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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: floridarandy on August 16, 2019, 10:45:56 pm

Title: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: floridarandy on August 16, 2019, 10:45:56 pm
Heavens knows there are plenty of ways to spend CB's!  We spent MANY, nearly what we paid for the coach, in "preventive" investment after we bought our well-cared for rig (details in previous posts).  Now after nearly 2 years and 12k on the road we're, hopefully, looking at discretionary CB expenditures.  We've seen plenty of threads about flooring, headlights, paint, etc but here are ours....add yours:

1.  New captains and copilots chairs.  Our coach has been well cared for but after nearly 20 years the chairs are tired.  We'll look at new Flexsteel chairs at Bradd & Hall and have them installed in Florida;

2.  Lithium batteries...we like dry camping and want more time between needed generator runs.  Our 3-gel 8G8D just don't perform/last as long with high demand loads like microwave, toaster oven and blow dryers...plus transient loads, to stay at 80% or better each day, and less than perfect solar, we need to run the genny 2-3 hours.  We'd like 400-600 aH of lithium.

3.  Extreme step.  Even before headlights we'd vote for the step conversion. And since this isn't a $5 CB investment we'd probably add the total roof refinish even before we added more solar.

4.  AC & Tires:  We have our original  AC units which are still running ok.  We like camping at 70 degrees so replacing these are less critical for now but we're watching AC threads carefully.  We don't view tires as discretionary investments so there will be replace before our Alaska trip in 2021.

That's it for now.  Who knows what else may rise to the top but these are our top spending "wants". 

Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: craneman on August 16, 2019, 10:57:13 pm
Add more solar.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: John Haygarth on August 16, 2019, 11:14:09 pm
Spendung 3-5cb on this coach is not needed as it is good as is. Use the money to have an extra trip to Europe.
Have over 400k miles on my BA executive club so that pays for the 1st class seats so money goes for a week's worth of rooms etc.
Will be doing it anyway regardless next year,, but for a month or so.
JohnH
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Chuck Pearson on August 17, 2019, 01:06:23 am
I'd probably buy a few shares of Amazon stock.  Been a consistently good decision so far.  No fun, I know.....
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: John S on August 17, 2019, 04:42:43 am
I added a fourth battery to my old u270. It was easy and cheap and extended dry camping.  A blow dryer or toaster are big drains so I would not upgrade for that alone. Turn on the generator and save money.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: juicesqueezer on August 17, 2019, 09:17:47 am
We will be upgrading to solar soon and the lithium batteries at a later date. Hope to do most of this install myself to save a few coach bucks as well!  lol  More boon-docking and less staying in packed in parks.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: DavidS on August 17, 2019, 10:28:07 am
This had been a conundrum since getting married... wife has a way of spending any amount of coach bucks while i just sit here .. Uncanny I must say. ^.^d
Solar and batteries would be the starts
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Woody & Sitka on August 17, 2019, 10:38:50 am
Replacement suspension bags going in this week, and getting slide bladder replaced in Nac in Nov. 
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Dakota Slim on August 17, 2019, 11:01:17 am
I'm saving the CB's for when I really really need them. Fortunately, I have been very lucky with this coach. I use the generator for things like the AC, microwave and pizza oven and save my batteries. I get by fine with 500 watts of panels and six golf cart batteries for the house -- and a portable swamp cooler. Then again, I am a single snowbird and my migration amounts to about 2,000 miles a year.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on August 17, 2019, 11:03:07 am
Spendung 3-5cb on this coach is not needed as it is good as is. Use the money to have an extra trip to Europe.
Have over 400k miles on my BA executive club so that pays for the 1st class seats so money goes for a week's worth of rooms etc.
Will be doing it anyway regardless next year,, but for a month or so.
JohnH
John,
You must have Avios miles. That beats me as we've got about 325,000 miles but dumped the card two years ago for Costco's card and better cash back. Huge taxes for flights to Europe but not so bad for Mexico/CA/SA flights. I don't like the stops BA's partner airlines make.

So, for $3 to $5K suddenly in my pocket and had to spend it.

Trip to Europe for a month. No first class flight as I'll take a valium and sleep back with the cattle. Gaylie's old World Airways wings gets us upgraded to first class about half the time. If you have time, volunteer to get bumped and that's usually good for a first class hotel and first class flight the next day.  Eastern Europe this time with some time up in Dracula country in Romania. Or, rent a car in Istanbul and explore Turkey for a month.

Take U300 to Mexico for a strip and paint or have the plane painted at the Chapala Aero Club.

Rent a house for six months in Ajijic.

Batteries from a Nissan Leaf and one more solar panel.

Pierce

Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: cdm on August 17, 2019, 11:06:42 am
re: #3.  Extreme step conversion - On my 2005 U270, Extreme was not able to do the stepconversion. Apparently it will work on some models, but not others. They did perform an excellent complete repaint and they did the roof. Great people to work with
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Bob & Sue on August 17, 2019, 03:35:01 pm
I could put the 5 towards furniture recovery.  Dr is brown (PO) ,LR is tropical ( 2 pieces ) & lt gray. And then the captions chairs are diff shade of gray.  And if some left is left over I'd do the tropical valence upgrade to a matching shade for the new furniture. 
  I'm thinking this year while down south we may get r done but thinking 5 won't get it done.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on August 28, 2019, 09:52:44 am
2 new captains chairs. I would choose the power chief ones.
3M film for front window to cut down solar gain.
2 new AC units... in progress.
Put in desk on the co pilot side behind seat.
New mattress.
New tow bar
oh wait you said 3-5 and I thought you meant 15.....
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: DavidS on August 28, 2019, 10:02:27 am
Bob, most can be had except maybe the chairs..

Bought a purple mattress at the return center $800 for a queen
Had my captain chairs redone (didnt add electric as it already had ) $800
3m (bought 100ft roll off Alibaba) did all the windows and works Awesome $200
2 new Atwood 15k Ac units installed by me $1500
Bought my tow bar and Brake buddy off Craigslist $500

Cant do the desk as I dont need

$3800.00 so far.. maybe I could make the desk work.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on August 28, 2019, 10:12:14 am
David do you have a link for the 3m product you used on the windshield?  I am quoted 900 for it here for the Crystalline CR50

Actually found it on Alibaba for the CR50. Waiting on a price. Wonder what the tariff is on this... comes from China.
How hard was it to install?
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: jbeem on August 28, 2019, 03:52:58 pm
Since you do a lot of dry camping, I would do the solar and lithium batteries.  Made a huge difference and more importantly kept the DW happy as she is able to use all her electric appliances anytime.
Title: Re: How Would You Spend around 3- $5 CB
Post by: Jim Frerichs on August 28, 2019, 05:41:51 pm
Yes, I too have 6 lithium batteries and 10 solar panels. YES indeed! Jim

2002 U20 42'