Tracks and greedy power costs

That's what drives me even more crazy. Me bringing my RV guarantees I'll never step foot in any of their facilities.

 

Yes

 

Let's ask Putnam Park why there's no camping. Maybe we'll understand why there's a fee for it at other places.

 

I actually didn't know they were supposed to be kept plugged in all the time. I just thought it was like a car, park it and let it sit till you need it again. When we got ready to leave for the GNF they were all completely dead. I didn't know what was going on.

But they took a charge and have held it ever since and haven't given me any problems, so I guess they are ok. Now I leave it plugged in all the time.

 

Exactly.

If you think about it, actually the opposite way kinda makes at least a little more sense. If somebody is sleeping in their trailer, but using the toilet and showers and stuff at the track, then they can at least make somewhat of an excuse for the camping fee.

But in the RV, all I use is their power...which I pay for.

Why should I have to pay a camping fee, when it doesn't cost/effect them any more than an empty truck or trailer sitting there?

 

Yeah now that I think about it, that makes even less sense for people with RV's. It'd be no different than stopping the RV over night at a rest area or a Walmart parking lot. I just think the camping fees in general are dumb. The use of facilities (bathrooms, showers, trash cans, etc.) should just be accounted for in either the gate fees or simply the track rental fees. It wouldn't surprise me if they're double-dipping and they probably account for that in the track rental fee which is paid for by the track/racing organization and then they also charge each person again for it!

I remember a few years ago when I was just getting into going to track days outside my local tracks and the first track I went to was road america. I bought my track days online...$500 for the weekend. Ok fine. I figured that'll be the cost for the trip, plus some for gas and food of course. Nope...next thing I know, there's gate fee, camping fee, electricity fee, and even a freakin pit-bike fee if you're using something other than a licensed scooter! All of a sudden it becomes like $600-650 instead of the $500 I thought. I'm sure most of you are thinking "how did you not know that from before?"...well my 2 local tracks don't have any of that crap, so I wasn't familiar with it. You pay for the track day and you go ride. One of them does have an electricity fee but at the time I was getting the power from one of my friends and was just giving him like $10 and he was cool with that. Other than that, none of those added bs fees.

 

I cant believe the Liquor stores raised the Price of Bacardi....

Ask the 2 Houses across the street ... They will gladly tell you... Total BS. Especially being the ONLY Track in North America that you cant camp at.... Makes no friggin sense at all...

 

You're better off disconnecting the bank of batteries instead of leaving the rv plugged in if you aren't going to be using it for a few weeks. Many of them will over charge the batteries and run the cells dry if you leave it plugged in for extended periods. A trickle charger isn't a bad idea though.

 

The story I heard was that to get the permit to operate the track, they had to agree not to allow camping. Something about local politics.

 

Seriously? Putnam doesn't allow camping?

Mehh...I've been to another track who said the same thing for a particular event I was at. I slept in the car. It's not camping, it's sleeping in a car! ....what are they going to do? Come and check every single vehicle parked there? Ok...i'll lock the door lol.

 

Chris, if you have FLA (flooded Lead Acid) batteries in the motorhome, and you keep it plugged in all the time at home, you need to check the water/acid level of the batteries at LEAST once a month so you don't boil the batteries dry. Most of the newer coaches/trailers/toy haulers have smart chargers in them that eventually will go to a "float" charge level to keep the batteries up, but just to be safe, check the battery water level often. Once they are boiled dry, you probably don't have a chance in hell to revive them and it time for new batteries.

 

Or to make life easier, get a small solar setup you do all that for you.

 

Everybody and vehicle has to be out of the track by 5 pm

 

Supposedly (and I know nothing about it, nor the terminology, I am just going by what the electrician guy at the dealership said), you can leave them plugged in and there are like 3-4 different charging modes, depending on how drained they are. Once they reach full charge, it will automatically shut the power off and let the battery drain down something like 5-10%, then it will slowly charge it at a rate of 1% (when sitting at the house plugged in). Almost like it has a trickle charge built in.

Don't quote me on all of that, as I know fuckall about it. But I remember him telling me that, then specifically saying to leave it plugged in...that they aren't like car batteries and the last thing you want is to let them go completely dead. He said even if I don't plan on using it for 6 months, just leave it plugged in and it will be perfectly fine.

 

That assures I will never, ever go there. Never.

I don't mind the setting up, that part is someone enjoyable to me. I like arranging and organizing everything. But taking everything down and loading it up at the end of the day sucks camel ass. There is absolutely no way in hell I will ever go to a track that doesn't allow you to setup Friday and stay all weekend.

 

Even on Saturday night when doing a full weekend event?? You have to pack up and leave and then come back next morning and unload everything all over again?

 

I have never seen 5 but its usually been 6PM their time.. You can leave your trailer and Pits set up if your doing 2 day events or leave stuff in the garages they built... However if you have a pulse you need to be off property at 6PM every day.... The people that live on the road across the main entrance had this put in a clause when the track was developed to prevent PM traffic... I can see it on their side but I think they were expecting Daytona or Indy traffic or something...

 

So you won't be asking Mongo to put it on the schedule then...

 

Yup. 5 is the 'official' time, but 6 is usually the norm. Putnam is my home track...newly repaved btw.
But i don't go as much. I've worn it out over the past 23 yrs.

 

Yeah, as TLR says.

There is a nearby campground and the Greencastle exit off of I-70 has a few hotels, restaurants, liquor store.