| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: You know how...
when you take your car into the dealer for service, they beg you to give them a top score on the survey. Give you a free oil change or something. The lounge has comfortable chairs, cable TV, free coffee, nice restroom, etc.
Well, for anyone thinking of buying an RV. First of all, plan on taking it back to the dealer at least a couple of times-shoddy workmanship. I just spent 3 hours yesterday sitting in an ancient seat from an old class A. Drafty, no coffee, no TV. The restroom was smaller than you would find in a 16 footer. The best part is that we were waiting for them to take 15 minutes and swap the junk radio that came with the TT and we had an appt! Kinda afraid to complain as they are the closest authorized dealer, won't do any good anyway. I'll just chalk it up to having been spoiled at the car dealership! Thanks for letting me vent!
Want a great waiting experience try Lazy Days in Tampa. Comfortable, free coffee and TV, and used to be free lunch (don't know if that still happens). They also beg for all good marks on the survey. Problem is good waiting facilities do not guarantee good work. I have had a couple of really bad experiences at Lazy Days' service, however, in fairness the last year and a half have been different. I have been there twice in the last eighteen months and the service has been good to excellent (perhaps the reorganization changed attitudes).
|
odie1234
|
10/06/11 06:49am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: RV Parking Near Knoxville During Football Season
We stay at Lazy Acres in Lenoir City when we visit Knoxville area to visit grandkids, one a student at UT. Getting to the game from there is pretty straight forward - some traffic going and coming but not too bad. Enjoy your trip.
|
odie1234
|
10/06/11 06:10am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
|
|
RE: House prep when you're going away for 2+ months
AND turning off the Water Heater!
Yea, forgot that one. Also water off to washing machine. We leave our main on so sprinklers can water the lawn.
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 03:25pm |
Snowbirds
|
|
RE: House prep when you're going away for 2+ months
We leave for 5-6 months every year from FL. Here is what we do
Temporary forward mail to a UPS Store box - they forward to us when we askSet thermostat to 85Lawn and Pool service does their thing and also sends us email to tell us house looks ok from outsidePut second car in garage and put Battery Minder on batteryTurn water off at sinks/toilets/ice maker/water heaterPut plastic bags partially filled with water (balloons also work) over drains and in toilets to keep traps from evaporatingremind pest control company not to leave notices on door, call local pizza company and tell owner will be angry if he puts flyers on doorput some inside lights on timerswe leave fridge on and fill freezers with plastic bottles filled with ice
VERY IMPORTANT: Check with your insurance agent and make certain all coverages stay in effect (including flood/vandalism) if you are gone for an extended time. Go and have a good trip.
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 03:12pm |
Snowbirds
|
|
RE: HALLOWEEN DECORATING EVENT
Key West or Myrtle Beach or Topsail?
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 02:17pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
|
|
RE: Survey - problems with slide
Have an 07 purchased new in May 07 with kitchen slide. 1200+ nights living in it. No appliance/plumbing issues.
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 01:48pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Is it a lack of courtesy?
We take the time to show an interest in a position, why can’t the campground or hiring persons give a courtesy call or email telling us we have been reviewed, someone has the position, the position is under review, etc.?
Having been in the position for many years of running businesses I can say that hiring people is one of the hardest and most time consuming tasks there was. Yes, common courtesy might dictate a return call/form letter or something, but the reality is that to do so is very time consuming, expensive, and not very productive, so most businesses will not do so. I doubt you will see that practice change soon.
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 08:09am |
Workamping Forum
|
|
RE: Need advice on electrical fire
Oh the insurance company didn't have a problem with approving the claim
If you have already filed a claim you have to move on. You have given the insurance company the right to subrogate the claim if they choose and go after the dealer. Like someone else said, it is time to get the repairs done and move on. I think I would find another dealer, also.
|
odie1234
|
10/05/11 06:12am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Regional bank suggestion for all SE US
We use ING Direct, an internet bank. Free ATMs, bill pay and checking. So far no debit fees, aalthough we do not use debit cards. Heard on the news today to expect the debit fee from all banks because of the Durbin amendment. Good luck in your search.
|
odie1234
|
10/04/11 05:55pm |
General RVing Issues
|
 |
RE: Gestapo RV Park
Was not aware of the 3 dog rule. The dogs were on leash just sitting around the picnick table. No one ever said a word to me. I always pick up after my dogs. They just put a note in their computer. I am all for rules. But there are limits to how closely you should supervise someone who is doing nothing wrong.
Sorry, just my $0.02, but I do not see the problem. Surely the rules were printed somewhere. What other rules did you not know about? Most everywhere we stop rules are printed and handed out when you check in. Some places have a couple of pages worth, some have one or two printed on the receipt. So how many extra dogs for how many hours should be allowed? Would 6 extra for 3 hours be alright, but not for 4 hours? Obviously this park feels they want to make certain the rules are observed tightly. Move somewhere else with fewer rules and less oversight.
|
odie1234
|
10/04/11 04:20pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
|
|
RE: Things I saw this summer
Two favorites from this year. Driving down the exit road with the awning out, and the teenage kid running behind the motorhome waving his arms yelling "wait, wait". Yep, Dad forgot to count heads.
|
odie1234
|
10/04/11 11:15am |
Class C Motorhomes
|
|
RE: Baggage/Storage Door Gone!
Just so you do not feel like the only one to ever do that, the same thing happened to me on the first trip with our new motorhome. I had checked the wh compartment and, I guess did not close it properly. I called the manufacturer (Tiffin) and they shipped me a replacement the next day. Good luck with yours.
|
odie1234
|
10/03/11 03:18pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Travel across country advise
I know you're just goofing with Googles routing
Sometimes I think the Google folks deliberately add strange things to their directions. Try Chicago to Tokyo for example.
|
odie1234
|
10/03/11 02:51pm |
Roads and Routes
|
|
RE: Travel across country advise
We are thinking about driving from Seattle to Vermont early spring to help the grandson build his house and taking the RV just makes a whole lot of sense. I wish I could articulate all the questions I have.
Do you just wing it and hope to find a place to park for the night?
Is 5 to 6 hours travel a day do'able.
Are there a lot of places to camp along the toll roads. I notice you can't park for longer than 4 hours at some of the rest stops so that doesn't seem to be an option.
Are rural areas easier to find campgrounds or urban.
Any suggestion, advise, recommendations would be wonderful.
Depending on how early in the spring you want to travel there may be issues with weather/snow on northern routes, and some areas may not have many campgrounds open early in Spring. A more southern drive may be a better option. There are several ways to find campgrounds. MS Streets and Trips has a good Point of Interest that shows most campgrounds. Google Maps will show them also - just type in campgrounds in the search bar. You can then use www.rvparkreviews.com to see ratings.
Traveling 5 or 6 hours a day is certainly doable. For us, however, we would not do that for several days in a row. We would stop an extra day every second or third stop. Or you could use Wal-Mart/Costco/Cracker Barrel parking lots or truck stops or rest areas in some states if parking lot sleeping appeals to you.
Have a safe trip.
|
odie1234
|
10/03/11 09:58am |
Roads and Routes
|
|
RE: Overnighting at rest stops?
I keep wondering if a private business could make a mint at making a "rest stop" which essentially would be a glorified WM parking lot, but with a couple dump stations, and patrolled by some type of security 24/7. Pay $5 for a night and call it done. This would have to be in a remote area, but it could be fairly profitable. Heck, there could be business tie-ins with other places locally. This wouldn't interfere with CG business because most people pulling in and out are just there to stop, get 40 winks, and head on their way.
We actually looked into trying something like this - looked in three states. Requirements and permits for sewers, electric, etc, as well as cost of insurance, etc. was about the same for a parking lot type place as for a full amenity campground. Costs for infrastructure, security, maintenance etc would not be low. Our research indicated that, if done legally, there was no way to make a profit unless a lot more than $5 were charged per night. We also paid a marketing company to see if there was a market. Their conclusion was that rvs that would use a no frills lot for cheap rates would instead opt for Wal-Mart or Cracker Barrel, etc. for free. Maybe our research was flawed, but we decided return on investment would be awful.
|
odie1234
|
10/03/11 04:56am |
Beginning RVing
|
|
RE: Newguy, New class A, Need input.. Satellite Receiver
If you are talking about a roof mounted dome for satellite either Direct TV or Dish will work. The dishes are normally programmed for Direct but an installer should be able to reprogram for Dish easily. I would assume the mh is already wired for the receiver(s) so it really is just a matter of hooking the receiver up, allowing the dish to find the satellite, set tv to channel 3 or 4 and setting the on screen details. The cables probably run through a switching box that has to be set for satellite, antenna, or cable. Ours was miswired so the cable setting is satellite and vice versa. I am kind of an electronics stumble bum so I called a local installer who hooked things up for me the first time. Calling Direct directly was a waste of time - they acted like putting satellite tv in an rv was really unusual. The local installer took about one hour to complete the hookup, furnished the receivers and arranged the programming package.
|
odie1234
|
10/02/11 06:21pm |
Beginning RVing
|
|
RE: Walmart
Five parking lots in ten days. What a great way to live.
The last 10 days have stayed in Walmart parking lot in Salina, Kansas, Cody, Wyoming, Missoula, Mt, Grand Junction, CO and Childress, TX. We have stopped at many other Walmarts along the way and have seen RVs, Vans, Trucks, etc at all of them.
|
odie1234
|
10/02/11 03:44pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
|
|
RE: Thinking of a Honda CRV for toad, what's the story?
We have a 07 CRV AWD and just had it in for service and the dealer recommended changing transmisson oil after 2000 miles of being towed.
Has anyone else had this done? And does it need to be done or am I wasting money.
We tow an 07 2WD - 15000 towing + 43000 driving and have not changed transmission fluid and not been told by service tech or Honda that we should. One service tech we see occasionally insists oil should be changed each 3000 miles even though Honda has warned him (in writing) not to continue this practice. Sounds like a profit center recommendation to me.
|
odie1234
|
10/02/11 11:05am |
Dinghy Towing
|
|
RE: Wife won't travel in RV - What would you do?
My wife and I have been married for 38 years, but we don't consider ourselves to be a copy of the Bobbsey Twins. We were individuals when we got married and still remain such. There are many things we enjoy doing together and other things we do separately
IMO, this sounds like the healthiest start to a relationship I have heard in a long time. Good for you. We also live as individuals. I could care less about many of the things DW enjoys, and I do not do them with her. She does not like many of the things I do and deliberately excludes herself from those activities. Some other things we compromise about. It works for us.
One of our sons gave up a great job because his DW did not like the travel that went with it. He gave up golf because his DW thought he should spend time in "family" activities. He gave up a hobby as his DW thought a family man should not be interested in it. I hope their marriage will last. I have serious doubts.
|
odie1234
|
10/02/11 05:41am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Looking 4 a GPS that is suited for RV'er's
Just got the RM 5510 as a gift and have used it for one multi stop 1500 mile trip. The unit performed flawlessly. I especially liked the speed limit change warnings, construction alerts and the lane warnings. POIs are ok, but all that info is available elsewhere anyway. The routing did divert us on a road that seemed odd. We checked and there was a questionable low clearance on our original planned route. We have been using GPS units since 2000 (mostly OEM in new vehicles) and this one seems to be a good one.
|
odie1234
|
10/01/11 05:47pm |
Beginning RVing
|
