28 - 29 June 2018 On the Road Finally

Full Moon over the Oasis RV Park

We hitched up the Wanderer and finally hit the road!! We were so excited to finally pull out of DFW and head north. As we headed for the Texas Panhandle, the temperatures soured and the winds blew harder and harder. The truck ran a bit hotter than we had seen before but did not come close to overheating. With the wind blowing hard, it felt like a blast furnace outside. We pushed on through to the Oasis RV Park in Amarillo. We have stayed here previously and it’s a nice park. We were in slot 17 this time. On the way up we decided we needed a down day after the last four weeks so we extended our stay when we checked in. With the humidity around 17%, when the sun went the down the temperatures dropped quickly and it turned into a pleasant evening to be in Amarillo. The moon was full with just a few clouds so we could see the stars. Tomorrow will be a down day to hang in the Wanderer and catch up on some rest before we start the activities we planned for our stay here. 

28 May – 28 June 2018 Endurance Test!

We spent a month trying to disentangle our selves from our previous lives and prepare our selves to be full time on the road. Everything we did took longer, involved more steps and was much harder than it needed to be. This led to a lot of frustration with even simple things like address changes.  David had to spend 3 hours at the DPS office waiting in line to do a simple driver license address change. And then they got it wrong! Financial institutions were the worst for getting our addresses changed or our balances rolled over to new accounts. They seemed more interested in throwing roadblocks in our way so they could keep hold of ore money. David managed to lose the keys to our safety deposit box in the move to the RV and we had to get it drilled out (he still has not found the keys). When we sold Leslie’s car to CARMAX, we accidently left some dry cleaning the trunk and we could not track down the car to retrieve it. These are just some of the more simple issues. But we did buy our kayaks and were able to get out one morning for an hour before it got to hot. Speaking of hot, the Texas summer arrived a month r=early and it was sizzling. The last few days were almost frantic trying to get everything solved. But by the 28^th, the things that were not finished were things we could fix on the road. 

May 2018 Preparing

In late April, Leslie turned in her retirement notice to her very surprised Boss. She had 22 days of PTO to use during the month of May. So Leslie went from working five days a week (and on call 24/7) to sorting, packing, donating and selling 30 plus years of accumulated stuff since we had to be out of the apartment in early June. Not exactly a relaxing transition into retirement. During the month, we got the RV repaired, David went and got his Class A Exempt drivers license and shuttled stuff to either the storage room or the RV. United RV allowed us access to our RV in the storage lot when ever they were open so we could get things prepared. The last weekend of the year we moved the RV from the storage lot to the front lot where we could run out the slide outs and run the air conditioners while we shuttled stuff from the storage unit and apartment to the RV and got it packed. Finally on 28 May we picked up the Wanderer and pulled it up to The Vineyard RV park in Grapevine Texas. This is by far the nicest RV park in the DFW area and we got a beautiful spot right on the lakefront. The rate was $52 a night. The pad was relatively level. Water pressure was excellent as was the WiFi signal. From the 28^thof May and on, we were living out of the Wanderer and making trips into Fort Worth to finish cleaning out the apartment. Everything we seemed to try to do, people and organizations threw roadblocks in our way. From something as simple as having an apartment sale to changing our address on accounts, there were always additional steps or checks that had to be accomplished before we could get it done. But we drove forward, determined to persevere and get on the road. 

Trip#4 26 March to 2 April 2018

Our original plan for this trip was to travel to East Texas since neither one of us had ever spent time in this area. But as we got closer to our departure date, the weather forecast showed the area we planned to visit was going to get 4-6 inches of rain while we were there. So we changed our plans and decided to visit the Texas Gulf Coast.

26 March 2018

We departed Fort Worth and drove through to Galveston. We figured that our niece , Lauren, was due for her first baby to be born around this time and we wanted to be able to visit. The drive was pretty straight forward. We took the toll road around the east side of Houston rather than go through the center of Houston with the traffic and construction. We did have to go over the Houston Ship Channel bridge and were very happy to see the truck could drag up that steep bridge without breaking a sweat. Total drive was seven and a half hours given the distance and Houston traffic. We stayed at the Sand Piper RV resort at the end of the sea wall. Good place to stay. Easy walk to the beach and easy drive to Houston and the Galveston Island Sites. Sites were all level and plenty of room to maneuver our big rig. Water pressure was a bit low but otherwise a good place to stay. 

27- 28 March 2018

Lauren had her baby the morning of 27 March, so we drove up to the north side of Houston to see the Happy mother and father and their precious new Baby Girl, Olivia. Everyone was doing grand and Lauren did not look like she had even had a baby! Leslie got to hold Olivia, which made her day! The next day we went into downtown Galveston to explore the old town and had lunch at the German Beer Garden. A very relaxing time. 

29 March 2018

We left Galveston and drove to Corpus Christi. We were really surprised how barren and flat this part of Texas is given its proximity to the coast. We pulled into Corpus after a five hour drive. We stayed at the Colonia Del Rey RV Park. A bit tight maneuvering for our big rig but doable. Site was nice and flat. Seems to be a lot of long duration folks in this RV resort. It was nice, clean if a little bit packed.

29-31 March 2018

The first day we drove into Corpus, and a great lunch and toured the USS Lexington. That is one big ship! We spent over four hours on the ship and still did not see everything before it closed for the day. We took the long way back by going out on the island and driving down through the state park. The next day we went to Padre Island National Sea Shore and drove down the beach for about 15 miles. The beach is beautiful and goes for more than 60 miles. But beyond 15 miles, the sand gets softer and we really did not want to test the limits of the truck. 

1 April 2018

We left Corpus Christi and drove to New Braunfels Texas. It was about a five hour drive with very little traffic. We really just wanted to break the drive home up into two segments. We stayed at the River Ranch RV Resort, which is sandwiched between the freeway (I-35) and the Guadalupe Bridge. They advertise that they are big rig compatible but it is really tight. We ended up tail slapping another rig trying to turn into our site. No one was hurt but there was almost $10k damage to the two rigs. Getting out the next morning was difficult also. We saw another rig back into a table trying to get into another site. I would not suggest this RV Park for big rigs. Beyond that, there was little road noise and it is right on the Guadalupe River, so it was pleasant place to stay. That evening we drove to Gruene, Texas and went to the Grist Mill for a delicious dinner. 

2 April 2018

After a rough time maneuvering to get out of the RV Park, it was an uneventful trip back to Fort Worth. It was with great regret that we put the Wander back into storage at United RV but we knew the time was close for when we would be back in it fulltime. 

Repairs

 After we returned from Santa Fe, David installed the Anderson Valve cartridge we received from New Horizons and tested the system. That did not fix the problem. David pulled the access panel from the basement wall and could see water flowing backward through the water pump screen. New Horizons sent us a new water pump, which David installed and tested. Problem fixed. We could not find any one else to do the repairs in the area since they were all busy refurbishing FEMA trailers that had been stored after hurricane Katrina so they could be sent down to Houston after Hurricane Harvey. We also decided the water coming from the underside of the Wanderer was a leak in the fresh water overflow since we have not seen the problem come back during tank flushing.  In November, we then filled the water lines with antifreeze and set the fiver up to sit through the winter months. During that time David made some additional modifications to the fiver to allow us to strap items in the garage down and began the job of waxing this big behemoth. 

Trip#3 13-23 September 2017

                                                                13 September 2017

Our first real trip in the Fiver! During the time from our last trip to this one, David replaced the cartridge in the Anderson valve but it still is leaking into the fresh water tank, just slower. We picked up the RV at United RV. We had to go back to the storage lot to hook up because our trailer is too heavy for their fork lifts to safely move. We drove from Fort Worth to Amarillo and stayed overnight at the Oasis RV resort. We really liked the Oasis, it was clean, lots of room for moving big rigs and full hook ups for $37 (after the Good SAM discount). Water pressure was good, site #38 was level, all the sites were paved as well as the roads, WiFi was good, and had plenty of room for the Wanderer and the truck. A little bit of smell from the stock yards 8 miles to the west but not overwhelming. We averaged 8.6 MPG from Fort Worth and weather was clear. We got a pizza from the pizzeria at the RV office and it was pretty good. Lots of people were interested in our New Horizons Fiver. There was another New Horizons Majestic parked a couple spots down and they have been living in it for 3 years now and love it. Talked with New Horizons and they are sending yet another Anderson Valve cartridge for David to install when we get home. There is not any other reason this leakage could be happening.

14 September 2017

Left Amarillo and drove to Albuquerque. The fuel mileage dropped to 7.6 MPG due to the climb from Amarillo to Albuquerque. We stayed at the American RV Resort west of Albuquerque. It was a bit tighter to maneuver through this resort, but Site #69 was level and paved, all the sites were paved as well as the roads, and had plenty of room for the Wanderer and the truck. We had not even set up when a couple came over and requested a tour since they had never heard of New Horizon’s RV before. The water was on an underground valve that was a pain to connect up, but the water pressure was good. WiFi strength was good but it kept kicking our WineGuard off line after an hour or so. We stayed here two nights. David worked on the 15^th, but got off in plenty of time for us to go up to the Gruet Winery and do a tasting and to pick up a few extra bottles of wine for the rest of the week. 

16 September 2017

We got up early and moved the Wanderer up to Santa Fe. We stayed at the Santa Fe Skies RV park ($41) southwest of the town. Great views. The site was gravel as were most of the roads but it had a concrete patio area. It took a bit of finagling to get the rig level. Water pressure was good and the WiFi was very good also. After setting up the rig, we drove back down to Albuquerque to pick up Cynthia, Leslie’s sister, at the airport. We then went over to the Old Town and had a late lunch/early dinner at Church Street Café and shopped before heading back up to Santa Fe. We enjoyed some wine and caught up with each other’s happenings. We added the foam mattress topper to the fold out bed. Cynthia said it was quite comfortable and she slept well.

17 September 2017

We drove up to Taos for a late lunch and some more shopping. Then we drove out to the Rio Grade Gorge bridge on US 64 to take in the dizzying view. Since Leslie and I had been there last, it has been turned into a National Monument! So check off another! After seeing the bridge, we headed for Chimayo to eat at the Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant. But as we went down US64 we saw the Black Mesa Winery and could not help but stop. Leslie and I had tried their wines at the Santa Fe Wine and Chili festival and liked them. We walked in 5 minutes before they closed and walked out an hour later with two cases of wine. Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant was excellent as usual. 

18 September 2017

David went to his SAE meetings in Santa Fe (La Fonda Hotel on the Square). This being the first day, David only ran into a few of his SAE friends before meeting Leslie and Cynthia at the Gruet wine tasting room in Santa Fe. Leslie and Cynthia spent the day visiting and shopping.

When we got back to the fiver, Leslie made up a smoked salmon dip and Cynthia mixed up a great coattail sauce for the shrimp and we had a small feast outside and drank some of our new wines. As we finished up, Pam and Bill Elliott pulled into the RV park and came over for a glass of wine and to catch up since we had last seen each other in a while. Our next door neighbors dropped by with their dog and joined in. We had a great time catching up and learning about our new acquaintances.  

19 - 21 September 2017

Bill and David went to their SAE meetings during the day. On Tuesday night we all met up at the Gruet tasting room before heading out to Martin Restaurant for dinner. It was fantastic place to eat and we will need to go there again in the future. Wednesday afternoon, Leslie drove Cynthia to the airport in Albuquerque so she could fly home. On Wednesday night we met up with Bill and David’s SAE friends for dinner at the Fire and Hops. It was a fun dinner with folks we had not expected to see after David retired from Lockheed Martin. Thursday morning, Bill and Pam packed up and left early as they had to get to northern California by Saturday for a family function. We drove up to the Santa Fe ski area to see the Aspens changing color. On the way back down we took a side trip down a forest service dirt road to see how the truck handled off road. It did just great!!

22 September 2017

We broke camp for Amarillo. Leslie noticed water dripping from under the rig after we had completed dumping and flushing (gray only) the tanks. When I investigated I found the water dripping from where the gray and black tanks are located under the front of the rig. The water was clear and did not smell so it was from when I flushed the gray water tank. In addition, the under carriage board was bowed down indicating there was a fair amount of water. We hit the road and took US287 down to I-40 before heading east for Amarillo. After we had cell phone coverage we called New Horizons to get advice on this latest issue. They suggested poking a hole in the under carriage board , which is fairly thin and only for insulation, not structural. When we stopped for lunch I used a screwdriver to poke a hole in the under carriage board and another couple of gallons came out while we ate lunch. The wind was blowing at 20-30 MPH from the southwest and our mileage dropped to 7.2 MPG. We stayed again at OASIS RV (Spot #32, $37). Once again, it was a good stay.

23 September 2017

We got up early and packed up our stuff to make it easier to unload when we arrived in Fort Worth. I flushed the black tank this time and saw no water leaking. On the drive back the wind shifted to from the southeast at 20-30 MPH, almost a straight headwind, and the mileage dropped further to 7 MPG. The drive into Fort Worth was uneventful, but it was hard to leave our new home in the parking lat at United RV. We really felt at home in the Wanderer and enjoyed our time on the road. We met many people that were full timing in their RVs and it really helped build our confidence that we were going to enjoy our future travels. 

Trip #2 24-28 August 2017

      24 August 2017

This morning we closed up the fiver, now officially called “The Wanderer”, and hitched up the truck all by ourselves. We then went into the office to say goodbye and to thank Drew, Candie, Austin and Harold for all their help and our beautiful RV. Then we climbed aboard the “Lead Wanderer”  (Our F-350) and headed for Oklahoma. We jumped on I-40 west, then headed south on I-135 so we could stay on the interstate. We stopped at the first rest stop and checked the torque on the wheel lug nuts as was recommended. Five of the lug nuts needed tightening so it was a good thing we stopped and checked. In Wichita, we picked up I-35 south and cruised on our way. As the miles went by, we became more comfortable with towing this huge trailer. We got more comfortable with the motion of the truck with the trailer on it. South of Oklahoma City, we pulled into Martin’s Landing campground in Murray State Park. After looking over the sites we pulled into site #5 since it was a pull through site with full hook ups for $30 a night. Then we unhitched and set up the fiver for the first time! Everything went smooth and we were soon lounging in our theater seats enjoying a good glass of wine and a cold beer.

      25 August 2017

Got up this morning to take Etta for her walk and found water spilling out from the bottom of the trailer!!! I quickly shut the water off and began checking to see what was going on. It was obviously fresh water, not grey or black water. I checked the fresh water tank and it was 100% full but when we had left Junction City with only 10%. The Anderson Valve was set to “City” but for some reason the water was going partially into the plumbing and partially into the fresh water tank. I bleed the pressure off system with the outside shower the way Harold had showed us. I called back to New Horizons and got Harold, he recommended switching the Anderson Valve through each position a couple of times and then back to City. I dumped more of the fresh water tank (found out the fresh water overflow goes into the dump pipe and the fresh water dump pipe comes out the bottom of the trailer, not through the sewer connection) so I could see if it was still going into the fresh water tank. Turned the water back on and everything was working correctly. But I did not want to dump 100 gallons of fresh water on the ground, so we switched over to the Normal position to use the water from the tank up.

Problem fixed (we hoped), we headed into downtown Ardmore for some lunch and shopping. Downtown Ardmore is a pretty with a brick sidewalk main street but like many small cities, a lot of the storefronts were closed. There was a lot of lawyers and loan services. We ate lunch at Casa Romo. It was fairly good and very spicy. Did a little antique shopping and headed to Commerce Street (where most of the big box shopping was at) for grocery shopping. On the way back to the RV we stopped off at the Marina to pick up fishing licenses and over to the lodge to check on the kayak rentals. A very relaxing day. We turn on the TV to nothing but hurricane Harvey coverage as it came ashore in Texas.

26 August 2017

We headed out today to go to the flea market in Ardmore as well as another antique shop. At the antique shop we found out about an estate sale, which we stopped at out of curiosity. In the flea market, Leslie found three porcelain dogs to add to her collection. After stopping at the estate sale, we made our way up US-77 to the small town of Davies. We were there to try a restaurant out that had good reviews but it was closed on the weekends, so we went to Los Generales. It was an excellent choice. The food was all home made, nothing was out of a can, even the refried beans and sauces were fresh made. Definitely will return to Los Generales if in this area again. From there we went to the Chickasaw Cultural Center near Sulphur to learn about their heritage. There we toured a recreated Chickasaw village and saw a demonstration of their “Stomp” dances. We then drove south of US-77 to Turner Falls state park. The park charges a $12 per person entrance fee, which since we only wanted to see the falls and not go swimming, we declined. But we drove to the overlook off US-77 and got a good view of the falls. They do have RV sites in Turner falls for $25 a day (water and electric only) but you also have to pay the per person entrance fee for each day. The whole Arbuckle Mountains area is very scenic. Then it was back to our new home on wheels.

27 August 2017

Today we got up early and tried our hand at fly-fishing. We did not catch anything, but avoided hooking each other and ourselves somehow! We then went to Tucker Tower, which was built, by the WPA and CCC in the 1930s. The museum inside helps document the life and work of the WPA and CCC during the construction of the Lake Murray Dam, Tucker Tower and other structures in the park. Then it was on to the lodge area where we rented a couple of kayaks for and hour ($7 per hour) and paddled our way around several bays at that end of the park. We both enjoyed the experience and look forward to having our own kayaks to paddle in. Later that evening, we tried our hand at some more fly-fishing. Again we were skunked but enjoyed ourselves anyway. That evening, we had used up the fresh water tank, so I moved the Anderson valve back to “city” and monitored the fresh water tank. Sure enough, the fresh water tank started to very slowly fill up. I tried rotating the Anderson valve to different positions (with pressure off just the way Harold showed us) but it still put water into the fresh water tank. So the problem is not fixed as we hoped.

28 August 2017

Well, it is time to head home. We packed up our stuff and dumped/washed out the tanks and connected up the truck. It will take some practice on the hooking up to get a good system down. David called New Horizon’s about the Anderson valve and they said they would have someone in the DFW area come to where we were storing it and replace the valve. So we hit the road for Fort Worth. We were closely watching the weather to see if any of the remnants of Hurricane Harvey would cause us any issues but fortunately the weather was clear all the way home. We pulled into United RV to get the Texas safety inspection prior to dropping off the fiver for storage. Seems Texas would not accept the manufacturers weight rating and we had to get the trailer weighed at a Texas certified weight station. Seemed pretty silly to us, but since there was a set of scales just on the other side of the TX121 freeway, it was easy enough and cheap enough to do ($7). The trailer weighed in at 17,476lbs. Of course we passed the safety inspection (Lights and brakes) and unhooked the truck. It was hard leaving our new home behind but we are looking forward to our future adventures in it. We found we settled into life in the Wanderer very easily, even Etta felt at home. 

Our First RV Purchase (Nov. 2016 – August 2017)

 9 November 2016

Well we finally did it. Today we signed the contract to buy our dream RV from New Horizons.  In early October we visited the New Horizon’s factory in Junction City and took a tour of the plant and their models. David was impressed with the quality of the frame, the cabinetry and the lamination of the walls. From the exterior fiberglass, aluminum frame members, closed cell foam and then the interior plywood. Extremely strong and lightweight. The frame is made from two 12 inch steel I Beams with cross bracing, everything welded and then painted. Definitely built for the rigor of full timing. It also addressed all the issues we identified in our trip to west Texas in 2011. 

We worked with our New Horizons salesman to get the layout we wanted for the RV including taller cabinets, 4 foot garage on the back, full size bathtub, and the options for a price we were comfortable with. After the contract was signed we worked with a New Horizons coordinator on the interior selections (Cabinets, furniture, wall coverings, lights, tile, counter tops, floors, etc). Final selections were not made until we were on the way back from New Orleans following or Niece's, Loren, wedding. 

23-26 April 2017

Two weeks ago we received a telephone call informing us our RV was ready! So we set up for this week to live in the RV for 3 days to checkout the RV prior to accepting delivery. The plan was to leave the RV with New Horizon’s until our truck was delivered to tow it. We found the trailer had several issues and certain items had not arrived or had arrived but had to be sent back because they were damaged, the cell phone repeater had not been installed, a gas leak, Ethernet ports not installed, and some minor finish issues.  We left them with a two-page punch list to resolve but also talked with them about adding solar to the rig and upgrading the battery pack. In May, we authorized the solar system as well as having them buy and install the Comfort Ride hitch. Everyone was great to work with! Harold gave us a complete tutorial on the fiver and worked to get issues resolved as they were found. Austin was great with working out the issues with the electronics and direct TV.  We bought lunch for the entire factory to thank them for our fabulous future home.

21-23 August 2017

Its Done!!! We arrived Sunday and found our trailer set up and waiting for us. Everything was addressed from the punch list. Monday was a slow check of the items on the punch list. But it was cloudy and raining so we missed seeing the big solar eclipse.  Tuesday they installed the hitch in the truck. Harold again gave us a thorough walkthrough of all the systems on the trailer and took us for a test drive to verify the trailer integrity and our ability to tow something so long (43 feet) and heavy (22,000lbs). Fortunately, David has towed before, but never anything this long. But we passed Harold’s road test with flying colors. The new truck handled the fiver very well. Took a few try’s to get lined up for the hitch! Biggest issue was getting the cell phone repeater to work. Finally determined the antenna was not a good match for the trailer. Probably too much gain. Austin worked with Wineguard to have them ship a new antenna to the apartment for me to install later. Tuesday evening, Austin installed the display in the truck to allow us to monitor the trailers three cameras as we were driving down the road. Austin also wired it into the turn signals so when a turn signal is activated, it selects that side camera on the fiver. On Wednesday, we signed the final paper work and made the final payment. It was ours!!

Trip#1 2-13 November 2011

 2 November 2011

Today, Leslie and I left on our first RV adventure. We are going to Odessa, TX where Leslie is showing her Boot Bangles in her first show, the Junior League of Odessa Merry Market Place. Then on to Guadalupe Mountains National park. We rented a 30-foot trailer with one slide out from United RV in Fort Worth. 

We got a later start than planned but were soon rocking down the highway. I do mean Rocking! We had a storm moving in from the North so we initially had a 30MPH wind from the south, then we ran into the front around Abilene with swirling winds and then the winds switch to out of the north at 40-MPH with gusts up to 50-MPH. Since we were heading West, those were cross winds the whole way. Even the semi-trucks were swaying and weaving! Even with the load levelers and anti-sway system that trailer was rocking and swaying the whole trip. Good thing Leslie, Koby nor I get motion sickness! As we came into Sweet Water we ran into a West Texas Dust Storm that stayed with us all the way to Odessa. Visibility was usually a quarter mile but there were a couple of times where it dropped to about 30 feet. Exciting! We had a nice layer of dust in the trailer when we opened it up in Odessa. 

The trailer probably weighted in at 6800 lbs, near the maximum the F-150 is rated for. We only got between 5.5 and 6 MPG between the climb to Odessa, the wind and the weight. I was a little worried about getting up Ranger Hill and Union Hill on I-20 but we made it up both without too much fuss. One big hill left on the trip when we get to Guadalupe Mountains.

3-7 November 2011

Odessa, TX- We stayed at the Oil Patch RV Park ($29 a night) in Midessa (halfway between Midland and Odessa). The sight was a gravel patch, which was actually level, with a little swath of grass in front and a tree for shade. The place was dusty and dry and not very convenient. When we arrived, they informed us they had found excessive levels of 1,4-Oxidine in the water and we could not drink the water but it was safe for washing. They did not have cable hook up either. But the Wifi worked well and they had a doggy park that Koby enjoyed . When I went to dump the tanks the first time I found out the hose was 6 inches to short so I had to buy an extension kit so we could dump the overflowing (into the bathtub) grey water tank. Interestingly the RV park was pretty full with people living out of their RVs. I suspect it was mostly oil workers given the energy boom in the area. They even had some people living in tents (one guy had a window air conditioner and a TV in his tent!). A rivet on the stairs broke off a couple of nights ago. The stairs are still usable.

We are here for the Merry Market Place Show with Leslie’s Boot Bracelets. We worked the booth each day through 7 November. It was a lot of work but we learned a lot and did well with sales. 

8 November 2011

We drove from Odessa to Guadalupe Mountains National Park today.  It took about 5 hours with a stop in Van Horn at Chuy’s for lunch. Truck was really working hard on the climb up to the foothills of the Van Horn Mountains. It seems to do better at 55 instead of 60 based on the drive up from Van Horn. The climb up Guadalupe pass was tough. We dropped down to almost 30MPH before we topped the pass. We got the best RV spot in the park (#25) after filling up with water from the park water source. When we got here there were not many folks around but 6 more rigs came in just before dark.
  

There seems to be an issue with the battery charging on the trailer. After setting up the stabilizers and running the slide out outboard, I ran the generator for an hour and it barely put a charge on the battery. The battery voltage level was so low that when the furnace kicked off, it pulled the whole system down. I put the generator back on and am going to run it for a couple of hours before quiet time hits to see if we can get a decent charge on it. Otherwise it is going to be a really cold night since it is going to drop below freezing.  Based on the weather report, I think we will do McKitrick Canyon tomorrow and Guadalupe peak on Thursday when it is warmer and the winds die down. We also heard that Devils Hall is pretty spectacular with color as well, maybe Friday.

9 November 2011

Well, the worst happened, the battery drained during the night and the furnace would not run. It got really cold. Good thing for mutual body warmth! In the morning I called the service folks at United RV. After discussing back and forth we decided the battery was bad or low on water. I got up and checked the water in the battery in the cold and five of the six cells did not have sufficient water in them. So I filled them all up with 3 quarts of water. Then ran the generator for an hour after quiet hours lifted and it still was not taking a charge but I could hear it bubbling.  Further consultation with United RV and I decided to take the battery to Carlsbad to get it tested. I did not want us to go through another cold night like that again. It was also a chance to get more gas for the generator and to fill up the empty primary propane tank since, with these cold nights, we might need it. 

We got into Carlsbad and went to the Carlsbad RV campground where there was an interstate battery dealer. They informed me that it would take 24 hours to charge and test the battery. I wasn’t going to wait, so another call to United RV and we walked out with a new battery. Filled up the gas (propane, truck and generator can) and headed back to Guadalupe’s. A quick check after I installed the new battery confirmed problem fixed.  So with half the day gone we decided to do the Devils Hall trail in the afternoon since the trail is relatively short and was suppose to have the best color. The Devils Hall trail was really pretty. Leslie loved it and it was great to finally get out and hike for a while.  The colors were definitely at their peak and were stunning. Unfortunately the light of the late day sun was not the best, but who can complain about having a chance to enjoy such a hike! 

10 November 2011

Well, the new battery worked great. Unfortunately the secondary Propane bottle expired about 4 AM and we once again woke to a cold trailer. Sigh!! We guess United RV did not bother to fill the second propane tank any more then they bothered to check the battery before they gave us the trailer. Waited until the quiet hours were over and we started the generator and swapped propane bottles. We waited until the trailer warmed up before we got up. Today we climbed Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. It was a lot more strenuous than I remember from having done it 5 years ago. Took us over 5 hours to reach the top. The Temps were comfortable, winds very low and weather perfectly sunny. While we were at the top, I asked Leslie to marry me, she said yes!!!!! Leslie is my soul mate and I look forward to spending our lives together for 50 or more years!
The trip down took about 3 hours because we were exhausted but jubilant. We finished in the moonlight! What can I say, we are exhausted from the hike but never happier in our lives! We came back to our trailer and popped a bottle of Champaign I had secreted away before we left for this occasion!  Called our parents to tell them the news after we sat in the trailer to gain some energy and they were very happy for us. Poor Koby was ready to burst a bladder by the time we got back but swiftly recovered after a walk. This is the happiest day in my life! Leslie said she has never had to work so hard for a proposal in her life! But the sun was setting as we headed back down and we finished the last couple of miles in the dark. Fortunately the moon was out and we could see the trail easily.

Leslie and I just before I asked her to Marry Me on Guadalupe Peak!

11 November 2011

The trailer worked perfect last night! We woke to a warm and inviting trailer. Today we hiked McKittrick Canyon trail. The colors were fantastic! We had a great time walking all the way into the Grotto (2.4 miles), having lunch and strolling out. Unfortunately there were no volunteers at Pratt Cabin so Leslie could go in and see it. We went to the evening NPS lecture on the cultures of the Guadalupe’s Mountains. I asked the ranger giving the lecture about Pratt Cabin and she said they no longer have enough personnel or volunteers to man the cabin year round. Such a shame. In the canyon there was virtually no winds and the temperatures were in the low 60s. When we got back to Pine Springs Camp ground the winds were blowing 15-25MPH and the ranger informed us they would be strengthening all night. Tomorrow they will be very high from the west, approaching dangerous levels in the pass. Going to be a rockin and rolling night and drive to Odessa.

The walk in McKittrick was so beautiful; we did not want to leave!

12 November 2011

Well the ranger was right, the winds picked up over night with occasional bursts of 40-50MPH which really rocked that trailer. It woke both of us up several times with a howl and the shuddering of the trailer. But the battery and furnace worked great! We got on the road by 10 am and decided to go up through Carlsbad NM and down US285 to Pecos. Running at 55MPH definitely improved our gas mileage from 5.5-6MPG to 8.5-9MPG. The truck was running better and not working as hard as trying to stay at 60MPH. Of course we stack up traffic occasionally but the traffic was light and did not seem like a problem. The wind beat us up while heading south on 285 but after we got on I-20 East the wind was at our back and helped push us a long.

Tonight we are staying at the Midland RV Park ($27 per night). The transient spaces are just a big gravel patch with paved roads. But it’s level if not a little dusty. But the water is safe, full hook ups with cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Easy to get into but the access road is gravel and could use some repair.  The long-term spaces have trees shading them. The only grass is in the playground and the fenced dog park. Not someplace I would stay for very long, but not bad for a quick overnight. 

After dinner at La Badaga, we went to Leslie’s family friend and picked up the stuff we stored there while we were in the Guadalupe’s. We head home tomorrow. Winds are predicted to be 15-20 but coming out of the Southwest which will be at our back.

13 November 2011

The trip home from Odessa to Fort Worth was routine. We had the wind to our back most of the way home, along with losing altitude from the higher altitude Permian Basin, we managed 10-11MPG. We stopped off in Thurber Texas at the Smoke Stack Restaurant for a late lunch. Great place to eat on I-20! We left Odessa at 9am and we arrived in Fort Worth about 3:30pm. We got everything off the trailer and turned it in by 5:30pm. We then took a load of the larger items back to Leslie’s apartment. I noticed about 5 miles from the United RV center, as it was getting dark, that the trailer lights were not working. I suspect we blew the tow package fuze in the truck all the way back in Odessa when we ran the slideout out to turn off the furnace after we had disconnected from the RV Park AC power. Else we blew it in Fort Worth when we ran the slideout out to empty it and clean it. I never checked the lights before we pulled out in either case. Lesson learned, always check the trailer lights before getting on the road. After we got back we figured out we left a frying pan in the oven when we cleaned it out, so Leslie went and picked it up the next day. I called United RV three times Monday morning before they could acknowledge they had possession of the trailer (per their directions I had left it parked in the front parking lot Sunday night since they were closed) and for me to tell them about the broken stairs and the black tank meter not reading accurately. I also suggested they add a battery check to their checkout checklist before they hand it over to a customer. I think I was talking to a wall for all the reaction I got. Can’t say much good about their rental organization since Angeline left. When it was all said and done, Leslie said she thinks she could handle RV life if we get something that addressed the issues we identified during the trip, but she may still want a home base to come back to and get out of the RV and have more space. All I could ask for out of a rental situation and a small RV.

A little more about the travel trailer we rented. It was a 2011 Forest River Salem 26TBUD 28 foot 9 inch long trailer with a single slide out (fixed table and couch on the slideout). It retails for $23,079. Total cost to rent the trailer was $1595 for basically 14 days. That includes a $25 Cleaning Fee, $25 Dump Fee, and a $55 Prep fee. The propane tanks were supposed to be full but I don’t think the second tank was full given how fast it ran out. Their insurance covered collision and my truck insurance covered the comprehensive liability. I was very unimpressed with the quality of the materials or the workmanship of the unit. So much so I would not consider buying a Forest River product. Also, if Leslie decides to get into these market shows for her business we might need to consider a toy hauler for carrying the show setup and products around.

Leslie and I kept a list of specifications for a future 5^thwheel if we decide to buy one based on our experiences on this first RV Trip. They are as follows:

1.    No Metal blinds (the get caught on everything and get all bent up)

2.    More Storage in the Bedroom (no drawers for clothing and hanging space is too short for most clothing)

3.    Taller exit door (I am tired of hitting my head every time I exit!)

4.    Full size bed (Our feet are hanging off the end of this one!

5.    Real Bedside Tables (Not a carpeted box with no storage)

6.    Tall shower (so I don’t have to stick my head in the skylight to stand up straight and enough room to actually towel off!)

7.    Room in the bedroom to get dressed!

8.    Self Lighting stove and water heater.

9.    Taller Slideouts (Leslie and I don’t hit like hitting our heads every time we stand up from the table or couch!)

10.Bathroom electrical plug high enough above the counter we can plug in hair Dryers with 90 degree plugs!

11.A real pantry!

12.Storage in the kitchen for pots pans, spices, etc!

13.Toilet with a foot pedal activated flush and enough room to reach the toilet paper!

14. More room in the bathroom so you don’t have to lean over the toilet to get closer to the mirror! (Leslie is tired of hitting her shins while putting on her makeup.)

15.No Vents in the floor! (I am tired of hurting my feet on the hot grates plus there is a lot of dirt down in them!)

16.One handle for hot and cold water instead of knobs on the sinks and showers.

17.BIG grey water tank! (A couple of low water showers and the grey water tank on this trailer is full!)(black water tank has not been an issue)

18.Bigger bath tub. (Leslie took a bath in the short tub and was tangled up like a pretzel!)

19. Larger Propane Tanks with an auto switch over! (Leslie and I are tired of waking to a cold trailer because of a bad battery or an expired propane tank!)

20.Electrical heat when hookups are available.

21.Towel Racks!

22.Room in the kitchen for prepping food and cleaning up.

23.A refrigerator that doesn’t freeze everything and is temperature adjustable.

24.Better stabilizers (electric or Hydraulic) so the trailer does not sway in the wind when parked. And I don’t have to run them out by hand.

25.Water Filter on the city water line.

26.More AC plugs.

Prologue

Many people ask us how we got into RVing, much less full time RVing. In his younger days, David used to go backpacking and truck camping with his friends and often on his own. They used to scoff at the people in RVs in the park campgrounds. That wasn’t real camping they would say. If your not sleeping on the ground and crawling into a tent, its not real camping. They were right, being in an RV is not camping, it is RVing. Not that one is more enjoyable than the other, they are just different approaches to enjoying the experience.

On one of David’s trips, he was camping in Pine Canyon campground at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He had gone there in early November to catch the trees changing colors in McKitrick Canyon. The weather was cold, misting/drizzle mixed with rain and sleet for the whole four days he was there. Sleeping in a damp tent, cooking in the cold rain and sitting in the truck until bedtime to stay warm and dry does not make for a good camping experience. Every night, when he would walk up to the bathroom before bed, he would walk past the RVs in the parking lot. Looking through the windows as he walked by and seeing people sitting in comfortable chairs in the warm, dry, brightly lit interiors was enough to make him wonder if there might be something to this RVing.

A couple of years later, David rented a 30 foot travel trailer and spent two weeks traveling from Fort Worth, to Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and then down to Big Bend National Park before returning home. He went hiking and mountain biking almost everyday. He decided there was definitely something to be said for a nice hot shower after a long day of playing, not to mention a hot meal at a cozy table and a comfortable bed. He met so many nice people in the RV parks and made friends at each stop. He decided that RVing was a good way to travel and you always had the option to sleep in a tent when you could not use your RV. So a plan began to come together.

One of our goals that we shared when we met was that we wanted to travel the United States and see all the beautiful parks we never had time to see when we were working. David had developed a plan to buy a nice RV when he retired so he could travel. When they met, Leslie was not so sure about this idea (visions of being in a single wide in the middle of the desert came to mind). So we agreed that we would rent a trailer and do a trial run of the RV plan to see how we both would like it together. So began out journey described in the following pages.

Long and short of it was we enjoyed our camping experience but not the camper. So we made notes of everything we would want different and the things we liked. As the date of our retirement came closer we began going to RV shows and talking to other RVers to see what we might want. As researched, we realized only one company made an RV with a 4 foot motorcycle garage in the back. That was an ideal size for the toys we had in mind (Kayaks, Bikes, etc.) that we did not want hanging off the back of the rig. Further research showed that the company, New Horizons, was a custom RV builder specifically for the full timers. We contacted New Horizons and set up a trip to visit the manufacturing plant. After much back and forth with New Horizons, our design was set and we purchased our first RV.