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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: When first time snowbirding.....
There's a lot of good information presented here for us to consider and digest. One of the things we hadn't considered, and will now heavily research, is the use of public (state, federal, COE) campgrounds for extended stays. I appreciate all the information and suggestions. Keep'em coming.
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8ntw8tn
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11/22/09 11:33pm |
Snowbirds
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When first time snowbirding.....
We're a little over a year away from our first snowbird trip; DW retires in 2/11. Meantime, I've been watching the forums for campgrounds, places to visit, etc. I'm curious how others went about their first years of snowbirding. my main interests are how long they averaged in a particular area before moving, how far they travelled between stops, and how many years of touring around before they found one area to settle (if they did settle). We're looking at the Texas-New Mexico-Arizona region; not much interested in Florida-Southeastern states.
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8ntw8tn
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11/22/09 10:10am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Police cars
Personally, I never really liked the CV's. No maintenance or service problems; I just wasn't comfortable driving one. My last unit was a Dodge Magnum. I know, I know; just a grocery getter, but, man, would it ever haul those groceries!!
How small can they go before we have to start towing trailers to carry all of our Sergeants in the trunk, stop sticks, accident investigation crap, flares, defibulator, crime scene investigation box, fire extinguisher, lockout tools, dog catcher crap, assault rifle, oh and if you have room a spare tire!
That was the primary reason I requested the Magnum. But, as another poster indicted, "Who cares?" I retired a year ago and now I'll just concentrate on getting my Dodge tonner just the way I want it when DW retires in about a year and we start doing the snowbird thing.
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8ntw8tn
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11/17/09 09:11pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: carriage tow vehicle
I don't know how that combination would be with a 3/4 ton, not having had that experience. What I can say is that our last trailer was a Cameo F34CK3, we pulled it with our present TV, and it was a very stable ride. I don't think I'd have liked towing with a smaller vehicle.
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8ntw8tn
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11/17/09 12:25am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carriage Compass 34CK3
Incidently, the Domani is still alive and doing well - - it will be back up on the website shortly. It is in the middle of model changes and not current on their reworked website.
Thanks for the correction. Like the reworked Carriage site, but didn't realize Domani was still in the works.
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8ntw8tn
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11/14/09 08:18pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carriage Compass 34CK3
Our previous 5er was a 2002 34CK3 Cameo. From what I understand the only differences are the optional equipment. We were very pleased with it and traded for our present unit only because we wanted to go into retirement with a newer unit and the deal we got was too good to pass up. The 34CK3 is a very popular model and still continues in the Cameo line. The Compass line was the "entry" level into the Carriage family of 5ers and was discontinued a few years ago to make room for the Domani line (which has also been discontinued). Now the Cameo line is the "entry" level into Carriage.
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8ntw8tn
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11/13/09 07:09pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Crazy progressions?
Started out with an Apache hard-sided pop-up and continued with that until the kids got tired of camping. So the wife and I bought a motorcycle and started tent camping, gradually increasing the size of tents and motorcycles. Then we bought a Time-Out pop-up that we towed behind the Goldwing. Six years ago we bought our first 5th wheel, a new 27' Laredo. Three years later we traded for a used 34' Cameo. Last year we upgraded to a carryover '06 35' Cameo with 4 slides. That's the one we'll use when we start snowbirding in '09/'10.
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8ntw8tn
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11/11/09 06:34pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Air horn pitch
This is something I'm going to look at over the winter. I have a Stebel air horn on the truck now and I like the tone, but I want more volume. I'm having a PacBrake exhaust brake installed at the end of this week, so I'll have the air compressor and tank available for a set of horns if I can find ones I like.
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8ntw8tn
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11/09/09 05:43pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: which would you get?
Just wish Carriage would start making Toy Haulers again.
X2
Those are all quality manufacturers. With an acceptable floorplan it's hard to see how you could go wrong. We haven't had any of the other brands, but we're on our second Cameo, so..........
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8ntw8tn
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11/09/09 07:15am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Price of Jake Brake
I decided to have the PacBrake installed on my truck; happens this Friday. I didn't want to have to deal with the longer serpentine belt and liked the bonus of the compressor and tank onboard for other accessories. The specs say it will engage down to 1200 rpm and I liked that, too. DTR has them on sale for $1225 for manual transmissions and $1425 for autos.
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8ntw8tn
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11/08/09 09:09pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Value of an exhaust brake on a Dodge auto tranny
There's been a lot of good information here, so far. Gives me a lot to think about and research over the next year or so; which EB is best for my needs and whether transmission upgrades will be required. Cost will also be a consideration. Keep the suggestions coming.
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8ntw8tn
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10/26/09 12:43am |
Tow Vehicles
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Value of an exhaust brake on a Dodge auto tranny
I'm considering putting an exhaust brake on my 04.5 Dodge Ram 3500. I'm still doing research on the brands so that decision will come later. I'm very near (or maybe slightly over) the GVWR for this truck and I want to be as safe as possible when we start more travel in a couple of years, especially when we're in the mountains. My question now is how it is activated. From what I understand, on manual transmissions it's activated by downshifting. Is it necessary to downshift the auto transmission for activation?
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8ntw8tn
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10/22/09 07:44am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Looking to Buy a 2010 Carriage Cameo 36FWS
We're on our second Cameo and love it. I can't comment on the fireplace because we don't have it. What we do have is the heat pump feature on the A/C and it is a great option. It will heat until the outside temp gets down to about 42* and then the furnace automatically takes over. We do have the central vacuum and it's a really nice feature. Ours even has an outlet in the basement so I can clean up my occasional mess. I hope you enjoy yours as much as we do ours.
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8ntw8tn
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10/21/09 11:30pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: heating your 5th wheel
We have a heat pump (electricity) incorporated within the A/C that keeps the fiver warm until the outside temp gets down to about 40*. Then the gas furnace takes over.
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8ntw8tn
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10/14/09 07:39pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: What is this on my truck?
How would I know if it is a manual or an onboard air compressor?
On mine the compressor was mounted on the driver's side firewall in the engine compartment. The switch was a 3 position toggle switch mounted to the left of the steering column. Somewhere on the Kelderman site I found the proper way to level the truck. Basically, regarless of the amount of weight being carried by the truck, the lower arms on the Kelderman unit should be level. One thing I liked about the unit I had was that the compressor was strong enough to level the truck after the fiver had been hooked up; you could even adjust it while on the move. I suppose a Kelderman unit without a compressor would have a valve near the rear of the truck. Hope this helps.
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8ntw8tn
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10/14/09 07:14pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: What is this on my truck?
That looks suspiciously like a Kelderman Air Ride Suspension system (keldermanairried.com) made in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It may, or may not, have an on-board air compressor for inflation adjustment from the cab. I had one on my '93 Dodge Ram 350 and wish I had it on my current ride. It really helped soften the ride, both loaded and unloaded. If it is, indeed, a Kelderman you should keep it.
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8ntw8tn
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10/14/09 05:50pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How many owners cover the RV for winter
We covered our first fiver, but the wind caused the cover to wear a hole on the corcer of the rubber roof. We've elected not to cover our last two fivers.
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8ntw8tn
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09/29/09 10:16pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: I'm depressed
We had a similar issue when we upgraded to the current 5er. DW was really nervous about the length. She loved the floor plan and I was able to convince her the length wouldn't bother her because I was the one doing the driving. She still has some nervous moments when we make turns, but she's gradually losing some of that anxiety as we continue to handle the turns without a problem. Works for us anyway.
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8ntw8tn
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09/01/09 10:05pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 2001 Dodge CTD 47RE Tranny Problems
Another equally good site is: www.cumminsforum.com. There's been a lot of discussions and information about the 47RE and 48RE there.
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8ntw8tn
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07/04/09 08:50pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Installing 5th wheel hitch (rails)
I mounted the rail brackets on my truck by welding them. I chose not to bolt them, as I had on the previous truck, because the '04.5 has a box frame and drilling was going to be an issue. I had access to a vehicle hoist that allowed me to remove the rear tires and easier access to weld the brackets. I began by assembling the hitch and rails in the bed of the truck. That allowed me to properly position the assembly (hitch point 1-2 inches forward of the axle) and drill the holes in the truck bed to bolt the rails to the mounting brackets. Then I welded the brackets to the frame. It took me a few hours to complete the job, but it saved me the cost of hiring it done.
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8ntw8tn
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06/22/09 07:06pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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