Sarasota Rally 2019

We drove down to Florida over the course of four days to attend the Pleasure-Way RV Club East (PWRVCE) rally in Sarasota. We really enjoy the friends we’ve made in the club and our times at these rallies.

It ran Wednesday through Sunday at Sun N Fun RV Resort. Here’s our chronological take on the rally.

Wednesday night started with a welcome party. Pleasure-Way provided snacks, wine, beer and soda.

Multiple drawings were held for logo clothing. Lots of owners went home wearing new shirts. Winners were invited to introduce themselves and tell a little about what model PW they own. It was a nice way of meeting other members.

Thursday started with something new, a meeting for solo travelers. Afterwards, Lola Saxby started a Facebook group for solo travelers (male and female, married or not, as long as you’re traveling solo). Here’s a link: Solo Traveler Pleasure Way Adventurers. There were 51 members signed up by the end of the Rally!

For a change of pace we crossed the street to eat lunch at Stottlemyers Smokehouse with PW owners Trish and Duane from Durham. The crabcake sandwich was good and fans provided a breeze in the open air tiki style dining area. We wonder what the place is like late in the evening since multiple signs were posted saying “Don’t stand on the tables or railings.”

Dinner on Thursday night was provided by Pleasure-Way at Boondocks Restaurant.

Fiamma atended the rally working on awnings and insuring that those impacted by the recall had restraining straps installed. Fiamma technicians verified that ours is an affected unit, so we will need to have repairs done once a fix is finalized.

Socializing didn’t stop when the sun went down. Bobby and Carla Wood had the best lighting.

Phil from Pleasure-Way answered questions into the wee hours of Thursday night.

Friday’s seminars were on Water Heaters by Truma and Chassis Maintenance by Mercedes-Benz. We didn’t attend the M-B seminar since we no longer own a Sprinter. I wish Ram and Ford would come and provide a similar seminar for their models.

Here are some of my random notes from the Truma Seminar:

Dave was back again. Apparently we didn’t scare him away last year.

Truma decalcification tablets are now available on Amazon, but owner’s lined up to save shipping costs by buying them after the seminar.

Propane weighs 4.2 lbs per gallon.

1,585 gallons is when the AquaGo water heater needs to be cleaned and the control panel will start flashing. Dave recommends decalcifying annually, even if the usage number isn’t reached.

Don’t blow compressed air through the water heater to winterize it because the paddle that measures water flow won’t be happy spinning dry at high speed.

Do not run anti-freeze through the Truma (it is easy to drain for winter).

Comfort mode will maintain water between 102 and 112 F.

Eco mode will keep water above 41F and raise it higher only when you ask for it.

The DC kit will keep the water heater safe to -4 Fahrenheit. They are $199. It replaces the filter.

If the inside mode switch is unresponsive, turn the outside switch on and turn inside switch off and back on. It may take a few tries before the switch recognizes the network.

PW is installing this Truma furnace in the new Ford based OnTour models. Truma is working on a retrofit model for consumers. Currently only selling to OEMs. It has three levels of heat output and is much more efficient than the Atwood.

Call Truma’s toll-free number with any questions and they will call you back. Only 20 employees in the US. Still a small company here.

We appreciate Truma providing seminars with Dave at this, and the Hershey, rally.

Later in the day, Betty Lemely shared tips on how to cook in our convection microwave ovens. Her site was filled with members interested in learning cooking tips.

Thursday night, RV World treated us to burgers and hotdogs at Boondocks Restaurant in the park. They also brought five vans which attracted a lot of attention. Shane Coffey returned to assist interested buyers.

This was the first time I’d had a chance to poke around in a red pop-top Tofino on the smaller ProMaster 1500 chassis.

It is easy to see the appeal of the interior and upper bunk for younger families. The only big thing missing, for us anyway, is a bathroom.

Lots of people were hoping to see one of the new OnTour models based on the Ford Transit, but none were available yet for this rally.

Dave from Truma provided one on one education after his seminar. We ended up purchasing the Truma DC heater and watched Dave install it.

Not only does it protect the water heater to slightly below zero Fahrenheit, it has a yellow insert to keep bugs out when the unit is winterized.

Saturday had several seminars on the agenda. Scheduled for Woodland Hall, we were displaced by a Quinceañera party. After a little confusion, we congregated in Boondocks Restaurant.

Here are my random notes from the Q&A with Phil Nickel of Pleasure-Way:

Sofa Maintenance – Light machine oil (sewing machine oil) if you can’t find the specified “5 way lubricant” for the sofa cables. Use dry lube on the worm gear.

Cargo Capacity – OCCC assumes 154 lbs per person 🙂

There are weights for front and rear axles separately. Bill Felder mentioned he had success getting his rig weighed at a Florida interstate weigh station. Say “I want to weigh my RV and I’d like a receipt.” It should show the total weight and the weight at each axle.

ProMaster Issue – Several people brought up concern over water in the ProMaster (Lexor) engine compartment. People recommended pushing FCA to open a case so there is documentation if there is ever an issue. Phil echoed that this advice applies to any vehicle.

Refrigeration – Titan Fans were recommended to improve fridge cooling in hot climates. Double fans go on top vent. They are smaller than 4 inch and can be thermostatically controlled.

Tips for Fridge Propane lighting. Gas pressure should be 11 inches water column. If lighting proves difficult, check the alignment of the ignitor and cleanliness around the ignitor, chimney, and burner. The flame should be blue or clear and a little more than 3/4” high. Orange flame isn’t good.

Cupboard door latches are by Southco. PW uses 5 lb. Can use 10 lb. if want more resistance to opening.

A highlight of the seminar was a presentation in appreciation of long time President, Bobbi Bergstrom. Duane Stewart designed and custom embroidered a hat for Bobbi with a wolf, paw prints, her nickname, and the club initials. Presenting the hat to Bobbi, Phil closed out the year of the Rooster, by declaring it the year of the Wolf. Check out our post on the Branson Rally if you don’t yet know the reason behind the year of the Rooster.

After the Q&A, Chuck Kellogg talked about what is new at Pleasure-Way. We missed that since we were outside setting up for the group photo.

Pleasure-Way RV Club East 2019 Sarasota Rally Group Photo

I have to thank Beth for her help with the Group Photo. Not only did she put up with my search for a location that wouldn’t have harsh shadows, but she “encouraged” all the participants to get in positions where they would be in the shot.

Pleasure-Way rewarded everyone for their patience at the photo shoot with free treats back in Boondocks for an Ice Cream Social. There was even a little wine left over from Wednesday night for those that prefer wine to ice cream.