Hi Everyone, I thought I would take a break from all the how to, and whats broken posts and embark on something a bit more fun.

We just took possession of our 2018 39MB about 2 months ago. Some of you might remember we bought this in anticipation of being able to travel after my wife battle with colon cancer. Unfortunately just a couple weeks after we got it, the diagnosis came that it has spread and our timeline was somewhat accelerated. After freaking out, we settled into our new reality of chemo weeks and recovery weeks. Anyway, the Docs have given us a break in late December.

So we are going to get the hell out of dodge and head from Ontario Canada to Walt Disney World. The kind folks at Disney have provided a week of camping in a premium site at Fort Wilderness along with some other goodies. I have arranged for a golf cart so we can tour the campgrounds. The kids are flying down and will no doubt spend their days at the park. Ours will be much more low key. We are going to move to another Thousand Trails campground in Orlando after the kids fly home for a week.

we have done mostly weekend trips up until now. Usually nothing more than a 2-4 hour drive away. this will be our big outing. Not really nervous about the drive but excited. We have to push the fist day to get somewhere a little warmer so I expect it will be a long one. We going to stay at the KOA right by the highway in Corbin KY. I read that we can make it a simple stop by staying hooked up in the pull through and just deploying the slides and plugging in for heat. The next day its another 6 hours to Tifton GA where we can get in earlier, and stock up on some groceries. The last day is a short 4 hours to the park.

I would be anxious to here any tips or comments. Thoughts or otherwise. we know the risks health wise, but are being encouraged to go none the less. we haven't been away for this long, or this far from home. But thats what a fifth wheel is for.

May the good Lord bless you with good weather & an uneventful trip! Also our prayers are with your DW!
Enjoy the adventure!

Thanks! Its just going to be a giant adventure. We haven't been that far away yet. The fact that we will likely be leaving in a frozen winterized fifth wheel will interesting. The first day will be 10 hours drive time. we do this in a car all the time, I don't know what it will be like towing. I have a new dually with an aux tank, so Im hoping fuel stops will be minimized. I'm hoping heat works like the AC in the summer in that we use the phone from the truck to start the gennie and warm things up before we stop for the night.

Long trips are just like the short trips. But, do throw in a few extra checks along the way.

Check your hitch bolts and nuts (torque properly) - Before you leave out.

Check your lug nuts. Torque appropriately when you leave, maybe check along the way.

Check your spare tires!

A recommended check ... Use a thermography unit to check the heat of the tires and bearings every few hundred miles since this is your first long trip.

Speaking of bearings, have you checked them for grease?(or over-grease?)

I'd say carry the phone number to Redwood...but...

Start the refrigerator a day or two ahead of time. Get it cold and packed. then turn it off for the drive. Better safe than sorry. We used to travel with the propane on. Not any more.

Try 2 or 3 hours and then pull over for a stretch.

MAKE SURE THE ANTENNA IS DOWN! Many have forgotten.

Don't trust the GPS. Use a real Truckers Map. Make sure that there are no bridges shorter than your rig in route.

Check your tire pressures cold (Truck and RV) before pulling out.

Watch for tree limbs. In the south, there are a lot of low hanging branches in the parks. They will make nice scratches down the side.

Take your time! Give yourself plenty of room to stop in traffic. Especially if you have the electric brakes.

Many prayers be with you and your wife. Have faith in the Lord. Know that he is in control.

AND...Don't forget to have fun!

Fort Wilderness is one of the best CG we have stayed at and just love it!!!!
My memory is not as good as it used to be but I believe we have made about 10 trips there since 2006 but the RW has only seen it 2 times so far.
You will love every part of it once there but be prepared for a tight back in site. Some are easy and some take a little time to get in. This CG was not built for our size and they have done little to upgrade. Roads are perfect but as I said some sites are very tight to get into.

You can jump on the boat and head over to the Magic Kingdom if on your list and you never need your truck once there unless you need supplies. The bus transportation is everywhere and seldom have to wait more then 10 minutes for the next one. You can get to every park with ease.

ENJOY..... If you have any questions about Disney or the CG I'm sure myself or Joe D. can answer most any you have.

Steve

Just a thought, while some will disagree with me.
Our first trip South, we left Western New York on February 5th with 18" of snow on our Montana. I had dug it out of the snow and parked it in the driveway to get power and proceeded to De-winterize it. We kept the furnace on a low setting of 50 to 60 degrees and loaded our supplies.
Here's where others will disagree, we traveled the first day keeping the furnace running to prevent our supplies from freezing. I got the idea from others on the Montana who had done the same with no issues, and we were fine.
Every year after we have left early to mid October, so no issues.

Fort Wilderness is one of the best CG we have stayed at and just love it!!!!
My memory is not as good as it used to be but I believe we have made about 10 trips there since 2006 but the RW has only seen it 2 times so far.
You will love every part of it once there but be prepared for a tight back in site. Some are easy and some take a little time to get in. This CG was not built for our size and they have done little to upgrade. Roads are perfect but as I said some sites are very tight to get into.

You can jump on the boat and head over to the Magic Kingdom if on your list and you never need your truck once there unless you need supplies. The bus transportation is everywhere and seldom have to wait more then 10 minutes for the next one. You can get to every park with ease.

ENJOY..... If you have any questions about Disney or the CG I'm sure myself or Joe D. can answer most any you have.

Steve

That's me John ,

Ask us any questions you may have about the Fort, been there many times... If you have an IPhone, there is an app that actually shows what the site looks like, and the dimensions... I also have a list of Redwood friendly sites that I made over the last year or two while carting around the loops with the golf cart..

As far as the golf cart, If you paid close to $80.00 per day, send me a note and I can save you money.. All you have to do is go out the back entrance, hook up to their trailer ( with the cart on it) and take it into the Fort, unload and return their trailer... your can save $30.00 a day or more.. I have that info also..
My email is jdjr@pasteel.com . . . OR. Joeyd208@gmail.com . . . . Reach out and I will give you what I have.

That is a COOL app.... I didn't know about that but I now have it. THANKS!!!!

Steve

Thanks everyone! This is exactly the exchange I was hoping for. Joe I did exactly what you suggested. I rented a cart from offsite that will meet me just outside and it saved a ton. Especially since they were sold out on property due to Xmas.

I’m not planning on dewinterizing until we get to the first night. Since we cross the border early the first day we won’t take any groceries with us. But we don’t want the Trailer to be frozen whe we get in the first evening. My plan was to run the generator a couple hours before arrival. We have done it in the summer with the A/C. Not sure how that will work with the furnace.

I can request a specific loop or site 5 days out. It has been suggested that sending them the loa in feet and slides will help. It also pays to remind them if you are a beginner.

Here is another logistical question, during our first night stop we are in a long pull through at a KOA. Is there any proble
Just leaving the Trailer hooked up? Will plug in, get some water and just use the holding tanks for showers. We can dump the next night when we get in earlier.

Thanks all for your input and patience. This is so much more fun to read then complaints.

I always stay hooked up for an overnight unless I was running for fuel. I do put the jacks down in manual mode to stabilize but don't hit auto level.
The fuel tank I installed was also a great addition for the long hauls. We now can hold 109 gallons so no need to stop until we unhook.

Steve

With the 50 gal Aux tank and the standard 34 gal tank I am hoping for one fuel stop on the second day. At 10mpg I should get 800 miles before I start panicking. I figure traveling on I75 it should be easy to find a big rig diesel stop. All of this should be preceded with “ I hope”

Just a thought, while some will disagree with me.
Our first trip South, we left Western New York on February 5th with 18" of snow on our Montana. I had dug it out of the snow and parked it in the driveway to get power and proceeded to De-winterize it. We kept the furnace on a low setting of 50 to 60 degrees and loaded our supplies.
Here's where others will disagree, we traveled the first day keeping the furnace running to prevent our supplies from freezing. I got the idea from others on the Montana who had done the same with no issues, and we were fine.
Every year after we have left early to mid October, so no issues.

I too travel with the furnace running & have done so for years with no issues. You shouldn't need to run your genny, the furnace is 12 volt & propane & your battery should stay maintained while hooked to your truck.
Same as your fridge ( if not a residential), turn it to auto & forget it, it will switch to propane when disconnected fro shore power as while travelling.

That’s good to know! I will check it out this weekend. I don’t know why but i thought the thermostats only came on when 120v was available.. If it’s 12v that would be awesome. With the batteries I have, help from the truck and solar I could be in good shape. Heck my fridge will run for 6 days in the summer on those batteries. I will let you know after I check this weekend. In fact this will be the first time I have run the furnace.

Here is MY LIST of the Redwood friendly sites.... OUR favorite loop is the 700 , you are right at the boat launch, Crockets Tavern.. It is an easy loop to navigate with the BIG RIG..
701 -
702 -
704 -
705 - ** DO NOT TAKE THIS SITE... EXTREMELY HARD BACK IN, VERY TIGHT TURN... DO NOT TAKE
706 ( VERY EASY BACK IN, I WAS IN THIS ONE THIS YEAR -
707 #2 pick -
708 #1 pick ! -
709 #3 pick

802 , 805 , 812 , 852 , 856 ,
610, 612, 404, 408,

If you have the occasion to talk to Mark again at Golf Carts of Orlando, tell him you know me and I said to take care of you... he is a great guy, and the one I have been using for some time!

As far as hook ups, Disney usually has the pedestal located in the middle of the site, that makes hooking up very easy ! the cable will be easily ran to your camper.. I am NOT sure that you will get satellite as there are many trees, I have never tried it. They now have free wifi in all loops that works very well, perhaps you can try to stream movies??
when traveling weather I unhook or not depends on the site, and the time I stop.. Sometimes I unhook, and we go get dinner, and fuel if its early... Or if the site is really unleveled front to back, I may unhook to sleep more evenly..

We stop at the KOA in Bowling Green Ky (we are going south west towards southern California), I'm hoping that I don't have to winterize the RW in Ontario before leaving in early November. If we do, BG is where we de-winterize as the weather there is consistently above freezing during the days in early November. I think I saw your RW at HitchNGo earlier this year?