Overnighting

[hex]

niftypkg wrote

There are plenty of Flying J's

what may I dare ask is a Flying J ?

Sounds like somethin' that'd make you 'run' for the blackwater dept.

A few more dumb questions, sorry but I really gotta know.

Are the tanks by any chance actually painted black and grey?

Is the good water tank and the good water called bluewater?
or white water? or just fresh water? or other?

Is the toilet actually flushed with grey water, and if so is that the only way or the primary way that grey water enters the black water tank? (Other than the manual dump valve proceedure above)

Is there a seperate roof vent for each of the water tanks?

[74Argosy24MH]

Flying J truckstop is a chain that is RV friendly

Fresh water tank

Gray and black tanks are whatever color the manufacturer uses, mine are natural, sort of a clear.

The toilet flushes with fresh water, becomes black water. Everything that goes down the sinks and shower is gray.

My motor home has a vent at each end of the plumbing run for the gray, 1 for the blackwater.

[niftypkg]

Hex, There are many filling stations [mostly truck stops] that are RV friendly, and will let RV owners dump there waste water tanks without charge,. Of course they would like you to buy Petrol, etc. Flying "j" stations is one of the better ones. I live in them.
Tom

[RoadKingMoe]

Originally posted by hex
niftypkg wrote

what may I dare ask is a Flying J ?

http://www.flyingj.com/

Hope this helps,
--
Maurice

[53flyingcloud]

For someone to live in a state like TEXAS that has 15 FLYING J and, not to be aware of their existence ??..
ciao

[davidz71]

53Flying Cloud,
Up until several years ago I avoided truck stops due to some of the strange things I have read in newspapers that occur there. Yes, I did stop at several to buy CB parts I could not find locally but in general I stayed away. I did find a place to park and sleep in the truck May '01 in Amarillo, TX. on my way to AZ. to pick up my newly purchased trailer. I stayed overnight in a NM. rest stop on the way back and slept for a few hours in another truck stop before making it back to TN. I picked up a number of books pointing out rest & truck stops on the way to and from AZ. I was surprised to find out that there are plenty of sources for dump stations at these truck stops so I will use this info in the future.

Hex, check out Camping World for a number of these books. They are worth it.

[53flyingcloud]

davidz71

I did find a place to park and sleep in the truck May '01 in Amarillo, TX. on my way to AZ. to pick up

Craig, I stayed at a campground near Amarillo, TX. It was a small ma/pa type operation. Did you, by any chance, come across it?
I'm looking forward to a return trip back to NM and AZ ~!
ciao

[Silver Bullet]

I use Wally World for overnighters. Well lit and 24 hour security. When I went through a few years ago, there were 8-10 TT's and MH's staying the night. Oscar

[davidz71]

It was 2 a.m. in the morning with severe thunderstorms and flooding when I pulled in to gas up. My eyes were so crossed from lack of sleep that I could have driven past the campground and never noticed it.

My best friend was to accompany me to help with the driving. We planned on leaving on a Wed. afternoon but he was called out of town and would not return until Wed. night. I told him that I would wait for him that evening and I would leave at 4 a.m. to pick him up along the way. That would mean I would be in Nashville at 5:30 a.m. When he got back into town late Wed. night, he said he had to go into work Thur. morning and would be able to leave by lunchtime. I couldn't wait and left by 4:30 Thur. morning by myself. I made AZ. by 10:30 a.m. Fri. and it took 8 hrs. to get the truck and trailer squared away. First, the hitch was too high (a welded setup) so I had to buy a slightly used Reese unit the RV place had just taken in on trade. Second, the air compressor hose I installed prior to going to AZ. was not holding up to the vacuum. The hose was collapsing. I had to change the hose to air brake hose and that did the trick. I left around 6:30 p.m. Friday and stopped at a reststop in NM. I made it to just outside Amarillo when I blew a tire and limped the 45 miles to that city. I bought 4 new tires and was off and running sometime after noon. I arrived in Tullahoma, TN. around 10 p.m. Sunday night. The 3200 mile trip was made in 3 1/2 days. I was beat and my friend still does not really know just how hot I was at him.

[53flyingcloud]

Craig,
I read you loud and clear. Sounds like you had more than your 'fair' share of troubles.
I handled mine slightly different. I planned for it to be as such and, it turned out I had a great time.~!

I also left NH early in the morning like you (after working 8 hours) for my trip to El Paso, TX. Arrived 2 1/2 days later. Drove nearly non-stop except for refueling/ pit stops.etc. The only time I pulled over was at a rest area in TN, for maybe 45 min. catnap. Drove thru Houston during rush hour and, swore I wasn't coming back that way with the A/S...lol
The only thing we really had to do was change the tires/grease the bearings and, install the electrical brake controler. This had all been scheduled before I arrived in El Paso. So it went smooth and, like clockwork. Paper works and, all were finis in 2 days..I headed out early Thurs morning, drove straight up NM on hiway 54 ?? I believe it was..Real nice drive/country was stunning, as there had been a few rain showers, which brought the wild flowers out. Stopped at a few of the towns that I passed thru for lunch/dinner. It was just me and, the A/S. Spent the first night at the campground off the interstate.(route66??).
Took alot more energy coming home then it did going out West.
One major blunder was, NO OUTSIDE MIRRORS..That I'll never do again~! Made it exceptional hard to keep track of traffic around you.
ciao
Lived in NM, once back in the 40's and, I look forward to spending more time there~!

[Pahaska]

I drove to El Paso a few years ago to pick up a 2-place Slingsby glider. I hadn't even thought about license plates for the trailer. When I arrived, there were current plates on the trailer and I figured they would get me home.

About 2/3 of the way to Austin, I walked around to check the trailer and no plates! Turned out they were off another person's trailer and the owner had simply removed them without a word to me.

I didn't get caught, although that last 150 miles was sure white knuckle time.

[davidz71]

I have to admit that once I got out of the bad weather near Amarillo, I really enjoyed the scenery. I spent several weeks when I was a kid in both Red River and Taos, NM so when I drove through, it brought back some old memories. Strange, I sometimes can't remember what my wife told me to do but can remember the countryside from a trip when I was 9 or 10 yrs. old. Must be that selective hearing and memory stuff she keeps talking about. Anyway, I didn't bring a camara and I did not have any time to visit along the way. I'm still kicking myself for that because I missed a great opportunity.

[53flyingcloud]

John,
when were you there? It was in late July of '98 for me.
I didn't have my license plate outside but, rather taped it to the rear bedroom window..
Not once did the cops stop or check it. lol, it wasn't until I arrived home that, I discovered that the plates were temp NM plates and had expired the day before..WHEW.
ciao
I lov'd EL Paso..~Hot Spicy food~!!

I suggest that we get together sometime for a night out in El PASO~! The food is Great`!

[Pahaska]

I picked up that sailplane in the early 90s.

We used to fly out of El Paso when our home base at Sherman was socked in for long periods. We used to hit every bar across the border.

El Paso is a long way to go for dinner! El Paso is a whopping long day's drive from Austin. We have just as good hot food around here, though. One thing I love about Texas.

Another thing I love is looking forward to a WBCCI rally first weekend in December. We get to use the trailer just about all year around. It woulkd be T-shirt weather today except for the wind. UPS guy just came snd said driving his van in this wind was like driving a sailboat.

[53flyingcloud]

John,
I agree.. I've also driven down to Galveston Bay for seafood dinner~!
It's been real windy here as well today..My wife says I haven't shutup for hours...lmao
ciao

[davidz71]

John,
Funny that you should mention plates. While driving through Memphis (I try to never stop there if I can help it), I was stopped by a Sheriff's Deputy. The trailer had AZ plates and they were expiring that month. He did not stop me for speeding but he later told me that he though it was funny for a TN. licensed vehicle to be towing an AZ. plated trailer. It didn't take me long to realize that he thought I might have stolen it or that I was transporting illegal aliens inside, or worse, drugs. He asked me for registration and all I had was a bill of sale and the ebay paperwork showing I had won the auction for that trailer. We shot the breeze for awhile then he told me to be careful on the way home. I carry a handgun most of the places I go because I have a permit good through TN., ARK. and TX. We won't mention NM. or AZ. now will we? I informed him of this and he asked me where the weapon was. I told him it was on the front seat under my registration paperwork. Since he knew where I worked he was not that uptight about it.

[niftypkg]

David, et all....... could be at home watching TV....or something; instead of being in Tombstone at High Noon! That is the essence of camping: new experiences...... if you don't experience it ... new places, new people, you miss a lot! Only the ones who have traveled the 'road less traveled' could appreciate the stories told herein. There is a small rest area on route 20 westbound just as you leave La. that I stop at, on the way to Galvaston Tx., for old memories when my dog was with me....now that he has passed...... I still stop there. Anyone ever stop there? LOL Tom

[davidz71]

Tom,
I've taken the same route many times from Nashville, TN., through Memphis, Little Rock, Texarcana, Houston and down to Corpus Christi since I was in college in the early 70's. Only one time have I varied that trip and that was when I went through Hot Springs/Royal, Ark. and then down through Baton Rouge, LA. for a night's stay while eating fried alligator tail along with shrimp and crab. I grew up on the Gulf Coast so I still miss it even though I like the woods of TN. There is a part of me that wants to go to many of the places that you all have already been to. It's only a matter of time until I talk the wife into making one of these trips and getting her to really enjoying it.

[niftypkg]

David, sounds like you have sweet memories of that route you had taken in those momentous years. Perhaps the best time of your life? You should do it again, to relive and revive those memories. [Can't say that I have eaten alligator!] A trip that will bring you full circle to the early part of your life. Travel THAT road again- it's only a matter of time. Tom

[Road Ruler]

Niftypkg once wrote.....I believe the reason CAN-AM is recommending these mini vans is because the heavier trucks are hard to get in Canada and a tres' expensive.


Niftypkg....I was flipping through an older thread and couldn't help but notice a comment that you had wrote. I wanted to take this opportunity to give you an update on our situation up here in the north land.

The main reason we shy away from big expensive trucks is because..
a. We can't afford them because our igloos are mortgaged to the hilt and
b. Turbo diesels just wont start in our constant -50F frigid temperatures.