Our 6th RV (see previous post, short history of 5 RV's)

So, here we are about to pick up Number 6.  We talked about 5th wheels, we talked about Airstreams, never quite succumbed to either of those, have stayed with self-propelled RV's.  You can make a case for what you like and why.  Quick review in order of succession - 1975 GMC Transmode converted by a CA cabinet maker to a more classic motorhome; 1995 36' Barth, aircraft aluminum on a Spartan Mountain Master chassis with a Cummins 300; 2005 Roadtrek SS Sprinter with Mercedes diesel; 2006 39' Tiffin Allegro Bus on Freightliner chassis, 350 Cummins, 6 spd Allison, 3 slideouts; 2005 Newell, 47' w. four slideouts, Detroit diesel 515, all the bells and whistles imaginable; and drum roll please,  here comes a 2006 Dynaquest 320 with a 300 Cat diesel, 2 slideouts.  Why this Super C?

First, we wanted something smaller, easier to get into many of our favorite places including Mexico which is one reason for the 06 year, before diesel switched to low-sulphur fuel which is still unavailable in most places in MX.  Size also dictates where we can go in the States, such as state parks and numerous out of the way campgrounds.  We had seen a few of the Super C's both on the road and in the RV parks and we like the look.  Tested out a few, looked at the market, the reviews and this has the basics and is not all-electric which the Newell was and did best on 50 amp.  Don't count on that south of the border.  We are headed there in a few weeks for a few months.

We'll give you a report soon on the performance aspects on this Dynaquest also on a Freightliner chassis.  It's compact yet looks comfortable. Granted, it doesn't have a dishwasher nor a stacked washer/dryer nor a sub-Zero refrigerator freezer but it has what we need to go glamping.  My co-pilot seems comfortable driving it as she did all of the others except the GMC which tended to wander a bit and we did not go to the anti-sway bar up front which would have helped.

Our permanent home base in Santa Fe, NM is adjacent to the Trailer Ranch RV park there so we've had the opportunity for on site reviews and reports and people tend to like what they have which is a good thing.  Not one that we've talked to in the past 20 years didn't have something go wrong that needed to be repaired or replaced.  Some had more than others and I am not here to brand bash or
promote either so we'll leave it at that for now.

We are en route to pick up No. 6 in Grass Valley, CA and just may paint that in a big way on the side or back, NASCAR style.  Now if we can just find a sponsor.  We will then mosey down the CA coast and cross over into Mexico around the middle of December with our 2010 Ford Edge as the toad .  Stay tuned for the next installment.

KEY WEST to MIAMI, OK

We arrived in Key West on December 1, 2014, and spent the month of December camped at Boyds on Stock Island just 5 miles from Mile 0 downtown KW.  Convenient but crowded, great weather of course.  January 1 we moved up the road to MM 14.5 to Bluewater Key RV Resort,  well landscaped lots with Tiki Huts all owned by individuals who rent them out when they aren't using them and some rent seasonally.  Ocean on one side, deep canal on the other with docks on both sides.  Expensive but worth it in some ways.  We left BWK on February 15, enjoyed the scenic drive up the keys and across Rt. 41 to Naples.  Camped at Marco Island KOA, convenient for an overnight stop, or longer if you desire.

Then Tuesday,  2/17, we pushed north and around the corner of the panhandle to Carabelle Beach where we spent the next two days and nights.  There is also a newer campground a little farther west on Route 98 that looks very nice.  Great little restaurant in Carabelle called The Fisherman's Wife.  Also visited St. George Island where we have a friend with a wonderful beach house, bay on one side, Gulf on the other.  State park at the end of the island there in the Gulf.

Thursday, drove to Baton Rouge, another KOA, conveniently located off I-10 and back on the next morning to Destiny Dalls RV park that sits between Lewisville and Denton.  Terrible and extensive construction and traffic along I-35 E north and south, avoid it if you can.  Two nights there, visited friends in Dallas and the Geo. W. Bush library and museum on the SMU campus. 

On the road again Sunday morning to OKC where it's colder than I care to mention but it's 19 degrees this morning, Monday, Feb 23, and snow on the ground.  Camped at Twin Fountains RV park for this week while I work in Boston and Susie visits family, not much better weather there either.  Spoiled by two and a half months in south Florida!

Have an appointment for a week from today, Monday, March 2, at Camp Newell for some service and repairs.  Then it's back to Santa Fe.  Hooray!

SHORT HISTORY OF FIVE RV's

1.  1975 GMC Transmode.  This model was produced by General Motors and instead of fitted out as a 23' or 26' motorhome, the transmode was for commercial purposes such as a bookmobile, bloodmobile, mobile post office, etc.  The previous owner was a cabinet maker in Grass Valley, CA and we bought it from his widow for $11K in 2000.  I don't know who the first owner was.  The cabinet maker had done a decent job with all the woodwork but before we could even drive it home, we had to purchase new tires and the front end was rather loose and wandered a bit on the highway.
There were a few other issues with the Olds 454 front wheel drive and we put another $11K into making it road worthy once we had returned to the Bay Area where we lived at that time.  We enjoyed it for a couple of years, sold it to someone in New Mexico who was allegedly taking it to Michigan.

2. 1995 Barth.  We found this beauty sitting on an RV lot outside of Joplin, Missouri, a 36' baby Newell, with a 300 HP Cummins, 6 spd Allison, all aircraft aluminum construction (like Newell) and here's the best part.  It had only 18,000 miles on the odometer and 4 hours on the generator.  The gentleman from Tulsa, OK who owned it was in ill health, could no longer drive it and we were delighted with the purchase.  It was well designed, well-built, was on a Spartan Mountain Master chassis and from the front it looked like a fire truck.  Small wonder as many fire trucks had the same chassis.  No slides and limited storage but ran like a dream and we put a lot of miles on it through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.   When we left for London, we put it in the barn for storage and it sat there for two years.  That's not good for any RV and when we returned we thought, erroneously, that we might be finished with RV's for awhile.  We put it on ebay with a fair reserve and it sold quickly to a man from Michigan who flew to Santa Fe and picked it up.  Sad to see it go but it went.

3.  2005 Roadtrek Sprnter on a Dodge chassis with that 5 cylinder Mercedes engine.   It was being sold by a fireman in Angel Fire, NM.  Decided to downsize to this 22' Class B and while economical, it was not practical.  Insufficient head room for my 6'2" frame and the bed was a sofa in the rear, facing forward that folded down automatically into a double bed without any room on either side.  It had all the necessary amenities but they seemed squeezed into small spaces and while we enjoyed the fuel mileage.  Comfortable to drive, easy to park and maneuver around almost anywhere as it was really just a van made into an RV, and a nice one at that.  Put it on ebay and it sold immediately as we were now veterans of buying high and selling low, thus selling quickly and easily.

4. 2006 Allegro Bus, 39' Cummins 8.9 L engine, turbo, (450 HP?) also an Allison 6 spd electronic transmission, three slides, very comfortable.  It was purchased privately on ebay from a private owner who had purchased it new.  Had 50K miles and was very clean but the owner was not entirely clean about some of the issues including a faulty inverter.  Various problems continued to appear, mostly minor but annoying and although we drove it to many places, including back to Mexico, we had longed for a Newell if we could find one that met our criteria and was within our budget.  We found one that exceeded both our criterian and our budget but we bought it anyway and that is Number 5.
We traded the Allegro Bus on the Newell in order to reduce the purchase price of the Newell.

5. 2005 Newell, 47', yes forty-seven feet as a few were ordered and made.  We picked it up at the factory in February 2014 and lived in it full time for 9 months before designing and building a manufactured home last Fall.  With four slides and all the bells and whistles of an '05 Newell including steerable tag axle, the Detroit 60 series 515 Turbo, the 6 spd Allison, stacked washer/dryer, Fisher-Paykel dishwasher, sub-zero refrigerator with two freezer drawers, desk with a file drawer, two flat screen TV's, power awnings and window shades and you get the picture.  It is coach # 729 and we love it.  At 56,000 pounds, my wife refers to the "law of tonnage" when on the highway.  We tow an F-150 pickup and carry everything we need in the basement compartments.  Love the air operated leveling system, mid-entry, inside and outside sewer controls, also air operated, one full bath with shower, plenty of closets and storage space inside.