Tag: rv-tips

Finding Zen & The Art of RV Maintenance

Let’s take a break from the fun.

Hindsight really affords one the opportunity to be grateful for the silver linings that one might have missed when one is in the middle of winter and the heater malfunctions.

On Sunday, before I left on my trip to Santa Fe, I noticed that the heat wasn’t really kicking on like it had before. When I had taken the RV to the repair shop in Iowa, they had blown some air out of the lines, so my initial thought was that it could be that. I opened up the back of the van, and I immediately noticed that the level of glycol was low. No problem – easy fix. Thankfully, I had some glycol, so I added that to the tank and headed on my way.

Fast forward to my return from Santa Fe. I stepped into the van and was greeted by a blast of hot air. The thermostat read 81 degrees. I went to check the glycol, and the level was lower than when I left. I put in more glycol. Rinse. Repeat. Time for bed.

Fast forward to the middle of the night, and I heard a noise – not a good noise. In my drowsy, post-melatonin state, I found the source of the sound. You’ve guessed it, of course, it was the heater. So, I did what anyone would do in the middle of the night, I shut it off and went back to bed.

Back-up Plan

It’s always a good idea, even with limited space, to have a back-up plan. My back-up plan involved a space heater, which was a fantastic purchase. I turned it up and went about my day, well, my night.

I knew the back-up plan wouldn’t last forever, and here’s where the silver lining comes in. The people who I reached out for help were amazing. The first person I called on Tuesday, because Monday was New Year’s Day, was Casey with Tech-Trek Mobile RV Repair. I sent him an email on Monday evening, and he reached back out on Tuesday after looking up various videos on my hydronic heating system. He was honest and advised that he didn’t have a lot of experience with this type of system, and when I asked, he provided me the name of another mobile repair team – Tally Ho Services. Don and I spoke, and he was also honest and generous with feedback and ideas. He also gave me another shop to call. We also set up an appointment for Wednesday.

I did give Tom’s RV a call because Don did think that Tom might have an idea about my type of heater, but, unfortunately, he didn’t. He agreed that having Don come out would be a good first step, so I kept the appointment with Tom.

On Wednesday, Don and his wife, Claire, arrived midday to take a look. I showed them what I had seen so far, and they listened and looked at the system to get a sense of what was happening. Claire was a delight to talk to, and she was the perfect assistant for Don and my situation. They spent about an hour or so troubleshooting, and they agreed with me that there was a leak, but it wasn’t evident where it was coming from. Don said that he didn’t feel right charging me since they didn’t find anything, but I didn’t feel right not giving them anything for their time, trouble, and advice. I did give them a tip and thanked them for their help.

So, why not a Winnebago expert?

It’s a great question, and I did start by searching for a Winnebago dealership. There is one in Albuquerque, but when I read the reviews for their service department, I had second thoughts. I appreciate all the RVers before me and the comments that they left. When I did mention the Winnebago dealership to the different service people I spoke with, they were very professional, but they did not encourage me to call them.

The other part of the issue with taking Estella to a service center instead versus a mobile RV tech is our dear Arthur. Because he’s not one of those cats that walks around on a leash and is not a dog, it’s a little harder to find a place for him while the van is being serviced. When we were in MN, he stayed in my parent’s house. On the road, it’s a little more difficult.

Still no RV heat. What’s next?

The heater is made by Alde, so I did give their customer service a call. They recommended a certified Alde service provider, and the only one was in Albuquerque was – you guessed it – the dealership with the bad reviews. They did connect me with a mobile service tech in my next state, so we set-up that appointment for mid-January.

One big, ol’ mishap = 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

Two Nights in Texas

Spacious Spot on the Farm

When I had dinner in OKC, my co-worker mentioned that I would see a lot of cows on my way, and was she right! So many mooo-cows.

There also doesn’t appear to be a speed limit in west Oklahoma / west Texas. With the winds and Estella’s height, we kept it under 75 mph, but we were definitely one of the slowest on the road. It did give us the chance to see some of older businesses that must’ve thrived when Route 66 was alive and well. We even stopped for fuel and coffee in Weatherford, OK, which had a lovely downtown, and if we had more time, I would’ve walked around a bit.

Luckily, we arrived on the farm where we were staying before dark and easily got set-up after we were welcomed to the farm by the owner and two very cute, friendly farm dogs. They were very experienced hosts, and there were three or four spots to hook up to power, which was great. We were the only ones there, and it was a nice, level gravel spot with great views of the sunset.

It was the first night that we’ve been in Estella when it’s rained all night long. Arthur didn’t really love it, and I was a little worried about the gravel parking and drainage, but there was no standing water in the morning, so – again – these hosts know what they are doing.

Working on the Road

It’s been really easy to work on the road so far. The question I get a lot is, “Do you have Starlink?” Starlink is a satellite-based internet service, which is great for RVers who spend time off grid and aren’t near a lot of trees. I’m not opposed to be being more of a boondocker, but I don’t have solar, and I do really love being under and around trees for shade and for the aesthetic. The other thing about going to these RV parks is that you have no idea what spot you might get; a lot of them don’t let you reserve a specific space, so you never know when you may or may not be in a site with a lot of trees.

So, for internet, I went with two options because it’s always good to have a back-up. I have a mobile hotspot through T-Mobile, and it supports some bands of LTE that other carriers don’t support, which I liked. The back-up is using my cell phone as a hotspot, so I have over 100GB of hotspot data on both of those devices, which is plenty for me to work all month and watch a show or two in the evening. A lot of the RV parks have their own internet as well, which isn’t strong enough for work, but it’s fine for writing blogs and general internet business.

I shared about the signal booster I purchased in one of my MN posts, but I thought I’d share a bit more about how I use it. I did a lot of reading on the different options and went with HiBoost instead of WeBoost. My dad built a stand that attaches to my hitch for the antenna, and I pull the cable through the shower door in the rear of the RV. I haven’t had to use it thus far because I’ve been able to get 50+ Mbps with my hotspot or phone, so I’ve been good.

The living area in the RV, including the loveseat, is about 4.5 ft by 6 ft, which is enough space for me and Arthur. We set up the table (3ft x 20″) on its pedestal, which is enough room for my 24″ monitor, laptop on its stand, my keyboard, and my mouse. I have a longer desktop mat, which works great for the keyboard and mouse. I also bought a monitor mount, which I’m undecided about because it’s a pain to set-up at 6AM. I think if I could always have it set up, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal.

Minor Mishaps

A reminder of the Mishap Scale >>> (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover)

  • Up until this point, I have been storing the mattress pad in the back garage of the RV. It fit back there and kept it out of the way. Fast forward to our first rainy night in TX, and that didn’t feel like such a good idea anymore. I was able to wait until the rain calmed a little, and that was the last night it got stored in the back. 🍫
  • The van is still winterized, which was fine for one-night stays, because we were up and moving and able to stop at gas stations and stores along the way, but this was our first two-night stay without water, and that was A LOT. Let’s just say I didn’t eat any dairy, and we left plenty early on Saturday. Thankfully, no emergency holes needed to be dug. 🍫
  • I stopped for coffee on the way out of Shamrock, and when I pulled into the itty bitty Starbucks parking lot, I THOUGHT I had turned wide enough to fit next two this Ford Focus. Nope. When I went to straighten out, I looked down, and I had about 2 inches between me and that compact car. EGADS! Did I figure it out? Yes. It take me a lot of deep breaths to get my head on straight to do it? Also, yes. 🍫🍫🍫

Unsung Heroes of the Road

Before embarking on this trip, I used Upside – an app that partners with gas stations and restaurants to offer discounts, and I gotta tell you, I love a discount. I thought there might be a similar app for diesel fuel since that’s Estella’s food of choice. I found Mudflap, which I think it primarily geared toward semi-truck drivers, but what’s good for the goose…so I tried it out.

Mudflap requires you to get a code and show that code to the cashier before you fuel up. Because Upside just credits you after you tell them what gas station you want to use, what card you’re using to pay, and then they add the discount to your account, this was a bit different. But every, single station I went into, I was met with lovely associates, mostly women, who patiently explained to me how it worked at their station. They pointed me to the bathroom and let me know about perks – like a free fountain drink – for diesel purchases. Some of these places were kinda off the beaten path, and it was always so great to have an ally at these stops.

My hat’s off to these folks who keep us on the road and wear a friendly smile while doing it! 🥂

Joy & Injuries in MN

I was definitely expecting ups and downs on this adventure, but MN was really a time for me to get my “poop in a group” to get ready to really start traveling. I had a list of things that I needed to figure out.

  • Estella’s rear end (garage area) was a hot mess. I had basically artfully stacked everything in, but it was so hard to find anything easily.
  • That darn drawer.
  • Does Estella need new tires?
  • Is there anything that I don’t know about Estella that I should know?
  • What else does Arthur need to feel comfy in Estella?
  • What else do I need that I didn’t know before our first test trip?

Estella Stuff

Did I mention that my Dad is handy? 😉 He fixed all things, including Estella’s garage and the drawer.

The most amazing part of this shelving system in Estella’s garage is that it is not screwed into any of the walls. Dad was able to design and build it so that it snuggly fits without being screwed in. Best Christmas present ever.

Dad and I also spent some time talking about diesel fuel, fuel additives, and my tires. We agreed that Estella could use some new tires and an alignment. So, I was able to get an appointment with a local tire shop – Graham Tire – and they were fantastic. All six tires replaced and ready for the road. 🚐

My parents’ farm is an hour and a half from the Winnebago factory in Forest Lake, Iowa, and a Winnebago-specific service shop (Lichtsinn RV), so early one morning, I off-loaded Arthur into my parent’s house and headed to Iowa to get some expert advice. They did a multi-point inspection, fixed some recall items, worked through some items with the RV heater, and I had a great conversation with the service tech who spent all day working on Estella. He answered all my questions and more.

That’s Estella taken care of.

Things for Arthur

By all accounts, Arthur’s pretty low maintenance. He likes to sleep, eat, chase the red dot, and get pets, but I did want to make it more comfy for him to be on this trip. I did get him a compact water dispenser that has a cute little flower and constantly flowing water, some toys, and a great perch with a hidey hole on the bottom. The best purchase is the perch. It’s Arthur’s happy place, and I have found a great spot for it in Estella where he can ride in it when we drive and look out the windows when we’re stationary.

Other Stuff

I am grateful for the delivery people who made more than a couple of trips to the farm with the different orders I placed. One of the things I realized I needed were a better bed solution. Luckily, I’m short, and I was able to use a combination of storage ottomans and a 3″ memory form pad cut down to fit the sofa and ottomans to be a very comfy bed. I also really appreciate the Coleman sleeping bag that I got for a steal from Woot.com. I’m not sure where these zip plows were when I was trying to zip up sleeping bags before, but they are amazing.

I also bought some insulated curtains to provide a little more insulation with a tension rod that I can move in front of the sliding door or the cab, depending on where the wind might be seeping in. For additional heat back-up, I also found a better space heater with some great safety features; it won’t overheat, and if it tips, it shuts off.

Keeping things clean is super important in such a small footprint, so I found a very compact, powerful vacuum that has worked great for our weekly cleaning. Arthur hates it, but what cat likes a vacuum cleaner?

I also work full-time from Estella, so I devised a way to use the existing table and still have a big monitor to do my work. Since I was in the pole barn and in Estella working, I also needed a solution to improve the wireless signal for both my hotspot and my phone. I hemmed and hawed and eventually decided to get a signal booster that just repeats the existing signal and improves the strength. It was a great solution.

The Mishaps that Lead to Injuries

A reminder of the Mishap Scale >>> (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover)

  • I think I picked up the habit of leaving cabinet doors open from my Mom, but this bad habit definitely bit me in the forehead when I was in MN. I was futzing in the bathroom and walked right into an open cabinet door. 🍫🍫🍫
  • When I was in MN, I also put some things in storage. During one of those trips, I guess I banged my hand against something and ended up with a pretty banged up pinky finger. 🍫🍫

Despite the mishaps when I was in MN, it was good to be home for Thanksgiving and a pre-Christmas with the family. I also was able to visit with a few friends and get organized.

I should say that I’m only posting about past experiences for safety reasons. I recognize that my journey – while fun – could really easily turn unsafe if I share too much about my current location if the wrong person saw my posts. It is the internet after all.

I did leave MN for warmer locations in mid-December, so I’ll share more about those travels once I’ve moved on from here. Until then, I’ll share pictures and stories without locations whenever something interesting happens.

Until next time, here’s a beautiful picture of MN doing its thing and a reminder of why I headed south for the winter.

Our First Travel Day

I set the bar pretty low for our first travel day. There were about a million little things I still needed to do be full-time in an RV that is smaller than the smallest bedroom of my house.

But we still missed the mark. On November 15, the day before Arthur, Estella, and I were supposed to leave, I made a list of what I needed to get into the POD to move to a storage facility in MN, what I needed to get into the RV, and the other logistics I needed in place to leave our home of over five years. Mr Haps was a huge help in all of this, but I had to get it across the finish line, so we could get to our first camp site.

My plan was to leave by 10AM on the 16th. 10 turned to 10:30, then 11, then Noon, and finally we left at 12:30. Arthur is a very smart kitty, a trait that he tends to hide most of the time, but he knew we were getting into Estella again, and he was hiding in the most unlikely of places – under the couch cover.

One of Arthur’s last glamour shots before we hit the road.

For those of you who read my first post, Arthur and I did solve the issue of him climbing under the brake pedal while I am driving. I stuffed pillows under there, so there wasn’t enough room for him and the pillows. Problem solved…for now.

Our destination was 344 miles away in Zanesville, Ohio. I subscribed to RV Life Pro – an app and a website to fine recommendations from fellow campers and plan out your route, and I found National Road Campground – our first camp site. It was on our route, it looked safe, and when I called to reserve a spot, they were so friendly and informative. Perfect first spot for us.

I don’t know if you can really appreciate topography and wind speed fully until you’re on a highway, going 70 mph in a van that’s longer than any car you’ve ever owned and twice your own height. Estella’s a looker, but she’s no Honda CRV. I am grateful that she does a little shimmy when she thinks I’m going too fast because Arthur always thinks I’m going too fast. #NotHelping

Mishaps to Ohio

A reminder of the Mishap Scale >>> (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover)

  • Where do I put the fuel? I have rented so many cars in my life, and I have never had this issue. Up until this point, I had never fueled the RV. Mr Haps said that it was by the driver’s door, but what he didn’t say was how close to the driver’s side door. It’s not somewhere along that side of the RV. You have to open the driver’s door to find and open the flap the covers where you put the fuel in. Let’s not discuss the number of times I walked back and forth on that side of the RV…🍫🍫🍫
  • Beware: The diesel is bubbly. Why is it bubbly??? I don’t know, but it’s foamy and spills over if you’re not paying attention. Ask me how I know. 😐 🍫🍫🍫
  • Every. Single. RV person will tell you that you should arrive before dark because of course you should. This only makes sense because you’ll be less tired, you can clearly see your surroundings, and – in the fall / winter – it isn’t as cold for set-up. We did not arrive before dark. 🍫🍫
  • By the time we made it to National Road Campground, it was so dark. I was so tired. I couldn’t remember any of the reservation information, and I walked back and forth from the after hours check-in station three times before I had everything I needed to complete the check-in. Thankfully, the campground was pretty empty, so no one observed my walks of shame – unless you count the security camera footage. 🍫🍫

Good news: I got my steps in. Even with six idle hours, I still achieved over 8,000 steps. Even better news? Tomorrow’s drive will be longer….

The Adventure Begins

It’s Christmas, and I’m in a van with my cat on the adventure of a lifetime, and my gift to the world (or at least to whoever’s tuning in) is a blog about our travels, discoveries, and mishaps along the way.

We started in Pennsylvania with an experimental trip at Gifford Pinchot State Park in early October. I was just getting back from a work trip, so I rushed to get what I thought would be the essentials for us to live, work, and sleep from the RV for a few days. The fall colors were beautiful, and the temperatures were perfect – high 60s to low 40s.

Estella was a champ. She drove great and backed herself right into our relatively level spot – one try! She even got a compliment from our neighbor; he said she looked “sharp”.

Arthur struggled. This was his first drive that didn’t involve a vet appointment, so he was anxious, “vocal”, and a pile of drool. He expressed his unhappiness by peeing in his carrier, a carrier has not continued the journey with us. Once we were parked, and I shut off the engine, he did better.

I did ok. I had watched all the videos, read the Facebook posts from other new campers like me, and I bought almost all the things. Even the best prepared run into things, here’s my list from this trip. I’m using a chocolate bar (🍫) rating scale (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover).

Mishaps from Pinchot

  • I forgot chocolate. I learned very quickly that my coping mechanism for stress is chocolate. 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫
  • I didn’t think to bring any of that tape stuff you put on hose threads, so the hoses slowly leaked at the connections the whole time. Wasting water = 😩 🍫🍫
  • I also didn’t think I’d need a support for my sewer hose, so that it would more easily drain. The resolution to this mishap involved me using whatever I could find to create a slope to empty the grey and black tanks, which was – of course – observed by some other campers slowly walking by and talking loudly about how they liked to see how other campers set-up their rigs. 🍫🍫🍫
  • Taking Arthur outside the RV. In short, he didn’t like it. I think, because he lived in the woods as a kitten, it was just too scary to be back out there even on a leash and with me. So, we went back inside and didn’t try that again. 🍫
    • I underestimated how small Arthur could make himself when he got scared. When we left, the carrier smelled like pee, so I didn’t want to put him back in there. I let him just sit by my feet, which was fine until this happened:

Yes. He sat there for all 40 minutes it took us to get home. 🍫🍫

Our Best Story from Pinchot

So, there I was, following the directions from RV Blogger on how to set-up your water at your camp site…. (I wish I had taken a picture, but I was in a slight panic even after it was over.)

Step one: Let the water run out of the spigot to run out any rust or sediment that may have accumulated since the last camper used it. The water spigot was pretty tall; the handle came up to about my shoulder but lifted pretty easily. It had a c-shaped lever to turn the water on. So far, no issues with step one.

After about a minute, I went to shut it off, so I could hook up the pressure reducing valve, hose, filter, etc., but I could not get the handle to go back down. I was hanging from it, and it wouldn’t budge. Water everywhere because the pressure was intensely high. I didn’t have a hammer. I tried to use a strap to give myself more leverage – no movement. I think another minute had elapsed before I remembered I brought a hatchet. I used the flat end to pound the lever back down. 🍫🍫🍫 Crisis averted.

Thankfully, we did the experimental trip. I made some mistakes, but I gained a lot of confidence as well. #ICanDoThis