HelensandBillstravelblog.blogspot.com

 So, this is Bill... 

A few years ago, Helen and I decided to get an RV and go RVing.

This blog is our attempt to share our adventures (and probable misadventures) with anyone bored enough to read it.

As you will likely notice, the first several - or more - entries will be rough, but hopefully, over time they'll get better.

Here goes...

Prosser Family Campground near Truckee, CA site #3

Helen is on the left.

9/11/2024

Our initial plan was to leave in April of 2024 on a two month "shake-down" RV trip to see if we could stand the RV life and each other for that relatively short period of time before we rent out the house and leave for a year-long trip around North America.

Today is September 11, 2024... so there were a few delays.

BUT THAT'S OK! BETTER LATE THAN NEVER (I hope).

So our revised plan was to leave Monday the 9th... but that turned into Tuesday the 10th.

The term Fits and Starts comes to mind as I write this...

We were on the road by 7:55 and went 5 feet.

The trailer tire pressure alarm went off ...so we had our first travel delay of the morning.

I got out the tire pump, hooked it up to the truck battery for power and stretched the air house back to the trailer tires...it was 5 feet too short...

So Helen backed out our other car and I used that battery to power the pump.

That's a bit of a process as each tire has a pressure sender that needs to be unscrewed from the valve stem, and that involves at least two tools and there are 4 tires...

Ok, 30 minutes later about 8:30, WE'RE ON THE ROAD... FINALLY!!! Yaaaaa-HOOO!

5 minutes later Katie calls...she's stalking us on her phone and wants to know why we're only 5 minutes from home when Helen had texted her 35 minutes ago that we were on the road... well, tire pressure yada yada yada...then she asks if anyone will be driving our other car while we're gone. I said that's a good idea. I saw that mom had left her keys in her desk drawer... "no I didn't" says Helen...

Back to the house to drop off keys... and while I'm waiting to get back to the truck, the low tire pressure alarm goes off on the truck...

Out comes the air pump, and the truck tires get filled.

I didn't really want to take the time to fill them, but I knew that it's a bad idea to start cutting corners - especially with issues of safety... so the tires got filled.

Ok, now it's 9:15...but     WE'RE ON THE ROAD...FINALLY!!! Yaaaa-HOOOO!

 Heading to the Cat Scales in Oakland 

(it's important to know the capacity of your trailer and your tow vehicle. getting both weighed at the Cat Scales can tell you this. You drive onto the scale... there's three of them - one for the front or steer wheels, one for the back or drive wheels, and another to weigh the trailer. We also unhooked the trailer and got the tongue weight - the amount of weight going on to the truck hitch. All this is important to know so that the trailer doesn't start fishtailing as you're going down the highway. It can get so bad that the trailer can flip and that then flips the truck..)

So, ya gotta take the time to get all this info.

As we're leaving the parking lot by the Cat Scales, a big rig pulls in front us and then about 10' past. He's in the road and is just sitting there. I'm not sure what he's doing but he looks to be just sitting there... so I pull out... all the while watching this truck... 

We pull out so the trailer is now behind him and he starts backing up!!!

My Spidey sense had me watching him closely - so I laid on the horn... for a bit longer than necessary... and he slammed on his brakes about 5' from our trailer.

Thankfully, that was the last excitement of the day. We had lunch in Dixon and then on to Nevada City to spend the night with Helen's bestie, Lisa Fraser.

Besties & Bill

9/10/24

Lisa recently moved to Nevada City and is 99.9% through with her major home remodel that she started in January. It looks GREAT! and we had a great time with her.

She lives back in the woods on a beautiful lot, but the road to get there isn't built to accommodate a 48' truck and trailer, so, upon Lisa's suggestion, we parked at the fairgrounds. A perfect solution. They even had a dump station so we could dump our tanks this morning, 

I know, sooo glamorous -

Check in at the fairgrounds

9/10/24

Trailer parking at the fairgrounds

9/10/24

9/11/24

An easy drive today to Prosser Family Campground for 2 nights.

Warm with a cool breeze, we took a walk to nearby Lakeside Campground...

I didn't know about this place...otherwise I wudda stayed there...

There are two fires within 15 or 20 miles of us, but the wind isn't blowing them towards us so we should be OK.