QUOTE(emcvay @ Jul 10 2017, 05:48 PM)
I'm looking for some options in a camper that this one doesn't have. AC for one as it gets HOT here in the eastern part of WA, entertainment for those evenings after milling would be nice, LED's to save the battery, bigger toilet area (I'm 245lbs so have to shoehorn in there), MW for quick meals in the field would be nice and of course a queen sized bed and more storage.
Also want some awnings for shade during breaks
I figure I may buy new next year but will sell this one in the fall to hunters and save the money for a downpayment
All those things save the larger bathroom are addable... Your only issue with a larger bathroom will be camper weight and length and keep in mind that with a MW, you'll need a genny. A MW pulls too many watts to run with an inverter and batteries.
AC fits a standard 14 x 14 roof vent opening. LED's are aftermarket too. Mine came with interior LED's but I changed all the exterior bulbs to LED and added a rear view wireless observation camera. Got them from Superbright LEDs.com I added a MW but I also have a 2000 watt inverter genny (no solar on roof). I also added a bag awning (Carefree of Coloraso) to mine. Mine came with an awning rail installed but Carefree also sells awning rail on any length you want. Think my Bag awning was around 250 shipped.
You will never have enough storage with a TC, even one with a basement and keep in mind that a TC optioned the way you want will be heavy (at least 2500+ pounds empty and probably more and will cost upwards of 25-30K., unless of course you buy another used one, but, you already know about used TC and the issues you can / will have from previous owners not maintaining the seals.
If you do buy a newer later model used one, you now know where to look (for water intrusion) and how to look (under the front bunk in the nose and inside the cabinets at the floor/ wall seam/transition inside for telltale water stains on the interior wallboard.
Newer units will most likely be Filon clad instead of textured / ribbed aluminum and that presents some unique issues as far as rot remediation. With a Filon sheathed unit, you cannot 'peel back' the Filon like aluminum siding. It has to be cut and removed and then replaced by fiberglassing, a tedious job with mixed results. keep that in mind.
One thing about Filon is, if the superstructure is deteriorating it will show on the Filon sheathing as what is called 'Delamination'. The Filon will lift off the substructure because the glue used to adhere it to the substructure lets go from the moisture and the Filon lifts and looks wrinkled.
Thats the good part. The hard part is removal, replacement of course. Your aluminum clad unit is a cake job compared to a Filon clad camper.
With Filon, rot will be discernable on the outside (by looking down the side and seeing the delamination, whereas an aluminum clad unit, you need to do duee dillegence on the inside as well as the outside. I do both inside and outside when looking at used units no matter what they are clad with.
If I were to buy used (and I don't know if you are considering that, in as much as new will be costly with the stuff you want, and may even entail a new, larger truck, buying used with unseen issues, I'd steer clear of a Filon clad unit just because of the added pain of removing and replacing the Filon siding.
Your choice. Of course I will be curious as to what you decide and which route you go.