Tawnya & Eric Go To Camp

On Thursday  February 28th & Friday March 1st Tawnya and I attended Camp Freightliner. 

I have read other blogs/reviews about the class and decided that it would be a good investment in time and money. We purchased Ferocious but Fabulous in August of 2017 and I started looking at the class details and found that it was sold out through the rest of the year. I started looking again in May of 2018 and found that all of the 2018 dates were sold out. On the day that they released the 2019 schedule (mid to late October) I got up at midnight..12:01 am to be exact to register. We were able to get in to one of the 1st classes of 2019 that will be held at their Gaffney, SC facility.

Preface

Freightliner is the chasis manufacturer that 

• Builds the frame
• Purchases and installs an engine from a 3rd party. 
• Purchases and instals the wheels/brakes..from 3rd parties
• Sells the incomplete vehicle to a motorhome manufacturers who then install the home portion of the motor home.

Topics Covered in Camp Freightliner

I won’t go into great detail because I am far from an expert even though I am 1000x more knowledgeable after the class.

• Engine Information-This is SUPER important because it is the foundation of EVERYTHING (maintenance, operation..etc)
• Fuel Filter/Fuel Water Separator 
• The Air System (Compressor, Brakes, Air Bags, Leveling)
• ABS (Anti Lock Break System)
• Suspension
• What is located where on my chassis
• Weight Distribution
• Proper Tire Inflation based upon 4-Corner Weights
• Transmission operation (Now I know what the MODE button is for)
• Proper maintenance and service intervals
• Many more topics. Plus anything and everything that you would ever want to know about the foundation of your motor home that is built on a Freightliner chassis
• All of the information Mike covered was also given to us in a book and a thumb drive, customized to our unit. 

Recommendations 

1-Schedule your yearly service at the Frieghtliner Oasis Service Center. The technicians are all factory trained and the labor rates are cheaper than in Virginia. Also get your 4-corner weights done...this will allow you to know exactly what your tire pressure should be set at.

2-Arrive the night before and stay in their RV parking lot (50amp service at each site, water and sewer available)

3-Know your RV (spec's , engine..etc)

4-Formulate your questions and wait to ask them when Mike Cody (the instructor) is on that topic. It helps to avoid the tangents and side bar conversations

5-Listen, absorb and participate-- You will be provided with  a wealth of knowledge that will make you better RV owners.

If you have any specific questions feel free to respond via the comment box below.

#etctacampingadventures2019
#rvlife

Tips To Keeping Unwanted Pests out of your RV

On our last adventure we were packed full of people, stuff and food. After driving for almost 10 hours we arrived at our campground and started to unpack all of the “extra” bedding and blankets and found poop pellets from some sort of rodent. 

ETCTA’s Top-5 Tips To Keeping Unwanted Pests out of your RV

1-Inspect your RV, Know your RV

• Look for areas underneath your RV where a mouse or rodent can enter-In my 2016 Fleetwood Discovery 40g the most vulnerable area is the wet bay which has an easily moveable tray at the bottom and offers a direct line into the RV via the plumbing system.

• Inspect all wiring and plumbing to make sure they have not done any damage to any wiring, water or propane lines

• Inspect your bedding for a nest and poop
• Inspect all bays for holes or openings. Are any of them new? 

2-Clean, clean, clean

• Don’t leave anything in your RV that will attract a rodent (food, crumbs, smells). After each trip we wipe down all surfaces and cabinet drawers with Lysol Wipes

• Vacuum all areas. Inevitably someone will drop something on the floor while eating these droppings could be a Thanksgiving Feast for a rodent.
• Clean your grills and grill grates. Burnt or charred remains of last nights steak are Christmas dinner for a rodent and they will do everything possible to enjoy it.

3-Take preventative steps

• Utilize a rodent repellent. We put a few of these in the bays of our RV and apparently the smell retells rodents. Also as an extra precaution I sprinkled this on the ground around my RV.

4-Go easy on the traps

• They can break a finger or toe if not handled and placed correctly
• They attract and kill mice as opposed to repelling them. If you have a pest living in your RV then by all means be careful and strategically utilize them.

5-Take cues from your neighbors.

• If your neighbor in storage or at a campground has or had mice chances are that they will try to find a new home. 

Be Prepared and don't let a furry little creature ruin one ounce of your camping fun :-)