Well it's more then half way through August and we've been to a lot of different places around the Northeast. Our camping experiences so far have been limited due to the fact that we are both still working our full time jobs, and we can only take selective weekends and our vacation weeks to use our new rig.
But even with that we managed to spend a week in Cape Cod. The 4th of July week we were up at Scusset Beach on the Cape Cod Canal with an FMCA week long Cape Codders rally. it was great. Dry camping, but we got to test out the generator and we got to see how long we could go self sustained. The weather was great, the food was great, and the people were great. A really great time all around. This is definately on my list for next year again.
Later in July, we got to go for another week to the FMCA North Eastern Rally (NEAR) in Essex Junction, Vermont. we had been there last year and we decided to come back again and this time to volunteer. I helped with Parking and Elsie helped with Registration. It was a lot of work but a good time was had by all.
Also in July, we got to go to the New York State Good Sam Samboree in Herkimer, NY. We spent only an extended weekend with this rally, but it was our first Good Sam Rally and it was great.
July also involved a friends campout for us with two other couples we know who love to tent camp. We went to Lake George and stayed in King Philips Campground. We had great sites and we were very close to the village of lake George. We had a barbeque Baby Back Rib feast that was exceptional. Of course I was the cook. A lot of fun around the campfire with good friends is what it's all about.
Time flies when your doing a catch up blog entry. Early in August we went to an extended weekend campout with the Empire FMCA Group in the Catskills. The RV Park was really first rate, the hosts put together the best campout we had ever been to. They thought of everything. Catered meals, little welcoming gifts, a great campfire, pictures of each couple by their rig. Really a well done outing.
Last weekend, we attended our first Owners Group Campout. Having bought a Winnebago, entitled us to be members of the WIT group. The Winnebago Itasca Travelers. We joined a local group, the Windmill Winnies out of the Albany, NY area. We attended their campout and had a blast. Good people, fun and games, great food, and campfires with color. They do something that was a first for me, they put copper tubing with rubber hose inside it into the fire. It makes the most amazing color displays in the flames. We had a good time with this group too.
Week after next, is Labor Day weekend, and we have another week off planned. we'll let you know where we are off to when we catch up the next time.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A New Season Begins
Spring was right around the corner, camping season was about to begin. What better time to look at RV's? As usual I had been looking at RV's and I found a floor plan I wanted to physically see. Unfortunately, only a very few dealers were Winnebago dealers in our area so I called around and found one that had the model I wanted to have Elsie and I look at.
We found the model at Alpin Haus in Amsterdam NY, close to Albany. We took the trip up to see it during their Open House. We found it and fell in love. It's a Winnebago Class A Vista 35F that is fully loaded and was on display during their Open House. They made us a deal. Got back everything I paid for the Coachmen and a terrific discount on the new RV. I know it's best to let somebody else pay for the first year's depreciation, but this layout is just what we wanted and layout is what your home is all about.
So we went for it. A week later, we traded in our Coachmen and drove off in a new Winnebago Class A. The Bank and I are now the proud owners.
Driving home with a 13 foot high 35 foot long RV was a new experience. Not as bad as I had thought. It actually performed better in the wind then the 26 foot C class. My new experiences were only beginning... I was about to begin towing a car.
Well we had a towable car, Sort of? It was a Ford Escape Automatic. Yea, the one everyone on the Internet says is a big problem towing. well I spoke with our Ford dealership and they said if we keep the automatic transmission fluid at the lower level and followed the 65 miles per hour speed restriction and stopped every 300 miles and ran the car and put it through the gears, it should be fine.
I then had to buy a base plate for the car, buy a tow bar, braking system and drop receiver. All an expensive deal, but necessary if we wanted to tow. I started with the base plate and had a friend's son (a real gear head) do the installation. Then I bought the tow bar and braking system. We decided to go with Blue Ox because I figured it was better to be with one system rather then trying to mix and match. After spending a small fortune for all that hardware, I was ready to go.
Our first campout was in May. We left home with the motorhome and hooked up the car at an abandoned car dealership in our town. The first hookup was an anxiety provoking, nerve racking experience. I was reading and hooking simultaneously. It took 3 times longer then usual but finally it was done. I then had to drive through city streets to get to the roadway we need to be on. I kept looking in the rear view monitor to make sure the car was still there. Several times, the monitor would change views and I thought for sure I had lost the toad. Never fear, the toad was still there.
We made a 150 mile trip to our first campout up in Glens Falls, NY. We rolled in, registered and proceeded to our site which was nestled among many large and closely placed trees. I disconnected the car and then proceeded to negotiate the trees and stumps with our new 35 foot rig. I did it and as anyone from this area knows, the winter was not mild. the ground was still soggy and wet. We settled in to our spot and proceeded to hook up.
We had a great first campout and got to reconnect with people we met last year. Everyone came over and checked out the new rig. It proved to be a big hit. And a very comfortable weekend for us.
We found the model at Alpin Haus in Amsterdam NY, close to Albany. We took the trip up to see it during their Open House. We found it and fell in love. It's a Winnebago Class A Vista 35F that is fully loaded and was on display during their Open House. They made us a deal. Got back everything I paid for the Coachmen and a terrific discount on the new RV. I know it's best to let somebody else pay for the first year's depreciation, but this layout is just what we wanted and layout is what your home is all about.
So we went for it. A week later, we traded in our Coachmen and drove off in a new Winnebago Class A. The Bank and I are now the proud owners.
Driving home with a 13 foot high 35 foot long RV was a new experience. Not as bad as I had thought. It actually performed better in the wind then the 26 foot C class. My new experiences were only beginning... I was about to begin towing a car.
Well we had a towable car, Sort of? It was a Ford Escape Automatic. Yea, the one everyone on the Internet says is a big problem towing. well I spoke with our Ford dealership and they said if we keep the automatic transmission fluid at the lower level and followed the 65 miles per hour speed restriction and stopped every 300 miles and ran the car and put it through the gears, it should be fine.
I then had to buy a base plate for the car, buy a tow bar, braking system and drop receiver. All an expensive deal, but necessary if we wanted to tow. I started with the base plate and had a friend's son (a real gear head) do the installation. Then I bought the tow bar and braking system. We decided to go with Blue Ox because I figured it was better to be with one system rather then trying to mix and match. After spending a small fortune for all that hardware, I was ready to go.
Our first campout was in May. We left home with the motorhome and hooked up the car at an abandoned car dealership in our town. The first hookup was an anxiety provoking, nerve racking experience. I was reading and hooking simultaneously. It took 3 times longer then usual but finally it was done. I then had to drive through city streets to get to the roadway we need to be on. I kept looking in the rear view monitor to make sure the car was still there. Several times, the monitor would change views and I thought for sure I had lost the toad. Never fear, the toad was still there.
We made a 150 mile trip to our first campout up in Glens Falls, NY. We rolled in, registered and proceeded to our site which was nestled among many large and closely placed trees. I disconnected the car and then proceeded to negotiate the trees and stumps with our new 35 foot rig. I did it and as anyone from this area knows, the winter was not mild. the ground was still soggy and wet. We settled in to our spot and proceeded to hook up.
We had a great first campout and got to reconnect with people we met last year. Everyone came over and checked out the new rig. It proved to be a big hit. And a very comfortable weekend for us.
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