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Old 08-22-2021, 12:32 PM   #1
jasin1
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Rv ladders and solar

Looks like the manufacturers are going to be doing a way with ladders for the roof…they mention this in the first couple of min of the video….also they mention that keystone will ship all rv’s with at least 200 amps of solar installed going forward
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Old 08-28-2021, 05:20 AM   #2
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Thats actually interesting. Over the past few weeks I've been on a number or lots looking at late year 2021 and 2022 models coming in. Looking to upgrade/make some improvements in desired features of our existing unit. Anyways, one thing I noticed is that almost every trailer now has a ladder where last year at this time on these same lots the trailers had some ladders and a sticker to say "ladder ready". Maybe in anticipation, using up existing stock?
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Old 08-28-2021, 08:32 AM   #3
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I know lots of folks like and use their ladders but I was wondering if something like this wasn't going to come along at some time. Those ladders are just not strong enough for the average RV owner and will bend, flex and pull loose on the back if used much or by anyone over 125lbs. or so from what I've seen. Yes, I'm sure there are those out there that have had no issues but I've not had a single one that didn't get loose or bent when used, particularly by the yahoos at the dealership. That 12' A frame ladder I use to get to the top step of my ladder to then step on the roof works great (if/when I actually HAVE to get up there).
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Old 08-28-2021, 09:39 AM   #4
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I know lots of folks like and use their ladders but I was wondering if something like this wasn't going to come along at some time. Those ladders are just not strong enough for the average RV owner and will bend, flex and pull loose on the back if used much or by anyone over 125lbs. or so from what I've seen. Yes, I'm sure there are those out there that have had no issues but I've not had a single one that didn't get loose or bent when used, particularly by the yahoos at the dealership. That 12' A frame ladder I use to get to the top step of my ladder to then step on the roof works great (if/when I actually HAVE to get up there).
Yeah some of these ladders look like fake props on a movie set lol like an old west town with fake building fronts
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Old 08-28-2021, 02:51 PM   #5
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When our girls were in grade school we had a Dodge conversion van with a ladder on the rear door. That ladder was 10 times stronger than what the trailers have now. I never stepped on it as I didn’t trust the screws in the door skin. There was one occasion where it was used however. We went to Six Flags in NJ for Halloween and drove thru the Wild Safari. The monkeys would climb the ladder, run across the roof, then slide down the windshild on their butts. All these years later we still laugh at the memories of that thrip.
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Old 08-28-2021, 03:15 PM   #6
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Interesting that Keystone will have 200 watt minimum of solar on every single model as a standard feature. As good as that may sound, to me it just sounds like more chances of caulking failure and roof leaks.
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Old 08-28-2021, 03:48 PM   #7
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Interesting that Keystone will have 200 watt minimum of solar on every single model as a standard feature. As good as that may sound, to me it just sounds like more chances of caulking failure and roof leaks.

I agree completely. Some may want/need some sort of solar on their RV but me, and a zillion others, have no need for it. Mandatory placement only complicates the RV and introduces many more places for failure. If/when I buy my next one, if it is indeed "standard" equipment, it will be removed by the dealer prior to purchase just so I can have all the removal "problems" covered for a short period anyway. I can't figure any engineer/designer/manufacturer thinking that the majority of folks will require solar on an RV or they won't buy it - and only 200 watts? Why? Then again, in this day and time it's hard to "figure" anything out it seems.
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Old 08-28-2021, 04:01 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog View Post
Interesting that Keystone will have 200 watt minimum of solar on every single model as a standard feature. As good as that may sound, to me it just sounds like more chances of caulking failure and roof leaks.
I'd guess there's some "hidden agenda" involved... Whether it's a federal rebate they're going to get, some tax deduction or a grant that pays half the cost and is passed on to the customer at full price.....

There's got to be some advantage to the "Keystone bottom line" or they wouldn't be doing it....

It's along the same lines as GM, Ford and RAM all pushing to have the most horsepower, most torque, most cubic feet of passenger space, and if they can't engineer it in, they just create a new "vehicle class" so they can claim the top prize.... Sort of like, "Best in class" * and the asterisk at the bottom of the page says: * 3 door half ton trucks with 5' beds without a tailgate .... Yep, they "bested everyone in that class"....
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Old 08-28-2021, 04:06 PM   #9
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Let’s see … 200 watts of solar..at least double the cost? Is it gonna raise the msrp by a $1000 at least?
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Old 08-28-2021, 05:04 PM   #10
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Thinking about the 200 watt solar being "standard equipment" I can thimk of a couple of possible motives. Too many dead battery during storage complaints? Government incentives? Or a way to increase sales? My guess would be a sales booster. Solar is one of those win-win propositions. The current "solar everything" being charged "free" from outdoor lighting to cell phone chargers. Then there's the save the planet reduce your carbon footprint that improves "orprate optics".

With the current generation of consumers I'd expect to see labels andvertising "constructed using xx% recycled prodhcts".
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Old 08-28-2021, 05:17 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
Thinking about the 200 watt solar being "standard equipment" I can thimk of a couple of possible motives. Too many dead battery during storage complaints? Government incentives? Or a way to increase sales? My guess would be a sales booster. Solar is one of those win-win propositions. The current "solar everything" being charged "free" from outdoor lighting to cell phone chargers. Then there's the save the planet reduce your carbon footprint that improves "orprate optics".

With the current generation of consumers I'd expect to see labels andvertising "constructed using xx% recycled prodhcts".
Oh the irony that comes with corporate motives !!!

Buy a recreational trailer and a "carbon emitting vehicle" to tow it, and depend on the 200 watts of solar collection to "save the planet and reduce your guilty pleasures footprint".... At 1KW of collected energy a week, that hardly offsets the "carbon cost" to move the trailer from storage to a permanent site for the summer LOL And that doesn't even take the single pane windows and air leaks into consideration while heating/cooling the trailer, all the while that "200 watt panel is saving the planet" .....

Keystone would better serve the public if they'd engineer a "truly energy efficient RV" rather than putting a Polar Package sticker (lipstick) next to the door (on the pig)....
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Old 08-29-2021, 04:03 AM   #12
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I imagine next spring a bunch of new members on here will be asking how come they can’t run the entire trailer on 200 watts of solar like the brochure says.

Gonna be interesting
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Old 08-29-2021, 04:16 AM   #13
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Laugh all you want. I bet it is there to charge your new all electric Lightning tow vehicle. Lets see... amp and a half of pure charging power.... you should be able to recharge using the optional Keystone power plug in about 17 days... ZERO carbon footprint and a 40 mile towing range.
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Old 08-29-2021, 05:10 AM   #14
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One additional thought I had when George mentioned charging the truck. Since most manufacturers are adding or at least offering a 12v-only refrigerator now instead of the gas/electric one in models without a residential fridge you almost have to have solar (or a generator) if you plan to boondock for more than a day.
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Old 08-29-2021, 05:21 AM   #15
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When we first purchased our 2002 Cougar I found the ladder shaky. The steel fasteners had failed due to rust in a couple places. I replaced all the original fasteners with a kit like the one pictured below. While the ladder is now secure, I use a 12' extending ladder to access the roof and use the original to "brace" the extending ladder as the roof ladder steps are too far apart and too narrow to be comfortable climbing up onto the roof.
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