RE: And the price goes up!
I think if you check out the typical wait times for re-entering at the US/MX border, compared with the US/CAN border, you can see why its not an issue.
http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/
RE: Roof air drain line
Im going to guess that you have the typical roof a.c. unit. Its easy for them to collect leaf bits, dust and other debris. This stuff can clog up the drain holes that let the excess water run off in the normal way, which is onto the roof. Then it normally runs to the low side and off the roof.
If the condensation backs up enough it can run back into the cooling coils (where it came from in the first place), and then get spread around by the cooling blower. (Blowers use a squirrel cage, fans use blades). In such a case, taking the cover off and cleaning all the debris out and opening up any drain holes may solve the problem - at least for a few years.
RE: Toughest RV travel experience?
In the fall we drive from Northern VA, 2000 miles to the southern tip of Texas. In May we return north for the summer. We can count on being snarled up in a work zone or a miles-long accident backup, at least 2 times per trip, if not more. And we avoid large metro areas like Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, etc. by taking side roads. We use the CB to help learn of problems; and it usually saves us one or two additional periods of 'creep-along'. Even driving in the middle of the night we hae run into work zones.
Im thinking its time to change our national motto from: "E Pluribus Unum", to: "Road Work Ahead, Expect Delays!"
RE: $485 for a Preventive Maintenace Service?
I do a LOT of preventive maintenance on my Class A, because I believe the alternative is to fix-an-eventual-failure in the middle of a vacation trip away from home. Just lubing all of the 22 Zerk fittings properly takes over two hours, because the weight of the chassis has to be off the axles to lube spring shackles & steering joints. That has to be done each 4000 miles. When I inspect the internal parts of the brakes (each six years) it takes most of a week, since the drums & hubs must be removed from the vehicle, and the crouching hurts my back.
I must be doing something right though - have never had a breakdown or needed a tow; in 100,000 miles & 27 years of RVing with my current rig & its predecessor. And we have always gotten where we were headed on the day we planned, in about 3 dozen of the states + a few places in Canada and Mexico.
(The biggest hazard to our schedule is highway Work Zones!)
RE: Tunnels/propane tanks
For the rest of the country I think you will have to check state by state or even by tunnel. Some tunnels dont allow propane tanks at all. Some allow them if they are shut off, especially if there isnt a reasonable alternative route. Folks who are driving a lpg powered vehicle might be able to use some tunnels where an RV with propane tanks would not.
RE: Silicone insanity
I also use 100% silicone caulk on my motorhomes - both 1972 Winnebagos. But I remove/replace the stuff about each 2 or 3 years. This is because on a roof seam it seems to lose its adhesion eventually. So does every other product I have tried except for urethane caulking. I dont expect the roof to be leak-free if I neglect it year after year. Compared with urethane rubber, the silicone is much easier for me to remove after its been aging in the sun for 3 years.
I slice away the old (silicone) sealant with an exacto knife, then run a brass bristle brush over whats left, or use my thumbnails. It goes fairly quickly. I formerly used acetone to clean the surface, but it doesnt seem to make much difference. After 2 or 3 years the silicone is still soft and rubbery, and has developed no cracks. My RVs sit outside all the time.
I would agree that if the caulking is hard, I doubt it was 100% silicone; may been an acrylic/silicone mix.
I apply new silicone from a cartridge, using clear around the edges of the windshield gasket, and clear or white for the roof. I use white around the windows on the sides, since my motorhomes are painted white.
I dont think my scheme would work on a rubber roof, but mine is aluminum. If there was once white paint on the roof, its all oxidized long since. I do the work in the evenings, after the sun has dropped below the tree line. It takes me several evenings to do it, plus I usually find something else I need to do on top; replace a vent cap, replace some of the screws around the roof edge, etc.
I have been using the silicone sealant/caulking each 2 or 3 years for the entire 17 years we have owned the first Winnebago - and my roof still seems to be surviving okay. Im 63 and still using a cauling gun - along with my fingers to smooth the bead sometimes. I also did the same thing with the motorhome I had from 1981 to 1991.
I think the seams along the roof edge and above/below the drip rail are equally as important as those running across the roof.
I dont paint over the silicone - so I have no idea how paint would stick to it.
RE: Snowbirds on I-10
We dislike that stretch of I-10 from Mobile to Houston so much that we have driven on side roads (like 190 across LA) or on I-20, and have taken 2 lane roads from Natchez to Alexandria, then down to Kinder, LA.
If you dont care to drive when I-10 is not overloaded (from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.), one of your best tools for crossing this area is a CB radio. That way you might hear about the backup in time to get off the highway, find a restaurant with s-l-o-w service, have a decent meal, and maybe read a good book, or practise scales on the musical instrument of your choise. Thanks to our CB, we were able to enjoy a live Zydeco band along with our cajun food for a couple of hours.
We once took a more northern route that crossed the Toledo Bend reservoir - that was fine. We often leave I-10 soon after getting into Texas at the La border, and go south on 73 to 124 to 87 to Port Bolivar, and take the Galveston Ferry across, then use side roads around the south of Houston.
I dont mind traffic in the small burgs as much as I dislike sitting on a limited access highway, either motionless or trying to keep the trailer wheels off of the bases of the Jersey barriers. At least you can pull over and relieve nature.
At the end of Feb. we drove from N. Va to the Mexican Border, and experienced hour long delays due to accidents and work zones on: I-85 south of Atlanta, on I-10 in western Miss, & at Baton Rouge, and on I-10 heading into Houston. We were visiting friends in the metro areas, or we would have avoided those routes.
And the only reason we didnt feel more frustration; was because there were more & worse backups in the oncoming lanes! The eastbound backup leaving TX on I-10 was 8 miles of creeping cars and trucks.
RE: Crossing border in 5th wheel registered to my sister
There is a further positive step you might ask about. It involves getting a notarized statement from the RV owner, giving permission, stating the title numbers, etc. for the RV. .....
Then: Taking that notarized statement (or statements - I would plan on having a second original) to a Mexican consulate, and have them attach their 'certification' or whatever it is called to the notarized statement.
This type of certification was required (in Mexico) on all paperwork when you are pursuing adoption of children from Mexico.
And I think they wanted that kind of paperwork in both languages too.
Do any of you folks take a 2nd drivers license with you into Mexico? I havent done it in recent years, but did it 20 or more years ago. I began doing this after a friend I was riding with was stopped in Tiajuana (for a dead headlight) and told by the policeman that he had to hand over his driver's license; & get it back at the police station. My friend was a Catholic 'padre', his Spanish was adequate, and we had just taken a youngster with a crushed finger to the emergency clinic downtown - so it ended with handshakes & smiles. I had friends in San Diego who carried a 2nd license with them too, when they journeyed to the 'Baja'. That was in the 70's, and times change I know.
No one has to tell me that most all states wont let you have a 2nd license, but the states I have lived in are happy to replace one that you say your dog ate.
RE: first time to central america!!!
What kind of rig will you be driving? Are you going to stay a long time? Do you have a laptop having a wifi transceiver in it? How many of you will be in the party? Do you speak Spanish? I dont have any special advice, am just being nosey. To me the big reason for having a laptop is so you can download soores of pictures from a digital camera. The lesser reason is to be able to check email and dialog with American Banks.
RE: New rules returning to US from Mexico
I wondered about folks who have been travelling in MX or further south and who havent been back in the U.S. for several months? They might not have all the paperwork needed.
We are 8 miles from the Rio Grande and cross frequently to visit family. I am expecting longer waiting lines to return. I only learned a few weeks ago that this new requirement would be starting at the end of Jan 08. Does that make me 'ignorant' or just that I wasnt concerned? As of ten days ago there were No Signs posted about this requirement when driving out of the U.S. at our usual crossing point.
RE: Oh Man did I screw up???
Maybe I missed it, but did you say how many miles and how many days a year you will be travelling with the TC on the truck, versus how much you will use the truck without the TC on it? I consider there is a big difference between full-timing in the RV while driving in the Rockies, versus a few weeks a year where your big hills would only be in the Adirondacks or the Appalachians.
RE: noticed lights dimming
The same dimming and brightening happens to the interior lights on our Winnebago, when we turn the vent fan on, or change the number of lights. Its noticeable but not something I worry about or want to eliminate. With the exception of some variable reluctance transformers (like the ones made by Sola) the output voltage of the step-down transformer (the main mass in any converter) will be lower as you add more load by turning on lights and fans.
There are converters with regulated outputs, but our rig did not come with one & is really simple. Maybe thats why it still works fine. When running from the coach battery only the lights still dim with added load, but not so noticeably as they do running on a.c from the converter. Any battery has some internal resistance, just like the secondary winding in the converter - so will lose some output voltage with an increased load.
RE: A thread I read about Baja 1000 in Mexico.....Interesting
I agree with the post pretty much - but so far we have only had the good experiences in Mexico. We pretty much travel from the Texas border to visit our relatives in north eastern Mexico (many of them in Monterrey & Saltillo) - who are pleasant people enjoying peaceful lives; and who worry about us travelling in the U.S.A. - where they see too much gun ownership and too much violence.
Each time we visit it seems there is another high school, university, or mall shooting in the U.S.A. on their local t.v. news. Luckily they are polite folks, and turn the t.v off when guests come to visit.
RE: Steering Stabilizer Question
I agree with Jauguston. Dont all motoromes have steering boxes? All steering boxes need periodic adjustment. The ones I am familiar with (Saginaw) need to have slight preloading on the bearings of both the steering shaft and the pitman arm. This adjustment isnt hard. I check mine about each 10,000 miles, and at least each 20k miles have snugged it slightly.
If your RV is on a P30 chassis, or ones similar to it, it will have a 'bell crank' in the steering system, that needs to be lubed often. When it wear, the steering get mushy, not crisp Its enough of a problem that www.cmpingworld.com carries bell cranks.
Of course you should ensure your front wheel toe-in is correct too. I check that each 10,000 miles too. I grease my front axle at least each 2000 miles too, in fact all 22 zerk fittings on the vehicle. We carry a grease gun with us for the purpose.
If somone gave me a steering stabilizer for free I might try it - but my RV steers sweetly and keeps its lane very well, better than many older ones. Like any large flat-sided vehicle in a gusty crosswind, you have to steer to compensate, but its nothing tiring.
This is experience, not theory.
RE: remove cat converter
Once upon a time it was legal in my state for a private citizen to remove the cat. converter, but not for anyone with a business license to do it. But that has changed. This EPA letter applies:
www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/policies/civil/caa/mobile/exhsysrepair.pdf
The letter (dated 1991) refers to 45 of the 50 states having legislation bearing on altering an exhaust system. I am pretty sure it is now 50 states; and probably no two of them are alike as to the language, enforcement, and penalites. Currently the provisions of the Clean Air Act and the EPA regs dont get enforced very strictly for hobbyists - but I expect the enforcement to get progressively more intrusive each year.
RE: SMART CAR
I like the Smart Cars, will be glad to get one - when the used ones drop into my price range (i.e. money I carry in my wallet), or if my kids buy me one some christmas. It remains to be seen if they will be reliable, like the regular Daimler products, or very unreliable - like the Fiats in my life.
For those folks who mention the disadvantages of being involved in an accident in one; I have ridden about 200,000 miles on my present motorcycle. So far no one has hit me - even though I drive no faster than the slower 18-wheelers.
In Italian towns there are plenty of makes/models of cars smaller than the Smart Car. Perfect for crowded streets, short driving distance, gas prices that are not low like ours, and yearly registration fees based on horsepower. $$$!
For the open roads in the U.S., I prefer my airhead BMW.
RE: Phoenix to Ft. Wayne, IN
If you keep your route far enough south, you can take the Natchez Trace Parkway. It runs from Natchez to the northwest - stopping a few miles south of Nashville. Its a National Park - two lane road with no commercial vehicles, no stop signs or traffic lights, no billboards. It also has 3 campgrounds on it; free, but they are 'primitive' - no hook ups.
www.nps.gov/natr/ is the URL.
RE: Watch out Texes, in 1 month we'll be heading your way
Dawndelion: I use weather.org to check the weather anyplace on the planet Im interested in. In our zip code (78570) you can see its pretty nice (also fairly typical). I checked on the weather in your area! Brrr!
Before I retired I used to travel to Minneapolis often, in all seasons. This morning I was in the back yard cutting/planing wood pieces to make some furniture, then varnishing them. Due to the little breeze, I wore a long sleeved shirt and a cardigan sweater. We are in Hidalgo County. Mexico is 9 miles south of us, the Gulf Coast is 45 miles east, and there are many RV campgrounds in the area. People may tell you they are all full by this time, but thats not accurate. There are always empty sites somewhere, if not at the premium places.
We live in TX in the winter months, in Va. in the summer, but in houses. But we have two vintage Winnebagos; one at each location - so we can still enjoy RVing when we like.
I may have to check out the Burger place in Donna. Hopefully its open sundays, since I usually go to the Donna flea market on sunday mornings.
