PDI for leftover CL campers

[charliem]

Just to add a side note to what charliem said, use the proper grade bolts. I used grade 8 bolts when I swapped out my coupler.

Yes. Half inch dia. Grade 8 bolts torqued to 80 ft-lbs and necessary washers to fill the gaps.

[nhlakes]

Thanks for all the info.  I do not know if it has the 2" or 2 5/16" coupler (have that question into the dealer).   I'm sure it'll be fine for the extended trip home w/o WDH behind the Tundra.   

I am now watching the temps in the area so I'll have a plan if night time temps are below freezing when I do the PDI.  If that is the case I'm guessing I'll have them re-winterize after the PDI and forgo spending the first night on-site in the camper - then head straight south when I pick it up a few days later.

[gglkap1]

I have a 2015 CL21RBS pulled with a 2012 Tundra crew cab 4X4 5.7L. I tow w/o a WDH. My CL is a late year 2015 model. If your CL 2016 is a early year model it will be like the one I have. For some reason they made model changes mid-year. I have been keeping up with the CL since doing research for the 2015 they I purchased. In my opinion, the late year 2015 and early 2016 of the 21RBS was the best model before Thor started making their changes. This was before Scott Tuttle left the company.

Hope this helps.

Gerald

[gbpack]

Yes, even the larger (heavier-duty) coupler needs to have the side bolts installed. If the dealer doesn't want to do it, then do it yourself ASAP (especilly if you decide to go with a weight distribution hitch).

[Whipfinisher]

We purchased a "new" two-year old camplite two years ago under the same circumstances from a dealership eight hours from home.  We did the PDI late in the afternoon before the dealership was closing for the day and hitched up the trailer the next morning.     Before leaving the PDI, I asked if the camper needed to be winterized before driving back to North Dakota in March.   The stupid dealer said no, that they pex was designed to accommodate freezing temperatures and that it would be fine.   However, they said that they would drain the hot water tank.  We were tired of dealing with the dealer all day long and just wanted to get back to the hotel so I did not argue with them. That night the temperature went below freezing.  For the next two months I worried plumbing problems, but when summer finally arrived the only thing that was broken was the toilet valve, which was easy to replace.

Everything else on our camper has worked just fine even though it was sitting at the dealership for two years.   If your situation is like mine, you probably know more about the camper than the dealer.    Our dealership was selling rpods with the "off-road package" like donuts and bananas.  The 14DB was smaller and more expensive so most people would not even considered it.  I wanted the low-tongue weight and all-aluminum small camper with dual axles. 


 

[nhlakes]

...  I have been keeping up with the CL since doing research for the 2015 they I purchased. In my opinion, the late year 2015 and early 2016 of the 21RBS was the best model before Thor started making their changes. ...

I've been a big fan of LL since prior to buying my 2010 QuickSilver 10.  I loved it for the simplicity of design an all aluminum construction.

After my wife and I did our annual 2 week winter trip to FL in the Aliner this winter she felt that it was time for something with a real bathroom and a better bed configuration if we wanted to continue to do more frequent and longer trips. So I started looking around.   I had not heard what was was up at LL for the last few years and was a tad disappointed with some of the changes. 

I was actually looking around for a used 2015 when I stumbled across this 2016 21RBS at a great price. A little bit of research and thought convinced me year/model might be a good size and choice for us right now.

Long story short, I hope you're right.

[DavidM]

Don't believe anything they tell you about Pex not splitting upon freezing. I have a split piece of Pex to prove it.

And towing in cold weather is the worst thing you can do if it is not fully winterized. 60 mph will quickly freeze all plumbing in the basement even at 25 degrees.

We have camped in the mid 20s with no problem, but I won't leave the campsite until it has warmed up to 32+.

David

[nhlakes]

Don't believe anything they tell you about Pex not splitting upon freezing. I have a split piece of Pex to prove it.

And towing in cold weather is the worst thing you can do if it is not fully winterized. 60 mph will quickly freeze all plumbing in the basement even at 25 degrees.

We have camped in the mid 20s with no problem, but I won't leave the campsite until it has warmed up to 32+.

David

Agreed.  It was 3F when I left for FL this year and 17F when I got to SC.     Did not dare to de-winterize until I got to FL.  I re-winterized in VA on the way back.   

I believe I've read that the Camplites  come with valves to isolate the HW heater.   I plan to install a typical winterization valve (to isolate the fresh water tank so I can drain the water tank and pump RV anti-freeze through the system directly from the ant-freeze jug) as I did in my Aliner.   Haven't gotten around to searching for info on winterizing the 21RBS yet (don't even know where the water pump is) 

[Whipfinisher]

Don't believe anything they tell you about Pex not splitting upon freezing. I have a split piece of Pex to prove it.

And towing in cold weather is the worst thing you can do if it is not fully winterized. 60 mph will quickly freeze all plumbing in the basement even at 25 degrees.

We have camped in the mid 20s with no problem, but I won't leave the campsite until it has warmed up to 32+.

David

I  agree and should probably clarify so that people don't get the wrong idea.   After the dealer drained the hot water heater, I went back out to the camper and drained the cold and hot water lines as best as I could given the circumstances.  However, that did not completely remove all of the water from the plumbing, so it wasn't completely winterized, but it was sufficient to protect the pex from breaking. When I got to the dealer the next morning there was an icicle hanging from the outlet valve to the freshwater tank and some water remaining in the fresh water tank.

I am just sharing this information as a warning to others that the dealership may drag their heels when it comes to re-winterizing the camper after the inspection, and to be more prepared for that than I was.       

My hot water heater and pump is under the bed and there is a valve to isolate the hot water heater.

[nhlakes]

Dealer confirmed that it has a 2 5/16 coupler, so that was good news.  I'll add the side bolts on my own.

Aluminum roof and floor, heavy duty coupler, all good news to me.  I'll be thrilled if it has the aluminum sides as well, but not counting on it - and that was the least of my concerns - although the weight savings would be great.

Only somewhat bad news so far is that it looks like I might have night time temps in the 20's the week I pick it up in IN, so we'll have to re-winterize before leaving and dry camp on the way home.

[pjcd]

A little video concerning freezing pipes..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOeBJ8mDr8Q

[charliem]

Similar to tests I ran on black polyethylene irrigation pipe in my home freezer. The plastic pipes expand and pretty much mitigates freeze damage. The PEX piping in Camplites will survive but the white plastic fittings are vulnerable. At the top of the list is the toilet foot valve. I think it freezes and breaks at +50℉  . Other vulnerabilities are the hot and cold water low point drain spigots, the FW tank drain, the outside shower faucets, the inside sink p-traps, and maybe the waste water gate valves. The low point drains and FW tank drain will be OK if left open; they self drain. Water left in the FW tank is OK since there is plenty of room for expansion. The outside shower faucets will probably be OK if left open and no hose is connected.  The inside sink p-traps can be treated with a few ounces of anti-freeze. The waste tanks will be OK if the gate valves are left open. Of course all inside faucets should be left open and the city water hose disconnected. The HW heater really doesn't need special attention since gravity will drain it through the cold water low point spigot if the inside HW faucets are opened. Any small amount of water left will expand and do no damage. The shower faucets should be left open and the hose left dangling on the floor.

That leaves the toilet valve. There seems no solution other than disconnecting and draining it or blowing it out with air. And it's a great idea to carry a few spares for when you forget.

[nhlakes]

We pickup our 'new' leftover 2016 21RBS next week.

I just read the post on UV degrading the roof vents.  Since I know the dealer has had this on the lot since at least Jan of 2016 (date original pics were taken) vent condition is now one of the things I'll check out.

If anyone has any other suggestions on what else to inspect (beyond the PDI checklist posted earlier in the read) feel free to make suggestions!

Thanks!

PS: once i realize that the original pics were from 2016 they were happy to  take a bunch of higher quality current pics - which made me feel better

[pjcd]

I just started a thread on the roof vents, mine lasted three years, they became extremely brittle. The new ones are white vs the original black ones, they let in a lot more light.

[gbpack]

nhlakes- see my comment on the roof vents thread about installing roof vent covers over the OEM vent fans.