About a week ago my wife and were on Long Island visiting family. During that time we took a car trip to Sharon, MA. We took the Port Jefferson ferry to Bridgeport, CT. and drove I-95 to our destination.
I had printed strip maps from Microsoft Streets & Trips - one way. I figured we'd just reverse course to get back to Long Island. Well, we got off the returning ferry and promptly got lost - at night - and I was frustrated. We eventually made it back to our hotel. That's when I decided I would buy a GPS.
After research I purchased the Garmin 1490T. Why? 5 inch screen and multiple destinations, mostly. I've been learning about the features of the 1490T which include, among other things, Bluetooth capability. I've never used Bluetooth features. Actually, I didn't know that my cell phone was Bluetooth capable until I bought this GPS.
Getting the GPS to recognize my phone was easy and so was getting the phone to find the GPS. I now can drive down the road and have totally hands free phone conversations. Cool!
Another feature I like - that is probably common to all brands and models - is that even without programming a destination I can see my driving patt, especially at night, in rural areas and clearly see what streets and avenues are ahead of me. Cool!
I'll probably comment on other features of the 1490T as I use them.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
In The Beginning ...of Our RV Experience
In late 1991 my wife, my two dogs and I exchanged the hustle-bustle of life in Miami for the relaxed atmosphere of northern Florida. My wife began work at UF as a department administrator. I was a self-employed insurance agent and financial planner. The dogs kept watch over us, our house and grounds. Life was good.
Before coming to Gainesville I had never been north of Disney. North Florida was an exciting destination waiting to be explored and Gainesville, being about half-way between the Atlantic and the Gulf was (and is) a great starting point.
We began by taking weekend trips. We would board the dogs at a kennel, make reservations at a hotel, pack our suitcases and point the car toward St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Tallahassee or even Panama City and hit the road. We did this for a few years and learned some things along the way.
We learned that boarding the dogs could have consequences – like fleas.
We learned that hotels sometimes had ant infestations and bedding that was of questionable cleanliness.
We learned that eating every meal in restaurants could get old fast – and expensive.
We learned that packing and unpacking suitcases was a real pain in the (you know where).
So, what should we do? My wife and I talked it over for some time. We decided to buy a second home. It would have one bedroom, one bathroom; a small but efficient kitchen, a sleep sofa and a comfy recliner for yours truly. Oh, it would also have six wheels, an engine and transmission.
In August of 1999 we found that home at J.D. Sanders RV center in Gainesville. (They have since moved north to Alachua). This Class A coach (looks like a bus) was 36’ long. It really was a home on wheels. I drove it to our other home, parked it, plugged it into electric and we began to plan our first trip.
We decided on St. Augustine and Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort on the Atlantic. We spent a week loading more cloths than we needed and more food than we could possibly eat. We added a coffee maker, a few pots and pans, flatware, plates and glasses.
When Friday afternoon came around we loaded up the dogs, hooked up the tow car, unplugged and headed east.
Driving an 18,000 pound motorhome while towing a 4,000 lb car was an interesting experience for me; there certainly was a learning curve. If you’re not a defensive driver, then don’t even consider owning one of these.
We arrived at the resort unscathed, registered then parked in our assigned site. I plugged in, attached the water line and sewer house, opened the large main awning and set up two beach chairs. We were home …in St. Augustine …almost on the beach. Life was good.
A while later we took the dogs for a walk on beautiful white sandy St. Augustine beach. For the dogs the beach and ocean surf made for an exciting if wet adventure. For my wife and I, the stress of work and daily life melted away as the ocean breezes caressed us along with the warm glow of the now setting sun.
We headed back to the coach knowing that we could cook our meals or eat out at our pleasure; sleep on sheets we knew were clean and that we could put our suitcase in long-term storage. We really did have a home away from home.
Before coming to Gainesville I had never been north of Disney. North Florida was an exciting destination waiting to be explored and Gainesville, being about half-way between the Atlantic and the Gulf was (and is) a great starting point.
We began by taking weekend trips. We would board the dogs at a kennel, make reservations at a hotel, pack our suitcases and point the car toward St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Tallahassee or even Panama City and hit the road. We did this for a few years and learned some things along the way.
We learned that boarding the dogs could have consequences – like fleas.
We learned that hotels sometimes had ant infestations and bedding that was of questionable cleanliness.
We learned that eating every meal in restaurants could get old fast – and expensive.
We learned that packing and unpacking suitcases was a real pain in the (you know where).
So, what should we do? My wife and I talked it over for some time. We decided to buy a second home. It would have one bedroom, one bathroom; a small but efficient kitchen, a sleep sofa and a comfy recliner for yours truly. Oh, it would also have six wheels, an engine and transmission.
In August of 1999 we found that home at J.D. Sanders RV center in Gainesville. (They have since moved north to Alachua). This Class A coach (looks like a bus) was 36’ long. It really was a home on wheels. I drove it to our other home, parked it, plugged it into electric and we began to plan our first trip.
We decided on St. Augustine and Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort on the Atlantic. We spent a week loading more cloths than we needed and more food than we could possibly eat. We added a coffee maker, a few pots and pans, flatware, plates and glasses.
When Friday afternoon came around we loaded up the dogs, hooked up the tow car, unplugged and headed east.
Driving an 18,000 pound motorhome while towing a 4,000 lb car was an interesting experience for me; there certainly was a learning curve. If you’re not a defensive driver, then don’t even consider owning one of these.
We arrived at the resort unscathed, registered then parked in our assigned site. I plugged in, attached the water line and sewer house, opened the large main awning and set up two beach chairs. We were home …in St. Augustine …almost on the beach. Life was good.
A while later we took the dogs for a walk on beautiful white sandy St. Augustine beach. For the dogs the beach and ocean surf made for an exciting if wet adventure. For my wife and I, the stress of work and daily life melted away as the ocean breezes caressed us along with the warm glow of the now setting sun.
We headed back to the coach knowing that we could cook our meals or eat out at our pleasure; sleep on sheets we knew were clean and that we could put our suitcase in long-term storage. We really did have a home away from home.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Exploding RV Water Heater!
This picture shows what can happen to an RV water heater when you fail to winterize. One customer forgot that winter temperatures drop below freezing here in northern Florida. When he put his travel trailer into storage during the winter he failed to empty the hot water tank. As the 6 gallons of water changed into a block of ice it expanded and caused the damage you see here. It also cracked the water fittings at the tank.
When the weather warmed the water escaped through the newly created slit and seeped into the subfloor eventually damaging the plywood. The damage was discovered only after the RV was taken out of storage. Instead of the first camping trip of the season the trailer came to us for repair.
What’s worse is that the RV owner suspended his RV insurance while the unit was in storage. As a result he was out of pocket for a new water heater, the installation and the repair to the subfloor.
The lesson here should be clear. If you are going to store an RV make sure your water lines, holding tanks and water heater are empty. Blow them out with an air compressor. Furthermore, add RV formulated antifreeze to all the p-traps and the toilet bowl.
Do NOT use automotive antifreeze! It will damage the seals in your system. We stock and recommend Winter Ban RV & Marine Antifreeze from Camco Manufacturing. We always have plenty on hand.
When the weather warmed the water escaped through the newly created slit and seeped into the subfloor eventually damaging the plywood. The damage was discovered only after the RV was taken out of storage. Instead of the first camping trip of the season the trailer came to us for repair.
What’s worse is that the RV owner suspended his RV insurance while the unit was in storage. As a result he was out of pocket for a new water heater, the installation and the repair to the subfloor.
The lesson here should be clear. If you are going to store an RV make sure your water lines, holding tanks and water heater are empty. Blow them out with an air compressor. Furthermore, add RV formulated antifreeze to all the p-traps and the toilet bowl.
Do NOT use automotive antifreeze! It will damage the seals in your system. We stock and recommend Winter Ban RV & Marine Antifreeze from Camco Manufacturing. We always have plenty on hand.
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