RE: Campground Karaoke
Two words that should never appear together....campground and karaoke! Sheesh!:R
What's wrong with just learning three chords and dragging out an acoustic guitar?
RE: Experience with good campgrounds around Austin/ San Antonio?
Thanks for the recommendation of Guadalupe State Park. Does it have sewer or just electricity and water? I was curious about this park--whether it was nice and scenic!
Ann
Guadalupe River SP just has water and electric hookups, like most (but not all) Texas state parks. Beautiful rocky cliff-lined Hill Country river to swim and fish in. The river is mostly shallow and swift, but it has some deeper pools. The campsites are bigger than your average commercial RV park; if you don't need a sewer hookup and TV connection, then I'd recommend this over most of the other places in the area. But then again, I am biased toward the state parks because we are not full-timers in our RV, and like to get away from city congestion in our trips.
Check it out at
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_hc_001.phtml
RE: Experience with good campgrounds around Austin/ San Antonio?
Guadalupe River State Park is beautiful, and off of Hwy 46 between Bulverde and Boerne. It's the closest state park to Neu Braunfels (25 mi.) There are some commericial RV parks in/near Neu Braunfels, but I've never used them.
RE: Rockwood 8317SS versus Spree 324BH
We deliberated a similar situation earlier this year, and narrowed down our choices between a Flagstaff/Rockwood product and a Spree. The Spree quality control looked better to us, but the Rockwood dealer was nearby and has a good reputation for service. After having the dealer correct some minor mfg issues (and replace the Concertone garbage TV), we're happy with the decision to buy the Rockwood trailer. I'm sure we would have been happy with the Spree had the situation been reversed--in other words, the service department at the dealer should be high on your list of concerns.
You may be pushing the envelope towing either trailer with the 1/2 ton Yukon XL. There are folks on this message board who are good at checking towing capabilities, and will provide those to you on this thread as soon as they read it. Just don't trust RV salesmen when if they tell you otherwise!
RE: Gas ?????????
Well, it is obvious my economics professors were wrong, as was the late great Milton Friedman. Economics principles apply to everything EXCEPT oil. :S I'll burn my economics textbooks and Federal Reserve newsletters this afternoon, and cancel my subscription to the Wall Street journal. Big Oil is a conspiracy immune to economic influences; it's responsible for global warming, 9/11, the Clinton impeachment, the Kennedy assasination, and the cancellation of Star Trek. Oh, yeah, and that Roswell thing, too.:R
But seriously, anyone who thinks the oil industry doesn't lose money was not in Texas during the late 80s-early 90s. There is a reason why that period of time is referred to in the oil-producing states as the "Oil Recession."
On second thought, never mind. Fighting conspiracy theories with fact seems pretty unproductive, at least on this thread. Time to concentrate on my classes and trip to McKinney Falls SP this weekend! I'm outta here on this discussion.
RE: Gas ?????????
.....Does anyone know the details of government regulations for a company, new or existing, to build/expand an oil refinery? I'm by no means an expert but I'd say the market is pretty restrained! Add in things like the collusion of OPEC (by definition a cartel), limited suppliers, etc. and I don't see "supply and demand" theories working too well with the energy industry. Changes in either do have an impact but there is much more going on.
Oil companies' hands are tied by both the federal govenment (drilling in ANWR? Congress won't allow it, though Alaska really wants it) and fifty state governments (think Florida and the term NIMBY--though China will be drilling in the same waters with NO US government oversight). It's a shame when rising prices are communicating an increased demand, yet government introduces artificial barriers to suppliers from doing what comes naturally---increasing supply to meet increasing demand. I don't think MORE government involvement is the answer.
OPEC squawks a lot, but when you look at the composition of its member states, they are in fact a shadow of the powerful cartel of the 1970s. Their member states constantly violate drilling quotas---they just need ther money too much. No, the answer lies with us; if we cannot access and develop our own energy reserves (including emerging technology), then in the words of Pogo "We have met the enemy, and they is us!"
As we complain about a spike in gas prices (self-interest or selfishness?) and mythical Big Oil conspiracies, the good blue-collar folks in the Golden Triangle who work hard to provide the fuel for our RVs are suffering. Houston, Beaumont, Orange, Port Arthur, and surrounding areas are devastated. The vast majority of these people did not build five-bedroom monstrosities on barrier islands, but lived in average American neighborhhods that are destroyed. A full 1/5 of our fuel refining capacity may be on hold, but many lives have been devastated as well.
Maybe it's time we take a timeout now from arguing about oil prices, and take time to visit the Red Cross or faith-based (such as Lutheran Disaster Response) websites and send these folks some financial help---although RVers are a generous lot, I'm sure most of you already have contributed.
RE: Gas ?????????
The majority of the oil companies are publicly owned. If they are making such huge profits the solution is simple. Just buy some oil stocks and use the dividends to buy your gas.
Precisely! And let's take this idea one step farther---the majority of stocks in the USA are held by mutual funds. Who exactly owns these mutual funds? If you are reading this and have a pension fund (401(K)/403(B), IRAs), or a college fund for your kids or grandbabies, YOU are to blame because YOU own stock funds. As a public school teacher of modest means, I personally am invested in the stock market through a 404(B), a Roth IRA, and the state-run Teacher Retirement System. Additional taxation on oil companies' profits (a fraction of the profit margin of MicroSoft or Google) (1) increases prices at the pump and/or (2) decreases supply at the pump, and most definitely (3) decreases the earning power of my teacher pension.
As I said, I don't make up the laws of economics; I just teach 'em. And I don't let the emotions or politics of the moment cloud my judgement...even in the face of comments like:
"your part about drilling in the arctic and offshore are more opinion than fact though... but if repeated often enough people will believe it... although I agree we need to drill more and become more self sufficient..."
That part was verified by the last Federal Reserve seminar I attended on Energy Economics. I don't repeat lies...I leave that to the politicans.
RE: Gas ?????????
For more of an explanation, check http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21883335/gotomsg/21887475.cfm#21887475
There is an open thread one page back called "Gas Prices JUMP!"
RE: Gas price jUMP!
As an Economics teacher I have to chime in. Many posters have hit upon good points, others not so much. To affect fuel prices, you have to know what is causing them to rise. The current rise spike in gas prices is due to the unknown effect of a direct hit on the refineries in the Golden Triangle (Houston-Beaumont-Port Arthur). The world price of cruse oil really is immaterial; the issue is the refining capacity of the Golden Triangle area. If the refineries gin back up quickly after the storm subsides, gas prices at the pump will recede. As far as gas prices in general, there are other determining factors besides these mythical "Big Oil" conspiracies.
1. Devaluation of the dollar against other currencies. Everytime the dollar dips, oil is more expensive to US in the USA. The world price of oil is set in dollars; every time the dollar loses value, the price of oil rises.
2. Speculation. Demand for oil futures increases oil prices.
3. Increased demand. The world's two most populous nations (China and India) are rapidly industrializing. Manufacturing and transportation consume oil, as do the Buicks yuppie Chinese now drive. Demand in the USA has dropped slightly as the price has risen. Unless China/India decide to regress, their demand will only increase.
4. Supply. Unless more oil is pumped and refined to keep up with demand, prices will rise. The Chinese are drilling for oil (w/Cuba) closer to our coast than we are allowed to drill. The oil bonanza of ANWR remains untapped--so we can pay terrorist-supporting nations to drill in their homelands instead pf producing our own.
5. Oil is fungible; it is a world commodity. What happens to demand or supply in one region affects the entire world's prices. This is why boycotting companies or whole nations fails. If Venezuela can't sell oil to the USA, they'll sell it to someone else. It's like drinking from a milkshake that has 3 straws---it doesn't make any difference which straw you drink from, the level in the whole glass goes down.
This is a partial list--but remember that the profit margin on oil to the companies is a fraction of the profit margin of state and federal government taxation ($.38/gal in Texas). The profit margin has actually shrunk for most gas stations. Conspiracy theories provide simple answers to complex situations; it is easier to believe the simple theories than listening to Ben Stein drone on--though he is right much of the time.
Many think the federal government should step in to "fix" gas prices. Really? Being old enough to remember the disastrous Carter efforts to cap gasoline prices, I have problems with this "solution". When a supply suddenly becomes scarce, prices naturally rise rapidly; in other words, it's the price that rations gasoline. We have an incentive to use less gasoline. During Katrina/Rita, prices were allowed to rise, and gas was available for rescue, rebuilding, etc. If government caps prices, gas becomes even more scarce because consumers have no incentive to conserve; hence the long lines at gas stations during the Carter administration. The basic economic principle at work here is that if government sets price floors or price ceilings to address price issues caused by shortages or supluses, the shortage or surplus becomes permanent. I don't make up the laws of economics, I just teach them.
Beyond that, what does the federal government do so efficiently that we should also entrust it to set up a bureacracy to ration our gasoline?
BTW regular unleaded was $3.46 this afternoon in San Antonio. I'm watering my lawn right now because we received NO RAIN from this beast of a storm!
RE: Davis Mt. State Park Texas
The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is really nice as well. They have a museum about the desert's unique flora and fauna, a cactus greenhouse where they collect and study native cactus, and a nice hiking trail. Check to see if they have any programs offered for the time you're there. http://www.cdri.org/index.html
If you're there in Oct, there may be some birders there to watch the fall migration. Davis Mtn SP is a big birding site. When the birders are in town there are usually interesting programs at the park, and sometimes at CDRI. There are some historic buildings in town, and I really enjoyed the Butterfield Overland Stage Coach museum--small but really interesting. Otherwise, it is a tiny, beautiful quiet town. Not even a dirt airstrip to break the quiet beauty.
We have already made our Spring Break reservations at Davis Mtn SP--can't wait to go!
RE: What can I pull with a Pontiac Montana
Front wheel drive and trailers are a tough combo. I had a TranSport van with auto air shocks to pull a Coleman popup (GVW 2500); it had power, but it had issues in hills on wet/muddy roads. I had to back the trailer 1/2 mile out of the Bear Den CG because the van could not get enough traction on the front transaxle to pull it uphill out of the site. We traded it in for a used Suburban. Moral--be careful when a RV dealer tells you your van can pull whatever trailer he wants to sell!
RE: Moderate camp grounds in the San Antonio area? Hurricane Ike
Upon further review, San Antonio may not be the best place to go this weekend to escape foul weather, unless you live in Corpus Christi or Victoria. We usually don't get hurricane force winds this far inland, but it gets pretty windy if a storm comes at us directly from the Gulf. Of course, we normally receive relatively few tornadoes (compared to "tornado alley"), but when we do they are usually associated with storms like this (e.g., Gilbert 1988). For this weekend only, Houston may turn out to be a better place to be than San Antonio!
RE: Wind Jammer by Rockwood
You first asked if anyone had one, then asked if anyone has SEEN one. I have seen one, and looked it over in a campground in Colorado this summer. I have a 2008 Rockwood 8272s, and happened to see a Windjammer with the same floorplan. It looks like the hitch-to-bumper length is the same, but most of the tongue is covered by a bow like a shrimp boat. I don't know if it has any effect with wind drag--looks cool, though. After looking at my trailer and the Windjammer (camping with a dog means you get to see all the RVs, several times a day), I wonder what the access to the propane tanks and battery is like--is there room to work, or room for extra batteries? Would I bump my head or scrape my knuckes even more than I already do? I don't know the answer to those questions, but if I get a chance to look inside the compartments I'd be interested to find out.
As far as our Rockwood goes, we love it; it has done well during the three short trips and one long one we've taken this year so far.
RE: Moderate camp grounds in the San Antonio area? Hurricane Ike
Two nice outlying places that fit the bill are linked below. However, I first need to clarify what a poster said upstream---even in severe rain, very little of San Antonio actually floods. The coastal plain is south and southeast of us--they flood frequently. We are not flat like Houston or Victoria, so we only occasionally flood in (normally) dry creek beds. People who try to drive across these water crossings during floods make headlines on the Weather Channel, so do respect those flood barricades. It is hilly here, and some well-marked high water crossings will flood during extreme storms. The KOA may sit in a low area as I recall, but it is not where I'd choose to stay if I were to visit here anyway.
If you don't need cable TV, I'd suggest Guadalupe River SP which sits high above the river. Otherwise, I like the Lake Medina RV Resort and the Castroville Regional Park.
http://www.lakemedinarvresort.net/
http://www.castroville.com/regional_park.htm
RE: Use of Flexfuel
An example---Current national avg. Reg.Unl. v. E-85:
Reg.Unleaded=$3.67, E-85 same location=$3.02, E-85 adjusted price=$3.95.
Why? E-85 contains approx. 25% less energy(meas. btus), so you'll end up getting fewer mpg with E-85. Exactly how much less has a lot of variables, but generically, "green gas" is more expensive.
OR, you get what you pay for! Personally, I'd rather buy the R-U for $3.67 and then go buy some sweet corn for din-din! Green gas is a loser.J
According to the Federal Reserve energy economist at the seminar I attended last year, we're even bigger losers in this E85 mess than it seems on surface. Besides driving up the prices for grain (not just corn), meat, etc, the federal government subsidizes ethanol (yup-your tax money) at 50 cents per gallon. So even if we don't use it ourselves, we're paying for it anyway!
RE: Forest River Products
We've owned a 2008 Forest River Rockwood 8272S since February. We experienced only minor mfg issues, corrected quickly and under warranty, including replacing a cheesy Concertone monitor with a more reliable Venturer flat panel HD TV. It tows well, and from several years of research we decided that this is the best made mid-range trailer in our price range for our purposes. We bought from a dealer that has a well-deserved reputation for good service, and displayed it in my dealings with them so far--Explore USA in San Antonio. However, I think there is a danger of overgeneralizing based upon anectdotal evidence, even mine.
First, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, even Honda and Toyota can all produce individual vehicles that are lemons. Just because one Toyota Tundra is a lemon doesn't make them ALL lemons. The real question is how does a dealer and/or manufacturer handle the situation. Since RV dealers and manufacturers don't operate the same way as car manufacturers (unfortunately), it is really important to buy from a dealer with a good service department who is close enough for you to visit.
Second, lumping all Forest River products together is like lumping all Daimler Chrysler products together. I know that corporation has since split up, but plenty of their products are still on the road. Would you generalize the quality of all Daimler Chrysler products based upon the Dodge Neon's propensity to break down and catch on fire? Neither should you generalize an entire RV megacorporation based on one of its subsidiaries. Some Forest River lines are better designed than others; some are entry level and built more cheaply, others are built to last.
Third, RVs are a study in trade-offs (we economics teachers like this kind of stuff). I own a Rockwood because the K-Z Spree dealer was 80 miles away, and had a questionable service department. We thought the quality of the Spree was probably a little superior, and our research showed us that Rockwoods/Flagstaffs (though designed well) had more assembly issues than Sprees in general. However, the Rockwood dealer was only five miles away and had a good reputation for service, the design was sound, and the price was really good. It worked out well during our month long trip out west and several shorter ones, so as of now I am a satisfied customer.
My point is that instead of relying on anecdotal evidence, check some of the Forest River user web sites to see what they say about the models in which you are interested. Arm yourself with information. It helped us immensely, and we went into the deal with our eyes open to possible future problem areas (e.g., we had the dealer caulk around the shower/tub BEFORE we used it). Also remember that many appliances/features are common to all RVs, so sometimes it just comes down to what floorplan/weight/length fits your needs best.
RE: Camping Etiquette
People that complain to much.
Ditto on that. :B
Double ditto.
People that start whining cry baby threads like this one.http://vboards.stratics.com/images/smilies/drama.gifhttp://www.gsxr.com/images/smilies/Laughing%20rolling.gif
Ditto that as well. If I had so many pet peeves, I'd hate camping!
I agree. We just got back from a 9 day stay at Camp Taylor CG which is pretty much in the boondocks (alot of bears) The last weekend we were there, there was a family reunion with about 40 people. There were kids screaming, dogs pooping, loud music, car doors slamming etc, etc,.... I had a great time knowing all those people were having a great time.. I must be part of the few REAL campers that appreciate camping AND realize I am doing it with other people. We are not all suppost to be the same.(maybe in a library) It is suppost to be fun. What some folks want out of camping sounds more like a morgue...
Agreed...Mabey some people should camp in a church.
Ummm, as a church musician I can tell you that people make as much noise in a church as anywhere else! :R Maybe camping in a cemetery would be a better analogy.:B
RE: preparing for camping in Texas
Thanks, folks! No worries about the washes, as we don't plan to boondock. We might stay in a state park or two for a few days, though, not just private CGs. Feral pigs, eh? Same as Arizona's javelinas, or just returned to the wild? Will keep an eye out. The rest of the critters (including mosquitos) we are quite familiar with. :)
These feral hogs are domesticated pigs (originally European stock long ago) that have reverted to their wild state. Supposedly a pink piggy can turn nasty and brutish in a month if let loose in the wild. Of course, they destroy crops and river banks. They also cause damage in some of my favorite Texas state parks. Javalinas on the other hand aren't really any problem--they survive off the land as they always have.
Idea--require all visitors to Texas to shoot at least five before we allow them to go home!:D
