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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Help!! dealer misordered new fifth wheel
Thanks for all the responses. Been up the ladder to the owner of richardsons rv and in so many word he said take it, forfeit the deposit, or see u in court where the contract will win. As far as offers of good faith they offered to pay my gas money for the drive to come get it! Spoke with the manufacturer eclipse rv and they were very understanding of the situation and were trying to get another dealer to purchase it and they would make me the correct unit. Darn me for trusting that they knew their product.
If they are not willing to work with you, it may be time to speak to an attorney. One of the elements of a valid contract is that all parties must be in mutual agreement. If you can show that there was not a clear understanding then you may have a voidable contract. Keep in mind that going down this road is not going to be quick or cheap.
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bartonmw
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12/22/11 01:13pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: First trip in RV- Virginia Beach. Where?
Our family enjoys both parks, but they are quite different. The campground at Kiptopeke is a pretty good hike (or drive) from the beach and has no views. The sites are full hook-up with cable tv though. The surrounding area is more secluded and makes for a nice, relaxing getaway. We typically don't stray far from the campground when we stay at Kiptopeke.
First Landing's campground is located just over the dunes and has some sites with nice views of the bay. The sites are water and electric only. It is located in Va Beach with lots of things to do relatively close.
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bartonmw
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10/25/11 12:06pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Lucky Me!
I could understand the concern if you were planning on traveling somewhere that would make getting a tire fixed difficult (the Al-Can Hwy comes to mind), but for most of us anything that holds air would be a suitable spare.
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bartonmw
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09/30/11 01:13pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Are we fast, slow, or average in hooking up and unhooking?
If your just talking about hooking up and not about the water, electric and all of that then 3 to 5 minutes and I'm done and rolling.
For those of you that say don't worry about the time; you must be retired. I would feel the same if I was retired. I'm not and my boss says 2 weeks vacation, and during that two weeks I don't want to spend a day of it staring at the hitch. (If it takes 40 minutes a day for two weeks that is a day out of my vacation time!!)
I want to be rolling down the road enjoying the views or in a campground by the pool enjoying an adult beverage. :p:B
I'm not retired, mainly a weekend warrior with a week here and there for camping. I have seen the effects of rushing and would rather take the time to make sure things are right so that our family time remains enjoyable.
Complacency is a leading cause of accidents. Is it really worth risking the lives of your family and others to gain an hour or two?
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bartonmw
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09/30/11 09:20am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Deadbolt lock broke...
This happened to me over the summer. The cylinder will go back when oriented in the correct position. It's difficult to describe how the cylinder needs to line up in the hole, but if you look at the cylinder and then look at the back of the hole you should see how it needs to fit together.
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bartonmw
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09/29/11 11:10am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Standard dinette versus U dinette
I have a U-shaped dinette. I thought it was cool when I bought the trailer, now not so much. I don't like it because large people can't fit in it, and because converting it into a bed is now a two-person operation. In our old trailer, the table was hinged to the wall, and you'd lift up the table, swing up the supporting leg, and then let the table top hinge swing down to the bed position. With our current dinette, we need one person to hold the table, while the second person pulls the round table legs out of their sockets. Also, the cushions don't fit right into the dinette bed, and some hang over the edges.
My next trailer will definitely have a standard dinette.
Our table is free-standing so it can be moved around to adjust the space as needed. It folds easily by simply pulling a knob under the table and pushing it to the side.
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bartonmw
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09/29/11 06:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Are we fast, slow, or average in hooking up and unhooking?
IMO, it's a good idea to keep track of how much time it takes for planning purposes but you really shouldn't be concerned about whether you are fast, slow or average. If you are always trying to hook up or unhook faster, then you will be more likely to forget something and that will ultimately lead to disaster. You also have to realize that the more familiar you become with the process, the more likely you are to miss something. That's why many people follow a checklist.
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bartonmw
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09/29/11 06:07am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Standard dinette versus U dinette
Our U-shaped dinette easily seats our family of 5 for meals. We haven't had any problems playing board games on our table, but we do bring folding chairs so that we can sit someone on each side. It does get quite crowded with 6-8 people trying to play Monopoly around it, but that's going to be a crowded game no matter where it is played.
The only downside is that everyone has to move to let someone in the middle out. You will find that with any booth seating though.
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bartonmw
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09/28/11 11:40am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Good Sam Emergency Road Service
Check your current insurance and you will probably find that you already have coverage. If not it might be time to shop for new insurance. Switched from GEICO to Farmers and ended up with more coverage for $456 a year less. I've yet to encounter vehicle insurance that did not provide road service at no additional charge. :C
I don't know where you get the "roadside sevice at no additional charge" and even "Farmers" HERE lists it as an "OPTIONAL COVERAGE" and not part of their run of the mill policy. Then add in RV coverage and you are in a whole other ball game for standard insurance policies.
I would WAG that any auto insurance policy "roadside" add on will cost you something over the basic policy rates.
I think you will be unpleasantly surprised the first time you try and use your current policy for your RV.
Larry
I have used my vehicular roadside service, which came at no additional charge. My last truck had an electrical phantom that we chased for months with little success. About 30 miles from home I lost alternator function just as I was merging onto the interstate. We got off and into a bank parking lot before it quit altogether. I called the carrier (GEICO) and they sent a large truck that picked up my truck and towed our Aliner back home, no charge. The Ford dealer came and got the truck from my house and towed it into their dealership for the needed (previously botched) repair.
I just reread my current policy and you were right and I was wrong. I am paying $4.60 every 6 months for towing/roadside assistance. :S This coverage is for all three vehicles (car, Truck and TT).
My original point was that many folks already have adequate coverage for roadside events. If you want to buy upgraded (maybe), additional coverage, feel free...but it won't be. Having read and recently "reread" my policy :) I am very comfortable with its terms and conditions. Perhaps if I had a motor home I would be shopping for more coverage as they can be very expensive to tow. Opinions and YMMV. :C
You may be surprised to find that you are the exception rather than the rule. The roadside coverage provided by most insurance companies are teasers that may work for local commuting but do not work for traveling. I found that the coverage provided by my Progressive policy was not adequate for a real roadside emergency and provided enough exclusions that made it worthwhile to purchase GS ERS. It would only take one breakdown for the service to pay for itself.
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bartonmw
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09/22/11 12:13pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Opinions on Keystone Passport ultra lite
Since you have 3 kids, I'm assuming you have a SuperCrew. The limiting factor on the one I had was the payload capacity. Mine was only ~1400 lbs but yours is likely lower since you have the 4.6 (found tow capacity but I couldn't find payload easily online). The listed payload capacity doesn't include passengers or options, so your actual capacity will be lower than listed. The only way to truly find out is to weigh the truck and subtract the weight from the GVW listed.
Using 6500 lbs as the loaded trailer weight (ULW + gear), that is potentially 975lbs (15% tongue weight) that comes directly off of your payload capacity. Add in another 100 lbs for the WDH and you are already over 1000 lbs of payload. How much do your wife and kids weigh? That also needs to be taken out of your payload capacity. You will likely be at your payload capacity and won't even have anything in the bed of the truck.
Where do you plan to take it? If you are heading to the beach or taking a trip up or down I-95 then you may be OK with that combination. If you plan to spend any time in the Blue Ridge then you may find that your truck with that 4.6 is underpowered. It will get there, but that engine will have to rev high to do it and you won't get there quickly.
I got around my payload issues by bringing a second vehicle. It worked for quite a while until I was ready to upgrade my truck. If you really want to make this combination work, you can do it but you just have to be prepared for what you end up with.
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bartonmw
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09/22/11 06:40am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Permanent Tags?
In Virginia you can get yearly plates and have to pay for them every year or you can get permanent plates and pay a one time fee which is a little more than the cost of 2 years fees for regular trailer plates. They are only good for the trailer trailer they were purchased for and cannot be transferred to another trailer or transferred to a new owner when the trailer is sold. The Virginia plates on your trailer were no longer valid when you purchased the trailer. I have permanent plates on all 4 of my trailers. I have 2 TT's, a pop up and a utility trailer all with permanent plates.
I had a permanent tag on my 1981 Prowler, but sometime before Oct 2007 the Va registration law changed and now supposedly you can't get permanent tags for RVs only utility type trailers.
Please post if you got a permanent tag for a TT after Oct 2007 and provide the date since I was told they were no longer available. If you look HERE a "travel trailer with living quarters" shows an annual registration of $29.50/yr which is what I'm paying on my 2007. IIRC one nice thing was I was able to get a 3yr tag this last go around.
Larry
Well I guess I'm glad I didn't wait another year to purchase my trailer. Was going to wait until the fall of 2007, but in the first week of Nov 2006 I went to a dealer to get a part for the old TT and walked out onto the showroom floor and looked at a brand new 2007, 28-1/2 footer that was exactly what I was looking for which was $13,600 and marked $4000 below retail. They had bought 10 from the Northwood factory in Winchester that was shutting down and had already sold 6 of them. My first trailer was a used 18 foot TT that I bought in Dec 1998 and I think they had just started isuing permanent plates at that time. The lady at the DMV in Tappahannock waiting on me offered them to me after another clerk next to her pointed it out to her when she overheard what I was regesitering. I didn't know about the permanent plates at that time.
I did not know they had changed the TT plates to non permanant recently. I guess they figured out they were loosing a lot of money.
EDit to add:
I see it says "Single weight (travel trailer for living quarters) $29.50" and not "Single weight (travel trailer with living quarters) $29.50". If I were to purchase another TT I would like to investigate further that this does not mean used commercially as a living quarters for contractors or lablorers on a job location.
Well I and BigSur2 had the same experience, it is no longer available for TTs.
Larry
I looked into it a few years ago, too. Due to the way it is titled, there is no way around the annual tag for a TT.
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bartonmw
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09/19/11 09:28am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Slide out leaking
Next time around, I would NOT buy a TT. Seriously.... I would buy a TH (Toy Hauler) instead. With Toy Hauler "with NO Slide - and its hassles", one can store their kayaks, peddle bikes or even golf karts inside the TT. And with large doors, one can install real furnature (like real size Queen & sofa beds) as well. Next time around, I'd get a TH and design its open space myself. But, that's a topic for a different thread.
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Sounds like a good plan for YOU..Isn't nice that we have so many choices so that we can all get what will work best for us.
By the way, we don't have kayaks, peddle bikes or even golf karts and our trailer does have a real size queen and sofa bed as well.
3rd rig with slides...and still no leaks.
My one buddy bragged that his slide never leaked as well. One day, we went to replace his old sofa (that's on the slide floor) with a much better sofa and as he's stepping on the slide floor, his foot goes directly down. Not only was the floor rotten from a water leak, it contained mold and wet wiring. Very, very bad combination. Today, he no longer brags about his TT and how his TT's slide never leaks.
Seriously... Do a google search and see how many slides leak. Direct and hidden leaks. And, these are the folks who do post their problems. Very scary to see how many slides do leak. Especially past warranty time period. And, their owners didn't even know it - until it was too late.
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What was the source of the leak?
I just found a leak in my slide after Irene. The cushions on the dinette were soaked and the floor under the dinette was wet. The source of the leak ended up not having anything to do with the slide, it was the window. Doing a quick search, I found a lot of people with the same problem. With all of these problems with windows in campers leaking, is your next camper going to have windows?
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bartonmw
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09/08/11 12:41pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Virginia Beach for next Spring Break (April) recommendations
Between the Holiday Travel Park and KOA, I also vote Holiday Travel Park. Lots of entertainment without the need to drive anywhere and they have free parking a block off the beach.
We also like to visit First Landing. The campground is just across the dunes from the beach so we can go to the beach anytime of day or night.
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bartonmw
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09/07/11 08:13pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: PLEASE cancel your reservations if you're not using them
QUOTE... Maybe you could think of it as a gift to someone who may not get a site unless you take the time to cancel. If you called and talked to a real person and explained the medical emergency they would be able to make an exception.
Sometimes they will give you a credit to use and stay with them at a later date.
Change it to another date and then if that doesn't work, maybe you could cancel that date or change dates again in a more workable time frame. I would at least call them and ask before just saying that you have lost it. Most of these folks have family too and understand reservations made in advance have to be changed at times.
If the site were simply given to an appreciative camper, then I wouldn't hesitate to allow someone else to use it. Unfortunately the park will not allow that to happen and will simply use it for more revenue if I let the site go. I'm on the fence about that part of it because I'm not sure where the money would go. Does it stay in the park's budget or does it go into the state coffers?
I have not attempted to contact the park yet because things are still up in the air. Unfortunately previous experience with these types of situations tells me that the park employees will defer to the policy and not deviate from it. I'm sure they hear all kinds of excuses in an attempt to get a refund and their kindness has been taken advantage of in the past. This type of policy is simply the result of repeated abuse of that kindness.
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bartonmw
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07/20/11 09:13am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: PLEASE cancel your reservations if you're not using them
The answer is higher deposits and stronger cancellation policies. People will only book sites they intend to use if the costs are high. When you have low deposits and very liberal cancellation policies people feel free to reserve several sites and pick the one they want at the last minute. Make the deposit a couple of night's stay and make the refund policy you only get a refund of 50% of your deposit if you cancel less than two weeks prior to your arrival and people won't be booking multiple sites or tying up all the weekends. These kind of policies separate the people who are planning on camping from those who are "keeping their options open".
I don't mind this kind of policy.
I camp mostly in state parks that require full payment at the time of reservation. I was planning to leave this Saturday to stay at a state park for ten days, however my father recently had a heart attack and I'm considering canceling my plans so that i can help out while he is recovering. Unfortunately the reservation date is so close that I cannot transfer to a later date and will lose the entire amount that I paid (~$300) to reserve it. With this type of cancellation policy, there is no incentive to notify the park. I'm aware of the policy so why should I waste my time when I can be doing something more useful? Unless the park is willing to refund a portion of what I have already paid, I have rented the site for that time and it is mine to do as I please. Why should I allow the park to double dip on the site?
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bartonmw
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07/20/11 06:37am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Somebody at your campsite when you arrived?
I was accused of taking someone's site this past weekend.
Va State Parks are non-specific site reservations...you simply choose a site based on what is available. Official check-in time is 4PM, but they will allow you to check-in earlier if sites are available. At many parks, locals will go to the park and claim their site by placing things on the site and putting their tag on the post.
I arrived around 1:30PM, found an empty site with no tag, setup my TT and left to enjoy the park. When we came back around 7:30, a gentleman in a MH w/toad was there complaining that we took his site. He claimed that he left a bucket that said "occupied" on the site at 8:30 that morning but still had his tag (supposed to be on the post) in his hand. Since I was already settled in and started to cook dinner with a thunderstorm approaching, I told him that I wasn't moving. He called the park office and evidently they told him to choose another site because he moved on.
The only thing I can think of is that the camp hosts cleaned up what appeared to be an empty site. What I don't understand is why he didn't simply leave the MH or toad at the site when he claimed his site that morning.
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bartonmw
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07/15/11 09:44am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Gas 3.20 diesel wow
Where is gas $3.20 and diesel .60-.70 higher? Around here (central VA), the station that I usually visit has regular gas at $3.35, premium at $3.65 and diesel at $3.64. Since the OP has a supercharged gas truck that should require premium gas, he is likely paying more for gas than I am for diesel. And I'm likely getting better mileage.
And complaining about the additional expense of a diesel engine when the OP spent about the same amount for a supercharger for his gas engine? Sure, he has a little more HP but he only has half the TQ of my oil burner.
Torque and fuel efficiency is the reason you won't see diesels replaced with gas engines.
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bartonmw
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07/07/11 05:47am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Towing mirrors
Factory manual telescoping mirrors were an option on the STX. When I had my 05, I found the best price at Tasca Ford. If you scroll down their main page, you'll see "A Comprehensive Guide to 04-10 F-150 Truck Mirrors." Click on that link and it will take you to the part numbers and descriptions for all of the mirrors available for the F-150. You can also call or email them and they will check your VIN and tell you what will fit.
You can search through this thread to see what it takes to install them.
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bartonmw
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07/07/11 05:13am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Virginia State Parks
Thanks for the clarification on the dog charges. I also don't like the fee and feel like that it is excessive.
I like the non-site specific reservations, especially if I have never been to the park. I can pass up a site that is not so level or doesn't appear to drain, or I simply don't like something about the neighbors. I often head to the beach after work on Friday and end up at Kiptopeke or First Landing late, but never had a problem finding a site to fit my 33' TT. It won't be the best site, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying myself.
I would like to point out that some parks do limit types of campers on a site. First Landing has a color code system for their sites. They do not allow tents or popups on the larger sites because there are a limited number of them.
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bartonmw
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06/22/11 05:47am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Virginia State Parks
Posted By: bartonmw on 06/20/11 02:42pm
3 dog nights wrote:
Always liked the VA state parks, until they started charging $5 per dog, per night. I now have 4 dogs (haven't updated name) putting $20 bucks a night on top of the camping fee make it prohibative. I'll stay with the NPS sites.
They have changed the fee some. It's still $5 per dog per night but they cap the max charge per stay at $15.
I still don't like the fee, but it's better than it was.
To be more specific (and I asked via the VA state park facebook page) it is maxed out at $15 per night. Not $15 per stay. Although at several parks I am not asked and I do not tell. If I am asked, I will part with the money but I don't understand the reason for the charge.
Apparently the park employees don't even know what it is supposed to be. I was told by one employee that it was per stay. Don't you just love ambiguous wording?
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bartonmw
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06/21/11 07:35am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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