Just want to say hello and introduce my self

[oneoldfox]

I'm " Bill" and retired down near Branson, Missouri. I really am not new to RV'ing but have been absent since 2007 when I sold my 5th wheel. I started with a Jayco pop up back in late 1960's. I believe my pop up was purchased the 1st year that Jayco was in business. Any way I am planing to purchase a Jay Flight bumper pull in the near future. Looking at the 24RKS and think it meets my needs. I still own my 2003 chevrolet K2500 4x4 diesel that I will tow it with. I am in my 70's so I suspect it will be the last truck I will ever buy and the Jayco will be my last RV. I joined the forum to ask a lot of questions and get up to date on things. I will be dragging my Jay Flight out to Idaho and Montana a few times a year. I will be dry camping most of the time. I hope my Jayco will be tough enough to handle the use. I have been partners with another guy on a very old hunting trailer for several years but he passed away not long ago and it was just sold it. It was a Arctic Fox that was built like a tank. It is time to get a new one. Thanks and have a good day.

Bill

 

[Albertaguy]

Welcome Bill, and on your next trip to Montana don't stop there but come on up over the border into Alberta.

I must say that Montana is one of my favourite spots as they don't have a sales tax, plus some great country.

Good luck with your new acquisition and don't hesitate to ask questions.

Mike

 

[RR Conductor]

Welcome Bill, glad to have you aboard! Hope you enjoy the forum and looking forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Hondopatrick]

Welcome to the forum Bill!

 

[Denise-JAY]

Bill, Welcome to the Jayco Owners Forum.

 

[mustang-HILO]

Welcome to the forum
I am new here as well but this is a great site for asking questions and sharing your joys of jayco camping.

 

[JPBeck]

If your camping up there in the winter I'd say this:
Those Arctic Foxes are made for the cold aren't they? As much as I like my Jayco -- if I were you I'd be comparing the "R" value on both units. I'm sure the Jayco is built tough enough -- I'm not sure about the warm enough part. Make sure you get the "Thermal package" if you go the Jayco route so your tanks don't freeze up. Since you'll be dry camping and running the heater you'll need retrofit a large battery bank (example 4 six volts) -- or look into a catalytic heater like a Wave 6 or something. So it wont kill your batteries.
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-57341-O..._2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1284824024&sr=1-2

I use a Mr. Heater Buddy plumbed into the outside propane tanks.
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F23...8&s=home-garden&qid=1284824194&sr=8-1-catcorr
Heats us up nice and toasty during hunting season (keep a couple windows cracked a few inches).

You probably already have a generator right? Ask away sir the people here are more then willing to help.

 

[oneoldfox]

Thanks for reply

I will tell you how I have done it, I have been doing it for many years, I think I will be Ok with the Jayco. Some guys from Washington State that hunt with us have a 2 yr old Jayco Jayflight and they started doing it my way and they have have had no problems.

First I don't use the water system at all. I winterize the plumbing before we leave Branson. We carry water and such to camp site. As for as the rest rooms we use the same method as you do if using a large wall tent which I have done many times. We dig a latrine. I use 2 Olympian catallytic heaters. 1 big one in living area and a small one in bed room. We feed the heaters direct from there own fuel source which is 40 pounds bottles. We carry extra tanks. We don't touch the bottles on the front of trailer. They are for cooking only and a emergency if we had to fire up the furnance in RV. We carry a 3000 Honda generator to charge batteries each day. we hook 2 chargers, one directly to each battery each day. We carry a couple extra batteries and fuel for generator. We have 2 smoke detectors, 2 carbon monoxide detectors,2 propane detectors and a low oxygen detector in the rv. We always crack a couple of vents. I have seen it -32 degrees one time and we survived. It sure beats cutting and hauling fire wood in a wall tent stove, or breaking a tent camp to go home.

My big concern is snow loading on the RV roof. I have seen it dump a lot of snow and I am not sure how strong the Jayco roof is. There is a guy up at Bozeman, Montana that lets his Jayco set out all winter and he said he has had no problems. It is my opinion you have got to prepare for the worst weather and your safety.

By the way those Mr. Heaters and I think the big Buddy heaters will not work up in the Mountains because of the altitude. I learned that the hard way.

Bill

 

[JPBeck]

Yeah 7000 feet max-- because of the "altitude" sensor-- eg. sonic orifice. Those Olympians are nice, but we make do with what we got right?

One question though-- how come you don't let your converter charge your batteries? Mine puts out 14.4 VDC.

 

[kipper]

Hello and welcome

 

[McMonk]

Hi'ya Bill - and welcome to the forum. Sounds like you've got lots to give the forum - I'm really looking forward to hearing about your experiences!

 

[oneoldfox]

To: JP Beck

It has been my opinion and experience with my bass boats and Rv's that I can get a better, and more complete charge in a shorter time and easier charge on a deep cycle battery with a 3 stage vector charger connected directly to the battery. That has been my opinion and some of us guys that run bass boats. The bass boats have on board chargers of course but they take all night. I am looking into a system called a charge wizard that is a high out put device that is a converter and charge wizard together that put a very high charge but yet protects the battery. Thanks

Bill

 

[JPBeck]

My Jayco came with a Progressive Dynamics converter. They are the one's that make the Wizzard. Some units come with a built in three stage charger, and if they don't they'll have a phone jack connection on the back of the converter, where you can install a Charge Wizard (turns your converter into a three stage charger).

http://www.progressivedyn.com/prod_details/charge_wizard.html

On our first TT I was replacing the batteries every other year. I didn't know about the Charge Wizard til the last year we owned that rig. When we bought this Jayco I immediately installed the Wizard. I haven't replaced these batteries since. So these batteries (Trojan 6 volt T-125's) are 5 years old and still going strong.

That Wizard and the Water Miser caps I installed have saved me tons of cash.

 

[gone camping-THOR]

Welcome to the forum oldfox.

 

[Jon Jenkins]

Welcome Bill. I live here is Branson as well. If you haven't visited Coachlight RV in Carthage yet, definately check them out. Talk to Doug over there and tell him Jon Jenkins referred you. Our familys have done business together for years. They really really take care of their customers and have a "no bull" approach. He'll shoot you straight.

 

[ByDesign-JAY]

Welcome aboard Bill !!