What I’ve learned about my Nitro XLR 405 (You probably already know this, but…)
- There are variations in systems even in the same model from the same year.
- My 405 has two black tanks (front and rear) If you don’t use the rear bathroom much, the main fills quicker than you think. The dealer specified capacity is for the combination of both tanks. There are separate handles. There is no grey tank for the rear bath, so you want to drain the rear tank first, and run lots of rinse water, before draining the front tanks.
- It has two grey tanks. One fills, then overflows to the other. You’ve got to pull both grey tank handles to empty both.
- It had a WFCO 9875 converter/charger. That’s a 75 amp box. It has a 20 amp input plug, but it is on a 15 amp breaker. The converter is behind the rearmost wall of the rearmost under-belly storage area. That puts it just below the hot air vent that is right in front of the fireplace. The converter charger plugs directly into the back of the breaker box. This plug is easily accessed by removing the front plate on the breaker box, and removing the screws that secure the box to the wall. MAKE SURE that the battery AND shore power are disconnected. It is an easy item to replace. I switched mine with a lithium compatible converter/charger. The 9875 could only charge my lithium batteries to 80%. That is typical for a non-lithium charger.
- You can purchase a replacement arm for the awnings from Amazon much cheaper than from any where else I found. I don’t want to talk about why I needed to learn this.
- The valve for the icemaker is way at the back of the cabinet for the trash can. It is below the cabinet floor level, so you pretty much need to crawl into the cabinet to get to it. It is a push/pull valve, not a twist valve.
- You can run the water heater on electricity only. The switch for electric is behind the outside panel, tucked in the corner. I found that for a single shower, electric was quite sufficient. The switch on the inside panel engages the gas burner on the water heater. This is great in combination with the electric for quickly heating the water, or when boondocking. It does not need to be on when you only want to use electric heating.
- The thermostats each control their respective AC units, but only the one in the main area controls the heat.
- The two tiny buttons on the cable connection plate in the bedroom wall (opposite the bathroom) provide power to the winegard antenna and to a router, if you connect one at the plate in the kitchen ceiling. The plate says “Winegard” at the bottom, but it is easy to miss.
- The sofas in the bump outs are held in place by 4 long screws. You just pull the cushions, and they are readily visible.
- The numbers on the oven temperature dial are all wrong. Buy an oven thermometer.
- The seals on the bump outs are easy to replace. The flat (primary) seal is mostly held by a crimp at the bottom of the track they slide into. There may also be some silicon caulk, particularly at the top. Spray them with silicone before you insert and they will slide right in. Re-crimp to secure it in place. You can get the seal in a roll at a reasonable price from amazon. Part number R854056. The D shaped (Secondary) seal (R854082) is very hard to find. It is held in place by caulk and a screw at the bottom. This may only be available directly from Forest River.