Teardrop Travels - Episode #1

 The teardrop is finally on the road.  I won't say 'finished', because there are still 40 or 50 items on the punch list of things yet to be done.  Mostly they are pretty minor - finish the trim around the shelves, add a cap strip, wire the charge ports, build more storage - and they'll get done in their time.

But we are using the trailer.  Going places.  Travelling in comfort.  Driving at freeway speeds.  Basically it checks off most of the boxes that the motorhome didn't.  You know - speed, comfort when driving, being able to hear, getting 18MPG (instead of 6).  

It's dry, the fan is sufficient to keep it cool and as we get more comfortable with power consumption/charge curves, it can likely run all night.  The heater also works, which we found was a good thing last weekend (not enough blankets!).  

I did a short weekend trip to Cuyuna to ride with friends, and to do an initial check on how the trailer worked.  The basics were good - it tows well, in fact I don't really notice it's there until I look in the rearview mirror and see a wall of white.  Having full size wheels makes a huge difference.  I'll get the brakes wired up next, which should be beneficial in stopping and slowing on long grades.  The suspension/wheel/tire combo makes it a joy to tow.

One of my biggest hopes was that the mattress would be comfortable. A major reason for wanting to quit 'ground camping' was that my back did not like sleeping on a flimsy mattress.  Well, 6 inches of foam mattress really addressed that!  I sleep pretty well on this.  My shoulders aren't tormented by it, my back is fine with it, my wife likes it, and the dogs - well the dogs do as well.  They are still coming to terms with having their space restricted a bit, but two adults and two Labs can successfully co-habitate on a queen size mattress!

Storage is a work in progress as well.  We're figuring out what we need, what can stay home, what gets transferred in/out of the car when parked, and so on.  The shelves are big and deep, and the overflow for light, less used items in the headboard is just waiting to be filled up.  Paper products, rain gear, dog towels, and the like can be stored there, out of sight and mind.

Our first 'real' night on the road was at Lake Itasca State Park, the headwaters of the Mississippi River.  We made a conscious decision to do our first couple of trips to state parks, at least in part to ensure we had access to running water, and if needed.  And I was really glad I had caulked all of the seams before we left.  That first night out, it *poured* - and everything stayed dry!  

We also learned a little about solar charging.  On cloudy, overcast days, the charger keeps up with the fridge consumption (about 60 watts), but not a whole lot more.  On bright days - it'll fill the battery to capacity.

Cooking was another 'not quite done' area, as is the galley in general.  The mount for our 11lb propane bottle did not arrive in time for the first trip, so we used a tank to stove solution and just carried everything.  For the second trip, I was able to get the tank mounted and hooked up to the heater and stove.  I tested the heater, but forgot to ensure that the stove worked (well it did last week...).  Sure enough - no gas.  It turns out the fitting i used to connect the stove line to the hard line had a check valve in it, and that valve was backwards.   A quick trip to Wally World to collect a 1 lb bottle, and we were 'cooking with gas'. 

One comment about Walmart.  In general, I hate what Walmart is - the wages they [don't] pay, their impact on reshaping small town America, and the general quality of merchandise.  OTOH, their grocery is pretty amazing, both in breadth of line and depth of stock.  They don't house label, so it's mostly name brand.  Produce is fresh, their meat/deli is well stocked.  And it's consistent.  I can go into pretty much any Walmart and find groceries, basic camp/hardware stuff, health/first aid supplies, plus a clean bathroom.  Yeah it's not perfect, and their pay scale is poverty line for most people, but it is what it is, and it's darn near everywhere.   Also, this past weekend, both the Tractor Supply and local True Value store were very well stocked and were doing consistent business while I was in them.  Wally World doesn't carry it all.

Until next time...