Mods, Maintenance, & Mentations of Meandering

Our summer base camp was on my family’s homestead, which made the last preparation phase much easier.  We had access to a variety of tools that we would never consider taking on-the-road with us, and we also had a solid delivery address for any mail-order sundries that we felt necessary for the trip. After 4-months, hundreds of hours of research, and traveling 2,500+ miles, we rolled into our summer base camp to begin the final preparation of our excursion.

In addition to the RV itself, The Patterson’s included all of the RV-specific accessories—as well as copious amounts of interior niceties—in the sale price.  We were in a good position, as we now only had the task of determining what would be upgraded or go into storage. 

“It is a bad plan that admits of no modification.”  - Publilius Syrus

One of the first changes was the television.  The RV was equipped with two televisions—one in the living area and a smaller one in the bedroom.  Both of these sets were a bit dated, and had a combined weight of roughly 100 lbs.  We had mostly lived without TV while in Japan (anyone who has survived the AFN experience can understand why), so we weren’t focused on the “entertainment center” aspect of having a TV as much as we were cognizant that we might want to watch an occasional movie and catch the local news.  With this in mind, the “main” TV was replaced with our iMac, and the bedroom TV was upgraded to a 19” flat-panel LCD (which set us back a Benjamin).   Since an iMac does not possess native TV/cable capabilities, we added an El Gato Homerun (Mac-compatible) TV tuner.  Now we would be able to use our computer as a TV monitor, as well as a computer.

THE critical component to our rig was upgraded communication.  After exploring all the various methods to stay in touch with the world, (i.e. satellite receivers, wi-fi boosters, etc.) we opted to utilize cellular data via Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE.  To add some “UMPH!” to our data access, we incorporated a Wilson Electronics Sleek 4G cellular booster—expecting to be near the margins of civilization at times.  Lastly, we configured our Mac Mini (using the bedroom TV as a monitor) to create a secured network encompassing our RV.  This allows us to bring in the cellular data through one egress point, then broadcast a secure wi-fi signal for roughly 100’ of the RV. 

Other mentionable upgrades were the addition of an portable/lightweight gas grill (so we don’t heat up the rig cooking); a compact vacuum (as the leaves & dog hair will bury us if we don’t stay on top of them); a rice cooker (still missing Okinawa); a table-top roaster (as a secondary oven that runs off electricity versus propane); and a funky little ladder that can also be utilized as a scaffold.

Our most costly infrastructure upgrade focused on power production and usage.  One of our objectives during the trip is to do some “boondocking” on public lands.  With this in mind, we purchased a pair of Honda 2000 generators (with parallel connectivity capability) as our “off-the-grid” power source.  Boondocking also requires the use of your “house batteries”, so power conservation is a key strategy in projecting how long you can operate without “shore power.”  With that in mind, we replaced nearly all of the interior “traditional” light bulbs with LED technology.  To our surprise, the lights not only consumed a fraction of the energy, but also burned noticeably brighter. 

We culminated the modifications by placing a horseshoe above the door for luck…as we have done in every place we’ve lived for the past 20-years.

"My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance."   – Tim Allen

As meticulous as The Patterson’s were in maintaining the RV, every piece of equipment requires constant care—especially in areas of heavy usage.  We took advantage of our parked location and performed thorough maintenance, top to bottom. 

Lubrication of gears and slides was an important item.  These slides weigh hundreds of pounds, and the gearing is exposed to various types of road debris & chemical run-off.  If these slides won’t go out, you live in a narrow broom closet.  If they won’t go in, you can’t move.  The other important gears are incorporated into the front “landing gear.”  If you can’t move your landing gear, you can’t level your rig.  If you can’t level your rig, you can’t move your slides in or out (see aforementioned issues with slides not being able to move).

Our transient home will likely endure worse weather than the average stick-frame home over the next year.  When the temps are high and the sun is hot, the roadways will create a micro-climate that will be much hotter than houses surrounded by lawns.  Should be travel during the rain, our home will endure 60 MPH winds and driving rain for several hours at a time.  Not many traditional homes will face this environment as often.  Since we will be intentionally encountering climatic extremes, we paid special attention to ensuring exterior seals were intact.  During this process, hundreds of feet of re-caulking was performed with marine-grade caulk; the entire roof was washed and a special rubber-roof sealant was applied (as well as specialized roof caulking applied); and the entire 900+ sq ft exterior was wash/waxed.  This fastidious task forced us to examine every square inch—hundreds of bolts & screws—to ensure our rig was able to endure the stressors of a year of road travel…but it also gave us confidence in our equipment.

Alice: "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
Cheshire Cat: "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
Alice: "I don't much care where.”
Cheshire Cat: "Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”

Throughout this entire process, we discussed all the places we’d like to go.  Nested in these conversations was the big question, “Which location will be first?” It was now mid-October, and we were much more delayed in our departure than our original timeline parameters of August/September.  

An initial idea was to make our first stop at Loft Mountain (near Waynesboro, VA), as this was where we developed our mutual love for hiking and camping while we were dating.  After a short escape to Loft Mountain in the summer, we realized that it had become a really popular destination, and the quiet serenity we once endured was not commonplace. This location was also fleeting, as the camping season was nearing it’s end and most of the National Park campgrounds were closing within a few weeks.

Another idea was to head back to New England.  We enjoyed the scenery and culture, and we’d always wanted to visit Acadia National Park.  The fall leaves were in full bloom, and the weather (at least at this moment) was tolerable.  Acadia was certainly on “the list,” but it was not what we considered to be a one-day drive…other stops along the way would need to be planned. 

This planning introduced enough questions to fill a fish-bone diagram (blue marlin sized) and send chills up Steven Covey’s spine.  Although our unanswered questions were numerous, these four drove our decision process.

Questions:

1. Which direction should we head?
2. How many miles/hours should we travel per leg?
3. How much time should we spend at each location?
4. What type of facilities should we stay at? (Private or State/Federal)

Answers:

1. Being situated next to the Chesapeake Bay, we could rule out “East.”  Regardless of our direction, we would first travel though Richmond (VA) en route to anywhere. 
2. After the “sea-trials,” we found that (at least for now) we were comfortable traveling up to 4-hours per leg.  We could go further, but that would come at the expense of 1) being road-weary upon arrival; and 2) possibly setting-up camp in evening light. 
3. This was NOT a cannonball run, and it was NOT a race around the country.  It was OUR chance to see all the things we’ve always wanted to see.  For that reason we decided that we should spend at least a few days (3-4 minimum) at each location so that we 1) could take in all the local/regional culture; and 2) wouldn’t feel like rock-star roadies—always breaking-down and putting-up equipment on an aggressive tour pace.
4. Although we really enjoyed the KOA/private campgrounds, we have always been more at home walking through nature trails and sitting in spacious meadows—free from the civilized icons of miniature golf courses and video game rooms (although I still love a good game of pinball).

 The answer to our core questions—as well as (mostly) ruling-out Loft Mountain and the rapidly approaching winter season—made plotting our course easier.  We’d travel to Richmond, and from there it’s North (I-95)/Northwest (I-64) or South (I-95)/South-Southwest (I-85).  With each leg of our trip moving us slower than we normally traveled, coupled with the added bed-down time at each location; we calculated that we’d find ourselves still in Maine as late as Thanksgiving.  Not confident of our winter camping skillz, we leaned towards a southern route. 

After plotting a southern route, limiting our travel to a 4-hour radius and giving preference to State/Federal campgrounds, we had a very manageable list to choose from.  We made reservations and did what we’d done for the past 30+ years: said goodbye to our family & friends, and charted a path to territory we’d never experienced.

wWw