Gasoline and Marshmallows
  • Home
  • Photo Album
  • Videos
  • G&M Blog
  • Fishin with G&M
  • Shop
  • Links

Upgrade!!! A Tow Vehicle

4/24/2016

0 Comments

 

UPGRADE!!! We got a tow vehicle.


Well we finally did it this week, we got our Jeep Liberty all wired up and got the base plates put on so we can now tow it behind the Winnebago. We are really excited for this upgrade, it will allow us to site see without breaking camp. The Jeep is just right to tow behind the RV and fits the family.
What did we have to get done so we could tow it?
We needed base plates, base plates are what the tow bar links up to so you can tow it. It had to be wired for the break lights and breaking system. We got ours done a Pleasureland RV in Ramsey MN. There is no external break lights on the Jeep, the wired into the Jeeps system so we didn't need any. Which we like because its one less thing you might forget. The Tow Bar we went with was a Blue Ox Tow Bar and the reason we went with this one is it actually folds up to the bumper nice when not using it. Some tow bars mount to the vehicle and has to stay there.     

Picture
This is the Blue Ox tow bar hooked up to the Jeep.
Blue cord is the lights and they made the cord end to fit right into the seven point jack. 
Black cords are the safety cables
Red cord is the break away for the breaks.
The two handles right and left above the Blue Ox logo are your tow bar arm locks and  release handles
The black rubber covers over the bars protect them from dirt and grim of the road or just weather, most tow bars don't have them so you have to clean them and add silicon spray. 
It is very easy to hook up and unhook the Jeep.   
Picture
Here's a look at the locking pin and safety cable. To remove the two bar you pull the gold ring pin out.  The silver pins are removable by pulling the ring and turning them out.
Picture
This is how compact the tow bar gets when folded down. There is a padlock on the hitch but if you don't feel comfortable leaving it in its not that heavy you cant throw it in the RV or the trunk of the vehicle.There is a cover for it to protect it from the weather. 
What about breaks? 
We decided to go with the Blue Ox Patriot, sets up by it self all we have to do is attach it to the break peddle plug it in to the accessory port and make sure its against the seat and we it set up and it sets its self. 
Picture
I know in the picture the seat isn't up but it should be. The wire that you see is the break away switch, if the Jeep for what ever reason breaks away from the motor home it will apply breaks nice and easy. SAFTEY. 
The back of the Patriot can be adjusted so it hits the seat better and there are pads on the bottom of the unit to make it more level if need be. 
Picture
Connecting the clamp to the brake peddle couldn't be easier. You can see its a spring type clamp and it just slides or clamps on. To remove it there's a button on top to release the top part and it pulls off. 
*I know you want our car mats.
Picture
The wireless remote, it will tell you when its on when its breaking if it breaks away. If you need to add a little more break or less you can do it with this. There's also a manual break switch in case you need it. The Patriot Blue Ox breaking system doesn't slam on your breaks it eases on the breaks to help slow down the tow vehicle.  
Picture
How does it feel?
My first impression of pulling the Jeep with the RV. I was just nervous about taking corners, but then I realized that the Jeep is narrower than the RV the cornering wasn't so bad. I really never felt a difference when pulling it, now maybe when there's more hills or mountain type terrain maybe. I stayed on a country road for the most part and there was a few hills and the Winnebago never bogged down and I never felt a pull back. I was really pleased how it all felt. I was also nervous about setting up the Jeep for neutral it really wasn't as bad as I thought. Just be sure to read your owners manual of the vehicle you are towing or call a dealership and ask.
Final Thoughts
We know this will add to the adventures in the RV. We will set up a home base and go site seeing and not have to worry if the place we want to see can handle the RV or where to park. The experience we had a Pleasureland RV Center was amazing. George the service guy helped me through the setting up of the break system, helped me set up the tow bar and then let me do it so if I had any questions I could ask them
right then and there. We have really enjoyed haveing our Jeep in tow. We took it to South Dakota and really enjoyed haveing our own vehicle, we also stow our chairs and small bbq in the back.


Picture
0 Comments

2016 our first trip to Gooseberry Falls

4/17/2016

0 Comments

 

Gooseberry Falls State Park

It's 2016 and our first trip was to Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesota. We left Thursday night to go to Grand Casino Hinckley Hotel (yes not in the RV). Hinckley was our midway point to Gooseberry. It's about an hour and 54 minutes to the park from the hotel. When we got to the hotel we really just rested and hung out.
Friday we got up and headed out as we all were excited to see the falls. We had great weather 39 degrees and sunny. We headed through Duluth and we took the scenic drive. We noticed a lot of fly fisherman out on the side of the road, they were fishing the streams that lead into Lake Superior. We headed through the tunnels that were built in the cliffs, it was really fun for the kids. We arrived at Gooseberry and it was busier than our trip to Banning State Park the year before. I see two reasons why it was busy; 1) the weather, we have had some great weather this winter and at 39 degrees everyone was out enjoying it. 2) it's Gooseberry Falls State Park and it's beautiful. We got a map and headed to the Middle Falls just under the highway. As you approach you hear the falls getting louder and louder. We got to the Middle Falls and it was a sight with the pines and the huge rock cropping and the pure power of the falls. It was just amazing.
Picture
Then we headed to the lower falls and it was amazing, the ice that hung from the rocks was natures art with the pines and the stone and the waterfall roaring, it was truly beautiful. We see why people visit every year and try to see it in the seasons.  
Picture
Picture
We crossed the bridge at the end of the falls so you can get across to the other side. The stairs bring you to some very beautiful spots that you better have a camera for. The path takes you all the way up to the highway bridge and if you follow the hiking path it will take you to the Upper Falls. We opted out this time and stayed in the main area.
Picture


​We stayed for a little bit longer and took a ton of pictures and videos and it was time to head out. When we were leaving we noticed Betty's Pies and we've heard a lot of great things about this treasure on the North Shore. We decide this is a great place to get lunch. It was busy and the wait was about 30 minutes, but that's fine we're here and we are hungry. We had a Ruben, a burger and corn dogs and chicken strips and all were fantastic. It's pie time after all it's Betty's Pies. We tried apple pie a coconut cream and the 5 layer chocolate pie and of course they didn't disappoint. If you are unable to get to Minnesota or the Two Harbors area you can order these pies online at Betty's Pies.
We had a beautiful day and we hiked and enjoyed what Gooseberry Falls had to show us we ate till our belly's stuck out and then we headed back to the hotel. When we got there we rested a bit then headed to the arcade and grabbed some grub and then we slept like babies.
It was a great trip the weather couldn't have been better the scenery was fantastic and the food was amazing. We highly recommend you at least get up there once a year because the sights and sounds with change every season.
​This was a great way to start our 2016 season.

Here are some links

​Grand Casino Hinckley

Gooseberry Falls State Park

Betty's Pies

0 Comments

    Author

    Older blogs can be found at
    http://gasandmarshmallows.blogspot.com/

    Archives

    December 2018
    November 2018
    April 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly