FL for Christmas, are we nuts?

Dick_B wrote:
Yes, nuts! The weather this time of year is very iffy and you could get stuck somewhere not so nice. But this is a senior talking. Not as bold or adventurous as years ago.

Dick, hope you don't mind me asking a question..I notice you have 3/4t truck and a Sunnybrooke camper, the camper is same as mine and I'm new to TT towing, I've pulled 5th wheel to Alaska and drove class C campers lots...my question,,I have a F150 ford pick up with camper like yours do u think I can be safe in towing my truck is v8 automatic..

Chucknbob wrote:
if we're crazy for making this our maiden voyage.

I forgot about this aspect. I might suggest you dry camp in the driveway for a night and try out all your systems and make sure you don't have any surprises when you are far from home and with no other place to stay.

Then again... short of a leaky roof you can pretty much work around anything else.

Ohh, I won't be making a 12 hour drive south and not have a reservation. There's several campgrounds down there with multiple openings. That's why we're trying to make our mind up now, before they all fill up.

I was just looking for advice if it's feasible to winterize at the CG, and if we're crazy for making this our maiden voyage.

Do not count on either prayer or luck to find somewhere to stay. Have reservations.

I used to think that also but is far from the truth.

Unless you 'must' stay ON the shores of Florida there are a plethora of CG's inland that you can get in without reservations. And IMHO much much nicer and way larger sites.

Once you come down here you will find the so-called popular CG's have you packed in like sardines sometimes with less than a foot between slides! Small out of the way CG's are MUCH nicer and actually in much better areas.

I have been coming down here for winter for over 6 years and have NEVER made a reservation.

All CG's leave a few sites up front always open for the travelers passing thru.

I have found that if you pull in for just overnight and really like the CG just ask if they have any openings for long term stay.

EVERY one I did this with has had a cancellation of a snowbird reservation and I was slipped right into their spot for the winter if I so desired. :C

jealous - would like to go to FL for Christmas!

If you can find a place to stay, go for it! I wish we could. Just go really far south (mid-FL or further south). It gets really cold, even in N. FL. This year is especially nuts, weather-wise.

Do not count on either prayer or luck to find somewhere to stay. Have reservations.

YES ITS CRAZY!!! You should stay 2 weeks =)! We do this almost every winter. We drive down and stay about halfway, usually in the Carolinas. We check the weather, it is almost always above freezing that far south, so we drain the antifreeze and use water. We use water the whole time in Florida. On the way home we keep an eye on temps. As we start driving into the colder weather, we put antifreeze back in and dry camp the last night if need be.

Literally it takes about 5 minutes to winterize now that we have done it a couple times.

We have the antifreeze kit on our older trailer, so it just sucks it out of the bottle. I drain all the low points and drain the black/gray tanks and drain/bypass the water heater. I hold a bottle and put the lead hose into the bottle, then my wife goes to the rear outside shower and turns on hot until pink comes out, cold until pink comes out. Then we do the shower and tub faucet. Then bathroom sink and toilet. Then kitchen sink.

It takes a little over a bottle to do all that. Then I pour the remainder of the second bottle down the traps and into the toilet. I let a little extra go into the gray and black tanks.

5 minutes and about $8 worth of antifreeze and we are done. If you do it in warm weather (ie South Carolina) its not a bad process at all).

For get about blowing out the lines. If you use the pink stuff blowing out the lines is a waste of time.
It takes me no more then ten minutes and a little over a gallon of pink to do my 35 foot trailer.
My biggest concern going and returning at that time would be running into a snow storm - You might want to plug in a few days for being held up, (just in case!)

Jack L

Dick B, I suppose you will stay in Il, where the weather is IFFY and not so nice people are? The weather got clear down to 30 one night last week at Daytona Bch. Could get 12 ft 0f snow in Miami. Not likely. I encourage you to go and drain the water out in NC and put antifreeze in the sinks and shower. Make sure the water is all drained out. Stop at Camping World somewhere and ask for help if you aren't sure and don't listen to naysayers. Stay out of Orlando area and you should be able to find a place to stay. We come and go all the time and have never found Florida completely full of not so nice people and campgrounds all full.

I have one of these and live it.
http://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-85P-Portable-Air-Compressor/dp/B0036E9VB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=141680079