Second Chance

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

Texas DMV also has a form available online that you can use to notify the DMV that your vehicle has been transferred to a new owner. That is important because it removes you from any liability if the RV is used while your license plates remain on it. 

You should keep your license plate and not let the new owner have it. You either destroy it or return it to the TX DMV - there's a place on the notification form to say what you did with it. We are domiciled in TX and just sold an RV in GA to someone who lives in NC...

Rob

In our younger days, my late wife and I were part-time working musicians. In the '80s, we wanted to get her a new synthesizer (electronic keyboard). A sister-in-law's father was a professor of music and also worked in the music publishing and recording business, so I called him for some advice. He started out by asking a couple of questions:

1) Is the synth we have doing anything we don't want it to? I.e., if it were a car, is it smoking, backfiring, stalling at stop lights, etc.?

2) Is the synth we have not doing anything we want or need it to? I.e., if it were a car, does it fail to start when we turn the key, does it fail to stop when we apply the brakes, does it not get us to work on time?

If we could not answer, "Yes" to those two questions, he said we could not really justify the (considerable) expense of a new synthesizer just to get more bells and whistles. Since that conversation, I have referred to this concept as "The Jesse Peterson theory of equipment obsolescence."

Rob

26 minutes ago, aztex said:

I'm gonna chime in on USAA!

 

They are actually THE WORST insurance company! I had them for years with ~5 claims which they butchered! EVERY SINGLE ONE!

Last straw is I was cut off, car ran red light and I T-boned them. no injuries. I flagged down a cop and we cleared the scene. I had to pull back some metal to get my car out of traffic so was away from cops for 10 minutes. When I arrived the person who cut me off blamed it on me and the cop gave me a ticket for running the red light! Refused to listen to my side of it!

USAA INSTANTLY sided with the lie and made me pay my $1000 deductible. I went to court and prevailed and when I contacted USAA they said it's possible to reverse the false ruling but it's too much trouble and they refused to do it! The other driver even faked back issues and they refused to fix it costing us all!

I was a 30 year member at the time! Claims ALWAYS took 2-3 weeks. Friends with other companies laughed at me when the got a fender bender and an agent showed up, took pictures and cut a check! All said and done same day as accident!

They have some sort of propaganda machine running that makes them look good but talk to others about actual service when you need them and you'll get a different story!

What you relate is completely counter to the 35 years' experience I have with them. During that time, we had several claims (both ours and the other person's faults) and. in 2008, my wife was killed in a traffic accident in which she was at fault. We could not have been treated better by USAA - in every way. My (new) wife and I have had several smaller claims without any issues whatsoever. 

Rob

After years of using MS Office at both work and home (had a professional multi-license version of Office 2003 for home), I found I could no longer download and install things like compatibility packs for Word when setting up a replacement PC. I searched and read and finally settled on the LibreOffice suite. I don't have a need for the database portion any more, but the writer and calc (spreadsheet) apps work flawlessly and are much more compatible with the different document formats we have from over the years and the different formats friends and family send us. We're running LibreOffice on both of our laptops and are very happy with it.

Rob

14 hours ago, filthy-beast said:

Funny you mention that, Jojoba has the below statement and my thought when reading it was, "are your trying to weed out the Riff-Raff or you want do a hard sell and close."  either way I passed.

 

To begin the process, you will need to contact the Resort and arrange a tour with one of our experienced guides. We require the tour in order to provide a comprehensive view of our resort.

 

We have done the tour at Jojoba (twice) and are on the list there. We did not get the impression either time that they were trying to "weed out the Riff-Raff" nor doing a "hard sell and close." Although there is an element of "sell" in the tour in that they want you to know about everything the park offers (it's not all on the web site), it's not like a used car experience at all.

Rob

On 3/14/2020 at 6:33 PM, Bobbyb said:

Winnie probably dropped Lippert slides as they had so much trouble. I forget the name of the system but it is something like shcwintek?? Lippert has  become the largest supplier to the RV industry. But almost everything they make is cheaply made.  They have bought out mfrs. of various components and then cheapened the product.  I think Lippert means junk in Swahili!!!

Schwintek is a Lippert (LCI) product. 

https://www.lci1.com/slide-outs

Rob

3 minutes ago, usbusin said:

I believe he is talking about US95 which is not an Interstate.  I believe it is a two lane highway.  At least in Arizona it is.

GaryD

You are correct - my bad. It is a US Highway. It is largely two-lane but an excellent road surface. The Mountain Directory shows no steep grades, etc.

Rob

I-95 is an Interstate highway... what's your question? (BTW, it's spelled "Sequim" even if it's pronounced "Squim.")

Rob

2 hours ago, SOD said:

We all have to make our own decision on when to travel. I am one who refuse to let so called experts tell me how to live. DW and I spent last week in Port O Conner. Had a great time and visited with a full park of other campers. It's hay season so we're busy with first cutting after that will probably head to rockport for a couple weeks. I just checked the numbers 973 deaths in a state of 27 million. It's more dangerous driving to the camp ground. We're both in our 70s and only the Lord knows how much time we have left. So we'll live it to the fullest.

Dave

Pure ignorance.

We're on the list at Evergreen Coho in Chimacum, WA, and Jojoba Hills in Aguanga, CA. We've stayed at a number of the other co-op parks, but these parks were the best fit for us. Everyone's needs and tastes are different.

Rob

We have the Vision S installed with the power connected to the top center running light on the back of the fiver. When the running lights are on, the camera is on. We've also not had any issues with the signal dropping on a 35 (previously 36) foot fifth wheel with a long-bed, crew cab truck.

Rob

We spent last year out west (PNW, CA, winter in NM) but came east in February for our medical appointments and to pick up a new RV. The week after we moved into the new rig - and a week before we planned to start rolling up the east coast toward grandkids - our destinations started calling to cancel. We were fortunate to grab a nice spot with big shade trees on the east and west sides of our space here in Augusta, GA. This would not have been possible had the Masters golf tournament not been postponed. The parks in the area are in the practice of kicking everyone out during the Masters and tripling the rates. This year, they're happy to have those of us who need a place to hunker down.

Rob

17 hours ago, Missedbootcamp said:

Do RVers/truckers ever use ratios such as  Gross Weight of Tow Vehicle to Gross Weight of Trailer  to determine the safe range of weight differentials between tow vehicle and trailer?

Not really. We go by GCVWR of the tow vehicle, the payload capacity of the TV, the tongue/pin weight of the trailer, axle and tire capacities, GVWR of the trailer, etc.

Rob

Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this. We have met quite a few single people - including women - full-timing in smaller class C motorhomes. Your problem there would be not having a smaller vehicle to run around in unless you pulled a car - which increases the cost to set up and your full-size Sierra may not be the best match for a tow'd with a smaller class C.

chirakawa's suggestion for an "egg" type fiberglass travel trailer like the Casita, Scamp, etc. is good - but also comes with some drawbacks. They are extremely cramped, have minimal storage space (although you have space in the back of your truck), and usually have wet baths.

Behind door #3 we have the smaller "normal" travel trailer (20 - 25'). Advantages over the fiberglass egg would include a dry bath, more storage space, a real kitchen, etc. There's usually a dinette that makes into a bed so your daughter would have a place to sleep other than in your bed if so desired.  A regular travel trailer is no harder to back up than a Casita. In fact, tiny trailers like Casitas can be more difficult due to the short wheelbase. There are a couple of things to think about that might help ease some of your concerns about going this route, too:

• When you find a travel trailer that suits your needs and looks to be in good shape (and is a good deal), find a reputable mobile certified RV technician who is willing to come do a complete inspection on the trailer for you. It will cost you $100 - $150, most likely, but is money well-spent. If he/she finds issues that need addressing, you can choose to walk away from the deal or get a quote from the technician for repair and negotiate the price of the RV down by that amount.
• Check out a product called LevelMatePRO (you can order them on Amazon). This is a digital leveling device that interfaces with your smartphone via Bluetooth. Once mounted in the trailer and calibrated (using a carpenter's level), you can sit in your truck and pull the trailer up on some Beech-Lane or Anderson levelers until it is level side-to-side. You then chock the wheels, unhitch, and use the LevelMatePRO to adjust the tongue tack until the trailer is level front-to-back. I leveled our previous travel trailer and then our previous 36' fifth wheel this way by myself for about seven years. It took me less than 10 minutes once I got used to the routine.

Just some thoughts...

Rob

6 minutes ago, Twotoes said:

I have never has DirecTv DNS in the 3 years I have been with them. I am a full timer and move a lot. I just call them, give them my location and have my locals changed. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it takes some explaining to the CSR that I am in a motorhome. 

Apples and oranges. The OP is talking about DNS (either from LA or New York, usually) and you're talking about getting the locals for where you are.

Rob

It's not about pulling/towing capacity - it's about payload. The Rockwood 2608BS has a GVWR of 8,796 lbs. That means it will put about 1,050 lbs. on the tongue (loaded hitch weight that goes on the truck). You will need a truck with enough payload capacity left over after you subtract fuel, passengers, "stuff," and about 100 lbs. for a good weight-distributing hitch. Then you can start thinking about the powertrain and what the truck will pull. There are many good threads on this and other forums on the topic. Search for terms like "payload," "GVWR," "capacity" and "tow vehicle" combined in the same thread(s). There's a lot more to it than a simple answer to a simple question.- but I'm glad you bought the trailer first and then asked about a tow vehicle.

Rob

19 minutes ago, trailertraveler said:

I'm curious why a tattoo parlor or nail salon/hair dresser/barber shop can not social distance as well or better than a grocery store. How many people does a single tattooist, manicurist, hair dresser, or barber work on at the same time? Many make appointments, so they could space out their customers (much easier than say a grocery store), disinfect between customers, wear protective equipment, etc. It seems that many of the closures and restrictions have been very arbitrary. How many people can fit on a surf board and why is social distancing so hard that surfing needs to be banned?

We never went to theaters before the pandemic, no reason to start now. Georgia State Parks never closed. Private campgrounds/RV parks in Florida never closed. I am not sure I understand why some states did close campgrounds. Social distancing in a campground/RV park is not that hard. If you can put the slides and awning out you are likely more than six feet away from your neighbors. We have been doing it throughout this pandemic. Group events at the campgrounds being curtailed, and facilities being closed I can understand. We never used them before, no reason to start now.

Could you stay six feet away from someone while you give them a tattoo or do their hair or nails? My arms aren't that long.

Rob

40 minutes ago, Twotoes said:

Not sure if the Escapee Co-Op near Temecula is open to new arrivals. Close by is Pechenga Casino but that may be closed also. 

Jojoba Hills at Aguanga is closed to non-co-op members at this time.

Rob

On 2/9/2020 at 7:27 PM, Second Chance said:

We've been full-time in a Grand Design Reflection for 4-1/2 years and like it. The thing that sets Grand Design apart is the customer service (Grand Design - NOT the dealers). We've experienced that first-hand. We've been happy enough that, deciding this past year to stay on the road for the foreseeable future, we have a new Solitude waiting for us when we get to Georgia in two weeks.

Rob 

UPDATE: We've been in our new Solitude about seven weeks now. The only issue found during PDI was a drawer slide (on the pull-out ottoman under the bed) that needed adjustment. A few weeks after we took delivery, we returned to the dealer to have a washer and dryer installed (driven by the pandemic and a desire to avoid laundromats). Everything else has been close to flawless. We're SO happy with the insulated windows and all the glass in this floor plan. The Coleman Mach ACs are much quieter than the Dometics in our Reflection. We're very happy with the materials used and the workmanship is good. We were so fortunate to take delivery and move in before everything shut down!

Rob

18 minutes ago, hdrider said:

 Boy be careful in Georgia, that governor is even opening theaters and all sorts of stuff in that state.   

Yes - including tattoo and nail parlors. We're hunkered down in Georgia and will now have to consider everyone suspect again...

Rob

9 hours ago, Jay3849 said:

Go 1 ton with the diesel?

In that case.. Money is an object. Twice as much

 

Yes. And no on the money - usually only a few hundred more (between 3/4 and 1-ton with the same engine). 

Rob

Started out with a Sierra 2500HD with the Durmax and Allison... loved it. Moved to an F350 with the PowerStroke (to get a 1-ton with dual rear wheels)... love it. Brother-in-law has a brand new RAM 3500 DRW with the Cummins and Aisin... loves it. Bottom line, if you stick with the later model trucks, they're all great for towing RVs. The only thing I would say - and this is just my opinion - a 3/4-ton truck with a diesel drivetrain is a cripple due to the low payload. I owned one. Go for at least a single rear wheel 1-ton whichever brand you get. Maintain it well, put clean fuel in it and change the fuel filters religiously, and you will be happy for decades.

Rob

The Samsung residential frig in our new Solitude came with one of these on it:

Frig door lock on Amazon

The refrigerator is an 18 cu. ft. model with French doors on top and freezer on bottom. This lock takes care of the French doors and the freezer drawer locks on its own - you have to pull up on the handle to unlock it and pull it out.

Rob

4 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Pilot/Flying J has booted TSD cards from their pumps, last I heard.

This is true. We still have our Pilot/Good Sam card for when the only thing around is a Pilot. The discount is not nearly as good as the TSD card at other truck stops, though, so we stop elsewhere when possible.

Rob

2 hours ago, ARGO said:

What did you put in for the ethnic question?

"Martian." Why would you ask this question?