Messages

Good info, thanks. I was actually thinking of raising tire pressure on the tow vehicle not the trailer. Any thoughts?

I raise the tire pressure in my truck about 5psi when towing. It is still below max pressure.

Thanks for your input.  The weld is right under the rock guard in the front of the camper.  I would think they will need to take the rock guard off to do the weld but we shall see.  Hopefully it all gets worked out.

Just make sure the dealer is experienced welding aluminum.  If not, have them bring in someone that is.  other than that, should be fixed with no problem.  Once you get the initial issues worked out, the Camplites are rock solid.  We've had our 21BHS for about 4 1/2 years.  Had some issues at the beginning but now the trailer has been perfect for for several years.  We've taken it from Florida out to places as far as Arizona and Utah, and up to Tennessee; as well as locations within Florida.

I don't think the floor is an issue.  However, I would definitely return to the dealer for the weld.  I'm not sure where the weld is based on the picture, but I don't think it is a main structural weld, however, it should not be that way and will only fully fail over time.  The gap in the rock guard should be fixed as well since it should not be that way and should have been fixed prior to delivery.

So DjSamuel & DavidM,

What input do you have about this question...

To keep the fridge cooling on a trip I assume that I need to be having the propane tanks open and when I disconnect from a site power connection, the fridge will switch over to gas because it would be on AUTO, as you have said after a couple of tries to get it started off of gas.

Do you agree with the assumption?

Clearly if I turn the tanks off while driving the fridge will not stay cooling in my mind.

Thanks for your input.

That is exactly how I always do it.  When I am home, I hook up the electric and turn on the refrigerator to let it cool.  When I press the on/off button, it turns on in Auto mode. I load the refrigerator up and then when I unhook the electric, I make sure it switches to gas; which it does automatically.  When I get to the campground and hook up to electric, the gas automatically turns off and the refrigerator switches to electric.  Works the same way for the trip home; I unhook and the gas burner lights until I get home and turn off the refrigerator.

If you're in Auto, and are hooked to an AC supply, you will be operating on AC, not gas.  If you want to check if the gas operates correctly, just unhook the AC and you should hear the gas valve open and the igniter clicking prior to the flame.  On my Dometic in my 21BHS, there is Auto mode and gas mode, which would run the refrigerator on gas even in the presence of AC.  However, I believe the fact the Auto light is on indicates you are still in Auto mode.

We've been using the Andersen hitch for over 4 years now.  We've had no problem with the triangle plate nor any play in the ball when hitched.  There is an adjustment inside the hitch itself on the trailer where you can tighten down the latch on the hitch once on the ball.

Thanks for the info.  I didn't know they redesigned the triangle.  That's interesting.

Doug

If LivinLite does go away, and this forum is shut down, you may want to go to:

https://aluminumcamperforum.com/index.php

This web site formed as a spin off of the original independent LivinLite forum and grew after LivinLite took that forum over.  The membership is made up of mainly owners of LivinLite products but there are some areas for other aluminum trailers.  Lots of good information and it would  be worth your time to set up an account there since the future here is so murky.

Just a suggestion.

Doug

Makes no sense at all to me.   Why would you ditch a known name with a pretty good reputation, better than most I'd say?

I don't mean it makes sense as a strategy.  To me it does not.  Why lump a unique brand of trailer in with a typical name? 

However, given the money that's been dumped into modifying the Camplite line since the purchase, it would not make sense to throw it away.

I will say that people I know who are looking into buying a camper will ask me about my "Camplite", but most do not know who LivinLite is.  If they keep the Camplite brand, which is how I'm reading this, the impact may not be as bad as it may seem.  I have mixed feelings on the change to a steel frame.  Pre Thor, Livinlite did this with their fifth wheel for structural reasons.  I'm wondering how many weld issues they've had with the aluminum frames, both from the factory and with any repairs.  Big difference between welding steel and aluminum.

I saw your post on Facebook as well.  Thanks for the info.  This makes sense.

Mitch mentioned Intech because Scott Tuttle is part of the company now,  maybe Scott is reading all of this and Intech will become like the livinlite of old.

Don't have the full line yet, but there are similarities, especially in the aluminum frame and the aluminum flooring.

http://www.intechrv.com

It's also possible they are taking the Camplite and other Livin Lite lines and folding them under the KZ name to eliminate the maintenance, and distribution of a separate brand name.  They've put a lot of effort into new designs, especially the new 23 foot Camplites to dump them so quickly.

As I live not too far from some of Dan's children, he emailed me a while ago to ask some questions related to his retirement planning.  I don't know what his final decisions are, but based on what he was considering, I think this was a decision that was his to make; not forced on him.  I certainly hope that is the case.

As a retiree of a VERY large company, that every American is familiar with,  I can say many "voluntary" retirements may technically be that but in reality they are anything but.
I retired at 60 rather than my desired 65 simply because the pressure and stress had got to the point I was truly afraid I would not live to 65!
Best move I ever made- it is difficult forcing myself to live on about half of what I was making, but worth the sacrifices.
BTW it has been 4 years and I'm still convinced I made the right decision.

Great to hear you're convinced about your decision.     I'm at a maximum of 1417 days from retiring and hoping to make it sooner. 

I hope that Dan was able to transition on his terms and not other's intentions. Mergers never seem to go well. As an engineer I understand that there are profits and deadlines. I also understand the real meaning of planned obsolescence. If the product lasts significantly longer than the competition then the number of people interested drops down. Now there are exceptions such as upgrading or downsizing. I had a different post describing the "Jayco Owner Experience"... I will get out of camping if I have to purchase a Jayco or similar stick framed camper. Dan came from the old company as I understand it. He went above and beyond to help people on the site, myself included. Best wishes to Dan in retirement. As for Thor and KZ, They are yet to represent the customers best interest in the design changes and reputation.

As I live not too far from some of Dan's children, he emailed me a while ago to ask some questions related to his retirement planning.  I don't know what his final decisions are, but based on what he was considering, I think this was a decision that was his to make; not forced on him.  I certainly hope that is the case.

I agree the floor gets cold, but some rubber workout mats help a lot. The exposed water lines make winter and cold camping a bit of a pain. I am very strong minded when it comes to the new "improvements" in the line. I had a jayco prior to my camplite. The 5 year old roof had a leak which resulted in replacing the entire roof as well as the sheeting and some structural wood. I also had to replace part go the floor where the water rotted out. The quality of that trailer was pitiful at best and they really made no provisions for repair. Once I found camplite I immediately discovered that most if not all of the flaws in the Jayco were addressed and eliminated in the superior design. The aluminum roof is loud in the rain, but is awesome for durability and longevity. The aluminum floor is bulletproof. Access to wiring and plumbing is excellent. The welded structure is amazing. The lack of wood was a great asset. Ironically one of the only common problems was from a door that they purchased from challenger that has a habit of corroding and blistering. Overall with the materials and design, and proper maintenance, an older camplite can be preserved and used for decades. As an engineer I can almost see where they identified weakness in the other's design and corrected it. As for the new trailers? there are still some great features carried over from the original design, but the mission is getting lost to the profit margin. Just my thoughts and observations...

Don't disagree with a thing you say.  My 2013 21BHS has had its issues, especially leaks, plus a failed air conditioner.  However, the knowledge of no wood is a HUGE comfort and plus for these trailers.  However, to me the biggest positives are many of the issues you note; welded frame (both chassis and trailer structure), aluminum roof, etc.  I too am an engineer (mechanical) and really appreciate the design of this camper.  I do have the issue with the entry door, and wish they were more careful with their product selection.  I also much prefer the aluminum roof.  One issue they mentioned regarding the aluminum roof is the difficulty bending the material in the front of the camper.  That is an ugly area on my camper when looking at it on a ladder.  In fact, it is the area where the leaks in my roof formed due to the nature of the bending of the aluminum.  So that would be a benefit of the rubber roof; but that is not enough to sway me to think the rubber roof is better. 

I too really like the aluminum floor; especially since it is NOT wood and won't rot.  The new floor, IF designed properly, may function just as well and deserves a chance.  Also, for me, the cold issue with the aluminum floor is mitigated by the fact I live in Florida.  My trailer has the bare aluminum flooring, which can be a bit of a pain in terms of marking and difficulty cleaning. However, if I was offered a new 21BHS in an even trade with my 2013 21BHS, I would not take them up on it.  One of those new CL23 models may tempt me though if they had the aluminum door package (with those great door latches which I will never trade away).

Ultimately, the big plus is durability.  My Camplite remains as solid today as when I picked it up over 4 years ago. As it currently stands, for the most part, the new Camplites retain enough of the design to still be a really durable camper.  Hopefully that won't change.

Did he say they are just like everything else? I am sold that CampLite is still a unique and strong product. At least I hope so, since I just bought mine. The composite floors they are using now seem like a fine solution without compromising quality--albeit they aren't all aluminum, they also aren't look most poorly built RVs.

Jim
Recovering Airstreamer
Salt Lake City

Don't worry about it.  The Camplites are still far from a typical camper.  The entire frame of the camper is a welded aluminum structure, including the cabinets.  You will find after many miles, the camper will still be just as solid as the day you got it.  Time will tell regarding the new floor.  Mine has the aluminum floor, which I really like.  But it does get cold, so the new composite floor may actually work out better as long as it is durable.