agesilaus

Yeah that's what I'm worried about.

We are looking for a replacement for our incinerated 2012 350. Looking at 2016-2018 Ram and Ford HD trucks.

I see a number of RAM diesel 3500 duallys (2017) showing up at a very good price. One in particular a Laredo at 40K with all sorts of options.
I've never driven a drw before and it seems overkill for our 9K Trailer.
Are they that much harder to drive and park? What about mileage? Better than a gasser anyway I assume. We'll look at it Tuesday probably.
Lots of gas Ford 6.2L around at a good price. And thoughts on that engine from owners? I assume they'll pull our TT easily tho with worse millage but the big price advantage of gas vs diesel at the pump right now may help that.

15 minutes ago, TXiceman said:

How does a thread on mailbox services turn political?  Let's keep politics out of the Escapees forum.

Ken

I agree 100% but this post started our political from the first post. How can a post complaining about Texas politics be anything but?

Don't forget that SD just passed that anti trans law: CNN

You need a mailing service in Frisco to be safe

On 2/20/2022 at 9:23 AM, agesilaus said:

Allstate says total loss, offered $30,000 minus 250 deductible

Just got a CarMax offer for 36500 (for an unburnt model) which does not include a $1500 Leer Topper.

We'll send that to the Allstate guy and maybe he'll bump the offer up a bit.

We went out and looked at trucks yesterday. There did not seem to be a shortage in this area with the exception of new trucks. One Ford dealer must have had 40 to 50 used trucks on his lot. Weirdly we could not get a salesman out on the lot, the guy just told us to look online for prices. Every truck we saw yesterday was a crew cab

The nearby GM dealer's lot was almost empty of all vehicles tho, place looked almost shut down.

Went to the next set of dealers, found a good one at the Dodge place. He only had 2 on the lot but had quite a few gassers, all 2018 or newer. Looked at one 2019 3/4 ton diesel @ the mid 50K range. Test drove it and liked it. It was 2WD tho. My wife really wanted a 4WD so the salesguy took us out in a 3/4 ton 2020 Powerwagon gasser. Very nice but 69K, seems to something like a Ford Raptor. But claims it's good to tow up to 11K. I liked it but very pricey and I have my doubts about towing with. It was electric blue not a positive feature for me.

The salesman was only the second one who actually knew trucks, used RV jargon too like 'bumper pull'. Said he can find other trucks if we want him to.

Went by the big Ford dealer and his lots was almost empty, strange. The GM dealer had a full lot next to the Dodge place. I refuse to buy a GM. Stopped at Carquest and they had an identical Powerwagon at $60K.

And they had a almost exact duplicated of our truck except it is a short bed and had no topper and is a 2014. Asking $54K. Think that Dallas price must be for a different trim level or had high mileage or other problems.

The Dodge guy said we should get a check within a week once we agree with the Allstate people. Will try to talk up the price to say 40K.

We are planning to sell our other car, a 2017 Corolla, so will trade that in on the truck along with the cash. We are on the road so much it is just sitting most of the year.

We plan to visit local dealers

Allstate says total loss, offered $30,000 minus 250 deductable

I see there is a wire bundle now revealed on that side of the engine that must have 50 or more wires in it.

My truck caught on fire for no obvious reason. 2012 F350 6.7L 4WD. Has about 170K on it. Parked, engine off, no electrical gear on. Right side of the engine compartment caught on fire.
I had a wheel off to check the brakes pads, went inside for a minute, came out smoke coming from the truck, seemed to be small fire.
Got a pot of water from camper, came out and it was blazing.
Finally put it out with the hose but that whole side of the front end and the front of the truck incinerated. All that plastic burned like crazy.
Fire department and sheriff came out. FD said it looked to be electrical. Waiting for Allstate.

No one hurt, did not have a fuel fire and did not blow up so it could have been worse.
 

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I would not take a class A with towed into that area.

Ditto on that, we've been multiple times. Last summer was the most recent. You will  have a hard time finding parking for a car and driving a Class A would be a nightmare.

Be prepared for a surprise, the place is much smaller than you expect. But worth a visit. Riverwalk seems to have gone downhill somewhat from our visit seven or eight years ago. There are some nice State Parks outside town along with the Escapees park.

We did most of the missions last summer. OK but not fabulous.

1) No citizenship requirement to own a RV or a vehicle in the US. Using mail forwarding varies by the actual location since that is  controlled by county level officials. Contact the Mail Forwarder that you intend to use, they will have better information since they deal with it all the time.

2) Importing an RV, there may be a US certification rule in place. I do not know for sure but RV's do have certification stickers. And having a VIN (vehicle identification number) is most likely required. If the RV is a motorized type then the USEPA may get involved. I know some European automobiles cannot not be brought into the US because they do not conform to US emission laws.

The cost of shipping an RV across the Atlantic would be rather high. You can rent RV's over here.

3) Lots of RVers here get insurance with a mail forwarding address so that must be possible. Bank accounts might be an issue tho, they may require a physical address.

`I strongly advise one and all to not visit Walnut Canyon in the hot months. The whole bunch of us thought heat stroke was near in July. It's a good spot to visit tho.

There is an easily accessible canyon in Capital Reef that has a wall covered with pioneer graffiti names, plus the site on the main road thru the park east of the visitor center. and I've seen like name covered rocks in several other places. One as far east as Mammoth Cave. The old ones are easily distinguished from the modern graffiti by how much effect they put into the name and how precise the result was. Modern ones are almost always sloppy and poorly done.

As for Rock Art there is an excellent one called the Great Hunt Panel on Nine Mile Road/Canyon in Central Utah. They are all over the desert west tho. Tristan who does a weekly vblog on YouTube has been to many of these but has recently stopped posting the GPS coordinates for the sites.

Karchner, it's on my todo list if I can ever get on the list to get in.

I'm a bit surprised that most of these places listed are urban sights not natural. My favorite, which shall remain unnamed, is a boondock camp on the very edge of a 1500 foot vertical cliff. My new epiphany is this, to name a site on the web is to destroy it. The new pack of 'campers' aka locusts, know how search the web but do not know how to properly boondock.

1 hour ago, sandsys said:

Maybe it's "closed for maintenance"?

Linda

No I did it again, it was Chimney Rock in Nebraska near Scott's Bluff. I assume it is like Independence rock with pioneer graffiti

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Designated the Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Chimney Rock is one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks for pioneer travelers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, a symbol of the great western migration.

Scotts Bluff was interesting tho. And Bayard City in the area has a very nice free city park, for the first night. $15/night the next two nights if you stay.

7 hours ago, Jim & Alice said:

We were last there in 2016.   The shown parking lot is to the west side of the main parking lot, and the Trail is just beyond the fence.   Sounds like you are saying the walking trail to the base of the rock is no longer there?

 

We walked all the way around the perimeter of the building. It was all fenced except the side open for the parking lot. No trail. We visited the place one other time, at least ten years ago, and walked out to the rock via the trail that was there then and all the way around the rock. But it's gone now.

I have a map showing another trail past the visitors center and down a road to the right. It was gone and had five foot high bushes all over it, I tried pushing my way thru but gave up after 20 feet or so.

When was that? And is that the visitor center parking lot?

We were there last year and they had obliterated the trail to the rock itself. You would have to bushwhack for a mile or so of heavy brush to get there.

1 hour ago, GlennWest said:

Not complaining. Just stating. Our speed is great. Don't see how 5 g can be an improvement.

Starlink is reportedly running up to 150 MB/sec but is pricey and has a long wait list. $500 for the antenna and $100/mo. And it runs on a cell system linked to earth stations which you may or may not be able to connect to.

They are offering a super starlink that supposedly runs at 300 MB/sec but is vaporware right now an very pricey. $2500 for the antenna is what I heard.

ATT is killing 3G soon and Verizon by the end of the year. This affects more than old cell phones, Pre2016 GM vehicles with Onstar and those personal emergency devices use 3G.

article

North Central Florida, a very  cold January for us, got down to 24 a few days ago with the highs in the mid 40s.  December was very mild.

But now headed into more seasonal weather with highs in the mid 70's and lows in the 40's-50's. Not sure what the long term forecast is; we hope to be headed west before mid month.

It seemed like last year was extra windy, it rarely let up. We didn't get our awning out until we got back to FL this fall.

Ruby's is handy but boy is it expensive.

We were there last late spring, stayed at a commercial park right where the road comes off the road to Zion, the name is in an old logbook not here in the camper. Probably Riverside CG tho there is no near river. Just a parking lot. We drove down to Zion one day and they place was already a madhouse and this was early May IIRC. We moved to a boondocking spot for another 5 days. Spent most of our time at Bryce.

The big CG at Bryce seemed to be first come.

24 minutes ago, franco-bolli said:

I should have more clear about Marathon Fl., There is a coast guard station located there, that has just a few camping spots.  Far less cost than the campgrounds nearby.

That's interesting info, I never thought to check for CG famcamps. Let me know what you find