# Washington to DC- observations.



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

This is is not a blog but may be a useful place to note points and differences to UK Motorhomes and travel. 

I collected the 20ft Cruise America MH from Everett north of Seattle and have been driving east since through the mountains. I have also had three weeks previous in a hire car in Washington state, British Columbia and Alberta. 

Point 1 - pickups with demountable Campers or 5th Wheel "seen on the road" out number Motorhomes 80-20. This is very different to what I have seen in previous visits many years ago. The ratio may be dilfferent to those parked up. 

Point 2 - my MH is an automatic petrol and I am struggling to get 11.4 us 13.7 mpg UK out of it being very gentle on the pedal. It has done over 100k miles. Please can I have a Renault diesel stick shift with ) gears 

Point 3 - the steering play needs all my concentration to keep it in a straight line on rough roads or in a cross wind. 

Point 4 - despite having good propane tank, the Furnace heating (good description) relies on a 12v driven Bessemar Coverter fan that will flatten the battery in one hour!! I will never complain about Truma heating again.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

andrewball1000 said:


> This is is not a blog but may be a useful place to note points and differences to UK Motorhomes and travel.
> 
> I collected the 20ft Cruise America MH from Everett north of Seattle and have been driving east since through the mountains. I have also had three weeks previous in a hire car in Washington state, British Columbia and Alberta.
> 
> ...


If you're looking for sympathy, you'll get none from me, you're in Americy, stop whinging and enjoy one of the best places to visit in the world, apart form the yanks of course,


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Demountables come out on weekends, long-distance travellers use 'proper' RV's.

Petrol is how much.... $2.40 a US gallon in March of this year in CA.

Steering on cars and vehicles we have driven are usually fair to middling, but with cheap petrol even the biggest pickups tend to be petrol, although diesel is making a solid impact these days.

Peter


----------



## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

The American vehicles I had in the Middle East had unimpressive steering (although I am going back a good few years). I blamed the power steering unit, which was not very sophisticated but the main culprit seemed to be the tyres. Even on pickups, they used a truck type tyre. I know that Americans often have more than one set of tyres (at least the ones I worked with did). Check your tyre pressures, if it is a hire vehicle they may be incorrect.


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Almost certainly a steering box in an RV, as opposed to rack and pinion. You do get used to it in time, Alan.


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Your comments about steering makes me think about the old films when the star is driving, always saw them moving the steering wheel left and right all the time, thought it was just for effect rather than by need to.

cabby


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

andrewball1000 said:


> This is is not a blog but may be a useful place to note points and differences to UK Motorhomes and travel.
> 
> I collected the 20ft Cruise America MH from Everett north of Seattle and have been driving east since through the mountains. I have also had three weeks previous in a hire car in Washington state, British Columbia and Alberta.
> 
> ...


Hi Andrew.
The cheap and bottom end 'C' class RVs bought by the thousands by rental companies are just that and can't be compared to regular motorhomes.
Most 'C' class vans are grossly over bodied and do wallow about. As to mpg again it's a different driving experience to our diesels. Long trips on cruise control might get you a couple more mpg but 5 and 6 litre petrol coupled with grossly inefficient auto boxes designed for cars are never going to be economical.

Surprisingly the larger 14 ton 8.9 litre rear diesel pushers can get 9 or 10 US mpg. But they are totally different animals.

As to heating most venture to the sun-belt states and heat is rarely a problem. But with fuel prices being relatively low, Americans just plug in and turn up the furnace or two. 15 years ago you hardly ever found an American RV with double glazing.

Just stump up and enjoy your cheap RV.

Ray.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks for your comments. Spot with the reasons for the differences. The steering play reminds me of my first car, 1935 Riley, with loose king pins. I was so used to the slack that when I got a mg midget with rack and pinion, I hit the kerb a few times before I got used to it! This truck is the same. Ok on main roads but hairy when big logging rigs are hurtling towards you on the back mountain roads of the North West. Beautiful scenery and I am loving it. 

These are observations, not a whinge. . Here are some more

- I love the simpler traffic laws such as "right turn on red" and also taking turns at "4 way stop" junctions. Also that a slow vehicle with a queue of five must pull over. Now how would that work on the M25!


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

andrewball1000 said:


> These are observations, not a whinge. . Here are some more


Twas only joshing   with a teeny bit of envy.


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

andrewball1000 said:


> Also that a slow vehicle with a queue of five must pull over. Now how would that work on the M25!


Who cares - introduce it from Monday!


----------



## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Good to hear your trip is going well, Andrew - Hope you're not using EHU :wink: 

Jed


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

jedi said:


> Good to hear your trip is going well, Andrew - Hope you're not using EHU :wink:
> 
> Jed


No not once yet. Just on battery. There full hook ups are sh h a palaver. Elec, water and sewer. Can't be bothered. Just driving now. Might put route up later just to increase the envy .


----------



## harrison (Apr 20, 2010)

I agree turn right on a red makes sense if they did that here,well turning left it would save a lot of wasted time, have you been shopping in camping world yet

Paul


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

andrewball1000 said:


> jedi said:
> 
> 
> > Good to hear your trip is going well, Andrew - Hope you're not using EHU :wink:
> ...


If your not bothered about full hook ups Andrew, use state parks or forestry commission parks. Cheap and simple.

I bought a book on free campsites in the states.
Don Wrights Guide to FREE Campgrounds.

Ray.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Having had the first three nights without Hook up, I now find myself at a site where I had to pay for it anyway, so I used it as a learning experience for the differences. Interesting.

EHU - unplug the shore line from the onboard genny, plug in to the post. No probs

Water - different to UK. Connect line directly to mains pressure and to the mains inlet on the MH. This bypasses the tank and water pump and you have mains water when you need it. The fresh water tank has a separate filler to fill up. 

Blackwater - ugh. Very different. Instead of a cassette you have a long length of 4" ribbed pipe. (Imagine the nooks and crannies in that). This is connected directly and permanly to the sewer drain. Problem is getting a continuous fall as any slump will hold water. I see many Heath Robinson methods to support this hose to achieve this. 

I am sure that this connection is benificial if you are on a long stay, but for an overnight stop its much easier to use a cassette. Also less cost for the campsite. 

More later. The fan on the warm air heating has packed up so its extra layers tonight despite being on EHU


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Tip for those hiring. 

Cruise America charge $50 for a bedding, pillow. towels etc per person which I was happy to do for one person. Their Inventory Kit with ovenware and six of everything else was $100 an not worth it to me as it had far more than I need of things I didn't and missing many that I did. My first stop was Walmart which I hit with two trolleys and a check list. 

They also charge for generator hours used and heavily for returning without dumping tanks of if LPG is not full. You can prepurchase this facility on hire. A bit like RyanAir they are trying every way to get thief buck.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Maps and Route. Although not a blog I thought the route might be of interest to anyone considering the same venture

Maps - previously I have used Rand McNally and have bought along my old 2000 one! However I have a US friend who is a member of the Triple A, our AA. They provide free maps to all their members so she went and got me a whole pile of these for all the states I may visit. They are a larger scale than RM and have two states per sheet, one each side. Very easy to fold and use. Like RM they also have the scenic routes indicated with dotted lines and this is my main means of route planning. I am using the Maps with me app (see separate thread) to see where I am on the route as this does not need a phone signal which I rarely have had enroute

I toured round Washington State for a week by car with my friend. Mt Rainier and Yakima area. I also had two weeks in BC and Alberta. 

The route this trip however:-
Mon. - get to Everett to collect MH after 2pm. Stock up and crash out in rest area on 5
Tue - WA. 530 n to 20 then east through North Cascades Nat park. Over Washington pass ,stunning, to Okanogan
Wed - continue 20 east to Newport on Idaho border
Thur - today. ID2 up river Pend and 200 round the lake and SE down Momtana to Plains. Then MT 28 to Flathead lake and 93 north to Kalispell. 

The 89 Route to the Sun through Glacier Nat Park is closed at the summit but I am hoping tomorrow to be able to drive in 20 odd miles to Big Bend. The Internet sayes I can. We will see.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Campsites 

I did a lot of research on apps before I left and downloaded a number. The one I am using is Allstays Camp and RV. It is excellent as it shows all sites etc on a map. You need to be connected so I can look up some possibles of where I might be or else switch it on when nearing a stop. If I don't have a signal in the mountains I am probably in a national forest and campsites are well signposted anyway.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Communications

I am with Vodafone and their offer is £5/day for 25mbs. Calls are also expensive to send and receive. Last night the campsite office had a note on the door to call if not attended, not welcome if you are on roaming. 

I did everything I could to avoid changing the sim in my iPhone but although there are many providers, AT&T have the best coverage in remote areas. Unfortunately they don't have a PAYG sim for my Huawaie mifi or hotspot as they call it here. I therefore did get their sim for the my mobile. 

Go Mobile
Unlimited talk & text & 2gb data. $60 / mth
I also added $5 forb250 mins international to landlines
It's $10 to add more data when you run out

I got this direct from AT&T in Seattle although Radio Shack has them but were out of stock. 

I have been very pleased with coverage and get 4g most of the time.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I notice you've dropped into the American habit of quoting compass directions in with your travels, odd that it's not used so much elsewhere.

You do seem to be getting about a bit, Are you picture taker, 3 per post, it would be nice to see the unseen sights.


----------



## harrison (Apr 20, 2010)

How's the weather doing


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Sorry I have been unable to respond to individual posts but with the time difference I am usually driving during the common window. 

Paul I have been lucky with the weather which is why I am covering these high northern parts before it turns. I have been in to remote areas to shop yet but as I am in a larger place today I will visit Walmart to get a fan heater for the van. It's -1 outside and the nightly forecast for where I am going looks lower. Even if the heater fan was working it is too noisy and heavy on LPG to run during the night so it looks like EHU till I move south. I also may have to drain down at night as these vans are not winterised and I will be liable for damage. 

Kev- re pictures. I am limited by lack of wifi and pc. I find it a hassle to upload on MHF with an iPhone as all have to be resized. Since I have had the iPhone I have been using Facebook as this resizes them for you and when on roaming I have managed to put up say four each day within my daily limit. This has enabled friends to see what I am up to and saved me writing a blog.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

This was -15c Andrew near Grand Canyon. But with heated marble floors, engine block heater, 50 amp supply and a fan heater plugged into the next site, we kept warm. :lol: :lol: 

Ray.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

raynipper said:


> This was -15c Andrew near Grand Canyon. But with heated marble floors, engine block heater, 50 amp supply and a fan heater plugged into the next site, we kept warm. :lol: :lol:
> 
> Ray.


That's it, rub it in Ray.  my floors are thin and spongy. It's like walking on a wet mattress. However, thid morning I did buy a heater for when on EHU and an extra sleeping bag for when not. I've just parked up for the night in lovely wooded campsite at West Glacier at the entrance to the national park. It has EHU so am hoping to have my first warm night in 5 days. It has a remote control so I should be able to adjust it from my nest above the cab.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

The Route to the Sun through road MT 89 was closed for the winter so they can make repairs before the snow. However vehicles of less than 20ft long and 8ft wide , which I squeeze into, can drive 33miles to the summit of the Great Divide, which I did. It was a hairy drive with the rocky overhangs and snowing and blowing a hooley at the top so I didn't hang about for lunch and threaded my way out before the weather closed in. Brilliant scenery, shame I can't show it. This area is only a few hours drive from Calgary where I was on Saturday and it has taken me till now to get back to here.


----------



## InfaRed (Nov 9, 2010)

*Touring Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island*



andrewball1000 said:


> Having had the first three nights without Hook up, I now find myself at a site where I had to pay for it anyway, so I used it as a learning experience for the differences. Interesting.
> 
> EHU - unplug the shore line from the onboard genny, plug in to the post. No probs
> 
> ...


Having just got back from 3 weeks touring Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island I found the MH connections easy to use. CanaDream didn't supply the water connector so it was fill the water tank when needed. (They said something about the direct connection being phased out, however every site I used all had connections.)
The Black water was emptied when required, not left connected, and the Grey water used to flush out the hose after a dump. Much simpler than carrying/wheeling cassettes around.

We found the furnace (heating) to be very noisy in use but luckily only had a couple of nights when it was needed. The majority of time the temperature was mid 20's down to mid teens at night.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

A route update since Glacier NP. 
MT2 east to Browning then the 89 south to Great Falls. Gale force cross winds on the plains was fun. Spent an afternoon in the Lewis and Clark interpretive Centre. Their story gives such an important understanding to the history of this area. 

89 South rush to Yellowstone and got in a few hours before the closure. Next morning all campsiters were ordered to vacate the park that day. No persons are allowed to "Rec-reate". Ie not stop of take pictures. Access parking, roads and boardwalks to exhibits were being blocked off. 

I had a word with people staying the Lodge. These are private and they were given 48 hours, so I booked in for the night and spend the day covering as much as I could before the barracades were put up. It was Ranger Leapfrog and I only did not thrown out as I had the reservation. The stories in the lodge that night were amusing with some Ranger dodging by hiding behind trees. 

Most Rangers were very good but someone above was doing the elf n safety bit too much. The Americans couldn't believe it. They can't do this, it's our land, for the people. 

Left this morning and drove 89s to Jackson Hole. Sunny day and beautiful views of the mountains even though I couldn't take the park route. Much of what I did see was only because I had come from the park. Not only had they closed the entrances but also the roads to the entrances if they were on NP land. 

Had the heater fixed here today and will plan my next move. Was going the Black hills and Badlands. Will see

It's rain now and snow higher up so it looks like I have been very lucky to see what I have.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Andrew, you must take time out to see Rushmore and Crazy Horse mountains.
Take a helicopter flight over the Badlands. It's the only way to really appreciate them.

Ray.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks Ray I would like to go there next but have been looking at the Internet tonight and it seems Mt Rushmore and the Badlands are closed. A helicopter would certainly solve that. . 

I will check again tomorrow as the weather will have some implication. The back roads I was intending using may have snow issues too 

Regards. Andrew.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Oooppsss, bluddy politicians............. Grrrrrrr.

Ray.


----------



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

The weather snow dump has proved more powerful than the politicians and although I wanted to head East or SE, the only way out of Jackson Hole which didn't invoke going higher, was west down the Snake river. Pretty drive out of a winter wonderland. As I descended the exterior of the MH melted. It will take me two days to repair the easting but I am at a lovely campsite at a hot springs north of Salt Lake where the families are gathering for the weekend. And I said this wasn't a blog


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

And as if it wasn't bad enough Andrew.................................

http://weather.aol.com/2013/10/04/blizzard-takes-aim-at-rockies-plains-and-midwest/

Ray.


----------

