Newbee Seeking Wisdom: 19' Bambi - Home for a Year!!??

[3Ms75Argosy]

Yep, that probably was us! Sorry you missed us, we had a great time. Although it rained, the family had a great time exploring the area. That Sunday, we left and explored the falls on the Columbia HWY further west. I haven't been around the Colombia River area before... I'd like to go back and spend more time exploring. Hwy 14 on the WA side of the river seems more laid back with small town, vineyards and oddities to explore. Have fun on your adventure!
Marc

[rover girl]

thank you so much for your posts

.... finally got to log on after a long day and was so excited to read all of your posts ...
thanks so much for everything you all mentioned! i definitely like the rubber gloves idea [THX NORBY!] and it's great to know that there's a single woman out there planning to do the same thing i'm thinking of doing, AND as an added bonus, her parent don't think she's flipped! [THX GUS!] (I haven't yet told my family about my idea yet) As far as gas mileage goes, that sounds like a pretty accurate guess ... my LR Discovery does get about 13 mph ... and yeah, ouch! 9 mph towing won't be pretty! the LR discovery is pretty much my one towing vehicle option, tho. it's a 2000 and has 112k miles on it already (yep - i'm a driver) but it's extremely well maintained, and all freshened up [KEVIN - THX FOR ALL POINTS] i definitely appreciate the insight on the anti-sway hitch [THX JOHN! - I'll look into that]. i like the generator suggestion -- i think that will definitely be a must for me! [THX JONATHAN] sounds like a microwave would be easy enough ... satellite wireless a bit tougher, but i do already have T-Mobile bluetooth and a powerbook, so perhaps i'll just settle for that & coffee house stops

i am a little concerned about space in a Bambi ... at least i'll also have the back of the rover too. i've been thinking "the smaller the trailer the better" and the concerns about the rover's wheel base seem to confirm ... i'm for the 19' vs. the 16' mainly because the 19' doesn't have the wet bath, but also storage in the 16' would be insane [still, MARK i know you're right - it'll be tight!!] what's the longest time anyone has consistently spent in a Bambi? [SILVERTWINKIE?]

lainy (my gray long-haired feline) and i have crossed the country together (just in the rover) a couple of times and done pretty well ... she's a pretty darn good traveler... even on airplanes now she's as good as they get. [ANNETTE - if we meet on the road, you'll have to spend time w/Lainy! i'm sure you miss your kitty kat a lot]

so at first sight of a snowflake you really should immediatley off the road with your AS ... !?? and it is flat out terrible for an AS to be exposed to bad weather for an extended period of time, even if it's being lived in? anyone?

the story about the 81 yr. old woman is amazing ... she must be having an absolute blast to keep doing it for so long ... [WOW MARC!]

buying a USED AS is a really attractive possibility [like JOHN!] ... but having to handle it on my own makes me a little concerned re maintenance & upkeep ... any thoughts on how could i be sure to get a quality unit in good road shape if i go used?

AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL vey much

rover girl
(Robynn

[Xray]

Robynn,

Your excitement is contagious! I'm ready to go camping again! I'm picking up our 22' CCD just this morning after having it winterized for the season. Where did summer go?

I feel compelled to offer you some Land Rover thoughts...

We towed a '67 Caravel with a 2001 Land Rover Disco 2. The Caravel was something around #2,300 dry and is probably a lot lighter than most anything you are contemplating (the 16' CCD is #2,785 and the 19' is #3,715 dry without options, etc.). The Caravel was well maintained and we never overloaded it. Most of the time we pulled it with an empty water and holding tank. We kept our weight low. Granted, we live at around 7000 feet altitude. You lose a lot of horsepower at higher altitudes.

Towing with the Disco was miserable. I've argued this point with other Disco owners before on this forum. Some feel the truck completely satisfactory but there is one thing I abhor and that is being underpowered. Fears of losing your transmission because it quits downshifting when climbing hills is an experience we had. And, ours had only about 30K miles on her when we were towing our Caravel. We limped home on our last trip feeling like we had completely overshot the Disco's towing abilities. At 112K miles, I wouldn't tow anything more than a utility trailer with a Discovery 2.

There were some engine changes in '03 which upped the horsepower so I assume the Disco got better. I can't speak for that. I am staring at the '05 LR3 wondering what it will tow as it has over 300HP and a six speed auto (the LR3 will be released for sale this month and is replacing the Disco 2 in the Land Rover lineup). I am a Land Rover aficionado and have owned several but I would never tow with an older Disco again. I hope the LR3 tows as I would love to get one.

I don't want to rain on your parade here at all. I just don't want you to be surprised or let down.

Hope to see you happily towing on the road somewhere soon!

X

Here's a pic of our old rig:

[norbert]

robynn, overall, you dont want to coldweather camp,(not that it cant be done) it sounds like youll be on a budget, and propane use does have a pricetag on it, in the interest of not being redundant, the forum has a lot of information so just take a gander....if you go, stick to the warmer climes....i got caught in an ice storm coming home from seattle last year, and it took me 8 hours to travel what normally would take 2...white knuckle driving is no fun...(my sphincter was definitely tight also ) so be a snowbird and stay south...
norby

[nettepdx]

Originally Posted by rover girl

lainy (my gray long-haired feline) and i have crossed the country together (just in the rover) a couple of times and done pretty well ... she's a pretty darn good traveler... even on airplanes now she's as good as they get. [ANNETTE - if we meet on the road, you'll have to spend time w/Lainy! i'm sure you miss your kitty kat a lot]

the story about the 81 yr. old woman is amazing ... she must be having an absolute blast to keep doing it for so long ... [WOW MARC!]

buying a USED AS is a really attractive possibility [like JOHN!] ... but having to handle it on my own makes me a little concerned re maintenance & upkeep ... any thoughts on how could i be sure to get a quality unit in good road shape if i go used?

AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL vey much

rover girl
(Robynn

Robynn, I bought my A/S used and I really lucked out. I don't think maintenance will be any more with it than with a new one. Even tho it's a 1975 all the appliances (and I mean ALL the appliances, including toilet) were replaced about 2 years ago. I'm still learning my way around the systems but it's a lot easier than I thought...even figuring out the, uh, plumbing system in the dark sans flashlight (thank god for the manual!). BTW, buying locally was a key for me as one person's "excellent condition" can be another's "damn, what's that smell?"

When packing up my house, I ran across an article I had saved from The Oregonian about that 81 y/o woman who owns the Bambi. I think it was done over 3 years ago. If I can figure out a way to reproduce it electronically, I'll post it here - or I'll contact the author and see if I can't get a copy.

I will definitely be up for some kitty kontact. Look for me in the desert southwest somewhere......