tbutler

While you can cover the distance in a week or so if you really roll, taking time to explore along the way, a week here, ten days there can make this a very pleasant trip. You can certainly encounter some adverse weather this time of year but with patience and watching weather forecasts, much of this can be avoided. Taking some time along the Gulf Coast may be pleasant but starting in Florida in January, I think you may find it pretty chilly. If you catch the weather right, it could be enjoyable. The most southern place you will find after leaving Florida will be in southern Texas. If you follow the coastline south from Houston, you can find a number of parks along the coast. Follow it far enough you'll get to Corpus Christi and Mustang Island. This is a resort area reminiscent of the coastal vacation spots of the 1950's and 60's. There is a post WWII aircraft carrier to visit, an excellent tour. Areas north of Corpus Christi were damaged during Hurricane Harvey but south of there damage was light. We winter in the Rio Grande Valley which is the area near Brownsville and inland to McAllen and Mission, TX. Winter here is mild. There are many resort RV Parks, golf courses, wildlife areas and other attractions. You can do some deep sea fishing out of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Migratory Birds bring birders from around the world. Spending a few weeks here in late January or February should be quite pleasant. Leaving to the west, you can travel up the Rio Grande along the border toward Great Bend National Park. This is a very lightly traveled park. There is much to explore if you enjoy hiking or four wheel driving. Great scenery and no crowds. To the west, you will come to Tuscon, many RV parks there and a gathering place for winter travelers. Phoenix also has large resort parks for winter RV'ers. Western Arizona on I-10 has the fabled RV mecca, Quartzite. It's an RV mob scene. If you like being in a crowd, this is your place. Take I-8 along the southern border of Arizona and California to Yuma and San Diego. From San Diego north to LA you will find a number of other winter RV resorts. If you enjoy National Parks and National Monuments, explore the National Parks website. There are parks and monuments all along this route.

No recommendation other than to read the contract that you will sign carefully. It will be written by lawyers and the company will abide by the exact language in the contract. If you are uncertain about the language, consult your own lawyer. If you call the company record any statements they make regarding plan features. If it seems to be dismissing any of the language in the contract, they are lying to you and the company will still deny you coverage. There will be requirements for you to keep to maintenance schedules which means you not only have to get the work done on time based on manufacturers schedule but you also have to get and keep receipts to prove that you have followed the letter of the contract. The receipt must specify exactly what was done, the mileage and the date service was completed. Once they sell you a contract, their level of friendliness will decrease significantly. They are on their side with a pack of lawyers and you are on your side in any claim for coverage. It has happened on occasion that these companies simply go out of business, bankrupt, leaving you holding a worthless piece of paper with no course of action except to write the contract off as a loss. If you decide to get an extended warranty, make certain it is backed by a reputable stable parent company.

That sounds like a good plan. Be certain the cabinet or mounting that replaces it will be sturdy. The new TV's are much lighter than the old CRT but they still need good support.

Here is a link to a discussion with a number of good responses. It would be a good place to start. I've had Pressure Pro for a long time. It works well for me. When we first got it, we had occasional drop-outs on the toad and the rear axle. I added the remote booster and installed it in a rear closet. Problem solved. The systems aren't cheap but considering the peace of mind and avoiding a potential disaster, they are well worth the expense.

Welcome to the Forum, nice ride, enjoy.

What time is dinner? And, welcome back!

Would love to have the latest technology but that is a cat this dog won't chase. Just got an iPhone 7. Now its "old technology." I guess it makes sense to purchase the latest and best but within the lifetime of the TV, it will be way out of date - unless you just keep buying the next best thing. If you are moving up from a CRT, anything digital will be a fantastic improvement. For something under 39 inches, the benefits of extreme resolution are minimal.

As said above, width is likely your key dimension. The flat screen TV's are all wider than tall. If you are fitting into a tube TV space, they were nearly as tall as wide. The wider dimension will then be the only one you have to really worry about. I cut down the box (taking off the bottom in our case) to make the TV fit like it was built-in. If you can't adjust the size of the box, you could put a filler in to enclose the TV or you could add a shelf for additional storage over or under the TV. I went on-line to get dimensions that would fit in our box. Checking with several different TV manufacturers web sites will get you a TV with dimensions that fit. Whatever size TV that is should be the focus of your search. If it is a 32 inch TV that will fit, most manufacturers will have about the same dimensions for that TV. Take a tape measure with you to Walmart, Best Buy, Target, wherever you shop to get actual measurements. Allow an inch for some space between the TV and the cabinet. Not an inch on each side, just a little room to keep the TV from squeaking as you rumble down the road. Some smaller TV's have plastic backs and the mounting screws go into plastic. That works in a stationary environment but I wouldn't use it for a mobile situation. Larger TV's have a metal frame that includes the mounting on the back. We've had ours mounted that way for 8 years with no problems. Here is a link to the write-up I did when we replaced ours.

My map program shows this to be a 662 mile trip. I usually figure a net speed for travel at 50 MPH. I drive faster than that but when you take into account stops for fuel, rest, traffic, road work, etc., that figure works out well for our travel routine. Yours may be different, keep track of your trip and the actual amount of time driving from beginning to end for each travel day. See what your figure is to help determine the amount of drive time for future trips. Using my figure, this would be a 13 to 14 hour trip. Breaking that into 4 to 5 hour driving days makes it a three or four day trip. You should plan for an additional day or two for weather delays should they occur. The most remote portion of your travels will be from Wells to Las Vegas. I use All-Stays Camp and RV to find campgrounds. RV Park Reviews is another good source for finding campgrounds. A quick survey shows parks at Wells, Ely, Pioche, Caliente and some others south of Caliente. You should have no problem finding parks that fit your intended travel schedule. Check to ensure that the parks you choose are open during the winter and determine if they have water available during the winter. Given the 4 to 5 day length, you should be able to get good weather forecasts for most of your trip before you start out. Look at the weekly forecasts for the area. A simple and reliable source for weather is the Weather Channel (DirectTV Channel 362) or Weather Nation (DirecTV Channel 361). That will give you an idea of any big storm movement. Delaying your departure for a day or two to let any storm pass through is a good choice. A day to clear any snow and there should be good travels for several days following the storm. Stock your coach with a good supply of food and water in case of breakdown. If you don't have a toad (towed car or truck), you should have an alternate plan for getting emergency help as much of the area you are traveling may have little or no cell phone service. Let a relative or friend know your exact itinerary and stick to it. Advise them to expect a call or series of calls to let them know you are safe and proceeding on your trip. If they don't get a call, they should be able to alert police to your status and advise where you should be on the trip. I would expect that there would be daily police patrols along your route but it never hurts to be prepared with an alternate plan. There will also be fellow travelers who can assist you if you need help. A large printed sign (HELP - CALL POLICE) or other message, to place in the window may assist in getting help. This will allow you to convey a message if you are concerned about the people who have stopped to offer assistance (Deliverance).

I think there may be some confusion here, we aren't talking about the external step, we are talking about the stepwell cover (Monaco's term). It is the panel that covers the stairwell by the entry door. Ours operates with an electric motor that turns a screw gear. The rider on the screw gear slides forward pushing the stepwell cover forward toward the door. As it comes forward, the mechanism raises the cover to become level with the floor. In our owners manual there is a single paragraph describing how to operate the stepwell cover. There is no diagram, no information on manufacturer, etc. This looks to me like something that is engineered by Monaco itself to fit it's specific application. In my examination of the device itself, I saw nothing to identify a manufacturer. Our repair shop had no problem getting a new motor which was their first attempt to repair our unit. I believe if you tried to remove it you would simply have to take individual parts out separately, it isn't a single slide in unit.

Monaco never had Country Coach. They picked up HR in the late 90's or early in 2000's then later Beaver and Safari, then the industry tanked in 2008-2009 and nothing has been the same since. Monaco and associated brands went to Navistar. Beaver and Safari lines ended there. Monaco and Holiday Rambler were sold to a private concern, the recreation vehicle portion of that company has now been reorganized into the REV Group which also purchased Fleetwood and American Coach. Where we go from here is anybodies guess... We learned in a recent presentation from REV Group that what had been purchased were the brand names. I'm no longer sure who is running the show and what they intend to do. Only two models of Monaco have been manufactured in the last few years as far as I can tell. Several models of HR are being produced. I am encouraged by the resurgence in the number of coaches we see on the road. Beginning in 2003-2004, the price of fuel had most motor homes sitting at the end of a driveway with a for sale sign on them. We saw very few on the road during that period. This summer we've seen them everywhere. By the way, did anyone see the Moon and Venus in the sky Tuesday morning before sunrise? It was an amazing sight. The Cubs just beat the Dodgers, can they pull off a miracle? I wonder if it will rain tomorrow... Now what were we talking about?

Welcome to the forum where we are all learning! Enjoy your coach, the more you use it the better your investment!

I changed to AGM batteries when we had our driveway redone with an epoxy surface. The AGM batteries don't leave rust stains below the battery compartment. We are ending our fourth summer with the AGM batteries. I never got more than 3 seasons out of the wet cell batteries. I don't know how long these will last but the convenience, not having to constantly check fluid levels and the lack of rust stains, possibly the reduced damage to the battery box may all be factors that make the AGM batteries a good choice.

I fought this battle with our coach. The shop couldn't fix the problem until I completely disabled the system, disconnected all the connections, found one had come loose at the rear of the system. Took it back to the shop and told them where the problem was. They got it right that time. I'd let the tech's handle it, too difficult and tight for me to tackle it.

We full timed for 10 years in our coach and had only one day, one time in a paint shop that we were out of our motorhome. Since then we've had a couple of times with major body repair that would have had us out (maybe, we had the option to leave the coach at this time) but the ten year period with no problems indicates the rarity of being out of the coach during service. We spent many a day locked in the shop grounds. Sometimes our coach would be pulled out of the shop for the evening. Most places we dealt with were willing to work things out for us so we could stay with the coach. Factory service for Monaco has always been in the shop for the day and out in the afternoon. Cummins has Coach Care centers that do the same. Both have electric, sometimes water and a dump for the longer stays. We've found the same at RV dealers everywhere we go. If you are in RV service, full timers are your bread and butter. They are the RV'ers who really use their RV's. In short, I wouldn't factor that into my purchasing decision.

Great discussion. I've learned something. I didn't know that Country Coach was history. I have enough trouble keeping up with Monaco. So who is on first? Yes...

You might want to check to see if the local UPS store will provide a legal residential residence. There is a difference between a street address and a residential address. You may find some companies and government agencies that require a residential address. Things like voting, passport and drivers license may require a residential address. A box at the UPS Store may not work to get those items. An address like the Good Sam, Escapees or FMCA mail forwarding service are structured to give you a residential address that will work for all of the above. Investigate the difference carefully. We used MyHomeAddress in Emery, SD for 11 years, until we went back to a fixed home. They are a smaller operation but provided just what we needed including taking care of registration and licensing of our coach and toad, assisting with voting registration, etc. If you want to stay with a Florida residence, I would suggest looking for a smaller operation located in Florida. As a state with no state income tax, they surely have some small operations that can meet your needs.

And now they are gone again. Have switched off and back on in settings, no change. The mouth isn't working for me either.

It sounds to me as though the USPS forwarding should work fine for you with one exception. The USPS does not forward magazines. For the FMCA Magazine or any other, you would have to change the address with the magazine distributor. That can take time to go into effect. They print labels or send mailing lists to printers months in advance in many cases. I would contact the magazine by phone to determine how they prefer to handle this. Given the decline in magazine readership in recent years, they should be willing to do most anything for a regular reader. The alternative is to read the on-line version of your magazines.

Enjoyed your account of starting out. Sorry about Penny, no good way to deal with the loss of a family member. As a full timer, you will face a number of challenges, different states, different rules, different attitudes. We always chalk it up to learning more about how other people live. The variety is amazing. Actually, as you travel, the interactions with alternate systems becomes less intrusive. Once you are mostly meeting people, it becomes more fun.

We have long wanted to change the drivers and passenger's seats in our current coach. Is it possible to use the Bostrom seats or other conversions in swivel mode? I would love to have a real driving seat but also want to have the flexibility of rotating the seat for comfortable group conversation.

Lived in the St. Louis area all my working life. The roads can be fine in January or they can be impassible. Storms are pretty well forecast these days. You can check before you start out, look at the weekly forecast on the Weather Channel to see what will be affecting the various routes you are considering. Make your choice based on the weather. If you encounter bad weather, you can either change your route to avoid the worst weather as you travel or you can find a campground and sit it out until the storm passes. We are very fortunate that the US has the robust road system that it does. That and the generally competent road department personnel and first class snow clearing and road treatment equipment ensures that you shouldn't be delayed more than a few days if caught in a storm. Several things to watch out for in winter driving. Fog will obscure the roadway and the traffic ahead. Especially in a large vehicle, you need to be very cautious about traveling in fog. It usually doesn't last through the day so you can wait for the fog to lift before going on. I would be very cautious about traveling in fog that restricts your view. Fog can also freeze on roadways, particularly on bridges and overpasses. This can make an invisible sheet of ice which will put you in a spin in a second. If temperatures are near freezing be very aware of the road conditions and watch for black ice (which you really can't see). Even when the air is clear and temperatures are above freezing, the bridge surface may still be cold and may have a coating of ice. If you travel more northern roads, the above may be something to consider. Again, these kinds of things can be pretty well forecast and taking a northern route may turn out to be very interesting. If not in the winter, perhaps in the spring on your return when cooler temperatures may be desirable. We always try to travel with options for delay. It is best not to get into a situation where you feel you have to be somewhere on a certain time. If that is the case, plan to leave early. If the trip goes smoothly, you can enjoy some of the roadside attractions along the way. The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the Will Rogers Memorial and Museum in Claremore, OK, the American Quarter Horse Association Museum in Amarillo, TX, are all right along I-44 and I-40. Each of these is worth a day if they interest you. All have sufficient parking for RV's. I can give you a number of "on the way" attractions in the St. Louis area or in other locations if you are interested. What matters most here is to know what your interests are, what do you want to see?

Going to Glacier? Take your passport. It is joined on the north (just across the border) by Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park. There is great scenery, a picturesque lodge and restaurant, and we saw more wildlife in a day there than in Glacier for a week. If you've never crossed into Canada this makes a nice choice for a first time. We didn't take the coach, just a day trip.

I attended a seminar by Master Tech RV at the convention in Indy this summer. It was an excellent, professional presentation. About a day later we discovered a leak which I traced to the shower valve. I went to the Master Tech RV table in the registration area. They agreed to come look at our problem. It took a run for parts and a second visit. Job done. No problems since. They were friendly, excellent workers and the price was on the high side. It was a mobile job and there were two men on the job at all times. If what you want is high quality work and are willing to pay the price for that quality, they should meet your needs. They do all types of remodeling work, ceilings, furniture, electronic dash, exterior.

An air drier would be important if inflating the tire from the beginning, less so when adding a little air to bring the tire up 5 psi. Not saying it isn't a good idea, just not all that important considering the amount of air being added. Regarding psi, my front tires require 110 pounds to carry the load and I run them at 115 to be just a little on the high side. It's not a hard ride if the tires are at their carrying capacity at that pressure. When I had Goodyear tires the pressure required was 105 and I ran them at 110. Switching to Michelin, their chart bumped me up 5 psi.