Community Forums

Seajay · 04-13-2010, 05:06 AM

Note to my Navy Brother Stu. Since you are Navy I will forgo the standard ten cent ''fee'' for good information concerning your motor home. Normally I do charge ''civvies'' and all politicians, cab drivers and other people the standard amount of ten cents but I would never charge a fellow Sailor for any information. (I will let you buy me a beer sometime) but I would never charge you for information. I am sure I speak for many on here in wishing you and yours the very best of luck and GREAT ADVENTURES in your upcoming lifestyle. Please post your adventures from time to time and keep us informed as to your experiences.
Be safe on the road......
Seajay the sailor man.
God bless our troops and bring them home soon and safe
God bless our vets for their service to this great nation....

Abnmarine · 04-13-2010, 09:43 AM

Why not rent a tow dolly from Uhaul and tow the car to the campgrounds so that your wife can share the same view as you do?

Oh and congrats on the purchase.

RovinOn · 04-13-2010, 10:32 AM

Congratulations and good luck with the new coach!

Spring Gultch is a nice campground, have stayed there many times myself!
If you take your time with things and take a moment to think things through you should have no problems.
When my wife and I go to places close to home, she will always drive a car there since we don't tow at all.
When we make major trips we just rent a car as we need it.

Regards,
RovinOn
05 Southwind 37C

777 Driver · 04-13-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seajay

(I will let you buy me a beer sometime)

God bless our troops and bring them home soon and safe
God bless our vets for their service to this great nation....

So, Seajay, you're suggesting...

just one?

We'll have to swap sea stories!

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

777 Driver · 04-13-2010, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnmarine

Why not rent a tow dolly from Uhaul and tow the car to the campgrounds so that your wife can share the same view as you do?

Unfortunately, both vehicles are AWD with automatic transmission. Only trailerable. Not gonna do that.

We're puzzling through the toad issue. I did find a used Blue Ox towbar on eBay. Thinking about a Subaru Outback (manual transmission) for a toad.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

777 Driver · 04-13-2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RovinOn

Spring Gultch is a nice campground, have stayed there many times myself!
If you take your time with things and take a moment to think things through you should have no problems.

Thanks for your well wishes, RovinOn.

We've got reservations for one of the 50 amp spots APR 29/30/May1.

Hopefully I'll be able to maneuver in without bending metal!

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

Elkhartjim · 04-13-2010, 06:49 PM

You have received some solid advise. My only comment is my wife showers including hair washing and then I get in the shower and even shave in there. We have never depleted the hot water and we only use propane when boondocking...once. Now filling the gray tank is a different story.

EngineerMike · 04-13-2010, 07:02 PM

When it comes to the entertainment center and the OnePlace (I think you have that) you need to get especially detailed on the notes. I like to think of it like software instructions:
1) @ upper left click once to drop down the "XYZ" menu
2) double clik "ABC" then choose "Fizzbinder"; this takes a while to boot up...
This is hard to do on the fly and will take concentration, but if you re-read your notes as you go, aloud so the kid racing thru the PDI can verify you've got it right, you will probably find him retracing his steps and cluing you into the variables he skipped over.

Make these two into instruction sets so detailed your ex-wife could follow them, and you will be happy later that you can follow some of them also.

Another thought- try staying at least two nights in the coach, first one without electrical hookup so you check everything running off the batteries only. Second w/electrical hooked up so you check charging, etc. Helps to take a voltmeter to check stuff out (just in case), and a 3-prong outlet checker to see if any of the outlets are wired correctly.

777 Driver · 04-13-2010, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

You have received some solid advise.

Now filling the gray tank is a different story.

Hi Jim with Judy and Roxie,

Always happy to get free advice! Even Seajay softened up and won't charge me his usual (dime) for his advice.

I've seen lots of favorable comments about the Oxygenics shower head. I'm thinking that's a likely candidate for an early upgrade.

40 gallons of gray sounds like a lot??? Until it fills up, I bet.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

777 Driver · 04-13-2010, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EngineerMike

When it comes to the entertainment center and the OnePlace (I think you have that) you need to get especially detailed on the notes.

Make these two into instruction sets so detailed your ex-wife could follow them, and you will be happy later that you can follow some of them also.

Another thought- try staying at least two nights in the coach, first one without electrical hookup so you check everything running off the batteries only. Second w/electrical hooked up so you check charging, etc. Helps to take a voltmeter to check stuff out (just in case), and a 3-prong outlet checker to see if any of the outlets are wired correctly.

Hi EngineerMike,

I had tried to get our PDI to fit my son's work schedule. Can't make it happen. He's very tech savvy. I'm 'pretty' tech savvy. It would be nice to have another mind absorbing the info. I'll take copious notes. Thinking about buying a camcorder to record the PDI.

I've had the dealer install a Winegard SK-3005. In another year and a half, when we're spending months at a time in the coach, I'll get hooked up with DirecTV. Until then, I'm too cheap to sign a long term contract. So, the Winegard folks have assured me that their system will self test the antenna/lnb's. The coach has an external antenna (not sure which one). Unless I can borrow a DirecTV receiver, I won't be able to check the satellite antenna to receiver to TV connection. I'll be able to check the satellite antenna (according to the Winegard folks) and I'll be able to check the over the air external antenna to the TV. It would be nice to have EVERYTHING in place during the PDI...I'm just too cheap to commit to a multi-year DirecTV contract 1 1/2 years before I'll spend more than a few nights at a time in the coach.

We'll spend the first night on the dealer's property; probably hooked up to 50 amp, water and sewer. The next three nights at a campground less than 50 miles away with all the amenities (50 amp, water, sewer). That's a great idea to spend one of those nights without any hookups (practice boondocking). We have plans that will make boondocking for a couple of days at a time an attractive option, so I want to make sure all those systems are working properly.

Voltmeter and outlet polarity checker have been added to the kit.

Oh, no ex-wife...yet! I've been assured that RVing will bring us closer??!!??

Thanks for your suggestions.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

HD4Mark · 04-14-2010, 04:56 AM

Stu,

If you can find an old DirecTV receiver, even if it isn't still subscribed, unless the access card is very old the preview channel (100) will still work to test your dish.

Seajay · 04-14-2010, 06:40 AM

One more thing that I havent seen anyone mention yet.
GET YOURSELF A TOOL BOX. By that I mean get one of those ''fold out, multi tool, plastic thingies'' that has a good variety of tools including metric and standard sockets and wrenches. Also, get your self a couple of hammers. One large (three pound) and one regular (small), get your self a ''set of vise grips, long nose and standard, very handy. Get yourself a flash light that you can ''recharge'' and leave it hooked to the charger. When you park in a campground and hook up, you recharge your flashlight and it is ready to use anytime.. Replacement Battery powered lights are good but you can bet your sox that it will be dead when you need it most. I have a battery powered drill/screwdriver that is very handy and I carry a small crow bar also. go to lowes and buy yourself an ''assortment'' of nuts and bolts, screws and tape and one of those ''electrical repair kits''' with all the fittings and a 'ice pick'' tester inside. All this stuff is definitely NOT FOR YOU. It is for some other camper that may need help and you will be ready to Help someone that is not properly prepared for the adventures of camping .... (lol ,,,,,, yeah sure)..........
Remember this .... You apparently have a NEW COACH and you are just ''busin with pride and I dont blame you one bit'' but I can assure you that you are going to need ''fiddle with'' tools as you get to know your coach.
One other thing and then I am done.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK YOUR FELLOW CAMPERS FOR HELP. IF you forgot how to lower the jacks or raise the jacks or roll the rooms or light the water heater or a thousand other things you will need to learn .. ASK A FELLOW CAMPER. Campers people are some of the most outgoing people in the world and most are ready and willing to help another camper. Remember this ....
THERE ARE NO DUMB QUESTIONS.....
ONLY DUMB ERRORS ...........
Seajay the sailor man
God bless our troops and bring them home soon and safe
God bless our vets ..... ALL GAVE SOME .......... SOME GAVE ALL ..........
nothing owed for this worthless information my brother Sailor .........

Superslif · 04-14-2010, 07:50 AM

Yes, toolbox is very important.....I just got one of those that has all the tools that have slots for each. Also I have a jar full of odds & ends like screws, bolts, nuts, electrical connectors, cotter pins, washers. What I did, was at home I have a large collection of all this stuff. I took a few of every size and item to put in my handy jar. You don't know how many times I have dug in there to get something to fix a item while on the road.

After you get home, also put together a box of items like: light bulbs, some AA & AAA batteries, duck tape, bungees, There are so many light bulbs in newer RV's you want to have a package or two handy as they burn out.

777 Driver · 04-14-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

Stu,

If you can find an old DirecTV receiver, even if it isn't still subscribed, unless the access card is very old the preview channel (100) will still work to test your dish.

Hi Mark & Nancy,

I talked with a local DirecTV installer. He'll loan/rent me one of his 'spare' receivers that I can use for the PDI. That should work just fine!

Take care,
Stu & Cindy