beelbill
Explorer
Joined 10 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Tow Vehicle
It looks like my choices are a Suburban, a Van, or my truck. I don't think a van would hold it's value as well as either a Suburban or my truck. I am thinking that a 2000 to 2006 burb has a much greater tow weight so I would be better off getting that rather than a newer burb.449Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow Vehicle
I don't have to have the latest vehicles, but the truck won't hold us all and I hate putting more miles on two vehicles everywhere we go. The van idea is an option, but are you all saying that I am right and none of the newer SUV's are capable of pulling the trailer? So are all those people in the campgrounds pulling trailers that are too big for their rigs? Sounds dangerous. I like the idea of the new Suburban, but it is out of my price range.449Views0likes0CommentsTow Vehicle
Have a 31 foot Cougar bunkhouse that has dry weight=7115 and load capacity=1885 for total weight of around 9000. My current tow vehicle is a 2007 Chevy Crew Silverado 2500 with tow capacity of 12,000 lbs. There are 6-8 family members that go on vacation together each year. Since only 5 people can fit in the truck, we have to have some people follow in the minivan. The truck and the minivan are both getting up there in miles way past 100,000. Want to trade the truck in on a new tow vehicle where all 8 can ride together. Thought I would just get a Suburban, but in 2007 their towing capacity dropped from 12,000 lbs to 7500 lbs. The best capacity I can find in an SUV is just a little over 9000 lbs. But, I must be missing something, because every campground is full of trailers just as large as mine with Yucon's, Tahoe's, Escalade 's, and Navigator's pulling them. It makes no sense that every year the trailers get bigger and heavier yet the tow vehicles get wimpier. I must be calculating the trailer weight wrong or something. What are my real choices for an SUV to tow the Cougar?3.5KViews0likes16CommentsWinter water supply
Have completed 3 months of summer full-time RV living and still prepping for winter. I have loved it so far but have made lots of mistakes and getting tired of learning things the hard way. So for all you people that have survived a winter in the RV, what is your advice? Should I use a heated hose or fill and disconnect using the holding tank and water pump? The gray and black water tanks have heat blankets but the drinking water tank doesn't. If I go with heated hose, which one, Camco or Pirit? I am in the mood for some good horror stories.2KViews0likes9CommentsRe: Full timing rig; the search continues
You are wise to not wait until the last minute to prepare. I am one of those that has dug a bit of a hole waiting and I will have to delay my retirement because of it. Have you ever driven a Class A? They really drive a lot different than a C. You might want to consider renting one and trying it out on a trip before you make the big purchase. I wish I had done something like that.281Views0likes0CommentsRe: Advice please
nomad297 wrote: beelbill wrote: Do you have extra bunk space that no one is sleeping in? not our home wrote: We are a family of 6 :h There are a wide variety of floor plans. Our trailer is what is called a bunk house and sleeps 11. It is difficult to really know the answer without seeing the floor plans.510Views0likes0CommentsRe: CheapHeat Add on for Propane Furnace
Can't rent any tank for propane. The larger horizontal tanks they won't connect to an RV. The smaller vertical tanks they don't have. I would have to buy my own. This is a farming community. They carry 500 and 1000 gallon tanks. The Camping World where I get my RV repairs said that the electric heaters in motor homes are just heat strips in the air-conditioner. I don't know of any heat pumps for an RV. Can you tell me the name of one or give me a web page?174Views0likes0CommentsRe: Advice please
Do you have extra bunk space that no one is sleeping in? We use Rubbermaid storage boxes on a bunk. Have more stuff in them than in the cabinets and drawers. Do either of the rigs have a Polar Package that is designed for winter? On some trailers, the water and sewer pipes run under the rigs instead of in a basement compartment. You want the most protection you can get from freezing. Sounds like you are going to be mostly sitting in a camp rather than mostly driving down the road with your rig The motor home is better for driving down the road but the trailer is better for sitting. Also, many motor homes have a generator that might come in handy in power outages. Motor homes have the added engine maintenance costs. Finally, a consideration that is biting me in the backside: What kind of furnace do they have? Are you going to take propane tanks off every week in the winter to go have them filled? Are they 50 amp rigs with electric heaters? Remember, every park doesn't have 50 amp and every region won't let you have an external propane tank. Have fun.509Views0likes0CommentsRe: CheapHeat Add on for Propane Furnace
Thanks for the information Old Biscuit. It sounds as if I would have to have the 50 amp service. Most of the campgrounds I have checked into require the full timer's to pay their own electricity. I don't really know what it would run, but it would have to be cheaper than heating a home. Even propane is getting expensive anymore. BarbaraOK wrote: What size external tank are you talking about? And are you sure there are no local ordinances prohibiting it? In Mesa, you can't fill tanks in a park, but you can have a dealer deliver replacement tanks and take the empty ones away. Barb I don't know about ordinances. I just know the propane dealers won't do it. There are two main kinds of tanks that I can find. First, the horizontal tanks that are fixed at the site. The local dealers require them to be hard piped to a permanent structure. They would be measured in gallons. None of the dealers here have 250 gal. tanks so it would be a 500 gal. I figure I will use around 300 gal a year. The second kind of tanks are vertical tanks. They are filled by weight. They include the tanks on the trailer which are 30#. I can buy 100# tanks, but the dealers won't fill them at the site. The older trucks used to be able to do it, but the newer trucks have no way to measure the weight and risk over filling. They make larger vertical tanks but I wouldn't be able to handle them. I have to lift them alone and the 100# tanks weigh 170# when full. The dealers don't have the smaller tanks to deliver to the site to exchange. They just have 500gal and larger tanks. Even if I wanted to run back to the propane dealer to have the 30# or 100# tanks filled every week or two, it would be a lot more expensive than even the electric. I priced it at the local dealer and they said 300 gal of propane delivered to a 500 gal tank would cost a little over $300. But the same amount of propane dispensed 30# at a time into smaller tanks would cost $1200. At this time, my best two options are either something like this cheap heat or abandoning propane all together and having an all electric heater put in. I don't want to do that because in the future at another campsite, I may be able to use the propane and save money.174Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Jan 13, 202519,006 Posts Full Time RVers
Thinking about becoming a full-time RVer? Ask the experts.Dec 28, 20241,587 Posts Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 13, 202544,029 Posts
