RV Lessons Learned after 3 years: Roadtrek Zion Campervan
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- Опубліковано 6 бер 2021
- We chat about some lessons we learned as RV newbies from having a campervan for just over 3 years with respect to repairs/maintenance and RV travel. We also provide an update on BC Parks for the 2021 season and share some clips of camping at Derby Reach Regional Park in Langley, hiking to Swan Falls in the Amore area and packraft paddling in the Pitt Lake area dykes in Pitt Meadows.
Timestamp for video montage: 17:14
Henry Wang's UA-cam channel: / henrybwang
View more videos on our channel: / hikenrv
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Questions? Email us at hikenrv@gmail.com
Our Camera Gear for this video:
• Sony FDR-X3000
• Sony FDR-AX5
• GoPro Hero Session 5
• GoPro Hero 8 Black
• Sony RX100 VII
• iPhones 10 & 11
Video Editing Software: • Cyberlink PowerDirector - Авто та транспорт
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Thank you for sharing your information about your repairs and maintenance on your class B van. Letting us know about BC parks for the season that’s coming up . Love the BC scenery and the water with the birds . Thank you for making and sharing this wonderful and informative video.BS & BK
Our pleasure to share! Glad you enjoyed!
Another great video. I think yours are some of the best on you tube; as Cardiogirl said, they are always a great mix of information and scenery. I love hearing the geese - it's such a timeless sound, one of my favourites.
Thank you and glad you enjoyed! We enjoyed the sound of the geese as well ! Appreciate the comment!
Always a pleasure to watch your videos. You both have a wonderful calmness about yourselves. We are just preparing for our first post- lockdown short trip around southwestern Ontario. There won’t be much hiking, but at least we’ll have a sense of freedom again. Thanks for your video and your comments on the state of the RV industry and lifestyle. Your observations are consistent with ours out here in mountainless southern Ontario.
Enjoy the first outing....last year just after our more serious restrictions were lifted just being able to get out for a walk in the forest was amazing! Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching!
Discouraging that so few RV places are willing to do the servicing. Hoping it will be easier to go to Canada by now as Covid has lessened. Good hint to leave on Sunday and find a campsite when others have left:) Thank you About the last almost 1/2 had nothing to do with the RV, but was nice to see travel vids.
Sadly, finding service even tougher now…so much busier in the last few years with the big bump in RV sales. And we continue to try to offset weekends when we can…especially in busy a season. Wishing you safe travels!
Great video on the changes in the market! I have had a Class B in the past, but it sure sounds like the market is a whole new set of "rules to play bye!"
Good luck in your search..always the fun part!
Love the end of paddle 😴 and the bloopers 😂
The bloopers could have been much longer!
@@hikenrv my entire 45 minute recording from yesterday is one giant blooper. I have refill the entire thing today. 😂
I agree..live bloopers..great way to finish a session👍
Always enjoy seeing your videos!
Thanks Ernie! Appreciate you watching!
That hiking footage is just WOW. And thanks for the reflections and for the almost urban camping shots. It's all really interesting, and inspiring. I'm always glad to see a new post from you guys.
Glad you enjoyed! While we prefer a more remote feel when camping the almost urban experience is quite interesting. With travel restrictions we haven’t traveled far, but hoping that more flexibility will be an option soon. Plus more parks nearby are opening. Thanks for the comment!
Loved the clear ice on the frozen waterfall. In a year or two, there may be some good deals on used RVs. Hoping to be able to cross the border later this year and get back to snowbirding in the U.S. southwest. I prefer boondocking and BLM/National Forests have plenty of areas for that. Cheers, Steve
Thanks Steve...yes, we are hoping to do exactly the same later this fall. Let us know if you have any recommendations! Be safe and be well! 🚐
HI, I enjoy seeing different parts of BC, through your eyes, where I also reside. Your videos give me motivation and ideas of places to explore as well, and they provide me my own mental 'get away'. I feel less stressed and like I got away from it all for those 20 minutes or so while I tuned in to your travels.
I am not surprised about your challenges getting anything done to a vehicle here in Canada. I am as patriotic as they get but I gotta say, the Americans have got it all over Canada when it comes to getting things done to your RV or furniture or your house for that matter. Lots of talent, and historic resources there. Not nearly enough RV techs here anywhere in Canada and for the most part, if you check it out, beyond Alberta, east, they don't get the lifestyle because the seasons are so short in the rest of the country. Anyway, I could write a novella on this topic, so will stop here on that topic.
I live on the island and yes, covid has turned many more people into campers, or so they thought, for at least one year. Many units have come up for sale after the season last fall, but many have stayed 'sold' .
WE need MANY more parks and a better attitude from government bodies to accommodate this lifestyle especially as populations grow and people find the mental solace in getting back to nature with a less complicated and encumbered lifestyle. I could go on about that too, but really just wanted to acknowledge your comments in that vein.
Enjoy you both and admire the challenges you take on in your hiking adventures. And that you explore Beautiful BC, and CANADA! It's great for tourism promotion too. Maybe you could hit up the Tourism board and get connected for a gig ! ;) Good luck with your decision on a replacement unit. tnt, cheers!
Appreciate the comments (and the extra detail). Hoping when COVID restrictions reduced to do a few trips over to the island! Such a great place! Be safe and be well! 🚐
Great information that you all shared - really helpful in managing expectations as we await our new van. Loved your hike and paddle shots. That rope line up to the view above the falls looked pretty steep! And with the ice too. Your "bloopers" were so cute and endearing. Finding your channel has been a real treasure for me! Thank you for sharing!
Glad it was helpful...and you will love your van! So many places to explore and easy to do even for one day trips! That whole trail is steep (we only went part way this time...just to the falls, but the ice/wet made that section a bit more challenging! Please send us a photo (hikenrv@gmail.com) of the van once you receive!
Your three year observations are very interesting. Trying to get service for an RV is tuff. We have owned two travel trailers and now a Lexor PW. We have been camping since 2008. When we first started, service was pretty fast, usually booked within a week or two. Now it’s next to impossible to get an appointment. Also, we saw a significant decline in the quality of the travel trailers over the years, one of the reasons we bought the Pleasure Way van. We also got tired of towing, hooking and unhooking, trying to find gas stations we would fit in. We wanted the freedom of the van to go anywhere, and we can load and unload in our driveway. We are in our first year of owning the van, the only issue we have is not having a car to just take off and go after setting up camp. We have an older dog, so the rig really needs to stay put for her comfort needs. There are trade offs with every rig. You are correct, that it’s very important to know what kind of camping you want to do, before buying an RV. We also, see a big change in trying to book campgrounds. That’s another reason for the van, it’s easier to stay anyplace and to boondock. We will give it another two or three years, if we don’t like it, we can always buy something else. The important thing is to get out there and enjoy the trips. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you for sharing your decade plus of experience! As you note; there are trade offs with every type of RV. And couldn’t agree more; the ‘important thing is to get out and enjoy the trips’. Safe travels🚐
Your videos are always a treat to watch. Nancy
Thanks Nancy! Glad you enjoyed!
I really enjoy your videos. I will be travelling from Toronto to Vancouver Island this summer. You have given me a lot to think about as far as the issue I might encounter in finding places to camp.
Sounds like a great trip and we suspect that it will be likely be fine if you can plan ahead and look to stay in some of the less well known spots. Try to get to campsites early. Check out our Top 5 RV campsites video for a few of the less well known spots at least in BC. Safe travels! Ps...you can always send us an email at hikenrv@gmail.com if you want a suggestion or two before you go.
@@hikenrv I have yet to watch all your videos, I will be checking out the rest.
I would love a Roadtrek, even an older one but the prices have just gotten ridiculous. A recent ad showed a 1997 Roadtrek with 137000Kms for $35000. We have 3 great local RV repair shops that don't have long wait times. Of course, none of our work is warranty work so maybe that makes a difference and we don't have near the population you are competing against. We have a truck camper but we haven't really tested it out much. You always share such gorgeous scenery; thank you!
Prices for almost any RV now are quite high from what we have heard...as someone else suggested perhaps more for sale in few years! Glad you enjoy the scenery and hopefully you are out soon in your camper! Be safe and be well! 🚐
Another great video. Thanks for the reminder to reserve BC campsites. Got lucky this morning and able to reserve a campsite at Alice Lake in mid Apr. Hope to see you in our hiking/camping trips. BTW, how are the lithium batteries doing lately?
Thanks George, glad you enjoyed! Reservations were busy this am and glad you found a spot. We may be there soon. Batteries charging and working well! 🤞
my buddy had a class b+ ...sold it immediately after 1st year...everything fell apart
Yes, quality can likely vary considerably! We probably don’t need the extra space, but on rainy days it would help!
Hello there! We are enjoying your videos. We are actually looking at purchasing a Roadtrek Zion. We have found a 2018 used unit for $100K, and a new 2021 unit for $130K, and we are trying to make a decision between the two. First, we thought to purchase a new unit because of the warranty, and because we thought we would get a couple years of trouble free use, but after watching your videos, it seems you have had your share of problems with a brand new vehicle. We would really value your opinion.
Hi John, hard for us to say...and also depends also on condition and comparable options. We remember reading someone’s advice to buy an RV two years old, as most of the problems would have been fixed. We couldn’t find one and of course, $30k difference would certainly pay for any repairs, likely several times over. Ours (also a 2018) has always been reliable, but we often had problems with the lithium batteries and charging system. It is now rewired to meet the current specs and the Balmar is moved (you would want both done as well if not already done) The 2021 would already have this done, may have some newer features and from what we have heard (see our video with the Roadtrek CEO) they are now putting a lot of emphasis on quality control. In the end, it depends on what will make you most comfortable. In our experience, any RV will have some challenges...somewhat the nature of the industry.0
@@hikenrv Thanks for the information. We watched your video with Dane and found it very informative. Sounds like quality was an issue, and it's good to hear that they are making it a priority again. We appreciate you telling us about your problems with Lithium charging system, and the solution. We will definitely talk to the dealer about it.
Thanks again
We took the plunge and brought a 2021 Roadtrek Zion. Your reviews and your advice helped us with our decision. We are looking forward to new adventures in our new home on wheels. Cheers! John
@@johnburgham8303 congratulations! 🎉🍾 You will enjoy all the places it will take you! Please send us a photo at some point (Hikenrv@gmail.com)
Hi! It looks like you were in some pretty chilly weather in this video, and Roadtrek has been really straightforward to say that they don't recommend traveling in the van when there will be cold temps as it's a "3 season van" - would you agree with that?
Not quite; Roadtrek does refer to this as a 3 season van (most RVs are we believe), but we aren’t aware of them advising people to not use the van in cold weather. They do make recommendations in the manual about when to winterize etc. In practice, we never camp in really cold weather, but we have often camped in slightly below freezing weather when winterized.
A few years ago we pulled our Teardrop across Canada and back in June, July and August without a single reservation. Between National, Provincial and municipal/town parks we managed it effortlessly with only a few commercial parks used. Couldn't do that today I suspect. On today's situation, it costs us in excess or $150 to get off the Island so we don't do it on a whim but the further north you can get, up past Prince George, the easier the camping gets, both boondocking and developed sites. I am anxious for some kind of immunization "passport" or whatever that is acceptable to the Yukon and NWT...I don't want to return I NEED to return.
Certainly a challenging year! Like you, we are anxiously waiting until we can travel to some more remote spots! Appreciate the comment!
Where does the time go? I bought my trailer in 2012, and it seems just like yesterday. I'm looking forward to your year 4. Many Happy Trails to you.
Time does seem to slip away...worse this last year I believe! Wishing you safe travels! 🚐
One week of winter :) That sums it up. I notice you don't use your awning all the time. We're getting a new ARB and enclosed tent so wondering if you would consider including in a video comments about your external set up and the awning. We decided to upgrade from a fiamma awning because it was awkward to set up (manual one). So wondering if you enjoy your awning or if it's just a preference.
Interesting timing...literally just added a 3/8 extension to the toolkit to ensure we could manually retract our awning if needed! More a preference as we typically use our awning only when we are lucky enough to be camped somewhere sunny....and as you know with our tree cover in most areas here that is less common. Generally enjoy it when needed, albeit depending on the position of the sun it doesn’t always help. Always retract it when away from the van or at night, in part because it is so easy to do. We can add a comment or two and there is a funny story about it we could share about it from the day after we first picked up the van! PS...we have seen a number of folks with trailers set up a tent component..would really increase the functionality.
@@hikenrv we found our fiamma awkward (it was manual) so we didn't really use it. We're really getting the enclosed tent part so our new kitten can join us camping and spend some time outside. We have a VW Eurovan so there isn't a lot of room for him to be comfortable. You van has more room for a cat to stretch out. There aren't a lot of videos with awning stories so would love to hear it!
What electric heater do u guys use on chilly nights?
We have a Vornado similar to this one (www.vornado.com/shop/heaters/whole-room/vh10-whole-room-heater). We also have a white one with a digital thermometer, but only take one with us, the other is sometimes used at home. It is a bit bigger than some small heaters, but it’s fan is very quiet as a result. 5 years plus and no issues.
Where you want to drive is a matter of personal taste, but if you would like to see the kinds of places where you COULD take your Promaster, check out this channel: ua-cam.com/users/oneadVANtureatatime
Thanks for this and looks like an interesting channel. It is not that a Promaster van can’t be reasonably good off the beaten track if designed for it, but usually without the features ours has. Most commercially made camper vans aren’t really designed for that. Most vans have propane underneath as well as a black tank, grey tank, batteries, in our case an under hood generator etc and the van as a whole isn’t really designed for too rough an area, or to get out if conditions get bad. Low branches and rough roads make it tough. One of the reasons the Russo’s (if you follow their channel) moved to a pop up camper. We may consider a lift to get some more clearance and suspect that would help a lot, however we do tend to be cautious if terrain looks bad. A few hours on some of our forest roads here isn’t pleasant . Looking forward to visiting some of the BLM lands down south when we can travel. Many seem well within our comfort zone, despite seeing recent posts of folks stuck in the mud 😊. A lot of class c’s seem to do ok there as well. Appreciate the comment!
@@hikenrv We know & follow the Russos. They certainly like to go places that are beyond where we want to take our sprinter. We probably wouldn't go some of the places that Dave & Carrie go either. We just don't care for washboard roads that rattle everything, but they sure go some amazing places.
Seems to me that if you spend $80,000 on a new Class B, there is little in the way of service after purchase?
We are not experts, but in our experience and from what we have heard from others the RV industry is quite different (be it for class b, C or A or trailers ) as we noted in the video. As we understand it long waits for service are not uncommon and not all dealers are that familiar with the products they sell. We are sure that there some exceptions. We have heard that this a shortage of RV techs and a high demand for service. When we take our van in for service to a local dodge dealer we can often book for the next day...with the RV it is usually a month or more. This seems common.
What equipment do you use to make your great videos?
We list different ones in the description below the video, but typically one of two action cameras, our Iphones and a Sony camcorder. A few others on occasion. We could get by with less, but enjoy different uses for each.
@@hikenrv Thanks for the info!
dear Hike n RV: zion is three season RV or four season RV? Thank you
The Zion is a three season van. You can still use in winter if winterized and there are things you can do to improve heat loss. We touched on this recently in one of our videos.
@@hikenrv thank you so much and that mean you can use Zion in december with winterized and can not use water from fresh tank. i plan from new haven to denver in middle december and can i use fresh tank water and keep inside warm for only 5 days and after that do winterize? it is very my lucky have your guys help
@@weiguojiang4388 we use our Zion in winter here, but note that our winters are quite mild. We don’t travel/use if in winter weather or conditions are bad. As we recall the owner’s manual suggests that you winterize if the temperature is expected to be below freezing, regardless of whether you heat the van. Check to confirm (there is an online version as well). Remember that your black and gray tanks are outside as are some of the water lines. We always try to winterize if temperatures will be close to or below freezing. Note: if you are buying in December it may be that the van is already winterized. You can also email us at Hikenrv@gmail.com and if we can help with a question we will.
Get same species of geese in uk there just as noisey her
😆