Home Again – Home Again

On June 8, 2017June 7, 2017 By LToddIn RV Maintenance, RV Modifications, RV Travel4 Comments

Jon here, taking over blogging duties this week for an episode on RV maintenance and upgrades.

All about Tires

Having researched the RV forums for months, I found that the frequency of separation of the original Trailer King ST225/75R-15 8 Ply tires was so great that they had earned the nickname “China Bombs.” I had planned to replace our trailer tires after our winter 2017 trip. We came up short of home by 500 miles when, as noted in the last post, one of the tires separated and damaged the trailer.

After two weeks, we picked up the trailer from Sky River RV where they repaired the damage and drove immediately to the closest Discount Tire store in Paso Robles to replace the five tires, including the spare. We didn’t want to chance another tire blowing out before we got the rig home.

I found the Carlisle brand received great reviews on the forums. So we went with the Carlisle Radial Trail HD ST225/75R15 10 Ply (instead of the 8 ply) for an increased load rating and peace of mind.

General Cleaning and Maintenance

After putting about 4500 miles on the trailer, it was time for some much-needed cleaning and maintenance. The first thing we do is tag-team the cleaning of the trailer interior. I clean the toilet, sinks, and the refrigerator. Linda vacuums, dusts, and wipes down the cabinetry. Then I come in and scrub the floors with the Swiffer wet jet. Next is the exterior. Linda climbs the ladder to scrub the roof and inspect all the seals. When she finds subpar seals, I fetch the Dicor self-leveling sealing caulk made especially for RV rubber roofs to make the necessary repairs. Once done, I wash the back, sides, and of course the bug encrusted front of the fifth-wheel as well as the awning.

Running Lights

The next thing on the list is to repair anything that had become inoperable. One item had driven me crazy. Whenever we hook up the trailer to the truck, we always operate the lights so that the running lights illuminate. For no apparent reason, the running lights quit. I found that a 15-amp fuse on the truck’s fuse panel had blown. I replaced the fuse and the lights worked…for about a minute. Realizing there must be a short somewhere in the running lights circuit, I left the blown fuse in and didn’t worry about the running lights. Whatever the cause, it did not affect any other lights on the trailer and I could figure it out once we got home.

I got lucky. Another round of research revealed the blown fuse was a common problem on many Cougar fifth wheels. The wire that connects the right front side marker light with the left front side marker light runs under the fiberglass skin and on top of a metal cross brace. Apparently, the wire over time smashes against the metal cross brace when the trailer is hooked to the truck, causing a short when the wire’s insulation wears through. The wire was so smashed I couldn’t pull it out. The fix was to run a new wire through the front storage and abandon the old wire. That fixed it! Ray Burr of www.loveyourrv.com figured this out. Ray has a Cougar 5th Wheel trailer too and he experienced the exact same problem. Thanks Ray!

Solar Power

With the coming camping season nearly upon us, I decided to research solar panels for the trailer with the goal to provide enough juice to charge the batteries when camping without electrical hookups. I found a complete solar panel kit that looked like it would be a good fit for the Cougar.

Renogy 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panels

Last year I had upgraded our single 12-volt deep cycle battery that was good for about 80 amp hours to two 6 volt deep-cycle golf cart batteries. The two 6-volt batteries wired in series gives 12 volts but supplies 230 amp hours.

With the bigger battery bank already installed, I was setup to install the solar panels. I ordered through Amazon the Renogy kit that included two 100-watt monocrystalline solar panels, one charge controller, all the wires for connecting everything together, plus all the mounting hardware.

Renogy Wanderer Solar Charge Controller With Fuses and Panels Shut Off Switch

I was concerned about drilling holes for the mounting brackets in the roof of the trailer but after consulting various forums and videos, I felt confident I could do the work without causing any leaks. I created a short video of my install of the system here: YouTube Video.

I also replaced the sewer plumbing vent while completing the installation. We’ve not had problems with smells but thought I’d give the Camco Cyclone vent a try.

Camco Cyclone Sewer Plumbing Vent Rotates 360 Degrees With the Wind

Suspension Upgrade

The final chore before our next trip was a suspension upgrade. When I learned the trailer suspensions supplied to the trailer manufacturers do not allow for greasing the shackles on the leaf springs, I was appalled. Even worse, the thicknesses of the shackles are subpar and the bushings used are made of some type of plastic. Bottom line is these items wear out in as little as 10,000 miles and we were near that range. The fix is to install a heavy-duty shackle upgrade kit by MorRyde. For more information, go here: MorRyde Shackle Upgrade Kit.

This job requires lifting the trailer and removing the wheels (one side at a time) so the suspension can be disassembled and reassembled. I just don’t have enough space beside our house to safely attempt this job. So we made an appointment six weeks ago at Happy Daze RV in Livermore, California and the work is being done as I write this.

With new tires, a clean trailer, working running lights, a new solar system, and a safer suspension, it looks like we are ready to pack up and hit the road for our summer 2017 adventure. As soon as Happy Daze calls to say the work is completed, of course.

Blogger Recognition Award – Time to Celebrate

On June 1, 2017May 31, 2017 By LToddIn Travel12 Comments

BloggerRecognitionAward

How lucky are we? Jon and I are honored that Kathy Knull nominated us for the Blogger Recognition Award. What is the Blogger Recognition Award?

Here are the rules

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
Write a post to show your award
Give a brief story of how your blog started
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
Select 10 – 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

The Thanks

Many thanks go out to Kathy Knull for nominating us. You’ll find her at Saddles to Shorelines and Life as it Comes where she writes about horses, cottage life, family, friendships, writing, and reading. Visit her site to learn more about Kathy.

Brief Story

The Traveling Todds blends our love of roaming the highways and byways, with my love of writing and photography. The need to keep our family and friends informed of our adventures is the reason we started the blog. In the process, I hope the posts entice readers to visit the wonderful places we have enjoyed along the way. Stay tuned for our next adventure due to start in the next couple weeks.

New Blogger Advice

I’m hardly an expert on blogging, but here are a few things I keep in mind:

Pick a focus, theme, or one of your passions to write about.
Produce original content.

bonus tip

Participate in the community by reading and commenting on other blogs that are similar to yours or that you would like to emulate.

My Nominations

I nominate the following blogs because I enjoy their writing, photography, and or their outlook on life. Most of them have been blogging for way longer than I have and may have received the Blogger Recognition Award before. Visit their sites and introduce yourselves. They’ll be glad you stopped by.

2 Hearts and 2 Wheels – Traveling blog

Just Joan 42 – Poetry and stories about life, the universe, and everything

ExploRVistas – Full-time RVers making their way through the states

Carryon Couple – Living life with less baggage

Yeah, Another Blogger – An arts-filled and tasty jaunt through life

Ewritessite—Eloise Hamann – Science news stranger than science fiction

Time to Write Now.com – About writing plus

Lani Longshore’s Blog – Mastering the world, one stack at a time

1dragonwriter by Jordan Bernal – Writer and lover of dragons

Beatravelling – It’s the traveler who’s foreign

Accessible Travel Blog by Judy Lussie – Traveling with limited mobility

Jon and I send out big thanks to all of you who read our blog, click the like button, and leave comments.

Safe travels

Pechanga, Yucaipa CA Then Home

On May 25, 2017May 22, 2017 By LToddIn California, Photography, RV Travel, States, Travel6 Comments

After nine weeks on the road, you would think our routine for leaving a campsite would be ingrained. Rarely do we forget anything. I wash dishes, breakdown the table, secure the contents of the refrigerator and cabinets, stow the laptop, latch the bathroom and shower doors, close any open vents or windows, and then double and triple check to make sure I didn’t miss something. JT dumps the holding tanks, cleans the toilet, stows the camp stove and table, folds up the outdoor mat, raises the stabilizer jacks, and coils up the electrical cord and water hoses.

Usually, Jon fills the black tank full of clean water and flushes three or four times to clean it out. He runs in and out of the trailer twenty times or more checking to see if the tank filled enough to flush out the yuck in the black tank. This was not the case when we prepared to leave San Diego. He hadn’t been around for what seemed like fifteen minutes. Then I heard water running, a whole lot of water, spilling over the toilet edge, in a waterfall, onto the floor, into the heater vent, under the sink cabinet, and seeping into the bedroom carpet. “Flood, flood. Where are you?”

JT rushed to turn off the water and open the dump valve while I flung towels on the floor. Instead of leaving by our noon checkout time, I sat in the laundromat watching towels go round and round in the dryer. It was bad enough cleaning up a flood because the trailer had a leak, but to cause a flood. Grrrr! Good thing our faux pas occurred on the fourth flush of the tank and not the first.

We hit the road about 1:30 p.m., just enough time to make it to Yucaipa before they closed. Barely thirty miles out of San Diego on Interstate 15, we heard a noise that sounded like we ran over something, except the trailer didn’t buck the truck like it does when hitting a pothole or going over speed bumps. Did the spare tire fall off the back of the trailer? Jon put on the flashers and pulled the rig over. The spare was in place. Everything seemed okay and then we noticed the treadless tire on the rear passenger-side of the trailer and the section behind the wheel to the bumper that had curled up on itself. Five tire failures in one year. What were the odds?

We limped into the nearest town, Escondido, and found a parking lot at a Mexican restaurant where Jon could change the tire. After lunch at the restaurant, we drove to the nearest Discount Tire Co. store to ensure the spare and the rest of the tires had sufficient air.

Too late to make it to Yucaipa, we stopped at Pechanga Casino and RV Resort for the night. I had heard casino RV spots were reasonably priced so I didn’t expect the $50 rate for a pull-through deluxe site. Then again, the sites were nice. They offered plenty of amenities such as a pool, clean bathrooms, and a shuttle to the casino, if one was inclined to flip their pockets inside out and donate their cash to the reservation.

Journey’s Inn was a perfect place for breakfast the next morning, a reward for our troubles of the day before. The rock covered walls, large windows overlooking the golf course, and the hills in the background, along with a tasty breakfast, soothed our worries away.

Pechanga is in the middle of a $285 million expansion which will include an additional 568 rooms, a 70,000 square foot spa, convention space, pool complex, and two new food and beverage outlets. The completion of the expansion is expected by the end of 2017.

We continued on to Yucaipa Regional Park, arriving by 11:00 a.m., which allowed us time to have our pick of spots. A friend Jon has known since grade school came for dinner and they enjoyed sitting at the picnic table and catching up on their lives.

Jon with Ed Simpson. The bearded ones look like they coordinated outfits.

The next day, my friend and her husband picked us up for lunch, and a drive to the Oak Glen Preserve and Southern California Montane Botanic Garden, a Wildlands Conservancy. We followed the trail around the garden grounds and rested at the Discovery Center. The following photos were taken during a previous visit to the preserve during the fall.

IMG_7111-2 — Entrance to The Wildlands Conservancy Southern California Montane Botanic Garden

IMG_7121-2 — Historic Farming Equipment is Displayed Along the Loop Trail

IMG_7137-2 — Aquatic Feature Includes This Creek and a Pond

Wouldn’t it be nice if every picture taken turned out perfect? This is definitely not the case for me. Where the heck did that water bottle come from and why do Jon and I look like we’re sitting on kindergarten chairs? One of these days, I’ll remember to check the foreground and background for distracting objects, and the placement of people.

On Friday, March 17, 2017, we headed for Sky River RV in Paso Robles so they could repair the damage from the tire failure. Loaded up with what trailer contents would fit in the truck, we drove home with memories of all we had seen swirling in our heads and sadness in our hearts that our Winter 2017 trip had ended.

The Statistics:

Number of Nights – 65
Total Miles Driven – 7,285
Miles Pulling Fifth Wheel – 4,596
Diesel Fuel – 583 Gallons
RV Parks/Campgrounds – 22
States – 4

Until next time, safe travels.

San Diego CA

On May 18, 2017May 17, 2017 By LToddIn California, Photography, RV Travel, States, Travel9 Comments

Tuesday, March 6, 2017, and time to head toward home. But first, San Diego beckoned us to stay a few days. We try to make it to San Diego a couple times a year to visit with our son Kevin, breath in the sea air, and soak up the rays. Campland by the Bay is our favorite place to park the rig.

I must have been exhausted because I was content to hang around the campsite for three days. Kayaks, bicycles, and paddleboards available to rent at the marina and even my camera could not entice me to stray too far.

We finally ventured beyond the confines of the resort to walk along the Mission Bay path on Friday. Sadness overcame me when we walked past the abandoned mobile home park across Rose Creek from the Campland RV park. The city kicked out the residents and is planning the future of the property and surrounding area.

Abandoned Mobile Homes

We’re glad to know the city has spared Campland by the Bay from the same fate for at least three years. The city extended the campground’s lease, due to expire during 2017, for at least three years and possibly up to five, while the city receives feedback on options and contemplates its final decision.

Known for its gastropubs and breweries, it made sense for San Diego to host the Best Coast Brew Fest, which benefits Cancer for College. Our son invited us to the event on Saturday, March 11. With our little plastic mug in hand, we lined up at Mission Brewery’s tap truck for a taste of the dark lager.

After samplings from a few more of the 50 breweries represented at the fest, we moseyed on over to the food trucks. Two for the Road served up tasty lobster rolls and salmon burgers. We considered ourselves lucky to find a park bench to serve as our dining table and chowed down while Saved by the 90s played in the background.

Kevin’s sunglasses reflects the festival scene.

Kevin’s girlfriend, Bailey Bishop, models the latest fashion trend in jewelry for the beer fest crowd. Munch on a pretzel while standing in line for the next taste.

As the day progressed, the lines grew longer. With blue skies and warm weather, no one really cared. They visited with their friends and sipped their tasties.

Embarcadero Park, Venue for Best Coast Beer Coast

A couple takes time out to enjoy the view and watch the low tide.

San Diego is a casual city, and on warm days residents and visitors alike don shorts and T-shirts, with sandals or tennis shoes. A red polka dot dress and pair of stilettos screaming, “Take my picture,” caught my eye and the lady in red agreed.

Uber and Lyft drivers picked up some extra coin by driving inebriated beer fest attendees to their next destination. I was so glad to exit our Uber driver’s car after a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Beer Fest Attendees Catching an Uber or Lyft Ride

The Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park sounded like fun. We stood in line to pay our fee then crowded in with everyone else to view the pink blooms. Dodging running children, strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs on the narrow dirt paths became a challenge. The Festival was not the time to expect a serene stroll among the flowers and trees. Discouraged by the long lines at the food counters, we left to eat lunch in the courtyard of Panama 66, the restaurant next to the San Diego Museum of Art.

Later we walked along the street between the buildings toward the Fleet Science Center watching street buskers on the way. The performers are usually legit: musicians, jugglers, caricature artists, mimes, and magicians. This is the first time I found a group suspect.

Somehow I had never before managed to take a picture of this statue in front of the House of Charm.

A large crowd had already gathered when we arrived. Three of the young men collected money from the circle of people while another promised an exciting stunt involving the five people selected from the crowd and standing in the open circle. Ten minutes later, the action began. The five people bent their backs, and the announcer took a spot several yards away. He ran toward the five people and performed a flip over their backs, and that was it. End of the show.

Although the trick was cool, the man who dropped twenty bucks in the hat expressed his displeasure of seeing only one stunt after the leader of the gang goaded him for fifteen minutes. Many people walked away shaking their heads and possibly feeling duped. Fortunately, we were not among them.

The magician at the other end of the street who passed a hat at the end of his show, however, was worthy of our money.

We ended the day at The Headquarters at Seaport Village. While waiting for our table at Puesto (great place for tacos) we wandered in and out of the stores, took pictures with the balloon art, and visited the San Diego Police Headquarters museum.

Jon’s Long Lost Aunt? Alas, No Jackie Todds in the Family Tree.

The Fog Rolled in at Sundown Turning the Sky Gray.

It was now Monday, moving day again. We wanted to spend a few days in the Anza Borrego Desert. With no reservations, we were out of luck. It didn’t make sense to go for only one night, so we headed up Interstate 15 toward Yucaipa Regional Park to visit with a couple of friends.

Safe Travels!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: