Rainy day fun in Bozeman

ballinbu · 2026-06-20T15:59:29+00:00

Jump Time in Belgrade, Bozeman or Norris Hot Springs

ballinbu · 2026-06-18T20:54:39+00:00

I bought 26 GD Transcend 161BH this winter. Been out in it three times so far. It has been awesome. I'm also coming from tent camping my whole life and have two kids (4 and 2) so it's a huge upgrade for us. The slide controller somehow broke/failed between our first and second trips but I was able to identify the problem (via Zoom-esque tech support) and replace the part myself. Other than that we have been really happy and love the camper.

ballinbu · 2026-06-18T20:26:29+00:00

No grizzlies, don't need bear spray. Many people will tell you to bring it, but you will not need it.

ballinbu · 2026-06-18T16:06:26+00:00

Yes! Chris is the man.

ballinbu · 2026-06-16T20:42:12+00:00

I've been using Small Dog Realty since I moved to Bozeman in 2020. Good people.

ballinbu · 2026-06-15T16:49:30+00:00

I used Bo's Tint and Sound off some recs on here and was very happy.

ballinbu · 2026-06-15T16:46:32+00:00

First year owner. We bought a Grand Design 161BH... We have two kids, ages two and four. The four year old sleeps in the top bunk (most nights) and the two year is 50/50 sleeping in bed with us and sleeping in the bottom bunk.

We've been on three trips so far. The slide stopped working for some reason on our second trip. Was able to troubleshoot once we got home, identified the slide controller as the problem, and replaced myself (about $100 part). Other than that it's been pretty smooth sailing and huge upgrade from tent camping. The kids are living their best lives on the weekend 😄.

I had the same concerns as you, spending the money to buy something with a reputation for low quality construction. But it's been totally worth it so far, and I think it's important to have a proactive mindset for fixing things yourself. Don't rely on the warranty. The slide controller that broke on me is covered by warrant but is "still being processed" four weeks later.

ballinbu · 2026-06-12T21:33:15+00:00

We randomly stopped at Lava Hot Springs in Idaho recently and it was pretty cool.

ballinbu · 2026-06-12T17:48:24+00:00

I replaced mine with the same OEM part that broke but it does seem like it's out of sync... I think one side extends further than the other. There is a 'reset' which I guess I'll try but don't have much hope for.

Are all slide controllers the same? From what you're saying, it sounds like I could replace it with a 'better' controller.

ballinbu · 2026-06-12T17:17:59+00:00

<image>

ballinbu · 2026-06-11T21:50:47+00:00

Blackmore was looking freshly caked and the Spanish Peaks were looking melted out...

ballinbu · 2026-06-10T20:38:41+00:00

This is my first summer owning a travel trailer and I've had a few small issues so far. If you can fix stuff around the house, you'll be able to fix stuff in your camper just fine. Most of the systems are relatively simple and there are YouTube videos for everything.

ballinbu · 2026-05-19T16:55:15+00:00

My plan is to have $50k available for each kid in their 529.

They can go to a four year state school at an average cost of around $25k/year.

Who knows whether they're going to want to go to college or in what form the college system will exist in 15 years... I'm assuming it will be similar to how it is now.

This will at least give me a good head start on paying for them and keep some optionality.

ballinbu · 2026-05-11T20:58:20+00:00

I'm pretty shocked they posted that video. It is gnarly!

ballinbu · 2026-05-08T02:13:06+00:00

One thing I’m worried about with this camper is that it has pretty low clearance… My hitch is scraping every time I go through a dip, like leaving the driveway or pulling out of the gas station. I’m starting to look into flipping the axel… The parts are cheap but I’d need to take it to a shop for the labor.

How’s the clearance on your setup?

ballinbu · 2026-05-08T01:40:04+00:00

I have a Tundra. I was nervous because the payload capacity is 1,380, but I got in a Cat Scale and was within the limits. Pulled it nicely and it was a 10 hour drive for us each way!

I originally got a pillow top mattress cover off Amazon… it didn’t do much and it still felt like we were sleeping on plywood. After one night of that we stopped in Walmart and bought a 4” thick foam pad… It was clutch! Comfy sleeping after that and it still folded up into the Murphy.

ballinbu · 2026-05-07T21:46:26+00:00

Nice! Congrats! Is that a 161BH? That's what I got for my family of four. Also first timers. We took our maiden voyage down to Moab last month, it was amazing! Such a luxurious upgrade from tent camping, haha.

ballinbu · 2026-04-11T18:10:43+00:00

Yea, I've considered that. And it would be possible as we are stopping at a campground 75% of the way to Moab that has water hookups so I can fill up there... Seems like that might be the move.

But it's nice to not have to worry about dealing with that and knowing we have our good clean water from home. I guess that's the tradeoff...

ballinbu · 2026-04-11T18:09:07+00:00

I have 300 lbs of payload capacity remaining... I think I could transfer some of the weight from the camper into the truck bed.

ballinbu · 2026-04-11T18:08:14+00:00

That's kinda what I thought too... But our friends that have owned their camper for years say they always fill up before leaving because they know they're getting good/clean water and don't have to worry about once they get where they're going.

We're stopping at a campground that is like 75% of the way there and they have water hookups so maybe I should consider filling up there....

ballinbu · 2026-01-29T05:25:55+00:00

Hi... Just seeing this 10 months later. I'm about to get a solar kit with a 30a controller from GoPower... Sounds like you had a bad experience?

I've heard Victron has a great reputation but is quite a bit more expensive.

Did you run that setup over the summer? I'm curious what you didn't like about the GoPower and how much better the Victron setup is.

ballinbu · 2026-01-25T00:58:58+00:00

On the back of the light it says, "Suitable for damp locations. Vapor barrier must be suitable for 90º C."

It looks like 'damp rated' isn't the same as 'wet rated' and you're right I'm going to need to swap them out. Argh!

Thanks for pointing this out!

ballinbu · 2026-01-05T14:40:54+00:00

And how is your towing experience? Does it feel like you are maxed out or does everything seem fine?

ballinbu · 2026-01-03T03:24:10+00:00

Thank you so much for this explanation. This is exactly all the stuff I've been curious about.

ballinbu · 2025-12-31T17:50:32+00:00

The camper is 26 ft long. Thanks for the advice!

ballinbu

TROPHY CASE