New Hummingbird 17RB Owner

rkboyer911 · 10-02-2016, 11:34 AM

Just bought this and got it home. Haven't done much to it or used it yet but wow I'm finding little stuff that concerns me.....Maybe I'm being picky but the LED strip on the awning the wires were taped very poorly together and the plug came undone...I heat shrunk it and now thats better.....Some of the lag bolts in the awning wasn't in all the way.....fixed that....Didnt like how the light switches inside was set up....the closest one to the door was for inside and vise versa...got that switched......the LEDs across the front outside are put in horribly they don't fit flush and look like a 2 year old shoved them in there...Im going to have the dealer fix them. they had to order a new LED for over the wheel marker light. and why would the company put LEDS everywhere except for the clearance lights and the 4 corner marker lights?? (ordered LEDS)
Am I just not used to the newer campers or just being a cry baby? LOL
other than that stuff it seems like it will be a nice camper for my wife and I. We traded in a 26ft toy hauler that we no longer needed and this will fit inside my 40x60 shop....hopefully that will make it last longer.

johnandmayshu · 10-04-2016, 06:02 AM

We're putting a down payment on a Hummingbird 17RB this week. I'll post observations and any concerns once we have it in our possession.

rkboyer911 · 10-04-2016, 11:59 AM

as with all new toys I ordered some extras for mine this week just have to get time to install them....Maxxair II the LED lightbulbs got a 90degree elbow for the H20 connection, H20 filter, I have allot of the other stuff from the last camper but this all needed replaced. I hope I can get a trip in it before winter!!

01tundra · 10-04-2016, 05:34 PM

Did you ordered replacement LED bulbs or complete new lights?

Happen to have the part numbers for what you ordered?

Thanks

rkboyer911 · 10-04-2016, 06:23 PM

I dont have them with me im at work i just ordered led bulbs i can let u know what they are tomorrow .

rkboyer911 · 10-05-2016, 08:51 AM

The bulbs I ordered for the clearance lights up top were to long to fit under the cover so i will have to do some more looking. Ill keep you updated.

NVGun40 · 10-05-2016, 09:15 AM

It's common for tail/brake lights and clearance and marker lights not to be LED's at this point in time. Those lights only operate when the trailer is plugged in to your vehicle and presumably when the engine is running.
What boggled me was that every light in the trailer is LED, the awning light is LED the light on the power jack on the hitch is LED, yet the light under the steps (not all are equipped with this light), the back drivers side corner light (spook light above the outdoor shower; again not all are equipped with this), the light mounted on the outside front wall by the propane tanks, and the light in the hood fan above the stove were all incandescent bulbs. I have since changed every light which runs on the trailers battery system over to LED. My clearance, marker and tail lights are still standard bulbs since they do not run on the trailers 12 volt system.

rkboyer911 · 10-05-2016, 01:36 PM

Ya its weird.....I just wanted everything LED that way its as low maintenance as possible....I had planned on putting some under step lights on. Im pretty sure the LED awning lights will not put out much light.(haven't tried them in the dark yet) Im in the process of getting it all wiped down with a couple of coats of 303 UV protectant before getting it out in the weather. I was lucky enough to get one that had been in the show room floor. I did notice that when I went to make the bed the mattress was already broken down from just being ale to sit in that 2ft area on the bed. Im guessing a new mattress will be in store by the end of next summer. I have a memory foam topper that I took off my other mattress so I might throw that on there.
any tips on how to use the Solar plug on the tongue?? Can I get one of the cheap panels from Harbour freight and plug it in there to keep the battery fresh. They have the same plug. I'm also thinking about getting a hard cover for the LP tank I see Campco has one that is black and had a door in it to turn the knob.

NVGun40 · 10-06-2016, 11:11 AM

If you get a solar panel, get a tender module with it. (not sure if the prewired trailers have them built in or not) Even a low power charge without regulation on a constant basis can overcharge and damage a battery.
As for the propane tank cover. I highly recommend them. They look nice and help to keep the tanks free of road grime. They also help to "keep the honest man, honest." I helped an elderly gentlemen at a campsite one morning by lending my extra tank (I always carry a spare 20lb tank) so he and his wife could cook breakfast and make coffee. It seems someone in the campground did a little tank exchange during the night taking his brand new full tank and leaving him an empty one.

Knottybird · 10-08-2016, 07:01 PM

I would recommend a renogy 100 watt solar suitcase with charge controller, add some 12 gage wire with an SAE plug (to use the plug on the camper). The suitcase comes with battery terminal clips for clipping onto the battery terminal s. There around $250. This will provide about a 5 amp charger to keep the battery charged.
I have one, and am building a 200 watt version, with an option to add another 100 watt panel.

rkboyer911 · 05-01-2017, 10:36 AM

Well took it out for its first trip.....and it was raining it tail off all weekend here in Missouri. and guess what......you guessed it IT LEAKS..... the back window leaked at the top all over the kitchen counter. I was able to direct the water into the sink with some engineering....Dont know whether to take it to the dealer and have them fix it or just caulk it myself.

johnandmayshu · 05-01-2017, 04:40 PM

Bummer. Were you able to determine the entry point? Could be an easy fix. I've had ours parked in the driveway with the slide out extended for test purposes since we picked it up in Feb....so far so good and we've had some heavy rain and snow. We're going on our first trip Memorial day weekend....looking forward to it.

rkboyer911 · 05-03-2017, 07:58 AM

Pretty sure its just around the window. Prolly just get some good caulk and go around it and then wash it 24 hrs later and see what happens. Also when I moved in the slide out it was pouring I did notice the floor was wet when I got home and put it in the barn and opened everything up to let it dry. Im guessing thats just the run off of the slide out.

doctorbob · 05-25-2018, 01:04 PM

Yes, the mounting of the outdoor multicolored LED strip under the awning is a joke. On my 2017 17RB the strip is just stuck into a plastic sleeve with a slit along the front, and the LED strip just falls out and hangs.

The fancy remote control only works if I hold it an inch or two from the LED control module. I have replaced the batteries. Has anyone else had this issue?

doctorbob · 05-25-2018, 03:51 PM

Problem solved. They never peeled the adhesive strip off the back of the LED array so it kept falling out of the slot. Now it won't. The limited range of the remote was because the sensor had been stuffed down partially into the black plastic wiring tube. The sensor is a stubby cable that comes off the controller. Wire tying it to the LED cable with the rounded side pointed outward gives me about 6 feet of range.

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