This Newbie bit the Silver Bullet

[mcgintyrch]

After lurking and searching for six months or so, I brought home a 2009 International 23' Ocean Breeze a few days ago. It had been sitting for several years in a storage lot. I am starting to read the books and pamphlets, which range from helpful to not.

I plugged it in for the first time this afternoon - just to a regular house outlet - to see if the batteries will hold a charge. I doubt they will. There is a fan running in the fuse panel which is below the frig. I assume that is normal. When I turn on lights, they pulse/dim a bit. Open to suggestions for good deep cycle, maintenance free batteries.

There is a 600 watt Go Power inverter that seems hooked up to the tv. When the inverter is on, it shrieks.

It has one solar panel, but I have no idea how many watts it is. The paperwork isn't definitive about this.

Propane tanks empty, so don't know the status of anything needing propane. Anyway to check these by connecting to a smaller propane tank - something other than the 30 gallons?

Since hooking up the power, it seems to have a smell of sewage - didn't previously. Even though it appears as if the bathroom has never been used, I'm wondering if there are surprises awaiting me.

It also came with an Equal-izer system. However, it appears to be the wrong one for this trailer. It is the 600 lb TW/6000 bar set up. The AS specs indicate this unit has a 700 lb TW. I will be looking for a new hitch set up.

Suggestions and recommendations are welcome for this newbie! Despite its shortcomings, it has a very strong cute factor and I really like it.

Thanks!

Susanne

[Scott J-24]

Welcome to the forum. We have a 2009 27'FB Ocean Breeze. As you said, it does have that 'cute' factor. Becky and I just love ours. Good luck getting everything figured out. We got "The Newbies Guid To Airstreaming" by Rich Luhr. This is a great book to get you started with your new baby.

[n2916s]

I run 600lb bars on my rig which is heavier than yours, for the soft ride as my tv is pretty stiff. I would try it before you buy heavier bars as the idea is sway control and weight distribution not transferring every jolt your tow vehicle encounters into the trailer .

You can jury rig a BBQ tank to the propane for testing as the valves are identical but I'd just get a tank filled...

I run plain old NAPA deep cycle size 27 batteries. They last 3 to 4 years in pretty heavy use (we half time).

Get everything running and go camping, then decide what needs changing.

Enjoy,

Mike

[idroba]

Congratulations and may many pleasures follow (but there will be some heart aches too).

If it has been sitting unplugged for very long, the battery (s) are most likely shot. To start with, I would just go to wal mart or costco and get the same size battery (s). At some later point you may want to change them to a different stile, but go with what you have for now. The converter/charger is probably what has the fan below the fridge, and ultimately may need to be replaced with a better quality one, a true 3 stage charger, but for now just a new battery (s) will get you started. The inverter may not shriek when it is connected to good battery (s). It probably is saying "low voltage" with the shriek.

The propane tanks you have are 30 pound, not 30 gal ones. You might as well just have them filled rather than testing the systems with some other tank. Very little goes wrong with the original 30 # tanks. I would guess the propane system should be fine.

The hitch you have will most likely do the job, again, at least for now. I would wait until you have experience with it until you spend the money to change it out. 600# spring bars will give you a good start, and it is not uncommon that people get too heavy a bar to begin with, rather than a too light one. Tow it, report back to the forum, and then you may get better advice on just what you need to have. The 600's may be fine.

I have no real idea of why the sewerage smell might be there, but if it has been sitting, the water in the traps could have evaporated. Pour a couple of cups of water in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and also into the shower. That may solve the problem.

Enjoy. In a few months you will know a whole lot about your new rig. To begin with, it can be intimidating, but it will get better.

What are you towing it with, that will help with some questions we will have for you.

[mcgintyrch]

Thanks for your suggestions. It won't matter that the tongue weight is really 700 pounds and the weight distribution is rated for 600?
My tow vehicle is a Yukon XL 1500 2-wheel drive. There was no problem towing it 100 miles home and backing it up my long driveway.
S

[mcgintyrch]

Thanks for your recommendations!

[mcgintyrch]

@Scott, Becky, Heidi -
Thanks! I'll get the book. Very high cute factor - love it!
My traveling companions are 3 Vizslas and a Border Collie.

Susanne, Hooley, Twist, Ben, and Beamish

[idroba]

Originally Posted by mcgintyrch

Thanks for your suggestions. It won't matter that the tongue weight is really 700 pounds and the weight distribution is rated for 600?
My tow vehicle is a Yukon XL 1500 2-wheel drive. There was no problem towing it 100 miles home and backing it up my long driveway.
S

This is a bit of a gray area. Without any spring bars the total hitch weight would be on the rear of you Yukon, which would not be good. With 600# bars and a 700# hitch weight, you could not fully remove all the weight from the rear and transfer some forward to the front wheels and some back to the trailer wheels, but it is not always necessary to do so. Towing with too heavy a spring bar tends to put too much stress on the AS frame, and many recommend lighter spring bars, rather than heavier ones.

You will not damage the spring bars or hitch with ones slightly too light. For now, as I said previously, I would just stay with what you have and see how it tows overall. It sounds like your initial tow was pretty successful.