Graduate Travel Studies: Lessons Learned

      Each and every year I like to think I learn something new about traveling in the RV for a length of time.  Sometimes it's which truck stop has the cheapest prices on diesel, sometimes it's which laundromat has the highest prices, sometimes it's the price of propane.  Everything counts.  This year was no different, in fact even more educational from the overlooked corroded wiring hookup to water pump freeze up.  Among the things I learned this year:

HEAT:  I now carry a spare 30# bottle in my truck.  It is full and I swap it into the RV once both of those bottles are empty.  That keeps the weight in the truck and not the RV.  It also helps me keep track of propane; I refill when I have two empty tanks.  If needed during cold weather we also use space heaters to help at night which keeps the propane use lower, but only one heater at a time, to be explained later.  Keep the heater size and amperage fairly low; you don't need an NFL sideline setup.  Also, turn the heat thermostat lower at night.  We have plenty of comforters for the bed.  During our December pheasant/quail hunts in Oklahoma a 30# bottle lasts about 4 days.  Additionally, during cold weather keep the window shades pulled down; it helps keep the heat in.  During the day if the sun is out, open them on the sunny side.  It really helps.  Thank God for radiant heat.  Propane prices are higher in the winter and do vary ($17-$30) so shop around if you have time.

  

WATER:  When in RV parks of course we use the 'Shore Power Pedestal'  There is a time for the fresh water tank to be filled.  If you are expecting high winds or an impending storm I keep it full as to keep the RV center of gravity lower.  We also use it when we are 'off grid', pumping it as we need it.  We try and fill the tank as close to our destination as possible as it represents 360 pounds of extra weight on the road.  This has an impact also to be explained later.  During cold weather we also use our tank heaters to keep things fluid.  At night we turn off the water pump so as NOT to keep the lines pressurized.  Also, open the spigots at night on several sinks to release the vacuum.  Thanks to gravity, all water goes back downhill.  If you don't, lines can freeze.  Let me say that again, if you don't lines can freeze.  Even in RV parks should the night time temps get well below freezing we fill the fresh water tank using our tank heaters to stay in business.  There are electrical heater hoses, but are pricey.

ELECTRIC:  The big one.  We continue to operate off the truck mounted battery bank when 'off grid' which works well.  I had been jumpering between the truck and RV with a set of heavy duty jumper cables.  I wanted a lighter weight setup so switched to a heavy duty cable with SAE connectors.  However, I discovered during my recent battery episode that those connectors corrode fairly easily.  Back to the jumpers.  Again I will preach the value of VERY GOOD batteries when setting up a solar system.  I have Trojan T-105REs in the truck and replaced the onboard with a Trojan MX24 when it was time.  During our boondock adventure in the Walmart Parking lot because of the corroded connection we did not enjoy the truck bank so we ran heat all night on the onboard battery.  We did not have the use of our 120v space heaters; propane only, but the heater fan is 12vdc.  It was nearly 'crapped out' by morning.  But at our next camp ground I topped off the cell water in the onboard battery and put my battery tender on it for about 36 hours which brought it completely back up and has worked well since.  Regardless of cost, buy good batteries.  I swear by Trojan.  I am intrigued by the coming of Lithium Ion technology so that may be a future consideration.   We also lost a converter this year.  This unit changes 120vac shore power to the 12vdc power needed in the RV.  By the time we realized we had a problem the RV was already using the (default) 12vc onboard battery.  We did catch it in time before it depleted the on board battery again.  These converters are part of the main circuit breaker panel and need to be replaced with the same size (dimensions and amperage).  The fan had burned out which in turn allowed the solid state control circuitry to overheat and finally fail.  Some of the early symptoms were flashing lights on the fridge/freezer and propane detector lights flashed and wouldn't reset.  Once the RV lights began weakening that gave it away.  That night I jumpered to the truck battery bank and we had plenty of power for the time being.  I called a nearby Mobile RV repairman who had the part replaced by the next day.  He was reasonably priced and gave me some very helpful hints for the future.  The average RV converter costs $250.  We have a 55 amp converter which works fine for this size and model of RV, but is not made for continual heavy loads.  The 55 amps is rated not only for output, but input as well.  This explains using one space heater at a time and nothing else such as crock pot, microwave, or A/C.  The point here is to use appliances only when needed and not to overload the system, most notably the fan.  Either get a larger capacity convertor or learn to ration your appliances.

      I also did not know that the fridge/freezer ignitor and the hot water ignitor both work off DC as well. They will act up even before the power is gone, just lower than they would like.  Low power = no fridge, freezers, or hot water.  I usually check the cell water on both the onboard and truck battery bank about once a week or two.  Batteries that are in use will use water through charging heat and evaporation.  In fact the truck battery bank goes thru about 1 gallon of distilled water a winter.  I also gave the truck battery bank connectors a good baking soda scrubbing and coated them with dielectric grease this stop.  One last note:  I always carry a spare RV power cord extension.  You never know when you will need it.  If I am running the RV off the truck Honda Generator, I need the extra length.
LOADING AND WEIGHT:  This is something I never gave much thought.  I weighed the RV the first trip after we bought it and headed out.  We were still 250 below GVWR.   However, halfway through our winter this year I noticed some wear on the insides (only) of each of our trailer tires.  I had never seen anything like it so I contacted a local tire dealer.  He said I was over weight (not me, the trailer, but...…) So, on our next leg I weighed it.  Many truck stops have CAT Scales and only charge $11 for a weigh in.  I was 200 lbs over GVWR.  I couldn't believe it.  So I began to take stock.  I found that by keeping only 1 full propane bottle onboard, the fridge much emptier till we got to our next campground, no spare water for boondocking unless necessary, all 3 water tanks empty, and a bit less 'stocking up' we could save weight.  In fact our next weigh in was nearly 500 lbs under GVWR.  Each water tank (grey, fresh, and black) hold 45 gallons, which at 8 pounds per gallon full........well, you get the math.  During this off season we are going to seriously reconsider all of our stock.  Everything matters.  We are always stocking our freezers full of the things we like regionally for cooking:  Alaska fish, Texas BBQ, Louisiana fish, gator, turtle, rabbit, Washington clams, fish & crab, etc.
The tires seem to be doing fine, but I'm keeping more of an eye on them now.

    

WINTERTIME CAMPGROUNDS:  Quite a bit of our trip this winter took us through areas when it was still winter.  Not necessarily snowy, but still COLD and certainly off season.  We spent our first 67 days in Harbortown RV Park in Monroe, MI for Barb's medical appointments.  It is a very nice park, YES they are open 365 days a year and have winterized facilities.  They are pricey at $55 a day or $650 a month.  You will still need an electric heated water hose or use my method above.  On our return trip through Illinois and Indiana, there were still many parks not open or marginally open, but with no water.  Going across the Northern US in April and May during our Alaska excursions many parks are not yet open.  My point here is that you need to plan and call ahead.  If they are open, but no water be sure to ask for a discount.  Do realize that most of their closed facilities include bathrooms, showers, laundry, etc.  The very nice park we stayed in at New Lisbon, IN was only $20 a night and they provided me with water for my tank.  These parks try to accommodate you, but count on business this time of year to be overnight only.

           We have thoroughly enjoyed our boondocking lifestyle when available.  We do the RV Park thing when necessary, usually every 10 days to 2 weeks.  Laundry, facilities, tank dumping, convenience still rule the roost.  The money we save in between is worth it.  Several years of design, implementation, and building were fun.  Camping is a labor of love though and preventative maintenance/repair of  'the rig' is necessary.    From the front bumper of the truck to the tail of the RV there are things to maintain and repair.  The lessons learned each year through failure, let alone normal attrition are usually $$ painful, but necessary.  We've owned our current RV 41 months now; we lived in it 29 months during our winter and summer excursions.  Most folks that own RVs are young couples or families w/children.  They take them out maybe 6 weeks a year and keep them an average of only 5 years.  Eventually there will be problems.  If time and attrition don't affect your travels, then mistakes certainly will.  Weather often provides an additional dynamic.  Experience comes regardless whether you're ready for it or not.  I've planned so much for these years, experienced so much, and learned even more.  I post these issues hopefully to educate or help folks in the same situation or just starting out.  The USA is a great country and open to exploration.  Just be prepared.  $$$ is only quantitative, not qualitative of your journey.  

"There are no secrets to success, It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure" 

Colin Powell

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi 

We're Changing Our Name.....

    Fifty Shades of Happy

      Just a quick blog post to let everyone know we are changing our name from Joie de Vivre to Fifty Shades of Retirement.  Nothing will change inside as we will continue to provide the same RV travels, furbaby adventures, photos, restaurant reviews, travel tips, stories, and adventures, etc.  This is just a modification, or an upgrade if you will, from our original blog.  If you are already a subscriber you are covered.  Nothing changes.  If not, I invite you to join by simply logging on to richhilts.blogspot.com and then entering your email address in the box on the right side.
      Many more miles to log, many more adventures to enjoy...…….or conquer.

"Change has to come for life to struggle forward" 

Helen Hollick

WiFi courtesy of Camp Lakewood Campground 

Quail and Dumplings

      Chicken and Dumplings are always a comfort food favorite.  We have no pheasant left, but about a dozen quail in the freezer.  Using game birds is an easy modification.  Grouse, quail, pheasant are a seldom used recipe in the stock pot with dumplings.  They always seem to fall into the frying pan first.  This recipe still fits the bill of 'Comfort Food', in fact with quail it is an easy one dish meal due to it's size.  The biggest thing to consider when using wild game birds for such a recipe is that they are VERY LEAN.  After all, they're working birds.  They make take a little longer for the meat to 'fall off the bone'.  I admit that my 'homemade dumplings' are the result of Bisquick.  Too easy and always tasty.
      First of all, clean the birds as you normally would, being sure to clean off all feathers.  Leave the bird intact as much as you would a chicken.  Giblets, if saved, are very good chopped and added to the pot.  Keep in mind this is for a single meal.

4 quail cleaned and dressed 

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

1 ounce dried, or small can mushrooms

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

1/4 cup vermouth or sherry

salt and pepper to taste

2 boxes chicken broth or 2 quarts of boiled water w/chicken bullion cubes

Bisquick Baking Mix

      Start with the broth.  Add bay leaf, thyme, liquor, salt n pepper and bring the chicken broth to a heavy simmer, about 200 degrees.  Add the quail intact and cover.  Reduce heat to a low simmer for at least an hour and several hours is okay if checked.  Our RV has a gas stove so even the lowest heat was simmerin' hot.  Because of the leanness of these birds it took mine 2 1/2 hours to begin to get tender enough to watch.  

     

2 1/2 hours in

      The correct temperature here is determined by steaming; look for lots of it.  About 2 to 1/2 hours  into this add the carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms.  It is a matter of time of course, but when the meat is nearly separating from the bone, it is there.  Some folks remove the meat from the bones at this point, shred it, and then put it back in the broth.  I chose to leave mine on the bone. A mistake I would later regret.  These are much smaller than chickens.  The bones are small and easily end up in a bite when you least expect it.  In the future I would bone the bird and return the meat to the pot.  Add the peas and parsley and recover for 5 minutes. 

Dumplings added....by now the RV really begins to smell wonderful 

      Meanwhile make the dumpling dough according to the Bisquick box directions.  Drop the dough by the tablespoon into the simmering stew.  Leave uncovered and cook over low heat 10 minutes.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes more.   Serve warm in a bowl with dumplings covered with a portion of vegees and quail meat on top.  Maybe some salt and pepper to taste.  It was delicious.  

On the plate, ready for the belly...

     As I type this blog chapter I am moved to think of the husband of one of my former students fighting his hardest to beat cancer.  He loves to hunt birds, a tradition handed down by his father.  When we were invited to their wedding, the groom and I talked quite a bit about Brittany Spaniels and pheasant hunting.  I chat with his wife occasionally online to see how they are doing.  It's hard to be supportive as much as you want when you are on the road.  He and his wife have a lovely daughter and Barb and I both wish him a speedy, healthy recovery and them a fully blessed life.  

"The belly rules the mind"

Spanish Proverb

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi

It's Never As Bad As It Seems.......

      Sometimes it just goes that way.  We have had many trips in our RV, camping, exploring, and just plain relaxing while enjoying all that is available both before and after retirement.  We've had our share of problems too, although most have been small and readily fixed pretty easily.  Besides the inevitable health issues that come after retirement, this season has been a corker.  After 10 days of dicey problems caused by weather as well as our propane and electrical systems we finally made the sojourn from our grandson's in Marlow, OK to Barb's sisters in Dexter, MO.
      First of all the uncharacteristically COLD weather this year in Oklahoma not only helped us drain an entire 30# propane bottle (which is not unusual) every 4 days, it also froze up the refrigerator evaporator drain during our first day.  I'm talking daytime temps in the 20s and nights in the high single digits.  This virtually shuts down the refrigerator/freezer till the line thaws and is cleared, allowing the coils to thaw.  Also regardless of heated tanks, the external dump handles for both grey and black water froze solid.   After waiting 5 days for a thaw we were on our way again.

Once the evaporator drain hose freezes the moisture freezes on the coils, effectively shutting down the entire fridge/freezer

      On arrival at the Oklahoma/Arkansas border I had another of those wonderful 'check engine light' issues with my truck.  The dealer found nothing wrong under diagnostics and once they reset it and we were underway we never saw it again.  In fact I have come to the conclusion that it only occurs during cold or wet weather and usually disappears within a day on it's own.  It gave us another couple of days to relax and enjoy the area.

Most times it only seems this bad

       From the border it is only another day to Little Rock then to the SE Missouri area.  We don't do long days much anymore.  We decided to give ourselves a break and sleep in, leave late, and then boondock overnight about halfway.   Great dreams, lousy results.  We boondocked in the Clarksville, AR Walmart (which is a great location by the way) When we boondock our protocol is to connect the RV onboard battery to the truck battery bank via an SAE jumper cable or standard jumper cable.  However on setup I completely missed a corroded connection on the SAE cable from the battery bank to the RV onboard battery which resulted in our single battery (without the use of our battery bank) draining itself very, very low by morning.  We had lights, but not much other power.

Yeah, that'll conduct electricity just fine, dumbass

      We awoke in the morning to a cold RV.  Once I used the basic battery charger cables the problem was fixed, including allowing us to bring in the slider rooms as well.  I did hope that the drive time into SE Missouri would recharge the battery, but it wasn't meant to be.  In fact the on board battery cells water was very nearly empty.  After arrival in Missouri I hooked us to 'shore power', enabled the 'battery disconnect switch', refilled the cells, cleaned all the cables and connections, and put it on a battery tender charger for a long overnight charge.  Problem solved?  We will see.  27 hours later on the Battery Tender the battery showed a charge, but I left it on a trickle charge.  I wanted to give a day or two more before I load tested it.

                                      

      Several days later I made sure the battery was isolated from the charger and measured it with my voltmeter:  13.6 vdc.  I left it isolated for 3 hours to see if would hold an ambient charge:  3 hours later......13.5 vdc.  Not bad, but a load test would tell the real tale.  The next day I disconnected shore power, rechecked cell water, and ran the RV completely off the battery for 4 hours by itself with only a few lights and the heater on to provide a viable load.  It still read 12.55 vdc 4 hours down.  This equates to a nominal 10% drop.  There was no need to test further; we dodged a huge bullet here!  Thank God I have always used Trojan Batteries.  A good battery bank is the heart and soul of any solar system and certainly aren't cheap.  We had just replaced our original RV onboard with this battery back in November.  It still has enough guts to soldier on for us.  

      This is our annual visit to the SE Missouri area.  Barb's sisters live here and we visit with them and her niece yearly.  The past couple of years have been dicey, as they can be with families.  Since her mother's death in 2000, these visits have tended to become increasingly adversarial.  She cannot be everything to everybody, most notably 2 years ago when she finally had a sit down putting her feeling forth.  That visit lasted 3 days.  This is our first visit since.  Barb stays with her sister while I tend to the critters and guard the campsite as well as eat far too much fried southern food.  This time is hard on my wife.  I try to be as supportive as I can, but have nothing to do with her family.
      Obviously, I have had plenty of maintenance chores to keep me busy during our stay.  That doesn't stop me from a bit of exploring myself.  Dexter has a new meat market and there are gun shops and a PETCO in nearby Poplar Bluff (Roux is running low on chow).
      I am in 7th Heaven when I get to cook for myself.  I try to eat healthy, but eat what I want.  This week I prepared Shrimp n Grits, Ham n Potato Frittata, Quail n Dumplings, and Clam Strips to name a few.  Additionally, I picked up a couple of beautiful rib eyes for Guinness Irish Steaks on the horizon for St. Paddy's Day.  I also have to replace our Pampered Chef small pizza stone for our oven; ours broke sometime during the past several days.  That's a crime, I loved that thing.
      While here I also took time to scrub the RV and truck in order to eliminate all the road grime, just so we can get some new road grime.  I also allowed myself an order of gizzards for lunch one day.  I can only have them about once every couple of weeks; they are my 'gout trigger'.  Barb still has a couple of days left at her sisters' before our departure.  We hope to get to Keokuk, Iowa next.  The world's greatest Catfish Market is there on the banks of the 'Mighty Mississip'.   From here on out this spring, EVERYTHING depends on whatever snow is still left.  

Oooooeeeee, Shrimp n Grits, baby

Ham & Potato Frittata

      Sometimes our travels are a bit like a Seinfeld episode, but if you sort through all the lessons you've learned and the fact that after all you are retired......it really is just a hiccup in the road.  If you don't learn to take the BAD with the good, your retirement won't last.  Barb and I keep each other level and in check, perhaps her more with me in the final tally.  I handle the maintenance, technology, fabrication, repair and she handles the family and the $$$.  I can not have done better for a partner and certainly don't deserve her.  We balance each other perfectly.  Together we've weathered it all.  The horizon remains our future.  Joie de Vivre.    

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are" 

Samuel Johnson

WiFi courtesy of Wildwood RV Park
Dexter, MO 

Varmegeddon....aka Rich Bob's Impact Cafe'

      Once again we enter the 'Man Cave'.  I have been contemplating this for a few years now, but I finally decided to put together a custom high power varmint rifle rig for on the road.  At first I investigated the prices for a new custom built rig by companies such as Montana Rifles, Hankins, Randy's, and Cross Canyon Arms.  Although they were much more, it made me want to try and put together my own design.  I knew due to the expense this would be a project over time.  This would be used for gophers, coyotes, crows, vultures, bobcats, and badgers, ground hogs, and even the occasional pig.  My research took me nearly a year, first wanting a Ruger #1 in 204 Ruger caliber.  This is a screaming up and comer, but the rifle is priced high and only available special order.  I regrouped and decided on the 22-250 Remington caliber.   This caliber has been around for many years and has been a Velociraptor within it's own right.  The velocities in the lighter rounds (35-40 grains) will reach out and touch Mr. Coyote at 4400 fps.  At the higher bullet weights (64 grains) it will still roll 3600 fps; capable of tackling Javelinas and some whitetail deer.

 

      This caliber is available through many manufacturers and custom dealers.  I narrowed my choices to the Weatherby Vanguard and the Remington Varmint SF.  Weatherby guarantees sub MOA for these rifles.  I searched for months with little success as the Weatherby is a high profile weapon usually available only through special order months in advance.  The Remington wasn't much easier, but finally I found a shop in Duncan, OK that could order it for me without much ado.  Murf's Gun Shop not only found what I wanted, but had it delivered within days.  This gun has a heavy stainless steel fluted barrel mounted in a synthetic stock with custom recoil pad and dual front swivels for sling and bipod mounts.  Right off I had the stock fiberglass bedded onsite to hand fit the barrel.  www.murfsguns.com/ 

      Next up for me was the scope rings/mounts and then the front bipod.  I found these when I could, Academy Sports and Dick's (believe it or not).  I also preordered a custom leather sling from Lever  Gun Leather in Athol, ID.  www.leavergunleather.com   We have several other slings made from this company;  the highest quality handmade work.  Besides the logo at the top; lettering on the sling?  Varmageddon

      I knew that the scope would be the most integral and hardest, if not the most expensive part of the project.  A good scope for this rifle could easily cost more than the rifle itself.   I have always loved Leupold Scopes, but left the door open for others, such as Swarovski, Nikon, Vortex, Zeiss, and Barska.  Eventually I narrowed this to the Vortex Viper HST in 6-24mm x 50.  It has side focus range finding, MOA reticle, and completely sealed high rise turrets for adjustments and re-zero reset after sight in.  It comes with caps, sun shade, and of course, a lifetime warranty.  The best scope for the money.

      Remarkably I found this scope at the very same discount prices I found online, but at Fehner and Son Grain Company in Gonzales, TX.  Yes that's right, a feed store, however this location also hosts a considerably well stocked gun store inside.  www.fehnerandson.com/  I do mean considerable; it would rival many other gun stores I have visited.  Welcome to Texas, eh?  They even mounted and bore sighted it for me.
      On the way home due to maintenance and never ending winter weather issues, we had some unexpected downtime and I found a nearby outdoor rifle range.  I was so hungry to pull the trigger on this young lady.  I had already stocked nearly 200 rounds of Hornady 50 grain varmint rounds.  I began sighting at 50 yards, then 100, and finally 200 yards for zero.  I readjusted the external cover cap for final zero and tightened it down
      The scope has finicky eye relief and range is very critical to focus.  After several rounds at shorter ranges I also discovered the barrel is heavy enough that when shooting off a platform it is not necessary to even hold the rifle with the off hand.  Sighting at 50 yards is considerably lower with such a flat trajectory and subsequent groups show the bullet does not begin to drop noticeably until after 250 yards.  

Getting the feel of her during the early rounds

     Then I began the tricky part of checking the external turret settings for 'click accuracy' out to 500 yards.  I had pre-calculated the MOA clicks according to the directions, but wanted to double check. I can always use the MOA reticle holdovers, but this is one of the features for which I bought this scope.  These were 'spot on'.

50 yard groups, bullet is still rising and 100 yard groups were damned near 'dead on'

200 yard zero, first two were high as bullet is still rising.  One adjustment......voile'.  

Final group is just short of 1 inch.  Bullet drops 4.9" at 300, 14.2" at 400, and 32" at 500 yards.

      The finished gun weighs in at a whopping 12 pounds.  This keeps recoil to a minimum and provides a steady platform as well.  In fact the report and recoil are only slightly higher than a .223 in an AR.  For most varmint applications I plan using the Hornady Vmax in 50 grains to keep the corrosive gasses at bay.  HOT rounds (35-40 grains) in this rifle can limit a barrel's life to about 1000 rounds.  I will also use the Nosler Trophy Grade 64 grain for larger game, such as javelinas or smaller pigs.  The barrel has a 1 in 14" twist which usually isn't very good at stabilizing the larger bullets, but Nosler has engineered a 64 grain bonded soft point, flat base bullet just for that barrel and twist.

 

      Amazingly, the ballistics for both these rounds are quite similar and won't take a complete re-sight in when switching between the two.  Simple scope turret adjustments will do it, but additional range practice will be needed to validate this.  Fine tuning for a future javelina hunt.  Final price for this build:  just under $1800.

"I do hunt, and I do fish and I don't apologize to anybody for hunting or fishing"

Norman Schwarzkopf

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi