Hello from northern CA

Jac and Phil · 09-11-2013, 11:43 PM

Just joined last night...we're in the process of purchasing our first TT. We decided on the Prime Time, Tracer, 2640RLS. We are having to wait for the dinette table to come in before we can pick it up...hopefully the weekend of the 20th. We currently have a 3 horse trailer with living quarters...but it is nothing like a real RV. I'm sure we're going to have lots of questions as we move forward. Our first trip will be picking the trailer up in Idaho and heading back to CA, hope everything turns out great. Any tips and hints are greatly appreciated!!

simplyrwc · 09-12-2013, 12:06 AM

Welcome from central California

Jac and Phil · 09-12-2013, 07:08 AM

Thanks

Wiscampsin · 09-12-2013, 07:44 AM

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new Prime Time Tracer 2640RLS.

Jac and Phil · 09-16-2013, 10:27 PM

Well, it looks like we won't be getting our new trailer until the end of Sept. now...our horse sitter decided that was the weekend he and his buddies were all going to go out horse camping...Darn!! I should have cornered him first...lol, oh well, we've been waiting this long, guess one more week won't kill us. Sure hope the weather holds for us. Anything can happen between north/eastern CA, Oregon and Idaho this late in the year...getting excited!!

sheriff1 · 09-16-2013, 10:40 PM

welcome from Reno!

Batts-toy · 09-16-2013, 11:13 PM

Welcome from mid California

Kaboom · 09-16-2013, 11:58 PM

Welcome and congratulations. You live in a beautiful area of the State. Great area to try out the new rv.

**Terier** · 09-17-2013, 12:16 AM

Hello from southern California. My tip is to keep things simple and just have fun. Also check everything during your inspection.

Good luck!

chiefly1 · 09-17-2013, 12:19 AM

Welcome! What's a week... Enjoy the new TT and the cross country adventure!

Ford Idaho · 09-17-2013, 08:52 AM

Morning, and welcome.

Jac and Phil · 09-17-2013, 07:06 PM

Thanks everyone! We are getting pretty excited! Yes, I had planned on allowing all day for the inspection, if we need it! When we bought the horse trailer with living quarters we had a number of issues to work through...we know to inspect everything not only hooked up the electric, but also while running on propane and battery. We sure won't be able to just take it back for a quick fix-it once we leave. Thanks again!

Ford Idaho · 09-17-2013, 07:37 PM

I assume you're only gonna one trailer at a time.

Anyway welcome and have fun on the first trip.

Jac and Phil · 09-19-2013, 09:06 PM

lol...yep, just one at a time! Actually I made a big mistake a couple of years ago...I changed out my truck bed for a flat bed....big costly mistake in CA...Needless to say my horse trailer with living quarters has sat for the last 5 years. Now that we're getting the TT and leaving the horses home...we changed the bed back to a regular bed...yippee skippy

Badlands · 09-19-2013, 09:15 PM

Welcome from Iowa, and you'll find lots of great answers to your questions! You've come to the right forum!

Ford Idaho · 09-19-2013, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jac and Phil

lol...yep, just one at a time! Actually I made a big mistake a couple of years ago...I changed out my truck bed for a flat bed....big costly mistake in CA...Needless to say my horse trailer with living quarters has sat for the last 5 years. Now that we're getting the TT and leaving the horses home...we changed the bed back to a regular bed...yippee skippy

As I am not up on laws of Calif would you mind telling me why a flatbed is bad.

Batts-toy · 09-19-2013, 11:58 PM

I have lived in CA all my long life and have never heard of such a thing as being illegal to tow a TT with a flat bed pickup. There are laws regulating tow companies using flat beds and laws against predatory tows. Please explain what you heard?

simplyrwc · 09-20-2013, 01:32 AM

I think maybe he is referring to fuel cost maybe???? And maybe registration fees?

cpaulsen · 09-20-2013, 05:01 AM

Welcome from Northern Ca.

Jac and Phil · 09-20-2013, 10:31 PM

In answer to the questions re the flat bed....lets see where to start...1)with a flat bed total length bumper to bumper no more than 40ft. (i'm not sure if one has a commercial license if you can go longer...we were limited to 40ft). 2) Flat beds are considered commercial...in order to haul any kind of trailer we had to declare a weight limit...anything over 15,000 lbs bumped one up into the "commercial" category and you had to have a commercial license. I weighed our small 3/horse trailer, loaded it up with 3 horses, tack and water..I was right at the limit...I could haul my small trailer but not the living quarter (it was too long anyway). 3) Moving up to the "commercial" category, insurance rates go up...any traffic fines are doubled...have to get an annual medical clearance...have to stop at all truck stop weigh ins...have to keep a log book...etc, etc, etc. I'm not a truck driver and I will usually drive 10 miles out of my way to avoid tight turn arounds (I've gotten better, but still don't like them lol). The 1st time you are pulled over for length the ticket is around $2500...the 2nd time they can and do take you rig and trailer. Too much to loose for me. So we parked the LQ trailer. I'm sure I have forgotten a lot of info, but those are the problems I remember. Oh, one other problem...we were limited to within 150 miles away from home, more than that would have put us into the commercial cat again. However, if we moved 15 miles east into NV, no problems!! There you have it, don't put a flat bed on your pickup in CA without a truckers license!

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