RVillage Works!!

RVillage is a new website for RVers - you join, add your profile and then check in at different RV Parks, State Parks or National Parks as you move around the country. If you enter the park you're in, another RVer can view that park's information and see RV subscribers who are also registered in that same park.

I joined a few weeks ago, when the Beta version was first announced. Yesterday, I found out that it really does work - I was being lazy after a long day of sightseeing the day before, sitting outside reading a book and I looked up to see a man coming across the street with his laptop. His first words were about RVillage and that he was surprised to find another member already registered in the park That would be me. He had clicked on my profile, found a picture of my truck and 5th wheel, and that's the picture he had showing on his computer. So, it really does work! As long as people check in as they arrive and are open to meeting others. And why would you not - it's part of the fun of RVing and it's great to exchange important information.

His wife came over with their sweet little dog and we sat down and discussed where we had been and where we were headed. They were headed to Florida and then north, and I was coming from Florida, headed west. We traded information on places we had been and what was worth seeing as well as parks that were worth staying in, as well as other RV related issues. He also had information on websites I hadn't known about, but could be handy for the future.

It's nice to know this works as intended and I'll be looking forward to meeting other RVers along the way, thanks to this site as well as the Facebook pages devoted to get togethers. Thanks to Technomadia for the extensive work that made this website viable!

Murphy!!

Just so everyone will understand that the life of a nomadic RVer is not all fun and games, I guess you should hear some of the bad parts....   As you can see by the above picture, I didn't have much fun on this day. But,  I guess we have to take the good with the bad. About a week ago, Murphy joined my crew. Sure wish the cat had chased him out before he decided to do his special mischief. The first inkling I got was a funny noise under the hood of the truck one day when I hooking up. Sounded like a fan belt type noise, but it couldn't be, the serpentine belt had been replaced a few thousand miles ago. After I got hooked up and pulled out of my campsite, the noise stopped and I figured it was OK - for now.

The next morning, I started the truck again and the noise seemed louder. The general consensus from my conversation with a couple guys in my new camping area was that it was probably the pulleys that made the belt work. OK, sounded logical to me. I called a repair shop and the guy told me to bring it in and he could check it. It was a little way down the road and I figured it shouldn't take too long to do the job. Sure wish I had taken a book with me.

The mechanic opened the hood and listened to the noise - yeah, at least it made the same noise when the mechanic was around. Murphy must have been sleeping. He said it had nothing to do with the belt or pulleys, it was coming from the back of the engine. Sounded ominous, there are only expensive things back there. He finally decided it was a broken flywheel. HUH? They break? All by themselves? Not that I'm skeptical (yeah, right!), but I really didn't believe it. I told him that I wanted to see it for myself, I just didn't believe it.

He was pretty adamant it was the flywheel, so he started tearing into it to uncover the problem. Well, when he got it partially apart, the diagnosis changed - the starter gear that meshes with the flywheel wasn't retracting after the engine was started, it just sat there and pinged along the flywheel teeth. OK, I'll buy that, especially when I saw the little teeth on the starter had some new shiny spots. The flywheel teeth didn't look damaged at all.

A new starter was ordered and a few hours later he was putting things back together and I was on the road back to the campground, a few hundred dollars lighter.

A couple days later, I hooked up again and left that park. I was about 60 miles away when my brakes started pulling to the side. And I thought Murphy had jumped ship. A few more miles down the road, I smelled the dreaded hot, burning smell that demanded immediate attention. I pulled over the first chance I safely could and got out of the truck. The driver's side front tire was smoking! I grabbed my phone, got in the middle of the wide median strip and called Coach Net. While I was talking to them, a Sheriff pulled up. He helped give me information on the areas and roads I had just passed through since I wasn't paying that much attention and she needed more information than what my GPS was telling me. After that, she asked me where I wanted it towed to. Well, of course, a fix-it shop. She said I had to give her the name of one. OK, I don't understand, I told her that this is an RV specific service and since most RV people don't know what's available in the area they're traveling in, so I didn't understand why she thought I'd know what was around me. Even the Sheriff's guys (by now I had 2 of them with me) didn't know, but one checked on his computer and found a place about 25 miles down the road.

After about 25 minutes on the phone with this non-helpful person, she told me I should see two trucks in about 75 minutes - one for the 5th wheel and one for my truck. A Sheriff's volunteer spent the next hour and a half with me waiting for these guys, the first time I've been in the back of a police car!

The guys loaded up my truck and trailer in record time and we set off to the fix-it shop. Unfortunately, there was no room at the shop to park both the truck, which would be taken care of first thing the next morning, and my trailer. The tow truck guy called the local Walmart and got permission to park the trailer in their lot.

The next day, I got new calipers and brake lines for the front wheels. And I sure hope Murphy left with the calipers that went back for the core charge!

I've decided that if Murphy shows up again, I'll try an exorcism - 2 major problems in the space of a couple days means he was having way too much fun.

State Park Week

For the past week, I have stayed in two Florida State Parks and visited a Wildlife Refuge Center.

St Marks Wildlife Refuge Center and Lighthouse is along the Gulf Coast of Florida in the Big Bend area. I spent a few hours there, hiking the trails and photographing the lighthouse and other wildlife in the area, including the cute critter below, who refused to sit and pose for me.

　

The next day I was settled in at Florida Caverns State Park. As soon as I learned this park had cavern tours, I knew I wanted to see them, so I reserved a spot for a few nights. I love caves and caverns and Florida has so very few of them, this was a real treat. For the tour, I was fortunate to be one of a group of three, so I was able to take lots of photos without people being in them. After the tour, I spent a few hours hiking the trails and watching the wildlife, including one squirrel who wanted to have a conversation.

　

I left after a couple days and headed a few miles west to see Falling Waters State Park, so named for an actual waterfall in the park - in Florida - very rare, since this state is so flat! The park itself has a high elevation of 324 feet above sea level, but that's not where the waterfall is. The waterfall is a short hike to a sinkhole in the woods where the water comes off the edge of the sinkhole to disappear further into the sinkhole 73 feet down. There is a wooden platform built down into the sinkhole so you can get closer to the waterfall and see it hit bottom and disappear into a cave. I visited the waterfall the first day and then the second day after a heavy rainstorm. The second day, there was about twice as much water (and noise) with mist rising from the force of the water falling.
　

From there, I went to a more populated area at Mexico Beach, still on the Florida Panhandle coast. There is a get together here of several solo RVers, most of them seem to be women. It will be fun to compare notes with other women who have the same wanderlust as I do.

　

　

Moving Along

The past two days have been pleasant traveling through unpopulated areas and small communities. I've been traveling on a divided 4 lane highway that's been sometimes as straight to the horizon as Alligator Alley.

I did have a bit of panic yesterday morning when I realized that my brake controller wasn't working. I was leaving Holiday, Florida on Route 19 in heavy traffic and pulled over in an empty parking lot to assess the situation. I had checked everything that morning and it seemed to be working then. I took the power connector from the trailer to the truck and gave it a good squirt of Boeshield T9 - plugged it back in and wiggled it in an out a couple times. Then I tested the brake controller and - YES! - it's working again. I can only hope that all my future problems will be taken care of with a spray can of magic.

I spent last night parked in a WalMart parking lot, in the company of at least 4 other RVs and a couple tractor trailers. Tonight, I'm in another WalMart lot further up the road, with a couple more RVs. Nice of WalMart to let us come in and park for the night along the way. Of course, I ended up buying some good looking strawberries for breakfast tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll head to St Marks Lighthouse for the tour, photos and hikes along the trails. Then it's up to Marianna, Florida to see the caverns in one of the State parks. Florida is not known for caverns, except for the underwater variety, so this is unusual for this area.

After that, I'll head for the Panhandle coast and points west.

Day One

 

Yesterday was my first real trip with my truck and fifth wheel trailer.  While getting ready to go, I was about to stow the electric cord and when I opened the little hatch to feed the cord inside the trailer, I noticed a couple little light-colored frogs crouched there.   As I tried to get them out, they started crawling inside, where they were safe from eviction since I had no way to get them.  They have now been relocated to the west coast of Florida, as soon as they evacuate.  They will probably stagger out as soon as they recover from motion sickness. 

My cat was riding shotgun and not at all happy about it.  I had given her a couple morsels of "Quiet Moments" calming aid, which claimed to reduce stress, tension and promote relaxation.   I also sprayed the towel in her cage and the one covering her cage with some spray that claimed to do the same thing.   HAH - not with my cat!  It did manage to lower the volume of her usual very loud howling and after a couple hours, she got tired enough to lay around and continue to whine.   I finally managed to tune her out and I managed to have a pleasant trip.

Since I took the back roads instead of I4, to which I am highly allergic, there was some nice scenery along the way.  There were some places that would have been nice to be able to stop and take a few photos, but there was no place to pull over and park.  My route took me over many of the hills of northern Florida - not at all like the flat lands of most of Florida.  There were patches of pretty purple wildflowers along the side of the road.  And lots of live oak trees with Spanish moss hanging, as well as one that had been split in half by lightning and laying dead in a field. 

I got into the park later than expected but was pleased with my choice, Fay's RV Park, a small park but one that accepted Passport America (discount!).  I'm surrounded by live oak trees and some tall pines, as you can see in the photo above.  The view out my big back window is woods, replacing the view of the Halifax River of the past few months.  I don't have any close neighbors and it seems very quiet after driving so long.  The manager was very helpful and helped guide me into the spot.  As a bonus, their wifi works well!

I'll be here for 3 full days and expect to take my bike out tomorrow for some exploring in the area.  And so ends the first leg of my cross-country trip.

New Toy

I've been doing lots of research about RVing in preparation for taking off on my own. I've learned lots by reading blogs written by people who have been doing this for years. There are numerous Facebook pages about RVing as well as many forums full of information and helpful hints.

Of the many "must haves" discussed by RVing people, I noticed that quite a few of them recommended a dash camera for safety/accidents or other problems. I also saw quite a few videos of great scenery taken by these little cameras. I started researching them and found that you could get one for as little as $25, moving on up to a several hundred dollars. Since I'm just starting out, I opted for one just over $100, which I now see is selling for $140 and up.

I played with it for a few hours and the quality certainly isn't as good as a regular video camera or even my digital still camera. But, it does a decent job although the quality deteriorates a bit when driving with the light coming at the camera. Typical behavior in any camera. I do believe the resolution would be even better if someone had cleaned the windshield first. Will have to discuss that with the window cleaner.

Just for fun, I've uploaded a video and you can see it with this link
      http://youtu.be/MwydzxCSASM

A Sinking Feeling

1. 

I just love those plastic screw on connectors for P traps that are under sinks these days.  Such a great invention compared to the old metal pipes that required wrenches.

When I moved into my 5^th wheel, I noticed my bathroom sink had a little drain plug.   That’s all it did – plugged the drain.   There was no little basket to catch anything that could easily be dropped right in there.   Looking straight down the pipe, I just knew that sooner or later, it would be a problem. 

The other night, I was about to brush my teeth and the cap to the toothpaste jumped right out of my fumble fingers and right down the drain – no bouncing around at all.   Bet I couldn’t aim and get it in that good. 
 

My first idea was a long stick to try to drag it out – I only succeeded in sinking it into the P trap water instead of having it float down there.  OK, it was after midnight, I knew I wouldn’t sleep if I put it off until the next day.  Took everything out of the cabinet and put down some used towels (so glad I hadn’t done that load of laundry). 

I have been a failure with house plumbing and trying to get the P trap off and back on successfully without a leak.  For some reason, those plastic fittings just didn’t want to play nice.   So, I was a bit worried about this, but I knew that within the next week or so, the RV fixit guy would be showing up to do something else for me.  So, what can I lose? 

These little pipes are so much more user-friendly than house pipes – about half the size.  The connectors screwed off easily and I spilled very little water getting it out of there.  I dumped the water and toothpaste cap into a pail and then screwed on the P trap again – it went together so nicely! 

I leak tested it by filling the sink with water and letting it all drain out.  First time and it’s dry!   I feel so much better now that one of my projects was so easily accomplished, without any bad words or frustration from having to attempt to get it leak-free multiple times. 

 

Now, to save future problems I might have, I now have a little screened wire basket in the drain.  After all, I will need all the sanity I can muster to get through re-stringing my day/night shade!  Stay tuned for more details.

Countdown

This has been my neighborhood since New Year's Day.  I've enjoyed the sunrises, have gotten up early just to take some spectacular photos.  The evening sunsets cast a warm buttery-yellow glow onto my scenery in the evening. 

But this blog is not about my neighborhood - it's about moving on soon.  I have been living in my 5th wheel since last November when I moved out of my house to make it easier to sell.  I have been waiting for some "snowbird" (as Floridians call the seasonal tourists) to make an offer because they were tired of the cold and snow up north.  Finally, the beginning of last month, I got an offer, which was countered and accepted!  I waited for 3 weeks for the closing, hoping there wouldn't be any snags with the deal.  About a week ago, I signed my name a couple times, got the check and went directly to the bank as I was calling to cancel my homeowner's insurance.  I was finally FREE to enter the next stage of my life. 

I have lists of things to do, such as getting someone to rebed one of my windows that the old owner had just gooped caulking around.  If it wasn't high up in the section over the 5th wheel hitch, I'd probably try to do it myself, but I don't like heights and it's a decent sized window.  Unfortunately, the thing that will hold me up the longest will be my taxes - I really need to get them done here and I'm still waiting for some revised 1099 forms to come in.  Seems that one fund I have sends them out late repeatedly each year.   I just might trade that one in next year. 

I have already signed up for Passport America, which gives me a 50% discount in selected RV Parks across the states - I love a good discount!  I still need to sign up with Coach Net, which is the AAA of the RV world.  I don't expect any mechanical problems, new tires all around and lots of mechanical stuff has been done to the truck.  And I'm going to change oil and filter before I go.   But, just to be sure, it's cheap insurance!  I need to download the app for Allstays to add to my collection of apps for truck stops, dump stations, weather information and other helpful apps.  This is a comprehensive list of places to stay, phone numbers and other important information.

Last week, I found a little Honda generator from a private seller, so I picked that up.   It won't start the AC, but it should do most everything else.  If I find I need more power, I can just add another one and run them in tandem.  I even picked up a bike rack for the back of the camper. 

So, here I sit, making my final plans and waiting for that tax form.  In March, no monthly check for that house (!) and no big check for my rent here, I've already arranged to pay weekly.  I'm keeping busy by doing some volunteer work and little projects here, such as finding something that I can't remember where I put it when I moved in.  Oh, yeah, I do have one project that I have parts on order for - I need to restring one of my day/night shades - I'm sure that's gonna be LOTS of fun!  Yes, of course it was the biggest one in the camper!!

Alarming

This picture is of a beautiful sunrise this week, which has absolutely nothing to do with this article, but it's pretty.....

When I moved into my 5th wheel trailer, I made sure all my alarms were working.  I had to replace the LP monitor and the CO2 monitor.  The smoke alarm just needed a new battery.  The monitors are all within a few feet of each other, my trailer isn't very big.

The CO2 monitor came with a smoke alarm also and it talks - when it senses fire, it says in a calm voice,  "fire, fire" to accompany the annoying screeching beep.  No, I did not find this out when I had a fire.  I found out when I was cooking pancakes one morning - what a way to wake up completely and quickly!  This alarm is so sensitive, no matter what I cook, it claims that it's on fire.  Forget the fact that when I have multiple candles burning, which are actually small fires - it doesn't seem concerned about them.  It just does not like my cooking - I have come to the conclusion that it reacts to a different smell in the camper.

I have been trying to remember to turn on the stove vent and close the sliding door between the kitchen/living area and the bedroom/bath area where the alarm resides.  Most of the time I forget and when it starts telling me about my poor cooking habits, I just snatch it off the ceiling, lay it on the bed and cover it.  I just hope the neighbors can't hear it , I don't want them wondering how I can eat my own cooking.

Appearances are deceiving.....

This is a photo of my sunrise this morning in Florida, as seen through my back window.  Looks really pretty and like we're having warm weather - doesn't it?  

Don't let this pretty picture fool you.  When I went out to take the picture, it was COLD.   It was windy too!  During the night, it had been down about 37-39 degrees.  Even now when they're predicting the low tonight will be about 46, our wind chill is 41 degrees.  Plus, it's a damp cold.

I know what the people in the northern states are thinking - I must be crazy to complain abut 30's and 40's.  But, this is supposed to be Florida - where people flock every year to get out of the cold northern temperatures.  The people in Florida are not used to this abusive weather.  I won't speak for everyone here, but I will admit that I am a wimp when it comes to being cold.  

Of course, spending about 10 years in the Caribbean on a sailboat really spoiled me.  It was a rare day if the temperatures went below 75.  I spent some winter seasons in the Virgin Islands, and the locals did not go in the water until summer.  Yes, we could tell the difference. 

Every time winter comes in Florida, I keep thinking that it's so nice and sunny looking - it looks like it should be warm.   Just like the picture above - looks like a nice sunny, warm day about to begin.  Don't believe everything you see or hear.....

New Year - New Neighborhood

When I lived on the sailboat, I joked about the fact that if we didn't like the neighbors or the neighborhood - it was easy to change it.  All we had to do was just pick up the anchor and go to another harbor or island.  Now that I live in a 5th wheel trailer, I can do basically the same thing! 

Florida is a very touristy state, especially when snow starts piling up in the northern states.  For the past couple months, I have been at an RV park just south of Daytona Beach.  The second month I was here, the rent went up - January's rent was supposed to go up more.   By February, the rent was going to go over $700.  Not knowing when my house would sell and I could go "cruising", I started looking for a more reasonable place live in my 5th wheel. 

I found a little mobile home park that allowed RVs.  I called them and got the information on rent and facilities.  The rent was way more reasonable and they paid for the electric!  They have wifi, but it's non-existent at my site, so I'm waiting for the cable company to come in a day or so.  Otherwise, they have full hookups and a laundry room.   AND, I'm right on the water - only a tributary of the intercoastal, but scenic.  I can see the lighthouse flash on the opposite shore.  Much better view than other RV neighbor's rigs less than 10' away.

So, welcome to my new neighborhood.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Camera

I like taking pictures and since I'm planning a trip out west to see amazing landscapes, ghost towns, caverns and canyons, I decided I needed a new camera.  I first decided I should have one with changeable lenses but I usually hike and do lots of walking.   I remember years ago when I had such a camera, with different lenses - carrying that thing on hikes was not much fun.   So, I opted for a camera with a good zoom, good lens and a decent price. 

I like to do closeups and most cameras have good closeup options.  I did get some filters for getting extra close, and hopefully I'll get some good photos with those.  Below is a picture of a cormorant with beautiful eyes.  This was taken with my telephoto and great lighting to pick up his eye color.  These birds fly and also swim underwater to catch their food. 

                                          

I take lots of flower pictures and probably will end up taking pictures of desert foliage - cactus, most likely!  I'm going to have to practice taking videos, I've never really done that before to any extent.
 

So stay tuned to this blog, you can subscribe by email on the right side of this blog.  I'll be having updates of my travels, videos and more pictures. 

 

 

 

And have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love my Duct Tape

As a new RVer,  I'm learning something new almost every day.   Easier ways to do things, getting organized in the basement as well as inside.    I’m also learning about the operation of my different systems.

The other day, I learned how to deploy my awning.  I had started it (with my instruction sheet in hand), and my neighbor came over and helped/showed me how to do it.  OK, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.   Today, I wanted to wind it up because it was gusty, and there's no use beating it up when I knew I wouldn't be home.  So, again with my instruction sheet, I went out and was doing fine until my wind-up strap came loose. 

The strap was stitched to a rubbery length of material that went into a slot so it could slide from side to side on the rollup tube.  The stitching had frayed, a ridiculous problem, since the awning was new just before I bought my 5th wheel trailer.  We all know that duct tape cures lots of problems.  I looped the strap over the rubbery piece, duct taped it to itself and slid the rubbery piece into the slot in the windup tube. 

 Simple fix, right?   Yep, love that duct tape, I have multiple rolls of it.  Years ago, a partner and I had a class C that we used for weekend camping.  We were coming home late one night and the radiator hose blew in multiple places.  Nothing was open, deserted stretch of road.  I jokingly said that we had a brand new roll of duct tape.  Quite a while later, most of that tape was wrapped around the radiator hose and it got us home - I really should have taken pictures.  Of course, that's no fix for poor maintenance - which was a major problem with that partner........  and we won't go any further on that.

 My point today is to have all your tools together for a project.  As I was winding up the awning, I realized that I had forgotten to get out the long wand used to unroll the awning and then to roll it back up again.   It’s the first thing you use to deploy it and the last thing you use to stow it.  I stood there, realizing I would have to roll it all out again, call for help or somehow deal with it.  Luckily, I was able to climb up on the picnic table and get it rolled in the rest of the way.   I bet I’m gonna remember that wand for the next time I deal with the awning.

 

Moving Right Along.......

 

 

Just about a week ago, I finally sold my car to a gentleman who had been to see it earlier in the day.  Thank goodness this guy was easy to deal with, as I’d had a man arguing with me earlier in the week about the price - he just would not go away.  Obviously he did not know me at all, because arguing made me more stubborn!  Still, I wish I had gotten more for the car, but I was glad to have that over with.

Last weekend, I had a yard sale for 2 days to empty my house of stuff I had accumulated in the past 6 years.   Thank goodness the house wasn’t any bigger and I hadn’t been there any more years!  It took me hours to set up, both the day before and starting at 4:30 that morning.  Friday was a great day and I sold some large items and got rid of a lot of small ones.  Saturday was not very busy, there were too many group sales in the area, but I still managed to get rid of lots of things. 

Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours packing things up to take to the Hospice Thrift shop where I volunteer.  I took that load over and left the rest on the porch to pack up the next day.  It took me several hours to pack up stuff the next day – plus deciding what I should just trash.  I ended up ruthlessly trashing lots of things - I’ve become hardened to it!

Obviously I slept like a rock after those long, hard days – my first nights in my 5^th wheel; and it was very comfortable.  I thought I had moved everything in here prior to the sale, but all of a sudden I had piles of “last minute” items that had to be brought over – and stashed.   I have a feeling I’ll be organizing things as soon as I figure out what is convenient.

I have spent the last 3 days cleaning the house for sale.  You’d think it would be easy to clean an empty house.  All cabinets had to be wiped out.  I even did the windows!  I put up a new blind in the living room, after a trip to Lowe’s.  After a few more fixit projects, I had to clean out the fridge and freezer.  I haven’t brought over all my food yet, so I had to clean around what little was left over there. 

I met with the broker who assures me he can sell the house for a price that I can live with.  Even though I was skeptical, I signed the listing form, hoping that he sends over a great photographer to make it look wonderful.  We will see if he can do what he claims he can. 

The house is the last major obstacle to be dealt with before I can leave.  Of course, I have other things that need to be done, and I’m getting the 5^th wheel trailer set up.  I ended up having to buy a propane alarm and a CO2 alarm as both of them had expired.  These alarms have a shelf life of about 5 years – what a way to insure that the company will be making money in the future!

I figure I won’t be out of here until the first of the year anyway, but even that will depend on the house being sold.   Hopefully, it will be sold to really nice people, since I do like my neighbors on each side. 

 

Cattitude Adjustment

 

 

 

My Trinidad cat is now 14 years old, feisty as ever and believes that I am here just to serve her.  For the most part, she’s been healthy and hasn’t had to see the vet much.  But when she does – watch out!   As soon as I put her in her carrier and in the car, she howls all the way to the vet – thankfully a very short trip!

Because we will be traveling in a 5^th wheel, she needs to be trained to sit up in the truck with me – without the vocalization.  So I have a cage for her now instead of the carrier, maybe that will make her happier.  I’m putting her in it every day and sitting outside with her to acclimatize her to the cage and different scenery.  She doesn’t seem to mind, she’s had a strong interest in “outside” since she’s lived in a house.  She loved “outside” when we were on the boat and sat in the cockpit and watched other boats, dinghies, birds and fish in the water.

Yesterday, after sitting outside with her, I put the cage in the truck passenger seat, where she will be traveling (hopefully silent).  She didn’t seem to mind that either.  I found the seatbelt will go around the cage nicely to hold her in.  The true test will be when I start the engine – we’ll just sit there in the truck in the driveway.  After a few days of that, we’ll take a little drive around the neighborhood.  I’m hoping that this gentle, slow introduction to RVing will enable her to be a pleasant traveling companion instead of a howling monster. 

I’ll let you know how it works……


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More blogs and photos coming as I prepare and go traveling.

Learning to Hook up a 5th Wheel

Today was a productive day for me.  Since my truck was delivered yesterday, I decided to take time today to get acquainted with a few things in my truck - the shiny new Reese hitch and the Sirius XM radio my brother put in for me.  I also loaded all the safety gear from my car to the truck. 

I got out the instructions for the radio, tuned to the FM station as instructed and started playing with the buttons.  It was so easy to find the ones I wanted to put on the preset buttons - they made it pretty easy to figure out how to get around in their program.  So now I have music, comedy, or whatever else from the extensive list of channels they have on there.  OK, that was easy - let's hope the hitch is just as user friendly.

I had a general understanding of how the 5th wheel hitches worked.  In looking over the book, I found that mine doesn't have the jaws I've seen on most of them.  Instead, it has a heavy bar that pulls back with the handle, when your king pin goes in there completely, it clicks into place.  Makes sense to me.  There's a padlock that goes on the handle to keep it in place,  so I decided to give that a little squirt with some T-9 so it won't rust up. 

Later in the day, I met a friend of mine over at the storage unit where my 5th wheel has been incarcerated until this weekend.  This would be the first time in my life that I have ever attached any kind of trailer to any kind of vehicle  - in my whole life!  I had not driven this truck much, and in truth, I am very used to cars and very rarely drive a truck.  Not any more!  So, I put tailgate down and pull in front of the 5th wheel and prepare to back up the truck to put that king pin into my shiny new hitch.  This is just practice, to see how close I can get it - we're not planning on going anywhere.

I start backing up, trying to line up that small pin with the hitch I can see in the back of my truck.  I go slowly, trying to keep them in line, and when I get close - I can see that I'm only an inch or two off to one side.  OK, I pull forward a bit and back up again, not coming closer, but now about 3 inches short of success.  My friend explains that I need to pull further forward than I did, since the minute changes I made in steering don't work when I'm too close because the hitch is right over the axle.  So, I pull way forward and start my slow trip back again, lining up the pin with the hitch.  This time, it works and the king pin is in perfect position to jump right into the hitch.  We closed the tailgate because it looked SO close, and I backed up just a teeny bit and heard the hitch lever clunk into place.  Success!!   

Since it was solidly on, we decided to hook up the power cord; we checked the lights and they all worked fine.  I retracted the forward landing gear and we could see the weight of the 5th wheel settle into the bed of the truck.  OK, great, things are working nicely!  It was late in the day, so that's all we planned to do.  So, we put down the landing gear, unhooked the power and pulled the truck away from the 5th wheel - yes, remembering to lower the tailgate again.

I feel better about hooking up now, since the first lesson is usually the worst (I hope).  We'll see on Saturday when I hook it up again and take it up the road about 20 miles or so to get her roof cleaned and coated and get her some new tires. 

More fun to come!

Utah - Goblin Valley State Park

I haven't been to the Goblin Valley State Park, although I have seen many pictures of the rock formations in this area.  They are amazing.  People should be in awe of these rocks perched on edges of rock formations - etched by millions of years of wind, rain and storms.

After all these years, a few people come along and decide they have the right to push over one of these giant boulders, thereby destroying something that has withstood time and Mother Nature.  If you have seen the video, they look like a couple idiots who have had one too many drinks.  http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/18/21023331-utah-scout-leaders-who-topped-ancient-rock-we-did-something-right-the-wrong-way?lite  These guys are Boy Scout leaders?  So says the news - unbelievable that these guys are allowed to be leading anything, including themselves.  What makes them think they are allowed to destroy something that belongs to the State of Utah and get away with it?  What makes them think they were right??   I believe that they were just showing off - their You Tube video sure confirms that fact, as far as I'm concerned.

Now that they have realized they have made a gigantic blunder and face charges, they are claiming they did it because they expected it to fall over on someone.  They are claiming they were saving someone's life.  I don't buy it.  Sorry, that does not make sense.  Lame excuse for being stupid.  If it was dangerous, I'm sure park rangers would have been in the area and cordoned off that particular rock formation.  I'm sure the park rangers wouldn't have pushed it over - that's not the way to handle a natural treasure that has been centuries in the making.

I'm beyond mad, I'm planning a trip out there and was planning to see this area.   Yes, there are still lots of rock formations in that valley, but now there's one less.  If nothing happens to these vandals, and that's exactly what they are,  the state and national park treasures will be fair game.  Will graffiti show up next?  How about cutting down a redwood, or maybe a sequoia instead?  We could all take bits and pieces of the Petrified Forest for souvenirs too, until it's all gone. 

This has had too much national attention to let these vandals get away with it.  They need to be sentenced with the strictest punishment allowed by law.  If they receive just a light sentence, the message will be that it's not a problem if you vandalize fragile national treasures.  Everyone will be watching the outcome of this situation.  Let's hope it will be a warning for everyone to protect our environment and respect what nature has given us.

Getting Ready

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While I'm waiting for my truck to be delivered from up in New York, I've been buying things for my new home.  Most of it is small stuff, to make it safer and more comfortable.  I ordered some LED lightbulbs that will save on electric when I'm not plugged into a campground.  I had them on my last boat and they were terrific.  They hardly use any power at all.  Now that I know the ones I ordered will work and emit enough light, I'll order another batch to put in all the rest of the fixtures. 

The biggest purchase has not been made yet, but I have tracked it down and know exactly what I need.  The tires that are on the 5th wheel now are new - only a year old and they haven't been very many places.  But, in doing research, I'm finding that the "load range" of tires, for my unit, should be a step higher than the ones on it now.  This means that I'll have tougher tires, capable of carrying more weight, thereby being safer.  Also, I'm getting a different brand that has been rated quite good on some of the forums I've been searching on.  These forums are strictly RV people - some with decades of knowledge.  I don't know how many hours I've spent researching this, on the internet, visits to tire shops and reading pages of forum comments.  It's great to learn all about this in the beginning, and not out on the road after there's been a blowout.

Most of the other stuff I've purchased,  have been small items.   I got a fire extinguisher, flares and reflective triangles for the truck - just in case.  My theory is that if I have them - I won't need them - I hope it really works that way.  I ordered a nice cutting board cover for my stove, since the previous owner tossed out the metal stove cover.  The CO2 detector should have been replaced last year, so I have one on order -  these things only last a few years and it expired last year.   

I have an anode for the water heater - if only I can get the old one out.....   I have penetrating oil on it now and will find someone with more muscles to try to get it out. All these systems keep reminding me that this is very similar to living on a boat.  I found a website where I can enter all my maintenance tasks and the dates they need to be done - it will send me an email reminder a couple days before. 

Things are moving along nicely and when I get my truck, I will take the 5th wheel in to get the roof cleaned and coated and the furnace checked out.  Then it goes for the tires and at the end of the month, I plan to move it to a campground and move in completely!   Then I'll need someone to buy my car and house and I'll be ready.   Oh, yeah, and I have to practice driving, and backing up, and hooking up and unhooking and........

As in sailboat cruising, I'm sure these plans are written in the sand at low tide.....

My New Home

Wildcat will be my new home - it's a 5th wheel, Forest River Wildcat.  It's only 26' long, but tons of storage space for that size - way more than any other unit I've seen in that size.  The floor plan is perfect and it has been meticulously maintained by it's previous owner, who was the only owner. 

A thought just hit me - a 26' boat would be TINY - it would be cramped to live aboard - but this is totally different.  Even my 47' boat didn't have this much room, and storage space!  About 15 years of my life has been spent mostly on boats so I know how to live in small quarters.  This should be a piece of cake. 

I had been looking at 5th wheels for about 5 months, any size, make or model up to 30'.  A few days ago, I took a trip to Ocala and Gainesville, Florida to see what was available over there.  I spent the first day looking at units that either weren't in my price range (but they were very nice) or units that had lots of water damage and/or other problems - some I just didn't like. 

At the end of the day, I looked at a unit for sale by a private owner and as soon as I walked in, I knew this was a well cared-for unit, and I really liked it.  I could tell the owner had enjoyed the trailer, he indicated he was reluctant to sell, but his wife was done with traveling in it - and that was final.    He had made multiple upgrades to the unit and I could tell he was attached to it.  I really liked the layout and felt it would be a good match for me.

After looking around and talking to him for well over an hour, I left and found a place to stay for the night.  I sat in that motel room and planned my next day, deciding what RV sales lots I'd visit and seeing what they had available.  Most of them were units similar to ones I had seen in other locations, I had seen the layout and it was just a matter of condition.  There was really nothing new that I hadn't seen in other places.  While I was contemplating this, I went through the pictures I had taken of this unit - going over the pictures that had been on his ad.

During the night, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I got on the computer to look at the pictures again, and pictured myself living in it.   The more I looked at it and remembered the feeling when I first walked in the door, I started to think it was a waste of time to look at similar units I'd seen before and wasn't that impressed with.  With only 2 hours of sleep, I convinced myself I needed to go back to sleep and decide in the morning.

In the morning, I checked my list again - ho-hum.   And then I checked the pictures I'd taken the previous day.   Yes, definitely, I did like this unit, it was clean and well maintained, even the tires and battery were only 1 year old  -  why should I look any further?  So, the decision was made - I would call the owner and set up a meeting to discuss the purchase. 

The rest of the day was spent discussing the deal, having him get the title and meeting me at the bank where I'd do the wire transfer.  I decided to go to the tag office then and get the title sent in to be transferred to me and get the registration and the plate for it.  While I was waiting for that to happen, I called my insurance company and got the insurance set up.  By that time, I was ready for the three hour drive home.

And so a new chapter in my life begins.  I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time.   It's another big learning curve, possibly not as big as when I went cruising.  In any case, my gypsy spirit requires travel and adventure, and I bet it's gonna be great!

Sign up with your email in the upper right hand corner of this blog to follow my preparations and travels.  I will be posting videos of places I'll be visiting also -
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_Sjk6aQnK8EmA0-698i5A/feed    Hope you enjoy riding along with me.

Betty Karl

5th Wheel Delivery

Wow - what a day I had.!  A friend took me to Gainesville to bring my "new" 5th wheel home.  Since I don't have my truck here yet, we drove over in her truck.    Actually, she made me drive part of the way, to get used to the truck.  I had a feeling I knew what she was up to.

We got there a little early, so we had a quick breakfast/lunch and then met the owner at the storage lot where my 5th wheel was.  A quick walk-around, the previous owner giving me tips on the unit he really didn't want to sell, but his wife was done traveling in it.  Same story I heard while I was cruising by sailboat a few years back - boat for sale - wife wants to go "home".   I was always happy being "home" wherever the boat was.  Obviously, I was not made from the same mold as these wives!

I've never towed anything, so I watched while the previous owner and my friend hitched up the 5th wheel and brought in the landing gear, connected and checked lights, etc.  We got in the truck, waved goodbye to the previous owner, who stood at the gate gazing sadly at us going down the road.  I felt bad for him, I had the same feeling when I sold some (most) of my boats. 

Not only have I never towed anything myself, I don't think I've ever been in a truck or car hauling anything larger than a small boat or utility trailer.  I was a bit nervous at the noises it was making and kept looking back to be sure everything was OK.  In a short time, I got used to the fact that it was following us as it should - after all, hundreds of people do this daily, things would be fine.

We drove out of town and the road home was a nice road mostly through less populated areas, not much traffic,  a few curvy parts, a few little hilly parts  - hills in Florida can be 25' and we're impressed.  In a short time, my friend told me it was my turn to drive and my anxiety level went up a few notches.   She found a shaded area to pull over and we switched places.  I adjusted the seat, put on the seatbelt, took a big breath, looked in the mirrors to see what I could see.  I slowly took off and after a while, I realized that towing wasn't that hard - at least on a nice road with little traffic!  Oops, someone passed me and I noticed that I had a little parade going.  OK, I had adjusted to 40 MPH, I added a little more speed and finally got up to the speed limit.  0-60 in about 8 minutes!

We drove on and we came to a more populated area where I had to make a few turns and get into a parking lot.  Thank goodness I had a general idea of how it should be done, plus I had input from the passenger seat veteran.  I had been reading lots of information about towing, and You Tube is wonderful for instructional videos about anything you need to know about.   Really, I'm serious - I had watched videos about driving an RV, making the wide turns, backing up and all sorts of things - even dumping the black tank, which I'm sure will be another story later.

We pulled into the parking lot, made a loop through and parked way out in the lot, taking up numerous spaces - I can see I'm going to love huge parking lots.  My time at the wheel was done, I would get in my car and my friend would follow me to my home town.  What a sense of relief when I turned off that truck motor!.  My first time towing was over, but there's still a huge learning curve - on towing as well as everything else that goes with this lifestyle. 

There is a lot of knowledge out there about RVing and the more I read and talk to other RVers, the more I'll learn.  They're friendly and helpful, very much like the cruisers in the Caribbean that I had known and learned from, and in some cases they learned from me.   Maybe someday, some new RVer might learn something from me.