Hello and Thank you all

[BlueSkye]

RV newbie here and I've been reading this forum for past 3-4 days and wanted to thank all the contributors! I put a deposit down on a 2014 ST290QB today. Excited and a bit nervous about everything I've read here so far, but the forum has helped me to make a decision and buy a Crossroads. It is a used one, so feel like I'm stealing it I've read the PDI threads and already feel much more confident on what to look for, but if anyone wants to add other things to check, I'm all ears

A little about myself. I have been living (10 months a year) on the road (work) for past 7 years and have always thought about taking home with me. My parents have been RVing for 30 years (since I was 10) and I always had fond memories of those trips. So, I'm finally taking the plunge!

Because I am totally new to the trailer life, I am sure I will be on this forum a lot!!! I do have some questions about pricing on the trailer and options like towing equip and extended warranty, but not sure if putting prices on my posts would be appropriate. If any experts could PM, I could ask that way. I don't want to get "hosed" by the dealer.

Thanks again everyone and look forward to asking dumb questions for the next year or 5

[Stan]

Welcome aboard. Lots of great folks here. Ask your questions on options and equip. You'll get lots of answers to help you decide. Pricing on rigs is normally not discussed here but generally 25-30% off MSRP is a good rule of thumb IMHO.

[anaro]

Hello and welcome. Look for any signs of a leak anywhere. Moisture, mold, bubbling of surfaces, etc. Look in every crevice. Check all caulking resolutely including the roof. Test everything. Check all slide seals too.

[BlueSkye]

Thanks Stan and Anaro. The dealer said they will do a pressure check and repair any deficiencies and/or recalls. They said they have a 1 hour orientation where all systems are explained and checked. A bit nervous because I will leave the dealership (Florida)and head straight to Greenville, NC where one of my projects will be starting. Just want to be sure I'm prepared as much as possible.

Options and pricing quote from dealer:
Equalizer hitch/sway - $950 installed
Prodigy brake controller - $200 installed
7 yr warranty (minus tires, batt, brakes) - $1700
Reasonable prices?

After my first post I researched a bit more on warranty and it seems to be a personal preference. I think I would feel more comfortable with this being my first RV to have a buffer/security for things I will surely mess up. But I am very handy and would be traveling with a plethora of tools(licensed electrician), so I wonder if it would be money well spent.

Thanks again to all the contributors on this forum! Venues like these will help educate the ignorant and also make the dealers/service/manufacturers honest. Well, maybe? Just a little? Ok, but at least the knowledge here will help us negotiate

[mark5w]

I am a big believer of Extended Warranty. Others on here do not. But the price you were quoted for the 7 years is pretty good.

[anaro]

Not to far from Greenville is Bill plemmons rv in Raleigh. They are a forest river dealership not a crossroads but they have lots Of other Brands too. They are honest and have been great to deal with. They are a route 66 dealership. Not sure if your dealership is a route 66 or not, I know there is more than one in FL. If you get into trouble you can try contacting them.

[BlueSkye]

I actually checked out Plemmons, online anyway. I initially started this process looking for a 5th wheel, and they had a few newer ones I liked. Thanks for the heads up Anaro. I will keep them in mind if the need arises. Looking forward to posting my experiences and questions as they come up

[OhioMark]

Originally Posted by mark5w

I am a big believer of Extended Warranty. Others on here do not. But the price you were quoted for the 7 years is pretty good.

x2,

The times we've cashed in our warranty, the terms were pretty straight forward.

What plan are they offering for the warranty (what company?)

Some appear to be more reputable than others.

[BlueSkye]

I did not get specifics on warranty, but I will ask. I've read here that Xtra ride and Good Sams seem to be good warranties. If I purchase a warranty, are there specific dealers I must take it to or is that specific to type and company issuing the warranty?

Also, does the pricing for hitch/sway and brake controller sound reasonable? I checked amazon and a few others for pricing and it appears they have about $400 mark up for labor/profit, which is fair I believe. But if its a one hour job, maybe I have a little room to negotiate

[OhioMark]

Originally Posted by BlueSkye

I did not get specifics on warranty, but I will ask. I've read here that Xtra ride and Good Sams seem to be good warranties. If I purchase a warranty, are there specific dealers I must take it to or is that specific to type and company issuing the warranty?

Also, does the pricing for hitch/sway and brake controller sound reasonable? I checked amazon and a few others for pricing and it appears they have about $400 mark up for labor/profit, which is fair I believe. But if its a one hour job, maybe I have a little room to negotiate

I have the Xtra Ride warranty and as of last year, they had a good reputation and other RV dealers we called spoke well of them.

Many people have stated on this and other forums that they were satisified with Good Sams.

I have to defer your question regarding the hitch and brake controller pricing. All I can add is figure about $100/hour for labor and there are harnesses and parts for the brake controller they need to add beyond what comes in the box.

With that said, it brings up a good point about the harness. You didn't post your tow vehicle make/model but I'll assume it is a truck of some type. I bring that up because I've heard and experienced where dealers go cheap and not buy the OEM connector harness and instead use a generic kit and splice wiring.
If available for your vehicle, demand they use the OEM harness and not the generic one that requires them to tap lines under your dash. It takes a couple variables out of the equation from having problems down the road and the not hassling with the controller too much when you sell the vehicle.

What is the lb rating of the hitch. They range in price.

[BlueSkye]

It is a 2014 F-150 5.0 v8 with 3.55 axle. I have the wiring harness that came with the factory installed tow package.

More questions I need to ask about hitch weight rating, thanks! Did you find that your TT hitch weight matched what manufacturer claims? I read somewhere that their TT hitch weight was 170lb heavier than the manu claimed weight, unloaded. The ST290QB lists 664lb as hitch weight. Is there any reason not to go overspec to say 1000 or 1200lb rating? Does it impact the setup to go overspec'd?

Thanks again for taking time to anwer my questions

[cw3jason]

My ST28BH is right around 1000 lbs toung weight loaded, I would suspect you will be about the same. Either the 1000 or the 1200 hitch would work. Most will say to go with the 1200. the only way to be sure is to weigh your toung. Yes you can get to much hitch. The WD bars will be to stiff if you go way over spec.

This link should help
http://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

[OhioMark]

Htich weight will vary depending on your load and said distribution of the load.

Cwjason,

The 200lb load difference really that much? I was going to suggest the 1200.

[anaro]

X3 on the 1200 lb bars. Basically the dry hitch (tongue weight) is a useless number. Ideal tongue weight is 13-15% of the loaded tt weight. Remember the dry tongue weight does not include propane or batteries. Most tend to add 1000-1500 lbs of gear, propane, batteries, etc into the tt. Since that tt only has approx 1800 lbs of cargo capacity, I would just do my calculations using the tt gvwr of 7664 lbs. 13% of 7664 lbs is 996 lbs. 15 % of 7664 lbs is 1149 lbs. So basically you are potentially looking at 900-1150 lbs of tongue weight once loaded. I hope your payload is high enough for that after accounting for family, pets, gear etc.

[ZT211RD]

Welcom and I have the Xtra Ride warranty as well. Have not used it yet.

[BlueSkye]

Thanks for the replies! I've been glued to the forum reading everything I can soak up, sponge mode.

I will go with the 1200lb hitch. It will mainly be just me and occasionally another crew, but I will have a tool box and a variety of tools. It appears I will have to be conscientious on how I load my gear when traveling with crew. Payload states 1870lbs, so not a lot of spare weight. Base on my payload would it help my setup balance to keep my cargo light in my truck bed and move it back towards TT axles or am I over thinking?

Has anyone actually used their extended warranty and had a good experience with them? Reading the positives here about customer service and overall trailer experience helped me decide on the CR, but the negative posts make me feel like it would be a nice buffer in case. But, if nobody is actually using it (good thing), maybe I'll decide to use that $ for things in the modification thread

Sorry for all the questions and sincerely appreciate all the help thus far

[BlueSkye]

Another quick question. I see a lot of members are towing with 1/2 tons. Are the factory mirrors sufficient or do you use a clip on type mirror for towing?

[Tim D]

Originally Posted by BlueSkye

Another quick question. I see a lot of members are towing with 1/2 tons. Are the factory mirrors sufficient or do you use a clip on type mirror for towing?

I tried several. I finally bought the CIPA mirrors. They are awesome. Got mine cheaper at Amazon.

[anaro]

You will want towing mirrors of some type. We used the strap on mirrors on our old Armada with no issues. Others have liked the slide on mirrors and still others love the mckesh mirrors.

[Tim D]

I tied two different strap on models. Didn't like the way they strapped on and the vibration made them useless for the most part. The CIPA mirrors mounted so well I just leave them on. No vibration.