what to do 2nd jayco skylark TT

skylimit

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tampabay
A bit of a long post... my apology.

I have a front kitchen 21' Skylark TT that stays up at an RV resort in Helen GA full time. I like the design and layout. Well save for rooftop a/c...those darn these are loud in the summer. Only have gone up there 2 or 3 times a year at most even though now retired (age 67 presently). It is nice up there when cooler compared to Florida. Stay maybe 3 to 6 days at most.

If not for the fish tanks I recently started to add at the house could head up any time. Though could get a fish 'sitter'...my Pet dog walker could come and feed fish for me even though I would take the dogs up with me. Tried those weekend fish feeder things and they did not seem to work out.

I am okay with the storage and membership fees charged since I only have to call and pick one of the open slots for them to pull it out and park it for me. Plus figure cost keeps going up all over and it is only 1hr from my brother's place to go visit and say hi. It is about 8 hours from Crystal River FL when driving up...then again 8 hours of driving is still 8 hours. Have cheap air fare up to an airport in Greensville or Ashvile (think it was) and hopefully, car rental fees are starting to drop post covid. That would mean leaving the doggies home (15 and 22lbs).

Later I purchased a 2nd one with side kitchen, Skylark TT 21' that resides in Florida 30 minutes from my place at a storage location for $50/month. Though I only have taken it out once in two years up to Jacksonville in January. Had thought it would be nice to have a TT local but feel it is so darn hot in Florida most of the year that I don't find the idea of taking it anywhere enjoyable.

I quickly learned towing an RV, unless maybe using it to travel for 2 or 3 months a year or else for the entire year is not as easy as I would like it to be. Don't know, maybe the idea of towing is just not for me. Instead of 34/36mpg was getting maybe 16 with my 2020 Toyota Highlander SUV hybrid (4 banger) 3,500max tow raring and Skylark weighs 3,100 lbs. Plus seems rates, I infer, now days are sky high for rv sites when traveling. To me it seems an Airbnb is a much easier way to bed down for a few nights for just weekend travel.

Thought of putting the 2nd skylark midway up towards Helen from Cyrstal River (Beverly Hills actually) but a friend pointed out that GA is landlocked a bit with very little breeze during the summer months in much of GA and maybe need to get closer to the north end/mountains area for cooler weather mid-year. And that be Helen it seems.

Could consider a membership somewhere on the West coast north of Crystal River yet just south of GA border with ease of access to the interstate or major road to then drive up to Helen area if wanted (say 5 hours instead of 8). View of a lake, nature forest area, and/or pool might be nice with storage and security on site.

Don't know, maybe I would be kidding myself and not use it much even if just say 3 hours NW of Beverly Hills/Lecanto area. It has an a/c unit under the ice box so not loud vs a root top unit I feel. I could afford such a setup if needed.

I like having my own place to stay that is the same so an RV seems like a good idea. Don't know, guess I need to adjust my way of thinking or living and force myself to use either one more often. Of course selling likewise one or both would be an option. It is not cheap to do a membership and storage at an RV resort year-round lol though sort of like the resort and it is near my brother.

If you made it to the end of this threasd, thank you and my apology for the long thread. Don't know, wonder if others find themselves in this same boat at times.
 
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No apology necessary.

Not entirely the same scenario, but we did have a TT parked on our own acre of land on Lake Ontario for 10 years. It was great for a while, but became like taking care of another house, since we had to mow the grass and other tasks every other weekend, if it wasn't raining. We traded it in for a smaller camper and got mobile again, going to our favorite sites around the state. Towing and setting up/breaking down is just part of the journey for us. Been like that since 2006. Just our style of enjoying our trailer, friends, the dogs, and ocassional relatives.
 
Interesting, thank you. A guy has a 2008 Sunline Sidekick for sale, seems to be 13’ long and 1,000lbs. Thinking no bath nor toilet. Guess you have to give up somethings as you go smaller in size. Did have another thought. Had considered prior, then forgot that it might be good to determine a Home Base location for my RV then could go off in any direction say 50 to 100 miles radius to explore yet still come back and sleep in my same RV bed. Might check out some places in north florida to see if that would work.

Seems the world went mad due to covid. RV vacancy issues when traveling, cost increased when staying, big companies coming in and buy out mom and pop rv locations then raising rates. Probably even prices to buy a rv space/spot/land maybe went through the roof price wise. Don’t know if any of those cost ever came back down.

Would think/guess with covid over maybe a lot that got RVs then might have wanted to sell them. Well that, plus it seems the new RVs being built have serious CQ issues from the bit I read here and there.
 
snip....
Interesting, thank you. A guy has a 2008 Sunline Sidekick for sale, seems to be 13’ long and 1,000lbs. Thinking no bath nor toilet.

I believe you're correct, no bath, but may have come with a port-a-potty when new.
 
Think I just need to do a 'reset'. A place an hour north of me has a spot to store the rv so might consider that as a new base camp for storage then take a few short trips of say a 1 to 3 days from there to places. Will start small and do just an overnight stay at a park of some sort. Know nothing of the boondockers thing people do...maybe sadly and should.

My ice box might only run on LP gas not power though will check the fuse. My 2020 toyota highlander hybrid tows it and does ok on flat land lol. Just not great if hills and such. Was interesting towing it from PA where I picked it up some years ago as it is not a six cylinder engine...just a 4. Maybe 16 mpg towing I think it was, 34 to 36 when not.

Most months in Florida it is too darn hot outside. Do have a Westinghouse iGen 2500 never yet taken out of the box. It says 2200 watt running and 2500 watt peak. Honestly don't know what is required to run that under freg a/c unit in my 2011 or 2012 Jayco Skylark.

Based on the rv pdf file I just looked at it seems to have a Cool Cat a/c and heat pump. I know Honda generators are the gold standard for not making much noise plus some gens sold can run on LP as well as gas if wanted as i recall.

Though wondering/thinking if one should run one as the noise might make it harder for other rv owners to sleep at a park (camp site). Thinking that might not be an issue for the next 2 to 3 months if we can get/keep some cooler weather coming down to Florida maybe. Thus no need for an a/c at night maybe.

And now just remember the darn awning is shot. Will need to sort out where in tamapbay flordia I could get a replacement. The motor works fine to open and close it still so that is a good thing.

I spent so much of my life working my whole life just never seemed to know how, or allow myself to explore places along the way. Though now retired seems the rv life, though now more expensive, is something I need to do now that I am retired.

Back during the working days when vacation time rode a bmw motorcyle to bmw rallies near and far. Up to lake placid ny one time and indiana to see family other times. Back then I did not seem to care else realize that it was not fun at all riding a zillion miles on a motorcyle on the interstate. Was always one of those 'need to get from point A to B' as quickly as I could since it was only vaction time from work.

Here is my jayco, does not have bunk beds. I really do like the thing and guess it is a sin I have not used it much at all. Guess better late then never and time to get on the ball and explore.

Darn, site does not seem to allow me to upload an image and instead as for the image url.
 
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