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Hey everybody, Kory and Denise here with Does Size Matter, we've got another RV Review for you today
We are going to do the Grand Design Imagine
Just "imagine" how great this would be for your family!
So I just want to remind you all, that we do a ton of research on all of this stuff,
and then we come out and look at the product ourself,
But everything that we're telling you really is our opinion, based on the way we use an RV - our needs and our priorities, and those are very well different than yours
So we just want you to take this information and apply it to what your needs and priorities are, and help you find the best RV for you
Starting with the Roof on the Imagine
This is a Wood Truss curved Roof, and it's got a Fiberglass Insulation as well as a layer of Reflective Foil in it as well
And then on top of that there's Marine Grade OSB that is sealed, and then a one-piece TPO Roofing Material is put over top
We've said before TPO is not our favorite, but it's very reputable and it's being used a lot
No matter what Roof you've got, you need to be doing the maintenance on it.
You need to be up there inspecting it, you need to be careful when you're parking, and you need to be careful with the weather exposure, and Sun...that kind of thing
So it's also a Vented Attic up there, lets the air flow through
What else? Because it's a curved roof, the water can shed. The water sheds down into these tiny little...almost eavestroughs, and out the spouts at the end
So that's that helps to keep the water away from your Rig as well
I did want to mentionthat the roof also has an R-40 Insulation rating
Then, let's move on to the Wall Construction
On all of the Grand Designs, you get an Aluminum Framed Wall with 16 inch centers
Doors and Windows are all framed out as well
The Imagine has one and a half inch Foam Insulation in it, and with the Luan and then that is put through a Laminating system which is pinched rolled
I think they could have went a little better and done the Vacuum Laminating, but this is what they're using
And in all of my forums and things that I look on to see if people have complaints or concerns, I didn't hear any problems with the Lamination
So I don't think you need to worry about that on here
So the Walls have an insulation rating of R-7
They are a thinner Wall, the materials...there's lesser used, lesser in the walls in general
This is what helps to bring weight down, and allows the Imagine Trailer to be a medium-duty truck Trailer, you can pull it with a smaller truck
So, whenever you want to do that you need to find a way to reduce weight. So the Grand Design's done that in a few different areas, the walls being one of them
So next we'll move on to the Flooring in the Imagine. Now I will talk about the Chassis, but first let's just discuss the Flooring
It is an Aluminum Framed Floor on the 16 inch centers
But it's Insulation is a little different, in that it does have the Reflective Foil, but then it goes with the Foam Insulation, then the OSB...Marine Grade OSB Plywood, and then the Flooring
Also, because there's different materials in it, it's a Laminated Floor...which is a little different than the Solitude and the Reflection
So yeah, you've got your Flooring System and then whatever lino, or carpet, or whatever is used is just put on top of that
And the Flooring in the Imagine does have an R-Rating of 30, so that's that's pretty good. I think that's actually equal to the Reflection
The Chassis on the Imagine is a Lippert-built Chassis,
and they tell me that it too has the Drop-Frame, which allows for all of this Basement Storage
I mean this is nice, flow-through Storage. I like it!
So, moving down on this Chassis
I don't know if you can see underneath or not, it's tight
But it has a fully-enclosed Underbelly, and the Underbelly has a metal sort of seal that goes around the whole perimeter
And as I've said in other instances, it's a good system: it's fully-enclosed, it keeps the dirt, the grime, the water, that stuff out of there
But it also makes me concerned about if you ever need to get in there and do maintenance, like, do you cut it? Do you take that perimeter off? Like, how do you get in there?
I've just seen some different systems on other Trailers that would be better for that kind of thing
We do have a Four-Point Jack system, and it's a Manual system
Most people have some sort of "trick of the trade", you know, with a drill or something that helps them move that up
Let's move on over here to the Stairs
So these are an Aluminum Stair so you know they're not going to rust and become a problem for you
And then they would just fold, up I'm not going to do the whole thing, but it would just fold up and tuck into this space here for transit
The rest of the Chassis: the Suspension, the Axles, the Brakes, that's all Lippert as well
And hopefully you can see that down here
I just want to talk about Forums and things like that, because when I do my research I look all over for Pros and Cons about Manufacturers and Trailers
And I always worry that someone will read, or hear, a negative comment that they found on a Forum and think "oh, that's all Trailers"
And that's not true, and it's not every Trailer that a Manufacturer makes that has that particular problem
Nothing's perfect!
When you hear something on a Forum, just take that and put it in the back of your mind as something to be watchful of, but don't just assume that every Trailer would have that
And pay attention. You can take your Trailer home, you can use it, try it out for a while
And then take it in and get it inspected, make sure that it's towing well, and that you're happy with it
And if it needs a change or a modification you can do that
But don't run out and load your Trailer up with everything that every person on a Forum told you you should have
Because anything can be upgraded, the question is "do YOU need that?"
And I want you to just be thoughtful. Use your Trailer for a while, feel it out, and then make your decisions of whether you think you need an upgrade or not
Around back here on the Imagine you do have a Ladder which means that you have a fully walkable Roof
Also you've got your Spare Tire back here so that's easy to access
And I see also that this Trailer's got a 50 Amp Electric
So you can plug in here, and then to the post
On this side of the Trailer, in this storage Bay you've also got your Utility Console
So you know, you've got your Plug here, you've got plug-ins for TV or Cable
and then you've got a Battery Disconnect
These tell you which way you're filling your Tank, or you're hooked up to City Water, here's your Fresh Water, Outside Shower
And you can put that all through here, so when you shut the door it's all nicely put away and hidden
And then it this all flows through, and we'll take you down and show you where the Valves are to pull the Tanks
Come this way
So over here, this is where you hook up your sewer hose and then it goes out to wherever you're dumping
Underneath here you've got these valves, that's the Gray
and the Black is over here
What's important to note, is that the Valve itself that releases the tank is inside where it's heated, not circulated, but it's heated in there
And it keeps the grime, and dirt, and all that kind of stuff out of there. So that's that's a good system
So on these Slides it's important to understand how they work
They have some Seals that slide in and out, and and keep the water and debris out
They also have a rubber piece there. So that when THIS gets pulled in, it meets up against that, and it's a good seal there
So when you're driving down the road, it's good
Underneath, let's take a look at the system
This is a Rack and Pinion Slide System and that moves into the frame of the Trailer
And it's an Electric one, and so basically you just a push button and it comes out, and back and forth
So it's a good system for a Slide this size, because Slides are heavy, right? And so that's a good one
What I am noticing on this particular Trailer is that there is no Slide Topper, these are things you can add if you choose
What it is, is a small Awning piece that attaches to the Trailer and comes out to the edge of the Slide every time the slide moves out
And that protects the top of the Slide from debris, and water, and things like that coming back in. So it is kind of a good investment to make
On the smaller Slides on the Imagine Trailers there's a different kind of Slide mechanism
and this is called a Schwintek Slide Mechanism, and it's a gear that goes back and forth
Still electric, you still just push a button and they come in and out, but it slides through this system
Schwin has had problems in the past, if they've been used on too heavy of a Slide, so it is better on smaller Slides and works just fine
But I also know that in newer construction, Schwin has upgraded to a Triple Rail system
So that probably helps with a little heavier Slides
But you do research, they seem to be fine. I'm not hearing any complaints on Forums about the slides in the Grand Design
Let's talk about the front of the Imagine. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not
But the the whole Insulation System from the Roof does come through and come right down to the bottom of the Front Cap
You've got a Fiberglass Cap on here
It's got some lighting on it which is nice and helpful when you're pulling in at night
It does have a Rock Guard on it (knocks) I've seen better, that's all I can say. But you know anything is better than nothing, because I've also seen nothing!
It's helpful when you're pulling a Trailer, to protect it
In your Frame here, at the back, you can see this is where you would set your Batteries, so they'd all hook up there
Here's your Propane System. I'm just trying to figure out...I'm not sure how big those are
Kory: (off camera) They look like 20's
D: I think they're 20s too, so I'm going to say you have two 20 pound Propane Tanks up here
And you have this handy-dandy Electric Jack system
So this is really a huge upgrade compared to the days when you had to crank and crank
Now you just push a button...Jack comes down!
So that wraps up the Construction Video on the Grand Design Imagine
If any of you have any additional information, or questions, just leave me a Comment
Otherwise hit the "Like" and the "Subscribe" and join me for more!
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