RE: Experience with Winnabago view diesel engine
The tranny in the Sprinter has an electrical sensor that likes to leak. I don't remember what year it was fixed, and is is a pretty cheap repair. Mine was done under warranty a couple years back.
RE: New low end TT vs. used mid/high end TT???
Buy the best used one you can find. A couple of reasons.
Cheap new TT's are cheap for a reason. It won't last.
Regardless of what you buy, their will be things you don't like about the setup or the whole TT experience. Since a good used one has already depreciated, you can make a mistake on your first one and still recover lots of your money on a sale or trade.
My experience: I bought a used Aljo 22ft that was in great shape and only 3 years old. My wife and I used it for about 3 years. I hated the side bath setup, tolerated the bed, and learned a whole lot. I sold it myself for only about $1000 less than I paid.
I then bought a new Nash 22H. Nash is one of the best lines of TT out. I paid about 12K, used it for 10 years, and sold for 6K. It took 2 days to sell at my full asking price.
RE: V10 or diesel?
I've driven all over NM, AZ, CO pulling a small toad behind a 24 ft Winnie View. No problems, and only slow down badly up 8% grades. Getting 11 mpg doing this is OK also.
RE: Ford Transit Chassis Discussion
Also, Ford has updated their web site with some more info on the Transit. One really good piece of info is that the chassis cab and cutaway will be offering a 178" wheelbase. The current Sprinter is at 170" and the max length of a motorhome on a Sprinter is at 25 1/2'.
Ford will be offering the 3.2l L5 diesel, and the Euro version of that is 197hp, and about 325 ft lb. at around 2200 rpm. That could make a really sweet small motorhome base.
RE: 2014 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 25B
Winnebago Chalet line is similar. They are sold into the rental market, so I don't know about getting a new one, and off rental has its risks.
RE: Ford Escape Report
And let me add another successful tow.
I drove from southern Arizona to northern Illinois so I could work at the Ryder Cup golf tournament. Towed my 2010 Mariner 4,545 miles on the trip. Everything was great.
I've had the Mariner almost 2 1/2 years, towed it about 18 times and over 20,000 miles. So far, so good. I hope I didn't just jinx myself.
RE: Camping with kids in AZ this winter
If you're going into southern AZ, try Patagonia Lake State Park, Parker Canyon Lake, but Cochise Stronghold may be too small for your rig. Gilbert Ray County Park is just west of Tucson, right by the Old Tucson Movie Studio and by the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. The Museum is a must see place in Southern Arizona. Kartchner Caverns, over near Benson, has a great campground and a fabulous live cave. Also, Organ Pipe National Monument is one of the prettiest desert campgrounds.
RE: Ford C-Max towability
I read the C-Max owner's manual online yesterday. Just the C-Max, not the Energi.
Both the FWD and AWD are towable 4 down. The AWD cannot go on a tow dolly.
The Max speed is 65, and the procedure is to warm it up for 5 mins in the morning, then shift into reverse, then into drive, then leave it in neutral. Repeat this every 6 hours of towing.
This is the same set of restrictions and procedures that the Escape gasser had until early 2012.
Generator Low Voltage
My Onan 4000 stopped feeding enough voltage to my converter panel to power my AC or microwave. The output from the generator is only 91.6 volts now. I never bothered to measure it before, but am sure it was fine, above 100 anyway, as the AC and microwave worked. Also, everything works on shore power.
Any ideas? I'm guessing I'll need to take it in and have a voltage regulator or relay or some output circuit board replaced.
Thanks,
RE: Questions for Navion or View owners
I have an '08 VJ. The ride and cab comfort are very good. I'm a big guy, at 6'4" and 210, and find the bathroom, both toilet space and shower space, way too small. I can live with it, but will definitely get bigger with a new rig. Also, the corner bed is way too small for 2 of us. My DW is 5'9" and slim, so she uses the corner and I use the overhead. Works OK, but not optimal.
Like all small rigs, storage, especially for bigger items, is poor.
My rig is not a diesel, but the gasser they made in 08. I get 11 mpg pulling my Mariner behind it, and about 12 1/2 solo.
RE: Any Birding enthusiasts here?
ABSOLUTELY no levity or jocularity allowed when talking about birding. ;)
Only the tasty ones
No levity allowed here…
It’s kind of like talking during a bingo game, or spotting deer at a star gazing party I guess …
RE: Any Birding enthusiasts here?
My DW is a birding nut. I am an SOB (Spouse of Birder), so I get to drive, carry the scope, keep the checklist, etc.
Some ideas: A really good pair of binoculars. I have my wife's old pair, which cost about $250 15 years ago, and her good pair (about $600 almost 10 years back) are incredibly better. Mine are Swift, her's are Eagle Optics. Besides being much clearer and lighter, she can focus in on a bird within about 10 feet. Important for hummers.
Books books books. We likely have over 200 bird books in the house. I even carry one in my golf bag. My wife insists that Sibley's are the best. Beside field guides, Sibley has a great book about habitat, habits, breeding. Really interesting.
Computer software. If yo intend to set up a life list, Avisys is the best, once again according to DW. I'm a computer guy, and am happy that it is so stable, easy to use, and has a MS Access DB underneath. I could do really cool things if I ever needed to. But the standard functions and reports are really good.
Scope and tripod. If you are near water, you need a good one of each.
Ibird software for phones. It has almost replaced carrying field guides.
Clothing. My DW has a great birding vest that has lots of pockets. I have hundreds of pictures with her wearing it.
I really good camera. Taking pictures of birds is really hard. I have a good Canon, but never enough lenses.
Hope some of my rambling gives you ideas.
RE: Which is better a tow dolly or a tow bar ?
I decide on tow bar a couple years ago. Here's why.
I don't really have a good spot to store a dolly at my home. I could, but not nicely.
I camp a lot in the national forests, where mud on tires is the norm. I didn't like the idea of fiddling with muddy tires and straps when hooking up the dolly.
I found the Ready Brute Elite system and installed everything myself. So the overall cost was a wash with what the dolly would have cost.
I'm really happy the the setup I have. Very reliable so far, easy to manage. I've got about 12,000 miles and 15 trips under me in 2+ years and am happy.
Hope my experience helps.
RE: Towing the 2012 Escape, Ford changed the rules
"All Ford hybrids built to date (2005-2012) have been towable and I assume that the 2013 Fusion hybrid will be towable as well."
Ford has developed a new transaxle for its hybrids, so I think it is an open question if the 2013 and beyond will be towable 4 down. With the bad press they've gotten from the 6F35, I bet they will be very cautious.
RE: Which Car is best for towing behind motorhome
I recommend AVOIDING any Ford product that has an automatic tranny. Some of them may be OK, but both read the fine print in the owner's manual and search thru the Dinghy Towing forum here before you buy.
There are too many other good and easy choices out there to mess around with Ford products.
What company was it that used to have the slogan "Ask the man who owns one."?
RE: My Engine Room is Really Dirty
I own a light duty pressure washer that I use on my RV, cars, house siding.... you name it. It is light enough pressure that no paint has ever been hurt.
And I use it regularly on motors. A pressure washer uses about 1/10 the water of a hose, so much less water in the compartment, but a good pressure. I think I paid about $80 for it almost 10 years back. Good investment.
RE: Tow a TOAD with a 2012/13 Winnebago View? 24G
I have an '08 View J with the Mercedes 3.5 gas engine. Rare Bird. And I tow our Mercury Mariner behind. My MH is limited to 3500# towing capacity, so my choices were few. The newer Views are limited to 5000, I think, so the choices are many.
Rolling without the toad, I get about 13mpg. Of course the diesels most people have get 3 or 4 better. With the toad behind, I get 11, so not too bad loss. I need the toad when I travel since I like camping out in National Forests, and then head out to scout around on some really back roads. That's where the Deer and the Antelope and the Elk really Play. Also, my wife does not like to drive the MH, especially around towns, so the toad is great for her.
I tow thru the mountains of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado a lot, and towing performance is OK but not great. Some 2nd gear at 35mph, but that is on 7% and 8% grades.
