Everyone-
Thank you soo much for all of the wonderful responses. You have all given me quite a list of items and information to consider. While I dislike doing a mass response like this (I feel that it is on the impersonal side), it is the most efficient way to respond to each of you. Again, I appreciate it soo very much. This little community has such a wealth of information and I love it!
Platinum AAA membership to tow 100 miles plus the other reasons to call. Sounds stupid maybe but it's the BEST to have when needed
Not a bad stocking stuffer either
I'm going to have to do some research on this. Where we live, we'd be getting AAA through what is called "AAA North Penn". I believe it has to do with how rural the area we live in PA is. It covers a massive amount of area in the north-central and north-eastern part of PA. When I look at the memberships available, my options are 'gold' and 'premier' and then they also have 'gold RV' and 'premier RV'. Because we will be pulling a pop-up during our travels, we may have to do the RV labeled ones. Anyways, the 'premier' options give us a 200 mile tow, but the fine print say one 1 allowed her membership household. That's not even per year...it seems to be a "for the life of your membership" thing. So, I'm going to really have to look at the different brochures they have online or maybe call one day while the hubby is sleeping (he works 3rd shift....makes it really easy to plan and scheme for stuff like this!)
Thanks for this suggestion...I hadn't even thought about it.
Buckees...
I totally had to Google this...didn't have a clue. It's in Texas....now I know why.
One day we'll get to check one out.
Fire extinguisher
Tow strap
First-aid kit
The pop-up we will be towing will have a fire extinguisher that we have talked about keeping in the truck while driving and then moving to the pop-up while camping, but to me, that seems like a pain in the butt. We do have a small kitchen extinguisher that we could probably take also. I believe it should be inspected and re-charged. I'll add that to my list.
Hubby has some tow straps (he loves those things). First-aid kit is a great thought. We have that on our "things we need" list that we've been slowing making, but I had completely forgotten about it. Thank you!
Be sure to read ALL the fine print. For instance, they won't do roadside tire changes on dual wheels . . .
Yes. If I decide to do this, I'm going to have hubby's dad look at stuff with me to make sure it'll work correctly for us.
I too was thinking aaa would be smart. I have an aaa membership, and I have probably used it twice in the last 10 years, but each time I had to use it, it was worth its weight in gold.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
We used to have AAA years ago, but we allowed our membership to end because I
think we have some sort of towing option on our insurance. I'm not positive on that. I'm going to have to figure that out.
I'm not sure what your budget is, but a fridge is an awesome item. It took a long time for me to break down and buy my ARB, but now that I have it, I wish I got it sooner. Coolers, especially a Yeti, are a waste in my opinion. For a little more money you have infinite cold storage using a fridge. Even the best cooler needs ice added once a week or more. my fridge is one of my most prized possessions.
For a cheaper option, grab a skottle from Tembo Tusk. This is another of my prized overlanding items.
Sounds like your husband is a lucky man.... can you call my wife and give her some Christmas ideas?
Man...I want a fridge sooooooo badly!!...you have no clue (well, you probably do
). Hubby thinks we'll be fine with a cooler and the small (read: teeny, freaking tiny fridge in the pop-up) plus a cooler. We'll have to get through this first trip and then re-evaluate the need for a fridge. The current plan is to pre-make meals and vacuum seal them and then freeze them. We figure with a good cooler, we should be able to keep things frozen by adding ice about every 5 days...which shouldn't be a problem with where we are going for this trip. I really think eventually we will end up with one, but not yet. Basically, it'll come down to his wife complaining about how much of a pain the cooler is during trips (still sound like a lucky man??)
The skottle is a grill, correct? We use a Coleman stove to cook on (sometimes 2), and we like that alot. How would this be different...or better for us? I would really need to justify buying a different cooking instrument.
I
could call your wife.....but I don't know she'd appreciate the hints.
How does AAA compare to towing insurance through your regular vehicle insurance?
If you don't have a good folding shovel, they can be treasures. Ive used both the WWII era and more recent tri-fold Army shovels. A longer handled one is great if stuck in mud or snow, but the shorter ones will get the job done. Also good for latrine duty in camp.
Another basic tool you may already have is a saw. Good for firewood, and clearing a trail if theres downed trees across it. The old school answer was a bow saw, not sure if theres better saws today for that sort of work.
I believe we have some sort of towing option in our insurance policy, but I'm going to have to either call or go into the insurance office next week to learn the details about it. Thanks for reminding me of that.
Hubby has a folding shovel that we use for camping. I'll add a long-handled shovel to our list and see how he reacts. How long of a handle are we talking about??....like a 5 foot handle like I use in our yard??
He has a Sven saw that does a pretty impressive job for firewood. I think he'll want a small chain saw for the tip we are planning for 2018, but I'm not sure we'll need one for this spring's trip. I'll have to bounce that off of him (that might be something I can get his dad to buy him).
BTW~ we have two Malamute girls who are 10. Such wonderful dogs.
I have USAA towing insurance too but only tried to use once. Tow was 90 miles to home. I had to pay upfront which was not the issue. The local company that a good Samaritan told me to call only towed 50 miles on weekends. I had to actually bribe him. SO I now use my AAA Platinum... they cover the first 100 and ensure the company that comes takes me as far as necessary.
We have Penn National for insurance. I am going to have to either call or go down to their office (seriously, we live in such a rural place that when I call and give my name, they actually know what is in the policy!!) and find out what is covered in our policy. I am not sure if it would also tow a pop-up at the same time.
