RE: VA to Yellow stone
It's hard to improve on Cloud Dancer's suggestions. I'd probably head for I-90 sooner, as it doesn't have the traffic that I-80 has, but that's minor. If you stay on I-80 across Iowa, you'll want to go straight when you come to I-680 west of Shelby, IA and take I-680 to I-29. I-80 turns southwest to Omaha at the the I-680 intersection and would be quite a few extra miles for no reason.
And I hope you plan to see more attractions while in the Black Hills than just Mount Rushmore. Lots of interesting sites in the Hills.
The last time I was in VA I drove through much of PA -- past Pittsburgh -- to I-80. It was a nice drive, but I'm not qualified to say what's best back that-a-way.
RE: A very old stray {The Old Fella Story}
Our Yorkie, Katy, developed incontinence while sleeping a couple months before she died. In addition to all her other problems, her kidneys were failing, so I suspect that was the problem. Anyway, the vet gave me some medication for it that worked very well, but I don't remember the name of it.
And Richard, Blackie is REALLY a cutie. I think I'd have called her Sox, with those white feet. Any idea what breed(s) she is?
RE: 5th Wheel Ultra Light Quality Ratings?
I'd certainly consider the Jayco Super Lite for what you want, if only for the name and the long history Jayco has with campers. We have a Puma that we've had good luck with, and it's also a light 5er, but as has already been stated, light-weight and high quality don't go together.
Camper manufacturers are a little different than auto makers in that most of the parts are the same from one brand to the next. Most, I believe, buy the frames, the running gear, windows, furnaces, AC units, vents, plumbing fixtures and all the appliances from other manufacturers, then assemble them. To keep them light, they cut corners.
Incidentally, I've owned both Lexus and Saturn, and the Saturn was (is) the most trouble-free of the two. It's not nearly as comfortable as the Lexus, but in 10 years it's been one of the most trouble-free cars I've owned. You just never know....
RE: A very old stray {The Old Fella Story}
Good for you, Richard. "Charlie" looks and sounds like a great dog. My son has a chocolate lab that's a real sweetie, especially now that she's almost 9 years old and has mellowed out.
RE: Are you changing your RV life because of the cost of gas?
It looks like we'll be skipping our "big" trip this year, but the price of fuel is just a small part of the reason. On a 3000 mile roundtrip, I figure an extra dollar per gallon would cost $250. That in itself wouldn't stop us, but combined with the other costs and lost income for two weeks, we've decided we'd better stay home and work.
RE: Parents bought RV and can no longer afford, advice please?
Contrary to what some believe, banks DO lose when loans go sour. Their aim is to minimize losses, so your mother might be able to strike some kind of deal with them if she explains the problem and asks for help. That would likely go onto her credit rating, however, which could end up costing her more than she'd save.
Personally, I think they should just sell it and pay the difference out of her CDs. She didn't promise to pay off the loan OR return the camper; she promised to pay off the loan. Some states may have different laws, but I think most lending laws are about the same, since banks are regulated by the feds.
For the best advice, she should see one of those greedy lawyers. ; )
RE: Pay For Hours Worked?
Had I not lost my retirement funds we'd prefer to volunteer at gov't campgrounds, but we too will be forced to earn an income workkamping. And it does frost me a bit when I read help wanted ads where they'll provide a site in exchange for full-time work -- sometimes labor intensive, hard work. I'm hoping we'll find campground owners who believe in, and can afford, fair pay for fair work. If we can't do that I'm sure we can find jobs off the campground.
RE: Fishing Bridge campground
Any roads to avoid while pulling our 5'er? This is our first trip pulling our 5'er a long ways....
I assume you'll be traveling on I-90. If so, your logical choices for getting over the Bighorn Mountains will be Hwy. 16 (exiting I-90 at Buffalo, WY) or Hwy. 14 (exiting I-90 at Ranchester, WY). Either route should be okay, but Hwy. 16 through Buffalo would be the easiest drive. Both are scenic, but Hwy. 14 from Ranchester to Greybull is probably a little more so, imho. If you take Hwy. 14, I'd suggest staying on it all the way to Greybull rather than taking Hwy 14A. I've been both ways many, many times but normally choose Hwy. 16.
With either route you'll end up going to Greybull and through Cody.
RE: Renting out home?
I also think Trkrhelp has a great plan for you.
I've had many rentals and renters over the years. Most work out just fine, but every now and then you get one that totally junks the place -- flooring, window coverings, walls, cabinetry, lawn, appliances and even plumbing. And those are the same people who quit paying rent and fight eviction. If your home is small, old and in disrepair, maybe. If it's a nice home, I wouldn't take the chance with anyone other than a handful of people who I know well, and they're not going to be wanting to rent my house.
Button it up, turn off the water, have a nice time on the road with no worries about your renters.
RE: To all 5ver drivers, a ? 4 U.
I currently drive an F250 PSD 4x4. This is my first diesel, 'though I've had it since new in 2000. I've owned 4x4 and 2x4 and would never consider anything other than 4x4 in a pickup. If I could back up 8 years and pick out my truck over again, I'd get an F350 dually. I don't drive much, so the truck still has low mileage and is in almost new condition, but I'm in a situation where we want a larger 5er now, so I really need a dually, but trading isn't cheap.
I mention this because you might very well find yourself in the same predicament in a year or two. Most people trade campers every few years, at least with that first one -- wanting something bigger or different. So even if you start out with a camper light enough for a SRW truck, you may regret the SRW next year. Stick with a one-ton dually with a crew cab and you won't have to trade trucks for anything but the largest, heaviest 5ers. As for 4-wheel drive, trucks get squirrelly unloaded, and dual wheels make it much more so. You'll be kicking yourself repeatedly if you don't get a 4x4. Digging out is a *****; being towed out is expensive.
IMHO, diesel vs. gas would be the most difficult decision, as either option will let you tow safely. If it was me, I'd go with the diesel engine again, but the initial savings with the gas engine could be tempting. The extra power and torque is really nice when towing against the wind, and also comes in handy on the long, steep grades. Mileage is considerably better with diesel. I get about 12 mpg towing and 18 mpg empty driving at 70-75 mph. My previous gasser (F250 w/460) got about 7 and 11, and it was a struggle towing against the wind and/or up hills.
RE: Is the midwest the best place to own a RV today?
I would hope that most of us live where we want to live, so most of us probably think we're in the best place to own an RV. I'm in NE Wyoming and think it's pretty nice to be an hour or so from camping the Black Hills, Devils Tower or a large lake if the weather isn't too hot, or an hour from the Bighorn Mountains if it's too hot at lower elevations. That said, it would be nice to have a longer summer....
RE: Advise on type of camper
I've had lots of aluminum-skinned campers and presently have a 2006 Puma 255RKS. I laid one, an old TC, on it's side many years ago and had to have a section of it reskinned. Cost was minimal -- a couple hundred bucks for the skin, a small window, and installation. I think it was the only one that never had hail damage. I've never had hail damage repaired.
My Puma got hail damage when it was a year old. It's minor on one side and I don't intend to have it repaired. Cost would be about $4500 and it's barely noticeable. We bought it when we broke an axle on a trip with our old 5er. Rather than wait a few days for a repair, we picked it from a handful on the lot owned by the kindly gentleman who helped us limp into town on three wheels. It's not quite as large nor fancy as we'd have liked, but the price was right.
Other than a blown tire on its maiden voyage, it's been trouble-free since we got it. It pulls great and we've enjoyed it, although we are looking for something larger that would be better for full-timing.
If you get much hail where you live, marble sized or larger, and will be storing it outdoors, fiberglass is probably a better way to go if you can afford the extra couple thousand dollars. If hail is rare, aluminum is a good, durable siding. I've owned five aluminum-sided campers and one that was fiberglass. I've only had one that leaked, and that was a roof leak.
RE: Workamping for Gay Couple?
I'm not a workamper (yet), so maybe there's something I'm unaware of, but I've never been asked by an employer or prospective employer whether I'm gay or straight, and I've never volunteered the information. I've also never done anything in the public area of a campground that would indicate what kind of sex life I enjoy (or don't).
Sorry, I just see no point in bringing it up. If you and your partner act like most old married couples do, nobody will give it a thought. On the other hand, if you enjoy broadcasting your sexual preference, you may have problems, gay or straight.
RE: Pilgrim's new Ultima Composilite fifth-wheel
It's great to see them trying something new. "For every thousand pounds that we can take out of the unit itself, it will save 9% on fuel," sounds a like a bit of a stretch.
RE: Yacht sales and rentals are way down
I've considered going fulltime in a sailing yacht instead of a camper. I'd do it if I had the know-how... or the time to learn before I was too old. (Oops, too late!) I've known people who did it -- even as far as building their own boat to sail around the world.
A friend once asked me to help him sail his 50-foot boat to Hawaii. I sure wish I'd have taken him up on it. *shakes head* The things we always regret are those which we didn't do.
RE: Wall Covering
I've never tried it with self-sticking wallpaper, but I'm wondering if plain old wallpaper paste wouldn't work. At least it would go on smooth and be easy to clean up.
RE: Living in a 5er in Ohio
I'll betcha the winters in Ohio aren't any worse that those in NE Wyoming, and we have LOTS of people "full-timing" in 5ers here. My wife has a friend who's lived in one for years with her hubby. They just bought another new one last year.
An old friend of mine is a dealer here for Forest River and Newmar. He sells lots of Cedar Creeks, but he told me he'd much rather sell a Newmar, even for the same profit, because the Cedar Creeks keep him busy in the winter when they freeze up. Says he's never had to thaw out a Newmar. He was a mobile home dealer years ago, so I'm sure he knows about winterizing. Just something to keep in mind if you decide to buy a 5er. You might be happier in a higher-end "fulltime" unit, even if it means getting one a few years old.
