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| Our Roadtrek 210P |
Reflection
Having the Roadtrek has had some interesting moments, which are beyond the expected trekking experience. Not long after purchase a distant relative who was excited about this approached me and said "Of course, it will be available for family use!" My response was a shake of the head and a single word: "No!". That did not go over well, but it is necessary to set boundaries.
One thing I have learned is a lot of people think that using a van based RV is like driving and owning a car. Some are oblivious of the maintenance required for a home or an RV. They don't realize that the Roadtrek is a complex machine, and it requires careful driving, maintenance and some care. There are expenses to deal with. To be safe and secure and to have pleasant trekking experiences preventative maintenance is a must. For the vehicle chassis this requires timely fluid changes, frequent tire rotation, brake inspections, etc. At the appropriate time the chassis battery, brakes and tires are to be replaced. There are published service schedules about this. For the coach there are batteries to maintain, a generator to maintain, all the appliances and of course, bouncing down the road means that latches and other hardware may fail. Frequent inspections are a necessity. I carry spare parts including a macerator and spare Thetford "slinky" dump hose because these things may not be available if a sudden repair or replacement is required. To paraphrase Murphy's Law "Things will break and usually at a most inopportune moment". However, some RVers seem to prefer living a risky life and winging it. They may drive their baby into the ground, choosing to performing maintenance only when breakdowns occur.
I've met a few who complain when their baby breaks "How could this happen?" is the oft repeated refrain.
I once got an emergency phone call from an individual who had a breakdown on an interstate about 100 miles distant. One of the front brake calipers had disintegrated while on a routine trip; it damaged the brake system and fluid line. As it turns out, they had not inspected the brakes for a couple of years and several thousand miles of driving. An expression I use for situations such as this is: "A failure on your part to plan does not constitute an emergency for me." I arranged for emergency service, but declined to drive to the location. Yes, Virginia, this is why AAA was created.
A couple of days ago, the "Check Maintenance" light came on in one of my vehicles. It has 44,000 miles and was recently serviced at the Chevy dealer, one of a series of annual maintenance interval checks (about 250 miles earlier). Some call this indicator the "Check engine" light. I also noticed an intermittent whistling while driving. The vehicle was clearly drivable. It was a Sunday. I went to the nearby Auto Zone store and borrowed their "Onboard Diagnostic" OBD reader. I plugged it into the port, took the reading and then brought it back inside. Their computer indicated it was an oxygen sensor malfunction and the engine was running lean. There could be multiple causes for this. Because of the whistling noise I also looked under the hood to see if the serpentine belt was OK or showing any signs of shredding. I listened for an idler problem. I detected none. I went online and scheduled a maintenance visit at the nearby Chevy dealer to occur on Monday. On arrival I asked them to run the diagnostic and inform me of the issue. As it turns out, there was a problem with the overhead cam cover and the PCV valve. They advised Chevy was aware of the issue with that specific engine. A couple of hours later, with a new cover, etc. installed I was on my way. My cost: $0.00. I do think consistent maintenance at a single dealer is helpful. Chevy had the entire service history and the vehicle was obviously well maintained.
"You can pay now or pay later" is one way to look at this. I can perform and pay for good preventative maintenance and it may not be inexpensive, but failing to do so will inevitably result in breakdowns which may be even more costly. I think some thrive on the angst created by unscheduled breakdowns, but I am not one of those. There are those in society who prefer victimhood and love to express their misfortune.
Oh, and one must be an advocate for themselves, and be courteous throughout. Good and proper maintenance, records and documentation can provide leverage to the owner. When our Roadtrek had a fiberglass problem in the bathroom I documented it, sent photos and communicated via email with the nearby dealer and to Roadtrek customer service. Because it was early summer and peak repair season this took some time to schedule and to complete, but I remained courteous and on point throughout. After Roadtrek scheduled and authorized repairs, and the dealer completed them, I got an unexpected call from the Roadtrek Regional Manager. They had replaced the entire bathroom shell. He apologized for the inconvenience and thanked me for my understanding. He then told me that as compensation I would receive a $500 check from Roadtrek. That's the "old" 2014 Roadtrek corporation, no relationship to the current company.
Now, I'm quick to admit that I have made mistakes and that from time to time, things go wrong and I do lose my temper, but I check my anger or upset. I am more committed to getting results than running my power trip or making others wrong. I do have the ability to slice and dice with a few words. and I have low tolerance for incompetence but am sufficiently empathic to understand the issues faced by dealers and manufacturers. I have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. Sometimes the problem is because of my action or inaction and I do take responsibility. However, most "accidents" are not such things. I'm trained in industrial accident prevention and I do know what I'm talking about. Driving in a RV with old, worn or rotted tires is an accident waiting to happen. Towing a trailer at speeds beyond the design of the tires is an accident waiting to happen. Speeding in a RV is risky. When "accidents" occur, we may sometimes be surprised that our insurance refused to cover certain costs, including medical and hospitalization.
"There is no free ride" is the old expression and it is true. The romantic notion of travelling the open road and boondocking for free may be alluring; I think it is largely a fiction. Costs do include fuel, preventative maintenance, the campsites, etc.
A couple we met in the Southwest added solar, and decided to live "on the cheap" on BLM land near Quartzite AZ. They soon discovered that getting water hauled in was a nuisance, dumping the tanks required breaking camp and electricity was in short supply. To add to their "misery" as they described it, they found the endless heat parked in the sun to be uncomfortable and even unbearable at times; and it wasn't summer. Low humidity is a plus, but dust and heat aren't pleasant on a 24 hour a day basis. After several months of experimentation, they decided to stay near us in the resort. They told us this change was money well spent. "We love it" was what they said.
A couple who wanted to boondock a lot upgraded the solar on their larger RV. They also added more 6V golf-cart style batteries. They told me of their experience. After a couple of months one of the batteries exploded. They had never thought to check the battery fluid level. They went back to the dealer who declined to cover this as a warranty repair. They were told that cooking the batteries is not a warranty issue.
As an example of how an RV shouldn't be treated like an apartment, a visitor to our travel trailer jammed the footpedal of the toilet to the floor. That caused breakage and afterwards, the water valve would not reliably close, slowly filling the toilet and nearly flooding the trailer. I turned off the water to the RV and the next day I dismantled the toilet to see if it was repairable. I decided to replace it with a new Thetford Aqua Magic II, which I ordered online at a very good price. When I installed the toilet, I added a special shutoff at the toilet freshwater inlet. I now encourage guests to use the campground washrooms.
Then there were the thieves who stole the catalytic converter while the Roadtrek was in a locked, gated, camera equipped "secure" storage. FMCA Progressive insurance did a great job supporting that replacement, but there was travel delay, inconvenience and the deductible to pay.
After the arrival of the CCP Covid-19 we were approached by a lot of people who wanted to know how much the Roadtrek costs, how we like it, etc. We have always had a few curious approach us to talk to us in gas stations, etc. I've had to tell them that the 190 & 210 are no longer manufactured. I refer interested individuals to the Roadtrek International Chapter, FMCA website for more information and used pricing and availability. In the Roadtrek I carry small cards with that website information, and my YouTube channel and this blog address. I am reluctant to recommend current Roadtreks because I know nothing about them. I have no first-hand experience of the "new" company products after the sale of Heimer-Roadtrek, and the bankruptcy and fire sale of the "spun-off" Roadtrek company that followed. The current Roadtrek is for all intents and purposes a new company with different vehicles.
In recent years, because of demand, it has been our experience that reservations are necessary for most excursions. But there are no guarantees. When bad weather delayed our arrival at a campground we called the office and informed them. We would arrive after the office was closed, but this would be "No problem" we were told. Upon arrival at about 7pm , we discovered a poacher had occupied our site. That situation was resolved, but with no assistance from the campground owner or the office. With nighttime temperatures near 0F it could have been a real problem for us. Oh, and our credit card was billed for the night. "Strike that campground from the list".
Sometimes, there are other surprises. We were staying for a short time at a nice, family run campground in Texas. In fact, we have camped there several times. On that occasion a weather change was forecast with an accompanying freeze. "No problem" we thought, as we were winterized, which is our standard approach when a hard freeze is a possibility. (Under these circumstances we travel with anti-freeze in the black and gray tanks and additional fresh water in gallon containers). The manager notified us that water would be turned off at 7pm. I asked about the campground bathrooms. Somewhat nonchalantly I was told that they too would be part of the water shutoff.
It seems people are using their RVs for family weekend getaways, and there are more RVs on the road than there are campsites to park them. We've been able to squeeze into campgrounds which were supposedly full, because at times there is a small, odd-sized lot available. When covid arrived, we noticed that more RVers were inclined to stay put for longer periods. Recently, high fuel prices had also had an impact on travel plans. It seems some go on shorter distance trips of only a few hundred miles.
Rates become lower with longer term leases at some campgrounds and resorts. However, with high demand that may change.
Recent gasoline prices haven't been a joy, with increases in the West from less than $2 a gallon to more than $5 a gallon in Blue States like Illinois, and with Michigan not far behind. Oh, and then there are the road tolls in Illinois to deal with, too. Until government policy outlaws RVs or attempts to tax them into oblivion, I think G and I will be okay. It will be interesting to see the impact of gasoline prices above $7 a gallon, should that occur.
Financial planning is an absolute must. Our dining and grocery bills have increased. We monitor prices and noticed that a can of Spam is now about $3 (we don't eat it). However, our travel budget includes some price flexibility and there are trade-off options. We can stay put at the lily-pads and make shorter excursions from them. There are a lot of things to do from our lily-pad situated east of Lake Michigan, and Tucson is a great location, too.
I run all of our finances and budget through Quicken software. I supplement that with custom spreadsheets. At any given moment I can run a report, or a series of reports and compare costs today to any similar period in the past. I know precisely how much we spend on gasoline, groceries, dining out, each utility, rents, taxes etc. I know how much is spent at each of our lily pads and to maintain our Roadtrek and travel from point to point in it. I know all forthcoming bills, projected income, and our projected checking and savings balances well into the future. We have a long-term financial plan. One of my goals was to provide some financial security for us. That requires planning and preparation. It requires budgeting and at times it requires sacrifice or at the very least self-control.
I suggest that if one does not have such plans in place, then perhaps a life of Vandwelling with street parking in a Blue State "sanctuary city" and sponge baths in a McDonalds and Starbucks should be the lifestyle plan. But there are trade-offs. We were exploring Canyonlands National Park and a group of 20 somethings, about six grungy boys and girls, were cooking Ramen Soup on a camp stove near us. They were living the good live in a van. They were observing me as I was chopping vegetables for dinner. One came over to look at the Class B. None of the vandwellers looked too happy. Another trekker came up to us and talked to me about our lifestyle decision and the rig we were travelling in. The vandwellers listened and watched us.
In recent years, G had been more concerned about "Carjackers" after we have been followed and observed by those who are obviously up to no good. I am very choosy about where I park the Roadtrek. Because of their policy of providing oversize parking for RVs in the rear where they can't be readily observed I avoid the Cracker-Barrel restaurants.
A few years ago, on a business trip to Cupertino CA a group of us stopped for dinner at a Red Lobster. While we had dinner, thieves broke into one of our rental vehicles and several others in the parking lot. $thousand in tech was stolen. None of mine was touched because I am more cautious. The vehicle driver went back to the restaurant to call the police. The restaurant manager told us "This happens all the time". But no one in the staff alerted us to this possibility when we got our reservations. Furthermore, the restaurant had security to monitor the parking lot. We decided it was an inside job.
We dined with a 20-something couple we know, and they brought up the subject of full-time RVing. They knew we did this and emoted about how wonderful it would be if they did it. They expressed this is one of their short-term goals and "want" to buy a RV and live the life fantastic. They don't have a long-term financial plan, sponge from relatives and aren't financially stable. They have no clue about what it takes. They really want a Class A RV experience but at no cost. I suggested work-camping but that didn't seem attractive to them. LOL.
Returning to budgeting, one of the obvious ways to reduce grocery bills is to stop purchasing snacks, junk food, things like pop-tarts (Ugh!) and any other prepared crap and of course, any soda pop or other canned beverages. Beer and wine are also options. However, there are some interesting prepared foods out there. Trader Joe's has a good, frozen vegetable fried rice and several different frozen pasta dishes. These are in bags. We usually add our own meat, preferring good Italian sausage, grilled chicken or pork, sliced and marinated, or grilled flank steak or marinated and sauteed shrimp, etc. Once a week I poach fresh salmon on the grill in a variety of home-made marinades.
G and I are both skillful cooks and I'm a baker too, so we prepare most of our meals using quality ingredients. However, with the increases in the prices of butter, eggs, flour and spices as well as increased energy costs, baking from scratch isn't the cost saver it was only a couple of years ago. One baking option is to use prepared mixes. However, we have to be very selective because the sugar-infused palates of Millennials, Gen-Xers and Gen-Zers means a lot of mixes are far too sweet for our tastes.
I've set up outdoor cook stations at both of the lily pads, and the Roadtrek is well equipped. We have propane ovens and convection ovens as well as crock style pots and electric cooktops, electric grills and an electric grill at one of the lily pads. In the Roadtrek I carry a small grill, an electric cook-top and this is in addition to the convection-microwave, and propane range top. We have a lot of options available to us. I do prefer to cook outdoors.
We designed a budget and financial plan and I've posted earlier about that.
Our long-term lease approach means that camping costs may increase about 5% a year. However, there is a trend in the industry. The current CEO of KOA seems to be pushing the creation of more and more "glamping" sites, so as to increase revenue. When the low-cost sites are gone, well, one may have no choice but to reserve a more expensive site. Other campgrounds may follow suit and nearly all are full during peak season. It is unclear if high gasoline prices will change that. IMHO government policy will keep fuel prices and inflation high. Transient may be for years. Our 210P with the 6.0-liter V-8 engine gets about 16 MPG at highway speeds below 75 MPH.
Time and budget permitting we have taken a variety of treks. UP of Michigan, Door County WI, southern US, Florida, East Coast, West Coast, Central US, Appalachia, all the Great Lakes, etc. etc. etc. A few maps:
We did finally make it to a FMCA international convention. CCP-Covid cancelled the earlier one we had registered for, and some are in locations inconvenient to us. However, travelling from AZ to GA for a convention isn't all that appealing. Nevertheless, we did enjoy meeting up with fellow Roadtrekkers in Tucson.
With partial retirement after 53 working years, time is less of a constraint to our travel plans. I'm now only working part time and G is retired. "When you stop, you drop". Because I have educated myself in finance, budget and investing I have been on an annual retainer for more than 10 years and I am paid to write about such matters.
When we have vacated the condo we should have more free time, if I can keep the relatives at bay. LOL. For years I told them we were wintering in New Mexico. However, they now know we are actually in AZ.
We purchased the Roadtrek about 9 years ago with the intention to keep it and use it for 10 years. At this point, we have no plans to sell it. I've taken care of several maintenance issues and made some custom upgrades including solar and lithium batteries. I've resolved propane and refrigerator issues. Everything works and I'm confident of taking it on long trips in mild and inclement weather. Travel is a matter of determining comfort routes. We have no issue with winter trekking but of course opening the side doors lets the heat out and winter in. That large sliding door in the Kitchen area was one of the things we didn't like about the Sprinter.
I haven't seen anything I would choose to replace the Roadtrek.
(c) Norman Retzke 2022
