The Great Loop RV/Rinker style

Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited September 2020 in Non-Boating Related
We left Ft Myers Saturday September 2nd. After 100 miles we had a flat tire on the truck. Changed it and back on the road. Turned out to be a valve stem. Then the sheet hit the fan. I lost 3 more tires due to belt separation and barley made it to Daytona where I got 4 new tires. The tires only had 5300 miles on them. Brand was Nexen. Stay away from these!! They were OEM tires. Made it to Georgia for our first stop then on to Fayetteville NC for our next stop. We made it to Maryland on day 3 for the Grandbabies first birthday. 3 days later on to Pittsburgh and then to Indiana where we met Al and Thaddeus. Al has a great knowledge of Rinkers and boats in general and Thaddeus too! Al gave us a great tour of the lake where they tested all the Rinker boats. We then went by to meet Randy Rinker. Turns out Randy was just a plant worker and that John Rinker was the main man behind the business. We then drove past the old abandoned Rinker plant and on to Dinner with Al. We had a great dinner and a great conversation! I am proud to call Al a friend. Next stop was down to southern Indian to meet up with Randy56. We have been friends for a few years but we never made it up to his place. He gave us a great tour of the area. We went to the Ohio River and saw all the locks and barges. We had a great time and look forward to getting together when they come down to Florida for the Winter. Next stop was Nashville. We stayed right on Lake priest which was close to Nashville. We went to the country music hall of fame first then walked down the honky tonk strip which disappointed us. There were homeless and protesters on every corner with very few police present. Reminded me of when I worked in DC. Our next stop was Macon Georgia for the night. Next was Lake City Florida but we lost another tire which was the original spare. It only had 3000 miles on it so 2 more new tires up front. After manufacture reimbursements I got 6 new tires for the price of 3 so not too bad I guess. Arrived back to Fort Myers Saturday and ready to go back to work with some great memories! Spent $940 on Diesel and 450 on campgrounds  
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  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 8,074 mod
    Very cool!  Sounds like a great cruise, or whatever you RV dudes call it.  I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to connect while you were in the neighborhood.  
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  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,946 mod
    Looks like you had a great trip!  Seems like you move around quite a bit, is set up/tear down pretty easy with that rig?  I guess it'd be similar to a boat in that you have everything inside and just drive from one place to next.  Instead of tying up, you just level things out.  Very nice!

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    LaRea said:
    Very cool!  Sounds like a great cruise, or whatever you RV dudes call it.  I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to connect while you were in the neighborhood.  
    Your fault
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Dream_Inn said:
    Looks like you had a great trip!  Seems like you move around quite a bit, is set up/tear down pretty easy with that rig?  I guess it'd be similar to a boat in that you have everything inside and just drive from one place to next.  Instead of tying up, you just level things out.  Very nice!
    Yes, you just hook up water, electric, cable and sewer hose. Then push a button to auto level, and put out the 4 slides. Done
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  • Liberty44140Liberty44140 Member Posts: 4,414 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looks like a great trip! 
    07' Cruisers 390 (Previous Rinker's: 06' 342EC & 01' 310FV)

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  • raybo3raybo3 Administrator Posts: 5,615 admin
    Handy looks like you had a great time.  Your granddaughter is adorable. Great pictures 
    2002 342 Fiesta Vee PC Point Of Pines YC Revere MA. popyc.org     raybo3@live.com
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    raybo3 said:
    Handy looks like you had a great time.  Your granddaughter is adorable. Great pictures 
    We did 3800 miles, $940 in Diesel and $400 or so in Campgrounds. Pretty cheap compared to a boat. LOL
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  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 8,074 mod
    And one boat unit on tires.
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    LaRea said:
    And one boat unit on tires.
    Wrong again Audi man. 500
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  • Aqua_AuraAqua_Aura Member Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭✭
    $1400 is great! I can barely get out of Costco for less than that 😂.

    My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of either getting a truck bed camper or a small trailer. Makes it nice for our little trips to have our own sleep area and stuff right behind you. 
    1997 Bayliner 3988
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  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,233 ✭✭✭✭✭
    nice looking land boat!!  looks like a fun trip for sure!
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  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,077 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes" (Sold)
    2022 Cherokee 294GEBG Black Label land yacht. 
    Go Steelers!!!
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  • 69fastback69fastback Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭
    It seems like all trailer manufacturers are using china bombs now. My brother lost 2 on his first trip with his new fifth wheel. 
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  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,085 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I got the chance to drive Handy's dully, it's sweet, Cummins, plenty of power. We had a good time.
    Boat Name : 

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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cableguy Greg said:
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 
    No one rates when I’m only in town for 12 hours. Actually I was in Uniontown. 
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  • trip_ntrip_n Member Posts: 747 ✭✭✭
    ok ok handy impersonation  = shoulda bought a boat ... no tires to worry about
    i didn't realize you were that old
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    69fastback said:
    It seems like all trailer manufacturers are using china bombs now. My brother lost 2 on his first trip with his new fifth wheel. 
    Very few tires are made here. 
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  • YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 5,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I was surprised to see that my parent's 5th came with Goodyear.
    2006 390 EC
    2008 350 EC
    Georgian Bay
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  • boatman37boatman37 Member Posts: 810 ✭✭✭
    Cableguy Greg said:
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 

    Same here...lol. Would have been cool to meet up. We are on the Ohio river about 25 miles west of Pittsburgh
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  • 69fastback69fastback Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭
    edited September 2020
    Handymans342 said:
    69fastback said:
    It seems like all trailer manufacturers are using china bombs now. My brother lost 2 on his first trip with his new fifth wheel. 
    Very few tires are made here. 
    I was more referring to them putting the cheapest tires they can find on them, rather than where they’re actually made. 
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    boatman37 said:
    Cableguy Greg said:
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 

    Same here...lol. Would have been cool to meet up. We are on the Ohio river about 25 miles west of Pittsburgh
    We bought a summer home near Deep Creek Maryland. Know it? 2 hours south of Pittsburgh 
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    YYZRC said:
    I was surprised to see that my parent's 5th came with Goodyear.
    What brand fifth?
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  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,946 mod
    Handymans342 said:

    We bought a summer home near Deep Creek Maryland. Know it? 2 hours south of Pittsburgh 
    Know it well.  A good dock buddy has a cabin up there and also has a dock with a pontoon there.  Nice place to visit year round.  Also, my daughter goes to Frostburg State, so not too far down the road.

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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  • YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 5,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Handymans342 said:
    YYZRC said:
    I was surprised to see that my parent's 5th came with Goodyear.
    What brand fifth?
    Grand Design Reflection. Who names these things?!
    2006 390 EC
    2008 350 EC
    Georgian Bay
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    YYZRC said:
    Handymans342 said:
    YYZRC said:
    I was surprised to see that my parent's 5th came with Goodyear.
    What brand fifth?
    Grand Design Reflection. Who names these things?!
    Mine is a Grand Design Solitude 
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  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,077 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Handymans342 said:
    boatman37 said:
    Cableguy Greg said:
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 

    Same here...lol. Would have been cool to meet up. We are on the Ohio river about 25 miles west of Pittsburgh
    We bought a summer home near Deep Creek Maryland. Know it? 2 hours south of Pittsburgh 
    Yes, I know it. Great lake to be on. Gets a little crazy on the weekends. Boats restricted to 26’ for v hull and 30’ for pontoons. 
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes" (Sold)
    2022 Cherokee 294GEBG Black Label land yacht. 
    Go Steelers!!!
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  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,077 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Handymans342 said:
    Cableguy Greg said:
    Pittsburgh?!?!? And you didn’t hit me up?!?!? Guess I don’t rate on here. 

    Looks like an awesome trip. 
    No one rates when I’m only in town for 12 hours. Actually I was in Uniontown. 
    Twelve hours is rather quick. Hope you didn’t pay for a place to park. You could have parked in front of my place for nothing. 😝
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes" (Sold)
    2022 Cherokee 294GEBG Black Label land yacht. 
    Go Steelers!!!
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well 17 hours then
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  • MarkBMarkB Member Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sounds like a great trip Handy.  Nice pictures.  So all Rinker activity has stopped?

    Boat Name: King Kong

    "Boat + Water = Fun"

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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    MarkB said:
    Sounds like a great trip Handy.  Nice pictures.  So all Rinker activity has stopped?
    Yes sir
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