How long has anyone had their Camplite? Hows it holding up in the real world? Mine is two years old and no major issues with it, other then the frame welds, which I hope to take care of when the weather clears up, ( in the spring). No leaks, all the appliances work as they should, no problems with the slide.
Mine was built in late 2013, several months after Thor's purchase but before the first move. So it might be considered pre-Thor. It has had no mechanical, structural (except for some gnarly frame welds) or electrical (well sure, aluminum shavings in the lights) problems but does have some rain water intrusion from below.
I have mostly fixed the shavings problem and will caulk the wheel wells this spring as part of a bit of PM- grease the wheel bearings mostly. I have reconfigured the breakaway circuit to do away with the small battery. I did have to replace one tire prematurely and will do some measuring this spring to see if axle alignment might be the cause.
It has served us well and we hope to keep her for a long, long time. We tow our 16TBS with a 2013 Pathfinder just fine.
A side note on the Pathfinder- The CVT transmission has been a problem since day 1. It would shudder as you slowly accelerated through 20-25 mph. It was believed to be a torque converter lock up problem, but who knows. Nissan has been tight lipped. A recent class action lawsuit settlement forced a recall and warranty extension. My transmission just had its valve body replaced as part of the recall and the ECU was reprogrammed.
It seems to have solved the problem, which wasn't very noticeable anyway. So hurray for Nissan!! Don't tell the class action lawyers I said that ;-).
David
I have an "early" 2012 13QBB with the more angular front design. Other then normal maintenance like needing to replace the tires and bearing grease, it has required no attention and has not had any issues. Definitely the most reliable and lowest maintenance camper I've ever had!
Graham
Ditto graham's comment only we just sold a 2012 13RDB after owning it for two years. Everything still working as expected with only wear and tear items replaced. Hope our new 16TBS does as well!
Ours is a 2014 14DBS, the first ones with the slideout. This will be our fourth year camping with her.
Most serious problem (not self-induced): um....two of the screws holding the front trim on the edge of the diamond plate disappeared and the dealer replaced them. That, or I had to bend the contact inside the thermostat to get it to turn on and off.
Oh ! I remember. They didn't connect the wire that runs between the cable TV port on the outside and the TV. Dealer repaired under warranty. We only used it once, so far, as we camp almost exclusively at state parks, and generally despise "RV resort" campgrounds. Too close together, infested with kids running amok.
Mine was built only 2 1/2 years ago in the late summer of 2014. It was a bad time at LL and it was a mess of assembly problems. I'm still chasing electrical issues (clearance lights stopped working again). I won't post the complete list of original assembly problems because it's scary. One more round of trips this spring and summer and I hope to finally have all the gremlins worked out and have a reliable, safe camper for years to come. The only good thing that came from all the problems is that I can say really know all the systems of the camper really well and can fix anything further that comes up (unless I find bad welds, which a pro will have to tackle).
We had a 2010 Camplite 11. We were going to trade it in to a LL dealer and they told us it was in the first batch of 10 travel trailers LivinLite built. Don N. at LL said it was a very early TT, too. We purchased it new during 2012 and sold it during 2016 after buying a larger travel trailer.
Our trailer did not have LP gas system, but had a 13,500 BTU AC and sink with hand pump and 5 gallon portable tank. No other water system.
This camper was rugged and did not have any major problems. It had aluminum sheet interior/exterior walls, aluminum ceiling/roof, and aluminum plank flooring.
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Some of the modifications we made after purchasing the Mighty 11, vinyl tile floor, wood counter top, microwave, and TV. It was a great camper with many fine memories. Before we sold the Mighty 11, we converted the it back to original, like the above photos, but left Vinyl flooring installed shown in these photos.
I have a early 2013 16 DB (I think pre-Thor). In 2014 I became the second owner (too puritan for first owner) and other than some weld cracks, no major problems. The crappy Jensen TV/Radio antenna has never really worked from day one, but I've replaced that. The previous owner apparently had excessive tire wear which he attributed to the axles. Dealer replaced both axles under warranty. I've had no problems since (tires in great shape after at least 10k miles).
Some fit and finish is kinda crappy. The roof intersection with the front wall sheet wasn't mated properly. As a result, the aluminum roof at this joint is bent all to hell, resulting in a judicious use of Dicor. No water leaks that I can see, but these may be hidden in the front wall. Regardless I'm going to reseal this spring. The decals are cracking and peeling off, but this is likely a problem for any RV that's going on 4 years old.
One window was broken when I bought it (previous owner mistake) and I was lucky enough to deal with LL parts dept. before Thor took over. Amazing service from Don!
I've been very happy with my Camplite and will have it for years to come.
Quote from: whitefish on January 25, 2017, 05:35:35 PM
I have a early 2013 16 DB (I think pre-Thor). In 2014 I became the second owner (too puritan for first owner) and other than some weld cracks, no major problems. The crappy Jensen TV/Radio antenna has never really worked from day one, but I've replaced that. The previous owner apparently had excessive tire wear which he attributed to the axles. Dealer replaced both axles under warranty. I've had no problems since (tires in great shape after at least 10k miles).
Some fit and finish is kinda crappy. The roof intersection with the front wall sheet wasn't mated properly. As a result, the aluminum roof at this joint is bent all to hell, resulting in a judicious use of Dicor. No water leaks that I can see, but these may be hidden in the front wall. Regardless I'm going to reseal this spring. The decals are cracking and peeling off, but this is likely a problem for any RV that's going on 4 years old.
One window was broken when I bought it (previous owner mistake) and I was lucky enough to deal with LL parts dept. before Thor took over. Amazing service from Don!
I've been very happy with my Camplite and will have it for years to come.
That joint where the roof meets the front is an unholy mess of bent aluminum on every Camplite of that era. It's asking fairly thick aluminum sheeting to bend smoothly in 2 directions and it's not going to happen until pigs fly. Good idea to reseal it periodically, and maybe yours really wasn't done right, but they are all ugly in that spot!
Quote from: Merlin on January 25, 2017, 11:27:47 PM
That joint where the roof meets the front is an unholy mess of bent aluminum on every Camplite of that era. It's asking fairly thick aluminum sheeting to bend smoothly in 2 directions and it's not going to happen until pigs fly. Good idea to reseal it periodically, and maybe yours really wasn't done right, but they are all ugly in that spot!
Pig flight is strictly regulated by the FAA. They cannot fly above 5 feet, and then only in rural areas at night, away from people and other farm animals. However our new president has promised elimination of pesky and onerous over regulation so there may be hope for pigs. As for aluminum (aluminium) bending smoothly in two planes...not so much. Mine has the same problem but not severe.
I would assume thats a common problem, some worse then others, mine looks like sh*t, but no leaks so far. The new TT's have the TPO or rubber or what ever material and the transition from the roof to the front cap is smooth.
Quote from: pjcd on January 26, 2017, 09:16:45 AM
I would assume thats a common problem, some worse then others, mine looks like sh*t, but no leaks so far. The new TT's have the TPO or rubber or what ever material and the transition from the roof to the front cap is smooth.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The TPO roof is warranted for 10 years or the first encounter with a tree limb, which ever occurs first. The aluminum roof will outlive you, wrinkles and all :D .
Just coming up on the 2 year mark for me, I have done 2 long trips one 6 weeks and the other 5 weeks both took me across the country. A few 1 week trip's and quite a few long weekend trips. Have about 20,000 miles on it and will be putting a lot more. Have done most of the mods from the other forum and have had some of the issues that most people are seeing. Roof looks fine no leaks anywhere. I think I may have the best year of construction 2015, which was probably made in 2014. Loving it and will probably never sell it until I can't camp anymore, suits me to a T.
I have a 2015, if mine is an example of their best year, well then, there are a lot of poorly put together trailers out there! Poor QC, tanks installed incorrectly, damaged flashing, poor and cracked frame welds, leaking gas line, (to furnace), if aluminum chips were gold, I'ld be a billionaire. I'm sure there's more, just can't recall all the issues off hand. Don't get me wrong, I still like the TT, the fact thats there's no wood in it trumps all the QC issues, the only one that pissed me off to no end is the welds and the lack of them.
Quote
That joint where the roof meets the front is an unholy mess of bent aluminum on every Camplite of that era. It's asking fairly thick aluminum sheeting to bend smoothly in 2 directions and it's not going to happen until pigs fly. Good idea to reseal it periodically, and maybe yours really wasn't done right, but they are all ugly in that spot!
Good to know that its not a common leak area. Yeah, its butt ugly, but I'm not up there often :P
Mine actually has a dimple the size of a softball, when level, it'll pool water.
Thanks for everyone's input, it's very helpful--I'm a newbie and I'm about to take a plunge and get an early 2017 21BHS. Sticker says 6/16 "Shipshewana" so it must have been right after KZ took over.
I'm concerned about the mentions of welding issues. It sounds serious but doesn't seem like a deal breaker to you guys.
If I can ask a few questions:
1. What should I be looking for in detecting weld issues?
2. How was the warranty process for fixing it?
3. Do you have concerns that if there are weld issues where detectable, there might issues in areas where not visible?
Thanks!
Weld failures will probably only show up after months of use, particularly after driving down gravel/washboard roads. Get underneath with a flashlight and look at every joint for weld cracking. If you go to the archives you will see pictures of cracked welds on the old site. You should be able to access almost everywhere but there may be some blind spots.
Weld repair is obviously covered by LL's warranty but I will bet that LL will go far beyond the warranty cut off date to fix weld cracks at no cost. It might take some pushing (and negative publicity here and on the official LL website) to make it happen.
David
Not only cracked welds, but missing welds or places where they only tacked the joints in place.
I ordered my small but mighty CL11FDB in the spring of 2012. I picked it up at the factory early in July while the factory was on its annual summer vacation break. (In northern Indiana where a large percentage of North American RVs are manufactured - including Livin Lites - all the manufacturers & suppliers close at the same time). The factory considered mine to be a 2013 model. At the time I ordered, the "orbit" front was an option. By the time mine was manufactured it had become the standard for the 2013 model year. I still had to pay the 'option' cost. :P In the 2012 model year Azdel interiors had become standard. I paid extra to have them build mine with aluminum interior walls and Azdel wood grain on the cabinets. When I ordered I didn't want the A/C and they gave me a credit. When my trailer was being manufactured one of the workers was in robot mode and he cut the wall opening for an A/C just like he did typically on all the other Camplites. I had a panic call from the factory offering a free A/C - I accepted. Had I not they would have needed to have a replacement wall made and that would have screwed up the assembly line. The old Wakarusa factory had the trailers & truck campers really packed in there during assembly. I toured with no workers around and really couldn't imagine how they would safely work when everybody was there. There really wasn't much room for the workers. They build the Quicksilvers in another building that I didn't tour.
I've never had any warrantee work done. The interior of my trailer still looks brand new. I really like having the aluminum walls. Outside it looks almost new - still very good other than a few minor dents from my grizzly bear encounter and a few other stupid things I did. Currently my fridge won't run on propane without starting a fire. I'll probably get that fixed this year. It's still winter here so I have a few months to figure out how to fix it myself.
PEIslander - A grizzly bear attacked your mighty 11? Perhaps yours should be considered a MIGHTY 11. How did this come about? Are Camplites especially attractive to grizzlies? Details, please.
We are first and only owners of 2013 BHB Camplite trailer. Love it!! It towed easily, easy to clean, just the right size, and sound as a dollar.
Largely routine things replaced to date - tires, white plastic roof vents, added max air covers, replaced plumbing roof vent pipe covers.
Upgrade mattress, added storage, changed lights to LEDs, recovered upholstery for warmer look, mounted TV and DVD player, mounted square PVC pipe on bumper to hold drain pipes, and added foam lock together flooring squares.
Only sort-of-big thing is replacing sidewall mounted AC. We had had leaking problems with it. Once we removed it, we knew why- no drain holes in the unit. Livin Lite built the box right, but with no Danco weepholes, it ran over frequently. New unit ordered, and we WILL. Drill weep holes prior to installation.
We are in desperate need to replace the external AC sidewall cover. UV deteriorated it and we need a new one just like old one. Not available from Livinlite and no leads. HELP appreciated.
Quote from: JGHamrick on April 06, 2017, 10:44:39 AM
We are first and only owners of 2013 BHB Camplite trailer. Love it!! It towed easily, easy to clean, just the right size, and sound as a dollar.
Largely routine things replaced to date - tires, white plastic roof vents, added max air covers, replaced plumbing roof vent pipe covers.
Upgrade mattress, added storage, changed lights to LEDs, recovered upholstery for warmer look, mounted TV and DVD player, mounted square PVC pipe on bumper to hold drain pipes, and added foam lock together flooring squares.
Only sort-of-big thing is replacing sidewall mounted AC. We had had leaking problems with it. Once we removed it, we knew why- no drain holes in the unit. Livin Lite built the box right, but with no Danco weepholes, it ran over frequently. New unit ordered, and we WILL. Drill weep holes prior to installation.
We are in desperate need to replace the external AC sidewall cover. UV deteriorated it and we need a new one just like old one. Not available from Livinlite and no leads. HELP appreciated.
I don't know about the specifics of the AC sidewall cover you need, but at least of couple of us here on the forum like the RV Upgrade Store for parts and equipment. I would recommend calling/emailing them to see what might work (or poking around on their web site yourself to see what you can find.)
https://www.rvupgradestore.com
Thank you. Will contact them here is a pic of the original one (not on my RV).(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170407/81fa0e1a20e684c30109577f4f2a7625.jpg)
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I'm very happy with my 2 year old '15 Bearcat FK16 Toyhauler purchased in April 2015, made in 2014.
I've had a few issues,
1.-One very serious and Livin-lite fixed it 100%, that was the poorly mounted Tongue Ball Mount, I never did get a straight Answer from Livin-lite on who installed it in the 1st place. Factory or Dealer? Some Dealers do install the Tongue ball mount as some also install the battery box/propane bottles.
2.-The Battery mount was weak too as the installer busted one of the hold down bolts off. Good thing I found this busted bolt as the next trip I might have lost my Bearcat Battery as only one bolt was securing down the battery box.
3.-Brand new and the 1st time I went out camping 2 weeks after I purchased the Bearcat I had a water leak so bad I couldn't use my fresh water w/o pumping out water onto the ground every time I turned on the water pump, good thing I took a extra 21 gallons of water along, dry camping. The Factory busted the fill water fitting on the backside where it mounts to the side of the trailer, a hard find but easy fix with a new $1.68 fitting. The water system couldn't pressurize all because of this broken fitting.
4.-The H2O fresh water tank lacked two needed additional support brackets. After dealing with a very bad sagging in the middle of the H2O tank and bacteria growing where the water in the tank could not be used or drained out completely, two new additional support brackets were installed, problem fixed.
I have had no other issues come up and I do use my Bearcat Toyhauler allot, heavy use from May through October.
We have a 2014 21RBS, we have had to replace the entire slide mechanism this past off season due to it not closing straight (top to bottom). and after 3 trips to the RV dealer and big $$$$$ (the dealer was a Slide OEM and Livin' Lite dealer), that being said, Livin' Lite did step up with some parts so good on them. We have not had a chance to try it out yet when camping.
We also had the get the Grey water tank vent adjusted too (vent too far down).
Quote from: charliem on January 26, 2017, 09:40:49 AMQuote from: pjcd on January 26, 2017, 09:16:45 AMI would assume thats a common problem, some worse then others, mine looks like sh*t, but no leaks so far. The new TT's have the TPO or rubber or what ever material and the transition from the roof to the front cap is smooth.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The TPO roof is warranted for 10 years or the first encounter with a tree limb, which ever occurs first. The aluminum roof will outlive you, wrinkles and all :D .
Just had a potential buyer back out of the sale our 16 TBS because he thought the roof had structural damage. I tried to explain to him that is how they come from the factory. I know it is not pretty but is is all aluminum and remember this post from five years ago. He had a long drive and did not want to risk it. His loss in my opinion.
Quote from: Chappy133 on May 10, 2023, 10:00:56 PMQuote from: charliem on January 26, 2017, 09:40:49 AMQuote from: pjcd on January 26, 2017, 09:16:45 AMI would assume thats a common problem, some worse then others, mine looks like sh*t, but no leaks so far. The new TT's have the TPO or rubber or what ever material and the transition from the roof to the front cap is smooth.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The TPO roof is warranted for 10 years or the first encounter with a tree limb, which ever occurs first. The aluminum roof will outlive you, wrinkles and all :D .
Just had a potential buyer back out of the sale our 16 TBS because he thought the roof had structural damage. I tried to explain to him that is how they come from the factory. I know it is not pretty but is is all aluminum and remember this post from five years ago. He had a long drive and did not want to risk it. His loss in my opinion.
Bummer. Every single aluminum roof Camplite has the wrinkle in the front where the aluminum curves in 2 directions at the same time. It causes no problems and can't be seen from below. Definitely the buyer's loss if that was a dealbreaker.