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Roadtrekingmike

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  1. Roadtrekingmike
    This is a jam-packed podcast with lots of very practical news and information.
    In it we talk about another anti-RV town, how and when to winterize, along with lots of practical tips on all sorts of things connected with the RV lifetyle.
    Last week, we had 41,697 plus downloads of the Roadtreking RV Podcast. I am overwhelmed by your support and kind words. Thank you. If you haven’t already, please subscribe via the iTunes or Stitcher links:
    Episode 4 of the Roadtreking Podcast – How and When to Winterize (iTunes)
    Episode 4 of the Roadtreking Podcast – How and When to Winterize (Stitcher)
    Then you will have new episodes automatically placed in your podcast app ready to be downloaded and listened to when you are ready. I would also appreciate if you take the time to give us a review and a rating, too.
    Show Notes for Episode #4 of Roadtreking – The RV Lifestyle Podcast:
    Halloween camping – The month of October has become a huge month for RV campgrounds around the country. Many host Halloween weekend events aimed at families. People decorate their RVs, there are costume parties and trick or treating. We visited one such event this weekend and shared some photos at in my Halloween Campouts blog entry But check a campground near you for next weekend. Don’t be surprised if it is filled!
    Anti-RV towns – I talk to Jim O’Briant from OverightRVParking.com about yet another town that has passed local regulations aimed at overnighting RVers. Jim tells about one camper rudely awoken by a knock on the door in the middle of the night.
    LISTENER QUESTION OF THE WEEK: A listener from Florida asked about our experience with the StowAway Cargo Carrier. Before you get one of these, you’ll want to hear our experience. Jennifer joins me for her perspective on the pluses and minuses of this storage solution.
    RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:
    There were a rash of RV fires across the country last week, most due to propane problems. These accidents tend to spike in spring and then in the fall, as many are migrating to and from winter destinations. Here are tips on propane safety with links to valuable safety info.
    TRAVELING TECH TIP: The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and new iPads and new Android devices are now being released and lots of people are wondering what to do with their old phones. That’s where online trade-in sites come in. Here’s how you can exchange your old one for cash so you can buy a new one.
    Gazelle is one of the most popular electronics trade in sites, allowing folks top instantly see what their old electronics are worth, actually getting a trade in price on the spot. You pack up the old phone and they send you a check. Couldn’t be easier.
    NextWorth offers a similar service, but with a twist. You can check out the value of your trade-in and they’ll also send you a check if you want. But with NextWorth, you can also find a store near you that partners with them where you can actually go in person to do the trade-in.
    Online retailer Amazon has a very active trade-in service as well, on all sorts of personal electronics.
    So does the big box retailer Best Buy. Check out your trade in on their website and take it to a store near you.
    And you can do the same with Radio Shack.
    RV BUCKET LIST DESTINATION: The Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming –
    INTERVIEW: Yan Seiner, a Roadtreking Reporter who just also happens to also be a senior project manager with Roadtrek Motorhomes, talks to us about What you need to know about cold weather and how and when to winterize your RV.
    We also announce a winter campout Yan and I will be hosting in the snowy Upper Peninsula of Michigan Jan 23-25, 2015. You’re invited! Details at http://roadtreking.com/heres-chance-try-winter-camping/
    I mentioned how when we do camping in the wintertime, we also take along a small ceramic heater. It’s the Lasko 5307 Oscillating Ceramic Tower. It’s 16 inches high, easily stores and really kicks out a lot of heat and we are very happy with it. Here’s a direct link from Amazon. If you do buy from Amazon using that link, I get a small commission.
    I also want to thank Van City RV for sponsoring this week;s episode. Van City specializes only in Class B motorhomes and they have an extensive inventory of new and used rigs. If you buy from them, they’ll pay your way to St. Louis to pick up your new coach. Mention Roadtreking for special pricing.
    Many of you ask how you can subscribe, review and rate the Roadtreking Podcast on iTunes. Here's how:

    First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts up on the top.
    > From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in Mike Wendland or Roadtreking RV Podcast.
    > Click on the logo image of the Roadtreking RV Podcast on the search return page
    > From there (see photo above), you can…
    1) Subscribe
    2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much.
    3) Leave a written review.
    Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. That got us noticed by Apple/iTunes as “New and Noteworthy.” I appreciate every review!
  3. Roadtrekingmike
    We have discovered he one all important guiding principle that more than anything determines the success or failure of an RV trip: There needs to be a place for everything and everything should be in its place.
    When we first began our RV travels, we took everything. Sometimes two of everything. Both Jennifer and I were so paranoid that we left something behind that we overcompensated. Our little 24 foot Class B RV looked like a scene out of that Hoarders reality TV show, you know, the one where people life in houses so cluttered that they had to make tunnels to move between the piles of junk.
    We took too much food, too many clothes, too many folding chairs, too many pots, pans and utensils. I had tools of every size and shape, fishing stuff, two bicycles, snorkeling gear, beach towels, workout bags, a pile of books and all my computer, video and camera gear.
    We were bloated.
    It didn’t take long to realize that we were overcompensating for our lack of RV experience by overpacking.
    It took forever to load the RV for a trip and even longer to haul everything out when we returned home.
    Here’s how we uncluttered.
    The kitchen – We now take two plates, two cups, two glasses (plastic) and, on the rare occasions when you may have a guest, some paper plates. Same with utensils, which are supplemented by some plastic spoons, forks and knives. You don’t need place settings for six. As far as pots and pans, we bring one of each. We bring a small electric frying pan for cooking bacon and pancakes and a George Forman grill. We have a very small charcoal grill we sometimes pack in the storage area at the back. I have a small K-cup coffee maker.
    Food – The staples are pretty basic. Some olive oil, a jar of peanut butter, jam, bread, granola, yogurt, butter, crackers, cheese, meat, some fruit and some snacks. We eat a lot of salads. Jennifer will prepack the fixings in a zip lock bag at home and bring them. We take no more than a three day supply of food. Its easy and fun to shop locally on the road, getting fresh fruits and veggies. And we do eat out at local restaurants a lot. There is no better way to know an area than to eat where the locals do. We take along a case of bottled water, too, keeping it on one side of the bottom of an armoire we had installed.
    Clothing – We permanently keep jackets, sweats and one good outfit in the wardrobe closet. We bring sandals, hiking boots and a presentable pair of slip ons. Jennifer also brings house slippers. We keep them on the other side of the armoire bottom. We have both come to really appreciate the small little packing cubes called eBags. Click that link to see Jennifer demo them. We each bring two, mine is blue, Jen’s is red. We easily can get a five day supply of all the clothes we need in them. They fit in a rear overhead cabinet on the driver’s side of the coach.
    Hygiene and shower items – We permanently leave soap, bathroom supplies, hair brushes, toothbrushes and the like in the bathroom. A surprising amount fits in that pull out drawer. I found a little plastic dish and holder set that attaches to the wall above the sink by a suction cup to store bath items. I also have a small knapsack that has extra soap and shampoo and a pair of flip flops that I carry when using a shower at a campground bathhouse. It goes in with the shoes in the armoire for storage. Jennifer has a large tote bag with her stuff that also fits in the armoire.
    Bedding – We make our coach bed up into a king bed each night and put a four inch mattress topper on it that we picked up at Bed, Bath & Beyond a year or so ago. It is more comfortable than our Sleep Number bed at home. On top of that we put on the RV Superbag. Click that link and you’ll see Jennifer demonstrate it. It has a summer side, a winer side and luxuriously comfortable sheets that attach inside by Velcro. It’s expensive. But we have found it incredible comfortable. We keep the topper in the top storage cabinet across the back of our Roadtrek eTrek. It’s a tight squeeze but it fits. The RV Superbag is rolled up and goes in the armoire. We make up the bed each night and then put it away after we wake up. We like having the back area as a sofa/lounging area during the day.
    Tools – In the rear storage area beneath the bed, I carry one small toolbox. In it are screwdrivers, pliers, a small hatchet that can double as a hammer, duct take, a tube of sealant, a small bottle of Gorilla glue, scissors, a good pocketknife and probably some other little odds and ends. I keep the water hoses (two rolls of 25-foot white hose), electric hook up cables (two 25-foot lengths), a 50 to 30 amp adapter, a 25 foot 15-amp extension cord , a pair of gloves and my water filter in a large plastic storage bin I got at Lowes. Also in the back are some of those Lego-like leveling blocks, a fishing pole and small plastic tackle box, a ground cover for the patio area outside the sliding door, a small fold-up table and two Pico telescoping outdoor chairs.
    Computer and Photo gear – Basically, my still and video cameras, wireless microphones and their respective chargers and accessories all go in one large bag. It fits in the armoire. I have a backpack for my computer gear that fits atop the bag in the same place. I bring several very small, collapsible tripods.
    Storage drawer – In the armoire s a small storage drawer. In it I have flashlights, extra fuses, a small screwdriver with the square head used for most of the screws in my Roadtrek, a small pair of walkie-talkie two-way radios, pens, maps and little things.
    So that’s what we take with us. We leave as much as possible inside the coach when we’re home so we don’t have to keep loading and reloading the same things. Instead of a pile of books, we read them from Kindle on the iPad. We only take the bicycles when we know we’ll be doing a lot of cycling. Snorkel gear stays home, unless we absolutely know we will be snorkeling. Just because we could use it doesn’t meet the test we have set up for what to bring and what to leave: Take only what you are sure you will need. If in doubt, leave it home.
    Something else that is important that, if not adhered to, can really clutter up your RV: Don’t buy a lot of souvenirs while on the road. If you must, consider shipping such purchases to your home. If that’s not possible, make sure you have room for them to be stored away out of sight.
    When we are traveling, we have a rule that we both stick to religiously. When we are finished using it, we put it away. We always put it in the same place. I can’t over-emphasize the importance of that. I bought a bunch of stick-on hooks that I have affixed to various walls around the coach. We use them for sweatshirts, hats and the like. At night, we each have one hook that we use to hang the clothing we’ll put on the next morning.
    Everything has a place, and everything goes in that place and that place only.
    Organizational experts say that you should go through your home closet every year. Anything you haven’t used in the last six months should be discarded. When it comes to an RV, anything you didn’t use on your past trip should probably not be brought along on the next one.
    That’s our system, what works for us. I suppose it’s a reflection of our personality. Neither one of us can stand clutter. And with each trip, things seem to get more streamlined.
    I’d love to hear how you have uncluttered your RV. Use comments below to share.
  4. Roadtrekingmike
    We just hit the road after a long weekend boondocking in our Roadtrek eTrek in the wilderness of northeast Minnesota, spending the weekend in it miles from civilization when the overnight temperature dropped to -21F/-29C.
    Call us Ice Station eTrek.
    Those frigid temperatures in the woods were the ambient, real temperature. But we had a very stiff northwestern wind that not only swirled up snow drifts all around s but made for wind chill readings of -50F/-45C.
    We could not have been more comfortable. Seriously. Inside, the Webasto heater cranked out a constant 60-70 degrees of comfort. We dropped it down at night for sleeping and raised it during the day when we were going in and out of the Roadtrek a lot.
    We were up in Minnesota as a communications volunteer for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, a 400 mile route from Duluth to the Canadian border. I’m an amateur radio operator and I was stationed at a spot where the musher’s trail crosses County Road 8 north east of the tiny, remote hamlet of Finland, about 85 miles into the gruelling race and smack dab in the middle of absolutely nowhere.
    I’ll have a full report and video on the gorgeous country, the race itself and the sheer adventure of it all later this week.
    But many have asked how it all went and how the Roadtrek handled it.
    First, Jennifer and I are agreed that we are hooked on winter camping. The snow was so beautiful, three feet thick off the trail. At night, the stars were so bright and close that they made you gasp. We heard wolf howls as we spent a lonely night out there Sunday and Monday morning, a hundred yards from us, a big black wolf – the Alpha Male of the pack according to one of the other volunteers we met – twice showed himself as curiosity drew him close to us.
    We were dressed properly for cold weather. That’s the secret of course, and we limited our time outside to no more than half hour stretches when we weren’t helping keep track of the passing mushers. Tai, our double-coated Norwegian Elkhound, thought he had died and gone to heaven, though he was noticeable spooked by the wolf. I took him out early Monday morning and he stopped, sniffed the air and had the hackles on his neck raised. I didn’t know why at the time but Michelle, who later joined us at the crossing, said dogs typically are very spooked by wolves. “Sometimes a sled dog team will stop and lie right down when wolves are around,” she said. She’s a musher herself, from Minneapolis, and said the same black wolf, along with a female, were seen last year, too.
    As to the Roadtrek eTrek, except for one minor glitch due to the cold, we couldn’t be more pleased.
    On the advice of locals, I used a blend of the normal #2 diesel fuel with the hotter burning #1 to handle the extreme cold. I used about a 60% #1 blend. Some stations let you mix it yourself from adjacent pumps, others up here sell it blended 50-50. Either way, the #1 helps prevent diesel gelling, which can shut down an engine that starts up after having been sitting all night in the cold.
    But… all was not without incident. When I went to start it this morning – it got down to -23F here last night with a -55F wind chill – the engine turned over but did not catch. The starter battery seemed low and it cranked very slowly. I called a local garage that works on diesel and Greg, the owner, came to the motel with a huge tow truck. It took him all but five minutes to hitch the Roadtrek up and haul it to his warm garage where he got a rapid charger on the battery and thawed out the engine a bit.
    “The cold just sapped the battery to where it had trouble cranking and the oil got pretty stiff with that severe cold we had last night, ” said Mike, the mechanic who worked on it. “It just needed to be warmed up a bit.”
    We were on the road by noon.
    Other than that, the Roadtrek performed flawlessly. I have become a huge fan of the Sprinter chassis and Mercedes engine. The vehicle handles well on ice and snow. And I’ve already raved about the Webasto heater Roadtrek has. Mine has been running continuously since Friday. It’s now Monday morning and we are in Ironwood, MI, in the Upper Peninsula. We stayed in a hotel last night so we could shower. The heater stayed on all night.
    The heater runs on diesel from the engine. Based on our use, I would say that four days of running it has not used any more than two gallons of fuel.
    The only downside I can think of about this is you can’t use running water – the Roadtrek is winterized. You can use the toilet…just flush it with RV antifreeze. Ad finding room for the extra clothing – parkas, boots, hats, gloves, insulated bibs, etc. – can also be challenging.
    I realize the cold and winter camping is not for everyone. That’s okay. That’s why God made Florida and the southwest.
    But Jennifer and I are still healthy and we absolutely love the outdoors and the wilderness. And seeing this country in the winter, covered with a pristine blanket of snow, is soul-soothing.
    In fact, Jennifer thinks it was one of the top most enjoyable boondocking.

  5. Roadtrekingmike
    I’ve been an amateur (ham) radio operator for decades, My call is K8ZRH and there was a time when I was obsessed with the hobby, so caught up in making contacts with every state in the nation, every country in the world, that I stayed up all hours of the night tracking DX (distant) stations, Eventually, to keep peace in my marriage, I backed off and, for the past ten years or so, have been pretty much inactive.
    Today, there’s an amateur radio transceiver installed in my RV. Not a CB radio, though that might also come in handy. You need to be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate an amateur radio station. You can learn about that here. You do not need a license for a CB. Amateur radio is much more. Here’s how the American Radio Relay League describes it:

    “Most of the time, it’s the most fun you can have with a radio. It’s a way to talk with people around the world, or even orbiting the world; to send e-mail without any sort of internet connection and to keep in touch with friends across town or across the country. But it is called the “Amateur Radio Service ” because it also has a serious face. It’s a very important emergency communications system too. When cell phones, regular phones, the internet and other systems are down or overloaded, Amateur Radio still gets the message through. Radio amateurs, often called "hams," enjoy radio technology as a hobby -- that's the fun part. But it’s also a service -- a vital service that has saved lives again and again when regular communication systems failed.”
    Anyway, my foray back into amateur radio came about after volunteering for the communications team that is part of my county’s Department of Homeland Security. My all electric, solar powered Roadtrek eTrek is a perfect vehicle to use in times of emergency and now, with the radio, I’m able to provide emergency communications with my own power supply when called up.
    But I will also be able to have use of the radio as we travel the county.
    The wife’s condition I had to agree to in installing the radio was that it had to be neat.
    No wires and ugly installation. No holes in anything. The photos show the results. I’m pretty happy. And it meet’s Jennifer’s approval.
    The rig is a dual-bander (144/440MHz) Kenwood TM-V71A, I chose that rig because I generally like Kenwood two-way radios from my past experiences and this unit in particular has a detachable control head. I had to pick up an extension cable but I was able to locate the radio itself in an out of the way place hidden from view on a storage shelf above the driver’s seat. The control head, with the connecting cable hidden behind the trim, was Velcro-ed on a perfect spot just below and to the right of the steering wheel. I made no holes in the dash. The industrial strength Velcro I used can hold 10 pounds. I doubt the control head weighs more than 8 ounces. The radio itself is also Velcro-ed in place on the shelf so it doesn’t slide around.

    The power connection is direct to one of the eTrek’s eight AGM batteries, accessed through an access panel located under-the-carpeting in the cab part of the van. The were were duct taped in place as they ran across the floor.
    For an antenna I again had to choose neatness.
    The non metal body of the Roadtrek makes getting a ground or using a traditional magnetic mount difficult.
    So I selected the Larsen KG-2/70-CX-PL on glass antenna. Again, I snaked the antenna wire behind the trim to a place where it could reach the top right window on the second row passenger’s seat. The antenna, on a sticky pad, adheres to the outside of the glass while a coupler on the inside sticks to the glass exactly opposite for a very adequate inductive connection.
    By the way, I’ve found that using a putty knife is a very simple way to gently pust wires and cable behing trim coverings. Use plastic ties under the dash to keep any wires from dangling down or showing themselves.
    I get a solid SWR (hams will know what this means) of about 1.6 to 1.9 to one across most of the bands, more than acceptable. All of the local repeaters are full-quieting, meaning I’m receiving and transmitting well.
    So there you go. I’m now K8ZRH mobile. My first add-on mod for my new eTrek.
    Source
  6. Roadtrekingmike
    I love kayaking. Except for occasional rental places I find in our travels, though, it’s pretty hard to do while Roadtreking.
    I’ve been tempted to get an inflatable kayak but, well, I want a real one, with a composite body. The problem, though, is how do I carry it?
    My friend Gary Hennes from Minnesota has solved that problem with a roof mount and a Hullavator mechanism that effortlessly lifts the kayak up to the roof of his 2006 Roadtrek RS-Adventurous.
    He got his from a local outfitter near his Minneapolis home, from a competitor of the folks who made the demonstration video below.

    He got his from a local outfitter near his Minneapolis home, from a competitor of the folks who made the demonstration video above.
    Gary’s rack is from Yakima but the Thule Hullavator works with it just fine, he reports. He has it all mounted on his 2006 Roadtrek RS Adventurous, starting just ahead of the roof vent and continuing back a little past the front edge of air conditioner.
    On it, he carries a Current Designs 14′ Kestrel kayak and sometimes, in a separate rack on the other side, a We-no-nah 16 1/2 foot kevlar Advantage canoe.
    I’m sure Gary will watch the comments here and be glad to answer any more questions. The photos are of his setup. The video demonstrates how it all works.
  7. Roadtrekingmike
    Roadtrek Motorhomes has released a new all-season, solar-powered 40th Anniversary edition of it’s 190 Popular coach that features a redesigned, higher interior and a stunning Mocha Steel tri-coat paint job that looks like diamonds have been embedded into the finish.
    Roadtrek President Jim Hammill says the new model, revealed to attendees at the corporate anniversary rally in Branson, MO, continues a trend towards green energy use and extended dry camping through solar power. Pricing information and optional packages will be available at Roadtrek dealers throughout North America in early June.
    http://youtu.be/zvojBhs_ljI
    The new model has 10 gallons of extra fresh water capacity and special tanks that do away with the need for winterization if the unit is plugged in or the engine is running.
    The solar power, with a 3,000 watt inverter, assures that users will be able to stay for extended periods of times in remote places far from commercial campgrounds. The rooftop solar panels generate 210 watts of power to four batteries. Roadtrek also added a new engine generator to the unit for extra power off the grid.
    The Popular 190 model joins two Sprinter Roadtrek models introduced late last year that use solar – the RS Adventurous eTrek and the RS Adventurous CS (for Camping Series). Earlier this year, the corporation announced that it would be able to retrofit solar on many earlier units already sold.
    Early reaction to the Popular 190 was favorable. “It’s a beauty,” said Cheryl Gregorie. “I love the fact that it doesn’t need winterizing.”
    “I love the bling of the color scheme,” said Shari Groendyk, of Portage, MI.
    “The fact that we don’t have to winterize is huge for those of us in cold climates,” said William Browne, of Spring Lake, Mich.
    The interior, with a larger bathroom and new bamboo cabinets in the interior, also drew praise from many. It is three inches taller than earlier 190 Populars.
    “This is how we’ll move into the next 40 years of our history,” said Hammill. “We will lead the Class B industry in technology and innovation.”
    About the Author: Mike Wendland is a veteran journalist who travels the country in a Roadtrek Type B motorhome, accompanied by his wife, Jennifer, and their Norweigian elkhound, Tai. Mike is an FMCA member (F426141) and is FMCA's official on-the-road reporter. He enjoys camping (obviously), hiking, biking, fitness, photography, video editing and all things dealing with technology. His "PC MIke" technology segments are distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations. More from this author. Reach mike at openmike@fmca.com.
  8. Roadtrekingmike
    I came across this interesting You Tube video from a guy who calls himself “Master Luke.” It shows a 24-foot cargo trailer that he made into a totally solar-powered RV.
    The entire roof of the trailer is covered with solar panels - 3,130 watts worth of them.
    The Roadtrek eTrek we drive has a 5,000-watt inverter, a diesel generator and about 250 watts of solar power. But I reckon that we can get more practical RVing use out of our rig than he can with his. That diesel generator charges those batteries very fast and the 250-watt solar panels really help keep the batteries topped off. I suppose if stuck in the woods and the diesel tank runs dry, we’d be pretty limited after a few days but don’t see that as a very likely situation we would be encountering anytime soon.

    But, the installation in this video is very impressive and I think it shows how solar is getting more and more viable for many. I think of applying what he has done in this video to a cabin out in the middle of the Michigan Upper Peninsula woods.
    And being off-grid is, well, just very cool.
    What are your thoughts on this setup?
    Here’s a second more in depth video he did on micro inverters, which he briefly shows in the above video.

  9. Roadtrekingmike
    Actually, amend that headline. Pickleball is everywhere. In fact, its leading proponents claim it is the fastest-growing sport in North America,.though verifying that is not easy to do.
    But there is no doubt that the sport, invented in 1965, is now hugely popular, particularly among retirees and in campgrounds, RV resorts, retirement communities and the like across Florida and the Sunbelt. Further, many snowbrird return to their northern homes each spring and bring their love of the game back with them.
    There are no numerous places to play in all 50 states and there are regular tournaments sponsored by its own official organization, the USA Pickleball Association.
    Here’s one of their promotional videos showing how the game is played:

    Pickleball leagues are everywhere.
    On our RV trip to Florida and the Gulf Coast earlier this year, I was stunned to see it played – enthusiastically – at just abut every place we visited.
    In case you have never heard of it, pickleball is a racket sport in which two to four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a polymer perforated ball over a net.
    A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20×44 feet. In pickleball, the same court is used for both singles and doubles play. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (referred to as the “kitchen”). Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.
    It was invented on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, WA. U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard and two pals, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, are credited for creating the game after their kids at the time became bored with their usual summertime activities .
    Their kids apparently grew tired of the game. But the adults loved it, taught it to their friends and, as everybody aged, it kept growing and growing.
    There are two stories about how the sport got its name. The most popular story has it that the Pritchard’s dog, named Pickles, was always chasing after the wiffle ball when someone hit it out of bounds and then hiding with it in the bushes. Thus, for the game resumed, someone had to retrieve “Pickle’s ball.”
    But Joel Pritchard’s wife, Joan, told one interviewer that the game reminded her of the pickle boat (in crew), where oarsmen are picked from the leftovers of the other boats. The game was subsequently named pickleball. The Pritchard’s dog was actually named after the game, she said.
    Whatever, pickleball is a way of life for many.
    At an RV resort in Okeechobee, FL, where I took the above photo in this post, they had two courts that had people standing in line waiting to play from just after sunup till noon, and again just before sunup when the day’s heat eased until it was too dark to play. The resort said pickleball was so popular that they were rushing to build more courts.
    So there you go sports fans. Give it a try. I only had a chance to play a few minutes but from that brief experience, I can say it’s pretty darn fun.
  10. Roadtrekingmike
    As we’ve traveled across North America, visiting wilderness areas and National Parks, one park consistently came up at the top of the list of must-visit places suggested by fellow RVers: Glacier National Park in far northwestern Montana.
    Now that we’ve been there and spent most of a week exploring this dramatic and spectacular park, we know why.
    But our adventure here didn’t start out well. We visited in mid-August, after school had started in much of the country. We thought the crowds would be way down.
    But as we entered the park from West Glacier, we immediately encountered a multilane traffic jam of vehicles at the welcome gate. For ten minutes we slowly crept forward. Then, just a couple vehicles from the front, a ranger came out and started motioning traffic through, without collecting entrance few or checking for passes. “Move on, move on,” she said, urging us forward.

    We were surprised.
    “Hurry please, traffic is backed up to the the intersection (in town a half mile back) and we have to clear this congestion.”
    It was a Monday. And the place was that busy. We checked two campgrounds at the entrance: Apgar and Fish Creek. Apgar was filled. Fish Creek had two openings. But as we drove through it, we decided to pass on it. Small, uneven campsites close to each other just didn’t appeal to us.
    We moved into the interior, following the east shoreline of Lake McDonald. Sprague Creek, located right on the lake, sounded good. It too, by noon on a Monday, was filled.
    Traffic was extremely heavy. Further north we traveled, finally finding a spot at Avalanche Creek. Not bad. Crowded, but somewhat spacious sites. An hour after we got our site, it filled. The parking lot leading to the campground was filled. So was a parking lot and picnic area along the creek, across the highway.

    We boarded a shuttle for the 16 mile trip up the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. Traffic was pretty much bumper-to-bumper the entire way. Once we reached Logan Pass, a huge parking area was closed because every space was taken. I started out on a hiking trail. But after counting what had to be 500 people strung out for as far as I could see, I turned back, stopping to photograph a family of mountain goats grazing in a meadow.
    This was the middle of the wilderness. But it was as congested as any urban area we have ever visited.
    The shuttle vehicle we took back to Avalanche Creek was a full sized Sprinter, the same chassis of our Roadtrek Etrek. So I asked the driver if I could take mine up. No problem he said.
    Now right now, let me say that I was not supposed to take my Roadtrek any further along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. If we had not been waved through the front gate of the park on Sunday, I’m sure now that the ranger would have so instructed me. Later, after I had done the deed, I learned that vehicles over 21 feet are not allowed to drive the highway.
    With my StowAway2 cargo box, my Roadtrek measures nearly 24 feet.
    But, thinking it was okay, bright and early the next morning, I took the Roadtrek up and down the Going-to-the-Sun Road. No one challenged me. Again, I should not have done this. So don’t try this on your own.
    That said, I did. And I had absolutely no problems.

    Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the world’s most spectacle highways. Bisecting the heart of Glacier, the 50-mile-long road follows the shores of the park’s two largest lakes and hugs the cliffs below the Continental Divide as it traverses Logan Pass. It is not for the faint of heart or those who are nervous driving narrow roads that twist and turn and are bordered with steep rock walls on the driver’s side and thousand foot drop-offs, without guard rails, on the passenger side.
    Here’s a video of the drive, recorded with my GoPro:

    We did it early on a Tuesday morning with little traffic. I passed numerous park rangers and none seemed to mind. A couple even gave me that friendly raise-four-fingers-from-the-steering-wheel-hello as we passed. We stopped in turnoffs along the way to take photos. We spotted a grizzly on the way down and took some long lens pictures of him as he devoured huckleberries on a far away hillside.
    We took the highway all the way to the West Entrance and the town of St. Mary. We stopped at the Rising Sun Campground. Full. Almost out of the park, we stopped at the St Mary Campground. Also full. We made our way to the park’s most popular campground, Many Glacier. This one filled before 7 AM that day, and most days.
    No matter, we hung around and watched the sunset.
    We found a spot just out of the park at a KOA in St. Mary that was one of the nicest campgrounds we have ever visited, with very spacious sites and great views of Glacier’s craggy peaks. At $60 a night, it was also the most expensive place we’ve stayed on this trip west.

    The next morning we were up early and made our way back to Rising Sun and got a great site. for $10, thanks to our National Parks Senior Pass.
    Rising Sun is in the heart of Glacier’s bear country. This campground has been closed because of bear activity and a couple of incidents. It’s been reopened but is still posted to be especially alert because of bear activity.
    A husband and wife who were camping in a tent were awakened one night when a bear tried to lie on their tent. The husband said it was like sitting on his head. The wife bolted upright and, through a clear vinyl widow in the tent, was literally nose-to-nose with a black bear. She hollered, he hollered, they fumbled for a flashlight and zippered out, catching sight of a black bear scampering off into the brush.
    In another incident, a camper reported they a bear had stolen a pillow from their camp site.
    We saw bear tracks all around our campsite and fresh bear scat not far away.

    We caught a glimpse of a cinnamon colored bear crossing the road in front of the campground.
    Then, a half hour later, as we rounded a bend in the Otokomi Lake Trail no further than 50 yards across a creek from our campsite, we came upon a mama bear and her cub. They had just come out of the creek. We stopped and talked so they’d know we were there. With only the briefest glance at us, the mama crossed first, no more than 25 feet in front of us. She seemed unconcerned with our presence and certainly wasn’t apprehensive, taking her time getting up the opposite side, nibbling on some service berries. Her cub followed a few feet behind. He had to stand on his hind legs to grab a few mouthfuls of the berries, finally looking at us with youthful curiosity before slowly ambling off with Mom.
    By mid-week, traffic in the park was noticeably less. Same with Thursday as a change in the weather pattern and a cold front swept through the park. It felt like fall. They were even predicting snow by Saturday up at Logan Pass. We awoke to 46 degrees and, after coffee, moved over to Many Glacier campground where, thanks to the rain and cold, there were plenty of camping spots to chose from.
    We hiked to Fishercap Lake where we watched a bull moose stand knee deep just off shore munching on grass.
    That night, with continuing mist, it dropped to 39. We cranked up the Webasto heater in our Roadtrek Etrek, snug and dry and cocooned against the cold.
    The end of the week weather had us bundled up but it kept the crowds away and we delighted in the wilderness quiet. Glacier is a photographer’s dream. Every direction is postcard pretty, even in the clouds and foggy mists.
    Our mistake was in coming when folks were still on summer vacations. The next time we visit will be after Labor Day. Like Yellowstone to the south, the summer crowds are just too much for us. The more we enjoy this small motorhome lifestyle, the more we prefer going it alone, boondocking far off the beaten path. In September, they tell me, the Glacier campgrounds seldom fill. While cold weather at night guarantees you’ll be running the heater, Glacier will feel much more wild than it does with the summer crowds.

    One last thing: We took Tai, our Norwegian Elkhound, with us on this trip. Dogs are not allowed on trails or in many places in the park but we had plenty of spots to walk him in campgrounds and picnic areas. When we hiked, we left him in our Roadtrek. Because of cool temperatures and the beautiful weather, we didn’t have to worry about having the air conditioning on, though our Roadtrek Etrek with its eight house batteries and solar powered trickle charger would have easily handled that for several hours.
    We were glad we brought him. He seemed to greatly enjoy the park and we enjoyed his companionship.
    Here are some of our photos. They show why we’ll be back.




  11. Roadtrekingmike
    I’ve spent much of the past two months using my spare time to study photography, though online courses, books and some classroom work. I also, gulp, bought a professional grade camera and have been learning its ins and out, too. All this in preparation for our RV visits to various National Parks across the country.
    This year, I’m going to concentrate even more out there on photography, spurred on by the annual photo contest sponsored by the National Park Foundation.
    The photo accompanying this post was the just-announced winner of the 2013 contest, which brought in more than 20,000 entries. It’s from Courtney Kotewa and it is of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which I will visit in mid June. She lives in southern Michugan took the photo last summer during a family vacation. Second place is also from lake Superior. It is of the ice caves that formed along the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore this past winter and was taken by Michael DeWitt. He’s is from Ashland, WI, not far from the Apostle Islands. We plan to visit the Apostle Island National Lakeshore in late June
    After that we head west. To Glacier. Yellowstone. The Canyonlands and more. In the fall, the Great Smoky Mountains National park is on the planned trip list. So is another visit to Everglades National Park.
    I’ve been browsing this year’s winners. I can’t wait to get out there.
    A complete list of 2013 winners and their photos are available for viewing at www.nationalparks.org/photowinners.
    The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, is the main sponsor of the annual contest, which encourages amateur photographers to explore the nation’s federal lands and share their experiences by capturing and submitting their favorite shots. The winning picture may also be featured on the annual Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
    The 2014 contest is well under way. Photos must be taken from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2014.
    The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place, in addition to outdoor gear provided by Celestron, hotel packages courtesy of Historic Hotels of America, and an annual Federal Recreational Lands Pass. There are also prizes for fan favorites and the following six category winners:
    Adventure and Outdoor Recreation
    Historical and Cultural
    Scenic, Seasons, and Landscapes
    Let’s Move Outside
    Wildlife
    Night Skies (a new category for the 2014 contest)

    Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreation lands. The 2014 contest is sponsored by the National Park Foundation, ACTIVE Network, and Celestron in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Recreation.gov. The contest entries showcase the more than 500 million acres of federal lands and draws entries from all across the United States.
    Bookmark this post. To enter a photo for this year’s contest, go to: http://www.sharetheexperience.org/
    See you out there …
  13. Roadtrekingmike
    The RV life is so much fun because you don’t know what adventure is around the next bend. But the people you meet along the way are equally enjoyable.
    I don’t think Jennifer and I have yet to return from a Roadtreking trip without making some new friends. On our most recent trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we met interesting people at each stop.
    Up at the Historic Fort Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor Michigan, we found ourselves sharing a campground with husband and wife Roadtrekers Dave DeKeyser and Rebecca Cleveland, two new Roadtrek RT Ranger owners. The couple travel with their two dogs Cisco and Archie and carry two bicycles on the back.
    That’s to be expected because the two own The Bike Hub, a bicycle retail and service shop in the Northwestern Wisconsin town of DePere. From late April through August, they can hardly find time to ride themselves because summer is prime time in the bike business.
    But from now through late spring, they getaway every chance they can, the past week or so riding the awesome mountain bike trails near Copper Harbor, and after the holidays, off to Arizona and Colorado and the cycling scenes there.
    The couple loves their RT Ranger, which was upgraded out with a heavier chassis, a propane heater and a generator. The two dogs sleep up front and the couple has no problem with room.
    “This s perfect for us and our lifestyle,” said Dave, between walks and hikes with the dogs and mountain bike rides with his wife. Rebecca, a former professional racer.
    At the same campground, we reconnected with Dennis and Joyce Crabtree, who have been on an extended multi-state tour in their Roadtrek RS Adventurous from their Commerce City, CO home. We had earlier met the couple at the Roadtrek rally in Branson, Mo., this spring.
    The Crabtrees are veteran Roadtrekers. Joyce needs help breathing from a special machine but doesn’t let that keep her from seeing the country. The electrical system on their Adventurous delivers solid, reliable power all day long.
    Dennis is a kayaker and when we pulled alongside, he had just put his kayak on the roof of the Honda CRV he tows. He had been out earlier in Lake Fannie Hooe and had caught a walleye.
    “Towing our car lets us easily stow the kayak,” he says. “And we can hook up camp and Joyce’s satellite TV dish and not have to move. The Roadtreks can pull up to 5,000 pounds.”
    From Copper Harbor, we made our way down to St. Ignace, just across the Big Mac Bridge that connects Michigan’s two peninsulas.
    At the Straits State Park there, we came upon a 2006 Roadtrek 190 with a vanity front license plate that identified it as “The Condo.”
    I had to get a picture so knocked on the door and thereupon met Nick and Jan Nopper, from Grand Rapids, MI. They bought the Roadtrek this past summer, downsizing from a 40 foot Monaco Class A motorhome.
    “This is the fifth motorhome we have owned,” said Nick. “The four other ones were Class A’s. We had that same license plate on all of them.”
    The choice to downsize was an easy one for the couple. “This is just much easier to drive,” he said, pointing at his new Roadtrek. “We also just bought a home in Florida and we can use this to go back and forth and even take some side trips with.”
    The couple was on their way over to Mackinac Island for a three day getaway at the Grand Hotel with the Roadtrek providing transportation and a place to stay on the road. “We just love seeing the country,” said Nick. “Gives us something to do besides just sit around in our old age.”
    If there is any common denominator between these three very diverse couples it has to be the spirit of adventure.
    Such is the Roadtreking life. Our RVs – be they Roadtreks or small motorhomes from other Class B manufacturers – offer mobility and ease of operation, with room to take everything we need to be comfortable.
    There are new places to visit and new friends to make. It’s a big country out there. And our small motorhomes can get us there.
    Like the T-shirts on the Roadtrekingstore.com say, we may have a small house. But we have a big yard.
    See you out there ...

    Dave and Rebecca DeKeyser from Wisconsin with Cisco and Archie and their new Roadtrek RT Ranger

    Dennis Crabtree from Colorado outside his RS Adventurous. He tows the Honda CR-V with the kayak on top.

    The Grand Rapids, Mich., couple who just bought this Roadtrek 190 downsized from a 40-foot Class A motorhome. They call their Roadtrek “The Condo.”
  14. Roadtrekingmike
    Jennifer and I went to the local office supply store over the weekend and picked up a new planning calendar for 2014. It’s one of those big, poster-sized ones with the entire year laid out in neat little blocks for each day of each month. It’s erasable – a good thing with our propensity for last minute trips and change of plans – and right now, it’s blank.
    But we’re about to start filling it in. We’ve gone through and listed all the places we want to go, the things we want to see, the people we want to meet and if we to start entering them all on our new calendar, there would be no space left.
    We need to do some culling.
    But, so far, here’s what we’re pretty agreed upon for our RV travel goals over the next year:
    Next trip is Tuesday when I’ll head up to the top of the Michigan Thumb and spend a couple night parked in the middle of a marsh doing somd duck hunting with a friend.
    Then, Dec.3-5, we’ll head to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association annual trade show in Louisville. This is an industry only show, not open to the public. We had planned to attend it last year but it just didn’t work out. I was recuperating from a knee replacement and all that walking would have been tough. But this year, with my bionic knee, I’m more than ready.
    Come the new year, we’re planning a winter camping trip. Maybe Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the state DNR plows and keeps open about a dozen spots. We stayed there last year with 28 inches of snow on the ground and had a ball.
    Come the 25fth of January, we’re tentatively penciling in a trip to northern Minnesota to follow the mushers on the historic and legendary 400-mile long John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Our Roadtrek is equipped with amateur radio two-way communications and we’ve been asked to volunteer our Roadtrek and radio gear to help with communications in the northwoods wilderness out where the cell phone signals disappear.
    In February, we’re looking to hit the Gulf Coast, follow it to Gautier, MS and something called “Smokin’ on the Bayou,” being organized by our Facebook Roadtreking Group buddy Paul “Pogo” Konowalchuk. After that event ends, we’ll keep moving west to the Texas Hill Country and then Arizona to chase down several stories sent in by readers.
    March 17-20, it will be the Family Motor Coach Association’s Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Perry, Ga.
    Those are the trips planned over the next four months.
    Then comes spring and summer where we want to visit Yellowstone, as we do every year, and then Glacier National Park. That far west, it would be nice to go all the way to the Oregon coast to see what our pal Campsjunk has been raving about.
    Either late June or early September, we also want to do a big trip north and east to the Canadian maritimes.
    The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico also has us intrigued for early October 5-13.
    So many places.
    We have several different colors of erasable ink to use on that big new wall planner. We’ll list RV shows, unique festivals and special events that sound interesting in orange. Our must-attends will be in black. The potential trips not yet cemented down will be entered in red. And short weekend getaways that we can plan out will be in blue. Added to that will be special family events and holidays will be green.
    And we’ll keep the eraser handy.
    This past year, we have put 33,000 miles on the Roadtrek eTrek.
    Next year looks like it may even be more.
  15. Roadtrekingmike
    We’ve been traveling about two weeks out of every month and a nagging worry that doesn’t go away is the safety and protection of our sticks-and-bricks house.
    So this past week, I just installed an alarm system on every door, every window, as well as motion detectors, water detectors, freeze monitors and carbon monoxide and fire alarms on both levels of our two-story home. All of the alarms are monitored 24 x 7 and I have a remote app for my smartphone and computer that lets me check in on what’s happening back home.
    The system I got is from a relatively new company called SimpliSafe. They have been doing a lot of advertising and promotion and they won me over with the ease by which I could install everything and, should we move from our sticks and bricks home, I can easily take it with me.
    By the way, I have no connection with SimpliSafe. I purchased they system at full retail I paid around $800 for everything. Your cost may be less, depending on how many doors and windows you have. They just happen to be the company I choose. You can look around and pick the best company for you. I’m just sharing my solution here.
    My whole system is wireless. Batteries in the various sensors last for years. And the master control system uses cellular technology to stay connected to the monitoring company, meaning a burglar can’t just cut a wire and disable a system, as thieves often do with conventional alarm systems.
    I get an email and text alert if any alarm trips or should one of my sensors fail.
    Here’s a video from the company that shows how easy it is to set up.
    While the alarm system really adds to our peace of mind while traveling, it’s just one part of our home protection plan.
    When we travel, I let my neighbors know where we are going and how long we expect to be away. They also have our cell number incase they notice anything that is not quite right. We have a friend who does a walk around every few days. We also notify our local police that we are out of town.
    Something else: We stop all mail delivery. Years ago, on a long trip, we didn’t. A thief saw the bulging mailbox and took the mail. Among other things, he got ahold of those blank checks credit card companies often send out and promptly write several thousand dollars worth. The thief was caught by federal postal inspectors but it taught s a valuable lesson about letting mail accumulate. We also notified all our credit card companies not to send us those checks.
    We pay most of our bills online and have opted for billing by email to avoid snail mail piles even when we are home.
    Those are just a few of the things we do to watch over our house while we’re out Roadtreking.
    How about you?
    Entry sensor

  16. Roadtrekingmike
    Scratch another place off my bucket list: Bois Blanc Island, in the middle of Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, half way between the Upper Peninsula and the Lower.

    As we were rounding the Lake Huron shoreline of the Michigan Mitt and driving through the northeastern town of Cheboygan on our Verizon Great Lakes Shoreline Tour, we saw a sign that directed us to the ferry dock.
    The Straits of Mackinac were right off our righthand side as we made our way north on US 23 but this ferry was not for Mackinac Island – Michigan’s most popular tourist destination – but for Bois Blanc Island, called by the locals “Bob lo.”
    It was calling to me big time. Now it was time to visit. After all, unlike Mackinac Island, motor vehicles are allowed on Bois Blanc. That meant it had shoreline to drive.
    So we made a spur of the moment decision: Let’s Go!
    We loaded our Roadtrek Etrek motorhome on the ferry operated by Plaunt Transportation. Round trip for two adults and the Roadtrek was about $96, cash only. Forty-five minutes later, we pulled off into a different world.
    With a fulltime population of about 60 and measuring roughly 12 miles long and six miles wide, the island has no paved roads, no traffic signals and few stop signs. Deer outnumber permanent residents by about 20 to one. We saw deeralmost everywhere we looked. People, not so much. That was just fine for us.
    Cottages and summer homes help push the summertime population to a couple of thousand. But during our visit, the only time we saw other people was when we passed the bar or visited Hawks Landing, the combination general store-restaurant- gas station and real estate office that serves as the island’s nerve center.
    It was at Hawks that we found a place to camp, owned by one of the locals and a few miles down the shoreline. They even had a 30 amp power hookup and water to boot. Truthfully, we probably could have stayed anywhere. There were numerous spots to pull off, right on the coast. On the northern end of the island there was another spot, without hookups, that we could have stayed for free. But it was surrounded by cedars and the mosquitos and tiny, biting black flies were congregated there out of the wind. We decided to go for the paid spot on the south side.
    Even there, we had mosquitoes trying to get inside. Check this video:

    Think they don’t do damage? Check this video. I shot this the next day when we returned to the mainland and I got a hotel room to get some relief from the insects.

    Truthfully, as beautiful as Bois Blanc was, the bugs in late June were so bad that we wished we hadn’t come.
    Later in the summer when they die down or, better yet in the fall when a killing frost puts them away for good, would be a better time to visit.
    There’s some disagreement over the name. Bois Blanc means “white wood” in French. The color of the prevalent birch tree bark and the basswood tree’s white under bark that was extensively used by Native Americans and the French-speaking fur traders who first came to the island to make canoes.
    Why, then, do the locals call it “Bob Lo?”
    They have as long as anyone can remember. The term is believed to be an English corruption of the French pronunciation of the name.
    The Great Lakes has several other islands called Bois Blanc, including one in the Detroit River that used to be the location of a popular amusement park. All those other Bois Blancs are also called Bob Lo by the locals.
    At any rate, except for the bugs, we found the place to be delightfully low-keyed and out of the way place. What it lacked in amenities, it more than made up for in tranquility, beauty and a jaw-dropping display of stars in a sky totally devoid of light pollution.
    If only the bugs had left us alone

    A roundtrip to Bois Blanc Island cost $96 for two adults and the Roadtrek.

    Tai loved being free on the deserted beaches.

    This is one camping spot on the north side. It’s a great boondocking place but the mosquitoes were so bad we moved to the south shore. They were bad there, too, just not as bad.
  17. Roadtrekingmike
    The annual Recreation Vehicle Industry Association trade show in Louisville is the big one for the RV industry, providing a sneak peek at what’s new aimed at dealers and industry insiders to help them get ready for the next year. Held at the Massive Kentucky Exposition Center, this year’s 51st edition of the show opens Tuesday. But Jennifer and I got in early for a sneak peek of our own.
    The RVIA expects more than 8,000 attendees this week. Over 300 acres of display space will be filled by 61 manufacturers and 225 suppliers. On Monday, many of the displays were still being readied.
    Naturally, we made our way straight to the Roadtrek area where we found six of Roadtrek’s nine different models all polished up and surrounded by rows of bright red holiday poinsettias.

    Showing off this week in Louisville are the 170 Versatile, the eTrek, the CS Adventurous, the 210 Popular, the 40th Anniversary Special Edition of the 190 Popular and the newest Roadtrek model which goes on sale next year – the TS Adventurous, for Touring Series. We’ll show you more on each of them later this week.
    All the major Type B small motorhomes are also here, as well as the Tupe A and C coaches, travel-trailers and other RVs. We got a look at one of the more anticipated new models – the just released Winnebago Travato (photo above), a 20-foot long Type B motorhome built on the Dodge Ram Promaster chassis. This one has a rear bed that folds tight along the side, leaving room to load bicycles or golf clubs or other storage items through the rear doors onto the back area of the coach.
    Once you reach your destination, you haul the storage items outside and fold down the bed for sleeping.
    There is no sofa area on the Travato and it seems that, while driving, the entire rear section of the motorhome would be pretty useless. Still, it’s interesting to see what the different manufacturers can do with the various chassis.
    We’ll be here all three days of the show. So stay tuned.
  18. Roadtrekingmike
    Happy New Year!
    Like many we’ve been reflecting a lot on the places we’ve been and the people we met in 2013. We’ve even drawn up a tentative travel schedule of our planned travel destinations for the new year.
    But I’ve also come up with some new goals, above and beyond the specifics of where and when we’ll go. I call it my Roadtreking self improvement list.
    Here are the things I want to learn or do better with in 2014:
    1) Stop, look and listen more – Last year was a crazy year, travel wise. We covered over 35,000 miles in our Roadtrek eTrek, criss-crossing North America. While we loved every mile, I have to conceded that we missed a lot. Sometimes I was so focused on where I was headed that I missed things I should have noticed where I was at. I want to slow down, stay longer and more throughly investigate the places we visit. There is no hurry.
    2) Take more and better photos – I think I’ll take a photo class this new year. I want to learn more about light and composition and wildlife photography. Same with video and video editing. Most of my skills I picked up as a television and newspaper reporter., on deadline, covering time sensitive news stories. I want to follow along and learn from some of the amazing photographers I’ve met this year. And I want to tell more stories with stills.
    3) Read and learn more about the history of the places we visit – Every town has a local history book at the library, a local historian who we can contact to understand what makes the locale unique. The places we visit all have a story to tell and coming to understand that story and use it in enriching the stories I’m telling will be part of my journalistic due diligence this year.
    4) Eat better and exercise more – Travel can wreak havoc on our health. We will prepare more of our meals from fresh, healthy whole foods and local veggies and produce in our RV kitchenthis year, instead if eating out. We will avoid at all costs fast food from the chains. I will bring bicycles with us on our trips and we will cycle, hike, kayak and workout in some way every day, no matter where we are, doing something to be physically active to work up a fat-burning sweat.
    5) Do more RV mods and maintenance – Inspired by Roadtreking friends like Campskunk and Roger and Lynn Brucker, I will learn more about simple mechanical and fix-it ways I can keep our RV running great. I will also look at ways to maximize interior space through DIY projects. Along with these, I will learn more about how the various components work and what I can do to make them keep working.
    How about you? What are your RV goals for 2014?
  19. Roadtrekingmike
    John and Terry O’Brien love old travel trailers.
    From their Silver Springs, FL home, the New York transplants did one up in the style of the Fifties a couple of years ago. It was so unique that the Travel Channel saw it at an RV show they were covering, did a feature on it and as a result, John received an offer he couldn’t refuse.
    So when they saw an old beat up old 1987 16-foot Casita travel trailer in a junkyard not long afterwards, they knew it was time for another restoration project.
    The old trailer they sold was was themed for the fifties. It just made sense – since they were married in 1961 – to make this one Sixties-styled.
    The result of their spectacular “Lost in the 60s” restoration.
    I caught up with them at the Florida RV Supershow, where they were showing off their creation as part of a group of restoration and old-RV enthusiasts called the “Tin Can Tourists.”
    They gave me a nifty little tour of their old trailer. I think you’ll agree when you see the video, this one was over the top.
    What’s next? They want to do an old trailer up in a Parrothead/Margarita theme honoring Jimmy Buffett’s contribution to the culture.
    How come they are so good at this? John’s hobby is restoring antique cars. Terry loves decorating.
    If you attend the big RV shows, look for them and the Tin Can Tourist group. You’ll enjoy the visit.
    Source
  20. 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


    Source
  21. Roadtrekingmike
    The budgeting mess and political wrangling in Congress over Obamacare has ruined the vacation plans of tens of thousands of RVers who had planned to camp in a national park this week.
    The closure of the national parks is also hitting hard the bordering communities whose economic livelihood is closely tied to a steady stream of national park visitors.
    At midnight, all activities at the parks, except for necessary emergency services, were immediately suspended and the parks closed indefinitely. In addition camping on all Bureau of Land Management land has been halted and the National Parks Service had furloughed 21,000 employees of its nearly 24,675-strong workforce.
    Essential services such as law enforcement will continue, but all public recreational use has been shut down.
    Visitors currently camping or staying in a national park have been ordered to leave by Friday and all roads leading to the parks are being closed to public access. New visitors showing up will be turned away.
    On Monday, the Department of Interior, which runs the parks service, released details on the closures, which effects all 401 national park areas including such popular destinations as Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, Glacier, Acadia, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Rocky Mountain National Park.
    RVers, who tend to be older without young children, find the parks particularly attractive to visit at this time of year because, with school in session across the country, the summer crowds are diminished and its easier to move about the parks.
    This isn’t the first time there have been shutdowns because of Congressional funding disputes. In the Clinton administration, the parks shut down for 28 days in late 1995 According to the Congressional Research Service, the the shutdowns cost the country $1.4 billion.
    And there was massive public outrage.
    “Once the shutdowns began, the reaction from people who wanted access to the parks was absolutely incredible,” Bruce Babbitt, who was U.S. Interior Secretary at the time, said in an interview Monday with environmental reporter Paul Rogers of the San Jose Mercury News.
    Here are some excerpts from Rogers’s story:
    “The first call I got was from the governor of Wyoming, who was having a fit. He was saying ‘You have to open Yellowstone. This is an outrage. Do something!’”
    The then-governor of Arizona, Fife Symington, sent National Guard troops to the Grand Canyon in an attempt to keep the park open, rather than risk losing tourism. Eventually, Arizona officials paid the National Park Service through state funds and donations to keep famous sites along the South Rim open.
    “It’s especially hard to turn away families who have planned vacations, and people have nonrefundable plane tickets,” said B.J. Griffin, who was Yosemite National Park superintendent in 1995. “For some people, this is their once-in-a-lifetime visit. Back in 1995, the anger and the anxiety was properly placed. Visitors knew it was Congress and not our rangers.”
    How long this shutdown will last is unsure. Hopefully, this one will be shorter than the one n 1995.
    Here is the official statement from the Department of the Interior:
    “Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities except for those that are essential to respond to emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately as part of Phase 1 closures. Visitors utilizing overnight concession accommodations and campgrounds will be notified to make alternate arrangements and depart the park as part of Phase 2. Wherever possible, park roads will be closed and access will be denied. National and regional offices and support centers will be closed and secured, except where they are needed to support excepted personnel. These steps will be enacted as quickly as possible while still ensuring visitor and employee safety as well as the integrity of park resources.”
    So that’s the latest.
    Again, let’s hope this doesn’t last long and those who were planing national park vacations can find suitable alternative places to camp.
    I don’t want to get political here on Roadtreking. The country is already polarized beyond anything I have ever seen in my 30 plus years as a journalist. Ad we have Roadtreking.com readers who hold very different views on the issues surrounding the shutdown.
    So if you comment below, please don’t bash anyone or engage in political wrangling. Let’s stick to what we all agree on: It’s a shame our national parks are closed.
    And if you have suggestions for those out there looking for places to stay, by all means share it here.
  22. Roadtrekingmike
    We’ve been in Redmond, Ore., most of the week attending the Family Motor Coach Association 90th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase (a rally). The aerial photo above, taken by the FMCA, shows the 1,500 coaches parked here at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.
    There’s about 3,000 people here and, like all such big gatherings, there are lots of folks to visit with, motorhomes to tour, evening entertainment programs and vendors to haggle with.
    We spent a great night socializing with the Roadtrek International (RTI) FMCA chapter members, hanging out and sharing the fun things we do with our Roadtreks.I liked what John Macinnis from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada said: “We can do so many things and go so many places with our Roadtreks. This is all about sharing our travel experiences with the perfect touring vehicle.”
    So we did just that. It rained. So two Roadtreks parked side by side, front to back and extended their awnings. About 20 of us congregated under the rain protection, sharing the places we’ve been and the adventures we have had. And the adventures we plan to have.
    FMCA National President Charlie Adcock stopped by. He’s a huge supporter of RTI. “If it wasn’ t for Roadtrek International, the FMCA would not be what it is today,” he told me. The Roadtrek International chapter is the third largest chapter of the 80,000 member FMCA.

    FMCA National President Charlie Adcock says Roadtrek members constitute the third largest chapter of the 80,000 member group.
    My favorite vendor was Bike Friday, maker of the hand-built and customized folding bike you see me riding in the photo above. Bike Friday is an Oregon company and I was amazed at how well the small-wheeled bikes performed. They were fast, nimble and very comfortable. Both Jennifer and I bought one. From our Roadtrek Facebook Group, Jim Langely, a fellow Roadtrek owner and one of the top experts on cycling and all things that have to do with bicycles (see his books) gave me a thumbs up on the brand.
    I’ve been looking for a way to add more exercise to our traveling and these bikes, which fold up so compactly, will get me moving. I’ve been trying to figure out for some time how we could take our bikes and once I saw how these fit so well in our StowAway2 cargo box, it was a no-brainer.
    I rode it all around the campground last night. I can’t wait til I get it out in the boondocks.

    Jennifer and I each got a Bike Friday.

    My new Bike Friday

    Mine and Jennifer’s new Bike Fridays in our StowAway cargo box.
    The expo of RV related accessories, services and parts is always a big draw. I bought yet another supposedly kinkless water hose and some Velcro strips to keep it neatly and tightly wound. We’ll see. I am vowing to wind this new one correctly, the same way, every time.
    Roadtrek is here, showing off the entire line. The local dealer is Guaranty RV Supercenters from Junction City, OR and I got a chance to visit with Sales Rep Matt Elliott. He says the Pacific Northwest and the whole west coast is a strong area for Class Bs thanks to the abundance of awesome places to camp, from Pacific shorelines to mountain boondocking. Roadtrek’s sales manager and VP Paul Cassidy is also here, along with Dawn and Alex from the Kitchener team. They stopped by to chat with some of the Roadtrek owners after the motorhome showcase displays closed for the night.
    I looked but if there were other small motorhomes on display at the show here, they were hidden among the Class A skyscrapers.
    Besides the new motorhomes and the vendor display there are seminars throughout the day, dozens of them on every possible topic of interest to RVers, from traveling to Alaska, to how to do basic repairs ,to technology for travelers ,to the pros and cons of fulltiming. I taught two seminars this week, one on smartphone apps for the open road and and one on the history of the Oregon Trail.
    Jennifer and I met lots of folks interested in our Roadtreking experiences over the past couple of years. We did a lot of explaining how the two of us and our dog, Tai, manage to live in a 24 foot van.
    I like to send them to this story about our top 10 rules for getting along in a motothome.
    Rallies like this are a great time to connect with the larger RVing community, be they in Class A , C or B motorhomes. It reminds me if the pioneer mountain men who spent most of the year in the wilds, trapping and hunting and alone in the wilderness. Once a year, they’d gather for a reunion and gathering.
    While they preferred solitude and independence most of the time, connecting with their extended community from time to time was always a highlight of the year for them. So it is for Jennifer and I and the FMCA reunions like this one.
    We’re leaving here for Glacier National Park. Back to the wilds. But we’re refreshed and energized by the camaraderie we just experienced.
  23. Roadtrekingmike
    One of the great things about having a Class B RV like our Roadtrek eTrek is that it also can function as a second vehicle.
    I’ve used it to run errands, drive to and from meetings and work-related activities, church and – while Jennifer is shopping – a comfortable place to chill out while in the parking lot of the mall.
    I’ve also used it for what I call mini-vacations, short day trip respites of a few hours to parks, lakeshores and the like. Sometimes, I’ve put the bike rack on, drove to a big metropark near my house, done a long bike ride and then just chilled out for a few hours.
    Traveling around with a refrigerator stocked with cold refreshments, some snacks and food in the pantry, a TV and DVD and , of course, a full bathroom, is sure something we can’t do in the family SUV.
    Best yet, my Roadtrek eTrek gives me better fuel mileage than the SUV does.
    If you’ve been thinking about using your RV as a second vehicle, here are my top seven tips to make it easy.
    1- Be aware of your surroundings. Your RV is not only longer than most other vehicles, it’s taller, too. Look for low hanging limbs, utility wires, signs and the like. Don’t even think about parking garages. Yes, it can go just about anywhere. But it is not a car. I was using an alley that paralleled the main street of a downtown near my home the other day and would have taken out a whole string of overhead wires that were sagging low in the summer heat. Cars easily passed beneath them. My 10-foot high coach would have not been able to Limbo underneath them.
    2- In parking lots, choose the spaces that are at the ends of the lot, with nothing behind them except maybe a curb or six inch parking barrier. I always prefer to back in. Because the rear wheels of my Sprinter chassis are set back from the actual end of the coach I can back in a long way, until the wheels hit the barrier, I only stick out a little longer than the other vehicles next to me.
    3- Watch out for very steep driveways. Most Class Bs have a lot of stuff hanging off the rear. They are also longer. And thus steep driveways pose the risk of bumping or scraping your generator or hot water heater or, in the case of the eTrek, the battery holders.
    4- Be considerate. I seldom park horizontally on city streets. Yes, maybe, in some spots, I really can squeeze between the lines. But for those in front or behind me, it will be very challenging for them to get out. Or me, too, for that matter, should you be hemmed in at both ends. Similarly, don’t run your generator in crowded areas where the noise can really irritate folks.
    5- Watch out for potholes and broken pavement. City streets can be pretty messed up. And those streets can mess up your RV. A car can rattle over them pretty fast. A Class B RV sways and porpoises. Cabinets can pop open (don’t ask Jennifer about the stack of plates I broke on one such urban adventure). Bad roads are particularly bad for RVs when making sharp turns. Always take turns slowly at corners.
    6- Lock you RV. That seems pretty obvious, I know. But thieves know motorhomes are very expensive and thus, chances are they have expensive things inside them, too. Just as you probably have a security system for your family car, get one for your RV. Don’t leave your GPS suction cupped to your windshield. If you’re charging computers, cameras or cell phones inside the RV, hide them so no one can see be peering into a window. Think the inside is invisible because of window tinting? Think again. Put your face up to the glass and put a hand over your eyebrows to block reflection. You’ll learn that you can see pretty good.
    7- Be polite. You are an ambassador for roadtreking…for Class B RVing. The public is very curious about small motorhomes. It’s a very rare day that I am not asked about mine when I am in the city or a big parking lot. We gladly give tours. You don’t have to do that. But don’t be a snob, either. If you don’t want to talk about it, don’t drive it where people will naturally be attracted to it.
    There you go. What would you add to the above list?
  24. Roadtrekingmike
    Sprinter RV lineup joined by new Roadtrek CS Adventurous
    A major reason for the huge spike in Class B motorhome sales over the past year or so is the Mercedes Sprinter, a rugged and flexible van that offers RV makers all sorts of customization opportunities. Roadtrek Motorhomes is about to introduce a new full sized Sprinter model, joining its popular RS Adventurous and the new all-electric, solar powered  eTrek.
    For 2013, there’s a third model – the CS Adventurous… CS for Camping Series.
    And what this new model does is offer up some new optional features that can also be added to the other two Roadtrek Sprinter models, just as some of the eTrek’s options can be mixed and matched on the RS and CS, like the solar panels and heavy duty battery array.
    But the CS has some very innovative new features that immediately make it a standout:
    They include:
    A redesigned galley with greatly expanded storage space A new seven cubic foot refrigerator/freezer, moved to the front, opposite the sliding door with the microwave mounted above Hideaway sink with flip up faucet Heated floors Heated bathroom A flip down wide screen TV located midcoach A heated sofa.rear bed and front captain’s chairs Pull out, sliding rear table for laptops, etc We got a sneak preview of the new CS during a recent tour of the Roadtrek factory in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada  from Howard Stratton, Roadtrek’s Vice President.
    The new Roadtrek CS will be introduced at some of the big RV shows starting with the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa in mid-January. Dealers will be able to take orders on Roadtrek Sprinter models that offer all its optional features by spring.
     
     
     
     
     
    Roadtreking - A Journalist takes up the RV lifestyle - People and Places Encountered on the Open Road


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  25. Roadtrekingmike
    One of the great joys of traveling North America in an RV is the way it connects you to history and the people and places that have shaped us. So it was for us when we came to a historic site along the famed Natchez Trace where American explorer, soldier, and public administrator Meriwether Lewis – best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with William Clark – met his death on October 11, 1809 under highly suspicious circumstances.
    He was 35 years old at the time, and his death by two gunshots remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. Was it suicide or murder?
    The Natchez Trace Parkway is administered by the National Park Service and it has a Meriwether Lewis Memorial on the site where the famed explorer died.
    The Trace itself, meanwhile, is a meandering two-lane 444-mile drive through exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of North American history. It’s worth an RV trip all by itself. Give yourself a week to fully explore. Stretching from Natchez, MS to just south of Nashville Tenn., it was an interstate before there were interstates, used by American Indians, settlers, bandits, fur traders and armies. The Old Trace played an important role in American history.
    Today, visitors can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and lots of camping spots all along the Trace.
    There are lots of scenic pullouts but the one that captivated us the most was the Meriwether Lewis site. You’ll find it just off the Trace Parkway, south of Nashville, southwest of Columbia and east of Hohenwald, Tenn.
    The memorial site occupies a 900-acre tract that contains Lewis’ grave, a monument that the State of Tennessee erected in 1848, a “reasonable facsimile” of the Grinder’s Stand tavern/inn that the CCC built in the 1930s, and other visitor use facilities, including restrooms, a picnic area, hiking trails, and a beautifully wooded no-fee campground with 31 no-hookup sites.
    I’d suggest overnighting there. You can still hike parts of the old Trace and easily imagine what it was like back when Lewis met his fate there.
    That facsimile of the tavern now contains a great interpretive center that lets you review the highlights of the famed explorer’s life, look at photos and review eyewitness statements and official reports that document the bizarre circumstances of his death.
    If you start your research on the site itself, you’ll have first hand information to the basic facts:
    After the Lewis and Clark expedition concluded, then President Thomas Jefferson – a close friend of Lewis – rewarded Lewis with the governorship of the Upper Louisiana Territory. As the presidency changed, so did politics. Several of the bills that Lewis submitted to the Department of War for payment were questioned, leaving Lewis personally liable for those bills.
    So, on the last trip of his young life, Lewis set out from St. Louis (the capital of the Upper Louisiana Territory) toward Washington to defend them.
    Part of Lewis’ route took him along a portion of the Natchez Trace. During the early morning of Oct. 11, while staying in Grinder’s Stand, Lewis died of gunshot wounds. The evidence that exists leads most historians to conclude that Lewis’ wounds were self-inflicted, and many who knew Lewis believed he had committed suicide. Some accounts dated 1848 and later suggest that Lewis may have been murdered.
    As an old investigative reporter, I read all the statements on display at the museum from those who were with him. There were major holes and inconsistencies. It seemed as if Lewis was behaving irrationally at the Inn. But the account of the shooting left me scratching my head.
    For one thing, he was shot twice. Lewis was an expert marksman. He was shot once in the head, once in the chest. And he apparently had some unexplained knife wounds.
    Obviously, I am not alone in being skeptical of the suicide ruling. Lewis and Clark historians and devotees have debated for decades about what caused it. Was it suicide? Was it murder? Was it assassination? Various theories have been bandied about, but there continues to be no consensus.
    The descendants of Lewis have asked the Park service to exhume his remains. In 2009, they sent up a website called “Solve the Mystery” to garner support. It has not been updated since late that year.
    The reason the case is so puzzling is because it has officially been ruled a suicide and, later, a murder.
    The suicide verdict came very fast after talking with those at the Inn the night he was shot.
    Some 39 years later, though, his body was exhumed and a local coroners jury determined it appeared to be a murder.
    Here are some of the reasons many think it was murder, as reported in website called Criminal Element:

    Perhaps the best and most objective pieces I have read on this came from the Smithsonian Magazine and features an interview with a descendant of the explorer.

    Apparently, there will be no exhumation.
    Since Lewis is buried in a national park, the National Park Service must approve. They refused the request in 1998, citing possible disturbance to the bodies of more than 100 pioneers buried nearby. In 2008 the Department of the Interior approved the exhumation, but that decision was rescinded in 2010 upon policy review, and the Department stated that its last decision is final.
    See why this is such a fascinating place to visit?
    Just another one of the fascinating places we have discovered as we’ve traveled the country in our motorhome.
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