lanwee

I've got a 21' parked in Linda Vista (close to Seaworld Drive and I5)... If that helps??? Lance

Hey Noreen, We're used to those warning stickers here in California, but if you're from other climes, they can be a little frightening when you first see them. Most if not all of the synthetic materials used in the interior of cars, motorhomes and houses will release gasses when they are new. That's what you are smelling when you have that 'new car' or 'fresh carpet' or 'fresh paint' odor. But since your car, motorhome and house are not completely sealed - and you aren't breathing only those gasses - the odors are relatively safe for healthy humans - unless of course you are alergic or sensitive to those chemicals. Quite frankly, I'm more concerned about molds than I am about any 'toxic gasses' coming off the foam or carpet. A good cleaning with Tea-Tree Oil is a good natural way to keep the molds at bay. Also, I pull the foams out and set them up on edge - with the roof vent cracked - while The Beast is not being used - and I keep the curtains closed and the drawers/doors slightly open. This prevents molds from taking hold and growing. Should you replace your foam? Well, that depends. Unzip the coverings and take a look at the raw foam. At the age of your MH, I'd expect to see some yellowing. If the surface of the foam is hard and crunchy, or if it is just foul, I'd look for new foam. If it is stained from a bottle of spilled wine, or if it is musty smelling, I'd give it a good cleaning with a good quality carpet/upholstery hot-water cleaner/extractor - I would use some tea-tree oil as the 'soap' as it is a natural mold killer. Leave it out in the sunshine for a couple of days - UV tends to kill mold spores too. You could also encapsulate the foam - in other words, wrap it in a sheet of plastic - if you wanted to save a stained piece. Take a look at the upholstery - If it feels bad, or if it smells musty, you could try to clean it with the Tea-Tree oil. Upholstery material is not cheap - but it is heavy and will last a long time. But mold is not good for either the fabric or you! The carpet and padding are probably goners - it's been absorbing everybody's muddy footprints for almost 15 years - and pet stuff - and odors... Carpet is cheap, and some people on this site have installed wood laminate flooring - which looks really cool and is really easy to sweep and mop, and doesn't accumulate dirt. Don't forget to hit the hard surfaces with a diluted mixture of Tea-Tree oil too!!! Molds can grow anywhere - and since the windows tend to leak and/or sweat, it won't hurt to wipe everything down on a regular basis! So, don't let the California stickers make you paranoid. Give your MH a good scrub, dry her out, load her up and take off for a weekend or two!!! Lance "I've got nowhere to go, and all day to get there!" (BTW, I prefer dark beers, but if you have a local microbrew - 'Bring it on' and grab a mug!!)

Pardon me while I jump up on the proverbial soap box for a few lines: In 1986 California passed Proposition 65 which identified a list of chemicals that were "...known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity..." The list or chemicals has grown to more than 18 pages right now. The big remedy that California came up with was posting warning labels - like the one in your Toyota - to inform consumers that one or more of the chemicals is present. By this time, most of the chemicals have gassed out and the levels are so low that they probably are lower than normal background levels - That is the levels you would find them at in our natural environment. And in actuality, the initial levels are well within normal and safe concentrations and do not cause any problems with healthy human beings. (There are people who are more sensitive to these chemicals and should avoid them) There are now more 'green' and environmental/human friendly ways to manufacture the foam and carpeting and fabric. So if you need to replace any of the soft stuff inside the coach you should look for them - But they are not necessarily cheap. If and when you visit California, you will see similar warning signs on the sides of gas pumps and in stores in the electronics asiles. The products aren't any different in any other part of the country. The warning stickers are just California's way of letting consumers know that there are some chemicals present - So the consumer can make an informed choice in their purchase. Ok, this is probably TMI and way over just a few lines... If you want to get into RoHS and other compliance issues I will require at least two pitchers and 3 to 4 hours After all, this is what I got the Engineering degree for... How else do I get people to buy me beer??? Cheers!! Lance

Hey Spiritandrobyne, I took my 21' 'Rader (The Beast) down from Seattle - Cut over to the coast at Eugene - and then down 101 all the way to San Diego (my home). It rained and snowed through WA and into Eugene - pretty typical of the PNW in March. Some areas were taken at 35MPH, and others closer to 60. You're not going to go fast with a Toyota MH - But going through Oregon and NoCal, who wants to? I always had enough power to get going and keep going - and there are plenty of places to pull over and have lunch while the V8's scream along those slick winding roads. Besides, a lot of the hills and winding roads keep you down to 35 anyway - even if you have a V8 you aren't going to be able to go much faster, especially in a MH. IMHO there is enough power in the 22R to travel along the Northern Coast - and through the Bay Area (It's usually backed up anyway so why burn the gas of a V8 while inching down that parking lot that we laughingly call a 'Freeway'?). I take The Beast throughout San Diego County - Over to Idyllwild too - almost every weekend without any issues. Sure, I go slow on the hills... But I get there and back on a half tank of gas! And I'm self-contained... I look at it this way when I'm on a trip: I've got nowhere that I HAVE to be, and I've got ALL DAYto get there!!! Lance

Hi All! Finally something I can post to! I have taken this route many times - and just returned to San Diego from Olympia in my new Sunrader. Getting out of LA is never fun, there are basically 3 big hills - One on the 405 just before you hit the 101 and two on the 101 just before Oxnard. I usually head straight up the 101, but if you haven't seen the 'Ragged Coast', take Hwy 1 North at San Luis Obispo and a leisurly drive through Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur, Monterey Bay. If you bypass Hwy 1, there is a fairly long grade just north of SLO. You can cut back over to the 101 at Seaside or at Santa Cruz, then grab the 280 at San Jose. Look for Park Presidio Blvd and follow that around the West side of San Francisco - it will drop you off at the Golden Gate Bridge - not usually too much traffic - but you are in a Toyota and sightseeing! Enjoy the ride! Heading on up the 101 from SF is nice and fairly flat. There are quite a few long slow grades in Northern Cal and Southern Oregon - I drop down to 35 a few times, but I come back up to speed fairly quickly. I have never had any problems with gas stops. - I tend to fill up at half tank intervals which turns out to be about 2 hours for me. I really like the coastal state parks in Northern Cal and Oregon/Washington. Much more reasonable than anything around San Diego, and they all have dump stations included in the overnight fees. This route can be done in 3 days - if you push it, and 2 if you REALLY push it, but I prefer to take 4 or 5 days, starting fairly early and stopping early to enjoy an nice sunset and dinner. Everybody likes different things, so whichever route you take, be safe and have FUN!!! Lance