Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > Blogs
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Old

The Rest of the Story

Posted 10-30-2017 at 02:20 PM by noeldale

The Rest Of The Story
Back in Michigan and have enjoyed the summer, what we have had of it since we spent 6 weeks in the Arizona heat.

A week after getting home we spent 4 days sitting with a 2 and 4 year old that have much more energy than we do. It was great to spend the time but now we realize that we are a little older than they are.

First trip out since returning was to Tawas Point SP which we both love. Each day was a ½ mile walk out to the point along...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 845 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Fridge Saga and the Trip Home

Posted 08-02-2017 at 07:11 AM by noeldale

Back to Lake Havasu City with no real problems except need to do laundry again. It has cooled off a little and I’m getting stir crazy so I need something to do.

Tape up a hanging wire here, replace a bulb there, rearrange a closet, wash the windshield again, and I’m staying occupied. Each day we go to SIL and play one or two rounds or cards, 5 Crowns. If you have not played it then it should be on your list to try. Interesting and allows friends to talk in between plays.
...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1103 Comments 1 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Apache Junction

Posted 07-26-2017 at 07:47 AM by noeldale
Updated 07-26-2017 at 07:50 AM by noeldale (Fixed photos)

We’ve been in or at least near Phoenix before with the TT and not had any problems. This time we are going across Phoenix, west to east, to get to Lost Dutchman State Park. If it is anything like Cattail Cove north of Parker then it will be great.


Traffic was light, in my opinion, park was easy to find, and after a little mix up with the reservation, driving the wrong way on a one way road, confrontation with the ranger, we get settled into a nice U shaped turnout that is...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1213 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Arizona in July

Posted 07-18-2017 at 08:51 PM by noeldale
Updated 07-19-2017 at 06:41 AM by noeldale

We never planned on being in Arizona in the Summer let along being in Lake Havasu City during July.



DW’s sister is having difficult time breathing due to health problems and it was thought we needed to go now to see her for ourselves the condition. Also to see her at her best and not just when she is really getting to the point she can’t get around.
Deciding on a Thursday and leaving on Friday morning was the easiest decision as I had already plotted out a...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1164 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Too Much Information

Posted 05-13-2017 at 04:51 AM by noeldale

Left for the Maintenance Session in Goshen and thought everything was going great. Oh the ideas of the innocent.

After a couple miles, feeling good at this point, I started having a growling sound everytime we went from an acceleration point on the pedal to a deceleration state. This would happen with the cruise being dropped one MPH, when starting to go downhill and decelerate, or just taking my foot off the pedal due to traffic. The slightest pedal towards acceleration...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1264 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

More Stuff Before the MS in Elkhart

Posted 04-30-2017 at 07:03 PM by noeldale

Spring has finally arrived in Michigan we were getting the final things done, some already listed as done. Then the final steps were going and other problems pop up.

The slide topper awning rail was completed and when the material was placed back on the roller it was determined that the spring had broken and would not retract. Therefore a new spring has been ordered. May include its' own experiences. Ordered from LazyDays. Spring is in and works well.

Finished...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 862 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Before the 2017 Season

Posted 03-26-2017 at 04:20 AM by noeldale

Our first real trip is over and now the fun begins. The Beast is parked until the weather breaks.

We got home with +35' weather for two days and I was able to go to the state park, dump the tanks, replace the grey tank slide valve, and winterize the systems. Bought a new drain plug for water heater as it was clogged with tape and plumbers mud so bad it hardly sealed.

Ordered a new rear cap for the main slide topper, got up and saw all the pulled out rivets...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1554 Comments 2 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Ride Home

Posted 01-24-2017 at 09:03 PM by noeldale

The Way Home

Monday opened with a new problem. After retracting the main slide I saw the strip that the slide topper goes into is separating from the Beast. It is bowed out quite a bit. Need to caulk as soon as we get home.

Wind, not only the prior days with tornados and rain but very strong all the way to Cornersville, TN. I've never fought a wind like this for so long. Big enough getting used to driving the Beast but add the wind and it becomes a real task....
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 966 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

The Rest of Mobile

Posted 01-22-2017 at 02:03 PM by noeldale
Tags mobile

The Rest of the Mobile Visit

Mobile is a nice place even though we did not spend much time in the city. With the college near us it was busy all the time and traffic congestion was great. Glad The Beast was parked and only needed the rental.

Dauphin Island seems like a resort island with a long, 7 mile, beach on the western end. Remembering this is winter here we did walk the beach in shorts, shirtless, for about 1 1/2 miles out and then back. Great time with...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 979 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Day 3

Posted 01-18-2017 at 02:32 PM by noeldale

Day 3 started out uneventful, drove for a couple hours, stopped for fuel, then ran across the bridges. We are from Michigan an other than Big Mac we don't have bridges this long or this tall while being this narrow. First time I felt uncomfortable with a road this tall and narrow. Needed to take cruise off and slowed about 7 mph to 58 and then all was good.

The view coming into Mobile south on I-10 is fantastic. The waterways, tall bridges, lakes, and just the view.
...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 798 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Another Day

Posted 01-17-2017 at 06:28 AM by noeldale

Another Day

Had a great nights sleep and ready to tackle the world.

Enterprise rent-a-car said they could not pick us up until around 11 so we had time to organize the Beast. Tried to connect the sewer and found I did not bring all my hoses so need to go to Walmart and get more.

Shopping, out to eat with just Dustin at Ollies, and doing little things on the Beast make it a good day.

Got most of the bugs off the front, numbers...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 961 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Day 2

Posted 01-15-2017 at 06:02 PM by noeldale

Day Two of a short trip.

Uneventful day, mostly. I had only driven gas rigs or vehicles so the diesel side of the world was new to me. Found out that not all stations, Pilot or Flying J, had diesel on the car pumps. Also learned after feeling stupid, which I'm used to, that I always need to go in an prepay specially when using my Good Sam Reward Card. This just meant two trips in, one to pay and one to get the receipt.

As lunch got closer we decided to get...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 855 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

Day 1

Posted 01-15-2017 at 05:56 AM by noeldale

DAY 1 On The Road

We had planned to travel the first two days with friends who had delayed their trip to Florida by a week due to the snow and ice in Atlanta. While originally planning to leave on Saturday, an ice event in the mid section of the US got us thinking to leave on Friday to maybe be ahead of the ice.

We both had a simple plan. If it snows - go slow, but if there is ice -STOP.

Friday morning is clean and clear of snow and ice...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 989 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

A little history

Posted 01-15-2017 at 05:02 AM by noeldale

Our first two outings were local and many little things were learned. This is all before the discovery of the radiator and CAC.

First, don't raise the back tires off the ground since that is your only brakes.
Second, not all sites that will take a 40 foot unit are adequate. Slopes with front tires high won't work for the First fact. Tight turns into a site cause of trees or others parked across from you can make a site unusable even if long enough.
Third, Watch...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 889 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
Old

The Beast - A change from TT to DP

Posted 01-14-2017 at 06:03 PM by noeldale

The story of 'The Beast', a 37 foot Holiday Rambler, Monaco DP.

Mary and I have been camping in various units since we got married and also camped with parents since very little.

We started using a full sized Chevy van and slept in the back even when one of the kids was only 3 months old. He slept in her sleeping bag and when got hungry I had to go into the screen tent to warm the bottle with a white gas Coleman stove. From that we progressed to tents, popup...
noeldale's Avatar
Senior Member
Posted in Uncategorized
Views 1216 Comments 0 noeldale is offline Edit Tags
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.