Your Fun Finder Details -- Please Share!

NedProvince · 11-14-2016, 04:04 PM

Hi,

After a LOT of research and viewing -- considering Eggs and renovated Scamps, we just bought a 2011 Fun Finder x139 up in Ventura, California. We'd seen an x139 in La Mesa we liked, but it was at a dealer, wasn't quite as nice (was clearly used more) and they were firm with the $12K price.

The Fun Finder x139 had what we were looking for:

1. quality (comparatively)
2. small size (we live in West Los Angeles in a tiny house [by "tiny" I mean in the original sense, not the new hipster kind -- it's a very small house] with a little driveway and only have a 2006 Nissan Frontier)
3. bathroom and shower
4. room for three to sleep (it'll mostly be my husband and me, but we also have a college-age son, who might join us occasionally. We also have two Heelers and a Chihuahua, who will join us, the plan is, all the time)
5. very-good working-condition
6. super clean
7. easy to cosmetically mod

He was originally asking $10,500, and had just bought new propane tanks, new battery, new weight-distributor, had just caulked it, etc. and we got it for $10K. He was the second owner and had it less than a year. All the original paperwork (literally ever piece of paper) was included.

So far:

1. We spent about $400 on the electric and hitch
2. We went to Camping World in La Mirada and bought those little rug covers for the step and
3. a recessed table pipe holder and fixture to attach to the bottom of the table
4. and RV TP, treatment pods
5. We got a small fan (I'm always hot)
6. We hit a bunch of thrift store and are on our way (well, my way) to turn it pseudo "shabby chic." (I got quilts, burner covers, trivet-ish hot pads.
7. Shelves and cabinets are TINY, so got both non-stick rolls and containers (soft and hard) to fit
8. ordered and bought and received, from Amazon, an RV Oxygenics shower
9. we got a bamboo cutting-board to also function as a sink cover and my husband added little rubber "feet" to it

I'm in the process of "fixing it up" to suit us, and have already started making a video. First up: the dinette table and valances (I bought three Waverly valance curtains, new, but at the thrift store, but trying them in the window quickly showed they were too large, so I'm going to upholster the actual valance box with the curtain). The table is just so unwieldy and large.

We have the dream of driving it across country (our son is in school in NY), but even going over the hill from Ventura to L.A. was a bit of a chug for the Frontier. For now, we're going to just try it out at a beach.

We'd love to hear about your caravan -- which model, where you are based, where you've traveled, your favorite and not favorite things about it, etc.

GREAT to virtually "meet" everyone, from very warm and sunny Southern California.

John_C · 11-14-2016, 05:25 PM

Hi NedProvince,
1st, welcome to the Forum and the purchase of "your new" trailer...

Like many of us, you are making the trailer yours, personally speaking...
I have an older 2008, FF XT-190Xtra (Toy Hauler) and is laid out as different as it is similar to yours. Have fun with your personalization and we are looking forward to a few pics as you move along...

I will probably head west after the winter thaws and spend a bit of time around Southern Arizona, visiting family and friends, AND of course, doing a little gold prospecting...

Hope to meet you folks sometime around a warm campfire...

Eagle · 11-14-2016, 08:20 PM

Welcome Ned,

Congrats on your unit.

Wife is also always hot so bought/installed a wall mounted electric fan with a remote control that she keeps on HER side of the bed.

Don't recall exact brand but it's much like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Wall-Moun...remote+control

Happy camping!

Chirpz · 11-14-2016, 09:44 PM

Welcome to the club. We bought our FF189FBR back in May of this year and have used it several times now for over 1000 miles of towing. We are not new to RV's having put 30,000 miles on our old Kit Companion with several trips cross country.

We prefer boondocking rather than staying in campgrounds.

You can read about our rig and our mods at this link.

http://www.funfinderclub.com/forums/...-fbr-2935.html

profdant139 · 11-15-2016, 08:03 PM

Ned --welcome! We have almost the same model, and we love it. Here is a link to our blog about the trailer and the mods:

The LMIC (Look Mom I'm Camping)

And here is a link to our blog about the places we have gone with it:

Look, Mom, We're Camping!

Be sure to ask lots of questions! (Is this your first trailer??)

By the way, you got a very good deal on that trailer!!

Michigantraveler · 11-19-2016, 08:08 PM

Hi,
We purchased our 2008 189fbr (no slideout) in January used. We spent the spring and summer camping all over Michigan on two day mid-week trips. Sometimes with just the two of us and sometimes with one or three of our small dogs. We are very happy with our little camper and have no real complaints. We did replace the microwave when it died with a convection/microwave. We added Smart Tiles around the kitchen walls. I recovered all of the dinette cushions with indoor outdoor fabric and faux breathable leather on the seats. We also rebuilt the valances and recovered them as well, and made a new privacy curtain. Also outfitted the closet with drawer sets. It is a lot of fun to make it your own! I put some photos in the gallery above. Happy Camping!!!

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 07:36 AM

Hi John,

Thanks so much of your post! Is this your first trailer? What do you like best and what would you change about your FF?

Ned

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle

Welcome Ned,

Congrats on your unit.

Wife is also always hot so bought/installed a wall mounted electric fan with a remote control that she keeps on HER side of the bed.

Don't recall exact brand but it's much like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Wall-Moun...remote+control

Happy camping!

Hi,

I'm the same way! We went to the Costco outlet and I got a mini-Vornado (this one: Flippi V8 but paid only $14.99 as it was an open-box/return and it works perfectly) which has come in super handy while I'm in there futzing around. It has been queerly warm here -- 90-degrees a couple of days ago! Which FF do you have? What do you like best and what would you change about your FF?

Ned

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chirpz

Welcome to the club. We bought our FF189FBR back in May of this year and have used it several times now for over 1000 miles of towing. We are not new to RV's having put 30,000 miles on our old Kit Companion with several trips cross country.

We prefer boondocking rather than staying in campgrounds.

You can read about our rig and our mods at this link.

http://www.funfinderclub.com/forums/...-fbr-2935.html

Hi Chripz,

I'm looking forward to reading about your rig. I've only been camping once for one day in a Volkswagen van, so this is a brave new world for me. We're going to try it out soon, probably at one of the local beaches, to see how it will be to spend the night.

Why do you prefer boondocking? The idea of dealing with the black-water tank is daunting, I must admit!

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michigantraveler

Hi,
We purchased our 2008 189fbr (no slideout) in January used. We spent the spring and summer camping all over Michigan on two day mid-week trips. Sometimes with just the two of us and sometimes with one or three of our small dogs. We are very happy with our little camper and have no real complaints. We did replace the microwave when it died with a convection/microwave. We added Smart Tiles around the kitchen walls. I recovered all of the dinette cushions with indoor outdoor fabric and faux breathable leather on the seats. We also rebuilt the valances and recovered them as well, and made a new privacy curtain. Also outfitted the closet with drawer sets. It is a lot of fun to make it your own! I put some photos in the gallery above. Happy Camping!!!

Hi Michigan Traveler,

Do you have pics of your FF on this site? We have three dogs, too -- two Heelers and a Chihuahua and they're one of the reasons we got this caravan, so that they can travel with us easily. We will be cozy in there, I'm sure, as they all sleep with us! Did you do the covering yourself? Did you make them removable? We've taken down one (the large) valance and are getting ready to recover it. It's a little scary! Thanks so much!

Michigantraveler · 11-20-2016, 07:48 AM

Not our first. Back in 1990 we sold our house and bought a 32' 1987 Prairie Schooner and an 1989 Ford F-350 one ton turbo diesel and we travel the US from corner to corner for 11 months. We never had an issue with the trailer at all. But we did have the Banks turbo charger installed in Philadelphia at the factory. We realized in Pa that we would need more oomph for out west and we were glad we did it.
Re: changes... it would be nice to have a walk around bed and a bit more floor space. But we do fine with what we have. And that would require a bigger tow vehicle. We are retired.

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profdant139

Ned --welcome! We have almost the same model, and we love it. Here is a link to our blog about the trailer and the mods:

The LMIC (Look Mom I'm Camping)

And here is a link to our blog about the places we have gone with it:

Look, Mom, We're Camping!

Be sure to ask lots of questions! (Is this your first trailer??)

By the way, you got a very good deal on that trailer!!

Hi!

Yes, this is our first trailer! Well, my husband grew up camping and his parents live half-the-year in a fifth wheel during the warmest months (they have a home in Bullhead City, AZ). But this is his first actual caravan.

As I mentioned here, I've only been camping once, one day, in a Volkswagen van and it was a very unremarkable experience. It was pretty much adjacent to the highway and there was loud truck noise all night, so I'm really excited about the potential!

While I'm doing little things to the FF, my husband took the (phenomenally heavy) table out for me and OMG! The room. It's so nice w/o it, but I know you need it to make the bed. He is looking to make a smaller table (we got the pipe-thingy and attachments at an RV store in La Mirada), and we're looking into alternatives for the section where the table would go to make it a bed. We're thinking wood slats with webbing so it can be stored in the dinette bench, but we'll see.

Looking forward to pouring over your blog! It's exciting you have the same one.

What's the longest you stayed in it?

Michigantraveler · 11-20-2016, 07:58 AM

Yes, we have lots of photos in our gallery. Go to the top of the page and you will see a tab called Gallery. Many people have put their photos in albums there, including us. I did make the covers removable by using Velcro closures along one long edge. But the Waverly indoor/outdoor fabric is pretty indestructible and the faux leather doesn't really need laundering, wipes off easily. I didn't like the swoops detail on the original valances so we made new ones. Also removing 10,000 tiny staples from the old valances was not something we wanted to deal with. The covers were a challenge to see until I happened upon a woman's website that made it much simpler to do. The thick material and corners were "interesting" to work with.

profdant139 · 11-20-2016, 08:20 AM

Ned --

I made a new table out of Baltic birch plywood -- much lighter than the original, which is MDF and weighs a ton.

And we have stayed for six weeks at a time in the trailer! We spend every September on the road.

My advice is to start slow -- short trips at narby RV parks. Once you learn how the trailer works, you will get more adventurous.

Dan

Eagle · 11-20-2016, 08:36 AM

Agree with profdant139 about starting slow.

Our first 'camping adventure' was at a RV park a mile from home & the second was only about 20 miles from home.

That worked out very well to 'educate' ourselves.

Michigantraveler · 11-20-2016, 09:52 AM

Ned, As you probably already know, there is a wealth of information available on the internet. YouTube can be especially helpful. There are people who just make videos about RV subjects...camping, maintenance, etc. we especially like RVgeeks, Long, Long Honeymoon, RVwithTito, The Willfully Wanderer, RV Education 101, and a couple of others. There are some though that we have rejected early on as click bait. None of them will have your exact brand of RV but the methods used are fairly universal.

NedProvince · 11-20-2016, 02:56 PM

Hi,

Dockweiler Beach RV Park is 20 mins. away and we are going to do our inaugural trip there. Our 23rd wedding anniversary is in a couple of weeks so if we get our act together, we'll try there

. I have no idea how reservations work, so will have to look into it.

We've been binge watching YouTube RV videos -- the quality varies so much, but they're very interesting, nonetheless.

(dbh-Home Detail)

Eagle · 11-22-2016, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NedProvince

Hi,

I'm the same way! We went to the Costco outlet and I got a mini-Vornado (this one: Flippi V8 but paid only $14.99 as it was an open-box/return and it works perfectly) which has come in super handy while I'm in there futzing around. It has been queerly warm here -- 90-degrees a couple of days ago! Which FF do you have? What do you like best and what would you change about your FF?

Ned

I have the XT276 Toy Hauler....bought new in the spring of 2012, a special order from the factory. About the only thing I do not like is the front bed layout. I prefer one with access on 3 sides but for size/weight, no such arrangement available.

Other changes:
1. Replaced the factory 12" or 14" TV with a 32" flat screen.
2. Ordered w/convection microwave but never used the convection part.
3. Replaced the straight bath curtain rod for more space when taking a shower....here: https://www.amazon.com/Stromberg-Car.../dp/B0031XXW4O
4. Installed a full length mirror in the bathroom.
5. Installed a 3 bulb light fixture above the bath vanity.
6. Installed a built in water pressure regulator....here: Pressure-Reducing City Water Entry, Wall Mount - Shurflo 183-029-18 - Faucets & Inlets - Camping World This is much simpler than dragging along one that screws onto a hose and always in place if one is forgetful.
7. Made simple 'black out' curtains for the windows as many camp grounds have bright lights as do WalMart parking lots.
8. Added a 120V duplex outlet by the dinnett table.
9. Replaced factory excuse for mattress with regular mattress...couldn't justify price for a Sleep Number.

And probably a few other thing can't think of at the moment.

profdant139 · 11-22-2016, 11:27 AM

Ned, bring earplugs to Dockweiler -- it is right under the flight path. Other than that, it is great -- right on the bike path, too!

Michigantraveler · 11-22-2016, 02:41 PM

Oh, we also replaced the maxxair fan with a Fantastic fan with the thermostat and rain sensor. That was a good buy even when it sat in the driveway in the hot sun during the summer. It would cool it down. We have never taken a shower in our FF.
And we never have used the tv.