Honda Generator is Handy

For three years, we have tried to use a solar panel to charge our Airstream's battery with mixed results. There's too much shade and too many trees here in New England, especially in Vermont state parks where there are no hookups, period. So I bought a Honda 2000i and tested it out here at home and then took it with us to Ricker Pond SP last Sunday. It worked like a charm - it's easy to see why they are so popular.

We found it to be quiet while just charging the battery and a liitle noisier when making coffee. Toasting bread was louder but short-lived. I baked some Johnnycake in our small toaster oven and the noise was annoying - although not to others since we had no nearby neighbors. The bread was good, though. We'd only use the heavier demand tasks when all by ourselves, or when our neighbors' generator is loud.

At about 50 pounds, it's easy to load in the truck. We know that we can't run A/C without another linked unit but we rarely have used air conditioning in our travels. The initial reaction is very positive- probably should have done it before. It is nice not to have to worry about battery drain. Now if I can just keep ethanol from screwing it up. Happy Trails.

 

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Traveling to Mosquitoville

The trip down our driveway (see last post) without swaybars as uneventful and the Airstream’s back bumper did not dig into the road and the bottom dip as it usually does (thanks for the tip, brother Barry).  We navigated through busy downtown Montpelier at noontime and soon were laboring up the long hill on I-89.  Always forget how tough that is to climb with a trailer in tow.

The trip down was rather easy, with a little construction here and there and moderate traffic.  We stopped for a Subway sandwich at a mini-mart in Warner, NH where we often pause enroute.  Of course, with the trailer behind, it’s a challenge to find parking.  I pulled up in front on the highway, right next to a “no parking” sign, and jogged in to order a sandwich, leaving Mary and the dog in the truck.  Just as I entered, I noticed a police car sitting there.  The officer was in side chatting and I said, “I just did a quick illegal park out there - but my wife’s in the truck and I’m just grabbing a sandwich.”  He deadpanned, “Well, I guess I’ll have to write you a quick ticket!”  Then with a grin said, “You’re all right there.”  He had me for just a minute.

We found a shaded spot to eat, sneaking into the Airstream so the dog didn’t hound us for food.  She ended up with some tasty leftovers and we were on the way.

Penny's not completely convinced that this will be a good stay.

The driveway into Jennifer’s is a challenge -- just a back-in off a rather busy road and the driveway is winding.  I had been game-planning it for the last part of the trip and with Mary’s help, we did fine.  However, like Vermont, this area is experiencing a major outbreak of mosquitoes spawned by all the excess water from Hurricane Irene.  They were all over Mary in a flash, and we put on bug dope a little late.  We did get leveled off in our rustic parking space and look forward to a good stay here.

Getting Ready

The grass is growing up between the wheels of the Airstream and there are cobwebs under the back bumper.  The trailer has sat in the yard for a couple of months, surviving Hurricane Irene, and now we're ready to take it down to Massachusetts for a week of family visiting.  We'll boondock in the woods outside our daughter's house so the battery, which is been slowly draining from phantom loads, is plugged into house current.  I've got the extra battery charging as well.

We want to get the refrigerator ready -- it's been sitting with the doors open -- and it's always a hassle to purge the lines enough to get it to light on the gas system.  I run the gas stove, then light off the water heater, and after many tries, get the refrigerator going.

One of our problems has been getting out of our steep driveway without pulling off the back bumper.  I'm going to try something my brother mentioned and not hitch up the sway bars, thus leaving the trailer rear a little higher, until we have negotiated the bottom of the driveway.  We'll see.

The foliage in Vermont is turning color around here and the area is full of tour buses and tourists.  We'll get out of their way and be back in a week and it will probably be at peak then.

'Nother Cold Rainy Trip to MA

Yesterday, after an early morning lending committee meeting at the community land trust, I came home to finish packing and hook up the Airstream for a trip to Massachusetts. It's our grandson's tenth birthday and our daughter's was the day before.

I had tried to take a short nap after an early lunch since we had a long trip ahead but all I could do was think of the trick of getting backed into Jen's driveway off a relatively busy road. It's more than a 90 degree turn and rather tricky -- and having several cars waiting in line and watching is never helpful. I decided to get up and get going.

The light rain started just as I got ready to maneuver the truck to hook up. It's been a while and I was taking my time but with several layers and a raincoat, finished up relatively dry. Still always get grease on my hands from either the ball or the sway bars.

We got the gear and the dog loaded and negotiated our steep driveway. At the bottom, the rear bumper always gets hung up and scraps dirt for a bit -- adding a few swear words to the start of the trip.

The drive down was rather easy -- traffic light but steady -- with some low clouds and fog hanging over the high parts of I-89. The weather got better into New Hampshire, as did the foliage. The photo was taken at the Sutton, NH rest area.

With five miles go go, I started visualizing the backup process -- where I would stop the truck, which way the wheel went first, etc. I briefed Mary on her role as observer, director, traffic cop but we both decided to stay cool. Well, either I'm getting better, or getting lucky, but the trailer was angled in off the road right away, letting traffic move -- and with just a little geeing & hawing, I got the Airstream situated in the wooded parking place. Voila.

So, we've got the catalytic heater going and the inside temperature is manageable. I've got a little water in the system but I'm not using it. I'll winterize either this weekend or next trip down. We are going to leave the Airstream here in MA since we have several trips more in the coming months.

Trip to Jennifer's

We took the Airstream down to Merrimac, MA for a three day visit to see Jennifer, Ben, and Mac and to help a bit with painting the house. It's been a while since we've hooked up and moved so it was a good summer excursion. Leaving on a Monday and returning later in the week avoids some of the weekend travel -- the trips down and back on I-89 were pretty uneventful.

The parking site at Jen's is tricky to get into. You have to stop on a busy road, back in with about a 90 degree turn and then navigate a ways down a narrow driveway before angling off into the woods where we've cleared out a spot to set up. I had just stopped and started to back up when a car came -- so I pulled ahead to let him pass. I then started the tough process when Mary's voice was replaced by a guy's, who gave me pretty detailed instructions. "Got a boulder here, pull ahead and cut it more. No, the other way." He guided me down and into the spot and it turned out, it was the guy who had passed in the car. When I thanked him and complimented him on staying in view in my mirrors and giving great directions, he told me that he had worked for carnivals for years and backed up all sorts of trucks. He saved my bacon -- I'd probably still be there fighting with the stonewall and the oak trees.

The visit was wonderful. Got a lot of work done but also had time with our grandson and just hung out some with the family. The weather was very sunny and warm but the oak trees blocked nearly all the solar rays where the Airstream was situated. I had to monitor electrical usage closely but was able to run the overhead fan to cool things off at night.

We've pretty much decided to forget trying to camp at campgrounds during the summer -- too crowded and too much hassle. For example, the big state park at Salisbury, where we stayed last October, is completely filled every day until Labor Day. We'll wait until then for Vermont parks as well. In the meantime, it's nice to use the 'Stream as a bedroom for family visits -- both here and away. Here we are back home.

Portable Solar

After a lot of discussion with Airstream owners, we decided not to mount the solar panel on the unit but rather, set it up manually so as to better capture the sun's rays. So far, so good.

Installing the controller involved disconnecting and removing the refrigerator (to be able to snake wires alongside it) and cutting an opening in the wall. Everything went well until I went to close the cupboard over the refrigerator, and the arm hit the controller unit. Too late to move things so I moved the arm to the other side of the door.

I put on a quick disconnect near the hitch and ran enough wire to be able to move the unit around to either side of the trailer. When I first tried everything, I got nothing, even though the controller was reading battery voltage. After reading the instructions again (what a concept!), I realized that the leads to the solar panel were on the wrong contacts -- a quick switch and we were in business.

It's a great feeling to see that controller registering 4 amps of current or so in full sun. It's almost easy to feel smug -- sort of "take that, power company" feeling. The unit topped off the battery, shut down, and came on periodically as I used a little power for things.

The setting, with trees and intermittent clouds (as you can see in the photo), was not ideal but it was a great start to getting more independent energy-wise.

Sleeping on the Median Strip

Last night in Carlisle, PA, we stopped at a Flying J truck stop since they have spaces for rvs for overnight camping. Being right next to I-81 and a major on/off ramp, the roar of downshifting diesel trucks was our bedtime lullaby. It felt like we were camping out on the median of I-81. Quite different from the stillness of our Vermont home where a distant dog barking seems an annoyance.

The day started well with a safe descent of our icy driveway and a departure up over Mendon Mountain on dry roads. The trip over to the Northway and down to Albany was easy but I-88 to Binghamton was challenging. First of all, the hills. I’d forgotten that the road, built and named for Warren Anderson, had so many long climbs and descents. Snow showers, rather heavy at times, added to the drama. Soon, we were on I-81 heading south into Pennsylvania. Aside from the many trucks and hitting Harrisburg at rush hour, things went well.

It was cold and windy and the Airstream was icy cold inside. We got the furnace going but have no water because we’re still winterized. We’re running everything off the battery.

Well, we were. We awoke, after a good night’s sleep in spite of truck noise -- we were bushed from the long drive -- and found the trailer cool. I went to crank up the heat and realized that the battery was low, with not enough juice to light the furnace.

This made us decide to get dressed and packed quick-like, get some Flying J coffee to go, and head on out and warm up in the truck. After a quick run with Penny, off we went. It was early and very dark but truck traffic on I-81 was already heavy. I checked my mirrors after a few miles and realized that the trailer lights were not on. We’d been running without them.

I pulled over to the side of the road, got out and with traffic racing by, checked connections with a flashlight. I checked fuses inside and was at a loss. We sat in the truck as tractor-trailers rocked it with the sidewash.

I decided to see if the blinkers worked, and yes they did. So did the brake lights. I thought we’d have to wait an hour there until it got light enough -- and as we drank coffee I realized that the lights had been on when I first started the truck. It hit me -- the running lights must need power from the battery.

So out in the dark and cold behind the truck, with Mary holding the flashlight and me dropping tools with half-frozen hands, we got the spare battery in place and voila! lights!

The day was rather uneventful after that start. It was great to see once again the gaggles of hawks riding thermals -- something I’ve seen a lot in the south. As a sailplane pilot, it is a sight that always make me think of circling in lift, riding the rising air upward.

Another thing that was fun to see was the water tanks in Virginia. Several were painted beautifully -- one had a mural that made it look like a hot air balloon. I used to run a federal program for rural water systems and so I wondered, “ Did we pay for that fancy paint job.”

A small town along the way had two plain water tanks on a hill behind the community -- one marked “hot” and the other “cold.”

The day ended with rush hour in Knoxville heading into a setting sun. Nothing like fighting stop and go traffic after a long day on the road but I must say, Tennessee drivers are generally pretty sane. Even with a trailer in tow, I felt much calmer that I do in Massachusetts traffic. So we are settled at another Flying J and head tomorrow for the Natchez Trace Parkway where we can drive more leisurely, without trucks to deal with, and start settling into a tourist mode.

The Ongoing Saga

I somehow got both the furnace and the refrigerator running -- and just in time for heat as the weather turned even colder. I'm still not sure what the problem was -- I removed the exhaust system and banged on some things, wiggled some electrical leads, and probably for other reasons, the heating system kicked in and stayed lit -- operating normally.

So it's been comfortable in the Airstream. Last night, as I returned from the house, I found that the lights were dim and the blower was laboring. Dying battery! I guess it's not surprising given the draw of the blower motor. (I'm planning to have at least one more battery for boondocking -- so this confirms that plan.)

It was late so I nosed the truck in toward the trailer, hitched up some jumper cables, and got juice flowing so that the heating system and lights worked.

You can guess the rest of the story: this morning, the truck battery was too low to turn the engine over! Fortunately, a quick jump start from my daughter's Jetta got the Ford going, and we've got the trailer battery on a charger. We'll be all set and have new impetus to set up a better system for future boondocking.

Unplugged

With a new battery hooked up and ready to go, we hooked up the Airstream and headed out to Stillwater campground on Lake Groton. It’s a Vermont state park with no hook-ups (like all Vermont state parks) so we are “boondocking” for the first time. And right now, we have 115 amp-hour battery and no supplemental systems like solar or a generator so it’s “watch the amps” time.

This is the last week that state campgrounds operate in Vermont and with school now in session, there are just a handful of campers here. We like it that way -- and it is one of the benefits of being semi-retired -- we can go mid-week and late in the season.

The site we reserved (#53) is nice -- level and relatively secluded -- and just a few hundred yards from the nice beach. The back-in process was the best so far -- perhaps I’m getting better with experience. After setting up, I walked the dog, checking out the other sites, and took a short bracing swim in the September water.

In addition to no hookups, there's no cell phone coverage (or 3G for the iPhone) and no wifi anywhere near. So it's the first time we've been "unplugged" for a long while and it's quite nice. We know we can drive about seven miles and pick up a cellphone signal (one short stretch on Route 2 where people pull off to call.) Instead of telemarketers calling all evening (in spite of Do Not Call), we hear loons and cicadas.

We've needed the gas furnace in the morning to take the chill off -- it's been in the 40's overnight -- and the gas-run appliances are running fine. I decided to use some fresh Vermont blueberries for muffins, trying out the gas oven for the first time. I used a Bisquick recipe off the web that was very simple but the muffins, while tasting great, were flat as pancakes. I blamed it on the oven setting until later, Mary checked the box and found that it said "Best if used by October, 2004. Guess I should have preflighted our pantry ingredients a little better.

We got the awning out for the first time yesterday and it looks in great shape. I've used the Springer system to exercise the Vizsla and Mary and I took a short bike ride on the old Montpelier-Wells River Rail Trail yesterday. The weather is spectacular and the forecast is good. Email and blogs can wait, it's time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful setting. I'd recommend it for your travel plans next season. Reserve well ahead -- these parks fill up fast during the summer.

Above are some shots I took yesterday morning with the iPhone on an easy morning walk with the dog. It's neat to watch the fog burn off on these pretty September mornings. Safe traveling.

P.S. We made it 3 days with no battery problems. I suggest sites 53, 63, 41, or 14 if you're planning to make reservations for next season. Here's a map of the park layout.