RE: First Time Driving
I felt like I was wrestling a tiger, because she wandered all over the place. The pointer on the shift lever didn't line up properly with the letters. Consequently, I drove the whole way on the interstate with the tranny in 2nd gear and the tach reading around 4000 RPM.
This is funny, because I have the same issues in my 1990 Chieftain. After a year and a half I still have to keep a sharp eye on the shift lever. When I first got it I pulled out of a campground one time in 2nd and couldn't figure out why it sounded so bad, "almost like it's in too low a gear." Luckily, that was my clue and I didn't drive very far. I feel like I'm wrestling a whale sometimes. After I get tires maybe I'll see if there's anything to be done about that.
RE: Winterize Question
Thanks all. I'll give the air compressor a try. I'd love to not use the pink stuff, but THAT would make me nervous. I've seen what happens when a line breaks behind the scenes.
Winterize Question
Just a quick newbie question about winterizing. This is my second winter as a Class A owner and I've read a bunch of stuff about winterizing. Last year I had help, this year I'm doing it myself. I live in SE PA and I feel more comfortable using antifreeze. Several sources (including the person who helped me last year) say to blow out the lines and then pump in the antifreeze and circulate it thorugh the system. If I'm using antifreeze, why am I blowing out the lines? It seems like a waste of time. I'll do it if it will save problems next spring. Am I missing something?
Thanks!
RE: Women driving motorhomes
I drive a 27' Chieftan by myself. My only discomfort is times when I really could use a spotter - usually on the freeway. I've been at it for about a year now and I stay relatively close to home so far. This has a lot to do with my fear of the freeway. I have to work on that. Otherwise I love it. If I had a newer rig and cameras I'd be hitting Florida for the winter. Oh, and my job.
Weather in SW US
This isn't exactly an RV question, as my RV is getting a little old to go cross country, but I thought a lot of people on here would have the experience to provide me with some info.
We will be travelling on southern Utah, northern Arizona next May. We will be flying out (yuck, stock up on sedation) to Phoenix so we won't have a ton of room for clothing. What can we expect of the weather at that time of year? We plan on hitting Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Canyonlands...the whole bit in that area. If time allows we may travel more south in Arizona. I realize the nights will be cool, but I'm more concerned about the daytime when we will be travelling and seeing the sights with hopefully some light hiking. We are not the types to hop out of the car, snap a picture and then hop back in the car, but neither are we going to be back countrying. Any thoughts?
RE: Crossroads the Nightmare you don't want to Buy!
How do you "not accept shoddy workmanship." My father recently bought a one year old used Winnebago Via. Beautiful condition, 5,000 miles, from an authorized Winne dealer close to home. First time out the hot water heater (or something) leaked big time into the rig. Returned from a two week trip spent sopping up water every time they ran the heater. Took it to the dealer for warranty repair, who said, Nope, sorry, it doesn't leak. Brough MH home, ran hot water heater, it leaked. Started opening compartments tracing the source of the water. Took about a half an hour because the Via has good access to stuff. Loose connection. Problem fixed by experienced DIYers.
What's the "nonaccepting" response to this?
RE: Fleetwood Fiesta vs Damon Intruder
My parents had a Fiesta which they hated from Day 1. I think it only had one major problem at low mileage - a major brake failure that sat them in Dodge City for three days while the part was sent. It was repaired. This was their only truck problem, although significant, it could have been a fluke. It made yearly cross country trips - PA to the SW or NW, as well as a bunch of trips south - for about 7-8 years without another problem.
The main thing they didn't like was the house quality - something was always breaking off, coming apart, etc. They were used to several Winnebagos and the Fiesta just lacked the interior quality and little niceties they had come to expect. I suspect that if they hadn't had the "this is not a Winnebago" mindset it would have been fine.
RE: from Phila. PA to Yellowstone
x10 you need more time. We did this when I was a kid from the Philadelphia 'burbs. Three weeks - out I80, Black Hills, Badlands, Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, some other stuff in between worth seeing. We could have spent more time in Yellowstone easy, although we didn't just blow through.
This was with conservative distances a day, as my parents liked to give us kids (and themselves) time to stretch our legs, relax, get out of the Winnebago, and swim in the pool at the end of a long day crossing Kansas. It was a well-paced trip and we saw a lot. Two weeks seems a bit ambitious.
Maybe just do the South Dakota stuff in two weeks.
RE: Older Class A's
I have a 1990 Chieftain that was well-maintained by a family member. It's had the same delamination for at least 10 years. I've had it for a year and before that it was extremely reliable. It's still reliable with no major problems. Fingers crossed. Book value, $2,000. I wouldn't worry about some delam if all else is good. Good luck to you and your family.
RE: Whats important in deciding on a campground?
I spend a few relaxing days at the capground:
FHUs
Wooded
Distance from neighbors
Comments about bathrooms
Re: Kids. It's not that people hate kids, it's that kids nowadays seem to think it's OK to SCREAM in a public campground. (So do some adults.) Kids playing is one thing, the screaming is another. We were not allowed to scream while in a campground and we managed to have plenty of fun.
RE: Are Most RV Dealers (and some mfgs) Unresponsive???
I am by no means newly minted, but I find this whole situation odd. Car dealers have no problem dealing via e-mail, and frankly, once you contact one you never get rid of him. I've bought the past couple cars via e-mail from traditional dealers. This after I got sick of schlepping to dealers and dealing with lying salesman. Car guys answer one e-mail with four e-mails plus a follow-up. I guess the RV business must be booming if they can afford to ignore potential customers.
RE: What NOT to do!
Maybe it was a mechanical failure and he was transporting it to a dealer/mechanic.That is what Mobile RV service is for. You wait for someone to come and fix it.
A couple years ago I had a hydraulic line break in my curbside bedroom slide which caused it to extend. I drove about 10 miles to a campground to park and wait for a mechanic to come fix it. That particular slide only extends about 18 inches and it was no big deal to drive with it out. However, my top speed was only about 40mph, not 65.Two wrongs don't make a right. Your coach is probably 96" and the slide being out 18", which makes your total width 114" on a two lane road where the state law probably allows only a 96" motor vehicle width. You could have been given a ticket. And if you were driving a commercial vehicle under the CDL laws, you minimum fine would have been $250. Don't know what the fine is for that type of violation on a normal vehicle, but $250 and a mark on the license is a big deal to me!
Your right. I should have sat on the shoulder of the freeway and let a semi slam into the back of me at 70 mph. I don't know what I was thinking.Got my NYS Class 1 back in 1970. Recently retired after over 20 years with the same petroleum transportation company, with many other driving jobs before that. I never ran into the back of anything out there and never saw anyone rearended by a semi. But do know some have happened. I did push a car down the road sideways once, but he tried to turn left in front of me on a limited access interstate as I was passing him.
Just because you never ran into the back of someone does not mean it does not happen. I have two friends who had problems on the highway, were pulled into the breakdown lane and were hit. One has a lift in his shoe to compensate for the 2 inches his left leg lost just below the knee and the other had a wonderful service. If you can get off a highway it is always better to do so.
I'm with ya Ultra. Get off the road. I tell the kids this all the time. "But I'll wreck the wheel driving to an exit!" F the wheel, it's replacable.
RE: I think I need encouragement.....(whining....)
I am struggling with this now. RVd a lot as a kid. My father could fix anything. I knew the basic basics, i.e refrig must be level. I LOVED RVing. Now - mid-50's. RV in family becomes available cheap. It's A '90 Winnebago, been well-cared for an maintained its whole life. I couldn't pass it up, because no way can I afford anything actually on the market. I had to think long and hard about could I do it. I still don't know, but I am gaining confidence.
I learned to drive it and at this point I'm not the worst RV driver out there. I put it into action last fall and right now I go on short trips close to home so I can summon help if need be. I'm gaining confidence. I don't know if I'll ever take it on a long trip because of the mileage - 90,000. So I'm checking out campgrounds 1-2 hours away to use it for a weekend+ relaxing getaway. If the time comes when I feel like I can venture further I will. Until then, that's what the car is for.
When I first considering buying the thing it really scared me, but then I realized I was imagining me going cross country. So I decided to stay in my comfort zone (well, stay within sight of my comfort zone) and that has worked well. And the comfort zone is expanding a bit.
Good luck to you, I'm sure you can do it, just go slow and don't try to get TOO far from what you are comfortable with.
RE: What NOT to do!
As a lowly non-slide owner, I don't have these "problems". You think manufacturers would consider an ignition interlock, or at least a nice big red light on the dashboard to indicate one or more slides are open. I can't imagine doing a mirror check and missing something like this...but thats just me! :)
Todd
My father's Via you can't drive with the slide out. I'm slideless myself, but when my sister and brother-in-law owned my MH they were cruising through Florida one day and people were passing and pointing. Turned out the Kwikee steps were extending and retracting as they drove down the highway. He had to install a kill switch to permanently fix the problem.
RE: not everyone is entertained by us
I agree. Sure, there are a lot of grumpy old people in the world. But there are far more non-grumpy old people and they are an absolute joy to spend time with along with the kids or grandkids. For those that are grumpy, their bad attitudes only make themselves miserable. I certainly won't let them ruin my fun - or that of my grandbabies.
Those who want peace and quiet and who want to get away from it all can find over 55 CGs where everyone else is a senior and looking for the same things. Also, there are places people don't go with kids because there is nothing for the kids to do. As people camp and ask around, they learn where these places are.
If we still had small kids we would look for family CGs, and not choose those aimed at seniors and the childless looking to enjoy nature, peace and serenity. :)
Yikes, I thought camping was ABOUT peace and quiet and getting away from it all! And I'm not even 55.
RE: not everyone is entertained by us
As is somewhat normal in today's societal environment, I can only smile at many of the response posts and be please we have not had to deal with this kind of situation.
In my time, Oh, and yes, I am sort of a dinosaur, we were taught to respect our neighbors and not cause distress to them. Oh, but now we exist in the "entitled" society where everyone must yield to, and observe, all anatomical juvenile behavior.
Really. I was a kid once too, and we were told that a campground was not our backyard. I haven't RVd since the '70's, when we generally didn't hear much from campsite neighbors except normal, conversational tone. Now I find I've got screaming kids on one side and yelling adults on the other. The dogs, it seems, are generally more well-behaved than the people.
RE: Attn all Disney World fans
When it comes to Disney, I take a to each his own approach. Been there twice, 1978 and 2000. Very different experience, had fun both times. Don't really need to go back.
The thing that makes me sad is kids who have been to Disney five times but never to Yellowstone.
RE: Driver side door
I use my driver's door all the time. Saves me trudging through the MH to get out for gas or any other quick stop. It saves wear on the carpet. It is a little hard to get out of, but the convenience makes up for it to me. My father's new Via has a driver's door and it is much easier to
RE: First Time With No Hookups...
My parents bought plastic plated and cups. They are not the disposable kind. That means they have to clean them. I think that's where the gray water tank got filled up. They left the water running, albeit trickling out. I think that's one of their mistakes. That may work if you have a sewer but without one you should probably use disposable stuff. It's the first time dry camping so I assume they'll learn their lesson. Who wants to dump a tote everyday? Not me!
Yes. I can use 30 gallons a day easily and I shower in the bath house, it's the dish/pot/pan washing. I don't RV without sewer hook-up for this reason. I'm there to relax, and toting water or washing the fry pan in a cup of water is not my idea of fun. To each his own.
RE: First Time With No Hookups...
Your going to need a second battery. Set your thermostat to 52 degrees and take extra blankets.
30 gallons a day...WOW! If you run your water pump dry it will not last very long...
52 degrees? Seriously? My furnace doesn't work at the moment and last October and this April I found that anything below 55 inside was pretty damn uncomfortable to the point of making it difficult to sleep. I was considering either an electric blanket (I don't dry camp) or a sleeping bag if the furnace was too costly to fix. Unfortunately, the furnace worked very nicely at the repair shop when I took it in, as it does every now and then (not at night, of course). But now I can ignore the problem for another couple months.
