Buying and outfitting a 25FB

[M and M]

Howdy. Don't know if I've posted this correctly, but I'm seeking input on whether it is advisable to purchase the following for a new Int'l 25FB:

Solar Panels
Satellite
Weight-distribution and anti-sway bars for a 3/4 ton truck and 25' trailer

Thanks for any advice you have.

M and M

[Plasma800]

Solar Panels - yes but aftermarket???
Satellite - sure, why not?
Weight-distribution and anti-sway bars for a 3/4 ton truck and 25' trailer - Certainly.

Originally Posted by M and M

Howdy. Don't know if I've posted this correctly, but I'm seeking input on whether it is advisable to purchase the following for a new Int'l 25FB:

Solar Panels - yes but aftermarket???
Satellite - sure, why not?
Weight-distribution and anti-sway bars for a 3/4 ton truck and 25' trailer - Certainly.

Thanks for any advice you have.

M and M

[jbroedlow]

1. We were advised not to buy factory solar. Not enough bang for the buck.
2. We held off on a satellite. We've been on the road 9 months and have had some sort of TV reception 98% of the time off the antenna. No, we don't see everything we liked at home but enough to satisfy us. I'd hold off and see how it works for you.
3. We have a pp weight distribution hitch and wouldn't travel without it. We know
others who do without. Just like the ad says, "don't leave home without it."

[dkottum]

1. We have factory solar and although it's not much bang for the buck it is installed very nicely and quietly and effortlessly keeps the two Lifeline AGM batteries charged. Enough for reasonable lighting, electronic, water pump and furnace use. We have found in sunny weather the weakness is not the solar output, but the battery capacity. We like it.

2. No satellite here, enough of broadcast HD TV available in most areas.

3. We bought two hitches before getting the ProPride/Hensley sway elimination design. Completely different, relaxed towing experience. Wish now we had got it in the first place, our hitch expense would have been less.

[Alphonse]

No satellite. I've found I can get enough news and weather with my smartphone and local reception.

Reference your list, the WD hitch is the only must. Buy once on the hitch. Many folks end up buying more than one hitch. Pick a good one, get it up front and save money down the road. The pivot point projection hitches are superior from a vehicle dynamics viewpoint.

[dkottum]

By the way dealers may try to talk you out of a ProPride or Hensley saying you don't need it, the one they stock is "just as good". Good dealers will get you one even though there may not be any markup in it for them. And they may complain about the difficult installation and that you have to take it off for servicing, which is not true. Just speaking from experience.

[handn]

Solar by all means.
No satellite. Local tv and Sirius radio suffice.
A w.d. hitch by all means. If you are towing at the upper limit of your tow vehicle capacity a premium hitch makes sense.
I tow a 6000 gvw trailer with a 10000 tow rated 3/4 ton Excursion and have towed tens of thousands of trouble free miles with an Equalizer.

[Oregon Ms]

Solar...yes.*
Satellite...no.

WD hitch...wouldn't leave home without it.

*Solar newbie here, thought the dealer knew what it was doing in this regard, having my doubts now. Wishing I had turned to the experts in the first place.

[Al and Missy]

I also tow a 6000# (6300) trailer with first an F150 and now a 3/4T truck and an 10,000/1000 Equalizer hitch. I have never felt any sway with either truck in wind or even with passing semis, and the weight distribution seemed to dial in just fine with both trucks. I did machine down the bars from 1000# to about 700# stiffness when I changed trucks since there was a lot of talk on here claiming that the Equalizer put more stress on the trailer, particularly with 3/4T trucks. I haven't seen any evidence of stress on the trailer, with around 5000 miles of towing.

Al

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by M and M

Howdy. Don't know if I've posted this correctly, but I'm seeking input on whether it is advisable to purchase the following for a new Int'l 25FB:

Solar Panels
Satellite
Weight-distribution and anti-sway bars for a 3/4 ton truck and 25' trailer

Thanks for any advice you have.

M and M

Solar panels and satellite antenna's are optional equipment, neither are a necessity. I find the antenna on my trailer is sufficient about 90% of the time. There are two places I boondock where only one tv station is available. My choice is to use a generator in lieu of solar panels and additional batteries, to keep the weight of my trailer down. My generator weighs about the same as a single battery. It would be nice to leave the generator home and charge the batteries in total silence.

Weight distribution is not a necessity for your 3/4 ton truck (read your owners manual to confirm this), unless you have the truck bed so heavily loaded that you need to transfer weight away from the rear axle. Though, if I were towing with your truck I would use a weight distribution hitch. Personally, I like the trunnion torsion bar type over the HA and PP, simply because of the cost and weight they add. There is no question that the HA and the PP are superior in performance.

Sway control is a safety feature. My opinion is one should not tow without it. Though, many people do.

[aftermath]

Originally Posted by handn

Solar by all means.
No satellite. Local tv and Sirius radio suffice.
A w.d. hitch by all means. If you are towing at the upper limit of your tow vehicle capacity a premium hitch makes sense.
I tow a 6000 gvw trailer with a 10000 tow rated 3/4 ton Excursion and have towed tens of thousands of trouble free miles with an Equalizer.

Second this. I am towing with an '08 Tundra and mine is a very good combination. No regrets. Wish I had solar.

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your questions, I would forgo the solar from the factory. There are much better aftermarket systems out there that will give you more juice for less money.

Satellite is a matter of camping style. If you really want television, by all means, do it.

A quality anti-sway/weight distribution hitch system is something that you are going to want if you intend to tow the trailer any distance. We have always used one, even though our tow vehicle is a one ton pick-up.

Brian

[Goin camping]

1. Solar is great. Just not the factory set up. You can get more for less aftermarket.
2. Satellite is personal choice. We're happier without it.
3. WD hitch. Absolutely!

[2012FB]

On our 2012 25FB the first thing was new custom slightly over sized twin mattresses and an RV500 (back then), instant on constant hot water heater (RV550 in our new 2015 30B). New Michelin tires and real chrome wheel lugs. There was also some major electrical upgrades but those were due to factory issues that have been corrected in newer models. Back then we used a Dual Cam and I changed to the Anderson Anti-Sway hoping for a quieter and easier way to hook up. It was a really bad decision and I bought the Pro-Pride system and would not tow with anything else even with our new 2015 Silverado 2500 HD. I also have a generator (Honda 2000) in lieu of the solar. I don't want more stuff and holes on top of the roof. Like others I don't need the satellite.

[Photobum]

Solar-Aftermarket is the way to go. I have 400W, a Magna 2000 inverter/converter, and four Lifeline 6V batteries. As a backup I have two Honda 2000 generators for days when the sun does not shine.

Satellite-I have it and have not used it for a year. (Wanna buy one? I am in Bridgeport, CA for the summer.)

WD hitches are a must but you do not have to spend a lot of money, an Equalizer will work just fine.

[1greengarden]

I really wonder why there is not a standard or optional propane or gasoline generator that is installed on the Airstream. But that said, go with the WD hitch, get solar later from one of the regular contributors so you have a big enough and effect system for more then battery maintenance. Just buy enough tow vehicle for the worst case towing, like up and down mountains and include the 4WD option. My tow vehicle--a 2006 2500, short bed Dodge Ram with diesel and 4 WD. I have towed a 31' Featherlite SURV gooseneck (SuperGlide hitch) and a 25' Airstream bumper pull from California to the Mississippi River many times and use it weekly for my 21' ocean fishing boat.

[wrhnco68]

My answer is "it depends".... on all of it...

solar.... if you're going to boondock a lot, its a fine thing. The cost from the factory is probably higher than from other sources. But you have the advantage of the factory installation warranty. We travel a lot in the south in the winter and the north in the summer. We use the a/c more than we don't and solar isn't going to help with that.

Satellite.... the advances in digital TV and antennas have been large. For most of our travels we use the "Jack" antenna with an LCD TV with great results. We usually leave the satellite antenna at home. Only once or twice have we not been able to get decent reception for all three networks.

WD Hitch.... here's a bag of worms..... with a 3/4 ton PU, it is probably a decent idea but not required IMO. With a 1/2 ton, it probably is. Most of that has to do with how much tongue weight plus the weight of the crap you're carrying in the truck bed. Sway is more of an issue, particularly if you're going in the mountains. We towed our 25' AS with a 3/4 ton for a long while. On a long, flat run, I often didn't bother with the WD but only hooked up the sway linkage and all was well. One time, with our former 25' AS, I only had the sway hooked up and was rear-ended by an idiot kid doing 85mph vs my 65mph. The rig jackknifed, skidded across the freeway and rolled. The hitch destroyed the rear of my 3/4 ton truck but luckily let go without rolling the truck too. Had I had the bars of the WD hitch attached, I'm sure it would have rolled the truck too. In summary, I would have one installed but I always evaluate the situations I anticipate (no, I don't anticipate rollovers but they indeed happen).

I'm sure I'll get some flak over the WD business but that's how I see it.

[Antique Pedaler]

Originally Posted by M and M

Howdy. Don't know if I've posted this correctly, but I'm seeking input on whether it is advisable to purchase the following for a new Int'l 25FB:

Solar Panels
Satellite
Weight-distribution and anti-sway bars for a 3/4 ton truck and 25' trailer

Thanks for any advice you have.

M and M

Yes to all yhe above.

85 Watt after market solar is on my third Airstream. 10 years old and does what I need.

Winegard Pathfinder Xi Satellite for DISH service as we're often far from a TV station.

Equal-i-zer Hitch with 600 lb. bars, instead of 1000 lbs. as salesmen recommend. That's because of the heavy duty 2500 DMax. Equalizer factory tech "unofficially" agreed.

[dames7]

We been on the road 4 week now an in National Parks you do not get anything, NO TV or WIFI.

And some of the real nice RV Parks outside of the parks tell to make sure that you have a minimum of 50ft of cable for electric hook up and sewer pipe.

You all so have to use the rv parks WiFi which is not good because you share with everyone else in the park.

We bought a MiFi and up our data plan and OH boy is it great.

We do miss the Cable TV but remember that you are doing this to get away and after 42 of marriage we are talking to each other a lot more.

Not saying it's all good talk, but better than watching the tube

[m.hony]

For us:
Solar- It would be nice to keep the batteries topped off, but we never boondock. We could have bought a trailer with factory solar instead of the one we got.
Satellite- We have the equipment left from our previous trailer. It is a very simple setup. Bring a receiver from home and a manually adjustable dish antenna in a carrying case. We have never used it in the Airstream. There are plenty of over-the-air channels to watch. The equipment is in the Airstream, but I still need an HDMI splitter (or disconnect the Blu-ray player) to hook it up. Too much sugar for a dime.
Weight distributing/sway control hitch- Absolutely. I couldn't imagine towing a rig that sags in the middle and fishtails at every gust of wind or downhill grade while blinding oncoming traffic at night and having no steering control or braking control on the front axle-