RVing Questions

So now that I have the "shakedown cruise" out of the way. I have some questions.

The coach needs a bath. Picked up a lot of bugs and road dirt along the way.  What products have you used that you like? That you dislike? Do you use a power washer? There is a power washer in the shed, it's only been used once to clean the deck before we restained it. I think it is too powerful and will damage the coach.

Tires: What type of air compressor do you have? I have one that I have carried around in my car for many years, and used a few times, but it is very slow.  Do you use a tire monitoring system? Are you happy with it?

Engine Heat and Road Noise: This is something I will have to adjust to because I love traveling in my coach.  I normally don't use A/C, I had to run it because it would get too warm in the cab. Why don't they put an A/C vent near my feet?  Are there any after market products that can cut down on either of these problems?

Bouncing and Swaying: I understand that I am driving a powerful truck with a big box attached to it. Are there any products that can be added, such as heavy duty shocks?  If I'm driving on a smooth straight road, the ride is similar to my SUV. I will slow down if it's windy or if the road is really bumpy. Are there any products that can be installed to help with the sway in these conditions? Or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for any information you can give me on these subjects.

On the road...........

Wednesday, April 27th       Sunny and Hot Florida

I woke up to a pleasant sight this morning, a crane was walking around on the little patch of grass beside my coach. By the time I got the camera and went outside he had moved away, but not too far. Across the road from where I am parked is a fenced in "wetland area", this is where the cranes are nesting. This is all part of Lazydays property. They were doing their dance, I took pictures but there was a lot of stuff in the way.

I know I should crop the pics, but don't feel like playing with them.

This morning was the classroom instruction part of the Driver Confidence Class. I then sat in on the next class, Charging Systems. He explained the converter/inverter that is in my coach. And they talked a little about solar and generators. He answered questions specific to each persons coach.  He had samples of various converters, inverters, etc. - he had one like I have in my coach. I have one outlet in my coach that is labeled inverter.
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After lunch at 1pm, we met in the campground for some actual driving time. I went first in my group, so that I could leave. I wanted to leave the RV lot and start my trip back to Illinois. We drove a 40' bus around the campground, low speed, but to learn about taking the turns correctly and going around curves. There were people walking around and cars parked in front of the coaches, so it was real life driving. I thought we would be in a vacant parking lot. We also had to pull into/out of a long diagonal space like in a rest area, without hitting cones or the other coach that was parked next to us. I am happy to report I did not hit any cones or fall into any imaginary water on the turns. Maybe I can get a job as a bus driver. Haha!  We didn't back up this RV, but they gave good instructions about how to line yourself up. They have videos on their website  http://www.betterrving.com/   search BARNEY, he is the instructor.

I left Lazydays this afternoon, no more practice, I-4 is two blocks away from the RV lot. I drove a few hours and parked for the night.

              This is where I parked for the night.
I am happy to report, with the campground owners signals,
I parked on my first try. Beginners Luck!
I'm sure I'll have some days where it's not so easy...........

Have a good day, Teri

RV Gadgets and Pictures

Tuesday, April 25th                Seffner, FL  92*, sunny - no rain today

Thanks to everyone for the comments on my new "coach". I have decided to refer to it as a coach instead of an RV, since that is what all of the employees at Lazy Days RV Center do.

I am staying on the delivery lot again tonite, and I am very lucky, they put me on the corner lot, with a grassy area and a tree for shade. Most of the coaches in this lot are parked very close together, surrounded by blacktop.

A service department tech stopped by this morning and we did the walk around and he explained everything to me.  I forgot to use my new camera to take notes. Hopefully I will remember what to do. I asked them to grease the power step and there is one storage area they need to vacuum, they will do this in the morning. I don't like the manual awning on this coach, and will eventually upgrade to an automatic one. The manual ones are a pain for one person to open and close.

I still need to buy a mattress and make cushions for the back and sides of the daybed.

Now, the gadgets: so many things to add to make life easier and safer.  Camping World has a great location, right on this property with the RV dealer.

The dealer supplied a basic RV kit with a 15' water hose, and some hoses and clamps for draining the tanks, tank chemicals and an adapter for the Power Cord.

I purchased the following: Surge Protector, Water Pressure Regulator, elbows for the water hoses, Easy Coupler Kit for the waste tanks, Deluxe Tire Gauge, and screens for the water heater and furnace vents.

I also purchased a 12V coffee maker, the house batteries are behind the drivers seat, with an access panel in the floor, 2 sealed marine batteries.  Others have blogged about the type of batteries that need to have water added, but I guess these will work just fine.

Keys:  I have 6 keys and none are duplicates, 2 different deadbolts on the back door, spare tire lock, storage door locks, house battery access panel lock, and of course the key to start the coach.
No beepers here, it has manual door locks.

I am really enjoying this coach, I love the open feel to it. It has more storage than I expected and is very comfortable to be in.

Enjoy your day, Teri

First Night in the RV

Monday, April 25        Seffner, FL  90* scattered showers

Lazy Days RV Center

I was finally able to get a look at the RV this morning, everything looked good. I signed all of the paperwork and secured insurance and then waited while they detailed and finished up a few things.

The service waiting area, which looks like a lobby in a five star hotel, has one side for those with dogs, and the other side for those that don't want to be bothered by dogs. They have free wi-fi throughout the entire complex.

It started to rain around 5:30pm, just about the time that they put the RV on a spot with an electric hookup for the night.  They couldn't walk around to show me how everything works, so they plugged it in, turned on the water heater and said they would be back in the morning. I'm not sure if I will be staying on this site until I leave here, or if I will move to the campground tomorrow. This is the delivery area, I am not in the campground, there are several rows of RV's in this area tonight.

No pictures today as it has been raining on and off.

I loaded my bags and things into the RV. I will return the rental car tomorrow.  I did some shopping at Camping World and Walmart.  I picked up a salad at Quizno's for dinner and have been sitting in the "coach" figuring out things and putting things away. My salesman refers to the RV as the "coach".

I found a huge package of the original instruction manuals and papers from Winnebago. I found the front curtain and snapped it into place behind the cab. There are day/night blinds for the two larger windows, not sure if I am going to like these. I like to open my windows and the brackets seem to deter this.

Lazy Days RV Center is a great place for anyone that is a first time RV buyer. They know exactly what we need. They have 3 different classes every day on a variety of subjects. They also offer a "free driver confidence class". I will attend this on Wednesday morning. They also offer a free breakfast and lunch in their cafe. It is a very limited menu, but it is a good meal.

The entire complex includes the Sales and Service area, a hotel, several restaurants, Flying J. fuel, Lazy Days Campground and Camping World.  Walmart is just down the highway a few miles.

Tuesday and Wednesday will be busy with classes and learning all of the systems of the RV. I will be leaving here Wednesday afternoon.

The next step is driving home, finding campsites along the way, and backing up (with the help of the backup camera).

I do not have the A/C on, I opened the ceiling vents and am sitting here enjoying a cup of tea before going to sleep.

To be continued.......................

Warmth and Sunshine

Thursday, April 21st   Tampa, FL   90* and sunny.

It is so nice to feel the warmth of the sun. I arrived in Tampa and picked up a rental car.  The RV is not ready for me.

I originally told the salesman I would pick it up around the 3rd week of May, then last week I told him I wanted to pick it up this week.  They started work on it, but discovered they needed some parts from Winnebago, they received the parts and are still working on it. They are hoping it will be ready by Monday.

Today they asked if I wanted to add some striping to the outside, it is solid white, very plain. I told him no -  I hope to do a wrap of photos on the outside at some time in the future.

I originally planned to leave Tampa on Monday, but can stay a few more days and still have about 6 days to drive home, before my scheduled trip to Colorado with my Dad. We have driven this route in a car in two days, but I wanted to take my time and not rush.

They are also working on the larger dinette to make it into a permanent twin bed. I asked them for some measurements and asked them how the table was attached, I told them I wanted to get a piece of plywood to put across the seats so I could add a real mattress, they said they would do it, so that everything matches.  If I did it myself, I would have to find a Home Depot nearby to cut the wood to size and may need a trim piece to cover up where the table was mounted to the wall. I only packed a few tools in my suitcase, so I was very happy that they said they could do this. Most dinettes have a fold down table, but this RV was built as a mobile office not for sleeping.

I have been very happy so far with this company, the delay is partly my fault for rushing to get here, but before I left home they said they were on schedule to finish on time. I know that things can happen to delay a project.

Now I can visit with my friend, Sophia, have Easter dinner at her house, and I can be a tourist for a few days.

I am still very anxious to get into the RV and to drive it around, but I am taking a deep breath and relaxing and enjoying my time in the SUNSHINE.

I bought a power cord and can plug in my netbook and catch up on your blogs, but today the Sprint WI-FI won't turn on, I have plugged it into several outlets in the hotel room, but the lites do not come on.  I will have to find a Sprint store tomorrow. Of course, the hotel has wi-fi, but I wanted my own secure connection with my own password.

Several readers asked about sleeping on a train, I have been traveling on trains for many years.  The tracks between Chicago and Denver (The California Zephyr) are in bad shape, so sometimes it is difficult to sleep good, too much rocking and rolling and bouncing around.  I enjoy the ride between Chicago and Albuquerque, on the Southwest Chief, better than the California Zephyr.

The train ride this week from Chicago to Washington D.C. was wonderful, no problem sleeping. The tracks are in better shape, and it is a very scenic route through mountains and past several rivers.

I could not arrange a sleeper for the 2nd part of the trip from D.C. to Orlando (on such short notice and just days before a holiday), so I had to sleep in a reclining seat, not as comfortable but it is still a good way to travel. 

Have a good day, Teri