This is my second post, the first with my full member name. Thanks for the kind replies to my first post. I've spent a few days studying things Foretravel, and I still think the Grand Villa's tinkle my fancy. (Especially after looking at the photo's of Kent's!) Our comfort level budget wise would be a curve from about 20k now to about 120k in the next couple of years.
Jill and I were wondering about how state park friendly a 36 foot motor home is. We have a drug store in western Kentucky, and many days we are the entire staff. That, plus the fact that our nest isn't empty, but our chicks are fledglings makes us think that we're likely to make quick weekend trips to nearby state parks for a while.
How does backing down into a spot compare with a fiver? I often times had to back into a narrow spot that was at almost a right angle to the road. My fifth wheel was a 32 footer, and I would cut hard then pull up to get around the corner.
The next time we go to the lake I'll try to notice who is camping where.
Thanks for your help, and please PM me if you have anything to share. I'd especially like to learn from other's mistakes, so feel free to tell me what you would do differently.
Johnny,
I guess it all depends on where the trees are as you back up to the site. I've never had any issues...then again, we drive a 34 footer...and 2' does make a difference.
In my opinion, backing a Fiver combination requires a lot more skill and room than backing a 36' motorhome.
I have never been unable to find a parking spot with my 36' or 40' coach at any campground including many state parks. However, I have never been to state parks in Kentucky.
My experience is that the coaches are much easier to back into a spot than the 5th wheels I see parking.
You an back in anywhere tighter than you can pull in. It is the fact tht the turning tires are up front like on a forklift.
As to fitting in with a 36 foot. I have had a 34 foot a 36 foot and now a 42 foot. If I was to pick ther perfect sized coach, it would be a 38 foot with a Tag axle. That will be my next coach.
Welcome! We spent the first 3 "learning years" with a 36' just like the one Kent has for sale. Invaluable!! We took it all over the US and, living in Pennsylvania, we had lots of narrow, winding roads and campgrounds with shorter, narrow sites. The smaller unit was perfect. We learned how to drive it on the way home from Mesa, AZ where it was purchased and never looked back. We were Dairy Queen owner/operators and I understand your work schedule EXACTLY. The beauty of a motor home is that it is almost ready to go at a moment's notice. Give it a few hours to get the fridge to temperature and you are ready to roll! Great to have you with us!
Am going to Punderson State Park, Ohio and Wellesley Island State Park, NYS this summer Have reservations already for next year at Anastasia State Park and Blue Springs State Parks in Florida. Just returned last week from Skidaway Island State Park, Savannah, Ga. Have also stayed at Evangola State Park and Walkins Glenn State Park in NYS and at Percy Quin State Park in Mississippi. Most states have web sites which give descriptions and sizes of the sites in their state parks. Reserve America.com , is a web site which contracts with many of the state parks for reservations, and it list all the necessary information. We often stay at State Parks or Federal parks as it is much more reasonable than private parks. Always check to make sure we can fit their sites. And when you make reservations, they want to know how long you are. Many older state parks have sites which are small, so one has to check and is in some cases limited to which parks one can stay at. Florida is that way. They have many parks where my 36' Foretravel will not fit. But they also have many parks where we can fit into. And we have the same size coach as Kent's old coach.
I have to say thinking on what Kent said, I have not found a place I can not fit either. In fact I am going to Jackson WY and called and even though the max is 40 foot they said they have a site that I can fit in just barely. So, I can now say that I have not been told no yet at 42 foot. I have stayed at COE parks and National parks and I prefer commercial parks over the state parks. The National Parks are in the destinations I want to go and most of the time they have something for us too. COunty parks are newer and some COE (Corp of Engineers) parks usually have a place for us too. I am at 42 foot and it may be a pain to level and I will have to drive up on blocks to do it but I can get in...
As to what Carol said, a Motorhome is always ready to go. I have mine plugged in the fridge on and mostly packed. Meds and some food and the dogs and we are ready to go. I left the other day in one hour from the time I decided to go.
Johnny, I have never had a real problem in any park with my 36' In Hannah Park in Jacksonville, I did scrape up a sand dune pretty Good but I still got in.
One of my favorite parks is the COE Park east of Paducah at Lake Barkley, My Dad was born W of Paducah in a town that no longer exists and I would like to spend more time in that area. I especially LOVE the US 60 Bridge into Cairo from Wickliffe. :'(
I just checked ReserveAmerica.com for a couple of our favorite state and municipal parks. I did not find those parks among the many listed. I use, and contribute to, RVParkReviews.com. We have been pleased with the information there. It is a free service that might complement the information at ReserveAmerica.com.
I use OvernightRVParking.com to find spots to park overnight while traveling. It is a subscription service, but a subscription for a year is about the price of one stop at a commercial park. I contribute to that forum as well, and get a two week extension for a current validation of a listed site.
We keep the 'fridge on all the time. I have defrosted maybe three times in a year. Our lead time includes loading food, clothing, and "necessities" that don't have duplicates in the coach.
We are very pleased with the 36' coach with no slides. We use the coach for a guest room at our fixed home, for trips that include overnight stays, and for visits to family that last up to about three weeks.
Best wishes in your search for the right RV for you.
I was and still am a very novice driver. My 36' 92 U240 is fairly easy to get around in. I've stayed in a county park in Charleston where I had to back into a narrow space but it wasn't a big deal. The pull through spots are nice but not necessary. My GPS took me off the highway and through Washington DC on city streets during rush hour. No issues. Buses are bigger. I took some back country 2 lane roads through PA the year before last with no problem. My unit is 96" wide (I think) and they went to 102" (I think) a few years after. I am glad I don't have the wider body based on my confort level driving it and backing into tight quarters. I really wouldn't be afraid to drive it anywhere except through high mountain situations as I don't have the aux. braking or retarder and none can be fitted on the first units with the 3116 & six speed. Even then I think I'd be OK with just the airbrakes if I just went slow on the downgrade. Went from Las Vegas to Williams, AZ last summer and never felt uneasy on any of the grades. My rig spent most of its life indoors and cosmetically looks great and it still has under 100,000 miles. I was thinking about selling but my daughter just got into UF so there will be many overnight or weekend stays in the Gainesville area over the next few years so I changed my mind. These older Foretravels are a fantastic value for a high end diesel pusher. You can't even come close to getting something like this for $25,000-$30,000. There are a few issues with the older units though. I just had to have the radiator fan hydraulic pump system reengineered as there is no drop-in replacement available and I was told the old pump wasn't rebuildable. Not fun in the middel of a trip. The Audit monitor just failed so I am replacing with the totevision unit. Also, the single biggest drawback is the propane generator. Mine is having issues so I will be taking it to Cummins soon. The older units like mine sit lower and thus have the lower basement compartments and will not accomodate a diesel generator. I really hate looking for propane on the road as I like to stay in a campground only upon reaching a destination and between I do the Walmart or Cracker Barrel thing. If I had it to do over I'd look for something like mine but once they went to the diesel generator and the aux braking but still in the narrow body with no slides. I don't even know if there is such an animal. But I do know it would be a Foretravel.
Dwayne, I now have a U300 that has the diesel genie. I actually like the propane genie on my U225 better. It isn't as noisy and it put out plenty of power with low to no odor. You still need the propane for the furnace, hot water heater and refrigerator.
You can add and exhaust brake, PAC Brake, to your unit for about $1200 that will allow you to go anywhere with it. Another great addition is an inverter if yours doesn't have one. There is plenty of room in my U225 for adequate batteries so I assume your U240 also has room.
Like you, I prefer the 96" wide body and the lower roof. The shorter bays were just fine for tailgating and vacation trips. The taller bays were the primary reason I went to the U300 when we decided to go full time.
All in all I agree with you about the older Foretravels. There is no better value in motor homes.
Just back in from spending night at Kentucky Lake, I'm excited to get all the replies to my post. Several have answered questions that I hadn't thought of yet.
I may have been by the campground Gary mentioned this weekend. Its called the "Canal Campground", and is a COE campground on the canal connecting Kentucky Lake and Lake Barclay. It's one of our favorites and is about 45 minutes from our home. I have to say though, anyone who loves the US 60 Bridge into Cairo from Wickliffe is one tough cookie! That bridge is scary bad! Especially today as I bet the wind is gusting 20 mph.
How's this sound? This morning I was fixing breakfast for Jill and Charles (our 17 year old). When we are at the lake, the deal is I'm the cook and bottle washer. I was about half way done, when the phone rings and I'm told the alarm is going off at the drug store. Long story short, someone smashed the front door and ran in and out. Now, this is at about 8:00am in the morning. Our store is on the court square within sight of city hall! Two of my buddies on the city police force were waiting for me when I got there, and they were on the scene in minutes after the alarm went off.
Thanks again for the replies, it looks like this forum may be one of the best things about owning a Foretravel!
OH! So sorry that you had a nitwit encounter and had to run home. Hopefully, there is a camera nearby ... but my experience tells me that it will probably just have to be endured. We emptied our registers every night and let the drawers stand open ... a testament to the fact that there was no money in them, and still we had brain addled idiots who would try and smash a window to grab something. A good alarm system and a good relationship with the local constabulary is all you can do. We did not have any Schedule I or II goodies inside ... just Dilly Bars! Hope you get a nifty new door!
Johnny,
I have parked my 36 footer in State Parks all over Florida, Georgia and South Carolina over the past 3 years. I've had no problems at all, even in the sites that Reseve America said were 35' max.
I use RV Park Reviews.com also and find it to be an excellent source of information. Some reviewers will even recommend which sites to request.
On the propane generator, after a Cummings serviceman explained the need to keep the breather underneath the generator clean of dirt dappers and water, I have had no trouble at all. I like it a lot better than the gas ones I have messed with.
Jerry,
This guy didn't even slow down and get the change in the cash register. I leave it open, but with a few dollars in it just to make change if I have to go back after hours. On the bright side, my competitor from down the street just called and asked if there was anything he could do for me.
I love small town living!
Do you folks sleep with your generators running? I've never been able to do that, even with a CO detector. On the boat in the summer I open all the windows and roast.
If air conditioning is required and we are not on shore power, we run the generator through the night. So far we have had no ill effects. We have a Powertech generator with a Kubota diesel engine. The exhaust port for the engine is below the coach near the driver's position.
Johnny, The remark about the Wickliffe/Cairo bridge was meant in jest, that bridge has instilled fear and caused tears for more than one Motorhomer.
Gary,
Is that bridge old and rusty and narrow?
Yep George, if you don't know how wide you are when you start up the bridge you will find out when you meet a log truck. ;) Makes MH'ing exciting.
(https://www.foreforums.com/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F2%2F24%2FOhio_River_Bridge_Cairo_to_Wickliffe_Interior.JPG&hash=b96b7d49cc7999f4cad31752f53b6636" rel="cached" data-hash="b96b7d49cc7999f4cad31752f53b6636" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/24/Ohio_River_Bridge_Cairo_to_Wickliffe_Interior.JPG)Photo by Chris Light - Copyright by Chris Light, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License and Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
Edit: Photo did not work. Here is link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_River_Bridge_Cairo_to_Wickliffe_Interior.JPG#filelinks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_River_Bridge_Cairo_to_Wickliffe_Interior.JPG#filelinks). And yes, it could be intimidating.
Yes, we use the Benny all the time. Sleeping with it on is a comfort. In faction the summer I turn I on when I pull out the garage and turn t off when I plug in at the campground.
As to width, look further down the road. It is easier to drive that way. It will take you about 500 miles to start to get comfy driving. At 10k mikes you will relax at 200k you will say it is easy and at 300 k youwill wish you had all the money you spent on diesel back. ;D
John, I ASSUME That BENNY is the guy have turning the crank on your generator ? ;D
I never have a problem parking 36 ft in the State parks in Arkansas. These Corp of Engineer lakes make their money from the camp grounds and most can accomadate 40 ft and up. Of course they will still have a number of smaller spots for tent pads but most will have ample rig parking because the number of "rigs" has grown so in the last 15 years.
Back in the late 60's early 70's there was a bridge going into Cario that had a curve at the foot of it. 2 lane and that's where I cut my teeth in a diesel rig. I was a 21 year old kid and was scared out of my wits. There were 2 bridges near Cario and I'm not sure if this is the one you guys were talking about but that one was a booger. I would pray not to meet another truck while crossing but always did. Very tall , very narrow and very shakey.
What's a Benny?
best, paul
I also have a 36' U320 and by the way it is for sale right now due to divorce.
Just don't try to get into any of the state parks in California. I have never found one that had large enough spaces for the 36' or there were just too many low tree and bush limbs. Of course I have heard that some of the parks were going to increase the size of their spaces, just wonder if they will trim the trees and bushes so you don't have to scratch up the FT.
I believe that's the bridge Dubs. The curve is on the Kentucky side.
I'm not sure if I should start a new topic when I have another question, but feel free to tell me if I make a forum faux pas. It won't hurt my feelings.
So here's the next question: How far from away have you looked for a motor home? I think the farther I went, the more confident I would have to be that the deal was going down. I realize this is a personal matter, but I'm curious about what you all have done.
I'm enjoying your topics on this forum, thanks for the education! Hope I can help out sometime...
Johnny:
This should be a new topic. I think you will get a lot of answers.
Good deal George and Sandy, I'm on the steep part of the learning curve!
Returning to the subject of State Park Campgrounds, Jeff and I are presently in the Balmorhea State Park campground in Toyahvale, TX. This is just off Rt 10 west of Ft. Stockton. It is small, but has pull-thrus that easily accommodate our 40' U320 & toad. Not much to do here, but the scenery is fine and the BIG excitement is the huge pool! Fed by a natural spring that sends out several million gallons per hour, it is actually about 70 degrees! Clear as a bell and with lots of little fishes and big fishes to see while you are swimming. Totally unexpected! Cleverly, we have fins and snorkel gear (also totally unexpected, as we are almost never that well prepared) and spent a few hours yesterday paddling around. I am thinking it may be another "Fountain of Youth"!! Check it out if you are traveling by.
Carol & Jeff, You need to go a little further west to Fort Davis and up to the McDonald Observatory in the Davis mountains. There is something going on there this Saturday the 9th. Check it out worth the trip
Jimmy
Thanks Jimmy,,
Have been to both, but McDonald Obseratory and Fort Davis are such great places will be staying the weekend.
Will check out Saturdays happening..
Jeff & Carol
Carol. I can't believe you are anywhere near Ft. Stockton!!!!
I figure the reason Ark has expanded so many of the state parks is to capitalize on more tourism. I suppose camping is the biggest family hobby down here. Seems like everybody goes and most have rigs.
Kent,
We sure had a great time that month we spent in Fort Stockton.
Yup...the last AR state park I visited was Devils Den south of Fayetteville, and it had nice large sites with 50 amp full hook-ups.