lmsooter
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Posts posted by lmsooter
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We traveled throughout Canada and Alaska with a caravan in 2012. One couple behind us towing a 5th wheel. I glanced in my drivers side mirror to see them drop their right front tire off the pavement and then over correct. I saw the trailer flip and take the truck with it - the whole rig rolled 3 times. They were extremely lucky to survive with severe injuries.
I disagree with the idea that motorhomes are "death traps" - all large vehicles are dangerous if you do not pay attention to what you are doing.
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Herman,
He is referring to the inside steps which raise (motorized) to form a stepwell cover, if I understand correctly. Saw one on a Tuscany at Camping World in Mesa, Arizona a few days ago. It is a neat looking idea but appears to be more complicated than the standard stepwell cover.
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Try rvtrader.com. Might also look in the FMCA magazine
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My wife would prefer the storage that a dishwasher would take up. We full time now but she did not want one prior to that although we had one in each of our past 4 homes.
Our coach came with a washer/dryer combo but we removed it - capacity is way too small unless you want to wash everyday. But that is just our feelings - others would not want to do without it.
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I had been looking at the Scangauge D because several friends use it and love it.
After reading above about Advance Auto Parts coupons, I did a Google search for "Advance Auto Parts Coupons" and found a long list with codes.
I tried one and got $40 off with free shipping - total $119.95.
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If you want to add your names and other information, under "My Settings" choose "Signature" and add in your information.
Then be sure to click "Save Changes."
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There have been many discussions of roadside assistance plans on the forum.
http://community.fmca.com/topic/7315-good-sam-roadside-assistance/?hl=%2Broadside+%2Bassistance
http://community.fmca.com/topic/7148-tire-repair-question/?hl=%2Broadside+%2Bassistance
These are just the most current discussions. I have Good Sam but have never had to use it - had Coach-Net for several years but never had to use it either so can't comment on one being any better.
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We currently tow a Jeep Liberty which weighs about the same as the Wrangler according to the towing guides. Prior to our current coach, we had a Four Winds Hurricane with the V10 engine and towed the Jeep with it. We never had any problems in the Texas Hill country where we lived. Really did not know the Jeep was there unless you looked in the rear camera.
As far as where to find a Wrangler already set up for towing, I am afraid I am no help. I installed the base plates and taillight wiring on our Liberty myself. In most cases, you will have to buy new base plates but you can save money on the tow bar and braking system on Ebay.
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We made the trip to Alaska in 2012 with a caravan. For us that worked well but if we were to go back now we would "do our own planning". There is so much to see in Canada and Alaska. I would start planning by ordering the Alaska Milepost.
If you feel that you must see the Top of The World Highway, be prepared to take it really, really slow.
For us, the really enjoyable stops were Banff National Park in Alberta (along with Lake Louise), Athabaska Glacier and Athabaska Falls, Denali National Park, Skagway, AK, Valdez, AK, Homer, AK (for the halibut fishing), Dawson City, Yukon and the Yukon River. Shouldn't forget Tok, AK - interesting campground and a great restaurant within walking distance.
Do not expect rv parks to compare to those in the lower 48 - no concrete pads, spaces are tighter, etc.
We traveled several thousand miles on our trip and the only damage to our coach was a mirror broken going through US Customs on the way into Skagway (a steel post on each side of the entrance with a slight break back to the left - 3 coaches in our caravan lost mirrors and at least 3 fifth wheels had to back up a couple of times to make through. And we got a chip in our windshield - on Interstate 25 in Montana after we got back.
Frost heaves on the highways in both Canada and Alaska were well marked when we were there. Just slow down and take your time. And we found worse roads in parts of Montana and Oklahoma.
I won't go into any great detail here but if you have questions, send me an email and I will try to answer with what I know.
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I don't know if there is a difference in the two products. Fantastic Vent sent me some single use packages several years ago when they sent some repair parts. They told me to use it on the seals for the covers to stop them from sticking. I have now used it on my slide out seals for 3 years and they are looking good. Never tried it on the tires.
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If your steps are Kwikee, check the Powergear website. There is an installation and troubleshooting guide with wiring information
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you Bill. You will be missed!
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For North Carolina, take a look at this website:
http://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/driver/license/
This is the North Carolina Department of Transportation website.
If you scroll down toward the bottom of the page, you will find several classes of license other than CDL (Class A, B, C) if you click on the (?) it will give a description of when the license is required. For example Class B is:
"Required to operate any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more that is exempt from CDL requirements..."
With this statement on the website, I would not want to get stopped by police without the proper license or have an accident and insurance refuse coverage because you are not properly licensed.
Regardless of what a DMV employee or insurance agent says, it appears that a class A or B license is required for an RV in excess of 26,001 pounds.
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Welcome to the FMCA forum.
It is good that you have two years to plan this. You won't have to be in a rush to get it done. We use Texas but for us that was easy because we have lived there all our lives. We use Escapees to handle our mail forwarding which is also provides our legal address.
Take a look at the Escapees site - they have a category of "Domicile" - from there you are referred to a law firm that will provide a free consultation to answer your questions.
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I just purchased the 2007 Alfa See Ya 40 ft coach. I am in a cold climate (30s at night, high 40s in daytime). I am plugged in at an RV park and am running the hater on "electric heat." I will be here for three weeks.
Will I need to "climatize" the under carriage. If so, how?
Have there been any problems running the heater for this length of time?
Welcome to the FMCA forum.
There is a vent in the ceiling of the second storage compartment on the passenger side - be sure it is open to allow heat into the compartment. You can use a heated water hose, heat tape or just fill your onboard water tank and drain the water hose. I have never had a problem running the heat pump for an extended period. You may have to switch to the propane furnace if your heat pump does not produce enough heat.
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2mahams welcome to the forum.
I think I would want something in writing stating that you do not need anything other than a regular drivers license. I have read of cases where insurance companies have denied coverage in accidents because the driver was not properly licensed.
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Welcome to the forum! Like your name!!! Texas requires a different class of license for over 26000 pounds but that does not apply to nonresident.
You should be good if you are legal in a Washington.
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You didn't say where you are going in Arizona but many parks there fill up quickly during the winter. When we made reservations in May for November the park where we will be in Apache Junction only had 2 sites left. We will be there until the end of March.
Some people travel and just find a place for the night when they are ready to stop and that works for them. I am a planner and usually have my route mapped out along with reservations for stops along the way. May not be necessary but it makes me comfortable.
Enjoy your trip and the sights along the way. -
Having grown up in tornado country and lived in hurricane country, I would never try to take shelter under an overpass.
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Try Interstate Plastics. I got HDPE - High Density Polyethylene - that they cut to the size you want ( I got 12"x12"). You can get it up to 2 inches thick. I am using 3/4" that seems to be working well - $15 each but 1.5" is only $20 each. Go to Lowes or a Home Depot and get screen door handles to attach to the edge and you can use an awning hook to pull them out from under the coach.
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We will be in Albuquerque this year for four days prior to Balloon Fiesta. The day after we leave our $32/night space goes to $62. And I understand they still get taken quickly. As Bill said - Sandia Casino.
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I put Toyo on my coach in 2012 just before a round trip from Texas to Alaska. At the time, Michelin would have been about $1000 more so I went with Toyo. I have no regrets.
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Ken and Nancy,
Welcome to the forum.
We had a 33 foot Class A gas model until we decided we wanted to full time. We needed more space inside and outside.
You will need to do more research concerning fuel stops and parks because of the larger Class A when you are planning a trip. Some state & national parks cannot accommodate larger coaches but we have found many can handle up to 40 feet. Many travels centers now have RV and truck lanes for refueling.
It still comes down to individual preferences when making such a decision. It took us about 2 years to decide on the specific coach we wanted. Just take your time looking and compare each coach to lists of "Must Have" and "Nice To Have".
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Hi Jim and Carol,
Welcome to the FMCA forum.
FMCA Trip Routing
in Destinations/Attractions
Posted · Report reply
We are planning an extended trip this year. The last leg will be in October from New Hampshire to Florida with several stops along the way.
One stop is Indian Head, MD to see our grandson. When I entered the information into the FMCA trip routing.
I notice it takes me through Hartford, CT, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, etc.
I would think there would be a more suitable route for a 40 foot motor home with a toad.
Any suggestions?