Everything happened so fast it's a blur. We sold our 2008 Monaco Diplomat and our toad, a 2007 Jeep Wrangler. We've been wanting to downsize and go part time with shorter trips. We now own a 2013 Ram 2500 Hemi pulling a 2012 Coachman Chaparral Lite 275RLS. I think the size is more suited to what our future plans hold. We are currently looking for land in Washington for summers and for winter head to places south. Will be good to get out of California.
Looking forward to getting acclimated to towing a 5er versus the motor home. We will be using RVillage.
A couple stock pictures...
Terry and Jo said
02:28 PM Mar 23, 2014
Congratulations, Dan.
Looks like a good plan to me. Just don't forget to check in and keep in touch, even if you are only part-timing. You are STILL a good source of information for new prospects at RV'ing.
Terry
DebbieM said
02:41 PM Mar 23, 2014
Looks great, congrats! Hopefully we'll be leaving CA right behind you this summer!
cherylbrv said
04:16 PM Mar 23, 2014
Why do you folks want to LEAVE CA? I thought that was a good destination (coming from someone in NJ who knows nothing about the "other" coast!) I hear Washington is very rainy, but what's wrong with CA?
TRAILERKING said
05:01 PM Mar 23, 2014
Hopefully that 2013 Hemi don't suck fuel like my 2005 Hemi. Mine is bad just pulling itself around. then hook up to something ............Then it get's REAL BAD.
bigboomer said
05:26 PM Mar 23, 2014
Congrats on the new coach.....safe travels!
NWescapee said
07:29 PM Mar 23, 2014
Congrats Dan - looks like a nice rig. We totally understand your plans for WA in the summer, we love it there in the summer, but we aren't missing the winter there at all.
@ Cheryl - for many the desire to leave CA has to do with the cost of living and very high taxation within the state. WA is a great place in the summer, Western WA is rainy 10 months out of the year but usually July and August are FANTASTIC!! We will continue to spend our summers there and look forward to it. Eastern WA is not nearly as rainy, has a true 4 season climate, again, for us a place we love in the summer. Spring and fall there are nice but I have no desire to spend another winter in Eastern WA, or for that matter, another winter anywhere that gets snow.
DebbieM said
10:27 PM Mar 23, 2014
Cheryl - It's not necessarily leaving CA, it's just *leaving* in general and heading out full-time to see other areas. I was born and raised in CA. The state has so much to offer, beaches, mountains, valleys so many different climates and landscapes. It's my favorite. I've camped in almost all states and lived in Upstate NY for several years, but I'm a mountain girl and love the Sierra mountains.
Running a small business in CA is tough tax-wise. Seems if one state has a high a,b,c tax, some other state will have a high d,e,f tax. Just depends on where you are in your life and what you're doing at the time. Our property tax in the county I live in is only 1%. Our sales tax is 7.45. We don't have tax on food items. So it's not that bad. There is a lot of government though. Gasoline is expensive. Vehicle registration is expensive.
I just want to get on the road and enjoy ALL the states!
phyllen said
05:32 AM Mar 24, 2014
Gongrats. We will be visiting WA state for the first time this summer on the way to Alaska. Looking forward to seeing what the state has to offer.
NorCal Dan said
01:21 PM Mar 24, 2014
Thanks for all the kind comments. We like CA. but discovered the pacific northwest is even better. Taxes, vehicle registration, and insurance in CA. can make a huge dent in your wallet as other have mentioned. After workamping in Elkton, Oregon for a couple summers and then Long Beach, Washington (right on the beach) we decided that was where we wanted to spend our summers. Our winter plans we may head south to Reno to spend a couple months working at Amazon for peak and then meander down to Q-Town for a couple months before heading back north. That's the beauty of having a home on wheels and the freedom to move if and when we want.
I will not be leaving RV-Dreams. Way to many nice folks in here that I would miss. Only now I should have a better idea when I read about trailer type issues ;)
As for the Hemi engine and mpg I don't know how it will perform. When I took delivery the saleman reset the economy screen when doing the PDI. Then when I took the truck back in to have all the work done that was included as part of the deal they flashed the computer with a firmware update and I lost all the data again. But last numbers I saw showed a little over 12 mpg. But it's going to take a couple tanks of fuel before I get a better average. I'm hoping to at least match the numbers I had with the diesel pusher and be at or above 10 mpg when towing.
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
06:02 PM Mar 24, 2014
The Hemi will do fine with it especially if you slow down and enjoy the ride.
NorCal Dan said
12:45 PM Apr 27, 2014
First trip with the 5'er is over and we survived. What a difference from our MH travels. The Ram Hemi engine sure does love fuel...averaged just under 9 mpg for the entire trip. I was hoping for better, but considering the hills we had to traverse I think 9 is a good number.
We were unsuccessful in our search for property in Long Beach WA. Apparently they do not want RV'ers living there all year long. Took the air out of our sails. Still we had a good trip, loved the cool wet weather on the coast. It was fun getting back to the area and Oscar loved running on the beach.
On the down side, the furniture in the 5'er is junk. Neither the couch or booth dinette is anything close to comfortable and must go. We may have to cut them into pieces to get them out...they must have built the trailer around them. And then we need to find new furniture that will fit thru the door. We added a foam memory topper to the bed and thank goodness fixed that problem.
Small problem with the hot water. Found I could take a shower with just the hot water valve open. But after I turned the water off at the shower head while soaping up, when I turned the water back on I got a blast of scolding hot water. Yep, outside shower was the problem.
Still need a fix for the fresh water tank. Seems if you fill the tank the water will siphon out the overflow hose. Not sure how or why it happens. The underside of the trailer is enclosed so I can't see the tank or anything else under the trailer. Debating on removing the cover, or at least make it easy to remove for maintenance. In the mean time I just won't fill the tank completely.
All in all a great maiden trip in the 5'er. Discovered I am a total clutz at backing up to my blind side. I've never practiced that before and hope it doesn't happen very often. Not sure why it's more difficult...maybe because I couldn't see...so I just kept going forward and backwards until I had a view and was able to get into our spot. (If you're wondering what I mean by blind side, imagine you pull up to your site and it's on the passenger side of your truck).
Terry and Jo said
06:25 PM Apr 27, 2014
Dan,
Good to hear from you again. Some of the RV furniture goes in before the slides are put in place, or are put in before large window are installed. Oh, and the furniture in some high-end RV's aren't comfortable either. We replaced both of out recliners and the couch after only one trip in our coach.
As for long-term stays, you might consider checking into mobile home parks in the area. Some of the ones here in Oklahoma City even have an area set aside for RV's. The mobile home parks might not be as nice and scenic as RV parks, but it might be an option.
As for backing to one's blind side, that isn't easy even for those of us that have done it for years. Years of operating 18-wheelers and RV's like travel trailers and fifth wheels hasn't helped me a lot. However, I've not done a great lot of traveling to get more practice.
Terry
manycats said
10:04 PM Apr 27, 2014
We have a 27' 5r too but are not full-timing yet. My plan is to remove the dinette also. Manufacturers don't live in their RVs so their choice of furniture is not the most comfortable. Keep in touch and let us know how you're doing. Many of us have similar plansand would love to hear from you.
NorCal Dan said
02:37 PM May 4, 2014
I took the 5'er in to the local dealer to see if they could figure out why the fresh water tank siphons all the water out of the tank when traveling down the road. They were unable to find any problem with the system and all they told me was to not fill the tank completely.
Anyways, they had an accident while moving the rig, they caught the rear ladder on something so they ordered a new ladder. I left the rig with them so they could fix it as soon as the ladder arrives so I have been unable to see about getting the furniture out. I don't think the booth dinette will be a problem, but the couch will be if it doesn't come apart. Our plan is to put in 2 recliners to replace the couch, and I am going to put a desk in the other slide-out for my computer and ham radio's. This rig has opposing slides in the living room that are 3 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Makes for a very large living room but we have to be careful when parking to ensure we have enough clearance on both sides. There is a small slide in the bedroom just for the closet that is maybe 1 foot deep. Compared to our motor home we find we like having some walls that don't move ;)
We had considered alternatives for long term parking, but most involve additional $$ fee's that we are trying to avoid. SKP parks and other similar membership parks all have recurring annual costs for upkeep of common area's and may include garbage, water, and security. They also tend to have closely spaced neighbors. So for now we are going to keep our condo and just take trips from here. The condo is easy to seal up and leave for extended periods. We just finished up an 1 year trip that took us to Payson, Arizona for 4 months and then Coffeyville, Kansas for 8 months with Amazon and the condo survived just fine.
As for backing up I know I need to practice. We are still working out our signals as sometimes the DW and I are not on the same page. Next time we go out I am going to switch places with her so we each get an idea of what the other person is going through, what they can or can't see, and find the best way to make the job easier for both of us. She never liked driving the MH, I think the size really intimidated her and scared her. I didn't mind as I enjoyed driving the bus. But she asked the other day if she could handle this rig and I assured her it would not be a problem. So I need to get her out driving it and getting some practice at backing it up.
This month we don't have a trip planned but next month I am sure we will be headed to the coast. It is already getting hot here in the valley with temps exceeding 90 degrees. We will need to road test the new furniture to make sure it meets or exceeds expectations.
TheNewhalls said
08:58 PM May 4, 2014
NorCal Dan wrote:
I took the 5'er in to the local dealer to see if they could figure out why the fresh water tank siphons all the water out of the tank when traveling down the road. They were unable to find any problem with the system and all they told me was to not fill the tank completely.
I have the same problem with my MH. Mine will drain about a third of a tank. I think the overflow tube is too far down in the tank and needs to be adjusted. If yours is still in warranty they should fix it.
NorCal Dan said
07:29 AM May 11, 2014
Thanks Gene. I am going to leave it for now. On our return trip from Washington I made sure the water tank was not full and it did not siphon out. Once I get the rig back I will do some investigating and see if I can find anything myself. We still don't have the rig back...the new ladder arrived at the dealer from UPS and it was already smashed. They had to order another ladder and that means another 2 week wait. But we have access to the rig and I could have it if I needed it but nothing is pressing right now so we just left it with them.
With the temperature expected to be close to 100 this coming week here in California we are seriously considering an RV pad type property on Long Beach WA. again. We love the area and want to be near the ocean. We are looking forward to summers in Washington and winters in CA. at the condo and then Quartzite AZ. in January.
bjoyce said
10:20 AM May 11, 2014
Some National RV RVs had a similar problem with siphoning. A solution that worked for was to replace the overflow hose with a longer one that had a vertical loop in it, something like a p-trap. Part of the loop would be above the top of the water tank.
MarkS said
10:45 AM May 11, 2014
Blind side backing can be a challenge. Last week while putting the fiver away in storage I was blessed to have both my wife and the guy that works in the storage to "help" me blind side the fiver into its place between a commercial truck and a motor home. After a few minutes of whoa's and frantic left or right turn directions, I got out of the truck and asked them both to sit in the golf cart quietly and watch. They were both well behaved as they watched me goal a couple of times and slip the fiver dead straight in the slot. They grumbled when I thanked them for their nonparticipatory assistance. In my case, there are two secrets to a happy marriage, one is "yes dear" and the second is "please just relax and let me do this for you" (read: sit down, shut up and let the pros handle this).
TheNewhalls said
06:22 AM May 12, 2014
Dan,
As an update: After the RV-Dreams Rally we traveled 500 miles in two days with about a quarter tank of fresh water. When we got home I filled the fresh water tank until the overflow tube just started to drip and I immediately switched over to city water. The overflow tube stopped dripping and no siphoning. Still had a full tank the next morning. I think not allowing it to drip any more than necessary might have stopped the siphoning before it got started. Next week we start a long trip across country to Las Vegas, Colorado, Iowa and then back across to Boston MA I'll know better if that corrected the problem.
NorCal Dan said
06:28 AM May 15, 2014
If the siphoning becomes an issue I will put a screw in the end of the hose...simple and effective ;)
Everything happened so fast it's a blur. We sold our 2008 Monaco Diplomat and our toad, a 2007 Jeep Wrangler. We've been wanting to downsize and go part time with shorter trips. We now own a 2013 Ram 2500 Hemi pulling a 2012 Coachman Chaparral Lite 275RLS. I think the size is more suited to what our future plans hold. We are currently looking for land in Washington for summers and for winter head to places south. Will be good to get out of California.
Looking forward to getting acclimated to towing a 5er versus the motor home. We will be using RVillage.
A couple stock pictures...
Congratulations, Dan.
Looks like a good plan to me. Just don't forget to check in and keep in touch, even if you are only part-timing. You are STILL a good source of information for new prospects at RV'ing.
Terry
Looks great, congrats! Hopefully we'll be leaving CA right behind you this summer!
Hopefully that 2013 Hemi don't suck fuel like my 2005 Hemi. Mine is bad just pulling itself around. then hook up to something ............Then it get's REAL BAD.
Congrats on the new coach.....safe travels!
@ Cheryl - for many the desire to leave CA has to do with the cost of living and very high taxation within the state. WA is a great place in the summer, Western WA is rainy 10 months out of the year but usually July and August are FANTASTIC!! We will continue to spend our summers there and look forward to it. Eastern WA is not nearly as rainy, has a true 4 season climate, again, for us a place we love in the summer. Spring and fall there are nice but I have no desire to spend another winter in Eastern WA, or for that matter, another winter anywhere that gets snow.
Cheryl - It's not necessarily leaving CA, it's just *leaving* in general and heading out full-time to see other areas. I was born and raised in CA. The state has so much to offer, beaches, mountains, valleys so many different climates and landscapes. It's my favorite. I've camped in almost all states and lived in Upstate NY for several years, but I'm a mountain girl and love the Sierra mountains.
Running a small business in CA is tough tax-wise. Seems if one state has a high a,b,c tax, some other state will have a high d,e,f tax. Just depends on where you are in your life and what you're doing at the time. Our property tax in the county I live in is only 1%. Our sales tax is 7.45. We don't have tax on food items. So it's not that bad. There is a lot of government though. Gasoline is expensive. Vehicle registration is expensive.
I just want to get on the road and enjoy ALL the states!
I will not be leaving RV-Dreams. Way to many nice folks in here that I would miss. Only now I should have a better idea when I read about trailer type issues ;)
As for the Hemi engine and mpg I don't know how it will perform. When I took delivery the saleman reset the economy screen when doing the PDI. Then when I took the truck back in to have all the work done that was included as part of the deal they flashed the computer with a firmware update and I lost all the data again. But last numbers I saw showed a little over 12 mpg. But it's going to take a couple tanks of fuel before I get a better average. I'm hoping to at least match the numbers I had with the diesel pusher and be at or above 10 mpg when towing.
First trip with the 5'er is over and we survived. What a difference from our MH travels. The Ram Hemi engine sure does love fuel...averaged just under 9 mpg for the entire trip. I was hoping for better, but considering the hills we had to traverse I think 9 is a good number.
We were unsuccessful in our search for property in Long Beach WA. Apparently they do not want RV'ers living there all year long. Took the air out of our sails. Still we had a good trip, loved the cool wet weather on the coast. It was fun getting back to the area and Oscar loved running on the beach.
On the down side, the furniture in the 5'er is junk. Neither the couch or booth dinette is anything close to comfortable and must go. We may have to cut them into pieces to get them out...they must have built the trailer around them. And then we need to find new furniture that will fit thru the door. We added a foam memory topper to the bed and thank goodness fixed that problem.
Small problem with the hot water. Found I could take a shower with just the hot water valve open. But after I turned the water off at the shower head while soaping up, when I turned the water back on I got a blast of scolding hot water. Yep, outside shower was the problem.
Still need a fix for the fresh water tank. Seems if you fill the tank the water will siphon out the overflow hose. Not sure how or why it happens. The underside of the trailer is enclosed so I can't see the tank or anything else under the trailer. Debating on removing the cover, or at least make it easy to remove for maintenance. In the mean time I just won't fill the tank completely.
All in all a great maiden trip in the 5'er. Discovered I am a total clutz at backing up to my blind side. I've never practiced that before and hope it doesn't happen very often. Not sure why it's more difficult...maybe because I couldn't see...so I just kept going forward and backwards until I had a view and was able to get into our spot. (If you're wondering what I mean by blind side, imagine you pull up to your site and it's on the passenger side of your truck).
Dan,
Good to hear from you again. Some of the RV furniture goes in before the slides are put in place, or are put in before large window are installed. Oh, and the furniture in some high-end RV's aren't comfortable either. We replaced both of out recliners and the couch after only one trip in our coach.
As for long-term stays, you might consider checking into mobile home parks in the area. Some of the ones here in Oklahoma City even have an area set aside for RV's. The mobile home parks might not be as nice and scenic as RV parks, but it might be an option.
As for backing to one's blind side, that isn't easy even for those of us that have done it for years. Years of operating 18-wheelers and RV's like travel trailers and fifth wheels hasn't helped me a lot. However, I've not done a great lot of traveling to get more practice.
Terry
Anyways, they had an accident while moving the rig, they caught the rear ladder on something so they ordered a new ladder. I left the rig with them so they could fix it as soon as the ladder arrives so I have been unable to see about getting the furniture out. I don't think the booth dinette will be a problem, but the couch will be if it doesn't come apart. Our plan is to put in 2 recliners to replace the couch, and I am going to put a desk in the other slide-out for my computer and ham radio's. This rig has opposing slides in the living room that are 3 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Makes for a very large living room but we have to be careful when parking to ensure we have enough clearance on both sides. There is a small slide in the bedroom just for the closet that is maybe 1 foot deep. Compared to our motor home we find we like having some walls that don't move ;)
We had considered alternatives for long term parking, but most involve additional $$ fee's that we are trying to avoid. SKP parks and other similar membership parks all have recurring annual costs for upkeep of common area's and may include garbage, water, and security. They also tend to have closely spaced neighbors. So for now we are going to keep our condo and just take trips from here. The condo is easy to seal up and leave for extended periods. We just finished up an 1 year trip that took us to Payson, Arizona for 4 months and then Coffeyville, Kansas for 8 months with Amazon and the condo survived just fine.
As for backing up I know I need to practice. We are still working out our signals as sometimes the DW and I are not on the same page. Next time we go out I am going to switch places with her so we each get an idea of what the other person is going through, what they can or can't see, and find the best way to make the job easier for both of us. She never liked driving the MH, I think the size really intimidated her and scared her. I didn't mind as I enjoyed driving the bus. But she asked the other day if she could handle this rig and I assured her it would not be a problem. So I need to get her out driving it and getting some practice at backing it up.
This month we don't have a trip planned but next month I am sure we will be headed to the coast. It is already getting hot here in the valley with temps exceeding 90 degrees. We will need to road test the new furniture to make sure it meets or exceeds expectations.
With the temperature expected to be close to 100 this coming week here in California we are seriously considering an RV pad type property on Long Beach WA. again. We love the area and want to be near the ocean. We are looking forward to summers in Washington and winters in CA. at the condo and then Quartzite AZ. in January.
Dan,
As an update: After the RV-Dreams Rally we traveled 500 miles in two days with about a quarter tank of fresh water. When we got home I filled the fresh water tank until the overflow tube just started to drip and I immediately switched over to city water. The overflow tube stopped dripping and no siphoning. Still had a full tank the next morning. I think not allowing it to drip any more than necessary might have stopped the siphoning before it got started. Next week we start a long trip across country to Las Vegas, Colorado, Iowa and then back across to Boston MA I'll know better if that corrected the problem.