There's was a guy at the campground last time we went who had removed the skylight on his. He installed a very large solar panel over the patch... looked good and seemed to be fairly practical.
I've heard of that mod but have never seen it. I'm interested to know what they did inside to fill the hole. Also if they've had any water leaks. Thanks for sharing.
@@mrhoptoit7835 He mentioned using foam board to plug the hole. There was wood paneling inside on both sides of the roof so the alteration wasn't visible... looked a heck of a lot nicer the basic white ceiling they usually have. Not certain what was under the solar panel as it was hidden from view. Sort of makes me think it wasn't especially pretty, perhaps something simple like some roof membrane glued down and some eternabond tape on the seams???
We added a 14gal grey water tank to our Aliner. Sits in a stainless steel frame between the steel beams of the undercarriage. Added a vent valve and standard rv waste valve to finish it off. The pipe from the tank to the waste valve holds another gallon or two of capacity. We can now go days without dumping if we choose. We can still attach a garden hose to the cap on the rv valve and drain into a blue tank to empty at a vault toilet. When at full hookup site we can run water endlessly without worry with a standard rv sewer hose. Tank was from Amazon and all the stainless steel hardware from McMaster Carr. Total cost when we did this in 2020 was about $450. Adding about 20lbs empty to our 2000 lb Aframe wasn’t an issue. We tow with a 5000lb towing capacity vehicle. Still, we try empty the tank as soon as possible to not haul the weight of 15 gal of water impact our gas mileage.
You are lucky to have indoor storage. For most of us, those skylights will weather, crack, and leak. We do love our Aframe camper, and I hope you saw the video I did on the 6 things we love about it. Here's the link - czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html. Thanks for watching!
The bubble skylights aren't worth much as windows but they do serve another purpose that you may not have thought of, especially if you are a taller person. The actual function of the bubble is to give headroom to the person seated at the table next to the front or back of the trailer. I'm 6 ft. tall and if the bubble weren't there, I would have to sit with my head tilted toward the middle of the camper to sit upright at the table. The same is true if I'm sitting at the couch/bench at the back, my head would have to dip forward to avoid hitting the ceiling. Just food for thought.
Haha! Oh yes! We will be removing the back bed baking skylight too!!!! Have yet to figure out what kind of panel for the outside… but inevitably we will cover it with flat solar panels. I’m the opposite on the grey tank. I appreciate it not having one so I don’t have to stop anywhere special to empty it. Or move the trailer to empty it on a longer camp. Walking out a bucket is much easier. Actually! Ours/yours is quite better than the ALiner which has the exit pipe down at the bottom off the floor!!! Our friends are basically stuck using an oil pan for grey. I’m thankful ours is higher. Agree on the locks. Totally. A change we have to make too. Especially since one broke recently. Insulation is needed for the bottom. I noticed the same thing you did and in the meantime, rolled some flex seal all over the bottom. Easy fixes over all! I will be interested to see what you do with the vent pipe area!
I'm actually starting to get used to the sink drain. We are only booking full hook-up sites so we can use the hose. Ive tried the hose to container and quickly got tired of lugging it as 6 gallons fills up quickly.
@@mrhoptoit7835 That makes total sense with full hookups. We’re pretty much boon dockers. Although we have a hose stored in case we do hookups. We tend to use a pail while out… it comes in handy to rinse the French press grounds and first scrub on cast iron. With the boondocking we tend to cook and wash outside so our grey water is pretty limited from the inside. But it’s nice to have these convos in comments for people to learn from the different ways and why’s! I enjoy your videos.
Excellent.?I own one and those skylights are my biggest complaint. None of them are necessary. Most usually have no more than two adults so the front ones are have no purpose. The shop foreman at our dealer swears at them. He claims it’s the main reason people get rid of these trailers.
I also removed the rear drawer, but love the front drawer. All the bubble windows leak, even with eternabond tape. Wonder if the newer ones with dormers leak…
Our 2003 Aliner has two 24x24 skylights over the bed area. We swapped one out for a clear skylight so that we can watch part of the night sky (and meteors) from bed. The old skylight is now its protective cover when not being used for viewing.
As for the grey water tank: Aliners are pretty small, and a lot of people that choose one instead of something larger, do so because their tow vehicle can't handle anything heavier or larger than an Aliner. A grey water tank would add weight, probably at least 50 pounds when you sum up the weight of a polypropylene tank and all the brackets and mounting hardware. A 7-gallon portable jug weighs only 3 pounds (empty) and it can be easily dumped in any restroom toilet; there are thousands of National Forest and BLM campgrounds that do not have an RV dump station, but that always have at least a vault toilet; if you camp in these places frequently, you want a portable greywater jug. When I owned a Palomino cab-over truck camper, that's how I handled grey water, with a 7 gallon jug.
Yes, we all have to figure out what's the best way to handle the grey water issue. Since posting this video, I have come to terms with the system. I agree with the potential weight issues for those people that don't have a larger vehicle. Since the only use for water in my AFrame is the sink (no shower or toilet) I still think that the existing 26 gallon fresh water tank could easily be replaced with two 20 gallon tanks - one for fresh, one for grey, with a minimum but acceptable weight addition.
@@mrhoptoit7835 - people who do a lot of boondocking, like in National Forests, might prefer to have the single large 26 gal freshwater tank. My brother spent a whole summer boondocking, and he said the biggest problem was water, he always wished that they had a larger water tank, because every time they ran low, it was a 30-mile round-trip drive to get more. This would end up being every 4 to 5 days.
That is a great point. However it brings up an interesting question. How many AFrame owners boondock vs campers like us who do the campground route? I honestly have no idea. Like I said, I personally prefer a grey water tank but that's based on how we use it. Thanks for your insights!
Thanks for this video! I’m in the process of buying an A frame type camper; this helps narrow my search down…. I won’t be buying a Flagstaff. Particle board floor? And it appears the structural steel members are rusting pretty bad..
I 100% agree that the skylights on Aframe campers are awful. If you aren't going to pay the extra for dormers, you would be better off to just have a solid roof panel where the skylight is.
I did consider adding that big slideout storage box (a copy thereof) to our 2003 Aliner. But 3+years later, I am glad that I did not. We have two side cargo bays (which I added doors for), and the center bay, accessed from the inside, is for the Lithium battery in its battery box.
Appreciate the video. Warmed up to the a frame after looking at a bunch of pop ups. Coming from tenting I want the rv systems to be as simple as possible so I am looking for less tanks, residential style ac, but enough space inside for two small kids and two adults.
Thanks, David. If you haven't watched it yet, check out my other video - "6 things we we LOVE about our AFrame Camper" czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html. Thanks for watching!
Ours is a love hate relationship..very expensive for leaking issues and skylight repair..we do love the size and commode easy to tow..we drain our sink into bucket and tote to bathroom or if sewer drain into sewer hook up..A213HW rock wood
The skylight on these is actually ABS and they degrade badly over a few short years even if you take good care of them. LEXAN is what they should have used and what is being sold as a replacement.
In this video or your last one you bring the subject of painting the floor for some protection. The good news is that the material used as flooring is made to resist water and other road minor damage. Somewhere in your owner manual there is a note to that effect. This product was made in Canada (In Quebec) but the company was bought a few years back so i cannot give you more info. As to insulate i am curious as to what you plan to use I am thinking of spray foam that sticks to pretty well anything instead of solid foam. Your Thoughts?? Pierre
For colder areas (here in Australia) we put in interlocking EVA floor mats. For $20 it makes it at least a little less colder on the floor. Do consider the thickness of the mats so you can still open the cupboard doors and fridge door.
Question... is the purpose, in part, to give more head space while sitting in that place? I have never been in an A-liner that I can recall. I have watched Slim Potato Head's video over the last few years and he has done a zillion mods to his, BUT I can't recall if he ever talked about this reason/problem. (I'm getting old and forgetful... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!) I enjoyed your video and getting to the points quickly. Too many vid's drag on and on (sort of like me).
I have a 20 year old aliner expedition it is still like new. The build quality is amazing. It seems like the flagstaff is a poor imitation in the videos ive seen
We have a 2017 a213hw (no dormer) I agree about ALL the bubble windows. There is no need for them and they cause more problems than they are worth. The side windows and ceiling lights are plenty. If I knew I could custom order roof panels I would have with NO roof windows.
I agree with you. The good news is the replacement skylights that you can order from online are far superior and will last a lot longer. Check out my video regarding this - czcams.com/video/1DUCHFImeI4/video.html. Thanks for watching.
It would certainly safe Forest River money and stream line the roof panel construction, and also save money with less steps to install the useless bubble windows.
You picked the wrong TT, formr A frame owner. #PersonalResponsibility Signed, Very happy Forest River Flagstaff T12RBST owners (former 4x TT owners that chose this A frame as the perfect amalgamation)
There's was a guy at the campground last time we went who had removed the skylight on his. He installed a very large solar panel over the patch... looked good and seemed to be fairly practical.
I've heard of that mod but have never seen it. I'm interested to know what they did inside to fill the hole. Also if they've had any water leaks. Thanks for sharing.
@@mrhoptoit7835
He mentioned using foam board to plug the hole.
There was wood paneling inside on both sides of the roof so the alteration wasn't visible... looked a heck of a lot nicer the basic white ceiling they usually have.
Not certain what was under the solar panel as it was hidden from view. Sort of makes me think it wasn't especially pretty, perhaps something simple like some roof membrane glued down and some eternabond tape on the seams???
We added a 14gal grey water tank to our Aliner. Sits in a stainless steel frame between the steel beams of the undercarriage. Added a vent valve and standard rv waste valve to finish it off. The pipe from the tank to the waste valve holds another gallon or two of capacity.
We can now go days without dumping if we choose. We can still attach a garden hose to the cap on the rv valve and drain into a blue tank to empty at a vault toilet. When at full hookup site we can run water endlessly without worry with a standard rv sewer hose.
Tank was from Amazon and all the stainless steel hardware from McMaster Carr. Total cost when we did this in 2020 was about $450.
Adding about 20lbs empty to our 2000 lb Aframe wasn’t an issue. We tow with a 5000lb towing capacity vehicle. Still, we try empty the tank as soon as possible to not haul the weight of 15 gal of water impact our gas mileage.
What a great mod. Thanks for telling me about it.
Every camper has its tradeoff for sure. I save a lot of money being able to park my aframe in the garage.
Hahaha I DO look through the window .... never had a leak in 6 years BUT I store inside
You are lucky to have indoor storage. For most of us, those skylights will weather, crack, and leak. We do love our Aframe camper, and I hope you saw the video I did on the 6 things we love about it. Here's the link - czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html. Thanks for watching!
The bubble skylights aren't worth much as windows but they do serve another purpose that you may not have thought of, especially if you are a taller person. The actual function of the bubble is to give headroom to the person seated at the table next to the front or back of the trailer. I'm 6 ft. tall and if the bubble weren't there, I would have to sit with my head tilted toward the middle of the camper to sit upright at the table. The same is true if I'm sitting at the couch/bench at the back, my head would have to dip forward to avoid hitting the ceiling. Just food for thought.
Good point. Same idea as the dome skylight over the shower in my Freedom Express. Thanks for the observation!
Haha! Oh yes! We will be removing the back bed baking skylight too!!!! Have yet to figure out what kind of panel for the outside… but inevitably we will cover it with flat solar panels.
I’m the opposite on the grey tank. I appreciate it not having one so I don’t have to stop anywhere special to empty it. Or move the trailer to empty it on a longer camp. Walking out a bucket is much easier.
Actually! Ours/yours is quite better than the ALiner which has the exit pipe down at the bottom off the floor!!! Our friends are basically stuck using an oil pan for grey. I’m thankful ours is higher.
Agree on the locks. Totally. A change we have to make too. Especially since one broke recently.
Insulation is needed for the bottom. I noticed the same thing you did and in the meantime, rolled some flex seal all over the bottom.
Easy fixes over all! I will be interested to see what you do with the vent pipe area!
I'm actually starting to get used to the sink drain. We are only booking full hook-up sites so we can use the hose. Ive tried the hose to container and quickly got tired of lugging it as 6 gallons fills up quickly.
@@mrhoptoit7835 That makes total sense with full hookups. We’re pretty much boon dockers. Although we have a hose stored in case we do hookups. We tend to use a pail while out… it comes in handy to rinse the French press grounds and first scrub on cast iron. With the boondocking we tend to cook and wash outside so our grey water is pretty limited from the inside.
But it’s nice to have these convos in comments for people to learn from the different ways and why’s!
I enjoy your videos.
Excellent.?I own one and those skylights are my biggest complaint. None of them are necessary. Most usually have no more than two adults so the front ones are have no purpose. The shop foreman at our dealer swears at them. He claims it’s the main reason people get rid of these trailers.
I also removed the rear drawer, but love the front drawer. All the bubble windows leak, even with eternabond tape. Wonder if the newer ones with dormers leak…
Our 2003 Aliner has two 24x24 skylights over the bed area. We swapped one out for a clear skylight so that we can watch part of the night sky (and meteors) from bed. The old skylight is now its protective cover when not being used for viewing.
My old Aliner had a solid roof over the bed, and I liked that vs any skylight. Thanks for the comment.
As for the grey water tank: Aliners are pretty small, and a lot of people that choose one instead of something larger, do so because their tow vehicle can't handle anything heavier or larger than an Aliner. A grey water tank would add weight, probably at least 50 pounds when you sum up the weight of a polypropylene tank and all the brackets and mounting hardware. A 7-gallon portable jug weighs only 3 pounds (empty) and it can be easily dumped in any restroom toilet; there are thousands of National Forest and BLM campgrounds that do not have an RV dump station, but that always have at least a vault toilet; if you camp in these places frequently, you want a portable greywater jug. When I owned a Palomino cab-over truck camper, that's how I handled grey water, with a 7 gallon jug.
Yes, we all have to figure out what's the best way to handle the grey water issue. Since posting this video, I have come to terms with the system.
I agree with the potential weight issues for those people that don't have a larger vehicle. Since the only use for water in my AFrame is the sink (no shower or toilet) I still think that the existing 26 gallon fresh water tank could easily be replaced with two 20 gallon tanks - one for fresh, one for grey, with a minimum but acceptable weight addition.
@@mrhoptoit7835 - people who do a lot of boondocking, like in National Forests, might prefer to have the single large 26 gal freshwater tank. My brother spent a whole summer boondocking, and he said the biggest problem was water, he always wished that they had a larger water tank, because every time they ran low, it was a 30-mile round-trip drive to get more. This would end up being every 4 to 5 days.
That is a great point. However it brings up an interesting question.
How many AFrame owners boondock vs campers like us who do the campground route? I honestly have no idea. Like I said, I personally prefer a grey water tank but that's based on how we use it. Thanks for your insights!
Thanks for this video! I’m in the process of buying an A frame type camper; this helps narrow my search down…. I won’t be buying a Flagstaff. Particle board floor? And it appears the structural steel members are rusting pretty bad..
Thanks for watching
I 100% agree that the skylights on Aframe campers are awful. If you aren't going to pay the extra for dormers, you would be better off to just have a solid roof panel where the skylight is.
I'm honestly amazed that they still build them with that huge skylight. Thanks for the comment!
@@mrhoptoit7835 - Instead of the skylight, it would be far more useful to mount a 100 watt solar panel there (if your Aliner doesn't have dormers).
That is a pretty good idea@@laura-ann.0726
I did consider adding that big slideout storage box (a copy thereof) to our 2003 Aliner. But 3+years later, I am glad that I did not. We have two side cargo bays (which I added doors for), and the center bay, accessed from the inside, is for the Lithium battery in its battery box.
Thanks for watching my channel!
Appreciate the video. Warmed up to the a frame after looking at a bunch of pop ups. Coming from tenting I want the rv systems to be as simple as possible so I am looking for less tanks, residential style ac, but enough space inside for two small kids and two adults.
Thanks for watching. Be sure to watch why we love our AFrame czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html
Nice work. I want to buy one but I may look a little more into it. Thanks!
Thanks, David. If you haven't watched it yet, check out my other video - "6 things we we LOVE about our AFrame Camper" czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html. Thanks for watching!
Ours is a love hate relationship..very expensive for leaking issues and skylight repair..we do love the size and commode easy to tow..we drain our sink into bucket and tote to bathroom or if sewer drain into sewer hook up..A213HW rock wood
Wow! OSB board on the floor, really! Not pressure treated 3/4"-1"plywood ?
I was a bit shocked, too. Thanks for watching.
Very good show
Thanks for liking
good info. thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
The skylight on these is actually ABS and they degrade badly over a few short years even if you take good care of them. LEXAN is what they should have used and what is being sold as a replacement.
Well, you learn something every day. All I know is the original skylights are not very robust. Thanks for the info!
In this video or your last one you bring the subject of painting the floor for some protection. The good news is that the material used as flooring is made to resist water and other road minor damage. Somewhere in your owner manual there is a note to that effect. This product was made in Canada (In Quebec) but the company was bought a few years back so i cannot give you more info.
As to insulate i am curious as to what you plan to use I am thinking of spray foam that sticks to pretty well anything instead of solid foam. Your Thoughts??
Pierre
I'm also thinking spray foam, but I'm still researching. Thanks for watching.
For colder areas (here in Australia) we put in interlocking EVA floor mats. For $20 it makes it at least a little less colder on the floor. Do consider the thickness of the mats so you can still open the cupboard doors and fridge door.
Question... is the purpose, in part, to give more head space while sitting in that place? I have never been in an A-liner that I can recall. I have watched Slim Potato Head's video over the last few years and he has done a zillion mods to his, BUT I can't recall if he ever talked about this reason/problem. (I'm getting old and forgetful... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!)
I enjoyed your video and getting to the points quickly. Too many vid's drag on and on (sort of like me).
Yes, taller people may need the headspace above the dinette, but it isn't as useful over the bed. Thanks for watching.
Good info 👍
Thanks 👍
I have a 20 year old aliner expedition it is still like new. The build quality is amazing. It seems like the flagstaff is a poor imitation in the videos ive seen
There are things in ALiners that I like and things in Flagstaff I like, as I've owned both of them. Thanks for watching
We have a 2017 a213hw (no dormer) I agree about ALL the bubble windows. There is no need for them and they cause more problems than they are worth. The side windows and ceiling lights are plenty. If I knew I could custom order roof panels I would have with NO roof windows.
I agree with you. The good news is the replacement skylights that you can order from online are far superior and will last a lot longer. Check out my video regarding this - czcams.com/video/1DUCHFImeI4/video.html. Thanks for watching.
Yes no reason for that rear skylight. I find it noisy when trees drip and hard rain is hitting it while Im trying to sleep.
Very good point, and another reason to eliminate it. Thanks for watching.
Great vid!
Thanks for watching. More to come!
So should I buy a tent trailer or an A Frame???
That's a decision you'll have to make. They both have advantages and disadvantages. Obviously, I'm pro A Frame, but you get what's best for you.
👍
Thanks!
Rip the skylights out snd replace with 4.5 mm smoke gray acrylic flat sheet and its a whole different van you will love it
Very interesting idea. Thanks for watching
We hate the large skylight too.why doesn't forest river ask owners what to change..
That's a very good question, Candy. Thanks for watching!
It would certainly safe Forest River money and stream line the roof panel construction, and also save money with less steps to install the useless bubble windows.
Cover that skylight with a solar planet
Thanks for watching
legitimate issues
Thanks for watching my channel
Our 2003 Aliner has a better floor than that OSB junk.
Yes, I'd have preferred that they used plywood.
It’s more like Mr wah wah waaaah Eeyore
Thanks for watching👍
Rockwood please removed the skylight! It's too much heat in the camper.
I wish they would come up with a panel kit that could be used to plug the hole the skylight uses. I'd buy one in a second. Thanks for watching.
WQW, crappy waffer board for floor
Yup. Thanks for watching
You picked the wrong TT, formr A frame owner.
#PersonalResponsibility
Signed,
Very happy Forest River Flagstaff T12RBST owners (former 4x TT owners that chose this A frame as the perfect amalgamation)
Thanks for watching. Did you check out the OTHER video I did on it? czcams.com/video/ke0IT2WSFvo/video.html