Two More RV Accomplishments

I wrote this two days ago…

I’ve been in Twin Falls, ID for two months and it’s time to leave.  I took a quick trip to Sequim, WA for the Lavender Festival and then stopped on the way back to see my friend in Eastern WA.  I left my motorhome in Idaho.

Another RV milestone staring me in the face is towing my Volvo.  I imagine you might be wondering how I got my Volvo here without towing it.  I did an insane thing and took Greyhound to Tucson and it was awful.  Then I drove my Volvo here.  I could do that in reverse but I’d seriously need to have my head examined if I got back on Greyhound!!

I realized driving my Volvo from Tucson to Twin Falls and then Twin Falls to Seattle and back…I missed the conveniences of having a motorhome.  I’m so glad that I’m going to have all the conveniences with me on this trip to Tucson.

I originally reserved a tow dolly for the trip but decided a couple days ago to switch to a trailer and get all four tires off the ground.  Even though I’ve been assured that a tow dolly will work because my Volvo is front wheel drive, I never felt quite comfortable going that route.  As soon as I changed my reservation I felt relieved.  I’m still anxious though, about towing, simply because I haven’t done it before.  I thought 40 feet was long but with a trailer…yikes.  I know, I know, it’ll be fine.  This is just another step on the learning curve I’m on. 

It appears that I cannot stay in one place for too long…I’ve accumulated too much stuff.  Now I have to find a place for it.  I found a fantastic nursery on the way to Sun Valley in Bellevue, ID.  It seems like every time I stopped there they had another wrought iron stand that I just had to have.  I finally quit going there.  At least I have an SUV I can put it in, i.e, the wrought iron plant stands that I just had to have.  I hope I remember this when I spend the winter in Tucson.  I need to find some other way to fill my time rather than go shopping. 

This is today…

Yesterday I checked towing a vehicle off my RV learning curve.  Today it’s going to be dry camping!!!  I’m at the Flying J at exit 112 in Beaver, Utah and I’m tired.  I planned on going to St. George but I don’t think it’s going to happen because I’m pretty tired.  I drove about six hours and that’s enough. 

This is not a complaint, just an observation…driving Class A motorhomes is exhausting…at least it is for me.  I think it’s even more so this trip because I’m towing my Volvo.  I’ve talked to two other women recently who also drive Class A’s and they agree with me.  Is this just a female thing or do you men find it tiring too???

This is the second day towing my Volvo and everything is going quite well.  I turned on the generator to run the air conditioner for the first time yesterday.  I learned about that recently and was pretty glad since it was fairly hot. I made it to Ogden yesterday.   I stayed at the Century Park RV park and it was alright.  I parked in a 69’ pull through and just fit.  Wow, that’s pretty long.  The only problem was not having enough room to put my slides out.  I heard jets flying overhead and got my iPad out and asked if there were any military bases around and found out that Hill AFB was nearby.  I thought I recognized that sound.

Right now I’m sitting in the passenger’s seat with my feet up watching the freeway and typing this post.  It’s pretty interesting sitting here watching all the activity going on in the Flying J parking lot.  Granted it’s mostly trucks coming and going but it’s an ever changing scene and I’m enjoying it.  I’ve noticed that the guys pulling the three trailers drive through here the fastest.  I was hemmed in by two of them a bit ago but they’re gone now.  As long as I can see what’s going on I think this is going to be way more interesting than an RV park. 

At least while towing, I’ve learned that 60 mph is as fast as I want to go.  Even though I’m tired, I don’t think I’d be as tired if I were going faster.  I need to remind myself that I got a motorhome to relax, not race from place to place.  This trip is the first time I’m really practicing that and so far so good.  I have five days to get the trailer back to U-Haul and I’m thinking it might take that long, especially if I can spend a free night here and there at Flying J. 

I haven’t sold my Winnebago View yet.  So…when I get to Tucson I’m going to wash enough clothes for two weeks and then take off in it.  I’m going to compare motorhomes.  I’m still evaluating my Alfa and I love living in it.  Driving it in the wind is not fun.  When the wind isn’t blowing it’s fine.  But…a part of me is intimidated by it.  I don’t know which part. 

I’m starting to get a clearer picture of me as an RVer and it’s looking like this…live in my McMansion motorhome (the Alfa), and do short trips in my View.  I met a nice lady while in Twin Falls and she and her husband winter in Yuma.  I can go visit them in my View.  Another friend bought a house in Maricopa, AZ and I can take my View and go visit him.  I think you get the gist.  I think I’m getting comfortable enough with this and I’m realizing that short trips will probably work for me.  When I take off from Tucson I’m going back to Washington.  I’m hoping it will be a bit cooler there. 

One more thing...I realized that I had a 6 CD holder in my Alfa!!!  I figured out how to use it, checked some books on CD out of the Twin Falls library (I'll mail them back when I get to Tucson), and have books to entertain me going down the road.  I also got the very irritating noise in my dash repaired so this has been a good trip!!!!!!!

My learning continues,

Jeana