Once I bought the 2002, 40ft Revolution, "Whoopee Wagon" as Bunk calls it, found out it would not fit down my driveway.... Rented a spot up the road a bit. I have tented since childhood (long long time) and this is my first foray into RVing. Dreamed about it for a long time.
Since I can't get it down my drive and the rental spot is just a place to park, now I have the problem of where in the heck do you go to flush and fill the water tanks and check things out. All are empty, but would like to check everything out and make sure I have no leaks ect. Is there someplace like a truck stop that you would pay to use facilities??? Tenting is soooo not complicated!
This is probably the begining of a long list of "HELPS"???
Bill Adams said
07:51 AM Jun 3, 2011
While not the most convenient, almost all of the Flying J truck stops have dump and fill facilities. As long as you have your Flying J card it costs $5 to dump (otherwise $10). It might be better if there was a local campground where you could spend a night and go over all the connections, filling, dumping, flushing (optional) as well as cable TV, electric, satellite hookups, etc. Lots to be checked out and it's better to find out what questions you might have early on.
-- Edited by Bill Adams on Friday 3rd of June 2011 09:50:44 AM
Laura and Bunk said
07:58 AM Jun 3, 2011
Thanks Bill, overnighter sounds like a good idea. (Imagine me bonking myself in forehead) I will try that, campground not too far from home, good practice run.
Laura
Penny and Paul said
12:08 PM Jun 3, 2011
That's what Penny and I did the first few times out. Not only got to check out the systems, but got the whole parking thing down as well.
Oh- and Hello!
-- Edited by Penny and Paul on Friday 3rd of June 2011 12:09:13 PM
Laura and Bunk said
02:08 PM Jun 3, 2011
Hello Penny and Paul!
Made reservations @ campground!
Learned how to drive and park that rig when I bought it Tuesday, now that was fun. Sure is a bit larger than my Miata, not as much fun on curves either : ). Of course a campground is a little different to park in then a paved lot, although the space is only about 12 feet wide at the lot. Thank goodness for back up camera LOL
Until Bunk gets himself in gear and retires he has handed over the "new toy" jobs to me, thats fine, love it.
Ckerr said
08:45 AM Jun 4, 2011
Congrats on the new "toy!" Have fun figuring out all the ins and outs... It's really not that bad.. Where are you planning to do your embroidery stuff?
Laura and Bunk said
08:53 AM Jun 4, 2011
Ckerr wrote:
Congrats on the new "toy!" Have fun figuring out all the ins and outs... It's really not that bad.. Where are you planning to do your embroidery stuff?
Thanks, it is fun, been retired for a year and this is sure keeping me from being bored!
I think someone else on the forum was talking about embroidery, I can barely so a button on :}
Laura
rclvnv said
06:58 PM Jun 4, 2011
Welcome. The local campground is the place to try everything out, for sure. We've always taken any new RV to the closest full-hookup place we could find and checked them out. An added bonus would be if the close by place is enough of a change from home, to be a true get away. We are now f/t in ours, but for years we had two close get away places. The first,12 mi away to check out new rigs and if we were really pressed for time but needed a change, the second a lakeside place about 60 miles from here that remains a favorite, even now. Enjoy
The Hensons said
06:07 AM Jun 6, 2011
You might go here and look for the nearest dump station. I did and found a casino about 1 mile from my house with free water/sewer.
Laura and Bunk said
06:18 AM Jun 6, 2011
Thank you, just checked out the "Dump" site. Very nice, bookmarked it on the lap top that will probably go with us.
Laura
Steve C said
09:23 AM Jun 6, 2011
Just wanted to respond to what Bill Adams said about "dumping" your RV tanks at Flying J. It will let you know how little I know. We stopped many times at Flying Js and got fuel and emptied our tanks. Never did pay for doing that. I assumed that it was a free service that Flying J provided to get my fuel business. Maybe my face will show up on a wanted poster at Flying J as "The Freeloading Dump Station Bandit!!!!"
Wish I had not read Bill's comments. I could have honestly claimed ignorance!!!!!!
Steve
RVRon said
10:56 AM Jun 6, 2011
Steve C wrote:
Just wanted to respond to what Bill Adams said about "dumping" your RV tanks at Flying J. It will let you know how little I know. We stopped many times at Flying Js and got fuel and emptied our tanks. Never did pay for doing that. I assumed that it was a free service that Flying J provided to get my fuel business. Maybe my face will show up on a wanted poster at Flying J as "The Freeloading Dump Station Bandit!!!!"
Wish I had not read Bill's comments. I could have honestly claimed ignorance!!!!!!
Steve
Flying J's dump stations USED to be free and we used them too! I think they revamped their fuel discount system within the last year and that included charging for the use of their previously "free" dump station.
Laura and Bunk said
11:57 AM Jun 6, 2011
I could see me doing something like that Will keep eyes out for "wanted poster".
Can see why RVers start blogs and web pages, the funnies list must get really long. Considering all the trouble I can get into tenting, just wait until full timeing starts. Will have to learn a whole lot before too long.
Laura
-- Edited by Laura and Bunk on Monday 6th of June 2011 11:59:06 AM
heyduke said
06:59 AM Jun 7, 2011
well congrats and welcome to the learning experience... we bought our first RV 5 months ago and started fulltiming 3 months ago... the learning was really not as steep as I thought it may be and found there are a lot of helpful people along the way.
The Crumps said
10:09 AM Jun 7, 2011
I agree with the helpful neighbors part. All you have to do is look a little perplexed in trying to hook something up or fix something and you'll always get help from very knowledgable people who have experienced it all and know how to do it right, including some shortcuts. It's been so nice to get some input from "old timers."
Bill Adams said
10:29 AM Jun 7, 2011
Dumping at Flying J had been free prior to the take-over by Pilot so there will be no poo police looking for you! Since then the changes have been slowly taking place at their facilities. There is now a lock on the dump at most locations and you will need to pay the dump fee before you can access this convenience.
Laura and Bunk said
11:03 AM Jun 7, 2011
Bill Adams wrote:
Dumping at Flying J had been free prior to the take-over by Pilot so there will be no poo police looking for you! Since then the changes have been slowly taking place at their facilities. There is now a lock on the dump at most locations and you will need to pay the dump fee before you can access this convenience.
AWWW, I was looking forward to seeing posters!
I would have been surprised at having the dump for free. At least they offer the service. After spending the last few days looking for different services (with the forums help) I find going to the camp grounds is going to be the best way to accomplish just about all I need to do.
Laura
Steve C said
03:29 PM Jun 7, 2011
I know in the Michigan State Park System last year we bought a season entry pass windshield sticker and it seems that we could enter and get fresh water and use the dump station even when we were not staying at that campground. Maybe the same in other states. Not sure???? Maybe others will share their similar experiences.
Once I bought the 2002, 40ft Revolution, "Whoopee Wagon" as Bunk calls it, found out it would not fit down my driveway.... Rented a spot up the road a bit. I have tented since childhood (long long time) and this is my first foray into RVing. Dreamed about it for a long time.
Since I can't get it down my drive and the rental spot is just a place to park, now I have the problem of where in the heck do you go to flush and fill the water tanks and check things out. All are empty, but would like to check everything out and make sure I have no leaks ect. Is there someplace like a truck stop that you would pay to use facilities??? Tenting is soooo not complicated!
This is probably the begining of a long list of "HELPS"???
While not the most convenient, almost all of the Flying J truck stops have dump and fill facilities. As long as you have your Flying J card it costs $5 to dump (otherwise $10).
It might be better if there was a local campground where you could spend a night and go over all the connections, filling, dumping, flushing (optional) as well as cable TV, electric, satellite hookups, etc. Lots to be checked out and it's better to find out what questions you might have early on.
-- Edited by Bill Adams on Friday 3rd of June 2011 09:50:44 AM
Thanks Bill, overnighter sounds like a good idea. (Imagine me bonking myself in forehead) I will try that, campground not too far from home, good practice run.
Laura
That's what Penny and I did the first few times out. Not only got to check out the systems, but got the whole parking thing down as well.
Oh- and Hello!
-- Edited by Penny and Paul on Friday 3rd of June 2011 12:09:13 PM
Hello Penny and Paul!
Made reservations @ campground!
Learned how to drive and park that rig when I bought it Tuesday, now that was fun. Sure is a bit larger than my Miata, not as much fun on curves either : ). Of course a campground is a little different to park in then a paved lot, although the space is only about 12 feet wide at the lot. Thank goodness for back up camera LOL
Until Bunk gets himself in gear and retires he has handed over the "new toy" jobs to me, thats fine, love it.
Thanks, it is fun, been retired for a year and this is sure keeping me from being bored!
I think someone else on the forum was talking about embroidery, I can barely so a button on :}
Laura
Welcome. The local campground is the place to try everything out, for sure. We've always taken any new RV to the closest full-hookup place we could find and checked them out. An added bonus would be if the close by place is enough of a change from home, to be a true get away. We are now f/t in ours, but for years we had two close get away places. The first,12 mi away to check out new rigs and if we were really pressed for time but needed a change, the second a lakeside place about 60 miles from here that remains a favorite, even now. Enjoy
You might go here and look for the nearest dump station. I did and found a casino about 1 mile from my house with free water/sewer.
Thank you, just checked out the "Dump" site. Very nice, bookmarked it on the lap top that will probably go with us.
Laura
Just wanted to respond to what Bill Adams said about "dumping" your RV tanks at Flying J. It will let you know how little I know. We stopped many times at Flying Js and got fuel and emptied our tanks. Never did pay for doing that. I assumed that it was a free service that Flying J provided to get my fuel business. Maybe my face will show up on a wanted poster at Flying J as "The Freeloading Dump Station Bandit!!!!"
Wish I had not read Bill's comments. I could have honestly claimed ignorance!!!!!!
Steve
Flying J's dump stations USED to be free and we used them too! I think they revamped their fuel discount system within the last year and that included charging for the use of their previously "free" dump station.
I could see me doing something like that
Will keep eyes out for "wanted poster".
Can see why RVers start blogs and web pages, the funnies list must get really long. Considering all the trouble I can get into tenting, just wait until full timeing starts. Will have to learn a whole lot before too long.
Laura
-- Edited by Laura and Bunk on Monday 6th of June 2011 11:59:06 AM
I agree with the helpful neighbors part. All you have to do is look a little perplexed in trying to hook something up or fix something and you'll always get help from very knowledgable people who have experienced it all and know how to do it right, including some shortcuts. It's been so nice to get some input from "old timers."
AWWW, I was looking forward to seeing posters!
I would have been surprised at having the dump for free. At least they offer the service. After spending the last few days looking for different services (with the forums help) I find going to the camp grounds is going to be the best way to accomplish just about all I need to do.
Laura
I know in the Michigan State Park System last year we bought a season entry pass windshield sticker and it seems that we could enter and get fresh water and use the dump station even when we were not staying at that campground. Maybe the same in other states. Not sure???? Maybe others will share their similar experiences.
Steve AKA: "The Dump Station Bandit"