RE: GPS ??
If he was NOT doing the hunting and only using the unit in an enclosed vehicle, then I'd go along with the many and recommend one of the Garmin Nuvi's, BUT the Nuvi's are not nearly as shock-resistant as units made for "trail" use, and they are not at ALL water resistant.
If your dad is planning on using the GPS for both road AND outdoor use, then it needs to be durable and water resistant. I'd recommend either the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx, the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, the Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx, or the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. The Garmin Colorodo's are nice units, but very expensive and the software is still not bug-free.
The Vista and 60CSx have on-board electronic compasses, which is a feature I personally like, but many don't feel they are worth the extra $30 or so. The Legend and 60Cx don't have that feature.
The eTrex's are lower cost, smaller, lighter weight, and have brighter screens when compared to the 60-series. The 60-series seems to be more robust (software bugs all straightened out) and has front-facing labelled buttons, which I like for vehicle use and when I forget which button does what (I'm geeting old).
I myself own both a Nuvi 200W and the 60CSx. I prefer the 60CSx. The 60CSx is used a LOT for road routing, but I also use it when in the field. The 60CSx has all the autorouting, POIs, auto-recalculation that the Nuvi's have. Just a smaller screen and no verbal instructions (it only beeps - which is fine for me). It is a GREAT unit.
Another option is to get something like a Nuvi 200W for vehicle use and then an eTrex 'H' for hunting. That might be a better way to go in the long run.
RE: Yuk !! Passport 60x75 queen
I'm 6'5" tall, so a short bed is comppletely unacceptable. We are replacing our RV Queen with a 5" HD36-R foam mattress (bought the mattress cover too - it came pre-installed on the mattress! nice) from here:
http://www.mattressbymail.com/conventional.html
$94.99 for the mattress; $44.99 for the cover; free shipping; no sales tax; $139.98 total. Not too bad. The original mattress is a bit thicker (6" maybe), but we also plan on including a topper from overstock.com that we had in our previous trailer too.
RE: 10' X 10' canopy
If you want something that is a little more "traditional", look at this:
http://www.amazon.com/Alps-Mountaineering%C2%AE-Base-Camp-Awning/dp/B000VFD8UI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1208101977&sr=8-1
RE: best pic web site?
From what I've seen the so-called free photo sites have their own costs. Some are packed with advertizing, others require some number of print purchases, and others have a time limit or storage limit. Since I started putting my pics on-line several have shutdown altogether.
I started out using several of the free sites and quickly got tired of the "costs", so for the last 4-5 years I've been using http://www.smugmug.com. It costs $40/year, BUT you get unlimited stoarge, no advertizing, a great easy-to-use environment, full security control (passwords, hiding, ... all under your control), the ability for viewers to download pics & buy prints (all under your control). For the equivalent of $3.33/month I see this as a great service for a great price.
Recently they just added the ability to upload videos too, though I don't use that capability.
Smugmug.com has a referral program. If you enter this code - b8wLL0z3zSIyY - when signing up, you'll get $5 off your first year's cost, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I'd get $10 off on my yearly renewal. Use it or not - for $3.33/month I'm OK paying the full cost. Regardless, I really like the site, or I wouldn't have kept using it for so many years.
RE: Trailer / Fifth Storage Chicago suburbs
Just to provide an update related to my previous post ... Lake County passed what they call the "park-on-grass" ordinance that forbids cars, trucks, and vans from parking on grass in front yards. BUT they removed RV's and other motorized vehicles from the language and specifically indicate that it is not intended to apply to temporary usage for special activities such as family gathers and similar. Oh, and it only applies to unincorporated Lake County.
So, if you live in unincorporated Lake County Illinois, go ahead and park your RV on the grass in your front yard. That's what I call campin'!!!
RE: Beds
I'm 6'5" tall and just can't imagine sleeping on an RV Queen. My feet hang over a regular queen just a bit anyway. So ...
We ordered a replacement mattress from here:
http://www.mattressbymail.com/conventional.html
We ordered the Queen 5" thick HD36-R Foam mattress and the mattress over that goes over it. We'll also put a foam topper over that. I'm not sure if we'll have to build a box/support for the end, but we do, so be it.
We haven't put it in yet. We'll make it work somehow.
Distribution of Inside Storage - Fore & Aft
My wife & I are starting to plan what we'll store inside our new TT (see sign) and specifically figuring out which interior cabinets will hold what. The first thing I did was to locate the place inside that is exactly over the two axles ... figuring we'd want to make sure we didn't put too much more in one half compared to the other half (figuring a bit more in front). But I couldn't help but notice that the VAST majority of the interior cabinets are forward of the axles.
The blackwater tank is in the far rear, but I'm not sure where the graywater tank is (covered belly). I just found that interesting.
The floor plan is the same as the Keystone Passport 280BH shown here, and the center of the axle area is about at the rear of the dining table.
RE: Trailer / Fifth Storage Chicago suburbs
Last I heard was that Lake County (northeast corner of Illinois, just north of Chicago's Cook County) is looking at passing a county ordanance that forbids parking of RV's in "the front yard". I assume this means behind the front plane of the house. I'm unincorporated Lake County and they say it will affect me too.
The good news for me is I have LOTS of back yard space for storage.
RE: Hooks on outside of TT
Have you considered using a headlamp instead? I've recently started using a headlamp a lot more as somehow it magically always points exactly where I'm looking. My favorite is the Princeton Tec EOS.
RE: Have the new TT...what's next
I put MaxxAir vent covers on my new TT, plus slideout awnings.
We're planning on bringing two Corningware casserole bowls for use in our microwave. We're still trying to decide if we want to use paper plates or bring Correlle dishes so they can be used in the microwave. We tried to find lighter weight plastic gear that would work as well with the microwave, but none seemed durable enough.
We have two dogs, so we've added a metal grate on the lower part of the screen door to keep the dogs from blasting through the screening.
Oh, I also have a Weber BabyQ portable grill that I will bring. I got the griddle for it and plan to use that for grilling bacon - to keep the mess out of the TT. I got the rolling carry case for it. Still not sure if I'm going to use small disposable LP canisters or invest in a refillable 5 or 10 pounder.
When the weather gets warmer I'll look for a better way to carry my septic hose - I don't like using the bumper. A friend has suggested using the Rhinohose stowed in a small plastic bin.
Our goal is to travel as lightweight as possible, but as you can tell, we have our priorities.
RE: Bearing repacked. How Often?
I've been told that trailers that don't move tend to need new grease more often than those that move a lot. Just what I've been told.
For my utility trailer I tend to pack the bearings every two years. I did about the same with my popup that we're selling. Both were used pretty regularly though.
RE: Slide Awning Question
We just bought a new TT around Christmas - it isn't even home yet. Our first two mods were MaxxAir roof vent covers and a slide awning. From what I could tell I either needed to haul a ladder to be able to check the top of the slide out or put an awning on. The awning seemed to clearly have more advantages than disadvantages.
Right now we're waiting for the dealer to get the awning and install it. My ultimate goal is to wait to bring the TT home until after the salt is off the road or at least its warm enough to hose the trailer off when it get home. There is so much salt and salt dust on the roads right now - I don't want a corrosion issue.
RE: what upgrades do you want to add?
Another TT newbie here. Heck, we haven't even picked up our new TT yet.
Our first addition was two MaxxAir vent covers.
Now we are planning to add slide-out awnings too.
Oh, and we added the Reese Dual Cam WDH.
As soon as we get the TT home (soon?) I'll add one or two paper towel holders, some kind of plastic tube holder for the sewer hose, and maybe a replacement full-length queen-size matress.
We have a small flatscreen TV in our bedroom, and will probably steal that when traveling and eventually make it a permanant part of the trailer.
We already have lots of appropriate gear from our popup. We've decided that Corning Ware casseroles are our best bet for microwave cooking. It seems like few plastic microwave dishes fare well over prolong use.
I'm looking at the Sewer Solution, but am worried whether campgrounds actually have water available. I also want to buy a TT cover and a front mat soon.
Dometic A&E Slide Awning Durability?
My wife & I have decided to have a slide awning installed. The trailer is still at the dealer (Camping World), so it would make the most sense to have them install it.
The issue is that Camping World only sells the Dometic A&E slide awning, and many of the reviews on their site suggest that the fabric simply won't last. My main awning is by Dometic and I hope that does OK. Maybe the folks who wrote those reviews had the awnings open a lot more than I will (mostly weekends).
Do any of you Dometic A&E slide awning owners have any feedback? Is your slide awning doing OK?
Checking Slide-Out Roof for Debris
For you folks whose trailer has a slide-out WITHOUT a slide-out awning ...
While camping away from home, before closing the slide-out do you check its roof for debris such as leaves or sticks?
If yes, how do you do that? How do you remove any debris found?
If no, aren't you worried about debris getting stuck or otherwise interfering with the mechanism?
For you folks that DO have a slide-out awning, has your awning had any functional problems?
I haven't even taken delivery of our new TT yet, but this issue is one that I just can't figure out. I don't really want to pack a ladder or attach one to the RV, but I don't want to risk damaging the slide-out.
RE: New rving and the forum
My wife & I just bought that identical unit, but the 280 Keystone Freedom Lite 279TB. We got it from Camping World. It is almost the exact same unit as the Passport 280BH. We paid $18,500, but they have us an additional $500 toward the towing hitch and a $250 gift card that we put toward the purchase price. So, the final price was $17,750.
I haven't figured out exactly what the difference between the Passport and the Freedom Lite is. One thing I know is that the Freedome Lite has a small receiver for a bicycle rack on the back bumber - the Passport doesn't have that - I don't think. Not sure what else is different.
I like the floorplan, but we have two pre-teen kids. I figure when the kids are older and out of the house we can use the bunks for friends and lightweight storage (don't want to overload the rear).
If there's just the two of you then you might be better off with the 285RL which replaces the bunk beds with a two-chair entertainment center area - unless you might have friends staying with you.
The first thing we did was to have CW put MaxxAir vents on it.
We went with the Reese Dual Cam/Truneon Weight Distributing Hitch.
RE: Yellowstone or Bust
We're going to Tetons/Yellowstone in June, 2008 too! Though we just bought a new TT our available vacation time is limited so we're flying in and staying in cabins - one near the Tetons and one NW of Yellowtone - just off the property. Who knows, maybe we'll see you in one of the traffic jams there. :-)
I've been there at least three times as an adult. The whole place is magic. The best time to see wildlife is just before sunset. We usually try to take an early evening drive somewhere each night. We did that at Glacier NP and saw lots of critters.
We like visiting the lodges. Sounds silly maybe, but we usually try to have a few in the lodges as an excuse to see them.
Don't forget to take a trip down to the Tetons. They are beautiful. If you don't have much time, at least see Jenny Lake area.
Keep your distance from those critters you do see. I can't beleive the stupid stuff I saw folks do trying to get closer to them. Most of them can outrun a horse, so they can easily outrun you. I watched a young moose rip apart a small tree with a 4-5" trunk. Man can they do damage - can't imagine what they'd do to a human.
I love taking pictutes there. If you do, bring a tripod since you're going to want to take telephoto pics. Even a cheap one is better than none. Tripods aren't only for expensive SLRs. Actually some of the point-and-shoot digitals have telephoto power similar to fancy SLRs and can take GREAT pictureds. Use the tripod! Oh, and the tripod also helps with taking pictures of the many waterfalls - for which it is best to slow the shutter speed down to 1/4 second to as slow as 1 or 2 seconds.
RE: Antenna question
The Keystone Freedom Lite's exterior cable connection is near the rear on the side opposite the door - about 1/3 of way top to bottom. It has a white plastic cover.
RE: My Heart is in my Throat - Picking up new TT Tomorrow
Thanks for all your kind words!
As some have mentioned it is snowing like crazy out today so instead of bringing the trailer home we did the walk-through/demo and during that time they installed/adjusted the WDH. The person doing the demo advised we wait until the roads are good & dry to avoid salt damage if nothing else.
The demo was excellent. Very slow and methodic. It took about 3-4 hours. We did lots of crawling underneath the chassis. We checked scanned the exterior finish, checked all hinges and fastners. Inside we checked all the appliances, lights, and such. I did a lot of crawling around the floor inside to check and understand the slider mechanism. I opened every door and checked hings, latches, and finish inside the cabinets. Lots of time just sitting inside and talking about how we might best use storage areas and how to secure belongings.
The seals on all of the outside hatches were bad - looked like they stretched them too much during installation and the adhesive failed in corners. The repair person said he'd put all new better quality seals in.
I also asked them to caulk the areas where lines enter the underside cover material (covers the frame) so as to avoid rodent issues this winter - he said no problem. The stove's grate had a pretty major flaw in the enamel/porcelein so they'll replace it.
Since it was winterized I didn't ask them to fill/pressurize the fresh water system. She turned on the pump to show it worked. I'll check it over real well this spring after things warm up a bit.
I decided to have them go ahead and install Maxx Air vent covers while its still there. It will be nice to keep vents open without worrying about rain. I also got extra sets of keys.
QUESTION: How much do you worry about leaves & debris falling on top of the slide and getting in the way when stowing it. She showed us the canopy that can go on top of the slide that was on another RV. We'll see on that.
I feel lots better.
