I’m going to keep this one really short and quick.
I just added Digital Scrapbook Frame element sets 5 and 6 to our Free Scrapbook Training web site. Here’s the link:
FREE Digital Scrapbook Frame Elements
Hope you’ll take just a few minutes and check them out.
Wes
www.DigitalsScrapbooking.com (Free Scrapbook Page Template Samples)
Extended RV Trip – Motorhome Gets a Bath
Breakfast at Heaven on Earth was fanominal! Our stomach’s were happy and our energy levels were peaked. It’s time to get back on the road and see what mother nature has to show us today.
The sun is out today, the fog, ice and snow are behind us, and warmer temps ahead. Slides are in jacks are up and we are rolling down the road again. Next stop, Redding CA.
We originally planned on getting a lot farther along on our trip, but Redding has a factory outlet shops right off the freeway. The ladies (my mom and my wife) were ready for a break and shopping was just the distraction they needed… 4 hours of distraction to be exact.
To be totally honest, they had a really great hat shop there and dad and I both picked up new hats while we were there. Not to mention the walk felt great after days of travel.
With the day mostly gone and dinner time just ahead, we decided to camp right there in Redding at one of the many RV parks just off hiway. We got full hookups and large pull through spots for $30.00 a night with no reservations. Of course this was in January and may be totally different during the summer months.
I have to really stress to you how nice it was to have a short driving day and an early evening to cook a nice dinner and relax. We even got to watch a movie, re-adjust our travel plans and just talk for a while with my folks. It turned out to be one of our most memorable days of the whole trip… the 100 mile day.
The RV Wash
Jan 19th – We got up well rested and really ready to go again. We fixed a nice breakfast and it was time to get the slides in, the jacks up and head down the road. It was also time to do something about the dirt and road grime that had collected on the outside of our motorhome.
All that snow, ice and freezing rain from the first couple days of our trip had left a sticky almost black coat of grime all around the rig. It was time to take advantage of the warm CA sun and get the motorhome washed and waxed.
It was perfect timing as we headed into Corning CA. A large billboard let us know that there was a truck wash just off the freeway.
In case you didn’t know, big rigs or semi-trucks tend to get dirty on the road too. They have, like an automated car wash, set up these large truck wash systems to clean the large trucks and trailers. What many don’t know is that these truck washes are also perfect for large 5er’s and motorhomes. So, what normally can take hours to do by hand, takes only minutes.
It cost me only a $1.25 a foot to wash and wax coat my motorhome. The guys at Royal Truck Wash in Corning CA did a great job of pre rinsing and making sure the under carrage got clean. The water preasure isn’t so high that it will do any damage to decals or trim and the use soft brushes to get any stuborn grime. I’d feel safe with even the fanciest of paint jobs.
I do have one Truck wash tip though.
While the water preasure isn’t so high as to damage paint and trim, it is high enough to drip through crank window seals and on your slidder seals. So, since you can be inside while they wash… just follow along on the inside with a couple towels and catch the leaks as they occure. It’s easy and quick and saves on the water marks and mess.
Less than 30 minutes later and we were back on the road with a nice clean RV. It felt great to have all the salty road grime behind us. The other benifits were faster jack retraction and less noise from the seals on the slides. It also keeps the corrosion down and helps make our motorhome as efficient as possible.
That’s all for now. Next time we’ll tell you about the worst RV Park we seen on our trip. This is one park to avoid if at all possible.
For now, here’s a link to some great Digital Scrapbook downloads.
FREE Photo Calendar Template Downloads
These are perfect for using all your travel photos to create beautiful picture calendars to keep your dates on while you travel. They also make wonderful hand made Christmas and holiday or Special Occassion gifts.
My kids, my brother and sisters and all of Kathy’s family complain if we don’t have a new one made for them each year. Kathy and I just take the time to collect photos from each family of their travels and special events from the last year and then we make a personallized calendar complete with everyones birthdays and anniversaries for each side of the family.
It doesn’t take much time and it’s a gift that keeps giving all year long.
Hope you have some great travels of your own this week… don’t forget to put them in your own “Travel Scrapbook” while the memories are still fresh. You wouldn’t want to forget anything now, would you?
Our First Extended RV Motor Home Trip – Part 2: The Electrical Problem
Jan 17th, 2009 Day 2 of our very first extended RV trip.
As we left off, we had traveled from Spokane (Deer Park) Washington and had made it to the Rest Stop just south of where I-84 and I-5 meet on Interstate 5 exit 282 outside Portland Oregon.
We got there yesterday just before the sun went down and we parked in the very back of the extended parking and picnicking area in this large beautiful rest area. The parking spots were large enough that we were able to extend the slides and enjoy the space in the motorhome to its fullest. My folks (Wes’ parents, Leo and Donna Waddell) met us there from Tacoma and had arrived about an hour before we did.
RV Tip: When traveling with others in separate RV’s, the CB radio is invaluable. It made it easy to find where they were parked in this expansive Rest Area with multiple parking/picnicking areas and made planning stops and site seeing a pleasure.
While Cell phones are great for long distance, when you have coverage, the CB (Citizens Band Radio) and it’s instant transmit/receive are far more convenient than dialing a cell phone each time you wish to make a comment. The new FM radios may sometimes have more range, but unless you have a base unit installed with a hand mic and everyone you travel has the same channel capabilities, the CB and it’s true universal compatibility are still today your best bet. That’s why it’s still the truckers primary communications tool yet today. The hand held walkie talkies are a pain to use while driving and hard to hear with road noise.
Back to our story…
After a good nights sleep, we were up about 7am and on the road by 7:30 am, planning to catch breakfast down the road a ways. With all of yesterdays driving, we also needed to gas up the motorhome and check all the fluids. After all, it was our first extended trip and we wanted to make sure all was working properly.
We hit Salem OR about 8:15 am and gassed up the motorhome (53 gallons – about 11 MPG) and had breakfast there at Denney’s. Good food and wonderful service. In just under an hour, we were fed, awake and ready to travel on down the road again.
By 2:15 pm, we found ourselves in Cottage Grove OR and in need of lunch. We picked up some bottled water and a few groceries there. When traveling, not all water is as drinkable as others, so it’s always good to have a supply on hand that you know is good to drink. Either that of equip your RV with a good reverse osmosis system for making your own on the road.
While there, my dad and mom discovered that the batteries in their 5th Wheel (5er) had totally discharged from use the night before and didn’t charge while going down the road. That led us to discover that my dad’s alternator on his pickup wasn’t working at full capacity.
There’s more to that story later on as we discovered, but for now, we were lucky enough to find a parts store just up the road in Roseburg OR that had the right part. One more short drive, a quick stop and we had the new part in hand. Dad decided to wait until evening to swap them out as it was keeping his truck battery from totally discharging. Just meant that we would need to hook up to power tonight or run his generator for a while to charge things up.
We had a plan and we were on the road again.
The original plan had always been to spend the night at the 7 Feathers Casino and RV park in Canyonville OR. That made for a nice drive from Portland OR without any stress of driving too late in the day. We easily arrived about 4 pm even with the extra stop for truck parts along the way.
Since we had some time before dinner, Kathy and my mom (Donna) headed to the Casino to play while dad (Leo) and I took on the alternator before it got too dark.
While checking out the owners manual for alternator quirks, we found that there was a separate fuse for the trailer charge system coming off the alternator. In checking that, we found it had blown. This made for a very quick fix and some happy campers that that’s all it was… at least for the most part. Again, there’s more, but I’ll get to it as it happened.
So, dinner at the 7 Feathers Casino, Free parking in the Dry Camp area for the night and a nice leisurely start in the morning.
Mom and Dad moved over to the full hookups area that night so they could charge their batteries in the 5er with shore power (external hookup power) from the campsite. We were already parked and needed no power for battery charging, so we stayed put in the dry hookup area free of charge.
Just a quick note: 7 Feathers is a popular stopping point for RVers, so get there early if you want the non reservation dry camp (no hookups, water or sewer) or make reservations for the beautiful new full hookup campsites on the other side (west side) of the Freeway.
18 Jan, 2009 – Day 3 of our trip.
By the time we got up, brought in the slides, topped off with propane and gas, it was a not so early 9 am departure from Canyonville. That’s O.K. though as we were on no set in stone schedule and had, as we planned, left ourselves with lots of extra time to get to our set destination with reservations.
So, on the road again, with a stop just up the road at the Heaven on Earth restaurant in Azalia OR off I-5, Exit 89. This is a must stop for some of the best food, especially the home made desserts. If you are in the area, this is absolutely a must stop! Breakfast is best, but lunch and dinner are also wonderful.
The rest of the story…
Since we were stopped again, dad decided to check on the RV charging again. To our dismay, the fuse was again blown and the batteries week. This meant only one thing, something was grounding out and blowing the fuse with hooked up to the 5er.
Long story short, we traced the line and found that one of the wires in the 5er lights/break harness was loose. We disassembled the plug, tightened all the connections and replaced the fuse once again. Everything worked as it should the rest of the trip. Goes to show that it’s always good to have a few hand tools on board especially on long trips.
Well, that’s more than enough for another day. Let’s cut off the BLOG entry here for today. We’ll pick it up on Day 4 with our trip over the mountains and our first Truck/Motorhome Wash experience next time.
Until then, here’s a couple of wonderful Camping themed digital scrapbook page topper downloads for you. As always, no hassles and no signups needed. Just enjoy the scrapbook elements and embellishments and think of us when you use them. If you like them, be sure and tell your friends and family so they can get them too.
http://www.freescrapbooktraining.com/freebies/free_scrapbook_elements.htm
Free Scrapbook Downloads
Happy Scrapbook Travels,
Wes & Kathy
http://www.FreeTravelScrapbook.info
Now that we have our RV trip loosely planned, lets start packing.
Packing Tip #1:
Weight is everything when it comes to fuel economy in your RV on a long (extended) road trip. The less weight you carry the better fuel economy you get with your RV. One mile per gallon extra may not seem like much now, but over a 2000 mile vacation, it can add up to more than $100.00.
Next to your speed, weight is the easiest way you can reduce the cost of your RV trip.
I know that you are going on a long or at least an extended trip. I also know that this means you need more clothes, food and other supplies. All I’m saying is that you need to ALWAYS be thinking weight as you pack.
For instance, we take out the heavy blankets and quilts and replace them with lighter blankets and quilts when we head south or for summer trips. The same goes with our heavy winter coats, gloves and boots unless we plan on staying in the mountains. Another good example is my tool box and maintenance supplies. I keep only multi-adjustable wrenches and a few smaller sockets instead of a full line of working tools.
If I need any heavy maintenance on the trip, I let the roadside assistance plan take care of it. I don’t have a shop or work area on the road to use for any major repairs, so why carry the extra weight in tools I can’t use anyway. The fuel savings will more than make up for any tool I might need to pick up on the road.
You can also plan on only filling your fresh water tank half way unless you know you won’t have access to fill your tank at the destination or along the way. I do recommend keeping some water in the tank… you never know when power and water won’t be available due to a forest fire or other natural event.
As you travel more, you’ll find things in your bins and storage compartments that you don’t ever use. Make sure you go through your bins from time to time and take out items that rarely if ever get used.
Think light and if you can leave it behind, take less or find a lighter version… take advantage of that.
Packing Tip #2:
Pack a small air compressor if your rig doesn’t have one built in. Tire pressure also makes a big difference on your fuel economy. Having your own air compressor or means of inflating your tires is a big asset on the road. My rig also has air suspension so being able to adjust the ride on the road is critical.
If you have a generator, a small 110 volt compressor will make filling things a lot faster as they have larger cylinders and push more air. If not, a 12 volt battery powered compressor is still better than nothing at all. Just make sure it has the inflation capabilities you need for your RV. My motorhome tires require more than 90 psi…
Spare tires are packed and forgotten until they are needed. They rarely have the correct pressure when they are most needed.
Packing Tip #3:
Fuses and electrical cords are the life blood of your RV. When power goes out, you will most often not be anywhere you can get replacements easily. Make yourself an electrical kit and always replace anything you use in it as soon as you can.
Have a complete set of spare fuses for your RV. My Rexhall Aerbus has 3 different fuse panels and 3 different sizes of fuses. Some of them aren’t always available at local stores and parts stores.
Have at least an extra 15 foot of electrical power cord in the correct size for your RV hookup. For instance, I have a 50 amp plug for my motorhome and so I carry a 15 to 20 foot 50 amp extension cord.
Why?
Some older campgrounds, especially older state and federal parks, are not set up with standardized hookups. At Millersylvania State Park in WA State the sewer hookup in the host site is at the far back of the campsite while the power hookup is all the way up near the front. In order to keep the sewer as short as possible (less leaks and easier to drain,) my standard 20 foot power cord isn’t long enough and I have to use the 50 amp extension cord to hook up to the electric.
I also carry 50 to 30 amp as well as 30 to 15 amp conversion connectors. This way I can always hook up to whatever electrical power is available and have some power.
Summery:
Everyone is different and every RV has different needs. A few things hold true for all.
No one knows everything there is or that might be needed for a long RV road trip. As you spend more time on the road, you’ll find the things you must have, the things you like and can use and the things that you can’t or don’t want to deal with. In the mean time, these lessons I’ve learned first hand on the road, will serve you well as you get started.
Welcome to the RV Lifestyle.
FREE Scrapbook Elements
FREE Scrapbook Element Downloads:
While you wait for our next update, head on over to one of our FREE Digital Scrapbook Freebies sites and get some really great Golden Alphabet Letter Phrase Elements.
http://www.freescrapbooktraining.com/freebies/free_scrapbook_elements.htm
Extended RV Trip Planning Tips
Back in Spokane now, we began planning for our first extended trip. We were meeting up with my (Wes’) parents and taking 4 to 5 weeks traveling through OR, CA, NV and NM. We planned extended stops in Laughlin and Las Vegas NV. Other than that, we were playing it by ear depending on weather and how we felt at the time.
Kathy nor I had ever traveled for that length of time in one shot and we weren’t sure how we would like being on the road for that amount of time. We were definitely excited to give it a try though.
Planning in advance and giving ourselves plenty of extra time to travel between reserved camp sites was key… traveling with some one experienced in RV travel was even smarter. My mom and dad had been traveling in their 5th wheel for extended periods for years now.
The fact that they had made this trip before made for a very relaxed atmosphere from the start.
Planning-
Here’s a few important tips we learned about planning for long extended trips of 3 weeks or more.
Just remember, with a RV, you have everything you need right there with you. Always feel free to change your plans and go a new direction. You are on vacation… even if it’s full time now. Enjoy yourself!
Next we’ll get into a few of the Packing for extended RV trips tips. Until then, here’s another FREE Download for you.
FREE Digital Scrapbook Candy Heart Phrase Elements:
http://www.freescrapbooktraining.com/freebies/free_scrapbook_elements.htm
Until next time…
Wes & Kathy
Stranded by Snow in Tacoma – Tire Chains… NEVER!
Tacoma Snow
The weather that froze everything up in our motorhome, also stranded us in Tacoma WA for the week. We didn’t dare try and take our 38 foot RV out onto the icy and snow covered roads. Four wheel drive vehicles were sliding off the road, we certainly didn’t want to try our luck with all that weight and wind resistance.
Besides, our next stop was back home in Deer Park, just north of Spokane WA. The passes between east and west Washington state were all closed, and when they did open a few days later, they were still requiring chains or four wheel drive to proceed.
I’ve personally seen the damage tire chains can do to a vehicle if they come loose while you are moving. I’ve also seen the repair bills for shocks, bearings, tie rods and wheel alignments that go with extended driving with chains on. Chains are for short distance emergency driving only. Never forget that any time you use tire chains and exceed 10 MPH, you are violently shaking your vehicle and you are reducing it’s life span.
The whole idea with an RV is that you have everything you need with you. So, why would you ever put tire chains on your motorhome?
It’s just not worth the risk of major damage or the wear on what is usually and already heavily loaded vehicle.
We have a cardinal rule we never break when traveling by RV in winter conditions: Check the weather often when planning a winter trip. If it snows or there is snow on the roads, we don’t go. Stay where you are.
Don’t ever get caught with “Gotta Get There Itus!” Weather usually clears within just a couple of days and a couple of days of extra full hookups is a lot cheaper than possible major repairs or even never getting there. If you really need to be there, take a plane or drive a well equipped four wheel drive car.
In our case, we had the grandkids and needed to get to Spokane for Christmas. We left two days later, still before Christmas, and took our 4×4 car over for the holiday after the passes opened and the roads were clear or sanded. We just stayed with family while we were there. That made for a great holiday with no added stress from the drive.
After Christmas, we headed back in sunny weather to get the motorhome and bring it back to the eastern side of the state.
I love happy endings… don’t you?
Before I get to the next phase of our RV adventure – Our First Extended Trip, here’s some more FREE Scrapbook Elements for you to download at your leisure:
FREE Scrapbook Winter Alphabet Letter Set
http://www.freescrapbooktraining.com/freebies/free_scrapbook_elements.htm
Until next time…
Wes & Kathy
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