KarlV
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Re: short Class B for fulltime solo travel
magicbus wrote: I don't see how a B or C is any different than full-timing in an A. All of the same rules apply just in a smaller space. Dave It could just be industry hype trying to upsell customers to a bus. From my time selling RVs, my observation was that the big buses are sturdier and can take the abuse of the road better than smaller units. Also, at that time, almost the only RVs you could buy with a diesel were Class A. About the only class C diesel available at that time was the Jayco Seneca, which were back-ordered for nearly a year. Diesels can usually last longer than gas engines, and pull/push better up steep grades with all that weight. About the only Class C RVs that had a durable reputation then were Winnebago, Bigfoot and maybe one other. I've got no reason to think anything has changed in that regard except that Bigfoot quit making motor homes.688Views0likes0CommentsRe: short Class B for fulltime solo travel
For what it's worth, Class B and most Class C motor homes are not designed for full-time living. Make sure that it's kept clean, maintained and aired out. And it's not a bad idea to utilize campground toilets for any serious business, to avoid fecal matter from caking up in your holding tank. You can also get algae growth in your water tank, so it should be periodically sanitized with a small amount of bleach.653Views0likes0CommentsRe: short Class B for fulltime solo travel
Before trading in our Class C Bigfoot for a smaller RV, we looked at several makes/models. We ended up buying a new 2010 Pleasure-Way Excel (Ford E-350) instead of a Roadtrek for the following reasons: Better fit and finish: Pleasure-Way puts a lot of thought into their product, and they use quality finishes. No rattle, squeak or bang after eight years of use. We found that the Roadtreks we looked at did not measure up and were more expensive. Service: When you call the 800 number, you get a human who passes you to the technical staff who are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, even after eight years ownership. Downside: Pleasure-Way (like Roadtrek) has gone exclusively to the Sprinter chassis, which I think is overrated and overpriced. A new Plateau can run you $150,000 (you're paying a lot of money for that Mercedes hood ornament). The height of these things has to be a problem in crosswinds, IMO.653Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trip to Alaska!
MDKMDK wrote: That sounds like a great plan. We did the big triangle in August/September 2016, took the Alaska Hwy/Hwy 97 northwest from Dawson Creek and entered at Alcan, then Tok, then Delta Junction to Fairbanks. Then from there south to Denali, and on to Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, and Homer. You can camp on the Homer Spit for a few bucks, no hookups, but your're right in Katchemak Bay. The scenery is pretty intense in most of Alaska. Take your time. After that we toured around Palmer/Wasilla and then back out via the Glenn Hwy to Tok, and towards Canada again. We considered trying the Cassiar Hwy coming back, but we were time constrained and needed to pick up the pace, so we returned to Edmonton, then south along the main highway to Calgary, Lethbridge, and exited at Sweetgrass into Montana. It was a great trip. I'mm planning on doing it again, as soon as we're able to travel. Next time, I'd like to try the Haul Road for a ways. Maybe to the Arctic Circle near Wiseman. We drove the haul road all the way to Prudhoe Bay back in about 2003, in a 28' Bigfoot. It wasn't bad, but you have to take it easy and slow down when a big truck is coming your way. If you don't, they won't, and you can end up losing your windshield. The only real problem with that road is that there are no services once you get past Coldfoot until you reach Deadhorse.458Views0likes0CommentsRe: Troubleshooting Coach Battery Issue
Returning as promised. After a frustrating search to find the problem, including digging into where I probably shouldn't have been digging, I was about to resign myself to taking out all my life savings and taking the rig to a repair shop. As a last ditch effort, I called Pleasure-Way and spoke to a tech issues guy named Michael, eh? He told me that it was most likely that the converter circuit breaker was tripped. Now, I was trained as a house electrician, but have little experience with DC, and DC breakers look nothing like house breakers. He told me to look for a "little button sticking out" and to push it back in, because sometimes when shore power is disconnected, the breaker will trip. I peered at the bloody thing for several minutes without seeing any button, then happened to lean in a little further to where the other side of the breaker wasn't in the flashlight's shadow, and whaddya know: there it was! Reset the breaker, plugged shore power back in and immediately saw 13.8VDC at the battery. So all is well again and I was able to avoid a second mortgage for repairs. Thanks again the the help.451Views0likes0CommentsRe: Best time to travel to Alaska
Crazy4silvers wrote: Here in Fairbanks most tourist attractions including most public campgrounds will be closing by Labor Day. We normally get our first frost in late August which is also the wetest month in much of the state. Bus transportation will end in Denali in mid Sept so you should be ok there. Agreed, especially about August often being very wet. While it's unusual for South Central Alaska to get snow in September, the Yukon along the Alcan can be iffy. When I drove it in the 80s in September, there was snow in the mountains north of Anchorage, and torrential rains in Canada. It's a **** shoot, really. Denali being open is totally dependent on the weather, but early September is usually okay, and the fall colors are wonderful. If you drive slowly, the old Denali Highway is a beautiful 2-day ride.363Views0likes0CommentsRe: Troubleshooting Coach Battery Issue
j-d wrote: Have you found the 120VAC Breaker Panel and 12VDC Fuse Panel? Converter/Charger, Inverter if applicable, Transfer Switch if applicable, are likely to be nearby. I'm going out to check things out today, and try some of the offered suggestions. I'll come back to this forum when I find the problem. Thanks.451Views0likes0CommentsRe: Troubleshooting Coach Battery Issue
It's not the original battery; I had to change it out a few years ago. And yes, it has a battery switch. No idea where the inverter/converter is located on this rig; perhaps under the rear seating, which is a PITA to access. I'll try some of the suggestions and see what's up.451Views0likes0Comments
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