You might want to considering searching and/or posting in this forum for an answer. There is often good info there.
Towing
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OBI Dweller Review and Discussion
- Thread starter gendlert
- Start date
You might want to considering searching and/or posting in this forum for an answer. There is often good info there.
www.ranger5g.com
Yep, done that...I appreciate the suggestion though.You might want to considering searching and/or posting in this forum for an answer. There is often good info there.
Towing
Pre-Collision Assist Not Available - Warning
My 2021 Ranger XLT Tremor is equipped with the factory installed tow package, Firestone Ride Right Air Bags, and an after market brake controller (Draw-Tite). I am towing a hybrid, off-road camping caravan with a GVWR of 5732 pounds. Towing the camper for a weekend trip, 150 miles each way...
www.ranger5g.com
Treefarmer
Active member
I've looked at the photos of the D19 on the ROA website and have seen the D13 in person. Is it just me, or do they look a lot like a white colored Black Series? From the design lines to the seam seals, to the frame, suspension and aluminum rock protection, it all seems similar. OBI has some nicer system components than BS, but they have to be using some of the same suppliers.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
I believe BS , Opus, MDC and Dweller share chassis and framing manufacturer
goawaymore
Member
I'm not sure I get the concern about who shares what factory, production line, or visual appearance. Unless someone has actually visited one of the factories and seen firsthand pros/cons? Or unless the exact same build problems are showing up across different brands and models, which I don't think I've heard. Quality is always a concern with higher production numbers, but on the flip side you usually benefit from cost savings. And even if all of those brands actually used the same factory, that's still not an overwhelming production output from a big picture manufacturing perspective.
To someone who doesn't own a pickup or focus on cars/trucks, my F150 probably looks a lot like a Ram or a GMC 1/2 ton, and accomplishes the same functions. Better to spend time reading real world experiences from users. Enough miles and units from BS started to show that there might be some issues to consider before purchasing one. Hundreds of MDC, Opus, and Dwellers out there by now. Seem to be some unfortunate fixes/upgrades that are good to make on the Dwellers, but majority of owners seem to be getting awesome use out of them with some improvements/fixes along the way. And I don't think I've heard any complaints about the chassis or basic box of the campers. Figure out which one works for you....or go find something else that is more appealing. Starting to be a pretty solid range of different campers and trailers to choose from out in the market, which is a great improvement from 10-20 years ago!
To someone who doesn't own a pickup or focus on cars/trucks, my F150 probably looks a lot like a Ram or a GMC 1/2 ton, and accomplishes the same functions. Better to spend time reading real world experiences from users. Enough miles and units from BS started to show that there might be some issues to consider before purchasing one. Hundreds of MDC, Opus, and Dwellers out there by now. Seem to be some unfortunate fixes/upgrades that are good to make on the Dwellers, but majority of owners seem to be getting awesome use out of them with some improvements/fixes along the way. And I don't think I've heard any complaints about the chassis or basic box of the campers. Figure out which one works for you....or go find something else that is more appealing. Starting to be a pretty solid range of different campers and trailers to choose from out in the market, which is a great improvement from 10-20 years ago!
BernieMulcahy
Member
I also had the same issue with the bathroom vent. It happened the first few drives I made. For me, after about the third time I cranked the handle extremely tight when closing it. I was a bit concerned that I was tightening it too much. But I haven't had an issue since. No need to tape it in place or anything. Just close it very tightly.
I hate that coax as well. I zip-tied it to its base plate. Its still up there, but since it isn't sticking straight up it is as unsightly.
Treefarmer
Active member
Dweller has definitely upped the game over Black Series. On a side note, when I first looked at BS, I thought "I need to upgrade those generic shocks". I saw on this forum that someone did exactly that with the Dweller as well. Considering the relatively low cost of upgrading shocks, and the vast difference it makes in performance and safety, I'm a little dumbfounded that one these manufacturers just doesn't do it and brag about it or offer it as an upgrade. I'd be willing to bet that an opportunistic outfit like ROA will be offering a shock absorber upgrade as one of their "exclusive" mods. Consider that free advice ROA! ?
gendlert
Active member
Lots to report today. I went up to Mesa last Friday and dropped off my Dweller for some warranty work directly from OBI (I didn't buy from a dealer; I bought it directly from the manufacturer so I have to bring it back to them). I worked with Vincent Jr. and he was REALLY helpful and informative. He spent a couple hours with me last week and another 40 mins today talking through things with me.
Here's what I had serviced, and what I learned about everything that was wrong:
I also learned that OBI uses name brands for as many accessories as they can, and it's all got to do with warranties (well, not all, but it's an interesting line of thinking). If you have an issue with your Truma water heater, your Renogy solar panels (yes, the panels are all Renogy) or charge controllers/inverters, your Shur-Flo water pump, your Thetford toilet, or your HB AC unit, those companies all have their own warranties in place, and you can deal with those companies directly. It takes the onus off of OBI to fix every issue, and they can continue to focus on quality improvements and manufacturing the complete product. I thought that was pretty interesting.
I also learned some things about their manufacturing and their relationships with dealerships that I'm not going to share here because I don't think the details are appropriate for this thread (or a public forum), but it made me appreciate being a Dweller owner more than ever before. I will continue to look for OBI products in the future.
If you ever find yourself in the Phoenix area, it's worth a trip to go see what they're doing. I think OBI/Conqueror is head-and-shoulders above any other "off the shelf" brand out there right now.
Here's what I had serviced, and what I learned about everything that was wrong:
- Aft vent leak.
- Issue: My rear vent was dripping water onto the bed. I found this out in an Arizona downpour a few weeks ago on top of a mountain. It was pouring rain outside, so we went inside, where it was also pouring rain.
We caught it before it got to the mattress, but the drip was coming on stronger and stronger as the rain went on. We packed up early on that trip and just came home. It was a bummer. It turns out it was just a bubble in the caulk seal that burst after a few months. It was NOT a faulty vent, and likely not going to be a common issue in Dwellers. - The fix: they re-caulked the vent, tested it with a hose, and it's as good as new. Easy peasy.
- Lesson learned: These pop-top trailers have the unique feature of being able to drop one side. In a heavy rain, it's probably good practice to lower the rear side of the top so water runs off the roof and doesn't sit up there. Do you think I thought of that until I was ALMOST DONE taking down camp, dropped one side, and a rush of water came off the roof? No, of course I didn't, but now you know.
- Issue: My rear vent was dripping water onto the bed. I found this out in an Arizona downpour a few weeks ago on top of a mountain. It was pouring rain outside, so we went inside, where it was also pouring rain.
- Bathroom toilet caulk.
- Issue: As a few of you have seen, the caulking around the toilet needs help. Vincent pointed out that some of that is caused because the toilet and shower are really separate units, and after you sit on the toilet a few times, they'll actually settle.
- The fix: You guessed it: just re-caulk it.
- Lesson learned: Tough to get ahead of this one; I think just about everyone will see this issue with use over time. If you're handy with a caulk gun, you can refresh it yourself; otherwise, it should be covered by the dealer warranty. Check before your one-year runs out. I'll let you know if I see it happen again.
- Propane pigtail was too short.
- Issue: my pigtail was too short and I actually had to lean my tank a bit in the straps to get it to attach to the hose.
- The fix: I pointed it out, he said, "huh, I'll replace that." And he did.
- Lesson learned: It was a $15 fix I could have done myself and replace in 30 seconds, but he stands by his product. (Actually, this was the big takeaway from all of these; they are REALLY focused on quality and taking all of this feedback back to the factory lines.)
- Bad battery cell.
- Issue: One of my cells in my battery bank was bad. It happens. I wasn't able to keep my fridge running even 24 hours on the last trip in cooler weather and shady conditions. Turns out I had a bad cell, which makes sense.
- The fix: I was within the 1-year warranty period, and they replaced ALL THREE batteries. They didn't have a pile of spares, and replaced it with Interstate Battery flooded batteries. Model SRM-31.
- Lesson learned: Pros and cons for sure, but he asked me to try these and see if I like them, and I told him I would. Flooded could require a bit more maintenance, but can potentially last longer than the sealed stock AGM cells. I was planning to update to lithium soon for my longer trips, but I'm going to put that on hold for now.
I also learned that OBI uses name brands for as many accessories as they can, and it's all got to do with warranties (well, not all, but it's an interesting line of thinking). If you have an issue with your Truma water heater, your Renogy solar panels (yes, the panels are all Renogy) or charge controllers/inverters, your Shur-Flo water pump, your Thetford toilet, or your HB AC unit, those companies all have their own warranties in place, and you can deal with those companies directly. It takes the onus off of OBI to fix every issue, and they can continue to focus on quality improvements and manufacturing the complete product. I thought that was pretty interesting.
I also learned some things about their manufacturing and their relationships with dealerships that I'm not going to share here because I don't think the details are appropriate for this thread (or a public forum), but it made me appreciate being a Dweller owner more than ever before. I will continue to look for OBI products in the future.
If you ever find yourself in the Phoenix area, it's worth a trip to go see what they're doing. I think OBI/Conqueror is head-and-shoulders above any other "off the shelf" brand out there right now.
BernieMulcahy
Member
When googling for the Monroe Magnum 66440 shocks most of the images shown are yellow, but the shocks being shown here are black. Am I not finding the correct shocks?
gendlert
Active member
Read the reviews/comments on whatever site you're looking at. Every one that I saw said "the image shows yellow but they're black" which was true when I got mine.
Treefarmer
Active member
Whoa, wait a minute. You buried the lede. So you can purchase a Dweller direct from manufacturer rather than going through a dealer? Dweller has just become a lot more interesting to me.Lots to report today. I went up to Mesa last Friday and dropped off my Dweller for some warranty work directly from OBI (I didn't buy from a dealer; I bought it directly from the manufacturer so I have to bring it back to them). I worked with Vincent Jr. and he was REALLY helpful and informative. He spent a couple hours with me last week and another 40 mins today talking through things with me.
Here's what I had serviced, and what I learned about everything that was wrong:
- Aft vent leak.
- Issue: My rear vent was dripping water onto the bed. I found this out in an Arizona downpour a few weeks ago on top of a mountain. It was pouring rain outside, so we went inside, where it was also pouring rain.
- The fix: they re-caulked the vent, tested it with a hose, and it's as good as new. Easy peasy.
- Lesson learned: These pop-top trailers have the unique feature of being able to drop one side. In a heavy rain, it's probably good practice to lower the rear side of the top so water runs off the roof and doesn't sit up there. Do you think I thought of that until I was ALMOST DONE taking down camp, dropped one side, and a rush of water came off the roof? No, of course I didn't, but now you know.
- Bathroom toilet caulk.
- Issue: As a few of you have seen, the caulking around the toilet needs help. Vincent pointed out that some of that is caused because the toilet and shower are really separate units, and after you sit on the toilet a few times, they'll actually settle.
- The fix: You guessed it: just re-caulk it.
- Lesson learned: Tough to get ahead of this one; I think just about everyone will see this issue with use over time. If you're handy with a caulk gun, you can refresh it yourself; otherwise, it should be covered by the dealer warranty. Check before your one-year runs out. I'll let you know if I see it happen again.
- Propane pigtail was too short.
- Issue: my pigtail was too short and I actually had to lean my tank a bit in the straps to get it to attach to the hose.
- The fix: I pointed it out, he said, "huh, I'll replace that." And he did.
- Lesson learned: It was a $15 fix I could have done myself and replace in 30 seconds, but he stands by his product. (Actually, this was the big takeaway from all of these; they are REALLY focused on quality and taking all of this feedback back to the factory lines.)
- Bad battery cell.
- Issue: One of my cells in my battery bank was bad. It happens. I wasn't able to keep my fridge running even 24 hours on the last trip in cooler weather and shady conditions. Turns out I had a bad cell, which makes sense.
- The fix: I was within the 1-year warranty period, and they replaced ALL THREE batteries. They didn't have a pile of spares, and replaced it with Interstate Battery flooded batteries. Model SRM-31.
- Lesson learned: Pros and cons for sure, but he asked me to try these and see if I like them, and I told him I would. Flooded could require a bit more maintenance, but can potentially last longer than the sealed stock AGM cells. I was planning to update to lithium soon for my longer trips, but I'm going to put that on hold for now.
I also learned that OBI uses name brands for as many accessories as they can, and it's all got to do with warranties (well, not all, but it's an interesting line of thinking). If you have an issue with your Truma water heater, your Renogy solar panels (yes, the panels are all Renogy) or charge controllers/inverters, your Shur-Flo water pump, your Thetford toilet, or your HB AC unit, those companies all have their own warranties in place, and you can deal with those companies directly. It takes the onus off of OBI to fix every issue, and they can continue to focus on quality improvements and manufacturing the complete product. I thought that was pretty interesting.
I also learned some things about their manufacturing and their relationships with dealerships that I'm not going to share here because I don't think the details are appropriate for this thread (or a public forum), but it made me appreciate being a Dweller owner more than ever before. I will continue to look for OBI products in the future.
If you ever find yourself in the Phoenix area, it's worth a trip to go see what they're doing. I think OBI/Conqueror is head-and-shoulders above any other "off the shelf" brand out there right now.
Upgraded Shock Absorbers/Tongue Wheel Jack
I replaced the original shock absorbers to the Monroe 66440's as WillySwan and gendlert described earlier in this thread. Pretty new to this kind of work but the installation went pretty smooth. I did not lift the camper, and had to spread the upper mounts a little bit. Kind of dry fit them before putting in the bolts. Shocks delivered to my home in 3 days via the Denver Broncos new ownership group, Walmart to most of you ($208.00). No time to test drive today.
Original Equipment:
New Monroe's:
And after beating up the original tongue wheel jack pretty good, it needed replaced. Seemed appropriate to upgrade that as well.
Original, Ark Series 500:
Comparison, Ark 500 vs. 750:
New, Ark Series 750 (250 more!!):
I replaced the original shock absorbers to the Monroe 66440's as WillySwan and gendlert described earlier in this thread. Pretty new to this kind of work but the installation went pretty smooth. I did not lift the camper, and had to spread the upper mounts a little bit. Kind of dry fit them before putting in the bolts. Shocks delivered to my home in 3 days via the Denver Broncos new ownership group, Walmart to most of you ($208.00). No time to test drive today.
Original Equipment:
New Monroe's:
And after beating up the original tongue wheel jack pretty good, it needed replaced. Seemed appropriate to upgrade that as well.
Original, Ark Series 500:
Comparison, Ark 500 vs. 750:
New, Ark Series 750 (250 more!!):
Last edited:
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Oh no 500 for this heavy of a trailer was a bad choice. Everyone should up grade to 750
Mine came with the 750 which was also destroyed (on my first trip with the Dweller 13) and ordered a new 750 and it came with a quick release pin where I can remove it from the tongue in a matter of seconds. Very nice. Didn’t see that feature with the one that came with the D13. Wonder why yours came with the 500???
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