More Power

How do I power everything while on the road in my RV?

I have several ways to get the power I need to live in my RV. Shore Power, Solar, Generator, Batteries, Alternator are the primary ways to get and/or store power for everyday life on the road.

Shore Power - When I am staying at a campground, I can plug into their electric power pedestal for power and charge my onboard batteries and all my gadgets. Typically the electric is included in the price of your stay but some longer term stays charge you separately via an electric meter. I haven’t stayed at any of these places but it can get expensive if you run your AC a lot. Also I only tend to stay at campgrounds 1-2 days/month to take a break from the road and driving.

Solar - I have 475 watts of solar panels on the roof of my rig, 5 panels at 95 watts each. The panels charge my on-board batteries. There are several components to the solar system, an inverter, charge controllers, etc. but I am not an expert on them. I know how to use them and troubleshoot them but that’s about it. Obviously the solar panels only charge the batteries when the sun is shining so you need to manage your power consumption if you are caught in an area that has multiple days of cloud cover or you are parked in the forest under a lot of trees.

Generator - I have an onboard generator mainly as a back up to solar. The generator runs on propane. But I do need to run my generator to power my air conditioner if I am not hooked up to shore power. I rarely use my AC in the RV. I am chasing 70 degrees around the country so I don’t need it often. On those rare occasions that I do need to cool things off, I will only run the AC for 15-20 minutes to cool things down and then rely on several fans to keep me cool. Once I got to the desert a little too early in the season and the temperature shot up to 109 degrees so I opted to pay for a campground for a week until the weather broke. (If it’s 80 outside my rig can get up to 90+ inside, remember I live in a big tin can!)

Batteries - I have 200 amp hours of Lithium batteries in the RV. The batteries can run everything I have except for the AC. I have multiple USB ports in the rig and also several 110 outlets. I need to turn on my inverter to get 110 power but not for the USB ports. The inverter converts the DC power from the battery to AC power. My lights and USB ports run on DC so no need to turn on the inverter for them. My microwave and my TV need AC power. I have only used the TV probably 4-5 times in 2.5 years. My computer or iPad meets all my viewing needs! 

Alternator - I have a second alternator in my engine compartment. When I am driving the alternator will charge my RV battery. I typically don’t drive too long each day so this doesn’t fully charge my batteries if they are low. But it does help to top them up as needed.

Other things - My refrigerator runs on battery power, AC or propane, when it is working. 

I’ve had several issues with the refrigerator over the last  year or so. Nothing seems to get it to cool. So currently I’m using a portable refrigerator for my cold foods and beverages. Since it draws quite a bit of power, I am supplementing my on board batteries with a portable power bank. I have a Bluetti Solar Generator that I charge with a portable solar panel and that provides power to my portable refrigerator and can charge other devices too. Hopefully I can replace my onboard refrigerator soon, I just need to find a good replacement that fits into the space without too much trouble.

Bottom line is that usually have all the power I require for my daily needs but I still manage my power consumption regularly. The sun is free so I take advantage of that as much as possible…free is good!

Three Days/Nights in Tucson - Wonderful

After leaving the desert in Quartzsite, I needed to find a place to spend a couple of days getting the sand out of all the nooks and crannies in the RV. It was insane. We had about 5 minutes of rain over the 3 months that I was living in the desert and a lot of wind too…so the sand got into everything.

I booked a campground for 3 nights to use their water and electric hookups to do a top to bottom cleaning. But after leaving the campground and stayed at my absolute favorite Harvest Host location in Tucson…Little Anthony’s Diner and Gaslight Theater. This is my 3rd time staying here and I love it. It’s right in town and I’m staying in the parking lot but the staff and the meals make it a special place to me. The last two times I stayed here the owner invited to sit at his table for the show in the theatre. The actors are very good and the production is top notch.

I stayed for 3 nights at Little Anthony’s but during the days I had some wonderful day trips.

Saguaro National Park - Home of the largest number of Saguaro Cactus in the country, the park itself is over 92,000 acres. There are two separate areas (districts) to the park, one on the east side of Tucson and the other on the west side. I visited to larger of the two districts on the east side. There is an 8 mile driving loop around the park and a handful of picnic ares. In all there are over 165 miles of hiking trails through the park. I meandered along 3 of them to get up close to the Saguaros.

The Saguaro Cactus is the largest cactus in the world and the largest ever measured was 78 feet tall. They can live as long as 200 years and average about 40 feet. They are only found in the Sonoran Desert (Northern Mexico, Arizona and California. 

Know for their height and arms the Saguaros don’t grow their first arm until they are approximately 40 years old. 

Over the last 90 years the population of Saguaros has been devastated by the climate change in the Southwest, hotter temperatures and less water available to them, but they are beginning to make a comeback through conservation and preservations efforts.

It was an amazing drive through the park and it was neat to hike a few trails to get up close to these huge plants. 

Unfortunately, due to government cutbacks the parks are starting to limit hours of operation beginning next week as is happening with a lot of National Parks. Hopefully we will be able to continue to visit OUR National Parks for a long time to come.

Mt Lemmon - Mt Lemmon is located in the Coronado National Forest just north of Tucson. At 9,157 feet it’s quite the drive in the RV. Lots of switchbacks and steep climbs but well worth it.

The University of Arizona has a free app you can download and listen to as you drive up the mountain. It tells you about the geology, the plants and trees, and the different living zones as you drive up. Very informative. There are bunch of pull outs you can park in to view all the peaks, the valley below and see all the vegetation. Amazing views.

Near the bottom of the mountain the landscape is full of Saguaro Cactus as far as you can see. At about a 3rd of the way up the vegetation changes and you see mostly small oak trees and wild grasses. The last 3rd of the drive the views are full of Ponderosa Pines and other large trees. The different zones are due to temperature, rain/snow, and the amount of soil. Learned a lot and had a great drive!

A bit of trivia…Mt Lemmon was named after Sarah Lemmon the first woman to trek to the top of the mountain, on her honeymoon in 1881! Both her and her husband were botanists and wanted to explore the area. What an adventurous honeymoon! 

Mission San Xavier del Bac - Walk around this almost 225 year old mission this morning. Quite impressive. The murals on the walls are stunning as is the architecture. The mission is located on the San Xavier Indian Reservation about 10 miles south of Tucson. The mission was founded by the Jesuits in 1692 and the building was completed in 1797. 

I am really glad that we are preserving these old structures. They are very beautiful, full of amazing history, and just peaceful places to visit. Sometime in the near future I am planning to visit the 21 Missions in California from San Diego up to just north of San Francisco. That will a cool adventure!

OUR COUNTRY TODAY…MY THOUGHTS

This won’t be a political post or commentary on the current President or the former President or any political party, just my thoughts on what’s going on in our country today and how I’m dealing with it daily.

I do, when I have a connection, read the news online. I mostly check out the headlines but will read deeper if I feel the need to understand more. I read CNN and FoxNews to try and get a mix look at what’s happening in the US and around the world, and will go to real online news sources if I want to get an in-depth understanding of what’s going on not just opinion pieces from CNN or FoxNews.

I am really sad with the state of our country over the last couple of years. Lots of hate, misinformation and straight up lies being spread by the various news outlets and on social media. 

We are all getting sucked into the fray; we argue, we complain, we unfriend people on social media, we even fight. I’ve witnessed two brothers that are political opposites get into a very nasty fight/argument that was heartbreaking. Remember FAMILY FIRST!

We really need to think this through…what are our leaders (current and previous administrations and Congress) really trying to do? Are they really trying to unite us or are they trying to gain more power for themselves and their party? What important legislation is being passed, now and in the last 8-10 years? I read about Congressional hearings that are dealing with nonsense in my opinion. Congress needs to get to work and pass meaningful legislation that will positively impact all Americans.

The gap between Democrats and Republicans has never been wider. A few years ago my representative in the Virginia House of Delegates went against his party on a very important vote and he was ‘primaried’ in the next election and lost. When I asked him why he went against his party he said because it was the right thing for the people he represented. He knew he would lose the support of his party but he did what was best for the people. We need more people like him to represent us all. People first party last! Reelection be damned!

I am living the best years of my life right now, meeting awesome people, seeing amazing places, so I am keeping my head low and living One Day at a Time!

I can’t and won’t let all the negativity ruin my wonderful days. I won’t let the news or any person get between me and my happiness. I won’t yell, scream and get mad at someone that disagrees with me. I will just smile and take a hike and look at the mountains, the waterfalls, and all the beauty around me.

Don’t let our differences divide us! We need to stick together no matter what party we support. We are bigger and stronger than that!

United We Stand…Divided We Fall!

Where to Next?

I was asked at a gathering last week how I decide where I’m going next on my amazing adventure. 

I don’t have any structured plans of travel or a fixed time schedule, I sort of wander around like a nomad!

Since starting this journey in October of 2022, I’ve visited 46 States, 5 Canadian Provinces, and 2 short visits into Mexico. It’s been a real adventure and I am looking forward to more exciting travels in 2025. One destination I’m planning is a 5 week trip to Newfoundland, Canada. More about that later. The only reason that’s ‘scheduled’ so far in advance is that you need to make ferry reservations as early as possible because they fill up fast.

So back to the original question - how do I decide where I’m heading next, what will I see on my travels, where will I stay, etc.

I try to get back to Virginia at least once a year to see family, friends, and my doctor but other than that I pretty much wander around enjoying myself.

Over the last 5-7 years or so I’ve compiled an Excel Spreadsheet on all the places I would like to visit if I ever became a nomad, sort of a bucket list. I use that to loosely plan my route and adventures. I have the places listed by name, city, and state, so I can sort by state and off I go.

Here are a few of the sources for my spreadsheet:

Friends - I’m fortunate to have met a lot of nomads in my travels and we always exchange tips and ideas on travel destinations. I not only get information on cool places to visit but also suggestions on where to stay. Nothing better than quality recommendations from good people.

YouTube - I subscribed to a lot of RV channels and travel channels and have gotten some great ideas from them. Very informative and fun to watch!

Pinterest - I recently started looking at Pinterest to get destination ideas and things to do in various locations around the country. It's a bit cumbersome in my opinion using Pinterest this way but it has been a source of things to do and places to go that I didn’t see anywhere else. So I am trying to use it a bit more these days.

Google Maps - I use Google Maps for routing but I also use it to find neat places to visit after I’ve identified my next destination. After figuring out my direction of travel over the next 2-3 days, I click the ‘things to do’ button in Maps and it shows a variety of places to stop along my way. I look them over and decide what I want to see and add the destination to my route on that particular day. I will also take a screenshot of the route so I can easily enter it on the correct day. Makes things easy.

Google's 'Things to Do has been very helpful 

Screenshot of possible stops

Road Signs/Billboards - I keep my eyes open for landmark signs and other ‘attractions’ as I move down the road. I try to find unique off the beaten path kind of places to stop and explore. 

Books - I have a few book that I look at for suggestions; Great American Roadtrips, National Parks Guide, and The Most Scenic Drives in America . I don’t use these that often but they have been helpful in a few areas around the country.

When planing the next few days, I’ll pick a target destination from the resources above, trying to keep the drive between 2.5 and 3 hours. Then I will try to find a hike along the way, a museum, or something else interesting to see/do. The plans are very flexible, if I see something that I want to do along the way..I stop! 

Where I stay at night is very flexible as well. I usually have 2-3 options for where to stay for the night…last option usually a Walmart or Home Depot parking lot. Once a month or so, I’ll make reservations at a campground to get off the road for a couple of days and see the area but otherwise everything is subject to change.

By staying flexible with no fixed schedule life is very stress free, I don't get lost, everyday has wonderful surprises, and I enjoy every day!

Potholes in the Road

 

Pothole (noun)

1 circular hole formed in the rocky bed of a river by the grinding action of stones or gravel whirled round by the water

2 a pot-shaped hole in a road surface

3 a usually minor difficulty or setback

I absolutely love my RV. It’s a 2020 Pleasure Way XLTS on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter Chassis. The MB diesel engine has been great and hopefully will keep me going for many more miles. The Pleasure Way build-out is one of the best built RVs in its class! It has taken a real beating but it’s still rock solid. A lot of RVs are built cheaply and literally fall apart after a couple of years. I was very fortunate to find this rig!

While I’ve enjoyed many miles without any problems or issues, I have had several issues that were either user error, a road hazard, an accident, or an error from a mechanic. These slowed me down for a bit but it all worked out!

Road Hazard - Cracked Windshield 

Somewhere in New Hampshire a big logging truck kicked up a rock that hit the windshield dead on. I contacted a repair shop in NH but they didn't have any appointments available for a couple of weeks. I made an appointment to have it replaced in Bangor ME but they ordered the wrong windshield. They told me they could have the correct one shipped/received in about 10 days, but I would be long gone by then.  Two other places on my route told me the same thing. I knew I would be traveling through my hometown in a couple of weeks so I called Safe-lite in Absecon NJ and set up an appointment. Confirmed we had the right part number and was back on the road heading south. When I got to the repair shop in Absecon I told them about the issues I had with the other shops and they generously gave me a significant discount so I didn’t have to deal with my insurance company! Fantastic.

Repair in progress

Accident - Broken Sideview Mirror

I was parked in a stall at Walmart waiting for my buddy to finish his shopping when another RV tried to squeeze by me in the stall next to me. Well that didn’t work out too well. He hit my sideview mirror and smashed it to pieces. The damage to his rig was much worse, scratches and dents along the entire passenger side. We exchanged information and were on our way. 

I called the dealership and made an appointment for a week out. After arriving at the appropriate time I was asked if I had ordered the mirror…wait...what? Isn’t that their job? Oh well. Made another appointment 2 weeks out to give them plenty of time to get it ordered…hopefully they will get everything repaired this Friday….fingers crossed.

Very difficult/dangerous to drive without a mirror 

User Error - Diesel vs Regular Gas Lesson

After visiting some buddies in Lewes, Delaware, I stopped at a BP Gas Station to fill up. At most stations the green nozzle is diesel and black is gas…but not at BP. I picked up the green nozzle and proceeded to pump about a half of tank of gas into my diesel tank…oh boy! I knew that I shouldn’t drive it but I was in the middle of nowhere and wanted to get back to a MB dealership. The next morning I was handed an estimate of $23,000 for repairs and a few other maintenance items. SHOCKING. The service manager suggested that I contact my insurance company, I did and they covered it! They also paid for a hotel room and a rental car for 10 days.

This is the correct nozzle - now I check and double check!

Mechanic Error - Fuel Filter

I had routine service done on the rig in Palm Springs, they also did some software updates, so it was a long day at the dealership. I made it about 120 miles towards Quartzsite before the engine quit. I called for roadside service and they said they would need to tow me back to Palm Springs to have the deanship work on it. Because of the size of the RV I had to wait about 3 hours before they were able to find a flatbed tractor/trailer big enough to carry me back to the dealership. It was the weekend so the dealership was closed. Got a hotel nearby and hung out until Monday morning. The mechanic didn’t install the fuel filter properly so diesel was leaking everywhere. They sorted it out very quickly and before I got back on the road I gave all my receipts to the General Manager and he got a check cut to reimburse me. $1200 for the tow and about $600 for my weekend stay. The good news is that I got some great meals and some long showers at the hotel. 

Loading up the RV

User Error - Wrong Road

While I was touring around Nova Scotia, I was checking out a lighthouse near the Bay of Fundy. Google Maps showed the ‘road’ looped around back to the north. That was not accurate. The ‘road’ turned out to be less than very narrow rocky trail. Once I realized I couldn’t go any further, I had to carefully do a ’50 point turn’ to get out of there. For a few minutes I really thought I was going to get stuck and have to abandon the RV, thankfully I was able to get safely turned around and get back on a real road! Very dicey!

It’s always an adventure! I’ve really learned to stay calm/patient/positive and take a few minutes to assess the situation and work out a solution. I haven’t gotten mad at anyone else or myself. It is what it is…and I know it will get sorted out. 

On to my next adventure!