RE: Have Tahoe, need trailer, will travel.
I have a 2004 Tahoe Z71 with 5.3L engine, 4wd with towing package and I am towing a 2007 Forest River Flagstaff 26RLS ultralite with a dry weight of 4500 lbs. I did all the calculations before I bought this trailer which indicated it was ok and so far no problems. I use a weight distributing hitch and a sway bar.
RE: Driving from Ft. Worth the Grand Canyon
Skip the South Rim and spend your time at the North Rim. Much fewer people, great rim hikes available and close to Zion, Bryce, Best Friends in Kanab, Page, etc.
RE: Trying KOA for second time
My wife and I worked at the Grand Canyon North Rim last year and it was great. My wife walked to work at the gift shop each morning along side the canyon and had a super view. What a great way to start the morning. I was in charge of the employee dorms which was a lot of work but still enjoyable. We didn't have an rv at that time so we stayed in the dorms for a couple of months and then moved to a cabin in the campground. Since I controlled the dorms, our dorm experience was good. The food was usually very good with an occassionally bad meal. Overall a great experience. On our days off, we explored some amazing places. We would be there again this year except for some pressing matters here at home.
Anyone familiar with Quikwheel
Let me say first that I am fairly new to towing a travel trailer and would appreciate any advice you can give. I recently saw an ad for a wheel device that fits on the end of the hitch jack and supposedly allows you to move and position a "heavy" trailer by turning a hand crank. If this works, it looks like it would be helpful in tight situations and for moving trailers after unhitching from tow. Does anyone have any experience with this item or anything similiar?
Thanks
Fred
Any experience working for Forever Resorts?
My wife and I are considering working for Forever Resorts at the North Rim. Does anyone have any experience with this company? This will be their first year as concessionaire at the North Rim.
RE: First Time RVer - Question of buying gas
Thanks to everyone for all the encouraging responses. It is good to know that this is a common concern for new RVers. I will certainly use yours suggestions and try to get as much practice as possible before we leave for AZ.
In answer to rscraig's comments on the opening date for the North Rim, my wife and I plan to work there for the concessionaire next year so we expect to report a few weeks before the official park opening in mid-May. We worked there this past summer and enjoyed working, living and playing in a national park so much we want to return. However, since we did not have an rv, we lived in the dorms (which I would not recommend for a retired couple but it was not as terrible as you might expect.) While there, we received much encouragement from the full-time RVers we met to purchase an RV if we continue working in National Parks. Having an RV offers many advantages over employee housing and dining room food. Also, the concessionaires running these facilities prefer to hire RVers because they are more likely to be good workers and are more willing to remain the entire season.
If anyone is interested in working at the North Rim this coming year, my wife and I would be happy to answer any questions we can and share our experiences from last year.
Regards,
Fred
First Time RVer - Question of buying gas
Hello,
My wife and I recently purchased our first rv, a slightly used 2007 Forest River Flagstaff 26RLS travel trailer from Tom Johnson Camping Center in Marion, NC. So far, the only experience we have with the trailer (or any rv) has been the training provided by Tom Johnson, spending one night in their campground, winterizing the trailer the next morning and then towing the trailer with our 2004 Tahoe about 40 miles west on I-40 to a rented storage place south of Asheville. This trip was uneventful and the Tahoe did a great job of pulling the trailer up the mountain.
Since we plan to tow the trailer to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in April for an extended stay, we want to get some experience before we make that ~2500 mile trip. Hopefully, we can get some practice backing the trailer up in the a lot next to our storage facility and then take several shorter trips before we leave on the big one.
I have to admit that I am nervous about driving with the trailer but hope that some experience will set my mind at ease. However, one question I have is about buying gas. Since we bought the trailer, I have been evavluating every gas station I see as to how difficult it would be to pull the Tahoe and trailer (29' tip to bumper) up to the pumps and then exit without hitting someone car or the pumps. It looks like a lot of gas stations were not designed for rv traffic and I am concerned about whether this is a problem or just my lack of experience. Gas stations in some of the remote sections of Arizona are few and far between and I have visions of having to unhook the trailer and going to get gas in the tow vehicle. Any tips or comments?
Thanks,
Fred
