Newell Gurus

howdy all,

i am nowhere as experienced as many of you in traveling in our coach. this is our 4th coach and 2nd newell but to be honest never had the time to do lots of use on them. i have probably 20k miles between my two newells i have used them on. that said, i am still learning big time on what is a big rig and how to find a place to stay that accommodate our 45'8" newell along with towing our CRV.

i cant say how many times i have called ahead and asked if they can handle big rigs. they almost always say yes. we pulled into a park in indiana last summer and i had asked and described several times over the phone the size of this beast. always got a "no problem" we pulled in and stopped in front of the office and gazed at the not so big sites that each had rocks on the corners outlining the spot and thought "uh oh" when i went in the office and the girl was looking out the window in wonderment and said" i dont think my dad knew it was THAT big". we unhooked the car and got in the spot, but had a fun time getting out.

one of the additional challenges we have with our newells is the low clearance. i had to use the leveling over ride and lift the rig up 4 inches to back into our friends driveway.

i was staying at a park in riodoso nm 5 years ago and it was terraced. they said...no problem. yea right. that place was pretty, but pretty for much smaller rigs.

we stayed at a nice koa while visiting richard and rhonda in WV last summer. they neglected to tell us that it was a hairpin turn into the park and that you needed to come in from the opposite direction we came. i turned in, promptly got stuck in the turn, the coach and car was sticking out into the highway. we quickly got out, stopped traffic and unhooked the car and once in the park it was plenty roomy. a few nights later it was rainy and dark at the same park and we were coming back from their home and i saw a set of headlights coming down the highway the same way we did with the turn signal on and i could tell from a ways away it was a big wanderlodge. we pulled over at the hairpin curve but it was too late. he was stuck. so i stopped traffic while he unhooked his car.

our first stop on this trip was 90 miles in and at a walmart in payson arizona. none of our vehicles can pass that place. we have a cabin north of it and stop every time for something. we were trying to follow clarke and elaines example of stopping frequently. we got stuck in the parking lot and had to wait for a lady in a pickup truck to get done shopping and drive away. as we were negotiating our way out of the parking lot, another truck stopped to let us by. darlene was looking at him and she said she could see him mouth the words..."WOW"

i subscribe to big rigs, and read reviews on parks and research them, but not everywhere we go has a place that is in these books.

the people in the parks are usually nice, but dont really care if you damage your coach trying to get around in their park.

we were staying at a park in ohio near our son scott. the park was nice and the spot nice. but getting out would have been very easy if they would have let us just pull through and go out a gate that was locked shut. they wouldnt. they made us do funky turns and barely make it around. what are some of these places thinking?

trees are another issue. having trees is very nice. as long as they dont rub on the sides of the coach while getting in, getting out or while just plain sitting there.

it doesnt help that most rv parks were designed in the days where 40 footer that was 11.5 foot tall was the biggest rig they ever saw.

it also doesnt help that i am paranoid about hitting something...

but i have to say i have met the nicest people at rv parks. in general they are out to enjoy themselves and want to meet and talk. of course, i talk to everyone.

so....what is a big rig and how do you describe it? because none of my descriptions have been adequate so far....

tom

First, I ask them if they have a pull through spot to accommodate my length.....62'. Usually I hear them say "Oh my......let me see" If they ultimately say yes, then Elaine goes on her Ipad to get a satellite view of the park, the sites, and the best way to enter. If that checks out then we stay there......haven't missed yet. We do the same with Walmarts.....before we arrive....as far as checking out the satellite shots of the lot, and the access. We try to park in a way that no one can block us in......have only been blocked one time, and for just a few minutes, but that was early on in our travels before we got smarter.

I'll add to Clarke's excellent thoughts. When I call I always use the term that I am as big as a tour bus. I also ask if the trees are trimmed to 15 foot high. Those two things usually give them a visual. I still get to the park and have disappointments, but I let them know I called ahead and who I talked to. I also don't drive into a park without walking to the site first. Red flags are when they tell you, "No one has ever complained" and "We get big rigs all the time". We know what parks work for us and we patronize them. So far this has worked for me.

I'm with you Tom. The 39 footer was much easier to dart around with. With the 45 footer especially pulling the truck with the tailgate down when we get to a campground Cindy goes in while I unhook the truck. Seldom do we leave it hooked up. One campground we left the truck hooked. Well in order to make the turn to get out of the site I had to back up about 10'. I just kept my eye on the monitor and stopped when the truck started to turn.
In Golden, CO I had to go around the campground twice after almost getting stuck on a turn and having to back up a ways. And they advertise as big rig friendly! Then at Mountaindale RV in Colorado Springs I almost couldn't make the turn inside the campground to get to our site. Hopefully they filled in those ruts by now
I guess we just have to change our expectations now.
I'll try the tour bus suggestion next time. But we do like to use the truck to check out the sites first.

Forest how is the park in Hudson,CO? Is it large enough for out rigs?Chappell

as clarke says....i need more experience for sure.

i also use sat view on google maps. was doing that for a walmart in ok to see the best way to get in and out.

i am still getting used to it all.

tom

Pepperpod campground in Hudson has sites big enough for our rigs but he probably only has water & 50amp available since he has a lot of workers staying there, but does have a dumpsite. It is an old KOA that's kind of run down but is in a good safe area for us to leave the coach for a month while we fly home. It makes an ok overnight stop right off the interstate with a truck stop across the interstate if you need fuel. The owner Neal is a real nice guy and the mayor of the little town.
Rudy Leggett (trainer) is supposed to meet us there and we plan to leave for Spearfish on Tuesday the 18th.
If you're coming through around then you could travel with us.

Forest, as of now, Mary and I plan to travel along with Rudy from Nacogdoches to meet up with you in Hudson. See you there. Chappell

Sounds great Chappell.
Have either you or Rudy looked at the route?
I was thinking of maybe stopping for a couple days around Custer to see the monuments there.

Morning Forest,

I am tagging along with you. So whenever and where ever you stop, so will I.

Looking forward to traveling with Chappell up to meet you all. Should be a grand time. See you on the 16th.