Our learning curve

This past month we’ve learned a bit more about full-time RVing and living on the road.

After we left Texas, we noticed some odd cupping and wear patterns on the trailer tires.  Chuck has always been very conscientious in checking the air pressure in the tires on a regular basis, making sure to inflate them to the proper level.  Because he’s been so diligent, we didn’t think the wear was from low pressure, rather it was an alignment issue.  A month earlier, Chuck had even replaced his tire gauge with a newer one as he wasn’t sure the old was was working properly.

I should note that a year earlier we had noticed wear on the outer edge of the tires and did get an alignment on the trailer tires while in Salt Lake City, UT.  We thought it odd that we’d need another alignment so soon, but decided with all the miles we do on the road, it was a good possibility.

On our arrival in Little Rock AK, we started phoning various alignment and RV shops, trying to find a business that did RV trailer alignments.  This was not an easy task.  There was one shop everyone recommended, but they were overbooked and would not have been able to assist us for a week.  This was Thursday afternoon of a 3 day holiday weekend, so we knew it was not looking good.  After 10 different phone calls, we were able to get a tractor trailer business to agree to look at the trailer first thing in the morning to give us a better feel of what to do.

The folks there were nice, but couldn’t do much other than look at the axles and tires.  They didn’t give me much hope for our trip between Texas and New England, but Chuck was confident that we could make our trip.  Besides, it was now Friday of the 3 day weekend and no one would be able to look at and work on the rig.  I called ahead to Massachusetts and was directed to a business in the area we wanted to be that did alignments and booked an appointment for the day after our intended arrival.

We arrived at Spring Rebuilders in Worcester and were treated very kindly.  They measured and checked things out. The tires were within an 1/8” so the alignment was ok. But they noticed some wear (egging) of the suspension bars on our axle suspension.  They did not have the parts to repair and knew it would take them some time to get the parts and schedule us for that work. However, our technician urged us to contact another business over in Oxford, MA to get help.

We phoned RV’s R US and were told to come right over and they’d look to see what they could do.  We pulled in and the owner and son interrupted the work they were doing to look at our situation.  They then spent 30 odd minutes calling around to find parts for the repair / replacement we needed.  They located the parts and were able to schedule us in for repair work 2 days later, bumping some lesser work back in the day or for next week to accommodate us and get us back on the road.

Here's a photo from MorRyd's website showing an older suspension/shackle and their new beefed up version.  Want to make a guess at what we had and what we now have?  Note, ours had not worn out as the piece in the photo shows, but was wearing and would have broken, possibly before we got to FL for the winter season.

So what is the learning curve lesson?  While our trailer was built and marketed as full-time status (it’s an insurance thing), most folks who do live full-time do not put 15-20,000 miles a year on their rigs.  As such, the parts that were wearing last the life of the RV.  But because we spend a good 6 months moving about, the travel on the roads makes things wear out sooner.

So now we know, check this stuff more frequently than we thought.  And we also found 2 very good business in Central Massachusetts we will want to use should we need RV service work in the future.

Mesa Verde National Park

Today's scenic outing was spent at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  For many years I've wanted to go see the homes in the rocks built by Pueblos. We talked about doing this trip last year, but didn't make it.  Today we did.  

The cliff dwellings were built and inhabited between 750 - 900 years ago.  Because they were built out of the direct elements, they've survived fairly well.  Timber in some of the structures has been tested and dated to 1274 A.D..

Turns out there are over 600 cliff dwellings through the Park, but not too many are accessible.  We visited two of the dwellings.  Some are self guided tours, others tours require advance ticket purchase for specific times.  You buy the tickets for the tour down at the base information station, than drive 25 +/- miles up and into the park to find your tour.

Our first stop was at Spruce Tree House, which is accessible for all by a paved path down to the structure.  This was a self guided stop with several Park Rangers available to answer individual questions.  While at Spruce Tree we did our 2013 pose - yep, backs to the camera, pointing at some feature.  While the paved path was nice, it had several steep areas and switchbacks.

 We then headed over to Cliff Palace for a Park Ranger guided tour - it was a $3 fee per person for this tour.  We chose it as it was said to be the least strenuous of the guided tours.

While waiting for our tour to start, we got to experience a brief rain shower. Five minutes after it started, it was over.  And it wasn't a downpour so we weren't soaked.  In fact, standing in the noon sun just before the rain, it was very hot. With the quick sprinkle, we felt cool and refreshed to do the tour.

Cliff Palace is accessible by climbing down metal and stone stairs.  The way out is stone and wood ladders. Some sections were no more than shoulder width Whee!

National Day of the Cowboy

While we were visiting Dubois, WY, we were able to watch their town participate in the National Day of the Cowboy. National Day of the Cowboy is currently celebrated on the 4th Saturday in July in seven states.

Chuck and I headed to downtown to watch the parade and take in some of the sites and sounds.  Here are some photos from our outing.  While small in size, it was a lot of fun to see the community show their pride in the heritage of being cowboys.

Horseshoe art

More horseshoe art

Local "Gang"

Cowboy Coffee

Boots and Spur

Westernaires Riding Club

Westernaires Riding Club

You see all types ...

... of campers and such when you travel about.  Here are some of the more interesting or unique units or set-ups we've encountered.   From a houseboat/camper with folding pontoons, to a 30 y/o M.A.N. that has traveled all over the world numerous times, from extremely cute and decorated, to sheep wagons.

A houseboat/camper, complete with pontoons that fold up so the rig is road legal at 8' (www.travelwave360.com). Each pontoons is 30" wide and rests right alongside the unit when unwinched, creating a walkaround deck. This unit is owned by the designer/builder.

The yellow rig is a M.A.N. that is 30 y/o and has been all over the world. This year they sailed from home, ie. Germany, to Nova Scotia, Canada. Their plan is to drive across Canada to Vancouver, then head south along the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and on in to Mexico. Owners needed a 4 stair stepladder to get in and out of their rig.

Here are some cute and little rigs; folding motorcycle trailer, decorated antiques and a sheep wagon.  We were amazed at how big the folding unit became - queen bed AND floor space for folding table and chairs. The other 3 are owned by members of Sisters On The Fly.

Finally, some other set ups that I found different.

 These campers are brave, sleeping on an open trailer with no cover. Temps got in to the 40's the nights they were at the campground.

Look closely behind the 5th wheel and you'll see his trailer and ATV that they double tow.  Something you don't see on the East Coast, but lots of double tows in the Midwest and Western States.

Here's a nice example of a toad / dingy - they have car, bike and rowboat on the trailer.  The owners had painted the words "You Can Take It With You" on their trailer.

We were surprised to see this toad exposed, but I guess if you have a Rolls, you want to show it off.

Swimming Lessons

So we have a 5 year old (nearly 6) Standard Poodle that hasn't been a fan of going in the water.  In many ways, how lucky for us.  I mean, who wants to deal with drying and brushing out a 65lb wet bundle of fur every time it goes in the water.


And try to imagine washing the dog in an RV.  We don't have a bathtub, it's a corner shower with a glass door and 2 inch lip to enter.  So if I try to use the indoor shower, I have to get the dog in the shower enclosure, have plenty of towels on the floor for the water that will come back at me, etc.  Most of the time, when Rugby needs to bath, we use our outdoor shower and let the water go where it wants.  Because of outside distractions this bathing process is a 2 person job - one to wash (and get wet) and the other to hold the dog.


Generally when we've gone for a walk along the lake/ocean/river/pond with Rugby, he's been on leash and has not shown any interest in going in the water.  In fact he much prefers to bark at waves as they reach the shoreline.  We've got lots of videos over the years of Rugby racing back and forth barking at water.

While at the Longhorn RV Resort in Dubois, WY, we've taken numerous daily walks alongside the Wind River.  We watch the water as it flows over shallow rock beds and through deep cuts along the bank.  (Many folks who come to the RV park go fishing and we've seen them catch Brook and Rainbow Trout).  Rugby hasn't given much thought to the water rushing by as we walk alongside it, other than to try to grab an occasional stick that is stuck along the shore.


About 2 weeks ago, while on one of our walks, Chuck took a few steps in to the river to see how Rugby would react.  Sure enough, Rugby started his barking and racing back and forth on the shore wanting his Man to get out.  Chuck and I traded places (me in water and him on shore with Rugby) and I was insulted, Rugby just watched me. No barking, no racing back and forth, just watching.





The other day Chuck had Rugby on leash and they were alongside the river. Chuck stepped in and we were both surprised that Rugby followed right in with him.  They stood on the rock bed with the river flowing rapidly past them for a short bit and then came back on the shore.  The next day, it was Rugby who led Chuck in to the river.



Yesterday was my turn. I opted to have Rugby off leash though as Chuck had nearly lost his balance the day before when Rugby kept circling him as they walked on the slippery rocks.  I wanted my hands free to help in my balance.  Rugby sure seemed to enjoy himself, running and jumping in the water, looking for submerged sticks he could pull up.

Because the river's water is so clean and clear, and because we've been letting Rugby go in the water around noontime and the weather is hot and windy, he's been able to dry off outside.  And there's no wet doggie smell either.    Lucky us!

One is Silver and the Other's Gold

Remember that line from Girl Scouts? Part of the song about friendship...

Make new friends
But keep the old
One is Silver
and the Other's Gold

That song is frequently in my head as we travel around in our RV.  Through the internet and social media sites, we've been able to stay in almost immediate contact with our former neighbors, schoolmates, coworkers and other folks we've met along our journey.

Then when we arrive at a campground, the opportunity to make new friends / acquaintances is opened up again.  Some of the places we visit, because we're only there for a night do not afford the same opportunity to meet other RVers as easily as a multi-night stop does.

Earlier this month we met a couple in a Cabela store parking lot.  From small talk with them we discovered we stay at the same campground in Florida and were just a handful of sites from each other back in March - we were in "Little C" and they were in "Big C", one row and 5 sites apart. Although we were both at the FL campground at the same time, we didn't meet there.  It took us until South Dakota to meet.  We both plan to return to that park this winter and will look each other up when they arrive (we get in first for several months, they arrive for our final month).

At our next campground, the couple in the site next to ours were putting up their "states visited map" on their unit. Once again small talk ensued about places we each had been and this or that.  Found out that this couple were heading to the same campground as us to enjoy the Custer State Park area.  Although we didn't get abutting sites at the next park, we were able to spend time getting to know each other and I believe a good friendship has developed and can see us visiting with these folks from time to time along the road.

In our latest campground we've become acquaintances with two couples, both of whom use South Dakota for their residency.  One couple is like us, fulltimers using the state for it's friendly fulltime RVer lifestyle.  Come to find out they use to live outside of Worcester in the same area my grandmother was raised as a child (we haven't discovered any mutual acquaintances, yet).

The other couple are not fulltimers but are actual residents of SD and we've shared suggestions of places to see and go (they want to see the Northeast and Canada and gave some of the maps and brochures we acquired to help them plan next year's vacations).  Chuck came back from walking Rugby and said he and the man had spoken about getting together for a cookout and that their people and our people were to get together to plan it, which we girls did.  It was a really nice time.

An odd experience happened though while we ladies were working out details of the meal and sharing stories of family, another woman, who had just pulled in to the campground for the night, came walking right up in to our campsite and showed us the T-shirt she had just bought that morning.  She then turned around and left, leaving us a bit confused about what was going on.  Awhile later she reappeared, tried to make a few moments of small talk and once again left.  As I said earlier in this post, it is much easier to make acquaintances when you're parked for several days and see each other come and go than it is on a one night stay.

This morning, both South Dakota couples pulled out, but we've got email and other contact information to stay in touch while we travel about.

Dubois WY overlook

The other evening, one of the couples at the campground we're at asked if we had driven up to the overlook in town.  They described some fantastic views from a butte right in the town that made all the buildings down below look like matchbox sized objects. We hadn't gone, so needless to say we went the next day. 

The butte's elevation was only 7527' per a US Geologic Bench Mark, but that was 500' above town so it gave a great view to the Painted Hills and Absaroka Mountains. While the temperature was in the high 80's, it felt much cooler as a Chinook Wind was blowing across the top - we had to use both straps on our hats to keep them from blowing off.