The elephant behind the palm tree...

[bobphoenix]

Generally, when I go to the store in the RV, I try to be courteous enough to park out of the way from main stream traffic… But, most times, I kinda feel like the elephant that’s trying to hide behind a tree…
Most times, I’ll park at the end of a row, but only being 32 feet long, I usually go into a pull through and take two spaces, end to end, instead of parking width-wise across five parking spots…, (which usually leads to some nut parking in the next spot in front AND back, trying to box me in…)
So, today, (Sunday), I get the coach to do some work on it and, of course, misses sends me out with a “honey dew” list... I get the coach, find a spot to park… get my groceries… only to come out to see some old guy walking around the coach, as if I parked too close to his 1988 beater pickup truck… you know, the one with the fender hanging on by rust…
Well, as I get into conversation range… I say… “Wadda ya think? Pretty nice huh? (thinking he was admiring my coach..) DO you like it…?” And, he says… “Who do you guys, with these big friggin’ motor homes, think you are taking up two spaces in the middle of the parking lot?!?” I looked around, thinking I was in the front of the lot by the door… and for a second, I was taken aback by his reply…
But, I thought for a minute and said… “Oh, you must be one of those grumpy old guys that gripes about people parking motorcycles in a car parking spaces too… aren’tcha…?”
He didn’t reply, he only walked back to his old, beat up Chevy sedan that was parked in the handicap space half a parking lot away…
Geeze, some people are never happy unless they’re complaining!!!

[mike_brez]

bobphoenix wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

Yankee Clipper wrote:
How many of us have gotten the "RV salute" on the Interstate highways?

:h I'm a RVer, and wave (salute) all RVers that I see along the highway that I travel, whether or not I'm driving my motorhome. A wave is a form of salute. Not sure what you are referring to, but don't think it is any type of salute.

Nope... Bikers "wave" to each other, RV'ers "wave" to each other... Boaters "wave" to each other... But people in cars who want to go 85 MPH instead of follow at the speed limit have a special "salute" for us... Well, come to think of it... for anyone who gets in their way.... it looks like this... (but, without the grin...)LOL!!!

Don't forget about us jeeps

[Ron8877]

When I park the motor home in a parking lot with the car trailer behind it I would back up to the last parking spot in a row . Put the back end of the trailer just into that spot so nobody could park behind me and I could usually get the space in front if me too. But even if someone was to park infrot of me I could always back up enough to get out. Now withe towing the jeep 4 down I can't back up so I try to park so that I can't be blocked in in the front.
As far as the salute the best story I ever heard about it was told to me by a truck driving buddy of mine. He told me that one time as he was pulling onto the freeway hauling a load of cattle a gentleman in a convertable following him didn't think that he was accelerating fast enough. The guy in the car started around him honking his horn and flipping him off. When he had just about got past the trailer one of the cows inside went to the bathroom and got the driver of the convertable. I guess there was some justice that day.
Ron

[J-Rooster]

Yankee Clipper wrote:
How many of us have gotten the "RV salute" on the Interstate highways?

Yankee Clipper, I know what your talking about! In fact if you were to do it back to them we could change your RV poster name to the "Yankee Flipper"! Bob, I think you were wise to talk the high road as you did!

[MonroeJim]

We've had our 28' Winnebago about two weeks. Last week in Santa Rosa, CA, we decided to venture out to Costco. Parked as you did -- in the middle of two spaces and as far away as possible. No problem. It was great to walk out of the store and easily spot the motorhome all the way across several rows of parking!

[Horsedoc]

I have never been bothered by someone asking about the mileage the coach get. Folks do it here all the time. My usual answer is an honest, 'it depends on how fast you want to get there'. Then we discuss how much mileage one should expect when driving a small house down the interstate at 70 MPH.
Expecting rude or nasty comments usually results in your first answer being rude. As someone said earlier, a simple civil comment and a smile results in a pleasant encounter.
Now, we usually travel in the South and West. I have had some rather rude comments from the northern states while driving in a car. Boston had a cabby yelling at me when I simply was asking for directions. Oh well, he was probably having a bad day to begin with

[Alan_Hepburn]

kokois1 wrote:
I usually get this question asked in a sarcastic way when I'm refueling, "what kind of mileage does that thing get?" My reply, "enough"!

My usual response: it gets lousy mileage for a car, but great mileage for a house!

[shaneperch]

I think that we should have the right to drive whatever we want. there is nothing wrong with RVs I love the statement that we pay more in road taxes. RVing in the long run is cheaper than flying to Disney world. How much fuel do you think a 737 burns? I love John Denver's music and he was really nice to me. BUT I remember the environmentalist he was. yet when I saw him in concert in NY he had two Eagles with the 8v71s a semi and I am sure he flew into Dutchess Airport with his Lear. I always say live and let live. I had a 6.4 diesel ford F250 I was told it would get 19 to 22 mpg and it didn't . So I would see someone fill one at a gas station. I would ask what mileage do you get. Just to know.

[Wrong_Lane]

Tucson Lawrence had the best answer yet "A bad day for me as a middle-aged American citizen with a wife,two healthy boys and a motor-home is better than some folks' best day ever and I try to remember that too... "

Just change it to a North American citizen to include us lucky neighbors to the north.

People often ask me questions about fuel milage, refueling costs etc. at the pumps. I always converse with them and 90% of the time they are folks considering an RV purchase and have the same fears we all had about costs of travel, fuel, maintenence. Heck that used to be me asking the big rig owners those questions!

On more than one occasion these folks have beem able to direct me to great campgrounds in the area, good restaurants, and local attractions not always in the visitor information center. Try engaging them in conversation and you will be suprised. If nothing else they will at least know the RV community is friendly!!

As far as parking lots - we have a running joke that no matter how far away we are from the store and how empty the lot was when we parked there will always be a small city of cars parked around us when we return. We call it the mother-ship syndrom. Kind of like the little vehicles find comfort being close to the large mother ship.

Safe Travels!

[captron33]

I friend of mine from denmark sometimes makes negative comments about all the big suv,s and such here in america, till i remind him that he has a helicopter back home.

[bobphoenix]

wny_pat wrote:

Yankee Clipper wrote:
How many of us have gotten the "RV salute" on the Interstate highways?

:h I'm a RVer, and wave (salute) all RVers that I see along the highway that I travel, whether or not I'm driving my motorhome. A wave is a form of salute. Not sure what you are referring to, but don't think it is any type of salute.

Nope... Bikers "wave" to each other, RV'ers "wave" to each other... Boaters "wave" to each other... But people in cars who want to go 85 MPH instead of follow at the speed limit have a special "salute" for us... Well, come to think of it... for anyone who gets in their way.... it looks like this... (but, without the grin...)LOL!!!

[bobphoenix]

Effy wrote:

kokois1 wrote:
I usually get this question asked in a sarcastic way when I'm refueling, "what kind of mileage does that thing get?" My reply, "enough"!

I usually get "how much does it take to fill that thing up?" - I started responding, "are you offering to buy my gas?"

I finally found a great answer to the mileage question...
"It does better than a HumVee AND, I don't have to get a room when I wanna rest..."

[Effy]

kokois1 wrote:
I usually get this question asked in a sarcastic way when I'm refueling, "what kind of mileage does that thing get?" My reply, "enough"!

I usually get "how much does it take to fill that thing up?" - I started responding, "are you offering to buy my gas?"

[wny_pat1]

Yankee Clipper wrote:
How many of us have gotten the "RV salute" on the Interstate highways?

:h I'm a RVer, and wave (salute) all RVers that I see along the highway that I travel, whether or not I'm driving my motorhome. A wave is a form of salute. Not sure what you are referring to, but don't think it is any type of salute.

[shaneperch]

Oh yes!!! I have had my share.