Driving Cross Country towing a 17B

[Rossue]

We lasted one day last year; reminds me of something out of a Mad Max movie.

[disneydoc]

Day 24, Holiday Palms RV Park, Quartzsite AZ, 69F

We had a great breakfast at Main Street Eatery on Main Street, a Mom & Pop breakfast place, the lovely lady at the Town's Chamber gave me the whole scoop of the town. One story goes that one Mr Hi Jolly was brought in from the middle east to train the camels(Town's Mascot) for working in this desert, just before the Civil War began. The town liked him & he eventually settled here & we saw his cemetery.
I wanted to see the BLM Boon Docking locales around Quartzsite & the Desert Golf Course, but found myself napping after lunch in the camp ground & it soon started raining some in the late afternoon. DW bought a Indian made copper wrist band, we are not into rocks, gems, swapping things etc..., so that was it for shopping & the day as well.

Tomorrow we start for Tucson......

[disneydoc]

Day 25 - Lazy Days KOA Tucson, AZ. 59F, Wind 1MPH

I - 10 was fine, an uneventful drive, settled in for the evening, Pizza at the fine, busy KOA Camp Ground Restaurant was excellent. The nice park is well occupied, I believe regulars come down here for repeat winters here. I am driving under 300 miles a day on the return journey legs as planned. I knew I would be tired which I think I am.

My Fresh water Tank shows FULL all the time, no matter if the Tank is 1/4 full which I suspect it is. Escape installed my sent Horst Probes on the Gray & Black Tank, but not for the Fresh Water Tank.
Is there anything I can do for the Tank level to be read right ?. Has anybody else came across this issue with their Camper's Fresh Water Tank Level. I will appreciate any feed back on this issue.

At the Quartzsite Camp Ground a nice, retired, full timing couple in a nice Class A parked next to us kept advising me to buy a Class A, which they tried to tell me would be so much more comfortable than a small Trailer. I tried to tell them we do not RV as much as them & we are perfectly happy at this point in life with the occasional few days out camping & do not want to take care of another motor. Their Class A was sure very nice, spacious which they have been living in for 6 years. I do not know why I am bringing this up here but some how some people think that a small Trailer does not/cannot give the basic comforts during travel, or we some how gave them some such impression. We sure meet different kinds of people when we travel.

We leave for New Mexico in the morning..........

[gbaglo]

My fresh water reads 1/3 full most of the time. My only suggestion is to insert the hose and pour water into it until it's coming out the vent and the inlet. If nothing else, you'll know you have water, or some water, or lots of water.
My fresh water sensor used to read properly, but hasn't for at least a year.

[padlin]

Never had the fresh mess up, sounds like it may be ab electrical issue. Do you have the foam underneath or can you see the fresh tank/probes. Might be worth a call/email to ETI. I've not heard of Horst probes used for a fresh water tank, I suspect they are the standard pin type.

If you have no plans, and see this in time. City of Rocks State Park is worth a night in NM if you can get there fairly early in the afternoon. Only some sites have hookups, dry sites are 1st come 1st served.

[cpaharley2008]

If I recall, my first E19 had that issue, I removed the panel inside and made sure all the wires were secure and reinstalled. Maybe worth the effort, other do as Glenn suggests, fill it up. On a side note, when traveling and needing a cg, we try to pick a KOA that has the food option availability, some of it is a lot better that fast food we eat during the day.

[disneydoc]

Day 26, Hacienda RV & Rally Resort, Las Cruces, NM, 51F, Wind 11MPH, Wind makes it chilly

The I 10 between Tucson to Las Cruces has seen its better days.

This evening we visited the historic Mesilla Plaza & the surrounding Mesilla Village. This area sent us 150 to 200 yrs back, the outlaw & Horse Thief Billy the Kid was sentenced to be hung here, which now is a gift shop. It still has people living in the old houses which seemed to be made up of mud (Not sure what ?) it has the look right out of a western movie, wars with Native Indians happened here, for a short while during the civil war this was the head quarters of the southern forces, both US & Mexico claimed this area as theirs, then border in between was moved south of here for it to remain a part of US. All in all I found it to be a interesting place

I let out some water from the Fresh Water Tank & it now reads 2/3 now, my assumption of the amount of water in the Tank was wrong, it was close to full as it read. Thanks guys for your help, I think the readings seem to be good now.

More in next... off to Texas in the morning

[disneydoc]

Day 27 & 28 - Fort Stockton RV Park, Tx & with Family in Austin, getting warmer, 54F, Wing 9mph

After leaving Las Cruces in the morning, driving East on I-10, El Paso looked prosperous, Fort Stockton RV Park was OK for a overnight stay. I-10 on this stretch does not have many towns or Gas stations, it is all desert. We were glad to see some greenery as we approached Austin & Fredericksburg a cute little town on Route 290. We passed thru Johnson City where Lyndon Johnson was from

We are working/dreaming on a list of things to get as many of in our next Camper Trailer, dreamimg is cheap & easy to do, we may not get all on the List -

1) 2 comfortable chairs in place of benches, will research West Marine & others.
2) More floor space.
3) Wardrobe higher up from the floor, to avoid bending down for clothes
4) More space in the Bathroom
5) Hand flush Toilet, instead of foot flush
6) 2 Axels
7) A/C less noisy
8) Sliding windows ( no Awnings )
9) Lighter WDHitch
10)Avoid crawling over spouse to use rest room at night
11) A Dinette by a opening window & another one made out as a bed.

Next few days in Austin, Tx

[stratos175]

I have enjoyed reading your daily travel journal, THANKS.
Sounds like a 21' Escape is in your future. Like many on this forum we had a 17' Casita and just wanted something larger but wanted to stay molded Fiberglass and what you have listed for the most part is what we wanted as well. Now the noisy AC good luck with that but if you've not seen a 21' you should.

Safe and fun travels,

Steve

[cpaharley2008]

Two years, about the same as myself before the itch to upgrade hits, I see an E21 in your future...nice write ups.

[Vermilye]

Hey, I'm in Fort Stockton RV Park today (December 3-4). I'm heading the other way.

Take care, Jon

[disneydoc]

Jon, we crisscrossed paths on I-10, we were there the night of Dec 2nd, while coming to Austin we saw 2 or 3 Escapes going west on I-10 which is unusual for us, as we see many of every other kind except Escapes. We thought there could be a rally in this part of the country. On the Camp Ground, we were placed on the far end, seemed almost like on the service road of I 10. I usually try to go up & strike a conversation, well maybe next time.......

Thanks everybody

[Bcescapist]

can you give me a bit more information on your thoughts about the windows? We are still trying to make a decision on windows. Thanks!

[Upfisk]

Hey, we were in Van Horn RV Park on the night of the 3 and are headed west towards home. We saw no other Escapes on I-10 except one orange graphic 17 headed East near Ft Stockton on the 3rd. It was about 11 am. There are other Escapes on the road?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by stratos175

Now the noisy AC good luck with that

We know quiet A/C can be done...it just takes creativity and money! Many know I've done a mini-split that is super quiet, but if you haven't seen it I just recently posted about a quieter rooftop A/C that Advanced-RV is now importing from Australia. They are saying it is 3x quieter than the standard Dometic and Coleman units. I wonder if Escape would entertain acquiring one of these and installing it on a new build?

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tml#post271225

[cpaharley2008]

or, install the smaller Coleman Mach 9200 but unit, a lot quieter than the current 11,500 unit.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

or, install the smaller Coleman Mach 9200 but unit, a lot quieter than the current 11,500 unit.

Jim: I wish we had sound levels for each unit that could be objectively compared. Acceptable to one person is a jet engine to another.

[disneydoc]

Upfisk, the one with orange graphics was ours going east on I-10, other Escapes we saw were probably you, Jon & I am not sure but I think we saw one other all going west.

Bcescapist - The awning windows which we have do open but only a fraction of the sliding windows we are used to with full opening. The benefit is we can keep these open when it rains where as the sliding ones can let the rain water in. I will take the full opening ones, over the partial awning windows.

I bought our camper unseen like many of us, took our chances with choices we made based on the lady on the phone at Escape Trailers and going with what was on the forum. We got many of them right except some, which we will try to get on our next camper. In Florida there are(were) not many Escapes to go see.

Sitting on the Dinette one cannot hear the other person standing at the sink when the A/C is on, we are looking to improve that in our next camper.

[disneydoc]

Days 29 & 30
Settled in for the overnight stay at Gulf Coast RV Resort, Beaumont, Tx, 59F, Wind 7mph.

Last couple of days in Austin, was catching up with family, was feeling under the weather some even after taking the Flu Shot, stayed back an extra night. Austin was kind of cold & cloudy. Anyway, feeling better today, drove 3 1/2 hrs on Rt 71 & I-10E in mild rain to RV Park in Beaumont. Looks like a well laid out RV Park, bathrooms were clean, train passed by on the nearby tracks & the horn was quite loud, hope it does not disturb in the middle of the night.

On the home stretch now, stopping every about 300 miles or less, kind of missing home comforts now, only few more night stays remain of travel trip.

Off to Mississippi in the morning.......

[cpaharley2008]

Watch out for some nasty weather behind you....