Thanks for the Ideas. I absolutely love Slim Potatohead also & Will is the best solar teacher I just bought his book. Appreciate the video thanks for sharing.
We just purchased a second hand Rockwell ALine type trailer. Leaving shortly for her maiden voyage. Ours is a slightly different set up. Looking forward to some fun and thank you for all your helpful hints.
Outstanding and informative video. I just got one of these trailers (used and looks like it needs a lot of repairs) and you answered several of my questions through the course of your video. I hope to see more of your videos.
Thank you for sharing the list of people to look up at the end. Will Prowse is an amazing source of information related to DIY solar! I'm thinking about getting an Aliner LXE and driving around the country. :)
Thanks for the tips! We’ve had folding tent trailers and have a 30’ tow trailer with slide out, now. Thinking about a serious downsize; however, we don’t want to return to a soft sided tent trailer as we camp off-season too. I’m thinking an A Liner may be a compromise to downsizing to a simpler RV. Difference is that an A Liner is more like than camping than RVing. I’m okay with that except that I will miss a separate bathroom. Life is full of compromise and the important thing is to get outdoors camping.
The Aliner LXE does have a toilet but it sounds like you are able to park your RV outside (we have to keep ours in the garage so it must be foldable). There are lots of options like the fiberglass Scamp that are smaller but don’t have to fold up and have bathrooms that we would have been interested in if we could park it at our home out side. Never at a rental lot. So have fun researching!
Loved my Aliner but now I have an all-aluminum travel trailer. Just a friendly tip: ALWAYS record video with your phone in landscape mode instead of portrait. I enjoyed your video but almost didn’t watch it because IMO it’s very annoying to view a video recorded in portrait mode on a cell phone, since 2/3 of my TV screen is blacked out with a thin vertical strip of video. It will definitely boost your level of professionalism on the channel.
@@charles-loriroswell4553 thanks for the offer Charles. Heading from our home in PA to Florida on Sunday for two weeks. I have incorporated some of the tips from RU-vid already.
Big O - if you mean the one that goes over the air conditioner it is 22” long x 5 1/2” wide x 6 3/4” tall when assembled. I made it out of 3/4” red oak plywood.
Great video. I wish you would have linked your items to Amazon. I would be happy to give you your 2 cents, as an affiliate. I shared to a couple of Aliner groups, hope your viewer count goes up.
Great video! We have a new to us 2016 LXE that has the same couch and portable table setup as yours - but we don’t have the rails on the two opposing cabinets that the table is dropped onto to increase the bed width. What are the dimensions of the top of your table amd of the rails on the two storage benches? Thanks!
I recall reading that the 2016 table is larger than ours. Our table is designed to fit the gap. However, I saw a video by a 2016 Aliner LXE owner (Average Alice I think) who built her own support out of 3/4" plywood, then stained it to match. The gap between our two small seats is 31 3/4" long by 20" wide. Home Depot sells 3/4" sheets of plywood that are 2' x 4' that you can cut to size. Each of the two mounted board supports are 19 3/4' long (mounting side) and angled (tapered) at both ends at 45 degrees to 18" long so you don't get poked by a sharp edge. They are 1" thick and 1.5" tall. I recall Average Alice had to make a third thin cushion to finish covering the gap when the board is in place. The first two cushions to fill the gap when the board is placed are the back rests from the side seats. You will have a gap of a few inches left to fill. I bet Aliner will sell you one if you call them (724-237-5227. We talk to Kevin at extension 112). Good luck!
Thanks for this video, some great ideas. I wonder if you have a model number for that Reese stabilizer bar that you use; I'm unable to locate that nice small unit... Thanks!
I apologize for missing your comment and not replying. I looked and there is no model number on it. We bought it at Beckley’s RV when we bought the Aliner as part of our tow package.
Thanks for this video! I am seriously looking at the aliners and I got lots of ideas and tips :) Helps i heard you say you were 6'4" too as i am tall so ive been wondering if that would work for me at 6'5"
Hope you see this question . . . Where can I find that shelf you slipped on the outside frill rail? I checked Camco but must be calling it by wrong name. Thank you! PS the Clam Quickset is definitely a must have!
I think this is it - www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-58172-RV-Grill-Table-Mount-Provides-an-Even-Surface-for-Placing-Tabletop-Gas-Grills-Smaller-than-17-5/288701382.
@@charles-loriroswell4553 thank you for the quick response. Walmart was out of stock but I found it here for half the price. wwcsupply.com/camco-58172-807849.html
PS you can pick up room darkening fabric very inexpensively and sew it to the back of your existing curtains. I also sew a velcro tab at bottom and use stick on for the wall. Seals up beautifully. The Aliner will be pitch dark. 😃
The product I found is Thetford Premium RV Slide Out Seal Conditioner. It works for all rubber seals. I have called Aliner directly a couple of times with questions and they are very helpful. I call Columbia Northwest at 724-237-5227 and speak to Keven at Ex. 112. Lastly, the reason you may not have found any specific recommendations is "it depends". My Aliner is stored inside a garage all year round when not being used for camping. If my Aliner was stored outside, where is was very hot in the summer or very cold in the winter, then more maintenance would be required. But I inspect my seals during each camping trip and spray them if they feel dry.
The outside grill rail shelf unfortunately is not foldable. It is a very sturdy welded piece of metal. Please check the comment from 8 months ago from MBAdoptableDogs. In addition to my link they provide a link to one that is half the price.
No. The secret for us is to keep the ceiling vent fan or one of the windows cracked open overnight. We also like to sleep with the thermostat low and use blankets to stay warm - in fact we now have electric blankets when external electric power is available at a state park campsite. Good luck!
@@charles-loriroswell4553 Really glad to know, thanks. Aliner is #1 on my list but I'm in W. Oregon. We do plan on storing it in the garage, so it just needs to hold up during our weekend trips.
I hope that works out for you! In our garage, since we are not able to open it up, we unlatch the two sides and place a 1-foot 4x4 piece of wood under each side. That raises it up enough so that we can open the door and get inside. Learned that from Slim Potatohead, in a video he did about going stealth in an Aliner.
@@oldmillrd8153 I’ve been inside the Chalet building before including where they manufacture them. They’re so small that I’d be concerned about their longevity and customer support. Like, they have one admin person total. They’re a VERY small company, literally and figuratively. They seem very similar to Aliner and could be a better value but they don’t seem to have dealers in Oregon - like you have to go through an ambassador or something.
The top of the dormers are flat so rainwater and leaves will accumulate while camping. The roof is sealed really well and we have never had leaks. When closing the dormers do it slowly so any water on top does pour down get you wet!
Yes we do! Yes we would - but please check what are the key criteria for you. We have several nice state parks within 3 hours drive. We have not yet taken it across country. The indoor toilet, height on the inside, ability to make a king size bed, design of the water lines so we don’t have to winterize since we keep it in an insulated garage, and the fact that our HOA requires us to house it in a garage and not on the street were our key items. The quality has been very good for us.
Yes! Ours is a 2018 model. I think in 2017 they adjusted the size of the collapsing table to fit in-between the seats and rest on wood strips to fill the gap. You then place the three small cushions on it to make the bed almost king size.
After a rain, how do you pack up? Do you dry off the walls before you fold down so you do not wet the roof pannels? How do you take down/set up in the rain? Awesome video. Thanks!!
We have been fortunate to not have to set up or take down while it is raining, just sprinkling. The side walls have not been an issue. Water can pool on the roof of the hard dormers so the person helping on the outside needs to watch out when closing up and the roof tips down and the water pours off! Once some water dripped inside while setting up but the walls are waterproof and so is the floor so we just wiped it up with paper towels. When we get home and our camper is in the garage I unlatch the main roof and open it up just enough to put a 4x4 12 inches long on each side underneath. This allows me to open the lower door and provided air flow. I unlatch the large dormer and prop it open slightly with another short piece of 4x4 wood. The smaller dormer wants to pop open when you unlatch it so I use a 3ft rubber tie down to hold it partially open. I then plug the camper into a garage outlet and place a small fan inside that runs all the time circulating air throughout. This keeps the camper dry and never musty. Hope that answers your question!
Just saw your video. Are you happy you purchased this brand and model. Do you have any condensation issues? Are you thinking of adding solar? We don’t have a lot of money so we want to make a good decision. I am 66 and my husband 60. It seems like a trailer we could enjoy for a lot of years. Please give me your honest opinion. Have you had any leaks like some others have had
Cheri - I turn 66 this year and my wife will be 62. We find the Aliner very easy to set up and fold down. Very easy to tow due its low profile and the fact that we use a stabilizer bar when towing. We have a Ford F-150 and it pulls it like a dream. This is our first camper, and we have had it 3 and a half years. We still love it. But we had a requirement that we had to store it in our garage because we wanted to keep it at our home and not store it in a lot somewhere away from the house. If we had room on our lot to park one I think a small regular camper with a permanent bed would be attractive. But for me, headroom and bed size is an issue. I am 6' 4" tall, and many smaller campers lack adequate headroom and the beds are tiny. The Aliner never feels cramped because the inside ceiling is so tall. The bed when made up is nearly King size. Also - the Aliner has windows all around, so you get great views from inside! Other campers seem dark and cramped to me. We have been in pouring rain storms and high winds with no leaks. Ours is a 2019 model, so maybe the older ones had leak problems. But not us. The couple of times we had condensation was because we did not leave the ceiling fan (the "Fantastic Fan") or a side widow cracked open. But it was not that much. During cold weather, we like to use electric blankets instead of running the propane heater a lot at night, so that may help prevent condensation because we don't mind the inside being cool. I do have two 100 watt solar panels and two AGM batteries (one battery mounted permanently and an extra one I can hook up to it in parallel when dry camping/boondocking) but we have only had a couple of opportunities to do that, as we have several very nice state parks within 2-3 hours of us that we usually stay at. One solar panel that has a 45-degree support can be placed on top of the large dormer over the kitchen (using a step ladder), or placed outside on the ground. They are not mounted to the camper. We have never had to take it into service. We have never had to winterize it even though we live and camp in the VA MD PA area in the Fall, Winter and Spring because I add a small amount of bleach to our water tank when I fill it (look up sanitizing long-term water storage for the amount), our garage is insulated, and the water lines are inside the camper walls (not under the camper or exposed to the outside air) and do not freeze overnight, as the 11 gallon tank is next to the water heater, and the water lines to the sink run behind the refrigerator and the propane heater (both of which generate heat) and are exposed to the temperature of the inside room. We only use water for washing and bottled water for drinking. I hoped I answered your questions. Good luck!
@@charles-loriroswell4553 Bless you bless you. How kind of you to answer. May I please keep in touch if I have more questions? We are in Ca and I am concerned about those 109 days as we live in Southern California. I forgot to ask, I think I saw a wall air conditioner near the sink. Did you choose that over the best pump system. And was that on purpose? From my research I am reading this company is the best and it’s made well. We don’t have a garage but we do have a portico so yes I agree with having it protected. Where we live I can’t have a small trailer in my driveway and we have tiny yards. You and your wife look so happy and my husband and I have suffered great great loss the last 12 years. I want to get him out as he desperately needs to be out doors. I am from PA and he is from Southern MD. So if it’s not too much trouble and I promise not to bother you, I will let you know if we decide to get one. Maybe we can meet on the road one day. Take care and bless you for your time. PS we actually had a 24’ airstream van decked to the nines. It just didn’t feel right for us and it was too small for two people.
@@cheri6174 Cheri - yes, feel free to ask questions anytime. We chose the side air conditioner over the heat pump and it has worked well for us. No problem towing with it poking out the side. Easily replaced if you ever have to. Ours is a LG brand A/C. The heat pump did not seem worth it because you lose the outside access rear storage area which is very handy to have as a little garage, and the propane furnace works really well (after we upgraded to a basic digital thermostat and relocated the thermostat as I mention in the video). Once you find a dealer and see one in person you can decide if it is right for you. We are very happy with our LXE. We have camped in hot weather but not as hot as you mention. However, with the Fantastic fan blowing the rising hot air outwards the Aliner has great convection which coupled with the A/C would I think work great on really hot days. Good luck! Hope you find a dealer near where you live so you can see one in person.
What works for us is to leave the top fan and a side window cracked open even at night. We camp in the VA PA area and usually camp in the spring and fall not the height of summer when it is the most humid. You might try a small desk 8” tall dehumidifier.
I apologize - I do not. This was my first video and did not think of it. I hope I gave enough info in the video to allow you to find a product you liked.
The Thetford cassette holds 5 gallons. So number of uses before emptying depends on the individuals using it. The cassette itself is plastic so you rinse it out and reuse it for the life of the camper.
There is supposed to be one next to the seat. It is a single LED red indicator light as opposed to one that indicates 1/2, 3/4, 100%. We have never let it fill to that point. It is easy to look inside.
Why is it every RV no matter what size always have a tent canopy, a shower/toilet tent, and even an extended tent. And the owners always seem to end up bringing almost everything into it like dining areas, chairs, and cooking stoves and even a bonfire? It seems like the tents are the winners
People reading your post would probably like to hear your recommendation on how to spend their $20K. Perhaps a Chalet? Don’t bother with an A-Frame? Build a Do it yourself van conversion? If it has an inside toilet, fits in a standard garage (we can’t park it outside due to association rules), has minimum 6’5” clearance in the interior (I’m 6’4”), a king size bed when folded out, has no exterior exposed water tanks or water lines so we can go winter camping on the East Coast and not worry about freezing, and does not cost over $30K, and can be purchased and serviced at a dealer within 50 miles of my house, then I’m all ears.
