Elkhart - Things To Do

We recently went to the Phoenix factory for some minor fixes while still under warranty. They’re great as usual – patient and done quickly. We stayed for a week – under $200 at the Elkhart campground. As usual, several Class A lookers - we talked up Phoenix Cruiser.  Of course there’s always the national RV/MH Hall of Fame to see, but we looked for some other things. Two we would highly recommend:

Amish Country Tour. A self-guided driving tour to everything Amish with a free map and CDs from the Elkhart Visitor’s Bureau, one mile from the campground:
http://www.amishcountry.org/things-to-do/heritage-trail
We split it into two days to make it more leisurely. Saw many Amish homes/farms and buggies. Lots of great places to eat and shop. We made a separate day at the Shipshewana Flea Market – largest in the Midwest:
http://www.tradingplaceamerica.com/fleamarket.php

Studebaker Museum (South Bend). A glorious place if you’re into ‘50s and earlier cars. Plus a great carriage museum including the carriage that carried President Lincoln the night of his death and carriages made by Studebaker for several presidents. And of course, lots of outstanding classic Studebakers. Under $12 for two with over 65 and AAA discounts:
http://www.studebakermuseum.org/

Good recommendations but not sure it will be "The Season" in December or early January when ours is scheduled to be ready.  Kind of concerned that I'm finding many CGs already closed for the winter & will definitely be paying attention to the weather.

Looking for winter CG recommendations in the Elkhart area awa along hwy 55 to the south (or other route options back to Phoenix)..
 

Come visit Florida. Barry and Sue are coming down. We could have a 2551/2552 Reunion.

Florida isn't out of the way???? Not much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Depending on the weather we hit - we might end up your way.
 

You could ask about staying at the factory.  Would need to ask about safety - guess they could lock you inside the fenced area??  I'd think they'd furnish electric.  I did see them helping someone dump at the back of the lot, so there is a sewer.    As for things to do, you could probably do all but the Shipshewana Flea Market, weather permitting.

Thanks again for the factory "CG" recommendation.  I've emailed Stuart & Amanda w/that question & a few others related to the trade process.
 

Eby's Pines Campground is about 15 minutes east of the factory and they are open all year. In the winter they do turn off the water. The water in Elkhart is very very bad as it contains lots of iron.

http://www.ebyspines.com/

Thanks Tom. 

Checked their website & it looks like a nice place.  Still in the early planning stages &, as you probably do as well, we figure out the next day from wherever we stop.  This one looks like a keeper though - especially if the factory option isn't available.

Appreciate your response,

 

Mike, I would strongly recommend that you spend the first night after picking up your new baby at Eby's. I spent four years working at an RV dealer selling RV and helping to check them in when they arrived at the dealer from the manufacture. When I picked up my current PC, I spent two hours going over it checking every little thing. We did not put water in it because the water in Elkhart is so bad and full of iron. When we were ready to leave the weather had turned bad, heavy rain and even thunder storms, so we decided to head south out of the rain. We ended up driving through the worst storms Indiana had seen in years down to Indianapolis, some 170 miles. By the time we got to a campground it was dark and raining pretty hard. I parked in the site and reached down to put the jacks down. Oh boy, you should have hear me talking to my self, like a drunken sailor. NO JACKS. How could I have missed that? I called Stuart and left a message for him. In the morning I called Carol at the factory and she arranged to have jacks installed as soon as I could get back there, a three hour drive. It turns of that at least five people missed the jacks on the check off list and I missed it on delivery. Everyone was very sorry for the mistake and even paid for my gas and troubles. When we picked up our first PC, we did stay locally and only found one small thing wrong. A quick swing by the factory the next day had it fixed in five minutes.  I should have spend the first night near the factory like I have recommended in the past. I laugh at this now but it wasn't so funny then.

I would recommend that you try to pickup the new PC on Monday through Thursday and leave Friday for a return to get anything fixed. Most likely you will not need to return to the factory but it is better safe than sorry. I bet that Stuart will not like me staying this here but it is how I feel.

PS. if these post are helpful, please press the "mark helpful" button on the left under my name. I am trying to keep up with Ron D. on being helpful. Thank you

We live 160 miles, 3 hours from the factory.  We had our walk-through where Stuart shortened the tail pipe extension for me, and then we headed home.  We never had any type of warranty claim.  After the warranty had ended, I wanted to purchase a new battery tray after I finished my battery shield, but they shipped one for free.  The same with some door latches and door knobs.  That was real nice of PC-USA.

Stuart hit his head real bad trying to get that tail pipe extension off.  I think he saw stars.  That was 4.5 years ago.  To this day I feel real bad about that.

Does that explain why he is the way is today? 

Thanks folks.  DW (still VERY nervous about traveling in the lakes area this time of yr) & I will definitely be staying nearby (Eby's looks good!) to check out the new baby.  Ha, ha Tom.  No Jacks!  Guess we can all get carried away w/what we see instead of what we don't see.  I'll let you know if we miss the dinette or our jacks.  I assume the unit will have a bit of gas & propane in it so we can fire up the furnace/oven/water heater.  Did you do ANY water tests (you mentioned Elkhart's non-tasty water) or did you wait until you returned home?  (pump, water line leakage, etc.).

Can't wait!

 

We waited until we got down near Wheeling, WV at a campground before putting water into the fresh tank. Ran a few test to test the pump and then hooked up to city water. By morning the fresh water tank was empty. The factory had left the drain valve open on the tank. So I knew that worked also.

The RV hall of fame is just about two miles from the factory if you want to visit it.

 

BTW:  my "helpful" votes can be bought!

Hey, youz guyz live near Cheekago don't ya?