First, thank you to all the members of the RV Forum Community. I have gained so much information from this site, I can not even begin. It has been instrumental in our own entry into the world of RVing and it quickly spread to our young adult son.
Our 25 yr old son, expecting wife and their dog arrived successfully today on their planned date at Twenty-Nine Palms CA in a recently purchased used 1999 Fleetwood 24D Jamboree with 66,000 miles on a Super Duty E350 chassis powered by the amazing V10 Triton. It was a 13 day, 4500 mile trek that started in Maine. Our son and wife decided to sell their pickup and purchased the MH as the method of moving to his next assignment as a Civil Engineer in the Navy (from Naval Weapons Station Earle in NJ to Twenty-Nine Palms in CA). Our 23 yr old daughter and her boyfriend followed in our son's car. The 4 adults and a 2 year old Chesapeake Bay retriever camped their way to CA and seeing 11 National Parks and other sights along the way.
I helped make the purchase in February as the MH was discovered here in Maine on Craig's List. It was a leap of faith as it was in storage and I could not test drive it - it was January in Maine! The spark plugs and the front brake pads and rotors had been recently replaced. The house and engine batteries were replaced in 2016. It was purchased from a fine example of a trustworthy Maine couple (Ayuh). We drove it to our home on a clear day in February when the roads were free of snow and salt. Beginning in May, our son and wife used a week of leave in between his assignments and prior to their departure to complete the following maintenance and upgrades. (The DIY were father/son projects):
Their trip included visits to Niagara Falls, Cuyahoga National Park, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Arches National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Bryce Cannon National Park, Zion National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
The trip was trouble free and incident free. They were able to stick to their route and timelines. The V10 ate the expected large volume of gas (7-11 mpg) and a measly pint of oil. No coolant or trans oil needed. No air was required for the tires during the trip. The engine temp never moved over the 1/3 mark of the gauge. Cabin A/C and House A/C worked fine. (this unit does not have a generator)
We are so proud of all our children. This trip highlights the vision, planning, and execution of our son and wife for their move and the positive relationship of the siblings. I am sure it was a great experience for the couples. We could not be more proud of them all for many many reasons.
They will be living in the MH in an RV park on base for a few weeks while they wait for base housing. His work begins in 3 days on Monday.
Much of what was done to prepare the MH for the trip was either learned or confirmed here. Again, thank you all.
Chicago Skyline in back of dog pic #1
Crossing the Mississippi River in dog pic #2
Our 25 yr old son, expecting wife and their dog arrived successfully today on their planned date at Twenty-Nine Palms CA in a recently purchased used 1999 Fleetwood 24D Jamboree with 66,000 miles on a Super Duty E350 chassis powered by the amazing V10 Triton. It was a 13 day, 4500 mile trek that started in Maine. Our son and wife decided to sell their pickup and purchased the MH as the method of moving to his next assignment as a Civil Engineer in the Navy (from Naval Weapons Station Earle in NJ to Twenty-Nine Palms in CA). Our 23 yr old daughter and her boyfriend followed in our son's car. The 4 adults and a 2 year old Chesapeake Bay retriever camped their way to CA and seeing 11 National Parks and other sights along the way.
I helped make the purchase in February as the MH was discovered here in Maine on Craig's List. It was a leap of faith as it was in storage and I could not test drive it - it was January in Maine! The spark plugs and the front brake pads and rotors had been recently replaced. The house and engine batteries were replaced in 2016. It was purchased from a fine example of a trustworthy Maine couple (Ayuh). We drove it to our home on a clear day in February when the roads were free of snow and salt. Beginning in May, our son and wife used a week of leave in between his assignments and prior to their departure to complete the following maintenance and upgrades. (The DIY were father/son projects):
- Replaced all 6 tires (date codes on the tires were 2001) - one tire moved to the spare which replaced one even older tire
- Replaced the ball joints and aligned the front end
- Replaced center bearing on the drive shaft
- Engine/Chassis A/C checked/recharged
- Professional Transmission fluid flush - replaced with synthetic oil
- Replaced trans line to the trans cooler (DIY)
- Replaced Coolant Hoses and Coolant, new coolant cap (DIY)
- Replaced brake fluid (DIY)
- Replaced Power Steering Fluid (DIY)
- Oil and Filter - Valvoline SynPower with a shot of STP Treatment (DIY)
- Checked rear differential fluid level (DIY)
- Visual inspection of rear brakes, lines, exhaust, etc. (DIY)
- Replaced interior, rear marker and backup lights with LED (DIY)
- Cleaned rugs/floors/surfaces/bath etc. (DIY)[/
- Polished the rims, added metal stem extenders to the rear to make it easier to check the tire pressure (DIY)
- Added an aftermarket 120 V electrical element to the hot water tank (in the drain) (DIY)
- Sanitized the water system(DIY)
- Replaced a leaking water line that must have suffered a crack from a freeze - I am a believer in Sharkbite fittings (DIY) (
Their trip included visits to Niagara Falls, Cuyahoga National Park, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Arches National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Bryce Cannon National Park, Zion National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
The trip was trouble free and incident free. They were able to stick to their route and timelines. The V10 ate the expected large volume of gas (7-11 mpg) and a measly pint of oil. No coolant or trans oil needed. No air was required for the tires during the trip. The engine temp never moved over the 1/3 mark of the gauge. Cabin A/C and House A/C worked fine. (this unit does not have a generator)
We are so proud of all our children. This trip highlights the vision, planning, and execution of our son and wife for their move and the positive relationship of the siblings. I am sure it was a great experience for the couples. We could not be more proud of them all for many many reasons.
They will be living in the MH in an RV park on base for a few weeks while they wait for base housing. His work begins in 3 days on Monday.
Much of what was done to prepare the MH for the trip was either learned or confirmed here. Again, thank you all.
Chicago Skyline in back of dog pic #1
Crossing the Mississippi River in dog pic #2
) 29 Palms is located right at the entrance to one of my all time favorite national parks, Joshua Tree. Check out Jumbo Rocks Campground, one of the most beautiful in the country.
