# Our New Outback 28RS-S



## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Hi All,

We are scheduled to pick up our brand new 28RS-S on Friday. The family can't wait, and it should prove to be an exciting and interesting event. We got a good deal from Mike Thompson in Sante Fe Springs, we're just hoping the experience is good when we pick it up.

This is our first RV of any type. We're excited, anxious and a little nervous. Hope all goes well.

We have found this site to be of tremendous value. It's great to see so many people passionate about their TT. The information is priceless. We have a lot to learn and we'll be on the site extensively.

We hope to have pictures and comments up soon letting you know how it went!


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Congrats!!!







sunny action and Welcome to the family....

Take your time and ask questions, try not to be nervous, just be patient and it all will work out. When towing, just slow down until you are comfortable and have your hitch all set-up properly.Dual-Cam hitch tips for set-up

Check this out...

Another Californian, the numbers are building out there.

Good luck!!!

Kevin


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Haleraiser,
Welcome and congrats!

Does yours have an oven? If not, ask for a copy of the invoice, which has a list of equipment that your trailer *should* have. If an oven is on the invoice, and you make a little fuss, MT will give you a credit towards an oven to be installed later.

Have fun! We're from Fountain Valley and there's a bunch of other members in Southern Cal, so we'll probably share notes about campgrounds. In fact, we'll be heading up to Big Bear Lake with ours about the same time tomorrow that you're picking up yours.

Kevin P.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Congrats, Welcome, and Thanks!


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## luv2rv (Jun 21, 2004)

Congratulations and enjoy.

Picked up our 28BH-S last Friday and will be heading out tomorrow for a long weekend shakedown cruise.

FYI, our 2005 did come with an Oven. It came off line around the first week of July so it appears the shortage is over.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Welcome to another California Outbacker sunny I like the whole "Hale" raiser angle, especially with 4 boys!







LOL

We got our Outback at Mike Thompson's in SFS, and it's our very first camper too. We are in Cerritos. Happy Trails!


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## campingtom170 (Apr 26, 2004)

Welcome and congrats on the new trailer.

Happy camping from another So Cal camping family.

Tom sunny


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Jim--

You're right. The 4 boys makes "haleraiser" pretty applicable. It really is for my wife, she's a stay at home mom, "raising 4 hales". It started as her original email address, then I got it on a personal license plate for her car. (The Excursion) I decided to use the nickname here since the site is for both of us, and it still applies.

Also, I grew up in Norwalk, and even went to school at Cerritos High my senior year. I know the area a little.

Tom--

Thanks, nice to know there are several So. Cal. Outbackers!

Well, tomorrow morning is the big event! We take delivery of the 28RSS. Everyone's excited. It should be a good time. I'm planning on taking pics, so I'll try and post a synopsis of the moment with a few pics to go along with it. Thanks again to everyone, the hospitality has been unbelievable!


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## CamperDC (Oct 30, 2003)

Welcome aboard Lorenzo and Kerry,

Boy the west coast numbers are growing. Glad to have you on Outbackers and I know you will enjoy that 28RSS. I know we love ours.

Good luck and Happy Camping


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Hi

Congrats on the new TT.







We have had our 28RSS since April and just love it. Looking forward for input, comments and stories. Have fun









Thor


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Sorry for the delay in reporting our purchase experience, I'm still writing it. Please stay tuned...


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## Twins Make 4 (Apr 25, 2004)

Welcome and way to go on your choice of units. Just like you our 28 rss is our 1st rv. We've had it since mid May, been out 4 times including just returning from our 1st full week spent in the Redwoods above Santa Cruz. We absolutely love it. It's really been a great thing for our family. One major difference between you & us however, we have 4 girls.

Once again congratulations & have fun.

TM4


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Well, here it is in all it's glory...our story!









*The Morning:*









Well, the day started out early as we took our Excursion into Mike Thompson's so they could install the brake controller. We arrived about 8:30. Actually, it was probably more like 8:35 or so. As you will see, the timeline doesn't receive very much respect as the day rolls on.

After we dropped off our truck, I asked if the family could see the trailer. The boys hadn't seen it yet, as it happened when we saw the Outback the first time, they had to stay in the car. So, I thought I would let them see it now that we were there.

The first response from MT's was no. They said it was going through the pre-delivery inspection and they would prefer we didn't. I told them the family hadn't seen the TT and would really get a kick out of seeing it. They agreed without too much fuss, but then admitted they had found a leak in the fresh water tank. The "technician" speculated it was a loose fitting he'd found and was attempting to confirm it.

Of course this leads me to the obvious question, is this to be expected? Should I be concerned about picking up a new TT and having them find small problems? Or is this really small on the scale?

Anyway, we went to see it, the family checked it out thoroughly and were very pleased. We soon left to have breakfast with my mom, after confirming we were to return at 11:00 for orientation and delivery.

As we made our way through some Belgian waffles, I received a phone call from MT. They wanted to know if they could push my delivery time back to 1:00. I asked what the problem was, they said they were running behind. The technician was going to need more time to finish the pre-delivery inspection, and the detail people would also need more time to finish.

After he explained, he asked if it would create a problem with our schedule. I explained it would actually create a scheduling problem as we had arrangements to leave for an already scheduled Palm Springs trip with some friends that afternoon.

They offered to adhere to the 11:00 time, after which I suggested we could return at 11:30 or so, but I was hoping to avoid the 1:00 hour since it would be a 2 hour delay. There's that timeline thing I was talking about.

They agreed. I hung up. My wife ("Princess" is actually the official title, and of course deservedly so, since this angelic creature of renowned beauty is truly here to be pampered and spoiled!) suggested we go with the 1:00 time slot and not rush the technician. Kudos I thought, and called MT back and said we'd come back in at 1:00.

*The Afternoon:*









We arrived just after one, and surprisingly, the trailer was not ready. At least this time the only delay was they wanted to wash the exterior because they don't like to deliver an RV dirty. Very kind of them. They told us the inside had been detailed. The inspection was finished and the repairs were completed. All added items had been installed, we were just waiting for it to be washed. Another 15 minutes we were told.

An hour later, they were still waiting for the rig to get washed. What happened to the 15 minutes? A half hour later, they brought it around and said we could start the orientation. The orientation was painless. Went well. They had a knowledgeable guy conducting the orientation.

Then it was off to finance. Of course I suspect it was expecting too much to have the paperwork already prepared, or even possibly completed. I could have been signing during the few minutes I had waiting for the rig. After signing the paperwork it was off to pull it home.

*The Epilog:*









I did take it home, and it seemed to pull ok, but I had to take it slow over the hills. It is definitely going to be an issue, and will warrant a new tow vehicle eventually. Soon after we arrived home, we were off on a pre-planned weekend trip to Palm Springs. (No trailer) We had a great time, but it delayed my posting for a couple of days.

Anyway, we've been checking it over since we got it home, and everyone is in love with it. Our first trip is in the third week in Aug. We are going to Twin Lakes. It's in the high sierras just outside of Bridgeport. Should be a good first run.

Hope to have more stories for all as time goes on. Pictures soon to follow.









renz


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Congrats Renz:

And glad that things went reasonably well with your delivery at MT. I have heard much worse there.

Be sure to get out there and adjust your dual cam system before your camping trip. MT usually does a basic installation and doesn't get the system working to it's fullest, or in my case, not at all


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Say Everyone,

We're about to embark on our maiden voyage and I've discovered what appears to be a small problem. I think they got the labels reversed on my Grey and Black tanks. When I run water in the sink of the kitchen, I go to empty the tank, when I pull the valve for the Grey tank nothing comes out. If I pull the Black tank valve, water drains in the amount I ran through the sink.

If I run some water in the toilet, and I pull the Black tank valve, I get nothing again. Yet, when I pull the Grey tank valve, I get the appropriate amount of water to drain.

They have labeled the valve stalk nearest the front of the rig as "Grey" and the one closest to the sewer drain pipe as "Black". Does this sound correct? Could this be a plumbing problem? Should I be worried? Or should I just fix the labeling?

renz


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

The common "Label Reverser" has struck again.

I would just double check, dump a few gallons down the toilet and label the correct valve where it comes out. Sounds like you are on the right track.

Good Luck.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

hurricaneplumber said:


> The common "Label Reverser" has struck again.


Oh no he's back!!! And here we thought he's been replaced.

haleraiser, on my 28RSS the front handle is the Black tank and the back one the Grey tank.


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

Got me there. Call MT's and ask for the tech rep that serviced your veh.. He may still remember your rig.

Btw, I wasn't at all impressed with the MT's service dept in Fountain Valley when I took delivery of my '05 21RS this past Sunday (8/8/04). I'm headed down to San Diego for our maiden voyage this weekend and the more I think about it, I'm not even sure they filled my propane tanks as they proposed (and charged me for in their "DSS pack") because I never confirmed it with anyone nor was I advised that it was done. They didn't have my dual batteries installed when I got there for delivery and were pretty much running around like chickens with their heads cut off on a Sunday because there were no "real" mechanics around.

Sheesh they bug me just thinking about it.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

It is my belief that the labels are put on at the dealership, as while doing the PDI on my 26RS, the tech doing the demo labeled the tanks, after draining the antifreeze from one, then checking see which tank gauge showed empty.

The other way to confirm, is to see which valve is closer to the toliet. On my 26RS, the black tank valve is almost directly under the toliet, and the grey is under the tub.

Good luck.

Tim


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

Greetings Everyone,

Well, we finally took our 28RSS out on it's maiden voyage. It was an interesting trip to say the least. We went to Twin Lakes. It's in the Eastern High Sierras of California near the backside of Yosemite National Park.

There are a pair of lakes that are shaped simailarly tucked back into a valley amongst the east side of a range of mountains near Yosemite. With a nicely maintained campground area at the west side of one lake, it's a terrific place for setting up camp for a vacation. In fact many people setup for the entire Summer there each year!

Unfortunately, our first day out we discovered the refer didn't work. My wife turned it on the night before so it could get cold, and the next morning as we prepared to leave, it still wasn't cold. The rig was plugged in to the electrical outlet the whole time.

We called Mike Thompson's in Sante Fe Springs, and while they attempted to help over the phone they told me they couldn't take a service walk in for two weeks because they were booked solid. I explained we were leaving that day for a week long trip, but it didn't make a dent.









I then called Mike Thompson's in Colton, and the service writer there said to bring it in, and they would try and get us taken care of as soon as they could so we could be on our way.

When we got the MT in Colton, the refer was cold. As it turns out, it would work on LP gas, but not on electric. They checked it out and found it had a bad electrical heating element. They replaced it after running to the wherehouse to pick up the part. We were there for four hours, but they took care of everything and had a great attitude the whole time. Very helpful indeed. While I wasn't pleased with the late start for the day, I was pleased with their service.

On to the trip. Once underway, I noticed the rig pulled nicely. Not at all as bad as I had anticipated it could be. The Excursion seemed to hum along just fine and I averaged about 60MPH most of the way, at around 2500-2700RPM. On the hills I'd run 3200-3500RPM and averaged about 40-45MPH. The worst grade I had to take put me at 30-35MPH at around 3200RPM. Short hill, not too bad.

The Reese Dual Cam anti-sway worked great. No sway at all, even when passing big rigs doing 70+ MPH. Very nice.

The vacation was a success. The trailer worked great! Every aspect was nearly perfect. The fridge ran great all week. The A/C worked very well. Everything was terrific. The only item I see to be an issue is the size of the bathroom. It's a little small. It's cramped when you're trying to conduct most activities in there. Other than that, we were very pleased with it. It was very comfortable. Like being in a hotel almost. The next time we shop for an RV, we'll probably put a little more emphasis on the bathroom.

We will continue to post our trips and experiences.

To check out pics of our trailer, click below.

Our Outback Trailer

For pics of our trip, click this link.

Our Vacation with Our Trailer

Enjoy!


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## OPKSclan (Jun 22, 2004)

Haleraiser,

Great pictures!!! I had a smile on my face the whole time I paged through them.







You have a great looking family. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your Outback as my family has.

Dan


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## haleraiser (Jul 28, 2004)

OPK --

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to know you enjoyed them. We certainly enjoy the rig so far, I think we will only enjoy more as we use it more. Looking forward to the next time already.

renz


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## rennerbee (Jul 25, 2004)

Looks like everyone had a great time! Congratulations on your new 'rig!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Great Pics!!!

I am glad you are enjoying the TT. I have kept a list of items that needed repairing. Mostly minor issues but after paying $$ I want everything just so.

I suggest you try everything out. I learned during our dry camping that the water heater in LP mode would not light. Took several tries and then it would go. Spoke to the dealer and discovered that a too long of screw was used and was grounding out the spark. After several tries there was enough propane to fire it up.

After that we double checked everything on electric, LP and battery mode.

Checked all seals with a garden hose to ensure no leaks as well.

Checked all valves and fittings to ensure they were all thight. Found a few that were loose.

Enjoy the TT --- Our 1st season is almost over







but with central heating were are planning to camping until late Oct.

Thor


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