Second Chance

My wife and I have cut/trimmed each others hair for years. What the pandemic has caused me to do is to spend a LOT of money to install a washer and dryer in the rig so we don't have to go to a public laundromat (we would feel differently if we were stuck long-term in an Escapees park...). Rob

X2! Rob

It's just a PDF file to save to your desktop... safe. It's a letter from "National Indoor RV Center." Apparently, they have a property they previously operated out of in Phoenix that has 30 RV sites they no longer use (moved to a different location) that they're making available to displaced full-timers. Rob

If you use the search function on the forums, there are quite a few threads on this topic. That said, we are domiciled in Texas but our providers are all in the Augusta, GA, area (GA and SC) from whence we launched. We route back through the area once a year for our regular appointments and will sometimes get a 6-month dental cleaning and checkup wherever we happen to be. Our situation is simpler than many with Medicare and Tricare For Life as the secondary (retired military). You'll get almost as many answers to this question, though, as there are members on the forum - everyone's situation is different. Rob

That would be a good place to start - especially if your 2017 unit (built in 2016, probably) has the Lippert axles and hubs. They developed a reputation for seal failures and greased brakes. Haven't heard of that happening so much with the new Dexter axles and hubs. Rob

Forum hint: If you use the "Quote" function to reply to something, people will know to whom you are responding and they will also get a notice. On our Reflection, we had MORryde install their independent suspension system with disc brakes. We also installed a cushioned/dampened pinbox (Demco Glide Ride) and Sailun load range G tires. There were other smaller (and less expensive) mods - mostly in the convenience category. Rob

NOT TRUE!!! Brake application is totally dependent on the brake controller in the tow vehicle. The trailer brakes only follow commands. Electric drum brakes (like on your stock Reflection) have no intelligent circuitry. They only apply force proportional to the power sent by the brake controller. I'm sorry I didn't see your post earlier. We spent 4 yrs, 9 mos full-time in a Reflection 337RLS (significantly modified). We just sold it and moved in to our new Solitude 310GK-R. Very pleased with both units and Grand Design's customer service. The Reflection 337 is one of their best floor plans. You'll enjoy it. Rob

The US has not, nor are we likely to, institute the draconian measures that were taken by the Chinese government. Those measures likely had a significant impact on stopping the spread of the virus. We still have young people flocking to the beaches for spring break and certainly not practicing "social distancing." Rob

Yep. We were scheduled for JB Charleston (Foster Creek) starting 14 April. They just called to tell us they were going to have to cancel our reservation and refund our money. I'm working on checking out what this all means for the rest of the summer - Kings Creek in VA and APG in Maryland. It's a roller-coaster these days. Rob

What each insurance company can/will cover is, at least partially, regulated by each state's insurance regulatory commission. Check with a couple of insurance providers who write policies for the state in which you are domiciled. As stated above, our USAA renter's policy covers the stuff in our climate controlled storage unit (didn't even have to add coverage - it was part of the package). We are domiciled in Texas and the storage unit is in South Carolina... no problems. There may be a company out there who does the same for your state. Rob

Responded to your post on the other forum... a quick Google search produced this: Link Rob

If you're eligible (retired military/veteran, parent who was a veteran, etc.) USAA can't be beat. They refund all ATM fees, all banking is done over the internet on the computer or by phone app (including depositing checks, etc.). All of our direct deposits go directly to our USAA accounts and we have USAA BillPay automatically pay any regular bills. I've been with them going on 40 years and they've treated me very well. Rob

Google Maps for planning (setting parameters) and Garmin RV760 in the truck (with parameters set for the rig). I particularly like the fact that I can give the Garmin voice commands and find the distance to truck stops up ahead (to compare to the fuel range in the instrument cluster), rest stops, etc. The combo works very well for us. Rob

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

We don't know either - nor when that will be. That didn't make any difference in where we decided to establish domicile. We chose Texas because: We have both lived in various parts of Texas in the past, I have family in Texas, We have family in the southeast and in New Mexico and California... we traverse Texas at least once a year, Escapees provides all the services we need with the Livingston address with no state income taxes and reasonable registration costs for the vehicles, And, finally, it will be no more difficult to change our domicile to a different state if and when we come off the road than it was to establish our Texas domicile. Rob

There are 74 in California, now, and a bunch in Texas. You can use the Aldi store locator on-line to check anywhere in the US. Rob

Did the same - and I'm with you. There's also less user control in the Edge Chromium browser... for instance: I'm having a lot of difficulty getting a new tab to open up to anything but Bing. I can get the startup page to do what I want, but not a new tab once the browser is open. I'm back to chrome. A British water engineer I worked with in Somalia in the early '80s would put on his best John Wayne imitation and say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Pretty good philosophy. Rob

In "Auto World" it stands for technical service bulletin. It's below the level of a recall, but something that should be addressed when the vehicle is serviced. Rob

Start here to get a little better understanding: ChangingGears.com weights Rob

I'll second this. Rob

Mark, Those "hitch" weights (referred to as pin weight with a fifth wheel) advertised by the manufacturers are empty weights - NOT loaded weights. Use the math provided by me and others in this thread (20 - 25% of the trailer's GVWR) and don't be fooled into a false sense of security. Rob

In our family, we used to say, "Great minds run in the same gutter..." 😉 Rob

A 3/4-ton truck may be your first issue. A 2,495 payload capacity is not much and isn't going to get you anywhere near your 19,500 combined weight rating (that's not your max towing capacity, I'm certain). Fifth wheels typically put about 23% of their loaded weight on the pin. If you have only 2,495 lbs. payload (and that's after fuel, occupants, the weight of the hitch, etc.), you are limited to a fifth wheel with a GVWR of about 10,800 lbs. You are not going to find a drop-frame fifth wheel with a lot of amenities in that weight range. Diesel 3/4-tons are notorious for having low payload ratings. Rob

Inexpensive?... Rob

The EFS fuel card is offered through TSD Logistics: https://www.tsdlogistics.com/services/fuel-program/ . It offers discounts at all the major truck stops. The Pilot/Flying J card is in conjunction with Good Sam Club and is only good at PFJ travel centers. Rob