The Lazy Days of Summer...

There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's some girls having fun over there.
Stop, hey, what's that sound? Laughter heard all around.

We didn't really do much on our trip. There were no grand adventures, but we had fun.

 We sent the kids on

a treasure hunt.

 

We spent a few hours 

at the pool one day.

 

But our favorite thing was the "old fashioned swimming hole"
in the creek behind the RV.

And we spent most of our time there.

 

We ended our days sitting around the campfire
chatting and making S'mores. 

It was a good week. We're heading home tomorrow, but we'll be back again soon. Until next time...

-Diane

Into the Woods...

We're back in Saugerties, NY at the RIP Van Winkle Campgrounds, but this time we have company. Bill's three granddaughters. K is the oldest at 16. J is the middle child, she's 14. A is the baby at 10, although, she's really not a baby anymore. This is their first time RVing with us, or ever, which is exciting.

We first came to this campground just a few weeks back after rescuing the RV from Camping World in Kingston, NY. She was there for some minor service issues. We dropped her off on March 30th and only got her back two weeks ago. The run around, incompetence and general aggravation dealing with this place was unparallelled. I'll spare you the gory details, but to give you an idea, when we picked her up we found a birds nest in the kingpin, cobwebs in the wheel-wells, and only one repair completed, the thing they broke! I can't speak for all of this chain's service centers, but  based on our experience you should never bring your RV to this one. As Bill says, "I wouldn't let them put air in my tires."

Bird's Nest

Bird's Nest

Anyhow, once we had the RV safely back in our possession we decided to spend a few nights camping nearby. We opened the "Big Book of RV Campgrounds," a must have for all RVers, found this place, called, and half an hour later we were parked in a lovely, peaceful spot in the woods. The place is great, the people are nice and the services offered are fantastic. They will store your RV year round, and you get to a 20% discount on the campsite fees when you do so. In season they will pull your rig from storage and park it on the spot you reserve. If you want to hit the road they will have it ready and waiting for you. All this for a monthly fee that is comparable to a parking spot in one of those self storage facilities. Also, they will winterize it and they do repairs (for an extra charge). We didn't even know such a thing existed. It was a no brainer.

Big Book of RV Campgrounds

So, here we are again, in the bucolic woods of the Catskill mountains. The kids have settled in nicely. They love the RV and the campground. It should be a fun week. 

  -Diane

The Right Stuff (Buying the Truck)

Diane’s right. I couldn’t be happier with the truck we picked. I’ll tell you the way I figured it and you can take it for what it’s worth. We needed to buy a truck and a fifth wheel. So, first question: Which do you buy first? If you have the option, definitely buy the fifth wheel first. This way you know exactly what you have to pull around (GVW and pin weight) and can buy a truck that can handle it.

Second question: diesel or gas? I started looking at RAM because I originally wanted a diesel and, after talking to many people (including quite a few mechanics), I concluded that the only diesel worth having is a Cummins, which is only available in RAM pick-ups. But I was also counseled that all diesels, including the Cummins, have their drawbacks…noisy, smelly, mechanical problems. The weight of the diesel engine takes away from the available payload. Diesels have plenty of towing power but no acceleration. Other than towing power, the only other advantage of the diesel is slightly better gas mileage (which, by the way, you’ll give back at the pump anyway because diesel costs more). So I decided to go for a gasoline powered 6.4 Hemi which has more than enough towing power to pull our RV.

Third question: 2500 or 3500? This was a no brainer. The RAM 2500 has plenty of available payload to handle the pin weight of our RV and it has rear coil springs! Most heavy duty and super duty pick-ups have leaf springs in the rear which give you a very, very hard ride. The 2500 rides like a luxury car.

Many people make the mistake of buying more truck than they need. We went for a RAM 2500 with a 6.4 Hemi and a pretty nice trim level. It handles the job of pulling our RV just fine. Just as importantly, ninety nine out of a hundred times I get into this truck I’m not pulling the RV, and I’m extremely pleased with the acceleration, handling, comfort, and smooth ride.  

As far as Diane's "ménage à truck" comment goes, I think it's ridiculous...although they both have nice headlights.

-Bill

The Other Woman

Bill's heart has been stolen by another. Her name is Betty. They met in late November 2014, and something magical happened the moment he laid eyes on her. Since then his obsession has grown. He talks about her all the time. Spends more and more time with her. He brags about her talents and lavishes her with expensive spa treatments and gifts. All the signs were there. So, it's no surprise. And, honestly, I understand the attraction.

She's a big girl, not his usual type. A buxom brunette, she stands 6 1/2' tall and has a more than ample rear with room for five and plenty of junk in her trunk. With a payload of 3,840 and a towing capacity of 15,810, really, how could any man resist her? I just can't compete.

It's not easy sharing him with another, but what's a girl to do? And, truth be told, I've fallen in love with her myself resulting in a strange kinda ménage à truck.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Right?

-Diane

P.S. She is rockin' the BakFlip bed cover he just added. It matches as if factory installed and its versatility meets all our needs. It's a quadra-fold. Three folding panels that, in the fourth position, stand up against the rear cab window so as to not interfere with the hitch or the turn radius of the RV. It can also be easily removed, if necessary.

The "Star" of the Show

Wanting to snowbird and travel this great country, ten months ago we bought an RV. She is an 38' Cougar High Country 338PAT fifth wheel. Her name is Counting Stars, or Star for short. We are glad we did it, and we're loving the lifestyle. However, even though we did our research and thought we knew what we were getting into, turns out we were pretty much clueless. It's been quite a learning experience, an ongoing one. In this blog, we plan to share those experiences and our continuing education; both the fun and the frustrations of being newbies. We hope to help other novices, inspire and better inform future RVers, or just bring a nostalgic chuckle to those who came before us. So, buckle up, we're hitting the road, and things might get a bit bumpy...

-Bill and Diane