tbutler

There was a previous discussion where this issue came up as an aside to the central conversation. It didn't get much response so it is good to put it out as the central issue here. We've been towing for 10 years and have a bike rack on the rear of our SUV. The bikes aren't covered but they do present a barrier to the license plate. We've traveled all over the US and Canada and have never been stopped. There are many vehicles with bike racks on the rear and many of those will partially hide the plate. As Richard points out above, there are other circumstances where the rear plate is hidden. I suspect this is a non-issue for law enforcement.

Good timing Derrick, Louise and I played yesterday. You know the saying, a bad day of golf is better than a good day at work! We had great weather and the course was not crowded so no one pushing us to play faster. Sure wish I could stay out of the trees. Good to see another blog from you.

It has been over three years since this discussion but this topic on Improving Fuel Mileage is still relevant. My original post and subsequent discussion have many suggestions for things you can do to improve fuel mileage. One of my primary contentions is that a major factor in determining the MPG you get from your rig is how you drive the rig. I have 106,865 miles on our rig and fuel consumption of slightly less than 12,900 gallons which works out to 8.3 MPG. I have not adjusted the fuel use for generator use. We currently have 1352 hours on our generator which would increase the MPG perhaps a few tenths of MPG if adjusted for generator use. We tow a 6000 pound Chevrolet Trailblazer almost all of the time. I would estimate that the motor home has been driven less than 2% of that mileage without the toad attached. There certainly are physical matters that affect fuel mileage but how you drive your vehicle can significantly affect your fuel mileage.

Several years ago I had the house batteries go dead. Even when plugging in to shore power I could get no power to the coach. We were able to run the generator and get power but the batteries wouldn't accept a charge and we couldn't use shore power. The remedy was to replace the old batteries. When this was done, everything was back to normal. I don't know the underlying details but suspected that the automatic transfer switch which operates to switch to shore power was powered by the house batteries and when they went dead the switch wouldn't operate.

We have used standard 2 way radios for 11 years. They aren't hands free but we don't need that in maneuvering situations. We also find them useful when traveling with friends. We can all communicate from coach to coach with their radios and ours set to the same frequency.

First I would talk to your insurance company and ask them to recommend or identify courses that they will accept. It would be no use to take a course that they do not find acceptable. Once you have their recommendation or their standards for the course, then you can look for a course that meets their standards. If what they want is a course for operating a large vehicle, you might go to a truck driver school to get a modified course to address the skills needed for driving a motor home. There are RV driving courses offered but these are in my experience usually found at rallies like the national rally FMCA just held in Indianapolis, IN. A second course of action might be to investigate other insurance companies and ask about their requirements beyond paying the money. I've had several insurance companies since we went full time and never had any that required a course before insuring. Mind you I'm not saying that you should avoid a course for driving a motor home. Both Louise and I have taken a driving course at FMCA rallies and I would highly recommend them. Driving a 20,000 pound vehicle has complications that you may not think of until you are faced with a serious problem. A class will help you prepare for handling those problems.

Take a look at this discussion on handling address situations for full timing. You may find some of the links out of date. If so, post further questions regarding those links. I think this discussion will get you started thinking in the right direction.

The Quinault Valley of the Olympic Peninsula was our last stop visiting the peninsula. Arriving at the Rain Forest Village Resort RV Park, we located an open site. We arrived on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend so we were glad to get a site at this first come, first served RV Park. They do not take reservations. The park is more like a state park campground than the usual commercial RV Park. Upon arrival we were given several brochures detailing local attractions, most of these were related to the trails and trees in the area. On the south side of Lake Quinault where we were there is a web of trails through the forest. Most of the trails are in the Olympic National Forest. Trails are well maintained and marked. Some of the trails have interpretive signs to explain what you are seeing. We hiked many of the shorter trails near the resort during this visit. One of the surprises for us was the amazing abundance of champion trees in this valley. Champion trees are trees which have been identified by the Forestry Association as the largest tree of a species. For each species a single tree somewhere is designated as the champion tree. In our campground the champion Sitka Spruce was located just east of our campsite. Of all the Sitka spruce trees in the world, this one has been identified as the largest. The criteria involves a formula, Trunk Circumference (inches) + Height (feet) + ¼ Average Crown Spread (feet) = Total Points, which is used to assess the relative status of a tree. The champion Sitka spruce tree is 55.7 feet in circumference and 191 feet tall and is estimated to be over 1000 years old. Across Lake Quinault on the northern side of the lake stands the champion western red cedar. This tree is a grizzled old tree. It stands 174 feet tall and is 63.5 feet in circumference with a diameter of 19.5 feet. The center of the tree has decayed away leaving it open like a chimney. The top of the tree has been broken off, perhaps more than one time. You can stand in the center of the tree and look up through the trunk to see the sky. Given all this, the tree still has numerous live branches. Getting to this tree is a short 1/2 mile trail up steps and across boardwalks. Standing at the base of this majestic old tree trying to imagine what it has been through and how it survived is a experience in humility. This tree is the largest tree in the state of Washington and other than the redwoods and Sequoias in California this tree is the largest tree in the world. It is really amazing to find two champion trees of such large size located together. The rest of the story is that there are four more champion trees in the Quinault Valley. Not far from these two giants stands the largest Douglas fir tree in the world. It is located in Quinault Research Natural area and is not accessible to the public. This tree stands 302 feet tall, has a circumference of 40 feet 10 inches and is 13 feet in diameter. Further up the valley stands the largest yellow cedar tree in the United States. Seven miles up the skyline trail you will find this tree standing 129 feet tall, 37 feet 7 inches in circumference and 11.96 feet in diameter. The largest western hemlock in the United States is 14 miles up the Enchanted Valley trail. Its height is 172 feet, circumference is 27 feet 11 inches and its diameter is 8.89 feet. Finally, the champion mountain hemlock is 13 miles up the Enchanted Valley trail. At 152 feet tall and over 6 feet in diameter it is the largest mountain hemlock in the world. We didn't visit the last four trees but were able to see two very spectacular trees with just a short walk. The trails here are interesting and scenic. If you would like to know more about champion trees check out this web site. There are champion trees all over the US and world. You might be surprised to learn there is one near you. I know that in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where we winter there are several champion trees. I drive past one of them on my way to the bowling alley where we bowl each Friday during the winter.

I was there in person, two weeks ago. The place is a nest! Not only is the address given on the web site a junk yard in the worst sense of the word, the attendant was less than helpful. If they had a second location as the web site indicates, they didn't mention that. I left there wondering why anyone would go there. They weren't helpful, the stock was very limited and presented as what you see is what you get. If they have a second location with more stock then I would hate to see it. I would have to assume that I was at their showroom, the address on their website, and it was no showroom. I've been to a number of auto salvage yards and know what a salvage operation looks like. I didn't expect pretty.

Les, In your third post you mention having your wife watch for the power to come on from the generator. I don't think you can expect to see power generated right away. Most generators have a delay before the power will kick in. This delay allows the generator to stabilize its RPM so that its power output will be stable. With our generator, an Onan 7.5 KW, the delay is at least one minute before you see gauges indicate electrical output. That would be a long time to run on starter fluid!

I have carried two pieces of cardboard cut from the side of appliance boxes since we went full time. They ride on top of the "stuff" on my slide tray. They are great for getting under the coach anywhere, rest areas, roadsides, campgrounds, etc. I use two so I can get on one and pull the next ahead of me and move anywhere under the coach. I've done a variety of repairs and adjustments over the years and always find the cardboard handy. When they get worn out or too dirty, I simply replace then with another set. Several years ago we were coming out of the Tetons. I was following a truck with a trailer load of firewood. One stick fell off and as we passed over it it clipped the exhaust pipe on the generator. I could hear it tinkling along, dragging on the road. I pulled out at a historical marker. Underneath I found the pipe had just been popped off the stub from the generator. I loosened the clamp, slipped the pipe back on the stub and tightened the clamp securely. We were back on our way in a matter of minutes and all I had to do was wash my hands. I didn't have to change clothes!

We just came from the Monaco Oregon Service Center in Coburg, OR. We spent three days there getting various things fixed on our coach. The service center is very much in business there though their location has moved from the old location near the old factory location. They have water/electric hook-ups and a dump station for coaches in for service and they bring your coach out of the shop at the end of the day so you can stay in it overnight. The waiting room isn't as luxurious as the old location and the amenities like the various complementary local tours that they offered are long gone. They did have an excellent book listing a wide variety of activities within several hours drive of the facility. We had a bad latch on a bay door. They could not find a replacement. The tech got it working much better but since this was a high use compartment, they switched the latch with another on the water storage tank, a door that I seldom use. They painted both of them so they match the existing paint properly. I had several issues with gauges on the dash. They resolved all of them. They refurbished the entry door latch so that it works as it should. I had them replace the canvas cover for the living room slide. They took care of several other small issues. We got great service all done in a very efficient manner and the final bill was better than I was expecting, not cheap, just better than expectations. I would highly recommend visiting this location to take care of those tough issues that can't be resolved elsewhere. At the present time, the techs here worked in the factory and are quite knowledgeable in the units they are repairing. Each afternoon you could meet the tech when the coach was returned to its parking spot to get an update on progress and discuss possible solutions for difficult problems like the door latch. You can schedule an appointment by calling the Monaco RV, LLC at 877-466-6226. This line will also work for the Indiana Service Center in Waukarusa, IN.

RoamingRosss, Thanks for your comment. I want to recommend a book which details the history and nature of these wonderful people. I picked up a copy of A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest by Robert H. Ruby, et.al. It is published by the University of Oklahoma Press. You might find other materials on the tribes of other areas of the US available from the University of Oklahoma Press. This guide has concise information on each of the many tribes in the northwest.

I am familiar with two service centers in the RGV. Both these dealers are in Mission, Texas on the western end of the RGV near McAllen, Texas. Of these two, I prefer the Bert Ogden service center. Bert Ogden is a major auto dealer in the RGV with a dozen dealerships including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Bert Ogden Rio Grande Valley RV 1400 E Expressway 83 Mission , TX 78572 956-585-4444 Camping World 1325 E Expressway 83 Mission, TX 78572 956-585-8396 These are the three Blue Ox dealers listed for the RGV. I am only familiar with Ron Hoover and have shopped there for parts, They have a very large dealership and the most extensive RV parts inventory I have ever seen on display. Donna Texas is in the central valley, midway between McAllen and Harlingen. La Feria is near Harlingen, Texas. Ron Hoover RV & Marine Donna, TX 956-464-7826 Texas Trader La Feria, TX 956-797-3000 Swenson RV La Feria, TX 956-797-9223 With the exception of Swenson RV, all the service centers are located along US 83 which runs through the heart of the RGV.

Never used RV tissue. As others have said, use plenty of water. Flush the tank with plenty of water when you dump.