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General Discussion / Re: Researching Our First Motor Home

« on: September 26, 2016, 03:25:32 pm »

Our first PC was a 2910T because we wanted the dinette and the opposing slides up front to give us more room when parked. We were downsizing from a 41' Class A and thought we needed the queen bed in the third slide since this was the configuration we were used to. We did not physically see a 2910T, but did walk through a 2910D at the Hershey RV show where we placed our order.

Three months later we picked up our PC at the factory and drove it back to New Hampshire (approx. 1000 miles). By the end of that trip we decided that the 2910T was not what we wanted for the following reasons; the bedroom was tight to us because we were used to "walk around space" and getting in and out of the bed was difficult for me since I have back issues. I found that the unit was more difficult to level because of the weight of the two slides on the drivers side and only one slide on the passenger side.

"And now for the rest of the story" - I called Phoenix and discussed my issues and ask about options. As it turned out Phoenix had a buyer who wanted a 2910T so we made a deal to swap out our new/used PC for a 2910 with the front (from the bath forward) built like the 2910T with the dinette and couch slides. The rear bedroom area has two twin beds just like the 3100. This gave us extra overhead storage space, easy access to the fresh water tank and water pump which are located under one of the beds. There is extra storage under the other bed.

After three years and over 36000 miles we still love this design. This is just another example of how Phoenix Cruiser works to insure complete customer satisfaction.

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General Discussion / Re: Question for 2910 Owners

« on: September 03, 2015, 07:44:33 am »

Our first PC was a 2910T. We chose the "T" for the opposing slides up front which provides an open, comfortable living space. The storage under the dinette benches is great for pots, pans and other items. What we did not like was the third slide with the queen bed. We found it tight and difficult to get in and out of when you have back problems (its tough getting old...). The queen bed may be good for others, but did not work at all for us.

A year later we traded our 2910T for a custom 2910. Our current unit has twin beds in the rear instead of the queen slide out. Replacing the queen with twin beds provides a lot of extra overhead storage around the sides and rear of the coach, eliminates the third slide which greatly improves leveling capability and reduces weight. After two years we are very pleased with this floor plan

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General Discussion / Re: Fridge door fell off

« on: June 26, 2015, 05:24:37 pm »

Our refrigerator bottom door hinge broke on a return trip from Florida in May. We have always been cautious about not letting the door swing open and hit the opening to the bedroom area. However we have probably put some heavier items in the door, but not necessarily overloading the door shelves. For the rest of the trip home I folded cardboard from a cereal box to put under the door to keep the spacing correct and keep the fridge seals tight because we continued to use the fridge to keep the food cold. I used Gorilla tape (would not travel without it) to hold the door in place.

Now for the fix - I used the slow curing JB Weld to set the broken piece back onto the base of the door hinge. If you do this you need to be sure that the broken part is correctly positioned to fit on the hinge pin later. To hold everything in place I used masking tape and also filled the "pocket" of the hinge with JB Weld. For additional support I also filled all the "pockets" of the other three hinges on the fridge and freezer. After the epoxy dried I used "Wrought Iron" black paint from a craft store to match the existing color/texture of the fridge trim.

Next I ordered Norcold Retrofit Door Hinge kit, part #634166, from Amazon for $26.51. This kit comes with two hinges, two flat washers and very poor instructions. One hinge is for a right hand door and the other hinge is for a left hand door. I used the right hand hinge on the bottom and secured it with small self piercing screws. I used the left hand hinge on the top of the fridge door for added support. Instead of using the larger flat washers from the kit I used #12 stainless steel flat washers which are the perfect size for use on the hinges. To install the door, I put some silicone lube on the bottom hinge pin, placed a washer on the pin, set the door, used another washer and then used washers above and below the top hinge as I inserted the top hinge pin. The end result is a very solid repaired door system reinforced top and bottom with JB Weld, metal hinge supports and flat washers that remove any vertical movement. So far has worked great...

For those who have not experienced this you might want to take preventative measures.

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General Discussion / Re: Fuse bypass switch on toad

« on: April 28, 2015, 10:59:20 am »

For anyone towing where a fuse needs to be removed on the toad, you may want to consider the Fusemaster Bypass Switch from Roadmaster.

I installed one on our 2011 Honda CRV over the weekend and it works great - just flip a switch instead of the contortion to remove the radio fuse each time. An added plus is this switch also turns off my navigation system. Installation took a little over an hour once I figured out how to remove the dash panel.

For more info go to www.roadmasterinc.com and search "Fusemaster". They have a good video that shows installation details.

Price for my switch, RM76511, was $66.95 from etrailer.

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General Discussion / Re: Question (or two) about the 2910T

« on: April 07, 2015, 03:15:04 pm »

We almost bought a demo 2910D that Phoenix had at the Hershey RV show. I wanted a dinette and the extra front slide so we decided to order a 2910T without actually seeing one (a bad move on our part). We picked up our new PC in late November and traveled back from Elkhart to New Hampshire. After spending four nights with the queen bed setup we decided that this was too "tight and restrictive" because the bed was not really a walk around and getting to the overhead storage was difficult, especially with the slide in. Another issue I had with the 2910T was the two slides on the road side made it more difficult to level. It seemed to always lean to the left - don't know if Phoenix compensates for the extra weight on that side, but I would ask if ordering a 2910T.

As a result of the experience on our first trip I contacted Phoenix to inquire about options to deal with the queen slide issue. Because of the excellent customer service form Phoenix and their willingness to please I was able to work out a deal to swap out this "new" unit for a custom 2910. We now have a 2910 similar to George and Judi's, however we have two slides up front with the dinette on one side and sofa on the opposite side and the twin beds in the rear. This puts the dinette on the curb side where it should be (never liked it on the road side in our Class A). The opposing slides balance out the weight and make leveling much easier. An added benefit to this design is the extra overhead storage in the back which is easily accessible at all times.

This design has worked very well for us.

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General Discussion / Re: Towing set up

« on: April 07, 2015, 07:28:00 am »

When we were on the road fulltime we towed a Saturn Vue with our Class A. We used the Blue Ox baseplate, tow bar and Unified supplemental braking system. This setup worked great for five years without any issues. Blue Ox uses removable tabs on the baseplate so when you are not towing there is nothing hanging on the front of the vehicle. The tow bar stores easily on the MH when not in use. Using a "plug and tow" supplemental braking system or one placed on the floorboard is generally a personal preference based on ease of setup.

Based on our past experience, we are having a Blue Ox system installed on our 2011 Honda CRV with baseplate, Aladdin tow bar, breakaway switch and light wiring kit. All the work will be completed by an RV dealer in Vermont. Instead of the "plug and tow" braking system I will be using the RVIBrake2 supplemental system in order to avoid tying into the CRV brake components.

If you decide to do the install I agree that etrailer is a good source. Their product selection is great and customer service is excellent.

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General Discussion / Fuse bypass switch on toad

« on: March 26, 2015, 04:25:54 pm »

We are planning to flat tow our 2011 CRV using a Blue OX baseplate, towbar and wiring. I will be using the RVI Brake2 since I do not want to tie into the brake system with a "plug and play" unit.

My question is; has anyone installed the fuse bypass switch for the radio? If so, did you use the Roadmaster or Blue OX switch and does it work as advertised?

Thanks.

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Polls / Re: Toads or tow vehicles? What brand do you use?

« on: November 06, 2014, 12:24:38 pm »

We currently tow a 6' x 10' enclosed trailer and a Harley Davidson Triglide. Total weight is 2415 lbs. Have not had any major issues since I can back the trailer and manage to get myself out of any tight spots without unhooking; which would be required if towing a car 4 down. The combined length of our 2910 and the trailer (17' overall length) does limit our options such as requiring pull-thrus at campgrounds, fuel stops, etc.

Recently I have been looking at cars that can be towed 4 down. Motorhome magazine publishes an annual "Dingy Towing Guide" which lists all the vehicles that can be flat towed. This guide is available on Motorhome's website. One thing I have found out about the 2015 models is that many of them now have variable automatic transmissions (VAT) and cannot be flat towed. This is true of the new Honda Fit and CRV which were towable before. Since I plan to use the vehicle as a toad and not my primary vehicle I am looking at small and lightweight (Smartcar, Fiat, or ???).

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General Discussion / Re: Pin hole in the Sani Con hose

« on: August 07, 2014, 04:04:56 pm »

As a precaution, I also replaced the self tapping screws with stainless steel machine screws and nylock nuts after reading all the posts.

For an alternative, an easy fix is to buy small plastic caps called Screw Protectors. I bought a bag of 4 pieces at Lowes for about $1.00. Buy the size that fits 1/4" screws. They fit snugly over the tip of the self tapping screw and eliminates the sharp point. I used one of these on a screw that was protruding upward in the propane compartment. I jabbed myself several times on the screw before the fix - less painful now.

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Polls / Re: Does your Phoenix Cruiser have a slide out?

« on: April 28, 2014, 06:49:39 am »

1. Yes; sofa on roadside and dinette on curbside. Perfect setup for us.
2. Had minor issues with curbside slide. Easily corrected by Phoenix.
3. Yes; same as current PC.
4. Yes.

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General Discussion / Re: Rig baths

« on: April 03, 2014, 03:42:30 pm »

When we were fulltime we had a 40' Monaco and towed a Saturn Vue and used truck washes when available. They generally charge by the foot and will wash the toad as well. The two issues I had with truck washes was location (generally on major interstates) and waiting in line behind one or more trucks. It generally takes 30 - 40 minutes to clean each vehicle so have something to read. If you use a truck wash, tell them that you do not want chemicals used on the wheels. You can find locations on internet sites such as Blue Beacon Truck Wash, Truck-O-Mat and other trucker sites. We did carry our own equipment and washed at campgrounds when allowed. Costs ranged from $5.00 to $20.00 depending on the campground.

Now I wash our 2910 after each trip and get it restocked for the next trip. If I want to wash the RV while on the road I have a bucket, brush with extendable pole, car wash soap, glass cleaner and microfibers. I carry an extra hose as well.

RVs always run better when clean....

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General Discussion / Re: Decisions Decisions

« on: March 05, 2014, 03:19:23 pm »

Richard,

Two years ago at Hershey, PA we made the decision to buy a Phoenix after looking at other manufacturers. A major selling point for me was the quality as compared to other manufacturers with units in the same price range. Phoenix had a 2910D at the show, but we wanted a 2910T which was a smaller version of our Class A while full timing for five years. We picked up the PC in November 2012. During the trip home to NH we decided that the queen bed arrangement was too different from what we were used to. My issue is back problems and I had trouble getting in and out of the bed.

To reinforce the excellent customer support provided by Kermit and his crew, we were able to trade in our 2910T (with just 1000 miles) for a custom 2910 with the twin beds like Judi and George have. The deal was more than acceptable and Kermit's son flew to NH to pick up the 2910T. Since March 2013, when we picked up the second PC, we have had factory support that far exceeds anything we had when we were on the road full time.

If you are interested in seeing our 2910 feel free to contact me. We live in the Lakes Region and I have a heated garage so it is available anytime we are not traveling.

Jim

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General Discussion / Re: 2014 Phoenix Crusier Rally

« on: January 28, 2014, 03:17:34 pm »

We cannot attend the annual rally in Colorado so we would be interested in a "local rally" where we could meet other PC owners. We already have a trip planned for early April to Virginia and North Carolina. Late April to mid May would work for us, but other dates throughout the summer would work as well.

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General Discussion / Re: Wet Dometic Awning

« on: January 21, 2014, 01:24:42 pm »

The awning on our 2910 does not get wet when it rains or I wash the PC. It will get a little damp on the edges but no excessive moisture. There have been occasions where we have left a campground in the rain and the awning was wet. By the time we reached home the awning was only damp when I extended it so it could dry.

As for the recall, our awning was repaired at our home in NH by a technician from a nearby Camping World. The repair consisted only of replacing the motor on the front end of the awning. The repair took about 25 minutes and would not have contributed to moisture accumulation.

Wonder if the problem is linked to model type since you both have the same units?

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General Discussion / Re: Question on propane furnace

« on: October 21, 2013, 04:58:41 pm »

We use a small upright tower that rotates back and forth. It does a very good job of heating up the front area. I prefer this to the heat strip because the heat from the strip tends to stay high and the heat strip is noisy.

We have the two slides up front for the 2910 floor plan but opted for the twin beds in the back. The slides seal tight against the opening so no significant air infiltration. There may some leakage under the slide. Would say we get more infiltration from windows and other penetrations to the outside. A winter project will be to locate and seal any areas that may allow infiltration.