wildebill308

You are right I have a 2014 CR-V I was thinking about waiting for the 2015 models to come out but found out they would not be towable 4 down so I got a 2014. I just looked through a 2016 HRV Owners manual. There is no section for "Recreational towing" and it states there is no emergency tow procedure that you should have it picked up by a truck. One other thing about towing If you use a dolly you can't tow an all wheel drive CR-V with just two wheels on the ground. Bill

Glad you are getting the coach ready to roll. It's not that long till Conroe. Looking forward to your write up on installing your new Samsung Refrigerator. I think that may be the rout I go if I have a problem with my frig. Bill

If you do a search on Google look for bolt markings. You should be able to bring up reference material describing what each of the markings on the bolt head mean. Bill

Let us know how that works out for you. Going from a temperpedic to a stock mattress that in the best of terms is FIRM. I would try to take a nap on it now before you are on the road. Bill

I also renewed with Coachnet. Bill

So you are going to stop at South Of The Border. You probably already have this site RV Park Reviews but if not hear is the address: http://www.rvparkreviews.com/ Now if you stop in Galveston you will have your Condo with you. You know Landry's has several places in Galveston they are always worth checking out for a GREAT meal. Like Willie G's down near where the cruse ships dock. Are you a member of Landry's rewards: http://www.landrysinc.com/selectclub.asp Yes Winter Haven is about as far south as you can go. We haven't stayed there but went to a rally at Texas Trails RV Resort last February. it is in Pharr which is in the Edinburg, McAllen area just up the road. Galveston, Rockport, Brownsville, look like good "stepping stones" down the cost. Bill

I never run my slides with out either the engine running or shore power or the generator. All coaches seem to have different procedures for operating the slides but I bet you should have some other power available and not just the battery's. Especially when you know you have a marginal battery bank. Bill

It sounds like you have some fun plans for using your airline miles. Have you picked what area in Texas you would like to visit? I posted the information on the Lagoons RV park as a suggestion. Now you will probably be coming from Florida on I-10. I would recommend stopping for a couple of days in Galveston. We have stayed at Dellanera RV Park 10901 Termini-San Luis Pass Rd, Galveston, TX 77554, (409) 797-5102 galveston.com Nice place next to the beach. Let me know I can recommend some places to eat, too. Yes you can get by renting a car. Hear is that big BUT. You are going to set it up any way why not have it with you and not have to hassle with the rental car places. Just saying you had to put up with dealing with them when you had to travel. Now please go re read the part I said about your first day it will make the start of your trip easier. I see two many people who want to drive 5-600 miles their first day. I drive between 250-350 miles a day. Just how excited are you, quiting work and going on a great trip. Bill

Congratulations on your new coach. I am going to play the devils advocate here. I say get the car set up and take it with you. If you think you need practice take the coach with the car hooked up on a couple hour drive locally. You will see just how easy it is. You are going out for 2 1/2 mouths that is a long time not to have your toad. Especially since this is your first trip. Once you get started you will have to look in the rearview camera to make sure you still have a toad (you won't know it's back there). The added level of convince having a toad, way outweighs any inconvenience. I do recommend you make a short day of it the first day. 150-200 miles would be as far as I would run. You want to get into a campground early so you aren't tired when you have to set up the first time. Get a pull through the first time. Trust me it doesn't sound like much but the excitement of leaving on the first trip and the first long drive plus setting up will be PLENTY for your first day. You are going to want some time to set in your camp chair,look at your coach and smile. Bill

This is why I always recommend a good surge protector. Hear is a link to a post I made about what happened to me. http://community.fmca.com/topic/8614-surge-protector-saved-me-one-more-time/ Hope you get your problem sorted out. Bill

It is amazing that it won't work on a motorhome but it works on a F-35. Just saying. Bill

I think when I got Coachnet the first time it was through FMCA and had a discount. I haven't had any problems so I can't say but I have seen fewer negative post about CN than the others. So I would recommend CN. Bill

I have used Dicor sealants before on cracked sealant. I think it would be a good fast temporary fix. They have a self leveling type and one for use in more vertical applications that won't run. http://www.dicor.com/ I think the Eternabond tape is better for seams after the old sealant is removed. I always recommend removing all the old deteriorated caulk and starting with a fresh clean surface. But you can smear the Dicor over the old caulk for a temporary fix and it may be easier to get off when you need to do a proper fix. Yes you can use Eternabond tape if you want to. Bill

David, Congratulations on your retirement. That will be a fun day. I couldn't quit smiling when I did it. As Hermon said Lagoons RV Resort is a nice place I was there last month. Lagoons RV Resort 600 Enterprise Blvd, Rockport, TX 78382, (361)729-7834. http://lagoonsrv.com I don't know what level of amenity's you need but we spent most of October on the Golf Cost. We stayed a Galveston Island State park and at Mustang Island State Park. If you don't need to be on the coast look around McAllen they have many parks in that area and in the Valley. Bill

If it is 1/2 inch just use the end of a 1/2 inch drive extension from your socket set. Bill

Cost a whole lot more if you don't need the roof air to run the generator just to power the refrigerator. Bill

Brett's method works great. Here is another helpful tool to help rinse out your tank. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/water-heater-tank-rinser/49070 If you have a Suburban brand heater you may need to check your anode rod If you have one it is attached to the drain plug and sticks into the heater. Bill

I think turning off the refrigerator is not the best way to go even with a monitor. RV refrigerators don't cool down like your home unit. Remember how you have to turn it on 12-24 hours before the trip so it will be cold when you stock it to leave. So you are watching your temperature monitor and it is creeping into the danger zone. You turn on the refrigerator and it takes several hours before it starts to bring down the temperature. In the mean time the temperature will continue to rise and you can't stop it. I leave my refrigerator on (except for fuelling) all the time. Bill

Jim welcome to the forum. If you put your coach info in your signature you can get better answers. The safest way is to turn off the refrigerator and the hot water heater before you fuel and don't forget to turn them back on after. Bill

If you want to know exactly what lights you have, write down the numbers on the front edge of the lights and Google the number. This will tell you what you have. My 03 38N headlight assembly's are from a BMW M3. Bill

I was looking at LED replacements you might look here: http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/overview/ Bill

I think wolfe10 gave you the best answer. Most of the time when it is just a overnight stop and I have a pull through I don't unhook the toad. If you don't have a charge wire I would run the toad for a while to keep the battery up. I personally like to start the toad and let it idle and follow the recommended procedure of shifting through the gears before towing. On your jeep you may not need to do that but check your owners manual. Bill

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your new coach. I like and use a Blue Ox system so this is my opinion. I think the first thing to do is go read and become familiar with section Recreational towing page 248-250 of your owners manual. Next go hear for the part numbers for your base plate and lights. I recommend the BX7445 Aventa LX Tow bar as it has a 10,000 pound rating. This way if you decide to tow a heavier towed you have the capacity with out needing to by a different tow bar. I also like the extra capacity as a nice safety cushion. http://blueox.com/recreational-commercial-flat-towing/baseplates/sorting/ You can get the part number for the Blue Ox Patriot Braking System hear to. Then shop for the best price. You can also find recommended installers on the website. I would not tow with out auxiliary braking Most states require it and it is an additional safety tool when towing. Bill

My lenses were getting discolored and weathered so I polished them using the Mothers 07251 NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit. It did a pretty good job restoring the lenses. I don't know how well the lights work I still haven't driven this coach after dark. I may have to turn them on some night to see how they are aimed and how well they work. You never know some day I might have to drive in the dark. Bill

This is a "well maybe". If you can Google and find out how much shore power you are using just for the refrigerator. Do you have an "Extend a Stay" on your coach? If not you have to decide if it is going to work for you to disconnect and go fill the propane tank when ever that runs out. Now this might work out if you plan to exercise the coach during your stay you could combine the two. Bill