videoarizona

Yeppers! I knew that would happen to you. We lasted 5 months, then bam! Found the unit we wanted. At least yours is located within a days drive! I went to Knoxville, Tn to get mine! Please spend as much time as you cant there going over the systems....I can't stress that enough. Top to bottom!! That's close to the the same weight as mine so you should be fine....a headwind will slow you down significantly, I relaxed and enjoyed it. Westbound in Oklahoma...I had serious headwinds the whole way. The huge rest area flags were straight out! 63mph in 3rd gear was the cruise speed. It didn't help that it's uphill all the way across Oklahoma. BTW, I have the same entertainment island separating the bedroom from the living area. We like it except, in ours, with the slide in...I can't get out! A minor issue as our slide takes up less space when out so I can use it all the time... I hope you get a good weight distribution hitch....with anti-sway. My E2 is a blessing. We have some good winds and I've had no issues. Feel free to call if you have any questions....I'm almost an expert now...geesh. hitching up to leave....love this hitch... Enjoy! P.S. Put a half tank of fresh water in for travel. Yea you are carrying weight, but the stability is better with the weight over the axles...

Pretty! How far from home was this ??

Yes, John is still around and on FB. A few months ago he quoted me for a VMax rear for my 2nd gen. I'm re-thinking about really doing that swap. I think the 2nd gen trannie is just not right!

Tombstone: Boot Hill Cemetery... From one of my rides to the area. Love riding down here....

I went with the tunable Firestick on my 89. Left everything else stock. Works.

Du-Ron, I caught that too...... Puc...gotta say, Bro....that's OK. Sad but OK! Your trips and tales of CTFW have been magical for me. Reading and following your adventures has been so much fun. Your rides were the reason I got back into riding! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

Like the layout! But that's a heavy unit. Needs 3/4ton diesel to tow. I also don't like that with the slide in, the person sleeping on the right side can't get out easily. But that's just like mine. So if we stop at Walmart for the night, not putting out the slide means I have to crawl over the wife to get out. The TV may not be watchable as well with slide in. But that's minor. BUT, all said and done...this is the first unit I've seen that fits both of our desires. I like the separation of toys to living.

Well said. My Yukon XL tows 8400lbs with class 3 or 4 hitch. 12Klbs with WDH. I would never come close to either of those numbers....nope. I tow: 4200 pounds of sailboat. 6500 lbs of trailer (if fully loaded) Doubt that will happen. Empty weight is 5100lbs. With a capacity of 1750lbs on the truck...that's max for me. I would not put that much in truck either. So wife and I and clothes and tools plus tongue weight of 605lbs...I'm at around 1100lbs capacity..leaving 600 lbs reserve.

I see Roadrunners about every day at my home. Rattlers are more scarce. But we do see them when they come out to play. Many times you will see one dead on the road...skinned. Hispanics love the skins for their use.... What I've only seen once is a Gila Monster. They are very shy. Everything else I've seen...

Ordered! Thanks! ps, GOOD EYES!

I don't like sleeping where the bike is. Putting it out every night. My wife doesn't like the smell of fuel/rubber/etc., while she sleeps....so the toy hauler concept didn't even get off the ground at my home!

Don, you are 100% correct. Most units are very similar in build and quality can be hit or miss. After a few years of learning, I went with the best "value" for the $$ I wanted to spend. By "value", I mean...what fit my wants and needs the closest. I found that a 3 to 4 year old unit would still be in good shape and the P.O. would have had time to make any changes they needed to make the unit more liveable to them. So I got extras from the P.O., like a remote control for the awning, lights and slide out. important if you are in a tree area ...to be outside and watch the slide out deploy so I wouldn't hit anything. He made some sliding doors for the overhead, put clear silicone around all the glass cabinet doors to keep the glass from rattling, added coat hooks and such that do come in handy. And more.... When you buy, the dealer usually gives you a 2 hr orientation. I said no...I was going to be there all day and we were going to go from the roof to the undercarriage....every single item on my list was going to be addressed. I EVEN SENT THEM MY LIST. They agreed. I got there at 9am and left at 4pm. We went through everything.... So my advice, for what it's worth, is to choose the trailer that fits your lifestyle within your budget. Then look at the different manufacturers, since most of them have very similar floor plans. For instance, one company has a space at the end of the counter with nothing there, where another company with same floor plan put two shelves in that same empty area! Also, try to get a plan that has more waste tankage than fresh water. I carry 60 gallons fresh, and have 28 gallons black and 39 gallons gray. This minimizes your ability to run out of waste space, although gray tanks can get easily full in a short time if you aren't frugal with your showers and sink usage. I don't run with full water, but nice to know I can. Enough...you will find what you like...

Geesh...you were right around the corner from us guys in Tucson! It is a beautiful area to ride...isn't it! Glad you enjoyed our little area of the world!

Most Excellent! I wish I had the patience and energy to do what you did! Thanks for the pictures!

Don, Here's a hint... Coleman 249RB. I love it. Lighter than most. Better built than most. Very well laid out inside and out. https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2015-dutchmen-coleman-travel-trailer-floorplan-249rb-tr24118 Notice how user have rated it over all travel trailers for the 2015 model year... https://www.rvguide.com/specs/dutchmen/travel-trailer/2015/coleman/249rb.html P.S. Your Toyota will pull it nicely. Recommend the E2 trunnion 800/8000lb WDH.

Sorry to hear you are put away for the winter.

Update: Just got back in from our 1st camping trip in our trailer. Went to Patagonia Lake State Park. Nice place. I'm impressed ...the park had clean sites, clean bathrooms and clean showers. And lots of hot water...so I didn't bother to try our shower, just used theirs! We left my home in Green Valley and it poured rain all the way to the campgrounds, which are located on the other side of the mountains in this first picture. It rained all the rest of the day and into the evening. My first time setting up the trailer and leveling it, was done in the rain. Plugging the AC wasn't a problem, I simply turned off the breakers and plugged in. Then turned the breakers on. Standing in water....didn't want any fried Davids. The lake is small, but the south end...pictured here...is large enough to water ski on.... We had space #53 . Halfway between the beach and the showers. Nice trees gave me shade as the temps hit the high 70's. And of course....dinner....no comment needed. The Admiral, Pat, found some things she didn't like, so I got out the tools and let her have fun. She loves power tools and making "things" better! She didn't like the way the P.O. had screwed in a small wood track for sliding doors that he put in....so she decided to "repair" them! Nice 3 days...low 60's at night so I got a chance to see and feel the heater work, and high 70's so we could test out the AC. Everything works.... Then the sad part..... ...hitching up to go home. Our next adventure in the trailer is Dec 3rd. When we meet 5 other sailboat friends at the Lost Dutchman State Park campground for 5 days! https://azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman/ Our next Arizona adventure is in one week when we take the little sailboat out for 4 days with some of our same trailering friends and their boats. I'll document that for youse guys and gals as well.....thankfully, no snow here yet! Grins!

Prayers Up, Pucster....

I have to agree, Cowpuc. My experiences don't ring as well as others when it comes to Seafoam. I've found it's a maintenance product not a true cleaner. 2 lawnmowers, 3 scoots and 2 outboard motors are my experience base. For a year now, Seafoam has been trying to clean out the passages of a 2.5 hp outboard to no avail. (I'm not really trying hard there) I had the same problem with the 6hp. What cured the 6 was good old carb cleaner. That took less than a day to clean out a carb that had been sitting without any fuel in the lines or carb but must have had some still in the little passages. I'm not that concerned about the 2.5 even though it's a new motor with about 12hrs on it. Maybe in January when we won't be boating for the month, I'll take the carb apart again, and this time use carb cleaner. Those tiny carbs have such tiny orifices, it doesn't take much to clog them. Meanwhile, I row the Zodiac to and fro. The Admiral says it's good exercise...row, row, row! (She can't row...hmmm) BTW, no more lawn mowers! Yippee! Seafoam does seem to work on the scoots as I keep some in there when I'm not running around and have no issues. But again, I've found it doesn't really clean like a good carb cleaner, rather it will help keep a motor running despite the worst intentions of Congress with their ethanol love relationship. BTW, it's my fault on the little 2.5. I did put it away with fuel in it and Sta-bil. But it was longer than a year before I picked it up to use it. That was not my intention not to use it, the chance didn't come up where we needed a dinghy. Sta-Bil is good stuff, but it's not made to work for ever. Sigh.

Will have to try Harrys...can't believe I haven't been there. Darn it....If we weren't so busy with boat and trailer, I'd ride up to visit! Ah well...maybe I should look into setting up a meet and greet in the mountains next year. Hmmm. As if I didn't have enough to do!!

Paul, My allergy doc said rinse the sinus's twice a day. Once in the shower and then once at night before bed. That is doing more for my allergies than all the meds combined! At least for now...be curious how I handle it come Spring.

I don't envy youse guys and gals....I think I'm done with living in winter. I love the snow and cold, but only when I want to deal with it.... I'm walking to the post office on New Castle Island in New Hampshire a few years back. It's the little white building in the center. I lived there for almost a year then moved back to AZ. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Castle,_New_Hampshire I lived in what was a tavern, built in the mid 1770's. The Sons of Liberty used to meet there just before the American Revolution. The original 4 rooms are still intact and the small stairway to the 2nd floor is still original. Walking up them in bare feet is an experience....the steps are indented where people walked and the finish is silky smooth and worn beautifully and still in it's original wood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Liberty Our back yard looking at the River. The original horse trail/road to Boston went right through this back yard. Think Paul Revere riding past here. Now the road is on the other side of the house...and it's 4 feet from the front door. In Winter, the snow plows pile the snow almost to the 2nd floor.... Loved it there...didn't like being cooped up in Winter. I'm used to being able to do anything I want pretty much 365 days of the year. Spoiled. Spent all day today on the travel trailer. Cleaning, adjusting and packing. Getting ready for our first trailer experience on Tuesday. 14 years of camping in the sailboat...including multiple trips to Catalina Island, San Diego and the lakes around AZ. And 2 cross-country summer trips where the boat was my RV. It was fun, but a bit cramped. Looking forward to having room! The next 3 weeks, the Admiral and I have one camping trip with trailer, then 3 trips to the lake with the boat. November is party time for us in Arizona. Warm enough to enjoy being outdoors and yet cool enough to not break a sweat. Looking forward to December...we can relax and party like normal people! I'll try to take lots of pics of our adventures to help you, my heavy feathered friends, endure the winter ahead...

You and Tip are most welcome! Please make sure you stop by on your next journey West...especially if you come out this winter. Remember, I have 2 scoots...so we can ride around southern Arizona. Make sure you plan to stay a few days...ok?! Luv ya both back!

To update the post... Haven't been riding much since I got back from my cross country visiting FlyingFool and Cowpuc. Been chasing after a travel trailer and getting my allergies looked at. Gave up last week on allergies...the meds are worse than not being able to breathe! Finally got out for a ride today....kept it simple as I need to get home and put the hitch on the truck and get ready to bring trailer to house this weekend. I have a "HoneyDo" list like steam clean the mattress, etc., You know how that goes. It's supposed to rain this weekend so I need to get as much done as possible in the next few days. Went up to the Elephant Head area...about a 50 mile round trip the way I went. Needed to get the bike good and warm....it hasn't run in a while. Sure was a nice day...70's and cool wind.