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Thanks so much and second question
Yahoo Message Number: 128539
I want to thank you all for being so open and honest about your experiences with your LD. I spent a long time researching before buying my S2 9.2A sailboat. She was a solid, well built craft but I still needed to make her "mine" with several mods. So I know where your all coming from.
 BTW, the 2 most common owners issues I see with every make and manufacture of the quality built RV's I have researched over the past 18 months (5'ers, TT, TC, and Class C's)is the quality of the OEM tank monitors and solar systems.
 Now for my second inquiry. Right now I'm torn between a TC and a Class C. While this could lead to a huge discussion between the advantage / disadvantage of the two I really want to go there. That would be like entering the arena of the Ford vs Chev or gas vs diesel crowds (we all know how hot that can get. LOL)
 In a nut shell I'm concerned about not having a vehicle to "tour" the area. And I have made a firm decision not to tow anything with either the TC or the Class C, so that's off topic as far as I'm concerned.
 Any of us who have had a TT, 5er, TC or have tent camped know the advantage of setting up camp and having the TV to visit attraction within a wide radius of the campground. I'm afraid to lose that with the Class C. My style is to plant for around 2 weeks or so and tour the area, seeking out the "World's Largest Ball of Twine" and such things. LOL.
 So this is the only topic I would like your comments on for now. How is it setting up and tearing down you LD each time you want to "tour" a bit? What has your experience been in parking at shopping centers, restaurants and various attraction? What about Navigating in city and small town traffic? What about the constant need to level the unit each time you return to camp? In other words, how convenient or inconvenient has it been using your LD as a "tour" vehicle? If it helps you, I'm considering a 27 foot LD and don't see levelers as an option at the "mothership" site.
 Thank you all again, you're the best! Looking forward to your comments and opinions.

Skipper Dave
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128540
Quote

"...Now for my second inquiry. Right now I'm torn between a TC and a Class C..."

Skipper Dave

Just to be clarify, Dave, does TC stand for truck camper?

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128541
Quote

"Just to be clarify, Dave, does TC stand for truck camper?"

Chris
Thanks for picking up on that Chris, I was scratching my head also.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128542
Quote

 "I have made a firm decision not to tow anything with ... the Class C, so that's off topic as far as I'm concerned."
Would you care to disclose how you came to that decision??? Many of us tow and then again, many of us do not. It's really a personal choice and it would be interesting to have your take on the issue.
 "I'm considering a 27 foot LD and don't see levelers as an option at the "mothership" site."
 That is a 'stealth' option, not advertized. If you want the Kwikee brand of levelers you can purchase then thru LD and they will be installed by a sub-contractor. At least that used to be the way it was done. That's how I got mine in 2004.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs

Quote
Skipper Dave
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128543
If you want the Kwikee brand of levelers you can purchase then thru LD and they will be installed by a sub-contractor. At least that used to be the way it was done. That's how I got mine in 2004.

Quote
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs
I asked about that when I ordered in 05 and was told they no longer had a relationship with the company that provided levelers.  I instead bought 3 of the yellow ramps at the LD store and have been happy using them.

Dick 05 RK Ridgecrest, CA
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128544
Yes, TC stands for truck camper.

Dave

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. -The Buddha

__ From: lejest2003 no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 9:35 AM
 Subject: [LD] Re: Thanks so much and second question
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128545
My decision not to tow is simple; it simplifies my life! I don't want the extra cost and maintenance of a second vehicle, I don't want back down a toad, I don't want to get into situations where turning around is difficult with a toad, I don't want the longer footprint that comes with a toad.
 I'm solo 90% of the time. I'm a simple guy with few needs that prides himself on being independent and a minimalist. I try to keep as much drama out of my life by the KISS principal.

Dave

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. -The Buddha

__ From: lejest2003 no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 9:45 AM
 Subject: [LD] Re: Thanks so much and second question
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128546
Quote
"I'm solo 90% of the time. I'm a simple guy with few needs that prides himself on being independent and a minimalist. I try to keep as much drama out of my life by the KISS principal."

Dave
And all of those reasons are valid!
 I on the other hand am a 76 year old widower who owns an '04 30'IB and tows a Honda CRV. I encounter few situations that impead my forward progress. Space is not a problem, even in the small US Forest Campgrounds where you'll most often find me. Been at it now since Oct. '04 and lovin every minute.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128547
"Would you care to disclose how you came to that decision?"

Yes, I'm sure many of us would like to hear your reasoning.
 I traveled for a number of years, both vacationing and later full-time, in a 1985 22' Lazy Daze without a towed car. It wasn't by choice--the old Chevy engine just didn't have the oomph to pull anything. My lifestyle consisted of staying in a campground for a couple of weeks--with luck, getting rides to attractions with friends who towed cars--and then when moving to the next campground, stopping midway to do all my chores: top off gasoline and propane, get groceries, do laundry, collect mail, etc.
 It was doable, but limiting. I missed out on a lot of local attractions, and got tired of begging rides. Yes, I could park my 22-footer in most parking lots, so I could use it for day trips... but I seldom did, because it was just too much trouble.
 And of course the gas mileage was terrible. Changing parks only a couple of times a month (a typical relaxed fulltimer lifestyle), I didn't use much gas, but if I drove the rig into town every couple of days for sightseeing, groceries, laundry, mail, and so on, I would see an impact on my budget. When I upgraded to a 27' midbath, I pretty much stopped doing it altogether. That's when I started thinking seriously about a towed car.
 Here's the way I see it: if you're on the road in an RV for months, you need a runaround vehicle of some sort. I tried a bicycle, but it's really a fair weather only vehicle, and it has insufficient range (for me at least) to get from a typical state park campground to the nearest town that has supplies. I used to ride a motorcycle, but that's a fair-weather vehicle too, and a little too risky for my taste nowadays. So that leaves cars and trucks.
 As a full-time RVer who prefers something roomier than a van conversion, you can either drive a truck and tow your home, or you can drive your home and tow a car. In the first case, you get about 10 mpg while towing and maybe 12-14 mpg while driving the truck around town. In the second case, you get about 10 mpg while towing and anywhere from 30-50 mpg in town. (My Honda Fit towed car has averaged 45-48 mpg over the three years I've owned it.) It's a pretty easy choice, when put that way.
 I got a toad as soon as I could afford it. It has greatly expanded my horizons. It's almost impossible to imagine life without it. You might find it interesting to read my web pages about buying a car...
 http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/2009/fit.htm

... and outfitting it for towing:
 http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/2009/towing.htm

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128548
Sorry, Dave--you answered the question while I was composing my longwinded reply. ;-) I understand your desire for simplicity. I'll just say that I can unhook my car and drive away faster than I can strike camp and prepare my motorhome for driving.
 The extra length isn't an issue; the toad tracks perfectly behind the rig. Weight isn't a problem, at least with my 2,300-pound Fit; I don't notice a decrease in performance. Not being able to back up is an annoyance, though; I have to be careful where I go, lest I get into a dead-end situation. But overall, the pluses for me have far outweighed the minuses.
 If you choose to travel without a toad, I'd suggest getting a 24' Lazy Daze rather than a 27-footer. It's much easier to find places to park in town with a smaller LD. Or you might want to consider one of the Sprinter-based motorhomes. The quality is frankly much lower, and you'll sacrifice about 2,000 pounds of cargo capacity compared to a Lazy Daze, but the small size and relatively good fuel economy make these more suitable as motorhome/runabout combinations.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128549
Back to "what I don't like about my LD".   I mostly agree that there's nothing to dislike....but, what I do dislike is having a vehicle, any vehicle, with more than 100,000 miles on it.   Now, I understand a lot of LD owners have older models (mine is 2002) with this kind of mileage.   What problems have you had to resolve, or do you not even worry about the mileage?    Thanks   Lynn
G N Wilson
2008 Mid-Bath
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128553
In my never humble opinion, I really don't think that if you have not lived a lifestyle you can accurately predict how you will adapt to (or abandon) a lifestyle. And full-timing is a lifestyle.
 What type of rig will work best for you and to tow or not, are issues that will only be well appreciated after you have spent some time on the road. Anyone that can figure it out from an armchair...well I commend you.
 There is no perfect yacht or RV. Take a best guess, buy it and get on the road and see how it works for you.

Feliz viaje
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128555
This is probably heresy, but you might want to look at buying a Provan Tiger. It's a small Class C, built on a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy chassis (your choice)
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128556
I will have to agree completely with Andy (as I usually do.)  If you are going to be spending any significant amount of time in the RV, you really need a toad.  We have done it both ways.  One really long trip between Oregon and Louisiana we didn't tow.  That trip turned out to be a king-sized pita.  In Branson MO, the couple next to us in the campground felt sorry for us and loaned us their Honda so we could go to a show on the other side of town.  We would never have been able to navigate a motorhome in that very crowded parking lot.  And the traffic in Branson is just unbelievable.

You can't know how much trouble it is to hook up and take down every time you want to go somewhere until you try it.  It gets old real fast.

Dick
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128557
There are ways to minimize the hassle.  Fill fresh water tank and dump when you arrive. Stow all except electric.  Operate out of tanks until "fluid" hookups are needed.

Then "take down" can consist of unplugging electric.

Of course, any leveling and awning stow, etc, increases the hassle.

best, paul

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive... to breath, to think, to enjoy, to love."

~ Marcus Aurelius
 You can't know how much trouble it is to hook up and take down every time
 
Quote
you want to go somewhere until you try it. It gets old real fast.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128558
By the way, ever been broken down and thanked everything thats holy that you had that toad along to get you to safety, or somewhere to get help?  I have, and will never travel without that reliable toad.   Gale
G N Wilson
2008 Mid-Bath
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128560
Yep, that's how we do it; in fact, we don't bother to level, as most campgrounds and walmart parking lots are level enough for us, and the awning is electric, so 15 seconds to stow it. Most times, we don't even plug in, if we think we might do some driving later on, and only plug in at evening. Inside, my wife sets the sewing machine on the floor under the dinette table, the laptop is placed on a dinette seat, and off we go.
 The electric awning was one of our best purchases: after 11 years with a manual awning we rarely used, we had it replaced with an electric one at Camping World for around $1200 on sale. In the past three years, it's been used more than 11 years with the manual awning. We'll even roll it out a few feet to keep the sun off the table while we eat lunch in a rest stop.

Eric Greenwell
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128561
Eric, How long did it take to install the electric awning and does it extend out further from the side body? I have been wanting to do that never use my awning because it is a hassle for this 5' 2" incher! Which Camping World.

Guess that would also be a "I don't like about my LD".
TIA

Betty Jean
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128562
Quote

Eric, How long did it take to install the electric awning and does it extend out further from the side body? I have been wanting to do that never use my awning because it is a hassle for this 5' 2" incher! Which Camping World.

Guess that would also be a "I don't like about my LD".
TIA

Betty Jean

bettyjean92211@...
Betty Jean, don't you use the crank to open it?  You can be pretty short and still make it work.

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128563
That's fine if you only stay a night or two.  What about when you stay for a week, two weeks, a month?  Making all those trips to town, sight-seeing, etc. can really get old if you are set up as a semi-permanent camp.  What you describe is how we would stay in a rest stop overnight.

Dick
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128564
We do the same thing for a week or two. It's easy for us because we just drive in to our spot and park. If we're not going anywhere else that day, we plug in,; otherwise, we just park, run off the batteries and our tanks, and we're ready to drive off at any moment. We don't stay more than two weeks at any place - we are travelers, not sitters; however, we might return to the same place for several years in a row, and do some things we missed the times before.
 Driving a 24 footer around is easy enough. If we weren't towing a 34' glider trailer everywhere, we would think about a small toad (our Camry is too big). There are places we usually don't get to with just the motorhome, mostly places that involve more than a mile of washboarded dirt road. Sometimes, we'll rent an SUV for those places, or borrow one, or ride with someone else. We rarely go to big cities - our preference, not a motorhome limitation. So, we don't miss out on much!
 We've been traveling this way in 3 truck campers and  2 motorhomes for 40 years, so it's not even something we think about anymore. My wife thinks she's driving a sports car when the trailer isn't attached (only 24' instead of 58')!

Eric Greenwell
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128565
It took them about 3 hours at the Camping World in Fife, WA; however, I had removed the old one at home (and sold it to a guy with a trailer full of dirt bikes). It extended about as far as the original awning, which was a typical Carefree (not the crank out style I see on the LD motorhomes) where you pull strap to unroll it. It's plenty far enough, as it lowers enough to block the sun until near the horizon.
 I haven't used the crank out style, so I can't compare them, but the 15 seconds out and 15 seconds in of the electric one in is a joy. We don't even worry about wind, because we always put it away at night, or if we're leaving the motorhome. It's so easy!

Eric Greenwell
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128566
Using the crank is not the problem, it is when I put the center in I use a stool and think one of these days I will fall off the stool....never had gotten the right way to do this.  Plus the awning sags when I extend it & sometimes the door brushes the awning.  Electric is the way I would like to go.

Betty Jean
Re: Thanks so much and second question
Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 128567
Eric, Thanks!  Guess I will check out CW in San Bernardino, CA.
And get someone to remove the old awning prior put it on Craigs List.

Betty Jean