# New 301Bq



## NDJR (Aug 3, 2012)

We just got our new 301BQ 10th anniversary edition and are excited to try it out next weekend. We had a Cougar 29BHS before the 301BQ and the 28RSDS before the Cougar.

I noticed that there are two gray tanks on the 301BQ. Are they connected together? Any other tips that we should know about with this camper?


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

NDJR said:


> We just got our new 301BQ 10th anniversary edition and are excited to try it out next weekend. We had a Cougar 29BHS before the 301BQ and the 28RSDS before the Cougar.
> 
> I noticed that there are two gray tanks on the 301BQ. Are they connected together? Any other tips that we should know about with this camper?


The tanks are not connected. The front tank (gray #2) is for the kitchen sink, and the other tank (#1) is for the bathroom sink and shower. There are separate pull levers and sewer outlets for each. The rear outlet also shares the black tank, so make sure you know which handle empties which tank (and that they're labeled correctly).


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## ORvagabond (Apr 17, 2009)

Congratulations and Welcome to Outbackers!!


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## kobuyashi (Sep 30, 2009)

Insomniak said:


> We just got our new 301BQ 10th anniversary edition and are excited to try it out next weekend. We had a Cougar 29BHS before the 301BQ and the 28RSDS before the Cougar.
> 
> I noticed that there are two gray tanks on the 301BQ. Are they connected together? Any other tips that we should know about with this camper?


The tanks are not connected. The front tank (gray #2) is for the kitchen sink, and the other tank (#1) is for the bathroom sink and shower. There are separate pull levers and sewer outlets for each. The rear outlet also shares the black tank, so make sure you know which handle empties which tank (and that they're labeled correctly).
[/quote]
Also note the gray handle on the rear tank is hard to see. It is right up against the bottom liner. They missed dumping mine the first weekend I left it at the campground.
We have had ours for about 6 weeks now and love it. I'll be heading up tomorrow and installing the new 32" Samsung tv in the living room area. Moving the 24" to the bedroom. It's like a second home. in fact, I get nothing done here now.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as we do.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Congratulations on the new BQ!!

I would upgrade the leaf springs to a five spring setup whenever you get a chance. The ones on the trailer are marginal at best. I had one break on my new trailer when I was on vacation this year, a real pain in the rear when you are far from home.

Others things I have done include:

- Replaced the vent fan with a Fantastik vent fan.
- Added electrical outlets under the dining table (there are not enough outlets in this trailer).
- Put slide drawers in the pantry to make it more useful.
- Replaced the TV, the one that comes with the trailer is a piece of junk.
- Added an inverter in the basement (useful if you plan on dry camping a lot).
- Added heat vent in the bathroom. Easy to do once you get the parts and nice to have on those cold mornings.
- Replaced the shower curtain. The one that comes with the trailer is way too small. Others have installed shower doors.
- Installed a diaphragm tank in the water system. Makes flow much more consistent and prevents the pump from running every time you turn on the water. Especially useful when somebody flushes the toilet late at night.
- Added a ladder to the back of the trailer. Very nice to be able to easily get on the roof of the trailer. I have the Keystone part number for this if you are interested.

I have also done a bunch of little things like adding shelves, racks, 12 Volt sockets, etc. to meet or individual needs. I am sure you will have a bunch of changes once you start using the trailer.

Congratulations again!

DAN


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## NDJR (Aug 3, 2012)

Thanks for the tips and the welcome. I'm looking forward to the first trip this weekend!

Is there published specs for the receiver on the back of the camper? My manuals seem to consist of a generic Keystone manual and numerous manuals for every installed piece of equipment. Am I missing something?


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

NDJR said:


> Thanks for the tips and the welcome. I'm looking forward to the first trip this weekend!
> 
> Is there published specs for the receiver on the back of the camper? My manuals seem to consist of a generic Keystone manual and numerous manuals for every installed piece of equipment. Am I missing something?


I do not believe there are any published specs. Some people have called Keystone about the receiver and the number they have been told is 150lbs. If you plan to haul bikes, be very careful on the kind of rack you get. Things get pretty beaten up back there. You want a rack that holds the bikes firmly, do not get a rack that allows the bikes to hang or swing.

DAN


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

When I talked to Tim Domiano (Keystone Product Manager) he told me the new rack was rated at 250lbs and is intended for bikes only.


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## Pier Pressure (Jul 10, 2012)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Congratulations on the new BQ!!
> 
> I would upgrade the leaf springs to a five spring setup whenever you get a chance. The ones on the trailer are marginal at best. I had one break on my new trailer when I was on vacation this year, a real pain in the rear when you are far from home.
> 
> ...


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## NDJR (Aug 3, 2012)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Congratulations on the new BQ!!
> 
> I would upgrade the leaf springs to a five spring setup whenever you get a chance. The ones on the trailer are marginal at best. I had one break on my new trailer when I was on vacation this year, a real pain in the rear when you are far from home.
> 
> ...


Dan,
I noticed the absence of outlets also! How did you run power to the area under the table?

I'm also curious if anyone has made a mod to get shower water up to the galley tank? I tend to fill the bathroom gray water tank much quicker.

Jim


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I added two outlets to our 301BQ - one on the short wall next to the fridge, and the other on the side of the pantry facing the living area. Very easy mod if you have the correct outlets and 12 gauge Romex. I created a new circuit at the electrical panel and drilled a couple of holes in the walls between the panel and furnace, and the furnace/bathroom wall. Daisy-chained from that outlet, through the floor into the underbelly and over to the space under the pantry. Only took about an hour, but make sure you secure the Romex with zip-ties and cable hold-downs. If you don't have breaker space in the electrical panel, just get a double 20-20 breaker and you'll be good to go.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

NDJR said:


> Dan,
> I noticed the absence of outlets also! How did you run power to the area under the table?
> 
> I'm also curious if anyone has made a mod to get shower water up to the galley tank? I tend to fill the bathroom gray water tank much quicker.
> ...


Well, it was not real difficult, but it was not real easy, if that makes any sense. I wanted to have outlets under the dining room table so I did not have to run power cords across the floor of the trailer. I normally have my work computer on the table, and one of the kids will have their computer set up. Add in a I Pad or two, and the need for outlets under the table is real.

I went out and took a few pictures in the dark, so they are not the greatest but should help you understand what I did. Trailer is really dirty since we just returned from a long trip, so forgive the mess!!!

First, I scabbed off of the master bedroom outlet near the pantry. I extended this circuit and installed an outlet on the opposite side of the pantry as shown in the picture below. This outlet is extremely handy, we use it all the time. If you look real close, you can see "TwoElkhounds"!!!


















You can gain access to this area by removing the cover on the bottom front of the cabinet. This is where your power cord goes, so be careful when you run the wires and ensure it is secured so as not to become tangled with the power cord.

I then continued this circuit on to the outlets under the dining room table, but getting there is not easy. You need to go outside the trailer and route the wires to the front of the slide. I first went out the floor of the power cord compartment and ran conduit along the frame to the front of the slide as shown below:



















I then routed the wires on the slide's existing plastic accordion thingy used for the 12V wires to edge of the slide. The angle iron on the front of the slide provides an ideal route back to the area under the dinette seats. It has no obstructions and you can find a location to route the wires into the area under the dinette seat area. A couple pictures.










I came up behind the front drawer of the dinette using an existing hole I drilled through from under the slide.










From here it is just a matter of running the wires to the outlets. Some pictures of my final install.



















A couple notes. For all the routing outside the trailer, I used exterior rated wire as it is likely the wire will get wet. You will need 50 feet, as the routing is pretty long. I also made a point to use a plastic jacket on the wire to protect it whenever it was not in conduit when routed outside the trailer. As you may already have figured out, fishing the wire in the angle iron is the most difficult part of this mod. You will need some patience when doing this.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Oops, I meant to say you can gain space in your breaker panel by using a double 15-15 amp breaker, not 20-20 amps, my bad. The only devices in the Outback that use a 20 amp circuit are the microwave and air-conditioner.

Hey Dan, did you use solid wire Romex or stranded wire for your dinette outlet extensions? Any concerns about flexing and breakage if you used the solid stuff? I wanted to do the same as you, but held off because I thought using outdoor extension cord wire for my run would just be too cheesy.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> Hey Dan, did you use solid wire Romex or stranded wire for your dinette outlet extensions? Any concerns about flexing and breakage if you used the solid stuff? I wanted to do the same as you, but held off because I thought using outdoor extension cord wire for my run would just be too cheesy.


I used solid Romex for exterior applications. I am not too worried about the bending. The radius of the bend is quite large and you will not exceed the yield point when the wire is flexed. I guess there may be any issue at some point, but it will be after many years of use.

DAN


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## NDJR (Aug 3, 2012)

Thanks for all of the info! It will definitely make it go a lot quicker.
Jim


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## villui (Jun 6, 2012)

How are you hanging the Samsung? Would you please take pics and explain if you don't mind. Would like to upsize the TV also but are newbies and don't want to ruin anyhing. thanks. (301bq)



kobuyashi said:


> We just got our new 301BQ 10th anniversary edition and are excited to try it out next weekend. We had a Cougar 29BHS before the 301BQ and the 28RSDS before the Cougar.
> 
> I noticed that there are two gray tanks on the 301BQ. Are they connected together? Any other tips that we should know about with this camper?


The tanks are not connected. The front tank (gray #2) is for the kitchen sink, and the other tank (#1) is for the bathroom sink and shower. There are separate pull levers and sewer outlets for each. The rear outlet also shares the black tank, so make sure you know which handle empties which tank (and that they're labeled correctly).
[/quote]
Also note the gray handle on the rear tank is hard to see. It is right up against the bottom liner. They missed dumping mine the first weekend I left it at the campground.
We have had ours for about 6 weeks now and love it. I'll be heading up tomorrow and installing the new 32" Samsung tv in the living room area. Moving the 24" to the bedroom. It's like a second home. in fact, I get nothing done here now.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as we do.
[/quote]


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## villui (Jun 6, 2012)

Could you explain how/where you ran the wire to add the outlets under the dining room table? 
thanks!



Pier Pressure said:


> Congratulations on the new BQ!!
> 
> I would upgrade the leaf springs to a five spring setup whenever you get a chance. The ones on the trailer are marginal at best. I had one break on my new trailer when I was on vacation this year, a real pain in the rear when you are far from home.
> 
> ...


[/quote]


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

villui said:


> How are you hanging the Samsung? Would you please take pics and explain if you don't mind. Would like to upsize the TV also but are newbies and don't want to ruin anyhing. thanks. (301bq)


We used a 32 inch Vizio flat panel TV. Not sure of the model (I can go look if you are interested) but it was the thinnest flat panel we could find. It was also a direct replacement for the existing TV, I did not have to move the mount or change anything. All I had to do is remove the arm off of the junk TV that came with the trailer and install it on the new Vizio.

DAN


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

villui said:


> Could you explain how/where you ran the wire to add the outlets under the dining room table?
> thanks!


Scroll down on page one of this thread and you will see a description of what I did. If you need further information, don't be afraid to ask!

DAN


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