Hello From Katy, Texas June 26, 2018, 09:20:29 pm I joined the forum a couple weeks ago, and figured it was about time to introduce myself. My name is Rik, and currently live in Katy, Texas. I'm about 3-4 years away from retirement, and decided to start looking at RVs about a year ago. It's been an interesting process evaluating all the options available, but it seems that all paths have led to Lazy Daze in the end. The top choices were:1. Lazy Daze 24' Front Dinette2. Lazy Daze 27' Rear Bath (although this might move to the #1 position...)3. Phoenix Cruiser 25524. Pleasure Way XLTS (Class B+)5. Airstream 23' Flying Cloud trailer, with a Ford F-250 tow vehicle. I've been on the Lazy Daze waiting list (to the waiting list) for about a month or two now, and will be flying to Los Angeles for an extended July 4th weekend next week. I'll visit the Lazy Daze factory during that time. It's going to be a long wait for the new RV, but this timing actually works out for me - sometime in the latter part of 2019 (closer to my retirement date). I'm being told there will be a finished 24' TK, 27' MB, and a 27' RB that's still in production. Besides seeing a new Lazy Daze up close, I think my wife is interested to compare this to the Pleasure Way units we've looked at several times. From what I can tell, the Lazy Daze should clearly stand out in terms of quality and value at the current price point. I just can't see us sleeping and living in a Class B for more than a day or two at a time - especially since we're planning on some longer journeys.I'll probably have a few questions for the forum along the way, but there's already a lot of great information that's been posted. With that, I bid everyone greetings and hello from Katy, Texas. I look forward to sharing my experiences and thoughts, and learning from those of you who've already been on the Lazy Daze path.-Rik 2 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #1 – June 26, 2018, 10:25:41 pm Quote from: chiron - June 26, 2018, 09:20:29 pmI joined the forum a couple weeks ago, and figured it was about time to introduce myself. My name is Rik, and currently live in Katy, Texas. I'm about 3-4 years away from retirement, and decided to start looking at RVs about a year ago. It's been an interesting process evaluating all the options available, but it seems that all paths have led to Lazy Daze in the end. The top choices were:1. Lazy Daze 24' Front Dinette2. Lazy Daze 27' Rear Bath (although this might move to the #1 position...)3. Phoenix Cruiser 25524. Pleasure Way XLTS (Class B+)5. Airstream 23' Flying Cloud trailer, with a Ford F-250 tow vehicle. I've been on the Lazy Daze waiting list (to the waiting list) for about a month or two now, and will be flying to Los Angeles for an extended July 4th weekend next week. I'll visit the Lazy Daze factory during that time. It's going to be a long wait for the new RV, but this timing actually works out for me - sometime in the latter part of 2019 (closer to my retirement date). I'm being told there will be a finished 24' TK, 27' MB, and a 27' RB that's still in production. Besides seeing a new Lazy Daze up close, I think my wife is interested to compare this to the Pleasure Way units we've looked at several times. From what I can tell, the Lazy Daze should clearly stand out in terms of quality and value at the current price point. I just can't see us sleeping and living in a Class B for more than a day or two at a time - especially since we're planning on some longer journeys.I'll probably have a few questions for the forum along the way, but there's already a lot of great information that's been posted. With that, I bid everyone greetings and hello from Katy, Texas. I look forward to sharing my experiences and thoughts, and learning from those of you who've already been on the Lazy Daze path.-RikWelcome to the Lazy Daze forum, Rik. We will look forward to your report after the Mothership visit. Your questions are always welcome.Chris 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #2 – June 26, 2018, 10:48:06 pm Quote from: chiron - June 26, 2018, 09:20:29 pmI'll probably have a few questions for the forum along the way, but there's already a lot of great information that's been posted. With that, I bid everyone greetings and hello from Katy, Texas. I look forward to sharing my experiences and thoughts, and learning from those of you who've already been on the Lazy Daze path.I'd also like to welcome you to the Forum. Btw, we're Fort Worth LD owners so we're almost neighbors! At any rate, best of luck in your research and plans. It seems to me you're approaching this important decision with some thoughtful analysis. So well done. And we look forward to following your RV search journey. 2 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #3 – June 26, 2018, 10:48:53 pm Welcome Rik, just a suggestion, anytime I am thinking about dropping by the Mothership around a holiday, I call and make sure they are open, and if I need to talk to Todd, to see my almost finished LD, make sure he will be there. I just called today 6/26, to let Todd know I wanted to see my 27’ MB LD early, and found out he will not be there July 3, in case you are in town and want to meet him, visit on another day, I’m going July 2nd 2 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #4 – June 26, 2018, 11:07:52 pm Quote from: Tiger (Clark) - June 26, 2018, 10:48:53 pmWelcome Rik, just a suggestion, anytime I am thinking about dropping by the Mothership around a holiday, I call and make sure they are open, and if I need to talk to Todd, to see my almost finished LD, make sure he will be there. I just called today 6/26, to let Todd know I wanted to see my 27’ MB LD early, and found out he will not be there July 3, in case you are in town and want to meet him, visit on another day, I’m going July 2ndHi Clark,Interesting to note, that it was July 3rd for the day of my visit. I confirmed with Todd they would be open that day about a month ago. In any case, I'm sure that it will still be a productive trip with Todd out that day. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll call Todd tomorrow to confirm my visit, and see how I need to proceed once there.-Rik 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #5 – June 26, 2018, 11:56:53 pm Quote from: Ed & Margee - June 26, 2018, 10:48:06 pmI'd also like to welcome you to the Forum. Btw, we're Fort Worth LD owners so we're almost neighbors! At any rate, best of luck in your research and plans. It seems to me you're approaching this important decision with some thoughtful analysis. So well done. And we look forward to following your RV search journey.Hi Ed & Margee,Yes, Fort Worth is about a 3.5 hour drive from Katy. That's actually where we went to see the Pleasure Ways at Vogt RV some months back. Nice drive along the way, stopping at the Little Czech Bakery just north of Waco. A bit too much sugar, but still a very tasty treat!Most of the thinking on this decision has been focused on quality and selection of the right size coach for what will bring us the most comfort, ease of mobility, and satisfaction after taking delivery. I've also spent a significant amount of time, researching the engines, maintenance, and places that we would like to go. The Ford 6.8L V-10 is just a reliable workhorse, and can be serviced anywhere. I spent a considerable amount of time debating (with myself) about gas versus diesel. That was a difficult one, but gas narrowly edged out diesel to be the winner. Thanks for the nice greeting, and looking forward to the forum conversations.-Rik
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #6 – June 27, 2018, 08:11:57 am Rik, for your first visit, you can probably see and learn allot of what you need to know without Todd being there. Also, you could bring some Real Texas BBQ with you, just sayin...I know Kent Heckethor and I would help you eat it. Kent has been a huge help to us
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #7 – June 27, 2018, 08:52:05 am Love me some Texas BBQ! Welcome Rik! 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #8 – June 27, 2018, 12:01:20 pm Rik,One more welcome. Now that BBQ has been mentioned, perhaps Tiger (Clark) would be willing to add a rolling BBQ to his new LD to bring to the next LD gathering. I’ll bring the ribs.Kent
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #9 – June 27, 2018, 12:24:18 pm No, I didn’t see that on the LD option list! But I might make some tasty Cajun food, just to impress the group lol 🐯👍 2 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #10 – June 27, 2018, 01:01:30 pm Quote from: Tiger (Clark) - June 27, 2018, 12:24:18 pmNo, I didn’t see that on the LD option list! But I might make some tasty Cajun food, just to impress the group lol 🐯👍Let me know when dinner is served!Larry 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #11 – June 27, 2018, 01:40:21 pm Okay, called Todd this morning, and he confirmed that his day off will be on July 3rd. Should note that it was an unexpected thing that came up for him. In any case, I'll now be meeting with Steve. Actually, Steve and I already had a pretty good discussion back in May. I'll be coming there with a laundry list of questions, however Todd answered some of those items this morning - the rest can wait until next week. Here are those questions - and their answers:1. What is the maximum solar panel capacity on the 24-FD? "No more than 2 for the 24', however 3 may be a possibility on the 27' coaches."2. Can the two 100W solar panels on a 24' be upgraded to 160W panels?"No. 100W panels are the only possibility."3. What is the maximum Amp/Hour size of the LifeLine batteries that can be installed new? "The 220ah pair can be upgraded to 300ah. The 300ah batteries are 3" taller and fit into the battery compartment. Going to 400ah is not possible (due to their size), and may not be necessary for what I'll end up using the RV for."4. Is it possible to order the Ford E450 chassis with the 'Extra' Heavy Duty Alternator - 225a instead of the 155a."No. All chassis engines are ordered the same, and the 225a may actually be an overkill and not necessary."The final topic was about a recent product that WineGard is only selling to RV manufacturers as an OEM device. This new device combines a 32x 4G/LTE booster, WiFi extender, and auto digital TV antenna all into one unit. It's similar to the WineGard ConnecT 2.0 product, but adds the DTV component. Lazy Daze is aware of this product, and has had it under consideration. Apparently there's an issue with this device, and how it can be mounted without affecting the structural integrity of the roof. From what I can gather, they are internally debating the details. I actually found out about this device from my conversations with Coach House in Florida. They are now shipping all their new units with this device. I'm quite interested in this (especially the 32x LTE booster), if they can make it available. It's by no means a deal breaker, as there are other options for me after taking delivery. In any case, this is a long way off, and Lazy Daze may get all this sorted out by that time. Okay, now I'm hungry for some of that BBQ everyone is talking about...-Rik 3 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #12 – June 27, 2018, 02:15:44 pm Ok hope my LD is not obsolete already.....
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #13 – June 27, 2018, 03:33:28 pm Welcome...welcome, Rik & ____! So glad to hear of another member of the FOLD that will be east of the Rockies--as I look at the map there is an increasing population there in the Lone Star state...midwest flyover country isn't looking so lonely anymore. Don't know how y'all are looking at you LD future, but would encourage your wife to contact Lauralee Scholes, Wagonmistress Extraordinaire, for general info about Ladeze...a great gaggle of gals with amazing knowledge about LD/electrical issues/full-timing/great places to GoSeeDo/dog training & showing/towing (or not)/life in general/and just all around good times.And should your adventures bring y'all north, I'll extend my open invitation to anyone who wants to boondock at my farm south of town for overnight or as a base of operations for sights/sites from KC to St. Joseph to Marceline to Columbia to Sedalia (all are within a couple of hours).What a wonderful adventure as you decide how to outfit your new baby. Have fun, & safe journey over the 4th.Lynne 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #14 – June 27, 2018, 04:05:02 pm Quote from: Lynne Broyles-Greenwood - June 27, 2018, 03:33:28 pmWelcome...welcome, Rik & ____! So glad to hear of another member of the FOLD that will be east of the Rockies--as I look at the map there is an increasing population there in the Lone Star state...midwest flyover country isn't looking so lonely anymore. Hi Lynne,Thanks for the greeting, and the nice offer to visit farm land in the Midwest. It may be a while, but I'm certainly inclined to take you up on that. So it's actually Rik & Lanie. She still has a lot of questions about RV'ing in general. I believe that most of those are answered by having a Lazy Daze. The visit to mothership next week should help to clear out some of those lingering questions. Thanks again,-Rik
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #15 – June 27, 2018, 04:32:34 pm "Todd answered some of those items this morning - 1. What is the maximum solar panel capacity on the 24-FD? "No more than 2 for the 24', however 3 may be a possibility on the 27' coaches."2. Can the two 100W solar panels on a 24' be upgraded to 160W panels?"No. 100W panels are the only possibility.""Those are 'canned' answers al la Lazy Daze. In the real world you may find a totally different possibility. Yes, there is a limited amount of real estate on the roof of any model LD but the factory is known for not using it to best advantage! As to "No more than 2" I'd say the response should have had a caveat of "because we do it that way". There are many solar panel manufactures out there and the footprint difference between 100W and 160W may be very small. Again, a canned answer. 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #16 – June 27, 2018, 04:52:56 pm My sister and brother in law are on the homeward legs of a lap around the country in their Pleasure Ways Plateau TS. Their class B would be small for me. I will confess to liking the XLTS and XLTD though. They come at a steep price compared to the short LD but the cabinetry is as good or better than LD and the house electronics are current state of the art with whole house inverter, smart fans and cooling for the pets, lithium battery sets and what seems to me more advanced solar and wiring technology as compared to LD. The LD is built on the E450 and has MUCH more CCC, larger volume water and waste tanks for longer stays. Over all I am very impressed with the build, fit and finish of my sister's pleasure way. This is their second unit. The first was a front lounge with four seats that is not in production any longer. It did not have enough storage for them, someone made a very good offer to them (almost what they had paid) so they got the one that suited them better.The Sprinter gets more range from a gallon of diesel, but that is off set in many places by the fact that it needs Nr2 diesel fuel. Gas stations are increasingly selling biodiesel and in some parts of the country the other stuff can be hard to find. The Pleasure Ways community are warning each other about problems of running bio diesel for extended doing harm to the ejectors. This information was from sis and her family via the PW community - so third/fourth hand and may be suspect. But it got their attention. 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #17 – June 27, 2018, 05:18:03 pm Quote from: chiron - June 27, 2018, 01:40:21 pmOkay, called Todd this morning, and he confirmed that his day off will be on July 3rd. Should note that it was an unexpected thing that came up for him. In any case, I'll now be meeting with Steve. Actually, Steve and I already had a pretty good discussion back in May. I'll be coming there with a laundry list of questions, however Todd answered some of those items this morning - the rest can wait until next week. Here are those questions - and their answers:1. What is the maximum solar panel capacity on the 24-FD? "No more than 2 for the 24', however 3 may be a possibility on the 27' coaches."2. Can the two 100W solar panels on a 24' be upgraded to 160W panels?"No. 100W panels are the only possibility."3. What is the maximum Amp/Hour size of the LifeLine batteries that can be installed new? The final topic was about a recent product that WineGard is only selling to RV manufacturers as an OEM device. This new device combines a 32x 4G/LTE booster, WiFi extender, and auto digital TV antenna all into one unit. It's similar to the WineGard ConnecT 2.0 product, but adds the DTV component. Todd is wrong.Our 23.5" carries four panels (405-watts total) and has space for a future 100-watt panel.https://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/albums/72157696777575221If the kayaks were not carried, installing 700-watts of panels could be accomplished.Longer wheelbase LDs can carry even more panels.Order one panel and then upgrade to whatever configuration you desire. This way, the wiring pathway to the solar controller, and then the battery, has already been established. The Factory wiring will probably need to be replaced with a heavier gauge cable.Do plan on adding battery capacity if significant solar upgrades are anticipated. Many LD floorpans allow adding AGM batteries near the Factory battery pack, to ease the wiring installation.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #18 – June 27, 2018, 07:43:33 pm Quote from: Tiger (Clark) - June 27, 2018, 02:15:44 pmOk hope my LD is not obsolete already.....I just now received the user manual for the WineGard WF2-95B, and it actually does not have a 32x booster on the 4G/LTE. It's just a nice package to put your DTV, cellular data, and WiFi antennas all in one 8" high dome. So I need to correct my 32x LTE booster statement from before, as it's only 1x with an outside antenna. That was sort of implied by another salesperson who I spoke with along the way. The WiFi antenna does have the ability to latch onto a signal from 1/4-1/2 mile away. So that would be nice in an RV campground that includes WiFi.Since I'm mostly interested in the 4G/LTE booster, I'll probably stick with the standard bat wing, and buy a weBoost separately.
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #19 – June 27, 2018, 07:45:19 pm Whew, thats what I was going to do too, WeBoost separately if need it...Tech changes way too fast for me!
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #20 – June 27, 2018, 07:46:38 pm Quote from: Larry W - June 27, 2018, 05:18:03 pmOrder one panel and then upgrade to whatever configuration you desire. This way, the wiring pathway to the solar controller, and then the battery, has already been established. The Factory wiring will probably need to be replaced with a heavier gauge cable.This thought has actually crossed my mind, and you're probably correct about the heavier gauge wiring with all the additional amps coming through.
Re: Hello From Katy, Texas Reply #21 – June 27, 2018, 08:14:30 pm Quote from: John DaCrema - June 27, 2018, 04:52:56 pmThe Sprinter gets more range from a gallon of diesel, but that is off set in many places by the fact that it needs Nr2 diesel fuel. Gas stations are increasingly selling biodiesel and in some parts of the country the other stuff can be hard to find. The Pleasure Ways community are warning each other about problems of running bio diesel for extended doing harm to the ejectors. This information was from sis and her family via the PW community - so third/fourth hand and may be suspect. But it got their attention.The biodiesel trend, and Mercedes' response to this regarding the Bluetec 3.0L engine was what also got my attention. Here is the link to their PowerPoint: Biodiesel BrochureMost diesel in the US is a 5% blend (B5), but there's a move (trend) to get things switched to a 20% blend (B20). I believe the motive is clean air, global warming, etc. Mercedes has an advisory about B20. They basically say you can get away with one tank filling, but need to get back to a tank of B5 as soon as you can. It will cause issues with the engine by failing to do so over time. It appears that Washington State and Minnesota have already passed state laws to mandate B20. I've not been to these states lately to verify, but a google search is telling me that's now the case. I'm hearing that Mercedes will have a gas version of the Sprinter chassis, and produced in North American assembly plants. I'm not sure how that's going to play in the RV markets, like Pleasure Way and others. However, should be interesting to see how things play out.
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