How we travel.....

We get a few requests for information about our rig. Donna has been bugging me to write it up. So here it is. Don't ask me about the intimate details and specs as I am not a fan of that level of detail. I subscribe to the philosophy of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and it has served me well for many years. Life is way too short for me to be concerned with every little thing. If me and mine are healthy, happy and secure, the rest is just "stuff" and some of you may know where to put the "stuff"

It all started with my late wife, Lin, asking me if I ever wanted to get a motorcycle. I said sure, since I was about 14. Family, job etc. kept me from pursuing it so it never happened. We were approaching the final days of a terrific 30+ year career with the Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department and our finances were very stable so off we went. '98 Harley-Davidson Champion Sidecar trike conversion. OK, so now how are we going to full-time RV and carry this 1000 lb thing around? Hmmmm...toy-hauler! Hmmmm, how are we gonna pull it....Freightliner! Well, that was easy...just write the checks, Stu. That is most of how we got where we are today.

Most of you know that Donna is not named Lin in this life or another, that story can be found elsewhere in our respective blogs etc. Check the sidebar, under "Personal Links".

"Freddie" the Freightliner

• 2000 Freightliner, FL60, 4 door cab
• Caterpillar 3126B
• Allison 6 speed automatic
• Tow body by Wilro
• Original Dealer: Neely-Coble, Nashville, TN
• 5th wheel Hitch: Trailer Saver Air Suspension

Since I purchased this used in 2007 I have added the following:

• Garmin Street pilot GPS, 7 inch screen
• Rear and side camera system from RVToyoutlet
• Full synthetic lubricants (When it came time to change something, Amsoil went in)
• 2 spare 40lb LP tanks
• Tool box
• Electric adapters for RV hook-up
• Pressure Pro Tire Monitoring System (This was Donna's from her Class C, we added two more sensors and a repeater. Wouldn't travel without it!)

Oh yeah and 70,000 trouble-free miles on the road.




KaZy, the rig

• 2008 KZ 41CKS, Escalade Sportster
• Main features:
• 10x8 Garage (Man Cave)
• 40 gal fuel tank and pump
• Storage area above garage
• Pull down Screen at ramp opening.
• Cherry wood cabinets throughout
• Bed over garage (access from living room) converted to cabinet storage with custom cabinetry to match.
• Queen bed, we drastically upgraded the original (upgraded?) mattress.
• Shower, toilet etc
• Bedroom A/C
• Corian countertops
• Dishwasher (won't get another one, a novelty but for the most part useless)
• Fireplace, electric with heat (won't have another rig without one)
• Convection Micro wave (no gas oven, RV ovens are about as useless as the dishwasher)
• 3 burner stove
• 32 inch Sony Bravia, LCD HD TV
• Surround sound
• Blu Ray HD DVD
• Slendide Washer and Dryer, stacked (won't have another rig without one)
• The always uncomfortable sleep sofa was replaced by a Lazyboy wall-away love seat (dual recliner seats).
• 6.5KW Onan propane GenSet
• Recently added Solar package, see future blog for details about that project
• DirecTV HD DVR will be installed later this month. Includes DVR, Auto seeking Dish on the roof ans the occasionally needed (to see around the trees) portable dish and tri-pod.

OK, so that's the skinny on the truck and the rig. Now for some of my rants, good and bad, about our set-up. First of all, I wouldn't trade this rig for much of what I see in the RV industry right now. Too many gimmicks and goofy floorplans. KZ has one of the best warranty follow ups I've run into. Easy to deal with. But they also do a lot of dumb things when they build a unit. Cabinet doors that hit woodwork when you open them, switches mounted opposite of where you normally use them and other minor goofy things. However, at the time they were the only Toyhauler rig I could find that didn't look like you could hose it out with a fire hose. They wired the satellite dish using a splitter and that won't work for HD. I tried to get the factory to run extra coax and they said their system will work fine. HD installer tried, but can't take the HD signal through a splitter...alas, we are now running new coax.

I have had folks ask me why I use the Freightliner when a 1ton dually would work just as well. I try to be polite but it can be difficult. I usually make sure I am not traveling where they might be. I had a dually and it was a great tow rig, rated at 15,000 lbs. KaZy grosses out at 20,000lbs and yes my last weigh-in was 19,000 lbs. If your one of those RVrs saying things like "They always under-rate the numbers for a built in safety" or "I don't know I'm towing anything", let me know where your going because I'm going to go the other way. 'nuff said.

Keep rolling...we will...
Stu