garykd

Has Damon told any of you why they have wired it this way?

Hi tech miner, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Power awning motors will not win any strong man contests. They overheat quickly and thermo couple out of order for a few minutes. If there is no bind, the joints are lubricated and there are no obstructions there is not much hope. To ease your fears about deploying the awning, when convenient get up on a ladder so you can see the top of the front arm (where the motor is located). Do you see a screw in the top of the arm? If so, removing this screw will allow you to close the awning manually. Remember to reinstall the screw when the awning is completely closed. This screw is the only thing that keeps the awning from unrolling when the coach is moving down the road. The awning can open and the arms can remain in a closed position!

Hi kiwi5864, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Is the compartment: 1. Purely for storage or are there any coach components in the compartment (i.e., awning control, slide control, etc.)? 2. Next to the rear wheels? 3. A single compartment or a pass through (to the other side) compartment? 4. Total wet compartment floor or just one end/side? 5. Just the floor is wet or the walls are wet too? 6. This happens when sitting still or when moving or both? Thanks

Hi David, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Each coach manufacturer wires their coaches differently. The appliances and outlets wired through the inverter were the coach manufacturer's decision. If the outlet works when connected to shore power, then the outlet is not wired to receive power via the inverter.

Hi Bob, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Assuming the dilution and the chemicals used are the ones recommended, dumping the tank contents into any approved waste system should be no problem.

Hi cpenn, If you prefer something closer to I95, consider Stagecoach RV Park. It is located about a mile west of exit 318. Contact number is 904-824-2319. The CG is all trees so forget the satellite TV. This is where we stay when visiting this area. Camping World is at the same exit, on the east side of I95. The CG is an easy in and out to I95. The pull through sites will handle your coach and toad.

Hi rpsorge, Welcome to the FMCA forum. tmoning's post about the FMCA is something to consider. I used to carry a pamphlet for each of the suppliers mentioned in the OP. The FMCA road atlas eliminates the need for these separate pamphlets.

Hi Farmerhouse, I have had a steering stabilizer on every coach I have owned. All were added shortly after purchasing a new coach. Brett's recommendation to ensue the suspension has no worn or out of adjustment parts is a good place to start. Technology has improved steering stabilizers. If I was to make this purchase now, I'd recommend you to consider the Blue Ox Tru Center (http://www.blueox.com/TruCenter/tru_center.html). The reason is because the driver can readjust the center point of the stabilizer, from the driver's seat and on the fly. My current steering stabilizer (Howard Precision Steering System) has this feature. From now on, this is a must have for me. I would recommend the HPSS system, but the company is out of business. The advantage of being able to recenter the steering stabilizer is because if one needs to drive off center (crosswind) for any length of time, the driver must overcome a static steering stabilizer that is trying to return the wheels to the center position. I can go for days/weeks without recentering my system. However, on days where the cross wind will be with me all day, recentering the stabilizer returns me to driving the coach with very minimal effort. The new computer controlled steering systems (Column Drive from TRW) use this recentering philosophy. The computer will recenter the steering many times a minute. This reduces driver fatigue to a minimum. Column Drive is available only on new coaches from a few coach manufacturers (Newmar is and example). At this time there is no plan to retro-fit the product to existing coaches.

Hi marcimiller2, Minuteman Missile Tour In addition to what Tom posted, there is the http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm National Historic Site located at exit 131 off I90. This is one of the exits for the Badlands. Reservations are a must. Go to the web site and follow the instructions to make reservations. Tours are small due to the size of the elevator and underground command center. You'll get to see the command center and the key switches that needed to be turned to launch our missiles. You will also see a missile silo with a real Minuteman Missile still in it (deactivated). Our missile silos are hidden in plain site! Once you take this tour, you'll be able to pick out the silos as you travel in South or North Dakota. After living through this period in our history, I really enjoyed this tour. Many of the NPS tour guides are the people who actually manned these missile sites. The stories they can tell.

Hi Stuart-Linda, I use a TPMS. Since '05 it has saves me two times (both on the toad). The technology is a commodity. This means you can buy any brand you want without much fear. I use Pressure Pro only because in 05 that was about all that was available. After some start up difficulties, it has worked as advertised. Consider looking at the different brands. Compare the style of the sending units (inside the tire, on the valve stem, replaceable batteries, etc.). Understand what it takes to install the unit. What does the unit measure (PSI, Temp, etc.)? Will you need a signal repeater? When you are comfortable with the units specs, that is the one for you to buy.

Hi jmannett, Welcome to the FMCA forum. Consider looking in the Yellow Pages under "trailer renting." There, you should find many choices.

If you remain concerned, consider purchasing a Big Rig CG Directory. An example is at http://www.fmca.com/index.php/product-pavi...round-directory . If you GOOGLE "big rig directory", you'll get choices on directories you can purchase and different vendors offering the directories.

Hi Linda, Go to http://reviews.ebay.com/Hydrogen-Generator...000000005261775. Read the article and you can decide for yourself.

Hi gbconsta, There has never been any problem finding a CG that will accept a 40+ coach. As far as driving the coach, we went from 26' to 42' (including tow bar). One just needs to be careful with right hand turns. Other than that, for me, it has been the same as the 26' coach. This should not be on your list of things to worry about.

Hi thebreeze1, Compared to many of us, your situation is a step up. Owning a coach is one of the three great money pits. The other two are a boat and a horse. Don't ask how I know this. The questions to ask are: 1. Do you like the RV lifestyle? 2. Does the coach floor plan meet your needs? If the answer to both questions is yes, then it is time to recognize the coach will take time to settle down (mine took over 3 years). Once you finish the factory's job, it should serve you well.

Hi Marci, The drive over RMNP (Trail Ridge Road) is nothing to worry about. My coach is a Cummins ISC 330HP hauling 37K pounds. Back in the 1980's I did this in a gas coach and had no problems. No matter when you go, there is enough traffic that getting over 30 mph is a rare occurrence. I've made the trip several times and have never had a problem. As to what to see at RMNP, it depends on how mobile everyone in your group is. As a starter: 1. Alpine Visitors' center. Take the Old Fall River Road to get to the visitors' center. This is because" 1a. the parking lot fills up fast and stays full. When approaching from Old Fall River Road, there are an additional 10 or so parking spaces available only to those coming from this direction. 1b. There is a place to have lunch and buy souvenirs. Plan on having lunch there. One can sit near windows that look out over the mountains. Outside the Visitors Center there is a trail one can take to get up to much higher ground. If you have kids, this is an excellent since project on how oxygen deprivation affects people from lower altitudes. The trail leads to a sign you can get your picture taken showing you hiked to over 12K feet above sea level. If you go to the end of the trail there is a meadow where animals native to the area graze. These animals somehow look a lot larger when there is nothing between the animal and you. There are also rocks for the kids to climb on (if they have any strength left). 2. Old Fall River Road is one way from the East to the West. It is a dirt road. If it hasn't rained or snowed recently, a regular 2 wheel drive sedan should be okay. There are many places to stop and enjoy the local sites. There is plenty of wild life so the speed you travel should be slow. There is nothing like making a snow man in June/early July. Buy some of those one time use plastic gloves (for dumping RV tanks). Also, bring your winter gloves. Put the one time use plastic RV gloves over the regular gloves. This helps keep your hands dry (not warm, but dry). For the trip up Old Fall River Road to the Alpine Visitors Center give yourself 3 + hours. 3. Once you finish at the Alpine Visitors Center continue West on Trail Ridge Road. Some things to see are: 3a. The Continental Divide. There is a sign where you can get your picture taken. 3b. Colorado River head waters. It is a bit of a trek to get there, but like previously posted it is something you can say you've done. All these activities take about 6+ hours (for us). For day one, this would end our visit. For day two, read on. 4. Trail Ridge Road - This is a two way paved road. There are many places to pull over and: 4a. view the sights 4b. watch the animals 4c. play in the snow 4d. hike another trail to the highest elevation readily available to the general public (measured by my hand held GPS) One can have another lunch at the Alpine Visitors Center For us and the Gkids this is enough for one day. This is about 5 to 6 hours of fun. For back country hiking, it is best to contact the park rangers. If you try one of the CGs on the West side of RMNP, please post here how you view those CGs. Even if I was headed North on 25 after visiting RMNP, I will not stay in Estes Park CGs again.

Hi Marci, I've stayed at Estes Park several times and have been disappointed every time with the CGs. I've stayed at both the CGs mentioned in your OP. In addition I've stayed at Mary's Lake CG. If I ever go back to RMNP I will not stay in any of these CGs. Estes Park CGs are a great location. The CG owners know this and: 1. cram sites together 2. a pull through site in reality may not be pull through. The CG roads are so narrow, you may need to back out of your pull through site because you can not make the turn due to your neighbor's rig being so close and the road being so narrow. 3. The facilities are small for the number of people the CG is to service. In the summer, you'll be there in peak season and pay a peak season price. 4. What you get for the price is poor roads (dirt), un-level sites (lack of grading), run down facilities (lack of maintenance) and small sites. Elk Meadow refused to honor my reservation the last time I was there. It seems they over book, and I was the odd man out. Unfortunately, on the east side of RMNP, I do not have a recommendation for you. Loveland has some CGs, but the trip up to RMNP is a grueling drive. On the West site of RMNP there is Winding River Resort 970-627-3215. I've never stayed there. It is highly rated in TL's Directory. It is the CG I will try next time I visit the area. The only other CG you can try, on the west side is Elk Creek CG and Resort, 800-355-2733. Elk Creek TL ratings are slightly below Winding River. I'd try either of these CG before ever staying at an Estes Park CG again.

Hi JMonroe, The motion being voted on needs to be written by the Resort's attorney. Whatever the rules are need to be legally enforceable. An attorney skilled in this part of the law for the state the resort is in should be involved. Some owners may feel this is the beginning of a "slippery slope" just to allow the developer to sell lots. To your question, I would not like this change, if I already owned a lot. There are two ways to look at this. Those who already own a lot, purchased under the existing rules and may have expectations of only class A coaches. If the change is allowed, those purchasing after the change will have a different expectation. It is important that expectations of owners remain as close a possible to what the resort offers. Something that might be considered is that Super C coaches can be in a certain section(s) of the resort. They would be excluded from the class A only sections of the resort.

Hi PABEAV56, Before mentioning possible solutions, can you answer these questions? Do you hear the KVH finding the sat? Do you know if the previous owner had the KVH programmed for Direct TV? What do you see on the TV? Has the setup ever worked for you?

Hi Traderbuzz, Welcome to the FMCA forum. All the components are available for you to make the switch to HD TV. Depending on your coach, the most difficult part of the change may be running the new HD cables from the TV(s) to the receiver(s) to the Satellite dish. Because all of the components are readily available, nothing abut the change is rocket science. There are no tasks that can not be completed by someone who is tool handy and physically able (and flexible) to do the work.

Hi dm3497, Welcome to the FMCA forum. If you are close to the weight rating consider not towing the vehicle. Overtime, everything seems to gain weight. Even if you are a little under the rating today, a few years down the road, I can almost guarantee you will use the car as an attic. This will ad weight and you'll be over the weight rating. It happens to all of us.

Hi bwendx2, For Ft. Myers, try these CGs, 1. Raintree RV Resort 800-628-6095 2. Shady Acres 888-634-4080 3. Ft. Myers RV Resort 239-267-2141 4. Siesta Bay RV Resort 239-466-8988 5. Upriver RV Resort 239-543-3330 6. Woodsmoke Camping Resort 800-231-5053 For Naples, try, 1. Pelican Lake 800-835-4389 2. Neapolitan Cove 239-793-0091 3. Crystal Lake 239-348-0017 4. Club Naples 239-455-7275 5. Lake San Marino 239-597-4202 6. Naples Gardens 239-775-4340 7. Marco Island KOA 239-774-5455 8. Paradise Point 239-793-6886 9. Rock Creek 239-643-3100 10. Silver Lakes 800-843-2836 Consider having the moderators move this thread to the proper camping forum. You may get more of a response there.

Hi Stu, Welcome to the FMCA forum. I have a Pressure Pro for the coach and toad. It was purchased in 2005 and works as advertised. I would make the same purchase again. TPMS is not rocket science. The technology is a commodity. The most important thing is for you to read all about the different brands and determine which you are most comfortable with. They all work. They may just work a little differently from each other. For me, I'd look very carefully at the claim of receiving a signal from the toad's tires. How do they do it? Remote antenna? How hard to install?

Hi captaingary, Welcome to the FMCA forum. From one Gary to another, here's my suggestions. I do not full time. I 1/2 time. 1. Get a lawn service to maintain the outside of the stick house. 2. Turn the water off at the meter. Put a cinder block weight on the cover of each toilet seat. When not used sewer varmints can work their way into your house via the toilet. 3. Pour water down all sink, shower and tub drains to ensure the traps are full of water. Add a cup of bleach or pool chlorine to the each drain. This keeps the ants to a minimum. 4. Forward your mail to who ever you trust or a mail forwarding service. FMCA has a mail forwarding service. Tell whoever is going to get the mail to forward you anything from a government, attorney, etc. The IRS tends to start its' audits in May. (Don't even ask how I know this.) 5. Set up Internet banking with your bank. For all fixed expenses, set up auto bill pay from the billing party. Once a month, you should go into these accounts to audit the bills. But have them paid automatically (utilities, CC, mortgages, loans, etc. everything to be paid automatically.) I host seminars on keeping ones finances in order while on the road. One of my charts is a blank chart. I tell the attendees that this is what I must do each month to pay bills.........nothing. This subject can be very troubling for those not used to using the Internet as a tool. 6. If the house will need A/C or heat, leave those utilities on. A/C is almost a must due to mold gaining a foot hold if there is no air movement or humidity reduction. 7. Put timers on various lights around the house. 8. A trusted person should visit the house every week or so. 9. Make sure trusted people have the number you can be contacted at. This number should have voice mail capability Forget about providing an itinerary. We are RVers and while the overall plan is set the details always seem to change (for the better). 10. Leave your house telephone on (you might be able to get a discounted rate for incoming calls only). The house number should have voice mail capability. Check the voice mail once every evening. 11. Clean out the refrigerator and turn it off. Unplug all the appliances (TVs Microwaves, Ovens/Stoves, ). Turn off the hot water heater. 12. I have an all electric house. I do not have a recommendation for homes with propane or natural gas appliances. Good luck and safe travels,

Hi arisen2176, On the topic of water freezing, consider 29 degrees F for four hours or longer. Living in Tampa you've heard this on the news about the orange groves. The 29 for 4 is about an exposed orange. All your water lines should be enclosed. Just to be on the safe side, follow what has been previously posted. My concern is the coach batteries. Whenever the furnace is on the batteries will be under stress. The can easily be run down in one night of cold weather. If you have one of these cold spells, put on your list of things to do to visit the coach the next day and recharge the batteries with the generator or a really long extension cord. Do you have 2 or 4 coach batteries?