dervatl

I travel with one or two dogs all the time. Much of the time it is going to dog shows. They are always in a crate while travelling for their safety. After meeting two different handlers that had vehicles pull out into their path of travel and hearing what happened, it seemd the sensible thing to do for me. In both cases, the car that pulled out was broadsided by the motorhome and the drivers killed. Everthing in the motorhome that wasn't really tied down came crashing towards the front. In one case the overhead cabinets came off the walls and travelled to the front. All the dogs were in crates except one. The dog outside the crate was killed by falling cabinets. The ones inside the crates survived. The crate helps keep them inside the vehicle and keeps large flying objects from striking them. If a dog was on the dash, it would likely have been killed and/or ejected. Nothing is perfect, but the crates do offer some additional protection. As a comfort, I always use the next larger size crate than normal so they have walking around room if they want to stretch. A lot of people outside of the dog show world consider crates as a jail. I used to be one of them. And, for a dog that's never been in one, this is probably true until they stop being scared of it. But training them as a puppy that a crate is a safe, comfortable place to be and normal while travelling, gives them a security blanket. One of my dogs prefers to sleep in hers even though she could sleep anywhere in the motorhome she likes. I leave the door open while we are parked and she goes in and out as she likes. It's her own space and she feels secure and comfortable in it. If you have large dogs and more than one, the "down" side of this is that something has to go to accomodate two large crates. Most of us either remove a recliner, table, or sofa. I know this isn't for everyone, but it offers some additional safety for loving pets that are part of my family.

I don't want to turn this thread into a tire topic, but as a side note, I have a digital readout heat gun and I ocassionally check my tire temp right after I stop. The two inside rear tires run about 15 degrees hotter than the outside dual. My coach had a blowout on the left inside dual when the previous owner owned it. The tires were 7 years old at the time. Caused some damage to the bottom of the coach, but nothing major. I was able to patch it with sheet aluminum. Darryl

Glad to hear it's going well Tom! You'll end up liking this unit alot. Be sure to check the age of your tires by the date code on them. If they're over 5 yrs, get them off. Darryl

I have a '97 Endeavor with the Cat engine and all the manuals. I can tell you the factory manual on it is extremely general in nature and does not mention the location of the computer anywhere in it. You would probably be disappointed in the general nature of the factory manual. I have not actually seen the 98 manual, but would doubt there were any major changes in it. Also, there were no siginificant difference between 97's & 98's to speak of other than the sheet metal/fiberglass front end looks (more square). They changed the bays slightly, with the 98's being more refined looking, but functionally the same. The water compartment is arranged slightly better with a more modern look. My opinion of these coaches is that the Endeavor is a very nice motorhome and built very well. I've had other motorhomes (including Winnebago) and will say the HR has much better insulation. The roof is very thick. When I changed the Fantastic ceiling fan, I had to call Fantastic Fan and order the trim ring that is much thicker than the standard one. Mine also has the dual pane windows, which also helps cut down on heat gain/loss. Both have heated water bays (from the LP heater). As motorhomes go, I think these are very well built and a bargin if you can do a lot of your own maintence. Having said that, there is no substitute for a through inspection before buying. I've had to replace both front side windows due to fogging, replace the shower facet, install new fridge board, replace fuse in the inverter, replace check valve on water inlet, replace Fantastic Fan in ceiling, replace a couple of ceiling vents and 2 floor vents (plastic), replace satellite dish, replace head light lamps, have dash air repaired, get valves adjusted on engine (it was time), have all the belts and hoses changed, and replace all the tires. Most of these are minor repairs and/or maintenance, but they do run up if you have to pay someone to do it for you. On the other hand, I have a very reliable coach that is very nice inside. I would have no concerns about going anywhere in it. All these things are much less than the first or second yr of depreiation on a new unit. Darryl