You had all the spec's listed. Should have looked there first. Side note: I live in Florida now but as a kid my parents had a cottage on Rifle Lake in Shady Shores Park. Been 60 years since I have been there.
Hi I have a couple more questions and some observations that might be helpful. First the questions. Does the 12 v battery charge while the trailer is hooked up to the car? I.E. when the wire harness from the car or truck is hooked up to the trailer and is running (like when your towing it to a destination) will the 12 v battery be charging? The other question is could you idle your car using it as a generator to charge the battery if you were camping remotely off the grid without an external generator? I have been looking at both the Viking 12000 ROK and the Coachmen Catalina 134 RDX, both are under 3000 lb. and both are made by Forest River. The nice thing about the Viking ROK 12000 is it comes with a spare, good off road tires and weights 4 or 5 hundred pounds less than the Catalina. It also comes with a roof solar panel. The Catalina doesn't come with a spare tire and I'm not sure that either's 12 v batteries will charge when hooked up to the running towing vehicle. This makes both difficult to run off the grid for very long (though another question I had was if the solar panel that comes with the Viking on its own in normal weather could keep the 12 v system charged enough to run the fridge). The electric fridge will only run 6-8 hours on a 12 v battery before the battery needs to be recharged. This makes it difficult to leave either camper for long without having an external generator or, having a combination fridge that is also propane. I have talked with two dealers down here in the south (Florida and Georgia) and neither would discuss modifications like putting a propane/electric fridge in either the Viking or the Catalina (even though they sell both of them). The Catalina doesn't come with a spare and neither model it appears could take a dual propane set up. The nice thing about these two models, which are very similar, outside of their dry weight is their price. Both go for between $12,999 and $14,999 and for the most part are self sufficient with bathrooms, stove, fridge, microwave, etc. The big problem as I see it is the difficulty leaving the fridge for long without running a generator or putting in a propane fridge. These prices are hard to beat but I am also looking for other brands that might have what I am looking for or be better built. So far the Scamp is the only one I really like and I am checking it out now. They have about 4 or 5 models in each the 13 ft, 16 ft, and 19 ft models. Unfortunately they are about $10,000 more and there maybe a waiting list to get one. Outside of this, for the money and what you get with the Viking 12000 and the Catalina 134 RDX, these models are hard to beat. The thing that I don't like about the Viking 12000 however is rear kitchen. I have no doubt there are going to be times where I don't want to go outside simply to get a drink of water, get something out of the fridge or heat up a cup of coffee. For this reason the Catalina interests me, but as mentioned does not have a spare or a solar panel or gas fridge. Sorry this is so long but the dealers I have spoke with have not been very helpful or knowledgeable, even about their own units they sell or what changes can be made to them. Spending money on an rv is a big decision and I don't think a person should buy something just to find out its not what they really wanted or has all the things important to them. RV's should not be an impulse item. I'm glad I'm taking my time on this because I have changed my opinion on both the Viking and the Catalina the more research I do. I should say, I am looking to buy something I can more or less live out in campgrounds or other isolated areas out west while I work long days, leaving for up to 14 hours or more at a time, I need to have the fridge that does not need to be tended to every 6-8 hours with a generator or shore power. Should I decide to get a Catalina 134 RDX (even from another dealer), would your dealership be able to install a new heater and a spare tire with a carrier. Or since I live so far away from you, is RV modification work be done anywhere? As mentioned the two dealers I have been working with either don't know a lot about these models or are less than forthcoming about realistic options or alternatives. Perhaps they are afraid of effecting the warranty with modifications like these. I appreciate being able to ask about some of my concerns here.. Thanks .
Hi! Thank you for your questions and comments. We are always happy to assist with any modifications we are able to do. Buying a trailer is always a decision that should be well thought out. So for your questions, as long as your tow vehicle and 7 way plug is in proper working order, this includes the charge wire on your 7 way, your camper battery will charge while driving. Some vehicle manufacturers will run the wire, some will run it almost to the back and zip tie it up and it will need to be completed. I would advise against running your vehicle in place of a generator. My sole reason for this is a generator should be at least 20' away from your camper, and your camper power cord is only 7'-8' long, and you should not leave your vehicle running that close to your trailer. I would suggest adding an additional battery, a larger battery group (27 or 31 instead of the typical 24), or lithium batteries. Additional solar panels will only benefit if you have the battery bank to store the additional power. Even a smaller and quiet generator you could run for a couple hours to supplement the solar charging. There are also so many factors with how long the fridge will run off 12v power, temperature inside, outside, ventilation, how packed or empty the fridge is, etc. Hope this helps! We will also be doing a remake of this video, with a 2025 model, so stay tuned for that!
Does the heater have a thermostat? I assume the A/C does as well.. Does it come with a spare tire (full size)? I saw as an option to switch out and hook up a propane/12 volt fridge. Is this possible? Also wondering about adding another propane tank, possibly an extra 12 volt battery on the front with a cover? I'm glad the tent on top is optional? Bur would like the roof rack and certainly the solar.. Is some of this optional work Rose City RV could do? Thank You!
Hello! Thank you for your comment. The heater and A/C each have their own controls on the unit themselves. The spare is mounted under the tongue of the trailer. We should be able to order one with an LP/12v fridge. I do not believe there is room for an additional mounted propane tank, as it only comes with one 20lb tank and that takes up the majority of the room. There is space for an additional group 24 battery. The roof rack and solar comes with it as well, we have tents available that we could put up there, if a purchaser would like it for extra sleeping space. All of that is stuff that we are happy to do!
Thanks for the video. Do you have any clue if they are going to change anything for the 2025 model? For both the 9000 and 12000, do you have the width of the box itself? thanks
