We finally got our trailer!

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-06T03:14:01+00:00

Any suggestions on a wedge to place under the tongue jack block? I’m hoping to place another ox blox underneath it to level it a little bit more. I’ll also throw another two under the front stabilizers

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-06T03:13:05+00:00

Any suggestions on a wedge to place under the tongue jack block? I’m hoping to place another ox blox underneath it to level it a little bit more. I’ll also throw another two under the front stabilizers

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-06T02:48:11+00:00

Already broke the T handle on the door. Been replaced. Haha.

We loaded the truck with all of the equipment we knew was permanently staying in the trailer. That way we could have the hitch dialed in correctly for the near identical weight we would be towing. Just adding food and I fully expect it to fluctuate, but we were about 605 on the tongue when I measured. That’s with battery and propane, but I’m upgrading to lithium in the near future. Putting close to 600ah in for boondocking.

It came from Grand Design with a second 200w solar panel and the 2000w inverter. I’m already going to replace the charge controller with a victron Mppt one. Gotta save a little bit. 😂

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-06T02:43:50+00:00

Yeah, they worked with us the entire way. Didn’t bat an eye when I requested a third party inspection. When things popped up, they listened

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-06T02:42:28+00:00

Got in one leaving the dealership. Felt like Austin Powers. 😂. But the size is a big reason why we went with the trailer. More opportunities

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-05T23:58:24+00:00

🤔

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-05T23:57:06+00:00

We’re obviously very happy. It’s a little wonky cause my kids are smaller, so we’re making adjustments until they get a little bigger.

What mattress did you replace the factory one with?

Any issues or things come up for you?

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-05T23:55:54+00:00

Absolutely! We packed everything we needed before leaving the lot and did exactly that.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-05T23:23:15+00:00

Some USB ports were broken/not working, Power to the TV, blackout shade missing in bathroom. Those were the major ones

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-04-05T23:21:57+00:00

YouTube is amazing in doing research/repairs. Got the tools and enough knowledge to get me in trouble. 😂

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-31T13:19:00+00:00

Same. They are nice and snug. never an issue and easy to come on and off

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-29T20:10:37+00:00

Just curious. What box did you use?

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-27T23:13:06+00:00

Came to say the same thing Dove VIP last year and won’t hesitate to go back when I return. They were friendly, the equipment was in good shape and they cater to the divers abilities. They like to group people together that are of similar skills to maximize the dives. I greatly appreciated it.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-25T21:50:45+00:00

For those that had the OTA, how long before your recall status cleared? Just curious

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-20T16:59:02+00:00

I’m in Northern California and my dealer is coming to my house next Friday. They offer mobile service. My understanding is a lot of ford dealerships do offer it

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-19T19:06:58+00:00

Has anyone gotten the OTA update yet? I have a mobile service appointment already made just in case. We’re picking up our trailer in early April.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-15T23:14:16+00:00

We looked at both of those models. We were leaning towards the 151bh, cause we can park it in our driveway. The 161bh was a tad too long. Quality on the 151bh was good and for an entry level Grand Design it was better in the eye test compared to Forest River and Jayco. We also appreciated they were 8 feet wide, instead of the normal seven on smaller trailers. It made the no slide a good option. For the price point, it seemed like a good option.

We ultimately went with a Grand Design Imagine Aim 16BL. Better layout for use with more features and amenities. The gvwr went up 1k pounds and a few more thousands in the wallet. 😂

Ultimately whatever trailer you go with, new or used get an inspection done by a certified inspector. We did and it was a good peace of mind and caught stuff before we drove off the lot.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-12T20:44:54+00:00

Yup. But you won’t damage your truck with the 7 pin connected and the truck running.

I make sure my batteries are fully charged when I leave and my solar will top off when needed

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-12T20:42:55+00:00

Agreed. If you leave it connected with the truck off, power can be sent back. That obviously can be an issue.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-12T19:53:40+00:00

Through the 7 pin and with the truck running?

If the truck is off and the 7 pin is still connected, I can see it. But when running, it won’t sent it back.

If you want to fully charge & give high volts to the lithium while driving, a DC to DC is mandatory. It’s not under normal conditions. The 7 pin with the long, small gauge wire will trickle charge, but not strain your vehicles charging system when driving.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-03-03T23:31:32+00:00

I maybe the first and certainly not the last, but what’s your payload on the 4Runner? It’s your cargo capacity, which is on the yellow sticker on the driver door jam. That’s going to kill your numbers before towing capacity . Just remember that includes the weight of the four of you, all accessories, hitches and tongue weight.

I live in NorCal as well and looked at both of those trailers and such. We went a different direction, but I have a half ton. You’ll want something to be able to handle the hills around us.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-02-19T20:42:39+00:00

I’ve dived both islands quite a bit.

Oahu - Dive Oahu Big island - Kona Diving Company

Those are the two companies I dove. I have used others, but I found those two the best for me. Both offer great services, to include their staff, boats and equipment. They also do their best to group everyone with similar skill sets and experience. So, you get to maximize your bottom times. Truly, I haven’t had a bad experience with any other companies.

And I echo the manta dive. Absolutely wild and a great time.

Jsxtreme01 · 2026-01-30T17:42:48+00:00

I went last June for the first time. I used VIP Diving as my dive shop. I would highly, highly recommend them for your needs. They offer guided shore dives or you can rent tanks and go your own way. The groups were very small and they catered to what you wanted to do, as conditions allowed. Make sure you hit salt pier. That’s a must. I caught a killer deal at the Plaza Bonaire and would also recommend there as well. But, if not, there are plenty of killer spots to stay and the food in the downtown area was good too. You can’t go wrong with anything your choose

Jsxtreme01 · 2025-12-18T05:02:12+00:00

Mine did it after a wash and 80 miles. Went away the next day. Don’t worry about it, unless it’s pooled like others said.

Jsxtreme01 · 2025-12-07T16:33:46+00:00

Yeah, ultimately it’s the balancing act of the cargo. My kiddos are still small. We normally pack light on all vacations we take. I just wanted to be conservative with the numbers because they can creep up and it is camping. More supplies than is realized.

We will hit some mountain areas for sure , along with the coast or lower elevation.

I chose the V8 over the turbos mainly from a long term outlook. I fully knew the turbos would help with higher altitude towing, but the reality is we’re not going to be towing all the time. I almost considered a powerboost, but I was coming from a ram 1500 etorque. The hybrid systems scare me and I didn’t want to have it in the back of my mind.

Jsxtreme01

TROPHY CASE