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Old 05-25-2019, 04:04 PM   #1
ldiaz791
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Taking our first long trip from Florida to Maine

We are taking our first long trip to Main from Florida in our 2019 Keystone Avalanche. I have a couple of questions for those who have taken the same trip.
Is August a Good time of year to head to Main via I95 and how necessary is a generator if we are planing to stay in Campgrounds through our trip.
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Old 05-25-2019, 04:34 PM   #2
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August will be hot and humid along the east coast. If you are planning to stay in full time CGs you most likely won’t need a generator. Have a great trip.
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Old 05-25-2019, 06:08 PM   #3
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Every year I make a trip from Ontario Canada to Myrtle beach I run mr Honda 2000 generator all the time to keep the refrigerator’s cold, that is all I use the generator for all the parks are well equipped.Safe travels ��
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Old 05-25-2019, 07:59 PM   #4
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Every year I make a trip from Ontario Canada to Myrtle beach I run mr Honda 2000 generator all the time to keep the refrigerator’s cold, that is all I use the generator for all the parks are well equipped.Safe travels ��
You could run the fridge on LP while traveling as it was designed to do. I've done this for 40 years along with 1000s of other rvs traveling down the highway.
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Old 05-26-2019, 03:59 AM   #5
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Quote: every year I make a trip from Ontario Canada to Myrtle beach I run mr Honda 2000 generator all the time to keep the refrigerator’s cold, that is all I use the generator for all the parks are well equipped.Safe travels

≠=====


You must have an all electric residential fridge... ��

My Dometic fridge runs on electric or gas. Mine is on gas most of the time, not just when driving. Only exception if electric is provided and free.
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Old 05-26-2019, 11:30 AM   #6
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We went thru Maine last year on our way to Newfoundland. All of the parks we used had water, power and sewer. No need for a generator. Only issue would be if you intend to overnight at truck stops between Florida and Maine. Then you might want to consider taking your generator.

I’m not sure there is ever a good time to take I-95. We stayed off of it early in the trip, but pretty much used it from New Jersey to Bangor, Maine.
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Old 05-26-2019, 12:08 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by ldiaz791 View Post
We are taking our first long trip to Main from Florida in our 2019 Keystone Avalanche. I have a couple of questions for those who have taken the same trip.
Is August a Good time of year to head to Main via I95 and how necessary is a generator if we are planing to stay in Campgrounds through our trip.
I'm from southeast Maine but lived in FL for 23 years. We've made the trip many times but just once thru all the large cities. You have to do it at least once for the experience.

Remember, if you carry any sort of fire arms you cannot make anything but emergency stops or fuel stops in NJ & NY or MA. It's just way to risky to spend the night in those states with fire arms in your rig.

We did go up using the VA bay bridge tunnel. While traveling the 22 some odd miles, there are nice pull-outs, some with fishing piers. Nice ride, especially on a clear day, but expensive.

Maine is loaded with summer bugs. They are ferocious and real hungry in August. Do not park under trees, Deep Woods Off may work when used regularly. Mainers love CGs and will have reservations made at most of the rural ones on weekends and holidays.

If your heading for Bar Harbor (Acadia National Park) I recommend reservations at Timberland Acres RV Park at Trenton, ME (Back Lot). https://www.timberlandacresrvpark.com/
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Old 05-26-2019, 04:48 PM   #8
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I know the refrigerator will run on propane when driving and thank God nothing has ever happened but their is that chance that with the propane on and say you run over something or blow a tire and the tire casing hits the gas line with all the metal in a tire all you need is a spark now.....or pulling into the gas station and the pilot light is on and the fumes from the next guy over filling up ignite....
One other thing is if something was to happen the insurance company would do an investigation and get what.... that would be there way out of not paying the claim.
For me it’s a peace of mind to just run my generator. Safe travels ✌️
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Old 05-26-2019, 05:44 PM   #9
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Admittedly, I had only one bad experience stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge (in a car - not towing) in 2002. I have never been back! I have taken the Tappen Zee bridge ever since to travel the east coast - a half dozen times towing. The extra distance and time is worth it s far as I am concerned. We have also spent a lot of time in Bar Harbor - Stayed at Smuggler's Den Campground. Make reservations. Bar Harbor is very busy- Acadia NP was #4 rated as a NP the last time I heard of such rankings a couple of years ago.
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Old 05-27-2019, 10:05 PM   #10
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That will be one awesome trip.
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Old 05-28-2019, 01:28 AM   #11
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Jack, let me be blunt: Your propane/pilot light story is bogus as a football bat and your quote "One other thing is if something was to happen the insurance company would do an investigation and get what.... that would be there way out of not paying the claim" is even worse. Who tells you this stuff? Do you suppose if you were speeding, hit a car and did $10K damage that they wouldn't pay because you were breaking the law?
Newbies come on here for good, accurate information, let's do the best we can for them.
Now back to your regularly station programming...
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Old 05-30-2019, 04:46 PM   #12
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So I retract my statement because it’s bogus...it is safe to pull into the gas station with a lit pilot and gas fumes don’t ignite and you can never run over something and cut a copper or steel propane line and the propane won’t ignite.
That is totally safer than having a generator. I was totally not offering good accurate information. Cheers ��
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Old 05-30-2019, 05:46 PM   #13
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I know the refrigerator will run on propane when driving and thank God nothing has ever happened but their is that chance that with the propane on and say you run over something or blow a tire and the tire casing hits the gas line with all the metal in a tire all you need is a spark now.....or pulling into the gas station and the pilot light is on and the fumes from the next guy over filling up ignite....
One other thing is if something was to happen the insurance company would do an investigation and get what.... that would be there way out of not paying the claim.
For me it’s a peace of mind to just run my generator. Safe travels ✌️


Jack, not to pile on and I know you have fears....but they are unwarranted and shouldn't be passed on as "fact".

"Blow a tire and all the metal casing in the tire and it causes a spark".....so? I've had it happen; cut the LP line into. What happened? Nothing. Didn't even lose propane. Why? The excess flow valve shut off the propane. A safety feature the tanks have.

Pulling into a gas station with the pilot light on and worrying about the fumes from the pump "over there"? What about that guy right in front of you with his head at the junction of the fuel nozzle and fill inlet....with a cigarette smoking away? HE'S the guy I'm worried about. The small amount of fumes coming from a person fueling a vehicle......20' away is not going to "ignite". I have however watched fuel "vapors" ignite from about 15', all around my feet. That occurred from a large amount of fuel being "poured" quite literally into a spot, let sit for about 5 minutes and then ignited. Didn't hurt me or anything else but sure scared the heck out of me and made me jump.

Insurance company not paying the claim? That is just a personal fear you have....not reality IMO.

Carrying a genny in the bed of a truck to run the fridge in an RV is unneccesary, again IMO; running the AC? Possibly.

Doing those things because it gives you "peace of mind" and it's right for you is fine. Millions of other RV owners run their fridges on LP while traveling with no issues.
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Old 05-31-2019, 08:23 AM   #14
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Not to "pile on the fears" but the propane system in a modern RV is far safer than a 5 gallon plastic gas can filled with gas and stuck in the pickup bed next to the generator. If you look at the potential for an accident and resulting fire, I'd be far, FAR more concerned with 5 gallons of "explosive gasonline" sitting directly behind my seat in the tow vehicle than with a properly maintained propane system in an RV. It becomes a matter of which risk is greater......

As for the "refueling station spark" issues.... If that bothers you, stop short of the fuel pumps, turn off the refrigerator and after refueling, pull forward, turn the refrigerator on again and continue on your trip.....

RV refrigerator manufacturers, Dometic, Norcold, Instamatic and even the "off brands" all have provisions in their design to shield the propane flame from air movement during towing (to prevent blowout).... So, they've obviously designed their product to be operated while towing.

Of course, as with "things RV" the choice is completely yours.... YMMV
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Old 05-31-2019, 11:04 AM   #15
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The OPs not getting much info on his request because of a MAJOR hijack.

Should he post his thread again or should the hijack be moved to another subject???
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Old 05-31-2019, 11:18 AM   #16
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The OPs not getting much info on his request because of a MAJOR hijack.

Should he post his thread again or should the hijack be moved to another subject???
Possibly, members can do more than one thing at a time???? While it might be defined as a "hijack" by some, it's also relevant to towing from Maine to Florida and the OP's question about "needing a generator" to make the trip.

I'd think most members can walk and chew gum (or discuss two topics) at the same time. So, in this moderator's opinion, there's no need to go over the edge with closing the thread, reposting the question in a new thread or stop discussing relevant topics associated with his trip, how to power the refrigerator and opinions with regard to both of his concerns. YMMV
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Old 05-31-2019, 02:05 PM   #17
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I made a trip last year from Columbia SC to Henniker NH via I-77, I-81, I-84, I-91 and route 202 + 9 in NH. The only large cities I went through were Charlotte NC and Hartford CT, It was actually a relaxing drive. This year we are using the same route to go to Patten Pond CG just west of Ellsworth ME. It's a little longer that I-95 but more relaxing and time is not a big thing to me, but my sanity is. Have a good trip.
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Old 05-31-2019, 02:51 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by ldiaz791 View Post
We are taking our first long trip to Main from Florida in our 2019 Keystone Avalanche. I have a couple of questions for those who have taken the same trip.
Is August a Good time of year to head to Main via I95 and how necessary is a generator if we are planing to stay in Campgrounds through our trip.
Nowadays it doesn't really make much difference what part of the country you're driving on interstates, they're all full of idiots in a big damn hurry plus the days of the nice well mannered helpful truckers are LONG gone, best to just get out of their way.
My point is take whatever highway, interstate or backroad you chose & enjoy the scenery.
Load your generator (it's not needed to run your fridge while traveling) if you might need a night without hookups & anything you think you might want/need then as go make a list for your next trip of what you didn't need & what you wished you would've brought. Just be sure your insurance premiums a paid up otherwise they will have an excuse to not pay a claim.
If it gives you piece of mind turn your fridge off while fueling & back on after you pull away. I will say I've NEVER seen or heard of a station fire from a rv fridge or water heater, but have seen multiple videos of fires/explosions while filling plastic gas cans in the back of pickups.
Don't fret the small stuff & go enjoy the trip!
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Old 05-31-2019, 05:14 PM   #19
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The OPs not getting much info on his request because of a MAJOR hijack.

Should he post his thread again or should the hijack be moved to another subject???

The OP asked info about the route and the use of a "generator" (post 1). Post 3 advised that the individual ran his gen all the time while traveling to power his fridge. Post 7 YOU brought up guns while traveling (hijack??). From there conversations developed about routes and generator use. A hijack? I think not.

Posts are made, questions asked and the topics ebb and flow across all kinds of issues that come up related to them.....on a zillion threads. This is the same.

I agree completely with John about closing the thread and reposting - that is over the top IMO, from this moderators perch. Now, lets hope you didn't hijack the thread to "firearms" - which the OP did not ask about.
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Old 05-31-2019, 09:18 PM   #20
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I don’t post in the campgrounds and destinations forum unless I have some experiences. That’s why I posted in this one. I was born and raised in rural Maine. I have, at one time or another, traveled throughout the entire state on the ground and in the air – my father was a pilot – in small private planes. I lived in FL for 23 years and have taken just about all the routes to Maine. I also lived at Virginia Beach, VA for 7 years and have traveled the Bay Bridge & Tunnel to and from MD and beyond numerous times. The information I provided in post # 7 was intended to be 100% informative. I did not spin it off into anything other than informative information.

The generator question IMO was not worth commenting on. The OP said they plan on using CGs. We have always carried a Honda 2000 for emergency use only; or to charge my trolling motor battery; by doing that I keep it in good running condition just in case an emergency arises.

Warnings About conditions are just that, warnings. On US301 south in FL, there used to be a huge (AAA Sponsored) billboard warning travelers of speed traps in Lawtey and Waldo.
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