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RE: 1st time Canadian snowbird
I was going to reply in more detail but "masman" said most of it already. It was our first year last year and we selected Canyon Visa after doing a lot of research on the web and this website. We really enjoyed it and ended up buying a park model as well. We liked the park because it is smaller, has great views, has lots of very friendly and helpfull people, has good staff and was a good location. Close to the city, but far enough out so that it is not too busy traffic wise. Very close to a good grocery store, some good restaurants and other services. We have a site right on the desert which we liked, but the interior ones are very nice too, especially along the green belt. Sites are very spacious compared to many.
Forget Bell Express-vu, it just does not work. Some friends were using it, but they had to use a large dish (30"??) and I don't think they got all the channels. We ended up using Mediacom cable for the five months we were there which worked OK.
Internet wireless is sporadic and the management told us last year that they did not intend to upgrade it. It is only offered as a courtesy. We found it managable for what we wanted it for, but if you are a heavy user, you would probably want to use Medacom as well for that.
I-15 south is OK in November and March. You can definitely get snowstorms and some icy roads but it only lasts for a day or so. Just be prepared to wait it out if necessary. If you hold off travelling until the weathe forecast shows 3 or 4 good days, that works.
We did look at Yuma and actually went down there for a week, but although a nice place, we liked Canyon Vista much better.
Hope you find a good place that suits you. Personally, I would recommend making a reservation. I know people come down and find spots, but the problem is, that those sites might not be the best ones and that can color your impression of the area. We did the research, picked a park that suited us and then had a good look around at other parks and areas. Worked for us.
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bjbear
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08/23/08 09:21pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Garbage truck TH
The pictures don't seem to match. Where are the windows shown on the inside photo. No sign of them on the outside of the vehicle.
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bjbear
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08/14/08 08:14am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Reservations for Arizona Winter
Highly recommend Canyon Vista. It is perfectly located for us. Far enough out of the city but close enough to go when you want. Walking distance (or bike) to Basha's Grocery and bank. Good restaurants close by.
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bjbear
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07/25/08 11:35pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Diesel prices in Canada?
Check out http://www.mjervin.com/WPPS_Public.htm
It is usually more accurate than Gas Buddy. Diesel in Vancouver is $1.51/liter and Prince George will be higher than that. To convert to US$/gal, multiply by 3.97 (1.51 Can$/liter = 6.00 US$/gal)
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bjbear
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06/21/08 01:12pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Zerks on axles
I follow the directions for my dexter axles and have not had a problem. One of the key instructions is to rotate the wheel while you add the grease. This is important as it helps to ensure the seal maintains a good seal. It is also important to use a manual grease gun only and to pump the grease in slowly so as to not overwhelm the seal should there be a blockage in the bleed ports.
I also remove the wheel so that I can clean up the expelled grease. Otherwise, I find that I get stains on my wheels from the axle cover inserts that get filled with grease.
Dexter axles are a totally different animal than a regular axle with "bearing buddies" installed. Been their, done that and really regretted it!!
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bjbear
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06/19/08 09:41am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Want a 'down south' vehicle.......
Has any Canadian actually registered a vehicle in Arizona? I looked into it last year, and as far as I could determine, you need an Arizona drivers license to do so. I did hear that it was possible to set up a LLC (limited liability company) to get around it, but do not have any details....plus I suspect it would be a lot of yearly paperwork to do so.
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bjbear
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06/01/08 10:33am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Rates at Canyon Vista
One more thing.......... The WiFi is very poor. Not bad early in the year, but when the park gets full, it becomes pretty spotty. The residents had a meeting with the management but were told they do not have any intention at this time of upgrading. Mediacom cable does offer a pretty good deal if you bundle cable and internet together ($59.00/mo)
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bjbear
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05/30/08 11:41am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Rates at Canyon Vista
We stayed there last year, and enjoyed the park a lot. Found that it was a good location....far enough to be out of the city, but close to everything. Last years rates were:
Daily (incl elec) $36.00
Weekly (incl elec) $200.00
Monhly $540.00
3 Month $1530.00
4 Month $1990.00
5 Month $2487.00 (this is what we choose)
Annual $3550.00
The park was full last year so like "justlou" said, you should make reservations as soon as possible. Also, last year they announced that they wanted to switch from mostly RVs to 90% park models and they were selling a lot of them. Almost all the desert sites were taken, but there are lots of other sites that are nice. The lots are quite large compared to many other parks. Maintenance was good.
The pool is nice and the ballroom is adequate. The craft rooms are a little crowded, but workable. The woodshop is not very good as it is just an outside area fenced off with a roof....very crowded.
The people are very nice and there are lots of activities. As I said, we really enjoyed our stay there and would recommend it to others.
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bjbear
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05/30/08 11:38am |
Snowbirds
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RE: All Canadians better buy U.S. dollars
I follow the exchange rate using Scotia Bank's forecast at (Click Here) which I have found to be fairly accurate.
It shows that the exchange rate will be around $1.04 which means that for small amounts under $1000.00 we can expect to pay $1.06 Canadian for every US$. That is about .03 to .04 cents more than right now....probably a small advantage when you compare exchanging money now to keeping the money in the bank earning interest (less taxes).
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bjbear
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04/26/08 09:25am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Snowbird Know Nothing Needs Advice
A park model for sure is the way to go if you do not intend to travel to different places during the winter. If you intend to stay in one place, the total all-in cost of a park model is substantially less than a motorhome or trailer.
We had originally intended to travel more, but last year we found that we really enjoyed staying in one place. We found a great park in Gold Canyon just outside of Apache Junction called Canyon Vista. It has large sites and up to this year catered more to RVs than park models. They are now promoting park models and have some good deals. We got a site that backs on the desert and are pretty happy with it.
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bjbear
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04/17/08 12:19pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Anyone use a ramp behind their TH to haul the extra toys?
Before I got my toy hauler, I looked at the option of adding a platform onto the back of my 30' fiver. Being an engineering type, I worked out the forces involved and found that although it was easy to design a platform that would work when the trailer was not moving, it got complicated when I looked at the forces encountered while driving down the road.
The problem is when you go over a bump and the back of the trailer moves downward. The force on the trailer frame is proportional to the velocity squared times the distance from the axle mounts to the center of the additional load.
To make a long story short, I now own a toy hauler!!!
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bjbear
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04/17/08 12:08pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Pulling the Raptor 3814
Great to hear your experience pulling your trailer. Weight is a hot topic and there are lots of opinions.
I am of the opinion, that there is a reasonably large safety factor built into the manufacturers ratings and that with care, they you can pull and stop over the limit to some small degree. You obviously are well aware of the weights of yourrig and are driving with care.
On your trip, did you climb or descend any significant hills?
My rig is about 24000 #s and is over the GCWR, but under all the individual axle and tire ratings. On the flat or on normal hiway hills, my dodge handles the weight very well. On any grade greater than 5% however, the performance was not as good as I would like. I ran the rig stock for several years then had an exhaust brake and performance chip added. Also upgraded the transmission and TC to handle the extra load as I was noticing some slip. This greatly improved the driving experience...particularily going down hill.
Also, a comment on the dually. I had the same thoughts before I bought it that it would not be good for a daily driver, but after buying it, I find that it works well and is very manageble. You get used to the extra width. Just have to park farther away from the mall door ..... good excersise!!
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bjbear
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04/16/08 08:48am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Returning to Canada with liquor
Check out http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5056-eng.html#P021 for Canadian Customs info..........
******************** Quote from above web page ***************
Alcoholic beverages
You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcohol free of duty and taxes:
1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine;
1.14 litres (40 ounces) of liquor;
a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of wine and liquor; or
24 x 355 millilitre (12 ounces) cans or bottles (maximum of 8.5 litres) of beer or ale.
Note
We classify "cooler" products according to the alcoholic beverage they contain. For example, beer coolers are considered to be beer, wine coolers are considered to be wine. We do not consider beer and wine products not exceeding 0.5% alcohol by volume to be alcoholic beverages.
You can bring in more than the free allowance of alcohol except in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. However, the quantities must be within the limit set by the province or territory where you will enter Canada. If the value of the goods is more than the free allowance, you will have to pay both customs and provincial/territorial assessments. For more information, check with the appropriate provincial or territorial liquor control authority before your arrival back to Canada.
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bjbear
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03/25/08 10:14am |
Snowbirds
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Catalina State Park north of Tucson
We want to visit Tucson from Apr 1 to 8th. Does anyone have an idea how busy Catalina State Park will be and if I will have trouble getting a site as they don't accept reservations?
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bjbear
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03/16/08 10:53am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Compression brake for 03 Dodge 3500 Cummins
I second the Pacbrake PXRB. I comes with a controller that will control the lock-up on the 48RE transmission. Works well.
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bjbear
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03/04/08 09:40am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Amp Draw
Until I purchased one last month, I did not realize how important a tilt mount was. Before, my 120 watt panel could not keep up to my furnace and lights use here in Arizona. Now that I have the panel tilted up at about 45 degrees, I am now keeping up even on days that have some cloud. Of course when we had a couple of rainy days a week ago, I had to turn on the converter for about and hour to top up.
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bjbear
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02/27/08 12:29pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: How to Store a MH in RGV
Make sure you add fuel stabilizer, and run engine long enough to ensure it makes it to the injectors (or carb). Do the same with a generator if you have one.
Also, buy a 15 watt solar panel and hook it up to your batteries. This will keep them topped up and they will be fine next year. If you have separate house and engine batteries, you should use a separate panel for each bank. Don't use too large a solar panel or it will boil the water off (unless it has a controller). Also, before you leave, make sure the batteries are topped up with distilled water and the master disconnect switch is off.
If rodents are a problem, take 2 or 3 plastic margarine containers or similar. Cut holes in the top then add a few real moth balls. Place randomly in cupboards, closets, etc. This will keep the mice out. When you return, dispose of them and the smell will go away quickly.
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bjbear
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02/26/08 10:07am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Wanderer Wagon
When I was purchasing my toy hauler, I did look at the Wanderer. I did not buy because when I crawled underneath, I found that the frame was so light duty, that I felt it would not sustain long term use without deforming. Also, compared to other brands, the interior fitting was very poor. The unit was less expensive than others, but in my opinion, the little extra cost for a better unit was a better deal.
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bjbear
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02/21/08 09:28am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Hooking up
Don't have a Reese, but did have a similar problem with my Hensley T3. It was a small burr that had formed on the kingpin. Wasn't very large, but just enough to keep the jaws from closing completely. I ground off the burr with a dremel tool and have not had any problem since.
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bjbear
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02/07/08 07:14pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Brake Controller
Well based on this discussion, I had decided I should probably buy the Brakesmart. However, when I went on their website, I was definitely not impressed. I wonder about the quality of the product when I see such a poorly put together site. I then sent them an e-mail asking them to clarify the brake disconnect feature and how I can purchase a unit. So far no reply. I am reconsidering the Hensley as I have delt with them in the past (T3 Hitch) and their service was outstanding.
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bjbear
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02/05/08 09:07am |
Towing
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