Watch Where You Park

[Mark James]

Parked last week for one night in a downtown Vancouver RV park. Nice place but got put beside a 53 foot motor home or should I say bus. Shortly after turning out the lights the gentleman next to me put on his diesel heater. Fumes got so bad I had to pack up in the dark and move to another vacant spot. Fellow beside me understandably did not want to turn off his heat on a cold night. Good practice parking in the dark I guess. Windows were closed in the trailer but the fumes still got beyond what we considered safe.

[BCnomad]

Or the first of the night, spontaneous 3am AC cycling with full throated Onan gennie as backup vocals.

I feel your pain.

[tdf-texas]

While we were at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone, we woke up to the trailer full of smoke due the illegal fire the idiot next to us left smoldering. At least he didn't burn my trailer up - not that he didn't try! Oh, the smoke detector works on campfire smoke too.

Same RV park - but still funny. Another trailer had a bison lay down right in front of his door - he was stuck inside until the bison decided to move on.

[LarryandLiz]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

While we were at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone, we woke up to the trailer full of smoke due the illegal fire the idiot next to us left smoldering. At least he didn't burn my trailer up - not that he didn't try! Oh, the smoke detector works on campfire smoke too.

Same RV park - but still funny. Another trailer had a bison lay down right in front of his door - he was stuck inside until the bison decided to move on.

The Bison story is wonderful. Thanks for sharing

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Mark James

Shortly after turning out the lights the gentleman next to me put on his diesel heater. Fumes got so bad I had to pack up in the dark and move to another vacant spot. Fellow beside me understandably did not want to turn off his heat on a cold night. .

We rarely stay in RV parks and I've always thought that a plus was that at least no one would be running a generator. But recently at Rolling Hills, because it was so cold, we broke down and went into the RV park instead of the usual parking in the truck area.

Walking though the loops I was kind of surprised at how much noise comes from a lot of the units running heating units.

Loved the guy across the way from us, 4 full sized quads , I don't know how we get along without one. Definitely a difference between us folks in our little plastic eggs and the mega RV's.

Ron

[Iowa Dave]

I’m pretty picky when it comes to the possibility of exhaust fumes that could impact us and have several times taken a less scenically desireable location than one where there’s a diesel pusher or generator involved. Some times you have no choice especially in peak season times. Overhead widow maker branches, Diesel exhaust, generators running for no reason are all due diligence deal breakers if I have a choice, big branches and rotten trees are always a reason to drop her back into drive. Wouldn’t want to wake up dead.
Iowa Dave

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Overhead widow maker branches... big branches and rotten trees are always a reason to drop her back into drive. Wouldn’t want to wake up dead.
Iowa Dave

Indeed. I learned my lesson from parking in a nice spot with high, overhead shade. Then a thunderstorm moved through one night. The trailer was hit by a smaller limb, but the five-incher in the photo shook the ground when it hit. I was lucky that time. Since then I've always examined the trees at campsites.

[LRL]

Excellent advice. Thank you!

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Indeed. I learned my lesson from parking in a nice spot with high, overhead shade. Then a thunderstorm moved through one night. The trailer was hit by a smaller limb, but the five-incher in the photo shook the ground when it hit. I was lucky that time. Since then I've always examined the trees at campsites.

I was City Arborist in Council Bluffs Iowa for several years. We trimmed and removed trees by the thousand during the Dutch Elm disease. I was active in the Society of Municipal
Arborists, and attended several conferences and workshops where liabilities from publicly owned trees were the primary topic. Big wood, up high, can generate terrific force on its way down. Widow makers, barber chairs, bad crotches, hollow trunks and coondominiums were our stock and trade. Here’s a big ash I dropped on the corner of our lot. It’s always spooky when the saw speeds up when it ought to be hoggin down.
Iowa Dave

[Mark James]

Good god 4 quads. Why?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mark James

Good god 4 quads. Why?

For four riders? That would make sense.

[Iowa Dave]

That's a term I'm not familiar with. I have two pretty good quads for being 70 years old and biceps honed to spring steel sinew from a lifetime of 12 ounce curls. The saw is a Stihl 460 with a 35 inch bar. I didn't get out the big 6600 Binford. Like the parting words the padre said to the poor man being strapped into the electric chair, "More power to you"
Iowa Dave

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

For four riders? That would make sense.

Maybe, the other thing that I notice is those towing a pickup massive enough to tow a large Montana. Just the thing to run into town to do some shopping. I know, everyone has the right to set their own priorities but sometimes I think, Really!

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I didn't get out the big 6600 Binford.
Iowa Dave

"Binford" I guess it was "Bynford" but for some reason I thought of Tim, the tool man, Taylor.

Ron

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Maybe, the other thing that I notice is those towing a pickup massive enough to tow a large Montana. Just the thing to run into town to do some shopping. I know, everyone has the right to set their own priorities but sometimes I think, Really!



"Binford" I guess it was "Bynford" but for some reason I thought of Tim, the tool man, Taylor.

Ron

I guess I never paid attention to the spelling, but yes, Tim Allen, the tool man who always grunted " more power". I was in a saw shop a few years ago, of course dressed for success, when a prospective customer mistook me for a salesman. Seizing the opportunity before the owner realized what was happening, when the customer asked me for a recommendation for a lightweight trimming saw, I pulled a big Stihl 460 out of the display tree trunk and said " this thousand dollar bad boy is just what you need. Before I could complete my pitch the owner came zipping out from the other side of the corner and told me step back, I'll handle this. Not sure he ever completely forgave me, I exited, stage left out the door.
Never know, all a steer can do is try.
Iowa Dave

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Maybe, the other thing that I notice is those towing a pickup massive enough to tow a large Montana. Just the thing to run into town to do some shopping. I know, everyone has the right to set their own priorities but sometimes I think, Really!

I used to wonder about the large flat-towed vehicles behind motorhomes, then I realized that a travelling family would need to take with them the same size of vehicle that they would use to drive around together when not on vacation... so if the family wagon is a crew cab pickup truck, that's what's hooked to the back of the motorhome. Sure, they could take the Corvette and that would do for milk runs, but how would they all get to Disneyland or whatever the side trip of the day might be?

Another factor is that most vehicles are now automatics, and most automatics cannot be flat-towed without modification. The common exception is 4WD vehicles with a transfer case which can be shifted to neutral, and my guess is that truck is one of them. Even if there is a more modestly sized vehicle in the family fleet, the 4X4 truck wins the flat-towing job.

There is also the issue of bolting the towing bar's baseplate into the towed vehicle. That is more straightforward and (if you are depending on the questionable experience, skill, and honesty of an RV shop's tech) reliable with a body-on-frame vehicle... such as that truck.

Having towed a 2.4 tonne (5200 pound) trailer behind our motorhome - which isn't one of those huge diesel pushers - I can see towing the truck... it would barely be noticeable at steady speed, although it would be a pain on grades.

As for towing a trailer with the truck, rather than the truck with a motorhome, I'll note that in these forums a common opinion is that a 21' Escape can't be towed with anything less than a full-sized truck, so a large trailer would clearly need a Class 4 medium duty truck, and that lightweight Chevy wouldn't be up to the task.

[CarlNH]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I’m pretty picky when it comes to the possibility of exhaust fumes that could impact us and have several times taken a less scenically desireable location than one where there’s a diesel pusher or generator involved. Some times you have no choice especially in peak season times. Overhead widow maker branches, Diesel exhaust, generators running for no reason are all due diligence deal breakers if I have a choice, big branches and rotten trees are always a reason to drop her back into drive. Wouldn’t want to wake up dead.
Iowa Dave

Thanks, Dave! So much to learn before I pick up my 19! Great to have all the accumulated knowledge of you experienced folks here! 😁