Staying the course

July 07, 2011



As some of you may have read in our earlier blogs, we have our share of misadventures. Our Garmin hasn‘t always been point on. Typically, the 265WT was been used to give us ETA, distance to a point and help us find a location with the POI feature. The Garmin has also been very useful when we want to get off the main road yet continue in the general direction of our destination. Most of the time we know where we are going. But when we decide to get off the main route, the Garmin allows us to stay on course.

Now that summer is here, we have seen more threads discussing various gps . Many full-timers in larger rigs (coaches and behemoth 5ers) are using the 465T, the commercial trucker version. This unit is programmable with your height, length and weight to allow the 465 to keep you out of precarious situations.

Now Rand McNally, the renowned cartographers, have lent their expertise to a system designed specifically for the RV crowd. No one has any real experience with the RMVD as it has only recently been released in the last month or so. As we move closer to our full-time date of 2013, we will be looking at what other options will be available. The Garmin 265WT has been a great asset and has helped us out of more situations than it created---we still remember that detour it took us on in southern Virginia on roads few people have ever traveled--but we are more confident in our blue road travels with the Garmin.


Tim and Mary

On the road to Wisconsin

Do they make trailer tires anymore?

So the garage in Lillington passed the Dodge upon having the three deficits corrected. Had to pay an additional .85 cents for the "sticker." If it is all electronic, what sticker did I pay for?
While I was waiting for the Dodge to clear the last hurdle before new plates could be purchased, I inquired about tires for the Coachmen Catalina 5er. The guy showed me three options--all were truck tires and one had all-terrain tread. I asked him if the Grabbers all-terrain would make the 5er handle better in snow and mud.
"Probably not." he replied...
"No tire trailers?" I asked again.

"Not that size (245/75/16)." he stated.
"Hmmmmm," I stalled, "Nothing?"

I left for the DMV license plate office wondering how long the all-terrain tread would hold out on the Blue Roads in 90° heat and black-topped two-lanes..

I arrived home and started calling local (within 50 miles of our zip) tire stores. Appearently the guy was right...There are no "trailer" tires to be found in the Sandhills of North Carolina.
Finally I get a hold of this guy named Josh. He starts selling me some Falken and then a set of Cooper H/T--both road tread / all season tires. I try to remind Josh it is a trailer I need tires for and would like trailer tires with highway tread.
Carlisle or Goodyear? 10 ply, specifically for trailer use tires..do you sell this?
He stated they had Carlisle Highway radials for $146.78 and he also sees there are Goodyear Marathons--but only in a 235/80/16 size. Goodyears have the "BEST" insignia and Carlise have "GOOD." For the few dollars difference I go big and ask for the Marathons. Josh sets the phone down and when he returns a few minutes later tells me NO MARATHONS that size in North Carolina and he has to order / ship them from Missouri.
We really would like tires this weekend and have them installed and done so we can get serious about loading the stuff we have pawned off on family up north. Josh tells me the Carlisle tire might be available by Friday--they are shipping in from Hickory, North Carolina. OK...lets go with the Carlisle and plan to do this on Saturday.
So, if FedEx has the tires to Cary by Friday, the Coachmen Catalina will have new treads on Saturday. ACTUAL trailer tires and we will be waiting for June 13 to try the tires out on the highway.
We are still finalizing the route to Michigan, but it looks like this so far:
1. Leave Lillington Monday June, 13 by 5:00 pm
2. Arrive Wytheville, Virginia by 9:00 pm in time for LATE dinner(6/13)
3. Leave Wytheville, Virginia by 5:00 am in time for an EARLY breakfast.
4. Arrive Ripley, West Virginia by 10:00 am for snacks(6/14)
5. Continue to Wooster, Ohio by 1:00 pm and set up camp for lunch(6/14)
6. Leave Wooster, Ohio 6:00 am another EARLY breakfast(6/15)
7. Arrive Brighton, Michigan by 3:00 pm for dinner with FAMILY(6/15)
8. Wedding stuff all day 6/16
9. Final wedding stuff 6/17
10. WEDDING 6/18
11. 4 more weeks left of VACATION!!