31 IB vs 27MB January 26, 2014, 04:28:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144743Hello Lazydazers,Wife and I are planning retirement in the next year or so. We want to do some extended RV travels, not quite fulltiming, maybe 3-4 mos a couple of times a year. We are not interested in campground parkinglots. We want to boondock and be able to go into State and Natl parks. Recently toured the LD factory. We are convinced that LD is the way to go. Unsure of which model will be best. we like the layout of the 31IB, as I cant really see myself clammoring up and down the Cabover bed in the 27MB. (6'4 225#). Want o be able to have enough OCCC for wife, myself and Fred our english bulldog. Any advice or comments?kmorhain
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #1 – January 26, 2014, 04:48:44 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144744Hi: If you're 6'4" you will be somewhat challenged by the interior of most Class C motorhomes. Lazy Daze is more "low line" styling, but I'm not sure if the interior is lower than other Class C's or not. If you've been to the factory you know what will work for you. I can, however, give my two cents on the IB model. We have owned four Lazy Daze motorhomes and after our first extended trip (for us) of six weeks we decided that making up a bed each night and taking it down each morning was not for us. We both believe the best Lazy Daze decision we made was to get a 31' Island Bed model (2008). Yes, it takes up quite a bit of room, but the 31' length makes up for that, and it's really nice to have that bed available whenever you want to use it. It is a queen size bed, but is a "short" queen which means it's 3" less in both width and length (something to consider). You might check to see if the 31' with twin beds has one longer bed. The other change we made which might work for you was to replace the barrel chair nearest the stove with an office chair with a higher back with a head rest. It fits in the tight space and does not roll around due to it's wheels, or you could take the wheels off it you felt it a problem. Great for TV watching. Enjoy! Gale PS: Four Laze Daze motorhome ALL of great quality.
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #2 – January 26, 2014, 06:31:53 pm Yahoo Message Number: 14474627 ft Mid-bath would be better for federal parks. Keep in mind that the couches in the MB convert to two twin beds or a single king size bed. Some keep it made up as a bed. Floor to ceiling height in a Lazy Daze is 6 ft 6.5 inches, and to the AC cover 6 ft 4 in. Also, 31 has less CCC than the 27 MB; 1902# vs 2961#. That's an important consideration if you will be on the road for an extended period. Both will work, but I'd choose the Mid-bath.
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #3 – January 27, 2014, 09:10:04 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144768We have a 2006 30 IB (AE) and really enjoy it. We are on the road for five to seven months most years - 2013 was an exception as we stayed pretty much in one spot for five months (medical issues) and moved around a bit over a month more as we moved from the hot and humid Florida, our home, to the cool mountains of North Carolina and back visiting with family and friends along the way -we were in no hurry. We are careful with the cargo carrying capacity and we tow a vehicle that weights in at less than 4K. Our longer trips are generally one year out west and the next year the Northeast - primarily Maine. We have visited all of the lower 48 states, the Canadian Maritimes, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and one other province who's name escapes me at present. Too tired to get the map. Previously we had a 26RB for just over three years (just over 36K and we have 56K on the 30IB). We really enjoyed the RB model because of its open floor plan but saw the 30IB as being more comfortable for us during our many months on the road. The 30IB has a similar openness about it forward of the shower and toilet which we really enjoy as even when sitting in the rig, you feel that you are outdoors.Driving the 30IB is not much different than the 26 (now 27's); however, as someone mentioned the larger rigs sometimes keep you from some National Park sites. We have not experienced any disappointments in that regard as we plan our trips pretty carefully, which enables us to make reservations that accommodate our size. We are not "long term boon dockers" and generally find that in remote areas where boon docking is necessary, we can easily make three days (four if we are very careful) without worry about water and tank capacity. We have never done a Wallmart night; although got close a couple of times owing to things beyond our control - primarily weather. We do prefer hook ups, especially electric, as we travel during the summer months and like to run the air conditioner. We do travel in the winter but generally not any further north than South Carolina but prefer heading down to the Keys.Hope this is helpful. Decisions on which rig is right for you is best accomplished by visiting the Mother Ship for a few hours and sitting in each unit for some time thinking about how you will spend your time. During the day we are generally out and about biking, hiking, kayaking, etc. so at the end of the day we want to be in a rig that will seem like the Ritz Carlton. {:>)Bob in Florida SE 5On Sunday, January 26, 2014 5:28 PM, "morhainken@..." wrote:
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #4 – January 28, 2014, 02:25:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144780Hello Kmorhain,You posted that you are considering a LD and were comparing the virtues and challenges of a 31'IB and the 27MB. As a Midbath owner, I have to admit that I have a strong bias towards the 27MB.You mention that you think you want to boondock most of the time and visit State and Natl. Parks; the 27MB is probably ideal for that. You don't mention if you plan to tow vehicle with you or not. If you don't plan on towing, I can tell you that you'll have some challenges touring in the 31'. We've used our 26.5MB for the kind of travel you are describing and we don't tow anything behind us; I couldn't imagine sightseeing in a 31'; I would have to tow a car.As we've explored other RV choices for our future, we keep coming back to the 27MB. IF I was going to get a larger rig, something in the 30-32' length, (and I realize this is blasphemy on this message board!), I think I would buy a short Ford chassis Class A. I saw a Newmar Bay Star in Grand Teton NP last year and the owner was boondocking just like us. He had room to have plenty of solar panels, had lots of batteries to store that power, plenty of storage and tank capacity, it looked like the ideal rig IF you plan to park and use a toad for the fun stuff. No offense to the folks who own 31'LDs, I just think they have their limits with CCC and storage.The Midbath, for us, has been the perfect rig. We've looked at a lot of other RVs, from fifth wheels, other Class C's, and larger motorhomes, and we still have not seen something that makes us get out the check book.. And if pay much attention to the sale of used Lazy Dazes, you've probably seen that Midbaths seem to sell the quickest too. There is a reason it is the most popular LD!Good luck with your decision!Steve K. (in arctic Ohio....brrrrr)
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #5 – January 30, 2014, 10:58:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 144787We have been full timing in our 06 31' IB for over 5 years now and we have boondocked a good bit of the last couple of years and intend to continue doing so. It is us and our two cats.For us the deciding factor was the bed set up. The other plus is the open feeling of the floor plan. Many LD folks in the MB have commented on that when they step into ours. The RB is the most open plan I have been in.CCC is an issue and we are generally at or a bit over the limit. Certainly there is a safety factor built into that number but who knows what it is. We recently weighed and as a result shifted some things around to get a better balance front to back.All that said I do really like the MB and RB and would probably opt for the RB if the bed was not an issue. However, if I had to replace our LD I would opt for what we have now.We also tow a car for what that is worth. We would do that regardless of the size of the LD as I don't really want to drive the LD for sightseeing and errands.Jim C
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #6 – January 30, 2014, 11:52:09 am Yahoo Message Number: 144789"CCC is an issue and we are generally at or a bit over the limit. Certainly there is a safety factor built into that number but who knows what it is"All all the the 30/31' LDs I have been in, only an handful were at or below the GVW. There is too much temptation with all the available storage, inside and out plus the extra weight of the long coach. Is there a safety factor?, well maybe, the chassis was originally designed for delivery vans which are generally abused. None the less, Ford has designed the chassis to carry a maximum amount of weight and it's always best to heed the manufacturers recommendations. I'm not sure why folks feel that being at or over the GVW is OK and nothing to worry about but it is sure common. What certainly happens is the suspension, tires and brakes wear out at a much faster rate than a lightly loaded LD. Just realize that when over loading any vehicle, it's going to cost you down the road and can lead to handling problems.. Can't tell you how many overloaded rigs that I have seen that have had multiple brake jobs, ball joint replacements and other steering and suspension problems.Larry.
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #7 – January 30, 2014, 11:53:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 144790We have more than 1000 camp nights in our '01 MB since 2002, and making up the beds has never been an issue. We use travel-sacks (sleep bags with sheets velcro'ed) over roll-up-able foam pads. We store it all in the cab overhead.It takes me three trips through the house in the evening and three more in the morning. About 200 feet walking each day. I'll be able to make that even if I get old. She steps out of the way for 2 minutes while I carry, then the room is ready for night-then-day use.That's just *nothing* to pay in exchange for our sitting room with windows all around.John
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #8 – January 30, 2014, 02:41:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144792"We have more than 1000 camp nights in our '01 MB since 2002, and making up the beds has never been an issue"Guess that depends if you sleep with your mate or sleep separately. Sleeping together requires pulling the twin couches together every night, a process that is a pain and very difficult or impossible for some. If you sleep separately, each on their own couch, it's a lot easier.My wife, of many decades, and I still like to sleep together, glad we still can sleep the overhead bunk. If we owned a MB (or RB), I would find an easier way to pull the couches out on, probably using tracks, and maybe even motorize it. It's way too much work the way it is. For the time being, the overhead bunk is as convenient a bed set-up as any, it's always there, ready for use and very little maintenance required.Larry
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #9 – January 30, 2014, 04:26:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144793Larry, Although my wife and I are not full timers, we have traveled with our 2001 MB Lazy Daze extensively. Having a claustrophobic lady sleeping with me the overhead bed is a no, no for us. We did this only once when we picked up our Lazy Daze from the factory. We do pull the two sofas together and use a King sized travel sack with the velcro-fastened sheets. After a while it becomes part of an evening and morning routine without any problem.. After being married for more than fifty years I still like to sleep together with my lady.Just an opinion.Aad__
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #10 – January 30, 2014, 04:26:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144794Larry, Although my wife and I are not full timers, we have traveled with our 2001 MB Lazy Daze extensively. Having a claustrophobic lady sleeping with me the overhead bed is a no, no for us. We did this only once when we picked up our Lazy Daze from the factory. We do pull the two sofas together and use a King sized travel sack with the velcro-fastened sheets. After a while it becomes part of an evening and morning routine without any problem.. After being married for more than fifty years I still like to sleep together with my lady.Just an opinion.Aad__
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #11 – January 31, 2014, 09:57:46 am Yahoo Message Number: 144795LarryI certainly agree with your comments on the weight issue. Since we last weighed we have been shedding stuff in addition to moving things around for better balance. We will continue to see how much more we can get rid of as I would like to minimize this issue. I can say that we have no handling problems and so far no mechanical issues but we only have just over 40,000 miles.This is one reason I would like to buy a used Foretravel to no longer have to think about that issue and to have more fresh, black and grey capacity. That said, it is hard to overcome inertia to make the switch and the annual maintenance costs will increase. We were just in Q and I was going to visit the Foretravel group but ended up having a dental issue that moved me closer to Mexico.We seem to be going through a phase where we want to boondock all the time and have gotten good at making the most of what we have. That said, this has been a mild and warmer winter in the SW. If it gets too cold I will be looking for electricity again.Jim C http://littleadventures-jg.blogspot.com/
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #12 – January 31, 2014, 10:52:32 am Yahoo Message Number: 144796Fantastic Blog. Thanks.Dick
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #13 – January 31, 2014, 03:05:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144802Jim and Gayle: As you know Kathy and I face the same issue with watching the weight. Although we are only half timers: generally six months on the road constantly and then another month or two doing shorter trips. We only carry what we will need for the points that we are going to visit. We, like you, are generally just below the limit. All you can do is really evaluate what you need and stick to that outcome. We also watch very closely what we carry in the toad. Our kayaks are very light weight as are our fold up bikes so we manage to stay under the 4K guide. We have right at 56K with our 2006 AE 30IB and have had no issues other than replacing the front "ball joints" - think it was the ball joints. Our mechanic attributed that to the poor design by Ford with not allowing for periodic lubrication. We love the comfort of the 30IB over our previous 26RB. We owned the 26 for three years, put just over 36K on her seeing this great country of ours, and really had no big issue with making up the two sofas into beds every night. If we downsized we'd go back to the 27RB but see no good reason to do that. We love the appeal of the Foretravels as well; however, father time is catching up with us, so we will stick with our 30IB for now and continue to watch what we take. More difficult for you two as that is your "permanent home." I will say thank goodness for computers and readers as it has greatly helped with lugging books along. We figure we saved 200#s with the computer and readers. I still do consulting work so storing my reference material on the computer or on cloud reduces several comprehensive volumes that we carried in the 26RB.Stay warm in the desert SW.Cheers, Bob and KathyOn Friday, January 31, 2014 10:57 AM, "jcgc50@..." wrote:
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #14 – January 31, 2014, 08:15:06 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144809"We have right at 56K with our 2006 AE 30IB and have had no issues other than replacing the front "ball joints" - think it was the ball joints. Our mechanic attributed that to the poor design by Ford with not allowing for periodic lubrication. "FYI Most, if not all E450s ball joints have removable plugs that allow grease fittings to be easily installed and regularly lubed. Shouldn't cost more than a couple bucks to buy the fittings. Ball joints should last much longer than 56K with periodic maintenance.Larry
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #15 – February 01, 2014, 10:01:39 am Yahoo Message Number: 144817Larry: Not very mechanically inclined - probably obvious - so I'm not sure it was the "ball joints" as I indicated in the earlier post. My records are in the LD, which is in storage for the winter at this point. I'll check the invoice and up date next time I'm at the rig. None-the-less, I have had the LD serviced at the 3K to 3.5K points since new, so I doubt it was for lack of performing required maintenance. I was told that there was a problem with the Ford 450's in that there was a "sealed" something or other which causes replacement requirements. Perhaps someone out there with more smarts that I can clarify. Yes, I am one of the dummies who rely on the service providers to keep my rig in tip top shape and write checks as opposed to doing it myself. So heaven only knows.Bob
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #16 – February 01, 2014, 11:10:10 am Yahoo Message Number: 144820Hi Bob,Regarding the "sealed" ball joints, Ford has historically delivered the E450 chassis with threaded plugs installed on the upper and lower ball joints. These could be easily removed and grease fittings known as "Zerks" could be threaded in to replace those plugs.When I had my first front end alignment done, the wise mechanic told me we should remove those plugs and install zerks and just give those fittings a squirt of two of grease during my oil changes. When I bought new tires last spring, he checked the alignment and told me that the ball joints, after over 100,000 miles had very little play in them. He told me, "whatever you've been doing, keep doing it!". On the next service rack was a Ford van that was having its third set of ball joints replaced.He mentioned that replacement ball joints from Ford would come with the zerk fittings installed. Go figure.If you search the old posts for "grease fittings", you should find plenty of discussions about them. And I think it was Don McG, (one of the most historically helpful contributors to this message board) that cautioned about having overzealous lube guys blowing out the seals on the ball joints by pumping in too much grease As the old Brylcream commercials would say "A little dab will do ya!".Steve K.
100 Watt portable solar power Reply #17 – February 01, 2014, 12:37:00 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144821If any of you have been thinking of adding solar power but have put it off due to the hassel of installing it, or the cost of having it installed, there is an alternative. Several companies have come out with suitcases that are self contained solar power plants. Most are pretty expensive, but Renogy has a 100 watt model that is priced nicely at $269.99 and for the month of Feburary has a 10% discount coupon making it $242.99 with free shipping. It includes 2 50 watt monocrystalline panels, a waterproof 10 amp PWM controller, tilting stand and clips to connect to your battery, all which makes into a suitcase with carrying handle. You can see it at www.renogy-store.com.I have no financial interest in Renogy, I just believe strongly in solar power and think this is a great value for anyone thinking of portable solar power. The coupon code to get the 10% discount is "solarcase100".Rich - 2000 MB - Birch Bay, WA
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #18 – February 01, 2014, 02:06:29 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144823Steve: Thanks for the clarification. I did have zerks installed so it may well be that the service folks "blew them out."BobOn Saturday, February 1, 2014 12:10 PM, nukamper2000 wrote:
Re: 100 Watt portable solar power Reply #19 – February 01, 2014, 05:13:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144826Wow, we don't get enough sun here to know much about solar power. Is 100W enough to boil the kettle? I am sure someone has written a blog or two on using solar power and we will try to find them.Sandy
Re: 100 Watt portable solar power Reply #20 – February 01, 2014, 05:54:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144827Sandy, can you boil the kettle while dry camping (camping not plugged in) ? Solar panels have one function and one fnuction only, and that is to add charge to your house batteries. Tom
Re: 100 Watt portable solar power Reply #21 – February 01, 2014, 06:22:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144828There are many online resources on RV solar systems; some do a much better job than others to educate the buyer as to how these systems work and how to assess individual power needs. Two sites that you might look at to start to learn the basics are:http://www.amsolar.com/home/amr/cpage_9/rv_solar_education.htmlhttp://www.rvsolarelectric.com/ (Look at "Designing ....' at page right.)Joan
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #22 – February 01, 2014, 08:08:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144829"Solar panels have one function and one fnuction only, and that is to add charge to your house batteries."This is not strictly true. Solar can not only top off your batteries, it can provide the power for any running 12V appliances at the same time. This means that if you have any power needs during daylight hours, the solar can take care of that without needing to deplete battery charge. For instance, plugging in rechargeable devices, watching sports on TV, playing video games, or whatever is more efficiently done while the sun shines. If your solar array is keeping your batteries well topped off, then most of the available solar power is wasted if you don't use it for other purposes.Steve
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #23 – February 01, 2014, 08:37:43 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144830You can say the same thing about the converter when on shore power. All these sources are in parallel. Which one is providing power to the TV is kind of academic. Tom
Re: 31 IB vs 27MB Reply #24 – February 02, 2014, 01:24:59 am Yahoo Message Number: 144831Well, not really. Solar provides its power in daylight hours. If hooked to shorepower, there is no difference between night and day, so no preferential advantage to using appliances in the daytime, as there is with solar. And, of course, solar provides no advantage for any function while hooked to shorepower, including battery charging. So, if you install solar to charge your batteries, but stay hooked to shorepower all the time, you are wasting your money. And, of course, if always on shorepower, upgrading to a multi-stage converter is a must, and much cheaper than adding solar panels and an MPPT charge controller.Steve
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