Travel to the winter base, 2020-2021

 

 

 

 

A trekking update. I’m happy to say that our trek to the southwest was uneventful and pleasant. This was in part due to our preparation, and mild weather. 

We plan several routes in advance. At this time of the year, we monitor 10-day weather forecasts along each route. We then pick the most favorable route and a window of opportunity for our departure, bearing in mind that as we approach December the weather will degrade. 

We have trekked in fall with temperatures as low as about 5F and camped overnight under those winter conditions. In addition to the heat-pump and propane furnace we carry a small supplemental electric heater and an electric blanket. If electricity is unavailable I have used the gasoline generator. 

This trek was not one of those winter experiences. In fact, weather wise, this was one of our best fall trips.

 Covid-19 remains an issue and a reason for caution while traveling. Because of this we weren’t on a sight-seeing trek. In past, pre-covid treks if the weather allowed we’ve taken our time at a leisurely pace. We could spend a few days in a location and explore before moving on. No fall festivals this year. This year, we took a very direct route, avoided some major urban centers and did the distance in less than 3-1/2 days. Each day was 500-600 miles. The road conditions were excellent, low or no headwinds and the posted speeds up to 80 MPH; I traveled with prevailing traffic via interstates. We were up before dawn, then 10 hours or so of travel with frequent, brief stops to stretch and walk, etc. There was not a lot of time for the internet beyond essentials such as weather and route planning. However, G read the headlines to me as we traveled. Each night we looked at the next day’s route, decided if reservations were necessary, etc. Some RV locations are popular, even today. 

The weather was wonderful, 50-70F and sunny during the daytime until New Mexico. We did experience a mild freeze overnight in Amarillo, TX and again in Lordsburg, NM. We were prepared for this. In October I had winterized our Roadtrek 210P. This is a straightforward procedure, which drains the fresh water system and fills the lines, P-traps and so on with about 2 gallons of a special, potable anti-freeze. The purpose is to avoid potential freeze damage to the fresh water system during winter storage. We carried additional water in containers within the heated coach compartment. In fact, our 210P has a second, internal fresh water tank and it is rated for brief periods as low as about 15F if the hot water heater is “on” and the coach heated. But I’ve found it convenient to winterize the entire system if below freezing weather is expected while traveling. Doing so avoids a stop for "emergency" winterizing if the weather changes for the worse.

 We did use the showers at the campgrounds and some have individual, locked showers. We carry sanitizing wipes, isopropyl alcohol 70% and hand sanitizer, etc. Protocols vary in different states, but we do use masks, etc.

 We dined on food we carried, but in the morning we did stop at McDonalds for coffee, etc. G likes the oatmeal. In one state only the drive through was open and we walked up to the drive-through to avoid hitting the overhang. At another carryout was available. Some counties allow restaurant dine-in. It is a constantly changing situation.

 At Lordsburg, we were very comfortable overnight. We had a mild freeze and a nearby rig experienced an overnight fresh water system stoppage because they had not prepared for low temperatures. This can result in inconvenience as water can’t flow through frozen pipes. Under extremes it can result in damage.

At dawn I disconnected the electrical and we continued west. About 3 hours later we were at our winter destination.

If circumstances allow, we'll be taking some short treks in the winter months. Otherwise we'll be taking frequent hikes at the Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon and so on.

 

 

Original material Roadtrek210,blogspot.com

 

 

Ready for our 1,800 mile trek

 The Roadtrek service has been completed, we have new tires and it is time to head off.

 

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Dealing with Google issues - How we made our adventure - Part One

 

Google has "lost" my last long post; I reconstructed it twice. They lost if both times.  Perhaps it is time to move to a new platform.

 

Winter Lily Pad

Inside the Winter Lily Pad

This is a multi-part story of how we got where we have arrived, as of December 2020.

We've been  preparing for full-time RVing for several years. Once we got into "action" we accomplished our goal over a span of about 5 years and 40,000 miles in our Roadtrek 210P. The major pieces took about 3-1/2 years, and for the next 3 years we "tweaked" and made improvements. 

This post is part one of a series on journey, literally and figuratively into the world of RVing. It is written as we prepare for a 1,800 mile trek in our 210P to our winter location. In this series I'll look into the finances.

We have traveled 40,000+ miles in our Roadtrek 210P.  We have lived in it for short treks and long ones. The longest was for nearly 110 continuous days. We use it to hop from lily-pad to lily-pad. Using our treks and explorations we have established two "bases", one in the southwest and another in the Midwest. We live in RVs about 11 months of the year. This is a story about that. We will be full timers,

We began RVing in October 2013. We rented a class B from Campervan North America out of Las Vegas. We used a 19 ft. Sprinter based camper to visit National Parks in Utah. We camped with nighttime lows of about 25F to 40F. It was an all-electric experience, complete with solar panels and 30A maximum shore power. We wanted that experience to determine the comfort limits in a small RV. 

That was a very positive experience. After that first trek we made a specific list of what we wanted in a Class B. That is to say, what worked, what didn't, what we would change and what we would really require in a RV if we purchased. This blog has an extensive post about that.

We began by discussing our future and decided that we would not live for the remainder of our lives in a condominium.  We would become full timers for a few years, health permitting. We also decided that the State of Illinois was so poorly managed that we could not live here "forever". So we began to plan our gradual escape to better locations.   Let me be clear about this.  Like many we can live just about anywhere we choose as long as we are willing to pay the taxes, deal with the weather, stomach the politics and so on.  However, this is a big country.  There are lots of fine communities.  We decided to visit a few.  We also knew that we preferred moderate temperatures, but a true Spring and Fall season is quite enjoyable.  Neither of us enjoy 90% humidity and we prefer to keep away from pesky mosquitoes. etc. I don't like the density of the East Coast, nor the issues of the West Coast. However, an occasional, short visit to these places is acceptable.  That is, it was prior to covid-19.

By the time 2013 came around I'd been doing a lot of research for several years and G  and I had many many discussions. We had also taken short duration driving trips all over the U.S.  It wasn't too difficult to prepare a list of possible RVs. We had visited a number of dealers and shows. We had  looked at a variety of Class B and C RVs. We had considered the pros and cons of a truck-camper. We were pretty clear about what we wanted if we were to purchase. I've posted about that earlier, but here were the primary goals and "wants":

1. Something well made and that would retain value, have reasonable operating costs, be reasonable to maintain and could provide good service for at least 10 years. (15 MPG gasoline, domestic engine & transmission; serviceable at 1,000s of locations and non-proprietary coach technology).
2. Something that met our budget (about $90k new, lower if used).
3. Something we could enjoy living in during 3-season trekking (short periods down to 5F). 
4. Something comfortable we could take just about anywhere the roads are paved.
5. Something we could use to find our retirement lily-pads and travel in National Parks, etc. (About 21 ft length).
6. Something we could live in for weeks if we desired, or if necessary. (A wider coach, but not as wide as a Class C and slightly longer than 20 ft. It should have complete accessories including a gasoline generator, dual propane-electric coach, etc.). 

 Next: Part two: Purchasing  the Roadtrek and setting up the lily pads. 

 

 

Final Day in Michigan 2020

 

Well it is time to shut down oy Michigan "cabin" in the pond and prepare to embark to Arizona.

We began the day at Eric's Cafe, and it was still dark. We wished Laurie and the other waitress a pleasant winter, thanked them for their wonderful service and then departed. Of course, I left a 25% tip. 

After breakfast and with the sun rising we headed to the dunes and Lake Michigan.  We were greeted by deer and wild turkeys.  The deer are always skittish, but we drove within 10 feet of the turkeys and they were oblivious.  I do undertand; breakfast is a important meal.

 

 

 

 We were greeted with a lot of fall color.  Last night it didn't get as cool as predicted and it was about 50F at 7am.

 

 The dunes were empty but for one other walker.  The snow fences are going up and soon it will be winter.

While the sun rose behind us the lake was grey and cloud cover behind us muted the rising sun.

 

 

 We returned to the campground, winterized our "cabin", stowed the cook station and glider, and ran the slide in.  That's the end of this summer. 

 

Now,to prepare for the trek to Arizona! 

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

 

End of the season in Michigan

Well, tonight the weather prediction is a low of 37F.  This is our last walk this season at Weko Beach.

We began the morning at nearby Eric's cafe for breakfast.  Then to the beach. I began packing the Roadtrek shortly thereafter. And then the rain came.

The weather continues to shift to winter.

 

With the  fierce winds, insects need to cling to nearby objects so as to avoid being blown away.  The monarch butterflies have all departed for the southwest and Mexico. We rescued a walking stick on the path and deposited it into the grass.  As a cold blooded insect, this is the sunset.

A squirrel decided to create a nest in the kitchen drawer of a neighbor's travel trailer.

I'm prepping the Roadtrek for our 2,000 mile trip to Arizona.  I'll let the Chevy dealer change the oil, rotate the tires and so on.  I did not replace the tires as planned because we only did local driving this summer.  

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

 

Surf is up at Weko Beach

 

 

I wrote this in mid-September, but delayed posting.

Some people tell us that we are lucky, and we are. However, I also tell them that we began planning this in 1999. It took many years to get the many pieces into place. We traveled by automobile checking out some possible locations, but other obligations limited our travel including work.  And, of course there are financial constraints. As we got close to putting all of it into real action we rented a Class B RV in 2013 to test the plan. We then purchased a Roadtrek so we could explore the remaining places we had researched, experience the lifestyle and visit National Parks and other things we were interested in. We jumped at the opportunity to get an annual site at a campground in Michigan although the plan was to first deal with the southwest U.S. location.

 I did spend thousands of hours on this research, including deciding which Class B to purchase so we could plan our escape and explore many "lily pad" locales. But, there are no guarantees. LOL. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that "life is short" and "today is the best day of my life". In other words, it is all downhill from here. So, while I plan and prepare it is all about shifting constantly from thought into action. 

For those who don't know me well, it all appears to be serendipity, luck and hip shooting. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet, I am so fortunate that things have turned out as they have. That is part luck and by the grace of God. My favorite expression is "God loves us, but the universe doesn't care". I consider that to be life-affirming, it empowers me and I act accordingly.

I do hope everyone is doing well in "the year of covid-19".  We decided to hunker down for a good part of the summer on the eastern short of Lake Michigan.  Politics kept the restaurants locked down but they have gradually opened. We had a good summer but there was less travel than normal; the governor of this state was issuing punitive punishment against businesses which were deemed to be in non-compliance of the governor's orders, which were found to be unconstitutional. LOL.  

 

We had a lot going on.  One thing was to prepare the condo which we seldom use for sale.  We have two other "lily pads" so the condo has become superfluous.  I got a large dumpster and got rid of a bunch of old business stuff, some furniture and I also gave away a lot of Steelcase and Mayline office furniture. In all, I carried more than 3 tons to the recycler or into this dumpster. LOL. 

Original material:  https://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Replacing the tires at 42,000+ miles

Update

I did replace the tires. Our Chevy dealer gave me a very good deal on the same Bridgestone tires that came on the Roadtrek.  Because we have had good results with that tire I decided to continue with what works, based on personal experience.

If you want to determine if the tire is expired or recalled, type the entire DOT code into this website:
http://www.tiresafetygroup.com/

The NHTSA also has a website where tire recalls, safety can be checked:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

The new tires:

• LT245/75R16 E  M+S (load range E, Meets the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) guidelines for a mud and snow tire. ).
• Service Description: 120/116S (Maximum load - single: 3,086 lbs. maximum load - dual: 2,756 lbs., per tire @ 80 PSI) with speed rating "S" = 112 MPH.

Original Post June 6. 2020
Our 2013 Roadtrek 210P came with Bridgestone tires.  At 42,600 miles and nearly 8 years old, these have done very well (Chevy chassis manufacture date 12/2012). With these tires we find the road noise acceptable at highway speeds of 80 MPH. These tires show no signs of rot, remaining tread sufficient according to the Michelin tire indicator. etc.  Ergo, my satisfaction. Some might say I'm a preventative maintenance nut because I rotate the tires about every 6,000 miles. But PM is about avoiding unscheduled breakdowns. I want to get where I'm going while trekking and that's why I perform PM and why I carry some unusual spare parts. "Avoid" but not "Eliminate" because things do go wrong from time to time.

We rotate these tires with every oil change. At about 43,000 miles the wear is balanced. "You get what you pay for" and I do think the frequent rotation and tire checks are a good investment in worry and maintenance free controlled trekking; I want to avoid unscheduled maintenance stops. I'd add "You get the service life that you maintain for".

I've begun to look into replacing the tires this year.  I have no interest in getting into a religious battle about the best tires.  I will not purchase China bombs. Period. Here is what I'm researching:

LT245/75R16 E (load range E). 

Service Description: 120/116R (3,169-2,806 lbs. per tire) with speed rating "R" = 106 MPH.

The Bridgstone "Duravis R500 HD " is an all-season tire that approximates what I'm looking for. Installed cost about $250 per tire.

Definition of Highway All-Season: Focused on longer tread life while providing a smooth ride and sufficient all-season traction

FMCA Tire Discount Program

I'm a member and the FMCA does have a discount program with cooperating Michelin, Continental and Hankook dealers. I'll be looking it this as a possible tire source.

Cost to Operate
From a cost to operate perspective the tires cost me about $125 per year.  I pay about $60 for each maintenance visit to our Chevy dealer. That includes full synthetic oil change, tire rotation and multi-point inspection. This occurs about every 6,000 miles, or over 8 years, about once each year.  A really good investment, in my humble opinion. I do simple things like replacing the wiper blades...

Original material:  https://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/