From snow to warmth - a tale of a trip

Well let first start by saying this will be a series of posts to bring the blog up to date.  Date, hmmm..... from middle of September until 11 November we were in Shady Grove Campground in Denver, Pa.  Nice location, near our house as we cleaned it for sale, near our friends and not to far from the youngest grand daughter.  The first problem we had at the campground was there were two tress at the south side of the RV that blocked the satellite signal.  So they told us to move over one site for a day or two and they would take out the trees!  Wow!  Out came the trees!

On October 29th, we had 8 inches of snow at the campground.  This photo is when we had about 5" and I went out side to walk the dog.

This was a great campground and very helpful, we'll be back here next year.

More to come about the November adventures....

Why am I parked here, of all places?

We moved to Pennsylvania last week for a couple of months until we get ready to head to Texas for the winter.  We are in Shady Grove in Lancaster County which is a nice campground rebuilding with a new owner.  The last owner let it run down a little, now there are about 20 full timers here with another 80 filling in on weekends.  It is open ALL year.

Our big adventure last week was to make the Hershey RV Show.  Having lived in Hershey we knew it was a great event.  Last year there were about 650 units on display, down from the high number of 900+ a few years ago.  This year they had around 1200 on display.  Now most of the units were smaller TT's, more toy haulers, but still the big class A's, high end 5th and other units we have come to expect.  And every dealer I talked to said they were selling units.  Who says this is a down economy for the RV industry?  At least for the units that are selling - mostly lower cost ones.  We did buy some items for our 5th wheel: a folding step, a patio rug for outside and some other small items.  See we did our part for  the economy.

We got the folding step because our site rolled off drastically on the door side.  Our new neighbors, Tim and Cindy loaned us there step so we didn't have a 15" first step.  Whew!  I get a nose bleed going up and down those steps.  Also the hydraulic lifts were at their extreme which caused the RV to sway every time someone walked or the washing machine runs.  Also no playing, if you get my meaning.  Wife doesn't like the rocking!

When we pulled into the site I tried to get the satellite pulled in but couldn't peak any of them.  Looked outside and there were two trees in the way!  So off I went to the office as there were three other sites around me that were free, wanted to see if I could move.  The owner Don talked with me and told me he had planned to get them down this fall but hadn't done it yet.  Could we move for a couple of days and he would get them down?  Very accommodating in my book!  So on Monday of this week we moved two sites over.  That afternoon the crew came in with a tree digger to take down 5 of the trees along the fence.  Ours were the first out and today they finished up with number 5.  In addition they are going to be putting more stone down and leveling the site to help eliminate the drop off it had before.

This is a video of what the unit looked like taking out the first tree.  All gone in about 30 minutes.

Tomorrow we have friends coming in from Chicago who haven't seen our RV yet.  Added bonus - they will get to see us pack it up and move two spaces  - JUST SO WE COULD GET SATELLITE TV!!!

We'll be back here next year for sure.  Until later....

It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin' - - -

Here it is a whole week after Irene.  We've moved from the hiding hole in Maine where our DRV Mobile Suites sat out the storm.  After all the hype we felt that it was a rather windy but still a non-event.  Those west of us got it much worse than what we experienced.

We were in Meadowbrook Campground just outside of Bath, Me. for 4 days before and 1 day after the hurricane came through.  The day before we went around the campground and turned pick nick tables over, picked up  lawn chairs and placed them under tables to keep them from becoming air-borne.

All the RV's that were up in the treed area moved down to the open area where we were.  Several got up early on Monday morning before Irene made to far north and headed out.  I don't know where they were going, they did have Maine plates.  But even at that, why would you want to move and then drop off you rig at home when the winds is blowing 50 + mph!

Our thoughts led us to put the sides in on the 5th wheel, take the dog, food, drinks, the Kindle and our rain coats; we hooked the truck to the 5th and then sat in it until early evening.  The rain had quit by this time and the wind was not howling too bad.  So we went into the rig, put the living room slides out and read in there.  When it was time to go to bed we ran that slide out and crawled into bed.  I fell asleep almost immediately but Bonnie was up until 3AM listening to the wind howl.    

At Meadowbrooke they have a couple of things going on I need to mention.  First is their Lobster Pound (a place you can buy lobsters - live or cooked).  They have fresh lobsters going for $6.99/lb. either fresh or cooked.  Ummm... we filled up on lobster, let me tell you.  They take 20 minutes to cook so yo have time to get the corn done and coleslaw ready.

Second is the little restaurant found in the club house.  It's called the Drifter's Reef.  They have great meals every evening and during the summer they use produce that they grow.  We had fantastic spaghetti with squash, corn and home made cookies! 

For the last several days we have been back in Wolfeboro, N.H.  They had some trees down but no RV's damaged.  We Love being in this quiet campground, enjoy the people here and you never know what will turn up.  Yesterday I walked past Bob's 5th wheel and on the pick nick table there was one of the plastic containers we all use for items packed in the basement.  But this one was different - it had a heat lamp blasting the interior and inside were about two dozen guinea chicks!  Seems the daughter was visiting and had brought them along because no one would be at home to take care of them.  

So keep your eyes open  - you don't know what you'll see!

When it works it's great, when it doesn't .....

We've had problems with our DRV Mobile Suite since we picked it up three weeks ago.  First it was the power to the back up camera, "No TX Power", the error code says.  Then it was various lights not working I.E. turn signals failing, break lights on constantly and then running lights flashing.  So I obtained a wiring diagram for the lights converter in the trailer and checked it out.  It worked fine.

Next I went to the truck and checked the 7 pin plugs, the one at the bumper (factory) and the one in the bed (wired by the hitch installer).  Guess what one has problems?  Yep , you guessed right, the one wired by the hitch installer.  Seems he used those inline clamp on connectors that then gives you a spade connector off the side for another circuit.  Those things are known POS.  Any professional electrical person knows this, but the dealer says: "We use them all the time".  Well Not on my truck, you're not.


So any how, I'm wiring the truck up and I look out the side and see two sneakers at the end of khaki pants.  "Hi, I'm Ernie from next door."  Can I help?"  Well no, I don't think two of us can get under here, but thanks for offering.  As I went on working he told me about his tools and he had all kinds of crimp connectors if I needed them, etc. etc.  Some people are really nice.  Offer to help even when there's no possibility of them being able too.  He was about 80, so getting down on the ground and under the truck just wasn't in the cards.

When I took a break to let my arms rest, we had a nice talk.  He has always done his own work on his Suburban, on his Avion trailer and everything else.  He has been in the same RV park during the summer for 20 years.  A real fixture in the park.  It's nice that he's there, he can help people who have problems as he has seen almost everything go wrong in those 20 years.  So here's a tip of the hat to Ernie - sorry I didn't have something you could work on!

Oh NO Mr. Bill !!! (for those of you who remember the 70's).......

Ah, sweet New Hampshire in August.  The crisp coolness in the White Mountains, the brisk cold water of Lake Winnipasaukee and the eternal clear skies. (And I hope you believe all of that, cause it's already too crowded up here!)  We've been here for a week now, just enjoying being here with the step son, daughter in law and grand daughter.  They have a place on the lake and we are just a few miles away in a cozy campground.

But the exciting part of the trip here was the last 100 yards.  Our trip was uneventful through Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and most of New Hampshire.  When we got to our destination campground we were told where our site was and that we should "go around this way" to get into it.  So off we went, "this way", to get to it.  First glint that this was a wrong move was listening to the campground lady who obviously had no idea what "big rig" meant.  We took up the whole road around the camp.  When we got to the "go around" part, the rig drifted to the inside of the turn (naturally, big rigs do that).  What looked like a bush in the turn hid two big boulders!  Nicely placed right in the apex so as to slide under the side of the rig but high enough to contact one of our self leveling hydraulic jacks.  Know what sound that makes when you hit it ?   Bet you don't...................................................
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STOP!   At least that's what I heard from my partner walking the outside of the route.  SHE wasn't too happy.  Well after some backing up (avoiding the boulders on the other side of the road) and some more maneuvering,  the camp host's husband and son offering advice, I negotiated the turn without further mishap.  But the damage was done.  The mount for the jack was now at a 20 degree angle towards the inside of the trailer, it's supposed to be straight up and down.

Second glint of an idea learned was - walk your route before going in with the rig.  Locate low trees, obstacles and problems.

Now a week later, I've had time to relax and cool down.  Tomorrow I will attempt to remove the jack mount and get it straightened.  Oh, did I tell you they call New Hampshire the granite state?  Want to guess what kind of boulders these were?  You guessed it.

We met the neighbors this week.  There are exactly 6 others in the campground.  Makes for nice quiet times.  Tonight's special meeting was the couple who left Florida because of the economy crash there.  Hit really hard, houses not selling so most people just turn their keys over to the bank and walk away.  Least that's what they did.  Bought a used trailer, used U-haul pick-up and headed on out.  Made some eel pots along the way and as soon as he can find a nice boat to put his motor on, he's going eeling.   Got to be money in that!

I tell you, life's got some real gems in store for you and you don't have to look far to find them.  I hope his eel comes in, I really do.  He needs it.  After all,  he said he can't go back to running a water treatment plant.  It's too crappy of a job!!!    :)

The hound of hades ..... or the tale of our F-450!

Today, July 21st, found us in the midst of a heat wave.  The same one you have been experiencing no doubt.  But we were pulling our new DRV 16,000 pound 5th wheel for the first trip, a total of 300 miles through the Appalachian and Smokey Mountains. 

Now if you've never pulled with a F-450 let me acquaint you with the intricacies of Ford's top pick up puller.   It has two turbos for boosting power, normally only one is used as the load isn't significant to slow down the brute.  Then you have the 4, yes 4, high speed electric fans for cooling the motor down, again not normally needed.  With the 33,000 lb tow package you are endowed with a 4.88 rear end and the tow/haul set up. 

So here's  how all of this works.  You start out pulling and get to your cruise speed, say 65 mph.  Now as you start going up hill the truck will kick in the second turbo at about 62 to pick up speed it has lost.  I sounds like the harpies of Hades coming through the fire wall.  Oh, well you resolve, it's needed to keep the speed up going up this hill.  Then as the heat builds up, the four fans kick in.  Now you are convinced that the world is coming to an end, the engine is giving up the ghost and several squadrons of A-10's  have just flown in the windows.  This shrill scream last for about 5 minutes during which time you can only glance at your riding partner hoping that they don't say something profound because it will fall into space never to be heard above the screaming fans.

Once you've bested the summit all's quiet for the next few minutes until the next hill appears. 

This is the life of a F-450 driver pulling a good 8 tons in 100+ temperatures.   I hope the next couple of days are a little cooler or at least a little flatter.  I know they will be pleasanter... aw blessed ear plugs! 

Cheers.

Been to Ireland - wow!

Sorry for having left you in the air, so to speak.  Just got back from Ireland.  Wow, is all I can say.  The stepson, his wife and the 15month old daughter took his mother and I to Ireland for two weeks.  It was amazing!  More castles, beautiful landscapes and scenery than I could believe possible.  We stayed in castles, 5 star hotels, fantastic B&B's and normal hotels.  And the prices were unbelievable too.  Almost 1.5 to 2 times the cost of comparable items here.  And of course the fuel prices are in the stratosphere - about $9 per gallon when you work it out. 

So where do we stand on a 5th a day's helping you get familiar with going full time?  I think I left off wanting to discuss "choosing your poison", or what type of RV do you want to consider for full timing.  I just had a discussion with the wife about a friend who is full timing in a Class C with no other vehicle.  Every time she wants to go to town she has to pack up.  Not a very desirable situation.  So she is discussing getting a scooter to use for errand running.  This is the situation with Class A, B or C.  You need another vehicle if you wish to go somewhere while set up at a camp site.  A TT or a 5th wheel overcomes this with the very fact that the deliver vehicle is let loose after the deliver, for use to do other functions - errand running or site seeing.    So it's your pick as to which you feel is easier. 

Don't forget the additional cost of a second vehicle when you are choosing - insurance, maintenance and maybe extra campground charges for a 2nd vehicle.

Next is determining what you need for storage space.  Usually Class A's have a large number of basement bins.  No so in a TT, Class B or even most Class C's.  However 5th wheels have large storage bins, but smaller than a Class A.  If you need lots of storage choose accordingly.

I hope this has brought some insight on what to consider when choosing an RV.  What did you consider when choosing yours?  I'd like to hear from you, so please leave a comment.