Mattnan
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Posts posted by Mattnan
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We made it to Dead Horse State Park and enjoyed Cottonwood, Gerome and Sedona. Then a couple of days at Grand Canyon and a night in Williams AZ, our first experience on route 66. Then on to Page Arizona, Horse Shoe Bend, and Lake Powell. Today we arrived in Zion and are staying at Watchman Campground. I forgot when I booked this it was President's Day weekend. This place is jammed. I can't imagine what it is like in the Summer. The entrance to the park was backed up over a mile. We are here for 3 nights. Today was a beautiful 66 degrees and they started running the shuttles on the weekends until Spring yesterday.
Unfortunately, the weather is going to turn nasty and very cold. Our plan was to head to Bryce Canyon on Wednesday and work our way toward Moab on March 1st, where we have a week long reservation. The stops we had planned were all parks like Frutia that are not accepting reservations this early. This may turn out to be a blessing!!! Bryce is expected to see night time temps at 10 below on and highs in the teens. We have already done single digits on this trip. I knew this could happen and it did in Carlsbad, NM.
We are altering our plans and heading south west to get some warmer weather on Wednesday. We are setting our sites on Lake Mead for a few days before we head to Moab. I have nothing to prove at this stage of my life, I like warm!! We left Maine in the winter to avoid below 0 temps. As capable as Beacon has demonstrated to be, we are going to be moderately warm outside of Las Vegas!!! So we drive an extra 500 miles!! We will try to catch Bryce on our way to Moab or perhaps while we are there!
We are having a great time, smores and beverages by the fire tonight. My career took us on some really nice trips to resorts all over the US in warm climates, I have never been to the places we are seeing on this trip!! I feel very fortunate.
My first time to Zion. Amazing!! Anyway, Beacon at Watchman Campground in Zion!!
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5 minutes ago, John Welte said:
I may go with the Lagun table side mount that someone here makes, but it seems most people don't use the table much. Foy makes a nice wooden table top so I may do that in the future.
We have the side mount Lagun with a custom top that looks similar to what Foy is making. Our is made from mahogany from a wooden boat builder. The table is very useful for us.
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We have the interior basement door. We don't use it very much if at all. We did open it up when the temps got to the single digits. I have most of my water,electric, coax , and sewer materials in the basement in 2 of the elongated milk crates. Also some assorted tools. If you have a twin bed set up and want the factory Lagun table I don't believe you can have the basement door.
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12 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:
We were in Page last month. As the level on Lake Powell goes down they are rediscovering all kinds of interesting rock formations. If you have time it’s worth a stop to see Horseshoe Bend. We posted photos on the previous page. Mike
Thanks, Our plan is to go there today.
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I caught a break last night. After 2 nights of boondocking at Mather campground with temps in the low teans and some snow on our solar in a mostly wooded campground we decided to spend the night in Williams at a full service campground. They even had an indoor pool and hot tub. Nancy enjoyed that! After burning through a bunch of propane we were running our electric Vornado for warmth throughout the afternoon and early evening. I didn't hook up the water as I knew it was going to be cold!!!
Unfortunately before I went to bed early I neglected to switch to propane furnace and turn the Truma to eco mode. The Truma was off. I was tired and despite knowing the temperature would get to 18, I fell asleep! Fortunately, I woke up at 1:30 am and realized what I had done. It was already 18 and dropping. It was 32 when I fell asleep. I immediately went to propane furnace and turned on the Truma. I had forgotten to flip the outside switch when we arrived. I quickly went outside and turned on the Truma. Inside the Truma was flashing when I turned it on. Fortunately after a few seconds (it seemed like an eternity) the light was steady and on!! I turned on the hot and cold water in the bathroom and all was good! Thank heavens! Just another rookie mistake! Still learning!!!!! Hope this helps some of the folks newer to camping like us.
This forum is terrific, I used one of the hints on here, as I was having trouble getting grease into one of the zerks on my suspension today!!! The advice worked perfectly!!! Thanks!! Travel Safely and have fun!!
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Sorry forgot the photo.
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Arrived at Lake Powell, Page AZ today after a night in Williams. Williams is a cool little place with a section of route 66. The last section that was used in till I-40 was completed. Also the town is where you can get the train to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. My phone camera didn't do justice to the setting sun!
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We have and like the twin bed. I am just over 6ft and height challenged for my weight. It works great for us for all of the already stated reasons. We also have a side mounted custom Lagun table from Overland's design. I believe Foy is now making those tables! Right now my wife is editing photos at the dinette and I am using the Laguna table to respond and do other internet stuff from the shore of Lake Powell in Page AZ. This Lagun set up allows you to have the nightstand with the basement access and seat 4 for dinner if needed. Best of both worlds. This is different for us as like most folks we were used to having one bed. Feels like we have more floor space for our dog and his bed.
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Congrats on your decision. Planning and anticipating will be great fun.
We were first timers too. We picked up our Ollie in October of 2019. We left Maine for the warmth of Florida and the South on February 3, 2019. Covid cut our first trip short at 45 days. 2 other short trips in Maine last summer of 4 to 5 days. We left Maine on November 30 this past fall. We are on a 4.5 month trip. We are currently at the Grand Canyon heading for Zion in a few days. We have been to PA,VA,TN, SC, GA, FL, AL, LA, TX, NM, and AZ so far this trip.
We had no experience. We relied heavily on this forum and Oliver university. It has been fun, exciting, and at times challenging. We have boondocked, been to full RV Resort parks, State Parks, National Parks, COE parks, Harvest Host, and Cracker Barrel Parking lots. We have seen and done things we wouldn't imagined. We realized if we plan well and take our time things usually work out. We have learned to stay an extra day at some locations to just have a relaxing day. We find if something isn't working the answer is usually in the Ollie Manuals, in Oliver University, or the experience of those on this forum. In our case usually user error!!!
Congrats and enjoy!
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On 2/15/2022 at 1:19 PM, CnC said:
Boondocking in the only non-electric space in the Quail section of Dead Horse Ranch State Park (AZ). We just fit as the height restriction was 10' for RVs shorter than 30'. BTW, there was one more Ollie II staying in this section of the park - from Colorado.
Hi, we just missed you but I think we did meet that couple, Terry and Laura, from Colorado. They left Dead Horse on Monday. We left on Tuesday and are now in Mather Campground at Grand Canyon. We were in site 65 I think it was Red Tail Hawk Loop. We head to Page AZ next on our way to Zion. We are in the Pine loop at Mather. The only loop open in the winter. It is very tight and no hook ups. It snowed this afternoon with highs in the low 40s and low teens tonight. Dead Horse was mid 60s during the day and high 20s to low 30s at night. Water at the dump station was frozen in the morning at Dead Horse. We liked Cottonwood, Gerome, and really liked Sedona. Sedona did seem like it could be very busy. Safe travels.
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1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:
If you have time check out Bisbee, too. It’s an eclectic little town that’s fun to explore. We also enjoyed our stay at Kartchner Caverns last month, nice little park! Mike
Probably headed there today thanks very much for the guidance.
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We are at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson AZ. This is an absolutely fabulous park. I did a cave tour this morning it was very good! Then on to Tombstone. The scenery is outstanding and so different from Maine.
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11 hours ago, Mountainman198 said:
There is a tall self serve wash in Deming across from the McDonalds. I have washed my Ollie there twice this Season
Good to know. Thanks. We stayed at the D H Lescombes winery in Deming as the are a Harvest Host location. We had a nice time. From there we went to White Sands and got covered in gypsum plaster. It had snowed there a few days earlier and no wind so not a lot of dust. Portions of the road had gypsum mud. I even put the truck in 4WD for 2 sections of road. It probably wasn't needed but the tracks were 3 inches deep and I didn't want to get stuck. From White Sands we went to Kartchner Caverns State Park in AZ.
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It was $50 for my truck and the Ollie. They did a decent job! There was not a good self wash option near us. We are certainly not in show room condition but much better. I would use this type of service again. There were 4 guys doing the washing. They were pretty careful and I did give some initial instructions.
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Possibly, that stuff even got inside my truck fuel door
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Thanks all for the advice. We stopped in Wilcox AZ at a truck wash that had decent ratings. Just wanted to get the caked on stuff off. They did a decent job and the Ollie and the truck look much better. Far from perfect but much better. I opened the basement door and found some of the stuff in the handle for the tank drain valves. Thanks again.
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Beacon needs a Bath.
Our Ollie was getting dirty and after a trip into White Sands today our Ollie has caked on gypsum sand. It looks like plaster. Same for our truck and wheel wells. In Florida we found a pull through self service bay and that worked ok. I am not finding one of those here in Deming, NM. Most Campgrounds won't let you wash your camper or vehicle. Has anyone used a truck wash. I have no idea how they work and if it is a good solution. Once again looking for advice. Thanks
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Well temps on Southeast New Mexico have moderated. Mid 50s today. Thank you all for help. I finished flushing our systems and fresh water tank today.
I thought I would share how we made out. Evening temps over the last few days were 18, 9, 5, and 21 last night. Corresponding day time highs 42, 29, 27, 51. I don't know if the precautions I described earlier in this thread were necessary but we had no issues! The furnace ran a lot. I do believe placing the installation inside the outside basement door helped keep some cold drafts out. The basement was a comfortable temperature with the nightstand door open and a small 3 inch fan set just inside the door on low speed. Oliver service department said we would be fine just running the propane furnace. We definitely faired better than our neighbors at the campground. Most had some frozen pipes. No one seamed to have broken pipes. Again thanks to the forum members for all of your help and ideas. The next few days look like day time highs on the 50s and low 60s with nights mid 20s to low 30s. We will just disconnect water at night! I hope this might help others and build confidence in the Ollie's capabilities. Off to a Harvest Host winery in Deming tomorrow. We want to leave early to see White Sands. Then to AZ and Kartchner Caverns and Tombstone. Travel safely!
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Kim, Folks on this forum are terrific, sincere, and truly offering sound advice. I have greatly benefited from their help and advice. I will also share a couple simple thoughts. Check lists for hooking up and preparing for departure, and a separate one for setting up your trailer upon arrival are really good. Most of us have had difficulty at one point or another, most of which might have been avoided with the check list. Consider storing your heavy items low in your trailer vs high in the overheads. Items like cast iron pots and pans if you decide to use them. We wish you all the best in your experience. I must admit when I read your first post and subsequent post inquiring about the nice Ford F 150 for sale in PA it really reminded me of the person that I believe John Davies is referring to. Folks on this forum went above and beyond to help and offer very good advice. The person had not learned all of the features of their truck which lead to further frustration. That person went all in and didn't get some of the needed experience offered in advance. Folks are trying to help. You are a different person so your experience will be different and terrific. It takes time!! Nothing beats the experience of doing these things. A couple of simple things can help make things go well. Like, getting your truck and trailer lined up perfectly straight make a big difference in attaching and removing the Andersen hitch. The $16 investment l made in the two hitch pins at Tractor Supply were worth their weight in gold!!. I wish I did this 2 years ago. Good luck with everything and take your time. I made a bunch of mistakes, still am, and am learning too. We had the truck, but did have to add a break controller. I had to learn that. I am about to learn more as we head toward the mountains Monday for the next 45 days. I had towed boats 23ft and 5000 lbs was the largest, and work trailers but nothing with electric brakes and nothing using the truck tow/haul mode to help defending steep grades. Towing the Ollie long distances was different. Learning you have to pick gas stations carefully to have enough room to maneuver to get fuel but more importantly have room to leave so you don't hit your trailer making tight maneuvers. I use the back up camera as a rearview mirror when towing during the daylight. (It is too bright for me at night when towing). I am still learning and getting more proficient with the help of this Forum. This will be fun but it is work too! Good luck and have a blast!!! Exciting!!!
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Baxter, our 16 month old Australian Labradoodle, travels with us in the back seat of our Tundra. We have a hammock that covers the entire back seat. He has a dog bed on one end and blankets and toys. He has a harness that is buckled in. Today he stayed in the Kennel a Carlsbad Caverns for a couple hours. Then he joined us at a brew bub. We had dinner. We brought Baxter's dinner and drink with us. He's been to the groomer in Naples, and walked Bourbon Street inNew Orleans. He makes friends everywhere. Here he is as first mate in our summer camper! He is the best! Still learning but just an awesome companion!!
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It depends on the size of the clam and size of the picnic table. Our 6 sided clam will easily go over a 6ft table.
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So far so good! Knock on wood!!! Our basement was warm this morning. My battery temperature was 4 celsius so about 40 degrees. The furnace is running a lot. We have the fan open in the ceiling but not running so we have air and no condensation. We also leave our blinds pulled down but leave about 2 inches open at the bottom so we have no condensation on windows we leave the bathroom and closet doors open. Our bathroom gets very good heat from the vent. We went to Roswell yesterday so I flipped the gas to the 100 percent full bottle. I didn't want to run out while we were gone. I will refill the partially used bottle this morning before we leave for Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Park. One more night of single digits before we moderate to the 20s at night. We are using water off our fresh tank as none of the antifreeze made it into the tank. Thanks for all of your support!!!!
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We are in cold single digit temps last night, tonight, and tomorrow night. Our daytime high was 25 today. Winds 20 to 40mph. I have our propane furnace is set at 67 tonight, our nightstand basement door is open to the basement with our electric Vernodo heater is set up to blow heated air into the basement. We also have a small 3 inch battery operated fan set up just inside the basement nightstand door to aid circulation. We pumped 1/4 pump of antifreeze into the water inlets. I disconnected the outside shower head and drained some water from the hose and shower head. I placed some bat insulation into a plastic garbage bag and placed just inside the outside basement door to help insulate the basement. We have the Trauma on eco mode all day and night. We are only using water from our tank. So far so good. I know some of my neighbors have frozen water pipes and drain pipes. The remote bathrooms in this park are closed due to frozen pipes. It is supposed to get to 50 on Sunday so I will flush our water systems and refill our water tank as we leave early Monday to go to White Sands National Park then on to a Harvest Host winery in Deming for one night on our way to Karchner Caverns State Park in AZ.
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I know for years off shore sailors relied on wind generation to charge batteries. Most have over time migrated to solar. The reasons are improving and more cost effective solar systems especially with the advent of lithium batteries. The wind generators were noisy, expensive, and if the wind blew too hard had to either have a mechanism to slow down or stop the blades. They also needed maintenance and were not as reliable with significantly more moving parts. I am not saying it can't be done, and the turbine technology has improved. It seems solar is a simpler and perhaps more cost effective solution. I guess you would really have to do the math. Good luck with your choices.
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Advanced Planning for FL trip 2023
in Campgrounds & Parks
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We have run into this problem and have yet to find away around it. I can also tell you that should you get I to some of these popular parks you will find several vacant spaces. I believe Florida residents can book 12 months in advance at very low rates. I have been told some forget they made the reservations but others just chose to do something else. Very few cancel as they paid so little for the sites. I can't confirm this but park rangers have told me this. Otherwise the online at midnight is about the only remedy! Good Luck I feel your pain! We moved sites with in a few parks.