RE: Where do you winter in Arizona?and why
We stay at Sunflower RV Resort in Surprise, just Northwest of Phoenix. We started out visiting as Passport members for a week, decided to stay for a couple of months and rented a lot, but before we moved to it, we decided to rent an annual lot. That was 3 years ago and we have renewed every year. We also bought a park model in the park and rent it out - we are still staying ourselves on our RV lot. Park is first class with every recreation and club you could want. Plent of shopping and lots to do. the park is quiet and friendly, but there is quite a bit of traffic outside the park in the winter season. Most good parks around Phoenix fill up for monthly or longer rentals in January thru March, but you can still get short term sites in many.
RE: Satellite TV - equipments costs, etc. ?
We recently got Dish network without an annual contract, by buying a "pay as you go" package. We also are full timers for the last 3 years, and I have been looking around at satellite options for a year or so, including calling both companies. In talking to others, I think I found out that if you call Dish or Direct and order the "normal" service with free installation and receivers, they will install it, but there are special considerations for full timers, and you have to sign up for a long term contract, with equipment rentals. The FCC requires an RV agreement which both companies provide. The installers for both in many, but not all, cases do not really understand RV's and will probably attempt to install it by drilling holes and running cable direct to the receivers, even though you may already have the wiring internal from your cable or satelite connection. I also have seen a lot of comments and questions from owners about whether the current cable connections for cable or satelite can be used. I really didn't want to sign up for a long term contract to get "free" receivers and equipment that I didn't own, nor did I want installers drilling holes in my RV. I am pretty handy with electrical, electronic,and mechanical things, and decided I would rather do my own.
I bought a packabe from Radio Shack, installed it myself, and did use the internal cable wiring in my class A for the cable runs. You only get a dish, one simple receiver and no DVR. The package from Radio Shack was $99 and the installation kit was $19.95. I did not opt for the pay as you go "card" and instead have the service charged to my credit card monthly, but I can stop and start it at any time, and have no equipment rentals. I did buy a signal strength meter to ease finding the satelites, and you will also need a tripod for the dish. I had no problem installing the system, and it only takes a few minutes to set up when we "move". We have the 200 channels and got Cinemax for 1 cent per month. We also get the local analog channels over the air wherever we are, but will eventually have to get a converter to continue getting them after Feb 2009. We did not get the "local" channel opton from Dish because this only works within 200 miles of your "local" address - in our case South Dakota. We are happy with the set up. Direct may offer something like this, but if so, I couldn't find it.
Good Luck
RE: Mail Forwarding Service~El Paso?
Just because you want to winter in El Paso, you do not necessarily have to use El Paso as your mail forwarding address nor be a "resident" there. You can become a resident of any place you like and have your mail forwarded to any place you are. You should check out the advantages and disadvantages of residency in multiple places before you decide. We are residents of South Dakota, but rarely spend time there. We winter in Arizona and travel in the summer. SD has no income tax, low vehicle insurance and registration costs with no emission testing, relatively low sales tax, and a great forwarder. Check out Alternative resources at http://www.alternativeresources.net/
RE: Direct TV or Dish JUST in MH?
Radio Shack sells a dish receiver and dish antenna with installation kit. You can also get the pay as you go card or you can call dish and set it up on credit card payment. Of course you can get the equipment and installation free if you sign up for a long term contract, but doing it this way there is no contract, and you can pause or terminate at any time with no penalty. It is a pay as you go, either with the "renewable" card or via your credit card. We did this about 2 months ago and it works fine. Very easy to install and set up the dish. I really didn't want some "installer" drilling holes in my rig. We use the cable connection to hook up the dish antenna and it works well. You will also need a tripod. We could sign up to get local channels, but since we are full timers and travel, we didn't. We just use our antenna for locals wherever we are. I will have to eventually get a converter for that. We did sign up for auto pay charged to our credit card and got Cinemax with 5 channels for 1 cent a month for a year.
RE: Tow Bar Position
I have a Blue OX tow bar, and the bars are supposed to be fully extended and locked when towing. If they are not locked the toad will not follow the MH, and you could have a dent in the car. The height of the MH tow hitch vs the height of the car tow bracket should be level to 4" below the MH hitch height above ground when level. You can buy hitch drops to adjust that if needed' Here is some info from Blue OX http://www.blueox.us/instruction/towingphysics101.htm
RE: What does everyone do during normal days?
I was surprised that at least two folks with houses answered this post on the FULL-TIME Forum. Don't know why they are even reading this forum. When I had a house and a yard I could always find something to do.
You might want to try workamping or volunteering. While you may not need the money, it is a good way to have some structure to your day and usually get a free FHU at least - sometimes some $ too. It is also a way to meet other folks in similar situations and you can pretty much pick where you want to do it. We have been retired and full-timing for 3 years and just this summer tried it for the first time. Not a LOT of work and not hard, but rewarding.
Also, here is a website that will surely solve your problem. http://bored.com/
RE: LP gas detector going off
About a year ago I had a similar problem. I actually read the manual and found that low voltage could cause this. When I hit the switch to check my levels it showed the battery indicator was not green - I was so used to it showing green for the last two years I hadn't paid any attention to it! I found out my inverter had gone out and wasn't charging the house batteries. The low voltage caused the alarm.
RE: Atwood Water heater problem
If you have the manual for your heater, there are complete maintenance instructions and troubleshooting included. If you do not have it, here is their site that will provide the same information http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Service/Trouble/default.cfm. I had a similar problem. I had already replaced the ignitor a year ago, which solved the problem that time. This time, I cleaned the burner tube, cleaned every terminal, and adjusted the flame. That seemed to solve the problem. Good Luck
RE: Ford 460 MPG on A class 34 ft
We have a 1998 Dolphin with the Ford 460 EFI, 60,000 Miles on it, and are full time. The previous owner installed a K&N air filter and rerouted the exhaust and (I think changed the intake) - not a Banks. I usually drive 60 MPH and the mileage varies widely depending on terrain, wind, and city traffic. Best I ever got was 9.2 on the flat out west. Worst was about 6 or less thru Chicago traffic. We are in Colorado now and in mountainous terrain with high passes we have been averaging about 7+ this summer. I do make sure my tires on the MH and tow are all at max pressure, clean the air filter, and meet all maintenance schedules. We are right at the max GWVR loaded, about 17500 lbs. I usualy carry only about 1/3 tank of fresh water.
RE: Wireless Router ?
Your current router wouldn't help you unless you have a broadband Internet connection in the campground where you could connect it. If you are trying to connect to the campground WiFi, then your built in laptop antenna would work if you were in line of sight and relatively close to the campground antenna. I too have a laptop with a built in WiFi, and often couldn't connect to the local WiFi as we traveled. As far as I know, there isn't a way to directly hook an external antenna to your laptop's built in WiFi, but you can buy a WiFi adapter with an antenna, that you can plug into your USB port on the laptop. There are a variety of these available at many prices. I bought a WiFi USB adapter with a 10 DBI gain directional antenna. This works very well for me even when others can't connect. Mine is an indoor antenna, which isn't a problem because my MH is fiberglass and the signal will pass right through it. The signal will not pass through metal, such as aluminum cladding, and you must still be pretty much in line of sight to the campground antenna. I also have to aim my directional antenna to get the best signal. Some of these adapters use an omnidirectional indoor or outdoor antenna, and they all pretty much come with the necessary software to use them. The idea is that you would shut off the built in WiFi and use the adapter instead. You can look online at your favorite sites. Hawkins makes good ones, but they are a little pricey. You might want to check out any of your camping neighbors that use one to see what brand they have and how it works.
Hope this helps.
RE: Orchard beach Maine
http://www.wassamkisprings.com/ This place is nearby and is a VERY nice place. It is not on the ocean, but has a private lake with swimming - much warmer than the Atlantic, lots to do in the park for kids and adults, and in a very good location. We spent 6 weeks there last year and liked it a lot.
RE: Stairs
Apparently you do not want the stairs extended while in storage. If this is so,then go inside, shut the door, and after the steps come in, turn off the step switch. Then open the door and jump or step down and shut the door. The steps should be in and off.
RE: Replaced TV with 26" LCD
Lonnie,
Thanks for the pictures. What size was your old TV? My "built in" now is only a 19" and I would like to replace it with a larger one. However, my set up is the same as yours and the cabinet opening is only about 19 1/2". If I attempt to put in a larger one, it will interfere with the two doors on the cabinets on either side. Anyone have any ideas?
Colorado Springs KOA (Fairmont) CO
Hi - We have been full timing for three years, but have never tried Workamping before. We have been interested, but until now, we had commitments to travel that would have made it difficult. We are thinking strongly about accepting an assignment at the Colorado Springs KOA. We have the offer letter already. Does anyone have any input on their experiences with Workamping here? I would appreciate it.
RE: Best way to keep the toad battery charged up?
I have a 2006 Saturn Ion that I tow with a brake Buddy. To prevent the battery from going dead I have to remove a fuse in the car fuse box every time I hook up. Check your owners manual. The fuse is the one that controls the body electronics. In the Saturn if you leave the key on accessory which you must do to unlock the wheel, AND DON'T REMOVE THE FUSE, the body systems remain on and will drain the battery. That means the power items like windows,seats, interior lights, etc remain powered. I have put over 15,000 miles on my tow and the only time I ever had my car battery go dead, was when it went bad and I had to replace it. Fortunately this was still under warranty. A new car battery only lasts about 2 years if you are lucky
RE: Snowbird in Arizona ?
We are in Sunflower RV Resort in Surprise, AZ (NW suburb of Phoenix). This is a VERY nice 55+ gated Cal-AM resort with lots to do. We are full timers in our Motor Home and though we rent a lot here year round we travel much of the year. We also own a park model in this resort that we rent out. The rental, cleaning, and prep, etc is handled by an agent for us. During the winter months rentals are VERY full, and if you want to get one you must make a reservation and provide a deposit EARLY. If you call Sunflower they will refer you to one of the two agents that handle rentals for this resort. Sunflower Phone is 623-583-2007. I am not an agent for Sunflower nor am I soliciting your rental of our unit. During the summer here you can rent very inexpensively. During the season Dec - April, I think there is very little chance you can rent anything decent in the Phoenix area for as little as $800. The rents for a park model in this resort, with everything provided, usually start at about $1400 - 1500 per month and up. Motel rooms during the season are also pretty high, but maybe you would be better off just staying in motels and trying multiple locations until you find a general location you would like to stay in the following year.
RE: No AC current when generator's running
This might seem like dumb suggestions but
1. Is the power cord plugged into the generator outlet in your basement?
2. If it is clicking and not starting are your house batteries too low?
RE: GPS systems
I use a trucker's (motor carrier) road atlas too. Mine has a section in the front by state that lists all the low clearances by highway number and location. I generally try to stick to the roads that are highlighted as OK for Semi trucks, but if I am on, or planning to be on, other roads I always check the state low clearance section. It has saved me from sudden stops more than once - especially out east
RE: What Kind of Power do Laptops use?
When a laptop is running on its internal battery, the power is DC. Even when you use the 120V AC power cord and plug it into an AC outlet, it still is running on DC power. There is a built-in charger in the laptop that provides DC power to charge the battery and also power the laptop. If the AC power is interrupted - power outage, pulling the plug, etc., the laptop continues to run on its internal battery power until it is exhausted. At that point it will shut down on it's own.
RE: National's on sale
I see several references in these posts about National going out of business. As far as I can tell, National filed for chapter 11, not Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This means that they are not out of business, but are continuing to operate while protected from creditors. It really means that the shareholders, the bondholders, and the suppliers, in order from most to least, are the ones that are going to lose money. The shares will be worthless, the bonds almost, and the suppliers and creditors will probably get 70 to 80 % of what they are owed. The bankruptcy will be controlled by the courts, and PROBABLY, National will come out of bankruptcy and still be in business. As for the new coach warranty, it will probably be a problem but shouldn't affect the value of MH's that are older. My guess is that the court will allow claims for repairs, but they probably will not be paid in full.
