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12-14-2010, 03:53 AM
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#1
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Loogootee
Posts: 81
M.O.C. #9197
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OPENING SLIDES IN COLD WEATHER
I'm getting ready to load the fifth wheel for our first winter trip to Ft. Myers, Florida. The temp here in Indiana is in the teens. Will I have any problems opening my slides in this cold? Any suggestions? We also are debating on wether to travel south on I75 or I65.Anybody travel these routes? Have any recomendations? We would like to start early and get far enough south to camp the first night. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Have a great Christmas everybody.
Phil
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12-14-2010, 04:07 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Rapid City
Posts: 739
M.O.C. #77
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A couple of points...hydraulic fluid will thicken as it cools below freezing. This has a tendency to make the rams work a lot harder than normal to extend/retract the slides. A lot of times it will cause the self-resetting circuit breaker to pop. You can help avoid this by making sure your heater is running. Bring the Monty up to a comfortable temperature to load it. This will heat the fluid in the basement and belly areas of the RV.
If your breaker does pop, just wait a half a minute for it to reset and continue on.
Good luck.
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12-14-2010, 05:18 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Land O Lakes
Posts: 2,783
M.O.C. #10246
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We travel I75 often...from your general location south, it does have some relatively steep grades, but nothing that should give you any real trouble...unless the roads are slick. Once you get close to Georgia, the roads are much more civil all the way into Florida. Have not traveled I65. Starting early is ALWAYS are main plan...avoids some of the traffic, but unless "early" means around 4am to you, you will still hit some heavy traffic in the major built up areas. Have a safe trip.
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12-14-2010, 07:52 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 854
M.O.C. #5592
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Phil,
We have gone to Florida for the past two or three years. I75 has been our normal route. We are in Greenwood and we follow I65 to Louisville to I64 over to Lexington where we pick up I75. Our first stop is normally Chattanooga. Best Holiday RV Park. They have pull thru sites, full hook ups and are easy in and out. You are just far off of I75 to not hear the traffic. We are considering a change in route and take I65 to Nashville and then I24 to Chattanooga. This does require we drive over Monteagle. This is a much higher climb and decent than Jellico on I75. We will make our decision closer to our departure based on weather forecasts. The I65 route is about 40 / 50 miles shorter than the I75 route. Have a good trip and enjoy the winter in Florida
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12-14-2010, 11:13 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Winthrop Harbor
Posts: 1,831
M.O.C. #8160
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We usually take I65 to I24 and south through Atlanta. That's the route we will take this year because we have friends outside Atlanta. Last year I by passed our friends on the way down and caught holy h--l from Louise even though we caught them on the way home. I've been told that this year "WILL BE DIFFERENT".
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12-30-2010, 08:40 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Phil, we've done it a few times in those temperatures. Because of the strain on the battery I usually keep the rig plugged in until the slides and the landing gear are in their road position. Or, connect power to the truck and have the truck idling.
I also set the furnace on 45 and let it run on the road to keep pipes and tanks in the belly from freezing up. And I get as far south that first day as possible.
Good luck. Enjoy the warm.
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