One of the chillier nights we've had in our motor home while boondocking! Denver set records for their overnight low temperature, and we had cold temps in the mountains too. Isn't it June? But having seen it snow on the 4th of July I guess we don't have any reason to question the weather.
The frost provides an intense view of the frozen grasses reflecting the morning sunlight in diamond-like sparkles from the entire color spectrum. Sights like this make me glad we have a dog that needs to go out bright and early! The coyotes are complaining loudly about the cold too, and they're not too far away!
Thank goodness we have an extra heavy quilt to add to the bed or it wouldn't be as much fun to be at 9,400 feet! The sun is out now and it's a lovely day with 64 degrees, the cold snap is over and we are on a warming trend through the weekend.
RV Camping Home
Friday, June 8, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
RV Camping's current home address.....
Our Campsite - Pike National Forest - Colorado
Over the past 5 years we have had some million dollar views for the price of our tax dollars. We've lived in places that we could NEVER have touched even on our previous salaries! Nor would we have wanted to stay there long term, but the short term worked perfect for us!For example...
- Uncompagre National Forest Ouray, CO
- Mammoth Lakes, CA
- The Canadian Rockies
- Sawtooth NRA in Idaho
- North of Jackson Hole with a spectacular view of the Tetons
just to name a few!
RV Camping Home
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
RV Camping goes to the mountains!
After our two weeks out on the plains of southeastern Colorado, yesterday was moving day! We always say we're going to get an early start, but by the time we: Did Laundry, Bought some donuts at Daylight Donuts (they are REALLY the best!) Dumped and filled our rv tanks, Got Gold, er, I mean Diesel, and did some grocery shopping it was 11:00 am!
Our drive was uneventful, and we are always thankful for that! We found a road that neither of us had been on before so we were in a little bit of an explore mode. It was also the most direct route to our new campsite, and it afforded some awesome views of the high Rockies to the west! We are sharing the National Forest with only one other travel trailer that we've seen.
We had a spectacular thundershower and the rain lulled us to sleep. Such a different environment than where we came from--here the wildflowers are just beginning with the indian paintbrush barely breaking through the soil and the Columbine clusters are only a couple inches tall. The smell of the pine trees is strong and the aspens are leafing out. Temperatures are cooler too, with 39 degrees last night and the possibility of snow tonight....we'll see what tomorrow brings!
Our drive was uneventful, and we are always thankful for that! We found a road that neither of us had been on before so we were in a little bit of an explore mode. It was also the most direct route to our new campsite, and it afforded some awesome views of the high Rockies to the west! We are sharing the National Forest with only one other travel trailer that we've seen.
We had a spectacular thundershower and the rain lulled us to sleep. Such a different environment than where we came from--here the wildflowers are just beginning with the indian paintbrush barely breaking through the soil and the Columbine clusters are only a couple inches tall. The smell of the pine trees is strong and the aspens are leafing out. Temperatures are cooler too, with 39 degrees last night and the possibility of snow tonight....we'll see what tomorrow brings!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Full Time RV-ing--Not for everyone.....
But absolutely for us!
As I sit listening to the meadowlarks and other song birds serenading us out on the prairie, and watch the winds sway the tall grasses to an unspoken melody, I know that we made the right decision to go full-time! How else could we have the time to fully enjoy the splendid scenery and history that is our United States?
In our 40+ hour work week lives, we didn't have more than a few weeks vacation and it was never enough! We'd be back to Monday and the grind again before we knew it!
We've been married for 15 years, have spent the past 4 plus years together 24/7 in our rig. This life style isn't for everybody, but there is a growing percentage of Americans that have decided to trade "time" for the "things & stuff" of "normal" day to day existence. Off the grid, but not out of the loop.
With our satellite internet, solar panels, inverter and some sunshine we are as connected as we want to be with the outside world. And the natural world is just outside my window!
RV Camping Home
As I sit listening to the meadowlarks and other song birds serenading us out on the prairie, and watch the winds sway the tall grasses to an unspoken melody, I know that we made the right decision to go full-time! How else could we have the time to fully enjoy the splendid scenery and history that is our United States?
In our 40+ hour work week lives, we didn't have more than a few weeks vacation and it was never enough! We'd be back to Monday and the grind again before we knew it!
We've been married for 15 years, have spent the past 4 plus years together 24/7 in our rig. This life style isn't for everybody, but there is a growing percentage of Americans that have decided to trade "time" for the "things & stuff" of "normal" day to day existence. Off the grid, but not out of the loop.
With our satellite internet, solar panels, inverter and some sunshine we are as connected as we want to be with the outside world. And the natural world is just outside my window!
RV Camping Home
Thursday, May 31, 2007
RV Camping over Memorial Day Weekend!
Ahhhh, Memorial Weekend! The "traditional" beginning of summer.....pools are opening, people are digging out the fishing tackle, and shaking out the camping equipment.
Most people decide it's a good weekend to "head for the hills" here in Colorado. For many of them, this may be the first and only weekend they camp all year!!! May seems just a bit too early for camping in the high country and this past weekend was no exception with snow levels around 7500 feet.
We opted for the lower elevation start to the summer in the Comanche National Grasslands in Southeastern Colorado, near La Junta. We were with family and friends that had been planning this trip since January, so we were all ready for a fun few days together out on the prairie. The wildflowers are as beautiful as you'll ever see with all the snow on the eastern plains this past winter.
Lots of awesome food and fellowship, campfires and laughs, a trip into Pinon Canyon to see the largest dinosaur track site in North America, and a tour of Bents Old Fort turned our 3 days into a really good time for all of us! We had a blast!!
Did we mention rattlesnakes? Yes, the prairie rattlers are out, and I got to see my brother do a real live impromptu snake dance that would have made Dancing with the Stars proud!
Comanche National Grassland Travelog
RV Camping Home
Most people decide it's a good weekend to "head for the hills" here in Colorado. For many of them, this may be the first and only weekend they camp all year!!! May seems just a bit too early for camping in the high country and this past weekend was no exception with snow levels around 7500 feet.
We opted for the lower elevation start to the summer in the Comanche National Grasslands in Southeastern Colorado, near La Junta. We were with family and friends that had been planning this trip since January, so we were all ready for a fun few days together out on the prairie. The wildflowers are as beautiful as you'll ever see with all the snow on the eastern plains this past winter.
Lots of awesome food and fellowship, campfires and laughs, a trip into Pinon Canyon to see the largest dinosaur track site in North America, and a tour of Bents Old Fort turned our 3 days into a really good time for all of us! We had a blast!!
Did we mention rattlesnakes? Yes, the prairie rattlers are out, and I got to see my brother do a real live impromptu snake dance that would have made Dancing with the Stars proud!
Comanche National Grassland Travelog
RV Camping Home
Friday, May 25, 2007
RV Camping - Boondocking Location Access
We boondock almost continually, so we feel pretty experienced when it comes to finding good places to camp. You must keep in mind that our boondocking rig is a 36' class A diesel pusher motor home, so good boondocking location access is a constant issue for us. There are people that would argue that what we use for boondocking is too big, but since we also live full time in our RV, we actually think we have the perfect rig.
Access issues for us include overhanging trees and rocks, road width and strength of road and campsite surface. Strength of road surface will vary from place to place. In Arizona, a section of old Route 66 is open to vehicle traffic, and the rough broken asphalt looks inviting to us. Beware of places like this because the old water overpasses may not be safe for your vehicle's weight! A tow truck would have a devil of a time extracting your RV if the bridge broke.
Forest Service roads are often quite well maintained, but beware of narrow sections in turns where water may have eroded the edge of the road. Many an RV has become trapped in a washout or have slipped off the road entirely in such places.
Currently, we're camped 8 miles up a gravel road. When we came in, the road was dry and smooth. The night after we set up camp, we got almost 2" of rain. We took the Jeep for a drive on these rain soaked roads, and I can assure you that trying to access this area during wet weather would be impossible with a large RV. We've now had a couple days of dry and the road is back to its smooth hard surface.
We think knowledge of weather is almost as important as where we camp because is will impact our ability to enter or leave and area. We don't head into unfamiliar areas with the motor home, and explore first with our Jeep. We seldom have a problem finding great boondocking locations accessible with our rather large RV.
RV Camping Home
Access issues for us include overhanging trees and rocks, road width and strength of road and campsite surface. Strength of road surface will vary from place to place. In Arizona, a section of old Route 66 is open to vehicle traffic, and the rough broken asphalt looks inviting to us. Beware of places like this because the old water overpasses may not be safe for your vehicle's weight! A tow truck would have a devil of a time extracting your RV if the bridge broke.
Forest Service roads are often quite well maintained, but beware of narrow sections in turns where water may have eroded the edge of the road. Many an RV has become trapped in a washout or have slipped off the road entirely in such places.
Currently, we're camped 8 miles up a gravel road. When we came in, the road was dry and smooth. The night after we set up camp, we got almost 2" of rain. We took the Jeep for a drive on these rain soaked roads, and I can assure you that trying to access this area during wet weather would be impossible with a large RV. We've now had a couple days of dry and the road is back to its smooth hard surface.
We think knowledge of weather is almost as important as where we camp because is will impact our ability to enter or leave and area. We don't head into unfamiliar areas with the motor home, and explore first with our Jeep. We seldom have a problem finding great boondocking locations accessible with our rather large RV.
RV Camping Home
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
RV Road Service
We're sitting on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and not moving until we get the major diesel fuel leak repaired, or a huge tow truck arrives.
The Story...
We stopped for lunch, started walking the dog, and while the inter-cooled diesel was idling and cooling down from highway speed cruising, we saw fluid leaking from the back of the motor home. A glance at our towed Jeep found diesel covering its front end, so we stopped the engine, had lunch, and investigated the source of the leak.
Brian quickly discovered a bolt, or plug of some type had "disappeared" from the fuel distribution block causing our serious leak. We're lucky to have a good physical breakdown location as we're well off the road, only problem is no cell phone service.
We set up our Datastorm Internet antenna and looked for auto parts in the nearest town (25 miles). Since it's late in the day, we decide to spend the night along this quiet state highway, and take the Jeep into town in the morning for parts since it looks like an easy repair. Auto parts guy was helpful, and away I go with what I think I need. Get to motor home, only to find out that finding the correct plug to go into the fuel block is going to be a problem. What I bought doesn't fit!
Back into town and call our road service Coach-Net.com. At first they want to tow our motor home about 75 miles which we don't want. They tell us if we can find a mobile repair closer than 75 miles, they will pay service charge and we will be responsible for parts and labor.
We asked the auto parts guy about a local mobile repair and was referred to a local shop. By this time, it's late in the day, but we are able to arrange for next morning repair with our road service and the mobile repair company. The reason I don't give these guys a plug is that they don't do much mobile repair, and they don't want to be considered a mobile repair company. We were lucky that we went into town and inquired, otherwise a phone call would have been turned down.
Repair guy showed up, and we're on our way. Coach-Net covered the service call charge, and we paid for a simple repair. This is only our most recent experience with Coach-Net. In the last 4 years, we've need them for 2 flat tires, and one other mobile service call. "Two Thumbs Up!"
RV Camping Home
The Story...
We stopped for lunch, started walking the dog, and while the inter-cooled diesel was idling and cooling down from highway speed cruising, we saw fluid leaking from the back of the motor home. A glance at our towed Jeep found diesel covering its front end, so we stopped the engine, had lunch, and investigated the source of the leak.
Brian quickly discovered a bolt, or plug of some type had "disappeared" from the fuel distribution block causing our serious leak. We're lucky to have a good physical breakdown location as we're well off the road, only problem is no cell phone service.
We set up our Datastorm Internet antenna and looked for auto parts in the nearest town (25 miles). Since it's late in the day, we decide to spend the night along this quiet state highway, and take the Jeep into town in the morning for parts since it looks like an easy repair. Auto parts guy was helpful, and away I go with what I think I need. Get to motor home, only to find out that finding the correct plug to go into the fuel block is going to be a problem. What I bought doesn't fit!
Back into town and call our road service Coach-Net.com. At first they want to tow our motor home about 75 miles which we don't want. They tell us if we can find a mobile repair closer than 75 miles, they will pay service charge and we will be responsible for parts and labor.
We asked the auto parts guy about a local mobile repair and was referred to a local shop. By this time, it's late in the day, but we are able to arrange for next morning repair with our road service and the mobile repair company. The reason I don't give these guys a plug is that they don't do much mobile repair, and they don't want to be considered a mobile repair company. We were lucky that we went into town and inquired, otherwise a phone call would have been turned down.
Repair guy showed up, and we're on our way. Coach-Net covered the service call charge, and we paid for a simple repair. This is only our most recent experience with Coach-Net. In the last 4 years, we've need them for 2 flat tires, and one other mobile service call. "Two Thumbs Up!"
RV Camping Home
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