And, YES, we're going to Alaska... for three months... with that little pill-box of a camper. Why not?
For reference, this photo was taken last summer as we drove over Lemhi Pass between Idaho and Montana. Click here for my post from that day.
Showing posts with label Four Wheel Camper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Four Wheel Camper. Show all posts
New Header Photo for the Blog
I decided the other day to change the header photo of this blog to better represent our current mode of travel and the rig we're traveling with most often these days. It's surely an interim thing as once we get going to Alaska in a few weeks, piles of cool photos of us against a backdrop of British Columbia, the Yukon, or the 49th state will be volunteering as replacements.
And, YES, we're going to Alaska... for three months... with that little pill-box of a camper. Why not?
For reference, this photo was taken last summer as we drove over Lemhi Pass between Idaho and Montana. Click here for my post from that day.
And, YES, we're going to Alaska... for three months... with that little pill-box of a camper. Why not?
For reference, this photo was taken last summer as we drove over Lemhi Pass between Idaho and Montana. Click here for my post from that day.
Early Impressions of our Four Wheel Camper
At this point in our experience with the Four Wheel Truck Camper we've camped with it about 30 nights. In a nutshell, it's working out as good as we'd hoped. As with all things RV, it's all about compromises, your camping/traveling paradigm, your expectations, and you're ability to be flexible. I've written about this before.
Some folks would never, ever, choose a camper as small as this one. It's just so outside they're comfort zone. And I've got to tell you, we had concerns about it too... coming from a 40 foot diesel pusher motorhome. But in our minds, the motorhome is our "home". The truck camper is our "camper". Few people would consider a tent an acceptable "home", but many (I'm continually amazed at just how many...) use tents as their fold-up "camper". It's all your frame of reference, the paradigm you're starting from.
For us, the trade off is space for nimbleness... for the ability to go anywhere, to park anywhere. And we've certainly achieved that.
Comfort? The number one thing that needs to be comfortable is a bed. And we can report that after nearly of month of sleeping on the firm 3" foam pads in the FWC (ok, Dar added a 1-1/2" memory foam topper to her side) the quality of sleep is surprisingly good. We generally sleep through the night, wake refreshed, without aches and pains. This experience of ours makes us wonder what in the world people are looking for when they buy those 12 and 14 inch thick mattresses that are so popular today?
I'll do a more extensive review of the Four Wheel Camper (FWC) at some point in the future. This post is more about first impressions.
Some folks would never, ever, choose a camper as small as this one. It's just so outside they're comfort zone. And I've got to tell you, we had concerns about it too... coming from a 40 foot diesel pusher motorhome. But in our minds, the motorhome is our "home". The truck camper is our "camper". Few people would consider a tent an acceptable "home", but many (I'm continually amazed at just how many...) use tents as their fold-up "camper". It's all your frame of reference, the paradigm you're starting from.
For us, the trade off is space for nimbleness... for the ability to go anywhere, to park anywhere. And we've certainly achieved that.
Comfort? The number one thing that needs to be comfortable is a bed. And we can report that after nearly of month of sleeping on the firm 3" foam pads in the FWC (ok, Dar added a 1-1/2" memory foam topper to her side) the quality of sleep is surprisingly good. We generally sleep through the night, wake refreshed, without aches and pains. This experience of ours makes us wonder what in the world people are looking for when they buy those 12 and 14 inch thick mattresses that are so popular today?
I'll do a more extensive review of the Four Wheel Camper (FWC) at some point in the future. This post is more about first impressions.
June 17 - Near Lowman Idaho
Grayback Gulch CG to Mountain View NFS CG near Lowman ID.
41 miles
Last night we tried a different sleeping arrangement. This camper has whats called sideways sleeping, also referred to as east/west, which means we’re oriented crosswise or side to side when sleeping. Of course we’d prefer lengthwise (north/south) accommodations (easier to get up at night without disturbing a partner, right?) but that’s one of the compromises you make for “light and nimble”.
The first few nights in the camper Dar slept in the forward spot which meant she had to crawl over me in order to get out of bed. (I should note here that little campers can have side-benefits if you have the right attitude and frame of mind. ;-) She became so adept at that little maneuver that most of the time I didn’t know she got up.
Well, last night it was my turn to try the forward spot. I guess I did alright as I was invited to try it again for another night. I have a hunch this may be one of those things that was more of a concern in theory than in reality.
Chilly. It’s the middle of June and it’s still darn cold up here at 4,000 ft. Someone later in the day today said they had 20-something at their place last night. We don’t have an outdoor thermometer in the camper (yet) so I can’t say what we had at Grayback CG. I do know it was chilly. And there's a good chance of rain the next day or two before a front passes and it gets much warmer.
After a quick breakfast snack we were up and rolling by 8am. Our first stop was the NFS ranger station in Idaho City for ideas and tips, followed by a light exploration of Idaho City itself. They like to say it was once the largest town in Idaho… just after gold was discovered here in 1862. Everyone from miles around who had a notion that it might be pretty cool to get rich quick moved in. And a short time later pretty much all of them left again about as poor as they were when they arrived. Only a small handful of miners made any significant money… as well as the whores, gamblers, and purveyors of ardent spirits who found a motherlode of a different vein.
What remains today is an interesting mixture of the old and the new, dilapidated old historic buildings surrounded by a few rehab’d or new ones, modern day merchants mining tourists, a museum, self-guided tours, and an old pioneer cemetery atop a nearby hill. With a partner who’s into genealogy and looking for ancestors wherever she goes, you can guess where we spent a good chunk of time this morning.
After a late breakfast/early lunch at a local diner called Trudy’s, we were back on ID-21 toward Lowman. I did top of the tanks before pulling out… as the next few hundred miles are through remote parts of Idaho and I’d like to avoid empty-tank syndrome at all costs.
If there was one curve in the road today there had to be a thousand. With our normal poking of noses into NFS CGs, overlooks, and sideroads, it took us almost three hours to go more than 35 miles. In that distance there were two mountain passes over 6,000 feet, and more switchbacks than you’d find at a modern political convention. There was very little traffic. We did run into a state (or county?) road crew that must spend all their time clearing rock slides and snow from this stretch. You really gotta wonder what the motivation was to build it in the first place. Had to be a monumental task.
We arrived in Lowman. And just a short distance down from where the ID-21 starts following the South Fork of the Payette River, just outside town, was a NFS CG where Dar unilaterally decided to drop the anchor. Just 41 miles of progress today… but that’s what this style of travel is supposed to be all about: no rules, no reservations, no expectations… just let things happen. Go with the flow. We’re in a fantastic site along the creek in rustic and rugged Idaho, writing and working on photos, listening to the rushing, tumbling, rolling water, and trying to decide if this is fantasy or reality.
==========
Minds under mild stimulation from legal adult substances sometimes wander to strangeness and the just plain weird.
We’re near the city of Lowman Idaho and I wondered, for just a moment, if this is where the bottom guy on native totem poles originated? You know… the low man on the totem pole?
41 miles
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| Jig-saw puzzle bark of the Ponderosa Pine |
Well, last night it was my turn to try the forward spot. I guess I did alright as I was invited to try it again for another night. I have a hunch this may be one of those things that was more of a concern in theory than in reality.
Chilly. It’s the middle of June and it’s still darn cold up here at 4,000 ft. Someone later in the day today said they had 20-something at their place last night. We don’t have an outdoor thermometer in the camper (yet) so I can’t say what we had at Grayback CG. I do know it was chilly. And there's a good chance of rain the next day or two before a front passes and it gets much warmer.
After a quick breakfast snack we were up and rolling by 8am. Our first stop was the NFS ranger station in Idaho City for ideas and tips, followed by a light exploration of Idaho City itself. They like to say it was once the largest town in Idaho… just after gold was discovered here in 1862. Everyone from miles around who had a notion that it might be pretty cool to get rich quick moved in. And a short time later pretty much all of them left again about as poor as they were when they arrived. Only a small handful of miners made any significant money… as well as the whores, gamblers, and purveyors of ardent spirits who found a motherlode of a different vein.
 |
| In some parts of the USA being weird is OK. |
After a late breakfast/early lunch at a local diner called Trudy’s, we were back on ID-21 toward Lowman. I did top of the tanks before pulling out… as the next few hundred miles are through remote parts of Idaho and I’d like to avoid empty-tank syndrome at all costs.
If there was one curve in the road today there had to be a thousand. With our normal poking of noses into NFS CGs, overlooks, and sideroads, it took us almost three hours to go more than 35 miles. In that distance there were two mountain passes over 6,000 feet, and more switchbacks than you’d find at a modern political convention. There was very little traffic. We did run into a state (or county?) road crew that must spend all their time clearing rock slides and snow from this stretch. You really gotta wonder what the motivation was to build it in the first place. Had to be a monumental task.
We arrived in Lowman. And just a short distance down from where the ID-21 starts following the South Fork of the Payette River, just outside town, was a NFS CG where Dar unilaterally decided to drop the anchor. Just 41 miles of progress today… but that’s what this style of travel is supposed to be all about: no rules, no reservations, no expectations… just let things happen. Go with the flow. We’re in a fantastic site along the creek in rustic and rugged Idaho, writing and working on photos, listening to the rushing, tumbling, rolling water, and trying to decide if this is fantasy or reality.
 |
| Along the South Fork of the Payette River near Lowman. |
Minds under mild stimulation from legal adult substances sometimes wander to strangeness and the just plain weird.
We’re near the city of Lowman Idaho and I wondered, for just a moment, if this is where the bottom guy on native totem poles originated? You know… the low man on the totem pole?
June 14 - We're on the Road Again
Portland area to Wildcat Creek CG near Prineville OR
180 miles
Today marks the beginning of what we’ve been calling Sabbatical II. For us that term, “Sabbatical II” was meaningful as a demarker of the difference between our travels and explorations with the bushouse over the last 7 years, and this new travel style with the small camper as we move into the future. It served a purpose for us as we living “Sabbatical I” but were planning for “Sabbatical II”.
However, now that we’re more or less underway, I hope the use of that term fades away. Dar and I are still just plain old “on Sabbatical”... we’re just doing it a slightly different way. In the future we may well have other rigs or contraptions we use to see and do what we want, but it’s all going to be just an extension of what we started 7 years ago next month.
This past Friday was our Grandson Ryan’s birthday so we made sure our plans for heading back to Wisconsin included stopping in Camas to help him celebrate. It was a big day that included an hour or two at one of those warehouses filled with trampolines that kids really dig, dinner at the Spaghetti Factory (his choice, and a favorite I might add), and a small intimate party before turning in for the night. We enjoyed it immensely and were happy we could be there.
Today, Saturday, we got the show on the road about Noon. Route today was out I-84 to a convenient slip through Gresham traffic (busy) to US-26 east, also called the Mt. Hood Highway. Interestingly, something called the Mt. Hood Expressway or Freeway was on the drawing boards back in the 60s and 70s, envisioned as an Interstate-standard route (four lanes and all) that went east out of the Portland area to (and over?) Mt. Hood. It was eventually killed -- but not before about 10 miles of it was built. Those few miles of Interstate-like roadway are still there, having been incorporated into US-26. If you know the story a person can bore their friends with it on the way to the mountain.
US-26 is one of a small number of routes through the Oregon Cascade Mountains. It’s humbling to know that even today there are only a handful, 7 or 8 routes (and some of them are closed in the Winter) that can get you to the “other side”. US-26 carries travelers over the flanks of Mt. Hood, Oregon’s tallest peaks, and down the other side into Ponderosa forests and, eventually, the high desert of eastern Oregon.
Our Noon departure, without having much for breakfast, had us looking for some place for a late lunch as we ascended Mt. Hood. Ended up stopping in a town called Zigzag (no kidding) at the Barlow Road House. Although a little more expensive than we’d like it was time to fill that void.
Weather today was cloudy so we never saw the top of Mt. Hood despite being on the side of it. Things cleared somewhat as we descended the eastern side, so a few peaks (Mt. Jefferson most prominently) were visible further south in the Cascade Range. As is normal, the sun asserted itself on the eastern side and there was about an equal mix of sun and clouds the rest of the way.
Just east of Prineville we took a sideroad to the north… which started as asphalt but quickly turned to gravel… and about 10 miles back found the Wildcat Creek Campground, a small NFS facility of about a dozen sites. Even though it was a weekend night we were a little surprised that more than half the sites were occupied. We found a spot we liked right along Wildcat Creek and settled in for our first camp of Sabbatical II.
It turned out to be just what we were looking for. You see, there is no electric power at all to this campground… that means no courtesy or security lights blazing in your window. Cell phones won’t work out here. Water? There’s a well with a manual pump if you run short. Trash? No dumpsters so you gotta pack it out when you leave.
So, how did it go with the little camper? Actually pretty darn good… about like we were hoping it would be. It’s a really small space that requires a bit of choreography and two flexible people… both physically and mentally flexible… to manage everything that needs doing. In regards to traveling, driving, with it… it’s a breeze. We were looking for “nimble” and I think that word best describes what we’ve got.
180 miles
Today marks the beginning of what we’ve been calling Sabbatical II. For us that term, “Sabbatical II” was meaningful as a demarker of the difference between our travels and explorations with the bushouse over the last 7 years, and this new travel style with the small camper as we move into the future. It served a purpose for us as we living “Sabbatical I” but were planning for “Sabbatical II”.
However, now that we’re more or less underway, I hope the use of that term fades away. Dar and I are still just plain old “on Sabbatical”... we’re just doing it a slightly different way. In the future we may well have other rigs or contraptions we use to see and do what we want, but it’s all going to be just an extension of what we started 7 years ago next month.
This past Friday was our Grandson Ryan’s birthday so we made sure our plans for heading back to Wisconsin included stopping in Camas to help him celebrate. It was a big day that included an hour or two at one of those warehouses filled with trampolines that kids really dig, dinner at the Spaghetti Factory (his choice, and a favorite I might add), and a small intimate party before turning in for the night. We enjoyed it immensely and were happy we could be there.
Today, Saturday, we got the show on the road about Noon. Route today was out I-84 to a convenient slip through Gresham traffic (busy) to US-26 east, also called the Mt. Hood Highway. Interestingly, something called the Mt. Hood Expressway or Freeway was on the drawing boards back in the 60s and 70s, envisioned as an Interstate-standard route (four lanes and all) that went east out of the Portland area to (and over?) Mt. Hood. It was eventually killed -- but not before about 10 miles of it was built. Those few miles of Interstate-like roadway are still there, having been incorporated into US-26. If you know the story a person can bore their friends with it on the way to the mountain.
US-26 is one of a small number of routes through the Oregon Cascade Mountains. It’s humbling to know that even today there are only a handful, 7 or 8 routes (and some of them are closed in the Winter) that can get you to the “other side”. US-26 carries travelers over the flanks of Mt. Hood, Oregon’s tallest peaks, and down the other side into Ponderosa forests and, eventually, the high desert of eastern Oregon.
Our Noon departure, without having much for breakfast, had us looking for some place for a late lunch as we ascended Mt. Hood. Ended up stopping in a town called Zigzag (no kidding) at the Barlow Road House. Although a little more expensive than we’d like it was time to fill that void.
Weather today was cloudy so we never saw the top of Mt. Hood despite being on the side of it. Things cleared somewhat as we descended the eastern side, so a few peaks (Mt. Jefferson most prominently) were visible further south in the Cascade Range. As is normal, the sun asserted itself on the eastern side and there was about an equal mix of sun and clouds the rest of the way.
Just east of Prineville we took a sideroad to the north… which started as asphalt but quickly turned to gravel… and about 10 miles back found the Wildcat Creek Campground, a small NFS facility of about a dozen sites. Even though it was a weekend night we were a little surprised that more than half the sites were occupied. We found a spot we liked right along Wildcat Creek and settled in for our first camp of Sabbatical II.
So, how did it go with the little camper? Actually pretty darn good… about like we were hoping it would be. It’s a really small space that requires a bit of choreography and two flexible people… both physically and mentally flexible… to manage everything that needs doing. In regards to traveling, driving, with it… it’s a breeze. We were looking for “nimble” and I think that word best describes what we’ve got.
May 17 - Pieces Falling into Place
We've made some real progress this week. Things are falling into place like puzzle pieces... with a satisfying click.
First, we sold our Northstar Arrow camper to a couple very nice people from Utah. We really hit it off with these two when they showed up early Sunday morning to check the camper out. It was one of those perfect fits, in a number of ways. The size and feature-set of this camper was what they were looking for, and their truck was set up perfectly for it. Once loaded, the camper looked right and reportedly handled like they, truck and camper, were made for each other. And we were happy it was going to new owners who clearly are going to take care of it. First puzzle piece... click.
Then on Thursday we drove a couple hours south to Medford to meet the installer of our new Four Wheel Camper. Because this camper is mounted somewhat differently than the Northstar (and most larger truck campers), there were a couple hours of work to prepare the truck. But with great weather and a friendly and knowledgeable installer, the time passed quickly. By a little after Noon, we were rolling down the road with our new Four Wheel Hawk. Second puzzle piece... click.
I'll have a lot more to say about the camper as time goes along.. but here are a couple comments from our drive back to Sutherlin that day. This camper, as built, weights a little over 1,300 pounds, so the truck doesn't seem to even know, or care, it's on-board. During the course of our return trip we passed a truck scale/ weigh station. In Oregon at least, when the scale is "closed", the scale itself still functions and provides a digital readout of your vehicles weight. So, onto the scale we go. Front axle = 4,450 lbs; rear axle = 4,450 lbs; total weight = 8,900 lbs. And that includes the two of us (yes... Dar is too light to even register on most scales, but I more than make up for her shortcoming), and a back seat full of stuff that's going to end up in the camper. The bottom line is we're well below the trucks 10,600 lbs GVWR and nicely balanced between fore and aft.
The difference between the drive down (with no camper) and the return trip (with camper) was minimal. The truck felt and handled nearly the same. Gas mileage on the way down was just shy of 16 mpg; on the way back, with camper and a light headwind, just shy of 15 mpg. Overall, I think we've possibly achieved our "nimble-ness" goal.
This week we also found out that the cogs and gears of the Timber Valley Membership Machine were turning and grinding, and progress was being made. It now looks like we're in the number 1 position on the active waiting list... and that we'll have a membership and lot in the next week or so. Third puzzle piece... almost click.
First, we sold our Northstar Arrow camper to a couple very nice people from Utah. We really hit it off with these two when they showed up early Sunday morning to check the camper out. It was one of those perfect fits, in a number of ways. The size and feature-set of this camper was what they were looking for, and their truck was set up perfectly for it. Once loaded, the camper looked right and reportedly handled like they, truck and camper, were made for each other. And we were happy it was going to new owners who clearly are going to take care of it. First puzzle piece... click.
 |
| New owners for the Northstar... on their way back to Utah. |
Then on Thursday we drove a couple hours south to Medford to meet the installer of our new Four Wheel Camper. Because this camper is mounted somewhat differently than the Northstar (and most larger truck campers), there were a couple hours of work to prepare the truck. But with great weather and a friendly and knowledgeable installer, the time passed quickly. By a little after Noon, we were rolling down the road with our new Four Wheel Hawk. Second puzzle piece... click.
I'll have a lot more to say about the camper as time goes along.. but here are a couple comments from our drive back to Sutherlin that day. This camper, as built, weights a little over 1,300 pounds, so the truck doesn't seem to even know, or care, it's on-board. During the course of our return trip we passed a truck scale/ weigh station. In Oregon at least, when the scale is "closed", the scale itself still functions and provides a digital readout of your vehicles weight. So, onto the scale we go. Front axle = 4,450 lbs; rear axle = 4,450 lbs; total weight = 8,900 lbs. And that includes the two of us (yes... Dar is too light to even register on most scales, but I more than make up for her shortcoming), and a back seat full of stuff that's going to end up in the camper. The bottom line is we're well below the trucks 10,600 lbs GVWR and nicely balanced between fore and aft.
The difference between the drive down (with no camper) and the return trip (with camper) was minimal. The truck felt and handled nearly the same. Gas mileage on the way down was just shy of 16 mpg; on the way back, with camper and a light headwind, just shy of 15 mpg. Overall, I think we've possibly achieved our "nimble-ness" goal.
This week we also found out that the cogs and gears of the Timber Valley Membership Machine were turning and grinding, and progress was being made. It now looks like we're in the number 1 position on the active waiting list... and that we'll have a membership and lot in the next week or so. Third puzzle piece... almost click.
 |
| Took a more challenging road on the way back... through the mountains. |
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| Steep grades and narrow roads... we can handle them now. |
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| Stopped for lunch in this NFS campground. |
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