could minus using better loctite foam and not the cheap black stuff I couldnt find.

Let me know if yall have any questions!
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Old 01-23-2021, 11:23 PM   #20
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I was looking around the other day and noticed I had an extra propane tank and that is was exactly the same size as the one that came on the trailer... Time to add another tank.

So I got one of those brackets you can buy online and since I am going to be getting a lithium battery and moving it inside so it can charge pretty much all the time I wasnt worried about space on the tongue and decided to mount the tanks as far back as I could with the bracket.

I ended up having to run to lowes to get the drill and tap set for 10mm bolts as well as the bolts and just placed the bracket as far back as I could while keeping the front corners over the frame without extending past.

I then drilled, tapped and threw some loctite on them and the plate was set. But then of course as I am sure you thought of, what about the back? Its not supported and its two propane tanks, that cant be good for that flimsy dual bracket. I just grabbed some 1/4" steel bar when I was in lowes and drilled a couple holes in it after bending it to the shape to fit back there for support. Its now rock solid.

I was even debating welding it on once I got my welder back but now its just going to stay like that, only thing I wish I would have done was paint that small piece of flat bar supporting the back but I can take it apart, paint it and put it back together another time as its easy enough to dissasemble.
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