tbutler

We have had SPOT for years and it works as advertised. Mine is the original model and it required a clear view of the sky to obtain GPS position and to transmit to the SPOT satellite. The front of the unit had to be aimed toward the sky. It uses Lithium batteries and works on standby for an extended time. It will transmit your location for days and I carry a spare set of batteries with it so I could extend that. Since it gives you location to rescue personnel, a specific latitude and longitude location, search and rescue people don't have to search. They simply need to get to your location, they should be within shouting distance at the most. There is even a rescue policy you can purchase for a nominal fee (I believe it is about $6 per year) that will cover the cost of your rescue. There is a backlash to this technology. Some people have used the system to request aid when they really weren't facing a life threatening situation. There have been several stories in the last few years. One hiking party set off the alarm because they were running out of drinking water. When rescue arrived, they took the water and refused rescue. They did this a second time according to the account. If enough idiots use SPOT this way, it will lose its value. The Emergency button is strictly for life threatening emergencies. For other requests, you can program the device to send a message to several friends or relatives who could come bring you water or give you some other kind of assistance. I wrote up this device on the Forum in April 2009. Here is a link to my article: Taking the Search out of Search and Rescue. The SPOT Communicator that works with a smartphone is a recent development, I don't have any experience with it.

Thanks for the note Chuck. Our toad puts us right at 65 feet as measured by several ferries. We have fully functioning lights and brakes on the toad. We're straight up Texas, drivers license, vehicle plates, voter registration, etc. Before that we were South Dakota for 10 years. Before that, Missouri for my lifetime, Louise has a past in Colorado before her stint in Missouri for 32 years. We have a daughter, her husband and two lovely granddaughters in California so we are frequent visitors! It's a great state to visit. California has a little bit of everything! Deserts, mountains, coast, agriculture, cities, big trees, volcanoes, tar pits, gold and earthquakes. You name it, California has it. We always enjoy our visits. Apparently it wears on those who were originally from California.

Here is hoping you have a better week coming up. Tom

We'll be in California in three weeks. Thanks for the heads-up. I have the right license. I'll let you know if we are stopped!

Those of us who are retired or full timers have a much different attitude to rates of travel than those who are employed and on vacation. I assume this is a vacation as you have a destination that you want to get to quickly and maximize your time there before quickly returning home. That being the case, here is how I would plan the trip. We're in Missouri now. If I were to drive from here (St. Louis area) on I 44 and I 40, I would probably try to get somewhere west of Oklahoma City for the first overnight. That would be an aggressive drive. You would be covering 500 miles which would be near constant driving. I do this kind of driving when we have some kind of emergency. It means getting underway at daybreak, not sunrise. When traveling west I plan on stopping early rather than driving into the setting sun. Of course if it is cloudy or we really have to be somewhere on a schedule, we can push through the sunset but I really don't like driving at night so I'm looking for a stopping place before dark. Trying to find a place to park your motor home after dark is a challenge you don't need on your first road trip. The above assumes an average speed of 50 MPH. That doesn't mean I drive 50 MPH, it takes into account stops to switch drivers, use the restroom, get some lunch, fueling, etc. On the interstate I'll set the cruise between 62 and 65 depending on the road surface and traffic. That will work out to about 50 MPH over a day of driving with stops. We use The Next Exit to find stopping places other than campgrounds. You should be able to find The Next Exit at any bookstore, RV dealer or truck stop. For campgrounds we use both of the major phone book size campground directories. If we are going to a campground, we always call an hour or two before we arrive to be sure there is space available. We never commit ourselves to a campground more than a few hours in advance. If you are in a hurry and I assume you are if you planned to be there in two days, I would plan on stopping at a Wal-Mart or a rest area. I find it always takes us longer to get into and out of a campground than it does to park and drive away from a spot with no hookups. You have to decide if a spot other than a campground is comfortable for you. You won't know until you try it to see how it feels to be in a parking lot or rest area. Some of these places are noisy, others can be quiet. Always check at Wal-Mart to be sure they permit parking and to find out where they prefer you park. I try to arrive about sunset at a Wal-Mart and get away before people start to arrive in earnest for shopping the next morning. Another 500 miles takes you to Albuquerque so you would want a stopping area near there. That leaves a little less than 500 miles to go through Flagstaff and north to the Grand Canyon. The last part of the drive will be a little slower so this is still a full days driving. You will notice that most of the advice above suggests a slower rate and it is true that a slower pace will be much more comfortable. As aztec7fan posted, you are not driving a car. I am assuming ten hours of driving at a time when the sunrise to sunset times are about 12 hours. You are going to be driving pretty much from dawn to dusk. I would not plan on driving any greater distance for your first trip out. As I said to begin with, I would not drive this in two days unless it were some kind of emergency. I will drive a pace like this when we leave Missouri for California in two weeks. We'll stop for a couple of days to visit friends along the way but we'll cover about 400 to 500 miles each travel day. That is our getting there pace. If we are touring, we'll plan the trip for a much more leisurely pace.

It certainly makes sense to me. I'm for it.

As to how you remember all this stuff, just take your motor home out for a trip. You'll encounter some of the things you have read about. As you encounter challenges, if you don't recall them, go back to read about them again. Once you have worked your way through one problem you will have a much better memory of the way to handle that situation. Practical experience is the best teacher. Don't be overwhelmed, these things generally come at you a few at a time. It isn't like you have to know everything before you start the engine. Take it slow, a short trip will take you through a whole cycle of departing, setting up, taking down and returning home to park. You will learn as you go and will do fine. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

When we started out traveling, we had a gas/12V refrigerator and used the 12V when driving. I shut the propane off before we drove as a matter of routine. Then we got our current motor home, no 12V, only 110V AC and propane. So we started keeping the propane on while driving. Recently we replaced our Norcold 1200 with a household refrigerator, 110V AC only. Now we don't really need the propane when driving except when driving in cold weather and using the furnace. I haven't gone back to shutting off the propane but should begin doing that. I hadn't really reconsidered our regular practice of traveling with the propane on. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, zap, there goes your theory! I know it is Texas but I think the DPS could hire an English proficient writer to rewrite the whole drivers manual and then maybe it would be clear enough that the rest of us could understand it. Perhaps they prefer to keep it so muddled that local officals can make up their own rules!

Thanks for your status report. We comment on many issues and frequently never find out how things turned out. Keep us posted as this issue resolves itself. We all learn more when we know how the issue was settled.

As Brett indicates, it is important to find the reason why the batteries failed after only one year before you install new batteries. Clearly, failure after just a year or two is not normal but then, RV usage and storage is also not the normal condition expected for batteries. Still, our factory installed batteries failed this spring after 7 1/2 years. Since you were nowhere close to this length of service there must be some underlying reason for the early failure of your batteries. While your coach may be out of warranty, your batteries should still be covered by their warranty. Most battery warranties run in the 3 to 5 year range so you should be able to get some credit from the battery manufacturer. Many of the products installed on your motor home have their own warranty through their own manufacturer. If something gives up the ghost, check the paperwork you received with your motor home, all the individual warranties should be there in a file.

Here are some web references which include a link to a book on the subject. Selecting an RV Home Base, Selecting a Home Base, Choosing a Home Base State - Part 1, Choosing a Home Base State - Part 2. The first reference is for a book which has a much more thorough discussion of the nature of the decision and gives a comparison of all 50 states. The web sites concentrate on those states that are most commonly used as home base for full time RV'ers. The web sites do a good job of giving an overview of the scope of your decision and give brief comparison information for the most common home base states. You may also want to read the discussion Full-timers residency requirements here on the FMCA Forum. There are additional links to follow in that discussion and experiences of a number of our members. That discussion started two years ago. All of the information on web sites and in books is dated. The rules and regulations for all these things change with time. Always look at the date of your reference when considering the information being presented.

I'm in the market for a tankless water heater to replace our 10 gallon standard electric/gas model. I found the web site for Girard. This looks like just what I want. Thanks for the tip.

Salvage shops may want to sell the whole door but they may be willing to sell only the hinge. Also, some salvage shops purchase inventories of new materials from dealers or manufacturers who are discontinuing the item or going out of business. It won't hurt to inquire. If a salvage yard can't help, they may be able to recommend another that can help.

If you will post your present location and where you are headed, perhaps someone can recommend a repair shop near where you are or will be. Again, you can call Monaco and get a recommendation from them for a dealer or factory service center.

In the EPA document Brett cited, the mention of water as a factor in storing biodiesel should reinforce the recommended storage procedure of storing your motor home with a full tank of fuel. A partial tank of fuel breathes as air temperatures and pressures change. Each intake of new air into the tank brings in water vapor. The fuller the tank, the less breathing room for bringing in new air thus less moisture gets into the fuel tank. The last stop I make each fall is to add Sea Foam fuel stabilizer and top off the tank. Since we winter in south Texas, all the fuel in the tank is fresh before I add the stabilizer and top off the tank. On the way from the fuel station to our winter home I run the generator so its fuel system gets an initial dose of treated fuel. I have never worried about the biodiesel issue and haven't had any problems.

This is one of those issues that is hard to get diagnostic help over the phone. Most techs want to have a chance to test various components of the refrigerator before deciding on a course of action. I think your only option is to find a reputable dealer and turn the problem over to them. The no co code can indicate a failure of the cooling system itself which can be caused by an out of level condition while running the refrigerator. These refrigerators are very sensitive to being level while running when parked, driving they are fine. If it is a failure of the cooling system, you can replace parts all day and still not have a functioning refrigerator. We were told by Norcold that if you get the no co code and clear it and then get it again you should take the refrigerator in to a service center.

That reminds me of an incident we had last year. I remember finding a screw on the kitchen floor one day. I couldn't see where it had come from so just dropped it in my mystery screw collection. Several months later, one of the doors fell off our Norcold 1200 refrigerator! Louise had opened it and as she started to close the door it dropped to the floor. We had a broken bottle of wine and several other items spilled. When I investigated the bottom door hinge, sure enough, there was a missing screw there. I just needed to get down on the floor and look up under that hinge. So yes, you need to find out where the screw head came from and the metal shavings would indicate that even though everything seems to be working fine now, that won't continue forever. If you can't find the problem, see a dealer or get to a factory service center to have people who are familiar with your coach take a look at the problem. It most likely is simply a matter of adjusting the slide and replacing a screw at this point. If it goes longer, it could become a more serious problem and cost you more money to repair. Monaco customer service phone number is 877-466-6226. They can guide you to a nearby dealer if you don't have one or can schedule a factory center visit if you prefer to go that route.

As Herman mentioned, RV salvage is probably your best bet if you can't find the part through a dealer or manufacturer. If you go to the menu line above, on the right side is a search box. Type in salvage and click the magnifier symbol. You should get a listing of numerous articles referencing salvage sources. I replied to a recent query for other parts in a discussion and put several links in that response. Read that response and find those links here. Many of these yards will ship nationwide and generally people I know who have used this source are quite happy with the customer service they receive. If you end up getting the wrong part, my experience is that they will exchange it without question.

The truth of the matter is that Pilot has enough truck business that we are merely a minor market. We don't even purchase enough fuel to come close to equaling their auto business. Our real loss is not the free things although those were a great convenience and earned our strong loyalty. The real loss is the fuel prices Flying J offered. They managed to keep their cash price for fuel four, five or six cents per gallon below other truck stops and they offered us cash price for credit and an additional small discount through FMCA membership. Now we are paying premium prices for diesel unless you can locate a local station that prices their diesel under the rest of the market. If they will continue their dedicated RV fueling lanes at the old Flying J stations, I'll continue to return. We use the truck lanes when we have to but they are usually so dirty that I much prefer the dedicated RV lanes. It was nice while it lasted!

You fooled me! I figured with a handle like Sedonacorp you were from Arizona. Good luck with your trip sounds like the trip of a lifetime.

We drove 285 from Hwy 17 to Denver several years ago. The road was in good condition, surface and width were satisfactory. You do have a high pass with switchbacks. If you are OK with the mountains, you will enjoy this drive. Take your time.

You are a little late for the deserts so I'll leave them off the list. I recommend highway 101 for northern CA. That takes you through redwood country. While the sequoias are big the redwoods are tall and well worth seeing a few. California's Redwood State Park is an excellent place to get a good look a them. Redwood National Park is another possible stop to see them. In southern Washington, you might be interested in seeing the last volcano to erupt in the US, Mt. St. Helens. If you are going north on I-5, you'll be right near the St. Helens area. A day to drive in to the visitors center will take you through much of the area affected by the volcano. The Johnston Ridge Observatory does an excellent job of presenting the history of the volcano and the 1980 eruption. There are many trails you can hike around the volcano if you are so inclined. Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula is a wonderful place to visit and you'll be close to Mt. Ranier National Park which is also some great scenery. Now, here is the kicker... We left the US and spent a month in British Columbia on our trip north to Alaska several years ago. On our way south we spent another week and a half in BC. Since it is on the way to Alaska and has some wonderful scenery, history and culture to be explored, it is well worth taking your time exploring BC. California, Washington and Oregon will be much closer and easier to get to than BC and you can see all these sights on another trip. If you treat BC as a drive through just to get to Alaska, you'll miss seeing some great country and learning about many interesting cultures. I highly recommend taking your time through BC and YT and even exploring into NWT and the Arctic Circle if you are so inclined. In planning your trip to Alaska, you will want to get a copy of the Milepost. This comprehensive guide lists all the sights you can see on your way to and from Alaska as well as all the Alaska attractions. Get you hands on a copy as soon as you can. There will be a new one out before you leave on your trip but you will enjoy browsing this guide from end to end and planning your trip.

Hey! It looks like everyone had a good time with this. Maybe we should have another Name That Thing. What weird thing have you seen around your motor home? Take a picture of it and submit it to keep the rest of us entertained!

And just a brief addendum here. Louise and I have been licensed in South Dakota for almost 10 years. When we were preparing for our Texas drivers license we investigated all the information and read the drivers license book carefully. All said and done, we needed a class B license for our rig and toad. I thought we were going to have to take the test but no. Louise called the office and they asked if our South Dakota license allowed us to drive our rig and yes, it did. That license was not a special license, just a regular drivers license as that was all that South Dakota required. We went to the license bureau and presented our South Dakota license, after the clerk made a phone call, we were given our Class B Texas drivers license, no test. If you have a license from another state that meets that states standards for driving your motor home, based on our experience, you should be able to get the class A or B license you need to drive your motor home in Texas without taking a test. We simply specified that we needed a Class B license when we filled out the application and talked to the clerk. As an aside, if you are a winter Texan, get your initial vehicle inspection and drivers license deep in the winter season at a time that you are sure to be there before the inspection and license renewal become necessary. That way you shouldn't have to make a special trip to Texas to renew these documents. If you don't want to make that trip, our vehicle licenses in South Dakota with no inspection were easily obtained by mail. Drivers license renewal in South Dakota does require your presence there (5 year renewal) and thanks to the Department of Homeland Security, now requires a stay in state with proof (RV park receipt) of your stay for a short period of time (I think it is just one night but might be several). With the increased requirements for drivers licenses meeting security demands, I think you will find that all states will be requiring actual presence for renewing licenses.