rsbilledwards

Herman, There is the museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, Nebraska which is pretty spectacular. It is a ways out of the way North up 385 but a terrific drive back to the freeway entering again at Grand Island. Very likely a drive you have not taken before. Bill Edwards

Any way you decide to go will be just fine. 160 is fine and 149 a bit narrower but very pretty. Have you driven a coach before as 149 will be a twisty and windy, a bit slow but beautiful. We were out there in our 40 footer a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Bill Edwards Evergreen, Colorado

I visited the posted site and read it all and then I found this. It is always curious to me when they limit the coverage to in this case to "The current model year + 14 years" . What is the matter with those preceding years, drivers/ owners, tires. Am I missing something? Bill Edwards

Wow I made a credible list, thank you...if I had been here earlier I would have said dolly as well. Bill Edwards

It should work again on Monday.

I spent a lot of time in Pensacola years back but every body I knew then is long gone. The fact that it is the weekend does not help the situation any either.

Not intending to rub it in but a five gallon plastic bucket would be a lot easier and they have lids... goodness

J, I feel the same way, but the loss of the basement stowage bugs me so I think I will make a cage tray for up top. I can just see Herman and Carl's brains whirling. How in the world is he going to get it top side, he is nuts. I can't imagine making the trek to Alaska next summer and not have a spare, just the tire is adequate. Havin a couple bars on the coach to change rubber is not difficult. A little sweat on the brow is healthy now and then. A simple cage out of aluminum and the tire up there piece of mind, looking or a 275 70 22.5 on the highway to Alaska a head ache. As for getting it up there I have a skidder and forks that will get it roof high. Getting it down, push it off and chase it down the highway.

Yes pretty humorous standing on the side lines. I would make the same suggestions for finding a tank at the two RV salvage lots mentioned. I do have a couple questions with respect to replacing it. Does the black water tank sit above the water bay? If it does it should be a fairly easy job to replace it. Really the toughest part is disassembling the water bay support panel and reassembling it. I just did this while making the repairs to the black water piping on my 1999 Safari Panther. Another thing I discovered on the maintenance trail that had not been done on this coach in it's 16 year 11,781 mile journey was wasp nests in the vent stacks!! Two of them were nearly plugged full. The vent caps installed and still available today do not have an integral screen built in. Like Kay indicated those daubers and wasps just find the perfect location covered and secure from the elements, just build away. It is not something one would check unless trying to improve the ventilation of the overall system, There is a fair bit of work involved pulling up the old sealant. I would add here, that with as little use and some of the time stored indoors, out of 15 screws that retained the vent caps on the roof, only 3 showed no signs of moisture contamination. Where does the moisture com from in these rigs., all sealed up? It comes from the environment right? When screws rust, they rot, when the screws rot what else rots along with it...you have it , the wood paneling that is the roof structure all is attached to. A very good solution to the problem when upgrading the vent covers, replace the supplied screws with stainless ones available at Home Depot and Lowes, all over priced but they don't corrode. and have the potential of creating long term problems. Those same screws can be ordered on the internet or bought from a hardware supplier for substantial savings. As Kay indicated, these tanks can be repaired and huge savings made. My tanks are not ABS and no visible seams that I have noticed. ABS piping is installed in a manner that they can be removed and very easily I might add. Remove two stainless screw clamps and wiggle the ABS piping loose from the sealant and out they come. Reassembly of the cut pipe is with a rubber sleeve and clamps from HD or Lowes plumbing department. Bill Edwards

Thanks for the correction Gary, I thought that it might be and then forgot to check.. Thanks for looking, Yes it is one really nice ole coach, we really enjoyed it. Janet likes the paint scheme better than the Panther for sure...! I hope some one recognizes the value in all that I did in terms of the hard costs. I have no blue sky in it and nothing for all the labor. Pure unadulterated fun!!! Bill Edwards

Speck, I have one of those BFG Safari torsolactic sprung coaches with the installed supplemental air bag system. Honestly it is wonderful. The ride is as close to and air bag suspended coach as you will find.. The system is infinitely simpler than that of an air bag coach. I could go on and on, but having said that I have a Zanzibar for sale with 44,000 miles on it for sale. Please visit safariinternational.org for a full explanation of it and photos. There is not another like it around. I would be glad to elaborate further if you have any interest. I am also negotiable from the stated price. Bill Edwards

Carl, I would concur with that statement...for the most part. As for tires generally. Virtually all of my experience has been with those little ones fitting Porsches and the like. Though I do have many, many, miles on 235 80 16s fitted on Ford 1 ton vans and pickups. For years I ran the Bridgestone V-Steels and believe me they were wonderful. . They wore well and square, great ride and good traction. I started using them when the wholesale house I used for the shop stated that they were 20 dollars a tire less than Michelin and had the same performance. The replacement was terrible in comparison. Bridgestone recently, 4 or so years ago, quit making them and now the only people making an all steel light truck tire is Michelin and a Chinese manufacturer. I had no real choice but to go Michelin with the last set. I can tell you unequivocally that the current Michelin is not the tire in any manner that the Bridgestone was. As for the coach, it was originally equipped with Toyos, a terrific tire and the priced very favorably, and more so than the Michelins. I would have used the Toyos on the Panther but they do not produce a 275 70 22.5 and apparently did not back when this coach was new since it was equipped with the Goodyears of that time. The Goodyears on the coach when I purchased the coach in December looked brand new. Other than just dry looking there was not a check/fracture in the side wall nor in the tread grooves. So I stuck with the tire brand and installed new ones. I spoke with the Tireman about the issues surrounding the Goodyear tires purportedly having problems and concluded it really did not. All of that said with those big tires you use in compared to those little ones I use, I might have to reconsider... ;Bill Edwards

Herman, I was not making a case against them as I am sure they are a good tire. I just did not want to spend another grand until I think I will get my money out of them in terms of mileage. We are not quite ready for the full time route yet. I have to finish this American hand scribed log cabin I have been building and that I would like you to see in the next couple of years. Bill Edwards

Carl, If I recall that is why they were used very little to not at all. The powers the were, did not stand up and make a decision pro or con , so they sit unwanted. No decisions and still they sit at our expense. Bill Edwards

Yes Herman, They were a little rich for my blood and so I am trying another of their round rolling donuts. Are you going to use them again is the big question or are these the ones you just put on? Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow. Bill Edwards

If you go through Santa Fe, New Mexico the Blue Sky RV park is Grrreat. It is just south and on the East side of the freeway, It has very easy access and terrific views of Santa Fe and south toward Albeq. Its facilities are very good. Many attending the festival stay there every year...MAKE YOU RESERVATIONS NOW!!! LIKE YESTERDAY. Bill Edwards

Bruce, You will choke when you find out the coast of the 275 70 22.5 Michelins. Have a look at the Goodyear 761 HSA . They are not RV specific tires and subsequently they do not have the UV protection that the 760s do. I have a Safari Panther I just put them on, they rode great, very smooth. Cost was $500 a corner out the door! My reasoning for these over the 760s was that they will age out before they wear out. I will see... Bill Edwards t

Deadeye, Interestingly enough maybe 30 years ago, Goodyear did a study on rotating tires on front wheel drive cars. It concluded that if the tires were left in their original mounted positions one could see as many as 90 thousand miles from the tires on the rear axel. If rotated 30 to 40 thousand less. This was due to the fact that all they did was roll with no frictional forces from turning and the heavier braking forces applied from being on the front end. At that time however most were solid rear axel units and not independent. I do not know if an independent rear setup would fare as well but I think still better if left alone. I have had all kinds of VW Rabbits and Golfs and never rotated them. I never saw 90K but definitely more than if I had rotated them, just a thought to pass on. Bill Edwards

I will not make that comment again. It was an interesting article. I was told recently to rub my ankles in the stuff for relief of Arthritic pain, huh? Yup I am still trainable. Thanks Bill Edwards

It sure has a nice shine, lucky you, nice. Bill Edwards

Herman, You opened the door, Yes you are a good sport for taking all the Super High Intensity Training. Last time we spoke about the saw, you had it under license for development, now it is sick? I for one will be a happy guy when I finally get to meet you. I will be a happy guy when I meet a lot of you on this forum. I am not on the list either and too am developing a spot so those invited can stop for a day or two high it the Rocky Mtn foothills for a cup of coffee and a few good laughs. Blake, sorry the weather and the crummy roads slowed you down and couldn't make it. Evening and Friday night traffic in Denver is not easy to deal with and it is a slow slog going North. Have a great time at the get together. Bill Edwards

Roger, I read all five articles, sad but true. It is amazing how these folks expect to survive and how many others are willing to put up with these attitudes and lack of service. Thanks for posting this. Bill Edwards

I do not have one, but a couple things to check. First the ground, wiggle it and make sure it has a contact, same with power. Second tap the gage to see if it just over ran its arc a bit. This is what happened to mine, works fine now. Bill Edwards

It looks terrific, What size/dimensions of the tile, look to be about 16 X 16 or maybe 18 X 18 and it does not look to big for the space. Bill Edwards

Blake I doubt WD would degrade anything as it is mainly fish oil. I have used the stuff for every imagined purpose conceivable and never a problem. Bill Edwards