RE: Towing Funfinder with Envoy XL
I am towing a Roo 21 with my 2004 Envoy XL. The GVWR of the Roo is 4800 pounds. We pack relatively light, but we also have 4 kids, so the towing capacity of the Envoy is reduced by the weight of the occupants (400 lbs.) and contents (500 - 700 lbs estimated), so the 5400 pounds quickly becomes 4400 lbs.
The towing experience, with the weight distribution hitch (installed by the dealer) and friction sway control is acceptable. You certainly know that you are pulling a load, and in hilly terrain, I am not going to set any speed records, but I try to keep the speed at around 100 Km/hour (~60 mph) to improve the gas mileage, which I would rate as terrible (I haven't calculated it, but I would guess it is less that 8-9 mpg).
I am relatively happy with this combination for the short trips that we have been doing, but in the future, especially as the kids continue to grow, and cut into that towing capacity, I am sure that we will have to look for a heavier TV.
Just my $0.02 worth.
RE: Coleman Roadtrip grill
This is not just a problem with the Coleman grills. Any propane appliance that is stored outdoors is a candidate for spider intrusion. I had the same problem with my grill at home a few years ago. since then, I have tried to seal up the obvious openings into the cabinet under my grills and I keep a small baby bottle brush to clean the venturi tubes as part of my cleaning regiment.
If you look in the Cleaning and Maintenance section of the documentation that came with your grill, this is a standard warning in most of the manufacturer's literature.
As rrbowman said, Spiders love propane.
Thanks for the reminder and safety tip.
RE: Critter damage in engine compartment?
In my 2003 Montana (mini-van), my wife was driving in the winter and after about 5 minutes, with the heater fan on, the entire dash started to vibrate and make a significant banging noise. In the shop, the mechanic told us that a mouse had started to build a nest in the fan wheel of the vehicle. We were lucky that we found it before he had salvaged alot of nesting material, such as insulation and more destructively, wire insulation and conduit material. We figured the poor guy was able to keep up with the wheel before fatigue and centrifugal force got the better of him. I guess the warm engine compartments of these vehicles are a tempting resting place for all kinds of God's creatures.
RE: Grill help for the grill-illerate!
go6car wrote:
"Our grill goal is: lightweight, portable, and a bigger cooking surface (we currently have one that only has 105 sq ft)so that we can feed all our family camping visitors wihtout having to eat in shifts, LOL!!"
105 square feet???? - how big is your family??? :-)
Anyway, I have the Coleman Roadtrip, and a friend who camps with us has the Weber, and if I had my choice, I would go with the Weber. Much more even heat distribution, easier to clean (although, the road trip is not that bad to clean).
At the end of the day, you will not go wrong with either one, so look for a sale, and start marinating the steaks.
RE: Tow Vehicle
I have an '04 Envoy XL with the same engine and gear ratio. We are hauling a Roo 21 (no slides), with a GRVW of 4800 pounds. I agree with the other posters that the tow will be a decent one on flat roads, but you won't set any speed records in hilly conditions. I would recommend a good weight distribution hitch and sway control. I have towed this rig in some pretty strong crosswinds and with alot of transport trucks passing, and I never felt the out of control situation that the others have described.
This is just my experience, your mileage may vary.
RE: How did you get started in RVing/ Camping?
My wife and I were always tent campers. We would camp 3-4 times a summer, and we were contented with this at the time. Our second child, however, changed all that when we discovered that he would get very congested when he slept in the tent. I don't know if it was the cold ground (we slept on air mattresses), or something in the tent, but after not camping for a while, one of my wife's co-workers offered to let us use his PUP for a weekend at a local campground. We enjoyed it so much that we soon purchased a PUP and started camping pretty much every other weekend. After 6 years in the PUP, by chance we spotted a previously-enjoyed HTT, and last year we upgraded. We now have 4 kids, and we all enjoy RVing as much as schedules allow during the summer months.
RE: Can you GET OUT quickly??
This is a great post.
Winter is a great time to start thinking about these important, but little thought about issues. We have a Hybrid, so the exit strategy for the bunks is a little easier (unzip and drop), but I guess what I have not thought about is getting the kids in the bunks to an exit. We run fire drills in the house to get the kids thinking about fire safety, but shame-on-me, we have never even discussed fire exit strategy in the trailer. Thanks again for the memory jog. This will be a spring project for the whole family.
RE: Looking for a great Weekend Trailer
I live in Saint John, and I have always had good luck with Doug's Recreation in Sussex. Call Pam and tell her what you are looking for. When we were looking for a TT/HTT to meet our requirements, I let her do the looking for me. She was so accomodating, that she was able to recommend not only RVs from her inventory and suppliers, but she pointed us at some models that were sold by another local retailer. My wife and I have bought two trailers from Doug's and several of our friends and family have gone there on our recommendation. If you live in NB, that would be my first stop/call.
Just my $0.02 worth.
RE: How many people have HTT's without slides??
Hmmmm. Seems like the consensus here is that a slide preference is based mostly on whether you have one or not :-)
I have a Roo 21 - no slide. It is pretty cramped in there with the 6 of us and the furry buddy, but it is more roomy than the popup that we upgraded from. It would be nice to have a slide (or 10' more length and one or more slides), but from a financial and engineering (TV limits) standpoint, this trailer fits our needs.
Find one with a floorplan you can live with, at a price you can live with, and at a weight you can tow safely, and you will probably be happy, regardless of whether or not the unit has a slide.
JMHO.
RE: Drinking, Driving, and DUI
Wow. This post has raised a lot of interesting discussion. I guess I am lucky. I have not been touched personally by any DUI fatalities or disabling injuries, but I am very much in favor of stiffer penalties for drunk driving offenses and more proactive enforcement.
However, I would be interested in hearing some of your opinions/personal policies for having a social drink and then driving.
Personally, my policy is as follows:
If I am driving with my kids, I will not have any alcohol and drive. If I am in a social setting, I will have one drink (usually a beer) and if I have an hour or more after consumption, I will drive home. I always felt that I was completely unimpaired in this situation.
However, after reading some posts and doing some other research, I am starting to question this policy. As a previous poster has stated, while one drink may not impair an individuals ability to drive, studies have shown that even low-level BAC readings can begin to impair cognitive problem solving skills and can impair an individuals ability to make decisions, especially under stress.
I guess that from now on, I will be more inclined to leave the car home, or call for a ride if I have any drinks, even one.
I guess, for me, setting aside the human costs for a moment, it comes down to a simple cost benefit analysis. An expensive cab ride for me in NB would be $20. If I am lucky and just get popped at a spot-check, or traffic stop, it will cost me $500 in fines, $$$ in increased insurance and maybe my job. If I am not lucky and hurt someone, how do you put a price on someone's misery? A $20 taxi seems pretty cheap.
So again, for everyone that has said they have no tolerance for DUI, what is your limit? 1 drink? 2 drinks? nothing?
RE: Yearly Taxes And Inspections On Your RV?
In New Brunswick (East Coast - Canada), there is a yearly registration (plate tag) charge ($19.00 I believe) for the HTT in my sig, and all trailers have to be inspected anually ($25.00).
RE: First Time Renter Help
I towed a 12' flagstaff for 4 years with a Pontiac Montana with the towing package. With the towing package, I believe that the Montana would be a great tow vehicle for the Yuma. The GVWR of the 2008 Yuma is 2400 pounds, which is much lighter than my flagstaff was. If your Montana does not have a towing package, then you may want to invest in an aux. transmission cooler (especially if you are going to use this vehicle as a primary tow vehicle if you convince your DW to purchase one). The other nice feature of the towing package, is the automatic load leveling system, which maintained a level towing attitude.
I agree with some of the other posters, with regards to the lynx levelers. Get some 2x6, and cut some 18"-24" lengths and some 6"x6" blocks for the stabilizer jacks and tongue jack. A drinking water hose is a must.
As for anything else, pack as if you were taking the tent, and if necessary, in Florida, how far can you be from a Wally-World?
Anyway, I loved the Montana as a PUP hauler, so use your common sense, and enjoy the trip.
RE: Helmets in Canada?
Lucy Spence wrote:
Just a reminder... the Provincial Parks in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not have hydro hook-ups at the campsites,...if you need to plug your scooter in for re-charging it might be a concern to think about... Happy camping...
Lucy;
I don't know about Nova Scotia, but at least at the Provincial Parks that I have been to here in NB (Mactaquac and Grand Lake), there is power at the sites. There is not water at the sites, but water spiggots and cook/wash stations are liberally placed throughout the parks.
I hope this helps,
RE: Packing/organizing pass-through storage
Whoever designed my 21' Roo (or maybe retrofit it - I bought it used), was a genius. The pass through storage in the front of my HTT has a full width heavy plastic drawer, mounted on a slider that slides out of the doors on either side of the pass-through compartment. Makes it easy to keep things organized and to get at everything in the compartment.
I have never seen this on any other TT, but everyone I show it to thinks it is a stroke of genius.
I just did a quick search on Camping World and couldn't find anything similar. When I can get to the HTT through the snow, I will try to take a picture of the setup, as I am sure it is hard to imagine from my description.
RE: Camping with Kids in hybrid
We camped in a popup when our kids were younger, but the layout is similar to our current hybrid. When the kids were toddlers, we put them in a pack and play on the dinette. We put the pack and play on the cushions (made up the u-shaped dinette like it was a bed), reasoning that if they climbed out, they would at least land on the cushions before the floor. 4 kids and no stitches or broken bones from falling out of a crib. *knock wood*
RE: Super Bowl Party Help
The staple of our super bowl parties are always nachos (chicken and beef, in spicy ranges: Wimpy, Hot and Rip-The-Face-Right-Off-You) and My DW's famous (regionally anyway) Colon-Corroding Chili.
Add in a good group of football fans, some frosty beverages and with a little luck, a competitive game, and you have the makings of a great Sunday Night (but, admittedly, not such a wonderful Monday :-( ).
Anyway, whatever the fare, the company will make or break the party, so don't sweat the small stuff!
RE: Towing Question TrailBlazer
I have a 2004 Envoy XL (relatively close in specs to the Trail Blazer) and a Roo 21 with close to the same GVWR. This seems to be a good towing combination for me, but when I am loaded for camping with gear, kids (x4 or 5 if we have a tag-along), dog and DW, it is not going to set any land speed records on the hills, but it tows well with the weight distribution hitch and friction sway.
I hope this helps.
RE: Where do you fall? - Poll
Somewhere between a B and a C. Currently, I tow a 21' hybrid with my Envoy. We are careful not to overload the vehicle & trailer with gear as we are already overloaded with kids. With the load in the vehicle, I am towing pretty close to the GVWR, but I try to be aware of it when planning a trip.
