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Extended RV Trip – Down Into The Fog

By Wes | Filed in Article, Travel

Extended RV Trip – Down Into The Fog

 

We left off the other day parked at the 7 Feathers Casino with the troublesome electrical problem in my parents 5er (5th wheel) finaly solved and fixed.  Nothing like a good nights sleep and the excitement of a new RV travel day to get you moving in the morning with a BIG smile on your face.

My folks told us not to eat breakfast this morning as they had something special in store for us.  So, with only the morning coffee to quiet my stomach and the sun shinning away, we sucked in the slides, raised the jacks and headed out at a reasonable 9 am. Well, it’s very reasonable when you are not tied to a hard schedule and you are traveling for pleasure.

Breathtaking was all I could think of as I watched in awe as Mother Nature painted the valleys in fog.

This was taken just south of 7 Feathers in Oregon on I-5 headed towards the Sisqyous.  It was cold and we were just under the ice fog as we departed that morning.

Leaving Seven Feather Casino & Campground Jan 18, 2009

The Fog Above Us

And yes, that’s my parents 5er in front of us.

The Surprise

Like I said, we didn’t eat breakfast so it wasn’t long and my stomach was beginning to protest it’s miss treatment.  The good news was that just off I-5 on Exit 89 in Oregon was the best surprise you can treat your family too.  Just a little over 30 minutes south of the 7 Feathers Casino and RV park you’ll come to:

The “Heaven on Earth” Restaurant and Gift Shop.

If you have never stopped at “Heaven on Earth” you are really missing out.  They’ve won lots of awards for their apple butter and apple crisp.

While breakfast is our favorite meal there (I love the Potato Medley) all the meals there are fantastic.  What’s more, the free crisp samples (apple, merion berry and pumkin spice today) are larger than many full size servings!  The cinnamon rolls are the size of a layer cake… we’re talking HUGE!

Of course we had to try them all!  Mmmmmmm.

Sorry, I got side tracked.  But it’s sooooo good I just had to tell you about it.

RV looking out over the fog covered valley in Oregon.

RV looking out over the fog

At any rate, after breakfast, we headed up the hill and when we crested the first top… there it was.  The valley was covered in a thick blanket of fog and we were on top headed down into it.

Beautiful or what??????

We pulled off the road and took a few photos so we could record just a little bit of the beauty.

Next, it was time to head down into the sea of fog…

RV Motor Home headed down into the fog.

RV headed into the Oregon fog

Things cleared up pretty fast and the temperatures were warming rapidly.  We ended the day in Redding CA in 77 degree weather and sunshine.  It’s sooo good to be out of the cold.

I’m going to stop here for now, we’ll take you through our first Truck Wash experience with the motorhome next time.  Until then, here’s the FREE Digital Scrapbook Elements for you this week:

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Until next time…

Kathy and Wes

http://www.Free-Stationery.com

 

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RV Enthusiasts Can Swap Travel Wheels for Rudders

By Wes | Filed in Article, Travel

What’s billed as the world’s first theme cruise for RV enthusiasts will enable RVers to combine cruising on a big ship with seminars about RVing. The seven day eastern Caribbean cruise will depart Miami on Nov. 6, 2010 aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Epic of the Seas. Besides the standard cruise events and amenities, the sailing adventure will include 14 hours of education about RVs and the RV lifestyle. Subject matter will be appeal to RVers who own or plan to own motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheel trailers or other types of recreational vehicles.

“There are other group cruises sponsored by RV-related companies, but none with seminars,” said Ron Jones, the cruise co-host along with David Bott. “Our seminars will …

Get the full article at: http://rvnewsservice.com/?p=356

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Our First Extended RV Trip – Part 2: The Electrical Problem

By Wes | Filed in Article, Freebies, Travel

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

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Happy Scrapbook Travels,

Wes & Kathy

http://www.FreeTravelScrapbook.info

http://www.FreeScrapbookTraining.com

http://www.Free-Stationery.com

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Our First Extended RV Trip – Part 1 – The Beautiful Oregon Rest Stop Meetup

By Wes | Filed in Article, Travel

Our First Extended RV Trip – Part 1

Jan 16th, 2009 – It’s time to leave.

It’s finally time to leave. We’ve spent the last 5 plus days planning and packing for the trip. We’ve even gotten some great tips and advice from Wes’ folks who have been taking these long trips for years now.  Still, we can’t help but be a little anxious and excited all at the same time.

The Plan:

The plan is to meet up with Wes’ parents at the first rest area after crossing into Oregon from Washington on I-5.  From there we plan on following them in their 5th Wheel (5er) down I-5 into CA.  From there we plan on cutting across to Laughlin NV for a week and then head up to Las Vegas for another week.  Once we finish in Vegas, we will decide based on expected weather, how to head back north to Tacoma and Spokane to finish the trip.

We have reservations in Laughlin at the Avi Casina Campground for Jan 24th and at the Oasis in Las Vegas for Jan 31st.  This gives us lots of extra travel time so we can loiter as we wish and take side trips if we see an opportunity.  Other than that, our stops will be planned on a daily basis as the weather and scenery present themselves.

Sounds like a lot of fun… don’t you think?

Starting out in the Snow:

It had been snowing in Spokane and most of WA State now for weeks.  We caught a little of it in Tacoma on our maiden voyage, but missed the real heavy stuff in Eastern WA.  Since we got back to Spokane, it had continued to snow off and on, but just in small doses as a time.  Still, the first couple hundred miles of our journey would be on snow packed and/or wet slushy roads. 

At least the sun was showing this morning at 7:35 am as we pulled out of the driveway and pointed the motorhome towards town (Spokane) and Interstate 90. 

The roads were snow packed, icy and bumpy for the first 30 miles or so. Boy were we glad we put the Styrofoam plates and paper bowls between our glass dishes. We thought the motorhome was going to shake itself apart even at the slow 40 mph pace we were keeping on the Freeway.

About 90 minutes after we had left, we were finally about 20 miles west of Spokane and I-90 turned to slush and then just to wet roads.  It was nice to be done shaking, but when we stopped at the first rest stop, WoW, what a mess our motorhome was with all the black asphalt mixed with dirty snow and salt.  The back end was totally covered and all you could see was the dirt.

No place to get it clean right now, so on we pressed on.

We turned off I-90 and headed south on HW 395/I-82 towards the Tri-Cities and the Columbia River. I was sure glad we had the Garmin GPS with us as the Tri-Cities had really changed over the years and the hiway over the bridge into Oregon and back onto the I-84 freeway west was total confusion.  We had to go almost south east to get onto the freeway headed west.

RV Tip: Never travel without a good GPS unit. This little piece of technology saved us a lot of aggravation and kept us from getting lost on numerous occasions. Better than a map alone any day of the week!

We hit a little mild rain in Oregon along I-84, but it was a welcome change from the snow we started out in.  As much as we hopped it would wash off some of the grime we had collected earlier in the day, it wasn’t to be.  Snow, salt and road grime make for one tough sticky goo that rain alone can’t compete with. 

Oh well, as long as the weather was gray, we could live with the RV being a little dirty… of course it was more than just a little dirty. We’ll fix that soon enough though.

We were behind schedule a bit due to the snow packed roads this morning.  So, we decided to test the fuel economy difference at higher speeds.  We weren’t pulling a tow vehicle (toad), so there was no problem getting the motorhome up to 65 to 70 mph on the flat smooth I-84 freeway in Oregon.  Speed limit was 75, so we also had no worry of getting a ticket either. 

The rest of the trip that day was smooth and at the higher speed, went rather quickly. It really made you keep an eye on traffic ahead and made Wes really pay attention when we went around slower traffic and especially trucks. 

RV Tip: When passing large trucks, they tend to pull you into them as you approach the back of the trailer, level off midway through and then push you away as you get to the front end.  When getting passed by a large truck, they push you away as they start to pass by and then suck you in as the trailer or box goes by you.  Be ready for it, especially at higher speeds and in high wind situations.

By 3:30 pm we had joined up with I-5 south and were pulling off at the exit 282 rest stop.

The Oregon I-5 Exit 282 Rest Stop.

What many people, even in Oregon don’t know is that this particular rest stop is HUGE!  It has parking area loops much like a campground in the trees.  It allows overnight stays and the back loops are far enough off the freeway that it’s actually pretty quiet.  The loops are meant for trucks as well as cars, so there is plenty of space even for the largest RVs and trucks.

Using the Citizen’s Band (CB) radio on an agreed upon channel we found Wes’ folks all the way in the back loop. We pulled up along side and had plenty of room to extend the slides, have dinner in the picnic area (or inside) and get a good nights sleep for an early morning start.

The rest stop really should be made into a campground as it’s really quite beautiful with lots of old growth pine trees and native plants.  One of, if not THE BEST, rest stops in the US.  You’ll have to make a point of checking it out for yourself next time you are in the Portland OR area.

I know, that’s already a lot for a BLOG entry, so we’ll cut it off there for today.  We’ll pick it up on Day 2 next time.

Until then, here’s a couple of wonderful Valentines Day themed digital scrapbook page downloads for you.  As always, no hassles and no signups needed.  Just enjoy the scrapbook templates 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/scrapbook_pages.htm

Happy Scrapbook Travels,

Wes & Kathy

http://www.FreeTravelScrapbook.info

http://www.FreeScrapbookTraining.com

http://www.Free-Stationery.com

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Three Easy Packing Tips For Extended RV Trips

By Wes | Filed in Article, Freebies, Travel

Three Easy Packing Tips For Extended RV Trips

 

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.

  • Pack as light as you can including fresh water and an empty gray/black water tank
  • Carry an air compressor so you can keep your tires and suspension in perfect running order.
  • Carry spare fuses and an extra length of power cord to hook up your RV with. Don’t forget the amperage adaptors that go with it.

 

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.

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Must Know Extended RV Trip Planning Tips

By Wes | Filed in Article, Freebies, Travel

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. 

  • Make reservations ahead of time for any planned stay of 3 days or more.
  • Take advantage of extended stay rates (usually 5 days or more) when you can.
  • Ask about other discounts such as AAA, Good Sam’s and other camping clubs.
  • Give yourself extra travel time between reservations unless you know for sure you can make it. This is CRITICAL in winter as roads and passes can close on you.
  • Plan time with no plans! I mean that you need to alow yourself some flexability so that if you see or hear of something new, you have the time to go see it or the time to do nothing at all if you feel tired or stressed.

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.

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Until next time…

Wes & Kathy

www.FreeTravelScrapbook.com

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