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.
Showing posts with label Sabbatical II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sabbatical II. Show all posts
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.
June 13 - Last Minute Business in the Portland area
Some might think we're hunkered down today because of the Friday the 13th thing, but that would definitely NOT be the case. No, we needed to stop here to drop off some "stuff" that needed to be dropped off here, and, more importantly, we needed to stop here to help our now 9 year old grandson celebrate his birthday. This is a big one because it's the theoretical half-way point to independence for a kid... a milestone perhaps more important to his Mom and Dad than to him right now. Happy Birthday Ryan.
Two things happened in the last day of buttoning up the bushouse down in Sutherlin that gave me pause... and created some degree of concern. First, one of our "always ready" bushouse basement mousetraps decided this would be a great time to catch a mouse. Oh, I guess "catch" isn't the right word... maybe smashed would be closer to accurate. Now? Why NOW? Haven't had a mouse in well over a year. In fact, I'd become rather lazy about maintaining my 4 or 5 hidden traps down there since there was literally no activity for so long. How did this little bugger get in? Is there more than one?.. almost always is. Was he (her?) an advanced scout so the whole herd could move in as soon as we moved out for the summer? And I always thought mice look for indoor and protected quarters in Fall as they prepare for a cold Winter. Why would this one invade our space in June for gods sake. In any event I had a dead mouse and a lot of questions.
The last night we were in the bushouse I had set no less than 10 traps (baited with fresh Jif) in strategic locations (you gotta think like a mouse... ya know.) If there was another on board I get it for sure. We'd taken extra effort to make sure there was no access up hoses or power cords... which would all be disconnected and stowed during the summer anyway. If there's a mouse in there I'm going to get it!
Morning came and all 10 traps were clean. Not a puddle of splashed mouse brains anywhere. And now I'm taking solace in the belief that the one we got was a loner... perhaps an outcast. Please don't try to convince me of any errors in my belief. Thank you.
The second thing that hit us the last day was that one of our credit cards was compromised. This now semi-annual event is making me weary and causing me to carry a couple extra twenty dollar bills around so I can get back to the old days and not have to pull out the plastic for every little thing. The hassles involved with deactivating one account, opening another, getting new cards (made especially difficult when traveling), and updating any autopay or recurring payment accounts with new information is so much fun and entertainment... I almost can't wait till next time. I'd love to say a lot more about this but fear I'll get myself so riled up I won't sleep tonight. (happy thoughts... happy thoughts...)
We're still determined to get rolling tomorrow morning.
Two things happened in the last day of buttoning up the bushouse down in Sutherlin that gave me pause... and created some degree of concern. First, one of our "always ready" bushouse basement mousetraps decided this would be a great time to catch a mouse. Oh, I guess "catch" isn't the right word... maybe smashed would be closer to accurate. Now? Why NOW? Haven't had a mouse in well over a year. In fact, I'd become rather lazy about maintaining my 4 or 5 hidden traps down there since there was literally no activity for so long. How did this little bugger get in? Is there more than one?.. almost always is. Was he (her?) an advanced scout so the whole herd could move in as soon as we moved out for the summer? And I always thought mice look for indoor and protected quarters in Fall as they prepare for a cold Winter. Why would this one invade our space in June for gods sake. In any event I had a dead mouse and a lot of questions.
The last night we were in the bushouse I had set no less than 10 traps (baited with fresh Jif) in strategic locations (you gotta think like a mouse... ya know.) If there was another on board I get it for sure. We'd taken extra effort to make sure there was no access up hoses or power cords... which would all be disconnected and stowed during the summer anyway. If there's a mouse in there I'm going to get it!
Morning came and all 10 traps were clean. Not a puddle of splashed mouse brains anywhere. And now I'm taking solace in the belief that the one we got was a loner... perhaps an outcast. Please don't try to convince me of any errors in my belief. Thank you.
The second thing that hit us the last day was that one of our credit cards was compromised. This now semi-annual event is making me weary and causing me to carry a couple extra twenty dollar bills around so I can get back to the old days and not have to pull out the plastic for every little thing. The hassles involved with deactivating one account, opening another, getting new cards (made especially difficult when traveling), and updating any autopay or recurring payment accounts with new information is so much fun and entertainment... I almost can't wait till next time. I'd love to say a lot more about this but fear I'll get myself so riled up I won't sleep tonight. (happy thoughts... happy thoughts...)
We're still determined to get rolling tomorrow morning.
June 11 - Ready to Go
Tomorrow we start our first excursion of Sabbatical II. The truck/camper (TC) is packed (no small feat... let me assure you) and by this time tomorrow morning the bushouse will be officially "in mothballs" for the rest of the summer. It's by far the longest we've left the motorhome, and that in itself will be an adjustment for us. For gods sake it's been our home for 7 mostly uninterrupted years.
Compromises. We all have to make compromises as we go through our lives, the result of limits and finite resources. Might want this over here but have to settle for that over there. But nomads, travelers, RVers, and campers make compromises that seem larger and more dramatic than most. Beings that normally live in abundant space, with tons of stuff (most of which they've come to believe they "need"), and a desire to insulate themselves from environmental extremes may have a hard time understanding why someone would make any other choice. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I understand it myself. But having made the leap from 2500 sq. ft. to 300 sq. ft. 7 years ago, we're now poised to live out of a little camper (maybe 30 sq. ft.?) mounted on the back of a pickup truck for the next few weeks as we meander toward Wisconsin. I don't know... but it's got something to do with nimbleness, spontaneity, simplicity, the ability to go almost anywhere we want. Maybe it will become clearer to me in the next few weeks. And maybe we'll decide it was a terrible idea. But whatever the results, we won't be able to say we didn't give it a good go.
Compromises. We all have to make compromises as we go through our lives, the result of limits and finite resources. Might want this over here but have to settle for that over there. But nomads, travelers, RVers, and campers make compromises that seem larger and more dramatic than most. Beings that normally live in abundant space, with tons of stuff (most of which they've come to believe they "need"), and a desire to insulate themselves from environmental extremes may have a hard time understanding why someone would make any other choice. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I understand it myself. But having made the leap from 2500 sq. ft. to 300 sq. ft. 7 years ago, we're now poised to live out of a little camper (maybe 30 sq. ft.?) mounted on the back of a pickup truck for the next few weeks as we meander toward Wisconsin. I don't know... but it's got something to do with nimbleness, spontaneity, simplicity, the ability to go almost anywhere we want. Maybe it will become clearer to me in the next few weeks. And maybe we'll decide it was a terrible idea. But whatever the results, we won't be able to say we didn't give it a good go.
May 24 - Puzzle Almost Completed
On Wednesday we officially became members of Timber Valley Escapee Co-op Park and now have our permanent lot, which will be our west coast home base and is where the bus-house will be based for the foreseeable future. We've been making an effort to get engaged with this small friendly community and are finding it very much to our liking. Our plan is to continue traveling and exploring about half the time and be in residence either here or back in Wisconsin the rest of the time. If that pattern continues to be agreeable, and if we like traveling and exploring in the small truck camper, we will probably replace the motorhome with a non-motorized trailer or fifth-wheel at some point. It just ain't right for a motorhome to sit. Trailers are for sitting. Motorhomes are for travel.
Then (and this is the big news of the week), earlier today... just a few hours ago, our third grandchild was brought into the world by Kaytlyn and JT, our Daughter-in-Law and Son up in the Seattle area. It was a long process (good things just take time) but we're happy to report that all involved are in good shape, albeit tired, and poised for a promising future. Since this is news hot off the wire, I'll have more to say, and a few pictures, with next weeks update a week from now. I can't overstate how happy we are about our new little grand-daughter.
We're at Andrea and Gage's place in the Portland area to spend some time with them and our two grandsons during the long holiday weekend. I suspect we'll be changing our plans for early next week and running up to Seattle for a few days to see the newborn.
And all these turns of events put us in good shape to begin our trek back to the Midwest sometime around the middle of June.
Apr 26 - Update and Satellite Messenger
Steady progress as we play the waiting game here in Southern Oregon. Truck camper number one (the Northstar) hasn't sold yet but we remain hopeful we can find a good home for it soon. Truck camper number two (the Four Wheel) is in production and we have an appointment to have it mounted mid-May.
There's a lot of "behind the scenes" activity here at Timber Valley SKP as Spring breaks out and warms up the turnover rate in memberships a bit. Having a stable community with little turnover can be a good thing if you're already a member, but if you're high on the waiting list and waiting (and waiting...) it'd be good to see a little quicker pace. Based on what we know it'll be "nip and tuck" to have our membership and lot before heading back to the Midwest in mid to late June.
And the ever-exciting "baby-watch" is also proceeding along a natural course toward an approximately early June delivery. Son and DIL Kaytlyn are ready... to say the least.
People ask us "where's Sutherlin?" Up until this point I've responded with a more complicated than necessary answer... along the lines of "well, sort of between Central Oregon and Southern Oregon... a hundred miles north of the border with California... 60 miles south of Eugene". After a little research I've found that most people refer to areas on the basis of river drainages, and most sources consider both the Rogue and Umpqua rivers to be Southern Oregon. Sutherlin is on the northern edges of the Umpqua river drainage and, thus, firmly in Southern Oregon. That's my new response and I'm sticking with it.
There are large tracks of forest and mountains in this part of the world that have no cellphone service at all. It doesn't matter how big a booster and antenna you may have, the best use of your cellphone or mifi internet device when camping and exploring in these parts is as a paper weight or marginal flashlight. And that fact, for those who like to be connected -- if for no other reason than for safety -- concerned me to some extent. We plan to spend much more time in remote and wilderness areas than ever before... so how can we reach out for help if we find ourselves in trouble?
There are some existing solutions to this problem: satellite internet (those big honkin' blue-light dish deals you used to see on some RV's), a Spot tracker device, ham radio, and satellite telephone. For both practical and price reasons, with the possible exception of the Spot thing, I didn't see any of them being a solution for us.
But a few months ago I started reading about satellite messenger services that provided a two-way messaging capability. Similar to the Spot device, which is one-way only, these things let you send and receive short SMS-type messages from anywhere on the planet. That's right... anywhere... because it utilizes satellites flying around overhead in near earth orbit. Like the Spot, most of these devices also provide tracking services (think virtual bread-crumbs on an internet map), and an SOS feature that sends out a call for help from emergency services to your last known position. But again... this thing is two-way capable. I'm interested.
We eventually settled on the Delorme InReach SE which I've been testing for the past few weeks. It uses the Iridium Satellite network, probably the most complete system up there, and has been working flawlessly. By smartphone standards, it's interface and usability are primitive. You're not going to be texting little happy-notes or sweet nothings to your army of "friends" in cyber-land. It's a device for important and critical communication only.
The other thing I like about the Delorme service is the range of plans and their afford-ability. We're on a basic "safety" plan that costs less than $15 bucks a month including taxes. [plan clicker]
In case you're wondering, I have no vested interest or involvement with this company at all. I'm just hopeful the technology will "fill-the-gaps" in the ability of a couple getting-older-timers to reach out if we need to.
As I gain more experience with this satellite messenger, I'll report more in the future.
There's a lot of "behind the scenes" activity here at Timber Valley SKP as Spring breaks out and warms up the turnover rate in memberships a bit. Having a stable community with little turnover can be a good thing if you're already a member, but if you're high on the waiting list and waiting (and waiting...) it'd be good to see a little quicker pace. Based on what we know it'll be "nip and tuck" to have our membership and lot before heading back to the Midwest in mid to late June.
And the ever-exciting "baby-watch" is also proceeding along a natural course toward an approximately early June delivery. Son and DIL Kaytlyn are ready... to say the least.
People ask us "where's Sutherlin?" Up until this point I've responded with a more complicated than necessary answer... along the lines of "well, sort of between Central Oregon and Southern Oregon... a hundred miles north of the border with California... 60 miles south of Eugene". After a little research I've found that most people refer to areas on the basis of river drainages, and most sources consider both the Rogue and Umpqua rivers to be Southern Oregon. Sutherlin is on the northern edges of the Umpqua river drainage and, thus, firmly in Southern Oregon. That's my new response and I'm sticking with it.
There are large tracks of forest and mountains in this part of the world that have no cellphone service at all. It doesn't matter how big a booster and antenna you may have, the best use of your cellphone or mifi internet device when camping and exploring in these parts is as a paper weight or marginal flashlight. And that fact, for those who like to be connected -- if for no other reason than for safety -- concerned me to some extent. We plan to spend much more time in remote and wilderness areas than ever before... so how can we reach out for help if we find ourselves in trouble?
There are some existing solutions to this problem: satellite internet (those big honkin' blue-light dish deals you used to see on some RV's), a Spot tracker device, ham radio, and satellite telephone. For both practical and price reasons, with the possible exception of the Spot thing, I didn't see any of them being a solution for us.
But a few months ago I started reading about satellite messenger services that provided a two-way messaging capability. Similar to the Spot device, which is one-way only, these things let you send and receive short SMS-type messages from anywhere on the planet. That's right... anywhere... because it utilizes satellites flying around overhead in near earth orbit. Like the Spot, most of these devices also provide tracking services (think virtual bread-crumbs on an internet map), and an SOS feature that sends out a call for help from emergency services to your last known position. But again... this thing is two-way capable. I'm interested.
We eventually settled on the Delorme InReach SE which I've been testing for the past few weeks. It uses the Iridium Satellite network, probably the most complete system up there, and has been working flawlessly. By smartphone standards, it's interface and usability are primitive. You're not going to be texting little happy-notes or sweet nothings to your army of "friends" in cyber-land. It's a device for important and critical communication only.
The other thing I like about the Delorme service is the range of plans and their afford-ability. We're on a basic "safety" plan that costs less than $15 bucks a month including taxes. [plan clicker]
In case you're wondering, I have no vested interest or involvement with this company at all. I'm just hopeful the technology will "fill-the-gaps" in the ability of a couple getting-older-timers to reach out if we need to.
As I gain more experience with this satellite messenger, I'll report more in the future.
Apr 17 - Truck Camper For Sale
For those naysayers out there who said we'd never be able to live with a truck camper... that it'd be way too small, too cramped, too uncomfortable.... well, we put the Northstar TC on the sales block today. We've decided we can't live with it. But NOT for the reasons you might think.
We're selling it because it's a little too big for our new style of travel. That's right, we actually desire something smaller. I guess that means you doubters out there can remain comfortably entrenched in your negativity. I mean, there's always a chance we'll eventually see the light and come to the realization that we Americans really must have 40 or 45 feet of decal-covered fiberglass with full-wall slide-outs in order to see North America.
But somehow, I doubt it.
On the off-chance that someone out there finds this and happens to be looking for a really nice like-new Northstar truck camper, contact me and we'll chat about it. My email is ksdp39-10 at yahoo dot com.
We're selling it because it's a little too big for our new style of travel. That's right, we actually desire something smaller. I guess that means you doubters out there can remain comfortably entrenched in your negativity. I mean, there's always a chance we'll eventually see the light and come to the realization that we Americans really must have 40 or 45 feet of decal-covered fiberglass with full-wall slide-outs in order to see North America.
But somehow, I doubt it.
On the off-chance that someone out there finds this and happens to be looking for a really nice like-new Northstar truck camper, contact me and we'll chat about it. My email is ksdp39-10 at yahoo dot com.
Mar 20 - Sabbatical II Progress Update
In the Pacific Northwest. March 20
Finally, a long overdue update to this sad neglected blog. Over three weeks this time so here's a shot at bringing the record up-to-date.
Bushouse: Friday March 7th we moved the bushouse from Portland to Timber Valley SKP Co-op Park in Sutherlin Oregon, which will become our Northwestern homebase for the foreseeable future. For those unfamiliar with the SKP co-op park concept, it's basically a membership park whereby members have rights to a specific lot until such time as they decide to terminate their membership and turn the lot back over to the park. The park then finds a new member from the active waiting list. For travelers like Dar and I, this is an ideal and low-cost means to keep a year-round homebase while continuing to travel and explore. The membership fee (about $10k or $11k at this time... varies by park) is returned to you when you terminate your membership. So the only real cost is the lost interest on the membership fee (and we all know how much that is these days...) and an annual maintenance fee that keeps the park (roads, infrastructure, clubhouse, etc) in good operating order. The annual maintenance at Timber Valley is a little over $1000/year. We're number 6 on the active waiting list at this time... which we think will net us a membership by sometime this summer. Until that time we're renting on a monthly basis. For the foreseeable future and until this Sabbatical II thing settles out a bit, we're going to keep the bushouse as our primary "home".
Truck and Camper. To the chagrin of the subdivision's HOA, the truck and camper have been parked at our daughter and SIL's home since the 13th. The plan is to take it to the Seattle area for a few days later this month when we will spend some time with our son and DIL. They're expecting a new baby about June 1 and are in the process of converting the "guest room" into a "babies room". Thus we have no quarters when we visit and plan to use the TC as our mobile apartment... if, that is, I can fit it through a very narrow space between some landscaping and their house. For this upcoming visit, if we can't get it into the desired spot alongside their house, we may have to camp on the street. Wonder what the authorities will say about that? (Those people from Wisconsin... always causing problems.) It's always an adventure.
Another camper? (Well, here they go again!) Since we took delivery of the Northstar Arrow camper in September we've both been bothered by something -- it's really too big for the way we're planning to use it. Mounted on the truck, it's almost as high as the bushouse, something that was particularly noticeable when they were parked next to each other at the RV park in Portland. As we post-audited our process it became clear we lost sight of the main objective -- nimbleness -- and got caught up in the hubbub of features and benefits. The Northstar is a great unit for going camping but we're planning to travel with it... get off the beaten track... go places no man has ever been before. Well, maybe that's an overstatement, but you get the general idea. And what am I leading up to? We're in the process of getting another, but much smaller, truck camper. In about 6 weeks we should have a Four Wheel Camper "Hawk model" mounted on the back of our truck. The Northstar will be put on the block for sale and we'll have more adapting and adjusting to do. Regardless, we both feel much better about this decision. And, we're both looking forward to getting out into the Cascades, the Canadian Rockies, spending time on Vancouver Island, and heading to Alaska about a year from now.
Besides all that, we've been splitting our time between Portland and Sutherlin the past few weeks. As the weather improves so has my spirits. And we've been doing a little local exploring too. But more on that in a later post.
Finally, a long overdue update to this sad neglected blog. Over three weeks this time so here's a shot at bringing the record up-to-date.
Bushouse: Friday March 7th we moved the bushouse from Portland to Timber Valley SKP Co-op Park in Sutherlin Oregon, which will become our Northwestern homebase for the foreseeable future. For those unfamiliar with the SKP co-op park concept, it's basically a membership park whereby members have rights to a specific lot until such time as they decide to terminate their membership and turn the lot back over to the park. The park then finds a new member from the active waiting list. For travelers like Dar and I, this is an ideal and low-cost means to keep a year-round homebase while continuing to travel and explore. The membership fee (about $10k or $11k at this time... varies by park) is returned to you when you terminate your membership. So the only real cost is the lost interest on the membership fee (and we all know how much that is these days...) and an annual maintenance fee that keeps the park (roads, infrastructure, clubhouse, etc) in good operating order. The annual maintenance at Timber Valley is a little over $1000/year. We're number 6 on the active waiting list at this time... which we think will net us a membership by sometime this summer. Until that time we're renting on a monthly basis. For the foreseeable future and until this Sabbatical II thing settles out a bit, we're going to keep the bushouse as our primary "home".
Truck and Camper. To the chagrin of the subdivision's HOA, the truck and camper have been parked at our daughter and SIL's home since the 13th. The plan is to take it to the Seattle area for a few days later this month when we will spend some time with our son and DIL. They're expecting a new baby about June 1 and are in the process of converting the "guest room" into a "babies room". Thus we have no quarters when we visit and plan to use the TC as our mobile apartment... if, that is, I can fit it through a very narrow space between some landscaping and their house. For this upcoming visit, if we can't get it into the desired spot alongside their house, we may have to camp on the street. Wonder what the authorities will say about that? (Those people from Wisconsin... always causing problems.) It's always an adventure.
Another camper? (Well, here they go again!) Since we took delivery of the Northstar Arrow camper in September we've both been bothered by something -- it's really too big for the way we're planning to use it. Mounted on the truck, it's almost as high as the bushouse, something that was particularly noticeable when they were parked next to each other at the RV park in Portland. As we post-audited our process it became clear we lost sight of the main objective -- nimbleness -- and got caught up in the hubbub of features and benefits. The Northstar is a great unit for going camping but we're planning to travel with it... get off the beaten track... go places no man has ever been before. Well, maybe that's an overstatement, but you get the general idea. And what am I leading up to? We're in the process of getting another, but much smaller, truck camper. In about 6 weeks we should have a Four Wheel Camper "Hawk model" mounted on the back of our truck. The Northstar will be put on the block for sale and we'll have more adapting and adjusting to do. Regardless, we both feel much better about this decision. And, we're both looking forward to getting out into the Cascades, the Canadian Rockies, spending time on Vancouver Island, and heading to Alaska about a year from now.
Besides all that, we've been splitting our time between Portland and Sutherlin the past few weeks. As the weather improves so has my spirits. And we've been doing a little local exploring too. But more on that in a later post.
Feb 27 - Just Ducky
The past couple weeks I've felt like one of those ducks you see sitting on a pond during a rainy morning... not much going on so ya' might just as well enjoy life. The phrases "this weather is for the birds" or "nice weather -- if you're a duck", have taken on more meaning. It's been quite a few years since I've spent this much time in the PNW in late winter/early spring, and I'm getting re-familiarized with just how much it can rain... how dreary it can be... and why, this time of the year, so many people up here contemplate putting a squirt-gun in their ear... hoping the sun will reappear before they just can't take it any more and must forcibly flush that moss-plug out. Oh, and another thing... this is probably why the good citizens of Washington legalized the private use of pot. Ya' know, man... it just helps ya' cope.
But one must remember that all the rain is what makes this corner of the country so lush and beautiful. It freshens streams and waterfalls, moistens the ecosystem, waters the trees, fills the reservoirs, fuels the hydroelectric power plants, and the dreariness keeps most Californians where they belong... in California.
Speaking of our large, friendly, but weird neighbor to the south... I think it only fitting that we help them out by sending some of these storms we're getting down their way. They're in the grips of a record-setting drought and can certainly use it. The way I see it, if we donate enough of our water from the sky, that'll delay a little longer their planned Columbia River Apportionment Project (CRAP)(if you think I'm kidding, just try Google-ing it) (or click here for more). Even though we don't hear much about it, PNW'ers know they're working hard behind the scenes to set up the political and financial power structure to enable them to tap into the Columbia River System and get the other 49 states to pay for it. It's only a matter of time before our rich water resources are piped or canaled southward to help them maintain the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed. Why, it's almost a right, isn't it? I only hope I don't live long enough to see the PNW drained of it's lifeblood.
As far as our status is concerned, the bushouse is still at the RV Park in Portland (we're into our 4th month here). The truck and camper are parked alongside... it's a little tight but for a short time it works. Dar and I are spending much of our time watching our grandkids. However, in the next week or so, we're going to take the bushouse down to the SKP park in Sutherlin, where we're high on the waiting list. The plan is to snag a membership and lot in the next few months and use it as our PNW homebase for the next few years.
We're also discussing our plans for the future and contemplating another minor change. You'll have to wait for more on that one.
Spring and warmer weather is just around the corner, isn't it?
But one must remember that all the rain is what makes this corner of the country so lush and beautiful. It freshens streams and waterfalls, moistens the ecosystem, waters the trees, fills the reservoirs, fuels the hydroelectric power plants, and the dreariness keeps most Californians where they belong... in California.
Speaking of our large, friendly, but weird neighbor to the south... I think it only fitting that we help them out by sending some of these storms we're getting down their way. They're in the grips of a record-setting drought and can certainly use it. The way I see it, if we donate enough of our water from the sky, that'll delay a little longer their planned Columbia River Apportionment Project (CRAP)(if you think I'm kidding, just try Google-ing it) (or click here for more). Even though we don't hear much about it, PNW'ers know they're working hard behind the scenes to set up the political and financial power structure to enable them to tap into the Columbia River System and get the other 49 states to pay for it. It's only a matter of time before our rich water resources are piped or canaled southward to help them maintain the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed. Why, it's almost a right, isn't it? I only hope I don't live long enough to see the PNW drained of it's lifeblood.
As far as our status is concerned, the bushouse is still at the RV Park in Portland (we're into our 4th month here). The truck and camper are parked alongside... it's a little tight but for a short time it works. Dar and I are spending much of our time watching our grandkids. However, in the next week or so, we're going to take the bushouse down to the SKP park in Sutherlin, where we're high on the waiting list. The plan is to snag a membership and lot in the next few months and use it as our PNW homebase for the next few years.
We're also discussing our plans for the future and contemplating another minor change. You'll have to wait for more on that one.
Spring and warmer weather is just around the corner, isn't it?
November 13 - Boardman Oregon to Portland
Being along the Columbia during cold months often means you'll wake to fog. Thick fog. The kind that'll make you wonder where you are... 'cause there are no visible references. Your memory is all you've got to go on. It can feel like a dream if you let your imagination run free.
They said it'd start clearing about 10am, so we lingered until we convinced ourselves that it may indeed be improving... and we were back on I-84 by a few minutes after 10am. About 20 miles later it clearly was starting to clear. Another 20 miles, just as we dropped down into the Columbia River Gorge, just as we wanted visibility to savor one of the great drives in the USA, the fog was gone. The rest of the way to Portland was clear and sunny... and "gorge"ous. Aided by low sun and long shadows we were entertained with scenic eye-candy until we reached Portland. The road through the Gorge, even though it's an Interstate Highway, is curvier than a swimsuit model and almost as delightful (except, some would argue, the Gorge ages better than a swimsuit model). I set the cruise at 50 and let those with places-to-be or those on commercial treadmills pass as they needed.
We discussed our options and decided to book a month at one of our regular RV parks in the area. Recall our situation: sometime in the next few months we'll have the opportunity to buy into an Escapee Coop Park, Timber Valley, here in Oregon. Because we're so close to the top of the list we have the right to rent a site there on a monthly basis until our spot comes up. This RV lot will eventually become our home base. We considered stopping here in Portland for just a week... for the closer access to family and re-connecting with the grandkids for a few days, and then moving the bushouse down to Timber Valley before Thanksgiving. But we're in no hurry so made the decision to keep the whole circus together, right here in Portland/Vancouver, until mid-December at the earliest.
Also on the agenda is Amtrak-ing back to the Midwest to pick up the truck camper and make the run out here all over again. No decision on that one yet... and the TC will remain "on ice" in Wisconsin until we can work it in.
With the 160 (or so) miles today, we traveled 2176 miles in 6 days of driving. This is a record for us... a record we're not particularly proud of and wouldn't have done if it weren't for the potential for tough wintery weather along the way. We found a good weather"window" and slipped through it unscathed. Except for the wind, which we just dealt with the best we could, it was enjoyable, instructive, and... and... we're happy we're here.
They said it'd start clearing about 10am, so we lingered until we convinced ourselves that it may indeed be improving... and we were back on I-84 by a few minutes after 10am. About 20 miles later it clearly was starting to clear. Another 20 miles, just as we dropped down into the Columbia River Gorge, just as we wanted visibility to savor one of the great drives in the USA, the fog was gone. The rest of the way to Portland was clear and sunny... and "gorge"ous. Aided by low sun and long shadows we were entertained with scenic eye-candy until we reached Portland. The road through the Gorge, even though it's an Interstate Highway, is curvier than a swimsuit model and almost as delightful (except, some would argue, the Gorge ages better than a swimsuit model). I set the cruise at 50 and let those with places-to-be or those on commercial treadmills pass as they needed.
We discussed our options and decided to book a month at one of our regular RV parks in the area. Recall our situation: sometime in the next few months we'll have the opportunity to buy into an Escapee Coop Park, Timber Valley, here in Oregon. Because we're so close to the top of the list we have the right to rent a site there on a monthly basis until our spot comes up. This RV lot will eventually become our home base. We considered stopping here in Portland for just a week... for the closer access to family and re-connecting with the grandkids for a few days, and then moving the bushouse down to Timber Valley before Thanksgiving. But we're in no hurry so made the decision to keep the whole circus together, right here in Portland/Vancouver, until mid-December at the earliest.
Also on the agenda is Amtrak-ing back to the Midwest to pick up the truck camper and make the run out here all over again. No decision on that one yet... and the TC will remain "on ice" in Wisconsin until we can work it in.
With the 160 (or so) miles today, we traveled 2176 miles in 6 days of driving. This is a record for us... a record we're not particularly proud of and wouldn't have done if it weren't for the potential for tough wintery weather along the way. We found a good weather"window" and slipped through it unscathed. Except for the wind, which we just dealt with the best we could, it was enjoyable, instructive, and... and... we're happy we're here.
October 31 - Change in Plans
I've had a little more trouble sleeping these recent days... something I've rarely had trouble with before. Falling asleep usually isn't the problem. But if I awake during the night (a common occurrence, I'm told, with older folks) my mind starts grinding away at this or that... problems grow to monstrous and demonic proportions... and sleep becomes a destination that remains unattainable, over there, un-reachable. My suspicion is that our lifestyle change may be at the root of this. Bushouse... little truck camper... apartments here and there... moving stuff from here to there... planning to drive from Wisconsin to Washington through wintry weather... there's a lot going on. And a lot that still needs to work itself out.
Of course, when morning rolls around and a cup of coffee is poured into the hopper all these things fade into a proper reality. Those demons shrink back to gnat-size, and are barely remembered. Maybe I've been parked in one place too long.
And now our plans are changing again. Instead of leaving the bushouse here in Wisconsin and spending the winter bouncing between our kids guest rooms and the truck camper, we're now planning to move the bushouse out to Oregon... probably starting the trip next week. Once the motorhome is parked and secured, we'll fly back to Wisconsin and do the trip a second time with the truck camper... perhaps taking a different, more southerly (warmer) route. It's a repositioning of our resources to the Northwest.
In the long-run we know we'll settle in the Northwest. First, we really like that part of the country and all the recreational opportunities that exist. Second, it's where our kids (and grandkids) are. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, we lived in the Portland area for 8 years... which is why the kids both settled there. We found we liked the climate and considered the wetter and cloudier winter a fair tradeoff compared to the much colder and nearly as dreary winters of the Midwest. And speaking of tradeoffs... the long dry summers of the Northwest are among the best we've experienced anywhere. Location-wise, the NW is nicely positioned between the desert Southwest (which we love to explore during winter) and Alaska and the Canadian Rockies, an area we plan explore much closer in the future. There is no perfect place, but for us, the Pacific Northwest comes close.
What spurred this idea of moving the bushouse now? I discovered the other day that we're now number 7 on the waiting list at the SKP Coop Park in Sutherlin Oregon and it looks like we'll be able to grab a membership (and our own RV lot) sometime in the next few months. Because we're near the top of the list we can also rent on a monthly basis until that time. Having our own RV community home base provides options both now and in the future. While that future evolves... while we see if the truck camper is going to work for us... while we see if we like the RV coop thing... we can use the bushouse as our home. If it looks like something that will work we may trade the travel-ready bushouse for a more sedate trailer or fifth wheel... something we can leave more or less permanently in Sutherlin... and continue our explorations with the little camper. And while all this works itself out we're much closer to our kids and grandkids.
So next week will be a big deal for us. After almost 6 months we'll hit the road, head west, and into our future.
October 18 - The Truck Camper Story
But life marches on... we're not getting any younger... and the long-term prognosis for continued good health and relatively robust physical condition is NOT good. If one in our position harbors any inkling or desire to do something unconventional (even more unconventional than living in a bushouse for 6 years full time)... something that pushes the boundaries of good sense and the extremes of what gentile folk consider reasonable... well, you'd best be getting on with it before you can't. To hell with what others think.
What we desire in this evolved lifestyle is simplicity, freedom, and spontaneity. We want to spend less mental energy on the tools of our lifestyle and more on the experiences. We feel a need to be more organic with our travels... to live in the moment, the present, and meld the process of exploration with our location... where we happen to be.
I don't know if I'm making my thought clear. But in contrast I felt that in the last 6 years there was too much time spent on the past and the future... and not as much on the now. "Yesterday we moved the bushouse and parked it at the RV park. Today we're exploring. Tomorrow we plan to move again." That sort of thing. Too much planning and not enough living in the moment.
Well anyway, after a long process we settled on a TC, with a converted Sprinter class B high-top van in close second. We want something small and nimble. And we don't want to tow anything... no car, no trailer. I'll admit that this is still a work in process, and success is certainly not assured. But unless we try how will we know?
About a month ago we took deliver of our Northstar Arrow [ R.C. Willett Co. of Cedar Falls, Iowa.] It's a hard-side truck camper with a "wet bath" (shower and toilet in one space). It has an abundance of headroom (I'm over 6 feet), a full queen-sized bed (spend 8 hrs a day here... should be comfortable), a cook top, fresh water system including water heater, more storage space than we need, and relatively simple and accessible systems.
As with all things RV, there are compromises all around. In my idealistic dreams I craved a light-weight pop-top camper that would weigh a thousand pounds... one that could be loaded onto a half-ton pickup that can get reasonable fuel efficiency. But perhaps that would be too far out there. Would the flexible vinyl soft-sides of a pop-top camper be able to meet our need for warmth as we skirted the higher latitudes we think we'd like to explore during Winter? Would a pop-top feel too much like a tent? Could we manage living in it for a month or two at a time? Hmmm.
Thus we settled on a hard-side unit and a larger truck than the dream. And we'll all see together where this will go. Stay tuned.
That's my truck camper story and I'm sticking with it.
October 16 - The Bushouse Story
I've written about our thoughts on this matter before and won't bore the reader with a re-hash here... except to offer links to a few of those previous posts [here] and [here] and [here].
We still intend to travel and explore North America (we've really just scratched the surface of things to see and do) but we desire to do it differently... to find a way to more easily get off the beaten path, to be more spontaneous, and to maximize the time we spend in more rustic camping venues. After a lot of thought and consideration we decided to try a truck camper. I'll get into that in my next post... The Truck Camper Story.
Because our lifestyle for the past 6 years has been one of periods of travel alternating with periods of extended stays near family in either Wisconsin or Washington (for months at a crack), we felt it might make more sense to transition to a smaller travel rig and take advantage of the mini-apartments we have available to us when staying with family. And that might mean the bushouse becomes surplus... redundant... an unnecessary and expensive complication.
But hold on there pard'ner... not so fast.
The bushouse is our home. It has been for the past 6 years. And it still is today. It might be prudent to slow down just a tad.
We've toyed with selling it, timidly tried last month, but timing (few buyers of motorhomes in October in Wisconsin??), and our hearts (maybe we're being to hasty... maybe we still need some kind of home base??) combined to convince us that, at this point, we're going to back off on the selling idea, winterize it (for the first time ever) for a long Wisconsin winter, and re-visit the issue in the spring. If we find the smaller rig idea isn't going to work for us, having the bushouse still gives us options.
So what does all this mean for the ol' bushouse? Well, for the next few months, this Winter, while we're trying on our new camper for size, not much. It will sit here in Wisconsin for a few months of well-deserved rest. It'll be on ice... in mothballs... on it's own "sabbatical".
In the meantime, we'll be off traveling and exploring until next Summer with the truck camper.
That's the bushouse story and I'm stickin' with it. At least for now.
October 14 - I'm Back
Regular readers of this blog know that I've had periods in the past when writing has been a struggle. Without exception, those spells are associated with periods of time when we're sitting in one spot for a while. Probably because I don't have a clear purpose for the blog (is it a travelogue?.. a diary??... who really is the audience???) the words won't flow. I want to keep it interesting and fresh, but unlike some others in bloggerville who have no problem writing the same tiresome daily drivel... day after day after boring day, I just can't do it. I'm not a small talk kind of person. Think I'd rather give it up and close it down altogether if that's all I had to write about.
Anyway, here's our setting and current status: We're still in Beaver Dam Wisconsin, and probably will be until early November. We still have the bushouse and have decided to keep it here until next Spring/Summer. I'll go into that subject with a later post. Alongside the bushouse is our new Northstar truck camper, which is another story I'll cover in a post or two in the next few days. Our energies now are going into getting the bushouse prepared for a lonely cold Winter and getting the new camper ready for 5 or 6 months of travel. Most know how projects and tasks "bunch up" as deadlines near... and that's part of the urgency we're feeling right now as we scramble during the next two or three weeks to wrap everything up.
So bear with me as I get my writing muscle and fingers back to strength. Thank you for checking in.
Sept 2 - Sabbatical II Plans Coming Together
During the last year we've been on a quest to get started with the second chapter of our nomadic lifestyle. After talking to many folks along the way about smaller traveling rigs, and discussing our personal needs, wants, and exploring preferences, we narrowed it down to either a Sprinter-based class B van or a truck camper. I've written before about the strengths of each and the reasons we're downsizing so dramatically (here, here, and here) , so I won't repeat it. Let's just say we want to be comfortable, compact, nimble, and not tow anything.
We visited a Sportsmobile plant in Fresno California and saw Sprinter vans being turned into amazing class B travel rigs. We also visited a number of truck camper manufacturers and spent hours inside both pop-top and hardside models... to imagine living and functioning in so small a space. It was all instructive and we could have dragged out this process longer... but eventually we had to make a decision and pull the trigger. So in June we decided on a truck camper and proceeded down that path. While the Sprinter class B van was, and still is, very attractive to us, this decision hinged on price. The van would have cost much more than we were prepared to shell out.
A month of correspondence with Rex at Northstar ensued... back and forth... questions about this and that... answers... what ifs... and more. Rex tolerated us, at least it seemed that way (thanks Rex), until we finally firmed up an order and agreed on a price. The camper we ordered is a hardside unit and I'll talk more about it in a future post. If all goes well the camper should be ready about the middle of September.
Once the camper was on order we stepped up the pace of looking for a truck to mount it on. That process also took about a month while we deliberated about Ford or GM or Dodge, gas or diesel, capacities, and all that. End-of-model-year rebates made this a good time to buy a truck but the selection was somewhat limited... especially for the specific truck we were looking for. In late July we completed the deal for a Ford F-350 SRW (6.2L gas, short box, 4wd). We deliberated long and hard about the gas v. diesel decision but ended up going gas. For the trucks available that met our specs, a diesel would end up costing us almost $10k more. And while a diesel gets better fuel mileage, you can buy a lot of gas for $10k. I was also interested in keeping the cargo weight capacity as high as possible and the higher weight of a diesel engine cuts the load capacity by a few hundred pounds.
So that's where we're at. Have truck... waiting for camper... have motorhome on the market... getting our two mini-apartments ready for occupancy.. And we're both getting very excited to get it all put together and start traveling again.
We visited a Sportsmobile plant in Fresno California and saw Sprinter vans being turned into amazing class B travel rigs. We also visited a number of truck camper manufacturers and spent hours inside both pop-top and hardside models... to imagine living and functioning in so small a space. It was all instructive and we could have dragged out this process longer... but eventually we had to make a decision and pull the trigger. So in June we decided on a truck camper and proceeded down that path. While the Sprinter class B van was, and still is, very attractive to us, this decision hinged on price. The van would have cost much more than we were prepared to shell out.
A month of correspondence with Rex at Northstar ensued... back and forth... questions about this and that... answers... what ifs... and more. Rex tolerated us, at least it seemed that way (thanks Rex), until we finally firmed up an order and agreed on a price. The camper we ordered is a hardside unit and I'll talk more about it in a future post. If all goes well the camper should be ready about the middle of September.
Once the camper was on order we stepped up the pace of looking for a truck to mount it on. That process also took about a month while we deliberated about Ford or GM or Dodge, gas or diesel, capacities, and all that. End-of-model-year rebates made this a good time to buy a truck but the selection was somewhat limited... especially for the specific truck we were looking for. In late July we completed the deal for a Ford F-350 SRW (6.2L gas, short box, 4wd). We deliberated long and hard about the gas v. diesel decision but ended up going gas. For the trucks available that met our specs, a diesel would end up costing us almost $10k more. And while a diesel gets better fuel mileage, you can buy a lot of gas for $10k. I was also interested in keeping the cargo weight capacity as high as possible and the higher weight of a diesel engine cuts the load capacity by a few hundred pounds.
So that's where we're at. Have truck... waiting for camper... have motorhome on the market... getting our two mini-apartments ready for occupancy.. And we're both getting very excited to get it all put together and start traveling again.
May 7 - Why the Rush?
A few days ago I promised to say more about why we've hurried our pace and are making this mad dash back to the Midwest. At our current rate, after factoring in this short breather in Cheyenne and a couple stops we're planning in Nebraska and Iowa, it looks like we'll be back at our Wisconsin home base around the 16th or 17th... about two weeks after leaving the Northwest. The initial plan to take a month for this travel leg clearly went up in smoke.
So what happened? To put it simply and directly... we're anxious to get on with "Sabbatical II - The Great Downsizing". We've talked and deliberated, pondered and imagined, thought about this and thought about that... analysis paralysis, some would say. Enough already! It's time for action.
We have already taken a few steps toward that next chapter. Our space at our daughter and SIL's place (dubbed "the flat") is now set up and ready for our occasional occupancy. In Wisconsin one of Dar's first projects is to set up "the apartment" out at the farm house, which will serve as our occasional Wisconsin home base. Between the Midwest and the Northwest, and our involvement with family in each, we spend almost half our time. In another month or two, we'll have non-RV quarters in both locations.
During our long drives the past few days Sabbatical II has been a vigorous topic of conversation. We're not ready yet to say which small camper type we're choosing... only that it'll be really small and will surprise some folks. But let me say this... despite all the free advice out there (and some rather expensive advice :) as well) that purports to help people with making the leap to fulltiming -- there are more ways to be a traveler/explorer than dragging a giant overloaded RV around with you wherever you go. We've had six terrific and enjoyable years with the bus-house and we wouldn't trade those years for anything, even a sure-bet claim to a silver mine in the San Pedro Mountains of central Nevada. Our next chapter will be an evolution, not a revolution.
And on top of all that, we have our four parents, all in their 80's or 90's, that we try to help out in many ways during our time in Wisconsin. Whether it's home repairs, mowing or helping with yard work, or offering transportation services, we love assisting the ones that nurtured and raised us during another, way-back long-ago, chapter.
Without a doubt this summer will be a busy one in Wisconsin. We just want to get on with it.
So what happened? To put it simply and directly... we're anxious to get on with "Sabbatical II - The Great Downsizing". We've talked and deliberated, pondered and imagined, thought about this and thought about that... analysis paralysis, some would say. Enough already! It's time for action.
We have already taken a few steps toward that next chapter. Our space at our daughter and SIL's place (dubbed "the flat") is now set up and ready for our occasional occupancy. In Wisconsin one of Dar's first projects is to set up "the apartment" out at the farm house, which will serve as our occasional Wisconsin home base. Between the Midwest and the Northwest, and our involvement with family in each, we spend almost half our time. In another month or two, we'll have non-RV quarters in both locations.During our long drives the past few days Sabbatical II has been a vigorous topic of conversation. We're not ready yet to say which small camper type we're choosing... only that it'll be really small and will surprise some folks. But let me say this... despite all the free advice out there (and some rather expensive advice :) as well) that purports to help people with making the leap to fulltiming -- there are more ways to be a traveler/explorer than dragging a giant overloaded RV around with you wherever you go. We've had six terrific and enjoyable years with the bus-house and we wouldn't trade those years for anything, even a sure-bet claim to a silver mine in the San Pedro Mountains of central Nevada. Our next chapter will be an evolution, not a revolution.
And on top of all that, we have our four parents, all in their 80's or 90's, that we try to help out in many ways during our time in Wisconsin. Whether it's home repairs, mowing or helping with yard work, or offering transportation services, we love assisting the ones that nurtured and raised us during another, way-back long-ago, chapter.Without a doubt this summer will be a busy one in Wisconsin. We just want to get on with it.
May 2 - Good-bye Northwest... Heading East
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| We never tire of the drive through the Gorge |
When we set off this morning (about 10:30am local time) I had an easy 165 mile day planned. But it turned into a great day for travel, things were running smoothly, traffic was light and manageable, and we would have arrived at our original destination about 1:30pm... much earlier than felt right. So the decision was made to continue on. When, a couple hours later, we finally decided to throw out the anchor just outside La Grande Oregon we had covered 272 miles.
We're at Eagles Hot Lake RV Park, where we've stayed a couple different times in the past. Those past visits were for a few days each and we did some extensive exploring of the area. This time we're here for just this one night and will continue on tomorrow... probably chewing off another 200 plus miles before stopping somewhere between Boise and Pocotello Idaho.
Traveling conditions were positively ideal today. At times localized mountain winds played with the bus-house but nothing we haven't handled many times before. Full sun skies and warm temps made for easy driving most of the time.
We, Dar and I, had some good conversation during the day today and I think we've made some real progress on plans for Sabbatical II. But more on that at another time.
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| Horsing around with the Grandkids. |
Feb 27 - More Downsizing Details
nimble - moving quickly and lightly; sleek and agile...
1. Two mini home-bases, one each in Wisconsin and the State of Washington, the two places our family is located.
2. No towing anything. Towing fosters "hub and spoke" exploration. We want to explore in a linear fashion during Sabbatical II.
3. A small Camper... at this point we're focused on either a truck camper or a Sprinter van conversion camper. The RV will serve as both our living quarters and our exploration vehicle.
4. Keep it simple... keep complexity and clutter to an absolute minimum.
Let me expound further on each of the elements above:
1. The mini-homebase: First some background: During our last 6 years of RV fulltiming we've developed a pattern... alternating periods of sitting and traveling. Most of our family is in either Wisconsin or the State of Washington and we find ourselves staying in each of those for long periods... a month or two at a shot. Between those periods of sitting, we travel and explore... usually for a couple months at a time, but perhaps longer if, like this year, we don't sit in one place during our southern escape from Winter. In total, we sit for about 6 months and we travel for about 6 months each year.
So an idea evolved as we talked about the future. If we could re-engineer things so that during the times we're visiting family we had a space we could call home... a place to find a little solitude, to sleep, a refuge... a place to keep extra clothes and stuff needed only rarely... if we could make that happen, our need for a big RV diminishes rapidly. You might think of it as glorified guest room or a studio apartment. In any case, we'd consider it a mini-homebase (or tongue-in-cheek... a "mooch-dock"). But there wouldn't be much mooching as, like most work-campers, we'd trade our services, brains, and brawn for the place to stay.
Of course, with our situation we'd need two of them... one in Wisconsin and the other in Washington. Tentatively, we've got two spaces in mind and have already talked with the landlords. There's still some work to do putting this piece of the Sabbatical II puzzle together, but we're hopeful we'll have both mini-homebases ready by the end of the summer.
2. No Towing Allowed: For maximum nimbleness, we'd like to get away from towing anything. No trailer, no towed car, no utility trailer... no "toad" of any kind. The dictionary definition of nimble is moving quickly and lightly, which pretty much captures our thoughts on the matter. The part of our current lifestyle we really enjoy is the traveling and exploring... and our aim is to maximize that by traveling in a more linear fashion... exploring as we go and finding a campsite when we're tired at the end of the day. With the bus-house and our current system, we have to return to our starting point every night.
3. A Small Camper: Going hand in hand with my comments on towing, nimbleness will require a small camper. And once you take towing out of the equation, there are very few RVs to consider. What we're focused on in our search at this time are slide-in truck campers and class B van conversions based on the MB Sprinter van. What we like about truck campers is the go anywhere capability of the 4 wheel drive truck we'd put it on, the ability to separate the truck from the camper, and the full size queen size mattress we'd be sleeping on. On the Sprinter van side of the equation, we like the high fuel efficiency of the MB diesel (20mpg), the van's stealthiness (without splashy graphics and crazy paint jobs, it doesn't look like a camper), and the all-in-one, motorhome nature, of the van (no need to go outside to start driving). Like almost everything in RVing and the nomadic lifestyle, it's all a series of compromises.
4. Keep it Simple: Small is beautiful in other ways too. We want our next camper to be simple and uncomplicated. No slide-outs, easy to access systems, a 12v compressor fridge so being level isn't as important and no leveling system is needed, and no air conditioner. Instead of a generator, even a portable ultra-quiet Honda, we'll opt for a larger solar PV array coupled with a couple hefty deep cycle batteries... enough to power our simple needs and the 12v compressor fridge too.
As long as we can touch home-base every once in a while, we think we can live for extended periods of time in a very small camper. Remember those folks who live out of their backpacks for long periods of time while seeing the world? I think we'll be a little more comfortable than that. And if we really need a break from the camper during a longer excursion we can always check into a motel for a night or two.
We have a wonderful collection of friends, acquaintances, and adventure travelers who are already living like this. They've proven to us it can be done... that it is being done. And they're having a great time living another version of the nomadic RV lifestyle.
I think we'll join them.
Feb 17 - Living Small... a Follow-Up
When it comes to selecting an RV most people start with "big" in mind. What's the largest rig we can afford? We did. But we found that much of the need for space isn't for us or the demands of our travel style... it had more to do with our assumptions about what we needed to live full-time... what other people told us we'd needed... and, well, we've got the space... let's fill 'er up. Other reasons for going BIG might include hobbies, toys, pets, a large waistline, the unstated assumption that bigger is better, and, perhaps, the All-American need to one-up the neighbors... or some combination of all those. You might feel good about why you went big, but I doubt it has anything to do with what works best while traveling and exploring.
If the goal is to take as much of your suburban life along with you when you go camping, and you tend to sit for long periods of time, then go ahead and get as much RV as you can afford. I mean... be happy. You're not hurting anyone.
But if the goal is to explore, to nose around the countryside, to wander, to see, to learn, I think it'll be obvious to most folks with those simpler interests to see the beauty in going small and living simply.. with less.
What's the paradigm you started with.... the big trophy 3000 sq. ft. house that many of us have lived in for long periods of time??... or... the backpack that many have lived out of for long periods of time while traversing the Appalachian Trail or traveling throughout Europe??
In other words, in thinking about life on the road do you start with that big house and try to figure out what you've got to whittle-down and leave out in order to make it all fit into an RV? Or do you start with the backpacker or the one suitcase lean-mode world traveler and try to figure out what few things you can add to make life a little easier or more rewarding?
In thinking and planning for Sabbatical II (the next chapter of our travels) we're focused on keeping things small and simple.
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