New Owner of X189FBS with questions

[Mike]

I just purchased a new Fun Finder 189FBS. I received NO training! If someone would be so kind as to brief me on anything that I should know, it would be greatly appreciated. I know nothing, so everything is welcome. Please take me from point A to point Z.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

It would be great if Cruiser would make a training tape for new owners!

Mike[/u]

[jb_bb]

No walkthru or anything.wow. I'd be complaining to the dealership. They should've at least done a walk thru to check certain things on the trailer before you signed on the dotted line. I'm assuming you bought new from a dealership.

Well, personally I think the best thing to do is to grab all the manuals (I hope they at least gave those to you), and sit in the trailer for a day or two and read the manual as you try out everything until you got the hang of it. This is what I did even though I have lots of experience with RV's. This is also how you find out if something is wrong with your trailer before you take it out. Any chance you know someone with a travel trailer that can help you out.

Unfortunately it would cost CruiserRV a fortune to make tapes for all the different trailers with all the different options.

[flugelboneman]

Yes, it is highly unusual for you NOT to get a walk through. I am an experienced (9 Units) RV'er, but had to go through everything with the Sales Rep before I took delivery. You are entitled to that and I would go back to the dealer if you didn't get this. Here are some things that come to mind off top of my head:

(1) Your hot water tank will run on propane OR 110 v when you are plugged in. There is a tiny rocker switch in the lower left vicinity when you open the outside access door to your HW Tank. If you are running the HW tank on propane, this should be in the off position.

(2) You have a master switch inside the large right cargo door as you are facing your tow vehicle. When you park your trailer, it should be turned off or the propane sensor inside the trailer will remain on and eventually kill your RV battery.

(3) If you have a TV, make sure you fasten it with the belt that is supplied so it does not swing around on its pedestal when you are traveling. (I speak from experience)

(4) The water filter that is supplied (Located under your BR sink) will restrict your water flow. When I hooked it up we found there was insufficient pressure to have a decent shower, so I took it out. Water flow is minimal at best, especially if you use a pressure reducer when you are hooked up to city water, and you should.

(5) Working under the main bed where your water tank is located can be a real pain because you must hold the mattress up while accessing this compartment. I have a small piece of 2 X 2, about 10" long that I wedge to hold the door up while I work on things like the bypass valves etc.

(6) The bathroom is petite so say the least. Finding places for towels etc is a struggle. We found a three rod towel rack that had two hooks that hang over the top of the bathroom door. It has helped make the BR livable. I also changed the entry level shower head to a larger one. Made a difference to our showers. Easy to find in any hardware store and not expensive.

(7) My wife laid rubber shelf liner in all the dish cupboards, which holds the dishware more secure when traveling. We also took the mattress and netting out of the convertible bunk over the main bed. We then put plastic bins to hold Tee shirts, underware and socks etc. One side for her, one side for him. If you are like me, she gets three bins and I get one.

That comes off the top of my head. We just acquired our 189 FBS and have had about three short trips with it. We have upsized from an Aliner, and downsized before that from a 30' Fifth. Going from an Aliner to the FF was a joy.

Ian Parsons
Courtenay BC Can

[Kampnsfun]

Hi Mike, have you owned a travel trailer before this one? If not, be sure you have opened the hot water line by turning the hot water faucet handle at the sink or shower to get the water to fill the hot water tank before you turn on the hot water tank. Let us know if you have experience or not and we will know what else you may need to know to keep you out of trouble/expense. Even those of us who have been doing this for years have check lists, I keep a 3 x 5 card for set up and tear down just for the beginning of the camping season; that seems to be when I am most likely to make a mistake. For seasonal care of the trailer we need to know your state so we know whether or not you will be winterizing and spring starting. Those are good to have on note cards, too.
Kampnsfun