Scoutman's 'new' Starcraft Pine Mtn on Dodge 3500

[Scoutman]

As for being required to lift the rear of the roof a little to open the door, mine had the same situation.

On mine, the aluminum frame around the door had a lip that tucked up inside the roof. I just trimmed off the top 1/2" or so of the aluminum lip on the door with a hacksaw. Now the door opens and closes without having to unclip or lift the roof--it's really nice!

I'm not sure if that would work on yours, or if you want to take a hacksaw to it, but it worked for me. You might check if it would affect how it links up with that little door above it--mine doesn't have that.

Eric

I don't have a lip on the door. The top of the door is a strip of rubber moulding that meets up with the top half. I slid the moulding out and the aluminum strip that the moulding slides into still rubs/hits the top. It looks like it's hitting the rain gutter that runs across the rear of the TC. I'll have to look further to see if there is an easy solution. I know I could move the gasket to the top half door but I want to make sure there is still a good seal between the door and the roof so water doesn't get in.

I had the fridge running on 110v all day yesterday and it of course worked fine keeping approx 40* (on setting 4 out of 5). Setting 5 typically brings it down to the upper 20's. I ended up putting a thermometer with a wire thermocouple (like an oven meat thermometer) so I can keep track of the temps without opening the door. Last night I fired up the propane and shut off the 110v. It ran all last night and kept the temp around 40*. Ok, so today's test is I shut down propane and am running on 12v with the camper still plugged in so the battery is charging. I'll check on it this afternoon when I get home to see if it's maintaining. If it's still working fine then I'll do a couple of ambient to cold tests to get a feel how each mode works on bringing it down.

I know the manual says reasonably level but what does that really mean?

Looking at the wireing diagrams for the camper shows 4 wires on the front plug. Ground, Clearance lights, Fridge, and House battery. Right now only the first 2 are hooked up so I'll work on getting the other 2 going.

 

[eugene]

If the fridge is anything like mine sitting level means sitting inside my garage and no where else, I can't get it level enough to work any place.

Watch the roof frame, it seems all popups are made basically the same with the roof sitting on top and screws going down the trim and through the roof and into the wood. It seems they all leak there and the boards rot. My camper was older and the roof boards looked like mulch. I paid a little more $ for cedar since it can get wet and replaced all the roof wood. Another issue with the taller door like that is the camper tends to want to spread outward putting a lot pressure on the hinges, the screws stripped out of mine so I had to open the rear wall and replace the wood there too.

It seems you have a family of 4 also, I'm looking to replace the cabover mattress with narrow ones and put a divider in front to back there to make two separate beds for the kids. Was thinking of putting a 1x2 along the ceiling with a blanket draped over it

 

[Scoutman]

If the fridge is anything like mine sitting level means sitting inside my garage and no where else, I can't get it level enough to work any place.

Watch the roof frame, it seems all popups are made basically the same with the roof sitting on top and screws going down the trim and through the roof and into the wood. It seems they all leak there and the boards rot. My camper was older and the roof boards looked like mulch. I paid a little more $ for cedar since it can get wet and replaced all the roof wood. Another issue with the taller door like that is the camper tends to want to spread outward putting a lot pressure on the hinges, the screws stripped out of mine so I had to open the rear wall and replace the wood there too.

It seems you have a family of 4 also, I'm looking to replace the cabover mattress with narrow ones and put a divider in front to back there to make two separate beds for the kids. Was thinking of putting a 1x2 along the ceiling with a blanket draped over it

Our plan for the family of 4 is for my wife and I to be in the overhead and the kids to be on the fold out couch. If they get too big then I can either make a loft over the couch or send them outside to a tent.

Since we will have an infant this fall we will probably use the area on top of the fridge for a bassinet basket or something similar to keep them safe and close but. It'll be strapped down somehow.

 

[eugene]

How far into the isle does your couch go, it didn't look like there was room to get to the top bunk with the couch made into the bed.
I wanted to put them in the top so we could put them to bed first and us stay out later.

 

[Scoutman]

How far into the isle does your couch go, it didn't look like there was room to get to the top bunk with the couch made into the bed.
I wanted to put them in the top so we could put them to bed first and us stay out later.

There is plenty of space between the folded out couch and the cabinet. Enough that my wife and I had room to get ready for bed while the little guy was trying to go to sleep. I'd say 18-24". The bottom floor space is not compromised. The bottom couch cushion only comes out as far as the carpeted step below the couch and doesn't overhang the lower floor.

I need to get some interior picts.

 

[eugene]

Where is the propane tank on yours? Mine has a 20# in the front right so that area sticks back quite far, cuts the 8' lenght down to about 6' for the bed, then there is a side to the rear seat by the door in the back which cuts into space there too. I was going to remove it but I see that it helps keep the rear wall from flexing.
I'm thinking of replacing the fridage with one of the 12v compressor type which would mean no running fridage from propane then swapping to a 10# propane tank and shrink the storage area for it. I'm also wondering then if I went to a smaller tank why not move it over to the drivers side in the front of the closet there where its hard to reach anyway and just eliminate the propane storage area on the passenger side completely.

 

[Scoutman]

My tank is in the rear passenger side corner above the truck tail light. If you're sitting on the couch it's in the back of the cabinet that would be on your left.

I ran the fridge on 12v with the camper plugged in to keep the battery charged and it did fine. It was about 37* last night (still on setting 4). This morning when I checked on it it had dropped enough to read LOW on my thermometer so I'm not sure what the real number is. Granted I haven't opened the door for a couple days now.

I took picts but left the camera at home so I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[eugene]

Is your tank 20# or smaller?

My issue with the fridge is getting it perfectly level to work. Driving around and such it startes to warm up. Min is really old though, probably could use a recharge but its old enough to not make it worth it.

 

[Scoutman]

Is your tank 20# or smaller?

My issue with the fridge is getting it perfectly level to work. Driving around and such it startes to warm up. Min is really old though, probably could use a recharge but its old enough to not make it worth it.

Mine is a 20# which was on my list of things to get. I didn't want an odd sized tank that I have to fill, I want to just swap it out since who knows where I'll be when I need it filled. I have a few local places that fill but it's more of a hassle and most times not worth it.

Well I've proven all functions work on level ground so now I need to try 'real world' level such as parking lots and such. I've got to get some levels.

 

[eugene]

That was my problem, out in parking lots and such I wouldn't get perfectly level and the fridge would start to heat up. Of course it would take a while so I'd have to keep checking every so often then when it did start to heat up would have to move the truck and then check again and see if it went up or down. It seems to take a lot longer to cool down than heat up too. I'm about to take the fridge out and use a cooler until I buy a new one.

 

[jarmstrong]

I have read about people having trouble with spider webs and other creatures getting in their fridges and then not working well,you might try cleaning out with an air line,other thing we use is a small fan about the size of a coffee mug that we got at camping world.It goes in the corner of the fridge and helps to move the air around inside.This is my second camper with the 3 way fridge and I wouldnt want to give up the convienence of it.Also ours seems to work even if as much as a bubble off from level and while driving down the road.Good luck.
Jerry

 

[Scoutman]

So when we got it home the other afternoon and got it removed from the truck my wife wasn't comfortable with how stable it was sitting on sawhorses and the 4 legs that high in the air. She authorized me to get some beefy jack stands so we could lower it down and feel sure that it wasn't going to topple over on our son or something else. I picked a set of these up at Harbor Freight yesterday.

 

[Scoutman]

Here are some more overall picts of the outside and finially some inside picts...

 

[Scoutman]

My rig.

 

[Scoutman]

Inside...