Hi

[railbum]

I'm new to the forum, and a relatively new RV'r.  I bought a used 94 Southwind 36 foot diesel pusher with 30,000 miles last year  and we went to Louisiana working Katrina cliams and Florida working Wilma claims in 2005-2006.  We went to DC in April of 2006 and had a great time.  We lived in the unit for 4 months while working and did not have any problems.  While on the trip to DC we were gone for 6 weeks and did not have any problems.

I have not had any problems other than steering with my unit and discovered that the bell crank needed to be replaced and that a right front tie rod was bad.  I tow a 97 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 standard shift and with the 230 hp turbo cummins with 6 speed trany average 9.5 miles per gallon.

I'm retired and we are planning a trip to California in April or May of 2007.  Any advise on sights to see traveling from Texas to California or things to avoid would be appreciated.  I don't have a supplemental braking system on the tow vehicle, and would appreciate any advise on this.

 

[Carl L]

I'm retired and we are planning a trip to California in April or May of 2007.  Any advise on sights to see traveling from Texas to California or things to avoid would be appreciated.  I don't have a supplemental braking system on the tow vehicle, and would appreciate any advise on this.

I assume you will take I-10 all the way to CA.  A side trip to the Grand Canyon would be fun then into CA on I-40  Maybe a look see at Tombstone and Kartcher Caverns east of Tucson would be fun -- a stop at Benson would set you up for that. 

What is your destination in CA?

 

[Tom]

I don't have a supplemental braking system on the tow vehicle, and would appreciate any advise on this.

Check out this illustrated file in our library describing several auxiliary/toad braking systems. There are other makes/models besides the ones described in the file - new ones come out periodically, which reminds me I'm due to update the file.

One caveat - folks here (including me) have their own biases and will tout the advantages of one over the others. Some of this is merely hype from marketing folks that is being repeated. The tradeoffs are really quite straightforward and you should choose the one you're most comfortable with and which works with your vehicle; There are a limited number of toads that can't use one or more of the braking systems described.

 

[Ron]

Welcome to the RV Forum. Please look around the forum,  join in on any of the on going discussions, start new discussions, or ask questions. Thanks for joining us.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't have a supplemental braking system on the tow vehicle, and would appreciate any advise on this.

It's not all that important which one you choose - just get one. It will reduce your stopping distance substantially, which makes the highways safer for all of us. I now use a Roadmaster Brakemaster. The new Air Force One system from SMI looks good too. M&G makes an excellent system if your Nissan has room for the master cylinder mods needed for it - the only drawback to the M&G system.  A portable unit like a Brake Buddy is excellent and easy to use. No permanent installation needed, so its basically plug & play. The Unified Tow Brake from US Gear is another excellent system.

Google the product names to find more info an each. Their advertising hypes a lot of supposed advantages over their competitors, but mostly it is just that - hype. They all work pretty well, even though they differ in some ways. All are easy to hook up - none need more than a minute or two, so ease of use is a moot point.  Pick the one whose price and features most appeal to you and don't agonize too much over the advertising claims.

 

[railbum]

I assume you will take I-10 all the way to CA.   A side trip to the Grand Canyon would be fun then into CA on I-40   Maybe a look see at Tombstone and Kartcher Caverns east of Tucson would be fun -- a stop at Benson would set you up for that.   

What is your destination in CA?

We hope to go to San Diego, along the coast up to the north and back east to Colorado.  I'd like to see the Sequoyah, and Red Wood trees, San Francisco, and the Wine Country.  We prefer the countryside to the big city areas, and since we don't have small children traveling with us any longer we "don't do theme parks" Ha!!  We will travel on I-20 to Midland, Texas and turn north to the panhandle of Texas to see Palo Duro Canyon, and then go west into New Mexico, then to Arizona and then to California.  We have been to Grand Canyon, but the tip on Tombstone and Kartcher Caverns sounds good. 

We've had good results staying overnight at Wal-Mart stores.  I always go in to ask permission from a member of their local management and to alert their secuirty staff that we will be on the lot.  We have also had good results in rest areas, but they can be noisy.  Some have 24 hour security, and when we see this we also ask permission.  We don't "camp" at these locations and we always stay "hooked up" so we can move easily if need be. 

Thanks for your post.

 

[Karl]

Kartcher Caverns

It's actually Kartchner Caverns, and it's well worth doing. There are different tours you can take and they all require advance reservations. No flash pictures allowed inside, and take a jacket! Outside is very pretty too with its' Hummingbird Lane, so you may want to bring a lunch.

 

[Honest John]

If you are coming up the CA coast you might want to visit Morro Bay and Paso Robles.  Paso Robles (just North of Morro Bay) is a fairly new and developing wine country.  They also raise a lot of cattle in the vicinity.  We like to go and spend time there and it isn't quite as commercialized as the Napa Valley.  You can visit the city web page at: http://www.prcity.com/  also the wine association web page at http://www.prcity.com/.

MAP

When we go, we like to stay at the Wine Country RV Resort, it is fairly new, a nice park with good infrastructure.  Their web page is  http://www.winecountryrvresort.com/


We live in the west end of the Mojave desert and would suggest a visit to our desert poppy reserve (near Lancaster CA).  However I'm hearing that we have so little rainfall this year that we don't expect to have a very good bloom.  (Often it is breathtaking.)

Anyway, hope you have a great trip! ;D

 

[Carl L]

We hope to go to San Diego, along the coast up to the north and back east to Colorado.  I'd like to see the Sequoyah, and Red Wood trees, San Francisco, and the Wine Country.  We prefer the countryside to the big city areas, and since we don't have small children traveling with us any longer we "don't do theme parks" Ha!!  We will travel on I-20 to Midland, Texas and turn north to the panhandle of Texas to see Palo Duro Canyon, and then go west into New Mexico, then to Arizona and then to California.  We have been to Grand Canyon, but the tip on Tombstone and Kartcher Caverns sounds good. 

We've had good results staying overnight at Wal-Mart stores.  I always go in to ask permission from a member of their local management and to alert their secuirty staff that we will be on the lot.  We have also had good results in rest areas, but they can be noisy.  Some have 24 hour security, and when we see this we also ask permission.  We don't "camp" at these locations and we always stay "hooked up" so we can move easily if need be. 

Ah so.  Well you cannot go too far wrong with San Diego.  Be sure to take in Balboa Park and the Zoo.  The Wild Animal Park in the north county is well worth the trip also.  A harbor cruise is most enjoyable as is Old Town.  On the way north, do stop by Mission San Juan de Capistrano.    There is no good way to get thru LA from the south, you might as well take the I-5, the 405 is under contruction from LAX to the I-10 and is horrible.  Do keep your run to between the hours of 9am to 3pm or week ends.  If you want bypass LA take the I-15 to the I-210 and the 210 to the I-5 north of town.  You can then use CA-126 for a pleasant drive to US-101 on the coast at Ventura.  This early in the season I would avoid the Big Sur run of CA-1.  However, a side trip to Morro Bay and to San Simion to see the Hearst Castle is a worthwhile detour. 

Next stop should be Monterey and its exquisite aquarium.  Another sidetrip to Felton, CA near Santa Cruz will afford you a stay in a redwood grove at Smithwoods RV Park and a RR train trip thru a redwood park.  To get thru SF I would recommend taking CA-1 which becomes 19th Avenue in SF straight thru to the Golden Gate Bridge and across to a RV park off US 101 convenient to the City and to the Napa Valley and base camp there.  Do not attempt to tour SF with a motor home.  Use your toad or a rental car.   To tour the Wine Country, I recommend a limousene or a bus tour.  That way you get to drink the wine at the tastings.  IMHO the best tasting is at Stags Leap.

From there I would recommend Olema RV Park over on the coast for exploring the Pt. Reyes National Seashore and the Tomales Bay country.  Do stop by for some fresh oysters over in Inverness.  Near Bodegas on the north end of the Bay is the Rouge et Noir cheesefactory.  For a great brie give them a look see.  Click HERE to see their website. 

 

[Pierat]

Just FYI re Kartchner Caverns, from the State Parks web site: "No photography or video cameras allowed on cave tour." It is well worth visiting, though.

 

[ArdraF]

You've already gotten advice on lots of good places to go so I'll stick with the aux brake.  Whatever you get, DO get something!  You didn't say where you're from so I'll assume east of the Mississippi.  Out here in the west we have "REAL" mountains and you don't want to go down one of them without an aux brake in your toad.  You mentioned going east to Colorado.  If you take I-70 to Denver, it's a good road and very pretty but the pass is around 11,000 feet so you can expect to be creeping by the time you get up to it.  From northern California, I-80 through Salt Lake City is both more direct and also a little easier because it goes across Wyoming's high plains at elevations in the 7,000 and 8,000 foot range and the slopes are more gradual.  You can drop down toward Denver at Cheyenne on I-25.

It will be a great trip and we hope you have a wonderful time.

ArdraF

 

[Jim Dick]

We live in the west end of the Mojave desert and would suggest a visit to our desert poppy reserve (near Lancaster CA).  However I'm hearing that we have so little rainfall this year that we don't expect to have a very good bloom.  (Often it is breathtaking.)

John,

I think this is what you reference is all about. Taken two years ago at the height of the colors in the spring.

 

[Honest John]

Yes, that looks like it!  I've tried to attached a couple of photos too.

 

[Jim Dick]

John,

They attached just fine. The day we were at the Poppy reserve the wind was bad and it was cold so they didn't come out. Would have been spectacular if they did. Would like to have gotten close ups like yours.

 

[ArdraF]

Those poppy photos remind me of when I was a kid in the late 1940s and living in Northern California in the east bay around Pittsburg and Rodeo.  All the hillsides used to be covered with poppies in the spring and summer.  Don't see that much any more. 

ArdraF

 

[Honest John]

The Poppy Festival in Lancaster is in April, as I mentioned the rainfall hasn't been great this year so we are not expecting a great blooom.  However, if you are interested here are a couple of web sites with information. 

http://www.poppyfestival.com/

https://www.cityoflancasterca.org/Index.aspx?page=497

 

[Jim Dick]

Ardra,

It's a good thing that some areas are reserved for certain flowers to grow. We might not have any wild ones if civilization was allowed to ruin all the fields. I doubt I will ever see such a spectacular spring as we did two years ago!

 

[ArdraF]

Jim, no joke!  Two years ago truly was a once-in-a-lifetime bloom.  And, yes, thank goodness for preserves, not just for poppies but azaleas, rhododendrons, and all the other beauties of nature.

Ardra

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Jim, no joke!  Two years ago truly was a once-in-a-lifetime bloom.  And, yes, thank goodness for preserves, not just for poppies but azaleas, rhododendrons, and all the other beauties of nature.

Ardra

Ardra,

I have a cousin that has a home at Roan Mountain Tenn. Growing up I always remember rhododendrons as bushes around the house. On top of Roan Mountain Peg and I discovered that rhododendrons are trees! The entire top of that mountain is covered with rhododendron trees. We were there too late to see them in bloom but my cousin said the sight is beyond description.

 

[cougar3514v]

I agree, Don, Northeast Tennessee is beautiful in the Spring.  And if you're into azaleas, you need to visit the Biltmore in Asheville, NC (just over the moutains) in late April to early May.  They're some of the prettiest I've seen.

-Dave