Whew! Downsizing is Exhausting

We began RVing in 1988, first borrowing a tent trailer, then buying our own Coleman pop-up. We traveled to the east coast and to British Columbia with that RV. We enjoyed it for probably 9 years before moving up to our first 5th wheel, a 1997 Komfort with no slides. (Our son Eric is still using that tent trailer.) We took the Kombort on many great trips, including one to the east coast. Eventually, about 5 or 6 years later, we decided we wanted at least one slide. We traded it for a 2003 Montana. Enjoying that one, we drove and rode the Alaska Marine Highway to Alaska, returning entirely on land. We also drove it to the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

In 2008 after volunteer assignments in Oregon, we were headed south into California when the front legs no longer worked. We were not able to take it off our truck until it was in the garage for repairs. While it was being fixed we checked out the dealers lot and bought a 2009 10th Anniversary Montana with 2 slides. We traveled extensively in that trailer including another trip to Alaska, after which we returned all the way to the lower 48 on the Marine Highway.

In early 2012 the front landing gear on that trailer failed. When we finally got it onto the truck, we had both front legs replaced under our extended service plan. By the end of the year, when we decided to look for another 5th wheel with 3 slides, we decided to go with a DRV Mobile Suites. We ordered it on line, using lots of advice from the Suites Owners forum and 3 different DRV dealers. After deciding which dealer to buy from, we waited for it to be built the way we wanted then picked it up in Chanute, Kansas, in 2013.

The Mobile Suites is constructed with more quality interiors, more style and upgrades than the Montanas. And it had a Lippert Level-up system that was a dream to use. Put down the front legs, removed the tow vehicle, push a button and it leveled itself automatically. That is done with hydraulic landing legs. Last September we began having serious problems with the hydraulic system ... more serious than the electric legs in either Montana. We had one front leg replaced last September after it wouldn't stay up. We had to keep stopping the truck every 10 miles as we drove on I-70 and I-25 in Colorado. This May, the system again failed: first it came down while we were parked with the RV still on the truck. Then the front end of the 5th wheel got lower and lower while we were parked.

We traveled from Arizona to Oklahoma to have the closest DRV dealer examine it and, we hoped, repair the problem. When we arrived at the dealership we were told our trailer wouldn't even be examined for 7 days, even though we had been led to believe he would immediately work on it when we arrived. Seven days later he spent 2 1/2 hours testing the legs and declared it OK. He then suggested, if we intended to keep the unit, we have the legs replaced and recommended a shop in Indiana. We left the dealership and drove directly to Amarillo. While in Amarillo the trailer legs again failed. We contacted the shop in Indiana and found that the earliest appointment was at least a month out.

We drove to Colorado without disconnecting our 5th wheel. It's difficult to get fuel, to shop for food and to visit when you have to drive a one-ton dual wheel truck and a 36 foot 5th wheel everywhere.

That was enough! No more 5th wheels for us. The living space and storage space in that type of RV is great. We have lived full-time in our last 2 for a total of 7 years. But we are no longer full-timers and we decided to downsize and look on our travels more like camping.

We arrived at Chatfield State Park near Denver on June 7. Since we couldn't take the 5th wheel off our truck, our son loaned us his pickup so we could get around without taking the trailer everywhere. The next day we went looking for a travel trailer. At Windish RV in Lakewood, we looked at several Airstreams as well as a Jayco and Grand Design unit. The latter 2 had slides so there was more living space. But they felt cheap inside compared to the Mobile Suites and Airstream. So that day, we made our choice and said we would get back to them. We then drove to Stevenson Chevrolet in Lakewood. We didn't need a 1-ton dually to pull the Airstream which, fulling loaded, weighs 10,000 pounds less then the Mobile Suites. Once we made a choice there, we returned to Windish and made a down payment on the trailer. Then back to Stevenson and made a down payment there.

Not done yet, we returned to Chatfield and spent the evening with our son Eric and his family on their boat, including another celebration of my recent birthday.

Thursday it was time to begin downsizing our stuff. When we lived in the Suites full-time, we had everything we owned (except for a small storage unit of stuff) in the RV. In late 2014 we bought a small house in Arizona and took what we needed for the house out of the trailer. We traveled in 2015, then returned to Arizona. But we still had way more than we needed for our travels. We have been sorting clothes and boxing up what we want shipped back to Arizona, keeping on what we absolutely need. The 5th wheel has a large basement storage area that we will miss. The idea is the put a cover on the bed of the truck and use that to store those items.

Friday we were out by 9 to finish the paperwork and pay for the truck. Then we returned to Windish to look again at the Airstream storage. Back to Chatfield to sort, throw stuff away and give Eric and Liz what we think they can use.

Saturday there was more sorting and packing. In the evening we attended my 55th high school reunion. Sunday was a chance to relax little. Monday we took the Mobile Suites to Windish and picked up the Airstream. Since the refrigerator wasn't cold in the new trailer, we left all our food in the old RV until the next day. But it took a while to move everything else into the new RV. We had boxed and bagged a lot of it before we got there, but it still had to be carted from one unit to the other. We used the old truck to move it. Back at Chatfield, we began trying to find a place for everything.

Tuesday it was time to trade the old truck for the new one. That didn't take long at all. The biggest task was to have all the new electronics in a 2016 Chevy explained. We still have to read about it so we remember, but all the upgrades are amazing! Then we drove to Windish to pick up our food.

Wednesday we had appointments with our dermatologist and returned Eric's truck. We made a trip to Goodwill, ordered a bed cover for the truck, ran some errands and started changing our insurance to the new vehicles.

We are exhausted. It is an effort to mentally take in all the changes. We try not to get lost when we get up during the night, looking for the bathroom. Every time we want something we stop, look around and try to remember where it might be. Sometimes it takes checking several cabinets before we find it.

Finally, Thursday, we had a full day at our site in the state park. We did laundry and continued working on putting things away. By dinner time, we finally were rid of boxes and piles on every surface. Whew.


I'll post pictures of all this in my next blog.

Helpful Folks

We didn't have a good start to this day. We were no more than 2 miles from Utah's Sand Hollow State Park, where we had spent the past two nights, when we realized the right (or passenger side or curb side) front hydraulic landing gear was inching its way to the ground. Two travels ago, I had hear a new metallic sound and realized that landing gear was dragging on the ground. Not good!!

Then, the next time we towed the trailer, nothing happened.

Today, we stopped several times in the first 5 miles of our trip to again raise that leg.

We finally pulled to the side of the road in Hurricane and called CoachNet. After giving our location and explaining the problem, they promised a technician would call us. We had called them for help once before and were able to talk to a technician within just a few minutes. This time, it was 20 or 30 minutes later when a Hurricane police officer stopped to see if we had a problem. After learning of our issue, he told us there was a large RV dealer about 3 miles in the opposite direction. He helped us find a place to turn around (not easy with a 36-ft trailer in tow) and helped us find Nielson's RV. We turned in and went inside.

Dennis, a technician in their service department, came out to see what the problem was.

He tightened all the hydraulic lines, had us run the front landing gear up and down a few times to purge the air from the line, and finally pronounced the problem fixed. We asked what we owed and he said, "nothing." Amazing.

We then drove 160 miles north to Richfield with no problems. I did keep looking in the rear view mirror to be sure the leg was staying up. Something I will be doing for several days' travel. But, for now at least, it appears the problem is fixed. Thanks to a helpful policeman and a knowledgeable RV technician. We are so grateful for people like them. Thank you, officer. Thank you, Dennis.

Duct Tape to the Rescue

The automatic lock on our Dometic 4-door refrigerator-freezer is broken. And when we discovered this fact, the doors were closed and locked! These two weight lifters finally forced the door open. But, how do we get it fixed? We contacted a Coach Net technician and learned Dometic had been having problems with this and a repair would require all new doors. Obviously, we aren't going to get it fixed until we return to Gold Canyon. The tech told us to have the repair shop to order doors with a manual lock, instead of the automatic lock we now have.

We have always tried to lock the doors each time they are opened and closed. Do you have any idea how hard it is to break that habit? But we don't want to end up with the doors stuck in the locked position. So I have put small strips of duct tape on the two sides of the sliding lock so it won't move.

But we still had the problem of how to keep the doors closed when we travel. With the automatic lock, each time we disconnected from shore power, the doors locked so they wouldn't come open during travel. John found two c-clamps in the tool box and we clamped the door handles together. Unfortunately, the refrigerator doors still came open about an inch--enough for the food to get too warm. So, this is what we do now on travel days: C-clamps and duct tape. I am so glad the doors are stainless steel. It will be easy to clean off the residue from the tape.

We feel so smart! 

But, how did we figure out that duct tape would hold the doors, you might ask?  Well, nearly 20 years ago, in1997 to be exact, we were driving north out of Pennsylvania after spending time in Philadelphia.  We had a 26 foot Komfort 5th wheel, which we had owned less than a year.  When we parked and went into the RV, we found the freezer door had fallen off and was on the floor!  We were new at RV travel and weren't sure where we could get it fixed.  What to do?  We duct-taped the door in place.

It wasn't the most convenient way to travel and use the freezer, but it worked.  When we got to Buffalo, New York, we found an RV repair shop and they reattached the door.  Apparently, it had not been hooked up correctly.  No surprise to us.  We always travel with a good supply of duct tape. 

Wind and Falling Shades

The wind is blowing. And blowing. And blowing. We are in Las Cruces, NM, and the wind has been blowing every afternoon. We planned to stay only two days--Thursday and Friday--but by the time we arrived, winds were predicted for Saturday so we paid for Saturday night, as well. Yesterday, the forecast was for winds on Sunday, so we paid to spend tonight here, also. And now, the wind is supposed to blow Monday, tomorrow, so we will probably go in tomorrow morning and sign up for one more night. In ways, it has been good to sit for this long. John had some stomach bug while we were in Willcox, and it came back after we got here. We have reservations in Junction, TX, Wednesday, but even that can be changed it the wind continues.

Then, last night, when I was pulling down the shades in the RV, the Deluxe Day-Night Roller Shade on the window by our dining room table fell. It didn't just come unrolled. It fell out of the window with a bang. Since there are two shades--one a sun screen and one a black-out shade--on separate rollers, the shade is heavy and made a loud noise. I'm just glad it didn't fall while I was asleep.

When we examined it this morning, John found that the bracket had broken on one end. We drove to the Camping World in Anthony, Texas, about 24 miles from here, today, but they don't have the part. So, tomorrow we will try the Mobile Suites factory.

As I wrote last week, the foot fell off our front landing gear as we drove here from Arizona.  We contacted the factory about that issue, too.  As a temporary measure, they recommended we get a strong 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 board to put under the front leg.  We tried a 2 x 10.  It didn't work all that well. The RV is too heavy for that.





We are really glad we carry weight with us for our semi-regular workouts. We found a 10 pound weight fits right under the front leg and spreads the weight across the orange plastic leveling blocks. Hope it continues to work till be meet up with the part that is being sent to us in Junction, Texas, where we will spend a couple of days later this week.



At least the broken bracket doesn't affect traveling with the RV or parking it. We can live without the shade for a while.

An Adventure, Maybe?

It's been quite a day. About 2 am today, we woke up to a "chirp"....."chirp"....."chirp". What is that? Not good, it's the LPCO detector. Do we have a propane leak? Where is the booklet on that alarm? After I found it and read the pertinent sections, we learned it was a fault alarm, not a leak alarm, which would be "chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp." After pushing the reset button, it turned off. Until 3:58 am, to be exact. I closed the sliding door between the bedroom and the alarm and we slept till 6.

Thank heavens for cell phones. How many of you were on the road before we had these wonderful devices?  After we woke up and had our coffee, I wanted to call the manufacturer of the detection device.  Years ago, we would have had to stay in one place long enough for me to find a pay phone, call the manufacturer of the device, wait on hold for 5 minutes or so, to learn the name of a business at our destination--Las Cruces, NM--that services Atwood products. Later in the morning, we would have had to pull over at another pay phone and call that business, only to learn they don't deal with COLP alarms. They referred me to an RV supply business in Las Cruces. It would have taken another stop at a pay phone to call the factory where our RV was built to learn how to disable the chirping detector. Since it is only warning of a fault in the device, not a gas leak, we wanted to at least get silence tonight. The service supervisor called back and said there is a fuse that can be pulled to give us silence tonight.

At one point during our drive east in I-10, I heard a clink and looked to see something rolling off to the median from the vicinity of our RV. I didn't think of it again. A little later, a small red car pulled up and I though they were going to pass. Instead, they honked. When I looked (I was driving), they pointed down and toward the RV. I quickly pulled off on the right shoulder. John walked around the RV and truck and finally noticed that the sewer hose, which is stored in a tube attached to the bottom of the trailer, was trailing out on the ground! He put it back in the tube and re-secured the cover.

We pulled in an RV park in Las Cruces. As I prepared to use the automatic level-up system, I looked at the driver side front leveling leg. Something didn't look right.  When lowered, this is what the leg should look like.



Instead, this is what I saw.



Notice this is no foot or landing plate on the bottom of the leg. That must have been what I heard go "clink" as I drove down the road. (Do you suppose that is what opened the cover so the sewer hose could spill out?)

More phone calls ensured--to a local mobile RV repairman, a local RV dealer, and an RV parts and supply business. Oh, yes, and to the factory, to the same service supervisor I had talked to earlier today. He suggested I call someone local, since our level-up system is available on many RVs. Since I already knew no one here had them, he suggested I call his parts department and have one sent under our warranty. Hopefully, that will happen.

To make a long story a little shorter, two people we called suggested we put a 2 X 4 under the leg to support it. We don't have any of those, so we turned the orange leveling blocks upside down so the screw at the bottom fit in one of the holes. We are good for now.


Not the smoothest day for our second day on the road after sitting still for six months. But, everything is good for now. It took nine cell phone conversations and some thinking, but we are set up and happy.  And we are so grateful for our cell phone and advice from the factory.