It's Autumn. It's getting cold at night. Have I mentioned that every time the propane furnace kicks on, it wakes me up? We have the thermostat set at 67 degrees. Last night, it must have been hovering around 66 because the furnace would start and stop, start and stop. I'd just drift back to sleep, and whammo, the furnace kicked on. And of course, it's not just one noise - it's two. First the burner, then the furnace. So about 1:30am, I get up and lower the thermostate to 65. Furnace clicks off, and I jump back into bed, hoping to be a happy camper. At 3:34am, furnace clicks on again. I rolled over, laying on my back, with the thoughts going through my head, "It's just a noise, it will stop soon. No, you don't smell propane. It's just your imagination. Surely, it's up to 65 by now. It's just a hot flash. Take some deep breaths. It will pass. No, really, it's got to be warmer than 65 now." By this time, I've tossed, turned, kicked off the comforter, kicked off the sheet. I've tried sleeping on my back, on my belly, on my right side, on my left side. No, no, no, I don't want to get up again. Okay, it's frigging hot in here. I get up to check the thermostat. It's set for 98 degrees! What? How did that happen? I tried to turn it down, and I can get the digits to go down to 65, but the minute I try to set it there, it flips back to 98 degrees.
Okay, that did it. Time for Kim to wake up and do whatever it is that men do to fix things. Personally, I think it may be a gremlin. Or maybe my Dad is visiting from beyond the grave. I have been smelling cigarette and pipe smoke recently. While Kim is reading through the owners manual, and researching thermostat problems on the internet, I'm calling on my angels and asking for some help. I need some sleep!
Showing posts with label Poulsbo RV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poulsbo RV. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
K/M Resorts
The offices of K/M Resorts is about a mile from Camping World in Fife, Washington. http://www.kmresorts.com/
So a little back story before I continue. My mom and dad had a long time membership with NACO/Thousand Trails. I'm not sure how that happened as my parents were not campers. My dad liked to fish, but otherwise you were more likely to find him inside reading than outside doing anything else. I'm guessing my mom played the fishing card to get him to agree to the membership. Sadly, he never had a chance to use the membership before he passed away. My mom did use the resorts once a year to prepare her income taxes (no phones, no TV - this was before cell phones and satellite TV) and occasionally to take the grandkids camping for a weekend. She only used the rental trailers that were on-site at the reserves. When my mom's health deteriorated, she gave her membership over to me. By this time, our kids were over 18, and both Kim and I were busy working most of the time. I did a lot of traveling. We just never got around to using the membership. I knew we would, at some point, be buying a rig and traveling around the US and Canada, so I hung on to it, paying the approximately $500 dues each year. It's been 5 years now.
Once we knew we were definitely buying a rig, I called NACO/Thousand Trails about what resorts/reserves were available to us, and other details about full time RVing. Imagine my surprise to find out, that if you read the fine print, if you buy or are gifted a membership from another party, after 3 years, the membership reverts back to a bare minimum basic account. I had access to only the original NACO resorts. No access to Thousand Trails. No access to Leisure Time Resorts. And when I asked to talk to someone at NACO about options, there was no one available to answer my questions. I was told there were meetings about upgrading memberships that were held from time to time. I was peeved that I should have to upgrade a membership that was already at the highest level when it was purchased. It losts its level because it was given to me. I'll admit it was in the fine print, but it was never mentioned when my mom called to inquire about transfer of membership. Why was that?
We sat down at the offices of K/M Resorts with Kevin Bibeau. Long story short, after describing all the benefits and resort affiliates available through K/M Resorts, and answering my many questions, we got down to talking about money and costs. We did receive the $2000 credit for purchasing our 5th wheel from Poulsbo RV, and we were offered a very fair trade in value for the limited NACO membership. Kim and I asked for a few moments to confer, and after some very quick cost comparisons we figured the membership would pay for itself within 6 months. Yes, there will be annual dues, but I was already paying more than K/M Resort dues to NACO for far less benefits.
So we took a deep breath, and wrote out a check. Now normally, I don't spend that kind of money without taking a day to think about it. And I will say that Kevin did not use the high pressure "This is a one time only offer. Sign today or the deal's off" tactic. If he had, I would have walked out the door. This sales experience was very low key. The facts were laid out. All my questions and concerns were answered. (Thanks to NACO, I knew some appropriate questions to ask). Did we make the right decision? I think so. I'm very happy with the investment.
If you are looking at an RV Resort Membership, we'd like to refer you to Kevin Bibeau at K/M Resorts. Phone number is 800.392.5722. The K/M Resort website is http://www.kmresorts.com/ Tell Kevin that Kim and Betsy Brown referred you. We do get some credit for referrals. For every referral that attends a presentation, we receive a $25 gift certificate to Olive Garden. If memberships are purchased from those presentations, we receive a $100 cash for the first referral, $200 cash for the second referral, and our Dues Waived For Life for the third referral. I'm aiming for the Dues Waived For Life level. It will take the sour taste about NACO, and all the dues I paid to them, away I'm sure!
So give Kevin a call and listen to what he has to say. We were extremely pleased with his service!
ADDENDUM: This original post was published in September 2009. It is now July 2017. I will no longer be publishing comments to this post outside of my own. If you want to promote K/M Resorts or any salesperson, write your own blog.
So a little back story before I continue. My mom and dad had a long time membership with NACO/Thousand Trails. I'm not sure how that happened as my parents were not campers. My dad liked to fish, but otherwise you were more likely to find him inside reading than outside doing anything else. I'm guessing my mom played the fishing card to get him to agree to the membership. Sadly, he never had a chance to use the membership before he passed away. My mom did use the resorts once a year to prepare her income taxes (no phones, no TV - this was before cell phones and satellite TV) and occasionally to take the grandkids camping for a weekend. She only used the rental trailers that were on-site at the reserves. When my mom's health deteriorated, she gave her membership over to me. By this time, our kids were over 18, and both Kim and I were busy working most of the time. I did a lot of traveling. We just never got around to using the membership. I knew we would, at some point, be buying a rig and traveling around the US and Canada, so I hung on to it, paying the approximately $500 dues each year. It's been 5 years now.
Once we knew we were definitely buying a rig, I called NACO/Thousand Trails about what resorts/reserves were available to us, and other details about full time RVing. Imagine my surprise to find out, that if you read the fine print, if you buy or are gifted a membership from another party, after 3 years, the membership reverts back to a bare minimum basic account. I had access to only the original NACO resorts. No access to Thousand Trails. No access to Leisure Time Resorts. And when I asked to talk to someone at NACO about options, there was no one available to answer my questions. I was told there were meetings about upgrading memberships that were held from time to time. I was peeved that I should have to upgrade a membership that was already at the highest level when it was purchased. It losts its level because it was given to me. I'll admit it was in the fine print, but it was never mentioned when my mom called to inquire about transfer of membership. Why was that?
We sat down at the offices of K/M Resorts with Kevin Bibeau. Long story short, after describing all the benefits and resort affiliates available through K/M Resorts, and answering my many questions, we got down to talking about money and costs. We did receive the $2000 credit for purchasing our 5th wheel from Poulsbo RV, and we were offered a very fair trade in value for the limited NACO membership. Kim and I asked for a few moments to confer, and after some very quick cost comparisons we figured the membership would pay for itself within 6 months. Yes, there will be annual dues, but I was already paying more than K/M Resort dues to NACO for far less benefits.
So we took a deep breath, and wrote out a check. Now normally, I don't spend that kind of money without taking a day to think about it. And I will say that Kevin did not use the high pressure "This is a one time only offer. Sign today or the deal's off" tactic. If he had, I would have walked out the door. This sales experience was very low key. The facts were laid out. All my questions and concerns were answered. (Thanks to NACO, I knew some appropriate questions to ask). Did we make the right decision? I think so. I'm very happy with the investment.
If you are looking at an RV Resort Membership, we'd like to refer you to Kevin Bibeau at K/M Resorts. Phone number is 800.392.5722. The K/M Resort website is http://www.kmresorts.com/ Tell Kevin that Kim and Betsy Brown referred you. We do get some credit for referrals. For every referral that attends a presentation, we receive a $25 gift certificate to Olive Garden. If memberships are purchased from those presentations, we receive a $100 cash for the first referral, $200 cash for the second referral, and our Dues Waived For Life for the third referral. I'm aiming for the Dues Waived For Life level. It will take the sour taste about NACO, and all the dues I paid to them, away I'm sure!
So give Kevin a call and listen to what he has to say. We were extremely pleased with his service!
ADDENDUM: This original post was published in September 2009. It is now July 2017. I will no longer be publishing comments to this post outside of my own. If you want to promote K/M Resorts or any salesperson, write your own blog.
What's Next? A Trip to Camping World
Two weeks ago, we drove down to Camping World in Fife, Washington. (I'm doing blog catch up this weekend). I've seen the store from the freeway everytime we drive through Fife, and have always wanted to go in and see what they had. Why? I have no idea. We were not campers, although the idea of camping was appealing. Kind of like the idea of having a farm is appealing. With farming, there is a lot of work involved and I recognize that the farming lifestyle is probably not for me. For one thing, I'm pretty lazy. But camping, on the other hand, sounds like much more my style.
Anyway, back to Camping World. http://www.campingworld.com/stores/stores.cfm?store=45 Heading south down I-5, we took the first Fife Exit by the Poodle Dog Restaurant. Now if that brings smiles to your face, I'm guessing you are getting close to retirement age. The Poodle Dog Restaurant was a landmark in 1950s and 1960s, and honestly, I was surprised to see it was still there. We drove up and down Pacific Highway South, and just couldn't find where Camping World was. Lesson learned - print up directions before you leave so you know where you are going. Just because you can see it from the freeway, doesn't mean you can see if from the surface streets.
In need of a restroom, we finally stopped at a Dairy Queen, used the facilities, had lunch and Kim asked a gal waiting in the drive-through line if she knew where Camping World was. Thank You Universe for all the nice people on earth. This gal worked for the local Harley Davidson dealer, and people often stopped in and ask how to get to Camping World. She told us that the cross street is Willows. Incidently, there are no signs that say Camping World with arrows (a shout out the folks a Camping World - signs would be helpful!). Even driving down Willows, there was no sign showing which driveway to turn into. We ended up just following the line of motor homes turning into a driveway. Yay, we finally made it to Camping World.
Now, neither Kim nor I are shoppers. I enjoy wondering the aisles at the grocery store, and I'm not sure Kim enjoys wondering aisles anywhere, including hardware or automotive stores. I was surprised when Kim agreed to walk up and down all the aisles with me. You just never know what you might find. Oh, we found plenty. We found RV Camping books, we found wheel chocks, a dish drainer that fits in one of the sinks, domed food covers, an interesting ice cube bottle, an inline water filter, and some watermelon licorice (the last one being for the our pregnant daughter).
As we were leaving, we stopped to chat with a gal from K/M Resorts. We were laughing because we found brochures up at Poulsbo RV that were promoting a give away of a "brand new 2006 Jeep Cherokee". We asked how many miles this new 2006 Jeep had on it, or if it had just been stored for 3 years. During our chat, she asked us if we had a rig, and we shared that we had just bought one from Poulsbo RV. She asked if we received our $2000 one year free membership to K/M Resorts. Nope, didn't recall that. Then the next thing I knew we were following her to the offices of K/M Resorts to get this free membership.
PS: I wonder what would have happened if we had gone to the Camping World in Burlington, Washington, which is actually closer to where we are currently parked in Snohomish. I didn't know there was a Camping World in Burlington at the time of our visit, but apparently Kim did. Sheesh!
Anyway, back to Camping World. http://www.campingworld.com/stores/stores.cfm?store=45 Heading south down I-5, we took the first Fife Exit by the Poodle Dog Restaurant. Now if that brings smiles to your face, I'm guessing you are getting close to retirement age. The Poodle Dog Restaurant was a landmark in 1950s and 1960s, and honestly, I was surprised to see it was still there. We drove up and down Pacific Highway South, and just couldn't find where Camping World was. Lesson learned - print up directions before you leave so you know where you are going. Just because you can see it from the freeway, doesn't mean you can see if from the surface streets.
In need of a restroom, we finally stopped at a Dairy Queen, used the facilities, had lunch and Kim asked a gal waiting in the drive-through line if she knew where Camping World was. Thank You Universe for all the nice people on earth. This gal worked for the local Harley Davidson dealer, and people often stopped in and ask how to get to Camping World. She told us that the cross street is Willows. Incidently, there are no signs that say Camping World with arrows (a shout out the folks a Camping World - signs would be helpful!). Even driving down Willows, there was no sign showing which driveway to turn into. We ended up just following the line of motor homes turning into a driveway. Yay, we finally made it to Camping World.
Now, neither Kim nor I are shoppers. I enjoy wondering the aisles at the grocery store, and I'm not sure Kim enjoys wondering aisles anywhere, including hardware or automotive stores. I was surprised when Kim agreed to walk up and down all the aisles with me. You just never know what you might find. Oh, we found plenty. We found RV Camping books, we found wheel chocks, a dish drainer that fits in one of the sinks, domed food covers, an interesting ice cube bottle, an inline water filter, and some watermelon licorice (the last one being for the our pregnant daughter).
As we were leaving, we stopped to chat with a gal from K/M Resorts. We were laughing because we found brochures up at Poulsbo RV that were promoting a give away of a "brand new 2006 Jeep Cherokee". We asked how many miles this new 2006 Jeep had on it, or if it had just been stored for 3 years. During our chat, she asked us if we had a rig, and we shared that we had just bought one from Poulsbo RV. She asked if we received our $2000 one year free membership to K/M Resorts. Nope, didn't recall that. Then the next thing I knew we were following her to the offices of K/M Resorts to get this free membership.
PS: I wonder what would have happened if we had gone to the Camping World in Burlington, Washington, which is actually closer to where we are currently parked in Snohomish. I didn't know there was a Camping World in Burlington at the time of our visit, but apparently Kim did. Sheesh!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Picking Up The 5th Wheel and the Drive Home
Betsy and I went to Poulsbo RV in Everett, WA last Saturday to pick up our new-to-us 5th wheel trailer. It’s a HitchHiker II LS 32.5 UKTG (UK= U shaped kitchen/ TG= triple glides or slide outs). It’s 33 feet long and didn’t look quite so big until we backed the truck up to the hitch. Compared to the truck it’s pretty big.
The tech at Poulsbo RV gave us an hour and a half orientation on how everything works and then we were ready to go. I guess. Betsy remembered the tech showing us how to put one of the glides out about a foot or so so we could get to the back window to tape on our temporary license and asked me about it just before I was going to pull out. We looked and sure enough, no license. We tracked down our salesman and he said he was sure it had one, it was good until 2010. We went to look and he asked the tech where the license went. It was out of state and they took it off. We ended up getting new WA state license for free.
Pulling out of Poulsbo RV you have to cross Evergreen Way, a four lane street with center turn lane and, of course I needed to turn left. Fortunately, traffic was pretty light that day and I easily got across and headed in the right direction. Thankfully the diesel engine in the Ford F250 has plenty of pulling power and it was no problem keeping up with traffic. Staying inside the white lines was another matter but no one honked so I guess I was ok. Just before we got on the freeway I noticed in the rear view mirror that one of the storage doors was open so I found a nice wide shoulder to pull over on and secured it and gave everything else the once over and away we went. Again the diesel engine quickly and easily got us up to speed and everything was hunky dory, that is until I hit a stretch of road that had grooves worn in the pavement from years of use. The truck’s steering is a little sloppy and I over-corrected a couple of times before it settled down and was tracking straight again. Still managed to stay in my lane and hopefully didn’t freak out the other drivers too much.
I did a Google search about the steering problem and learned it has been a problem with Ford trucks for several years running now and no fix in sight. Ford is apparently adopting the “if you ignore it maybe it will go away” method for correcting their design flaw. We’ll see once we start traveling. There’s lots of Fords on the highway so maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to the quirks.
The tech at Poulsbo RV gave us an hour and a half orientation on how everything works and then we were ready to go. I guess. Betsy remembered the tech showing us how to put one of the glides out about a foot or so so we could get to the back window to tape on our temporary license and asked me about it just before I was going to pull out. We looked and sure enough, no license. We tracked down our salesman and he said he was sure it had one, it was good until 2010. We went to look and he asked the tech where the license went. It was out of state and they took it off. We ended up getting new WA state license for free.
Pulling out of Poulsbo RV you have to cross Evergreen Way, a four lane street with center turn lane and, of course I needed to turn left. Fortunately, traffic was pretty light that day and I easily got across and headed in the right direction. Thankfully the diesel engine in the Ford F250 has plenty of pulling power and it was no problem keeping up with traffic. Staying inside the white lines was another matter but no one honked so I guess I was ok. Just before we got on the freeway I noticed in the rear view mirror that one of the storage doors was open so I found a nice wide shoulder to pull over on and secured it and gave everything else the once over and away we went. Again the diesel engine quickly and easily got us up to speed and everything was hunky dory, that is until I hit a stretch of road that had grooves worn in the pavement from years of use. The truck’s steering is a little sloppy and I over-corrected a couple of times before it settled down and was tracking straight again. Still managed to stay in my lane and hopefully didn’t freak out the other drivers too much.
I did a Google search about the steering problem and learned it has been a problem with Ford trucks for several years running now and no fix in sight. Ford is apparently adopting the “if you ignore it maybe it will go away” method for correcting their design flaw. We’ll see once we start traveling. There’s lots of Fords on the highway so maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to the quirks.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
RETURN TO THE MAINLAND
Four months went by in a flash. July 28th was here before I knew it. We were headed home. Our plan was to stay with our daughter and her family for a few months. We had given ourselves that amount of time to search for an RV we could afford, and make our travel plans. We planned to explore the area between our hometown of Snohomish, WA and Phoenix, AZ, where a number of Kim’s family members lived. We figured it would take 2-3 months to find the motor-home we wanted.
Well, let me tell you, when the Universe supports your intentions, boom - things happen. The first day we went window shopping for an RV, we found one we really liked. We had started looking at Class A Motor Homes. We saw a number we really liked, but we out of our budget range. Kim had once talked about getting a 5th wheel, but I said no. I wanted to have a small tow vehicle.
Well, never say never. We were looking at various options at Poulsbo RV, in Everett, Washington. http://www.poulsoborv.com/ Bob Anderson was the salesman we were dealing with. He patiently showed us a number of options, and just as we were narrowing things down, I thought it would be a good idea to look at 5th wheels just in case. I hadn’t been in a 5th wheel rig in about 20 years, and let me tell you, things have changed.
So it was back to square one. I much preferred the feeling of a 5th wheel. We found one we liked at the Everett location. It was brand new and really maxed out our budget allotment. Bob looked online and found one he thought we’d like up at the Mount Vernon store. We took a drive up there, looked at it, and knew it was the one. The ceilings were higher, and it had a more spacious layout. It felt more like a home. A much littler home than I was used to, but a home nonetheless.
Next stop, a truck to pull it with. We made a few calls, checked a few websites, and found a Ford F-250 Super Cab LB SRW truck at Bickford Motors, right in our home town. http://www.bickford.net/ Our salesman was Dan Hudson, and before I knew it, we were the proud owners of a new (to us) truck.
A quick trip to the bank for two cashier’s checks, and we had our rig or rigs. I’m learning the lingo here. Apparently the 5th wheel is a rig. The truck itself is a rig. And together in combination the truck and 5th wheel trailer is a rig. If Kim’s Aunt Maria and Uncle Bill were travelling with us in their motor home, we would then have a traveling caravan of rigs – I guess. Like I say, I'm still learning the lingo.
And to top it all off, I knew the Universe and Angels were with us because the truck color (Arizona Beige Metallic) matched the trim on the 5th Wheel , which by the way is a NuWa Hitchhiker II 32.5 UKTG LS – translated for other virigins means it is made by NuWa, the model is Hitchhiker II and it is 32.5 feet long with a U shaped kitchen and triple glides. Glides apparently are the same thing as slide outs. We have two in the ‘living room’ and one in the ‘bedroom’.
The process of finding and purchasing the rig, which we thought would take a few months, took less than 2 weeks, from “We’ll take it” to “Holy crap – we have to drive this home now?” I actually suggested that they deliver it for us, but apparently that wasn’t in the cards. It was a matter of just jumping in and doing it. Or rather for Kim to jump in and do it, and for Betsy to follow behind in the little Ford Focus thinking there is no way in hell she will ever be driving that thing!
Well, let me tell you, when the Universe supports your intentions, boom - things happen. The first day we went window shopping for an RV, we found one we really liked. We had started looking at Class A Motor Homes. We saw a number we really liked, but we out of our budget range. Kim had once talked about getting a 5th wheel, but I said no. I wanted to have a small tow vehicle.
Well, never say never. We were looking at various options at Poulsbo RV, in Everett, Washington. http://www.poulsoborv.com/ Bob Anderson was the salesman we were dealing with. He patiently showed us a number of options, and just as we were narrowing things down, I thought it would be a good idea to look at 5th wheels just in case. I hadn’t been in a 5th wheel rig in about 20 years, and let me tell you, things have changed.
So it was back to square one. I much preferred the feeling of a 5th wheel. We found one we liked at the Everett location. It was brand new and really maxed out our budget allotment. Bob looked online and found one he thought we’d like up at the Mount Vernon store. We took a drive up there, looked at it, and knew it was the one. The ceilings were higher, and it had a more spacious layout. It felt more like a home. A much littler home than I was used to, but a home nonetheless.
Next stop, a truck to pull it with. We made a few calls, checked a few websites, and found a Ford F-250 Super Cab LB SRW truck at Bickford Motors, right in our home town. http://www.bickford.net/ Our salesman was Dan Hudson, and before I knew it, we were the proud owners of a new (to us) truck.
A quick trip to the bank for two cashier’s checks, and we had our rig or rigs. I’m learning the lingo here. Apparently the 5th wheel is a rig. The truck itself is a rig. And together in combination the truck and 5th wheel trailer is a rig. If Kim’s Aunt Maria and Uncle Bill were travelling with us in their motor home, we would then have a traveling caravan of rigs – I guess. Like I say, I'm still learning the lingo.
And to top it all off, I knew the Universe and Angels were with us because the truck color (Arizona Beige Metallic) matched the trim on the 5th Wheel , which by the way is a NuWa Hitchhiker II 32.5 UKTG LS – translated for other virigins means it is made by NuWa, the model is Hitchhiker II and it is 32.5 feet long with a U shaped kitchen and triple glides. Glides apparently are the same thing as slide outs. We have two in the ‘living room’ and one in the ‘bedroom’.
The process of finding and purchasing the rig, which we thought would take a few months, took less than 2 weeks, from “We’ll take it” to “Holy crap – we have to drive this home now?” I actually suggested that they deliver it for us, but apparently that wasn’t in the cards. It was a matter of just jumping in and doing it. Or rather for Kim to jump in and do it, and for Betsy to follow behind in the little Ford Focus thinking there is no way in hell she will ever be driving that thing!
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