tbutler

Why not give up the LLC and move to a state that has no income tax, no personal property tax on motor homes, low license fees and a reasonable (4%) though not zero excise tax on new motor homes? South Dakota is such a state. There hasn't been a residency requirement and if a proposed law passes the requirement will be one day! Get your drivers license in SD, register to vote in SD and contract with one of a number of mail forwarding/residence companies in the state. If you don't like SD, there are other states with similar laws, Texas and Florida come to mind. If you are full time, that will resolve the issue though it may not help you with the Michigan Treasury Department in your current situation. I'd bet if you fight this with an attorney you will end up spending more money on the attorney than it would cost to just drop the LLC and bail to another state.

It's all over and just when we were having so much fun. 19 posts in less than a month... I guess size does matter!

Our keyless entry keypad has died several times. I think sun exposure is the cause. Anyway, the key fob keeps on working for us. If the key fob isn't working, check its battery. For the keypad, the solution for us has been to purchase a new one ($$$) and install it. Each key has a line so there are multiple lines feeding into the connector. This is all linked into the security system for our motor home and it unlocks the doors as well as the storage compartments so there are plenty of incoming and outgoing lines in the control center.

Sorry we won't be there! I'd love to be able to meet everyone but it will have to wait for another time.

The 2010 Towables guide in Family Motor Coaching lists the Malibu as being towable without any qualifications. As to specific instructions, you will find those in your owners manual for the Malibu. Every manufacturer has specific procedures for each towable model so only the owners manual for your model and year Malibu would have the correct information for that model. We've been towing a Chevrolet Trailblazer for almost 8 years now and had just a few problems. In eight years of towing, those problems seem to be really minor though at the time they presented challenges. When I read through the procedures for preparing the Trailblazer for towing and for returning it to driving mode, I made myself a checklist incorporating the tow bar connections as well and laminated it. This keeps it handy without having to drag out the manual every time. I keep the laminated copy in the drivers door pocket for ready access every time we hook up or unhook. Even though we have been through this process hundreds of times we still use the list every time. You will need a tow bar for towing and they come with specific links that have to be installed on your car. Each tow bar manufacturer has their own towing connections so you will purchase the tow bar and links as a package. Braking can be purchased from the tow bar manufacturer or purchased as a separate item. Some people tow without brakes on the toad but it is highly recommended that the toad have its own independent braking ability. There are numerous articles on the forum related to all these topics. Use the SEARCH tab (second menu line at the top of the page right next to HELP) to locate articles on specific topics (e.g. brakes, tow bars, toad) quickly. You will find plenty of articles to read!

If you will perform a search (second menu line at the top of this page right next to HELP) for the word "salvage" you will find a number of articles with references for salvage yards. I'll direct you to one of these, Salvage Yards for Motor Homes, but you may wish to read some of the other entries as well. You should be able to find a replacement handle that fits your motor home. There is another article which has links to repair sites that may help, you may find a handle in someone's supply stock, A Great Resource for RV Information. The link there has changed but it should direct you to the current address for this site, Mark's Fulltime RV Resource. Look through the resources he provides and you will find parts lists and suppliers that might be helpful. I have also seen an article (I can't remember where) that described making a replacement handle out of stock Lexan so that can be done if you can find the article in the last 10 years of RV magazines! Or perhaps you can find an experienced individual who can make one for you.

I'm constantly amazed at the people driving a gray sedan without lights on - in the FOG! Now there is a suicide case. I use my fog lights for running lights in normal daytime driving. This works for Canada also where daytime headlights are required. The wipers on - lights on makes sense to me and I always do that whether a state requires it or not. Dusk and dawn driving also require lights for safety. I never hesitate to light up when the sun is below the horizon. Also if driving into the sun when a following drivers visibility is hampered by the sun it makes sense to have all the lights on. So I do this on a situational basis rather than an always on basis. I guess I figure that following traffic should be able to see me during normal daytime driving (except for perhaps Mr. Magoo). Do taillights really add that much to visibility in normal daylight driving?

GMAC Insurance (Good Sam Insurance and also FMCA Insurance) has a standard policy that has a replacement provision. However, this does not pay off any balance owed on the original motor home. You would still have the outstanding debt and the insurance company may pay off a "replacement value" to the bank instead of you since the bank holds the title to the vehicle. I'm not a lawyer or an expert on this issue but I think that is the way it works. You could contact the agency that holds your loan and talk to them about the possible solutions. I know there is a form of life insurance that pays off a loan in the event of death (offered by most lenders when a loan is initiated) but I think you are looking for something different.

I've enjoyed reading a number of recent BLOGs from fellow travelers. It is good to see so many continuing stories. We each have different stories that illustrate the joy of traveling in a motor home. For our part, we have been "stuck" in one spot for two months now with just a short trip for a break. Stuck really isn't the proper word. We are at my daughter's home in Foristell, in eastern Missouri. We have attended my son's wedding, tended my mother after a fall in her home, returned to Texas for three weeks of construction on our new home and done babysitting duties at my daughter's home. Through all this our motor home has set motionless, parked, waiting for our command to roll forth on our next adventure. Last week we spontaneously put together a week trip around the area. I called my son and we joined him his new wife and two of our grandchildren for a float trip on a central Missouri stream. They drove to Ozark Outdoors Campground Friday morning, taking a tour of Onondoga Cave on the way to the campground. We left in the late afternoon after leaving my orthopedist's office about 2:30 p.m. We arrived in the campground at dark and hooked up water and electric before hitting the sack. Our float trip on Saturday was the first for our grandchildren and Jeff's new wife Melissa (and her two dogs). Our float trips normally occur in the spring or fall when temperatures are cooler and the crowds are smaller. This was a completely different trip. The wildlife we saw on this trip were in rafts sipping from aluminum cans of brewed beverages. It wasn't really that rowdy, just not the usual quiet trips we're used to where we see an occasional deer, a constant parade of ducks and herons, turtles, snakes and other living things. Jeff and family left after the float trip, we elected to stay in the campground overnight and depart Sunday morning. Without television (too many trees) or Internet (too far from the interstate), we had a quiet evening and retired early for a good night's sleep. The next morning we were off to join friends near Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Tommy and Terry are friends we met at our Texas winter retreat. They farm a sizable piece of land, some owned and some rented, in a valley near Montreal, Missouri. We arrived to find our friends Bill and Laura (also friends we met at our Texas park) hooked up to full utilities and there was a similar site for us on the opposite side of the driveway! Tommy and Terry are both serious enthusiasts of horseback riding. Tommy has been pursuing roping in the last few years and we enjoyed roping his metal "calf" in the front yard. Our friends Bill and Laura had been staying with Tommy and Terry for several days and they joined us Monday morning for a horseback ride. Tommy saddled up horses for all of us and we set out for a four hour ride. I said he was serious - horses, saddles and tack for six - no problem. I drew a very well trained horse for the ride. Fred was probably the best horse I've ever ridden. We reached a near instant understanding, I would let Fred know what I wanted to do and he would do it, all the time giving me the illusion that I was in control. We could stop, turn, stand still to take a picture, then rejoin the rest of the riders. Fred would even back up when I wanted! We rode to a cave so large that we could ride the horses into the cave entry for at least 100 feet. We rode past several old barns from the 20's and 30's and one farm house from that era. They are now so far off the road that no one lives in or uses them. In an age past, a long stretch of rough gravel and dirt roads was no inhibition to living in a location. People were simply more self reliant, less dependent on their community for food and supplies. We returned before an afternoon thunderstorm swept across the valley. From the vantage point of their home on a hillside overlooking the valley, the progress of the thunderstorm was an awesome sight. Then there was food, lots of food. Terry made it her mission to destroy any diets! We laughed, visited, shared pictures and generally had a good time. Terry would go to the hospital early Tuesday morning for gall bladder surgery. We would depart somewhat later on our way to the St. Louis area with our friends Bill and Laura. In St. Louis we camped at Babler State Park near Chesterfield, Missouri. The sites are just large enough for our motor homes and we will have 50A electric to keep us cool in the very hot summer weather. Upon our arrival, Louise and I head for our "last" doctors appointment for this visit. I pass the dermatologist's inspection, no skin problems. Louise has one suspect spot on her leg and a biopsy is taken. In one moment, our visit has been extended two weeks to wait for results and possibly longer for treatment. There is one more stop at a chiropractor's office to seek treatment for Louise's stiff neck. The doctor examines Louise and takes x-rays. A follow up visit is scheduled for the next day. We return to the state park discussing our changing plans. Wednesday, Bill and I played 18 holes of golf at a fine Gary Player golf course, Tapawingo. It was really hot and humid but we enjoyed playing golf together on a beautiful course. Louise and Laura went to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis and enjoyed their visit. On their way home they stopped at the chiropractor to get results of the x-rays. Louise called to discuss the chiropractor's plan for two weeks of visits. Since we were staying for several weeks more anyway, this worked right into our tentative plans. We BBQ'd steaks and played cards into the night. Thursday would be our last day together as Bill and Laura had to return home. We started the day with a trip to the chiropractor, Louise got her second treatment, noticing some improvement in her neck pain and mobility. We picked up Bill and Laura and headed for a St. Louis landmark, the Anheuser Busch Brewery. Almost 64 years old and a life-long resident of the area, I had never toured the brewery. We all enjoyed the tour. The brewery is an old structure which has been meticulously cared for. There are ornate features inside and out on many of the buildings. From there we headed to Laclede's Landing on the currently bank full Mississippi River. In fact the river covered the cobblestone parking lots which are normally accessible along the river front. Hannigan's Restaurant served up a fine lunch and we set out to walk the grounds of the Gateway Arch. From there we visited the Old Cathedral just to the south of the Arch grounds. We had tickets for a Cardinal's baseball game and spent a little bar time downtown near the stadium before the game. We all enjoyed wonderful tickets behind home plate (a gift from a season ticket holder to my sister). We all enjoyed watching the Cardinals put runs on the scoreboard and win the first game of a series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Friday morning we depart, returning to our berth in my daughter's driveway. Bill and Laura head on to Kansas City for a visit with his brother before heading home. Once more our motor home has given us a fine adventure. Family and friends, adventures and sightseeing, and sporting events all in a single week. Louise just got word from the dermatologist that the suspect spot is benign. We will head west to Colorado as soon as her chiropractor releases her.

I'm not local so you may find a better suggestion from someone local. Consulting the two big books on campgrounds I find no other campground in Lexington. The nearest campgrounds I can find are in Frankfort (about 28 miles W of Lexington on I-64), Elkhorn Campground (elkhorncampground.com) and in Richmond (about 25 miles S of Lexington on I-75), Fort Boonsborough State Park (parks.ky.gov). Both look like they have good facilities similar to the horse park. I'd check their web sites and talk to them to be sure they are suitable for you and your rig.

I vote for the American Tradition! A coach that has had very few maintenance issues and is an excellent coach even at 10 years old is an excellent bargain. Consider what a new(er) coach is going to cost and what you could do to remodel your present coach and the costs in both cases. Unless the remodeling needed to modernize your present coach is very expensive, I would choose that route to take care of any age issues or concerns you have. Weigh the above against the possibility that the new coach you purchase will give you the same maintenance record as the American Tradition. Many new coaches have many minor to major problems that have to be dealt with to get everything working properly. You will likely find a few things that don't work properly on any coach.

We have a Norcold 1200 LRIM (vintage 2003) and it has no fans. At least there are no fans I am aware of and I've been through most of the unit at one time or another. Where are these fans? Are they possibly add-on units? Is this refrigerator new to you or is it in a used motor home you have purchased?

Several years ago Camping World had periodic sales on 30A and 50A extension cords. I picked up a 30' cord and a 15' cord that have been most useful. With our 35' on board cord, that gives us 80' of cord. I regularly use the 15'' cord at our daughters home where the outlet is about 10' out of reach with the on board cord. Having the 15' cord allows me to use less than the 30' cord when possible. These are complete cords with sealed ends, very similar to the cord in your motor home. I think the 30' 50A cord was about $149 and the 15' 50A cord was $99 but I can't remember exactly. Watch for sales!

We've been traveling in Canada for several years now. Hwy 17 north of Lake Superior to Thunder Bay is the scenic route. We drove it with no problems. The road is (was) in good shape (when we traveled it several years ago). There are campgrounds along the way though don't expect luxury campgrounds. Most Canadian camping is more frugal. Full hookups are called three way hookups and you don't always find them in Canada. Also, 30A electric is pretty much the standard. Some campgrounds have limited numbers of 50A sites. Near North Bay we stayed at a campground and had a lakefront campsite which gave us a spectacular view of Georgian Bay. Diesel availability is no problem though they sell fuel by the liter in Canada and the price is higher than you will pay in the US. You will find yourself traveling with many trucks on Hwy 17. We met a trucker at a campground in North Bay and he recommended taking Hwy 11, said it would be much faster. Our priority was seeing the countryside along the lake and we disregarded that. We had a wonderful experience on Hwy 17. Apparently many truckers thought the shorter route saved them enough fuel to pay for the slower travel. We drove Hwy 1 from Winnipeg to Regina. It is a major highway and again was in excellent shape. From Regina we headed north to Saskatoon and Edmonton before continuing to Jasper National Park in Alberta. We have generally found the roads to be in excellent shape. I would not hesitate to plan to travel any of these roads. In Regina, there is an excellent Provincial Museum and also the RCMP Training Center which has a museum of the Mounted Police and offers tours of the training facility. In Winnipeg we enjoyed a visit to the Canadian Mint and Garry National Historic Site. Enjoy your trip there are numerous things to enjoy in Canada.

Welcome and enjoy the forum. Lurk if you must but you already have a toe in the water, might as well jump in and join the rest of us who are all wet!

I believe that these radio units come in pretty standard dimensions. You should be able to find a suitable replacement at any auto radio shop. Replacement should be a piece of cake compared to the work they normally do in an automobile dash. I would try Best Buy or any other auto sound shop near you. I don't know if Sears Auto or Wal-Mart do radio installations. Those places that do are quite efficient and can do an installation in a matter of an hour or two.

Our owners manual suggests that we move the slides when we have shore power hooked up. When we are boondocking we'll move the slides while the generator is running. There have been times when we move the slides on battery power but not many. If the only time you are noticing the batteries lagging this could be one way to keep them going a little longer. On the other hand, I've had a set of batteries give up the ghost in short order and then you are faced with getting replacements on a schedule and in a location you wouldn't normally choose to do this. I'd say if you have six years on a set of batteries it is time to bite the bullet and replace them before your next planned outing.

After a similar experience in Wyoming, with much less damage, we added a bra (Coastal Cover Company - Tow Car Cover) to the toad. We already had the Guardian from Roadmaster. The Guardian was installed when we first got our Sterling tow bar. Even though I refused to travel at the speed that the escort car was traveling, we still had small rocks on the windshield and roof of the toad. The guy with the escort car wasn't too happy but he wasn't going to pay for the damage to my vehicle. The cover has significantly clouded the plastic headlight covers on the toad - probably a result of my being careless about keeping the cover as clean as it should be. I find it difficult to wash the cover and dry it when we are traveling frequently. Someday I'll have to replace the headlight covers on the toad. There has also been some buffeting of the cover which has chafed the paint in a few spots. On the whole, the cover has saved what I believe would have been significant damage to the toad. I am speaking of over 90,000 miles on the toad on roads all over the US and Canada including Alaska. - and Wyoming! We also had a bra made for our motor home. We did both vehicles in the fall before our summer in Alaska. We were passing through the Los Angeles area and made an appointment with Coastal Cover Company to have the bras made and installed at the factory. We arrived the afternoon before our appointment and they had hook ups for us. We spent the night on their lot. The next day they made the two bras and did an excellent job with the install. They also made templates from both our vehicles since they didn't have them in their inventory prior to our visit. We were on our way by 5:00 that afternoon. What fun driving through the LA rush hour! There's one adventure I'll never forget. My experience has led me to the conclusion that the toad is a sacrificial vehicle. It is extremely hazardous duty to have your nose hooked to the rear of a large vehicle like a motor home. We have mud flaps and a full width flap at the rear of the coach which has taken a pretty good beating in those 90,000+ miles. Even with the Guardian and the Tow Car Cover, the toad still takes a beating. I recently had some damage to the hood (not from road debris) and got it repainted when the damage was repaired. Otherwise I'll let the little scratches and dings accumulate. The only way I know to travel with a car behind the coach and not have it damaged by road debris is to use an enclosed trailer. I consider that a major hassle so haven't even considered doing it. Of course we made the Alaska trip without any significant damage, returned to our old home state, Missouri, the next spring and took a hit from a big rock that left a fist sized bulls eye in our windshield. Replaced that one and several years ago got a nice ding (repaired and holding) high on the drivers side while driving near Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. From what we've heard from friends since, we were lucky that wasn't two or three dings or maybe even another big bulls eye. I've talked to people who are relatively new to motor homing who have had several windshields replaced in just a year or two. I guess we've been lucky - so far...

Our coach has an Intellitec EMS monitoring system. When we are plugged into a 50 amp outlet which has the two hot legs hooked to the same phase wire it senses this and will register only 30 amps and the system limits the working appliances to a maximum of 28 to 30 amps. If the two legs are opposite phase, 240V, then the system registers 50 amps and everything works. Check the power at the post with a meter if you are experienced with electrical wiring. If this is a 50 amp 240 volt outlet, each hot lead should register 110-120 volts to the neutral (middle blade) or ground (round prong). Then testing the two hot leads (outer blades) one to the other should register 220-240 volts. If testing one hot lead to the other registers 0 volts then you have a 50 amp outlet which is only supplying 120 volt current instead of the designed 240 volts. Older RV's didn't have the computer sensors to detect current and as a result would function as a 50 amp system even if the current was only 110 volt. Newer RV's with the computers are too smart to fall for this and so they limit the appliances to 30 amps. Even with the above information, I don't know of any motor home that uses 240 volt electric in any appliance or air conditioner. We were specifically explained all this when we picked up our motor home from the dealer. It is not uncommon to find older campgrounds which are wired by splitting a single line to the two hot blades on the 50 amp outlet and thus not a true 240 volt supply.

We have the same fitting in our 2004 Windsor and also had it in our 1994 Dynasty. It is a great on-board air resource that I use all the time. I carry enough hose and the necessary fittings to inflate tires on the motor home and the toad. That way I can inflate my tires to proper pressure before driving in the morning. I also find the pressure useful for blasting various dirt sources with a shot of air from an air jet which I can attach to the hose. This is good for cleaning out those impossible to reach places under the air conditioner hoods and clearing cob webs from the furnace and hot water heater gas burners. My front tires are inflated to 110 pounds which is the cut-in for the pressure system so I inflate other tires until the system cycles and then while it is cycling up to 130 pounds I can inflate the front tires to the needed pressure. Once our system reaches 130 it cycles off and drops back to 110 so I go back to checking/inflating other tires.

There have been several discussions of tire pressure monitors. You might want to review some of the previous discussions. On the second menu line above you will see a button labeled SEARCH. If you click that button and type in "pressure monitors" you will get a listing of previous discussions. Not all of these will be relevant. You could also search for Tire Stat or search by the manufacturing company name to see if you get any hits on that specifically. I know that many different systems have been discussed. Not having any experience with Tire Stat, that is the best I can do for you.

We've enjoyed the History Channel the last few days as they do their annual replay of US history. As we watch the programs it occurs to me that our experience traveling in the motor home for the last 9 years has given us a much closer connection to so many of the places that are mentioned on these programs. Our understanding of any idea or concept is easier and more complete if we've had some personal experience with some part of the background or context of the idea. When it comes to history, the most important connection to make is time. As we have aged, we get a better sense of time as it relates to US history. It helps that we have lived about 25% of the US history since 1776. Somehow it makes the past a little less distant. Another experience that helps understand history is to witness the changes that have taken place within our lifetime. To move from radio to HD TV, cell phones, twitter and e-mail is in itself a revolution. Of course, the history of RVs in our lifetime is equally as revolutionary. The difference of our lives today compared to what they would have been 60 years ago is startling. Having personal experience with this kind of change helps us understand the vastly different world in which our ancestors lived. But the biggest experience that helps understand the history of the U.S. is having traveled, lived in and explored much of the country. We've walked Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields and toured numerous military forts and museums. We've seen the gold fields and panned for gold. We've visited railroad, auto and aviation museums. We've climbed volcanoes and rafted rivers. In short, we've explored this great country from one end to the other. The History Channel programs continue ... buffalo, the Sioux Nation, Black Hills, more gold, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Manhattan and the modern skyscraper. Our motor home has made exploring all this possible in a way that no other means of transportation could. So today we celebrate the independence of this great country and we also salute the motor home and the independence it has given us.

This is the first time I've seen this system. I couldn't tell from the photos how durable and trouble free the connections would be. I suspect finding a route through or around most engine compartments where the cable will not interfere with other functions would be difficult at best. If a cable binds or sticks then the brakes would drag or lock. As the information mentions, when vehicles are going downhill the toad will close on the motorhome. When this happens, the brakes will be applied on the toad. While the brakes wouldn't slow the motorhome, braking of the toad is unnecessary and a waste of brake pads and causes heating of the brakes which may reduce their effectiveness when needed later in the downhill run. Those are just a few of my thoughts based on an examination of the web site.

There have been a number of discussions on this topic. I am going to refer you to one that I started. Dealing with Moisture in Your Motorhome will help you understand the problems associated with water vapor and how to reduce those problems. The article is followed by a number of discussions that you may also find helpful. Much of my article relates to winter conditions but the same procedures that apply in winter will help reduce moisture in the motorhome in humid climates. I suspect that rather than turning to a dehumidifier to help control moisture, your problems could be solved by making some small changes in how you handle moisture inputs into your motorhome. Dealing with moisture from showers, cooking and damp towels and clothing will likely solve your problems. We've never found a humid climate that the AC couldn't handle if we do our best to remove heavy moisture from the motorhome by direct means. Venting out moisture from showers and cooking and drying damp towels and clothing outside at least partially will reduce the load the air conditioners must remove. Yes, you will bring in some moisture when you vent but the quantity you bring in will be much less than the amount of moisture added by a shower or a boiling pot on a stove. Using a squeegee to remove water from the shower walls and floor after the last in a series of showers will greatly reduce the moisture added to the air in your motorhome. The forum topic referenced above is a thorough discussion of factors affecting moisture in your motorhome. It is worth taking a few minutes to read and the entire thread with its follow up questions and answers add further understanding.

Welcome Gary and Brenda, Enjoy your new 2U motorhome. Fill us in on where you hail from. Colorado is a great destination. We have crisscrossed the state many times and always enjoy the scenery and the adventures. Louise hails from Colorado and always gives me a history or geography lesson as we travel. Hope to meet you on the road sometime.