Our first trip- Missouri !!

Lil'Darlin1972 · 02-19-2007, 07:36 PM

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">Well, we did it. We made our first road trip in Winnie this weekend. It was about a 600 mile trip. We drove all one day to get there and it took us about 11 hours with stops along the way. Lost Valley Lake is a really nice resort with lots of activities to keep the kids happy. The weather was warmer than Michigan....40's on Sunday and in the low 60's this afternoon. We are at a Cracker Barrel right now. It feels a bit odd sleeping in a parking lot, but the manager said it was ok and we figure we can be first in line for breakfast !! We decided to break the drive back in half that way we could spend half the day the the CG today.

The kids have had a great time and we know we made the right decision to trade up from the 5ver. The vacation really did start when we hit the road. The sleeping arrangements worked out great...2 kids in the bunks and our oldest on the pullout. At night if Chad and I wanted to play cards/hang out we put our oldest in our bed and just closed the doors so we didn't bother each other. Then when we were ready to go to bed we just moved her out to her own bed.

I don't have many complaints about Winnie. The water pump is really loud and annoying...especially when you are trying to sleep. Chad says though that it was just because we filled the freshwater tanks rather than stay connected to the water lines. We unhooked them at night so they didn't freeze. Most times we will be connected to the water so it won't be an issue. The furnace is pretty loud, but again most of the time while camping we won't need it.

The only real concern I have is about the walls sweating. At night after showers and cooking, we had alot of condensation build up on the walls. I opened the vent to get out some of the moisture and I know this is pretty common in the winter. But I freaked out when I went into the bathroom and there was actually a little water dripping down the exterior wall in there. If you pushed on the wall a little, more water would drip down. So then of course I had to investigate and found that the exterior wall all the way down that side of the MH was wet along the ceiling. Chad seems to think it's normal because the condensation has to go somewhere. I am thinking that can't be normal...wouldn't that damage the wall/wallpaper ?? Any thoughts ?? </span>

Lil'Darlin1972 · 02-19-2007, 07:36 PM

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">Well, we did it. We made our first road trip in Winnie this weekend. It was about a 600 mile trip. We drove all one day to get there and it took us about 11 hours with stops along the way. Lost Valley Lake is a really nice resort with lots of activities to keep the kids happy. The weather was warmer than Michigan....40's on Sunday and in the low 60's this afternoon. We are at a Cracker Barrel right now. It feels a bit odd sleeping in a parking lot, but the manager said it was ok and we figure we can be first in line for breakfast !! We decided to break the drive back in half that way we could spend half the day the the CG today.

The kids have had a great time and we know we made the right decision to trade up from the 5ver. The vacation really did start when we hit the road. The sleeping arrangements worked out great...2 kids in the bunks and our oldest on the pullout. At night if Chad and I wanted to play cards/hang out we put our oldest in our bed and just closed the doors so we didn't bother each other. Then when we were ready to go to bed we just moved her out to her own bed.

I don't have many complaints about Winnie. The water pump is really loud and annoying...especially when you are trying to sleep. Chad says though that it was just because we filled the freshwater tanks rather than stay connected to the water lines. We unhooked them at night so they didn't freeze. Most times we will be connected to the water so it won't be an issue. The furnace is pretty loud, but again most of the time while camping we won't need it.

The only real concern I have is about the walls sweating. At night after showers and cooking, we had alot of condensation build up on the walls. I opened the vent to get out some of the moisture and I know this is pretty common in the winter. But I freaked out when I went into the bathroom and there was actually a little water dripping down the exterior wall in there. If you pushed on the wall a little, more water would drip down. So then of course I had to investigate and found that the exterior wall all the way down that side of the MH was wet along the ceiling. Chad seems to think it's normal because the condensation has to go somewhere. I am thinking that can't be normal...wouldn't that damage the wall/wallpaper ?? Any thoughts ?? </span>

Gary the Wombat · 02-19-2007, 07:52 PM

Hi Shannone. Glad you are enjoying your new Winnie so far. Sure beats sitting in the driveway, huh?

You sure have jumped in with both feet--600 miles in one day is a big trip with 3 little ones. How did you keep them occupied? We try to limit ourselves to 300 to 350 miles max. and take our time.

I think you'll get used to the various noises, and, as you say, if you are hooked up they won't be a problem.

Condensation can be an issue, especially with 5 people breathing--maybe you can take turns. If it's not too cold, keeping a roof vent open as much as possible can help, especially when someone is washing or showering. As long as it is wiped up occasionaly and not left to pool, I don't think it would cause damage.

Best of luck and let us know how the rest of the trip goes.

Lil'Darlin1972 · 02-19-2007, 08:01 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Hi Shannone. Glad you are enjoying your new Winnie so far. Sure beats sitting in the driveway, huh?

You sure have jumped in with both feet--600 miles in one day is a big trip with 3 little ones. How did you keep them occupied? We try to limit ourselves to 300 to 350 miles max. and take our time. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">We left about 5am on Friday and we brought them out in their pajamas and they slept for the first few hours which was really nice. We stopped about 8:30 and they got dressed and we had breakfast. The girls are 10 and almost 13 so they brought their I-pods and journals. They also had fun sitting at the table coloring and playing games. We also stopped every 2-2.5 hours to walk our dog and let the kids stretch their legs. We normally won't be taking on such a long drive in one day, but we were limited on time and wanted to find someplace a bit warmer than home

</span>

Horsepowerfan · 02-20-2007, 02:37 AM

Sounds like you guys had a great trip!

Regarding the condensation, you might want to check out Winnebago's Service Tips section on their website. The second topic down relates to condensation. There's a bunch of other interesting articles too which are all in PDF so you'll need Acrobat Reader to view them. They are all taken from the WIT club magazine published by Winnebago. I found out about this from smlranger's post at the very top of the Winnebago forum. Here's a link: Service Tips

Happy reading!

smlranger · 02-20-2007, 06:03 AM

Shannone:

Glad to hear you guys had a great first 'adventure' in your new rig. Ain't it great

??

As noted above, 5 people in the rig taking showers, cooking, etc., condensation will be an issue in cold weather. You will have to provide some release for the moisture via the roof vents, especially in the shower area.

Pusherman · 02-20-2007, 03:37 PM

Shannone -- Congrats on your first trip!

As the other posts suggest, condenstion is to be expected. Ventilation is your best bet.

There are water pumps on the market which are quiter than the standard Winnie pumps. My brother installed one in his Class-C for the same reasons. I think it was a Shur-flo. If you're interested I can ask him what model he installed. He says it's definitely quieter than what came with his coach.

Glad you had a great time.

Lil'Darlin1972 · 02-20-2007, 04:14 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Shannone -- My brother installed one in his Class-C for the same reasons. I think it was a Shur-flo. If you're interested I can ask him what model he installed. He says it's definitely quieter than what came with his coach.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">That would be great, thanks. </span>

Pusherman · 02-20-2007, 04:32 PM

Just called him. It's a Shurflo Whisper King.

He likes it much better than the OEM pump. Much quieter.

jimandsue60 · 02-20-2007, 05:28 PM

Shannone, we are fulltimers and always (even in extreme cold) have both roof vents cracked open about a 1/2 inch. When we shower the vent gets opened even more and the exhaust fan comes on. If you have water dripping down the walls you are going to have major problems. Like others have said the moisture needs to get out of the coach. Glad you are enjoying your coach!

Jim