garykd

Hi DLS15150, I just came back from a week down below Marathon. For fuel, at MM 39 there is a large CG (on the right heading south on RT 1). Just beyond the entrance they have a store that sells diesel, easy in and out. They also sell propane, easy in and out. About 8 miles further south there is a traffic light. Just after the light, on the left (heading south) there is a True Value hardware store. They sell diesel. Turn left at the street just past the store and immediate left again into the diesel fueling pump. The price is the same as any place in South Florida ($2.90/gal).

Hi ChunkyBeastracin, I use a 3/4" air impact wrench that is on steroids. That thing will break your wrists if your not prepared. I also carry an 18 gallon compressor that delivers 150 PSI at the hose tip. In almost 35 years of using that air wrench there has never been a bolt/nut it didn't take care of in short order.

Hi MONTIE, The membership resorts are nice, but I have never been able to get the business case to work for me. Over the years, I made the right decision, for me. The initial cost and yearly dues deteriorated the value, to me. I've attended the presentations so many times (for the free gift) they don't bother sending me invitations any more!

Hi ChunkyBeastracin, I agree with what has been post and the +/- of carrying a spare. I carry a fully mounted spare tire. My situation is the odd size tire (275X70X22.5). I have changed the tire on the right front and right rear inside dual. I carry all the tools to do this (including the torque wrench). I also carry about a gallon of Slime and tire patch kits. The bottom line is that I'll to this only in an emergency when there is no communication capability available. My first choice is to call Coach-Net.

Hi John H., Welcome to the FMCA forum. By my signature you can tell we have the same coach. The solution is, most likely, the slobber tube (posted earlier). Tell you local Cummins shop about the problem and have them reroute the slobber tube to exit a different location. I had the problem mentioned in the OP and this fixed it. The factory allows the slobber tube to exit on the center line of the coach. This allows the wind to carry the oil into the toad. The oil could be carried directly or indirectly via the fan onto the toad.

Hi Dan, I do not use either of these products. To actually answer one of your questions, Remco products have an excellent reputation. I say this because I see no trend setting negative comments on the RV forums. I do read positive comments.

Hi John, I have the same dolly as you. After 5 years of using it, I consider the 50 mile rule lawyer speak. I have never done this. Also, the straps have been tight every time I have begun my unloading procedure.

At the stick house or on the road, the Wii Fit is a great way to exercise. The variety of choices makes sure boredom does not become part of the routine. I've been using it since is was available.

Hi Tim, I agree with JT's post. In addition, recheck your coach batteries. The OP mentions you have replaced them twice. There is no mention of the time frame of the replacements or the reason, but 12 VDC is a suspect of interest.

Hi wmpbauer, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Consider rethinking your view of the tire PSI sensors. If they save you one time, you'll break even on the cost. In 5 years, they have saved me 2 times. The main concern is the towed vehicle tires. If something happens, while traveling, you'll never know it (even with the backup camera on) until hundreds of dollars (maybe more) is done. The diesel powering your coach will just hunker down and pull harder. The driver will not "feel" anything. It is also good to have them on the dual rear wheels, for the same reasons already mentioned . You have the right thoughts about the tires. The damage they may have suffered depends on how much direct sunlight they were exposed to. You'll get a bunch of opinions on tire care. For me, I use a tire dressing 3 times a year. In addition, if we are at the same place for more than two weeks, the tires are covered. For the tire PSI, consider calling Goodyear or going to their web site. I have Michelin tires. Michelin minimum recommended PSI is 85 PSI regardless of weight.

Hi Buffy23. My assumption is when you get to Florida, you stay in one place for the winter. If this is true and you have high-speed Internet access, consider the Magic Jack. to http://www.magicjack.com/4/index.asp and read about the product. I've use the MJ since it became available. I see no difference in quality of service vs a land line. It is much better in quality of service than a cell phone. I just renewed for five years for $60. That is 1 dollar a month. You get your own phone number (your choice) and all calls in USA and Canada are no additional charge.

Hi brdtim, A coach is a long term purchase. You'll spend more time in the coach, at campgrounds, than you will traveling down the road. My point is you may be focusing on the wrong feature (FRED). Find the floor plan that suits your needs. Make sure you have adequate NCC and towing capability for your specific situation. Once you do this, your choice, of coach will become very clear. What powers the coach may not even come into consideration. After 31 years of RVing we now have a diesel powered coach. The only reason for this is that no gas coaches could meet what we agreed were our RVing requirements for the next 10 years. Seat belts for 8, comfortable sleeping for 6, towing capability of 10K lbs and a NCC of 7K lbs. For me, I could care less what powers the coach down the road. Consider defining your needs. Show stopper needs only. A maximum of 5 needs keeps one focused. Find a selection of coaches that meets these needs. Your purchase decision will become very clear.

Hi, billshifter. If you have a local chassis shop in your area, consider taking the coach to them and get their recommendation. If it were me, I'd do the following: 1. See if a two axle alignment can be done to ensure the rear wheels are tracking directly behind the front wheels 2. See if a rear track bar is already on the coach. If not consider installing one. 3. If a anti-sway bar is available, make sure it is the largest and most heavy duty bar you can get. 4. I do not know your specific chassis. Are air bags part of your suspension? If so consider air bag restrictors. I'm not sure where you live, but this company has an outstanding reputation. Go to http://supersteersuperstop.com/ to read about their products. Consider giving them a call. They are not cheap, but they are very thorough and their products are top of the line. They have products for all classes of RVs.

Hi etbjj, Consider attending one of the large commercially sponsored regional RV shows. Go to http://www.campertrails.com/rv-shows.html to see where the RV Trade Association is holding shows. You'll need to scroll down the page quite a way to get to Nov/Dec shows and the 2010 shows. In addition, go to http://www.frvta.org/rvshows.asp to learn about the Florida RVTA show schedule. One of these shows is the Tampa RV Super Show. It will be held on January 13-17, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. Go to http://www.frvta.org/florida_rv_super_show.asp to get the details. This is advertised as the largest RV Show in the country. I go every year. Almost the manufacturers are there with many models to view. For those already owning a coach the after market buildings are awesome. Every year I go with the goal of spending $s. Every year I am a success. If you can make it the Tampa show is the one to go to. Bring an extra suitcase to carry home all the information that interests you. Do plan to stay the entire show. For one shopping for a coach, the show is just too large to see in a couple of days. We stay at the show site, with the Newmar coach owners. There are a couple hundred Newmar coach owners staying at the show along with a thousand or more of other brand owners staying at the show site.

Hi, I agree with tjjmiller. Stereotyping and name calling/labeling is wrong. There is something for everyone when RVing. To disparage against RVers just because they RV differently than you says more about you than it does them. I have had only class A coaches. After 31 years of RVing with them my RVing style has evolved and regressed with the needs of that time in my life. When we had kids we toured the USA over 10 years. We stayed in CGs that had the facilities we needed. Because we were touring that usually meant full hookups. Nobody cared about any other amenities. We were touring the area. Without the kids we looked for more of a community environment. We stayed longer in CGs and used the amenities of the CG. We did not give up touring the area, but gathering at the club house and socializing with other guests became more important. Now, with the Gkids, we are back to square one again touring the USA, over 10 years. Our kids told us what a value it was for them so we decided to provide this adventure to the Gkids. Once this commitment is completed we will return to looking for places to stay longer with a community environment. Because of our age, mobility and I am no longer a fan of driving we will look for condo type resorts that have the community we fit into. The goal is to follow the sun, but stay where the temperatures are pleasant. This may mean purchasing a site in one or more resorts. I have lived in South Florida for many years (decades). Almost all the developments are PUDs (Planned Unit Developments). We are used to the covenants and appreciate them. It is comforting to know what the rules are when one makes a purchase. This allows buyers to have a level of confidence what they see is what they will get, over a long period of time. If my purchase is where no RVs over 10 years are allowed, so be it. I see nothing wrong with this or any other covenant/restriction as long as the enforcement is consistent over time and legal. For those renting or visiting a resort for the first time, it may be best if one makes a list of questions to ask when making a reservation. I have a list and it keeps my disappointment to a minimum. It also allows me to make a decision as to pursue the reservation or go somewhere else.

Hi Gary, Stay away from Arch View RV Park & Campground. We were their earlier this year. The CG physical plant is like any other desert CG. The big problem is they have only 1200 AMPs of incoming electric (that I could find). We had severe power problems. When we were there the CG was about 25% occupied. There are no plans to increase the CGs power.

Hi Gary, From one Gary to another, consider contacting a broker that specializes in coach insurance. Farm and City is the broker I use for the coach. Their contact information is 800-331-1520. They will find the best policy for you from several different companies. This year I am with Nationwide for the coach. For the cars, I'm with Progressive. I never insure all my vehicles with the same company. Insurance companies are way to arbitrary on who they will insure. Your zip code plays a big part in their rates. I also have the policies renew at different times of the year. The panic to change companies because of mysterious rate hikes is lessened when one is dealing with only one vehicle at a time. Because you will be full timing, determining where your legal domicile will be is another decision you need to make. This could be via the mail forwarding service you use. Check out the various states and determine the +/- of having your domicle in any particular state.

Hi Dave and Nancy, Before making any recommendations, can you provide additional information? What entertainment do you prefer, how much do you want to spend/mo for the site? Do your prefer a CG with an activities director for on site activities or are you explorers who like to go off the beaten path? Eat out often or prefer to eat at the coach? Do you prefer a community with little turnover each week/month or are you okay with a more transient group of campers? Anything else you can provide about the lifestyle you want will be helpful in making recommendations you can use.

I just completed a 4.3K mile fall trip. The loss of about 6/10 MPG remains. The coach averaged 7.8 MPG on this trip. Previous MPG was a consistent 8.4 MPG. The trip was over roads I know very well and all other driving conditions remained as they have in the past. It is unfortunate Cummins is allowed a solution that will cost me $s every time I drive the coach.

Hi mikev, I apologize for being so late to answer your question. The campaign is no cost to the coach owner. My assumption is Cummins is paying the authorized service centers a lot of $$$s to ensure they put on as many of these as possible in the shortest amount of time. This campaign is for engines within a specific serial number range. Most of these engines are 04 and 05 coaches.

Hi Jose and Karen, Everybody who rides in our coach must be seat belted at all times. There is only one exception, potty breaks. It is a risk, but one I am willing to take. For several months a year we have up to 8 people traveling in our coach. For the Gkids, this is no problem as they have been seatbelted since they were born. Also, the Gkids bring with them their wireless devices that communicate with each other. The electronic devices allow multi player game play. Our coach has seatbelts for 8 people (including the cockpit). On long travel days, lunch is a an Interstate highway rest area. The Gkids are allowed to get out and run around while lunch is being prepared. We do not prepare or eat food while the coach is moving. If needed, I can still cover 500+ miles in one day's travel. These days are rare. We normally cover 300 +/- miles on a travel day. Then we are camped several days for touring the area.

Hi jeanmulder, As the final arbiter for level, consider trying the refrigerator door. Open to 45 degrees, then 90 degrees, then another 45 degrees. If the door stays, without moving, the refrigerator is level. The coach should be level.

Hi Bill, I do not think you have a problem. My KVH in motion system works like yours. We turn on the KVH and the Sat receiver while at CG registration. By the time we get to our site the KVH is locked onto a Sat and we have TV. If there are trees, having the KVH already locked onto a Sat allows me to quickly position the coach, on the site, so as to maintain reception. Once we are parked, air dumped and level, the KVH is switched off. Everything works as advertised. If I forget to turn off the KVH, it will from time to time try to make minor adjustments in it's aim. It makes a growling noise. I wait until it stops and then turn it off.

Hi Ron, Consider doing what Wayne posted. Checking the specific gravity of each cell will confirm or rule out a bad cell or two. Once a cell goes bad, boiling will start. Maintenance (adding water and cleaning the compartment) will be constant. Your auto parts store will have a tool that you can make this check. Fill the batteries with distilled water. Then fully charge the batteries. Allow the batteries to set (with no drain) for 24 hours after charging is removed. Remove the coach connection cables to ensure there is no drain. If the cells check good, make the check again after several days (up to one week). Without a drain, the batteries should hold their full charge for at least a week.

Hi dlpitt, This is another vote for MCD and their products. Go to http://www.mcdinnovations.com/ to see their products. I've had them on my coach since it was purchased. I would make the purchase again.