tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post296624857662365349..comments2024-03-26T15:30:39.733-07:00Comments on Rainy Day Thoughts: trailering on a vacationRain Trueaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-20934484035703342662013-10-23T11:53:21.399-07:002013-10-23T11:53:21.399-07:00I was surprised to see how many big rigs were in E...I was surprised to see how many big rigs were in Eastern Oregon. Some were empty-nesters like us but there were also families, maybe some home schoolers. The advantage of a rig the size of ours is how long you could stay out and feel like it was home. I missed my cats. They hate travel but this might be better for them. Next trip, they come. They'll like it better than motels! I wanted 25' but this was cheaper and that won out. It takes some shopping to find the right RV. I love the idea of motor homes or coaches, but not the idea of carrying along an extra car. This trailer was easy to unhook and when we were in Maryhill and Columbia Hills, we did just that and did day trips out from it back to Pendleton and to museums in The Dalles. I liked it even more than I expected and look forward to our next trip with our second home.. make that third since we have that place in Tucson alsoRain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-85994721737821879102013-10-23T11:01:47.285-07:002013-10-23T11:01:47.285-07:00We met more people this way also. Something about ...We met more people this way also. Something about camping tends to do that where motels do not.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-14300454921168966232013-10-23T07:51:10.865-07:002013-10-23T07:51:10.865-07:00I have often thought about getting a travel traile...I have often thought about getting a travel trailer, or some kind of converted van. I like traveling that way. I had a homemade camper that I traveled in in the 1970s. This post reminds me so much of why it's important to get out and see the country again. So beautiful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-82316515723222264242013-10-22T14:29:59.814-07:002013-10-22T14:29:59.814-07:00We loved the Astro van which wasn't converted ...We loved the Astro van which wasn't converted at all but just a bed and often using a sterno stove. The drawback was the middle of the night and our need for a foray in areas that often had grizzlies or other wild animals. The advantage was how easy it was to stop anywhere and take off again immediately if we got uneasy about any aspect of where we were. <br /><br />However you make your trips, I love reading about them, Bev ;)Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-80751037695289763352013-10-22T14:17:01.423-07:002013-10-22T14:17:01.423-07:00Interesting information. I have thought a little ...Interesting information. I have thought a little about a trailer, but have stuck with the Dodge conversion van. If I were to keep doing this nomad thing, I might consider something like a SportTrek type van. I don't mind roughing it with the two big dogs and they are something of a security system when camping in the back country. Not a lifestyle for everyone though! (bev from Journey to the Center)bevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18246260676619681887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-73733818183836711812013-10-22T07:58:17.928-07:002013-10-22T07:58:17.928-07:00Actually you could stay there with a tent but the ...Actually you could stay there with a tent but the trailer has so many conveniences not the least of which is an inside bathroom ;)Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-37171064380495749902013-10-22T07:56:06.132-07:002013-10-22T07:56:06.132-07:00They can be but even in a small town to stay in a ...They can be but even in a small town to stay in a cheaper motel can lead to some scary experiences. I think even if trailering is the same cost, it has the advantage of letting you have your own cottage every night wherever you are. That's hard to measure for its value. No unpacking. Cooking your own meals if restaurants aren't your deal. <br /><br />If you stay though in KOAs or professional trailer parks, the costs get closer to what a cheap motel would be. Those city parks are the big help for keeping the costs per night down. You also, if you own it, have to factor in upkeep on the trailer and there is some and of course, on the towing vehicle. I think it comes down to being able to stay where you want. One reason I wanted ours was BLM camping in areas that charge nothing but offer no hookups either. You can't stay in those places without a trailer. I also remember some wonderful times in Montana in small forest service campgrounds with our van which is why we wanted a trailer that could fit in such places.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-31522991468311474152013-10-22T07:17:41.161-07:002013-10-22T07:17:41.161-07:00I have actually done some calculations on the cost...I have actually done some calculations on the cost of trailering versus staying in hotels. Even with a car that gets 40 mpg versus the truck-trailer combination that gets around 11 mpg, it's very close to a wash. As you note, if you stay one place longer, the scales tip towards the RV. If you do a whole lot of driving, the mpg advantage of the car starts to add up. But hotels can be pretty expensive, especially near popular destinations like national parks.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16661052483626360339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-7996377252843933732013-10-20T13:44:02.732-07:002013-10-20T13:44:02.732-07:00And on its length, that's what we felt. The po...And on its length, that's what we felt. The popouts make them so much nicer inside and keeping them under 30' means you can get in most forest campgrounds. We had one place where we would've driven in just to look (White River Falls) but it said no rigs over 22'. Otherwise 26' worked everywhere and was easy to use in either pull-throughs or back-in sites.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-43578085568029895112013-10-20T13:15:36.805-07:002013-10-20T13:15:36.805-07:00That is what I've always been told, ingineer, ...That is what I've always been told, ingineer, about guns and Canada. I didn't know about the shotgun. Also you cannot take even bear pepper spray. Maybe you can then buy it over there only to not be able to bring it back ;) If we drove the AlCan with it, maybe we'd mail our guns to friends in Alaska ;)Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-84033320318654820392013-10-20T12:18:23.393-07:002013-10-20T12:18:23.393-07:00That looks like a really nice tour and a perfect s...That looks like a really nice tour and a perfect size trailer. I would not want one any larger because it would limit some of the places it would fit. But I would not want one any smaller as I would want a queen size bed. If you venture into Canada check the gun laws. I have heard that you cannot legally take handguns across the border, only shotguns as bear protection for your camper or trailer. Ingineer66https://www.blogger.com/profile/01319022726561229313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-14441673536556355952013-10-20T09:51:12.355-07:002013-10-20T09:51:12.355-07:00I should have added we had put 2000 miles onto the...I should have added we had put 2000 miles onto the truck when we got home. Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-76449676058583057462013-10-20T07:52:41.152-07:002013-10-20T07:52:41.152-07:00Because of the interest in what this cost, I went ...Because of the interest in what this cost, I went looking for facts. We ate out at zero restaurants; so that was the same as at home. Eleven nights in RV parks ran us $239 with one that would always be free and the other where we could have stayed in a BLM park and spent $18. We had found a nicer more convenient site that ended up free. <br /><br />Propane ran $25 which was what kept the refrigerator/freezer cold, did the cooking, and gave us heat some mornings. Diesel for the truck (we looked it up) ran $320 for the whole vacation (more than if we had had a gas engine although diesel gets better mileage so it might be a wash). There is increased maintenance though for pulling a trailer; so that's not the total cost on the truck.<br /><br />That means the out of pocket cost, totally related to our 11 days out, was $584. Plus maybe $50 for our admissions to four museums <i>although I am guessing on that.</i> If we had been pulling the trailer every day, the cost for fuel would have been higher.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-15749176733838844522013-10-19T23:29:43.534-07:002013-10-19T23:29:43.534-07:00I loved reading about your trailer and the things ...I loved reading about your trailer and the things you discovered could make it better---ALSO, I loved that you just went with "the moment"...wherever and whenever....What a GREAT way to travel. Staying however long felt right---leaving whenever it felt like the time to go....You and Farm Boss must get along so wonderfully---that is a confined space for an extended time, but cozy too, it seems....<br />I am looking forward to reading and seeing much more, my dear Rain.OldLady Of The Hillshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02458879772193114892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-2041837226782028642013-10-19T16:58:33.091-07:002013-10-19T16:58:33.091-07:00I don't know that a person saves a lot of mone...I don't know that a person saves a lot of money by trailering unless you stay in one place longer. It's mostly that you can stay where you want and be comfortable. It's certainly not more costly than motels or renting a house. Diesel prices weren't too bad but a gasoline powered vehicle would have been cheaper.<br /><br />There is a kind of adventure aspect to it-- like a gypsy caravan. Doing it a second time we'd probably have more destinations in mind where this time we really didn't know where we'd spend a night. That is kind of exciting but also can leave you wondering as it gets closer to dark. When we were younger we took a lot more risks by staying in rest areas overnight. Sometimes that had some scary moments though also. Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-39467463556130034622013-10-19T16:26:08.222-07:002013-10-19T16:26:08.222-07:00BLM camping doesn't cost anything and the city...BLM camping doesn't cost anything and the city parks were under $30.00. But the gas mileage did add an extra expense. Gas costs far less than $80/night motels and so much pleasanter in your trailer.Diane Widler Wenzelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05270246393901276648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-4679608366582695722013-10-19T15:22:55.283-07:002013-10-19T15:22:55.283-07:00Your trailer agenda is just what I would like to d...Your trailer agenda is just what I would like to do with our motorcoach but it is mostly suited to driving a little and staying put. At least for us! I am jealous but happy for you.<br />Glad the trip had only a few things about the use of cabinets and sleeping details to improve upon for the next trip.Diane Widler Wenzelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05270246393901276648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-76506452469551089862013-10-19T15:03:15.461-07:002013-10-19T15:03:15.461-07:00Oh, how I envy you! You know from my blog history...Oh, how I envy you! You know from my blog history that I used to RV a lot and I really miss it. I had a motor coach and a tow car but it works either way. We used to call dry camping "boondocking" and there are many places all over the West where you can do that. There are about a quarter million RVs that visit the Quartzsite, AZ area every winter and I think the majority of them are boondocking.<br /><br />But, things change and different people like different things. The one I married after losing Annie doesn't much like to travel, nor does she like RVing, so we don't. <br /><br />But I still miss it, especially when I get up here in the NW on a January morning to 37 degree temps with cold rain and think that I could be in Arizona where it may start out cold at sunrise but will soon be comfortable. I can still enjoy it though vicariously through others. I'll look forward to your next posts.Dickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12381970360203140143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-67883090929988589382013-10-19T11:21:21.952-07:002013-10-19T11:21:21.952-07:00We just got back from our own two-week trailering ...We just got back from our own two-week trailering trip from Georgia to Colorado. The worst part of the trip is that it takes so long to get from Georgia to Colorado.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16661052483626360339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-82744727083718129372013-10-19T09:46:20.211-07:002013-10-19T09:46:20.211-07:00A friend of mine took a trailer up there on the Al...A friend of mine took a trailer up there on the AlCan highway, Hattie and loved it. They sold it in Alaska for a lot more than it cost. I've thought of doing it one way and taking one of the ferries that transports autos back down but not sure what that would run if we had the trailer also. There are motels on the way up also, but I have to say to not have to unpack every night, to be able to cook your own meals, have a bed you know you will like, that's the major plus to the trailer or motor coach. Friends of ours have one of those and it looks very nice. They pull a small car behind it on long trips. Across Eastern Oregon we saw a lot of both. Not all gray hairs like us.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-78976158565740863642013-10-19T09:31:45.227-07:002013-10-19T09:31:45.227-07:00This is so fascinating. Another blogger friend is ...This is so fascinating. Another blogger friend is floating the idea of caravaning up to Alaska, and we are really tempted, having never done that sort of thing before. Hattiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297404386730167834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-89732000378247240182013-10-19T09:21:13.489-07:002013-10-19T09:21:13.489-07:00My favorite way to camp used to be the Astro van w...My favorite way to camp used to be the Astro van where we had the back set flat and a bed with curtains. The drawback was no inside bathroom in the middle of the night in grizzly and moose country. This one is so secure at night and they have improved how they pull. What I love about whichever way a person does it is the flexibility of staying where you want. The drawback is you do have that anchor on behind you and it does require a safe place to spend the night. We used to sleep in rest areas when we were younger. I don't know if the world has changed or we're just older but I'd be more reluctant to do it today.<br /><br />It was funny in one of our camping spots as it was totally dry camping with hundreds of vehicles (didn't count but it seemed a LOT) at a site set up for loose parking. It turned out we were at Summer Lake for duck hunting opening day. It was great although we weren't there to hunt, the ones there were nice folks and often family units. One guy asked Farm Boss-- so you came out here without a gun, when he was told we weren't there to shoot ducks. Farm Boss said, I didn't say that! The guy laughed. We had two handguns with us-- both loaded ;) Reality is if you are going to sleep away from professionally run campgrounds, probably you need to closely observe who else is there. In the case of the duck hunters, they were nice folks. That morning though we woke up to hear a lot of pops as they went after the 30,000 ducks that were supposedly out there on the lake. I felt a kind of sadness about that but also felt the family and friends who had come for the food they wanted and the hunt, that wasn't a bad thing. I guess that's where I am separated from lefties and more like righties-- hunter or not. I can't be hypocritical about it since we do raise beef and lamb and it's not cuz they are so pretty that we sell them.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-28164760459785300172013-10-19T08:53:44.607-07:002013-10-19T08:53:44.607-07:00Sorry I never tried a trailer or RV but it's n...Sorry I never tried a trailer or RV but it's not too late to rent an RV at least. My retirement vehicle of my dreams these days is a camped out VW Vanagon. Not as roomy but good for 1 and a friend and I did do that but carried a tent for extra space when with friends. I loved the flexibility and not many motels can provide those kind of views. Celiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14485118642482033233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-62264620477352003812013-10-19T08:10:15.637-07:002013-10-19T08:10:15.637-07:00We met a lot of people while out there and a few w...We met a lot of people while out there and a few were full-timers. There are also tiny little trailers that a person could use to sleep safely in areas where frankly a tent wouldn't be so goodRain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-32361840192962149572013-10-19T07:51:56.425-07:002013-10-19T07:51:56.425-07:00Sounds good! I keep thinking that I need to re-th...Sounds good! I keep thinking that I need to re-think what I want to be doing in the next few years. Kay Dennisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02646717192332313215noreply@blogger.com