OREGON 2006: Discussion About Workshops

[Nancy in Oregon]

So... what types of workshops would you like to see at the Gathering this year? If you give me ideas about what would be of interest, I will try to find people to lead those workshops.

Nancy

[Ron N]

Nancy,

As the proud owner of the new-to-me 1994 17' Bigfoot, I now check the Bigfoot Owner's site a couple of times a day. I read where, at their last get together on the coast this past year, they had a guy there from Fred's RV that gave some workshops about Bigfoot trailers. You know, the important stuff like...how to winterize. Everyone was really pleased with the presentations. Now, being a newbie at all this, I'm thinking that all trailers and brands must have some common plumbing, electrical stuff, hitch choices, etc. Maybe the people from Fred's RV will come down for our Gathering?

[Nancy in Oregon]

Good thoughts, Ron! I can surely check and see. Do you know in which town Fred's RV is located?

Nancy

[Kent]

Would anyone find a workshop on how to jack up trailer safely for changing tire or jacking up on jack stands for storage useful?

[Ron N]

Fred's RV World is located in Sandy, Oregon. It's a very large family-owned RV business. They are a major Bigfoot dealer in the Pacific NW. Very nice people. (503) 826-8888.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Would anyone find a workshop on how to jack up trailer safely for changing tire or jacking up on jack stands for storage useful?

I'd attend that one.

[Dot F.]

How about the best ways to transport bicycles?

[Donna D.]

Fixing cracks and gel coat repair please

[Nancy in Oregon]

Don L. emailed me with this good suggestion:

How to hang new cabinets in a fiberglass trailer.

[Norm Roy]

I hope someone will take notes and pics for the rest of us too far away to attend...
Maybe this could be added to the Tutorials section.
Btw...Happy New Year from the Great White North...

[Elsie G.]

There's also Bigfoot Dealer here, in Coos Bay. It's a lot closer to Bandon, than Sandy, OR. is.

The name of it is GIBBS RV, located at 1845 NW OCEAN BLVD. (Phone is 541-888-3424) If the folks in Sandy can't make it, or can only stay long enough to do a couple of presentations. Someone could ask the people at Gibbs, since they have a "Mobile RV Doctor," ("old ambulance," it's kinda cute) maybe they can do some seminars too! They've always been very good to us.

I would ask them, but I'd feel uncomfortable, since I'm not even in charge of me!

[Steve L.]

Not much help for your rally, but one of these days, there’s going to be another large sized rally nearby and I’m going to volunteer to do a tire seminar. I’ve seen the one the RV Safety Education Foundation gives (it’s a good one but a little thin on light weight trailer applications) and while I can’t offer to weigh the trailers like they do I’m ready to explain tire stuff.

Things to address would be:

Tow Vehicle Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
Tow Vehicle Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) (The manufactures assumes that the individual tire/wheel is good for half the GAWR which is significant when close to the limits since loads are rarely evenly divided left to right.)
Tow Vehicle Curb Weight
Tow Vehicle Payload
Maximum Trailer Weight
Trailer Dry Weight
Trailer Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)
Tongue Weight

All these things relate to the load on the tires:

Provide rated load for any tires present at given pressures.
LT and ST (i.e. ST205/75R14C) tires come right from the chart
P-Metric tires (i.e. P205/75R14SL) tires divide the chart load by 1.1)
Maximum speed ratings
Friction (tire contact patches) and momentum
Tire maintenance

Extra credit, or something to consider is to host a brief discussion (any lawyers present?) with respect to liability arising from an accident, insurance consequences or a ticket while operating out of specification.

Everybody gets to do pretty much what they want, but some might want to know the industry’s expectations before going out on their own.

Perhaps you have a RV trailer tire retailer that could help out. The above could provide a list of topics to cover.

[Dave and Kathie]

Being newbies, besides all the great suggestions above, we would like to see something on:
boondocking - like solar vs generators;
also camp cooking - like 'Nancy's how to DO cooking' - maybe pie irons, too (haven't tried them but they look interesting)?;
and riveting.

Thanks!

Dave & Kathie

[Isaac M]

Cheri would love it if someone put on a photography workshop. Maybe some hints on techniques and what to look for in setting up a shot; a group walk finding things to take pictures of as examples of using different techniques...

It would be awesome if Maxie Jarrell would participate. We won one of his incredible photographs of the lighthouse last year and we enjoy seeing it at every meal in our dining room. It brings back good memories of last year's gathering.

-Isaac

[Nancy in Oregon]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. (Please keep 'em coming!) I will be pretty much off line until February so will start working toward some of these things then.

Nancy

[Joseph and Melanie Castine]

Hi nancy,
thanks for all the work. When you are back online could you tell me about entertainment. I use to be a street entertainer in new York City. I got a couple of marionettes who think they are rock stars. Willing to entertain by the campfires.

Joseph and Melanie
fulltiming since August 2005

[Nancy in Oregon]

When you are back online could you tell me about entertainment. I use to be a street entertainer in new York City. I got a couple of marionettes who think they are rock stars. Willing to entertain by the campfires.

That is SO COOL! Please, bring them. I'll talk to you about times by email. Jamie said (last year) that maybe he could bring a sound system. That would really help with trying to talk to 200 people. So Jamie... will that be possible?

Nancy

[jrnutpaul]

Last year Pat and I found a Bigfot dealer in a town about 15 miles north of Bandon. I'm not sure where we were, but as we were getting ready to leave Terry and Dotty came walking up to us...Maybe they remember where we were, I can't, I suffer from CRS.

One thing I did remember from last year though....The wine tasting is held on Friday night, and it was loads of fun. Here's how it works...

We set up a table at the check-in where couples can bring a bottle of wine for a blind tasting.

The wine is wrapped in paper to cover the lable and the bottle is assigned a number.

On friday evening we all bring a snack or food that pairs well with wine (chocolate is good, so is cheese, crackers, chocolate, cookies, slices of apple, chocolate, hot wings, shrimp, chocolate and anything else you might think of) All the bottles will have been opened and will be on a table by color or type. Like red, white, or fruit.

Tasting cups (these are really small) are available. After sampling a wine, if you like it, write it's number on a slip of paper and put it in a collection box. You can put as many numbers in the box as you like. We will tally the results, reveal the wines that placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd and award the couples that brought the 3 winners a prize.

Now think about it, 100 trailers might equal 100 bottles and 200 tastees just could consume a 1/2 bottle each. We call it a meet and greet, an ice breaker or a darn good time.

[Nancy in Oregon]

We call it a meet and greet, an ice breaker or a darn good time.

Yep, yep, yep! It was a blast!

Nancy

[Donna D.]

BEER DRINKERS UNITE!

We can't let those highbrow wine drinkers pull one over on us I'm going to organize a Craft Beer Exchange on Thursday evening (time 7ish). And NO... Bud, Coors and Miller are not craft beer. But if names like Fat Tire, Moose Drool or Nitro (etc.) appeal to you...this "workshop" is for you!

It will work like this....bring a six pack of your favorite craft beer, the object is to stroll around the gathering area (main area behind Nancy's and Mike's camp site) and exchange one bottle/can of what you brought for something different. In the end, you'll have six different craft beers to take back to your campsite, chill down and enjoy. The best part is if you don't like it, you can pour it down the sink and no one is the wiser. If you like it, you now have a bottle/can to take home with you so you can find it in your area.

I'll bring some real beer drinkers food...like peanuts in the shell that we can crack open and throw the shells in the fire. If anyone cares to bring other "appetizers" like pickled eggs or popcorn that's okay too.