2015 Open Range 319RLS
Our home away from home. Once we decided to wander through Canada and United States visiting every park we could we started looking at trailers we liked and then at what would suit our needs. Our likes won out over what “would do” as we would be living in the trailer several months of the year. We both like open space, spend a lot of time outside, have no interest in visiting cities, and as such, decided a larger trailer would prevent feeling closed in after a few weeks. In 2015, we traveled to the Detroit Camper and RV Show in Novi, Michigan, USA www.michiganrvandcampgrounds.org as it was the next RV show that was close enough and seemed large enough to have a good representation of manufacturers. We decided on a 5th wheel design due to the towing benefits and storage capabilities. The standard hitch towable has a greater chance of swaying have less cargo storage space but do weigh less and cost less. As for storage space, the cargo could be carried in the truck. The lighter weight for same length also means you could go with a SUV instead of a truck. Most newer trucks have computer sway control as well.
It was there we settled on the Open Range 319RLS 5th wheel, www.highlandridgerv.com. We liked its claimed level of insulation for keeping us cooler in the summer and warmer in the Spring and Fall. The design of the heating system around the water pipes and tanks helped in the decision as well. The interior space really helped. Another point was the 1/2 ton towable weight and the front hitch and cowling design that would enable us to use a shorter pickup bed without a sliding hitch and still be able to make a full 90 degree turn.
In August 2016, we bought the trailer; a new 2015 model like we first saw. Actually, Jennifer found the trailer and sent me an e-mail at work telling me we were going to look at a trailer that Saturday and that she spoke to the salesperson and got a good price for it.
We weren’t looking, we were buying and history backs me up. We found our cottage on the internet and bought it the day we drove up to look at it. We were bored one Thanksgiving Saturday so we went for a drive, saw an open house, went in, and bought the house. I saw our current farm house on the internet, sent an email to Jennifer telling her we should add it to the list of things we’d like our retirement house/ property to have. She sent an email back telling me we were meeting the agent at the house that Saturday morning. It was a 4 hour drive – one way. On the way back we talked about how we were going to renovate and retire to this house we just bought.
What we didn’t consider was many older government run/owned parks and several private campgrounds don’t accommodate trailers over 32 feet long. Our trailer is 36 overall. Secondly, I didn’t know the sale pitch of 1/2 ton towable was achievable if the trailer was empty and Jennifer and I kept our combined weight to about 200 pounds. But more on that is found under the truck we chose.
We used the trailer a few times before heading out for our cross country trip and we are quite pleased with it. The kitchen island on wheels is handy. The floor to ceiling pantry has 5 pull out drawers that could hold several weeks of non-perishable food. The entertainment center is on the side wall freeing up the rear for a large picture window. Having reclining seats directly across from the TV is much better for the neck as well. Trailers with rear mounted TVs also have the seating on the side walls. This requires you to keep your head turned to the side while watching TV. That will kink up the neck quite quickly. Long term camping results in lots of rainy days and I can only read so many books. The water control and dump controls are in their own exterior cabinet which means no reaching under the frame to pull levers or crawling into the storage bays to turn handles.
2019 Ford F250 XLT Crew ca, 4X46-1/2 box, tires LT275/70R18 for max payload
We went back to Dickson Ford and traded in our 2016 F250 for the 2019 model. The full size rear doors and seat makes it roomier for passengers as well as for carrying cargo that we want close at hand while leaving more room for Molson to move around. The 2019 also has an increased payload, just under 2900 pounds, 1300 kgs which will come in handy during our Northwest Territory trip. We’ve added 2 extra batteries, 200 watt solar panel, and all the switching and wires that go along with them. Extra gasoline and water containers will eat up that extra payload.
TRADED IN – 2016 Ford F250 XLT Super cab, 4X4, 6-1/2 box, tires LT275/70R18 for max payload
Luckily we bought the trailer first and the truck second as the weight limitations of one truck compared to another can be quite large even when comparing the same make and model. Since we now had a trailer we had to settle on a truck that was going to pull it off the dealer’s lot in 3 weeks. A truck’s towing and carrying capacity is not a simple task to determine. Each option chosen deducts from the payload available to carry you, your cargo, and trailer. Air conditioning, split bench seats or captain chairs, two doors or four, regular cab vs. super cab or mega cab, and box length all impacts the payload available. Truck sales brochures will tell you the maximum payload capacity of a particular model not including any options. We chose the Ford F250 XLT for the capacity of the F250 compared to the competitor 3/4 ton pickups. Its price, the options that came with the XLT package, and the dealership www.dicksonford.ca also helped seal the deal.
The 5th wheel hitch we chose was the Curt A16. The hitch is designed for Ford’s under bed factory installed 5th wheel hitch frame and it weighs 139 pounds. We purchased it from www.pjcanada.com as they were local and gave us the best deal. The factory installed frame results in a smooth box floor when the hitch is removed; no above bed rails to deal with and simple 4 lever unlocking method. Our empty trailer has a pin weight of 1240 pounds. When hitched to the truck it puts 1240 pounds of weight in the pickup box. The combined weight of Jennifer and I is just over 300 pounds. Without adding ANYTHING into the trailer or truck we used up over 1700 pounds of payload capacity.
Most 1/2 ton trucks have a payload capacity between 1000 pounds (Ram Rebel) to 2200 pounds (Chev, GMC). Ford’s F150 can go up to 3000 pounds, but that is the special order, stripped base model. Along with payload capacity you must know what the gross combined vehicles weight rating (GCWR) is. That base model F150 with 3000 pound payload has max GCWR of 17100 pounds. The day we picked up the trailer from the dealer I weighed the truck and trailer at our local Cat Scale, https://catscale.com. It’s easy and inexpensive and important. My empty trailer and F250 with my wife and I in it weighed in at 16,200 pounds, well over most 1/2 ton pickup truck’s GCWR. Our F250’s GCWR is 19,200 pounds with a payload capacity of 2700 pounds.
We chose the F250 as it gave us the capacity for our future plans. We eventually will be boondocking or dry camping more often which means more carried weight in water, extra gasoline, solar equipment, and batteries. The cost of 1000 pounds of excess capacity is virtually nothing. Running close to your maximum limits causes rapid wear and tear on the vehicle and equipment. As for adding extra springs or air suspension, that brings out the weight police in me. They are just cosmetic fixes to make it look like you are within your weight limits. The final word will come from the court and your insurance company if you are involved in a collision.
If you are thinking of buying a trailer I recommend trailer before truck as the truck will limit your trailer selection. If you already have the truck don’t rely on the trailer salesperson do your weight investigation.
Kayaks – Pelican Bounty 100
We chose the Pelican Bounty 100 due to its length, weight, and cockpit size. As we were going to put it on the roof of the F250 I wanted something light enough for one person to handle and short enough that it wouldn’t interfere with the turn radius of the trailer or hang way over the front of the cab. At 10 feet long and 37 pounds it fit the bill. The kayak is a recreational style giving us a cockpit that is 24 x 49 inches. Being 57 years old I wanted something that I could get in and out of easily for as long I can keep using it. The water we plan on kayaking are lakes and rivers, not in rough or fast waters. Having a large cockpit is suitable for our use. We bought it through www.tscstores.com online benefits club when it was on sale and picked it up at our local TSC Store.
I can just reach the roof of the F250 so we needed a way to make loading and unloading the kayaks a little less difficult. There are few roof rack manufacturers and fewer that have anything for a F250. Thule, www.thule.com, makes a handy rack for kayaks called the Hullavator, but at 700+ bucks a kayak plus the base roof rack we were pushing $2000 to carry the kayaks and that’s not happening. . F250 sized roof racks are a lot more money than I counted on. We ended up with the Rhino Rack , www.rhinorack.ca, base roof rack and two sets of the Malone Downloader folding J style carrier, www.maloneautoracks.com. At $150 per kayak plus the base roof rack we were under $1000.00. Malone also sells an lift assist that temporarily attaches to the J style carrier for about $350. I’m 5′ 8″ fresh out of bed. It doesn’t matter if it’s Thule, Malone, or foam blocks I still need a short ladder to reach above the roof to attach the kayaks properly. Turns out the kayaks are light enough to load on the carrier while standing in the truck bed so we won’t require a lift assist, yet.
Generator – Champion 2000 watt (2000 peak, 1600 watt running)
We chose this inverter generator and bought it online from www.cosco.ca. It’s light enough to carry one handed, has the econo-mode that varies the engine speed from idle to max depending on the electrical load applied, and it generates a pure sine wave curve. Inverter generators are more expensive than standard generators but the pure sine wave, varied engine speed, and quiet running noise makes it worth it. Some National Parks have a 60 dB noise limit on generators and this one, when running under load, is under that. The price cinched the deal as it was on sale and the price included shipping to my front door.
Cook stove & oven
This combination over / 2 burner propane stove is perfect for me as I don’t want to cook in the trailer unless I have to. We can bake, fry, or boil and keep the smells and steam all outside. The burners are not as hot as I would like but they still fry bacon. The oven heats up to just over 350 F which is a little low for biscuits but we’re on vacation. There are a few manufactures around that make style. We were glad to find ours at a Canadian store and bought ours from www.homehardware.ca
BBQ
The BBQ looks like a locking, stainless steel suitcase with adjustable feet. It has a U shaped burner and is big enough to BBQ 8 hamburgers at once. You have to move the burgers around as it definitely has a few hot spots above the burner tube. It came with a tank adaptor designed for the small 1 and 2 pound propane tanks. I changed it out for a standard 3 foot long BBQ tank hose and we now hook it up to standard 20 pound tanks.
RCA counter top Ice Maker
Cause we like ice in our white wine and Canadian Whiskey. Makes large or small tube shaped ice ‘cubes’ quite quickly which works for us.
Insignia portable clothes spinner/washer
This thing is amazing. It weighs 46 pounds, fits easily in the bathroom cupboard, and washes and spin dries the clothes. It doesn’t dry them but it spins at 600 rpm which leaves them less than damp. So much nicer than looking for a Laundromat and wasting time in one during our travels. There are models that wash/spin/dry all in the same machine and there are other types of spinner/washers but at the size (about a 5 gal bucket), weight, and price point we like it. We bought a portable drying rack to go with it ; both from www.bestbuy.ca. We will still need to stop at a Laundromat for a drier on wet days but only for 20 minutes. We used it at the Summer House Park and washed 4 loads. One load is 2 pair of jeans or one pair of jeans and one sweat shirt. All our socks and undies make one load. While the load is small, the spin cycle is so good we put all 4 loads into a dryer. All was dry on the 3rd quarter – 18 minutes.
Induction cooktop
This handy little electric stove heats a pot of liquid faster than another type of electric stove. It requires a steel bottomed pan or pot. If a magnet won’t stick, it won’t work. It creates heat by creating a magnetic field. Only the area covered by the pot heats, works with large or small diameter pots and pans, and the unit quickly cools down. It plugs into a standard electrical outlet indoors or out. Our stove/oven is operated by propane. As most campsites have electrical hookup we save on the propane costs.
Ceramic Electric heater
Prior to leaving for our cross country trip we tested the furnace and its ability to keep the trailer warm. In early April the nights dropped to just above freezing and the daytime highs were in the high 40’s F. The trailer’s thermostat was set at 66 F. In less than 48 hours we emptied one 20 lb propane tank. We bought an inexpensive no name heater for the trailer to supplement the electric fireplace installed in the trailer. If we’re paying for electricity at the campsite we might as well use it.