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RE: End of another season.....most memorable experience.....
Folks it is not over yet. Our most fun trips have been to ready...
Branson, Mo. especially in the fall. There are so many things to do
including the shows (my favorite are the Liverpool Legends), camping
at State or Corp of Engineers Parks (they are still cheap) and offer
breathtaking views of Table Rock Lake, then you can rent a pontoon and
do some Bass Fishing or just putt around, many of the State Parks near by offer Trout Fishing some spots with full hook ups only a hour or less away. Some of the Corp parks jut out into Table Rock Lake and offer electric and water with the lake on three sides (I always wondered where those spots were) then there is the best golfing on uncrowded fairways with tees on cliffs, if that leaves you bored then drop off the boss at the new Branson Outdoor Mall and don't miss the new Bass Pro Restaurant which also juts out into the Lake, awesome food at reasonable prices (ask for a table on the lake), after that you can work off a meal at Silver Dollar City walking those hills and seeing folks really enjoying themselves. This place is especially a real treat in November as they are getting the Christmas stuff out and the temps are still in the 70's with fall colors all around. Don't leave Silver Dollar City until you have seen it at night with all the Christmas Lights it can leave you with the best camping trip memories ever. This has been and still is one of the best Family camping trips and expeiences we have had for the whole family. If you have not already winterized your RV don't, Branson and Mo. is bursting with fall colors and just a whole lot of FUN. It is not
over yet and gas is $2.50/gal in Branson and going down!! Last don't miss Dicks Five and Dime downtown, it is like going down memory lane. Dennis/ Portage, Wisconsin
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TravilinMan
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10/19/08 09:32am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Is it ok not to use the pink stuff?
Blowing out the lines caused the gaskets in some of the valves
to "pop" lose and I could not shut them off. Had to remove the
problem valves and move the gaskets back where they belong, then
the faucets (valves) worked again. Just my experience with blowing
the lines out, never had a issue with the "pink" antifreeze. Use
about a gallon in a 30 foot TT.
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TravilinMan
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10/19/08 07:44am |
Travel Trailers
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Towing with 2003 Chevy Burban 3.73/5.3 liter
Anyone have the same SUV? What do you tow with it? Do you experience
a lot of down shifting the way we do pulling a 30foot TT, no slide,
empty 5500lbs. Even pulling our 3500lb boat it downshifts a lot from
3rd gear, using tow/haul or not makes no difference. Is this truck made to do this in which case this is "normal"? It also seems thirsty (aver. about 8-9mg) but in respect it pulls hills with ease even those in Branson, Mo. If it can not even pull a 3500lb boat without down shifting a lot, what was it made for? Have to hand it
to GM though it is the highest quality SUV we have ever had! Never have returned it to the dealer for anything except normal maintenance and we have 60K towing miles on it.
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TravilinMan
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08/31/08 06:09am |
Tow Vehicles
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Covered Bridge Festival Turkey Run
Anyone have suggestions for camping with full hookup around Turkey
Run State Park in Indiana. The Covered Bridge Festival is October
10-19th, 2008 and naturaly there are no campsites left for those dates. So where do you all camp around there when the park is full?
Last year they say there were 2,000,000 people that visited the park and most probablly were there for the festival. So no wonder the park is full for those dates but we need full hook up anyhow so I hope someone has some suggestions. Pulling a 30 foot Jayco TT.
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TravilinMan
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08/20/08 03:44pm |
Rallies, Shows and Gatherings
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RV Brakes/Controller
My concern is this....with my brake controller I can rapidly slow down
the whole rig but I don't know how much is being done by the TV and how much is being down by the RV. Without using the TV brakes I have noticed the brake controller will not lock up the RV brakes in a emergency stop for example. Should it be able to do this? I asked the dealer and he didn't know, only that it should be able to slow the trailer down rapidly. He said that is a good question? I think you should be able to lock up the RV brakes. They said everything is fine as far as their installation goes and it is working the way it should even though I can not lock up the wheels like you can with your tow vehicle in a emergency stop. Dennis Portage, Wisconsin
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TravilinMan
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07/12/08 01:17pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Which to buy
Airstream or Sunnybrook would be my pick if I was going to live in
it and have something left after towing great distances. The rest
in my opinion are just RV's not that there is anything wrong with that but they in my opinion are seasonal, these two have live ability and
durability for all kinds of weather. You might consider a bump out also but they add weight.
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TravilinMan
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07/12/08 11:15am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Do you lock your battery, propane tanks, and spare tire?
Have you noticed what it takes in $$ to fill a 30 pounder these days?
Lock them up. Life is going to be different during the new age of
energy shortages and desperate types are getting crafty. I think fear of not having energy period is causing idiots to store gasoline and propane thinking the sky is falling. I talked to a dealer that lost a bunch of full LP tanks off his RV's recently, he said in all the years he has been in business this had never happened before. They steal them full or empty.
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TravilinMan
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07/12/08 07:36am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Awning Lights..Do You Leave Them Plugged In All Night?
Well if you like bugs leave them on. I never was "bugged" by people leaving them on but now with energy crisis it mike make sense to turn them off. I rigged a interior switch to the outside plug so once inside I can just flip a switch. Then again with people stealing Propane tanks it might make sense to have some outside lights on when you are not at your camper. Talked to a dealer that lost a bunch of propane tanks, never before had he been ripped off like this. Must be a new generation of idiots and desperate types.
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TravilinMan
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07/12/08 07:19am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Towing With 2007 4.8 Vortec
We have a 2004 Burban with the 5.3 Vortec. The engine is fine seems
powerful even on hills in Branson, Mo. where we actually pass four wheelers running the air and towing a 30 foot Jayco TT. People look in amazement but here is the kicker. The Trany shifts in and out of gear a lot even in Tow/Haul. We never use OD and it still is disturbing even on slight inclines. The truck has a 3.93 rear end which helps it get off the line but at speeds over sixty it causes the truck to shift down a lot even pulling my 3500lb boat. This truck also burns more gas than my old Burban with the 3.42 rear end. I have talked to others and all I heard was "yeh my rig did that to" so I guess this is normal. The TT weighs about 5500lbs empty and pulls "like a dream" no sway even with big rigs passing. The quality of this truck is superior to anything on the road. I have never had a problem with anything even those areas indicated by Consumer Reports. The brakes are still perfect after sixty thousand miles and we drive those Branson, Mo hills a lot. If I were to change anything it would be what has been suggested here: get a bigger engine and the 2500 model, ours is the 1500. If I were really looking to do a lot of towing I would go to a diesel but Chevy does not put diesels in Burbans and we need the enclosed space a Suburban offers. Overall this is a awesome truck and seems almost indestructible. It pulls this TT with ease so long as you feed it. They are made up here in Janesville, Wisconsin but there seems to be some talk of closing the plant if so this truck should go down in history as being the best made four wheel drive Americans ever produced. We love every trip we take in it. Dennis in Portage, Wisconsin
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TravilinMan
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07/10/08 08:30am |
Travel Trailers
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Fort Collins, Colorado
This topic has been moved to another forum.
You can read it here: 21638598
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TravilinMan
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07/10/08 07:46am |
Travel Trailers
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Fort Collins, Colorado
Anyone been to Fort Collins with a TT? Where would you stay again
out there if you wanted full hookup? We have a old but trusty 30' Jayco TT that just keeps on going and has been all over except out there.
Our Son-in-Law got a new job making wind mills for our energy crisis and packed up our grandkids, our daughter, and left their home for a apartment in Fort Collins. I hate to see those wind mill farms but I heard they could solve a third of our energy crisis, maybe then gas would come down? So far our daughter has been told to watch out for Black Bear and Cougars in their parking lot. What kind of
place is this? They have a tent camper and want to camp with us, do
we need bear spray or something? So far they like the area but their dog got her tail smashed in the car door and had it removed by a local vet. We changed her name to stubby. Dennis and Bunny, Retired for ten years.
Post moved from TT Forum to Campgrounds, resorts, and Attractions Forum
Moderator - TT Forum
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TravilinMan
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07/10/08 07:46am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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Firewood
We all are encountering campgrounds which don't allow you to bring
in your own firewood. They want to sell you their wood which is
"safer" for the environment. What do ya all think? Is this just
"bull" or is there something to this? Our last trip to the Grand
Canyon was a lot of fun but we were not allowed to have fires at
all. I miss the good old days when you could burn leaves and enjoy
a campfire. Us Old Timers can remember fifty cent gas and station wagons that could do everything including towing your RV and hauling a load of firewood, all your gear, and two kids to boot. We didn't have to have a "battle cruiser" that got 12mpg solo just my old Ford wagon that returned 26mpg solo and never groaned pulling 5,000lbs. Non-organaic firewood and stations wagons, those were the days.
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TravilinMan
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06/25/08 07:11am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Converting to TT to save on fuel costs?
I get 8-9mpg towing a 1994 Jayco 302FK. I think it weights in at
about 5,400 lbs +/- empty. My burban is a 5.3 liter 2004 model with a 3.73 rear end. The truck pulls the weight but wants to shift down from third to second to often, it is frustrating and gets on your nerves. I tried a wind deflector with no improvement. Even pulling my 19 foot boat it will shift down a lot. My old 99 burban with a 5.7 liter and 3.42 rear end got better mileage a consistent 9-10 or even higher. Folks told me it was not good to tow with the 3.42 rear end but it did fine, just a little slow off the line but never had the down shifting problem. The trany lasted 100K but I'm sure it was stressed from that 3.42 axel. Soon afterwards the airconditioning lines started leaking just after I put in a new transmission. The cost to repair was more than a sticker shock. Then other things started going wrong so I traded it. The new truck is a work of art outstanding quality and I never have experienced any problems not even those listed in Consumer Reports for this model. I may be underpowered for this size TT but the tow rating is around 7,000lbs and the two of us don't take much along so I know I'm under.
that. I would go with a diesel for that size trailer and remember you may have a sway problem you didn't have with the MH especially when being passed by big rigs. That has been the advantage to a fifth wheel or MH. TravilinMan
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TravilinMan
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06/18/08 10:37am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Tire covers....
Fred, My dad always coverd his tires on his TT even while camping for a few days. I never did on my 94 Jayco 302FK. The tires lasted
over ten years and then I saw the seperations and got them replaced and that was not a easy thing to do on the road. The tire stores didn't have four only three and that fourth one delayed us leaving for two days. I'm still not covering them but I think dad had a good idea as the area he lived in had a higher UV index than up North.
Watch the Weather channel they give UV levels for different areas in the country. Naturally it is higher in the South. TravilinMan
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TravilinMan
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06/18/08 09:46am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Propane tank valve
I hate these new safety LP tanks. The first ones I got leaked just
the opposite of your problem I guess. Then I had one that would not let the gas out at all but the really big problem you may not have experienced yet, people are stealing these things since energy prices shot up. I visited a dealer and he had lost a bunch of them off of
his new RV's so once you get them to work I would find some way to lock them down. I also heard they are used in making crystal...or something. I'm exploring ways to secure my tanks to the trailer since I heard this. I guess the safety device is here to stay but it would not have prevented a fire I had with my grill. One afternoon I hit the "sparker" to grill some dogs and three flames ignited at each of the valves on top of the grill. It looked like an explosion was about to happen and I was going to be grilled in stead of the dogs. Should I leave and call 911, should I just run and let the thing explode and burn the house down, or should I just reach over and turn the gas off. I got realy stupid and kneeled down and turned the gas off just under the three foot torches above me. The maker of the grill said, I probably had spiders or wasp nests in the tubes and needed "spider guards". I wish they required these things on all grills but I don't think they do so you have to check those venturi tubes each season. Now there is a safety device the government should mandate because after telling this story others have said it happened to them. A few years ago I saw a guy light his oven in his TT and got blown right out the front door landing at the base of a tree, the chopper picked up the pieces and we watched as they put the fire out in his trailer. This was a horriable accident. This stuff does need safety devices, but I think the thing needs improving so we don't have to bang the tank on the ground, as was suggested in another post, to get it to work.
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TravilinMan
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06/18/08 09:29am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Are Jaycos' Good Trailers?
I have a 94 Jayco 302FK, The thing is still flawless. We have bounced this 30' TT all over the USA on roads that had craters for
surfaces and the only thing that happened is that the bathroom door
mirror came lose, not down just lose. No cracks, leaks, or anything. The only design change I would have made was to the drain pipes but they have improved that over the years. I have abused this TT and it takes it. The thing sits out in all kinds of winters, just got 100 inches of snow here in Wisconsin and my house had ice dam damage but the Jayco was fine! I'm hoping to find a Jay Feather to replace this trailer but I really don't know why, just spoiled I guess and want new things. In fact the new Jay Feather will probably weight more than my old Jayco. They really knew how to build them back then when gas was fifty cents and weight was not that big of a deal. My station wagon pulled it just fine. Someone always gets a lemon and I bet your friend was the unlucky one this time. Don't worry that Jayco will out live its owner :>)
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TravilinMan
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06/18/08 08:44am |
Travel Trailers
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Awning Supports
Wind damage forced me to replace my 26' roll out awning. The RV
Shop in the area was doing a landoffice business replacing these things at almost every campsite. For some reason We decided to replace the awning at the dealer we purchased the TT from after we got home. I should have had it done at the campsite because I would have seen how the new ones were built. Instead we had it done at the dealer. The old awning was a master piece of quality that came with my 95 Jayco 302FK and I assumed wrong that awnings were still made this way instead I got a flemzy imitation of what I used to have. The arms came "U" shaped instead of a full box frame which is one of the weakest designs I have ever seen. The fastners on the arms to keep them extended constantly break free and allow the arms to come crashing down. To avoid liability (I guess) the awning company posted signs that in some cases the arms could "slip" and cause severe harm to the user. All this for over $800.00. The dealer says, "they are all made this way now". Are they? How about it does anyone else out there have these new and improved roll out awanings. If so how are you keeping the arms from snapping out of position and cutting your fingers off when extending them and after? In addition, I guess I will have to "tie" the awnings down something I never had to do with my old ones. The awning company has had a fine reputation with me until now. I called them and was told I could get the stronger arms like my old ones for more money. Don't you think the dealer should have told us these were available? Oh well that old Jayco does not owe us a thing and it was my fault for assuming the quallity would be the same after all these years. My suggestion is to be there when ever you are having someone else replace parts on anythng these days.
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TravilinMan
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06/18/08 07:51am |
Travel Trailers
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