# Old Newbies Getting Our Retirement Apartment, 268Rls, With Some Questions....



## doneldo (Oct 24, 2010)

hey every one on the OB site, we're picking up (well, too heavy to do it literally!) our new '11 268RLS (Havana interior) this coming Friday (perhaps a bit late for camping this year since Winter hammered down last night with snow up north in Colorado and low freezing temps down here in the 4-corners, doing in the remainder of our marigold-vegetable garden patch, but we sure do wish we could make it over to Vallacito and the forest campgrounds encircling the lake and just kind of break it and us in, but as Kurt Vonnegut so often said in his novel from the '80s, Slapstick, ...so it goes....)

we've known for sometime that the '07 half-pint Fun Finder 139X at about 13 feet and one ton that we've towed the last several warmer seasons (and racked up more than a few Good Lasting Memories) was just not quite what we needed or wanted when both of us finally would decide to drop out of the job race (I'm done, I think, maybe; maybe not, but the DW Bobie wants to go a few more years in her mental health therapist field...which is ok with me; she can hang her shingle anywhere, and that's ok with me) to spend more extended time in the magnificent forests and around so Beauty-Full lakes (fishing, of course, of course) and moving thru such Wonder-Full parts of this continent that we've yet to experience -- the Fun Finder by CruiserRV was ok, but the quality just did not measure up to what I've seen produced by Keystone; would not recommend Fun Finder/Shadow Cruiser, not at all....

we weren't really going to buy this soon, but from reading just about all the queries and comments and Good Info on the OB forums that all of you have put on this OB site, it really did help me decide that Keystone was the way to go; the Outback was a great model to explore and investigate -- thanks to all! so when we saw online the 268RSL and found that a dealer existed about an hour north of us, well, that's all there was, folks!

so it goes.... thanks for all the input, for all the knowledge and directionals -- we do appreciate it!

now, if you could send a bit more knwoledge this way:

(1) as mentioned, we've been accustomed to towing the FF 139, and before that, an ancient Viking popup -- now we're looking at towing a TT about three times longer than the 139X -- how in the world do you turn a corner with such?? how far do you go past (viewed from inside the TV, of course) the curb on the corner before ya start turning (such that the TT does not knock down the walk-don't-walk sign pole, or maybe even a leaning pedestrian)?

(2) what's the knack required in travelling curvy mountain roads, such as in Colorado? most of my life, have followed the thumb-rule, go in low and come out high -- will this work toting a 30 footer? modification needed in the thinking?

(3) do we really need long extension mirrors on our f150, or will the regular XLT mirrors allow us to see ok to the rear? the FF139, at about 7 feet wide, was good to tow with the stock mirrors -- the 268RLS is probably only about 6 inches wider relative to each side of the truck -- thoughts on this?

any help with these few items from any of you will most certainly go a very long way in getting our thinking oriented -- thanks!

don


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

1. Turning corners--I just drive past the corner and swing wide. Best bet: go to the local Wal-Mart parking lot when it's as empty as its gong to get and practice. Make turns around/past a light tower pole, driving slowly, and you should be able to get a feel for it. Use the rearview mirror to spot the pole base as you drive by, and swing wider, then turn. Hard to describe, but you'll find it easy to do if you practice a few times, going slowly so you don't whack the pole or the pole base. The TT will turn inside the turning radius of the TV, so that's why I allow extra room on the inside of the turn--I may swing 4 or 5 feet farther out than the end of the curb (or the light pole) and then turn.

2. Curvy mountain roads--my experience, limited that it may be, is to stay to the right of the lines (seriously)--don't try to straighten out the corners as we want to do. If you are going too fast, staying to the right of the lines through the curves will be scary. If you're scared, you're going too fast. Yes, modification needed in the thinking. My 268RL follows my TV nicely, and I am often going no more than 30 - 35 around those curves. Faster speeds cause the sweats. If the highway department signs say 35, I try 25 - 30 and if that feels OK, then I might up it to 35. It's better to slow down a bit and be safe.

3. Tow mirrors--I have an '08 Expedition with factory mirrors. I cannot see the sides of the TT, but I've not had a problem doing curves or parking with the factory mirrors. The only disconcerting thing is that the passenger side factory mirror has that curved surface ("Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear"). That means I have to be really thinking clearly when, after passing someone, I drive to get back into the right lane and do it safely.

If the sun angle is right, I sometimes use shadows of the TT to be sure I'm beyond the passed vehicle. But a little practice will tell you if you are comfortable with the reduced visibility of the factory mirrors and a 268RL. If not, mirrors that are extended way out beyond the sides of the TV so you can see down the sides of the TT will be better.

Good luck and good turning!


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## doneldo (Oct 24, 2010)

hautevue said:


> 1. Turning corners--I just drive past the corner and swing wide. Best bet: go to the local Wal-Mart parking lot when it's as empty as its gong to get and practice. Make turns around/past a light tower pole, driving slowly, and you should be able to get a feel for it. Use the rearview mirror to spot the pole base as you drive by, and swing wider, then turn. Hard to describe, but you'll find it easy to do if you practice a few times, going slowly so you don't whack the pole or the pole base. The TT will turn inside the turning radius of the TV, so that's why I allow extra room on the inside of the turn--I may swing 4 or 5 feet farther out than the end of the curb (or the light pole) and then turn.
> 
> 2. Curvy mountain roads--my experience, limited that it may be, is to stay to the right of the lines (seriously)--don't try to straighten out the corners as we want to do. If you are going too fast, staying to the right of the lines through the curves will be scary. If you're scared, you're going too fast. Yes, modification needed in the thinking. My 268RL follows my TV nicely, and I am often going no more than 30 - 35 around those curves. Faster speeds cause the sweats. If the highway department signs say 35, I try 25 - 30 and if that feels OK, then I might up it to 35. It's better to slow down a bit and be safe.
> 
> ...


thanks much for the info, especially about the stock mirrors -- will see (?) how it all goes when we climb up out of Durango and head south come Friday afternoon --


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## twincam (Jan 11, 2010)

Congratulations, what a change to step up, way up from an funfinder!!! Good freind has a shadow cruiser, nice but small. Enjoy!!


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## doneldo (Oct 24, 2010)

twincam said:


> Congratulations, what a change to step up, way up from an funfinder!!! Good freind has a shadow cruiser, nice but small. Enjoy!!


thanks for the congrats, twincam -- perhaps it was just that our FF had been built on a Friday or a Monday "way back" in '06 (sure you know how such goes), for after only three summers in it, not more than 3500 miles, things were just starting to separate, to come apart, like the roof rubber, the inside sink/stove counter from the wall, outer delam in the front, and of course, the graphics, all curling, finally removed the front vinyl, looked better that way -- we're really looking forward to initiating the 268RLS!


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## Stu (Sep 28, 2010)

About a week ago I purchased a 268RL from Lakeshore in Michigan. I also have a 2010 F150 XLT, 5.4. I also was concerned about mirrors. With my regular mirrors, I could see down the side of the trailer, but not far down the road. Lakeshore had some CIPA 11801 (left) & 11802 (right side) that accomodate the turn signals, not sure if yours has the integrated turn signals. These mirrors let me see way behind the trailer and were well worth it. Our trip back was 1150 miles and they stayed secure and never vibrated. Their website is: http://www.cipausa.com/custom-tow.htm. You should be able to find the right pair there. Hope this helps.


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## doneldo (Oct 24, 2010)

how do you like your new 268RL? glad you made the round trip without any big problem -- did the TT track good? as far as we're concerned, the 268RL is one of the best floor plans we've seen, especially when entering the rear door and having such a visual sense of space! thanks for the info on mirrors; your comments about stock mirrors is heartening, since i've given up on trying to find temp mirrors at this time -- seems the '08 mirrors are such that even CIPA does not produce a snap-on or strap-on for them: thin lip at the top of the casing and probably about an inch thick lip at the bottom; about the only thing to do would be to take the dremel to notch the bottom to fit the clips; would rather not do that, especially with winter setting in up here, so will wait till early spring and replace the stock mirrors with extendable kind -- how do you like ford's 6-speed coupled with the 5.4? have been secretly hoping that someone would buy me at least an 09 with the 6-speed by creaming our '08 ;-)


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## Stu (Sep 28, 2010)

Ys, we also really like the 268RL. Lots of space for the two of us (and grand-daughter), and we really enjoy the large real window and swivel chairs which hopefully will eventually be replaced with small recliners. As for the handling, the F150 pulled the TT well. Hardly any sway even when passed by the 18 wheelers. My mileage wasn't very good. Overall was about 10mpg for the trip. However, it was worse when pulling up the hills in Missouri. My normal RPM range was 1900-2100rpm. When going up a long hill, the RPMs would hit around 3000, and if I went to accelerate up the hill (which it did just fine) the rpms would hit about 3900. No issues with temperature as all, all gauges remained constant (with the exception of the gas gauge).

Hope you enjoy your new 268RL as much as I believe we will.

Have fun!


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