Sunday, April 22, 2012

Day 4 of our new lifestyle.

Life is good at the Snake River RV Park.  Usual Sunday evening meal of sirloin steak (for me) and salmon (for Rosie); alongside a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream, and asparagus.  Pooches are happy to get a little taste of the steak and salmon (surf and turf for puppies). 

Got the DirecTV set up today so Rosie can watch Army Wives.  So now we have over the air TV and satellite TV.  Hope to finish installing the antenna for the satellite radio soon and we will be hooked up to the world.  The wonderful part is that all of our entertainment is running off inverter power from our battery bank.  That means all this stuff works whether we have shore power or not.  Also found out the RV Park may start Honey Wagon service a week early, this Tuesday instead of next Tuesday.  That means I won’t have to hook up and go to the dump station this week.

Wrapped up the garage sale at noon today.  Had all of 10 or 12 people come by.  We are very satisfied that we sold all of our furniture and higher value items.  All we have left is lesser value items in small tools, clothing and household decor.  It will all go to the Humane Society of the Upper Valley.  They are coming by with boxes and a truck tomorrow afternoon.  We are proud to support animals in need.

I weighed the rig for the first time this last Thursday.  I calculate that the rig is 200 lbs. overweight without a full tank of fresh water.  Anybody out there know the ramifications, or consequences, of having an overweight rig?  I would appreciate your thoughts.

8 comments:

DNPC said...

I've owned 4 fifth-wheelers over the years, and while I'm not an expert, here's my take. You've got a quality rig with an Alpenlite, and if your axels, brakes, and tires are in good shape, I woudn't worry about 2-300 pounds. I probably wouldn't fill the water tank while traveling, just enough to get your to your destination. I've got to believe that there's a "fudge" factor in the manufacturer's listed weights. If it was a low-end rig, I'd be worried, but in your case, I think you're fine. Hope this helps.

Jim Sathe said...

Thanks for the advice DNPC. I usually travel with a full (100 gallon) water tank; but since that is over 800 lbs., I guess I need to rethink that strategy. A lot of "tinkering" needs to be done.

Craig J. Smith said...

Hi guys, sounds like you're having a great time. Contrats!

Just curious, how are you getting Internet?

Jim Sathe said...

Hi Craig,

Most private campgrounds have WiFi installed for use by guests. That is the case here. When WiFi is not available, I use a Verizon MiFi which allows us to keep both laptops connected anywhere there is Verizon service.

Allen DuGuay said...

Nice to hear you are off to a good start.

Bill said...

If you're not exceeding your tongue weight, I would transfer any weight possible to your truck. For a while, the back seat of my truck was full of stuff I knew we would use and not replace along the way.

Jim said...

Jim, keeping the weight down, is always a struggle. On the rig too. :-) Seriously, we find that we pick up weight in the rig whenever we stop for awhile and have to make adjustments. The frame on your Alpenlite was built on site at Western RV in Yakima. Frames after 2004 were subcontracted from Lippert. You have one of the good ones. As far as water goes, just carry about 20 gallons or so while traveling. The only time you should carry a full tank is if you are going to a rally or a dry site for an extended period. If you need to transport water to your rig and remove black and gray water, there are better ways than moving the rig. Alpenliter (Jim)

Jim Sathe said...

Hey Bill and Jim,

Thanks for the tips. My RV guy also suggested keeping heavier weights up front near the stabilizers and on the right side to counterbalance the slides when they are extended. All good advice.