We just completed our nine-month, 10,000 mile USA dream tour in our 1997 U270. It performed like a champ. From ice, wind and sand storms, to many long miles on the road, she just kept performing reliably and comfortably.
Lessons learned:
PROS:
- Lifelong memories and learning. All people want is to be distinctive.
- People are friendly, smart and helpful.
- It's an enormous country! Just scratched the surface. Could spend 30 years exploring and never see it all.
- Of the five Foretravelers we met, we were invited into four of them. The owners and I were a lot alike, all proud of their coaches. They were either master mechanics, or made friends with one.
- Love solar power. Lived off-grid for a week at a time, for a total of one month. Saved $600 in campground fees.
CONS
- Difficult being away from my normal social network. Miss friends and family. I reached out to other RVers and they became my friends.
- Difficult being confined to 240 square feet of living space. However, I do like the simple, efficient lifestyle.
- Miss amenities like a garage, flying, tools and large projects.
- Don't let inexperienced mechanics twist on a diesel fuel filter using a wrench, lest it split and spew diesel fuel all over your Cummins and toad. True story. Watch out for Bob's Diesel in Yuma.
What's next:
- Reconnect with family and friends, in person.
- Rejoin the rat-race of material and land possession.
- Lead two organizations to success. I am President of two flying clubs: EAA Chapter 1250 and PAOP. We have many projects to complete.
- Camp out locally with my family and grand kids, since we could not do it during our USA trip.
Want to see videos? Tim's RV Tips #3 - Big Bend National Park, February 6, 2018 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/WL2injKoWRQ)
WOWSERS !
Congratulations on completing your wonderful trip. The memories that you made, the new friends you have met, will stay with you forever.
Here is the map.
Enjoyed running into to you twice, once on each side of the country.
Safe travels 😎
Bruce, You were my first Foretraveler I ever met. What a pleasant surprise, twice!
Tim,
It was fun meeting you and seeing your coach in SanDiego. I knew the moment you walked towards our coach that you were a FT owner ! EAA founder, Paul Poberezney was my adopted " stepdad". I rented their basement in Steamboat Springs Colorado for a few years. Got to know the whole clan. Rode our motorcycles from Steamboat to Oshcosh one time and got to go up in Red 1. Very special guy. Loved him.
10-4 on Bob's
CONS
- Difficult being away from my normal social network. Miss friends and family. I reached out to other RVers and they became my friends.
- Difficult being confined to 240 square feet of living space. However, I do like the simple, efficient lifestyle.
- Miss amenities like a garage, flying, tools and large projects.
- Don't let inexperienced mechanics twist on a diesel fuel filter using a wrench, lest it split and spew diesel fuel all over your Cummins and toad. True story. Watch out for Bob's Diesel in Yuma.
By the look of your map you were not too far from me in Chicago, Had you swung by here I could have solved several of your CONS.
You could have solved the CON of not being around friends, If you stopped by and installed my solar setup and new inverter wiring I WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR FRIEND!
You miss the garage, tools, and large projects, YOU COULD HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS OR DAYS IN MY GARAGE HANDLING MY TOOLS WHILE WORKING ON MY SOLAR/INVERTER PROJECT!
The disappointment at Bob's Diesel in Yuma would have quickly been replaced with THE HORROR OF LON'S GARAGE IN CHICAGO!
Well, that is a 37 miles per day average, seems about right to me. We are elsewhere about 6 months a year for the past seven years and we average just over 40. So where are you going next? And then after that? We are usually ready to go pretty soon after we get back to the barn.
Nice trip.
Nice video. Big Bend is one of our special places here in Texas. Tried to see your other videos and got a error, first ever on youTube. Strange.
The pro's and con's are interesting. Can't wait to be able to take our new coach out full time and see how things shape up. So far for me the cons are I keep hitting my head on things... to tall I guess. But it's not a new thing. Her I am 20 years ago... still hitting my head.
Thanks for all the replies and advice. Our next trip will be to Knoebels Campground in PA for three days, then Chincoteague, VA for a week. No plan after that.
I am installing a new Suburban two-stage furnace, model SHD2542Q, since the original 1997 Atwood furnace sounds like a freight train and it has water intrusion during storms.
I would also like to replace the two AC units. One is leaking and they both sound like freight trains.
Maybe I could start a service where I can help owners self-install solar-lithium systems. Kind of like Habitat for Humanity, but only green energy installations.
I looked into the 2 stage unit, it's the biggest unit they make with 2 speed fans. Most of my furnace noise is caused by excessive airflow thru tiny ducts. My units are way oversized and trip out on the high limit switch due to lack of airflow and then recycle until the thermostat is satisfied. I have a post somewhere but i can't access it right now. My plan is to put the smaller bedroom unit up front, and put a half sized unit in the rear with half the airflow. Half the noise and better efficiency as the flue gas temperature is lower. RIVA or other sizing standards probably treat coaches heated in transit the same as a totally unheated pull behind.