Love it thank you for sharing. Real Rvers sharing with other real people/RVers 🙂 we're hitting the road soon and are getting info from good neighbors videos like you guys than you
My hats off to you. Impressed with your shower tiling and curtain selection. You kept it modern and in color with coach decals. As for door entrance I much rather have the combo lock no need for keys and it has back up batteries and still has a standard key hole. Now high five on the water heater cleat you added 👍
Thanks guys for going thru all the work of sharing these great ideas which are extremely helpful. I look forward to all your videos now. Stay safe & God bless.
Thank you for the tile idea ! I already wanted the shower miser and wanted to do it myself as the dealer charged so much. Made sense to do with the tiles and found a great deal on Kijiji as I only needed 10 tiles ! Got them for less than $100 where an insert would have cost $500!
Wow! Thanks! We do try and give you the "complete picture" with our experience having this camper. We think it compares favorably with offerings from Lance and even Nu-camp. Coachmen priced it and equipped it at a price that let you do some simple upgrades which take this camper to the next level in features without the high price. Glad you liked the video though and hope you enjoy the future ones coming.
Sorry for the bother we got it. I has to have my wife get her little hands in behind it. I got channel locks on the plastic nut and it broke loose. Thanks again , been trying to watch your videos.
@@jamesmcrae9238 pretty much everything is plastic. I have done a lot of upgrading and haven’t had to many problem. My Apex Nano was missing the little slide panel on the screen door that you open for lock on the door. I have been trying to get it all this year and still after months of waiting the parts department hasn’t even ordered it yet. If coachmen can’t handle a little problem like this I hate to see when I have a real problem.
Much the same trailer as an E-Pro, bit cheaper, these don't have some of the stuff the E-Pro does, but a lot of them are more gimmicky than practical. I'm considering giving these a good hard look for sure. For myself I'm looking at the 185BH, seems to check all the boxes. Some good thought put into your mods.
Thanks for posting this video! I have a very similar TT, an Apex Nano bunkhouse, and most of your mods are applicable to my unit as well. But the most compelling one to me, is the bug screens. I hadn't considered that wasps would make a nest in there, and the thought makes me shudder. I'm going to order that right away. Would you mind listing Amazon links (or whatever links are relevant) to some of the items in your video, in the description? *Edit* Ah, I see that the Gear section on your website has been updated with all the Amazon links. Or maybe they were always there and I just hadn’t looked hard enough. 😁 Thanks!
The ceiling is 76” (6 ft 4 inches) except for the air conditioner which is 74”. I am 6’ 3 and have no problems with the ceiling height. Hope this information is helpful.
Several nice improvements. I have an Apex Nano 189 RBS and would like to add some of the bathroom hangers like you installed. The Nano walls don't have a lot of support and are thin. What did you use to hang the rings and bars?
I am pretty sure we used a small square of Gorilla mounting tape along with the screws that came with the hangers and then used a plastic wall anchor that expands. We have not had one come off yet.
Have you added the two 6V batteries yet and if so did you have to modify the battery rack$ Our 2021 208BHS doesn't seem to have enough clearance for the batts and cases.. Thanks for your video. Very well done.
We did have room for two batteries on the tongue battery rack. Just barely with the two battery boxes. I have seen dual battery boxes that may help save space. You might be able to get a metal battery case and install it over top of the existing recessed battery rack if you have room.
We just bought a new one today (with shower walls & solar!). Not picking it up for a week. What size TV did you go with? And what mount did you use. Thanks!
Our front window started leaking, so we had a auto glass company comes reseal it. He told us that the window was not installed correctly originally. They used glue for glass not for Laxan .
I'm looking to purchase a "Couples Camper" and tow it with a mid-size Truck (2019 Ford Ranger). The Apex Nano 213RDS is my favorite layout. You are the only CZcamsrs that I've found who are doing videos on the Apex Nano 213RDS! I have a BUNCH of questions for you...here are a couple of them: Is your Tow Vehicle a Chevy Colorado? (How does it tow? Do you think you need a 1/2 Ton or does a Chevy Colordao have enought "power"?). What is the largest Size TV you could install in that TV Viewing area? In the Bedroom Closet, how did you attach the Wood Bracket (for the Shelf) to the Trailer Side Wall?. How did you attach the Towel Racks to the Trailer Walls? Thanks!
Scott, yes we have used a Chevy Colorado to tow our 213RDS with and it seems to be able to pull it just fine fully loaded (4500lbs when fully loaded and with a full holding tank of water). Our only concern was the "lightness" of the rig when being passed by a semi-trailer or even a very large truck while on an interstate. We seemed to be getting pulled into the path of the larger rig which was uncomfortable for me. There is another CZcamsr you can lookup called Traveling Robert who also pulls a similar sized camper with a Chevy Colorado and he ended up putting a Hensley Hitch ($$$) on his to help with the swaying. The Ranger is very similar to the Colorado but has a better transmission (10 speed vs our 8 speed). We have tried both the Reese WD hitch and an Andersen no-sway hitch and they honestly towed about the same with the Colorado. As far as power goes, you should be fine but if the dealership will let you take the Ranger for a spin with your trailer hooked up then you should try it out first. I would be fine towing with either truck but the bigger truck justfeels more capable. As far as the TV goes, we have a small tv that measures 17 1/4 wide by 10 1/4 tall. You could put a tv there up to 28" wide by 18" tall. The bedroom area has room for a 36 1/2" TV there. The towel racks were just screwed to the outer walls of the camper but be very careful. The walls are just 1 1/2 inch thick (if that) so use appropriate length screws. Don't ask me how I know this. The towel rings that were installed on the corner 1/8" "wall" that covers up the black pipe going from the holding tank we used small nuts and bolts. We just removed the covering wall and bolted those on. You will want to remove those "walls" anyway to spray some foam around the hole that Coachmen made to put the pipe in. The shelf bracket was installed with drywall type screws as well but I did use some tacky glue on them when installing to better hold them on.
I pull a 191RBS with 2017 chevy colorado with the towing package. Installed a Hopkins Insite brake controller. Truck handles load ok. We keep speeds down to 60 - 65. Trailer tires rated for 75, but why push it. MPG around 12 towing. Haven't had any major sway issues other that with the occasional sem passing. This was solved with about 8 to 10 gallons of water in the fresh tank.
Sam..... We have thought about a solar setup but are happy with our two-battery setup for now. We have a soft start and a small generator to rely on if we want to run our air conditioner when boondocking. We mulled getting lithium batteries and a solar setup to replace our generator but when you weigh the costs involved in getting lithium batteries and a solar setup vs the cost of the generator ($549) and the soft start ($285) it was pretty clear what we would do. The only reason I bought the small generator and the soft start was because we were towing with a Chevy Colorado at the time and weight and space were a major consideration. If I had to go out today and find a power solution for our rig I wouldn't hesitate to go to Harbor Freight and get their Predator generator and forego the soft start altogether. But today I have a bigger truck and the soft start is already installed and we already have the small generator so we are still happy with our setup.
I didn't come up with the name for them. I still have 2 of them on the rear axle of my travel trailer and have taken them across the country a couple of times without any problems. I think it is a hit and miss situation with the tires. I did replace 2 of them after one of the tires just wouldn't hold air. So, out of the 5 original tires, one went bad within a year and two are still in use. I saved the good tire that was replaced and the spare is still original.
@@noworriesrving3743 I just found out today that my friends A-frame pop up trailer just had a bad blow out that totaled his trailer. So I guess they truly are China bombs lol.
@@noworriesrving3743 I changed all of my tires on my nano 213rds with goodyear endurance. I compared the tires and the endurance had thicker walls. I did this because I didn't want to run into any troubles with the original tires. Better safe than sorry.
Great work! Can you elaborate on where you bought the shower tiles because I'm having trouble finding some. I only see full wall panel kits which are $300. I added two 6v on my 208bhs so let me know if you want to know how I did it. Cheers!
I know your video was a couple of years ago but we just bought a new 2021 nano 194bhs and wanting to use the vinyl tile in the shower also. Can you tell tell me the name of the tile so I can look it up ? I don’t see a seam vertically on the long wall of the shower. What length are your tile ? Also did you remove the inside corner before you put the new one on ? Thanks for doing the video it has helped a lot. Paul
The tiles were from Menards. They are called Dumawall tiles. Our shower doesn't have a long wall.....lol... wish it did. The tiles go from corner to the edge of the pan so no vertical seam. The tiles measure 25 1/2 long. Dumawall does make smaller tiles so be careful. We did remove the existing inside corner and probably caulked the inside corner before putting up the Dumawall tiles. The Dumawall trim is expensive so I used standard aluminum L shaped material for the inside corner and regular tile trim pieces to trim the outside. Hope this helps! Y
Thanks so much for the info much appreciated. Yes I was looking at that brand on line and it’s like 75.00 Per carton of 15 sf. I thought it look like the one you used and now I know why no back seam. It will fit the sides well but I have a wall 35” so I will have to have a vertical seam. I just ordered a new shower head like yours ,our already has a shut off at the base where the hose connects so the must have upgraded it. I had the solar package and I replaced the existing controller and added 200 more watt portable panels.
Hi I have another question if you don’t mind. I am installing Dumawall in the shower. I have to remove the faucet and mine is a cheap plastic tub and shower faucet. I have been able to figure out how to take it off. I some how it has to be removed from behind the plastic cover trim. The hot and cold water lines are hooked on. There are clamps on them but I can’t figure out to remove them. There has to be a simple way to get to the water line nuts or to remove the clamps. Any idea ?
Barb... Good question! The AZDEL is kind of tough to hang things from that are heavy. There are no wood studs to hang things from. We made sure the TV hung from the mounting points that Coachman suggested with the stickers from the factory. Other than that we haven’t really hung anything heavy. If you hang anything heavy I would just drive a 1” screw into the wall and if you hit an aluminum support then you know you can use a sheet metal screw to hang something there. If you don’t find an aluminum support then use an anchor with the appropriate weight rating there. Remember to check your wall thickness before you screw something into your wall. My walls are 1 1/2” thick.
Very nice video! - I just looked on coachmen's website, this camper is now a single axle. Do you view that as a pro or a con? - For the 6 volt batteries, look at trojan batteries. The amp hour rating is very good. Mount an on board charger, and your set. - How does the colorado tow that trailer? We have a frontier (similar). How do you think it would do, given the new model is a single axle?
I would consider this trailer being on a single axle as a con in some respects and a pro in other respects. It is a con because you lose some redundancy with tires only having 2 tires to rely upon with the single axle configuration. If you have a tire blowout, you can limp along to an exit or a safe place to change it out. I like the maneuverability that dual axles provides vs a single axle, too. Of course with only one axle, you only have to worry about brakes on one axle and lubing one axle . If you get good tires, then one axle would probably be just fine. We did look at Trojan batteries. They are very well made. We bought our 6 volt batteries at Rural King for $69.99 each and they seem to be working just fine for us. When I shopped for Trojan batteries they were $109 each and I would have had to travel 2 hours away to the nearest dealer to get them. The Colorado had the horsepower and drive train to pull the trailer fully loaded just fine. We felt that the Colorado/Apex Nano combination was just too light on the interstate for us. We would get blown around by bigger trucks when they would pass us which made for a white knuckle drive. We always towed with a weight distribution hitch and had 2 anti-sway bars when we towed with the Colorado. It can be done mathematically with smaller trucks like the Frontier or Colorado but we ended up buying a Nissan Titan to pull our camper. Hope this helps!
I forgot to mention that we also love fishing and it is a great way to relax. We make our own walleye spinners but they catch almost every species of fish. We have been told that our spinners are good for saltwater fishing as well and can't wait to try that out.
Wonderful! I used to make crankbaits out of balsa. Currently I'm finishing up a complete restoration of an older bass boat. Yes, fishing is very relaxing for me as well.
Thanks for the info, we just purchased a nano also. May I asked about your tv bracket attachment. How did you attach it? There seems to be no stud behind that panel. Suggestions?
I had to move the TV mounting bracket as far right (facing the wall) as you can. I know I got at least two screws into something solid. So far so good.
@@noworriesrving3743 Thank you for replying so fast. I will be towing mine with. Toyota 4runner and I am just getting by (as I will always tow dry) but just wanted to see what you were using and how easy or hard it was with your capacity
The Chevy Colorado pulls it fine. You do get more movement by Semi’s with the smaller truck than the Nissan. We have a Anderson hitch which has less sway which really helps too.
I just purchased the Nano 20X. Drove it home about 90 miles using my Toyota Tacoma V6 (Sports Edition). So far I am very happy. I will repost after attempting a steep hill. Toyota states it is okay to pull up to 6500 lbs, but that could be on flat land? We will see!!
Have you had to repair the adhesive ir gkue around the front window, the one above the propane tanks? If so, what glue/adhesive or whatever did you use, please? Have you posted a video on that by any chance?
Funny you should ask. We just had our front window repaired by an automotive glass service. Cost was $300. Our window was plastic lexan and the factory used regular auto glass primer and adhesive. The auto glass repair was done with the same primer and adhesive. It is Dow Betaprime 5504G and Dupont Betaseal 60MDAT urethane adhesive. We have had a couple of really hard downpours and happy to say no leaks so far. I am not really sure if these were the right adhesive products to use or not. We did see where the factory missed putting adhesive in the bottom left corner of our window and it has probably been leaking slowly for some time. This was the first repair I did not do myself and had I known my window was lexan I may have tried it myself. I assumed it was glass since the factory told me what glue they used and it was for regular auto glass. Your first step may be to determine if you have lexan or glass for the window. Some have glass in their Coachmen Apex Nanos. Not much help but keep researching if you want to DIY this.
Hello! This is my favorite layout for a travel trailer but I can't find the interior height measurement anywhere. I would love if you could relay that info! Thanks in advance
We didn't exactly spend much time looking at campers when we bought ours. In fact it was the 3rd one we actually looked through that we bought. I never saw a Murphy bed in the Apex Nano line myself.
friends of ours also have a nano and they have the Murphy Bed, said if they could do it all over again they'd go with a regular bed bc the murphy bed MATTRESS is wimplier....
We used Hatchlift brand. If I remember correctly we used the Queen size but not the heavy duty queen. The kit has adjustability based upon where you mount the struts. We just recently added a motion-on led light under the bed too that helps a lot.
We started out with a Ford F150 with a 6 cyl EcoBoost which pulled great but we had mechanical issues with it so we bought a Chevy Colorado with a 6 cyl engine. It pulled the trailer just fine but the light weight of the truck was uncomfortable when pulling the trailer on the interstate with big trucks causing it to sway. We finally got a Nissan Titan which has been fine for us so far. The Nissan is stable and has big brake rotors which keeps them cool going down big hills. If we hadn't had mechanical issues with the Ford, we would have kept it.
Hula Rock. I love the Hula Rock "handle". The tire dealer inflated them to 65 psi which is what is recommended from the tire sidewall. Interesting note however.... The dealership did not use nitrogen for inflation so the two that have nitrogen ARE more stable psi-wise when traveling than the new ones. I doubted the whole nitrogen thing but am a believer now. If you can have the tire dealer inflate with nitrogen I would recommend doing so. We have an aftermarket TPMS that seems to work pretty well and the two new tires will reach 71 lbs much quicker than the old tires that have nitrogen. We always start out with 62 lbs of air in each tire and have an alarm on our TPMS when any tire goes over 70 lbs. Concerning the tires, though, I am not sure if replacing them because they are Chinese made and have a bad reputation is smart. The two I still have seem to be just fine so far and they have gone cross country 2 times without a problem. I replaced one because it wouldn't hold air so I replaced the one on the opposite side of the axle as well. I am now thinking that the dual axle Nano and the relative light weight of the trailer make replacing the Chinese made tires an option and not necessarily a must-do. I know I feel confident with my setup and I have two new spare tires if anything goes wrong.
@@noworriesrving3743 Thanks for the response!! much appreciated. We have the smaller 185BHS Apex Nano and I was thinking about upgrading the tires. with 2 little ones that travel with us, safety is my biggest concern, the more info the better. I loved the upgrades you did. question, the combi-cam lockes you installed. When you engaged the the lock, does it seal the door OR is there a little play in the door? "Subscribed"
Rich, We made this video when we first started out and knew nothing about video and audio quality. We have upgraded this year to a wireless mic though. We are going to try a DJI Osmo Pocket 2 which seems to have great audio.
Love it thank you for sharing. Real Rvers sharing with other real people/RVers 🙂 we're hitting the road soon and are getting info from good neighbors videos like you guys than you
Thank you so much for the kind words. We are in the Yukon heading for Alaska
Just found your channel after getting our new Apex Nano 194bhs. Lots of great ideas. Thanks!
Glad you found us. We will have new videos coming out shortly.
My hats off to you. Impressed with your shower tiling and curtain selection. You kept it modern and in color with coach decals. As for door entrance I much rather have the combo lock no need for keys and it has back up batteries and still has a standard key hole. Now high five on the water heater cleat you added 👍
Thank you for the comment
Love the video! Those are great upgrades! Some of those made me feel like, “Why haven’t we done this already?!” 😄
Thanks so much! If you have any other ideas feel free to share.
Thanks guys for going thru all the work of sharing these great ideas which are extremely helpful.
I look forward to all your videos now.
Stay safe & God bless.
Thanks for the comment and for subscribing. Right now we are working on editing our Eastern US trip videos. I hope you like the travel videos as well.
Very interesting those modifications 👍🏻
Thank you
Great video, we just bought an Apex Nano 193bhs and these upgrades are spot on, thanks!
Thanks for commenting. We have a few more upgrades and mods to share soon. Hope you like our travel videos as well.
Awesome upgrades. Thanks for sharing. We don’t have a camper yet, but if we buy used your video will definitely help us improve it.
Thank you for the tile idea ! I already wanted the shower miser and wanted to do it myself as the dealer charged so much. Made sense to do with the tiles and found a great deal on Kijiji as I only needed 10 tiles ! Got them for less than $100 where an insert would have cost $500!
Great. I will have to see what Kijiji is, though.
I installed the shower miser in my 193bhs and it was pretty simple but the tiny space to make connections behind the wall was the worst part.
His drawer is. Nicer than the original!
Thank you
Love the vinyl tile you put up in the shower. Great look.
What a great video. I think my wife and I will get this camper and do some of these upgrades!
Wow! Thanks! We do try and give you the "complete picture" with our experience having this camper. We think it compares favorably with offerings from Lance and even Nu-camp. Coachmen priced it and equipped it at a price that let you do some simple upgrades which take this camper to the next level in features without the high price. Glad you liked the video though and hope you enjoy the future ones coming.
Sorry for the bother we got it. I has to have my wife get her little hands in behind it. I got channel locks on the plastic nut and it broke loose. Thanks again , been trying to watch your videos.
Don't you hate plastic nuts? I break them often, too.
@@jamesmcrae9238 pretty much everything is plastic. I have done a lot of upgrading and haven’t had to many problem. My Apex Nano was missing the little slide panel on the screen door that you open for lock on the door. I have been trying to get it all this year and still after months of waiting the parts department hasn’t even ordered it yet. If coachmen can’t handle a little problem like this I hate to see when I have a real problem.
Very well thought out organization! I'm a new subscriber and wanted to say nice job guys, looking forward to more videos
Much the same trailer as an E-Pro, bit cheaper, these don't have some of the stuff the E-Pro does, but a lot of them are more gimmicky than practical. I'm considering giving these a good hard look for sure. For myself I'm looking at the 185BH, seems to check all the boxes. Some good thought put into your mods.
Thanks for posting this video! I have a very similar TT, an Apex Nano bunkhouse, and most of your mods are applicable to my unit as well. But the most compelling one to me, is the bug screens. I hadn't considered that wasps would make a nest in there, and the thought makes me shudder. I'm going to order that right away.
Would you mind listing Amazon links (or whatever links are relevant) to some of the items in your video, in the description?
*Edit* Ah, I see that the Gear section on your website has been updated with all the Amazon links. Or maybe they were always there and I just hadn’t looked hard enough. 😁 Thanks!
The ceiling is 76” (6 ft 4 inches) except for the air conditioner which is 74”. I am 6’ 3 and have no problems with the ceiling height. Hope this information is helpful.
Several nice improvements. I have an Apex Nano 189 RBS and would like to add some of the bathroom hangers like you installed. The Nano walls don't have a lot of support and are thin. What did you use to hang the rings and bars?
I am pretty sure we used a small square of Gorilla mounting tape along with the screws that came with the hangers and then used a plastic wall anchor that expands. We have not had one come off yet.
Have you added the two 6V batteries yet and if so did you have to modify the battery rack$ Our 2021 208BHS doesn't seem to have enough clearance for the batts and cases.. Thanks for your video. Very well done.
We did have room for two batteries on the tongue battery rack. Just barely with the two battery boxes. I have seen dual battery boxes that may help save space. You might be able to get a metal battery case and install it over top of the existing recessed battery rack if you have room.
We got the tiles at a Menards Hardware store. They were with the non-ceramic wall tiles.
We just bought a new one today (with shower walls & solar!). Not picking it up for a week. What size TV did you go with? And what mount did you use. Thanks!
Ours had a yellow sticker that said TV mount location here.
Front windows fell off needs needs to be put back
Our front window started leaking, so we had a auto glass company comes reseal it. He told us that the window was not installed correctly originally. They used glue for glass not for Laxan .
I'm looking to purchase a "Couples Camper" and tow it with a mid-size Truck (2019 Ford Ranger). The Apex Nano 213RDS is my favorite layout. You are the only CZcamsrs that I've found who are doing videos on the Apex Nano 213RDS! I have a BUNCH of questions for you...here are a couple of them: Is your Tow Vehicle a Chevy Colorado? (How does it tow? Do you think you need a 1/2 Ton or does a Chevy Colordao have enought "power"?). What is the largest Size TV you could install in that TV Viewing area? In the Bedroom Closet, how did you attach the Wood Bracket (for the Shelf) to the Trailer Side Wall?. How did you attach the Towel Racks to the Trailer Walls? Thanks!
Scott, yes we have used a Chevy Colorado to tow our 213RDS with and it seems to be able to pull it just fine fully loaded (4500lbs when fully loaded and with a full holding tank of water). Our only concern was the "lightness" of the rig when being passed by a semi-trailer or even a very large truck while on an interstate. We seemed to be getting pulled into the path of the larger rig which was uncomfortable for me. There is another CZcamsr you can lookup called Traveling Robert who also pulls a similar sized camper with a Chevy Colorado and he ended up putting a Hensley Hitch ($$$) on his to help with the swaying. The Ranger is very similar to the Colorado but has a better transmission (10 speed vs our 8 speed). We have tried both the Reese WD hitch and an Andersen no-sway hitch and they honestly towed about the same with the Colorado. As far as power goes, you should be fine but if the dealership will let you take the Ranger for a spin with your trailer hooked up then you should try it out first. I would be fine towing with either truck but the bigger truck justfeels more capable. As far as the TV goes, we have a small tv that measures 17 1/4 wide by 10 1/4 tall. You could put a tv there up to 28" wide by 18" tall. The bedroom area has room for a 36 1/2" TV there. The towel racks were just screwed to the outer walls of the camper but be very careful. The walls are just 1 1/2 inch thick (if that) so use appropriate length screws. Don't ask me how I know this. The towel rings that were installed on the corner 1/8" "wall" that covers up the black pipe going from the holding tank we used small nuts and bolts. We just removed the covering wall and bolted those on. You will want to remove those "walls" anyway to spray some foam around the hole that Coachmen made to put the pipe in. The shelf bracket was installed with drywall type screws as well but I did use some tacky glue on them when installing to better hold them on.
I pull a 191RBS with 2017 chevy colorado with the towing package. Installed a Hopkins Insite brake controller. Truck handles load ok. We keep speeds down to 60 - 65. Trailer tires rated for 75, but why push it. MPG around 12 towing. Haven't had any major sway issues other that with the occasional sem passing. This was solved with about 8 to 10 gallons of water in the fresh tank.
This is so great! Thank you. Any thoughts on solar power?
Sam..... We have thought about a solar setup but are happy with our two-battery setup for now. We have a soft start and a small generator to rely on if we want to run our air conditioner when boondocking. We mulled getting lithium batteries and a solar setup to replace our generator but when you weigh the costs involved in getting lithium batteries and a solar setup vs the cost of the generator ($549) and the soft start ($285) it was pretty clear what we would do. The only reason I bought the small generator and the soft start was because we were towing with a Chevy Colorado at the time and weight and space were a major consideration. If I had to go out today and find a power solution for our rig I wouldn't hesitate to go to Harbor Freight and get their Predator generator and forego the soft start altogether. But today I have a bigger truck and the soft start is already installed and we already have the small generator so we are still happy with our setup.
We are going to add solar
Lol...China bomb tires. 💣
We are seriously looking at the apex nano.
I didn't come up with the name for them. I still have 2 of them on the rear axle of my travel trailer and have taken them across the country a couple of times without any problems. I think it is a hit and miss situation with the tires. I did replace 2 of them after one of the tires just wouldn't hold air. So, out of the 5 original tires, one went bad within a year and two are still in use. I saved the good tire that was replaced and the spare is still original.
@@noworriesrving3743 I just found out today that my friends A-frame pop up trailer just had a bad blow out that totaled his trailer. So I guess they truly are China bombs lol.
@@mixflip I am pretty sure the one tire that would not hold air would have blown on me had I not caught it in time. Sorry for your friends problems.
@@noworriesrving3743 I changed all of my tires on my nano 213rds with goodyear endurance. I compared the tires and the endurance had thicker walls. I did this because I didn't want to run into any troubles with the original tires. Better safe than sorry.
I have a single axial on my Nano so I better look at what tires is on it. Thanks for the heads up !
Great work! Can you elaborate on where you bought the shower tiles because I'm having trouble finding some. I only see full wall panel kits which are $300. I added two 6v on my 208bhs so let me know if you want to know how I did it. Cheers!
We got the tiles at Menards Hardware store. They are called Dumawall Wall tiles. They measure 25 1/2 inches x 14 1/2.
I know your video was a couple of years ago but we just bought a new 2021 nano 194bhs and wanting to use the vinyl tile in the shower also. Can you tell tell me the name of the tile so I can look it up ? I don’t see a seam vertically on the long wall of the shower. What length are your tile ? Also did you remove the inside corner before you put the new one on ?
Thanks for doing the video it has helped a lot.
Paul
The tiles were from Menards. They are called Dumawall tiles. Our shower doesn't have a long wall.....lol... wish it did. The tiles go from corner to the edge of the pan so no vertical seam. The tiles measure 25 1/2 long. Dumawall does make smaller tiles so be careful. We did remove the existing inside corner and probably caulked the inside corner before putting up the Dumawall tiles. The Dumawall trim is expensive so I used standard aluminum L shaped material for the inside corner and regular tile trim pieces to trim the outside. Hope this helps!
Y
Thanks so much for the info much appreciated. Yes I was looking at that brand on line and it’s like 75.00 Per carton of 15 sf. I thought it look like the one you used and now I know why no back seam. It will fit the sides well but I have a wall 35” so I will have to have a vertical seam. I just ordered a new shower head like yours ,our already has a shut off at the base where the hose connects so the must have upgraded it. I had the solar package and I replaced the existing controller and added 200 more watt portable panels.
Hi I have another question if you don’t mind. I am installing Dumawall in the shower. I have to remove the faucet and mine is a cheap plastic tub and shower faucet. I have been able to figure out how to take it off. I some how it has to be removed from behind the plastic cover trim. The hot and cold water lines are hooked on. There are clamps on them but I can’t figure out to remove them. There has to be a simple way to get to the water line nuts or to remove the clamps. Any idea ?
How do you guys know where you can drill into the walls to hang things, or add shelves?
Barb... Good question! The AZDEL is kind of tough to hang things from that are heavy. There are no wood studs to hang things from. We made sure the TV hung from the mounting points that Coachman suggested with the stickers from the factory. Other than that we haven’t really hung anything heavy. If you hang anything heavy I would just drive a 1” screw into the wall and if you hit an aluminum support then you know you can use a sheet metal screw to hang something there. If you don’t find an aluminum support then use an anchor with the appropriate weight rating there. Remember to check your wall thickness before you screw something into your wall. My walls are 1 1/2” thick.
Very nice video!
- I just looked on coachmen's website, this camper is now a single axle. Do you view that as a pro or a con?
- For the 6 volt batteries, look at trojan batteries. The amp hour rating is very good. Mount an on board charger, and your set.
- How does the colorado tow that trailer? We have a frontier (similar). How do you think it would do, given the new model is a single axle?
I would consider this trailer being on a single axle as a con in some respects and a pro in other respects. It is a con because you lose some redundancy with tires only having 2 tires to rely upon with the single axle configuration. If you have a tire blowout, you can limp along to an exit or a safe place to change it out. I like the maneuverability that dual axles provides vs a single axle, too. Of course with only one axle, you only have to worry about brakes on one axle and lubing one axle . If you get good tires, then one axle would probably be just fine.
We did look at Trojan batteries. They are very well made. We bought our 6 volt batteries at Rural King for $69.99 each and they seem to be working just fine for us. When I shopped for Trojan batteries they were $109 each and I would have had to travel 2 hours away to the nearest dealer to get them.
The Colorado had the horsepower and drive train to pull the trailer fully loaded just fine. We felt that the Colorado/Apex Nano combination was just too light on the interstate for us. We would get blown around by bigger trucks when they would pass us which made for a white knuckle drive. We always towed with a weight distribution hitch and had 2 anti-sway bars when we towed with the Colorado. It can be done mathematically with smaller trucks like the Frontier or Colorado but we ended up buying a Nissan Titan to pull our camper.
Hope this helps!
@@noworriesrving3743 Very helpful reply, thank you! Very prompt as well.
I forgot to mention that we also love fishing and it is a great way to relax. We make our own walleye spinners but they catch almost every species of fish. We have been told that our spinners are good for saltwater fishing as well and can't wait to try that out.
Wonderful! I used to make crankbaits out of balsa. Currently I'm finishing up a complete restoration of an older bass boat.
Yes, fishing is very relaxing for me as well.
@@fishingismydrug1 0
We just brought home our Apex Nano 203. We are nervous about drilling holes into the walls for mounting the TV, towel racks, etc. How did you do that?
The outside walls are 1 1/2 thick. The bathroom walls are very thin. We used anchors and mounting tape. Hope that helps
Thanks for the info, we just purchased a nano also. May I asked about your tv bracket attachment. How did you attach it? There seems to be no stud behind that panel. Suggestions?
Craig Conner Just purchased the Nano, also thought it strange regarding non TV support wall in kitchen area. Did you find a fix?
I had to move the TV mounting bracket as far right (facing the wall) as you can. I know I got at least two screws into something solid. So far so good.
I know this video was uploaded a long time ago, but we have the same trailer. Did your nano come as dual axle?
Yes, it came as a dual axle from the factory.
Great video. What are you using to tow your camper?
We have two vehicles. Chevy Colorado and a Nissan Titan.
@@noworriesrving3743 Thank you for replying so fast. I will be towing mine with. Toyota 4runner and I am just getting by (as I will always tow dry) but just wanted to see what you were using and how easy or hard it was with your capacity
The Chevy Colorado pulls it fine. You do get more movement by Semi’s with the smaller truck than the Nissan. We have a Anderson hitch which has less sway which really helps too.
I just purchased the Nano 20X. Drove it home about 90 miles using my Toyota Tacoma V6 (Sports Edition). So far I am very happy. I will repost after attempting a steep hill. Toyota states it is okay to pull up to 6500 lbs, but that could be on flat land? We will see!!
Have you had to repair the adhesive ir gkue around the front window, the one above the propane tanks? If so, what glue/adhesive or whatever did you use, please? Have you posted a video on that by any chance?
Funny you should ask. We just had our front window repaired by an automotive glass service. Cost was $300. Our window was plastic lexan and the factory used regular auto glass primer and adhesive. The auto glass repair was done with the same primer and adhesive. It is Dow Betaprime 5504G and Dupont Betaseal 60MDAT urethane adhesive. We have had a couple of really hard downpours and happy to say no leaks so far. I am not really sure if these were the right adhesive products to use or not. We did see where the factory missed putting adhesive in the bottom left corner of our window and it has probably been leaking slowly for some time. This was the first repair I did not do myself and had I known my window was lexan I may have tried it myself. I assumed it was glass since the factory told me what glue they used and it was for regular auto glass. Your first step may be to determine if you have lexan or glass for the window. Some have glass in their Coachmen Apex Nanos. Not much help but keep researching if you want to DIY this.
I hope Jim’s answer is helpful. We will be doing a video on this subject in the future.
Hello! This is my favorite layout for a travel trailer but I can't find the interior height measurement anywhere. I would love if you could relay that info! Thanks in advance
I believe it's *7 feet, give or take.
We’re you happy you got the regular bed vs the Murphy bed?
We didn't exactly spend much time looking at campers when we bought ours. In fact it was the 3rd one we actually looked through that we bought. I never saw a Murphy bed in the Apex Nano line myself.
friends of ours also have a nano and they have the Murphy Bed, said if they could do it all over again they'd go with a regular bed bc the murphy bed MATTRESS is wimplier....
What brand if lifts are being used under bed?
We used Hatchlift brand. If I remember correctly we used the Queen size but not the heavy duty queen. The kit has adjustability based upon where you mount the struts. We just recently added a motion-on led light under the bed too that helps a lot.
Where is the slide reset button located please help
Ours is under the bathroom sink.
What do you tow your camper with?
We started out with a Ford F150 with a 6 cyl EcoBoost which pulled great but we had mechanical issues with it so we bought a Chevy Colorado with a 6 cyl engine. It pulled the trailer just fine but the light weight of the truck was uncomfortable when pulling the trailer on the interstate with big trucks causing it to sway. We finally got a Nissan Titan which has been fine for us so far. The Nissan is stable and has big brake rotors which keeps them cool going down big hills. If we hadn't had mechanical issues with the Ford, we would have kept it.
what did you have the new tires inflated to PSI wise?
Hula Rock. I love the Hula Rock "handle". The tire dealer inflated them to 65 psi which is what is recommended from the tire sidewall. Interesting note however.... The dealership did not use nitrogen for inflation so the two that have nitrogen ARE more stable psi-wise when traveling than the new ones. I doubted the whole nitrogen thing but am a believer now. If you can have the tire dealer inflate with nitrogen I would recommend doing so. We have an aftermarket TPMS that seems to work pretty well and the two new tires will reach 71 lbs much quicker than the old tires that have nitrogen. We always start out with 62 lbs of air in each tire and have an alarm on our TPMS when any tire goes over 70 lbs. Concerning the tires, though, I am not sure if replacing them because they are Chinese made and have a bad reputation is smart. The two I still have seem to be just fine so far and they have gone cross country 2 times without a problem. I replaced one because it wouldn't hold air so I replaced the one on the opposite side of the axle as well. I am now thinking that the dual axle Nano and the relative light weight of the trailer make replacing the Chinese made tires an option and not necessarily a must-do. I know I feel confident with my setup and I have two new spare tires if anything goes wrong.
@@noworriesrving3743 Thanks for the response!! much appreciated. We have the smaller 185BHS Apex Nano and I was thinking about upgrading the tires. with 2 little ones that travel with us, safety is my biggest concern, the more info the better. I loved the upgrades you did. question, the combi-cam lockes you installed. When you engaged the the lock, does it seal the door OR is there a little play in the door? "Subscribed"
The combo-cam locks work just like the cam locks we took off. They hold the door shut against the seal when closed.
Please use a wireless microphone 🎤.
Rich, We made this video when we first started out and knew nothing about video and audio quality. We have upgraded this year to a wireless mic though. We are going to try a DJI Osmo Pocket 2 which seems to have great audio.