aztec7fan

Hi gramps, you may know me somewhat from other posts on other threads, but this is good place to introduce our family. I travel with my wife Terri, 17 year old son Dylan, and 13 year old son Logan. From the low F-number, you may surmise that my parents joined FMCA in 1969,and I have been with the club off and on ever since. My parents had a 35' Fitzjohn Road runner, and our current coach is a 32' 1989 Southwind. It's not fancy, but the Chevy 454 engine runs great and we've put over 5000 miles on it in the last 4 year's. Gramps, someday we need to meet and talk about phone systems. I worked for AT&T, Lucent Tech, and Avaya for 12 years up until 2003. Chris G. F3508-s Westminster, CO

Yes, I believe you will be able to drive it just fine. Its really worth it! I would take it from Ouray to Silverton since this will be uphill, and you won't have to worry about your brakes as much. If you have the time and money, take the Durango/silverton train as well.

In all the flying Js I've stayed at, the RV parking is far enough away from the semis idling their generators, that you could notice someone running their RV generator. Although there are no rules in these parking lots, there should be some common courtesy to observe some quiet hours. If you need to run your generator to run your AC, maybe you need to find a place with hookups instead, but also, if the poster is looking for peace and quiet, they should look for a campground too.

I replaced ours with an LCD two years ago, and it has weathered two winters where the temps get to -10. No problems yet. I would be wary of the plasma Tv's because they are more temperamental. If they are layed flat for any length of time it can damage the display.

The Fitzjohn Roadrunner was built with both a gas or disel and was a 35' pusher.

Keep in mind, no matter if there is a regulator built in or not, you will need to regulate the pressure from the spigot on. I made the mistake of putting my regulator at the input to my coach one time, and the high pressure in the park blew a hole in my hose.

If the generator compartment is high enough, just let gravity do its thing. Tape the fuel line up higher than the fuel level in your tank and problem solved. Put a little duct tape over the end to prevent evaporation.

About 15-20 miles south of boulder is Golden, which has several very nice RV parks, such as Dakota Ridge, Golden RV park (right next to clear creek), and the Jefferson County fairgrounds. You might also want to check out B&B RV and mobile park which is north of Boulder at the intersection of hwy 287 and hwy 52. No short term parking, but the park appears clean and well kept.

I would 2nd the previous comment about looking for a good used motorhome. If you will be traveling all around the country, you don't want to take the chances of being stranded with a questionable engine. Plus, for the cost of what you might need for the conversion, you might be able to find a nice used unit with all the amenities you need for about the same cost. I frequently see older motorhomes for sale online for around $3,000.00-5,000.00.

A couple of things to consider: Due to fires last summer, royal gorge in CO may be closed. Call before you visit it. DO take the Durango/silverton train! Lots of fun and very scenic. If you are pressed for time take the train to Silverton, and the bus ride back to Durango. While in the area, drive the million dollar highway over red mountain pass (us 550). Very scenic! Also, if you have time, have a jeep company take you over Black Bear Road into Telluride. Not to be missed! In Yellowstone, try reserving a site in Bridge Bay campground. No hookups, but more room between sites than Fishing Bridge campground, and the ranger program is great. My two boys, 10 & 14 really enjoyed it.

If your battery bank is up front of the coach, you may be able to wire in a small inverter directly to the house batteries. Also, if your tv power hookup is similar to my old coach, there is a ciggarette lighter type power hookup in the tv cabinet. If so, you could hook up an inverter to this power source.