On the move

seismo101 · 02-18-2016, 03:17 PM

Hello the wife and I are planning a trip to the joshua tree nat. park. We will be leaving on the 22nd of this month, leaving from Salt Lake City. We will spend our first night in Las Vegas at the oasis rv park. The next day we will travel on to the joshua tree park. Looking forward to this, it's been a long winter.

Eagle · 02-18-2016, 04:05 PM

Lucky folks getting out early but one can in the southern part of the US.

It's still winter here although the temperature did reach 40 degrees today. 4 days ago we got 6" of snow so the warmer temp has started melting it and the amount that was on the ground before the last 6" fell. But, not to get ahead of myself, it could still snow alot before it's gone for the spring. I've seen snow in late March but it didn't last long.

It will be a minimum of another month and a half to 2 months before getting the camper out of winter storage.

Happy camping for a fun time.

Kansas newbie · 02-18-2016, 07:00 PM

Lucky you! It was 67 here today and predicted to be 70 for Friday and Saturday! In the 60's next week! Can you say "camping time"!?!

profdant139 · 02-19-2016, 09:22 AM

Safe travels! Here is a link to a post on Joshua Tree:

Dan Schechter's blog: Quick Trip to Joshua Tree: January 2015

profdant139 · 02-19-2016, 09:23 AM

Safe travels! Here is a link to a post on Joshua Tree:

Dan Schechter's blog: Quick Trip to Joshua Tree: January 2015

Michigantraveler · 02-19-2016, 09:50 AM

Safe travels and have fun. Ditto what Eagle said on the weather. Very drippy here today and heading for maybe 50 degrees.

Eagle · 02-19-2016, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michigantraveler

Safe travels and have fun. Ditto what Eagle said on the weather. Very drippy here today and heading for maybe 50 degrees.

Yup ~ just how it is when slightly above the 45th parallel ie: about half way between the north pole and the equator.

John_C · 02-23-2016, 08:12 AM

I pulled the FF out to the driveway yesterday afternoon to start getting it ready... It was getting late when I started to pull the cover (I had an appointment, this morning, to get the brakes and wheel bearings gone through), and the cover is either frozen to the roof or some form of chemical reaction took place, as the cover is stuck to the roof in one large area.

I cancelled the appointment and am hoping the trailer roof will warm up enough to get the cover off...

Yup Eagle... Another victim of being above the 45th parallel...

Michigantraveler · 02-23-2016, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_C

I pulled the FF out to the driveway yesterday afternoon to start getting it ready... It was getting late when I started to pull the cover (I had an appointment, this morning, to get the brakes and wheel bearings gone through), and the cover is either frozen to the roof or some form of chemical reaction took place, as the cover is stuck to the roof in one large area.

I cancelled the appointment and am hoping the trailer roof will warm up enough to get the cover off...

Yup Eagle... Another victim of being above the 45th parallel...

Sorry to hear that. This warming up and cooling down stuff can really mess things up. We had high winds a few days ago and decided to move out FF out from the tree laden back yard. It pulled through the snow easily. Felt better getting it out from under those heavy oak limbs. Then we put the awning out to make sre it was dried off. When we bought it the awning was wet but with constant snow and rain and no sun we never got a chance to deal with it. It's dry now and no mold. Hope yours is just frozen. No cover on ours.

Eagle · 02-23-2016, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_C

I pulled the FF out to the driveway yesterday afternoon to start getting it ready... It was getting late when I started to pull the cover (I had an appointment, this morning, to get the brakes and wheel bearings gone through), and the cover is either frozen to the roof or some form of chemical reaction took place, as the cover is stuck to the roof in one large area.

I cancelled the appointment and am hoping the trailer roof will warm up enough to get the cover off...

Yup Eagle... Another victim of being above the 45th parallel...

I know what you mean as slightly north and west of your location. Still cold here too with snow on the ground.
I trust you have zero damage to your unit and the cover.
Mine is stored inside for the winter, in rented storage at the county fairgrounds where many campers, boats and motorhomes are stored over the winter months for a nominal fee.

Michigantraveler · 02-23-2016, 08:59 AM

That's a great idea for storage Eagle. I wonder if they do that around here as well. I'll check into it. We did find a place not far from us that would store it. They are full for this year but they are building another barn so maybe next year. He charges $50/month (Oct.-May). That sounds ok to us. What do you think?

Eagle · 02-23-2016, 09:31 AM

If your country fairgrounds has barns/exposition buildings that are empty over the winter months, they may be open to the idea of renting 'cold storage' space during the unused months over the winter.

The inside storage is from about mid October to around the first/2nd week of April or about 5 months. During storage there is no access to the units as the buildings are locked.

For the winter of 2014/2015 the cost was $6.00 per foot or $180 for a 30' unit...about $36 per month.

For the winter of 2015/2016 it went up to $8.00 per foot or $240 for a 30' unit...about $48 per month.

The least expensive fenced storage lot wanted $50 a month for outside storage so it was a good deal. Just to bad the country raised their rates.

The space rents quickly so the day I get my unit out in the April, I go to the country court house and rent/pay for the space for the coming winter.

The place you know for $50 a month inside storage would be in line with here.

Also motorhomes are parked by the owner. Campers/boats are put inside by the county employees and removed by them as well. And when renting space, you agree to a county non-liability clause for any damage which has never been an issue with anyone I've spoke with.

Michigantraveler · 02-23-2016, 09:50 AM

Thanks Eagle. The place we talked to is pretty close. I would think his rates will increase some too next year since he is adding a building. But it's only about 6 miles and handy. The fairgrounds would be about 23 miles. I still will check into that though. Just curious.

Eagle · 02-23-2016, 10:23 AM

Checking out your options is always best.

I'm fortunate as the county fairgrounds is only about a mile and a half away. I hope they don't raise the rates again for the coming winter.

John_C · 02-24-2016, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle

I know what you mean as slightly north and west of your location. Still cold here too with snow on the ground.
I trust you have zero damage to your unit and the cover.
Mine is stored inside for the winter, in rented storage at the county fairgrounds where many campers, boats and motorhomes are stored over the winter months for a nominal fee.

Yep, all went well, thank you for asking Eagle; a few hours setting in the driveway exhibited dripping water...

I rolled up what I could, worked my hand carefully between the icy roof and the "All Season" cover, and little by little, it all came loose. I dropped the trailer off yesterday afternoon... they cleaned the brakes, inspected and repacked all the bearings, and replaced all the seals... AND the trailer is back home and am getting it ready... DD

I told the wife that we will store under a hard roof next winter, If I have to build one!!

BTW, the experienced mechanic, at the shop, mentioned that if the hot water heater does not have any air to allow water expansion when heated, the hot water tank will drip water from the pop-off valve to relieve pressure... He also said that after driving, one will often see dripping to relieve pressure after the sloshing water displaced the air... Soooo, the trailer book said to bleed the air from the pop-off valve when filling contradicts the mechanic????

**LJAZ** · 02-25-2016, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_C

Soooo, the trailer book said to bleed the air from the pop-off valve when filling contradicts the mechanic????

Trailer book? If you mean the generic one that covers all of the trailers accessories I wouldn't rely too much on that. Do you have the manual that's specific to your model water heater? If not you can download it from the mfgs website. Or contact the manufacturer directly.

Eagle · 02-25-2016, 08:03 AM

I've never bled the air from the water heater via the pop off valve.....just turn on the hot water faucet and let it run until all air is out of the line then fire up the water heater.

I never lift the lever on the pop off valve. Did that a few times on water heaters in homes and they never sealed again so had to buy a new pop off valve ~ therefore never lift the lever on one. To relieve hot water pressure, I open a hot water faucet.

Just me ~ other may have better luck with the pop off valves but that black cloud of pop off valves hangs over me.
;-0

John_C · 02-25-2016, 09:06 PM

Well,
I have actually lost or misplaced the book (an older issue of Woodall's); I think I mentioned it in an earlier thread. Even though I felt it had some good info, I found inconsistencies in some areas and prefer the manufacture's booklets that came with the water heater and other appliances. In my red remark in the previous post, I should have mentioned my unit is a Suburban and the mechanic was correct to the Suburban manual.
I use the Suburban manual and it reiterates Eagle... opening a single hot water faucet to bleed air from the system. I, however, open the pop-off or more correctly, the Pressure Relief or P & T valve, when initializing the system each season or upon filling after a draining. And never found instructions to say to do this, but I just do it to flush the valve and make sure it works... I may not have explained myself correctly before and apologize for any error... I am still new at trailering and continue to learn from the experts in the Forum...

Michigantraveler · 02-26-2016, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle

Checking out your options is always best.

I'm fortunate as the county fairgrounds is only about a mile and a half away. I hope they don't raise the rates again for the coming winter.

You brought up some issues that my husband didn't know to ask. So yesterday I called him back and got more information. This time he said for our sized trailer ( inside storage) it would be $67/mo for six months. That would be November through the end of April. He also said that due to the fact that they pack them in tightly we would not have access during that time, just like you said. Thanks for prompting me to ask those questions. Another close place I called said $90 per month on a month to month basis. Decisions, decisions. I think we will leave it in the yard until fall at this point though.

Eagle · 02-26-2016, 07:06 AM

You are correct Michigantraveler.

Here, at the country fairgrounds, one unhooks their units outside and the county uses a forklift to put the campers/boat trailers into storage. And yes, they are packed in only inches apart. No way to gain entrance even if one could access the building. Therefore there is no access from the time they are put into the buildings until the county takes them out in the spring where they are parked them outside for owner pickup.

The county sends a letter in the fall with dates to have your camper at the fairgrounds to go into storage and again in the spring with the dates for pickup. It's a system that works very well.

I could park my camper by my house but it would either fill one driveway or could be parked 'off pavement' with the removal of a portion of chain link fence. In either instance, it would create a snow removal hindrance ~ something I don't care to deal with.