Picking up and driving new-to-us 2009 Anthem

[Just Because]

Originally Posted by Bee950

Stay in Little Rock for the week, and drive to Austin 6 days later arriving on Sunday the 19th
Two days later, I drive to Concord, NC. Making that 1200 mile trip in around 19 to 20 hours.
I will work through Saturday till around 3pm, pack up and drive till midnight or whenever I feel like passing out.

Where are you staying in Concord,NC? I am enrolled in a Cancer drug study in Huntersville, just a couple of miles south of Concord, and I can't find a suitable campground. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Poppy

[wnytaxman]

Originally Posted by tnrzryd

I surrender ..... someday I do want to talk about how you do that. Maybe over a cool drink!

Yes Tom, sometimes we do some at least semi-crazy stuff but we're still working and with the active lives of twin 15 year old girls at home it seems like we are always running off somewhere. My wife says to me that it is a "Recreation Vehicle" so driving it should be recreation. In practice that isn't always possible.

Ed

[wnytaxman]

Originally Posted by Bee950

Here is my life in a motorhome for the month of Sep. My motorhome is a tool to make my life more comfortable, not a lifestyle.

Leave Austin TX on Tuesday night the 4th and drive around 250 miles stopping around midnight at a walmart in North Texas.
Drive 850 miles the next day ending up in Northern Iowa ( very close to Minnesota)
Work Thursday, Fri, Sat, and leave Sunday at noon for the 750 mile trip to Little Rock Arkansas and arrive as soon as possible.
Stay in Little Rock for the week, and drive to Austin 6 days later arriving on Sunday the 19th
Two days later, I drive to Concord, NC. Making that 1200 mile trip in around 19 to 20 hours.
I will work through Saturday till around 3pm, pack up and drive till midnight or whenever I feel like passing out.
I will arrive home the next day after what will most likely be a 1000 mile straight day
Monday morning, I am pretty much useless, but thats life of a business owner.

I think I will do around 4000+ miles those two and a half weeks... I am 49 years old, but this still sucks at times. Pripr to the Entegra, I did this in my Dodge Ram 2500 pickup. Oh yea... I forgot to mention that all of these miles I will be pulling a 20 foot trailer.

The Motorhome is a lot more intimidating to look at than it is to drive. Put it on cruise, sit back and watch the world go by. You dont need to use the master and slave pumps. One will fill it fast enough.

Geez Bee, now I feel like a slacker!

[Towboater]

Take it slow and easy. That's why you bought this land yacht. Enjoy it ! Be excited that your not in a hurry. Pull over at a rest area seat on a bench and gaulk at your rv. You finally became one of the lucky ones !!!
Peace

[voyager II]

Marty & Cindy,
Congrats. Looked at this very coach a couple of months ago while in Charlotte. We have an '06 TS and had a trip planned so I didn't want to try and sell it until we returned only to hope that your coach would still be available. Good on you. I really think you would benefit it going to Spartan Industries in Charlotte and have their 44 point check done. For a $100 you will find out if there is anything wrong with the chassis, steering, motor etc. The coach has 20k miles but I would still have them pay particular attention to the steering and alignment. They are great people and you have a great product but 4 out of 5 people in the waiting room where having steering parts replaced. If you want procedural items done I don't mind a call or can put together something for you. We are traveling the next 3 days so time is limited.
Congrats, Les & Rosemary * I also think you can respond to me directly as well.

[dsbike]

Congrats and welcome to iRV2. There has been alot f great driving and overnighting advice in the previous threads. So I won't repeat it. My suggestion is minor maintenance that if overlooked can cause major repairs.
Don't forget to check engine oil, antifreeze level ( can be seen in overflow bottle) windshield washer fluid, transmission fluid level if accessible, and my number 1 thing to check before each trip is tire pressure. An under inflated tire can have a blowout at highway speeds and temperature.
You mentioned that you read about sides being moved before jacks are down. Each manufacturer is different. I am not sure about yours, but mine requires the jacks down and level before moving slides.
Good luck and enjoy your maiden voyage.

[dsbike]

Originally Posted by Just Because

Where are you staying in Concord,NC? I am enrolled in a Cancer drug study in Huntersville, just a couple of miles south of Concord, and I can't find a suitable campground. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Poppy

I live in Concord and the RV park at the speedway is about your best choice for Concord. There are a few Mobil home parks by the speedway that also offer camping, but I don't know if this is just during race events, or if they have full hookups.
RV Parking & Camping at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Lake Norman State Park in Troutman is another possibility. I have never stayed there . Here is their link. N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation: - Welcome to Lake Norman State Park

[hdgoldie]

Originally Posted by CindyW

I do need a little more help. While this may not be the correct thread, is there a set-up/take-down check list available anywhere? I remember seeing one somewhere, but that was many months ago when I first began research. I know we need to make certain all loose items are stored inside the coach, and I don't expect we'll be using the sewer hose on this trip - we'll use other facilities until we get the hang of everything. My concern is making certain we know what steps to take, and in what order.

I remember reading we extend the slides before leveling on set-up, and lift the levels before retracting the slides when breaking down. Just wondering what other tips or directions you have.

Thank you all for your kindness...we very much appreciate your help.

The hardest part for me to remember is to make sure the fridge is locked before moving - and my pretty new fridge has a dimple on it because of it. Other than making sure that you air up before pulling the levelers up, the other most important piece of advice that I've ever received is to remember that nothing stops a slide. If the floor is not clear, the slide will go over whatever is there. If there is a tree in the way, the slide will wrap around it. And if you have moved either seat back too far, the slide will be happy to pop them off their base. Very expensive repair. Please don't ask how I found that out. Breaking a seal on a slide, or the slide itself, would be even worse.

Good luck. Hopefully you are purchasing from someone who will take the time to go through everything with you. When we sold our last coach, we included all the hoses, etc. (even the toad and hitch), then went with the buyers to a local campground and showed them all of the setups. They took a lot of notes and then called a few times - a little time consuming, but we had been given the coach with no help or info at all and didn't want to do that to anyone!

BTW - we did about 500 miles yesterday....and it was a real push. We aren't retired yet either and are pushing on this leg to get back in time to have a day to unload before going back to the grind....but 500 miles is about my limit in anything that doesn't fly.

[CindyW]

Thanks again for the good advice. I did find some very thorough arrival and departure checklists online, so I think we're good there. DH finished the driver confidence chapters yesterday, and we'll go through them again several times this week, making notes. Now, the biggest hurdle to our fulltiming adventure is to sell the house. Fingers crossed on that one! Have a great weekend!

[PDR John]

Slower is always an option, just remember that.

I think you'll find, after the first day, that you'll prefer your amenities over others.

We got our break in in down town Reno NV. not fun. We bought ours in Sacramento CA and drove it home to Piedmont SD. We stopped at Walmarts and Bed Bath and Beyond for all supplies.

Wind was the one thing I hadn't mentally prepared for. It is a whole new dynamic in a bus. So we pulled over and put on a movie , ohh life is good in these things.


Happy travels.

[Bee950]

I read a previous post where you mentioned that you wouldnt use the bathroom on your coach. Since its a used coach, its already broken in so to speak, so make the previous owner empty and flush the tanks prior to you picking it up. If you get it with the tanks empty, throw a couple bags of ice down the toilet right before you leave as it cleans (scrapes) out the black tank. You cant learn how to use the flush system with it empty, so use the RV as it was intended. I highly recommend getting one of the clear flush elbows they sell at camping stores. Its the only way to see if the tanks are flushed out properly. Two people being conservative with the shower can stretch the water supply to a week or so. My wife and two kids can empty the tank in a few days

[iquailhunter]

CindyW ---please look at your private messages ---I sent you a pm yesterday----thanks

[Ocletti]

I don't know about everyone else feels, but, I know I'm probably paying a little more for my fuel at a Flying J, or Loves, but they have a lot more room to maneuver, most have a small store, and restaurant, you can catch a nap, and since there are a lot of trucks running thru there, the fuel is probably less likely to have water in it. I've had a few nightmares over stopping at some of the smaller, off the main drag places. I'll stick with the truck stops! When I get to 1/2 on my gage, I'm topping off. A 150 gal tank puts me at 75 gals. In an emergency, I still have plenty to run the generator.

[Ocletti]

Another consideration is your toad. I pull a Honda CRV. Max pull is 8 hours, not to exceed 65 mph. So I usually set the cruise for 60, and go through the transmission procedure at each fill up. Been pulling that CRV for 6 years, it's got 210K on it.