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Roadtrekingmike

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  1. Roadtrekingmike
    I’m often asked about the favorite things we’ve done in our Roadtrek eTrek. At the top of my list is mountain climbing.
    We used it to drive to the top of Pikes Peak, some 14,114 feet high.
    It’s a long haul up and when we entered the road that would take us to the top off Highway 24 west of Colorado Springs, we had to have the ranger help us drive around a barrier meant to keep larger vehicles from attempting the climb. At first, they tried to wave us off. Then they saw that our Roadtrek RV was on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis.
    “NThe Pikes Peak Highway is 19 miles long, a 38 mile round trip. The trip up works the engine hard. It burns fuel like crazy. Coming down, not so much. But if you decide to go, make sure you have enough fuel.
    On previous visits, I twice tried to get to the summit. The first time was during a business trip a couple years ago in a rented Kia. On a cold January day we made it to 11 and a half miles up. But a sudden snowstorm shut down the rest of the drive. We white-knuckled the way back back down behind a snow plow. By the time we reached the bottom the entire road was closed.
    On another visit, we boarded the cog railroad that runs to the summit. It, too, had to turn back because of blowing snow and heavy winds.
    So on this trip with the Roadtrek, last August, we we optimistic. At least it wasn’t snowing. But it could have. Snow falls at the higher elevation all times of the year.
    "No problem,” the ranger said, motioning us around. “You can handle it in this. Just watch the brakes on the way down. They will heat up.”
    It was 87 degrees when we set off. By the time we reached the summit, it was 46 degrees.
    It took about an hour and a half to drive to the summit. There are lots of twists and turns and we frequently stopped at some of the pulloffs for photos as we climbed through the various regions, from the rock strewn glacial moraines at the bottom on through the alpine and sub alpine areas. We found nothing particularly scary about the drive up. But we were too bust oohing and ahhing at the incredible scenery. The Roadtrek handled the constant climbing with plenty of power.
    At Glen Cove, between mile 11 and 12, there is a place that sells souvenirs and has a limited-service restaurant. But after that, it’s almost straight up as you pass the tree line where conditions make it impossible for any upright plant to grow. At Mile Marker 16 you’ll pass Devil’s Playground, so named because of the way lightning jumps from rock to rock up there during storms.
    The summit itself is basically a parking lot. There’s a small weather station up there, an observation deck and, of course, a souvenir shop.
    We were the only RV up there at the time, though I’ve had other RVing friends say they drove their drove their Class Bs up there, too. I suppose a C might also make it. But I think it would be a tough haul for anything bigger.
    Jennifer and I brought our son, Jeff, and his wife, Aimee, up to the summit in our Roadtrek, as well as our dog, Tai, and their dog, Sequoia.
    We wandered around for a bit, a little dizzy at times from the altitude. The dogs seemed refreshed in the shin, cool air. We shivered in the wind and, took the obligatory “we were here” photos and started back down.
    The drive down was much more challenging. The hard part was not letting the momentum build up too much speed. I downshifted pretty much the whole way down to use the engine to help me slow, but when we stopped for the mandatory brake check at Glen Cove, we had to pull over and wait for a half hour or so for the brakes to cool down. We weren’t alone. About every other automobile and every truck had to pull over, too, many of them so hot they were smoking.
    There’s no way to avoid using the brakes as you head down. The secret to keep them from burning up, we found, is to apply sharp and firm pressure to reduce speed and then release the brakes, instead of a riding them with a steady pressure. Engine downshifting is the best way to go, just watch the RPMs to keep it from redlining.
    I used the time to take Tai for a walk. Just down a service road off the Glen Cove parking lot, we jumped a couple of big mule deer. Tai felt pretty smug as he watched them run off.
    Finally, as we were heading down the mountain and rounding those hairpin turns with the awesome scenery, I stuck the GoPro out the window and shot a few seconds of video the drive down. Check this clip out:

    Pretty awesome, huh?
    Pikes Peak. Been there done that. In our RV. Total time from start to finish and our exploration at the summit was about three and a half hours.
    It’s one of our favorite memories.
    Next time, I’m going to stop and explore more on both the ascent and the descent. I’ll make an entire day of it.

    At the summit of Pikes Peak, 14,114 feet

    Spectacular views abound

    You actually look down on other mountains from the Pikes Peak summit.

    It was in the upper 80s down at the start of the climb but in the 40s up top. Our Roadtrek hauled four adults and two big dogs with ease.
  2. Roadtrekingmike
    Climbing Pikes Peak in an RV
    I’m often asked about the favorite things we’ve done in our Roadtrek eTrek. At the top of my list is mountain climbing. We used it to drive to the top of Pikes Peak, some...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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  3. Roadtrekingmike
    Quick now, when I say we visited the Colorado National Monument, what did you think?
    Unless you’ve been here and seen it, I bet you thought is was a statue of some sort, didn’t you?
    I know I did when my daughter, Wendy, first insisted we include it in our list of ”must sees” during our Great Roadtreking Family Vacation of 2013.
    The monument is not what we expected.
    It is nothing short of stupendously beautiful, a long stretch of spectacular rock monotliths cut deep into the sandstone and even granite rock formations that make for sheer-walled, red rock canyons following the undulating twists and turns of the Rim Rock Drive that traverses up and down and through the preserve for 24 miles.
    That’s what the Colorado National Monument really is – a preserve, located just west of Grand Junction, CO and south of the mountain bike mecca of Fruita. It offers panoramic views of towering red rock structures with almost two dozen spots to pull over for photos. There are also lots of hiking trails.
    We stayed in the James M Robb -Colorado River State Park a quarter mile south of I-70 at the Fruita exit. The park has five sections, but only the Fruita section and the the Island Acres location 15 miles to the west offer camping The National Monument is another half mile down the road. There is also a great dinosaur museum nearby.
    t takes about two hours to see the major sights on the monument drive, though three hours is probably a better minimum amount of time to devote to your tour.
    There is an 80 site campground on the monument grounds, though there are no electric or water hookups, something my newbie son and daughter and their families need their first time out. If it were just Jennifer and me, we would have stayed up in the campground. But we have no complaints about Colorado State Parks. We’ve been very impressed with the ones we have stayed at.
    We did our drive through the monument in a mid afternoon. Then we found a great Mexican restaurant in Fruita with an outdoor patio that let all off us eat there with the dogs tied up at our feet, under the table. Usually, we have to take turns babysitting the dogs and one or two of us have to stay in our air conditioned Roadtrek while the others shop or eat. So it was a real treat to all be able to eat out together.
    So know we know: The Colorado National Monument is not a statue. It is a place, run by the U.S. Parks Service just like a National Park.
    If I had my way, I’d give it a new name: I’d call it the Colorado National Treasure.
  4. Roadtrekingmike
    Taking “selfies” and sharing photos and videos with our smartphones is worldwide phenomenon these days and there are lots of apps available to help you take them and share them. But one in particular stands out to me for RV use.
    It’s called Voyzee and as you can see in the accompanying video, it lets you select your photos and videos, edit them together, add music as a soundtrack and titles to your images. You can even do your own voiceovers. Then, you share it on social media. You can do all this through your smartphone – be it an iPhone or and Android.

    Voyzee is free and very simple to work with.
    RVers could use it to document a trip, or to share the fun they had at a rally.
    I did a version of this story for my NBC-TV “PC Mike” segment that featured several apps. But since Voyzee is so applicable for RVers, I thought I’d do a roadtreking.com post on just it.
    I do weekly reports on cool apps for NBC stations across the country. And as I find apps that would also be good for RV travelers, I’ll offer them here, as well.
    Hope you enjoy this.

    Voyzee is very easy to use. Just select your photos and videos, write captions, record a soundtrack and you are ready to share.
  5. Roadtrekingmike
    We RVers love to share modifications we’ve done to our vehicles to make they fit our personal style. So it is with delight that a share a series of photos that show some very unique customizations done by blog reader Alan Shafer from Rockford, Mich., to his Roadtrek 2006 RS Adventurous.
    His photos are included. Here is his account:
    As you can see by the pics, it had four captain’s chairs. I removed the rear chairs and started from there. I have detailed pics of the whole process. The good thing is that I did not drill any new holes in the existing cabinets, etc. when doing the cabinets. I used all existing holes. The cabinets are made of 1×2 and 1×3 solid maple for the rails and stiles. The sides and doors are recessed panels made with maple veneer 1/4″ plywood. There was no stain used. They were finished with satin finish polyurathane. (Minwax)
    I was able to get a towel bar and electrical outlet on the side of the cabinet on the driver’s side. (Again, no new holes made in the existing cabinetry.) I also still have access to the storage area under where the seat on the driver’s side was located. The reason for not wanting to not make any new holes was that if we should decide to sell this Roadtrek down the line, I wanted to be able to put everything back to original in case the new buyer would want the van the original way it was. This can be accomplished in less that two hours. . . . maybe less.
    As for the screens, I made a frame for the screen which is mounted above the cabinet on the passenger side to cover that part of the door area. The rest is a magnetic closing screen (Magna Screen) that was purchased at Menards. The sides are held in place with self-adhesive and sew on velcro. The top is held in place by a dowel rod used as a curtain rod. To add some weight to the bottom of the panels, I did use lead weighted rope purchased at local fabric stores. (Field’s Fabrics) (Joann’s Fabrics)
    For the rear doors, I purchased two additional Magna Screens. This gave me four panels. I removed the magnets and sewed the panels together where the magnets were originally located. This gave me two panels. Then with self-adhesive and sew on velcro, I finished the project. I did loosen (or remove) some of the interior trim panels so the velcro along the sides would be hidden and also have the panels over the velcro to hold better.
    For all of the screens, I did have to sew a pocket at the top to go over the “curtain rods”. I also did have to shorten all of the panels and sew on a hem made from bias tape from the local fabric store.
  6. Roadtrekingmike
    Cool things seen at the Pomona RV show
    The 2014 Pomona RV show in California has lots to see. Here – in reverse order – are five things I thought were really cool when I visited last weekend. ...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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  7. Roadtrekingmike
    Copper Harbor, MI – The end of the road
    Everyone knows we Michganders love to represent our state by showing our hand. Here, try it. Take your left hand and extend it, palm facing out. That’s the Lower Peninsula,...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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  8. Roadtrekingmike
    Everyone knows we Michganders love to represent our state by showing our hand. Here, try it.
    Take your left hand and extend it, palm facing out. That’s the Lower Peninsula, the familiar Michigan mitt.
    Okay, now turn your extended left hand to the left, and bring your handdown to the right so the fingers are pointing horizontally to the right. That’s the Upper Peninsula.
    Now bring up your right hand, palm facing you, thumb to the right. Put the left hand at the top of the right and…voila… a map of Michigan.
    Now look at the tip of your thumb on the hand representing the Upper Peninsula. That is Copper Harbor, the end of the road, some 600 miles northwest of my southeastern Michigan home, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
    You can’t go any further north without falling in Lake Superior. In fact, Lake Superior borders the little town of Copper Harbor on three sides. A mountain, Brockway Mountain, hems it in from the South. It is so remote that you can’t even get cell phone coverage in town. There’s one way in, US 41, which dead ends about two miles out of town.
    It is one of the best spots we’ve found to take our RV anywhere in North America.
    Copper Harbor, with a year-round population of 90, prides itself on being far away, But what it lacks in big city amenities, it more than makes up for in outdoors fun.
    Start out at the Historic Fort Wilkins State Park, tucked along the shoreline of Lake Fannie Hooe, a long inland lake loaded with trout that is just across US 41 from the pounding surf of Lake Superior. There are two loops to the park, the west unit with paved pads for big rigs, and the east unit with flat but grassy spots a half mile away. Separating the two campgrounds is Fort Wilkins, a wonderfully restored 1844 military outpost.
    We spent a night in each loop. Even though the west campground was more modern with the cement pads, we preferred the east, which when we visited in mid-September was less crowded. To compensate for the lack of cell phone coverage the state park, and most places in town, offered free and surprisingly robust WiFi connectivity.
    The Fort is well worth half a day’s visit. It was opened in 1844 in the midst of the copper mining boom which had made the whole Keweenaw Peninsula as wild and wooly a place as Alaska’s Skagway during the Gold Rush. Thousands of miners from all over the world were pouring into the region and the local Ojibway and Chippewa Indians were understandably resentful of the Treaty of La Pointe that had taken the land from them and ceded the area to the United States two years before.
    The Fort was established to keep what was thought to be a delicate peace. But it was all for naught. The fort proved to be unnecessary. The native Americans largely accepted the influx, and the miners were too cold in the unforgiving climate to be anything but law-abiding. In all, the Army built 27 structures,including a guardhouse, powder magazine, 7 officer’s quarters, two barracks, two mess halls, hospital, storehouse, sutler’s store, quartermaster’s store, bakery, blacksmith’s shop, carpenter’s shop, icehouse, four quarters for married enlisted men, stables, and a slaughter house, to house the operations of two full-strength infantry companies. Several of these original structures still survive. Most of the others have been rebuilt following archaeological excavations.
    The Fort was garrisoned for just two years, with nearly 120 soldiers stationed there. In 1846 , when the Mexican War broke out, the fort was abandoned, leaving behind a single caretaker. Some troops came back during the Civil War, and it was again reoccupied , but for just three years in 1867-1870.
    The archeological excavations and restoration of the buildings by the State of Michigan is spectacular and you can walk in and out of the buildings, seeing artifacts from the time and reading letters from the men who spent a miserable existence in a place so remote to be militarily irrelevant.
    We absolutely delighted in strolling around the fort, just a short walk from our campsite.
    There is, across from the Fort a quarter mile out into the Big Lake, a lighthouse, first constructed in 1846. It, too has been restored and tours are available all day. You need to board a boat in Copper Harbor for a short ride to the lighthouse.
    Then we headed into Copper Harbor. The town has become a mountain biking mecca, with world class trails abounding in the hilly forests that surround the town. We found mountain bikers gathered from across the country. Many are very hardcore and the trails are technical. But there are also easy rides and a great place to rent bikes right downtown. At the end of the day, the bikers all congregate at the Brickside Brewery, a very friendly microbrewry that hand crafts artisan brews.
    Copper Harbor is also a center for kite surfing. We watched a half dozen wetsuit clad kite surfers scoot across the frigid waters and always roiling waves of the lake.
    Also in town and well worth a hike is the Estivant Pines, a 500 acre stand of virgin white pines. Michigan, in the mid to late 1800′s was the land of white pines and the entire state was practically clear cut by thousands of rough and tumble lumberjacks. The white pine, which grows 150 feet tall, were used for sailing masts and its lumber built many a frontier town as the nation expanded west.
    Today, the state has been reforested but the magnificent stands of white pine are almost all gone, expect for places like the Estivant plantation up in Copper Harbor and a stretch called the Hartwick Pines near the Lower Peninsula town of Grayling.
    About the time the white pine forests were being played out, copper became the next big thing for Michigan, headquartered on the Keweenaw . There are tours of two copper mines within a short drive of Copper Harbor. The Delaware Mine just south of Copper Harbor, and the Quincy Mine near the town of Hancock, offer guided tours deep underground. Copper turned this part of the state so rich at the Keweenaw town of Calumet missed becoming the capital of Michigan by two votes.
    The copper boom was fueled by huge demands for copper wiring, as the nation began lighting city streets and homes with electricity. The copper, too, too played and after a devastating mining strike in 1913, industry slowly vanished from the Keweenaw .
    Today, it’s the end of the road. And beautiful. The air is clean, so is the water. Fish and wildlife abound and those who live here pretty much choose to live here.
    I got to be a judge in the town’s annual Chili cookoff and in the process met lots of locals, young and old. They are proud of their heritage, deeply respectful of the land and lake, and very welcoming to visitors, especially RVers.
    If history is your thing and you like to learn about it surrounded by beauty, Copper Harbor is deserving of a visit. Give yourself a week up here.
    What to do? Fishing, hunting, biking, exploring during the summer, snowmobiling, sled dog races and ice fishing in the winter. There is a gourmet coffee shop, several excellent restaurants and, of course, the Brickside Brewery. And yes, US41 is plowed and maintained all year round. The folks of Copper Harbor know how to handle the annual snowfall of over 300 inches. Alas, the state park shuts down in October, though there is also an excellent private campground in town that may be able to handle late season RVers.
    It may be the end of the road, but there’s a lot to see and do.
    We’ll be back ....
  9. Roadtrekingmike
    Over the last week, I’ve been organizing the thousands of photos I’ve taken over the past few years and noticed that I have a pretty good collection of animal crossing signs.
    Like a lot of people, I love seeing wildlife while Roadtreking. Somehow, I started taking photos of them as we traveled.
    From there, well, it sort of evolved into all sorts of signs about critters … of all sorts.
    Since I had them all organized, I thought I’d put them together in this little slide show.
    I know. taking photos of critter crossing signs is a weird hobby.
    Do you do anything like that? Collect photos of certain things or themes?

  10. Roadtrekingmike
    Spanning the two Michigan peninsulas is the Mackinac Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. It is always a highlight of our trips to the Upper Peninsula. When you say “Big Mac” to a Michigander, the bridge is what they think of, not the hamburger. Counting the approaches, the bridge is five miles long.
    What makes it so interesting is the very nature of its construction. A suspension bridge is designed to move to accommodate wind.

    And high above the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan merges with Lake Huron at the very tip of the Michigan mitt, there is always wind.
    In fact, according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, the state agency that runs the bridge, it is possible that the deck at center span could move as much as 35 feet (east or west) due to high winds.
    Seriously.
    This would only happen under severe wind conditions, mind you. And the deck would not swing or “sway” but rather move slowly in one direction based on the force and direction of the wind. After the wind subsides, the weight of the vehicles crossing would slowly move it back into center position.
    Sometimes, the bridge is shut down. Electronic signs along I-75 so alert drivers and a low power radio station continuously broadcasts bridge conditions. Large trucks usually require an escort.
    But RVs usually have no problems.
    I say usually. I’ve crossed the bridge in our Roadtrek a dozen times. On a couple of occasions, I was aware of some pretty stiff cross winds. Nothing that caused any serious apprehension, but enough to keep my speed down.
    Occasionally, there have been vehicles rolled over on the bridge because of high winds.
    In 1989 a woman driving a two-year-old Yugo inexplicably stopped her super light weight vehicle on the bridge over the open steel grating on the bridge’s span. A gust of wind through the grating blew her vehicle off the bridge.
    That’s the only death not attributed to accidents or suicides. The most recent suicide was late last year, by someone who jumped over the rail. In 1997 a man in a Ford Bronco intentionally drove off.
    But such incidents are very rare.
    Yet, because of the nature of suspension bridges, there’s always an element of adventure in crossing the Big Mac.
    The view is always spectacular.
    I put together this little video during our most recent crossing. It was late on a cloudy day on mid-September.
    Some 200 feet below it, ferry boats could be seen making their way back and forth to nearby Mackinac Island from Mackinaw City, the last town in the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace, the first town in the UP.
    Before the bridge was opened in 1957, automobile ferries made the crossing.
    Every Labor Day, people can walk across the bridge. I’ve participated in a couple of bicycle rides that also cross the bridge as well. But the bridge is only open for vehicular traffic except on a very few special occasions during the year.
    So driving is how most of us cross. If you haven’t driven across the Big Mac bridge, put it on your bucket list.
    If you want to spend the night and check out the bridge, the best place to do so is on the UP side, at Straits State Park in St. Ignace. There are spots right along the lake shore with magnificent views.
    If you just want to get close and take some photos or maybe have a picnic, the Fort Michilimackinac State Park on the Mackinaw City side has lots of RV parking with great bridge views.
  11. Roadtrekingmike
    RVers aren’t the only ones winding down the season this time of year. So is Mackinac Island, the summer resort island located in the Straits of Mackinac at the tip of the Michigan mitt, right where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron.
    Next weekend, the place shuts down until spring, with only a single hotel, restaurant and bar left open to serve the several hundred full-time residents and the workmen who come in during the winter to renovate, repair and restore the hotels and shops. Many shops were shutting down this weekend.
    Jennifer and I have made it a tradition to visit this special island every year at this time. Gone are the thousands of summertime tourists who jam the streets and make it difficult to navigate on foot. The stores all have deep discounts and there’s a sort of back-to-nature feel for the place as winter approaches. In fact, snow is in the forecast here for mid next week.
    There are no motorized vehicles on the island. You walk, ride a bike or get carted around by a horse. So our Roadtrek was left back across the straits on the mainland, in the parking lot of the ferry boat company that makes the 20-minute crossing a dozen plus times a day. The boats will start cutting back trips next week and, usually by the end of December or early January, have to suspend all service because of ice.
    Most winters, the only way to the island in the winter is by air or, for the adventurous, by snowmobiles over the ice bridge that forms between the island and St. Ignace, the closest city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Locals mark the path by sticking Christmas trees along the route and entrepreneurial St. Ignace business owners have been known to set up portable bars and hot dog stand on the ice half way between.
    So this week is the last active week here before most everything closes down until late April. At the massive Grand Hotel, where we are staying, the largely Jamaican staff, many of whom have served here season after season, will be leaving a week from Monday. Frederick, one of our waiters at breakfast, is in his 26th year at the Grand.
    This weekend, the hotel is featuring a ballroom dancing extravaganza that has brought people in from across the country. Decades ago, we spent a couple of years taking ballroom dance lessons. We like to joke that disco dancing saved our marriage. This weekend saw me not being able to remember a single step.
    There were beginning and intermediate classes during the day. Friday and Saturday nights, everyone dressed up and danced to a full orchestra, complete with a vocalist. Some of the men wore tuxedos. One guy wore a Scottish kilt. Several wore spats. The women wore fancy shoes and elaborate dresses that ranged from formal to Dancing With the Stars-like costumes, complete with hats and long gloves.
    The Grand bills itself as “America’s Summer Place” and has been welcoming guests since 1867. Today, like back then, you still must dress for dinner. No jeans, shorts or casual clothing is allowed after 6 p.m.
    Whenever we come here, we bring our bikes across on the ferry and try to ride around once or twice each day. It’s 8.4 miles around, all on a paved road along the shoreline that offers great views of the water. We also enjoy riding the interior roads, past natural attractions and the marvelously restored fort on a high bluff above town that was built buy the British during the American Revolution and later became the scene of two strategic battles in the War of 1812.
    At night, we walk. Friday night, the temperature was a crisp 38 degrees and there was a beautiful full moon peeking out between the clouds. We strolled the west bluff overlooking the twinkling lights of the Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan’s two peninsulas. On our right were gigantic Victorian mansions that are summer homes built by turn-of-the-last-century business tycoons. Then we made our way back to the Grand to watch the dancers twirl around the dance floor.
    Saturday, it was dancing all day and night. Our first class, the Tango, began at 9 a.m.. Then came the Rumba. Then East Coast Swing.
    At night, everyone danced. Non-stop. The Fox Trot, the Waltz, the Quick Step, Cha-Cha, Rumba, Jitterbug, Swing and variations of them all.
    The dancing crowd had a surprising number of young couples, despite the Big Band music from the 1940s.
    Jennifer is immensely enjoying the island, the dancing, the old world charm of the Grand. I love having a happy wife.
    But two nights of wearing a suit and tie are enough to last me a long time. I’m greatly anticipating being reunited with the Roadtrek tomorrow and finding a place in the woods to boondock before heading home Monday.
    Finally…for those of you who asked … here’s video of us dancing during our swing class. No snickers, please:

  12. Roadtrekingmike
    Every year since we were married more than 40 years ago, Jennifer and I have made our way to the little town of Frankenmuth, Mich., at the base of the Michigan Mitt’s Thumb region where we pay a visit to Bronner’s – the world’s largest Christmas store.
    Doubtless you’ve seen the signs along the interstates, more than 60 of them all over the country, inviting tourists to make the drive.
    It’s a huge store, over seven acres in size. And it’s crowded, especially at this time of the year. Over the three-day Black Friday weekend, 50,000 people shopped at Bronner’s.
    Two of them were Jennifer and me, as we do year after year. The very first Christmas tree ornament Jennifer and I bought as we started our married life came from Bronner’s. There have been many since. She often buys one for our kids and grandkids. Themed, of course, based on their interest or hobbies – like a golf ornament for a grandson, a ballerina ornament for our granddaughter, a stethoscope ornament or our doctor-son or a clarinet ornament for our music teacher son-in-law.
    You get the idea.
    It’s a Jennifer thing.
    Me? I like to get a goofy Christmas hat. It’s a Mike thing.
    Anyway, this year, like every year, she had all sorts of ideas for things to get for our house. But then I pointed out that we had two houses: Our sticks and bricks home downstate and, out in the parking lot, our RV motorhome, our Roadtrek eTrek.
    I brought it up to the designer folks at Bronner’s. Could they come up with a way to decorate the Roadtrek?
    They did… as you can see in the accompanying video.

    When the Roadtrek is in motion, some of the decorations need to be stowed. But most of them, thanks to suction cups and those little plastic tie downs, can be solidly affixed.
    The only problem I saw is that the Roadtrek decorations inspired Jennifer to add more still more bulbs and ornaments to the boxes of Christmas do-dads we already have at home and which she will soon have me hauling up to also get the house ready for the holiday.
    No problem.
    Happy wife. Happy life. And my wife loves Christmas decorating.
    Meantime, summer or winter, Bronner’s and Frankenmuth make for a great RV trip. There are two fully equipped campgrounds within spitting distance of the store. They are, alas, closed this time of the year. But there are lots of RV spaces in the Bronner’s parking lot, although no overnight stays are allowed.
    The store is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.
    Merry Christmas, everyone.

    No, the star isn’t part of our RV! We parked underneath it for the decorating. But it does look cool.
  13. Roadtrekingmike
    Lots of you have written asking for a show and tell and some details about the travel trailer we just just purchased to take on our “Great Roadtreking Family Vacation of 2013,” which starts Saturday.
    The video gives you a quick peek at what it looks like.
    http://youtu.be/kR7LVaLLR94
    Jennifer and I love the 2012 Roadtrek eTrek. We’ve put well over 20,000 miles on it since we got it around the first of the year. But Class B motorhomes in and of themselves are not a family RV. While we could take on a grandkid for a couple of nights by turning the passenger chairs around and putting a special bed pad across them, it would get pretty crowded for an extended period.
    There’s plenty of room for the two of us and Tai, our Roadtrek-loving Norwegian Elkhound. But as we’ve been on the road for the past year-and-a-half in the eTrek as well as the 2006 RS Adventurous we previously owned, we’ve wished that we could bring along more of the family.

    Towing a trailer is the perfect solution. We could have gotten a pop up, I suppose. But we prefer hard sides, especially as we go deep into the Rockies on this trip in grizzly bear territory.
    Before picking the trailer up, I had to get a brake controller installed on the Roadtrek, a $260 expense. Essentially the controller syncs up the brakes of the Roadtrek with the trailer. If you simply hitch your trailer up and head out on the road, slowing down becomes more difficult because of the extra weight behind your vehicle. Fortunately, most states require drivers to equip their vehicles with brake controllers. When a driver presses on the brake pedal in his RV, the brake controller lets the trailer’s brake system know how much braking power is needed to stop the trailer.
    The Roadtrek comes with a strong hitch. It needed a ball adapter to connect to the trailer. I also borrowed some load levelers, a weight distribution system that prevents swaying that is part of the hitch equipment.
    The unit we got is from a relatively new travel trailer category called ultralites. There are a bunch of them available now for the booming travel trailer market. Our Roadtrek eTrek with the Mercedes diesel engine on the Sprinter chassis, can easily all 5,000 pounds.
    The 2014 Gulf Stream Amerlite Super Lite 19BHC model we bought new from American RV in Grand Raids, MI weighs 2,789 pounds. It is 21 feet long. Inside is a queen bed with a regular bed mattress, two twin bunk beds, a bathroom with a shower and a small tub, an air conditioner, microwave, two burner propane stove, small refrigerator, lots of storage cabinets, granite countertops and a two-person dinette than can also make into a bed. Outside are rear stabilizer jacks and an awning.
    I have only towed it about 50 miles so far and hardly knew it was there. The Roadtrek’s side mirrors let me clearly see both sides of the trailer and the road. Since the trailer is a little shorter than my eTrek so there was no extra wind drag or buffeting. I drove it from Grand Rapids to a son’s house in Kalamazoo, from where the vacation will start off from this weekend.
    The drive was on an interstate, US131, and I averaged between 65 and 70 mph. I discerned no additional sway with the trailer.
    That was not long enough to be able to see if there was a significant effect on fuel consumption. Normally, I’ve been getting from 16-18 mpg with the eTrek. I keep track of every fill-up so after a couple of days heading west towing the trailer, I’ll have an accurate idea.
    But you know, my advice is someone shouldn’t get into RVing if counting every penny is their thing. This is a unique lifestyle we’ve chosen and while I believe small motorhomes offer the most economical and rewarding RV experience, it’s not cheap. Our coaches are major investments, probably the biggest we’ll make after our brick and mortar homes. But they are freedom machines.
    And I’m looking forward to being able to share that freedom with my family in the new travel trailer.

  14. Roadtrekingmike

    Devils Tower

    By Roadtrekingmike,

    Devils Tower
    My wife, Kris, came up with the idea of visiting Devil’s Tower in Wyoming while we were enjoying Custer State Park in South Dakota. The best thing about unstructured traveling...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome

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  15. Roadtrekingmike

    Do RVs Dream?

    By Roadtrekingmike,

    It sits out there in the driveway with the season’s first snow flurries dusting its windshield as the last of the leaves fall from the trees.
    Inside the RV, there’s the faint but sweet smell of the antifreeze I ran through the plumbing last week. The doors to the refrigerator and the freezer are open to air out. The food and coffee in the storage cupboards are emptied. Only a Roadtreking sweatshirt and a Family Motorcoach Association nylon jacket hang in the once crowded wardrobe.
    My wide brimmed hat with the pins and buttons collected from national parks and scenic attractions hangs by its neckstring behind the driver’s seat, waiting, seemingly, to be put on and to begin another trip.
    You can see your breath when you step inside.
    Tai, our 10-year-old Norwegian Elkhound who has had the best year of his life seeing the country in the Roadtrek, guards and patrols it like a treasure. Sometimes he lies down on the driveway, right outside the sliding door. If it’s going anyplace, he seems to be saying, it’s taking him.
    The Roadtrek eTrek that has carried us across 33,000 miles of North America over the last 12 months is ready for the cold Michigan winter.
    It would shiver if it could.
    Inside our sticks and bricks house is a calendar now filled with planned trips for the coming year. But first comes the slowest travel time of the year, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and then Christmas.
    So right now, it sits parked and – am I imagining this?- looking lonesome and forlorn.
    Do RVs dream?
    Silly question, I know. But we do imbue them with personalities, naming them, referring to them by gender specific pronouns. We look at them and think of the places we’ve been, the places we will visit. They represent freedom, adventure, the excitement of pulling out and the call of the open road.
    They sure make us dream, don’t they?
    Soon, loyal eTrek ... soon.
  16. Roadtrekingmike
    Dog Travels in a Class B
    My dogs and I love to hunt pheasant. Each year we would go to North Dakota for a week and blissfully walk the potholes in search of prey. We do...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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  17. Roadtrekingmike
    Dolly Towing With Our Roadtrek
    We had no problems driving our 2015 Roadtrek CS Adventurous E-Trek while towing our Prius 1,900 miles to Arizona. End of story, right? Well, not exactly. Getting to that decision...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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  18. Roadtrekingmike
    I’ve never been one to worry much about the weather. If I have something planned and the blow-dryed weather guys on TV are breathlessly warning us that a snow storm or some weather situation is about to cause the sky to fall, I usually scoff and just go on with my plans. Weather forecasters like to scare us and keep us tuned in for ratings. I know this from firsthand experience back in my local TV reporting days when they’d scramble “storm teams” and bombard the public with 24 by 7 weather alerts and constant promos about the big storm coming.
    Usually, it was much less than what was predicted.
    So when we set off on this latest RV trip with weather forecasters talking about a wind advisory and breezy conditions coming in hard with a cold front, I barely paid attention.
    The Roadtrek eTrek was packed, we had places to go, and so ... we did, heading straight down I-75 from our Michigan home.
    I could tell is was windy as soon as I pulled out of my subdivision. But as we negotiated the heavy traffic through Detroit, the “concrete canyons” nulled the effect and it wasn’t until, just north of the Ohio border near Monroe, MI, that it became apparent that the weather guys had this one right.
    This was more than breezy. This was howling.
    They said on the radio that the west wind was gusting to 50 miles an hour. I can’t confirm that, except to say that the trip through Ohio, with all that empty farmland bordering the interstate, was a virtual tug of war. And hopes of being spelled from my driving duties by Jennifer went by the wayside as soon as the first gust slammed into the Roadtrek.
    The wind blew and buffeted and the drive was two-handed all the way, made worse by wind shear from the occasional semi–tractor trailers that passed me. Most of the truckers, though, seemed to have even more trouble than we did and it was me that did most of the truck passing.
    Truth told, it may have been the worst wind conditions I have ever driven in. Weather reports said the winds were responsible for lots of power outages. My Roadtrek, ten feet high on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis, was like a sail.
    But I also found myself – I know, this sounds weird – actually enjoying the challenge. It wasn’t that bad, once I adapted my driving to the conditions. The dual rear wheels on the Roadtrek eTrek also helped provide a stability that never caused me any serious worries..
    Here’s five tips I learned about driving an RV in heavy winds that you may want to keep in mind if you find yourself in similar conditions:
    Keep both hands on the wheel. The wind really does want to push you to the next lane. A firm, not too tight grip, lets you easily overcome that.
    Keep the speed low. I usually tool down the interstate a little over 70. Much of the way yesterday, I kept it between 55 and 60. That seemed to be the sweet spot of speed for keeping it under maximum control.
    Reduce your speed and correct your steering, especially when moving from a protected area to an unprotected area, like overpasses, or when treelines along the wide of the road vanish, or when meeting large vehicles.
    Be very aware of traffic and the vehicles around you. Sudden gusts can blow any vehicle off course. Keep your distance from all other vehicles.
    Take breaks sooner than normal. We stopped about every other rest area. There’s a lot of stress in driving while fighting the wheel. Spelling yourself for 10 to 15 minutes every hour or so really helps.

    By the time we crossed into Kentucky and began heading directly west along US-71, the winds began to diminish. When we hit Louisville, they were no longer a factor. I think we just drove out of the weather pattern that hit the upper Midwest.
    We spent the night in a neat and clean place called Grandmas RV Resort, right along i-65 in Shepardsville, KY,. The spaces are all pull-throughs, 50 feet wide and 70 feet long, with full hookups except for cable. To the east is a pasture where curious alpacas chew the lush green Kentucky grass and hang out by the fence to watch all the people in their tin can homes. There’s a huge flea market right next door that draws thousands of people on the weekends and many of the spots seemed to be taken up by vendors for that. There was one other Roadtrek here, an older 210 Popular. It was all bundled up last night when I saw it and they left early this morning before I ventured out, so I didn’t get a chance to meet its owners.
    The campground was recommended by Stu Kratz, an RVing friend who lives nearby. Stu and wife, Winona, came by after we set up last night and we visited for a couple of hours. I gave them Roadtrek hats and they shared a few local places of interest we should check out.
    While here, we plan to take in the Bourbon Trail, a meandering route that takes in a collection of Kentucky distilleries that celebrate the rich tradition and proud history of “America’s Official Native Spirit.” We’ll start with the Kim Beam Distillery near here.
    I could have used that place last night after the wind advisory.
  19. Roadtrekingmike
    What a winter this has been. The arctic vortex or whatever we call the cold air that has been making repeated appearances throughout the Upper Midwest has kept many an RVer housebound before the fireplace.
    Not us. We’re about to head up to Northern Minnesota along the Lake Superior northern shore where the temperature is expected to be -26F/-32C.
    I wrote about it earlier when the bitter cold forecast was causing our plans to waver. Many of you offered advice. Most said don’t go. Some said head south instead.
    Two or three said, follow the call of the north.
    So, we are. Adventure and the sheer challenge of it all has us packing parkas, boots and long Johns and ready to head out on the morning this post goes live.
    But, with so many suggesting caution, I thought I’d get some expert advice on how our Roadtek eTrek, powered by Mercedes on the Sprinter chassis, would handle the cold and what, if anything, I needed to do differently when operating it under such extreme conditions.
    So I headed to Hoekstra Specialty Vehicles in Troy, MI, one of the Midwest’s biggest Sprinter dealers. On the morning I drove my eTrek to them the temperature in my driveway was -14F/-25C.

    The above video gives you the details. Bottom line, I need to make sure the glow plugs have warmed up. That means turning the key without starting and waiting for the little pigtail-like icon on the dash goes away. As far as special fuel, Sprinter service expert Josh Biscarner tells me I need not do a thing, that the winter diesel blends are fine. Josh gives lots of advice in the video for you Sprinter users.
    So, off we go – Jennifer, me and Tai, our Norwegian Elkhound. Look for videos and posts as we head up I-75 to the Mackinac Bridge, then over to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and west through the Up to Wisconsin and then on to Duluth, our first stop on a trip that will eventually take us to the Canadian border.
    Yes, we do intend to spend a couple of nights in the Roadtrek boondocking in the wilderness.
    This is going to be fun!

    The glowplug icon is the curly little “pigtail.” In extreme cold turn the key to the on position, wait till the glowplug light goes out, then start the engine.
  20. Roadtrekingmike
    Here it is, the first of what will be a weekly program: The Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast.
    Episode 1 - Roadtreking the RV Lifestyle Podcast
    This has been a lot of fun to do.
    This is a show that celebrates the RV lifestyle.
    Whether you have in a Class B motorhome like the Roadtrek Jennifer and I travel in, a Class C, a Class A, a Fifth Wheel, a Pop-up, heck, even if you dry camp out of your car, or tent and are just thinking about getting an RV, this show is for you. We talk about the RV lifestyle – getting out there, enjoying God’s creation, meeting interesting people and places and sharing tips on keeping our RVs running right, looking good and using the right gear and technology to enhance our camping and RVing experience.
    We have two episodes up (Episode 1) and every week, there will be a brand new one! Please help spread the word and if you can, leave us a review on the iTunes podcast site. If you’re going to listen, please listen to them in order. We’ll be posting new episodes every Wednesday.
    I’ve built a podcast studio at home and a mobile one for our Roadtrek. Looking ahead, we’ll probably add a live video feed of the podcast, too.
    You can listen to the very first episode by clicking the play arrow below, then keep reading this post for the show notes and information that will help you if you are new to podcasts or are unsure how to make them a part of your routine.
    Why am I doing a podcast? Because it is fun, that’s why. It’s also perhaps the most personal medium out there. And, quietly, over the past year or so, it’s become huge. According to the Washington Post, podcast downloads passed the 1 billion mark last year and monthly podcast listeners now number 75 million per month. Podcasts have been around for a decade. They almost died three or four years ago. The New York Times and the Boston Globe abandoned most of their audio programming citing a lack of interest and revenue.
    But then things changed. First, the technology improved.. Apple built-in a Podcast app on its iPhones and iPads operating system. Android podcast apps also proliferated. Bluetooth is now part of every automotive and RV entertainment system. Faster Internet speeds and 4G LTE technology made downloading seamless and more and more people started abandoning traditional radio in favor of podcasts. In the last year alone, according to Fast Company Magazine, the amount of people listening to podcasts has gone up 25%. And people who podcast listen to an average of six podcasts a week.
    Apple says its mobile device users subscribed to one billion podcasts last year.
    Podcasts are so simple thanks to apps. And they make so much sense. So for an RV journalist like me – who just happens to love this stuff – it makes even more sense.
    Here’s a link to subscribe to the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast on iTunes:
    iTunes Podcasts - Roadtreking
    You can play this on your computer if you want by just clicking the little play arrow up at the top if this post. That’s fine if you want to sit in one spot and listen at your computer. But let me say right up front that’s not the best way to listen to podcasts. Where podcasts are meant to be heard is on your smartphone or tablet. Mobile devices are meant for podcasts. The apps let you subscribe to your favorite shows and then, whenever the show releases a new episode, the new show is automatically updated and listed on your app. If you want to listen, just hit play.
    So mobile podcasting listening is the driving force behind the crazy new popularity of podcasts. They let you listen as you do stuff. Listen as you drive. You can start it and stop it and resume it whenever you want. You can play it over Bluetooth through the vehicle speakers so everyone in the vehicle can listen. Or you can listen through earbuds.
    You can subscribe to this podcast and others you discover through the Apple podcast App or one of the Android apps. I also want to recommend a great app called Stitcher, which offers really quality podcasts for whatever platform your mobile device works on – be it Apple, Android or your computer. If you’re using an app, just search for Roadtreking – the RV Podcast. The app will find it. Then click “Subscribe.”
    If you’re on the geeky side and want the direct feed URL for our Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast, it is http://rvpodcast.libsyn.com/rss.
    But get an app and use your mobile device. It simply couldn’t be any easier.
    In this first episode:
    I introduce myself to the audience and explain how a hard-nosed journalist became an RV travel writer
    Jennifer and I share some tips on how to get along in a small motorhome.
    I answer a reader question about setting up the bed in the Roadtrek (For sleeping, I recommend RV Superbags).

    I ask a whole bunch of RV folks what’s on their bucket list There’s a very in depth interview of Campskunk, our Roadtreking Reporter fulltimer who shares his annual travel routes, how he and his wife, Sharon, cope in what is essentially a campervan, what they do, how much they spend on campgrounds and pretty much everything you’ve been wondering about the Campskunk boondocking method.
    I hope you enjoy it.
    Meantime, I invite you to be a part of it.
    I’d like to feature comments, questions and tips from readers on the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast. Will you help me ? Leave comments or questions below.
    Thanks, in advance!

    When you listen on your smartphone, here’s what it looks like.
  22. Roadtrekingmike
    Episode 2
    This has been such a blast to do. I’m thrilled by the response from so many who listened to our first podcast. I have dozens more planned!
    This week, we have released two episodes, to get the ball rolling. Starting next week, a new podcast episode will post every Wednesday morning.
    Jennifer joins me in this episode to help answer some questions.
    Each episode of these podcasts comes as a direct result of our travels across North America in a small motorhome, reporting about the interesting people and places we meet. We offer RV and camping tips, tap into our network of Roadtreking reporters, review the latest in traveling technology and discover destinations you’ll want to put on your bucket list.
    Click the link above to hear Episode 2, then scroll down for the show notes and links to the things we discuss.
    We talk about why podcasts are so powerful and popular. And we discuss how to listen and subscribe.
    I suggest several apps. Apple’s iPhone and iPad have their own built in app. I also reccomend Stitcher, a free app that works on all platforms, Apple, Android, phones and tablets.
    More apps
    Podcast Addict is free and takes a simple approach to a podcast app. However, it makes up for this by having a lot of areas to navigate. As with all of the apps on this list, finding the podcasts we searched for was quick and easy. When adding podcasts, there’s quite a few options to choose from. You can search for them by name manually, add an RSS feed, browse by top podcastsand other stuff. All in all, it’s a great free podcast app if you’re strapped for cash.
    Pocket Casts is yet another solid Podcast app. Like Podcast Addict, this podcast aggregator lets people browse for a variety of options, including top audio, top video, featured, by network, and by category. It makes finding podcasts extremely easy. Once you’ve found what podcast you’re looking for, playing them is easy as ever, and you can even categorize your podcast subscriptions for better organization. You can even sign up for a Pocket Casts account and sync across devices so you don’t have to go hunting for your podcasts over and over again. It’s $3.99 well spent if you’re a podcast fan.
    Tablets — Flipboard is actually not so much a podcast app but an RSS app. Generally, people use Flipboard to gather and read news articles. However, one of the lesser known features of Flipboard is the ability to subscribe and listen to podcasts. This is great if you already use RSS to get news or if you already use Flipboard because it’s just a matter of subscribing to your podcasts. For those who may not have used it, Flipboard features a gorgeous, smooth interface and it’s generally considered one of the best news readers out there. To us, it’s one of the best podcast apps too and it’s also free.
    Again, you can subscribe to this podcast via at iTunes.
    Please choose and click the star rating for the podcast on iTunes and leave me a review. As we establish the show, those reviews and star ratings really help.
    The RSS link for the podcasts for you geeks who like to use it to locate podcasts is http://feeds.feedburner.com/roadtrekingpodcast.
    LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:
    We answer two questions this week, phoned in through the “Leave a Voicemail” link on the right side of this page.
    RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:
    You won’t believe how busy the rangers were at the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago!
    TRAVELING TECH TIP:
    Review of the Logitech UE Mini Boom box. Here’s a video I did about it – http://pcmike.com/traveling-tech-tools-toys/
    BUCKET LIST RV DESTINATION OF THE WEEK
    Florida’s Blue Springs State Park, best place to see manatees in the winter
  24. Roadtrekingmike
    It’s time for Episode 3 of Roadtreking - The RV Podcast.
    I continue to be overwhelmed by the positive reponse we’ve had to the first two episodes. I hope you enjoy thosn one even more. After you’ve listened, will you do me a favor? Please consider rating and gving us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
    Notes for Episode #3 of Roadtreking – The RV Podcast:
    Episode released Oct. 15, 2014
    OPENING DISCUSSION:
    We had an in-depth conversation about free places to stay overnight and how many communities are enacting anti-RV ordinances and regulations aimed at forcing RVers to stay in commercial campgrounds.
    I offer up two great resources for free overnight parking and free boondocking:
    Boondockers Welcome (link on site) http://boondockerswelcome.com
    Overnight RV Camping http://overnightrvparking.com/
    Tell them Roadtreking sent you and you will get a special deal.
    Last week, we traveled south in our RV for a visit with our son’s family in SW Georgia. We do this several time a year to see the grandkids…and this time. we watched a couple of them play sports. You’ll meet meet two of my grandsons and they’ll tell you yet another reason why RVs are so handy… even if you don’t camp.
    Jennifer stops by to open our books, revealing our out of pocket costs on a typical RV trip.
    LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:
    Listeners ask our experience with our Michelin LTXMS2 tires and, specifically, we talk about how they handle in the snow.
    RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:
    There’s a very tough new anti-RV law on the books in San Diego. Some 250 plus RVers have been hit with stiff fines for parking their RVs near beach access sites over the past couple of weeks
    TRAVELING TECH TIP:
    I talk about weather apps.
    You may not know it but most phones today automatically receive emergency weather alerts. Check your phone’s settings and notifications and you’ll see where to set them. It gets emergency alerts, but has to be turned on. Check with your carrier for specifics but when activated, you’ll get warnings automatically as the are issued. The system also sends out Amber alerts and, in dire emergencies, presidential warnings
    My favorite weather app is My Radar. It’s a free app for all the major mobile platforms. It displays animated weather radar around your current location, allowing you to quickly see what weather is coming your way. For $3.99 you can include weather warnings and alerts, complete with push notifications, to warn you of severe weather in your area.
    RV BUCKET LIST DESTINATION:
    The Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado
    INTERVIEW:
    Vanessa Fox, http://www.girlmeetsroad.com/, travels the country in a Roadtrek 170 Popular working from a different city every day. She shares how her adventures.

    Vanessa Fox travels the country in her Roadtrek Popular 170, working out of a different city each day.
  25. Roadtrekingmike
    Episode 3 of Roadtreking the RV Podcast
    It’s time for a new edition of Roadtreking- The RV Podcast. I continue to be overwhelmed by the positive response we’ve had to the first two episodes. I hope you...
    Roadtreking : The RV Lifestyle Blog - Traveling North America in a small motorhome


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