Author Archives: Sharron Grodzinsky
RV BOOT CAMP SABOTAGED BY WILD BILL’S SECURITY
Oh Darn! We got kicked out of RV driving boot camp. Okay, not really out of the classes but out of the parking lot. Our Instructor had arranged for us to use the back parking lot at Wild Bill’s Casino in Primm Nevada. He had utilized the same area last year.
As we drove up last Wednesday, the weather was very warm and we could see the old roller coaster high above the wooden structure of the casino. We pulled around into the “way back” parking area.There were about eight of us there to learn the basics of RVing and how to drive, park and…heaven forbid…the dreaded back-up procedure. Everyone was riding high to have this special experience.
The day was going great. We had all learned the safety and emergency basics and even had lunch. I made a salad in the RV. Some of the rest went into the casino to eat. After lunch we were hearing some rules of the road and our Sun City Anthem RV club rules, when along comes this little economy car and out steps a security guard. “What are you doing here? You can’t camp here.”
“Why, we have permission from the director of sales to have our RV meeting and driving lessons here.” said our esteemed leader and instructor, Roy.
You can imagine the rest of the story. We did not win the battle or the war. Eventually we were instructed that we could park – not sleep or extend our pop-outs – and we could use the casino, gamble and eat. Huh? We were going to do that anyway as good members of this community, but if we can’t dry camp then we all decided to leave.
So, just before happy hour most of the crew packed up and left. We did have a good day and learned a lot from our esteemed instructors, Roy and Tom, but were disappointed to have to cut short instruction. One of the things we learned is that when you are RVing, you have to be flexible. This was our first lesson in flexibility.
(I did finally drive in the parking lot and did not knock over any light poles)
LUNCH WITH AN RV FRIEND
I had a great time this week when a friend of mine, Susan, from the healthcare industry and I had lunch together at the Lyfe Kitchen in Henderson. Surprise… she is a long time RVer and had lots of good tips to give me. Her and her husband have been on several “across the country” trips for a month or two at a time. I was so happy to hear about their experiences, and the fact that they did not kill each other on their trips. They even traveled with two big dogs. (As most of you know, ours are small poms.) It gives me hope for our success with our “across the US and Canada” trip coming up in just over a month now. She was so helpful and positive, it was a real pleasure seeing her and finding out about their exciting experiences. I’ll be meeting her again, and by then we will have finished our RV boot camp and I’m sure I will have lots more questions for her.
One of the best tips she gave me was to cook a few meals before we leave and freeze them for a quick meal on the road. We also hate fast food, so I am down with that idea. She suggested: marinara sauce, meatballs, and lasagna. Think she likes Italian food?
We are still in preparations mode. Last night we went to REI and purchased new lightweight, waterproof hiking boots for the trip. The salesperson there was soooo helpful and knowledgeable! Without him we would not have had such a great buying experience! Ours were so old they were falling apart. Besides, the technology has changed so much since I last purchased hiking boots about 30 years ago, it made sense. If your feet hurt, you will have miserable hiking experiences. Our aim is to visit as many national parks as possible on the way, so hiking will be one of our favorite activities. Thanks REI associates.
Ten Reasons Why Death Valley is to Die For
Loving this blog about one of our nearest natural wonders! That’s why we live in Las Vegas.
By Valerie Coffey
Photo: TripAdvisor
Death Valley is one of America’s most “to die for” National Parks, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve visited the park perhaps seven times in four decades. It’s a must-see National Park if you like natural beauty, mountains, the desert, or history. Here’s why:
Death Valley, situated about three hours west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, is a region of extremes — it is the lowest in elevation, the hottest in temperature and the driest in recorded rainfall in North America. It’s also one of the quietest places, and perhaps the darkest region of the U.S. at night. It’s not so much a single desert valley as much as a region consisting of several valleys, plateaus, and mountain ranges in Eastern California’s Mojave Desert. Its name comes from pioneers (the Lost 49ers) who struggled to cross this part of the…
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Preparations for The Great Adventure
We are sill in the process of preparing for our five month saga across the US and Canada. We ordered an auto shield today for the Honda Fit and also a “apron” for under the tow bar. Both are meant to prevent the tow vehicle from being damaged from stones and rocks on the road. The shield will fit over the entire front of the car and the windshield. (Some Alaskan rocks have been known to fly high.) The “apron” fits from under the RV to under the tow vehicle and is like a drape, preventing rocks and debris from scattering upward. We had thought about a clear shield for the tow car, but that would not protect the windshield. We had also thought about those mud flap things that hang down in back of the RV tires, but heard that they can actually stir up the gravel throwing it into the tow vehicle. The RV itself has a clear shield protector applied on the front. If you are interested, two of the companies that sell these products are: http://www.coastlinervandoffroad.com and http://protectatow.tripod.com/
Since I am somewhat of a survivalist, I have packed some freeze dried meals, freeze dried fruit for snacks and even freeze dried ice cream. Honest, it is quite good. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to try it to believe it! These products are sold by Mountain House Freeze Dried food company. http://www.mountainhouse.com
We have a long list of things to accomplish yet, and one of those is to get a five month supply of medications and vitamins. We both take handfuls of vitamins. You just don’t know if your brand can be obtained in the wilds of Alaska or the swamps of Florida.
We are scheduled to go to RV boot camp this next weekend. We will be staying two nights and three days at Primm, NV. and will be learning how to drive the RV. Yes, I will be learning how to drive too. We will be practicing how to park and back into a RV spot and how to dry camp. It may seem a bit over the top, however, there are a lot of things as new RV people we just don’t know yet, and I am positive we will learn a lot of great information and tips. I will be posting after our Boot Camp. That is unless I have a little accident, and then I guess I will be banned from posting for awhile.
Our RV is out of Jail!
Our RV has been let out of jail. Jail being the heavy duty Ford repair shop to get the wheel bearings replaced. What? you say if you have been following this blog…you haven’t been anywhere yet. Yes, that is true. So I hope when we do head out there won’t be any mechanical problems. We are still waiting for the parts to arrive from Tiffin for the cosmetic repairs covered under warranty.
I’d like to say we are heading out soon, but we are not heading out until April, when we head all the way out to Primm Nevada (about 20 miles away from us) for a How to Drive RV Boot Camp. The RV club in our association is sponsoring it. I have to learn how to drive the rig before we head out on our across the country trip in the spring. This is preparation, just in case something happens to our primary driver…my husband – like he gets too tired to drive, or decides I have done enough back seat driving and deserve to have a turn at it.
Plans are still ongoing regarding the trip and the routes we will be taking. The fist caravan to Alaska we signed up for with Adventure Treks is not going now, so we are looking for another one to join that fits into our schedule. I have contacted Gilbert (Spike is what he says to call him) at Alaskan Discovery RV Tours Ltd. and we are on the waiting list to join their caravan. Oh the woes of waiting to hear.
Wheel Bearings Up!
So, we sent our RV to the Ford place because I had seen a small oil leak underneath it while it was parked. The mechanic found out that there was not a leak. He said that sometimes, if you take it uphill too fast you might get a small amount of transmission fluid that leaks. Good, I thought, nothing to be worried about.
Then he called and said our friends had trouble with their ball bearings on the same type of vehicle, and he wanted to check ours. Yep! sure enough we had one set (do they come in sets?) that was not right. At least it was covered by warranty and he changed them all for good measure, as we will be embarking on our trip to Alaska and around the US beginning in the first or second week in May. It is getting exciting.
I have been planning our trip on MapQuest and the Family Motor Coach website. Right now we have a trip that will be about 18,000 miles. Did I say 18,000 miles? Yes I did. That is really ambitious, and maybe we will be back in three weeks. Ha!
Who knows, maybe we will hate it and come home after Alaska. Or maybe even before we get there. All our friends have a bet on just where our “This is frigging not fun anymore” point will be. They range anywhere from 500 miles to 1,600 miles. None of them picked any point more that 2,00 miles. Hmmmm, they don’t have much faith in us do they?
IN FOR REPAIRS!
Oh no. Our RV is in for repairs. Well, that’s not the worst of it. It has been in there for almost two weeks, and we just found out that the entire door has to be replaced and the wiring under the dash has to be replaced too. The only good thing is that the warranty will be paying for it all. Now we have to wait for the parts to come and then the additional repairs can be completed.
We expect to leave on May 1st or a little earlier, for our journey to Alaska, across the US and into Canada. I am now hoping everything will be done before we leave. Jeremy at Johnny Walker RV has promised us it will be. After all it is two months away!
A lot of old time RVer’s told us there would be repairs, but I did not expect this!!! I guess they were right. But, it is all part and parcel of owning an RV. It could be worse…we could not have one at all. (I may grow to think this would be a good thing one day.) Lets hope not.
So, I am diligently researching routes and parks and places we want to see along the way. I am also waiting to hear if the caravan to Alaska we have made arrangements with to join will be going. (They need a minimum number of coaches to go) I hope so, as we feel we would be far better off on our first long journey to join a caravan. It will give us the support and safety factor we would like to have. I chose Adventure Treks, because the dates they offered coincided with our plans. (www.rvadventuretreks.com) There are several others to choose from, and most of them look like they offer a great experience. When looking you have to compare prices, routes and dates.
So far, I have outlined the route with MapQuest, but I want to use the route planner offered by Good Sam and see how that works out. I’ll keep you informed on my planning efforts and which works out best. I also have to call the ferries and inquire about taking our dogs. I’m concerned that if you can’t get down to the auto deck, we might have a problem! If anyone out there has some information, let me know.
Thanks. 
Husband is Obsessive Compulsive
I have mentioned before that my husband has a little bit of obsessive compulsive disease. That can be a good thing most of the time. No, he does not have the kind where he washes his hands fifteen times an hour, or the kind where he won’t shake hands with anyone or is afraid of germs. He has the good kind. He likes everything to be perfect.
He and his wonderful friend finished hooking up the tow bar to the Honda Fit and wiring the lights. I thought he was done and came into the garage to find he has now rubber coated the attachment links and locks so they won’t cause damage to the paint of the car. YES! What a good job he does.
Now we are all set for a trial tow tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes! I do know one thing, there won’t be an accidental scratches to the car.
What? Fitting a Tow Bar is not Easy.
To tow a vehicle you have to get a tow bar attached, of course. Most people would pay to have someone do it for them, but my husband, who is very handy, decided he and a friend would get our manual transmission, Honda Fit all hooked up. He did know it might be a big job, but I don’t think he realized just what a monstrous job it would be. His friend is also very handy, and I would call them both obsessive compulsive, so the job would have to be done right.
It took three days! Yes, three days. But, they did a fabulous job. You can’t see any of the parts and, the electrical worked perfect. I would say they did a fabulous job. Probably saved a fortune. I would not advise anyone to try this themselves, unless they are really good with tools and knowing how to do things.
Now, we just have to try it out!
So, another thing off the list in preparation for our big trip around the U.S. and Canada.
I have signed up to join a RV caravan from Dawson Creek, British Columbia going to the Alaskan Highway and to Fairbanks and Denali Park. We are really excited about that. That will be the one portion of the trip where we will have to be somewhere at a specific time and place. The rest of the trip will be where we want and when we want. If we like a place we will stay awhile and if we don’t…Adios amigo!
Moving Words 