first trip in our MH

[bigdog]

Well.we've changed from trailering to motorhoming and are doing the shakedown trip this week to the NW RV.net Spring Rally at Brookhollow RV Park in Kelso,Wa.Jeanne and I started about 22 years ago with a new Eureka 9X9 umbrella tent and my Pontiac Trans-Am.( I have tent camped and back-packed all my life before we met) and then progressed from that to an 8' Starcraft P/u and then a 14' Coachman p/u to a 27' Wilderness TT and then to the last trailer, Cougar 304 BHS TT which is going down the driveway Tuesday behind the Excursion for the last time..Now we're heading out in the '01 Tradewinds 39'LTC and it looks as if the journey is just going to keep getting better.
Had to do a bit of work and repairs on this rig and it's been an interesting time trying to finally figger out that all the stuff from the trailer doesn't have to go into the MH. Also,even with the bottom storage,we've found that there is more hangar space and less drawer space..
Finally got under it yesterday with a big flashlight for about 45 minutes and found everything is dry,so no leaks, and the tires,even being five y/o look to be in really good shape with minor cracking only in a small area on one tire and all the others are great. There won't be any problems driving this rig as I have 31 years driving a step-van at work and the last ten years after my first retirement has been driving 40' school buses for the local school district and when I drove this thing home,I couldn't believe just how much easier this is.. It's a marshmallow compared to my bus or the charter buses I've driven.

[Elkhartjim]

You didn't say which tire has the cracking but if its on the front be ready for a wild ride when it blows. If its on the rear be ready to spend big bucks repairing the damage it will cause. Like the man said, "pay me now or pay me later".

[poorfarmer]

check the date on those tires if there over 7 years old you better think twice about using them. better safe than sorry blowing a tire on an rv really stinks not to mention really ruins your vacation. good luck, wish i could go to.

[meworrynot]

I recently had a blowout on the left inside dual. It took out my water lines and part of the fresh/sewer cabinet underneath. Thankfully it didn't hurt the sewer pipes, and I have reworked the fresh water lines. I still have to repair the floor over the tires, but it was a problem I could have avoided. The tires looked great, no cracking, but they were 9 years old. I have had all the tires replaced last week, cost about $900 for all 6 plus a spare, In my opinion, it was well worth the expense, not only in damage, but what could have happened to my wife, the 4 children, and myself. A steering tire would have been much worse, I highly recommend replacing older tires, no matter what they look like. Just my opinion, I could be wrong...

[FATMANAR]

Congrats. on your A. My first time driving my A home I just new I was going to wipe out every mailbox and jogger on the road. Didn't talke long to get use to it though. Good luck and enjoy....Happy Trails