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Old 03-02-2008, 06:00 PM   #3
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,088
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Lots of good questions here, Buck. Let me take a stab at some of them - others will chime in, too.

* Roof air provides heat? Only a little bit. It is billed as taking off the chill, but not as a real heater.
* TV antenna. You may have heard that over-the-air-TV will go all-digital very soon, and older TV's don't receive digital. You will still be able to use the roof antenna, but you will need either a digital TV, or a digital converter box (supposed to be very inexpensive). However, this is relevant only to over-the-air broadcasting - if you have a satellite system, you will seldom need OTA TV, so I think the antenna would serve no purpose.
* Hanging cabinets are a pain? Our over-the-sink cabinet has not proven to be so. The trick is to load it/them with only lightweight stuff - paper towels, paper plates, plastic silverware, paper napkins, etc. When done this way, it lifts right up into place with virtually no effort.
* Microwave box. Certainly not necessary. In my mind, its real function is to fill an inconvenient and otherwise hard-to-use gap in the counter, by filling the gap up to the height of the adjoining countertop. We then put our microwave on this spot, leaving the space beside the stove free for cooking chores. The drawer is nice for cooking gadgets that don't fit elsewhere.
* Vinyl floor? Don't know, but I wish we had it.
* Swing hitch. If you don't order one now, it CAN be changed later, but to my knowledge there are only a couple welding shops that have actually done one. I don't know if the factory would do a retrofit. You are looking at some big-ticket options here - why not spring for this one right up front? It will increase the value of the TM at trade-in/up time.
* TV Shelf and 17" TV. It is NOT necessary, but it may be handy. Our members have found a number of ingenious ways to mount a TV, including simply setting it on the kitchen counter. Use the Search tool to find several discussions.
* Using a satellite dish with Direct TV or Dish? Don't know.
* External grill. The fitting is a standard propane quick disconnect, so it can be used with any appliance that has a matching fitting. On the other hand, a recent discussion on this board showed that many members were not enthusiastic about this option either. Use the Search tool to find it.
* Power Lift. Again, member feeling was generally down on this option, due to its high weight and high cost. Unless you are wheelchair bound, there are other options. Again, use the Search tool to find the discussion.
* Is the Anniversary Edition worth it? I think this is a personal decision, since it is largely esthethics. I'm not sure any of our members have reported it on it yet.
* Boondocking. I don't think there is anything to be aware of except that a longer trailer doesn't work as well on rough roads. It will tend to drag more easily, and won't turn as tightly. To my knowledge, none of the appliances/features are particularly sensitive to harsh ride.
* Adding a cat door. I'm sure it is easy to do, and any competent RV shop could do it for you. Personally, I would never put an animal in a closed TM. Besides the claustrophobe factor - there is very little space, and the space is irregularly-shaped and full of scary objects - you have no idea how hot it will get in there, and how quickly, from sun loading.

Bill
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