Finally I've done it!

[Macodiva]

Bought my Class B, happy days, hopefully  

Now to find somewhere not fully booked for a couple of days at the end of this month. I think it may be wise to use a hook up site until 'Mo' & i are better acquainted.

 

[SWharton]

Congrats!!! Yes, the two of you need to get to know each other. Tough time to find a site though, look for small Mom and Pop away from anything that would attract a crowd. Many COEs have FCFS sites.

[sandsys]

5 hours ago, Macodiva said:

Bought my Class B, happy days, hopefully  

Now to find somewhere not fully booked for a couple of days at the end of this month. I think it may be wise to use a hook up site until 'Mo' & i are better acquainted.

Congratulations! Your profile says CA but that covers way too much territory for us to give any suggestions as to where you might look for a spot. If kids in your neighborhood are already going back to school that might make it easier. Labor Day weekend, however, is a popular last outing for the season time which could make it harder to find a spot if that's when you are thinking to go out.

Linda

[2gypsies]

You'll have fun with it !  Try this site for finding a place.  Pick a state then a town and options will appear along with suggestions for places nearby.

http://www.campgroundreviews.com/

[Macodiva]

Thanks, I'm thinking of trying Big Bear. It's only a couple of hours away from me. Hopefully i'll miss worst of the holiday crowds as first night i'll be needing will be the 1st. With any luck most will have set off for home by then!

While i have you here.... Have any of you fitted a roof rack/basket? My van is a 159"WB Promaster. After looking online i'll be postponing that for a while as they're $3000+, unless you know a cheaper option? I'd like to carry a spare tire but don't want to block up back doors.

[Macodiva]

On 8/15/2019 at 9:43 PM, 2gypsies said:

You'll have fun with it !  Try this site for finding a place.  Pick a state then a town and options will appear along with suggestions for places nearby.

http://www.campgroundreviews.com/

Thanks, i'll check that out

[sandsys]

2 hours ago, Macodiva said:

Have any of you fitted a roof rack/basket? My van is a 159"WB Promaster. 

Have you had your van weighed yet? Fully loaded? Each of the four wheels? When I had no passenger I had to store heavy things (tools and canned goods and beverages) in the passenger seat area to balance my load. Where would you put a roof rack and what do you plan to put in it?

Linda

[FL-JOE]

Don't know about California area, but we just came across NM, TX, OK, MO, and now into Illinois.  Out of five campgrounds the past week or so all were about 1/3 full.  I'm thinking most kids are heading back to school plus a lot of summer vacation folks are back home IMHO.

Enjoy your "new" rig.  Safe travels!

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, FL-JOE said:

Don't know about California area, but we just came across NM, TX, OK, MO, and now into Illinois.  Out of five campgrounds the past week or so all were about 1/3 full.  I'm thinking most kids are heading back to school plus a lot of summer vacation folks are back home IMHO.

Schools in in Minnesota are not allowed to start before the day after Labor Day so the 4-H kids can participate in the state fair the 10 days that end in Labor Day. September is an excellent time to come here.

Linda

[Macodiva]

On 8/17/2019 at 7:32 PM, sandsys said:

Have you had your van weighed yet? Fully loaded? Each of the four wheels? When I had no passenger I had to store heavy things (tools and canned goods and beverages) in the passenger seat area to balance my load. Where would you put a roof rack and what do you plan to put in it?

Linda

Errm don't mean to sound funny but the roof rack would go on the roof lol.  I'd put a spare tire up there rather than fitting a carrier to the back. That way i'd have the option of a little extra storage should i want it further down the line. I haven't weighed it as i'll only be doing short trips for the foreseeable future so won't be carrying much but will be sure to disperse it evenly. Eventually when i take off for extended trips i'll get round to worrying about weight.

FL-JOE - A lot of kids in SoCal are heading back to school this week to so i'm hoping to find a spot. If not i'll have everything i need in the van right  At least enough for 1 night lol. 

Thank you all for the advice, i'm sure it's going to be a steep learning curve. But that's half the fun right!  

 

[SWharton]

I would go get it weighed now so you have knowledge of your starting weight. Weighing doesn't cost much at a truck stop. Better to know now as your starting point. Full propane, full water, full gas before weighing(include dogs, cats etc.). You may find out you don't have enough extra weight for the rack and tire.

[2gypsies]

Arizona kids are back to school also if you move over there.

[sandsys]

2 hours ago, Macodiva said:

Errm don't mean to sound funny but the roof rack would go on the roof lol.

Toward the front where you might need more weight? Towards the rear where you might not need more weight? What's already up there that might change your placement? Are you thinking solar panels someday? It's not just a case of on the roof.

Linda

[Macodiva]

20 hours ago, sandsys said:

Toward the front where you might need more weight? Towards the rear where you might not need more weight? What's already up there that might change your placement? Are you thinking solar panels someday? It's not just a case of on the roof.

Linda

Ah i see thank you. Yes i was thinking front 1/2 as the AC is in the back. The tire would compensate a little for me as the driver. I have time to figure stuff out,  i'm in no great hurry to add stuff. I will have to prioritize the extras that i want so as not to bankrupt myself all in one go! 

I'll admit i'm just getting excited about playing with my new toy! Lol.

I was thinking about solar in future & like the idea of the portable suitcase type so that i could still park in shade. I know that it doesn't give off much charge but I've the under hood generator to. 

I've roadside assistance & towing so a spare is not vital yet as i'm not planning on being anywhere way out there just yet.

Just absorbing as much info/experience/advice & opinions as possible at the moment. Hoping it will help me make informed decisions going forward  

[Kirk W]

13 hours ago, Macodiva said:

I've roadside assistance & towing so a spare is not vital yet as i'm not planning on being anywhere way out there just yet.

We have owned RVs for many years and I only remember having used the spare tire 2 times and those were both on trailers that we took far off the beaten path. Each class A that we owned(9 years & 14 years) had a spare and neither one was ever out of the tire rack while we owned them. We now have downsized to a travel trailer that we have now owned for 7 years and taken many miles, with spare tire still unused. A spare tire will age out and become unsafe to use after 10 years or so, even if it is never on the ground and replacing them is expensive. When you have road service you are very unlikely to change the tire yourself so they are mostly an unnecessary expense. 

On 8/17/2019 at 6:42 PM, Macodiva said:

I'm thinking of trying Big Bear. It's only a couple of hours away from me.

My wife (Pam) grew up in Redlands and her family had a cabin in Big Bear back in the 60's & 70's. In fact, we spent our wedding night in that cabin! 😊 She still has family in that part of CA but only goes back to visit. Her sister used to life in Running Springs. 

[Captain Happy]

When was the last time you tired to put a tire of that size up on roof of a Class B? Good Luck.

[$ Spot]

^ agree, the roof is more useful in other ways with lower & lighter items

     Spot

 

[Macodiva]

On 8/22/2019 at 6:16 AM, Captain Happy said:

When was the last time you tired to put a tire of that size up on roof of a Class B? Good Luck.

I'm aware it would be quite heavy. It would be an emergency only measure for if & when i end up in the middle of no where with no roadside assistance available, within a reasonable time frame. I wouldn't be expecting to be weight lifting with it every other day! 

I've been driving for 30 + years & so far only had to change my own tire twice.

My thinking is that a roof rack will give a better option for carrying more than just a tire if necessary,.Where as a dedicated back door/hitch tire carrier is just that. One tire, something that has to be moved every time i open the door & extra length to consider when parking.

[Macodiva]

On 8/22/2019 at 5:42 AM, Kirk W said:

We have owned RVs for many years and I only remember having used the spare tire 2 times and those were both on trailers that we took far off the beaten path. Each class A that we owned(9 years & 14 years) had a spare and neither one was ever out of the tire rack while we owned them. We now have downsized to a travel trailer that we have now owned for 7 years and taken many miles, with spare tire still unused. A spare tire will age out and become unsafe to use after 10 years or so, even if it is never on the ground and replacing them is expensive. When you have road service you are very unlikely to change the tire yourself so they are mostly an unnecessary expense. 

My wife (Pam) grew up in Redlands and her family had a cabin in Big Bear back in the 60's & 70's. In fact, we spent our wedding night in that cabin! 😊 She still has family in that part of CA but only goes back to visit. Her sister used to life in Running Springs. 

Thanks. As you say it's not like i'm really expecting to have use it. I think you're right though & unless i plan to go to some desolate place i'll not worry about it for now. Especially as you say it will age out,  probably extra fast in the SoCal sunshine.  Looking forward to some nice shady forest hiking.

[Kirk W]

If you carry a road service policy, as most of us do, the service will send a truck to you as long as you are not way off the beaten path when you need help. You would be charged for a new tire if needed but not for the travel to you. This is what is probably most common today. Such service will also pull you out if you should get stuck, bring fuel if you run out, and even unlock the door if you leave the keys inside. Escapees offer a very cost effective road service, as does FMCA and a number of private companies and insurnace companies. 

[SWharton]

Isn't the tire on the back on the hinge of the door?

If you really want a tire how about a toy tire instead?

[2gypsies]

If your Class B doesn't already have a tire mount on the rear, you can get one that swings away in order to open the rear doors.  Here is one but I'm sure there are others. Perhaps you can find a used one.  Roof racks are expensive, also.

https://vanupgrades.com/products/promaster-tire-rack-swing-away

[RV_]

Here's a page with some better van solutions. I really like their roof rack system, and the swing away spare carrier is a much better spare solution than up top. https://vanupgrades.com/collections/promaster-exterior-accessories/products/promaster-roof-rack-fiamma-roof-rail-system

Why carry a spare? Watch this video:

You can get one of these kits: Least cost : Slime $24.99 kit.

I use Slime on my lawn equipment and it only works on tread punctures not sidewall damage. As well I would not use it on an RV or car for more than to get me to a good discount tire place to replace the tire.

I always carry a 12 volt pump and one of these type of kits: Plug kit

Safe travels!

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by RV_

[fpmtngal]

An issue with the various products like Slime sealer is that they can gum up in-tire TPMS sensors, in that case a last resort choice. I do carry a spare(s) and a 12V or battery tire inflator.

[Darryl&Rita]

Ask the tire shop guys what the think of "Magic in a Can".