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.

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.