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Yet another "victim" of the Covid-19 pandemic is the LSU football season for ticket holders. This fall, Tiger Stadium attendance will be limited to 20-25% of normal capacity. Additionally, only one of four RV lots will be open and that one lot will also be limited to 20-25% capacity. And with all things Covid, the football season could be halted on a moment's notice. As such, my family and I made the sad and difficult decision to "opt out" of our season tickets this year and roll monies already paid to 2021 season tickets. Trying to put a positive spin on this crappy situation, without long weekend adventures to Baton Rouge this fall, the wife and I will have time to attend a "first ever" rally somewhere in a 300 mile'ish radius of Houston -- presuming of course that rallies this fall have also NOT succumbed to Covid-19. The 300 mile radius of Houston is because with full time careers taking a week away for a long drive to a rally likely wouldn't happen. What would the forum suggest as a first ever rally to attend sometime this fall? Which Chapter would host that rally? Would my wife and I from an age perspective (we both just turned the big 60) fit-in well with the age demographics of a rally group? Your thoughts please! Thanks!

This thread is a bit old, but wanted to add that the wife and I spent last week (8/31 - 9/4/20) at Gulf Waters Beach Front RV Resort on Mustang Island near Port Aransas for our 40th wedding anniversary trip (which was supposed to be in New York City except Covid-19 screwed up those plans as it has so many other plans!). We haven't been to Gulf Waters since before Hurricane Harvey which caused significant damage to most of the Coastal Bend area. Gulf Waters and a vast majority of Port Aransas is fully recovered from Harvey. Dining at Port A restaurants and shopping at specialty shops was very enjoyable as there were very few visitors (it was the first week of school for many areas of south/southeast Texas). The beach was nice and gulf waters were warm. The Gulf Waters RV Resort was fantastic especially along "motorhome row" on the resort's big pond -- big, wide spaces with nice amenities provided by owners of those spaces. The nightly price is a bit steep but this RV Resort tops the list of resorts for my wife the "resort snob". Here is a link to the Gulf Waters RV Resort website --> https://gulfwatersrvresorttx.com/

Mitchell -- Welcome to the forum! There are many good forum members will to help at anytime! With regards to your question, the only "hills" I've driven are those in the Texas Hill Country and big bridges on I-10 across major rivers in Texas and Louisiana. While some of those hills & bridges are quite steep, they are relatively short. Can the LE 4037 crest the hills at 65-70 mph? No! Can it crest the hills at 50-55 mph and pass semi-trucks going up a hill? Yes! The only times I slow down traffic is after an LSU football game when I start climbing the west bound side of the big I-10 bridge over the Mississippi River. That climb is started from a speed of 10-15 mph due to the extremely sharp 180-degree curve "entrance ramp". During that climb I may crest the bridge at 40-45 mph. Semi-trucks do no better than I do. I have not driven long hills such as I-70 in Colorado nor I-80 in Wyoming so I can't comment on how the Ventana LE would perform on those highways. For my wife and me, our 2016 Ventana LE 4037 is a very nice, very affordable upgrade over the 2007 Damon Astoria 3774 diesel pusher we had (it was our first ever motorhome). The 4037 floor plan is fantastic! We purchased the Ventana LE sixteen months ago. It has been trouble free during that time! We both still have full time careers so our Ventana LE is a "family toy" for long weekend get-aways and for LSU football weekends (if there are any this year!!). Even after we retire a few years from now, the Ventana LE has enough nice amenities / capabilities to provide great enjoyment for a weeks long journey. We'll never be "full timers". For the LE vs. Ventana comparison, depending on the Ventana model, the size and weight are both more than the LE which requires a larger engine. Being bigger and heavier, the driving performance of a Ventana won't be much different than a Ventana LE. The general "rule of thumb" for required engine size is 100 HP per 1,000 LBS of GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating). A Ventana LE 4037 has a GVWR of 36,400 lbs. hence its 360 HP Cummins ISB 6.7 L engine. For a family toy with mostly long weekends use, my wife and I couldn't justify the higher cost of a similar age Ventana (or Dutchstar). My opinion (which is a bit tainted!) is you can't go wrong purchasing a 2016 Ventana LE 4037. If needed, here is a link to the sales brochure for the 2016 Ventana LE --> https://library.rvusa.com/brochure/2016VentanaLEBrochure.pdf Hope this info is useful. Let me know if you need any additional info.

Kitiwgn -- Welcome to the forum! There are many good forum members willing to provide help at any time! My wife and I still have full time careers so we only have time for long weekend adventures. Since the Covid-19 mess started in February and the the Houston area Stay-At-Home order expired at the end of April, we have had two, very enjoyable, long weekend outings with all of them within a 250 mile radius of Houston. The first outing was in May to the Texas Hill Country "just to get away" at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort in Kerrville, TX where we had the chance to enjoy Hill Country Wineries and wine tasting on their very spacious, outdoor patio and grass areas (this was before bars/wineries were ordered closed for a second time state-wide). The second outing was during the July 4 weekend to Hill Country Cottage & RV Resort in New Braunfels, TX. Our grown kids and their families rented homes vacation homes on Canyon Lake. We did some "self guided" floating of the Guadalupe River which surprisingly had very few folks floating, enjoyed long hikes, good BBQ'ing and shooting fireworks. Folks in the RV park and around New Braunfels were very conscientious with social distancing and mask wearing. Conversing with fellow RV owners from 7-10 feet away was a bit weird by enjoyable. We are currently planning a long weekend outing the last weekend of this month with another pre-retiree couple to Cajun Palms RV Resorts in Louisiana "just to get away" from the current craziness of life. We felt very safe in all aspects during these weekend outings. Louisiana is one of the few states that currently does not require visitors from other Covid "hot spot" states to quarantine for 14 days. You haven't shared where you are located in the country but if you have RV park/resort options in your state, an outing "in state" would be the simplest choice. If you do want a "interstate outing", be aware that many states require 14 day quarantine for visitors from other states. AARP has one of the better website summarizing which states have 14 day quarantine requirements for visitors --> https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/info-2020/state-quarantine-guide.html Bottom-line, don't be fearful of planning a long, enjoyable "in state" weekend to get started. You can have a great time with great safety! Then if you desire to travel out-of-state just be aware of which states are requiring 14 day quarantines for visitors. Finally, when you get a moment prepare a "signature" section for your posts containing information about your RV, your tow or towed vehicle, where you are located, etc. This basis information is very useful to forum members when providing any help you may need.

rcieslak67 -- You are correct that "retail" tire dealers are not in the business of providing large truck/bus/RV tires. Retail tire dealers (Firestone, Goodyear, etc. for sedans, cross-overs, SUVs, etc.) very rarely sell commercial truck tires. This is the link showing Hankook Commercial Truck Tire dealerships in southeast Michigan --> https://www.hankooktire.com/us/services-tips/find-a-dealer/find-by-location.html Whichever tire brand you prefer, a new set of tires for your coach will most likely need to be purchased through a Commercial tire dealer, not a retail tire dealer.

Amata1957 -- Welcome to the forum! There are many good forum members will to provide help at any time! Congrat's on the purchased of a "new to you" diesel pusher motorhome. I, like you, "upgraded" from a 30 foot travel trailer to a motorhome six years ago when the number kids, their spouses and grandkids overwhelmed the trailer during family outings to LSU football games. When you get a chance, create a "signature block" that provides info about your "new to you coach" (e.g. look at my and Ross' signature blocks for a "go by" template). As Ross and Kay have stated, diesel pusher coach owners take their coaches out for 30 minute+ ride once per month to properly exercise the engine and transmission. Sitting unused hurts vehicles of any kind especially those with diesel engines. Also once a month you will need to operate your diesel generator under load (e.g. at least one air conditioner) for 30 minutes to exercise the the engine, rotor, windings, etc. Also when you store your coach, assure the fuel tank is fuel. Add an anti-oxidant and biocide additive to the fuel tank as it is filled to keep the diesel fuel from turning black (oxidizing) and growing bateria (yes diesel fuel is more difficult to store than gasoline). Before going on your first trip, for a "new to me, older coach" would recommend changing all fluids and filters (engine oil, oil filter, fuel water/separator, fuel filter, engine air filter, transmission fluid and filters, etc.) if that routine maintenance work was not done before you purchased the coach. Also consider changing the coolant if the previous owner has no record of when the coolant was changed. Hope this helps! Again, welcome to the forum!

rcieslak67 -- Ten months ago I purchased a new set of six Hankook AH37 tires for my coach through the FMCA Discount program with Hankook. The price was ~$275 less PER TIRE than Michelin and Continental. After ~5,000 miles of use, the Hankook tires have as good a ride as the OEM Michelin XZA2+ tires (which had premature side wall cracking). Per the Hankook website, there are several "truck / bus" Hankook dealers in southeast Michigane --> https://www.hankooktire.com/us/services-tips/find-a-dealer/find-by-location.html This is the link to Hankook's "catalog" of truck/bus tires filtered by 22.5" rims --> https://www.hankooktire.com/us/truck-bus/tires/all-tires.html You can filter the catalog for other rim sizes. Hope this helps!

A quick report back from my July 4 weekend. I flew my new "thin blue stripe" flag along with Old Glory with no concerns/comments from anyone. My sheriff deputy son and his wife said the flag was great. I wasn't the only one displaying a potentially controversial flag. A rather new Dutchstar coach had a huge Trump flag displayed across their generator access door for all to see at eye level. A fifth wheel flew a Trump flag along with Old Glory on their flag pole. The weekend was very enjoyable with all three kids, their spouses and seven grandkids. The Hill Country Cottages and RV Resort in New Braunfels is a great place to stay for a big family gathering. The "cottages" for the kid/grandkids were surprisingly spacious and very well kept. We had one of the few drive-through spaces in the older section of the resort (most spots a laid out for 30 foot'ish travel trailers). The newer section of the resort has big drive-through spots for large coaches and fifth-wheels. The resort amenities are great for family of all ages - outdoor and indoor swimming pools, large playground, "games" deck, nice store, etc. Everyone staying at the resort followed reduced capacity requirements for the pool, used masks for indoor kids activities, etc. We had a nice one hour tour the Natural Bridge Caverns with greatly reduced capacity (reservations were required). Kid and grandkids had a great time "self floating" the Guadalupe River since rafting companies were ordered closed by Governor Abbott. Also enjoyed a nice, outdoor dinner at Grist Mill Restaurant in Gruene, TX -- big spacing between tables and big misting fans made the outdoor setting reasonably comfortable and very safe despite 98 F weather!

Thanks for your thoughts! Never did I imagine that society would devolve to a point that a person could have their freedom and safety threatened for flying a flag of their choice. Since the father in me wants to fly the 'thin blue stripe" stars and stripes flag to honor my son and other law enforcement officers and especially honor officers who perished while performing their duties, I'll start with that flag below Old Glory. If doing so upsets folks too much, then I'll switch to the Gadsden flag or Texas flag. Old Glory will not come down.

Even though Texas is backing-up on business re-openings, the wife and I are keeping plans to join our kids / grandkids at the Hill Country Cottages & RV Resort in New Braunfels, TX / Canyon Lake for a enjoyable four day July 4 weekend. Worse case we can paddle around and fish in Canyon Lake (my eldest son and his family is renting a lake house for the weekend). Floating the Guadalupe River, fireworks display, parade, etc. in New Braunfels are all cancelled this weekend due to Covid-19 but we'll still have fun as a family! I have a 22 feet tall, two-flag "Flag Pole Buddy" that I use for LSU football games and in RV parks. For past July 4 weekends, I flew the American flag to honor our great country in combination with the Gadsden ("Don't Tread on Me") flag to honor the Revolutionary War heroes. I also have a "thin blue line" stars & stripes flag that I fly when my youngest son and his family are with me (he's a sheriff's department Sergeant) to honor him and other law enforcement officers. Additionally, I have a Texas state flag to fly. Given the current events in society I'm wondering if flying any flag, even Old Glory, will cause problems. What advise does the forum have for me? I do hope all forum members will get some enjoyment with family and friends this coming July 4 weekend. p.s. If you don't have a Flag Pole Buddy, it is a nice, easy to use accessory for an RV --> https://www.flagpolebuddy.com/

UrbanHermit -- You didn't state what type of log book you need - travel or maintenance. If you need a maintenance log book my suggestion is this one from Amazon --> https://www.amazon.com/RV-Designer-B345-Maintenance-Log/dp/B007H2QAO4/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&hvadid=77653077801371&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=rv+maintenance+log+book&qid=1593106693&sr=8-7&tag=mh0b-20 I like this log book given its extensive list of items to check during your routine maintenance activities.

txtiger -- Before upgrading to a motorhome five years ago, I owned a 2011 Tracer Executive 3000 BHS "bunkhouse" floor plan travel trailer that I used for temporary living for my capital project manager assignments and then used for weekends with the wife and LSU football weekends with the family. I easily towed this 5,700# empty weight T-T with the 2011 Silverado crew cab 4x4 I had at the time. I did add anti-sway bars to making towing easier (dumb me only purchased a "standard" weight distribution hitch with the trailer). As Carl said, PPL Motorhomes is an example of a large consignment dealer that has several pre-owned travel trailer for sale (with a surprising number shown with "sale pending). PPL currently has a 2013 Keystone Passport 3220BH for sale with a great bunkhouse floor plan for a young family --> https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/travel-trailer/2013-keystone-passport-ultra-lite_rv-44803 A newer Ford F150 with ecoboost engine should have no problems towing this 6,100# empty weight trailer (as long as an anti-sway weight distribution hitch or anti-sway bars are used). I strongly considered purchasing the 2011 version of the Passport 3220BH until the "deal" for the Tracer Executive 3000 BHS became too good to pass up. The Passport and Tracer travel trailers have similar construction quality (very good) and amenities (mid-level). Another travel trailer manufacturer you son could consider are those made by Grand Design. A work colleague of mine a couple of year ago purchased a 2016 Grand Design Imagine 2800BH for his young family (two children) that is for sale on RV Trader -->https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2016-Grand-Design-Imagine-2800BH-5012766002 . He uses his T-T for Texas A&M football weekends and for other family outings. His 2016 Ford F150 ecoboost tows his Grand Design Imagine with no problems. From what I've seen at RV shows, the Grand Design Imagine has somewhat better construction than my Tracer but has higher-end amenities. Hope this info helps! Let the forum know which travel trailer your son considers.

One more thought for a small charcoal grill. Old Smokey is a well known manufacturer in the Gulf Coast area. Their small 14" grill would be a great "table top" grill --> https://www.oldsmokey.com/products/14-old-smokey-charcoal-grill Old Smokey's can be used for high temperature grilling or low temperature smoking. When my Aussie Walk-About needs to be replaced, I'll likely purchase an 18" medium size Old Smokey for my motorhome.

UrbanH -- It's not a table top "type" but an "Aussie Walk-About" charcoal grill may be worth your time investigating -->https://www.walmart.com/ip/Americana-Walk-A-Bout-Portable-Charcoal-Grill-in-Blue/984171486 . I store a Walk-About grill in one of my storage compartments. It is light weight, easy to handle and doesn't take up a lot of storage space. The Walk-About works well grilling two steaks for the wife and me or grilling a dozen hamburgers for an LSU tailgating party. My only problem is I cant' find a Walk-About grill painted in "LSU purple"....

I'll echo Jim's comments. Last fall I purchased a set of six Hankook AH37 tires through FMCA's discount program with Hankook. The new tires were needed to replace 4-1/2 year old Michelin's that had pre-mature side wall cracking. The new Hankooks have ~3,000 miles of use. I haven't noticed any change in ride or handling from the Hankooks but then as lousy as I-10 is between Houston and Baton Rogue or Houston and Kerrville I don't know if change in ride could be detected. With the FMCA discount the price for the Hankooks was about 40% cheaper than the FMCA discounted price for Michelins.

Wayne -- I can't use the link you provided as I get a "Can't Connect Securely to this Page" warning message. Do you have another resource that provides information about "transporting" a hand gun in a vehicle (my Jeep or motorhome) in other states beyond Texas? Thanks for the help!

While this discussion thread is old, it looks like the best place to ask the "transport gun in vehicle" question that I have. My youngest son is a deputy sheriff (sergeant rank) in Louisiana. His Glock 19 Gen 4 "Service Gun" is being replaced with a Glock 19 Gen 5. His Gen 4 can be purchased from the sheriff department for ~$300 which he wants to give to me as a Father's Day gift a couple of weeks from now. The Glock 19 Gen 4 will be the first hand gun I've ever owned and will add to my big game rifle (my father's 1950's era Remington 721 30-06), my 12 gauge field shotgun (my grandfather's 1940's era Winchester Model 12) and my 22-Long target rifle (Winchester model 52) that I used for competitions during my teenage years and into college. In Texas, a hand gun can be transported in a vehicle without a "license" as long as the gun is "out of sight" in a glove compartment, in a gun case, etc. I have no intent of "carrying" thus I don't plan to get a Texas License to Carry. My question for the forum is do other states allow "transport of hand guns in vehicles" without a license to carry?

My first vehicle came in 1980 as a junior in high school in Wyoming -- a 1956 Ford F100 truck in these colors. 1956 was the first time Ford moved from a column shift to a floor stick shift. My father (who owned several Sinclair service stations) and I "fixed up" the engine with new piston rings to stop the oil burning and added a four barrel carburetor to boost performance. I had the truck through my second year of college then acquired a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Driving that truck on an icy I-80 which 30 mph wind and blowing snow was nerve wracking at best even with 200# of sand bags in the box above the rear axles. The Cutlass was a significant improvement for winter driving. Sold the truck for "peanuts" in today's dollars. Wish I had that truck now as they are difficult to find! >

Thanks for the responses! Consensus looks to be a 'tuner' can bring more problems than benefits. If I want a little more HP/torque/speed climbing big hills / bridges I'll just make the wife drive the Jeep. Thank would make her happy (??)

I know this is an old thread and don't know if Keigm ever installed an after market tuning chip but thought I would just add to this thread. While COVID-19 cabin fever grows, I had a delirious moment wondering if I should try a Magnum EVO tuning chip for the 360 HP Cummins ISB 6.7 L in my 2016 Newmar Ventana LE -->https://www.magnumtuning.com/en/detail/evo-tech-heavy-duty-performance-chip . Since I can't take the MH any where enjoyable until the economy re-opens, my eldest son and I could install this "DIY" tuning chip one weekend soon. My Ventana LE has the six speed Allison 3000 MH transmission so no concern about an advertised 15% increase in HP and torque. One question I haven't seen posted / answered is would a tuning chip cause the engine cooling system to become overloaded? The Ventana LE has a rear radiator / charge air cooler. The forum's thoughts please about this Magnum brand tuning chip and thoughts about engine cooling system capability with a 15% (+/-) increase in HP and torque. Thanks!

All articles are that author's point of view. I disagree with his statements about membership fees being a cause for a decline in membership. For me, the $75 annual FMCA membership is a great value given the benefits provided. The Hankook Tire Discount program and FMCA pricing for Progressive insurance reduced my costs for those items in recent months by many, many times the cost of the membership. When magazine subscriptions cost $25 (+/-) per year for the publications the wife and I receive (Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Southern Living, Louisiana Cookin, Magnolia, etc.) my "cost" of the FMCA membership really just $50 per year (i.e. I'd pay $25 per year for the FMCA magazine). That $50 is only $15'ish a year more than a Good Sam Club membership that does not have the benefits we FMCA members enjoy. The comradery enjoyed among FMCA members either on the forum or in person is truly "priceless" and well worth and annual membership fee. My view is all RV owners love to show-off and talk about their RVs, offer help and seek help. I for one need to do a better job of encouraging RV owners I know to do join FMCA to have a great resource and avenue to share / learn about joy of owning an RV. I am very blessed with an outstanding, well compensated career so for me personally, a $75 per year membership fee is far from a burden on my personal finances. I'd argue anyone owning a motorhome also has reasonably good finances as the cost to purchase and maintain an motorhome is quite steep. Hence I don't understand why the FMCA membership cost would be a big reason for losing members. Am I wrong?

This is now week six of working from home using a card table as my desk in a guest bedroom during the COVID-19 lock down of the Houston area. It's also the longest time ever that an RV of any type that I've owned has sat unused -- five months and counting since the Texas A&M at LSU game on November 30, 2019 (what an enjoyable beat down of A&M that was)! Since then I've done the following to keep the MH somewhat alive: 30-40 minute drive during which I ran the generator underload with roof A/Cs in heating or cooling mode every 4-6 weeks Kept tires inflated to 125 psi Kept connected to 120 volt shore power at the storage facility Checked fluid levels Avoiding great depression not getting to enjoy the MH These are the things I haven't done but now am wondering if I should have done: Have not had wood or rubber "barriers" between tires and the 1" limestone gravel at the storage facility Have not exercised slide-outs nor any thing else on the "coach" side of the MH Left the residential type refrigerator "off" Only water in the black water tank is what remains of the gallon of fresh water put in the tank after the A&M game -- wondering if I need to add more fresh water to prevent any residual "solids" from drying-out? Haven't checked water level in conventional engine batteries. Coach batteries are sealed AGM type. Haven't avoided the great disappointment from not being able to enjoy the MH Maybe come June enough of the Texas economy will have safely re-opened and the wife and I can enjoy a long weekend outing to the Texas Hill Country. Until then, anything else I should be doing to keep the MH "healthy"? As a secondary thought, I never imagined that a noon time walk around my neighborhood (which includes a stop at the mailbox) would become the excitement of the day! Guess I now know why the dogs get so excited for a walk....

FIVE -- A year ago when I upgraded from my 2007 Damon Astoria to my 2016 Newmar Ventana LE the insurance rate for my Progressive Direct (on-line) policy increase rather dramatically. As such, I had FMCA Insurance quote new insurance coverage which was also through Progressive that was 30% LOWER than my existing Progressive policy. I called Progressive and they said the insurance rate from a very large "broker" such as FMCA is often lower than the rate offered by Progressive Direct. I cancelled the Progressive Direct policy and purchased a new Progressive policy through FMCA. Who is your current insurance provider?

I have Progressive insurance for my motorhome and would like a 'rebate' but can understand why Progressive is not giving rebates to RV owners. The average RV owner like me only drives / tows their RV about ~5,000 miles a year with 30-40 days of use per year. So for the average RV owner like me, their RV sits is storage 80-90% of the time. As such, the use of RVs, damage exposure level for RV owners and insurance company has not be affected (yet). If the coronavirus stay-at-home orders, business closures, etc. extend well into the summer, then RV usage will decline significantly at which point we RV owners could campaign for insurance rate reductions. In contrast, personal vehicle usage has declined very dramatically, Under stay-at-home orders, the daily use of my Jeep has gone to a couple of very short trips per week for the weekly grocery store outing or to pick up a Saturday night dinner at a local restaurant.

Wayne -- The "coughy filter" photo is the much needed laugh I needed! I have plenty of "coughy filters" in the pantry.