Checking in from south of the Bay Area

[quiklives]

Hi everyone!

I've just posted a question in the non member tech section, so if you see this first but might be able to help over there, that would be much appreciated!

Anyway, hi, I'm Caz, and my partner Mo and I just purchased a 1979 side kitchen Clipper from a member here! It came about kind of oddly...I was looking for RVs on my local craigslists (I alternate between Santa Cruz and Monterey), and I came across a different Clipper altogether. I went and looked at it, and I liked the setup but I just didn't have a good feeling about that one. I did some research online, and found my way to this site, and started looking through the forums.

I found an ad on here from several months ago that had never been marked sold, or taken down, and I figured it was a long shot but I sent an email. As it turns out, they still had it, and were happy for us to come up and take a look. I ended up needing to take a day off of work, but unlike the previous experience, I had a really good feeling about this one. We drove up yesterday, and everything looked good, and the sellers were so kind and helpful, and we drove it home last night.

By the way, driving over Highway 17 from San Jose to Santa Cruz at night on your first day ever driving a motorhome is a scary experience, but we survived.

I am planning to send off our form to join the club within the next week or so, but right now the emphasis is definitely on getting it smogged and registered and finding a good mechanic to make sure there won't be any surprises once we get on the road. It only has 29k miles on it and it's downright immaculate, but I know that time can be as hard on engines as wear and tear, so I just want to make sure we've covered all our bases and that everything is perfect.

Here are some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/MCpXf

[Toedtoes]

Welcome Quiklives!  I think you did well with that clipper!  You're going to love it.

Sfine has a side kitchen model (his is a bunkhouse actually), so if you have questions about where things will be located (such as converter, water heater, etc.), he's your best go to person.

Clipper Joe should be able to answer your question regarding the choke.  Mine is a 75, so I'm exempt from smog.  He may know of a good mechanic in your area also. 

Once you send off your membership application, send me a PM and let me know so I can be sure to get you upgraded to National Club Member here on the website.

[quiklives]

Thanks, Toedtoes. I will let you know when I get the application sent out.

I definitely already love it, and I keep making jokes about time travel, because it's almost unbelievable that the interior looks so good. I'm really excited about the adventures we're going to have.

We got a pretty thorough tour of where everything is, but this is our first RV and I feel like I haven't really absorbed it all yet, I'm thinking of driving it up to a nearby RV dealer and repair place just to see if I can pay someone for their time to walk us through the whole setup and breakdown process when we pull into a campsite. There's so much information and it's overwhelming. My dad had a much-beloved Airstream when I was a kid, but I was too young to be paying that much attention.

Long term, we're hoping to put some solar panels and a good battery bank on it, and go as much off-the-grid on our trips as we can.

[Toedtoes]

There's a National Rally coming up this month.  The next one is May 22 - 25  - I think it will be in Manteca.  I'll check when I get home tonight and will let you know the details.  They are a good place to get some clipper specific info.

The rallies are usually held at RV Parks with hookups and within a 2 hr drive of the Bay Area.  There are a few of us who like to dry camp (no hookups) and we have been trying to coordinate trips with each other whenever possible.  Since you mention going off-grid, the dry camping trips might hold some interest for you - if so, send me a PM and I can give you some possible dates.

Depending on your camping style, you may not need to go with a whole battery bank.  I usually dry camp for 4 days at a stretch.  I use electrical for lighting (mostly LED bulbs in original fixtures), charging my cell phone/kindle/netbook as needed, playing my mp3 with speakers minimally, and water pump.  No microwave, hair dryers, furnace, etc.  I have a group 31 AGM battery (about $225).  At the end of the 4 days, my battery is still showing as fully charged in the monitor.  It would take a lot for me to run down the battery enough within a week's time.

[quiklives]

We're looking into eventually full timing, so that's why the larger battery bank is on the agenda, but we've got plenty of time to figure that out.

If the Rally falls on a weekend, we might be able to drive up just for the day Sunday. Our work schedules mean that's our only real day off together right now, hoping that'll change in a few months.

[Clipper Joe]

Hi Caz,
Just Saw The Link With Photos, Very Nice Looking Clipper,
It Looked Like It Was Well Maintained.
That Really Has Low Miles For A 1979 RV.
Know That Gas Prices Are Down Now, Should Take It Out As Much As Time Permits.
Even Weekend Runs.

Again Welcome To The Clipper Family.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Joe & Denise

[Sfine]

Welcome, welcome!
Word of caution...these Clippers can become addictive!!!!   Like a hobby there is always something to fix, improve or invent to personalize your Clipper. 
The maiden trip is always memorable...!  It wasn't night, but ours was over HWY 4 summit.. Alittle nervewracking ,but now we do it often without a concern. Once you come to trust how your rig drives and handles..the sky is the limit, they'll go most anywhere with ease. We take ours to the snow!
Enjoy the ride.. Hope to see you at one of our rallies.
Steve