Travel by RV!

[JEDI]

For those interested, we were in a 2021 Thor Chateau -- I think ours was a lower trim level (vinyl floors, counters, tabletops -- shit was starting to peel), but was still super comfortable for 6 grown men. There were 2 queen beds, a couch that sat 3, and a booth. There were 3 TVs; one in front of the booth/couch, one in the bedroom, and one on the exterior for use if we were actually camping.

We had a nintentdo switch and an XBOX loaded up with movies hooked up to the main TV. Movies and vidya games the whole way! There's a generator that runs off of the same fuel line as the truck which we had no issues with, other than tripping the breaker once -- ran all appliances, AC, etc.

oh.. so it's like airBnB where it's individual owners?
so it looks like the owner of your RV didnt check/care about the condition of the septic tank.
you could have returned it not emptied.

after you emptied it, you refilled it with blue water? or is that on the owner?
um.. before you drove off to start your vacation, did you check to see if it had blue water?
(would have sucked if it didnt because it started to smell and you were 6 hrs away...)

 

[JM Aggie08]

oh.. so it's like airBnB where it's individual owners?
so it looks like the owner of your RV didnt check/care about the condition of the septic tank.
you could have returned it not emptied.

after you emptied it, you refilled it with blue water? or is that on the owner?
um.. before you drove off to start your vacation, did you check to see if it had blue water?
(would have sucked if it didnt because it started to smell and you were 6 hrs away...)

It's stored and maintained at an RV dealership/rental company -- they are on the hook for cleaning and maintaining the tanks, etc. Before leaving we did a full walkaround with one of their techs checking all of the major components/fluids, taking photos of any pre-existing damage, showing us how to use everything, etc. They don't have a receptacle for emptying the black water -- I'd assume it's just the honor system for that, which is unfortunate lol.

 

[nakedfrog]

You basically described an Amtrak vacation. Of course trains don't go everywhere you might want to go, but if they do go to your destination trains are worth considering. Sit back, watch movies or the scenery, play games with everyone (no need for a driver), eat/drink all you want, and always a bathroom handy.

A small sleeper room was hella expensive when I looked most recently, and definitely wouldn't have fit all the people on his trip
I'm likely taking one from San Francisco up the Pacific coast in a year or two.

 

[dullard]

A small sleeper room was hella expensive when I looked most recently, and definitely wouldn't have fit all the people on his trip
I'm likely taking one from San Francisco up the Pacific coast in a year or two.

I don't travel much by train, but when I have I just sleep on the flat benches in the observation car. My parents use the train multiple times a year. They just book the sleeper when they board the train (as long as it is available it costs very little to upgrade).

 

[JEDI]

. They don't have a receptacle for emptying the black water -- I'd assume it's just the honor system for that, which is unfortunate lol.

wtf?
I would have figured an RV rental company world have that on site and charge extra to the renter if they didn't empty it.
Like car rental companies charging for non-full gas tanks.

So where did you empty the sceptic tranks at?

 

[nakedfrog]

wtf?
I would have figured an RV rental company world have that on site and charge extra to the renter if they didn't empty it.
Like car rental companies charging for non-full gas tanks.

So where did you empty the sceptic tranks at?

I don't know that they would have the wherewithal to have proper disposal facilities on-site. He probably went to one of the regular dumping stations RV people go to, I imagine.

 

[JM Aggie08]

wtf?
I would have figured an RV rental company world have that on site and charge extra to the renter if they didn't empty it.
Like car rental companies charging for non-full gas tanks.

So where did you empty the sceptic tranks at?

Truck stop -- there was a Flying J in the area that has facilities specifically for RVs.

 

[skyking]

the tank has to be about half full for the generator to even start on many motorhomes. That bites folks in the butt until they figure that out. I am guessing that is part of your adventure above.

 

[JEDI]

the tank has to be about half full for the generator to even start on many motorhomes. That bites folks in the butt until they figure that out. I am guessing that is part of your adventure above.

why does it have to be half full to start?
It wont cut out if it goes below half full?

hopefully this also answers why my push mower require at least 1/2 tank gas to start?

 

[skyking]

it has to do with the fuel pump on the genset. It will run below 1/2 tank, but many do not start so always fill up if you intend to boondock for a few days in your motorhome. It is the pits to run all the batteries down and then find out you cannot charge yourself from the genny. These are hard lessons and I hope to help others.
I don't have a motorhome but the roomie does, and we host many different RV'ers here and I get the stories.
We have a 5th wheel travel trailer and a couple of Honda generators and solar panels. No worries.
We can boondock indefinitely with the solar panels in the summer. I have to start the Hondas now and then to get fresh gas in them, but we have not run one in anger since the last power outage.

 

[BoomerD]

Our Winnebagos allowed the generator to draw to 1/4 tank. Keeps the generator from running the tank dry and completely stranding the motorhome.

 

[skyking]

It does vary. The point is don't park with low fuel and think you're going to have a good time.

 

[Muse]

my great aunt and uncle sold their house and got a big RV after retiring 6 or 7 years ago. they thought it'd be just a few years phase, but they love it so much that they're still living the full-time RV life. live in an RV park near the kids for a few months when it's nice in ohio, spend the rest of the summer/fall traveling to national parks, then spend the winter in arizona.

Yeah, it's the national parks that make me think about an RV lifestyle.