Chad Heiser

Rally Update. I just wanted to let everyone know I spoke with Ambassador RV Resort this morning and they are looking forward to hosting our rally. Conditions are continuing to improve in the area. The resort said they had some guest cancellations early on due to the pandemic (not from our rally attendees) and now that things seem to be improving in the area, those people that cancelled are trying to get there reservations back. They are happy to have our rally coming to the park again this year. As of this morning (4/27/2020), Idaho is reporting just under 1900 confirmed cases for the entire state (click here for CDC data). That puts them in the bottom 8 states based on the CDC statistics. Overall, Idaho has done very well relative to other states in keeping the virus counts low. Here is a link to Idaho's path to reopening from the Corona Virus. If they meet all their goals, they will be in the final stage during our rally. Hopefully they can meet the goals they have set forth and will be well on the way to recovery by the time of our rally. I also spoke with the wine tour company. They reached out to the wineries this morning to get an idea of how or if the wine tour will be able to go on as scheduled. When I have more information about that, I will let everyone know. If Idaho meets all their goals as discussed in the Idaho Rebounds link I posted above, it would seem the wine tour should be able to proceed, but I can't say for sure at this time. We are also in contact with the Elks Lodge regarding our dinner with them. We do not have a final answer as to whether they will be able to host us as planned because it will depend on what the state will allow at that time. We are hopeful though, again based on Idaho's path to reopening, that this will go on as planned. If anyone has any questions, please let me know. See you in June.

My shop is nowhere near as nice, or big, as that. I can only dream. It is big enough to house my 5er, HDT and other assorted toys as necessary though. I don’t have anywhere near the tools though. Here is an old picture from when I had a friend’s 5er parked next to mine to do some solar work on it.

The best way to get a true towing capacity is to find the vehicle’s Gross Combined Weight Rating. This is the most the vehicle and anything it is towing can weigh in total combination. Then load up your vehicle as if you were going to travel with any gear, people, etc. that would be in the vehicle (including full fuel tank). Take the vehicle so loaded to a scale and weigh it. Take the number you get and subtract that from the Gross Combined Weight Rating. This will give you the true towing capacity. That number is the maximum your vehicle can tow and will probably be less than the actual factory tow rating. Remember, this number is the maximum number. Your trailer and all it’s equipment must be equal to or less than it. This includes the hitch, water, gear, etc. You also do not want to tow at the max rating for extended periods as it is hard on your equipment. Most people recommend towing at 85% of the max or so. There are other factors as well. Your axle ratings on your tow vehicle also cannot be exceeded. When you weigh the vehicle, get the total weight and individual axle weights so you know whether or not you will exceed axle ratings. When you hook a tow behind trailer to a tow vehicle, the hitch weight is added to the rear axle. When you add a weight distribution hitch, some of that weight is pushed back onto the front axle of the tow vehicle. The final consideration is wheelbase. Short wheelbase vehicles do not tow as well as long wheelbase vehicles typically. They are more affected by crosswinds and passing large vehicles when towing. This effect goes up, the longer the trailer is compared to the tow vehicle wheelbase. This last part I mention as something to be aware of. Only you can decide what you will be comfortable with in this category as there are not really any hard and fast rules like there are for towing weight capacities.

I have Good Sam Platinum and have been happy with it. It covers any vehicle I am in, whether I own it or not. I have had them tow my HDT when the ECM died. I was in the middle of nowhere. They towed it two counties away to the shop of my choice with no questions asked. I’ll continue to renew with them. That tow alone probably cost 10-15 years of premiums to Good Sam.

Congratulations. Welcome to the “Dark Side”!

I installed the Fridge Fixer from recubed solutions on our French door residential refrigerator. It works great and takes only a couple of minutes to install. We would periodically have issues with the doors coming open using Velcro and bungies, but haven’t had a single issue since installing the fridge fixer.

I just got mine in the mail today. I look forward to being able to try it out. From the paperwork that came with the card: Control Number - Your control number is the last 4 of your SS#. You will be required to enter this when fueling at the pump. Setting PIN Number on Fuel Card - To set PIN number on your EFS card follow the following step. The PIN number allows you to access the EFS phone app (this does not change the control number). Call 888-824-7378 1. Press option 3 2. Enter the card number (big bold numbers) then hit # 3. Enter PIN number which is last four of the card number then hit # 4. Then ask to change your pin and enter the last four of social (or any 4 numbers) then hit # 5. It will then repeat the PIN change back to you for verification and then press 1 On edit: I just checked the Pilot Truck stop closest to my home. The retail price is currently listed as $3.289 per gal for diesel (I'm in CA). The TSD EFS card price is $2.093 per gal for a savings of $1.196 per gal. Once TSD takes their 10% ($0.1196) that is a cost of $2.2126 per gal for me and still a savings of approximately $1.076 per gallon off the posted price. I'll take that all day long.

Hi back at you. I am back to work today on a modified schedule after a department imposed two week self isolation period. Things are definitely not normal around here, but we are continuing on. I'm working 12.5 hour shifts for the next two weeks and then possibly back into another two week self isolation period. We will see how long we keep this up. On edit: Here's an article about some of the stuff our department has implemented to try to minimize exposures to officers.

We really like Buffalo Crossing RV park in West Yellowstone. It is right outside the West gate entrance to the park. We had our HDT, 5er and Jeep when we stayed there and no issues with room. We used the Jeep to tour the park like you are planning. I would stay there again. You an walk to most of the town of West Yellowstone from the RV park too.

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts. The officer who died was 44 years old. I am not aware of any underlying health issues other than being over weight. The remaining 7 officers suffered in varying degrees from minor flu like symptoms to hospitalization for major symptoms, but all seem to be doing fine and are on the road to recovery. We implemented an emergency schedule at work for 28 days starting last Sunday. All officers have been assigned to patrol (with a handful of exceptions) working either day shift or graveyard for 12.5 hours a day. We spread out 8 different patrol teams (four working days and four working nights) so that each team gets a 14 day self isolation period throughout the 28 day cycle to help prevent further spread. I’m currently on my 14 day isolation.

It got very real this week for me. I have 8 coworkers who have tested positive and one of them passed away as a result. My line of work dictates we can’t shutdown, so we continue on (albeit with some major modifications to how we are doing things). I hope things clear up soon, but I’m not sure what things will look like when they do. I am lucky in that I know my job isn’t going away as a result of all the shutdowns, but I feel for those that don’t have that security.

All, I hope everyone is well during this difficult time. I have completed the schedule for the 2020 West Coast Rally. It is attached to this post and the first post in the topic for reference. We have a full schedule of events this year and I am looking forward to things calming down a bit so we can enjoy the rally. So far we have 27 sites reserved (breaking our previous record by 1) with 14 of those for returning rally members and 13 for new rally members. We have several new presenters with new topics as well. Overall, it is shaping up to be a great rally. As I have stated previously, I am monitoring the Corona Virus situation and will make decisions related to the rally going forward based on the facts at the time. As of now, we are still planing to continue with the rally. I look forward to seeing everyone in June. I think by then, most of us will be itching to get out of our self quarantines and have some fun. 😉 I sent an email to all confirmed attendees, so check your email for specific information and to answer a couple of questions for the rally. Thank you, stay safe, and see you in June (hopefully)! 2020 HDT West Coast Rally Schedule.docx

My SXS trailer does not have its own brakes. I am under the weight requiring brakes for trailers with the trailer and the SXS. With a car on a dolly, I would want brakes because of the weight. When I double towed my Jeep, I used a braking system for the Jeep because of the weight.

I got my notice in the mail today. I plan to take care of it this weekend.

Your welcome Dave. I’m glad you guys are getting so much good use out of it. We too are looking forward to the WCR and are hopeful we can still have it. I am still planning it, but will monitor things and make decisions based on the circumstances as the rally gets closer. Unfortunately for me I am still going to work every day. I am in one of those “essential” classes and don’t have much choice in the matter. Not much of an option to work from home either. It’s not like I can get the bad guys to come to me. Luckily things are pretty calm and everyone is behaving themselves (mostly) so far. We have implemented some changes in how we do business, but we still have to do the “business “. At least on my days off I can retreat to my property and keep to myself (not much different than normal for me). I am getting some projects done. I installed some nice new parts on my RZR last weekend and I’ve got a few more to put on this weekend 😄. I’m not sure my wife is too happy about the money I am spending on the parts though. Hopefully this shelter in place doesn’t go too long or she might really get mad 😜.

I am currently planning the rally to go on as scheduled. I am (hopefully) optimistic that things will have calmed down by June, but I am monitoring the situation. We are not full timers and the rally trip is our one big trip of the year so we are not in a hurry to cancel it, but also will not take unnecessary risks if things have not changed by then. Like I said, I am currently playing the optimist and hoping things will have calmed by then and will be back to, or at least closer to, normal by June. My current job in public safety keeps me up to date on the latest information. There is a lot of panic that isn't necessarily fueled by the facts, but the situation is still serious and I am not looking to put anyone at any unnecessary risk. As of this morning (3/16/20) there are 5 known cases of COVID-19 in the entire state of Idaho where the rally is being held, which is one of the lowest numbers for all of the US. There are only a couple of states that have fewer reported cases. (These numbers come direct from the CDC and individual state's public health websites.) All I can say is we are going forward with the rally as of now, but will continue to monitor the situation and make decisions based on the facts as they are known at the time.

Then I definitely recommend the MorRyde rubber pin box. It is a nice set up and is well built.

Do you want a standard extended pin box or do you want to switch to a straight down pin box (assuming you tow with an HDT with the 5er hitch at or near the back of the frame)? If you want a standard extended pin box, then I am partial to MorRyde. I have had several of their pin boxes and have been very happy with them. If you are looking to switch to a straight down pin box to shorten the gap between your HDT and trailer then Jack Mayer at RVHLifestyles has a very nice one. It is a direct replacement for DRV pin boxes and has a higher capacity than their stock MorRyde pin boxes. Assuming the bolt pattern on your Travel supreme is the same, it would be a nice upgrade. I have one of these on my current DRV and am very happy with it.

That’s too bad. Hopefully next year works out.

👍 Thanks Dave.

TX, SD and FL are the three main states for full timers because all three states allow a PMB to be used as a legal address. Most other states do not allow this.

Rally Update. I have two things for everyone. 1. Proposed Group Dinner Out - At the last rally we discussed the possibility of having a dinner out with the group after the range day. This would allow people to not have to return home and prepare a full meal after being away from the park, out in the sun most of the day. One of our attendees is an Elk and contacted the local Elks Lodge (thank you Dave) and they are happy to host us for a dinner. It looks like the cost will be under $20 per person with a proposed choice of either Rib eye Steak, Salmon or a Vegetarian meal (there are other meal possibilities if these don't appeal to everyone, but we will need to settle on a choice ahead of time). The lodge has a large room that can accommodate our group, an on site bar and plenty of parking. We are in the process of setting this up as an option for all attendees. 2. Wine Tour - I have been in contact with our wine tour company. For those that weren't with us last year, they have a 25 seat van they use for their tours (the All Aboard Fun Bus). Last year we filled the bus, but I didn't sell the last seats until the first day of the rally. This year, I had 25 seats sold within a month of announcing the rally and I have quite a few more requests above that now. I initially thought the van was the limiting factor on how many people could go on the wine tour. Through my conversations with the tour company, I found the reason they use a 25 seat van is because that is at the upper limit of how many people the winery tasting rooms can handle at a time. With the knowledge the issue is a capacity limit at the wineries themselves and not a transportation limit, we discussed possible solutions. The one we have come up with is the tour company will provide a second 15 passenger van that will tour the same wineries, but in a different order so we don't overwhelm the wineries with too many people at once. This means we will have to break into two different tour groups, but I don't think that will be a big issue. This (now) 40 person transportation capacity should accommodate all the requests for wine tours I have received so far and is now at the limit of what the tour company can handle. I will be sending out emails to all the registered attendees in the next week or so with the rally schedule, your wine tour and T-shirt confirmations and some other miscellaneous information, including whether or not you would like to attend the dinner at the Elks Lodge. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please let me know. See you in June!

Is the above just because of all the Californians moving there? 😉

Excellent point. I did not mention that, but I do have a camera on the back of my 5er that allows me to constantly monitor the SXS trailer.

It turned out my issue with my heater was that several of the blend doors and blend door servos were broken or inoperative. I ended up having my local dealer do the work on it. Once all the doors and servos were replaced, everything went back to working normally up front. It wasn’t a very difficult job and the parts were easily identified and replaced. Once the unit was removed, it was pretty obvious what was broken. The sleeper system works from a separate control and core, so it could easily continue to function properly when the front is not working.