fewinfield96

I don't understand why people are complaining about having to enter their birthdate in their profile. Probably 90% of people who read these forums are 60 years old or older. Some of us are beyond 70 years old and I imagine there might even be some motor homers in their 80's. I am 77 and proud of it. Some of the things that I have done, I am lucky to have made it this far...and I have a long way to go! .. I have been trying to figure out how someone can use your birthday to do you any harm. Personally, I feel a little more friendly toward someone who lets me know his age...that way I can maybe identify with him a little better. When I see a profile with no age on it, I assume that that person is older than Methuselah, hunchbacked, wrinkled, bowlegged, ugly as sin and is embarrassed to have lived too long.

When it was time to fill up my gas tank, I would have to park my 36 foot motor home near the curb and wait for a pump spot to become vacant. I could not pull in behind the vehicle using the pump because I would block the station drive. My wife would then go over to the pump that I was wanting to use and if someone pulled in behind the vehicle being fueled, she would let them know that I was waiting for that pump with my motor home. The person would always, pull out and go to another pump. After she passed away, it seems that I always had someone cut in front of me and wait behind the vehicle at the pump and would then proceed to fill his tank and I'd have to wait. One day, I had an idea how to prevent people from cutting in front of me. I took one of the white Walmart bags and while the person at the pump was filling his tank, I would ask him if I could tie the white bag to the pump handle and explain why I wanted to do so. They would usually kind of laugh and tell me to go ahead and tie the bag on the handle. When he finished and left the pump, the bag would make anyone else think the pump was out of order and they would not pull in to that pump. I would then pull up to the pump and fill my tank without having to wait for 3 or 4 other cars, especially during a busy time of day. It has never failed to work and will save motor home drivers time, especially if you are alone.

I don't want to try to tell anyone which is best, gas or diesel, because I have never been a professional driver nor a professional maintenance person. I have driven my '99 Allegro Bay on a '98 Chevrolet chassis for more than 91,000 miles with no major chassis expense. I get an oil change every 5,000 miles at any local Chevy Dealer, usually for a cost of about $39.50. I took my RV to a Motor Home Service establishment one time and they charged me $97.00 for an oil change. I have driven my Chevy gas powered motor home over every mountain range in the eastern half of the USA, including the Rocky Mountains. We did not go up hill as fast as some diesels, maybe 35 MPH, but we got up one side and then down the other. By the way, I have only one slide-out, in the living room area, and will never have more than one. If I ever buy another motor home, it will have to be special built with one slide out. In my opinion, two or more slide-outs, the second bathroom, the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, three or four TV sets, the sitting area in the bedroom, the double wide refrigerator, with icemaker, and all the other high-end luxuries, like Italian stone or fancy wood flooring, mirrors on the ceiling, lights mounted every place the manufacturers can find to mount one have ruined the motor home business for the average motor homer who likes to get away from home for awhile. It seems that most people in the motor home world wants to take home with them when they go! All these fancy foo-foo items do is to use up weight that could be used to carry important items for every day living and cause more upkeep and expense for repairs in the future. When I first bought my 36 foot Allegro Bay I had it weighed. It is rated for 26,000 pounds braking weight. Completely loaded with full water, propane and full gas tank, and with the Honda, the total highway weight, was 25,450. I had it weighed every year, for about 10 years and the total weight was always the same plus or minus a couple hundred pounds. At 65 MPH, I got 4.2 MPG. When I started driving 55 MPH, I got, and still get, 6.8 MPG, an increase of about 50%, and I add one quart of oil every 1,500 miles or so. Can you imagine driving 55 MPH for 91,000 miles? I did it and my wife and I enjoyed it! I don't know if a diesel would have been better or not...I just don't care...what I have is sufficient for me and my desire to enjoy life, not impress other people with what I drive! When I was driving 65 MPH, I drove 6 to 10 hours a day almost every day and when we got to our overnight destination, my wife and I both felt, worn out, shook up and frazzled. At 55 MPH, we also started driving less per day, more like 4 to 6 hours, some days even less, like 80 to 180 miles, and we arrived relaxed and ready to enjoy something in the local area, like a movie, sightseeing or eating out. One of the main arguments for 55 MPH is that you always have an open lane in front of you, even in high-traffic conditions! Say what you will, some people like gas and some people like diesels. No one in either group should belittle the other nor should they try to convince anyone of which is better. Floyd Winfield fewinfield96@hotmail.com