Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: butch50 on February 06, 2016, 10:34:00 pm
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New to this forum but not new to Rving. We have been rvers for over 44 years and have had to many rvs to even count them. We have enjoyed all of them except one (it was a new DP and it was the biggest piece of garbage that ever drove down the road. The chassis was great as it was a Freightliner but the coach built on it was a POS).
I presently have a Winnebago Sprinter View Profile and am looking at possibly getting a PC 2552. I have a few of questions that I was wondering if any one has asked before.
1. Has anybody requested that the fridge be replaced with a Nova Kool DC fridge from the factory? Reason is I would rather have this setup than an absorption fridge.
2. Has anybody had additional batteries installed from the factory? I would like to have 4 6V batteries.
3. Has anybody with a 2552 weighed their rig after picking it up at the factory before loading it up? If so what was the weight of it and if possible what the front weighed and the rear.
4. Can the twin beds be made longer? I'm 6'1" so the 74" bed well not work for me. My present Sprinter has one twin bed that measures 76" and that is about the shortest I could get away with.
5. Has anyone had PC install any solar on their rig?
I'm also thinking about having the Quigley 4X4 option added. Any comments of this option good/bad.
Thanks,
Butch
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We are not currently owners, but wannabes. I recently discussed bed length with Earl via email. He said they can increase the bed length by increasing the total length of the coach. Nothing else in the coach is shortened.
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We are not currently owners, but wannabes. I recently discussed bed length with Earl via email. He said they can increase the bed length by increasing the total length of the coach. Nothing else in the coach is shortened.
Russ and Linda,
Thanks for the response. I was wondering if they made the bed longer where they would make something smaller. Good info.
Thanks,
Butch
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Another question for all that have the sofa instead of dinette, from the sofa do you have any problem watching TV with having your head turned to the left all the time. Our Winnebago the front TV is right straight across from the sofa so it makes viewing it very easy.
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Yes Butch, TV viewing is not ideal from the couch. I wish it was mounted on a pull out adjustable bracket as was in our previous motor home.
Gail
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Butch
We found the same problem when watching TV in our 2008 2350. So when we ordered out new 2012 2551 I installed the TV on a swivel. So far it works great.
Here is a link to a previous post the shows the swivel I installed on our 2012 2551.
http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,713.0.html
Barry
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I wonder if the factory would install the TV on such a swivel mount? Many of us have no woodworking skills or tools!
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Russ and Linda,
I would not hesitate to ask PC. They do whatever they can to please their customers. We even had a couple of items drop shipped to them so that they could install them while building our newest 2551.
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Butch,
The two of us have no problem watching TV in our 2552 with the sofa. Sharon loves to lie on the sofa while I sit in the Euro chair that is pulled out into the room just a little. Very comfortable that way.
Bruce and Sharon
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Barry,
I looked at your installation of your front TV. I think that is great setup and a nice work. I like the shelf under it to support the weight better as you drive down the road, makes sense to give is some additional support. Sure wouldn't want it to fall down on you when you are driving.
Bruce and Sharon (Sharon is my wife's name also),
I find the Euro chairs very uncomfortable for me. I'm long torsoed so I can't rest my arms on the arm rests. We have a pair of Stressless chairs and I find them hard to sit in, much prefer my recliner.
If we end up going with PC I well probably ask for the chair to be omitted. I like the sofa that can be used as a recliner and would spend most of my sitting time there. In our present MH we have a sofa but it makes into a bed with an air mattress. Just like a sleep number bed. I find that it is not very comfortable so I use the passenger seat turned to around with a small ottoman.
Thanks for everybody's replies.
Butch
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Hi Butch,
The answer to some of your questions like the different fridge, four batteries, and multi-solar panel, I would call the factory and ask them. For a massive array of solar panels to support four 6-volt batteries, you might have to relocate roof-top items like the antenna, the Fantastic Fan, maybe even the a/c unit a little to gain enough clean space. Best answered by 2551 & 2552 owners (and even for us with our 2350) I've always wondered if the main Fantastic fan would be better utilized in the rear bathroom and have it as your one and only roof-top power vent. With the rig closed up, it seems it would nicely draw outside air in from the front cab, passing through the rig, and out the bathroom where the worst of odors originate. You might have to add a vent high in the bathroom door to allow air to get through when it's closed. Then again, maybe a lot of air gets around the closed door. Just tossing out ideas for you.
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I like the shelf under it to support the weight better as you drive down the road, makes sense to give is some additional support. Sure wouldn't want it to fall down on you when you are driving.
Butch,
We had PC make us that shelf when we ordered the rig. They were very accommodating in helping us with the TV installation. We also strap it down but do not feel it is necessary. Just makes us feel better.
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Best answered by 2551 & 2552 owners (and even for us with our 2350) I've always wondered if the main Fantastic fan would be better utilized in the rear bathroom and have it as your one and only roof-top power vent.
Ron,
In our newer 2551 we actually have three fans installed - one in the bathroom, a max-air in the bedroom area, and then the fantastic fan in the kitchen area. We utilize all three and would not do without any of them. The max-air usually runs all night on a very low speed since it is so quiet. We use the bathroom fan for moisture control while showering and then the fantastic fan when watching TV or cooking. Many times we will have both the max-air and fantastic fan on at the same time to draw air through the rig. We personally use all three fans and one fan in the bathroom area would not work for us.
Sue
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Best answered by 2551 & 2552 owners (and even for us with our 2350) I've always wondered if the main Fantastic fan would be better utilized in the rear bathroom and have it as your one and only roof-top power vent.
Ron,
In our newer 2551 we actually have three fans installed - one in the bathroom, a max-air in the bedroom area, and then the fantastic fan in the kitchen area. We utilize all three and would not do without any of them. The max-air usually runs all night on a very low speed since it is so quiet. We use the bathroom fan for moisture control while showering and then the fantastic fan when watching TV or cooking. Many times we will have both the max-air and fantastic fan on at the same time to draw air through the rig. We personally use all three fans and one fan in the bathroom area would not work for us.
Sue
Very interesting input Sue.....quite the opposite of what I anticipated. Thanks for sharing that.
I am under the impression Butch may consider 4 solar panels (one per battery planned) so I was trying to figure out a way how he could work in enough clean space on the roof to accommodate four with the option for more solar panels if he later wanted to add to them.
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We have the Quigley 4x4 option on our 2012 PC2400. We are very satisfied after 56,000 miles in pretty challenging environments as long as you keep in mind that a 12,000 + pound vehicle has limited off road capabilities under the best of circumstances. Most of our experience has been on snow covered roads where it has performed very well.
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We just ordered our 2351 and asked about additional batteries, we put a 200 watt solar panel on the roof, there really isn't any room for additional batteries. At least that's what we were told.
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George and Jill,
Here's a post that might give you some additional ideas related to batteries...
Jim
Try this again with Tom’s sage advice:
My wife and I live in Alaska and we like to hang out in remote places that most people would consider cold. I first chose PC because it has all internal plumbing. I added 4x4 because I didn’t want to have to run at the first hint of snow or Icy weather. I also like to be able to get in remote areas. I seldom go anywhere I cannot get into with two wheel drive but I have the insurance that if the weather changes I have the 4 wheel drive as a backup. Winter driving in general up here is much safer on the highways if you have 4x4. Third I do only backcountry camping or “boondocking” so I upgraded the Inverter to a 3000 watt pure sine wave and upgraded the battery charger to a 45 amp Lithium battery charger. That leads me to the batteries; I had PC put in the largest battery box they could put in. It will accommodate an 8D flooded battery. I am installing 400 amps of Lithium or LiPo batteries. They weigh one third to half of a flooded battery but put out twice the usable power and maintain a constant voltage throughout. The other nice thing is they charge twice as fast, have very little loss of power over time and should last three to four times what a flooded battery will last. The down side is their cost but over time that should negate itself. I also had PC wire for 300 watts of solar power on the roof and an additional 100 watts that will be ground deployed. I will install this once I get home. I also had them wire most of the coach thru the inverter with only one plug and the AC on Alternate Current. I had a number of other small items done on the interior like a plug in the back closet and one under the bed to accommodate a cordless vac. and my cordless drill/impact-wrench/flashlight/screw-gun. Many other changes were just things that fit us best. Probably the change that maybe the most controversial is our paint; Flat Black with Camo trim. I know that everybody that lives in warmer climes are probably rolling their eyes. For us we wanted something that would blend into most environments and we could pick up some nice radiant heat especially early in the morning when we like to sit outside and watch the sun rise and later when we want to watch the sunset. The nicest part of dealing with PC is being able to get what you want. Our rig is not for everybody and that is the way it should be for everybody. This is the fourth rig for us and we have owned a large TT and a fifth wheel and a large camper which is a 4x4. Our favorite is still our camper for the places it can take us and ease of use but it does not do well in the cold and is very limiting on how long you can stay before needing propane and dumping. We hope we have built our dream rig. PC has been great at accommodating us even though they probably think we are nuts and we are but that’s beside the point. The only thing I could not get that I wanted and was out of PC control, was I would have preferred a diesel. I have several diesel trucks and my believe is they get better gas mileage and seem to last longer have a lot better torque than any of the gas engines I have ever owned. I know when I am towing large items they seem in a league of their own.
We also got the levelers because I am tired of trying to level rigs with blocks and we never seem to camp anywhere it is level. The satellite seemed decadent but it gets dark early in the fall and tv reception outside any city is nonexistent here. We spend the majority of our time outside but when it’s stormy sometimes the tv is a nice diversion when all the books we have brought are exhausted. We can also get the weather and watch the news.
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With only 200 W of solar, you really don't need anymore batteries. You will have trouble keeping those two charged.
I don't know what PC is doing standard now but I would definitely go with 2 - 6v deep cycle Trojan batteries.
They can do this if you let them know before they start building. The batteries are about 1-1/4" taller.
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6V batteries are already a lot taller than 12V as I learned when converting to 6V HERE (http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,2092.0.html). In my case the easiest solution was to eliminate the battery tray and install maintenance-free sealed AGM batteries. That was one of highest ranking changes I made to our 9 year old PC over the years.
Is our rig really 9 years old this coming June? Wow how time flies. It seems more like 5 years ago when we were placing our order.
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The 6V trojan AGM batteries, rated at 385 minute capacity is what we went with. The PC standard solar panel is 155 watt. We wanted at least 200 watt and they are waiting to see if we can get the 260 watt. Otherwise it will be the 200 watt panel.
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To extend the twin passenger side they usually eliminate the pantry. Has anyone else extended the bed another way? Per a previous post, can they extend the coach, keeping the pantry? That would be of interest to me. Thanks
2o2
Ron
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Ron sarz272000,
Regarding your longer twin bed inquiry, I am not sure people who are contemplating ordering a PC, understand how much linear wall is sacrificed when getting a slide out. There are two influential factors.
1) The large angled transition wall just behind the Ford/Sprinter steel cab
The dinette best utilizes the transition wall, taking advantage of 8 inches to offer a larger table and more leg room. It also accommodates taller people when setup as a bed.
2) The thickness of the slide out walls seen as the framed wood border
You will have to ask people with slide outs about the distance between their fridge in slide out, and cabinet or bed outside the slide out, but the gap appears to be at least 4 inches x2 which is 8 inches total.
So the difference between a slide out and a slide-less can be as much as 16 inches of lost wall space. So if the twin bed model you are considering is a much higher priority for you over a slide out, you can gain quite a lot of bed length by deleting the slide out.
I present this just so you understand the flip side to having a slide out. I don't understand why, but every time I bring it up, I get dinged multiple times as being unneighborly :(
Here is a picture of our dinette utilizing 8 inches of the transition wall on the right side.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8245/8462458531_d34a4d70f7_c.jpg)
Here is a close-up of the wood trim framing the slide out wall.
(http://www.phoenixusarv.com/displayItems/images/Earl/pc_2552_3342/images/a9c12322cdcb466aa086f718b_thumb.jpg)
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If you buy a unit with a short queen bed I can tell you how to make it a full queen, I'm 6" 2" and its a real cheap fix/you probably have the material in your garage . Let me know....oh by the way, if you are tall you will suffer on those short beds, there is no way to get more length