kb0zke

Anyone doing this? That's one possibility that is on the table for us. We're currently in a 1993 40' Foretravel, so the space from the front seats to the rear wall is actually more like 34 feet. Now that we have our lot at The Ranch and we're not doing Laborers or HFH we don't need to carry as much stuff. Other than a possible trip to Alaska in a couple of years, we generally aren't too far from groceries, so we don't really need to carry a lot. I know many people full time with smaller coaches than what we have and I think we could, too. I've talked to people who full-timed in a 26' and 27' Class C.

We happen to have several Class C rigs in the park right now, and I'm surprised (not really) at the diversity of those rigs. Some have little rear overhang and look nicely balanced. Others look like they could easily top over backwards of a heavy person tried to climb the ladder. We'd prefer not to have any slides, but they aren't a complete deal breaker. The three brands that have been suggested to me (Born Free, Lazy Days, and Phoenix Cruiser) all seem to be more of the well balanced type.

Thoughts?

We had to take the car into St. Peters for service, so we took the opportunity to visit two RV dealerships just to see what was available. LOTS of new rigs of every description, but few used ones. One idea we had was a small camper that our MKT could tow. Unfortunately, it is limited to a maximum of 2000 pounds, which doesn't get much at all in the way of a trailer. We found a few that have an empty weight that is low enough, and a couple that have a GVWR of 2500 pounds. None of those have any sort of bathroom facilities and all have outdoor kitchens. Probably not a good idea for a 2-3 month trip.

If we trade the car for an SUV or truck there are LOTS of possibilities. We even saw a pickup camper that Jo Ann was fairly happy with!

There weren't many Class C rigs, which is what several people have suggested to us. We looked at a couple of gas Class A rigs.

Most likely whatever we buy will be our full-time coach for a year or so (at least). That probably eliminates the pickup camper and smaller trailers (Casita, Scamp, etc.).

I'd love to hear from those of you who have actually made this trip. If you don't want to post to this thread you can email me directly. My edress is this user name at protonmail.com

We're still very much in the research stage. Our Foretravel is a 1993, so it will be 30 years old next year. We're wanting to get something newer anyway, so we're wondering about whether we should drive or cruise. Looks like railroad is not available, and I'd rather not fly if I'm not in the left front seat.

We have several RV ideas to consider, and tomorrow we'll be able to spend an hour or so at a large dealership just browsing to get ideas. While we really like our MKT, it can't tow much (2000 pounds), so if we decided on a towable we would have to get another vehicle. I've gotten some suggestions for Class Cs to look at. It sounds like they burn only about half the fuel as our Foretravel, so travel costs would be less. Now that we have our lot at The Ranch and I'm not doing Habitat or Laborers I don't need to carry as many tools. We could probably fit nicely into a ~30' Born Free or similar.

We haven't even decided for sure that we're going, but if we don't research first we won't go. As for what we want to see and do there, the only thing for sure is to visit the State capitol, as we're trying to visit all 50.

I like the idea of traveling with a small group for at least parts of the trip. More research is needed.

We're starting to kick around the idea of visiting Alaska in 2024. We're currently in a 1993 40' Foretravel, but that will change by then. 

The traditional way, of course, is to fly to Alaska and rent a vehicle there to drive around. Another traditional way is to take a cruise. Last weekend we hosted some friends who just returned from serving the past seven years in Alaska, and they pulled a 29' TT up and back. We're thinking about that approach.

Some people have suggested that we get a used Class C, use it for the trip, then sell it. That's certainly one possibility, and I've asked on the Class C section about recommendations for high quality Class C brands. Someone suggested we get a small TT. Our current car can't tow much (2000 pounds), so we'd need to trade it for something else.

Years ago the Airstream people used to do big caravans to all sorts of places, including Alaska, but I haven't heard much about that in recent years. Are there still groups that do such?

What are the top Class C brands as far as quality and safety? Born Free has been suggested to me already. What others?

We're starting to talk about going to Alaska in 2024. While it is possible to do so, we're not really wanting to take our 1993 40' Foretravel there, so we're looking at alternatives. We're full-timers, but we do have a home base, so it would be relatively easy for us to load for an Alaska trip, then change out the load for whatever comes next.

Both of my parents and my sister worked in medicine. I became a teacher, but everyone said I should have become a doctor because I have the handwriting for it. I do tend to avoid doctors, though, mainly because I've always been pretty healthy. I'm past 70, and still do most of what I want to do. Some days my mind says I'm 25, but my back and knees beg to differ.

In the summer of 2020 we were at Theodore Roosevelt NP (ND) when I was asked to be the temporary Head Teacher at our church's school in WY. We headed down to NM as quickly as we could to change out what we would take with us for the next two years. While we were down there we went to What-A-Burger in Roswell. While there someone noticed the SD plates on the car and made some rude comment. We ignored it. That is the only comment we've gotten about our RV'ing.

Many of us Foretravelers have installed a "third valve" right at where the hose attaches. With it closed, there is little chance of anything coming out. Easy to slam it shut if the hose breaks, comes loose, etc. Also lets you rinse the black tank with the grey water. Just close the third valve and open the grey for a few seconds. Then open the third valve.

We've decided against this. We can buy a LOT of diesel for what a van costs.

What started us thinking about this was seeing someone with an old VW Westfalia. A 50-year-old one costs more now than it did new!

Our Foretravel uses the air bags for leveling, so no drop-down jacks. From what I've been able to find out, Foretravel, Newell, and some Country Coach models use the air bags for leveling. Most other brands use drop-down jacks. It seems to me that using the air bags is a simpler system overall. The "cost" is that there is a limit to how much slope is acceptable. Right now, for example, I've got the rear up on two levels of 2x8 planks and the air bags are at nearly full extension. The front is down on the tires. No big deal, just took a few minutes longer to get set up.

We've noticed, though, that sometimes we can feel the coach shake a bit when someone is moving around. I wouldn't think that a person's weight would make that much difference in a 30,000 pound coach, but maybe it is because the rear is so far up. Here's my question: Has anyone had a coach that uses air bags for leveling AND had a coach that uses drop-down jacks? If so, I'd like to hear from you about the advantages and disadvantages of each system.

I've asked this on the Class B section, but thought I'd also ask here. What about a Class B as a towed?

Got a crazy idea this evening. Could a Class B be towed four-down?

As I'm typing this my signal went from two bars of 5G to two bars of 4G and back to two bars of 5G. The signal has been down to one bar of 4G several times.

Our crank-up tv antenna died a couple of years ago and was replaced with one that is fixed at about a foot above the roof, but can be rotated to point at the desired transmitter.

Looks like we're needing a cell phone booster for our Foretravel. I'm looking at the Weboost OTR unit, mounting the external antenna on the ladder or roof rack. If I mount it on the roof rack I can bring the coax in by the backup camera. If I mount it on the ladder I'll bring it in through the engine. Either way I'll mount the amplifier in a convenient spot and the internal antenna will also go in a convenient spot.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

To get back to the original question, the smart-alek answer is "The one you can afford." That actually isn't all that bad of an answer, in that it is very easy to fall into the trap of, "Well, I can afford this much, so I guess another $2000 won't kill me." Then it is easy to add another $1000 to that, and pretty soon the number is WAY too much.

Perhaps a better part of the answer is asking the question, "What do I want to do with my RV?" A person who wants to go out hunting or fishing where no one else has ever gone is looking for something far different than the family with three young children wanting to go to the local state park once or twice a month. Both are looking at something far different than what my wife and I have for full-time travel.

My suggestion is for the original poster to go visit a few campgrounds and talk to people there. Yes, there will be conflicting information given, but generally he can get a pretty good idea of what to look at/for and what to avoid. Also, maybe he can think "backwards." Can that Tundra be towed by a MH? If so, that opens up another area to consider.

"I thought I saw a commercial where a Tundra towed the Space Shuttle.' Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done. Many years ago, when the Oldsmobile Toronado was being introduced, they made a commercial with an Airstream. They used an equalizing hitch and removed the rear wheels of the Toronado, then drove it around a bit. Of course, they were selling front wheel drive, which was a new idea for America back then. Years before that (and maybe this was what gave them the idea) Wally Byam towed an Airstream with a bicycle. In both cases the tow wasn't very far or very fast, and was on level ground.

Your Toyota dealer should be able to look up your VIN and tell you exactly what it is capable of towing. Then you can go to your local CAT scale with the truck loaded with the people, dogs, beer, etc. that will be in it when you tow your trailer. Get the actual weights for front and rear axles. Subtract those numbers from the sticker information on the door jamb, and you will have some idea of what you can put there. Yes, there is also a Gross Combined Weight Rating, and the difference between that number and the total weight of your truck will tell you the MAXIMUM your trailer can weigh.

We're full-timers and I carry a small collection of repair parts. Generally I don't need what I have with me, so I have to go to the store anyway. Yesterday I had to work on a leak. Got the repair parts EXCEPT for the ½" PEX clamps. I remembered that I had some. Got home and the ones I had are ⅜", so when I take the car in for service in a few minutes I'll pick up a package or two of ½" clamps.

Long time, no activity on this thread.

We're full-timers in a Foretravel MH, so fiberglass over steel. The 2M radio is easy - there was an old cell phone antenna mounted on the roof. Just remove that antenna and put on the 2M one. A little bit of additional coax brought it to where the radio is.

HF is what has me scratching my head. A friend gave me a long, collapsable painters' pole (aluminum) and a pair of mounting brackets for either a single or dipole hamstick mounts. He also gave me enough coax to go out the window, around the far end of the coach to the corresponding window on the other side with coax to spare. Getting from the radio to the antenna is no problem. I've test fit mounting the pole to the ladder, and that will work when parked. No need/desire to operate HF while driving, so setting up the antenna isn't an issue. What has me puzzled is connecting some sort of ground plane to this. I have easy access to the engine and chassis frame, but not to the steel frame that forms the sides and roof. Could I simply run a wire from the aluminum mast to a convenient steel point in the engine area?

HF rig is a TenTec Scout. Current hamstick is for 20M.

Twenty or so years ago we had an old Class C, and I put my call sign and 146.520 on the back. Got a couple of calls. Now we're full-time in a Class A and I haven't bothered.

We use a pair of onn ht's for parking, etc. They come with a huge list of frequencies, some of which are higher power and require a license. The low power ones don't need any sort of license. I've been thinking about getting the license to use the higher power channels. What's the proper group of letters for those frequencies? GLSS or something like that?

Just to add to the confusion, sometimes there are roads that dip down to go under a bridge and then go right back up, making a shallow "v". The measurement is taken at the crossing, but when one drives under the bridge the tires are actually some distance away, meaning that you have really great ground clearance there, In other words, you are "taller" than you think.

There is probably a computer modeling program out there that could figure out your theoretical maximum height, and you could just use that as a safe maximum, Otherwise, just add a bit to whatever measurement you come up with as a safety factor. My coach is 11' 10" tall, so I have a 12' 6" minimum to reduce my pucker factor.

"We have been turned away from one park north of Houston when we had a beautifully restored 1978 Silver Steak that looked better than many of the newer rigs in the park. ...

Some of these places seem to think that an older rig will pass on some disease to a fancy newer rig."

Your first sentence is the real reason. Our 1993 Foretravel gets favorable comments all the time. We've even had people come out of the office to see it.

A couple of years ago we were hosts at a State park that had a homeless problem. The rule is no more than 14 nights in any 30-day period, so they would move around between the three parks in the general area. One lady didn't own anything capable of towing her trailer, so she had to find someone to move it for her. The park superintendent knew her well, and knew that, practically, there was nothing he could do about her "extending" her stay until her two showed up. Yes, he could have had the trailer impounded, but then he would have been the one waiting on the tow truck, so he would have to put up with her.

Another person was in a tent. He set up the tent after hours, and managed to never be around when anyone was there to collect. Eventually a Ranger was called in, and the tent was taken to a locked storage area. The man then had to come to the fee booth to ask about his belongings. We called the Ranger, who came right over. The man had to pay for his site before the Ranger would take him to his stuff.

We made reservations for our trip from Riverton to The Ranch and then from The Ranch to our first hosting gig (Lake of the Ozarks SP) a couple of months ago, with one exception. Our first night will be at a city park that doesn't do reservations, but only has a few sites. Three of the four nights going south are at KOAs, and when we booked they were reporting nearly full. We'll see in a couple of weeks.

COE is our first choice, too, followed by SP. We're learning to look for city/county campgrounds, as they are often free or very low price. They usually don't offer much other than hookups (shade is rare), but for an overnight they are fine.

I see frequent references to Costo, but I've never seen one of their stores. We have a Sam's Club membership and find their stores in most larger cities.

I think I agree with Gary. Next time try to include a clause in the purchase agreement that once it is signed by both parties it is binding, and a suit for specific performance (meaning they must deliver the specific item purchased, not just one similar) and legal costs will follow any non-performance. Of course, I'm not a lawyer, nor have I ever played one, but I think that's the way I'd be inclined to go.

You might want to consult an attorney now to see how to avoid this in the future.