Looking for some travel tips / advice

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by oldsmasma

No travel advice - just congratulations on the new furbaby. After we lost our beloved boxer Gizmo we started out declaring no more dogs. We lasted 8 months until we found our next boxer Olaf at a SPCA four hours from us. Exciting time. Merry Christmas and enjoy that pup.

We too lost our boy 6 months ago. It's been really rough. He LOVED traveling in the RV.
So we finally caved in and decided to get a puppy. All our other fur babies have been rescues. Figured at our age, this probably will be our last dog. Just making sure I've thought of everything and planned ahead, I feel confidant. "Plan for the worse, expect the best".. Thanks for the well wishes, and Merry Christmas!!

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by ependydad

The 400P is 33% duty cycle whereas the 450P is 100%. I personally didn't want to have to think about how long I'd been running it when I would run around to 10 tires to top them up. I like being mindless and lazy!

Product Review: Viair 450P 12v air compressor | Learn To RV

Appreciate the info! I'll be getting the 450P-RV. I like lazy and mindless too!!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by BuzzWolfAR

That is clearly the safest route, but it does add miles.

I've read your advice 8 times. I've now got 3 different routes planned to and from. And I've added Stops along the way in case I can't drive as far as I anticipate each day, (due to weather or energy).
I'll load them all in the GPS and have "alternatives". I'm watching the weather along each route, and loaded all the DOT websites for immediate info and road conditions. Be Prepared is the key!!

Thanks for getting info.
Merry Christmas!!

[Steelhorzz]

Stopped there last year on a cross country trip. Found it fascinating!! Thanks for the suggestion.

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by OLDNAVY

Good route via I10 to Texas. In west Texas, get off I 10 and take I20 to DFW area, versus I10 going south to San Antonio

Thanks! I've planned some alternate routes, and loaded them in the GPS. This is one of them. Will watch the weather and drive accordingly.

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by 68 Whiskey

Good advice all around particularly from old navy. We're in Meza AZ now. Just came out a couple of weeks ago. We took I-20 to I-10. It snowed some in Flagstaff last night. Unless you just want to or have a particularly good reason to go there, I believe I would look into the shipping idea. Overall cheaper if I were to guess.

Good suggestion, but breeder won't ship. Too stressful on a pup. Appreciate the input!!

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by lmiken

As others said watch out for snowy weather. I40 can be closed thru NM (literally they have gates to close off the road) if there is snow, so plan on spending a few days off the road because of snow/ice. Panhandle of Texas/Oklahoma are terrible when the ice storms hit. I40 can be terrible after the roads are opened as all the 18 wheelers are lined up to hit the road. Traveling Eastern NM and panhandle of Texas/Oklahoma can be real bad if the winds are blowing (above 40 mph). Heated tanks are good so no antifreeze needed, just leave them on the whole time (I have been camping at 10 degrees with no problem freezing). The only thing I worry about is the low drain points or the outdoor shower freezing but that has not happened yet. The only issue I have had is the valves on the black tank and gray tank sticking in colder weather (and they are heated). Not sure what happens if it gets below 0 degrees.

As I live in So Cal. I've NEVER winterized.
But I do have some RV antifreeze just in case. How do you winterize the just the outside shower ? I don't think my valves are heated. But I did see some wires there. I'll check it out... Thanks for the tips!!

Merry Christmas!!

[Steelhorzz]

Originally Posted by McCormickJim

I just crossed Kansas in my Georgetown, heading east and south to Arkansas. I'll be reversing the trip in a week, heading to northern Colorado. I've driven this area periodically in the winter over the last few decades.

What I keep in mind is to check the weather forecast and know that borderline weather can go either way. Be prepared to STOP for freezing weather, not continue.

One winter traveling from Arizona to Texas, we took "the northern route" vs. the "southern route." Both were supposed to have clear roads. Turns out neither did.

We stopped in a KOA for 2 days due to snow. The "southern route" ended up having ice covered roads.

I've loaded a new weather app that helps me predict what the weather will be vs. relying on the interpretation of others. "Windy" gives me wind direction and changes by the hour. I park or slow down significantly when the cross wind reaches 19 mph. "Windy" also gives me wind direction forecasts for several days out so I will at least know what I'm up against.

Your artic pac switch should be turned on when temperatures drop to 40 and are expected to be below freezing overnight. I've had mine on for 4 days.

RV antifreeze in the black and gray tanks seems somewhat optional. It won't hurt, but waste has a lower freezing temperature than water.

When you de-winterize, do not clear the outside shower of antifreeze. You won't be using it and you don't want it to freeze.

Skip the shovel and bags of sand or ice melt. If the roads are frozen, get off.

Good luck to you in your winter travel.

Being from So Cal, I know NOTHING of winterizing. How do I winterize just the outside shower? Or can I??
I'm following weather on my phone of all the spots I plan to stop. I've added in between stops on the GPS, (just in case).
Also added DOT websites for each state for additional constant data of the raids Ill be traveling. (This has saved my behind more than once in the past).
What weather app(s) are you using?
More info can't hurt!!
Thanks again for all the info!!

Merry Christmas!!

[BuzzWolfAR]

Originally Posted by Steelhorzz

Being from So Cal, I know NOTHING of winterizing. How do I winterize just the outside shower? Or can I??
I'm following weather on my phone of all the spots I plan to stop. I've added in between stops on the GPS, (just in case).
Also added DOT websites for each state for additional constant data of the raids Ill be traveling. (This has saved my behind more than once in the past).
What weather app(s) are you using?
More info can't hurt!!
Thanks again for all the info!!

Merry Christmas!!

If you are close to your dealer, have them winterize and watch carefully what they do. Your choice then becomes, do you dewintetize? If you can't go to the dealer, utube will be your best bet. Watch several units get winterized so you understand the steps.

If no, you won't have any running water. If yes, you need to redo when heading into the cold again.

Can generally do ok at 25 degrees overnight without winterizing, but only if it gets 40 ish during the day.

Welcome to winter issues.

[fanrgs]

I live in Colorado, have had two trailers, and have never put antifreeze in either fresh water system. I first drain the entire system, including removing the anode rod from the water heater and emptying the fresh water filter housing and the pump filter screen and running the pump dry. Then I use compressed air to blow out the system through the city water connection. While the compressor is on, I have my wife open and close each faucet in the trailer--kitchen, bath, shower, outside shower, etc.--then open the low-point drains. I always remove the foot valve on the toilet (from hard-earned experience) and pour a cup or so of RV antifreeze in each of the drain traps, in each waste tank, and on the toilet seal.

That's it--winterizing is complete except for putting on the wheel covers and the AC cover. However, our reason for using a compressor instead of pumping in antifreeze is that we snowbird in winter and winterize multiple times a season. Using gallons of antifreeze each time we do it doesn't seem worth the cost to me.

[McCormickJim]

I posted earlier about crossing Kansas and using a new-to-me app called Windy.

I'm back home in Colorado after visiting Arkansas for Christmas.

I sure am glad I had Windy. After checking all the temps and winds I avoided Kansas all together on the return trip. I took a more southern route across Oklahoma, Texas, and NM.

I avoided severely low temperatures and cross-winds reaching 24mph. I boondocked in Walmart lots at night and used Pilot dump stations. The Pilot app tells you gas prices and RV services availability.