tbutler

Larry, I am also familiar with the world of aviation. Rest assured that Brett has the correct information. Think of this as being like figuring a weight and balance for an aircraft. You have to calculate the W/B for the aircraft with empty fuel tanks and then with full fuel tanks. The center of balance must remain within specified limits at both extremes of fuel. Weigh and balance for the aircraft is not a static thing, it changes as you fly and consume fuel. This is the same for motor homes. Each motor home is designed differently and this has to be factored into your tire calculations. In our motor home we have three tanks up front that are full width tanks so drawing from those tanks doesn't affect the side to side weight. With three tanks literally sitting over the front axle it can result in significant changes in the weight on the front tires. The three tanks are the fuel tank, 127 gallons diesel at 7.3 pounds per gallon for 927 pounds, 90 gallons of fresh water at 8.3 pounds per gallon for 747 pounds and 44 gallons of propane at 4 pounds per gallon for 176 pounds. So my front axle weight can vary by about 1850 pounds. That is 925 pounds per tire. So when I weigh, I want to know with some precision what the level of each of my tanks are so I can compute the additional weight each tank can carry. I use this calculated weight to set my tire pressure as Brett mentions. Sometimes I'm at my limit for pressure, sometimes my tires are overinflated. They should never be underinflated. My rear axle supports the black and gray water tanks. The black tank on the passenger side of the coach at 40 gallons figured at 8.5 pounds per gallon is 340 pounds. The gray water tank on the driver side of the coach is 60 gallons at 8.3 pounds per gallon is 498 pounds. So the rear axle can vary by about 850 pounds, or 215 pounds per tire. The rear axle can also vary from side to side if only one tank is full and the other is empty. So again, I calculate the weight of the coach from the actual weighed values to adjust for full tanks. Again, my tires are sometimes overinflated but never underinflated. Knowing where your liquid storage tanks are and the levels in the tanks when you have the coach wieghed is important in getting the tire pressure adjusted properly. Also it is impossible to always be on the knife edge of the correct pressure. For this reason, the pressure should be set at the weight of your coach with full tanks and a full load of passengers as well as your usual equipment, clothes and food. If this number is less than the sticker that is fine. The tire manufacturers schedule for weight and pressure will give you the correct inflation for your motor home. Adding af few extra pounds (5%) as Brett mentions insures that temperature variations and shopping trips don't affect these numbers enough to cause the tires to be underinflated. How often do I check my tire pressures? Every morning we are driving, before the sun hits the tires. I run my front tires at 112 pounds, + or - 5 pounds, and my rear tires at 92 pounds, + or - 4 pounds. Outside of that range, I'll be adjusting the pressure before we start out for the day. My maximum tire and rim pressures are 120 pounds cold. I get our coach weighed every time we are at an FMCA convention where the RV Safety Education Foundation offers weighing. They give you individual wheel position weights and the paperwork to help you calculate all this. The reason you don't see this offered at truck scales is that truckers don't have the side to side variations like motor homes do. Their load is almost always equally distributed from side to side.

It is hard for me to add things to my BLOG when we are living in our fixed home. Now that we're back in the motor home for the summer I have dozens of things to write about. At home I've been busy settling in for two years now, kind of like a dog turning around several times before it finds just the right spot to lay down. During this period of settling in I am afraid that I've been pretty much ignoring the motor home through the winter. It's plugged in and we keep minimal heat and air conditioning on to keep the interior in top shape. When we hit the road this spring we found out all the things that had quit during the winter. As I explained to Louise, if we were living in it through the winter these things would have occurred one at a time rather than all in the first week back on the road. The list is long, but not overwhelming. We will be making repair stops as we travel. Our first three stops have been complete wash-outs, 0 for 3. Things will get better, I know it. Our first stop out of the blocks was at the Lone Star Chapter of FMCA rally in Rockport, Texas. Being new residents of Texas I want to be involved with a local chapter and Herman Mullins has been inviting us to join for several years so we had to give it a try. We got a royal welcome from the assembled membership. Herman was there to help us get parked! We found lots of friendly people and plenty of good food. We managed to drum up a golf game the first morning of the rally. A happy hour circle, games and other activities gave us plenty of opportunity to get aquainted with the 40+ members at this rally. To top it all off, I was on the championship bean-bag toss baseball game and got a ten dollar signing bonus! That was topped off when we got our official chapter license plate. And then we ran off with the grand prize in the door prize drawing. We actually got our entire registration fee refunded! What-a-deal! Leaving the rally we found out that the generator wasn't in a working mood. It gave us overheating errors on two tries to start it. So, just turn on the dash air for some relief - wrong, it blew only warm air. Louise gave the generator another try out of desperation. We planned to drive 500 miles from Rockport to Little Rock, AR and it was going to be blistering hot. Thank goodness, the generator finally gave in and ran. We turned on the roof air and kept our fingers crossed. Thank goodness it has been working ever since. The dash air is out of commission until we can get the compressor replaced. It's on order... The KVH dish has quit so we're back to broadcast TV. I was surprised to find that the number of channels that are available have increased. Our stop to determine the problem revealed a faulty computer card, no replacement available. The company wants the entire antenna unit returned to the factory... I'm thinking about it. Arriving at our destination in Missouri the next day, we picked up our two grandsons for a ten day tour of Nebraska and South Dakota. At ages 10 and 11, they are really interested in paleontology so we made the U of N State Muesum in Lincoln, NE our first stop. These are two exceptional 10 and 11 year old boys. They actually stop to read and learn from the displays. Sure, the gift shop is not an optional stop but they really love all those bones! Then we were off to Custer, SD. We made that our base for four days of exploring. We hiked to the outstretched arm of the Crazy Horse Monument with the annual Volksmarch. The boys would get 20 or 30 yards ahead of Louise and I then wait for us to catch up. I have lots of pictures of them standing by the side of the trail waiting! Our next day was a visit to Mount Rushmore followed by a drive through Custer State Park. I've been through the park several times and seen only an occasional bison. Thank goodness this trip was different. We saw many herds of the giant of the plains. Frequently they were only a few feet outside the window of the toad. And there were huge numbers of calves. We arrived back at the campground just before dark. Speaking of the campground, we stayed at Beaver Lake Campground and found it to be a great place for the boys. They actually had a collection of bicycles for use in the park, free. The boys would pick their bikes to ride and the next day get a different one. They enjoyed the playground, pool and the rabbits. Our final South Dakota activity was on the way back to Nebraska. We stopped at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD. We had arranged two special experiences for the boys. They learned to throw an atlatl in a hour session with Chelsea. We ate lunch in the motor home parked on the parking lot. Then returned to enjoy the advanced lessons in paleontology. The boys learned to map and record their finds and how to preserve the fossil bones by plaster coating them. Then they were tunred loose on a plot to find bones. With each find they would record the find on the map then continue excavation until they had exposed the bones sufficiently to identify them. As the proceeded they would update the information on the map. Chelsea was our instructor and with the help of several assistants they even got Louise and I through the exercise. We then drove on to Nebraska and stayed two nights at Fort Robinson State Park. We explored the reconstructed buildings on the frontier cavalry post. We walked the ground where Crazy Horse died and learned about the life of late 1800's cavalry soldiers in the western prairie. They also have a paleontology museum at Fort Robinson which the boys still found interesting! The boys are cousins and they really enjoy each others company. I told Louise we got double points for this vacation with the boys, one point for the places we took them and one point for their chance to be together for an extended time. Through all this they never tired of each others company. Our final stop with the boys was at the Ashfall site in northeastern Nebraska. Here there are rhinocerocus bones that were buried in a volcanic ashfall. The rhinos had clustered at a waterhole along with camels and horses and other animals, trying to cope with a smothering ash cloud. Four feet of ash fell and the animals suffocated and were buried. The site was discovered about 40 years ago and has been preserved inside a large building that protects the unfossilized bones. There are dozens of skeletons and excellent information about the nature of the animals. Both this site and the museum at Fort Robinson are extensions of the U of N State Museum in Lincoln. We returned the boys to their parents and picked up their sisters. Two girls ages 7 and 8 are a world apart from the two boys. We planned an eight day trip to Indiana and Kentucky. We visited the zoo in Evansville, Indiana. The youngest was disappointed that there was no elephant. They managed to make friends with a jaguar. Both girls got to hand feed a pair of giraffes and they enjoyed the many play items on the grounds of the zoo. Then drove on to Palmyra to stay in the county park there. Our first day we toured the Schimpff's Confectionery in Jeffersonville, Indiana. This is a great place to take kids and adults. The tour covers the history of the business which has been in continuous operation by the same family line for over 100 years and they have the equipment to show for it. We got to watch them make their signature red hots and then got a sample that was still warm. We got a special treat at the county park has a swimming lake with a sand beach. The girls enjoyed several hours of play in the water and on the beach. The next day we drove the toad to Lexingtion, KY to vist the Kentucky Horse Park. The girls weren't ready to leave when the park closed. The horseback ride around the park was followed by several visits to the Children's Barn where they learned all about horses in hands on activities including a brush and shine lesson with a real horse. Thomas, a large black Frisian, stood absolutely still as a dozen children brushed and combed him to be show ready! We saw several shows and rode the horse drawn trolly around the park. After all that it was Pizza Hut, a break for Louise, and a long drive home. Their final experience was at the Indianapolis Children's Museum. This museum is a wonder for young children. We've visited this museum a number of times and it never disappoints. They seem to find ways to make it more interesting every time we visit. The girls loved the carousel and then spotted the play houses. They even enjoyed the Lego's and Hot Wheels exhibits. Taking after their brothers they even enjoyed the dinosaurs. After returning the girls we attended a baseball game for the 11 year old boy and then celebrated fathers day with my son and the 10 year old boy and the 6 year old girl. Today we rested. Louise caught up with the laundry and gave the entire motor home a thorough cleaning. I was off to spend the afternoon working at my mothers home, helping to get the house ready for sale. We buried my mother in late April followed by Louise's mother in mid-May. Both were near/in their 90's and had been in failing health over the last few years. We are parked at my daughters home and they are leaving on vacation tomorrow. I'm looking forward to some quiet days ahead. We'll leave Missouri mid-week next week and be pretty much on our own for the rest of the summer. Dozens of things to write about... more soon.

Don't take this story as typical, it is what can happen if everything goes right! This was perhaps the best we have ever done though we have honed our skills at manuevering our way through repairs.

Sounds like you have a great time ahead. We really enjoyed Joshua Tree National Park. There are so many great trails that will take you to old gold mines, mine relics, oasis (Fortynine Palms Oasis is magical, appearing over the hill after a hike thorugh typical desert) and scenic views. We hiked many of the hikes, exploring and enjoying the desert. One of our favorites was the Lost Horse Trail. There is an old stamping mill that is still in good condition on that trail and as you continue on the seven mile loop there are other mines and relics along the way. Get a map before you go on this one so you are sure to stay on the trail as it isn't that well marked in spots. We stayed near in Palm Desert to explore the southern part of the park and in Twentynine Palms to explore the northern part of the park. There also an extensive area for rock climbing in the northern part of the park and there are local shops to rent equipment and give classes in rock climbing if you are really interested in firming up your posterior. The park where we stayed in Twentynine Palms, Twentynine Palms Golf Resort, had a golf course and you could play nine holes a day as part of your campground fee. We were in the Joshua Tree area for over three weeks just exploring and enjoying a great desert. Another top park to be seen is Death Valley National Park. As with all these deserts, you need to be there in the early spring. This one in particular is notable for its extreme hot weather. We left Death Valley on May the 9th and temperatures were regularly hitting 100 degrees during the day. We explored the southern part of the park from a campground outside the park. We stayed at Longstreet Casino on the California/Nevada border. You are several hours drive from Las Vegas at Longstreet. We don't gamble much but enjoy having a restaurant available once in a while. They have a nice campground and the prices were very reasonable when we were there. We enjoyed exploring the Amargosa Valley and drove to the ghost town of Rhyolite from there. It is about a 30 mile drive from Longstreet to the visitors center at Furnace Creek in Death Valley. We stayed at Stovepipe Wells in the park for a week while we explored the northern part of the park. There is fantastic scenery if you like bare naked rocks and we do! You'll hardly see a plant anywhere but the rock colors and formations are spectacular. We hiked many trails including hikes to Keane Wonder gold mine (temporarily closed now), Ubehebe Crater, sand dunes, salt deposits on the valley floor. Dante's View is spectacular, looking across the valley from 1 mile above the lowest point. I did a 35 mile bike ride from Dante's View to Furnace Creek and hardly had to peddle the bike at all. Louise clocked me at 35 mph on the way down the alluvial fan. Scotty's Castle in the northern part of the park is an interesting tour as well. There were dry camping facilities in the park, basically large parking lots but they were empty by the time we got there in mid-April. We stayed at Louise's mothers home in Lake Havasu many times. It is worth a visit but I didn't find a lot of hiking and exploring to be done around that area. It is a great place for boating and fishing. South of Lake Havasu on US 95 at I-10 is the RV Winter Mecca of Quartzite. There is dry camping in the desert around the area and many RV parks along US 95 between Quartzite and Lake Havasu. The Anza-Borrego desert has good hiking but we never visited the State Park there. We've been through Yuma but never stayed there. We saw lots of off road vehicle activity in the deserts near Yuma. Many of those folks were dry camped along the desert.

Seems this conversation has gone off the rails. How about New Year's Resolutions?

Thanks for the tip Herman. The Texas Master Naturalist Program is a county-by-county program. Our region is actually two counties, Hidalgo and Cameron Counties. I'll be working with the local chapter. The training program focuses on the local flora and fauna. We have a multitude of parks and natural areas here in the Rio Grande Valley. I'll have plenty of opportunities to volunteer locally. In fact, I'm hoping to volunteer at the Edinburg City Park and World Birding Center site. I could ride my bicycle to "work" from where we live. Point Pilot is 450 miles away. I'm not looking for a place to stay for the summer though that could be done I'm sure. We've too many relatives (children, grandchildren, siblings and mothers) who live in the cold north so we have to visit them when things thaw! We live in Texas but were still winter Texans as long as the motor home is still running!

We flew up to Houston several years ago, landed at Sugerland airport and went to a Ron White performance. Flew back the next day. I love to fly when I can. Anything single engine land/high performance/complex or gliders. Our first year out (2001) we headed for Houston. I took a course in recovery from unusual attitudes at DW Hooks airport flying with the Texas Air Aces. One of my great adventures. I don't think they are in business anymore. They had two fatal accidents within two or three years after I flew with them. The owner, and one of the instructors I flew with were killed in two separate accidents. I believe one of the T-34's was one I flew in. If you are headed down to the valley, let us know and we'll get some air time. I've never owned a plane, strictly a renter. Never flown a Mooney but have flown Pipers, Cessna, Grumman and Beechcraft. I love to fly!

I like to keep it simple and measurable. 1) Complete the Texas Master Naturalist program this winter 2) Find a volunteer position at a local state park or nature area in the spring 3) Fly an airplane at least once a month

Mark and Karen, Let me add my welcome to motorhoming and the FMCA forum. A very interesting intro, you've done a little of everything. You had my wife at Bengal cats. She thinks they are the cats meow! I just think they are cool cats! Thanks for your service and that of your son as well. I'm sure as you begin your adventures in a motor home you will find plenty of advice and help here. Join in the conversation with your questions. You might also like to begin blogging your adventure as you learn your way into motorhoming. Your perspective as a new owner and traveler would be invaluable to others who are new to motorhoming. Obviously you aren't afraid to write!!!

When my computer feels neglected it starts running through my photo files. One by one, pictures from our life and travels pop up on the screen. Some pictures fade in and out, others come in pairs. After a while they switch from color to black and white so I'm seeing them in a completely new way. They remind me of the rich life Louise and I have. Clearly, we are not wealthy in the conventional sense. Our bank account would not impress anyone. Still in so many ways, we are in the current vernacular, 1%'ers. I'm certain that the number of people who have lived in a motor home for any length of time amounts to less than 1% of the population. Even in today's mobile world, the number of people who have traveled to all states in the US is less than 1% of the population. Not only have we traveled all over the US, we have lived in our home while doing this. Spending a week or even a few days living in a location is so much different than flying in, staying in a motel and flying back home. Speaking of flying, my pilot's license also puts me in the 1% category and Louise has shared much of that flying with me. Many of my pictures are from our flights. I have pictures looking up at Denali, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Ranier, Death Valley, the Florida Keys and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. There are pictures of deserts, rivers and lakes, crops, plains, glaciers and so many other beautiful places. Each picture reminds me of another adventure, experiences and people we've met. All that said, there is nothing like the feeling of lifting off from the ground into the air and experiencing the freedom of flight. With no roads to follow, the possibilities are limitless. Louise and I were able to retire at an early age. We worked another job for several years beyond our retirement then gave up full time work at age 55. Looking back on this now, from the age of 65 and still not being eligible for full Social Security, I really appreciate the years of travel when I was physically able to take on some of the adventures we did. To retire at such an early age probably puts us in the 1% category again. I wrote this several months ago as you might suspect. I still feel like I'm in the 1% category. I recently gave blood for the umteenth time and after shoulder surgery and knee replacements on both knees I'm back on the tennis court. I bowled a 200+ game last week and got a 96 (I broke 100) on a golf course we've played for several years, so life is good. The last few months I have devoted my time to getting certified as a Texas Master Naturalist. The certification requires 30 hours of class time (generally in 3 hour chunks) and 10 hours of field trips. A final 40 hours of volunteer time is required before you get your certification. After that, you can work with the parks and nature centers in the area as a volunteer on a regular basis. Needless to say, my time has been at a premium. I have completed all the requirements for graduation. Still, there are intersting field trips and classes. Tomorrow, Monday, I'll take a cactus field trip. I've seen tons of cactus in the last 11 years but there is always something to be learned. Meanwhile, I'm consumed by homeowner responsibilites that I haven't had for years. It's just a mobile home on a small lot but there are endless projects to be tackled. I'm battling the spring bloom of weeds in the lawn and beyond. I spent the day attending to the drainage system, gutters, downspouts, etc. We'll depart for the summer in six weeks and there are plenty of things that have to be done to get the house ready. Then there is the list for the motor home. It has been sitting in "storage" next to our house, for almost six months so I'll have to turn my attention to getting it ready for a summer of travel. I can't wait to get her rolling and leave the house in the rear view mirror. It promises to be a great summer. We are planning to take our grandsons on a trip through Nebraska and South Dakota. Fun you say? Yes, there are numerous palentological sites (boys and dinosaurs, mammoths and other ancient creatures) in both states as well as the historical and scenic sites. We're hoping to get them to the annual Volksmarch at the Crazy Horse monument near Custer, SD. Our two oldest grandaughers are overdue for a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park and some stops in Indiana including a great candy store and the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. After that, we're off to enjoy ourselves, heading for a long delayed destination, the Olympic Penninsula of Washington. We may stray into Canada to visit friends on Vancouver Island if time allows. We have two young grandaughters in California to visit. Then we'll return to take care of Louise's mother in Denver while Louise's sister celebrates her husband's retirement on a cruise. That is small payment for their care of Mom in their home for the last 9 years. Our final journey will be back to home in south Texas sometime in October. If you own a motorhome, the possibilities are endless. Life is much better when you can travel at will.

Merry Christmas Gramps, Diane and family! We just watched It's a Wonderful Life last night, on TV late, Louise finally had to give up before the end of the movie but we summarized the remainder between us as we prepared for bed. We had just watched another movie that captures the childhood in the 50's, Christmas Story, with Ralphie in a quest for his Daisy BB gun. I enjoyed reading about your the connection to It's a Wonderful Life. Wishing you and yours continued success in your ventures and many enjoyable motorhome trips in the coming year! Tom

Herman, What a great set of pictures. We really enjoyed them. Thanks for the link.

Bill, Where do you have your DirecTV or Dish TV bill sent, even if electronic billing, what is the billing address? If it is your mothers house you should be able to print off a copy of that bill and take it to BOA. The same would be true of your cell phone bills. If they ask for an electric bill tell them you are all solar and have no bill for electric!!!

Bill is correct, heat pumps are only efficient into the mid 40's. After that you are using more energy (electricity) to run it than you are getting out of the unit. You would be better off with a small electric space heater - or switch to the propane furnace.

leehowland, Regarding the question of how you get financing as a full timer, lets investigate the problem further. There are many ways of handling mail and address as a full timer. I'm not sure of the problem with the S.A.F.E. act but suspect it may be a matter of how you handle your address and mail. Do you have a legal address of residence with a mail provider or other arrangements? I suspect that you can't use a PO Box as a legal address any longer. Is your address shown on your drivers license a street address? Did you use a street address on your loan application? A good loan officer should be able to look at your application and tell you why the S.A.F.E. act prevents you from getting a loan, more than just you can't do it as a full timer. I haven't needed a loan recently but arranged several when we were full timers. We never had a problem. Fill us in with some further information for further help.

JohnJen, welcome to the Forum and to full timing. When we retired we had insurance with our previous employers. We had to pay for the insurance but it was part of a group and good insurance. Unfortunately, it was like yours, based in our original home state. We maintained that insurance for twelve years using our son and daughters addresses for our local address. A local address was required to maintain the insurance. We returned to visit family each spring and fall and did our routine doctor visits at those times. If we had routine health concerns, those were addressed at our twice a year visits with our doctors. We were both in good health and only had a couple of incidents in which we had to use "out of network" insurance. I had total knee replacements this summer so we spent the whole summer in Missouri for the insurance coverage. You don't mention your age or your health. Both would be part of the decision on how to handle your insurance. We both recently reached the magic age and are on Medicare now. We selected original Medicare with a part B supplement so we can get medical care anywhere we go and we are covered. Our part B supplement even covers foreign countries for the first 60 days out of country. That is useful if you plan to spend time in Canada. If you aren't to Medicare age yet, this is something to consider. If you have significant health problems you may have to stay close to California to utilize your insurance there. The price benefits of group insurance make it almost impossible to go independent and get similar coverage. If your health is good, you may want to change insurance and find coverage that is based where you will spend most of your time.

Wow, the legends site looks great! Everything on the site seems to be working fine so w6pea should give it another try. We toured Rhyolite in Nevada several years ago and we've bummed around lots of old gold mining and other mine sites. We enjoy finding the old relics of civilization. There is an old mercury mine in Big Bend National Park that we really enjoyed. It is on the 50 mile 4WD road along the Rio Grande. I didn't see it listed on the site but I did just give it a quick review. We also enjoyed the many mine sites in Joshua Tree National Monument and also in Death Valley. Another site that seems to be missing, of the best ghost towns, is in Alaska, Kennicott in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. It is operated by the NPS. You can stay in the bunk house while you enjoy touring the area. Great old mining town that was the beginning of the Kennicott Copper Company which operates many modern mines in the western US.

I'm glad you asked this question. One of the frames I have for my FMCA and Monaco International plates broke several weeks ago. I purchased a set of Plak-R frames for holding these signs years ago at an FMCA rally. The Plak-R web site mentions that these are sold at Camping World. You can also order them from the web site. The mounting has two brackets that fit on the rear ladder. The frame attaches to the ladder by inserting two pins in the brackets and then securing them in place with two snap pins. When you want to use the ladder you simply remove the two snap pins and lift the frame from the brackets. They have several designs. You can also purchase a bunch of other signs (chapters could have signs made) to hang on your rig if you desire. I think my frame broke because I was hanging the frame by one pin when I used the ladder, just swiveling it out of the way. Guess it isn't made to be that strong. Otherwise, they are very convenient. I'll be purchasing a replacement. I don't have a plate mounted on the front of our coach. I could put something in the window but we always have the windshield and front windows covered with sun screen when parked. I haven't found a bracket that will work with my license plate mount. I'd love to see a picture from mrboyer. I have an idea of how it might be done but a picture would help.

We recently made a typical trip that included some sightseeing and maintenance stops. I submit this description as an example of full-timers' travel experiences even though we are no longer full-timers. This trip is like many drives we have made as the final trip of the summer travel season. We left south Texas in early May of 2011. We visited family and I had knee replacement surgery during the summer. We left Missouri September 7 and arrived in California on September 16. After a stay of a month we departed our campground about noon on Thursday, October 13. We had an appointment to have our entry door lock repaired at Paul Everett RV in Fresno on Friday morning. They have an adjacent area with water and electric hook-ups. By sunset we were parking and hooking up electric. We had water and empty sewer tanks so no need for any other hook ups. We had been to Paul Everett for service before and they were always willing to take us in even though we have never purchased a motor home from them. Friday we lined up for service as the shop was opening. After a brief check in the motor home went into the shop. I browsed the parts store and found a few handy items we needed including a new propane detector. They were happy to install that for us. With the lock repaired we were departing Fresno just after noon. Our next destination was Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had Southwest Airlines tickets from there to St. Louis for a 12 week check-up after knee surgery. The doctor appointment was for Wednesday the 19th so we didn't have to push too hard. Still, I'd rather be sitting in a campground than driving an extra day so we didn't let any dust collect on the tires. Friday night was spent at Wal-Mart in Barstow, CA. Saturday night we parked at the Wal-Mart in Winslow, Arizona. Sunday night we were in the Santa Fe Skies RV Park in Santa Fe, NM. We talked over plans as we traveled. When it became apparent that we should be near Albuquerque on Sunday we decided to spend some time in the Santa Fe area. This was not our original intent but it was going to work well on several counts. I could take the car to the airport, leave it overnight and pick it up the next evening. Louise would be fine in camp for a day and a half without a car. We would be better off making one trip to Albuquerque for the plane flight than staying in Albuquerque and making multiple trips to Santa Fe for sightseeing. Monday we spent most of the day exploring Santa Fe. Tuesday I left for the airport shortly before noon arriving in St. Louis just after dark. Wednesday morning I saw the doctor and got the OK for six months until the next appointment. I was back in Santa Fe by 9:00 p.m. Wednesday evening. On the drive back to Santa Fe I was listening to the St. Louis Cardinals beating the Texas Rangers in World Series Game 1. Thursday we did more touring in Santa Fe. Friday we decided to drive to Taos. As we drove through the gorge of the Rio Grande on the road to Taos we enjoyed the brilliantly colored leaves so much that we made numerous stops to photograph the scenery. We picnicked along the river in the middle of a grove poplars with bright golden leaves. We barely made it to Taos when we decided to return to Santa Fe. The trip in this case truly was the destination. We would return to Taos another time and explore the area further. Saturday we left Santa Fe taking the most direct route toward San Antonio. Saturday night we stayed at the Wal-Mart in Lamesa, TX. By Sunday night we were parked at Cummins Southwest in San Antonio. Monday morning, October 24 the motor home goes into the Cummins shop for an oil change and lube. We're out of the shop before noon. We had a rock hit the windshield during our drive from Santa Fe. I used the waiting time at Cummins to arrange a stop at the glass shop for the afternoon. They were very flexible. We pulled up and parked on the street in front of the shop. Ten minutes later they were at work on the windshield. I called our next service appointment while work on the windshield proceeded. We would be at Iron Horse RV after their lunch hour. They had installed a water pump which had failed. A second had been installed and it was showing the same problems the first pump did. They made some adjustments, I changed water filters, it was working better. Will it last? We'll have to use the pump for a while to see. Now I called ahead to Texas RV which had ordered parts for repairing our toilet. They would accommodate us for the night on their lot with electric hook ups. The next morning, Tuesday, we had a tech at work removing the toilet. Inspection showed that we needed new vacuum breakers. They hadn't ordered them and it could be several days before they could be shipped from the manufacturer. After some checking they found them at another dealer in San Antonio. Now it is 2:00 p.m. and we are leaving San Antonio. We used our passage through San Antonio to take care of several maintenance items so we would be ready to go next spring. Tuesday as the last light faded from the sky we were pulling into our winter residence in Edinburg, TX. We park the motor home next to our mobile home which makes the unloading process easier. Still, late in the evening we pretty much settle for just getting a few items into the house before hitting the sack. The next day we would take the motor home out for its annual safety inspection. Once that is done, we can park for the season. By Wednesday evening the motor home is on its wood pads, leveled and we're unpacking and storing the contents in our house. Several days later we close up the slides. We left the campground in California on October 13 and have parked the motor home for the winter on October 26. Thirteen busy days from summer travel to parked for the winter.

Does the coach have jacks for leveling or is it an air bag leveling system? Our coach levels with air bags. Once the coach is leveled, the air bags will hold air fairly well while the brake side of the system bleeds air down to zero. If we have power, there is a small compressor which maintains the leveling system in active mode, keeping the coach level indefinitely. All the while the brake side of the system and thus the dash gauge are bleeding down to zero.

You could try salvage yards. Some of them specialize in owners manuals. Use the search function, box at the top right of this page, enter salvage and you should come up with a number of discussions on that topic. I've put recent references in several lately. Another avenue to pursue would be to get in touch with an owners group. Check the various chapters of FMCA to see if there is an owners group. If not, you may get a response from an owner or a former tech reading this forum. Good luck.

You might want to touch base with Todd Moning, administrator. Send him a message and see what response you get. I had several problems a few weeks ago. He indicated only a few people were having the same problem. Several days later, everything was working fine. For myself, I have Vista, Firefox and Norton Antivirus. I'm logged in unless I purposely log out. I suspect some kind of glitch or incompatibility in the FMCA software that is causing a problem for you and a few (maybe many) others.

Regarding the problem of getting air to the bedroom, it may not be a factor of having enough force to get the air there as much as it is a problem of letting too much air come from vents in the front of the motor home. If the vents in front are full open then the bulk of the air will escape nearest the air conditioning unit. Closing some vents or partially closing them will result in forcing the air to the bedroom. You could just do this on a daily basis. When you will be in the bedroom, close off several vents in the front of the motor home. This should result in greater air flow to the bedroom. I am a strong proponent of using sun screens on the windshield and the other driving area windows that don't have awnings. Louise always comments how she can feel the motor home get cooler right away as I install the sun screens on the windshield and the drivers and passenger side windows. Awnings are essential for all windows if you feel your air conditioner performance is marginal. They are the most effective way to keep heat out of your motor home. Windows are the least insulating surface on the motor home. Covering them from direct sunlight will greatly reduce the heat that comes into the motor home. Slide out toppers also greatly help reduce heat in the motor home. There are other things that can help with keeping temperatures comfortable in the motor home. Park with the windshield facing north if possible. This helps even with a sun screen. Select a shady site if one is available. Use window curtains and day/night shades to help keep heat out of the living space. After driving, open the engine compartment cover if possible to allow greater air circulation and faster cooling of the engine. The same goes for the generator compartment if you have been using the generator. Cook meals outdoors when convenient. Eat cold meals when you can. Shower in the campground showers rather than in your motor home. Turn off any unused lights. Keep TV usage to a minimum. All these things will reduce the load on the air conditioner.

Welcome to RV'ing and the FMCA Forum to CHASMATT and also Chuck and Kathy. You have a great adventure ahead of you. No matter whether you travel short trips to places of interest or go all in and move into the motor home full time, you will find your life enriched by a new means of travel. Enjoy the journey!

The two awning companies that I am aware make top quality awnings are Carefree of Colorado and Girard. I don't have a suggestion for a specific model but these companies should have representatives across the country that can discuss various models and help you choose one that will perform satisfactorily for you.