# Some Things To Change In 2013 298Re



## TomJ (Apr 2, 2012)

I just received my new 2012 Outback 298RE. We love it. But here are some things I would change in next year's model.

Move the knob to open the window over the sink to the other side - This is *CRITICAL*. No one should not have to reach over the flame on the stove to open the window. This is going to lead to a bad accident!

There needs to be a light switch in the bedroom. You have to reach for the ceiling lights to turn them on.

The range hood should be vented outside. Why have a fan that is just going to blow the smoke, steam, grease right at the wall?

The satellite TV input should be available in the bedroom too. Only cable and antenna are in the bedroom and satellite is only in the main room.

The fan on the inverter is LOUD. The more lights we turn on, the louder it gets. My old travel trailer made no sound no matter what we did.

The lighted water heater switch are very bright and it is right out side the bedroom door.

Finally a very minor thing that I don't know why all RV manufacturers don't do this. Use gray plastic on the dump levers for the gray tanks. What are they all black? There should be no cost differnce but that little visual clue is nice, especially for newbies.


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## iflawdya (Apr 11, 2012)

TomJ said:


> I just received my new 2012 Outback 298RE. We love it. But here are some things I would change in next year's model.
> 
> Move the knob to open the window over the sink to the other side - This is *CRITICAL*. No one should not have to reach over the flame on the stove to open the window. This is going to lead to a bad accident!
> 
> ...


It would be nice if they did that stuff on the 312bh as well. The fan is loud and you would think that light switches in bedrooms would be a no brainer.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

TomJ said:


> The lighted water heater switch are very bright and it is right out side the bedroom door.


Wonder if this on purpose. Why leave the water heater on overnight? Only takes about 10 mins to heat the entire tank (on propane) so we leave ours off unless we know we are going to take showers. The water stays warm enough to wash hands with from the last cycle.


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

Oregon_Camper said:


> The lighted water heater switch are very bright and it is right out side the bedroom door.


Wonder if this on purpose. Why leave the water heater on overnight? Only takes about 10 mins to heat the entire tank (on propane) so we leave ours off unless we know we are going to take showers. The water stays warm enough to wash hands with from the last cycle.
[/quote]

Maybe I'm just a little anal about safety, but we turn also off the WH at night or if we are gone for long during the day. No reason to have propane going at night, and even if the temps drop into the teens, the WH will keep the water warm overnight and in 15 minutes or so it's hot enough for a shower. Takes me longer than that to have my morning coffee.

But I do agree, a light switch for the BR would be nice.

I looked at adding an outside vent for the stove fan, but the window/microwave is in the way. Instead I dropped in a fantastic 3 speed fan to replace the existing ceiling vent. Does double duty and does work well, sucks way more air than stove fan would.

If you think the WFCO fan is loud, drop in a PD converter. We NEED the PD since the WFCO won't go into boost mode and we boondock lots, but the PD fan is louder.

We seldom watch TV and don't have one in the BR, but for those who do, yes, the sat in to the BR would be nice, but my 295RE didn't even come with a sat in.

On my list, I'd put changing all the lights to LED at the very very very top of the list of changes I'd like to see. With LED lights, we can turn on all we want, which includes a few additional lights, and draw less than 2A instead of 20+A for regular incandescents.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

KTMRacer said:


> The lighted water heater switch are very bright and it is right out side the bedroom door.


Wonder if this on purpose. Why leave the water heater on overnight? Only takes about 10 mins to heat the entire tank (on propane) so we leave ours off unless we know we are going to take showers. The water stays warm enough to wash hands with from the last cycle.
[/quote]
If you think the WFCO fan is loud, drop in a PD converter. We NEED the PD since the WFCO won't go into boost mode and we boondock lots, but the PD fan is louder.
[/quote]
Are you kidding? I'm on my 3rd PD converter in 4 different trailers and I've never heard the fan - ever! Maybe you got a clunker. The fan on the WFCO is like a garbage truck at a landfill while the PD fan is more like a sleeping baby!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Insomniak said:


> Are you kidding? I'm on my 3rd PD converter in 4 different trailers and I've never heard the fan - ever! Maybe you got a clunker. The fan on the WFCO is like a garbage truck at a landfill while the PD fan is more like a sleeping baby!


Say it ain't so. PD can make a clunker???

Just kidding. I have never been bothered by the WFCO in my two trailers and they have worked plenty well enough. The fan is smooth and it can get loud but since I dry camp 95% of the time I hear nothing unless I turn on the generator and then it really does not matter as much. The WFCO fan is no louder then a high watt power supply fan in a computer.


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## TomJ (Apr 2, 2012)

Oregon_Camper said:


> The lighted water heater switch are very bright and it is right out side the bedroom door.


Wonder if this on purpose. Why leave the water heater on overnight? Only takes about 10 mins to heat the entire tank (on propane) so we leave ours off unless we know we are going to take showers. The water stays warm enough to wash hands with from the last cycle.
[/quote]

I had to be on purpose. So you don't forget to turn off the water heater when in propane mode. but we always use water heater in electric mode. Both switches, electric and propane, are lighted and bright. its just one of the small annoyances in an otherwise awesome camper.


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