TXiceman

My wife has had both knees replaces....one 11 years ago and one last year.  Her three words of advice are:

1. Take pain meds on a regular schedule.  Don't let it start hurting and then take the meds.

2. Get a Cyro Cuff and use it a lot.

3, do your PT religiously.

It will take a year until you are near 100%.  But after a month you are walking pretty good and use your cane as needed.

Ken

The teal cabinets look fine.  Ray, you do have to live there.  

Decorate it the trailer to suit your life.

Ken

Packman, do you have a carry permit? and what states will reciprocate?  Maryland is one of the stinker states as in NY and NJ and makes it difficult to transport a fire arm.  By federal law you should have the ability to travel across the state with the firearm locked in a secure safe with the ammo locked in a separate location neither accessible from the drivers compartment..  I don;t believe that they will allow it to be locked in a glove box or center console.  Sort of makes carrying a firearm totally useless.

If you have a carry permit, I 'd consider joining US Law Shield and contact their program attorney for advice on transporting a firearm.

Ken

All you have to do is fill out the title, sign it and the necessary sales transfer for your state.  The buyer has to pay taxes and register in his state of choice.

Ken

We have stayed at the state park in San Angelo and never had an issue with water quality.  In west Texas water tends to have more minerals, so you will get some mineral deposits.

Ken

Like noted, use the trailer GVWR, not dry weight.  Also, do not use the brochure tongue weight.  A properly loaded travel trailer will have a tongue weight of about 10 to 15% of the trailer GVWR.  Lighter than 10% and the trailer will tend to porpoise and sway.  

I do not like short wheelbase and high center of gravity vehicles for towing much weight or longer trailers.  Get a good sway control hitch, set it up properly so that the truck and trailer are level when loaded.

You will get a push/pull effect every time you pass or are passed by a larger vehicle.  Keep you speed below 65 mph and take it easy.  Most ST trailer tires are rated for a maximum speed of 65 mph....stamped on trailer side wall. 

Ken

Like Kirk said, the 30 or 50 amp circuit breaker will limit the load at the pedestal to the breaker limit.  The NFPA is blowing smoke to appease the under designed campgrounds.  Rather than attack the root problem, they are trying to limit a temporary solution to the problem.

The simple solution is to mount the Hughes in the basement,  What they cannot see will be on no concern.

Ken

Glad hand hose...??????

Ken

Loosing a pet is a tragic event in your life.  Remember her for the good times you had.

Ken 

We were at Custer about 3 years ago and we had hail 5 out of 7 days there.  nothing large enough to damage the RV.

Ken

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

If you feel you need to put a $ amount on your volunteerism you should get a job!!! I look at volunteering as giving of oneself for the benefit of others.

True, but the park or what ever should make you feel wanted and appreciated.  We are seeing to many up the hours to 24 to 30 hours per person for a simple campsite.  When you look at the value for a site and utilities you find a couple putting in 48 to 60 hours per week and they are appreciating you to the tune of $3.00 per hour or less.  If they had to hire an employee, it would be for a heck of  lot more plus benefits.  Then they expect you to clean up filthy bathrooms as well.

No thanks, we go to where we are appreciated.

Ken

If your trailer weight is such that you have to have an F350 or a Dually, do not try to prop up a F250 to do the work of a heavier rated truck.  The cost of owning a bigger trailer is a bigger truck and all of the tagging requirements.

Ken

I agree with Kirk on storage space.  But we do not have an oven other than the convection microwave and it serves us well.  We have a Vesta dishwasher and would not be without it for full time living.  

Where we refuse an add on was a fireplace,  It kills too much storage space.  We carry 2 small quartz heaters that store under the bed when not in use  and take up far less room than the fireplace.

Ken

While on leash, my standard schnauzer has been attacked 3 times over the years, by a larger dog off leash.  She has now gotten to where she is immediately a more aggressive with a strange dog.  I cannot blame her.

For protection, I now carry a 5 foot long maple hiking stick and have had to fend off a few dogs that were off leash.  I one area, the loose dogs were so bad, that I started carrying pepper spray.  

Most dogs will stop with a loud ... STOP command.  A few won't.

The big problem is not so much with bad dogs as bad dog owners.

Ken

1 hour ago, Ronbo said:

You do not have to be inspected in your county of registration. I am registered on Polk County but I have my Jeep inspected in Hale county in the panhandle. What happens if you are registered in the south and you are just passing through the panhandle? You are supposed to have it inspected within three days of entering the state. You may not even be going down to your registration county. 

For my case it may be because no smog is required for either county. 

If it is a smog county, it has to be in a smog county.

A gasoline power vehicle has to be inspected for the county of registration.  A diesel powered u nit can be inspected anywhere in the state, since they are not smog tested.

If out of state you can check a box you are out of state and you have 72 hours to get it inspected once back in Texas.  Since the unit is in storage, I'd be inclined to fudge a bit and do the online registration and check out of state and get it inspected as soon as you come out of storage.

We finally went with a pair of folding bikes that easily fold into a compact shape.  Look at Zizzo bikes.  We use the Forte model.  While not a full size bike, they are adequate for a few miles around the campground and some hard packed trails.

Ken

10 hours ago, lockmup68 said:

Stopping is key. You also need to be able to stop when trailer brakes fail. I’m good. Slow and steady, yet stop all day long. Cheaper than a dually too. 

Lockmup, using that philosophy, EVERYONE needs to be towing with a class 8 tractor.  No where near the real world.

Ken

This is ancient news for the industry.

Ken

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

That depends on which park and where you are located. We frequently visit COE parks midweek without reservations and have never reserved a site in one as much as 6 months out. 

Kirk, try getting a week or two weeks.  The weekend warriors are out in full force on weekends.

Ken

We love the Corp  and state parks, but it is where you cannot get in for a weekend unless you book 6 months to a year out.  Forget holiday weeks unless you have booked waaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy out.  You can usually get in Sunday afternoon and back out by Friday morning.

Ken

Kirk's list is a good starting point.  Max over length range from 55' to 75' with the most common being 65'.  That is front bumper to the rear most on the trailer.  

We are 58' nose to tail and have not had any issue with our 40' 5th wheel.

The problems is with the longer trailers, you will be limited on parks that you can fit into.  National Parks and older parks are generally the issue.  You can usually find a commercial park that can take the longer rig.

Ken

Cost depends on the area of the country and if you get any discounts.  It is cheaper to stay by the week or month.  You will see cost ranging from $25 per night to $75 per night.  It all depends on where you are and what you are looking for ....rustic to resort.

Or do you want to do some boondocking.

Ken

KOA is my last choice of a campground.  Sometimes we have to use on as there is not much else available in an area.

As note, they are generally over priced and often not in the best of shape.

Ken

My wife and I are full time RVers and neither take a restricted drug, so you think .... NO PROBLEM.  No so easy.  We are on a UHC plan with Part D coverage with Optum RX for mail order.

Optum, must hire rejected RV service techs as employees.  These clowns will ship to the wrong address easily 30% of the time.  We call and give the agent an address where we will be in about 2 weeks so we can get our 3 month supply refills.  Next thing we are getting a note from Escapees mail service or some place we were at 2 years ago.  Back on the phone for an hour or so to get the meds sent to the correct address.  This has been going on for 6 years now and not getting better.

We like out UHC supplement plan, and would love a better Plan D, but UHC is tied to OPtum.

Ken