tbutler

We prefer the heat provided by the propane furnace as opposed to the heat pumps. We sometimes use them when the temperatures are in the mid to upper 50's and up. When it gets really cold, nothing replaces the warm air of the furnace. We do occasionally use small electric heaters when we need a little heat in one room or another.

Central Florida to Cody, Wyoming or Gardiner, Montana? Culture shock and weather shock all in one package! Let us know what your plans are after you try that!!! You could probably rent the home of someone who is spending the winter in central Florida!

I've been thinking of doing this, great idea and great instructions. Now I've got my project for the summer! Thanks for posting.

Well, I just plugged your intended side trip into my mapping program. It shows elevations from 6000 feet at the Grand Canyon to Sea Level at Santa Barbara and San Francisco with elevations ranging between 300 and then up to 4000 feet in between. Then going to Las Vegas, you will go up to 4000 feet, down to 500 feet and then back to 4000 feet. Las Vegas is at about 2000 feet elevation. The real fun starts as you leave Las Vegas. The elevation goes up to 6000 feet then back down to 4000 before going to about 11,000 as you go over the Rockies west of Denver which is at 5200 feet. That is all approximate and based on the automatic routing that I have set. There are ways to get to Denver for instance without going to 11,000 feet. That elevation is on I-70 which is the direct and shortest route from Las Vegas to Denver. You can go through Salt Lake City and then pick up I-80 and cross the Rockies at about 8000 feet in Wyoming with no real mountain grades once you get into Wyoming. It is a good climb out of Salt Lake City to Wyoming but there aren't any scary views over the side of the road. Some really great scenery! We've driven all these roads with our 40' motor home towing an SUV but I've gone nearly everywhere and seen some real mountain roads. If you aren't experienced in driving mountains, this would be a real good introduction, maybe too much on I-70 into Denver. Your wife probably has a different opinion about that trip if she is worried about mountain driving. If mountains are a real fear for her, you could do some checking on routes and find some alternate routes that may take some of the mountains out of the trip but when you get out west, you are going to see some mountain roads. The interstates are usually the most gentle grades and the best surface. You don't indicate the kind of engine you have. With our diesel, mountains are less of a concern than with a gas coach.

I'd be surprised if they travel as well as trailers designed for being on the road all the time. They may be designed to be moved infrequently with long stays on site in each location. It might work for work campers. It might also be a good choice for people who are currently living out of their cars! We've parked at Walmart's that have people who are sleeping in their cars, washing up in the restrooms and getting food at the fast food restaurant on site. It is a sad sight to see. Seriously, we have many people who are living in marginal conditions that could possibly have a mini home. It would be better than sleeping on a park bench or sleeping in your car. I have no idea how expensive they are. I'm sure that fancy designers are willing to provide all kinds of interesting design features for $$ but a simple one could be constructed for little money I would think.

I consider the toppers a plus. The do seem to keep the slide cooler. When the sun shines on the side of our coach with slides (we have only two on the drivers side), the coach is cooler. I seldom have to worry about debris under ours. I've replaced the canvas for both once and had the spring replaced in one several years ago. I have noticed that the high end coaches do eliminate almost all awnings, windows, slides, etc. The awnings do increase air resistance, noise and reduce fuel mileage. A coach without awnings has a much cleaner look than one with awnings. Still, I use my awnings constantly and consider them valuable for making the interior of the coach cooler. They help reduce the load on the air conditioners. If you park in the shade all the time, you wouldn't need awnings to help keep cool. I don't like to park under trees because of the mess and the possible interference with TV reception. Given a choice, I'll choose an open campsite as opposed to being under trees.

We full timed for almost 10 years and had a the typical Splendide washer/dryer. Ours was vented. We used a similar model in both motor homes we had during that time and we still use it. When we are traveling, we'll hold laundry to be done when we have full hookups and then Louise will hit the laundry hard, running loads one after another. If something isn't quite dry it gets hung out in the motor home, the shower is a common area we use. I have a rod that fits across the top of the shower that will accommodate plastic hangers. There are times when she will just leave a load in for an additional run in the dryer, it just depends on her schedule and how many other loads she has to run. She does bedding in several washes, you can't put all the sheets and pillow cases in a load and have it come out clean and dry. There is a convenience factor that Louise appreciates. She isn't sitting around watching the washer/dryer, it beeps when done and then she can attend it. We've had to use the equipment in parks from time to time, large loads, special needs, etc. We much prefer the ability to wash at "home." The W/D in our new motor home died about three years after we started using it. Camping World came out and did a repair on site at that time. About a year and a half later it died again. I talked to the tech at Splendide and he indicated it was a control board failure (same as first time). They sent out a new control board at our expense but he also included a new pigtail. He stated that the pigtail should have been replaced before. The connection with the board if it isn't good will corrode and cause overheating of the board. So Camping World should have replaced that pigtail when they did the job. This time I did the replacement myself. I carefully treated the connectors with anti corrosive electrical grease. The W/D is still working today. At the time of that second repair I considered converting to a stacking set but Louise wanted the additional closet space. The replacement control board was cheaper than the W/D pair for a stacking unit so I decided to give the Splendide one more trial. If it ever fails completely, I'll likely convert as the dual units would be cheaper than the combo Splendide unit. In any event, we would definitely have a washer/dryer in our motor home. As you can see from above comments, it is a personal decision. Consider your own habits of motor home travel. Are you rarely connected to full hookups? Are you moving frequently or do you stay in one place for an extended time? Are you comfortable with carrying or transporting the laundry to the campground laundry facilities? Those facilities vary considerably from non-existent to just a washer or two. Sometimes they aren't kept too clean and you just live with it. Sometimes large facilities in a nearby community work but you are at the laundromat until the load is finished. You will be feeding the washers and dryers money constantly and they have become more expensive over time. We've used all the above options at one time or another for various reasons. Our default has always been to use the unit in the motor home.

Sorry to see so much animus toward Canada. We've traveled all over Canada, every province with the exception of Nunavut, in the motor home. There are still places I want to see and we'll get there sometime. We had a marvelous experience in Newfoundland and Labrador last summer. When we went to Alaska we spent a month getting through British Columbia Yukon and Northwest Territories. I love exploring different places and seeing new and different scenery. We have many Canadian friends that winter with us in the southern tip of Texas and they always welcome us for a short stay when we are in their neighborhood. Canada is on sale right now, the exchange rate with US dollars is incredibly in our favor. If you want to visit Canada, this is the year. If you don't want to visit Canada, that is your loss.

Ray, I'm sure that is a tough decision. We'll all get there one day, one way or another. I hope that you will feel welcome to continue your posts to the forum. I always appreciated your thoughts on problems. Best wishes to you and Hana. Tom & Louise

There are plenty of them here but you will have to come take a look, book a short stay at a park near Bentsen State Park on the western end of the valley, a week or two and use the time to travel around touring some of the parks. Then you might spend a week or two at a park in the Harlingen area and do the same with parks in that area. This link has information on a number of RGV facilities. It lists 89 RV parks. For an independent review, check RV Park Reviews. The parks in the RGV vary widely in condition, activity schedule, clientele, number of campsites, etc. Many have a full set of interesting activities on the grounds. If you enjoy bird watching and walking or bicycling in a state park, Bentsen State Park and the parks near there offer some great facilities right near the park. Some are really nice ($$) and others are simpler ($). Throughout the valley there are parks which have dance facilities. If you love to dance you'll find a number to choose from each weekend. Many have live bands. You don't have to live in the park to attend dances there. Most parks are a mixture of RV and mobile home sites. If you are interested in fishing and beach activities there are parks in the Port Isabel area that have docks at your site, bring your boat! There are good golf facilities throughout the RGV and the rates are quite reasonable. There are so many variables that I can't make a recommendation. I'm certain you can find one that fits you just like a glove. Rather than pick one from the brochure, use your trip this year to visit a number of them, explore the valley and then make your reservation for next year. This is a great time of year to come try things out. Our overnight temperatures are in the 50's and 60's and daytime temperatures are in the low to mid 80's. There will still be a few cool days but they become the rare exception as February goes on. By March you can count on 60's at night and 80's or 90's during the day.

Our ten gallon Suburban water heater is still going strong after 12 years and 150,000 miles. The electric side quit several years ago and I had the heating element and switch replaced with no success but the gas side continues to function just fine. Several years ago I decided to try a water softener and purchased a Travel Soft Water Softener. There are other companies that make similar units. Using a water softener will help your tank last longer as it takes the minerals out of the water before they are concentrated in the water heater tank. This applies to any kind of water heater and especially the type mentioned below. When the Suburban dies I have my sights set on an instant hot water heater from Girard. I just checked on the Precision Temp model that jleamont mentioned, it has a higher BTU rating which means it can heat incoming water to a higher temperature. I'll have to consider both. There may be others out there as well. It's an emerging market. This type unit has several advantages including endless hot water and no storage tank. Water is heated as it flows through the water heater. It is propane only, they don't have a propane/electric model. It uses a lot of propane while the hot water is running but it uses no propane when the hot water isn't running so the net result is that it saves propane. With no storage tank you are eliminating the weight of the tank and water it holds. The Girard tankless water heater weighs just 23 pounds (the Precison Temp model weighs 32 pounds) when the lines are filled with water. Both these water heaters are sized to drop in to the space left by the standard water heater with a cover that matches the size of the cover on the standard water heater cover. I've used tankless water heaters in hotels and homes before and found their performance to be comparable to a standard water heater. The endless hot water aspect means no waiting for the tank to heat up after the water heater has been shut off or after someone else has used all the hot water.

All that is happening before we are ready to leave the Rio Grande Valley. Likely pack up in late April or early May. Unfortunately, I don't have any family east of the Mississippi and that is ruling our travels more and more each year. We'll be watching for the next FMCA National in the central or western states, mid to late summer are best for us.

Thanks. Glad to hear that it is working for you David. It has been almost four years since we gave up our South Dakota address. My Home Address was always dependable but over time things change. Your note lets me know that their excellent service continues. It is true that almost everything can and is being done on-line these days but there are always a few things that have to go in the mail.

So this is a big milestone year for you Herman! How do you plan to celebrate?

Welcome to the forum! We got our loan through the dealer when we bought our motor home. Then, we refinanced after shopping around at an FMCA Convention. If you are going to be in Perry, GA, there should be vendors there that are brokers for the loan industry. Our refinance was done by Wachovia - which went out of existence in 2008-2009. So our loan was sold to Wells Fargo, their dealer services division. It is not a mortgage, it is like an auto loan or a boat loan. This is a good time to look for such a loan. Brokers don't charge you a fee, they get a finders fee from the loan companies. Our loan was done through Sterling Associates, Whitinsville, MA. They have offices all over the US. We were at a rally in Oregon, registered in South Dakota and processed the paperwork in California but the loan was done through the Massachusetts office. They are advertising loan rates as low as 3.28% on the web site. Once we had our loan, we never heard from Sterling Associates again, nor did we need to contact them. They were very efficient, did just what we needed and no more! One caution, we did reject the first loan they found for us as it included a balloon clause allowing the lender to call in the loan (require full payment) at any time. We were assured this wouldn't happen but if it is written that way, it could happen. I hate to think of what might have happened in 2008 as Wachovia was being taken over by Wells Fargo. You couldn't even get a loan for a regular home at that time. Read the paperwork carefully and/or take it to an attorney for review if you aren't comfortable with your own understanding of the language of the loan contract. We told the representative at Sterling Associates we weren't comfortable with that language and asked them to find a lender that didn't include this clause. The second try was good, that was the Wachovia loan at 4.99% in 2004. Because it isn't a mortgage, the bank may not give you a statement of interest at the end of the year as they do with a home loan. It is deductible on federal taxes (considered a mortgage for IRS purposes) as a first or second home. If you request an interest statement from the bank, they will provide you with one. Wells Fargo sent one every year after we made the request. As Kay said above, you would have to check state laws regarding deductiblity on state taxes - unless you live or are a resident of a state with no state taxes!

Eight years and no problems, traveling all over the US in all kinds of conditions. I would probably locate it away from the exhaust manifold! Ours is on the opposite side of the engine compartment from the exhaust manifold. We have a side radiator and a relatively open engine compartment. Yours may be different. Check the link in my post above. If you can contact Mac, he can probably answer your question about temperature in the engine compartment.

If your coach has an inverter/charger or a smart charger (tapers the charge as the batteries near full charge and won't overcharge them) then you should be able to leave the coach plugged in 24/7 for as long as you want. Most modern coaches have this kind of charger. If you are talking about a simple charger that you connect to batteries to give them a jump start, that charger will generally overcharge the batteries if left on for long periods of time. Our coach is plugged in all winter long. When we unplug, it's ready to go. All the batteries, chassis and house, are fully charged. A short read of your owners manual or a call to your manufacturers technical department should assure you if you are uncertain.

We have an automatic extinguisher in our engine compartment. We purchased it at an FMCA Convention about eight years ago. Mac McCoy, AKA Mac the Fire Guy, did the seminar he is a retired fireman. I just took our coach out for state safety inspection today. Before I started out, I verified that the extinguisher was still showing a full charge. When we purchased the extinguisher Mac came to our coach and recommended where the extinguisher should be installed (above the bank of relays) to be most effective. If you attend an FMCA Convention or other rally you should make it a point to get to his seminar. We were parked next to a coach that caught fire several years ago. The coach hadn't been moved in weeks. The fire started in the engine compartment (gas engine) and the entire coach was involved within 10 minutes. By the time the fire department arrived there wasn't much to save. I doubt our extinguisher would stop a fire like that but even if it slowed it down and gave us another minute or two to escape, it would be well worth the expense.

David and Judy, Glad you enjoyed your stay in Brownsville. My how time does fly. You hit a really nice year this year, great weather most of the time. Our first few years here in the Rio Grande Valley we had limited stays and had to return north in late February. The first year we did this we left with roadsides brimming with brightly colored flowers. After a couple of days driving, Louise asked what happened to these trees? She thought they were all dead. I reassured her that they were alive, it was still winter where we were. We both had a laugh about that - until the reality of March in Pennsylvania hit! Regarding the furnace, I would certainly run it to stay warm. I stayed at my mothers home many years using only an extension cord (rated at 20a) from a 15 amp plug on the garage light. We never had a problem. Keep the extension cord as short as possible as long cords will affect the voltage and can increase amperage draw in the process. The batteries power the furnace and the inverter/charger will replace the charge used by the furnace but it isn't a direct replacement. As the batteries are drained while the furnace is running, the charger will increase the charge but it replaces the battery charge over a longer period of time. You can watch it as it runs sometime to see what the draw is and how much it increases while the furnace is running. The charge stays up after the furnace stops running and will slowly decrease until the furnace kicks in again. I wouldn't run the generator in a residential area unless there was some kind of emergency. Your parents won't appreciate the noise and the neighbors certainly won't like it. Yes, even the quiet generators can be an irritation to those trying to sleep nearby. When temperatures get below freezing I like to open the cabinet doors under the sinks to allow heated air to circulate into those cabinets more easily. If temperatures get into the low 20's you should probably use some additional heat in the water pump/waste tank drains area just to be certain nothing freezes. A small heater or trouble light will provide enough heat but be careful that nothing flammable is near any source of heat. Black ice is a genuine concern once the temperature nears freezing. Bridges and overpasses freeze first, sometimes even before the air temperature drops below freezing. They may look wet but it could be ice. We had a couple that put their rig, a van pulling an Airstream trailer, wheels up in a field when they hit black ice. Yep, both vehicles were on their roof when the excitement stopped. Fortunately only a few bruises for the occupants but both vehicles were trashed. Take your time. It is a long trip from Brownsville to Oklahoma and there is no good way to get there without experiencing some traffic delays. It is a fact that Amarillo is closer to Bismark, North Dakota than it is to Brownsville!

I have several sizes of plastic wheel chocks (3 of them) that can be oriented in various positions. I used to have 3 of 4 dense foam blocks used to put a canoe on the roof of a car but I lost them somewhere along the way. I use lightweight PVC drain pipe which can support the hose. For the shorter runs, this can be overlapped to add rigidity. If I need more than three supports, or something taller than what I have, I'll improvise with other small items. I've used spare sewer fittings, the campground sewer cap, the ever popular rocks that accumulate in the area of the sewer, etc. Speaking of those rocks, I don't have to use them to keep the hose in the sewer, I use small bungees (the little bitty ones), one linked around the pipe and the hose, that makes the hose and pipe combination heavy enough to keep the hose from jetting out of the sewer. Of course if everything is right, the connection screws into the sewer so it won't pop loose but how many sewer pipes have good threads? By the way, I use multiple bungees to keep the pipe and sewer hose together even in a good wind. If the run is short I can even put one piece of pipe over the top of the sewer hose to completely enclose it.

It's not a web site, it's a book, Choosing your RV Home. We looked at something similar before we chose our home state when we went full time. Consider the cost a tiny amount considering what you stand to save when you go full time. The link in my post above is still active and has advice but not a state by state comparison. Everyone has different circumstances, sources of income, other considerations so it is a complex decision. Take your time, read and then make your decision. Everything is a compromise.

Maybe it is the two axles, cars, light trucks, RV's? That is the only similarity I can see. Even with three axles, two carry most of the weight and weight is what damages the roads. If you put enough tires under the load it is distributed so that no tire holds a huge weight. In Australia they run huge loads on their road trains but they have 20 to 24 tires under each trailer. 75,000 pounds divided by 24 tires is a lot less than the per-tire weight of my front axle! The out back roads we traveled with these monsters were some of the best roads we found. Very few potholes and broken surfaces. All heavy vehicles should be paying a higher fee for the road damage they cause. And, yes, that is me. In a fair world, the weight of the vehicle (per tire) would be multiplied by the miles traveled and this would be multiplied by a dollar amount to produce the highway tax on the vehicle. Most states just make a stab at it by assessing a higher tax on bigger vehicles. The simple truth is nobody every said that owning a motor home was going to be cheap!

When your generator shuts off there should be a series of flashes of the light on the start switch. The pattern of those flashes indicate the problem. There should be a listing of the fault codes in the back of your generator manual. The series of flashes are in two bursts, the first burst is likely three flashes and the second may vary. If you get three flashes a pause and then six flashes, that would be fault code 36. Your manual will tell you what a fault code 36 is. If you don't have your manual, get the code and then call Cummins for assistance. The link will take you to their service locator where you can find the nearest service center. Having the fault code will tell them what the problem is and they may be able to tell you what to try to correct it. Everything from low coolant, overheating, low oil pressure, voltage irregularities, etc. will have a code. I made a copy of the codes from the manual, laminated it and keep it in the side pocket by the drivers seat.

Our inverter is buried deep in the heart of the basement compartment, center coach. To get to it I have to unload the largest storage compartment and then slide doors aside to get into the compartment where the inverter resides. Once there, the little red button is right on the front. After I did this once, I tried using the awning hook to solve the problem. Sure enough, I can slide the doors with the hook and then by twisting it, the pivot point on the door and the hook on the red button, I can reset the inverter without doing all the work to get to it. Take that you nasty engineers (Xantrex) who couldn't put the reset button on the remote control panel above the entry steps inside my motor home! There must be a reason that the little red button has to be on the unit I suppose, but if that is the case then the inverter should be located in an easier to access location.

It's a really old post. Wouldn't it be great to hear how they are doing now? Hope all is well.