TexasCHLforum.com

carlson1 wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:Lake Catherine SP in AR may be the nicest State Park we've ever stayed in. Just sayin'....

I used to dive in Lake Catherine back in the 80's. Also Lake Quachita in Arkansas is beautiful also. About 20' down it became real cold and crystal clear. That is a beautiful place. Someone just told me this week that Arkansas had the best parks and I should try Little Daisy. I know I love Beavers Bend in Broken Bow, OK.

Lake Catherine is way ahead of Beavers Bend.

Lake Catherine SP in AR may be the nicest State Park we've ever stayed in. Just sayin'....

10-4 on the ceramic space heaters !

carlson1 wrote:Speaking of dumping. . . for others with experience. . .when set up and a "full sight" do you leave your gray and black water valves open or do you leave them close until 1/2 or so full and then empty them?

Mxrdad wrote:Couple more suggestions:

3. Even though mine had a heater (propane and thermostat) I found a little $ 40.00 ceramic space heater was more than efficient to heat the MH. I slept better knowing the space heater (in my mind anyway) was safer. I wasnt crazy about a fire in a TT or MH. It had a safety switch to shut it off if tipped over and was small enough to put out of the way.

We did the same in our other 5th wheel. What is nice about our new one is it has one of the electric fire places in it.

Not a great picture, but this is ours now. It is short enough I am not so nervous pulling it.

Black closed until dump time. Grey open for showers, etc. If I think about it, I may close the grey the day before dumping to have rinse water for sewer hose.

If it hasn't been mentioned, run a couple bowls of water into your holding tank once you get set up before the toilet is used. The solids will need the water to break them up so that they'll flow out at dump time.

Ask me why I mentiond this...

OH! Did you get the $100 decorator's rug for under your awning yet? If not, there are 9x9 (?) pieces of outdoor carpet at Lowes and HD that will do the job as well. They'll roll up and ride well on your rear bumper secured with bungee cords.

We have a folding table from Walmart that serves us well under the awning. Just sayin'....

Happy Trails to you......

Thanks for the well wishes, y'all. The cemeteries already have lotsa' folk younger than us in residence. With that thought in mind, we're headin' up to the White River tomorrow and then maybe on over to Nashville and down the Natchez Trace one more time. This is the best time of the year!

We'll be back in the Pineywoods when we're back.

Mrs. Oldgringo has just been diagnosed with COPD, I have Hypomagnesemia, etc. and have been waiting a month for a Dr. appt. that won't happen until next Month. The heck with it! We're heading up to the White River in the Ozarks as soon as we can get loaded/hitched up. We can die there with a fly rod and/or a camera in our hands as well as anywhere - if it's our turn to die.

CARPE DIEM, there may not be a tomorrow.

They're not among our favorites but we have stayed in Walmart parking lots. Walmarts, for the most part, welcome overnighters; however, there is a Walmart website that deals with RV'rs and tells what is expected and gives locations where RV's are NOT allowed overnight. The negatives are mostly city ordinances.

FWIW, our stays in Walmart parking lots have ended up costing more than a night in a KOA RV park.

WTR wrote:

carlson1 wrote:

WTR wrote:I bought a 25' Coachman to live in during an out of town project. We then took to the Wolf Creek area for vacation every year. I definitely recommend a weight distribution hitch and a diesel to pull it with (especially in the mountains.)

He doesn't need a diesel to pull this trailer. It's weight is only 2880. That can pulled with a light weight tow vehicle.

Being in construction I have pulled a great variety of weights and trailers with heavy 1/2 tons and 3/4 ton gas engine trucks. I bought a diesel in my last truck. There is nothing like a Cummins under the hood. He takes that trailer into the mountains with any type of grade and he will wish he had the torque of a diesel......been there done that. Diesel will give you better mileage and longivety.

We pull our Sportsmen 290 with a Dodge Ram Hemi back and forth to Montana without any problem whatsoever. More importantly than pulling is stopping. Ours performed an unanticipated panic stop in Dallas very nicely. While the truck and trailer stopped in time without mishap, the seats did need cleaning.

10-4 on the leveling, anti-sway hitch configuration!

The Annoyed Man wrote:

carlson1 wrote:

Abraham wrote:TAM,

Did you get stabilizers?

If not, get them installed before you pick it up.

They're inexpensive and you'll thank yourself a thousand times for getting them.

Don't quote me on this, but being a new trailer it should have 4 stabilizers already on the unit. One for each corner.

It does have them, at all 4 corners.

A Dewalt cordless drill makes short work of our four stabilizers.....just sayin'.

You did good getting the slide. That'll give y'all enough room to pass each other without taking a number....or something. The smaller size has a benefit that you may not have anticipated; i.e., the RV sites in some/many state parks will not comfortably accommodate a RV larger than that; e.g., Daingerfield State Park in Texas and Finley Point State Park in Montana, et al.

Our TT is a 29' Sportsmen in which we have spent the summers (5-6 months each) of 2010-2015 as seasonal employee Camp Hosts for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 2,000 miles from east Texas.. We are thankful to have been able to see some outstanding sights, meet some great, and some not so great, folk and we're still married.

If we can get our mutual health back on track, we're gonna' hit the road again. There are places to go and sights to see. CARPE DIEM!

Dan20703 wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:My two experiences with RVs and TTs is this:

So, not counting food, the trip cost us about $2,700 in round numbers.

The best thing about this vs an RV is that when you get home you don't have to pay anymore.

...and you know what's under and in the bed.

This thread has gone up to three pages of advice and opinion. As Camp Hosts in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks state parks the past five summers, we've met all of these folk....in one form or another.

Like I said earlier, RVing ain't for everybody and it may not be for you. Rent before you buy and try it, y'all may like it. (emphasis on y'all)

Mrs. Oldgringo, I and our two cats have spent the last five summers in our 30' TT as Camp Hosts on Flathead Lake in NW Montana and loved it. Before that we spent entire summers in Lake City, CO. Before that, after we retired, I did contract jobs aboard Camp Lejeune and at Ft. Hood. We've been to a lot of places and have seen some sights. We plan on going up to Colorado for a month or so after Labor Day, health permitting.

The above have been said, RVing ain't for everybody. The best advice in this threat is to rent a motor home and try it out. After that rent a TT and try it out. If y'all like RVing, used ones are for sale everywhere....including ours.