| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: Toad Braking Systems
We have the M&G system on our Z71 Avalanche. We also had it on our Jeep Wrangler earlier. Our motorhome has about 138,000 miles on it, most of them towing miles. This system has been trouble free and only takes seconds to hook up. What I really like is that with a diesel pusher, it is not applying brake force when only the retarder is engaged. We had the Jeep system installed at a shop in Houston and the Avalanche system installed at the M&G factory in Athens, Texas. I have been so happy with this system that I wouldn't consider anything else.
|
robanddi
|
03/17/10 01:34pm |
Dinghy Towing
|
|
RE: It's official - just reserved at Teklanika CG in Denali NP
Sue
We have left our dogs at Alaska TLC Kennels in Wasilla twice for about 2 weeks each time. We have also left them at Noahs Ark/Animal House (once) and Klondike Collie Kennel (twice), both in Fairbanks for shorter periods of time. We liked all three kennels but there are plenty of kennels to choose from in the more poulated areas. I'd recommend a reservation though.
|
robanddi
|
03/17/10 06:14am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: Alaska TourSaver book - questions
I agree get the book early. We have gotten the book 3 times for 3 different summers and will get it again when we return. (Two summers we had visitors for two weeks and they got the book also and saved plenty of money over a two week period.)
I found the book was not organized in a very useful fashion so I now go thru it and fill in a spreadsheet (on my laptop) which includes attraction, town, and page number. This was very useful as we wandered around AK and also, in a few cases, determined where we went and when.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
03/14/10 10:02am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: Alaska or North Atlantic
We summer 'camped' in Alaska in 2000, 02, 04, 06, and 08. We did the Atlantic Provinces in 2001, 03, 05 and 07. We will go to both again (currently we are home bound caring for my father).
Why Alaska? Magnificent scenery, lots of animals, and some of my favorite Canadian Provinces are on the way there and back. Food ... halibut is to die for and dungeness crabs are the very best. Also lots of Texans went to Alaska for the oil and brought along the Tex Mex habit so you can get good Tex Mex food there.
Why Atlantic Provinces? Great (and often magnificent) scenery, quite a few animals and best whale sightings ever. Newfoundland/Labrador is our favorite province for the people; we love their parks, the coast line, icebergs, etc. Food ... great lobster for relatively cheap, cod is excellent, and fresh crabs can be had easily. There is a lot of history associated with all the eastern provinces.
Diann
P.S. Rrugs, not sure if I understand 'in your face' scenery but will try to share a couple of camping sites from Newfoundland.
La Scie Campsite
http://public.blu.livefilestore.com/y1plAsPJizhzjGTgLvYvphohAkW6HnkC4Oan_H2vQRItEfOWoKWXQLk59GayLR1OsvhYd55NV44jLapRba67EmJ6Q/06%2009%20Day%20025%20011%20See%20DP%20on%20overlook%20at%20La%20Scie.jpg
Outside Twillingate Campsite (red car is local; we are only campers)
http://public.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pWjzHT8QCUYbfY2LWdUVrbfH2lt0h0fYErmNHN-vP-06_FSV6cJ87HDj2C5VkLAWlUBOa47sx_l4IWXXGLMqThg/06%2010%20Day%20026%20016%20Robert%20and%20Germans.jpg
|
robanddi
|
03/11/10 10:46am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: Newfoundland/Labrador or Alaska?
Another vote for Newfoundland….
Retirement is wonderful. We have spent 5 summers in Alaska and 4 summers in the Atlantic Provinces and will do both again!
With limited time and starting from D.C., I recommend (highly) Newfoundland and Labrador. I would suggest not doing the 500 mile road back via Quebec (sorry, Little Kopit) because there are too many things to do in Newfoundland and the Maritimes for your relatively short time.
We took the long ferry from Argentia once and much prefer the shorter ride to/from Port aux Basque and North Sydney. This route requires some backtracking but in our opinion that’s not been an issue. Definitely get the literature early to help plan your trip and also use local visitor center facilities (they are excellent throughout Canada).
I second/third/or whatever the poster who mentioned the people in Newfoundland. They are friendly funny and very generous. We travel independently which enables us to meet more locals (or at least I think that is the reason) and have been delighted. They will share anything and everything and it is often hard for them to accept anything in return. I always travel with ‘food’ from home and have enjoyed watching our new friends try to eat nachos with great big jalapeno slices! As a die-hard Tex-Mex lover, there is no good Mexican food to be had on the island (sorry, Little Kopit, and you do know I have tried them all) but there is wonderful food especially if you like lobster, crab, fish, scallops, etc. I’m getting hungry thinking out it.
On our last trip we spent two month just on the rock (Newfoundland) and never got bored. I think my husband and I have driven more roads in Newfoundland than 90% of the locals. We have camped everywhere including beaches, school parking lots, Walmart, provincial parks, national parks and private campgrounds!
Happy travels.
Diann
P.S. PM me if you have specific questions.
P.P.S. Below is a link to my albums (I have a lot of pictures but they are organized by date). Check out 2007 05, 06, and 07. Photos are grouped by 'area'
Diann's pictures
|
robanddi
|
03/04/10 06:12am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: MS Streets w/GPS vs Delorme Earthmate w/GPS?
I use both. For me Streets & Trips is easier to use for planning purposes. DeLorme tracks faster so I like to use it when we are rolling. There are features of both packages that I like.
Ease of use is such a personal thing. I'll go out on a limb and state that S&T is more left brained. It seems more intuitive to me but that may be because I have used IBM and MSN products forever. DeLorme is more right brained and I would suspect that Apple/Mac folks would find it easier to use.
Oh, well, that's just one person's opinion.
Diann
P.S. When our speedometer broke coming home from Alaska in 2008, we bought a GPS system so hubby could track his speed. Loved the GPS so much bought one for my regular car and use it ALL THE TIME.
|
robanddi
|
02/16/10 07:14am |
Technology Corner
|
|
RE: Outfitting the RV
Agree with emmmw re personal choice. We use both - paper for dry camping and sometimes other days; regular for normal. I have Corelle and I don't put anything between plates or bowls. I do use those 'Walmart' shelving units in different sizes to give additional shelves in my cabinets. We have gone to AK and back (5 times) and to Newfoundland and back (4 times) with no breakage.
I have small cabinet over the microwave which has been perfect for spices. I use a couple of shallow plastic box bottoms to hold them in place. I also put all baking products in plastic boxes which stack (stacking is very important) and only once did the flour slide out when I opened the cabinet after rough road. Naturally it openned so I had some cleaning up to do.
Diann
P.S. I do use the 'rubberized shelf liners between pots and pans and their lids to reduce noise (we do a lot of bad roads).
|
robanddi
|
02/08/10 06:14am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Toilet Paper???????????
Thanks for the feedback. I'm still 'worried' about the slow disolving ones even thou it may not matter in the long haul. I will say that we don't/won't use the covered trash can approach. Number one we have a very inquistive dog and I don't want to temp her. Second, we live in the south and it gets hot here so odor can build up sooner and bigger than in the cool climate of Canada.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
01/07/10 01:01pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
Toilet Paper???????????
We have always used Quilted Northern toilet paper at home, in our cabin (on a septic tank), and in the motorhome. No problems. Suddenly several months ago I noticed that the manufacturer had reduced the width of the roll (for cost savings?) so I decided to try other brands.
I had read somewhere to avoid Charmin because it did not dissolve well. I bought Kirkland (Costco brand) but it comes individually wrapped which is a pain and unnecessary for our usage. I got Scott single ply by mistake and hate it.
What do you use and are you happy with it?
Diann
P.S. Wasn't sure in which area I should put this post. Thought about life style and then decided the moderator will move if deemed appropriate.
|
robanddi
|
01/03/10 04:51pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: What's your favourite place in Canada?
Another vote for NEWFOUNDLAND! We love it and the people are great. However, I will say that we enjoy all of Canada. Currently we are home bound and did not get to travel this past summer (bummer). When we resume RV'ing we will definitely head north - east, west or somewhere in between.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
12/30/09 03:40pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: alaska tour saver
Get the tour book before you go ... will help with planning plus there are/were some discounts for Canada (Whitehorse attractions are an example). We are avid supporters as one whale watching tour will recoup cost of the book. Two different summers we had friends and family fly up and join us. We recommeded they get the book even thou they were gonna be in Alaska for only 2 weeks. In both cases, they easily recovered their cost!
Diann
P.S. My only complaint was I don't/didn't like the organization of the book. Getting it early enabled me to study and plan attractions that made sense and appealed to us.
|
robanddi
|
11/25/09 05:30pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: Traveling to Nova Scotia
How could I have forgotten Digby! Best scallops in the world and some of the best whale watching is south of there.
Diann
P.S. You can PM me with specific questions.
|
robanddi
|
11/25/09 06:56am |
RV Lifestyle
|
|
RE: Traveling to Nova Scotia
Before commenting we really ought to know what y'all like ... history, nature, lazing, etc. As you enter Nova Scotia by road there is an excellent Visitor's Center. Don't pass it up. They offer maps, advice and lots of information.
I will throw in a few suggestions based on what we like (nature, history, people). We have spent four summers in the Atlantic provinces, 3 weeks is short time coming from Florida so..........I would advise skipping PEI and concentrating on Nova Scotia. I strongly agree with stopping off in Maine - both directions - and enjoy the lobster.
IMHO Cape Breton is more than a day drive. We like to camp on the eastern side for a couple of days and on the western side for several days to enjoy better what each has to offer. There is wonderful hike on western side (can't remember the name)which generally lets you see moose and at the end spot pilot whales from the point. Halifax city tour is excellent. Halifax also has fantastic maritime museum. We have camped several times in city park in Dartmouth (across the river) and driven into Halifax.
Diann
P.S. Save up your vacation time and/or wait for retirement and go to NEWFOUNDLAND! We love it there but the ferry ride (cost and time) really dictate that you spend more time than you will have on this trip.
|
robanddi
|
11/25/09 06:41am |
RV Lifestyle
|
|
RE: Canadian Maritimes Intinerary - Comments?
On August 5, 2007, we did the following trip south of Digby and it was fantastic! Zipping Zodiac Whale and cost us $60 Canadian/each and well worth it.
“What a great day. We had planned to do chores (at least I did) when our neighbors knocked on the door and asked if we were interested in going on whale boat tour today. I sort of said no … we had not made arrangements for the dog, etc. etc. After they left to shower, we talked and I thought some more and it is gorgeous day so I told Robert let’s do it.
We drugged Abby and crated her and slammed everything together. I packed an ice chest, jackets, binoculars, etc. We pile into the truck and head to the place. Then I find out it is in a zodiac. We have been wanting to do this BUT I am drinking a diet coke and the boat tour is 3 hours!!!
Turns out the tour is just us and the other couple who are camped next to us in Digby. We had a wonderful time. Did not see any breaching but being in a zodiac puts you at eye level with the monsters. It was truly awesome. We got very very close. Could not really touch them but I could have jumped on one. In fact two of them (we were in the middle of a pod of four humpbacks) slid underneath us. Wow! You could hear them breathing … heavy. In fact we could smell their bad breath! We even (according to Reid, our guide) saw one ****! I think we are now spoiled and will want to do the zodiac thing instead of regular boat. It is more expensive but it is also more interactive, especially when there are only 4 of you in the boat.
They furnish the ‘shark bait’ orange jump suits which are supposedly flotation devices. They also furnish gloves. It was hot enough even zipping across the water at 25 mpg for me to take my gloves off and unzip and fold down my jumpsuit. I was the only one that did that.
We get home around 3 after leaving first restaurant for not getting waited on, getting outdoor BBQ (Robert and I got bacon wrapped scallops … delicious) and fast food place while waiting for ferry (Robert and I split scallops and fries … these were even better than the first ones). Abby was glad to see us but still drugged.”
|
robanddi
|
11/19/09 07:06am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
|
|
RE: RV Housekeeping/ my favorite addition
Velcro!
I put it on back of all remotes and then put matching strips inside cabinets so we have secure place to store those pesky little things. I also put it on back of our cell phones and then put matching strip on dashboard or whereever it is convenient (I do this in DP and our cars so we can always find the phone). I use it to hang light weight photos/pictures. I put it on bottom of laptop (industrial strength) and before I got my 'drawer' I put matching strips on the small wooden table I got at Camping World to secure laptop on top. I use the little straps to secure extension cords and cables of all sorts.
Diann
P.S. It is best to put the non-hook strip on the movable objects else your cell phone will stick to your clothing if you put it in your pocket.
|
robanddi
|
11/14/09 04:26pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Foretravel Coaches
We bought our 'used' 34' from the factory in 2002 and there was wiggle room then on $$$. Ours was not a consignment but resulted from a trade (original owners decided after less than a year they wanted a slide). Both of us think we got a good deal.
We used to always go to factory for service and fixes but for the last several years have gone to MOT and been very satisfied.
Good luck and if you did reach a deal I hope you enjoy yours as much as we have enjoyed ours (we have put over 120,000 miles on it and we aren't full-timers).
Diann
P.S. We had a great orientation by grandson of Fore when we picked it up. In fact we spent hours and hours with them since I wanted to know how every single item worked and also have it demonstrated. I strongly encourage spending the night on site and really going over everything in detail. There is a lot of stuff to cover and it can seem overwhelming ... it was not our first Class A but first diesel and this one had lots more bells and whistles than our gasser.
|
robanddi
|
11/06/09 03:15pm |
Class A Motorhomes
|
|
RE: pusher 30 to 34 ft
We've had our 34' Foretravel for seven years and it has about 136,000 miles on it. Handling and comfort are great, I can drive it all day without getting tired. It got a little squirrelly after about 85k miles and a new set of Koni shocks corrected this.
|
robanddi
|
11/06/09 07:34am |
Class A Motorhomes
|
|
RE: The "non-essential must-have" items - What's on your list?
Re: Suitcase
Depending on how long you are going for and also if there might be a possiblity of side trip (overnight flight, canoe, boat, etc.) you may want to consider a suitcase. I pack extra linens in a duffle bag which I store under the sofa. On long summer trips we have used it on overnight jaunts. Also, it could be needed if one or both of you have to fly home for some family or medical emergency.
Again, unless you know you will be needing, only bring it if it can be used for something else. In almost all rigs space is a premium. I am notorious for bringing too much and then have the hassle of sorting thru the 'extras' to find what I really need.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
10/26/09 12:14pm |
Beginning RVing
|
|
RE: US 14/16 Cody,WY to W. Yellowstone thru Sylvan Pass
Be prepared for snow! We drove that route on June 6, 2008. Click below for some photos:
Yellowstone
We were unlucky as they closed the road 30 minutes after we drove thru due to the storm. It was hairy but driving slow was the key. Lots of folks who had gone into Cody for the day ended up having to rent motel rooms since they could not return to campgrounds in Yellowstone. Our first campsite that trip was at Fishing Bridge.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
10/26/09 09:46am |
Roads and Routes
|
|
RE: The "non-essential must-have" items - What's on your list?
Camera and a lap top.
Diann
|
robanddi
|
10/26/09 09:38am |
Beginning RVing
|
