Head West not so young Man

[Jstpssng]

Ditto on the last 3 comments. (TexasJohn documented the points I tried to refer to yesterday. :thumbsup
This isn't just a case of something breaking down and a "comedy of errors" resulted. How many people purchased that product because they believed they would be taken care of if things went wrong? It sounds to me like Winnie might be just rolling on the reputation which predecessors built... much like IBM did when PCs came along.

 

[ericb2400]

I just finished this entire thread. I hate to say it, but from what I have read on the form IRV2 that almost sound like SOP for all RV manufactures. ;-(.

Anyvway, check that site out

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[daugen]

Eric, that's depressing but thanks . I don't care what any of those folks say or put in emails.
I know what I saw on this little thousand mile trip. At least three other people with similar slide issues and one guy with the same brand leveling system, a fancy four or five jack autolevel unit for his very nice fifth wheel.

You know, what makes this worse so unnecessarily is that the autolevel jack system has a manual capability, but that went out with the computerized bathwater too. No backup system.
I could have sure used a backup system. And i will have one on whatever I get next.

And you know what, I've been chatting with a family member about Airstreams. They have a classic simplicity and a time proven design that is likely far, far more reliable than these overly gadgeted
giant boxes on wheels we call motorhomes. So you bet, an Airstream is looking pretty good right now. The problem always was that you could not get an island queen berth, meaning a walkaround bed big enough to feel more like home. I think now one can. And if an Airstream can't be equipped with a dishwasher and washer/dryer, I don't want it. I looked at them for my Suburban originally, had a 9400 pound tow limit, which is low compared to the new trucks, but I could get a 30 footer for that weight limit. It still had what I call a "boat bed" meaning someone couldn't get out of bed easily.

well, anyway, in a bright sunny rv campground in Natural Bridge Virginia. The attraction is not far from here. My what a lot of traffic today on 1-81. Probably any day.
But very pretty countryside to drive through, Virginia really is pretty and all I can say is they seem to have better zoning codes. Less ticky tack stuff near the highways.

before i go hunt for pictures, I can attest that Kubota has done a great job marketing their z turn mowers in the South because one is roaring outside me, this one a diesel. Two other campgrounds had gas engine ones, one large frame and the other medium. This fellow is of the full speed rpm variety, others have throttled down quite a bit around the rv's.

 

[wngsprd]

Welcome back to Virginia. A hike along the creek to the Natural Bridge is real peaceful and impressive if you have time.

 

[daugen]

Welcome back to Virginia. A hike along the creek to the Natural Bridge is real peaceful and impressive if you have time.

thanks. They have quite a setup there, I passed it on the way to the campground. No,even if I did have the time, I threw my back out yesterday. I now have a back brace on, plus a soft collar, a right wrist band and a left arm band. Needless to say I take it all off before I get out of the rv, but my switch to daily driving is very hard on me. No time for my body to recover from all that steering and gripping the wheel. This is not exactly what the surgeons wanted me to be doing after three operations in the last 9 months, but time waits for no one. Am very glad I went. And I will do it again.

but need to get going. Foggy this morning but burning off. Headed across VA again...less tiny roads hopefully, but will wind up in Stafford VA near route 95. And since I refuse to pay money to get beat to death on the PA turnpike, big money too..., well I'm going up 95. Some tolls but they are easy. Done this route hundreds of times. But today I can sightsee. later

 

[ronjhall]

Airstream is not your Fathers Airstream. Airstream is now owned by one of those big company's like Lippert.

 

[MacLawn]

Airstream is not your Fathers Airstream. Airstream is now owned by one of those big company's like Lippert.

Wha'?? Say it ain't so! Oh me, there goes my dream trailer.

 

[Citydude]

thanks. They have quite a setup there, I passed it on the way to the campground. No,even if I did have the time, I threw my back out yesterday. I now have a back brace on, plus a soft collar, a right wrist band and a left arm band. Needless to say I take it all off before I get out of the rv, but my switch to daily driving is very hard on me. No time for my body to recover from all that steering and gripping the wheel. This is not exactly what the surgeons wanted me to be doing after three operations in the last 9 months, but time waits for no one. Am very glad I went. And I will do it again.

but need to get going. Foggy this morning but burning off. Headed across VA again...less tiny roads hopefully, but will wind up in Stafford VA near route 95. And since I refuse to pay money to get beat to death on the PA turnpike, big money too..., well I'm going up 95. Some tolls but they are easy. Done this route hundreds of times. But today I can sightsee. later

Daugen, your backs acting up and your in a brace, your castle on wheels is broken and yet you still have that gentle, great demeanor you started out with. Your trip, even though cut short, has brought a smile to my day on days when I needed a smile. Thank you.

 

[MacLawn]

Daugen, your backs acting up and your in a brace, your castle on wheels is broken and yet you still have that gentle, great demeanor you started out with. Your trip, even though cut short, has brought a smile to my day on days when I needed a smile. Thank you.

Amen city.

 

[texasjohn]

Me, too, thanks for the smiles, Drew.

Daugen, your backs acting up and your in a brace, your castle on wheels is broken and yet you still have that gentle, great demeanor you started out with. Your trip, even though cut short, has brought a smile to my day on days when I needed a smile. Thank you.

 

[daugen]

Stafford Virginia, right off Rt 95

you are very, very welcome. I don't like taking pics the way I do using my small camera held up in the air. But at least some come out. Nice drive today, heading East and North. Lots of changes of roads, the lady in the gps was barking orders at me constantly. Yes Ma'am! I will not print however what I often say when I want her quiet...

there is an older Prevost motorhome in this place I have to walk over and get a pic of. Now that is a rolling castle. Looks like about 25% of it is covered in chrome. Not that I have to see...

My last night aboard. Will post some thoughts on that later.
This rv campground is the closest to D.C. Wonder if any of these big motorhomes are rolling NSA data gatherers... I'm using my allegedly "secure" Verizon mifi and it has worked remarkably well.
But secure? not in this town...

On this drive I pretty much drove the road and not the speedometer, having enough seat time to know within 5mph how fast I'm going. So I got into a nice 62-64mph run behind a semi and then another motorhome, which slowed down so I went slowly past. Still too many tall hills to run on cruise all the time, plus I got to speeding up a bit down the hills, like Ron said, and keeping it floored in fourth gear which usually kept me above 60mph until I got to the top of the rise and could ease off the pedal. If it downshifted to third, then it revs way over 4000 rpm and that's just silly, so I back off and force the upshift and then try to keep it full throttle in that gear without pushing too hard, which of course then creates a downshift which I didn't want. If this vehicle had a diesel engine, most of these motor issues goes away, they can pretty much keep their speed up hills, but they'll be downshifting too and most folks don't want to rev their engines that much. Just get into the torque peak zone of one higher gear and try to hold it. Boy I would have liked steering wheel shift paddles today, and the ability to hold it in a gear of choice. However I'm sure the computer in the unit is smarter than I am, but often it shifts, mostly to go faster, when I'm happy slowing down a bit. These roads are too hilly and too curvy to try to maintain the speed limit like in a car. Most but not all trucks did not speed.

yes, forgot to put the laptop away. did so at a rest stop shortly after.
in VA, you just go by one picturesque farm after another with those black cattle out there. Very pretty.

 

[MacLawn]

The old boy in front pulling a Ram! Great! Virginia farmland is beautiful country all right. Driven through the a few times. Well daug, ye getting a fifth wheel, eh? Or that's ye plan? No matter wha', ye have to tow something! I'm on my third travel trailer now, a smaller one, but trailer seems to be the cheapest way for us to go. I always have a truck anyway, so it works great. If you don't go huge on ye fifth wheel, I'd check out the F150 Ecoboost towing package. I read a lot on truck forums too, and the boys with those things really praise the towing power they have! Forget so called mpg when towing, hey, ye're having fun! Nothing is gonna get so good towing. Oh well, about to get sidetracked!

Now we have to wait for "Head west, Part II", which I am looking forward to reading.

 

[daugen]

well my walk over to the Prevost was well worth it. An old girl but what a queen of the fleet.
Bet that has some nice Italian leather furniture in it. And a lot of glitz, mirrors, and ornamental stuff.

guess I'm going to leave the a/c fan on tonight, right close to 95, and something is being built right next door, so a little noise interference is in order. I enjoyed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's God Bless America and America the Beautiful as i wound my way through the Virginia hills and boy was that enjoyable. Everything around me was so pretty.

And tonight is my last night so I'm cooking a nice dinner since I have plenty of time, getting in early on purpose. Salmon and smoked sablefish for dinner, courtesy of my sister from some organic supermarket, some home shucked and frozen corn, and probably polish off the last of the ice cream for desert. That sounds like a fine plan. And I've gotten into a new book, Inferno, and it will be my evening's entertainment. And I could have been dancing in Dallas. I will, mark my words.
but I am where I want to be right now, and have a six or seven hour drive tomorrow, so it's time to relax and just screw around. I'll be plenty busy tomorrow and the next day.

 

[daugen]

The old boy in front pulling a Ram! Great! Virginia farmland is beautiful country all right. Driven through the a few times. Well daug, ye getting a fifth wheel, eh? Or that's ye plan? No matter wha', ye have to tow something! I'm on my third travel trailer now, a smaller one, but trailer seems to be the cheapest way for us to go. I always have a truck anyway, so it works great. If you don't go huge on ye fifth wheel, I'd check out the F150 Ecoboost towing package. I read a lot on truck forums too, and the boys with those things really praise the towing power they have! Forget so called mpg when towing, hey, ye're having fun! Nothing is gonna get so good towing. Oh well, about to get sidetracked!

Now we have to wait for "Head west, Part II", which I am looking forward to reading.

first I thought it was a full size Ram but did they make smaller one look like that?
but that isn't the prize. About three days ago a seriously large 45+ foot tag axle luxo barge pulled out one morning with a Suburban in the rear. Must be a lot people in that rv...you think?

and so many people are out trying to fix things with their rvs. These things are apparently not very reliable. A guy yesterday told me his rear ABS sensor went bad and he was stuck there waiting for parts. In a nice diesel pusher. No one seems to be immune.

 

[3930dave]

Just for a laugh....

American Teardrop Trailer - Home

No sensors, 'puters...... and No Space !

Thoreau did have a point though.

Rgds, D.

 

[MacLawn]

You got that right Dave. Or old Henry did. Simple, that's the ticket.

 

[ultrarunner]

Very timely thread... recently retired friends have been motor home shopping... it's been their dream for years to spend a year traveling North America and they wanted only to buy new with all the warranties and customer assistance in place...

Reading your thread has given them pause...

 

[texasjohn]

Well, just to be realistic, it seems that no one has a problem free trip. I have a friend who was extremely careful to properly use and maintain his RV trailer. Every trip had problems and it spent as much time in the shop as he did on the road...maybe more. I guess if you cram an entire house, roof, floor, walls, plumbing, hot water heater, AC, dryer, washer, stove, heater, electrical wiring, generator, gasoline, propane, lighting, doors, cabinets, septic, water source, etc. into a tight space, choose parts for light weight and non standard sizes with relatively low production volumes, then shake everything all around all the time, then something will go wrong....and apparently sooner than later... and be hard to get to and find replacement parts for. And, simple things can compound...for example, he had a tire blow out which spun the tread around in a flap, which tore up the underside of the trailer, including septic, wires, pipes, other stuff under there, and ripped the fender off....all significant expense to fix....and took something like 5 months...and dealer had to reorder the fender 3 times to get the right one...

 

[Dozernut]

That campground near DC has to be Cherry Hill park. That is a real nice campground, a little pricey, but I think it is worth it. We were there about 4 years ago and stayed there for 3 days while we went into DC. We are planing on a return trip in the near future, 3 days is not nearly enough time to see everything you would like to see. The Smithsonian alone will take over 3 days.

Sorry you had so much trouble, but you have touched the heart of a lot people and you will be remembered and looked for again. As I said before maybe the wind will blow right and the stars will align and we will meet on the road somewhere, that would make me a better person to meet you.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've traveled a few times with a rented motorhome... lots of fun with only one glitch.

The cruise control would not disengage and the 460 motor easily overpowered the brakes while my 18 year old cousin was driving... I reached over and told her to keep both hands on the wheel as I turned the ignition switch back a click to turn off the motor and not so far as to lock the steering wheel...

Pulled the wires going to the module and the next 3500 miles were uneventful as were several other trips...

At least we had a good story to tell when we got home...