Andy - Las Cruces January 03, 2009, 12:23:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98337Andy: Should you follow through with the plan to order and install your tow set up in Las Cruces, WFP and I can recommend very very highly the Hacienda RV Resort at 740 Stern Drive...you can walk to the RV dealer from Hacienda (3 addresses on Stern Drive, the 2 RV dealers at the top of the street facing one another and the RV resort at the end...no other traffic; it's a dead end street). The spaces are wide, the laundry is superb, and the showers are heaven...plus you get breakfast and newspaper every a.m. and it's pet friendly should Ms. Kitty wish to take a stroll with you. It doesn't have the same $$$ attractiveness that state parks offer, it would be a worthwhile splurge. We made many very nice acquaintances there...and Fridays are Margarita Nights...free Margaritas from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.While it's not close to either Lowe's or HD, it is within walking distance of a WalMart Supercenter and excellent Mexican restaurants...we recommend both Andele (our fave) and El Comidor...they are right beside one another.We left Hacienda on Tuesday after 6 wonderful weeks there...and the only thing they could possibly add to their list of amenities is room service! We're currently in Benson AZ (Butterfield RV Resort), soaking up the sun and sightseeing. We're still headed to The Mothership, but haven't called for a date yet...so much to see along the way that one week always becomes at least two! Oh...gas war in Las Cruces...a new station opened at the end of last week less than 1 block from a Fina station and the prices went as low as $1.139 (that's not a typo); when we left the Fina had gone back up to $1.699, but the new station was offering at $1.169. There were lines! These two stations are immediately off the I-10 at exit 140 which is also the exit you'd take for both the RV dealer and Hacienda RV Resort on Stern Drive.TinaP 2006 MB "Wild Thing"
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #1 – January 03, 2009, 10:26:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98345"What about the actual length and width of the drop-down table on the 24? And size of the extension?" Thanks for the suggestion of Hacienda RV Resort, Tina. At present, I plan to install the Roadmaster baseplate and towbar myself. Based on their detailed installation guide, the version for the 2009 Honda Fit looks quite straightforward, with minimal disassembly and cutting... so I shouldn't have any need to stay in Las Cruces. But I'll keep Hacienda in mind, just in case. This morning I spoke with a woman who was towing a 2008 Fit behind her Winnebago class C. She loves the car, and says you don't even know it's there when you're towing it. She bought it in Santa Fe last year, and has towed it to Michigan and back since then. Her tow gear is all Blue Ox. While Blue Ox fittings are excellent in general, this setup was misaligned vertically. I measured the distance from ground to hitch receiver and from ground to toad mounting brackets, and the toad's brackets are 5"-6" lower. (The permissible range is 3"-4").In short, she really needs a drop hitch extension to even up the heights and prevent the toad from trying to run under the motorhome when braking, which can jam the towbar pretty badly (it happened to friends of mine). In general, though, it's preferable to avoid these extensions, because they increase the likelihood of your rear end (your rig's, I mean ;-) scraping the pavement when exiting driveways, crossing dips and so on. By contrast, Roadmaster's baseplate for the 2009 Fit uses a different design that places the toad's mounting brackets about 3" higher, so that no drop extension is needed. Again, I'm not knocking Blue Ox by any means... but in this particular case--2009 Honda Fit--you're better off with a Roadmaster baseplate, even if you choose to mate it with a Blue Ox towbar. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is shopping for a Fit as a toad. :-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #2 – January 04, 2009, 11:18:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 98347Quote By contrast, Roadmaster's baseplate for the 2009 Fit uses a different design that places the toad's mounting brackets about 3" higher, so that no drop extension is needed. Again, I'm not knocking Blue Ox by any means... but in this particular case--2009 Honda Fit--you're better off with a Roadmaster baseplate, even if you choose to mate it with a Blue Ox towbar. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is shopping for a Fit as a toad. :-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/ Hi Andy, Last fall I saw a tow setup a fellow Caravan Club member had installed on his CRV. Very simple, very clean surge type brake system. The in toad connections consisted of an electrical connection and a cable connected to the brake pedal. The Base Plate was a Demco unit and I believe it was a bolt on unit (no cutting or hacking required). Very clean and almost invisible when not setup for towing. The selling company was Night Shift Auto (readybrake.com). We also have a '07 CRV thus my interest in this tow package - just don't know if we need a toad at this point. We are mostly trekkers. Might be worth a check. Don't know what other vehicles they offer a package for.John '04 23.5FL
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #3 – January 04, 2009, 03:28:23 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98352I have used the Ready Brake combo(Ready Brute--tow bar and brake all in one) for the last 3/4 years and can highly recommend it. Much less invasive than most, if not all, other systems and considerably less expensive. Have nothing to compare this system to as this is the only one I've had, but know this will be one I purchase when/if another is needed.I have no financial interest or other value in this company.John K.
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #4 – January 04, 2009, 03:37:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98353QuoteI have used the Ready Brake combo(Ready Brute--tow bar and brake all in one) for the last 3/4 years and can highly recommend it. This is the same system we had on our Lazy Daze and toad, too. Worked very well and was easy to hookup and unhook.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #5 – January 06, 2009, 07:32:17 am Yahoo Message Number: 98374Andy: Do you plan to get a Honda Fix with automatic or manual transmission? I noticed in the "Motorhome" magazine 2009 dinghy guide that the automatic may require periodic engine starts.
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #6 – January 06, 2009, 07:36:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 98375Quote Andy: Do you plan to get a Honda Fix with automatic or manual transmission? I noticed in the "Motorhome" magazine 2009 dinghy guide that the automatic may require periodic engine starts. Correction: Honda Fit
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #7 – January 06, 2009, 10:25:54 am Yahoo Message Number: 98377QuoteAndy: Do you plan to get a Honda Fix with automatic or manual transmission? I noticed in the "Motorhome" magazine 2009 dinghy guide that the automatic may require periodic engine starts. We no longer subscriber to Motorhome Magazine, so don't have access to the 2009 listings, and the Fit isn't in the 2008 guides. How many miles have to elapse before restart is needed? In most of the cars that require a restart when being towed it's something like 200 miles. Frankly, I don't see that as a downside...are you really going to travel 200 miles in one stretch without stopping??? 200 miles is a long day for us, and we make several stops along the way. At any one of these stops, the car could be started and allowed to run while you're busy doing something else. It's not like you have to unhook the car and drive it around...all that needs to be done is to start the engine and perhaps go through the gears.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
nothing to do with Andy or Las Cruces Reply #9 – January 06, 2009, 11:03:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 98379On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:54:30 -0000, stcook wrote these inspiring words:QuoteIt's also in FMCA Mag where they mention the CR-V and Fit as both requiring the every-8-hour procedure. Anyone that bumps up to the 8 hour limit must be younger than us or really enjoys driving.A lot people use this party line address no_reply@yahoogroups.comStill raining in Alabama, with another low pressure system on the way. I am ready to head south.Cheers, Don
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #10 – January 06, 2009, 11:11:51 am Yahoo Message Number: 98380QuoteIt's also in FMCA Mag where they mention the CR-V and Fit as both requiring the every-8-hour procedure. Well, that would make it even less of a problem! Is there anyone who travels 8 hours at a stretch without stopping? Even if you have a huge bladder and you don't need to eat, you'd certainly have to stop for fuel, wouldn't you?Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #11 – January 06, 2009, 01:26:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98383"It's not like you have to unhook the car and drive it around...all that needs to be done is to start the engine andQuoteperhaps go through the gears."Linda Hylton Linda While your statement is true in the general sense, I have a slightly different take on it.I tow a 2002 Honda Civic LX behind my 30'IB and have been for some years. I try to limit my drive/day to 200 miles or less. I do the step through the gears routine on the toad in the morning and I start the engine and shift to park at the end of the day. On several occasions over the past two years, after towing for two or three consecutive days, I go out one morning to find that there's not enough battery to start the toad. So, I either swap ends with the LD or find some generous soul to give me a jump. If I've unhitched and driven the toad this problem does not present itself.The kicker of this whole thing is that the toad can sit in front of my house for months at a time and the engine will turn over any time I need it.I'm going to have to go back to the guy who did the original wiring and get his ideas about what's going on.Steve S. Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Re: toad battery fails Reply #12 – January 06, 2009, 02:18:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98385"On several occasions over the past two years, after towing for two or three consecutive days, I go out one morning to find that there's not enough battery to start the toad."If you have the US Gear Unified auxiliary brake system, part of its wiring harness is a connection that keeps the toad battery fully charged. If you have the US Gear system, perhaps it was not connected properly. Other braking systems may lack this feature, in which case you'll probably want to have it added. In either case, I agree that you need to talk to your installer.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #13 – January 06, 2009, 02:26:19 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98386"Do you plan to get a Honda Fix with automatic or manual transmission? I noticed in the 'Motorhome' magazine 2009 dinghy guide that the automatic may require periodic engine starts." From what I've read, that's true of most automatics when being towed four-down. I'm getting the manual transmission Fit (base model) because it gets better performance and fuel economy, doesn't require you to jump through as many hoops before towing... and it's what the dealer has in stock. ;-) For the record, here's what the 2009 Fit owner's manual says. (By the way, you can download the manual for any Honda car from Honda's website, which is a better way to get the straight scoop than from secondhand sources.) Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome Your vehicle can be towed behind a motorhome at legal highway speeds up to 65 mph (100 km/h). Do not exceed 65 mph (100 km/h). Otherwise, severe transmission damage will occur.When purchasing a tow bar, make sure you select a reputable manufacturer and installer. Follow the manufacturer's attachment instructions carefully.The steering system can be damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Leave the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY (I) position, and make sure the steering wheel turns freely before you begin towing.Automatic transmission: Perform the following procedure every day immediately before you begin towing. Otherwise severe automatic transmission damage will occur.1. Check the transmission fluid level (see page 259). Do not overfill. 2. Start the engine. 3. Press on the brake pedal. Move the shift lever through all its positions. 4. Shift to the D position and hold for 5 seconds, then to N. Let the engine run for 3 minutes, then turn it off. Severe transmission damage will occur if the vehicle is shifted from reverse to neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground.5. Release the parking brake. If you tow a Fit behind a motorhome, the automatic transmission fluid must be changed every 2 years or 30,000 miles (48,000 km), whichever comes first.Manual transmission: 1. Move the shifter into the Neutral position. 2. Release the parking brake.Leave the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY (I) position so the steering wheel does not lock. Make sure the radio and any items plugged into the accessory power sockets are turned off so you do not run down the battery.When you stop towing your vehicle and shift out of the neutral position, you may not be able to move the shift lever from neutral to reverse or Park. If this happens, press the brake pedal and turn the ignition switch to the ON (II) position, then shift out of neutral.Extended Towing: If you tow more than 8 hours in one day, you should repeat the above procedure at least every 8 hours (when you stop for fuel, etc.) Failure to follow the recommended instructions exactly will result in severe automatic transmission damage. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be transported on a flat-bed truck or trailer.When towing your vehicle for long periods, remove the 20A Accessory Socket and 30A Radio fuses to reduce drain on battery. These fuses are located in the interior fuse box and are shown as number 13 and 61 below.Only remove the fuses after you have performed the transmission shifting procedure, and the key is in the ACCESSORY (I) position. Store the fuses in an obvious location (center pocket, etc) as a reminder to re-install the fuses before driving the vehicle. Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #14 – January 06, 2009, 03:26:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98387Quote From what I've read, that's true of most automatics when being towed four-down. I'm getting the manual transmission Fit (base model) because it gets better performance and fuel economy, doesn't require you to jump through as many hoops before towing... and it's what the dealer has in stock. ;-) Our Chevy Cobalt, automatic, has none of those restrictions, except the 65 MPH speed limit. Pull a single fuse, which among other things makes it impossible to lock the steering. Very simple and mostly fool proof (you still have to make sure the shifter is in neutral )-Dave '06 MB, Indianapolis
Re: 8 hour driving Reply #15 – January 06, 2009, 04:14:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98388Well, yes, except we're only former LDers (but we really like the friendly people on this group). Our current coach has a 180 gallon diesel tank so we don't have to stop to fill up (on fuel) quite as often. Now the personal emptying and refilling part, that's another story Especially with 3 cocker spaniels.Michelle
Re: Andy - Las Cruces Reply #16 – January 06, 2009, 10:02:48 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98392Quote from: cpratt04097" "I can recommend very very highly the Hacienda RV Resort at 740 Stern Drive..."Hi, Andy, Based on what I've read in your postings over the years, and on your website, you may not be comfortable at the Hacienda RV Resort in Las Cruces, NM, at least for more than an overnight stay. We've stayed there several times in the past, for short stays, but only because it's in a convenient location for restaurants in Old Town Mesilla, as well as the Las Cruces area in general. The Hacienda has many amenities, but the sites are gravel, cheek-to-jowl, with minimal privacy plantings between sites. The WiFi connections were spotty, depending on your location in the park. My big turn-off was diesel behemoths idling for an hour while being hooked up to leave, as early as 6AM. That one I complained to the management about. The park does have a nice laundry area, and a nice pet area, if folks are traveling with dogs.YMMV, of course.Sharon N.Crossville, TN
Re: toad battery fails Reply #17 – January 06, 2009, 11:45:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98396Quote "On several occasions over the past two years, after towing for two or three consecutive days, I go out one morning to find that there's not enough battery to start the toad."If you have the US Gear Unified auxiliary brake system, part of its wiring harness is a connection that keeps the toad battery fully charged. If you have the US Gear system, perhaps it was not connected properly. I ran onto a case (not mine) of a US Gear installation that apparently had a high resistance join in the wire intended to connect the two vehicle batteries together somewhere under the coach. I could touch and measure the wire as it left the coach's battery, so I know it was energized. But, by the time it got to the rear of the coach it had +12V on it but very little current would flow when connected to the car. I had to fix the wrong thing a couple of times before I realized that it was a really "different" sort of problem; a 12V wire that was and wasn't connected. Time was not on my side so I wasn't able to isolate the problem before the party had to leave. They were going to get it fixed later but I never heard what it was.Linley
Re: toad battery fails Reply #18 – January 08, 2009, 11:19:41 am Yahoo Message Number: 98425"If you have the US Gear Unified auxiliary brake system, part of its wiring harness is a connection that keeps the toad battery fully charged. If you have the US Gear system, perhaps it was not connected properly. Other braking systems may lack this feature"AndyThis brings up a good point. Many toad brakes, particularly the portable types, do not have any provisions for keeping toad's battery charged. If the toad brake is adjusted to come on at low to medium braking levels, the battery dra
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Topic: Andy - Las Cruces (Read 4 times)
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