Location: Charleston, SC
The trip home from New York was tough. We broke it up into two legs. One leg down to Virginia and the other leg from Virginia to South Carolina. The bright part of this leg of the trip was seeing my favorite aunt. I tell people to imagine a cross between Lucile Ball and Auntie Mame and you'll have an accurate picture of this wonderful woman. She has and still does play a big part in my life so getting to see her was wonderful. Even if it was brief. We're planning a trip back to the area in September and plan on spending about 3 months there.
Getting back through Baltimore was a little easier this time since we followed the truck hazmat route and avoided the Baltimore Tunnel. That took us out of our way a bit but we avoided driving through the city at rush hour towing a trailer. The last time we did that it at 2:00 AM and there was little traffic. This time would have been at peak rush hour. I shudder at the thought.
We ended up on the beltway at rush hour. That brought back many memories. While serving as a corpsman in the Navy one of my many duties was to drive an ambulance. To this day when I hear sirens I get a big jolt of adrenaline. I would really like my lights and siren back. Matt says no.
About 20 miles from the campground the trailer's brakes started to squeak. There was no place to pull over so we continued along the beltway. When we finally found a place where we could safely pull over we discovered that the automatic breakaway braking device had triggered and was intermittently applying the trailer brakes. The solution was simple -- reset the breakaway device. Another one of those little details that you learn as you get on the road.
We stayed at Bull Run Regional Park for the night. It is a beautiful park with mostly pull though sites. Not being an experienced backer-upper yet I always appreciate a straight in shot. We were only there for a night and then we packed up and headed back down the road.
After leaving Virginia we headed down I-95. It was a long and boring drive made worse by how slow our progress was due to the trailer. On a good downhill we can get close to 70 but the next hill easily slows us down to 55. Outside of hills we average just under 60 and that's about it. The truck has a special transmission setting for towing. It alters the way the transmission goes into low drive and keeps the RPMs up. Supposedly this makes towing easier. It also drastically reduces our fuel economy. Generally we can run about 450 miles on 26 gallons of gas without the trailer. Towing Mabel Rubain drops that down to 260 or so before we have to fuel up again.
Our dog Charlotte is pretty much a trooper. She likes to get out at rest areas and see what other dogs have left behind. Charlotte gets so enthralled with peeing on top of other dogs pee she doesn't stop. She pees and walks and squats all at the same time. She can make 4 or 5 spots in the matter of minutes. as far as she is concerned she is now the owner of all the land between Charleston and New York. Gracie is a little less a trooper and more of a curmudgeon. In general Gracie Mae doesn't like anything except sleeping and eating. Anything else and she's grumpy and growling. When she goes she has to find just the right spot to pee and it must be pristine. No other dog must have ever gone there. It can take 10 minutes of walking around in the hot sun waiting on Gracie to make her selection. This whole new adventure has been a big change for them but I think they're getting more used to the trailer and the new sounds they hear. Gracie is sleeping though most of it.
By the time we made it to Charleston the dogs were tired of riding, we were tired of riding and we didn't drop the trailer or unload. We took what we needed and called it a night. That's when we made our 4-6 hour rule. I'm sure we'll run into circumstances where we'll have to break the rule but in general we're going to try and make things easier not harder.
We're in Charleston waiting for the house to close and then we're off to Florida to visit with Matt's mother for a month. Now that Matt and I are married dare I say visiting my mother-in-law. She'd probably fall over in a dead faint.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
On Our Way Again
Location: Dade City, FL
We left Charleston on a clear and hot Tuesday on our way to Florida. Before you wonder, yes we do know how hot Florida is in August. In fact we're enjoying 100 degree temperatures as I write this. The trip down was uneventful however it was long. We try to limit ourselves to 4 hours not more than 6 hours of driving per day but since we were late getting out of Charleston we decided to make the drive down to Dade City in one day.
Matt has been promising his mother that he'd visit this summer. We needed someplace to be after we cleared out the house so we decided that we'd spend August in Dade City and head up north to Virginia in September. We both prefer colder weather so we won't mind welcoming the first cold snap leading up to winter. Right now our plans are to stay in Florida until the middle of September and then head up to Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, VA. We stayed in that park on our way back from New York after we were married and really wished we had more time to spend there. The plan is to stay through the end of the year. We'll be close to my favorite aunt and will be able to spend time with her. After the first of the year the plan is to move up to Liberty Harbor RV Park outside of Jersey City. We don't have any idea how long we'll stay. Matt's current book is based in New York and he wants to spend some time there as part of his research. Matt spends a lot of time making sure the details of his books are accurate and that takes some research. I tease him that I think he likes the research better than the writing.
We're basically waiting for the powers that be to bless the sale of the house. We spent a week packing up what was left after the estate sale, throwing away items that we couldn't give away or donate and relying on the kindness of our friends Mina and Sarah to let us store some things that needed to be temperature controlled in their house. The week was brutal for two reasons. First we had to make some very hard decisions about giving up things that we loved. Second, even though we only had our bedroom, the kitchen and the lanai to work though the task was monumental. The heat didn't help nor did the boxes of books that we kept and carried up a flight of stairs for storage. I guess that is what happens when you marry a bibliophile.
August in Charleston is really hot and humid. When you go outside it's like someone threw a wet blanket on you. We worked hard through those days filling up a dumpster we rented to get rid of the things that Habitat for Humanity wouldn't take. We left the house very clean, unlike when we moved in. I never imagined that over 10 years later we'd be moving out. After our last move we both decided to never move again. This time we had no choice.
Driving out of Charleston for the last time wasn't really a big deal. I drove right pass the turn off to the house on my way down to I-95 and then south to Dade City without really giving it a thought. The trip was long and uneventful. I rolled into the campground at about 7:00 PM and that's when all the fun started.
Our trailer is 31 feet long and it takes some work to get it backed into a campsite. Matt was about an hour behind me so I had to try and get the trailer into the campsite before it got dark. The narrowness of the road, an ill placed fence and no one to guide me was making my attempts at parking Mabel Rubain difficult. After about 5 aborted tries someone from the campground came over and asked if I would like some help. His name was Brian and we managed, after some additional aborted attempts, to get Mabel Rubain into the slot between another camper a fence a tree and a picnic table. All that was left was to unhitch and get the water and power on. Easier said than done. Getting the hitch undone is usually a two man job. It's a special hitch that is designed to balance the load between the truck and the trailer. The hitch itself weights a good 50 or 60 pounds. The problem is the trailer part of the whole contraption doesn't always unhook without some jumping up and down on the rig or getting the truck to jiggle just enough to make it come loose. That is hard to do when you're alone. Once it did unhitch I managed to get the tow chains too tight so they wouldn't unhook from the truck. After I resolved all of those issues I realized that our spot wasn't even so I had to hook up the trailer again and move it to a more even spot on the site. It's still not even but at this point if I don't fall out of bed it's good enough for me.
After all of that maneuvering I had managed to get the back end of the trailer very close to the utility stand where we needed to hook up for water and power. It was so close that I couldn't get the bay door open to get out the power cable or the water hose and filter. That meant that I would have to crawl into the other side and pull all of the equipment out that way. By this time I was out of breath, soaking wet with sweat and ready to get the air conditioner running. If nothing else was going to happen that night the air conditioner was going to be on and running at full blast.
Matt, of course, arrived after all of this. Both the dogs and I were grateful to see him. They had been sitting in the truck watching this whole maneuver and actually being quiet. I was surprised. Matt was their hero though. He took them out for a walk they desperately needed.
As I write this Charlotte is asleep curled up behind me. Gracie is asleep in her crate and Matt is dozing off next to me while mumbling something about not writing bad things about him. This is our life and so far it's been a little challenging. Each day we learn a little more about our rig. Today we managed to figure out the awning. Tomorrow I'm going to be figuring out the process for emptying our tanks. One or two more things and we should become more experienced and this whole process will get easier. We have 28 more days here to figure it out here in Dade City. Then it's up to Virginia where we'll get to learn all about the furnace. That should be fun.
We left Charleston on a clear and hot Tuesday on our way to Florida. Before you wonder, yes we do know how hot Florida is in August. In fact we're enjoying 100 degree temperatures as I write this. The trip down was uneventful however it was long. We try to limit ourselves to 4 hours not more than 6 hours of driving per day but since we were late getting out of Charleston we decided to make the drive down to Dade City in one day.
Matt has been promising his mother that he'd visit this summer. We needed someplace to be after we cleared out the house so we decided that we'd spend August in Dade City and head up north to Virginia in September. We both prefer colder weather so we won't mind welcoming the first cold snap leading up to winter. Right now our plans are to stay in Florida until the middle of September and then head up to Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, VA. We stayed in that park on our way back from New York after we were married and really wished we had more time to spend there. The plan is to stay through the end of the year. We'll be close to my favorite aunt and will be able to spend time with her. After the first of the year the plan is to move up to Liberty Harbor RV Park outside of Jersey City. We don't have any idea how long we'll stay. Matt's current book is based in New York and he wants to spend some time there as part of his research. Matt spends a lot of time making sure the details of his books are accurate and that takes some research. I tease him that I think he likes the research better than the writing.
We're basically waiting for the powers that be to bless the sale of the house. We spent a week packing up what was left after the estate sale, throwing away items that we couldn't give away or donate and relying on the kindness of our friends Mina and Sarah to let us store some things that needed to be temperature controlled in their house. The week was brutal for two reasons. First we had to make some very hard decisions about giving up things that we loved. Second, even though we only had our bedroom, the kitchen and the lanai to work though the task was monumental. The heat didn't help nor did the boxes of books that we kept and carried up a flight of stairs for storage. I guess that is what happens when you marry a bibliophile.
August in Charleston is really hot and humid. When you go outside it's like someone threw a wet blanket on you. We worked hard through those days filling up a dumpster we rented to get rid of the things that Habitat for Humanity wouldn't take. We left the house very clean, unlike when we moved in. I never imagined that over 10 years later we'd be moving out. After our last move we both decided to never move again. This time we had no choice.
Driving out of Charleston for the last time wasn't really a big deal. I drove right pass the turn off to the house on my way down to I-95 and then south to Dade City without really giving it a thought. The trip was long and uneventful. I rolled into the campground at about 7:00 PM and that's when all the fun started.
Our trailer is 31 feet long and it takes some work to get it backed into a campsite. Matt was about an hour behind me so I had to try and get the trailer into the campsite before it got dark. The narrowness of the road, an ill placed fence and no one to guide me was making my attempts at parking Mabel Rubain difficult. After about 5 aborted tries someone from the campground came over and asked if I would like some help. His name was Brian and we managed, after some additional aborted attempts, to get Mabel Rubain into the slot between another camper a fence a tree and a picnic table. All that was left was to unhitch and get the water and power on. Easier said than done. Getting the hitch undone is usually a two man job. It's a special hitch that is designed to balance the load between the truck and the trailer. The hitch itself weights a good 50 or 60 pounds. The problem is the trailer part of the whole contraption doesn't always unhook without some jumping up and down on the rig or getting the truck to jiggle just enough to make it come loose. That is hard to do when you're alone. Once it did unhitch I managed to get the tow chains too tight so they wouldn't unhook from the truck. After I resolved all of those issues I realized that our spot wasn't even so I had to hook up the trailer again and move it to a more even spot on the site. It's still not even but at this point if I don't fall out of bed it's good enough for me.
After all of that maneuvering I had managed to get the back end of the trailer very close to the utility stand where we needed to hook up for water and power. It was so close that I couldn't get the bay door open to get out the power cable or the water hose and filter. That meant that I would have to crawl into the other side and pull all of the equipment out that way. By this time I was out of breath, soaking wet with sweat and ready to get the air conditioner running. If nothing else was going to happen that night the air conditioner was going to be on and running at full blast.
Matt, of course, arrived after all of this. Both the dogs and I were grateful to see him. They had been sitting in the truck watching this whole maneuver and actually being quiet. I was surprised. Matt was their hero though. He took them out for a walk they desperately needed.
As I write this Charlotte is asleep curled up behind me. Gracie is asleep in her crate and Matt is dozing off next to me while mumbling something about not writing bad things about him. This is our life and so far it's been a little challenging. Each day we learn a little more about our rig. Today we managed to figure out the awning. Tomorrow I'm going to be figuring out the process for emptying our tanks. One or two more things and we should become more experienced and this whole process will get easier. We have 28 more days here to figure it out here in Dade City. Then it's up to Virginia where we'll get to learn all about the furnace. That should be fun.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Todd and Matt Get Married The Main Event
Matt and I got married on May 29th, 2014 in City Hall in New York. We got married. Not gay married, just married.
Fifteen years ago on May 29th we had a little (40 people) commitment ceremony at our home in California. We decided that we'd like our anniversary dates to correspond so we specifically picked the 29th as the day we wanted to marry. That was not without some challenges.
Our original plan was to get married in New York and then come home and have a huge reception here in Ravenel. We were planning on a DJ, dance floor, catering, wine, photo booth and gift bags for each attendee. The guest list was over 100 people. Then we re-thought the whole idea. At the time we were having problems with the mortgage company and we weren't sure we'd have the house in July (when we were going to have the party) so we scaled back. We started planning our trip to New York and then realized that was getting out of hand too. So we re-imagined the whole event and downsized to a simple elopement. In hind site I am really glad we downsized. We had some bumps in the road as it was.
We arrived in New York with Mable Rubain in tow on May 28th (Matt does not like calling the trailer Mable Rubain). The plan was to park, get the dogs in the trailer, turn on the air conditioner and take the light rail over to the court house to get our paperwork in preparation for our marriage on Thursday. When we got to City Hall the place was packed. Lots of couples waiting patiently for their turn with one of the clerks. We took a number and found a seat while we waited. While I sat and watched all the other couples I realized was sitting in a place where I was considered just as important and equal to all of the other people in the room. I didn't really realize how the feeling of being a second-class citizen had permeated my consciousnss. I've largely been out since I was 15 and for all this time I've had this thought in the back of my head that I wasn't as legitimate as everyone else. But sitting there in the Clerk of Courts office I truly felt included.
New York has a strict 24 hour wait peroid between the time you get your initial paperwork done and when you can actually get married. We waited about 2 hours for our turn and by the time we had the paperwork done we were past the cut off for getting married the next day. We really wanted to get married on our anniversary date so we had to get a judicial wavier from the court allowing us to get married with less than a 24 hour wait.
The waivers are given twice a day at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. We were too late to get a wavier on Wednesday so we completed the paperwork with a hope that we'd be granted the wavier at 11:00 the next day. We'd done everything that we could to ensure our wedding happened on Thursday. It was in the hands of the court now and we'd be given the same level of consideration as any straight couple in the same situation. The clerk in that office was very nice and helpful. It was nice.
We had dinner with friends in Chinatown, had a terrific hot towel shave and trim at a barber shop in Little Italy and finally headed home tired but very happy. The next morning things got a little tricky.
Matt got up early, without waking me, and went into the city to check on our wavier. I woke up to my cell phone ringing. It was playing Matt's ringtone. He was in a panic. One of the checks we had deposited to our checking account to cover our expenses in New York didn't clear so we were overdrawn in our checking account. The bank had already moved money from our savings account to cover the overdraft but that meant we were still overdrawn. It was my job to get on the phone and get this cleared up and get the money from the check we deposited that didn't clear. It turns out that it was a check from our Scottrade account.
I decided that I'd get the them to wire the money from the Scottrade account to our bank account. That seemed to be the fastest way to resolve the problem. I called our bank (Bank Of America) to get the details for our wire transfer. When I called, was put on hold and finally connected to a banking representative. "I've got a problem. I'm getting married today and I'm overdrawn on my checking account." I have the guy who answered my banking information and he quickly pulled up my account. Then he said, congratulations on your wedding day. I was surprised at first. This was the first time I had told anyone about my pending marriage and the result was someone congratulating me. It only took a couple of minutes to get the wire transfer information. When I hung up I realized two things. First, I actually said, out loud and to a stranger, that I was getting married. And second, he congratulated me. My next call was to Scottrade. I really didn't think it was going to be easy to get this done over the phone but I was going to try. I called our local office in Charleston and easily reached an account representative. Again I said I was getting married and I needed to get some money wired from our Scottrade account into my checking account today. Again, the first thing I heard was congratulations. I explained my predicament and the representative took care of my request with no problems. The money got transferred into our checking account and we were all set to get married.
In the meantime Matt picked up the judicial wavier. No problem on that front either. On my way into the city I thought about the morning's events. I told two complete strangers I was getting married to Matt. Both were genuinely happy for me and offered their congratulations. The financial transactions I needed for accounts that listed both of us were handled quickly and without problems. It felt amazing. This country is changing.
My brother and sister-in-law were going to meet us there as were our friends Mina and Sarah. Sarah was our official witness. We only had to wait about 20 minutes until our names were called and we went to the anti-chamber to the chapel to wait. Within minutes we walked in to see the Justice of the Peace and actually get married.
For all of the prep, it only took a few minutes to actually get married. We had the familiar "do you Todd take Matt to be your lawfully wedding husband?" ceremony. We exchanged rings got choked up saying our I dos and it was over. Our witnesses and attendants all clapped and we kissed. It was a wonderful feeling.
Until I started writing this blog entry I really hadn't stopped long enough to really consider what changed in my life on May 29th and how it has changed the way I feel about my world. I really like referring to Matt as my husband and I do whenever it comes up. We live in a marriage-inequality state (soon to be changed I hope) but I refuse to discount my relationship because of local conventions. We live in Charleston which in the state of South Carolina is a liberal bastion. Everyone we know here knows us as a couple. We have joint checking and savings accounts, wills and insurance policies. And now we have a marriage license.
I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime. I'm married and as a married person I have all of the rights and responsibilities as any other married person. Hopefully soon the state of South Carolina will be required to recognize my marriage just like every other marriage. I can't wait for that day.
Fifteen years ago on May 29th we had a little (40 people) commitment ceremony at our home in California. We decided that we'd like our anniversary dates to correspond so we specifically picked the 29th as the day we wanted to marry. That was not without some challenges.
Our original plan was to get married in New York and then come home and have a huge reception here in Ravenel. We were planning on a DJ, dance floor, catering, wine, photo booth and gift bags for each attendee. The guest list was over 100 people. Then we re-thought the whole idea. At the time we were having problems with the mortgage company and we weren't sure we'd have the house in July (when we were going to have the party) so we scaled back. We started planning our trip to New York and then realized that was getting out of hand too. So we re-imagined the whole event and downsized to a simple elopement. In hind site I am really glad we downsized. We had some bumps in the road as it was.
We arrived in New York with Mable Rubain in tow on May 28th (Matt does not like calling the trailer Mable Rubain). The plan was to park, get the dogs in the trailer, turn on the air conditioner and take the light rail over to the court house to get our paperwork in preparation for our marriage on Thursday. When we got to City Hall the place was packed. Lots of couples waiting patiently for their turn with one of the clerks. We took a number and found a seat while we waited. While I sat and watched all the other couples I realized was sitting in a place where I was considered just as important and equal to all of the other people in the room. I didn't really realize how the feeling of being a second-class citizen had permeated my consciousnss. I've largely been out since I was 15 and for all this time I've had this thought in the back of my head that I wasn't as legitimate as everyone else. But sitting there in the Clerk of Courts office I truly felt included.
New York has a strict 24 hour wait peroid between the time you get your initial paperwork done and when you can actually get married. We waited about 2 hours for our turn and by the time we had the paperwork done we were past the cut off for getting married the next day. We really wanted to get married on our anniversary date so we had to get a judicial wavier from the court allowing us to get married with less than a 24 hour wait.
The waivers are given twice a day at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. We were too late to get a wavier on Wednesday so we completed the paperwork with a hope that we'd be granted the wavier at 11:00 the next day. We'd done everything that we could to ensure our wedding happened on Thursday. It was in the hands of the court now and we'd be given the same level of consideration as any straight couple in the same situation. The clerk in that office was very nice and helpful. It was nice.
We had dinner with friends in Chinatown, had a terrific hot towel shave and trim at a barber shop in Little Italy and finally headed home tired but very happy. The next morning things got a little tricky.
Matt got up early, without waking me, and went into the city to check on our wavier. I woke up to my cell phone ringing. It was playing Matt's ringtone. He was in a panic. One of the checks we had deposited to our checking account to cover our expenses in New York didn't clear so we were overdrawn in our checking account. The bank had already moved money from our savings account to cover the overdraft but that meant we were still overdrawn. It was my job to get on the phone and get this cleared up and get the money from the check we deposited that didn't clear. It turns out that it was a check from our Scottrade account.
I decided that I'd get the them to wire the money from the Scottrade account to our bank account. That seemed to be the fastest way to resolve the problem. I called our bank (Bank Of America) to get the details for our wire transfer. When I called, was put on hold and finally connected to a banking representative. "I've got a problem. I'm getting married today and I'm overdrawn on my checking account." I have the guy who answered my banking information and he quickly pulled up my account. Then he said, congratulations on your wedding day. I was surprised at first. This was the first time I had told anyone about my pending marriage and the result was someone congratulating me. It only took a couple of minutes to get the wire transfer information. When I hung up I realized two things. First, I actually said, out loud and to a stranger, that I was getting married. And second, he congratulated me. My next call was to Scottrade. I really didn't think it was going to be easy to get this done over the phone but I was going to try. I called our local office in Charleston and easily reached an account representative. Again I said I was getting married and I needed to get some money wired from our Scottrade account into my checking account today. Again, the first thing I heard was congratulations. I explained my predicament and the representative took care of my request with no problems. The money got transferred into our checking account and we were all set to get married.
In the meantime Matt picked up the judicial wavier. No problem on that front either. On my way into the city I thought about the morning's events. I told two complete strangers I was getting married to Matt. Both were genuinely happy for me and offered their congratulations. The financial transactions I needed for accounts that listed both of us were handled quickly and without problems. It felt amazing. This country is changing.
My brother and sister-in-law were going to meet us there as were our friends Mina and Sarah. Sarah was our official witness. We only had to wait about 20 minutes until our names were called and we went to the anti-chamber to the chapel to wait. Within minutes we walked in to see the Justice of the Peace and actually get married.
For all of the prep, it only took a few minutes to actually get married. We had the familiar "do you Todd take Matt to be your lawfully wedding husband?" ceremony. We exchanged rings got choked up saying our I dos and it was over. Our witnesses and attendants all clapped and we kissed. It was a wonderful feeling.
Until I started writing this blog entry I really hadn't stopped long enough to really consider what changed in my life on May 29th and how it has changed the way I feel about my world. I really like referring to Matt as my husband and I do whenever it comes up. We live in a marriage-inequality state (soon to be changed I hope) but I refuse to discount my relationship because of local conventions. We live in Charleston which in the state of South Carolina is a liberal bastion. Everyone we know here knows us as a couple. We have joint checking and savings accounts, wills and insurance policies. And now we have a marriage license.
I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime. I'm married and as a married person I have all of the rights and responsibilities as any other married person. Hopefully soon the state of South Carolina will be required to recognize my marriage just like every other marriage. I can't wait for that day.
Monday, June 23, 2014
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.
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
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
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
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
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
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