Alpine, CA Newbies

[inscop]

Rose and Ray here.  Ray is retired from the federal gubmint ( look at my sign in name and see if you can figure it out ) and poor Rose is still working.  We decided to buy a Forest River FR3 http://www.forestriverinc.com/ClassAMotorhomes/FR3/ and learn about RVing before she retires and we go for one of the big boys.  We actually pick that puppy up tomorrow 6/27/2013.  I can't remember seeing Rose so excited about anything before.

We are in shock looking at on-line reservations for state beaches and parks.  Those things are booked solid for months in advance.  We managed to line up a few spots in the future plus a couple of nearby places in private parks.  I think our first official camp will be in our backyard just so we don't look like total dorks when we do our first campground visit.  That will happen July 12 at Lake Jennings Park in case you want to drop by for a good laugh.

We are both looking forward to living and learning, meeting new and interesting people and enjoying copious quantities of fine wine with them.

 

[99WinAdventurer37G]

Don't worry about what you "look like" setting things up the first few times.  It's amazing how many people come out of the woodwork to help when they see me struggling.  Now I can set it up without any problems, but when I first got it, overwhelming would be an understatement.  The people here were so helpful when I thought I broke my fridge, and the many other challenges I've encountered.  It's all about enjoying the journey.

 

[inscop]

Thanks for the reply.  We picked the unit up yesterday and after about forty minutes of white knuckle driving from the dealership, I got it safely home.

Testing everything out prior to the maiden voyage is always a good thing.  For instance, the extension cord I planned to carry has a resettable fuse that quickly showed that it was incapable of handing much of a load.  I am still getting used to the idea that it is different from a big car, having its own house electrical and gas system.  We proved the refrigerator worked by cooling a nice bottle of French burgundy down to a drinkable temperature and sharing with our neighbors who came over to check out the FR3.

Now I have to work on trimming the backyard jungle and getting the gate widened so I can get it out of my driveway.

 

[99WinAdventurer37G]

One of my first mistakes after I brought it home was to park it in my driveway which is at a steep incline.  My refrigerator stopped working after several hours and I thought I broke it.  People on this board calmed my fears by letting me know once I got it back on level ground it should start working again, which it did.  Those are things that they may have told me at the dealership, but they told me so much, they took four hours going over every system, and I think I only retained 15% of it. 

So you may have things that have been forgotten already, so while you are still excited, take some time and read over some of the manuals.  There were things in the manual that made me go Huh  ???  But I figured it out by asking the questions on this board, where there is a wealth of information, that will help you along the journey.

 

[mylo]

Welcome... Great brewery in your hometown...


Mylo

 

[inscop]

@ 99WinAdventurer37G:  The dealerships could do a LOT of things better.  I got home and messed with the TV for longer than I care to admit.  No matter what I did, I could see it picking up RF signals, but it would not play.  The dealer could have told me one little thing that would have prevented all that frustration.  The TV antenna HAS to be UP.  My genius wife (Not being sarcastic.  She really is.)  stumbled on that remedy.  Thank Goodness we were still at the dealership when we discovered that the slides will not move unless the key is out of the ignition or in the AUX position.  The walk thru guy had to bring a tech out to figure that one out.  I'm looking forward to all sorts of misadventures on our first trip out on 7/12.

@mylo:  Alpine Brewery does make some mighty fine hoppy stuff.  It is almost always packed when open in the evenings.