Conrad, Montana

Remembering a Forgettable Breakfast in Conrad, MT

We continued heading north into Montana, which had some very beautiful stretches along the way. We considered spending the night in Great Falls at the Pilot travel plaza but decided to press on for a few more hours.

We accomplished a few more firsts as RVers at the Pilot station by breaking out the 'stinky slinky' to dump gray water and also taking on some potable water before heading out.

We stopped at a rest area along the I-15 planning to stay the night but it was so desolate that we decided it wasn't for us.  We drove on and found Pondera RV Park in Conrad, MT.  It was our first RV Park stop.   The managers were very helpful and friendly and having the power hookup was a bonus.  By this time we had pretty much figured out the toilet and water heater systems and actually began enjoying showers with warm water and no longer needed to strategically plan bathroom breaks. Water that had traveled with us through the Mojave was not too bad for a cold shower, but the water taken on in Montana definitely needed thermal enhancement and the water heater does the job well.

In the morning we walked into Conrad and had breakfast at the Home Cafe.  We love local breakfast cafes, especially good ones.  In spite of there being a number of locals in the cafe (always a good sign) this cafe will not be one will we look forward to coming back to. Home Cafe - home of the Mexican omelette that makes Taco Bell seem authentic.  The lesson is that your distance from the southwest should influence menu choice.

Sure It's New - Show Me the Squeeze Out

Axle Hub with Grease Fitting

We are sure the manufacturer packed the axle bearings with grease, but before launching off on a very long maiden trip we felt better seeing for ourselves that the axles were fully greased.  The trailer axles come equipped with 'Ultrulube' grease fittings that supposedly allow grease to be injected without the need to lift and remove the wheel. But to actually see the grease squeeze out you really have to remove the wheel and dust cap.  It took nearly a full 14 oz grease tube to get squeeze out on all four hubs.  But now we know the axles are well lubricated for the trip ahead.

Whole Trailer Water Filtration and Pressure Regulation

Once the trailer electrical system was protected from electrical vaults it was time to consider how to assure the quality of the trailer water supply. When it comes to filtration there are basically two approaches: 1) filter all water coming into the trailer; or 2) filter water at specific points of use.  We have chosen, of course, to do both. This post describes the external two-stage filter system that will filter all water coming into the trailer from the water hook up.

We have purchased an additional in-line filter system to install under the kitchen sink. This will further filter water used for cooking, and most importantly brewing coffee.  This may be a project taken on while we are in Canada since we are running out of days before we depart.

Another important consideration is controlling the water pressure that the trailer plumbing system is subjected to.  Even residential plumbing can be damaged by too much water pressure.  RV systems are not that rugged so pressure levels need to be limited to around 60 psi or even less.  Read on to see more details about the regulator and two-stage filter.

Houston, We Have Boost

To some this may look like your average cast iron skillet sitting on the roof of a travel trailer.  But no! This is not just an ordinary misplaced skillet - it is a ground plane, at least until a suitable piece of ferrous metal can be attached to the roof for our cell boost antenna.  The ground plane serves to improve the reception of the antenna. Note to self: Do not tow trailer with temporary ground plane still on the roof.  Remove before flight.

We have a barely adequate signal with Verizon at our residence. The booster is not providing a 'super' boost but it is definitely improving the signal. How much? Read on.

Sizing the Weight Distribution Hitch

As mentioned in an earlier post we selected a travel trailer over a 5th wheel purposing to take a no compromise approach to the hitch setup. Because of the Class V hitch we installed on the truck we can safely tow the trailer without a weight distribution (WD) hitch. But, the trailer tongue rides just a little low when hitched up. This means the trailer weight is not evenly shared between the two trailer axles.  It also means the truck weight is not evenly shared between the front and rear truck axles.  These imbalances are modest, but we hope that a WD hitch will allow us to dial these out.

When we are passed by a semi or tour bus we get a slight sway input but everything remains well under control. Perhaps having a WD hitch with anti-sway features will be able improve this even more.

The problem is that we are running out of time to order a WD hitch, get it delivered and install it without causing a delay to our departure. The hold up is that we need a good idea of the tongue weight of the trailer when loaded for travel in order to choose a hitch with the proper weight handling capacity.  Fortunately, there are only two capacity ranges that might apply to our rig.  If we can determine that the lower capacity hitch is inadequate the choice is made and the order can be placed.  This requires measuring the current tongue weight and taking into consideration some expected additional loads.  The trailer tongue weight might be as much as 1,000 pounds.  We don't have a scale that can safely weight that much (but getting one is probably a good idea).  How can we get a reasonably accurate measurement of the tongue weight with an ordinary bathroom scale?  In fact, an $8 scale from Walmart? The method and results follow:

Staying Connected on the Road

Eventually, once Jan retires, we plan to spend a considerable amount of time on the road in our travel trailer.  RVICS has an expectation that couples will commit to at least 3 work projects per year, so that alone means 3 months of the year we will be on location somewhere in North America living in our travel trailer.

Internet access is very important to us.  We rely on it for so many things and we have ideas for several future endeavors that will require reasonably good internet access.  When on the road we will need to rely on our cellular data plan and Wi-Fi. The problem is that some places may have less than ideal cell coverage.  Also, how can we make use of Walmart's, Starbuck's or Panera's free Wi-Fi from the far corner of the parking lot ?

Installing the EMS-HW30C

Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C Unboxed

The Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C electrical management system provides protection from faulty electrical sources. Low and high voltage conditions and surges can damage trailer appliances and electronic equipment. Some electrical faults can pose a real danger of electrical shock. Going to the trouble and expensive of installing this unit is good insurance given all of the different electrical service hook ups we will encounter in our travels.

Keep reading for more on what this EMS does and its installation.

Outfitting the Rig - The Three T’s

Long To-Do Lists for Truck, Trailer and Tools

Preparation for our trip is focused in three areas, the three T’s:

• Truck
• Trailer
• Tools

Eventually we will need to provision and pack some clothes (the 2 P's), but in the meantime...

Good News: Accepted Into RVICS - Bad News: We Need an RV!

Taking Delivery of Our Arctic Fox Travel Trailer

In February we contacted RVICS for information and then made application to join.  Our thinking was that we might rent some sort of RV if accepted and assigned to a summer project.  Well, it all came to pass.  In mid-April we received word that we were accepted by the RVICS membership committee and were scheduled for a project in Alberta Canada beginning mid-June.

 

When faced with reality the idea of towing a rented travel trailer, with its condition and maintenance history uncertain, more than 4,500 miles or trying to coordinate a rental in Alberta from California wasn’t too appealing, not to mention the costs.  Could we determine the type of RV we should own for the long term, then locate and purchase it in time for the Alberta project?  The photo gives it away.  Keep reading to learn why and how we ended up choosing our Arctic Fox 25R travel trailer.