Our Rig

This blog entry  may only be of interest to the more mechanically inclined or geeky readers. It's the details about our rig (the truck and travel trailer). So let's get our geek on!

Our tow vehicle is a 2004 Chevrolet Z71 Suburban (1500 model) with a tow package. Right now I have about 200,000 miles on it and it still runs like a top. The tow package provides a heavier suspension, bigger alternator, beefier cooling system and an overdrive mode on the transmission. Without Mabel Rubain behind us (the travel trailer's name is Mabel Rubain) we average about 16 mpg. Hauling the trailer drops that down to 7-8 mpg and a top speed of about 60 mph. The gas tank holds a little over 26 gallons.  That means we get about 250 miles between fill ups when we're towing. Not great. We have to stop pretty frequently to gas up. We have a mobile app on our iPhones to track down Pilot or Flying J truck stops which generally have easy access for RVers. Some truck stops have separate islands for RVs and trailers. That is always a good thing to find.

The tow rig is designed to help level the two vehicles. Without it the trailer would weigh too heavily on the back of the truck and cause the trucks front end to point up. We had trouble getting this rig right the first time we used it but once we figured it out we were good to go. If it's not set up correctly truck doesn't handle well so it's important.

Mabel Rubain is a 2007 MaxLite travel trailer. She's 31 feet long and rides on two axles. The outer shell is made of fiberglass instead of the corrugated aluminum siding that you see on most RVs. The frame is aluminum and the trailer base is steel. We can carry 60 lb. of propane on board in two tanks. When we're tied up to shore power we use 30 AMP service to our power inverter that outputs 12V DC for lights and 120 V AC for the air conditioner and refrigerator and 120 V AC wall plugs. We have a battery that charges when we're hooked up to shore power. That battery will run the lights and move the slide in an out when we don't have shore power.

The refrigerator runs on propane or electricity and will switch between the two based on what is available. If there is shore power to the trailer the refrigerator runs on electricity. When we're on the road the refrigerator automatically switches over to propane. I like this since I don't think we'd consistently remember to manually switch over when we were ready to hit the road.

There is a connection for city water. We have a pressure regulator and an in-line water filter that protects the water system on the trailer.  The first time we used the water filter it blew black powder all over the place and colored the water black for a few minutes. Turns out that is normal as the loose activated carbon is flushed out of the system. For times when we don't have access to city water we have a fresh water tank and an electric water pump that pressurizes the system. Theoretically we could shower with nothing but battery power but I don't know we'll ever do that unless we go someplace like Burning Man and don't have access to hookups.

This trailer is unique in the way it handles waste water. The toilet empties into what is called a black water tank. Water from the sinks and shower empty into a grey water tank. What is unique is that the sink in the kitchen empties into it's own tank so we have plenty of grey water storage space. Nice feature when you don't have access to sewer on your camp site. However, it is an unpleasant task to deal with the waste water in general.

The layout is pretty sweet. The kitchen is up at the front of the trailer. There is a three burner propane stove and a small oven. I've looked in the oven and I can't imagine that you could cook much in there. Maybe a casserole or some cookies. It would definitely need to be something flat.

The dinette has been removed and we use that space to house Gracie and Charlotte's kennels. Next to that, in the living area, there is a couch. It wasn't very comfortable at first so Matt took the cushions off of the sectional in the lanai and used them on the couch frame in the trailer. It is much better now. Also in the living area there is a small entertainment center that has a connection for cable. We carry a small satellite dish with us that we can use if we want to hook up DirecTV. We haven't done that yet. Too many other little projects that are taking up time and money right now. The floor is a laminate which is good. I can't imagine carpets with Gracie and Charlotte.

The bathroom consists of a pretty standard RV toilet and small shower. The trailer can use propane or electricity to heat water. We haven't tried out the shower yet since all of the parks we've stayed in so far have had shower facilities and right now the shower is a catch all for dog stuff. I think when we get a little more organized we'll actually use the shower. The bathroom sink is on the other side of the trailer from the bathroom/shower and is surround by a lot of shelves. We haven't organized ourselves to the point that things have found a permanent home yet but we're getting there.

Finally the bedroom. There is a luxurious memory foam queen bed in the bedroom. This is a major upgrade from the typical RV mattress and we love it. So comfortable. We fit quite nicely in it together and even have room to turn over. Charlotte still insists on sleeping on Matt's head. Some things never change. She's done that since she was a puppy. I thought that moving out of a big king bed to a queen would be a problem but so far it's been fine. The hanging space is really limited but the bed pops open and there is a ton of space under the bed. Eventually we'll keep folded clothes and bulky items under the bed. When we've been on the road for a while we find that all the hanging clothing are on the floor of the closet when we stop. It appears that things fall off when we hit bumps. We need a better solution there.

We have ducted air-conditioning that really keeps the trailer cool. I was worried about leaving the dogs in the trailer by themselves (in their kennels) until I figured out the air-conditioner was up to the task of keeping things cool. We had a test of the heating system (forced air through vents in the floor) when we took delivery of the trailer but haven't had it on yet. I like the fact that it's ducted and not just a roof unit. The bottom of the trailer is enclosed. This is actually not the standard in the industry but is for a Max Lite. Having a closed in bottom means that the plumbing and heating ducts are protected from road damage and when the heat is on in the winter it keeps the pipes from freezing (to a point). I don't know how much cold weather we'll encounter but we might linger someplace to get a taste of snow before heading back south.

It takes about 15 - 20 minutes for both of us to get the trailer ready for the road. Most of that time is dedicated to getting the truck lined up with the trailer. I have a checklist on my iPhone that I use to make sure we don't forget anything like driving off with the stairs down or the stabilizer legs still extended.

That's about it. We love it and can't wait to hit the road as soon as the house closes. I think we're going to be very happy for a couple of years at least. The idea of being able to pick the city we want to live in and go there with just a little planning is really exciting. I'm looking forward to being in DC for part of the summer. It's one of my favorite places to be.

Todd

Todd and Matt Get Married Part Two

I started off my first post saying that Mattie and I lost our house. It appears that I may have spoken too soon. We did get a foreclosure notice and fully expected that we'd see an eviction notice but now we have an offer in hand and it's decent. We had one other offer that was so insulting we didn't even respond. But it looks like we're going to get out of the house financially intact and not owing anyone anything. What a big relief. Fingers crossed the inspections go well.

I didn't mean for so much time to pass between my blog entries. As happens life got in the way of me sitting down and finishing the Todd and Matt Get Married Part 2 post. We are actually back in Charleston, SC but itching to get back on the road again. We had a blast traveling to NYC, getting married and traveling with Mabel Rubain (what I've named the travel trailer-Matt isn't sure he likes it.). Mabel was a nurse's aid I worked with when I was stationed at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She was a very sweet woman. I recently found out that she had passed away. Although haven't seen her in over 30 years hearing that she passed was somehow sad.

On our way back we found a campground called Bull Run Regional Park just outside of DC in Centerville, VA. It was beautiful. We were only there overnight so we didn't get to explore but the sites were really nice. Most were pull throughs (no backing into the spot), all had power water and sewer (called full hook ups in camping lingo) and were surrounded by the woods. I was mesmerized by all of the big rigs that were in the park. When I was a kid we camped a lot. This was before the popularity of these big bus-campers. When we camped we slept in a tent camper or in a tent on the ground. We had a fire and cooked marshmallows.  There was no air conditioning, TV or Internet. We got sunburned at the beach and eaten by the mosquitos at night. Now, as I pull through the campground with Mabel Rubain in tow, I don't see any people. That seems a little strange to me. When we pulled into the park we missed our turn the first time and ended up going through the campground before we could get turned around. We didn't see a tent in the whole place and only one pop-up camper (a trailer that turns into a tent). We full time meaning we live in the trailer full time and park in one place for weeks at a time. We have to have all of the comforts of home and the ability to work since the trailer is our full time home. If I were to go out for a vacation or even for a weekend I think I'd like to be a little closer to nature than in a $250,000 bus with satellite TV, Internet connectivity and a walk in sauna. But that is just me. Maybe now the point is being closer to nature but not out in it.

We only stayed at Bull Run for the night and decided, foolishly, that we'd drive the final 10 hours back to Charleston straight through. At some point Gracie Mae was jumping at the side window in the truck whenever a car drove buy. Very distracting. At home that dog can sleep 6 hours straight but get in the truck and she becomes hyper-active and can't sit still. Charlotte is the better traveler. She sits in Matt's lap while we drive and largely ignores Gracie's antics in the back of the truck. During one of our many refueling stops (the Suburban only gets 7 MPG towing Mabel Rubain) Gracie climbed into the drivers side of the truck and got herself wedged in next to the gas peddle and brake. Now if you leave her in the truck alone that's what she does. Gracie also to pooped and peed in the truck too. She has a lot to learn about being a good traveling dog. I don't think she's made the connection of her house training extending to the truck. We try and let them out every time we stop for gas which, given the 7 mpg issue, is about every 250 miles.

I think regional parks are a really hidden treasure. Bull Run was an incredible park and we actually wanted to stay longer but for once we had a schedule to keep so we had to leave pretty quickly. We both would have liked to stay at least one more night. There is a great campground here in Charleston (James Island County Park) that has a beautiful campground. The next time we are through this part of the country we'll be stopping and spending some time there.

The trip home was long and by the time we pulled into the house in Ravenel we were both exhausted tired of Gracie and ready to fall into bed. No more marathon trips for us. I think the most we'll drive in one shot is 4 hours and even so we may find that to be longer than we like. We don't really have a schedule to keep so if it takes us a couple of days to get somewhere that isn't a problem.

For now the schedule looks like a trip to Florida to visit Matt's parents for a month, then up the DC area to see my aunt and explore one of my favorite cities in the world. We might head back up to New York until it gets cool. At some point we'll head back south. If we were going to be logical we'd head north now and time our trip back south to when it gets cooler but Matt promised his mother we'd come to visit so here we go.

Todd

Todd and Matt Get Married Part One

In 2014 my husband Matt and I lost our house. It's not as bad as it sounds in fact after struggling for a couple of years to make the mortgage payments we actually found it a bit of a relief to not having the mortgage and other house related expenses hanging over our head. Instead of trying to find someplace to rent we decided to turn this into an adventure. So we use the last of our savings to purchase a 2007 Max-Lite 31 foot travel trailer and we hit the road. 

My job usually keeps me on the road most of the time so living in the trailer isn't a problem from that perspective. Matt works remotely and with the support of a little technology, our AT&T cellular modem, he's all set too. Our work-life isn't a problem.

Our initial shake-down cruise was to New York City to get married which we did on May 29th of 2014. I have to acknowledge the City Clerk's Office in NYC for a very smooth processes. We had a wait to get our marriage license on Wednesday but on Thursday when we were there for our actually wedding we were in and out in 45 minutes. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We planned on starting our adventure on Memorial Day. We wanted to get as far as Charlotte, NC but ran into a problem that morning when we tried to hook up the trailer to the truck. We got it connected but couldn't get the leveling bars tight enough to make the truck and trailer level. We were shown how to correctly do this at the dealer but some time had passed since we were shown and we were a little confused. In hindsight we should have videoed the process when we were shown. I guess hindsight is certainly 20/20.

We finally figured it out on Tuesday and hit the road headed to NYC. Since our timing was based around our plan to get our marriage license we had to drive as far as possible on Tuesday night so we could get get to the campground and then to city hall for our marriage license on Wednesday. The cut off was 3:30 PM so we had to book it to get there in time.

We headed up I-95 towards NY with few problems. The Suburban, that typically gets 16 MPG, ended up getting 7-8 MPG towing the trailer so we were constantly in search of our next fuel stop. Since we were towing a 31 foot trailer pulling into a small gas station wasn't an option. so we had to find truck stops. Some actually have RV fueling lanes that are designed to make getting into and out of the truck stop easy. We generally used Pilot and Flying J truck stops since they have an iPhone app that shows us where the truck stops are located and how much their gas cost. They are pretty common on the interstate system so we took advantage of that on the entire trip. I love that app.

We headed into Baltimore we ran into our first big problem. Being inexperienced we didn't realize that you can't take an RV with propane tanks into the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. We figured that out as we came up I-95 and managed to get off the interstate just before the tunnel. We were stuck in downtown Baltimore at almost 2:00 AM faced with the prospect of driving through the city pulling the long long trailer.  We managed to make it though downtown Baltimore with Matt's most excellent mapping skills. After overcoming that little surprise we finally decided to call it a night and we parked at a Pilot truck stop for the night. Most Pilots let you stop for the night. Since they don't offer any services, like electricity or water, we end up boon docking which is basically camping without hooking up. The trailer has a refer that runs on propane but the air conditioner requires shore power (I love how some of these terms are related to Navy terms).  That means that we can only boon dock when it's cool enough that we don't need the air conditioner. We were lucky that night that it was in the 60s when we finally crawled into bed.

All in all our first day towing the camper was pretty easy. The late start meant that we ended up driving late into the night to make our timeline for getting married but it was certainly worth it. The trailer and the truck weren't as level as we would have liked but it worked out. 

We finally got to our campground in Jersey City at 11:00 AM the next morning. Matt selected the campground for its location next to a ferry and public transportation so we had easy access to the city. So we made it to NYC. What happened next was wonderful.

Todd