CoachPotato
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Re: Yes!! I found a way to RV during this awful Covid isolation!
Hello again, RVers - Thanks for all the kind words and comments. It's good to see a lot of others taking trips, too. Getting a few miles aboard our RVs to scratch that travel itch really feels good, eh?! I just got home this afternoon from the grocery run. I dumped the coach, tended the bug collection on the front cap, and put her away 'til - probably - the next grocery run in two weeks. All went well, and I sure moved a lot of groceries! And...! The gas station that I mentioned was now selling Diesel 2 for $2.00 was down to $1.96 this morning when I filled up. I had room for only 30 gallons, but at least I got that much. I don't know how or why they sell so cheap when the average Diesel 2 price in Kalifornistan is presently $3.26 according to AAA. But I won't question it, I'll just pump it when I can! Thanks again for the kind comments.741Views0likes0CommentsYes!! I found a way to RV during this awful Covid isolation!
Yes... as a matter of fact, I am very afraid of this coronavirus! At 76 years and lots of heart history, I cannot get exposed to this dreaded plague. But I was going stir-crazy at home. Then it dawned on me... I am at home, and alone, aboard the coach! The one thing we absolutely do have to do, regardless, is eat. As I've done for three years, I pick up our groceries via Walmart's grocery pickup program without having to go into the store. I could easily order groceries at a Walmart far from home - and use the coach! So, I ordered two weeks of groceries at the Marysville, CA Walmart, about 100 miles north of my home near Stockton, CA. And with my twin sis and hubby living only 25 miles north of that store, I'd spend the night there aboard the coach as we always do when we visit them. I'd make the grocery trip a two day trip aboard the coach! Four weeks ago I did just that, and greatly enjoyed myself although my dear Wifey chose not to join me. She doesn't need an RV adventure nearly as often as I do, so she stays home when I make these grocery runs, as she often does on my long, multi-week adventures, too. Choice is a good thing in a marriage! I made the same trip again two weeks ago (except to the Yuba City Walmart as it's a bit more on my route. Yuba City and Marysville are twin cities separated only by the Feather River.) That second trip, I also picked up my sister's grocery order. She's disabled with Parkinson's Disease, and her hubby cares for her full time. During my visit the first time, I asked if they'd like to order online, too, and I'd pick up their order at the same time - and they loved the idea! So that second trip, two weeks ago, I did just that - and they were delighted! I'm heading out for the third RV grocery run tomorrow! I'll get to spend another night aboard the coach, deliver my sis and hubby's grocery order, and arrive home the next day with two weeks worth of groceries for Wifey and me. We're lovin' it! And a bonus... somehow, a station in their town of Gridley, CA sold Diesel 2 for just $2.20 two weeks ago. At that price I filled up although I had room for only 33 gallons in my 90 gallon tank. This week they're selling the stuff for just $2.06 - and I'll stuff on all I can again! I cannot understand how they can sell so cheaply when 25 miles away it sells for $2.90 to $3.70. In my town, the best price is $3.10! As usual, those trips are recorded on my personal website. If you're easily entertained, you might find them a bit interesting. Nearly every RV trip we've ever taken is recorded there, and that includes 46 states over about 15 years Here's a link to my first post about this C-virus, about a month ago. At the bottom of that page, in very small type, is a link to the prior and next trip, if you're so inclined.6.5KViews0likes23CommentsRVs and California's Planned Power Outages
(I did several searches here for this topic, and found none. If this has already been discussed, please point me to the thread.) Here in Kalifornistan, the power is purposely being turned off to thousands of homes in large areas for up to five days to prevent electrically caused wildfires during dry, high wind conditions. They're not just planned, but power outages have already been inflicted upon thousands of people, causing incredible problems. Imagine power being off up to five days - no gas or propane pumped, groceries rotting, markets losing tons of frozen/refrigerated food, signal lights out, etc. It causes pure chaos. The longer outages would even cause water shortages. My dear Wifey and I are mid 70s, and our son suggested recently that he would be willing to help install a generator for us in the event we may be one of those thousands left powerless. It was a pleasure to remind him that we have the motor home to live in - and even to escape the entire chaotic area if we wanted! With the outage threat we face here, I now keep the propane tank full, the diesel tank full, the fresh water tank full, ready to move into and live comfortably for the duration. We know of one neighbor who has paid thousands to have a generator installed outside his home that runs on natural gas, a very good choice since gasoline would likely be hard to come by in an extended outage. Other neighbors (we're in a senior gated community) continue to discuss their options, of which there seem to be few. I wonder if any other RVers in threatened areas have planned to do the same as we have. It seems an interesting topic for discussion as we RVers really do have a solution - especially those with RVs equipped with generators and larger tank capacities that many Class A owners have. Any thoughts?12KViews0likes71Comments04 Diesel Journey @ too few miles? Any experience with this?
As some here may recall, we totaled our '04 Journey 32T, my favorite toy of all time, back in October of 2017. I purchased a 34' Bounder Diesel as the replacement and still miss my beloved Journey 32T. Today, only 25 miles from home, I found an apparently perfect 2004 Journey 32T with all the equipment and options of the one we lost. But the issue is this: According to a vehicle history printout from vehiclehistory.gov as late as Nov 2013 she had only the odometer miles driven from the factory to here in Kalifornistan (2657). In March of 2014 and May of 2014 she showed 10,621. Then in Nov 2017 she showed EXEMPT but didn't indicate mileage. She now has 40,358 miles. She was built in 2005 at the very latest. How very strange! So... I am more afraid of NO miles than I am of too many. I understand engine, transmission, rear end, etc. seals and other such non-metal parts can dry out and cause big problems. And... I might smell a rat in those dates and miles. Something doesn't smell right. Do any of my fellow RV Net readers have experiences with such issues? Please let me know of them. Thank you ever so much! Edit to clarify: The point here is that this coach sat from, at the latest, 2005 until 2013 - EIGHT YEARS - apparently without turning a wheel. It is not low miles that trouble me, it the NO miles that do.1.3KViews0likes7CommentsA Strange Dealer Price Story (...at least I thought so.)
(Ok... I sat on this recent experience for a few days, not so sure others would find it funny, but I still thinks it's a head shaker and a bit of a chuckle, so I offer it here to other coach owners. I hope y'all find it a bit entertaining, too.) I've written here about our accident in Kansas in October of '17, and of the new-to-us Bounder we now have. I've also mentioned how I miss some of the great features of our totaled '04 Journey 32T diesel that I greatly miss - especially the fuel mileage. I doubt that I'd make the change back due to the many costs of buying and selling again, but I'm always checking the 'net for another Journey. I just found one of those rare 32T Journeys at a dealer in a Northwestern state. I won't mention which dealer as they are a legitimate business and I don't mean to disparage them. But their completely unrealistic original price of $79,995 compared to the price they proposed in their very first response to me was something memorable – and perhaps you’ll find it entertaining. Here is my initial contact and their first reply, followed by my note that their unit wouldn't work for me: ========== "I'm looking to replace a 2004 Winnebago 32T that was totaled. The insurance companies have settled and I'd like to get another. These coaches came with a diesel or a LP generator. Which does it have? It appears to have the manual awning but it's hard to tell in your photo. Is it manual or electric? The stainless wheel liners tell me it has the 5 speed transmission, not the six speed that came as a package with aluminum wheels. Is this the five speed? Our 32T that was totaled had the whole body paint which this one does not have. It had the four door fridge which this one does not have. It had the 6 speed w/aluminum wheels; this one appears to be the 5 speed. Ours had the diesel generator which was the expensive option. It had about the same miles as yours. I paid $62,000 for it here in hi-dollar California - and that was back in 2015. I watch for these coaches all over the country and I've never seen one priced anywhere near the price you folks are asking. If you will present me with a realistic price, I could be very interested. I would be a cash buyer. Thank you." Dale CA ======== Their reply: "Hi Dale; My name is .... and I work at ..... store. Thank you for your inquiry. I appreciate the opportunity. I had a chance to go out and inspect the Journey and most of your assumptions are correct. It has an Allison 5 speed, propane generator, a manual awning, and its not a full body paint. The decals are a little faded but the exterior is straight and the interior is very clean. Seems to have been well cared for. I also had a chance to meet with our sales manager and he indicated that, given the fact that you have no trade, he can get to about $59,900 out the door. We sell a lot of units out of state from the internet so we know that it's best just to cut to the chase and not waste your time haggling over the price. You have better things to do. So thats why we can discount it so aggressively. Please let me know if there is anything I can do or any other questions you have. And again, thank you for your inquiry." ======= My reply: Thank you for your prompt response - your willingness to drop your price so drastically was a complete surprise, but you certainly are at a more appropriate price. Even so, the lack of a diesel generator is a complete deal killer. I would not have one as they draw from about a 30 gallon tank whereas the diesel draws from a 90 gallon tank - and the diesel draws less fuel as well. I always dry camp, and that draw on the propane tank would not be acceptable. Still, if you get one with similar options to ours as I described in my first email, please let me know. - Dale ======= Now, to me this is pretty funny and just a bit unbelievable and I wanted to let other RV folks know the strange story. What were they thinking to price it so high in the first place?! It's true... I don't have enough to do - and I'm not complaining!3.9KViews0likes13CommentsAfter One Year: '04 Journey vs '04 Bounder Diesels
For those who read my story of losing our beloved Cecil the Diesel in an awful accident in November, 2017 - and then the post about our new to us '04 Bounder diesel., here is a brief comparison... 2004 Journey 32T vs 2004 Bounder 34M: The Journey 32T, our beloved Cecil the Diesel, would never have been replaced had she not been totaled. She was, to me, the perfect coach in so many ways. She gave excellent mileage, was a pleasure to drive, and was very comfy and roomy. She had basement air conditioning, and before her, I never realized the huge difference that makes! I loved the efficiency and quietness of that system. Those were the two biggest advantages over the Bounder. Our Bounder is a very satisfactory replacement for comfort and convenience. She is two feet longer, and that is quite evident in the bath area. We like the separate, little room for the potty. The Bounder is heavier, and handles head and cross winds even better than did the Journey. Of course both diesels are heavier and both handle such conditions considerably better than our prior two gas coaches. The Journey had the 5.9L Cummins 300 HP engine. The Bounder has the 7.2L Cat C7 300 HP engine. The Cat has considerably more torque, but is also pushing a heavier coach. My experience is that the performance of both is very similar. But the main drawback is the comparatively lousy 8.5 MPG of the Bounder. Mileage is very important to me, and I sure do miss the 11 MPG. I put 25,000 miles on the Journey in the 2½ years we owned her. I have put 16,000 miles on the Bounder in the year we've owned her. My biased conclusion: I really miss the Journey, although the Bounder has been a very comfortable coach. When driving the Bounder, each time I look down at my ScanGauge D MPG monitor, I miss the Journey's excellent fuel economy. Each time I run the house air conditioner, I especially miss the Journey as I listen to the roar of the roof mounted air conditioners of the Bounder. Had I found a nice Journey 32T when I bought the Bounder, there would have been no doubt I'd have taken the Journey. They are, however, like hen's teeth to find. I often look online for them, but I haven't yet found one that compares to our beloved Cecil the Diesel in options, condition, and price. To me, they're simply not worth the $$$ some folks try to get for them. If I did find one fairly priced, I'm not sure I'd make a change. Here in The People's Republic of Kalifornistan I'd add thou$and$ in $ale$ tax on top of the other hassles of again buying and selling motorhomes. I've done my share of that! If you're really bored, here's a history of our RVs that I posted on my website a while back. Thank you for your indulgence...1.5KViews0likes7CommentsAfter the fatal accident: Our recovery and insurance issues
To all who were so responsive to our terrible accident on October 3rd in Kansas, here is an update and report on the involved insurance companies: (Edit: Here's that story on RVnet.) Our insurance company, Progressive, has been very good to us. We had an agreed value on our coach of $55K, and they paid us promptly for that, less the $2500 deductible. Surprisingly, and likely due to state insurance regulations, they added several thousand for fees and taxes we'll pay for our replacement coach. We also had $750 emergency expenses coverage with our policy, and they paid that as well. The other party's insurance company, Allied or Nationwide (they seem to use both names) has been fair and responsive as well. I had to send them our claim and supporting documents twice as they didn't get the first mailing, so that was a couple of weeks delay. We listed everything we could think of on our claim that required our labor, time, money, etc. I claimed $15 per hour for all the labor involved in unloading our "stuff" from the coach, driving it home, and unloading it there. I claimed every dollar we spent for the U-Haul rental, boxes, truck door lock, gas, food, and motels. We claimed mileage for our kids who drove 800 miles round trip to help us and for their motel, their labor unloading the coach with us, etc. I claimed the $2500 deductible. I even claimed the unused portion of the chassis and transmission service I'd just paid for. We claimed possible back injury for my wife. Allied (or Nationwide) has agreed to pay for everything except my maintenance costs which they said was included in the value of the coach. But it turned out my wife's back seems Ok, and they offered $2500 to clear that claim. We accepted. That more than covered the maintenance claim they denied. We are pleased with both insurance companies and consider ourselves fairly treated. It has been a wonderful relief that we were treated well as we'd never dealt with such a large claim before. And...!! We have a new coach which is another story but I'll include it here. Our search for a 32' Journey, the coach we lost, was very frustrating. I had alerts listed on three major RV sales sites for what we basically wanted: a diesel pusher up to 34' long and in similar condition to ours. Only one Journey 32T of our vintage and equipment was found, and the seller wanted almost $80K for it, an outrageous price. (It's still for sale, of course.) We finally found a very low priced Bounder 34 in Ohio. We bought it sight unseen, but well investigated, and paid the seller in advance! (We vetted him very well and he is a pillar of his community.) We paid for a couple of his friends (former cops) to drive it to our home, about 2500 miles. All went well, and the coach arrived two days ago. Our new-to-us Bounder Diesel has a Cat C7 engine instead of the Cummins our lost coach had, but I reckon I'll be happy with it. The Bounder is actually in better condition than ours was, and we are very pleased. I'll include a photo below. I found similar Bounders online for up to $70K which seems outrageous; we bought this one for $45K plus $2500 for the delivery. My last gas coach which I sold when I bought the diesel we lost in the accident was blue and we called her Big Blue. So... here's Big Blue II:5.9KViews0likes16CommentsRe: We Survived a Fatal Accident...
Thank you all for your kind words. In response to questions that were asked... The coach was indeed totaled. The damage was massive; even the dashboard was bent up from the impact. As the photo on my site shows, even the generator was torn loose and sitting crooked. After the impact, we were amazed at the mess in the coach. I think most of the stuff we had stored in the cabinets, etc. was on the floor. One mystery was that a container of sugar that was in the cabinet wound up in the fridge! While the Class As seem pretty flimsy up front with all that plastic and glass, that heavy Freightliner frame helped keep us from injury and must have absorbed most of the impact. We are coping well; we are well aware that we did not contribute to this accident and it was entirely blamed on the other driver who made that one fatal error. I thought Wifey might be afraid of the RV and the travel, but no, she said instead that she wishes she could even travel locally in a big coach. She now feels safer in one than she ever did! I am spending my days looking for a new-to-us coach. So far the ones that interest me seem to be clear across the country. Short diesels are pretty rare. I hope one turns up soon as I want to be traveling again for Thanksgiving! Thanks again for the many kind thoughts and good wishes.511Views0likes0CommentsWe Survived a Fatal Accident...
During the late morning of the 3rd of this month, a Tuesday, dear Wifey and I were eastbound aboard our Winnebago Journey 32T, a diesel pusher. We were on US50, just west of the small town of Kinsley, Kansas, en route to Graceland. I have shared my wife with the ghost of Elvis Presley all these years, and she was finally going to see "his place" for the first time! We had been following two grain semis that pulled into a right turn only lane to turn onto US56. That intersection had a stop sign for the traffic on US56 to yield to the traffic on US50. Apparently sitting at the stop sign for US56, but we couldn't see him due to the semis, was a small Ford Transit utility van. I don't believe he saw us either. He must have thought that when the two semis pulled into the right turn only lane that the highway was clear. It was not; we entered the intersection at about 50 MPH as he proceeded to cross our path to turn left onto US50. I had only a split second to react as we T-boned the small van right at the driver's door. He made a hopeless, slight turn to the right just before impact, so he must have known he made a terrible mistake. I remember the van being pushed east by us as we drifted across the westbound lane, then the van went off to our left as we came to a stop on the shoulder of the westbound lane, facing east. Wifey and I had our seatbelts on and were spared injury. A burly truck driver saw me waving frantically at our door window because our door was jammed and we couldn't get out. He forced it open, but the sliding platform that opens to access the stairs was also jammed and the metal step did not deploy. We had a three to four foot drop down to the pavement and he gently helped us down - then he was gone, saying he had to get back to his truck. We consider him our hero! Tragically, the driver of the van died at the scene. We were escorted to a waiting ambulance and seated on a couple of small seats as they checked us old folks out. We were Ok and finally convinced them that we were. I'm a long time heart patient and had to take a nitro for some angina that began, and that stopped the pain. Our kids from near Denver immediately hopped into their car and headed for Dodge City, Kansas where we had spent the prior night at Walmart, about 30 or so miles from the accident scene. We had spent the prior weekend visiting them at their home. After our taxi ride back to Dodge, we all spent that night at a motel in Dodge City. The next day, with much help from the kids, we rented a small U-Haul truck and loaded everything from the coach to the truck. Wifey went home with the kids and they put her on a flight home the next day. I drove the U-haul for the next three days to get all our stuff back home. Just short of three weeks after the crash, our insurance company, Progressive, paid us the agreed value of our coach. They will subrogate the claim to the other driver's insurance as there is no question about fault; it was entirely the fault of the driver of the van. We have worked diligently putting our claim together to present to the other insurance company. We had so much enjoyment with our coach and now it sits in some Kansas yard, destined to be sold and salvaged. Meanwhile, the driver of the van left a wife and two young sons. Those poor kids will grow up without their dad, and their mom will never see her husband again. That is the saddest part of this whole story and helps us keep some perspective of our relatively minor losses. We have several thousands of dollars to recover from the insurance company and at this point are somewhat optimistic that they will cover all our costs. Time will tell, I suppose. It seems impossible to find another coach like ours so we'll likely end up with another, hopefully nearby but perhaps clear across the country. I choose to drive the US highways instead of the interstates at every opportunity because we like driving through the small towns and seeing the rural countryside. Now... I often think about how that accident would not have happened had we been on an interstate. But like so many quandaries this experience has created, it's just idle reliving of an event that cannot be changed and it's tough realizing that. Photos and even more detail are on a page of my website here. To get to the story of the accident, scroll down to "Day 9". And thanks; writing this account of our situation has been somewhat therapeutic...11KViews0likes29CommentsRe: 80mph gusts wind ..ripped off half roof
While this is a pretty stale thread, it was very timely for me as I just went through this same issue - and was pleased that my insurance company chose to cover my claim. Briefly, as I drove through the Cajon Pass on I-15, somewhere between there and San Berdoo, I was caught in cross winds to 60 MPH. Suddenly the racket from above forced me to pull over. I climbed onto the roof and discovered much of the fiberglass coating had broken loose and was whipping into the winds which were recorded to 60 MPH. When the (Progressive) adjuster inspected my coach he made it clear that they decline 90% of such claims - something that was not pleasant to hear. I emailed the claims handler with documented report of the winds that day in the area I traversed, proving the winds were recorded to 60 MPH. I also pointed out that they knew the history of such fiberglass coating on roofs, that when I bought the comprehensive insurance they could have inspected my coach, they could have advised me of their history of claims on such roofs, but they did not; they simply accepted my money and issued the policy. Yes, it was a veiled threat, I suppose, making my case pretty clear. They did agree to pay my claim which totaled over $10,000. My deductible was $625. I chose a rubber roof replacement which was completed just this week at Smooth As Glass fiberglass repair in Riverbank, CA. The more complete story and photos are on my website, here771Views0likes0Comments
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Join in here to discuss all things motorhomes.Mar 09, 202538,709 Posts
