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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Class C or class A
and.....spring for a diesel pusher, if you can.
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RVGRINGO
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04/17/12 09:15am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 260 hp diesel - can it be reprogrammed?
Ours was 38' with one slide and we were full timers, so there were full cabinets, closets, basement and we did have a washer/dryer aboard. No problem cruising over the speed limit or climbing faster than the trucks.
Way back in the stone age, we had a 28' Airstream Excella, a 1982 front diesel, with a 180hp Isuzu engine on a chevy chassis, that would not go over 55mph and sometimes climbed mountains at 20mph, but always got us there and we always had fun.
Hope your offer is accepted. You'll love a DP that size.
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RVGRINGO
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04/15/12 03:42pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 260 hp diesel - can it be reprogrammed?
We had that engine, many years ago, and loved it. It is also more fuel efficient than you might expect if you mess with it.
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RVGRINGO
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04/14/12 04:56pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: MH vs FW long term costs
We've done it all. Go for a good quality DP motor home. You will be amazed at the quality units available at all ages and at good prices.
Any trailer type was a GD nuisance; especially parking, unhooking and setting up in rain, cold or snow! In the motor home, you just pull in and remain self-contained until the weather clears, or you've had a nap.
There is no comparison in comfort or safety. Buy a quality used unit and the 'bugs' will be long gone and your maintenance costs will be stable. Buying new would be foolish; as would be a financed rig. Buy what you can afford and enjoy it.
All of the other considerations have been listed above, by others with experience.
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RVGRINGO
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04/09/12 11:16am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Solar for RV's and home Solar systems.
We cook and dry clothes with propane. Our 610L Water Heater is solar. All lighting is CFL and we don't need furnaces or AC. If we were to install solar electric, it would cost a minimum of $10,000 but twice that would be better. It would be tied to the grid and the meter would run in reverse, sending excess daytime generation back to the federal electric system. However, our electric bills are now so low that, at age 74, the payback is much too long.
Others, who have pools and many electric toys, get bumped into a higher cost bracket (Mexico has billing that encourages conservation with a tier system) and they may find the payback time to be much shorter. Anyway, the north shore of Lake Chapala now has the highest use of solar systems in all of Mexico, with several companies supplying such systems. Hardware stores are now carrying the smaller solar water heaters and proudly displaying them out front. We love ours, and have never had such a good supply of steady hot water. Of course, we have few cloudy days but can handle 3 or 4 in a row.
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RVGRINGO
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04/08/12 05:18pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Buying Class A, Older diesel unit, newer gas unit, need help
DP. No hesitation!
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RVGRINGO
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04/05/12 10:49am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Your not going to believe this!!
When we were fulltimers, our 5.9 ISB gave us between 9 and 11 mpg, touching 12 mpg a few times. That's a very good engine and we thought our 38' HR Endeavor/Freightliner was quite peppy, compared to previous Airstream/Chevy/Isuzu and Fleetwood/Oshkosh/GM motorhomes.
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RVGRINGO
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04/03/12 11:15am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Medicare Help
For us, the solution is simple: We get to pay $100 per month for A&B but Medicare won't pay outside the USA. So, our retirement plan stays 'primary' and fights us all the way. Fortunately, there are no HMOs or other 'for profit' scams and superior medical care is available and affordable here; Guadalajara, Jalisco has excellent world class hospitals and many of your physicians may actually have gone to medical school here. ¡Viva Mexico!
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RVGRINGO
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03/16/12 12:26pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Are stress fractures a deal breaker?
Look at other makes and models of the same age. Buy one without 'faults'. It will continue to last and was probably better quality to begin with.
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RVGRINGO
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03/14/12 10:37am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Staying in a motel
We were fortunate to find that the VA hospital in Portland, OR, had RV sites with water and power. I had a radical prostectomy there after some serious complications, requiring 'stabilization' before surgery. In between those visits, we were able to explore Oregon, then return for the surgery. I was in the hospital for five days, but my wife was just out the back door and an elevator ride away. Then, for follow-up, we were able to spend ten days in the motor home, right there at the VA Hospital. It was great!
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RVGRINGO
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02/24/12 11:46am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Cross country travel help
Avoid buying new; save yourself a lot of money and buy a good used DP of 36-40 feet with one slide, maybe two. Get a quality rig, like a ten year old Monaco/Holiday Rambler, etc. They'll serve you well and you won't have to ride up front with a noisy, hot gasoline engine. Diesels are made for long hard service. You don't see any gasoline truckers on the highways, do you?
Enjoy!
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RVGRINGO
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02/06/12 09:35am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Learn Something New Every Day...
I got a chuckle out of that one!
Old science teacher.
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RVGRINGO
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02/04/12 10:32am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: what toad
If you want to save on fuel, both RV and toad, consider a smart car from Mercedes, or a used one. They're fun to drive two seaters with room for groceries or baggage and are extremely safe. They tow four down in 'N' with the key in #1 position; doors being locked with the other key. They weigh 1800 lbs, so you might not need a brake kit if you have a DP of any size.
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RVGRINGO
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02/03/12 12:08pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Thinking About Calling It Quits
As a retiree, we often ignore inflation until it bites us really hard. Social Security and Pensions don't keep up at all. So, unless you have a few million set aside, your lifestyle will deteriorate and supporting the full time RV life became burdensome for us. Membership plans dried up, campgrounds charged more & were less friendly as times got tougher. So, we gave up and sold the motorhome that we loved so much.
In the course of our travels, and wintering in the Rio Grande Valley, we had taken trips into the central Mexican highlands and made an 1800 mile excursion through Mexico. It was wonderful! In 2001, we decided to move to Lake Chapala, and have never looked back. There is no weather like this in the USA and the people, food, color and music are delightful. In 2004, we sold our first Mexican home and moved some five miles, from Ajijic to Chapala, and we and our three dogs are settled in for 'the duration'.
We can afford to live here. We can afford to have a week in Puerto Vallarta each winter, or some other beach town on the Pacific Coast. We have fresher food, clean air, cheaper gasoline and no need for either a furnace or air conditioning.
Sure, I miss the open road once in a while, so we take a road trip in the car and stay at charming inns or hotels at prices you wouldn't believe. Life is good, even though we aren't as mobile. But, at 74, we're moving more slowly anyway.
So, there are choices. Some folks winter in the Rio Grande Valley and then go south, yes, south into the center of Mexico for cool summers. RV parks are fewer and not as fancy, but many have hot springs, etc. Others, just drive down by car, or even fly, and escape the hot and humid summers all the way from Toronto to Texas. We have both 'snowbirds' and 'sunbirds', in addition to retirees from Florida and Hawaii. Does that tell you something?
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RVGRINGO
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02/02/12 10:06am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Should price of gas prohibit me from purchasing?
Here's what you need to consider:
If you have a typical motor home with an empty fuel tank, your next stop at the fuel pump is going to set you back about $300.00 for a 90 gallon tank.
That fuel will get you about 675 miles at 7.5 MPG.
A typical diesel engine will hold five gallons of oil, not five quarts.
Campgrounds are getting harder to find with memberships and the prices are getting crazy.
You have a lot of 'homework' to do, but the lifestyle is a lot of fun. We fulltimed for several years, before moving to Mexico.
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RVGRINGO
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02/02/12 09:49am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Courtesy Car at Rv Parks?
OK Newbie: Now you know. You will want a 'toad' that will tow 'four down'. You won't want to mess with a dolly. A smart car tows well, is small and economical and can haul groceries and go sightseeing. Bigger is just more expensive and takes up more space in the campground. If you want the wind, they have convertibles; the 'cabrio' model.
Welcome to full time.
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RVGRINGO
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02/01/12 09:47am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: bathroom odor
If the rig is in storage, or idle in a very dry climate, those p-traps can evaporate and allow odors to emanate from the grey or black tanks. One solution is to pour vegetable oil into the p-traps. It won't evaporate like water does.
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RVGRINGO
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01/28/12 10:02am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Best Park in Calgary for Big Rig (stampede)?
Years ago, we stayed at an RV park east of Calgary, not far east of a light rail station. We could drive to the station with our toad, park it there and take the train right into the Stampede grounds. I can't remember the name of the park, but if you use a map, you could probably identify it easily. We found that arrangement very convenient and spent two full days at the Stampede. What a fantastic experience!
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RVGRINGO
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01/27/12 11:58am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Going from gas to diesel
Be wary. Study the Alfa reputation in detail. Keep looking; price isn't everything.
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RVGRINGO
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01/25/12 09:44am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: We are going full time and just getting started
Save your money for a bit longer. You will need $30000 to $100000 to find what you want in a 10-15 year old rig; which should be a diesel pusher between 37 and 40 feet for full time living and quality construction. Stay away from old 'entry level' models and most gasoline powered models. They just don't usually have the 'bells and whistles' you will want for your purpose. Remember, there will be maintenance, new tires, expensive fuel, camping fees, electric charges and even memberships on top of insurance and inspections.
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RVGRINGO
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01/25/12 09:29am |
Class A Motorhomes
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