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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Camp Freightlier


First off I want to thank all of you who encouraged us for these many long months.  It was great to read so many celebratory comments.

I'm not really sure what I think about Camp Freightliner. But, I'm glad I went with Craig, so I have heard the same things he did. Two memories are better than one.

When I was a new driver I took what was called a "Powder Puff Mechanics" class. It helped me understand how a good old fashioned car worked and made it possible for me to talk to, and not be bullied by a mechanic. I had no intention of fixing my cars, but I could and did change a tire or two!

A few months after buying the Alfa we took a private RV driving class to help us be better drivers. It was a good investment. If we can remember everything he taught us, this class should also help us do the right things to keep our Alfa in good condition for many miles.

Camp Freightliner is taught by Mike Cody from Freightliner and everyone in our class of 24 has an Alfa, so all of the information was pretty well tailored to our rigs. 

Most of the participants were men. But three other women were there and we all asked plenty of questions. 

Mike was a good instructor, and tried to be sure all questions were answered and no one felt shy about asking anything. 

Each rig got a huge binder of information. 

Mike went thru it page by page and made sure we knew what was included and what did not pertain to our Alfas. Other sessios of Camp Freightliner might be tailored to other brands of motohomes.

We also got a CD of the binder, additional pertinent materials, and instructions on how to find our own answers, part numbers, and lists of maintenance scheduales.  

We all should be able to talk to a service writer and know what we need or do not need. I think the guys who are "do it yourselfers" were given great instruction on identifying parts and problems.  

There was so much information, I got bogged down from time to time, but as my new hat pin says: "I SURVIVED CAMP FREIGHTLINER"

One of the useful bits of money saving information anyone who has a Freightliner Chassis and is a member of FMCA, was to also join the FCOC. The Freightliner Chassis Owners Club is a chapter of the FMCA.  It cost only $10 per year, and you can get 10% off parts and labor at participating Oasis centers. An Oasis center is a Freightliner Service center that works on RVs.  

We have been having a nice time at the rally this week.  Lots of dinners, seminiars, service work being done, and ideas exchanged.

The Palms RV resort is huge: almost 2000 spaces. Many are casitas, and most of the outlying spaces are just gravel with a cement patio and one palm tree each.  The golf course is very pretty, and the activity center is large with many special rooms for crafts, etc.  Nice pool.  I think it is a great place for a rally. We needed a resort that could handle over 100 rigs, with a banquet hall that could hold 300 people. This place has that along with good catering and friendly staff.

We don't know where we are going next week yet.  We have some work we want done on the Alfa, and our favorite company says they can't get to us next week.  We shall see.  No rush, there are plenty of places to explore and we have all the time in the world to do so!

9 comments:

  1. Have you visited the Casa Grande ruins yet?

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  2. I have read the manuals for my RV, but I think it is easier to learn and retain info with a hands on demo. Today, I had some maintenance done by a mobile RV tech and they explained everything to me. Made it easier for me to know what signs to look for in the future. Sounds like a good deal on getting 10% off on parts.

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  3. "We have all the time in the world"--how nice is that?! Happy travels to you.

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  4. Sounds like a perfect class for you two, and would be good for any MH owners to take.

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  5. Coming in a bit late with my CONGRATULATIONS on the closing !!!!! I am thrilled with the news ..... The two of you must fell FREE and ready to FLY !!!! GOOD NEWS is always soooo sweeeet especially when you wait so long ..... Say no more, I am tipping my glass right along with the two of you !!!! All the Best, SallyB

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  6. So funny to see my "Camp Freightliner" binder photo on your post. We attended camp last year and found it to be well worth the investment.

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  7. I've heard nothing but good things about Camp Freightliner. As my old instructor at USAA used to say, we don't expect you to remember everything, just that you had heard something about something. I am sure between the two of you you'll find you will remember quite a lot.

    Glad to hear you are having fun and that you have "all the time in the world."

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  8. I agree with Judy - be sure to see the ruins if you haven't yet. I think any class you go to is good because you learn something even if you don't always remember it. When an issue happens, that info is there and I find that the mind can get it out when it's actually needed.

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  9. Well, now you have been to spring camp. Where are you going for summer camp?

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