blakeloke

What exactly is the voltage of your starter batteries? If at least 13v check your starter solenoid first. If voltage is low try using the battery boost switch (if you have one) as you turn the key. Blake

Agree with Joe and Jim, They make a good boat anchor if you're moored offshore. Blake

Hey Carl, Doing well! After two years Deb and I are still trying to figure out this retirement thing! We seem to be busier than we ever have. But, busy for a good reason. Best to you and Linda! Blake

I'm not a veteran of the US Armed Forces but wanted to give a shout out to those that are and served in one of our oversees conflicts. Thank You! Also, wanted to give accolades to a group that honors our veterans in a very special way. This group is called Honor Flight. Last week I had the opportunity to attend an Honor Flight as a "guardian" for my father-in-law" who served in the US Army during the Korean war. There are about 140 Honor Flight hubs throughout the US and the group we went with originated out of Kern County and the Central Coast of California. For this flight, we had two WWII vets, several Korean and Vietnam vets and a guardian who received the Purple Heart in Afghanistan. As a quick note: each of the veterans are assigned a "guardian" to help with ambulatory issues if needed, carry bags and insure comfort. The honoree does not pay for the trip which includes all meals, airfare, hotel and bus transportation throughout the entire trip. The guardian pays just enough to cover expenses. My father-in-law really wasn't interested in taking the trip. But, family and friends convinced him to. I'm glad he accepted because he had a very good time and his faith in the American public was renewed and restored to an all-time high. From the provided clothing and organization, it was obvious everywhere we went that this was a group of US military veterans. The first hint of recognition was from the flight deck of the American Airlines plane captain announcing the Honor Flight veterans then a huge round of applause from the cabin. At the terminal, American Airlines had decorated the arrival and departure gates and made loudspeaker announcements. It was heartwarming to see the entire terminal salute and applaud the veterans and we made our way through the airports. Not just some of the travelers but all of them turned, lined the terminal walkway and applauded. Many folks stopped us to shake hands, give hugs & salutes, and voice a warm thank you. This behavior was not limited to the airports. We saw it everywhere we went, from the hotel, each of the memorials, Arlington, the Pentagon, on the floor of the House with Kevin McCarthy, the National Archives. Tour groups, school children, foreign visitors and other visiting veterans gave our honorees the due respect they earned. Honestly, my father-in-law told me he teared up several times and got goose bumps because of the lavish attention. It was a jam packed trip but so well organized that we were able to see most of the memorials and a lot of other bonuses. Our WWII veterans were able to place a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier during the ceremony of the changing of the guards! Seeing all this in just a few short days was made possible by the National Park Police who provided lights and sirens escorts for our bus. When in town they stopped traffic at lights and intersections. When on the highway they stopped and moved traffic over so the bus could pass through. They gave us special parking rights at Arlington and the National Archives where the veterans had just a few feet to go to see the attraction. Finally, a special thanks to the volunteers, sponsors and corporate donors who make this trip possible for our veterans. If you are a veteran of WWII, Korea or Vietnam, or know one, please gather some information of Honor Flight (google) and find a hub close to you. Sign-up and go on the trip - you will have a renewed sense of patriotism for our country! Blake

Hey Ernie, We only stayed one night there and I didn't see any evidence of fire or damage from the past. From the campground map, to the freestanding cabins, it looks to us like Top of the Hill may have been a KOA at one time. Don't know though. We'd like to go back and spend a bit more time there exploring. Hope all is well.......Blake

tommydjr, Last week we found a pretty neat RV Park in Boerne, TX. Boerne is 30 minutes west of downtown San Antonio. Top of the Hill RV Resort has paved roads, decomposed granite pull through spots and large grass areas. With Passport America/Good Sam discount price was $22. Friendly staff and clean resort. Blake

Check with DeMartini up in Grass Valley. It's a bit of a drive but they do (did) good work. We bought our coach from them. Blake

Trip we are on currently: Conroe, TX to Ventura, CA. Two fill-ups. Toad = 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee = curb weight 4,500 lbs. Route Interstate 10. Conroe to Fort Stockton TX. 5.9 mpg. Average speed = 65 mph. Generator running 50% of the time. Slight headwind. Fort Stockton TX to Tucson AZ. 7.3 mpg. Average speed = 65 mph. Generator running 70% of the time. Quartering tailwind gusts. Crossing Continental divide at 4500' ASL. Tucson AZ to Ventura CA. 6.8 mpg. Average speed = 60 mph (65 through Arizona & 55 in California). Moderate crosswinds. At 65 mph I run in 6th gear unless on hilly terrain = ~1350 rpm. At 55 mph I select 5th gear unless terrain dictates differently = ~1500 rpm Gross weight on coach is 34,600 lbs. I'm loaded to ~32,800 lbs. Cummins ISL 400. Allison 3000 series. Tires: Front = 110 psi. Rear duals = 105 psi Blake

Welcome to the Forum. Nice coach and awesome looking campground! Blake

Engine271, Welcome to the Forum. Check this link for a cover to your coach. https://www.empirecovers.com/rvcovers.aspx?&bng_keyword=motorhome cover&bng_adgroup=RV|Motorhome Exact|C-rv|L-Motorhome&bng_matchtype=e&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=RV (General)&utm_term=motorhome cover&utm_content=RV|Motorhome Exact|C-rv|L-Motorhome Blake

Southwind, Without knowing specifically how your coach is equipped you might consider: 1) Ensure propane tank is full - set thermostat to run on furnace ~60 degrees F. I don't think your heat pumps will warm coach sufficiently with the lower temperatures. 2) Open cabinet doors to get heat to piping. 3) Turn on basement heat and system heat. 4) Plug in engine block heater. At low 20's I doubt that you'll need that but since you are plugged in it couldn't hurt just in case it gets colder for longer period of time. 5) Drain holding and fresh water tanks. 6) Check on coach every day or so. Since daytime temps will be in the 50's I don't think you'll have much issue. Blake

Fun topic Jim! Gnouw I well halve a bier! blake

Roland, I used that southbound route a week before Christmas in 2014. Actually picked it up in Columbus since I lived in Pittsburgh. Snow and ice started in Ohio and didn't let up until after Memphis. Fortunately I was in my truck and towing the Harley on a trailer and not driving the coach. Return trip was the same. Suggestion, once in Texarkana, you might consider dropping down south on hwy 59 through Houston then on to Phoenix via I-10. Blake

Welcome Joe! And, if you take the southern route and head north-ish through Houston you can hook-up here for a night or two. We probably will be under construction then but will find a safe spot for your rig. I might even throw on a brisket or Santa Maria style tri-tip. Blake

Joe, Have you and the family thought about visiting Carlsbad Caverns? We stopped there a few years ago and had a blast. Also, on your return trip you could drop down to I-10 from Carlsbad and visit San Antonio, Fredericksburg (Nimitz) museum and the NASA in Houston. Then weave your way north towards Memphis and Nashville. Blake

ISPJS, You can enable signature view in "settings" - upper right. Click on your screen name and navigate to settings. Hope that helps. Blake

Action RV in Conroe TX (north of Houston) did ours. Knowledgeable folks and excellent results. Blake

rereaves, Welcome to the Forum. Our first toad wasn't towable 4-down so we had to get a dolly. It's a Roadmaster RM440. It's a nice dolly. Now, both of our toads are towable 4-down so the dolly just sits and collects dust. Blake

Great news James! Thanks for the follow-up. Blake

424363, Service at Snider seemed to be fine. They answered on first call. Spoke about tire brand and decided to go with the BFGs since they didn't have the Michelins in stock. Yes, they changed out the tires in the parking lot. The tech used a rubber mat to prevent wheels from getting bunged up. Then they took the mounted tires into the shop for balancing. Snider is known for mobile fleet service so they just worked out of a fleet truck to work on our rig. I had been using Struhal Tire up in Willis but they recently sold out to Southern Tire Mark and no longer carry what I was looking for. Blake

Dino & Cathy, Awesome looking rig. Welcome aboard! Blake

James....yes. You should have 115 vac to your outlets. Once you have "enabled" the inverter from the control panel you should be good to go unless there is a tripped breaker. We can help you with useable power but need a bit more information. Wattage of your inverter (ie:2,000w) Size and number of "house" batteries and condition (age) Amps or watts of your CPAP machine. I've upgraded my inverter but our coaches are very similar. Originally I had a 2,000w with 2 -12v deep cycle batteries. With this setup I could run our furnaces all night and have enough power to run the TV for a few hours before bed. Currently I have a 3,000w inverter with 4-6v batteries. You should be able to set your control panel to auto start your generator when your batteries get down to a preset level. For example @ 55%. If you don't have the owner's manual I bet I can dig up ours and mail it to you. Blake

James....you should already have an inverter on your rig. Is it enabled from the Xantrax control panel? Blake

424363, Welcome to the forum. Snider Fleet Service is a Michelin dealer. We just replaced our front tires so went with BF Goodrich (Michelin Product) because they didn't have our size in stock. Still received the Michelin discount. You can find them on I-45 North in the Spring Area. 603 Northpark Central Dr Ste 100, Houston, TX 77073 Blake

Hey Bill, Good story and explanation of your diagnosis on the coach's fuel and air system. Thankfully you are handy enough to do that and don't let setbacks such as these ruin your day. Glad you had fun on vacation and wish we were around to sample the crab! Blake