First Trip Logistics

[rjack]

This may sound crazy, but, with a new trailer situation I highly recommend planning NO MORE than 300 miles per day...no matter how familiar you are with the roads and routing. Leave yourself time and do not push risky driving or other choices. Towing is not unreasonably difficult nor dangerous UNLESS under time pressure crowding judgment.

[link2dks]

Originally Posted by jaybauman

I’m aware of the big traffic problems, and we avoid them. After we get through the NJ/PA/DE/MD traffic conundrum on I-95 (and even then I know how to avoid the worst, as I lived in Wilmington DE for a decade) there’s not any non-construction traffic problems until we get to the eastern outskirts of Houston.

Jay
Congratulations on the new trailer. I lived in Philly for about 30 years, now in NC. Not sure if you are aware but you will not be able to use the Fort McHenry or Baltimore Harbor Tunnels because of propane restrictions. I 695 is the only option around Baltimore if you are planning to take I 95 south. You might consider going from Colonial to the PA Turnpike and then head south on I 81 at Harrisburg to avoid the whole I 95 mess (what I did last September when I picked up our new trailer from Colonial.)

We also had a Pro Pride Hitch drop shipped to Colonial which they installed for us, very easy to tow with. There is a little bit of a learning curve to hitching up, overall I'm very happy with the hitch.

As others have suggested give yourself plenty of time to get home. Your looking at about a 1600 mile trip. 400 miles a day would really be pushing it if you average 50 mph with stops. You want your first trip to be a good experience for you and your family.

Have fun and enjoy your new trailer!!!
Dave S

[MontyV]

we use google maps to determine distance but good old fashioned atlas and AAA maps to plot our course and determine where to stop. There are web pages for each state for rest stops, or at least the states we have searched. apps like gas buddy and trucker apps can help you find fuel near where you estimate you will need it. you can then go to google maps or earth to look at the station layout to be sure it is easy to get in and out.

[Starstream]

Apps & internet access are great while on the road & the eastern half of the US generally doesn’t have many connectivity issues. Still, it’s not a bad idea to have paper copies as back-ups. Good Sam publishes a travel guide every year. You can run into Camping World on 1-10 to pick up a copy. You don’t have to be a Good Sam member shop there. You just won’t get a member discount. I have to admit it rubs me the wrong way to pay for discounts. But they do also offer them at Good Sam affiliated RV parks, Pilot & Flying J. You can pay for the membership at the store while checking out & get the discounts for the stuff you’re buying during that transaction. My big favorite for paper/internet trip planning is the National Geographic Adventure Edition road almanac. You can get it from Amazon as a Prime item.

Are you traveling down the east coast to I-10? If you’ve been in the FL panhandle at this time of year, you probably know the college spring breakers are starting to appear there. Also, the further south you get, you’re going to find competition for campsites from snow birds. Many of them have been in the south for a while now. Find an open site while planning? Reserve it! You could travel thru western Virginia, Tennessee & Arkansas weather permitting. But if a campground is in an area where it regularly freezes in the winter, they’re either closed for the season or the water is turned off at the campsites. It may, or may not, be turned on at the comfort stations. (AKA campground bathrooms, usually the ones with flush potties. Key words here – modern campground.)

We generally enjoy the Army Corp campgrounds while traveling. They can be found on Recreation.gov along with the national parks. National Forests are overseen by the USDA. They have their own website & you will probably have to call the local Rangers who oversee their CGs to find out what is available.

On the I-10 route, don’t overlook the casinos. Many have full hook-up RV parks & offer the same perks their hotel guests receive. At the very least, you can treat yourselves to a buffet after a long day on the road & turn the kids loose in the pool to work off their “squirrelies”. Think you’ll travel with the trailer in the other direction? Go ahead & get a casino’s club membership. Rack up some points so you can get the occasional perk.

Just in case the VA, TN, AK route does work out, get off I-30 at Texarkana & head to Hwy 59. It’s 4 lane all the way down to Splendora – the general area where it becomes I-69. Construction between Splendora & the Grand Parkway wasn’t too bad this past Dec. Lake O’ the Pines is about an hour south of Texarakana & has 3-4 Corp camprounds. Search for it by the name of the lake – Rec.gov will show you links to each camp ground, plus let you know if they’re open right now. Open a link & find a map of the campground and a list of the sites. We also have yet to stay in a bad state park here in TX. Find them with Texas Parks & Wildlife (Livingston SP). Hwy. 59 is a well-traveled corridor. Private RV parks are plentiful. There is a nice rest area between Corrigan & Livingston. A few of the towns have What-a-Burgers. Have an EZ Tag or TX Tag on your tow vehicle? Hit the Grand Parkway off I-69 & have relatively smooth sailing all the way out to Katy. Especially if you can time your arrival in the middle of the day.

[Overstreet]

Originally Posted by rjack

This may sound crazy, but, with a new trailer situation I highly recommend planning NO MORE than 300 miles per day...no matter how familiar you are with the roads and routing. Leave yourself time and do not push risky driving or other choices. Towing is not unreasonably difficult nor dangerous UNLESS under time pressure crowding judgment.

I used to drive from Jacksonville to St Louis in one day. It was 930 miles door step to door step. But you wouldn't want to do that with the trailer and family. Now retired I plan days around 300 to 400 miles. I make my travel time 0900 to 1500 hrs. +/-. Always look to arrive before sun down so you can have a nice dinner get a little sample of the local area before dark. Don't do rush hours.

You have to check out the trailer before you leave the area of the dealer. At least spend the night near by so you can come back the next day and fix the thing that didn't work the first night. Ours was a Alde valve that was in the wrong position. Most of your problems will likely be operator error. "first trailer" remember you are the operator.

Make sure you have the food grade hoses, electrical cables, and sewer dump lines before you leave the dealer.


https://www.amazon.com/Long-Trailer-...minipcstand-20

Don't collect rocks.

[Starstream]

Making sure you're properly equipped before hitting the road is definitely a good idea. Here's something else to consider. Since it sounds like you're in a bit of a time crunch on the way home, it might be a good idea to keep things simple. No doubt the dealership will provide an education on emptying your tanks, but it does take time to do this chore even when well practiced at it. This is when a modern campground definitely comes in handy & we've used this strategy on many of our long distance trips. You may be stocking your trailer with all the goodies before you leave. Add paper plates & plastic cutlery to the list too. (I like Chinet's heavy duty paper plates.) Use cookware like well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick which can be wiped down instead of washing dishes. Keep the chores to a minumum & you'll find the trip less stressful.

[Len n Jeanne]

Originally Posted by AgBullet

Colonial is great. We're picking up our FC27FB in April, but have been up to visit the dealer. Suggest first night stay at Colonial, planning some time the next day to work out any obvious kinks you discover, then start working your way back. Advice on using 50mph average speed in a day is excellent. AllStays is a must. Take it slow, expect some "adventure," and have fun!

It's good that you're spending your spending your first night on your dealer's lot.

We did this with our first AS, and found that the furnace kept blowing fuses. Thankfully the salesman said we could phone him any time with problems. Which we did, and both he and the owner came back late that night to set us up with a space heater, then fixed the problem the next morning.

No failures with the second one, except that getting the electronics to work was a big challenge. We were ready bright and early with our questions for the mechanic the next morning.

As per Acheron's post:

When you purchase, one of the AS staff at your dealership should go over your new AS inch by inch, explaining just how everything works; including hitching and unhitching. I suggest you take detailed notes to minimize those, "Now what do I do?" moments when you're on your own, can't figure out or remember how something works, and the manual is difficult to understand.

One of the staff should also take you out for some driver's ed instruction. This is a good idea to ensure no hitch or towing problems before you leave the lot; and getting the backing practice.

As you can see, this would all be time-consuming but highly recommended.

Suggest you also keep their business card handy for phoning re: late-breaking advice.

Another good idea in your campsite is just don't be afraid to ask some seasoned-looking RVer or camp host for advice, or even help in backing, if you need to. You might feel somewhat idiotic, but you'll make some other guy feel like a real hero for helping you out. RVers are normally a friendly, helpful bunch. Especially other Airstreamers.

Speaking of which, try for pull-through sites. Much easier than back-ins.

Also, load up on groceries before the trip home, so you don't have to navigate any busy supermarket parking lots with your rig.

We haven't used a trip app, just a big paper copy of the Good Sam RV park guide, and Internet searching.

How great that your adventure is just beginning!

[Steven62]

On your drive out figure how many hours you actually want to drive each day.

Figure out how many miles/hours you can go between gas stations.

Stop at a KOA they have a free atlas that lists where each KOA is. Think of KOA not as the ideal campground but a safe place to stop when your not sure about the alternatives.

Choose drive through instead of back in sights for the first few nights if possible just to make life easier.

Start looking for gas before you must get gas so that you find an easier station to pull in and out of.

[napabill]

I just used RV Parky on my desktop to plan a trip and find RV parks for a trip from Northern California to the Cabo San Lucas area.

[bmc5311]

RVTripWizard - it’s not free, but I find it to be worth the money. It’s a great planning tool.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!
- B

[KathleenGay]

I pulled a 31 ft. Airstream all by myself from 2001-2012. Mostly before cell phones, Internet everything else you have available now. AAA membership was my best friend. RV tolling, maps, and tour books. The tour books aren’t as helpful as before, because they assume everyone has Internet access. I don’t when traveling. Paper maps are a necessity. I haven’t found a way to see alternate routes, except by paper maps. You can lay out your route on a US map and fine tune it with the state maps. I know you are covering familiar territory with your first trip, but it is something to keep in mind for the future. Things to watch out for—- small gas stations where you can’t maneuver—-what worked for your vehicle doesn’t necessarily work for a trailer—- especially in big cities and small towns.I learned to fill up before I came to a big city—- the hard way. The trailer makes an awful scraping sound when you have to go up or down a small incline and make a tight turn

[Ladyfish]

Lots of good advice here; but I would add "Keep it simple".

After purchasing our 1988 Excella 29 we stayed in motels and made it home from St. Louis, MO to Newark, DE in 3 days. A motel stop takes less time since there is no connect/disconnet (water, electric), no dump, no cooking or dishes to do. It is faster and less stressful. Eat out, lots of snacks in the truck and longer driving days.

We use Mapquest to plot our trips and find campgrounds through KOA or Good Sam. We also carry a current Road Atlas. There is a map in the front of the Atlas that shows all the major interstates in the US. We can compare and contrast various routes with this information.

Enjoy the new rig!

[ChuckieB]

I'm from Houston, too. We bought our 23FB in Orange County, CA. Then started the long return trip - first one ever. in our first trailer. There were many great "Long, Long Trailer" (with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball) moments that I wouldn't trade. Saw the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and the Big Bend.

We made mistakes, but survived them all. A few tips:
- Make sure your propane tanks are full
- Use your heat pump (or even better, a small electric fan heater that costs about $35) instead of your furnace, if possible.
- Get to your campsite with at least about an hour of daylight left.
- Invest in a headlamp that straps to your forehead, for when you DON'T make it to your campsite with enough daylight left. That WILL happen despite best-laid plans...
- Allstays is a great app.
- Get a copy of NEXT EXIT, a publication that has information on every service at every exit on the entire Interstate Highway system. Invaluable.
- HAVE FUN!!

Chuck

[Xbc3]

Whatever you wind up doing...let us know how it goes. We will be doing essentially the same trip in May (From Spring Tx to Colonial to pick up a 25RBT, and back... but without a tight time constraint). So we would love to learn from anything you learn!

[Mhphhoward]

Well said. Don't stick to an itinerary if you're uncomfortable, take it easy and safety first.

[jaybauman]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. Your recommended apps were quite useful.

Day 0 we picked the trailer and spent the night in the Colonial parking lot. We found a few electronic issues that needed to get fixed, which they promptly addressed when the techs came into work the next day.

We didn't get an early start on day 1, so we made it about 475 miles to Roanoke VA. Feeling adventurous, we spent the night in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. It was 29˚ so I was a bit worried that we might run out of battery power for the furnace blower. We had plenty of power to last the night. Me, the wife, the 8-year-old twins and our 16-month Labrador Retriever puppy all slept like babies. Surprisingly, we did not have enough hot water--even though we all tried military showers....but more on that later.

On Day 2, we did about 715 miles and made it to Meridian MS. Since we were so successful on Night 1, we tried the Cracker Barrel thing again. It was about 70˚ so we didn't need heat. However, we did still need hot water. And there was none. The light in the bathroom did not light up, so I assumed the gas-fired heater was on. Upon investigation, I found a blown 2A fuse on the heater. I purchased a replacement, but now the only thing the water heater does is show a red light in the bathroom. A quick call to the wonderful folks at Colonial confirmed that we are officially victims of the "bad water heater circuit board". They sent me a replacement board and I'll install it when I get back from my work travels.

On Day 3, we did about 590 miles and made it home...one day earlier than I was originally anticipating. The wife and kids didn't want to go another day without showers (come on, kids....it's camping!) so we headed home the most direct way possible.

Here are a few of my learnings and musings....

1. Driving 3600 miles in a single week was quite a lot, especially with the Chocolate Lab in the truck with us
   
2. Avoid I-10 in Louisiana at all costs. We went that way on the outbound trip but came back on I-20. The northern route was much, much better...but it was, by far, the worst road on the return trip. If it didn't add a few hundred miles to my journey, I would avoid that state like the plague.
   
3. I took the trailer for a "test drive" with the delivery tech. We went to the ballpark and practiced turning and parking. I nailed the reverse parking on the first try, which kept my confidence level on high. I recommend everyone do this, especially if you're not familiar with trailers and how they turn and what you need to do to back up.
   
4. I love my DuraMax. On the open road, I set the cruise control at 65, turned on tow/haul, and engaged the engine brake. The semis liked to pass me on the downhill runs, but I would overtake them on the climbs. My truck maintained the 65mph on climbs and descents without breaking any sweat, and never really up/down shifted to maintain speed.
   
5. 19.8 mpg out, 13.9 mpg back. Looks like I'm paying 6 mpg penalty for towing this beast. Is this what others are seeing?
   
6. The ProPride 3P is as good as its reputation. Zero sway is awesome, even when you're crossing the Susquehanna in heavy winds. All other trailers were swaying, but we stayed straight. I find hooking/unhooking to be simple and quick, taking no more time than a traditional WD hitch.
   
7. 3 nights & 1750 miles....and we're all grinning from ear to ear. This is going to be great fun for the family!!!
   
8. Looks like it's time to change my forum signature line!!!

[eagletoo]

This Atwood "bad water heater circuit board" problem has been in the assembly line for a long time. I’ve gone through 3 boards since picking up my 2018 23CB a year ago. How can this be continuing? One would think AS would have tossed this faulty appliance and moved forward.

[Acheron2010]

Love, love your report. You did all things well. So glad your experience at Colonial was so positive. The ball park with (Kevin?) your delivery tech was awesome, and highly recommended to others. How cool is it they take the time to do that with you? So very jealous of your Duramax. I have the gas 3/4 ton Silverado, and get a constant 10MPG towing, 13MPG not towing.

One of the shower tricks I learned was the first 20 seconds of cold water can be captured in a coffee pot to be used the next morning. Helps save a bit of water when boondocking.

Looking forward to your new signature line, and your future adventures.

[TouringDan]

What a great first trip. Sounds like you did everything the right way. You did your homework, were properly prepared and had the right attitude when everything didn’t go as planned. You also learned how efficient it is to boondock in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Just pull in, go to bed, get up and pull out. This really works well when you have to travel long distances each day. A job well done for you and your family.

Dan

[jaybauman]

Originally Posted by eagletoo

This Atwood "bad water heater circuit board" problem has been in the assembly line for a long time. I’ve gone through 3 boards since picking up my 2018 23CB a year ago. How can this be continuing? One would think AS would have tossed this faulty appliance and moved forward.

When I worked for the US Government, we had a saying that might apply in this situation: “Why do it right when you can do it cheap?”