mountainborn

After Lengthy negotiation we have finaly closed on a deal for a 2010 Coleman Fifth wheel that is 35'8" long. Here is a link to look at the actual unit that we are getting: http://www.campingworldofhouston.com/fifth-wheel/2010/coleman-coleman/127568 Holey schizzle ! Moving from a very easy to tow 17', to a 36' slab sided monster will be quite a change and will require some learning on our part. We may have to leave Jugfest2010 for a couple of days to go make the pickup and drop off our Ollie on consignment. We are leaving for the lake with our Ollie in a couple of hours. Looks like it may be our last trip in our Ollie. Sad, sad.

Great pix, Enjoyed them.

Don't you miss being able to talk to your sisters ? Maybe you could use skype ? It will text, voice and video. We use it all of the time. Free program.

That's pretty much the kind of pishing technique that is rampant internet wide. I just recognise them for what they are, much like a street panhandler, and ignore them. We have 1000 plus Face book friends and counting ! We just love it.

Here is a link to the various campground areas to help us get the Weston Point area located easier. The Weston Point campground area is the one to the top left, just under the North arrow. Campsites #80 through #103. This way no one will have to rush to get a reservation at this late date. We will all be near each other and won't have to move because someone reserved the site. Here is the map link: http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundMap.do?topTabIndex=CampingSpot&search=site&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73238

I don't know why I am supprised at things changing around somewhat at Kirby Landing campground, but I am, this year they are going to require reservations starting on May 1st. Reservations may only be made online . This means that if we camp where we did last year, some or all of us may have to move to another site because the one we are on has been reserved. The simple solution is for us to all to camp in the newest area (WESTON POINT) that has just been built. It has all new showers, restrooms and everything, and is non reservable. As we talk to our various attendes, lets be sure to give them a heads up that we might be in a bit of a different location this year. I will be making some calls to verify the changes and firm up a location so everyone will know for sure.

Here is a story about a local fisherman that caught a near world record and refused to enter it for consideration in the State record book. Note his reasoning why. Most locals are subsistence fishermen and a record book entry would quickly reduce his ability to feed his family. The last paragraph of the article mentions nearby Lake Greeson where we will be. Hey, get ready ! Wer'e going fishing ! Here is the linK: http://www.arkansassportsmanmag.com/fishing/catfish-fishing/ar_aa070404a/

Betty was in wally world the other day shopping carefully, as always, because they don't always have the lowest prices, and she noted the prices of fish. Talapia= $1. per pound Catfish=$4. per pound Given those figures, last year we caught and consumed hundreds of dollars worth of catfish. Oh, yeah, we gona' have a blast ! Everybody get their fish hungry on !!

We can hardly wait until we can look at your new 5er !

We do and today we were glad. Here is the story with photos; http://mountainborn.blogspot.com/2010/04/quality.html

The manual application of the brakes will let you see how much current is being drawn or the number of the read out of the brake controller. This gives you some idea of how much you want to pre set your controller for, or how quick your trailer brakes come into play and how hard. Which is really the bottom line for all of us as we tow our trailers.

Very good test techniques, you guys ! I usually check the brake controller in a WalMart parking lot, by manually activating it when slowly coasting, after the drakes bring us to a full stop, I then pull the pin and gently try to drive away. The brakes will be obvious so don't flat spot your tires by continuing to pull and sliding the trailer tires.

You know that's right ! At .07 less per gallon, on 20 gallons, that's $1.40 that someone could save just by checking the local prices on their cell phone ! In that same situation, our extra capacity might allow us to take on 80 gallons at the savings of .07 cents per gallon for a total savings of $5.60, just for using the cell phone ! SWEET ! Ya' gotta' just love it when technology comes through for us with a savings. The service is free on the internet. Our only cost is the time it takes to look.

As Summer approaches and fuel prices begin to soar, they become a part of our trip planning. One thing for sure is that when you fill up at what you think is the best price, you will immediately drive past a station that is several cents per gallon cheaper. In this case it is certain that having knowledge is the power to save. Here is a simple tool that we use currently: http://autos.msn.com/everyday/GasStationsBeta.aspx We have tried several other programs and for various reasons they seem to come up short of being the solution. Some are difficult to navigate and others are mostly dated information. The MSN program is easy and you can drag the map to the area where you want the prices for and they will appear. We run a laptop while going down the road so it is easier to see, but I also have the program on my cell phone. I guess that one of the things that appeals to me the most about this program, is that by using it, often times, I can save enough to pay for a simple meal out on the road. And usually, if time is a factor, simple meals are our choice.

Tarp Straps ! They is a wonderful thing for a redneck boy to find along side the highway. And there are so many things they can be used for. I think we aught to have a national Tarp Strap day. A day of celebrating all of the amazing things we can do with a tarp strap. You can buy them at wally world or most automotive supply houses. However the preferred way is to search for them along the highway. Each find is an absolute treasure ! Hw, he, all joking aside, I did find a use for a couple of them today. Here is a look: STRAPPED http://mountainborn.blogspot.com/2010/04/strapped.html >

Over the past year we have ran several programs that help us to keep in touch with folks while we are out on the road. One of them is Skype. The basic program is free and is free to use. That's the one we use to video chat. Advanced users may need to buy very cheap minutes, some as low as $00.02 per minute. http://www.skype.com Any body want to trade contact info so we can video chat ? To get our contact info, go to the skype link and search for mountainborn, or mountainborn@gmail.com . We look forward to hearing from you !

GROWEDUP ! That ugly little trailer out in the pasture. We are getting ready for Jugfest. Here is a link to photos, ect.. http://mountainborn.blogspot.com/2010/04/growedup.html

Fishermen have the same issues. There are lots of boat seats out there that might just attach to the storage bin's cover. They swivel, are cushioned and some have arm rests.

Fifteen days have passed since we last mentioned a option of holding the jugfest in a different location. Only two responses were actually in favor of that. So, in order that there be no confusion over where our wild annual event will be held, the no's have it by an overwhelming margin ! We will be at Lake Greeson, Kirby Landing campground again this year ! Woo Hoo ! Mark er' down in yer' book, an, lik' yer' pencil on the end so it will rite' real dark ! JugFest2010, here we come !

Popcorn & a old classic movie ! Yeh, that's us ! We do popcorn all of the time. Bet you got some bad bags.

SWEET ! Also, love them FJ's !

Though there are no replies to your thread, I expect that everyone has read it, it is just that it is unusual and no one has any experience with it. Sounds to me like a quality repair.

Ours will likely be the one with the fresh mud on it. He, he, it's a redneck thing.

Here is an example of a quickly passing Spring time weather event in the Ouachita Mountains. Link to the photos and very short video, taken this morning: http://mountainborn.blogspot.com/2010/03/no.html >

I guess that we all trade tow vehicles from time to time. As our towing needs change because of various factors, such as the highway types we travel, elevations that we spend a lot of time at, fuel costs and so on and so forth, we may need to trade. When high mileage begins to rear it's ugly head, or, we are just simply doing things differently, or, maybe, we just might see a tow vehicle that we really like. A tow vehicle that suits me just fine right now, may not be as suitable next year. We recently found ourselves in that position. Luckily, a Recently retired State Trooper friend decided to trade in his farm truck, that had been some what depreciated, in on a lighter truck that met his current needs. His old truck was one that just simply struck a responsive chord in our hearts. Though it was the same year, an 08', as our Jeep, it had only a little less than 1/4 of the miles on it, that the Jeep had. A Ford dealer friend called me to say, "harm, ya' gotta' take a look at this one !". We did, and he was right, we fell for it instantly. He had been after us to trade in our Jeep, he also has the Jeep dealership, because he had his eye on it for deer hunting, ect.. It just seemed right for all of us, so we put a pencil to it, made a few adjustments, decided that it was good for all, and did it. The dealer has a Jeep he has been wanting. The Trooper has the new pickup he was wanting. And, we now are pulling our Ollie with a 6.4 liter, twin turbo, diesel Ford pickup. White of course, to match our Ollie ! It is dark outside and sleet is spasmodicly falling, so photos will have to wait till later. We are about to learn what it is like to climb those Rocky Mountain Passes with ample horsepower this Summer !