When Joan and I started RV life, our second destination was Leisure Acres Campground in Cleveland, GA located the foothills of North Georgia. This has become one of our favorite campgrounds and locations where we try to return every year. The town of Cleveland, GA has many of the amenities needed for both a short or long term stay. The location is perfect for those short drives to the quaint towns of Helen and Dahlonega, a growing list of excellent vineyards and wineries, and some of the best hiking trails offering beautiful views of mountains and waterfalls.
The Campground
Leisure Acres Campground is family owned by John and Peggy Morris. John and Peggy provide a family friendly environment adults and kids alike can enjoy. The campground has a wide range of camping spots providing pull-throughs, back-ins, pond views, and creeks. Many of the sites are large with all offering full hook-ups, fire rings and picnic tables. The friendly maintenance crews ensure everyone has clean and well maintained sites.
For Joan and I, we often stay multiple weeks during the early fall season. Our kids and grandkids bring their RV and all enjoy the catch and release pond, large playgrounds and walking paths. We also appreciate the modern laundry facilities, bath house and Wi-Fi. While working on the road, we depend on cellular hotspots for our Internet connections. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all have good coverage in the campground with the data speeds needed to support our business activities.
The North Georgia Foothills
There is so much to see and do in the North Georgia Foothills all within minutes of the campground. Helen, GA is the setting of a small Bavarian Village offering Oktoberfest activities in the fall months along with a wide range of shopping and restaurants. Dahlonega, GA is known for the discovery of gold with museums, mine tours, along with galleries, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants. Along with these two favorites, there are a wide range of festivals and activities in the nearby towns of Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Hiawassee and Ellijay.
The range of outdoor actives is almost endless with great hiking in the mountains with stunning views of beautiful waterfalls and valleys. With the number of state and federal parks, the trails range from easy strolls to challenging climbs all offering unique sites and scenery. For the more adventurous, a large number zip line courses have sprung up with layouts ranging from kid friendly and others to satisfy the adrenaline junkies.
Our Happy Place
The North Georgia Foothills and Leisure Acres Campground has become our happy place. Friendly, much to see and do, mild summers and cool falls, that place we look forward to escaping to every year.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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If you’ve been following Joan and me for any period of time, you know how much we enjoying visiting vineyards and sampling the wines made within a local area. Before iLoveRVlife, I traveled often to the Napa and Sonoma wine regions and I fell in love with those who love the land, the grape and the passion, each have for making wine. On this cool, early fall afternoon, we had the fortunate opportunity of finding Accent Cellars, one of the newer winemakers located in Dahlonega, GA.
The Wines
I could wax poetically about the wines discovered at Accent Cellars, but I think one word will do – Delicious! Accent Cellars is not a vineyard, but a group of very talented winemakers who source their grapes from Georgia, California, Washington and other areas known for high quality fruit. Starting with the Pinot Noir, immediately we knew we had stumbled into something special. On to the Syrah, Merlot, Red Blend and I thought the group was going to break out into dance when the wine manager broke out the Rose’ Gold. For our tastes and what we look for in a quality wine, these were a home run and we had to know more.
The Art of Wine Making
We had the fortunate opportunity to be invited by the winemakers to get a better understanding of how they make these very interesting wines. We were at the peak of the grape harvest and wine making was in full swing. Tyler was very kind to take a few minutes out of his busy week to show us Accent Cellars’ wine making process. I make a statement in the video below that we were treated to a professor of wine making. I must admit, the winemakers at Accent Cellars are passionate about the wines made and the quality of the final product. Clearly the excellent wines bear the results of their efforts.
Visit the North Georgia Wine Region
Accent Cellars is but one of the many vineyards, wineries and cellars that make up the excellent North Georgia wine region. Some offer outstanding views. All share in the love of making wine.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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When our RV travel takes us into an area that has hiking trails I’ll try to clear the schedule to see as many as possible. On this cool September morning, our son Joel came up to the North Georgia foothills for a few days and hiking was at the top of our agenda. We decided to tackle the Yonah Mountain Trail, a beautiful climb to the most visible mountains in the North Georgia foothills.
The Hike Up Mount Yonah Trails
I use a 1 out of 10 scale to base the difficulty of a hike. It’s very subjective and based on my physical abilities. Not scientific, but at least it gives a baseline to consider. This isn’t the toughest hike I’ve made, but it had its moments. I give it an 8 out of 10 due to the steep inclines and rocky terrain. Hopefully this doesn’t deter someone; Mount Yonah Trails is a fun hike, a 2.3 mile trail that climb 1,500 feet in elevation with the reward of stunning views of the valley along White County and the Appalachian Mountains in the distance.
The Views From The Mount Yonah Summit
Reaching the summit of the hike, we were rewarded with amazing views. On the day of our hike, we had a crystal blue sky with unobstructed views as far as one could see. Standing on the edge of the rock face we could see farms, vineyards and the mountain range are what poets write of and painters dream about. Bottom line – it was some kinda pretty!!
Conclusion
If one can handle a strenuous hike and is up for a couple hour work out, then the Mount Yonah Trail is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon enjoying nature and the reward of amazing views.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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With Covid still having an impact on our RV travel, we decided to return to the North Georgia foothills; an area we’ve traveled to before and know much of the surroundings. Before we arrived, we called a number of locations in the area and felt very comfortable in returning. How exciting is to be in one our favorite campgrounds, hiking the creeks and mountains, and enjoying the all the fun North Georgia offers this time of year.
The Campground
We’re back at Leisure Acres Campground in Cleveland, GA., one of our favorite North Georgia camping spots. Big rig friendly, full hook-ups, 50 amp, and pull-throughs provide a great stay. More, it’s family friendly with large playgrounds and a catch a release pond that kids love. We especially like the campground in the North Georgia foothills providing easy access and a very short drive to Dahlonega, Helen, great hiking trails, fall festivals (unfortunately, not this year) and spectacular vineyards.
The Vineyards
We took a couple of days and visited a number of the North Georgia vineyards and wineries. How fun! Each day offer a cool, crisp early taste of Fall. The vineyards and wineries were welcoming with friendly staff, safe surroundings, great wines and spectacular views. Grape harvest was in full view adding to our entertainment.
The beautiful mountains providing stunning backgrounds and the vineyards were rich in early Fall colors. Some of the tasting rooms were closed, but each vineyard worked hard to create space outdoors that was safe and still provided great surrounding to experience the great wines offered.
The Experience
The North Georgia Foothills are an area that isn’t shared in the travel magazines. I don’t get it. The area is rich in small, quaint towns, friendly folk, beautiful rolling hills, amazing vineyards and a ton of fun. Add this area to your RV destination list. You’ll want to return again and again.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Hiking Panther Creek Falls made a perfect day on this crisp September fall morning. The trail to the falls is around a 3.5 mile hike (one-way) over moderate terrain. The tail is a a mix of hills and flat area. There are a few difficult areas along the trail with creek crossings, rock outcroppings and large exposed tree roots. Taking your time, watching your footing will make the hike safer.
The Trail
The trail starts with moderate elevations and is rather rocky and has a large amount of exposed roots. Not difficult, but you do have to watch your step. The lower half of the trails is much flatter running along side of the creek bed. Plan to be on the trail for several hours. Just make sure you have some energy bars and extra water for the stretch.
Throughout the hike you can hear the rushing water and there are great views along the creek before you reach the falls. We ran into several hikers who had packed in for the weekend staying in a number of the primitive camping spots along the trails.
The trails to Panther Creek Falls offer much to see. Long wooded trails along the creek offer long views of the rolling creek along rock outcroppings. The trails were boarder by thick mountain laurel, stands of oak and hickory trees, ferns, moss and wild flowers. .
Around half way to the main falls, a smaller waterfall can be see with very large boulders, long spans of rolling rocks. This is a bit of a tease about what’s to be seen at the end of the trail to the main waterfalls.
The Falls
A popular spot, we found around 15 people at the falls. There’s a very large pool at the bottom of the falls and even though this was the middle of September with temperatures barely 70, there were several who handled the cold water swimming in the pool and hanging around the base of the falls.
A fun day, great hike and the views were spectacular.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life!
Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
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Joan and I have started our late summer, early fall RV trip. We can’t express how excited we are to be back out again after months of sheltering in place. Our first stop is Tugaloo State Park Campground located on the edge of Lavonia, GA. The campground is about 10 minutes from exit 177 off I-85 just on the edge of the Georgia / South Carolina state line. We had our trip laid out, but at the last minute decided to add an extra week to the trip. We had difficulty finding a camping spot that was open for the week. Fortunately, Tugaloo State Park Campground had one left. Our site doesn’t have the greatest views, but we understood when we made a last minute reservation. There’s still plenty to do – nice hiking trails and a short walk to the lakes edge. No problem! We’re camping again.
The Campground
The campground is located on the edge of the 55,590 acres of Lake Hartwell. The sites are surrounded with a moderate amount of oak, cherry and walnut trees providing great shade from the hot summer sun. There are private boat docks for campers and spaces to park boat trailers. There are a number of well-marked trails and great fishing from the banks and public docks.
This is an older campground. Of the 105 campsites, there is a mixture of large and small sites. There are a series of loops and the roads are a little narrow, but the largest percentages of sites are pull-through. Most of the sites are listed as 30 amps. We were prepared to do the power management budget with limited ACs, watching when we ran hair dryers and microwaves, and then we found the site had two 30 amp connections. Using our dual 30 amp to 50 amp dog leg, we are able to run all things electric. The campsites are electric and water only, but a two lane dump station is provided leaving the campground area. There is a small campground store located near the entrance of the park.
The Area
The town of Lavonia is 10 minutes from the campground. There are a number of restaurants, grocery stores and shops around town. There’s also a hospital in the area.
We work from the road. Verizon and AT&T had good phone service, with AT&T providing the best data throughput from our hotspot.
Tugaloo State Park Campground is a very nice campground offering affordable camping and a great place to escape for a weekend of the max 14 day stay.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
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After 6 years of heavy RV travel, it was time to replace our RV refrigerator. Our current unit was getting a little beat up inside from all the bumpy roads, plus the compressor was making a strange noise when starting up. We took the latter as a sign the refrigerator was going to cause problems in the future and we didn’t want to be out on a multiple month, extended trip and have the refrigerator fail.
TYPES OF RV REFRIGERATORS
When we purchased our 5th wheel, we preferred having a residential style refrigerator versus the more traditional RV refrigerator, also known as an absorption refrigerator, that uses propane to create a flame that heats a combination of ammonia, hydrogen gas, and water for the cooling process. We found the residential refrigerator to be much colder, no maintenance and have larger capacities using the wall space available.
There are pros and cons to each type of RV refrigerator. For the traditional absorption refrigerator, having the propane option is great for boondocking. The battery system is only used for thermostat and pilot lighting. The downside, the smaller capacities, heat generated, maintenance and occasional need to defrost. A residential refrigerator is colder, most are self-defrosting, have more space and require little if any maintenance. The challenge is finding one that will fit through the RV door and the space inside along with the power consumption when traveling. A multiple batteries are required along with an inverter with capacity to handle the refrigerators 120V AC compressor.
WHY REPLACE THE RV REFRIGERATOR
Why did our refrigerator fail after 6 years? Well, it hadn’t….yet. Sure, it was making a weird noise, but the refrigerator could have continued to work for many years. As “long timer” RV travelers, we often spend two or three months at a stretch in our 5th wheel and can travel up to eight months out of a year. We treat the 5th wheel as our second home and have made various upgrades for comfort and overall usability. Joan and I felt it was time for an upgrade and wanted some of the new features available with a new refrigerator.
REPLACING THE RV REFRIGERATOR
Finding a residential refrigerator that would fit in our 5th wheel was going to be our greatest challenge. We had a 29 inch front door on the 5th wheel to remove the old refrigerator and bring in a new unit. We also had exactly 28 inches to fit a new refrigerator in the existing space. Height was less of an issue requiring minimal carpentry with a small panel to fill in the remaining refrigerator space.
Second challenge was finding a unit that had a low power budget to operate. We wanted something that was less than an amp to run and wouldn’t require a battery or inverter upgrade. Our current 1,000 watt inverter supports a 2,000 watt peak and wanted a refrigerator that would work within these parameters.
After several months of searching, we found a refrigerator at Home Depot that met all of our requirements. Width was a perfect fit, power budget was much better than our existing unit, and the taller height was going to require the smallest amount of carpentry. Our new LG model LBNC15231V was going to be a great upgrade in features. Plus, the LG is an inverter compressor and for the size of this unit, requires very little power.
Removing the existing RV refrigerator and replacing with the new LG took a little planning, some finesse as well as muscle. The actual weight of the refrigerator was not the biggest issue as much as overall bulk and the tight space. We quickly discovered only two people could work in the space, plus we had to make a substantial effort to protect the unit from any damage or scratches fitting the new LG refrigerator though the doorway and around the cabinets. We took the extra effort of creating a ramp to the doorway which dealt with the largest difficulty of moving old and installing the new RV refrigerator.
RESULTS
We couldn’t be happier with the results of the new RV refrigerator. We have more space, more features and the power budget is much lower than the previous model.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Many ask: “How do you afford RV travel?” Simple, I work on the road. We’re fortunate that our business is very portable. Joan and I aren’t unique, there are many who enjoy RV travel for extended periods of time or claim a nomad lifestyle who either has a business or works for a company where tasks are suited for a remote environment. I was a corporate traveler for many years, had a home office since 2011 and joined the RV ranks in 2014 and as a result, developed a work environment and processes that have made working from an RV simple and very effective. Whether you work and travel for extended periods of time or a full time digital nomad, here are 6 tips for working from your RV.
1. Office Space
Having space for work that is comfortable and supports your ongoing needs to conduct business is very important. In an RV there is usually a dining area, booth and in some of the newer 5th wheels, an office space to work from. Our Gateway had a dining table. We removed the dining chairs, turned the table sideways, added a couple large monitors along with a very comfortable office chair.
For office supplies, files, cables, thumbs drives, laptop storage, and all those miscellaneous things needed to handle the administrative side of the business, I reverted back to a large briefcase. Maybe a little old school, but after trying various file cabinets, this was compact, stores the essentials and makes it’s very easy to find those little offices things when needed.
2. Technology and Tools
Each remote work task is a little different, but there are several items that are critical for conducting business. First of all, don’t go cheap. Whatever will be used on recurring tasks, make sure it has the speed and reliability to meet your needs without failure or interruption. A video editor’s requirements are much different than the blogger and different from the person performing remote medical billing. What’s the same for a PC, laptop and any other technology; it must work and meet the requirements of the remote task at hand. We also cover a few other items in the video below.
3. Internet
Remote Internet is one of our largest business expenses. It’s almost impossible to run a business using campground Internet. Internet intensive tasks are not well suite from a coffee shop or the parking lot of one of the large burger chains. We use unlimited AT&T and Verizon hotspots. Having two cellular carriers gives us the best opportunity to have quality Internet where one may work in the campground this week, but cell service in the next campground may be stronger for the other carrier. For great information about the ever changing cellular data plans and services, visit the great work supplied by Chris and Cherie at www.rvmobileinternet.com.
4. Process and Scheduling
Equally important is time management. Scheduling work time and play time is what makes the RV lifestyle so enjoyable. We share with many that we work a day then play a day. Having a remote job or operating a remote business, scheduling time is important for meeting your client or company needs as a well as having time to see the site surrounding this RV stop.
There are great project management tools to help with your day-to-day processes and time management. We have been using Google Calendar to layout weeks and months of work, travel and important events. With the administrative requirements of running a business, QuickBooks is essential to our bookkeeping and billing needs as well as that needed end of the year tool to close the books and head to the accountant for tax time.
5. K.I.S.S.
K.I.S.S. isn’t my invention, but a carryover from my telecom engineering and operations day. Keep It Simple Stupid (I’m pointing my finger at myself!) is the effort of not making the work environment difficult. This is the effort of not adding processes, tools, technology, and software that isn’t critical to your daily deliverables. Sure the latest and greatest tech is cool to work with….maybe, but if it slows down or worse, breaks the work environment that’s need throughout the week, it’s best to test over time and become efficient in its operation before make a change.
6. Take Care of Yourself
Being outside of an office environment can be a curse and a blessing. Not having structure can cause one too work to many hours, never take breaks and the next thing you know is you’re burnt out for over work and not enjoying all the wonderful sites and experiences that RV life has to offer. Don’t get in the trap of working all hours of the day and night. Take those needed breaks. Schedule time well and set proper expectations to meet your client or company’s work deliverables.
The Bottom Line
Take breaks. Schedule time wisely. Pick the right technology to get the job done. Find the best Internet you can afford. Don’t forget to take quality time to experience the area where your RV is parked. And most of all enjoy RV life.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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If you follow any of the RV groups on Facebook or participate in any of the RV forums, usually you’ll see questions about RV power. We also receive questions from our ilovervlife.com website or comments on our YouTube channel about RV power, the various RV power adapters, and why the main breaker constantly trips when connected to a 30 amp campground pedestal. The good news is that regardless of the type of power your RV is connected to, knowing the power required by your appliance and using a little simple math, you can prevent that recurring breaker trip and enjoy your time at the campground.
Common Types of RV Power
There are four types of RV power:
50 Amp
30 Amp
20 Amp
15 Amp
For most campgrounds, 50 and 30 amp RV power connections are the most common. The 20 and 15 amp connections are used when we park the RV at home to keep the batteries charged or when we “driveway surf” at family or a friend’s house for the holidays. Here’s a short explanation of each type of RV power connection.
50 Amps
The 50 amp RV power connection is one of the most misunderstood. As shown in the graphic on the right, the plug supports two 50 amp, 120 volt circuits often referred to as “legs”. The two legs can support up to 6,000 watts of power each. The legs are separated into two RV circuits to distribute the power load. Most common wiring configurations for RVs equipped with two air conditioners has one air conditioner on the “L1” leg and the second air conditioner will be on the “L2” leg. The remaining 120 volt outlets will be distributed on the two legs. With this amount of power and using typical household appliances, tripping the RV power pedestal breaker is rare.
30 Amps
We find 30 amp RV power connections mostly in state and federal parks and some of the older privately owned campgrounds. Even in campgrounds that report to have 50 amp connections, there may be a number of sites with 30 amp connections. We prefer to stay in campsites that are 50 amp, but if only 30 amps are available we don’t let that stop us from going to a location and seeing the sites.
The 30 amp RV connection supports one power wire referred to as the “hot” lead for a total of 3,600 watts. For RVs that are designed for 30 amps of power, there is only one air conditioner and a limited amount of 120 volt receptacles. For an RV that has a 50 amp connection, a 30 amp to 50 amp adapter, referred to as a dog bone, is required. When this adapter is used, the RV will share the single 30 amp connection.
20 and 15 Amps
Both the 20 and 15 amp RV power connection looks the same, a standard household 120 volt plug. Wired similar to the 30 amp connection, the 20 amp connection supports 2,400 watts and a 15 amp connection supports 1,800 watts. These can be found in campgrounds, but most often are used at home or when stopping at friend or relative’s home for the holidays. The only way to determine if the receptacle amp capacity is to verify the circuit breaker assigned. There are 20 to 50 amp and 20 to 30 amp adapters available providing a standard plug to connect the RV to an extension cord. One note, if you plan to use this type of connection, use a good quality 10 gauge extension cord.
RV Power Management
The question comes up: “How do you determine which appliances can be operated on RV power?” Great question. With a 50 amp connection the answer is simple – everything in the RV. There are limits to what can be plugged into a single receptacle at one time and not trip the inside breaker, but this is no different than what would be experienced at home. Here is a sheet or click the chart on the right that shows the total capacity supplied by each type of RV power connection.
But, this changes substantially with a 30 amp or smaller RV power connection. To maximize the 3,600 watts of power, we need to determine how much power is consumed by an appliance, adding all that will be used at one time and the total watts not exceeding the 3,600 watts supplied. We can use the Ohms Law formula to calculate appliance wattage, but I have created a RV power cheat sheet with many of the most common appliances found in an RV with the estimated watts and amps for each. I also go into additional detail how to calculate appliance power and RV power management in the video below.
RV Power Adapters
For an RV with a 50 amp service, there are three adapters often used:
30 to 50 amp
Dual 30 amp to 50 amp
20/15 amp to 50 amp
For an RV with a 30 amp service, there is one adapter often used:
20/15 amp to 30 amp
The tip to remember when using an adapter, regardless of the maximum amps supported by the RV, you will only have the capacity supplied by the RV power connection at the pedestal. For our 50 amp RV, we have all three adapters and use them throughout the year. If you don’t have these adapters, I’ve provided links below where they can be purchased.
Closing Remarks
In a perfect world, Joan and I would always stay in a campground with a long pull through spot, trees to block the hot sun, an amazing view of the mountains or beach, and a 50 amp RV power connection. But as we all know, there’s always a little give and take when it comes to that perfect camping spot for the week and it may not have the RV power connection we prefer. That’s ok; we’ll manage and have a great time enjoying RV life.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
This was a fun project. A day’s effort with big returns. We decided to help a teacher. Julie, our daughter teaches third grade and with the Covid-19 challenges she will be teaching students in a classroom as well as those online. This created a number of challenges with one of main issues surrounding the presentation of materials in the physical classroom and those who will be online at the same time.
With the need to stand for long periods of time, having access to a laptop, web camera and document camera, she was concerned with the teaching process as well as the fatigue of continually bending over a desk for long periods of time. Bending over and trying to look at a web camera created other challenges with the potential of a poor teacher presentation for the online students. The fix – building a custom standing desk.
Designing the Standing Desk
As mention, this was a day’s work. We wanted something that specifically fit Julie’s height and would be wide enough to comfortably support all of the technology and teaching materials needed for the day. See would need a method to power all the devices and manage the multitude of cables. She also needed a shelf to hold books, papers and other teaching materials that would be easy to access.
Creating a custom standing desk gave us the opportunity to ensure the desk was properly size to meet Julie’s height. Applying a little human factors engineering, we determined the best desk height would be 38” tall and 48” wide.
Building the Standing Desk
You may ask, why build a desk and not purchase one? This answer is simple – cost. Looking online, most the standing desks cost $500 to $1,000 and more for those with mechanical height adjustments. We were on a budget and confident we could build a high quality standing desk for less the $100 and in fact, built this one for less than $75 including wood, nails, screws and a little paint.
The most expensive item for the standing desk was the plywood. We used cabinet grade ¾” birch plywood at a cost of $55. Not wanting to waste or miss cut this expensive 4’ X 8’ sheet of plywood, we created a diagram to maximize our cuts. I’ve provide a copy of my cut sheet and you can download by clicking on the image in the right.
We also wanted to reduce the rough edges of the plywood for the top and shelf and added a trim band made from a piece of clear popular. An 8’ X 4” board cut into 1” X 1 ½” strips provided a very nice finished edge. See the application in the video below.
Lastly, we wanted the desk to be as substantial as possible and not wiggle or move while accessing the devices on top of the desk. We assembled the sides, top, and shelf using pocket screws. This was accomplished with a great pocket screw jig created by Kreg. There are several systems offered with a wide range of features and accessories. We own the Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig 320 and is perfect for plywood based projects.
Finishing off the desk with a 10 plug power strip and a couple of coats of white latex gloss paint, and we were ready to deliver.
Results
Julie was thrilled with the standing desk. In the video below, you’ll see her reaction and how she plans to use the desk.
A great project for your RV work space, home office or better yet, a teacher in your area who may need an improved work space, especially with the all of the current challenges they’ll face each day with the added demands for distance learning.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
We have another great product to review from Haloview. In the video below, we install the new Haloview RD10 RV Rearview and Dash Cam. This is a very interesting video system partly based on Haloview’s enhanced range system that allows the rear camera to connect to the monitor wirelessly via an extender cable and amplifier. Using this configuration, a wireless camera can be located up to 80 feet from the video monitor and operate without loss of signal. We have been using a similar setup with the Haloview 7-inch 720P Wireless Range Dominator 4-Camera RD7 System. You can learn more about the installation of this installation here. We have traveled thousands of miles since we installed and not had any issues.
Installing the Rear Camera
There is ample cable support to run from the rear camera to the forward facing repeater. One’s imagination is the only limiting factor on how to run the cable and where to place the repeater. Haloview provides a 12V DC power inserter that can be used at the rear camera or at the repeater. For RV’s that have been prewired for the Furrion Camera, a mounting bracket is provided to mount the rear camera. The installation guide provides several roof style cable run options. We preferred more of a custom installation running the cable under the RV belly pan. You can learn more about our installation in the video below.
Haloview Wireless Rearview Observation Mirror
The heart of this system is the Haloview Wireless Rearview Observation Mirror. The kit comes with all cables and mounting hardware for each component. In less than 10 minutes, I mounted the Observation Mirror, synced to the rear camera and was able to display both the forward dash cam and the rear camera. One nice feature about the Observation Mirror is the ability to attach to the existing vehicle rearview mirror. This frees up the dash from any clutter that could impact visibility though the windshield. One other favorite feature is the screen presentation. With the simple swipe of a finger or tap of the screen, I could use as a mirror only, split screen with dash camera and rear camera view or full screen with dash or rear camera.
Final Thoughts
This is a well-made and excellent performing system that is easy to install, feature rich and well-priced for the functions offered.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
With the thousands of miles Joan and I cover each year with our RV, we’ve always been concerned with the performance and monitoring of our F-350 engine and transmission when we tow our 5th wheel. Our largest concern centers around the amount of heat generate during a tow. We wanted a product such as the OBDLink MX+ to monitor our engine and transmission.
We were most interested in three main areas: ♦ Engine coolant temperature ♦ Engine oil temperature ♦ Transmission temperature
This became more of a concern recently when our daughter and her family were towing their camper in the mountains of North Carolina. Just a few miles from the campground as they traveled back home, the engine temperatures pegged, warning lights abound, and they were back at the campground while waiting a couple of days to have the truck electric fan replaced. We too had issues last year with DEF heaters shorting and a blown turbo hose. Many times, a detailed presentation with meters showings growing changes in heat or the ability to diagnose an engine code quickly can mean the difference in a low cost repair and preventing substantial damage to the towing vehicle.
Not all OBD readers have the
ability to read large diesel engines.
Why Choose the OBDLink MX+
With this in mind, we started our research for a Bluetooth capable OBD reader that would provide the ability to display a graphic representation of various engine and transmission parameters along with the ability to quickly diagnose engine warning light codes. Adding to the challenge in finding an OBD reader, our towing vehicle is a Ford F-350 with a 6.7 turbo diesel. Not all readers have the ability to read these large diesel engines. From our research, we felt confident the OBDLink MX+ would meet our needs.
Installing the OBDLink MX+
This installation of the OBDLink M+ could not have been easier. With the well written instructions in hand, I plugged the unit into the truck’s OBD port, downloaded the OBDLink app to our smart phone from the app store and followed the online instructions. A few minutes to register the device, another few minutes to upgrade the unit firmware and finally another few minutes to download the enhanced add-ons for the F-350 and the unit sprang to life. Pressing the display button on the app, we were provided with a standard application display with 6 meters. But we didn’t stop there.
Easily create your own
custom display.
Building my custom OBDLink MX+ display
The OBDLink MX+ app is feature rich with the ability to easily create your own custom display. Simple search of the OBD parameter to monitor, pick the desired display and a wide range of options to configure size, colors, ranges and more present the meters preferred on the smart IOS or Android phone or tablet.
Results
The presentation and performance was much better than expected. Clear presentation of the meters we preferred along with the added benefit to quickly diagnose engine warnings if needed. A low cost application to ensure our engine and transmission are operating properly when towing our heavy 5th wheel.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
This was our last week at St. Augustine Beach and Ocean Grove RV Resort, and this was one special. All the kids came this week and the J’s took over the beach. That’s right the J’s – Along with me (Jerry) and Joan, we had Joel, Julie, Josh, Jake, Jaymi Kate and Jilli Beth all at the campground.
The Beach
Summer vacation when Joel and Julie were little ones hovered around life at the beach. And as our family grew, we continue the tradition. At least 6 out of the 7 days, we set up the tents, chairs, coolers, games and spend the day at the beach. No day is typical, but one can be assured the competitiveness of the group comes alive playing all of the beach games and of course, a couple good books are consumed.
There’s also these morning power walks arranged by Joel, our oldest. This isn’t a casual stroll, but a good pounding the sand of one hour plus. It’s worth it. Early mornings, good exercise, pretty sunrise and just enjoying our time together.
The Restaurants
The whole group is a bunch of foodies, and on vacation we’re always in search of good beach food. This year was a little more challenging with the remnants of the Corona Virus, but everyone was working hard to recover staff, keep everyone safe and make sure we had a great experience. We found many of our favorites and there was no shortage of great seafood during the week.
Joan and I cherish these times. Great time with the older kids catching up and of course, spoiling the grandkids. Just another reason we love RV life!
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
The fun continues at St. Augustine Beach, FL. We’re still making adjustments due to covid, but there are plenty of things to see and do. The beach is great and we’re seeing a large number of vacationers coming out for the day. There’s no shortage of tents, coolers, and all things to make a beach day fun.
Morning Beach Bike Rides
One of my favorite activities is a morning beach bike ride. One of the benefits of St. Augustine Beach is the deep beach at low tide. This provides a great path to ride near the water, enjoy the sun rise, hear the sound of the waves and just go for miles. The beach doesn’t open for cars until 8am. Going early, you’ll meet walkers, joggers and other bicyclists along the way. Add a light breeze as we experienced in the video below make this morning a perfect ride.
Beach Restaurants
Business closures resulting from covid, has had an impact on restaurant availability and service levels. Arriving the first of June, we found some of our favorites were still closed. At the time of this blog, we are in the middle of June and slowly seeing some of our favorite restaurants open again. With many having replaced large numbers of serving staff, we’ve gone the extra step to thank those working hard and adding an extra dose of patience. In the video below, we stopped at a restaurant we always frequent on Saturdays afternoons, The Golden Lion in Flagler Beach, FL. It didn’t disappoint meeting our expectations of past visits – live music, raw oysters (lots of them on this visit), views next to the beach and a great staff. Just a fun place.
If a 2020 RV beach stay is in your future, we suggest calling ahead to your campground. Find out what the area requires for your visit and what may be open that you like to visit. We made the call before we booked our reservation at Ocean Grove RV Resort. They were very helpful giving us updates for the area and worked hard to provide a safe environment during our visit. Stay safe everyone.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
We’re back in St. Augustine, FL for 2020. With hope RV life will start to return to normal, we are back at Ocean Grove RV Resort for the month of June. The good news, the places we like to visit are open including most our favorite beach restaurants. The downtown area is a little different. Many of the museums and national monuments still remain closed. Also, a number of the larger restaurants are closed. But the many of the shops, trolley tours, and locally owned eateries are open and business is brisk. Taking the necessary covid precautions, we’re still having a great time doing the beach things we enjoy.
The Beach
The beach is in great shape. Easy for most two wheel drive vehicles to navigate and park for the day. There are several sections of the beach that are 4-wheel drive only. One of the things we like about this area is the deep beach frontage that allows the easy set-up of a tent or umbrella. Bike rides are another favorite with long stretches of beach with great views.
Ocean Grove RV Resort
Ocean Grove RV Resort is our go to beach campground. For a beach campground, the spaces are large with ample distance between RVs. Most sites have been upgraded with pavers will ample RV and truck parking and comfortable space for outdoor entertainment. Sites are well equipped with grills, 50 amp power, water, sewer and cable. Plus, a great pool area and the Ebb Tide pool restaurant has a great menu and fun place for a beverage.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
There are several forms of maintenance that should be considered for your RV. There are tasks that should be considered yearly as well as RV seasonal maintenance. I place tasks in RV seasonal maintenance that should occur in 2 to 3 year increments. This time period isn’t exact and depends on the environment and how an RV is stored. For those that live in harsh climates with no storage option, these tasks may need to be performed sooner, in milder climates and covered storage option, a more extended timeframe.
Waxing an RV
We haven’t waxed our RV in several years. The gel coat had lost its luster. It needed a good coat of wax to not only improve the looks of the 5th wheel, but to protect the finish from cracking and deterioration. It can help protect decals, but in our case, we have one decal that is showing signs of heavy cracking.
There are a wide variety of waxes that can be used on an RV with good results. We prefer using Meguiar’s Premium Marine Wax. This wax is designed to withstand the harsh environments experienced by water crafts and holds up well for RV use as well. The formula offers long-lasting polymer protection and incredible deep gloss to fiberglass and gel coat surfaces. It removes light oxidation, fine scratches and swirls, and works well with by hand or variable speed polisher.
We cover the steps of applying wax in the video below.
Caulking an RV
Caulking found on the edges of the roof, corners, and seams of an RV offers an important form of protection against rain. Exposed to the sun and weather, caulking can crack and fall off allowing water to enter the RV. This can cause rot and delamination. An inspection yearly and caulking takes little time, is not expensive and can save many thousands of dollars in repairs.
Not all caulks are the same and are designed for various purposes. Do not use caulks designed for home applications such as silicone or latex. We prefer using Dicor Lap Sealant. This is an industry standard and can be purchased in colors to match your existing caulk. A little goes a long way and a very thin bead is usually all that is required.
Inspecting Marker and Break Lights
We have a habit of checking our lights after we hook up the 5th wheel to the truck to ensure the markers, break and turn signal lights are operational. But for our RV seasonal maintenance, we check the covers looking for cracks and damage. These are not expensive and damage units should be replaced. This year, we found a break light that had a large crack and would have fallen off with a small bump along the road. Easy Amazon search found an exact replacement.
RV Tire Inspection
We are religious when it comes to inspecting and maintaining the tires on our RV. We always perform a quick RV tire inspection before leaving a destination checking for damage and tire pressure. A blow out is dangerous and can cause substantial damage to the RV. I know, we’ve had two blown outs and hope we never have another.
As part of our RV seasonal maintenance, we perform a very close inspection of our tires. We look for belt separation, cracking in the side walls and along the tire bead and most of all, inspect the tread for damage. This go around, we discovered a tire that had a pyramid rock where the point had entered the tread, cut into the tire and damaged the steel belts. It would have been only a matter of time before the rock continued to cut into the tire, belt separation and a tire exploding in the middle of a trip.
We share additional details for the replacement in the video below.
In addition to this seasonal maintenance, we have listed a number of tasks below that should be performed yearly. They’re simple, low cost, and very important in maintaining your RV.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
After 6 years, our RV awning had seen better days. From beating it up at the beach along with a constant battle with at the tree limbs at rural campgrounds, the RV awning stitching busted pulling a 10 foot section away from the side of the 5th wheel. We could have taken down, had it stitched and replace, but the fabric was getting fatigued and we didn’t think much life was remaining. We checked with several RV repair facilities and received quotes from $1,000 to $1,600 for a new awning and the labor to install. This seemed quite steep and we felt the install would not be that difficult and found a good quality awning for $145.
The Awning Material
After a search through many of the RV product resellers, we settled on a SunWave awning purchased through Amazon. We found popular sizes to fit most motorized and manual awnings and the ratings were very good. The material has a very slick finish with hopes this will minimize staining and mildew. The materials consist of a 15oz vinyl with a 16oz vinyl weather shield. If you have a manual awning, it also comes will a new pull strap. After reading the specs and ratings, we thought we’d give the SunWave RV awning a try.
RV Awning Replacement Preparation
Before you start the project, make sure you have two quality ladders capable of reaching the top of the camper. There will be steps in the RV awning removal and installation where each person will be on a ladder at each end of the awning roller. A wobbly ladder is unsafe and can cause injury and/or damage to the awning if dropped.
Our awing is a motorized LCI until. There’s little preparation with a motorized until. There’s no capture spring to content with which make removal much simpler.
CAUTION! If you have a manual awning, locate the instructions for your model and find out how to secure the roller before cutting the awning fabric away from the side of the camper. Failure to do so can cause serious injury.
For the LCI RV awning, I first extended the awning approximately 12 inches from the side of the camper. Next I secured the arm mechanisms with tie wraps to hold in place once the fabric was cut. This is an important step to prevent the awning from failing forward.
Removing the Old RV Awning
With the RV awning arm mechanisms secured, I cut the RV awning from the side of the camper using a sharp razor knife. Next, I removed the set screw holding the poly cord and pulled the poly cord and remaining fabric from the track.
Next step was to remove the roller from the arm mechanisms. This is a two person job. Good communications is required throughout the removal and installation where each share where they are in completing their task. With a ladder and person on each side, we removed the bolts holding the roller to the arm mechanisms. Unplugging the RV awning motor wire, we carefully stepped down and placed the awning roller on the ground. Here we cut the remainder of the old awning fabric from the roller and pulled out the polly cord from the retaining track.
Replacing the RV Awning
The steps to replace the RV Awning are almost the opposite of the removal. We used the old awning as our work space to prevent scuffing or damage to the new awning. We carefully unfolded, located front and back and slid the new RV awning with the attached polly cord into the awning roller. We then secured the polly cord with screws to the roller.
Next is attaching the back of the awning to the camper. This requires sliding the RV awning polly cord into the mounted track. This is a 3 to 4 person job with one person at the top of the RV feeding the awning polly cord at one end and a second person at the other end pulling the fabric. This task should be performed in short 6 to 12 inch pulls with caution to prevent snags and tears in the fabric. You’ll also need 1 to 2 people on the ground holding the awning roller and following the progress of the sliding fabric. Once the fabric is installed and aligned, we rolled the remaining fabric on the roller, connected the power cable to the motor, replaced the two blots holding the roller to the arm mechanisms and used a set screw to hold the polly code the RV awning track.
Installation Time and Difficulty
It took us 2 hours to remove and install the new RV awning. Difficulty is moderate requiring basic hand tools. The RV awning roller and fabric is not very heavy, but can be cumbersome at 10 foot plus working heights. See the video below for the step by step efforts replacing an RV awning.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
One of the things that Joan and I appreciate about the RV lifestyle is the wide variety of places to camp and sites to see. From small to large, we’ve have yet to stay in two places that were alike. On this stop, we wanted to experience one of the larger “family style” campgrounds and choose Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC. This is by far, the largest campground that we’ve stayed in with 859 camping spots, amenities galore and a destination that you and the family could stay for a long period of time and never leave. We had a great stay and look forward to returning with the rest of our camping family for the complete Ocean Lakes Family Campground experience.
The camping spots were big rig friendly with most offering pull-though paved parking, 50 amps, water, sewer and cable TV. There are those beach campgrounds where we have been crammed camper to camper with little space between. That is not the case at Ocean Lakes. We had ample space to not only have our awning and seating, but space to park the truck as well. We use cell data for Internet, both AT&T and Verizon provided reasonable bandwidth along with campground provided Internet. And if that wasn’t enough, the campground also provides the Starfish Radio station that played much of our favorite beach music.
About Ocean Lakes Family Campground
This family oriented campground started with the Jackson family almost 50 years ago. With a humble beginning of 30 campsites, Ocean Lakes has grown to 859 campsites on 310 acres offering an enjoyable family experience to thousands of guests each year. Still owned and operated by the Jackson family, we were impressed with the high level of customer service and the facilities overall. But, this is not your normal campground. There’s so much more to experience.
The Amenities
Of course there’s the beautify Myrtle Beach. Depending on the location in the campground, the beach is a short walk through the dunes. This is a typical of southern east coast beach with firm sand, large open area to the water’s edge and great places to play and sun for the day.
The southeastern corner of the campground has large playgrounds with basketball courts, shuffleboard, kid’s playgrounds and more. Plenty of space to ride bikes. There’s a fun center with hundreds of coin operated arcade games and café.
Of course you can walk throughout the campground, but with this amount of amenities and 859 campground spots, a golf cart would be nice. Ocean Lakes thought of that too. Golf cart rentals are available along with service and sales. Plus, Ocean Lakes has a RV sales and service facility on site, in case you want to upgrade or need repairs.
Then we have the water park. This is not your typical small swimming pool in the corner of the campground. This is a full featured water park with large lap pool, indoor pool for the cooler months, lazy river, tube slides, mat slides, kiddy pool, splash area and putt putt golf.
The camp store had a small grocery with food and all things for the beach. A Laundromat with 100 machines, Sandy’s Meet and Eat for breakfast, dinner and ice cream. And if that wasn’t enough, the campground hosts musical acts throughout the year.
If you want to know more, watch the video below as I cover Ocean Lake Family Campground from front to back.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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This was our last day in Elkin, NC. For eight days in early March, we visited a number of the Elkin NC vineyards in this area, hiked a number of great trails and overall, had a great time seeing the sites and meeting the people in this area of North Carolina. Our trip today takes us to two vineyards – Dobbins Creek Vineyards and Laurel Gray Vineyards. The wines in both were quite different in style, but excellent quality and taste.
From Byrd’s Branch Campground where we parked the 5th wheel, there were 30 vineyards within a 20 minute drive and over 90 vineyards scattered throughout the northern section of the state. If you have an opportunity to travel to the upper part of North Carolina, I hope you get a chance to visit some of the excellent vineyards in the area. Great wines, beautiful vineyards and friendly folks – just another reason Joan and I love RV life!
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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One of the fun things that I enjoy about our RV travels are the trails and hiking areas we often find. That was definitely the case when Joan and I visited Elkin, NC and stayed at Byrd’s Branch Campground. There were several trails near the edge of the campground and on this trip I hiked the Grassy Creek Trails. Much to my joy, this wasn’t just your basic hiking trail. At the end, I found Grassy Creek Vineyard that was perfect for a short rest and refueling before I returned to the campground.
Grassy Creek Trail
The trail is 1.5 miles long to the vineyard, 3 miles total for the return back to the campground. The trails was very well marked and even on this early March trek, offered nice views of this wooded trail. The hike wasn’t verify difficult, less than moderate with one slight vertical that ran around 100 yards to and away from the Grassy Creek. Reaching the creek was a nice stop with a picnic table, strong bridge and pretty views of the bubble creek running along moss covered banks and rocks. Early spring flowers had started to bloom and I could image what the Spring, Summer or Fall views would offer.
Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery
As I reached the end of the trail, I was greeted by the Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery tasting room. Now I’ve hiked too many trails to mention and this is the first time I had the surprise of a vineyard waiting for me at the end. The folks at the tasting room greeted me as I entered the door and welcomed me with a large glass of ice water. Super friendly staff and the handful of patrons scattered about were very social wanting to know about the hike, where I was from and intrigued with RV life.
Then came the wines. Skipping the normal tasting, I went straight for a glass of the vineyard’s wonderful Chambourcin followed with second glass of their equally delicious Sirah. Interesting, they only had two bottles of the Sirah left and I purchased one to take back!
What a great way to spend an afternoon. Great hike. Great views. And, great wine at very friendly vineyard. Oh my, do I love RV Life!
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We continue our travels around North Carolina and visited two more vineyards in Elkin NC along with a really interesting stop at an Amish general store. This was a very pretty day to tour, a little chilly and windy, but that didn’t stop Joan and me. Aside from the great wines in this area and along with the sites, we are really enjoying to people of this region – so friendly and accommodating – they have really made us feel at home.
Shiloh General Store
Nestled in the middle of this North Carolina wine region is Shiloh General Store. Joan and I didn’t know what to expect and were quite taken back as we walked through the doors. A substantial selection of Amish made goods including jams, jellies, fresh baked breads, pies, mixes, pickles and much, much more. We also enjoyed the deli sandwiches made with fresh baked breads and delicious meats and cheese. We had a fun stop for lunch along with adding a few delicious items to our pantry.
Windsor Run Cellars
Windsor Run Cellars was another fun vineyard and testing room visited. Located along the Swan Creek Wine Trail, Windsor Run offers a wide range of dry and sweeter wines, meads and brandies. For Joan and me, we decided we would step out of our traditional wine comfort zone and try some of the different vintages offer. We were not disappointed. Fun stop, very good wines, gracious host, all equal a great visit and tasting at this vineyard.
Shadow Springs Vineyard
Our last vineyard stop for the day placed us at Shadow Springs Vineyard, as sister vineyard to Windsor Run Cellars. The surrounding vineyards were beautiful, even on this end of the winter season, you could see the mountains in the distance and the rolling hills and vines made it really something to see.
The tasting room was very open, nice bar area, and plush seating around a fire place with great views of the surrounding vineyards. For my tastes, the wines at Shadow Spring Vineyards were a home run – fantastic Cab Franc, Chambourcin and the ’14 Meritage was amazing. We had a great visit, a great host and comfortable social environment with many of the others visiting Shadow Springs Vineyards and enjoying their excellent wines.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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How does the old saying go: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Maybe mine and Joan’s saying is a little different. “When your main waterline breaks and floods your basement, then move into the 5th wheel for a little camping in the driveway.” A crazy Easter weekend, but we survived, enjoyed the 5th wheel for a few days and life’s back to normal thanks to the plumbers coming to our aid.
All in all, we fared well after the shock of seeing a creek flowing out of our basement the Saturday morning before Easter. Two feet of water in the crawl space and the water meter dial spinning like a roulette wheel was quite a shock! A call to the emergency line at the plumbing company, the plumber arrived and after a look at the task, we both agreed this wasn’t going to be a quick fix. We moved into the 5th wheel, was able to fill the water tank and we had running water, the X2 for satellite TV and thankful for the 50 amp connection in the garage. Monday morning, the crew came to the rescue. Backhoe, big ditch, new water line and we were moving from camper to house by late afternoon.
Thanks goodness for the 5th wheel and the excellent services from Ricky Heath Plumbing.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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If you are new to working at home or RV, I want to share 5 tips to help you establish your new workplace and make your work time productive. I started mobile working over 30 years ago in my corporate travel. Constant travel, millions of air miles, and thousands of hotel stays, and now working from both a home office and RV, I’ve developed processes to create an environment to conduct business easily, be productive, and reflect a professional environment when I interface with current and new clients.
I’ve create a video at the end of this blog where I share details within each tip. Here highlights for each tip.
1. A defined office space
Your office space can be anywhere, just as long as it’s comfortable and suitable to conduct business for hours. This can be the kitchen table, the corner of a bedroom, a spare room or even the dining space in an RV. The key is to have a place where your work products can be easily managed, it’s quite for calls with clients and peers, and there are fw distractions to take you away from your work.
For many, a simple folding table in a bedroom provides ample space. This can be especially helpful if children are at home and you need to close the door for calls or online meetings.
The RV can be an effective place for an office. If traveling with others in the small space offered in an RV, setting expectations on work time or what to do when you’re holding a business call can manage stress for you and those in the RV during work time.
2. Organization
This may not seem necessary, but organization of your workspace can be that single one tip that keeps your work time efficient and stress free. Workspace clutter can rob you of valuable time and add stress to your efforts. Wasting hours digging through files, constantly moving piles from one area to another in your limited work at home or RV space serves no one, but the pile you’re handling again and again.
Clean up and throw away the paper and junk that has accumulated and provides no value. Take time to place regularly used files in a briefcase, backpack or file cabinet that you can access quickly when needed. If you pull a file, put it back when you’re through. For files that are rarely needed, store away from your limited space, or better yet, scan, place on your hard drive for retrieval.
Lastly, save as much of the needed documentation as a PDF. This can be done as a “save as” or “print to PDF” function within the application, saved in hard drive folders for future reference, and sharing by email with others as needed.
3. Technology
From me, technology that makes work easier and more productive is what makes the world go round. Something learned over time, is that if it’s something is difficult to use or overly expensive for occasional use is both a waste of valuable time and money.
For most work at home and RV needs, a quality laptop is the main tool. It doesn’t matter if it is Windows or Mac along as you’re familiar with the operation of the applications for work. Trying to work from a tablet or a small screen laptop can generate fatigue over time. A laptop with a 15” or 17” screen is easy on the eyes and posture. Don’t cheap-out on the laptop. Make sure the laptop has the speed to do the type of work required.
Staying connected with peers and clients is important. More so now with the Coronavirus fears and the long periods we are experiencing with stay-at-home mandates. For simple face-to-face contact and basic screen sharing, Skype provides a quality experience. I use GoToMeeting on a regular basis. It is very easy to use for larger groups where multiple screens and desktop application sharing is needed. GoToMeeting is fee based, but provides a very professional online environment. Additional tips for technology used for online meetings are provided in the video below.
4. Define your work hours
Defining work hours can be one of the more difficult transitions for those new to working at home or RV. You lose the comfortable work routine that has been established over time. You lose the ability to close a door, go to a conference room, or have that quite space to work or hold calls. This can be difficult to recreate at home.
I’ve found that creating defined work hours is the best way to stay productive. Creating a schedule that is acceptable for others sharing the household is one of the best ways to remain productive during your work time. If there are slow-risers in the house, a few hours in the morning may work best. If you have very young children, then nap time is great for scheduling calls. Setting a fixed schedule and work time helps keeps peace in the home and the ever important calendar management for work each day.
5. Take time for yourself
You must take time for yourself throughout the day. At the workplace, we leave the desk often for another cup of coffee, to get something from the printer, attend a meeting; there are recurring tasks that keeps us moving. At home, that’s lost.
At least hourly, stand up. Stretch and take a few deep breaths. Go for a glass of water. Take five minutes to get let oxygen and blood flowing. Every two hours or so, walk away from the desk or table for ten minutes. Go to the mailbox, step out the door and let your eyes rest from documents and computer screens. Returning to the desk you’ll find productivity and creativity will increase.
I shared work hours above. Just because you’re working from home or RV, doesn’t mean you should work from hours on end. Go to work. Stop for lunch. And at the end of the hours allocated for that day, walk away and return tomorrow starting a new work day.
I hope this helps. I share much more in the video below. Although a long blog and even longer video, you may have more questions about workspace or the technology you need for your work at home or RV. Feel free to contact us with questions or ideas and we’ll do our best to respond quickly.
We are a participant in the GoToMeeting Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to GoToMeeting.com.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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For our use, one of the big benefits with the side cameras was eliminating the right and left blind spots for the 5th wheel, especially in heavy traffic. Even with the use of our large truck and convex mirrors, we still have a spot that is difficult to see and more so when we are in a large city with multiple lanes with vehicles jockeying around to pass us. With the side cameras, I can now take a quick glimpse of the side mirrors and camera monitor to see if it’s safe to change lanes.
Rear camera view
Pulling the 5th wheel for now over 5 years, I didn’t fully appreciate the benefit of having a rear camera located in the back of the camper. In our last travels, we were in a campground that had very narrow roads, trucks and cars were parked near us on the side of the road, and I had to get very creative pulling into our space. Even though I had Joan at the back of the 5th wheel, it was so nice to see her standing in the back pointing out vehicles nearby and showing me the edge of our space.
We also had an instance in a truck stop where I needed to change fueling lanes. The backup camera gave me the safety of knowing what was behind us as we backed up and then moving to the adjacent lane next.
Overall, we’re very happy with the performance of the cameras and the wireless monitor.
(One note for the video below. We were on a very bumpy section of I-20 while recording the monitor view of this video. The monitor mount and video is very stable. It was holding a camera and the rough roads affecting the view.)
Haloview 7″ 720P Wireless Range Dominator System RD7-MAX
Haloview MC7108 7 inch 720P HD Digital Wireless Rear View Camera System
Haloview MC7109-MAX 7 inch 720P HD Digital Wireless Rear View Camera System
Haloview MC5101 2.4G Digital 5″ LCD Wireless Rear View Camera System
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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More fun to share from our recent visit in Elkin, NC. Minutes from Byrds Branch Campground are a number of hike and bike trails. Hiking Carter Falls is just a short walk from the campground, I found a great 1.5 mile trek an easy walk along a well-marked trail. This was perfect for an early March hike – cool morning, moderate trail and great views of the rolling waterfalls. Little was in bloom, yet the daffodils we’re popping out hinting Spring was around the corner.
The Trail
The trail was not very difficult. For the most part, very even with a few areas that was slightly rocky. The walk on the edge of the river was well marked and safe to take great pictures and videos of the rolling water. Elevations weren’t challenging and the trip end to end and enjoying the great view took a couple hours.
The Falls
Carter Falls isn’t one of high elevation. The river area is a series of rolling drops. The sounds and views of the water were extra special with the build up from rains earlier in the week. This gave quite the presentation on this hike. Continuing along the trail, you reach and area where an old power house existed. The power house and flues are long gone, but remnants of the flue supports along the river and the power house foundation still remain. While the falls subside in this area, there’s still smaller falls to enjoy.
A great morning to take in a little nature and experience more Elkin, NC has to offer.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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One of the main reasons for this visit was the Elkin NC vineyard tours in this thriving wine region. We discovered this area last year when we stopped at Mt Airy, NC to take in all the Andy and Mayberry sites. Having an extra day, we drove 20 minutes south on I-77 and discovered this region had thirty award winning vineyards all ranging from large estates to smaller, quaint vineyards. Joan and I knew we had to return and during this stop we planned to travel the area and see the beautiful sites and taste these great wines.
Roaring River Vineyards
Our first stop was at Roaring River Vineyards, just a short 20 minute drive from the campground. Here we started with a delicious lunch from the Chez Josephine Restaurant. The adjoining tasting room offered very comfortable surroundings with a view of the river, plush seating around the fireplace and a bar with wines served by the vineyard’s owner. The wines were very good and reasonably priced. Our favorites were the Merlot and Chambourcin.
Next to the tasting room is a Lodge offering suites overlooking the river – a great place for a weekend get-a-away. They also have an indoor and a covered pavilion for events. This vineyard is also a Harvest Hosts site.
Jones Von Drehle Vineyards
Our next stop for the day was at Jones Von Drehle Vineyards and Winery. As we approached the winery, we were greeted by a large vineyard with rolling hills and the tasting room located at the top. The tasting room was roomy and over looked the vineyard. The staff was very friendly and shared much about the winery and their delicious wines. There were two options for the tasting, an Estate and a Reserve. Joan went the Estate route to sample both whites and reds and I went the Reserve route with the dried reds. This was a great ending to day 1 of our Elkin NC vineyard tours. The entire selection of wines became quick favorites and we couldn’t walk away without one of these excellent wines. We’re looking forward to sharing the 2012 Merlot Reserve when we return home.
There much planned for the future of Jones Von Drehle. Next to the tasting room, the construction of a new event space will be completed soon. We enjoyed the visit, the friendly folks, the great views and Joan got the special treat of meeting Chloe, the famous golden retriever.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Hi everyone. So many who watch our YouTube channel or follow the ilovervlife.com blog have contacted us about the Coronavirus and RV travel, wishing Joan and I well and sharing prayers for our health and safety. We have met so many of you in our travels along with others yet to come and greatly appreciate all of concern and best wishes.
To be brief, we have cut our spring travels short and returned home. To many unknowns at this stage. We found many of the sites we wanted to visit and most of the activities we like to do were closed until further notice. No issues with groceries other than the hoarded items we are seeing in the news. We are both well, taking the recommended precautions and hope you all are doing the same.
In the video below, we were heading down the Interstate on a long 8 hour plus drive home. We wanted to give everyone a short, yet personal update on our travels. No issues at the present with rest stops open in South Carolina and Georgia, and we had no problems getting fuel. We’ve also had a number of fulltime RV’ers contact us asking if we know of any campgrounds that may offer longer term stays till outbreak subsides. We have contacted several and know of some private campgrounds that still have limited space available. We’re always glad to help the community and may not have an answer, but will respond to all questions that come to us from our www.ilovervlife.com/contact page or from the comments on our YouTube channel to do our best to help where we can.
Lastly, we have a number of videos that we will release from our recent travels. These will continue for the next month or so. We hope this gives you some escape, even for just a little while. We also hope and pray the Coronavirus outbreak passes soon, and the nation and our community can return to the life we enjoy. For now, stay safe and healthy, do those things that are important for your family, and don’t let the stress of the continue onslaught of media create undue fear.
We great appreciation to our iLoveRVlife family of viewers,
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We discovered Elkin, NC last year when we visited Mt. Airy with all things Andy and Mayberry. A day before we left the area, we learned there were a number of award winning vineyards in the area. At one of the vineyards, we meet a couple who were staying at Byrds Branch Campground. Wanting to return to the area to visit the vineyards, we stayed at Byrds Branch Campground for a week. Our plans expanded to also take in a number of the hiking trails and enjoy the quaint community of Elkin, NC. We found the campground to be family friendly, reasonably priced and in a perfect location to enjoy all things Elkin, NC and Yadkin County.
The Vineyards
Checking into Byrds Branch Campground, our owners gave us a four page list of all the fun things to do in the area. Wanting to take in a number of wineries and vineyards, the list had 30 vineyards and tasting rooms clustered in 9 groups by mileage. This saved Joan and I so much time in our research and driving time to enjoy as we planned our wine tastings for the week. We were able to visit 7 vineyards this go round leaving so many when we turn to the area.
The Restaurants
This list also contained a full page of area restaurants from simple fast food, local favorites and several up and coming brew pubs. Balancing our time between home cooking in the RV, we dined at a few of the local favorites enjoying Skull Camp Smokehouse and Brewery and Mazzini’s.
Hiking and Biking
The campground list continued with a third full page of hiking and bike trails. The listing shared trail length and difficulty. Two of the trails experienced were steps from the campground where we saw waterfalls, streams and a treat with one ending at a local vineyard.
We prefer staying at a family owned campground where available. We like the local feel and friendliness we often experience. This was certainly the case at Byrds Branch Campground in Elkin, NC and we look forward to returning.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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There’s so much to see and do in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN. We have traveled to the area for years and I was in search for something different. And something different I certainly found – Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car Museum in Sevierville, TN. What an amazing place with over 90 muscle cars worth over 8 million dollars! For me, the tour was a flashback to my high school days in the 70’s when muscle cars were king and all the guys rolled in every morning showing off iron muscle and the hot cars.
The Muscle Car Museum Collection
I could have camped out at the Muscle Car Museum all day. 90 cars of all types, all manufacturers, some highly modified and others looking like they had just rolled off the showroom floor in the 1960s and 70s. An incredible collection that you can get close to, see the details of each car, interiors and engine bays. It was impossible to pick a favorite. The closest I could come to narrow my selection was a top 25 and that was going to be a task.
The list of cars is amazing and speaking with the museum curator, the display changes often with cars rotating off the floor only to be replaced with the next muscle car beauty. I must admit, the older Mustangs, Camaros and Chevelles were hard to beat. Then you turn the corner and find rare 442s, GTOs and a Hemi Cuda. I was in muscle car overload.
Like vintage muscle cars?
Don’t drive by the Muscle Car Museum in Sevierville, TN without stopping. For a meager sum of eleven dollars to enter, it’s a great place to relive, for just a few hours, those great cars we experienced from the 60’s and 70’s. And if you’re not from that era, the younger crowd can see how awesome dad and granddad were when we had 400 horsepower and could burn a set of tires off a car in less than a quarter mile.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We started our winter trip. Joan wanted to see some snow before Spring. How can I say no! So off we went to Tennessee for a few days. We stopped in Pigeon Forge, TN. This was going to be a budget stop. The week was not going to be filled with the music and variety entertainment destinations we typically experience. Although, we did have plans to go to Dollywood and being the master planner that I am, I didn’t realize the theme park was closed in February. Not to be dismayed, we still had a great time. We did a little shopping, visited some of the fun places and made an afternoon in cold and snowy Gatlinburg.
My Day Out
Day one it rained. All day. Inches. Didn’t think it would ever stop. Day two, I was ready to leave the four walls of the RV. Joan decided to stay in, so out I went to see some of the fun stuff I wanted to do. First stop – Boot Junkies. The name of the store could not have fit my addiction better. I have a huge hang up for western style boots and yes, I found what I wanted with the luck of having a factory rep in the store for the day.
Next stop was Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Oh my! How can any building house so many knives? From the dollar cheap, top factory brands, to rare custom made knives, I spent several hours looking and touching the wares.
The Historic Old Mill
Joan and I have traveled to the Pigeon Forge –Gatlinburg area for more years than I want to count. From all these trips, we did not know about the Historic Old Mill. Making a traffic turnaround one evening we found this interesting place and decided to return the next day.
The area is a collection of restaurants, cafes, and a wide variety of eclectic shops. Anchored by an 1830 gristmill mill, we found clothing, pottery, great food and my favorite, a custom knife maker’s school. Topping off the stop is the beautiful mill dam and grist mill water wheel. Definitely, a post card view you should see when visiting this area.
Gatlinburg
The last day of the visit, I spent a few hours in Gatlinburg. This was the first time I’ve returned since the devastating fires. So much has changed. It’s a fun destination, with shops of all kinds and plenty of activates to keep adults and kids entertained.
This was a different stop for us. Joan wanted snow before Spring and nature delivered. Cold? You bet! The visit to Pigeon Forge was fun. More of a time to get away, chill out and just enjoy the area.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Hiking Panther Creek Falls made a perfect day on this crisp October fall morning. The trail to the falls is a 3.5 mile hike over moderate terrain. Our son Joel came to join me on the hike adding a little bonding benefit to the day.
The Trail
The trail starts with moderate elevations and is rather rocky and has a large amount of exposed roots. Not difficult, but you do have to watch your step. The lower half of the trails is much flatter running along side of the creek bed.
Throughout the hike you can hear the rushing water and there are great views along the creek before you reach the falls. We ran into several hikers who had packed in for the weekend staying in a number of the primitive camping spots along the trails.
The Falls
The Panther Creek Falls were very pretty. Not high waterfalls as many of the others we’ve visited in the area, but long rolling rocks. We were told this is a popular spot in the summer months with a number of pools at the bottom of the falls where you can wade in. Definitely not something I wanted to do on this chilly day.
For those who want to add to the hike, there’s another 4.5 mile hike beyond the falls to Yohnah Dam. Just make sure you have some energy bars and extra water for this longer stretch.
One other benefit to this beautiful area. Adjacent to the paved parking is a day use area. Check out the video for this unique spot for family gatherings or a cookout with friends.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We had the opportunity to visit The Hermitage, the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson’s home in Nashville TN. Andrew Jackson purchased the land in the early 1800’s completing the first home between 1819 and 1821. The current structure is the 3rd rebuild completed in 1837 after heavy fire damage. This was a great opportunity to visit a part of early 1800’s history, discover life during this period, even the political struggles that had a great impact on our nation.
One other point. There are many aspects of life during this period and this presidency that offer dark parts to US history and the people it impacted. A statement was made by one of the presenters during the introductory video viewed in the museum stating: “History is messy.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m a huge history buff. My hope is we learn from our history, regardless of what it was at that time, and never to return to the darker parts.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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As you travel along I-75 through Middle Georgia, there is a treat for anyone who enjoys military history and aircraft. The Museum of Aviation is located on the edge of Robins Air Force Base and is open to the public free of charge. The museum is located on 51 acres with four buildings containing 85 historic U.S. Air Force aircraft and other exhibits. The impeccably restore aircraft and exhibits cover WWII, Korea, and Vietnam to present. We took a self-guided tour thought the buildings with museum volunteers available share a wealth of information about each exhibit.
The Buildings
The four buildings contained much more than restored air craft. We were amazed at the amount of pictures, uniforms, and detailed explanation about the life of the air personal who served the bombing wings missions and purpose of the aircraft. The Scott Hanger was equally interesting containing a number of aircraft in the process of restoration and we were able to see the progress being made with each.
The Grounds
The tour continued outside the four building with other air craft located throughout the grounds including a B-52, C-141, C-130, and much more. The outside area also contains a number of covered picnic areas, restrooms, playground and a large parking area suitable for the largest tour bus or RV.
Join us in the video below as we tour The Museum of Aviation.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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When it comes to the topic of RV trip planning, this is the single most requested topic we receive from our website contact page and our I Love RV Life YouTube channel. We understand the unknowns so many face when dealing with long distance RV travel – the miles to travel, services needed on the trip, the unknown of campground availability, suitability of the campground and so much more. RV trip planning can eliminate much of the unknowns especially for those who have a big rig RV, long travel trailer or a fifth wheel. Knowing the time of travel and having a suitable campground to meet your needs is a great benefit especially if you are covering very long distances over an extended period of time.
One of our goals at I Love RV Life is to share our travels and the fun places Joan and I visit. Traveling thousands of miles a year, I want to share the process we use for our RV trip planning.
RV Trip Planning Tools
Most of what we use is free and online with one exception. We use Google Maps for our distance planning and route management. We also use Google calendar to maintain all trip information including travel routes, reservation confirmation, along with detail directions to each camp site. An added benefit with Google Calendar is the ability to share with family. This is a simple one time process within Google Calendar registering an email address for those who will be able to view your calendar. The remaining tool is Allstays for our campground research.
RV Trip Planning With Allstays
There are a number of methods to use Allstays including iPhone apps in addition to free and fee based web access plans. We have used all and prefer the paid web access plan. At the time of the blog, a one year subscription is $32.95 and our preference is the three year plan for $79.85. We have found the minor investment for subscription service yields many more benefits with the ease of locating campgrounds, fuels stops, dump stations, propane, highway information and so much more. While iPhone apps are available, we find the web based access to be far more feature rich when using a laptop, tablet or phone. Below is a list of some of the Allstays Pro features:
Full Screen Maps Campground Ratings Latitude and Longitude Tools Rest Areas Propane Road Hazards Nearby Places
Campground Information Tent Camping Truck Stops Lodge Members RV Dealers GPS Weather City and State Maps
This is a short list of the many features offers in the AllStays Pro subscription. I show some as part of our RV travel planning in the video below. If you would interested in purchasing an Allstays Pro subscription, please consider using this Allstays Pro link and support our website.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not everyone wants to create and contribute to a YouTube vlog. But, everyone should think about documenting their RV travels regardless if your chose to develop a YouTube channel, at least save the memories of all the great places visited. There are a wide range options to consider for vlogging cameras or that personal camera to share videos and pictures with friends and family. Below are options for vlogging cameras that we use at I Love RV Life that are budget friendly as well as cameras that have a reasonable price tag in the event you want to expand the quality of you video content.
Is there a perfect RV vlogging camera? Maybe. In the video we discuss our “run and gun” style of video recording. What we find important is to use a camera that meets a particular our video style at an affordable cost. There are so many options available when searching for a camera and frankly, it can be overwhelming as well as costly, especially if a camera purchased done not provide the desired results.
We have a number of cameras that we have purchased starting with the very basic and later expanding as we experienced viewer growth from our I Love RV Life website and YouTube channel. All have served us very well, meet our “run and gun” style of video recording and each has their purpose. Any of the cameras that I’ll list below have the ability to provide good videos and some providing great photos of our RV travels. We wanted to provide this short list of vlogging cameras for those starting out on a budget as well as those who may be at the point of stepping up their game a bit.
Your Smart Phone
In this day and age, everyone has a smart phone in their pocket that contains a camera feature. Some of the new iPhone and Android phones provide excellent photo and video capabilities. This is where I Love RV Life began, but we quickly outgrew the limited features of a phone camera. Below are pros and cons of using a phone as a vlogging camera.
Pros:
No additional investment
Handy. It’s in your pocket all of the time.
Most of the new generation phones have great photo and video features
Large screen for viewing
Wide range of moderately priced accessories to improve video and photo capture
Cons:
Little to no stabilization. Video can be jerky
Limited zoom capabilities for those far away shots
Video can pixelate when moving the camera across a scene
Sony HDR CX455
The Sony HDR CX455 is a simple to use, full featured camcorder that fits in the palm of your hand. This was our next step to improve our video production. The camcorder provides great high definition video along with the ability to take a reasonable quality picture. At the time of this blog, you can find this camera around $400.
Pros:
Small form factor. Fits in the palm of your hand
Provides good high definition video even in lower light indoor shots with up to a 30X digital zoom
Varying battery size for all day shooting
Ability to add a standard SD memory card for video storage
Offers some stabilization for minor camera movement
Cons:
The zoom capability is digital and can be a little grainy on lower light, longer distance shots
No ability to add external lenses for wide shots or longer distance shots
Stabilization is not adequate for running or aggressive hiking.
Has a jack for an external microphone, but not place to mount
Canon T6i DSLR
We wanted a DSLR camera that would improve our video recording along with the opportunity to create better pictures for our website galleries. We looked at a number of cameras and settled on the Canon T6i. We use this vlogging camera for half of our video creation.
Canon has an extensive line of cameras from lower end consumer models to very expensive professional offerings. We found the Cannon T6i to have all the features we needed at an excellent price point. Aside from the camera, we use a 10-18mm wide angle EF-S lens for most of our vlogging. This lens is great for close up shoots supporting a crisp wide field of view. We also use a 75-300mm lens for long distance shots giving clear, bright video and photos. A Rhodes VideoMic GO completes our vlogging camera set up to improve the audio when shooting outdoor video. This not an inexpensive purchase, but on the mid to lower end of DSLR cameras. Basic body and lens kits run in the $600 range, our 10-18mm wide angle lens costs $250 and the microphone with wind cover can be found for $120.
Pros:
Excellent high definition video and 24-megapixel photos
Ability to use a wide range of lens to meet the style of video and photo shots
Has a jack for an external microphone and hot shoe to mount
Easy to use auto set options for focus and lighting
Cons:
Can be expensive adding lens and accessories
Learning curve for all options available to maximize video quality
Not suitable for dusty or wet environments
Poor video stabilization
GoPro Hero 8
This has become our go to vlogging camera for all of our action style video recording. We love using the GoPro Hero 8 camera. When we pack our vlogging cameras, the GoPro Hero 8 is always the first to go in our bag. Adding a few accessories has made a substantial improvement in our video production. Super simple to use. Compact in size, the GoPro 8 is easy to carry around and allows us to maintain a low profile we recording video in crowded areas. Excellent video quality and superb video stabilization in most aggressive hiking situations or use along bumpy roads. With a couple of batteries, we can shoot all day with the camera. We have expanded with reasonably priced cases and mics all listed below in the Products section. Not the least expensive, but great features with a base price of $350.
Pros:
Compact platform making it easy to carry.
A multitude of accessories including, SD memory cards, extra batteries, mounting options, cases, interfaces and mics.
Extremely good stabilization providing quality high definition video in some of the more demanding vlogging opportunities.
Simple push button to record and push again to stop.
Cons:
Small fixed screen offering menu access and short view times to set up a shot. Screen does not flip for selfie styled shots
Can take pictures, but difficult to frame shots
JI Osmo Pocket
The DJI Osmo Pocket is the first camera of its kind to focus on many of the needs of video vloggers. This is our most recent purchase and we’re looking forward to using more and more as we document our RV travels. Extremely compact, supporting a 3-axis stabilized camera, the DJI Osmo Pocket provides stunning HD and 4K video long with 12-megapixel photos. The camera has been available for a little over a year at the time of this blog. A wide range of accessories are available expanding the capabilities of this video platform. We’re looking forward to using this camera more and more in the upcoming year.
Pros:
Pocket size camera that’s easy to carry and available to shoot video or pictures in a few seconds
Shoots HD and 4K video and also shoots 12-megapixel photos with the press of one button
Great for forward and selfie modes of shooting
Accessory shoe to connect phones for larger viewing screen along with a wide range of interfaces
Very stable video when walking or running
Cons:
Very small thumbnail sized screen to frame shots
Contains an internal battery. Requires an external source to charge.
Camera mounted on a built-in mechanical stabilizer. Could be damaged if dropped.
Not weather proof
Crosstour Action Camera
Everyone needs what I call a “beater camera”. Something cheap, takes reasonable video, can be used in more challenging shots and if lost or damaged, you haven’t blown your budget. That where the Crosstour Action Camera fits our video vlogging camera needs. This Chinese GoPro styled knock off, comes with a waterproof case, a basic mount, couple of batteries and I can stick virtually anywhere to get that out-of-the-way video shot. These can be found in the $30 to $40 range.
Pros:
Reasonable HD video
Comes with a few accessories and extra batteries
Fits standard GoPro style of mounts
Simple push button operations
Inexpensive
Cons:
Poor battery life
Fair stabilization
Poor documentation
That’s our current list of vlogging cameras. This list is where we started and now what’s used weekly to make I Love RV Life video and photos. As our needs expand, you can be assured, so will our camera and accessory inventory. View the video below for more detailed information about our vlogging cameras, how we use and why you may want to consider one from this list as you document your RV travels.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Several months ago we installed the Haloview 7” Wireless Range Dominator System on our 5th wheel. (See the blog here – Haloview RD7 Backup Camera). We were so impressed with the quality of the system and the simplicity of installation that we planned to expand the system to include front and side RV cameras. Haloview contacted us and provided us with these cameras to evaluate. The video below shows the installation of both the Haloview Wireless RV Side Marker Light Cameras and the CA109 Wireless High Definition License Plate Camera.
Haloview Wireless RV Side Marker Light Cameras
The installation of the RV Side Marker Light Cameras could not have been easier. I took the extra step to ensure I had ample voltage to the cameras replacing all of the markers with LED bulbs. Although Haloview did not make this a requirement, by replacing all of the incandescent T-10 bulbs reduced the power from 5 watts to 1.7 watts increase available power to the new marker light cameras nearly 3 times.
In less than an hour, I removed the existing left and right marker lights located near the front of the 5th wheel, reconnect the power wires to the new side marker light cameras and called this step of the project complete.
CA109 Wireless High Definition License Plate Camera
Haloview also provided a license plate camera to install on the front of our Ford F-350 truck. The camera bracket provided will fit any generic license plate, but I opted for more of a factory installation. I took the extra step of installing the camera in the front truck grill and powering the camera by splicing power wired into one of the truck parking lights. This gives us the ability to use the camera when towing the 5th wheel or uncoupled while we are touring an area. The preference for this factory look increased our effort from a simple 1 hour installation to 4 hours, but the final results worked great and looked fantastic.
Using the Haloview Digital Wireless Rear View Monitor
The Haloview M7108 7″ 720P HD Digital Wireless Rear View Monitor is the star of the show. This wireless monitor has an extremely simple interface to configure as well as operate making the cameras installation a breeze. Two methods are available to view the camera, using the SELECT button to switch from camera to camera or connecting the provided auxiliary cable connecting to the trucks left and right signal wires. For time reasons, we opted to use the SELECT button for now, but will add the signal leads at a later date. See the video below for a more in depth review of the Haloview M7108 Monitor.
The power of the Haloview system is its ability to adapt to any type of an RV. For those who have smaller campers or Class C motorhomes, a simple rear wireless camera and monitor can be installed in a few hours. For those of us who have much longer RVs, there are wired and hybrid wired/wireless solutions to increase your view of the road and ensure video quality.
Our thanks to Haloview for the opportunity to review this product. We have provided product links below if you are looking for camera solution for your RV.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Let’s face it. RV travel along our highways can be a challenge, especially when it comes to rough roads, pot holes and construction. Our last trip was especially challenging and after 5 years of travel we broke a leaf spring hanger. To our good fortune, it occurred close to home and we were able to make it back without damage to our tires or axle. With our next trip weeks away, it was time to tackle the job of trailer suspension repair and make the 5th wheel road worthy.
Being a realist, I understand that most RV owners do not have the luxury of a shop and tools to repair a trailer suspension. My goal was to show the task and the steps required to repair a broken leaf spring hanger so you can be prepared in the event this happens to you.
This repair can be expensive
It’s not the parts in question, but the labor required to remove the old hanger and protect the undercarriage from the sparks generated from grinding and welding. The new hanger and bolt was $20 total, but I had 4 hours in removing wheels, grinding and welding. So be prepared for a large labor bill if you ever have to face any type of trailer suspension repair.
For Joan and I, the task is done and we’re ready to return to our RV travels. The video below condenses much of the time for the repair, but I show each steps from start to finish.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Let’s face it. RV travel along our highways can be a challenge, especially when it comes to rough roads, pot holes and construction. Our last trip was especially challenging and after 5 years of travel we broke a leaf spring hanger. To our good fortune, it occurred close to home and we were able to make it back without damage to our tires or axle. With our next trip weeks away, it was time to tackle the job of trailer suspension repair and make the 5th wheel road worthy.
Being a realist, I understand that most RV owners do not have the luxury of a shop and tools to repair a trailer suspension. My goal was to show the task and the steps required to repair a broken leaf spring hanger so you can be prepared in the event this happens to you.
This repair can be expensive
It’s not the parts in question, but the labor required to remove the old hanger and protect the undercarriage from the sparks generated from grinding and welding. The new hanger and bolt was $20 total, but I had 4 hours in removing wheels, grinding and welding. So be prepared for a large labor bill if you ever have to face any type of trailer suspension repair.
For Joan and I, the task is done and we’re ready to return to our RV travels. The video below condenses much of the time for the repair, but I show each steps from start to finish.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not everyone wants to create and contribute to a YouTube vlog. But, everyone should think about documenting their RV travels regardless if your chose to develop a YouTube channel, at least save the memories of all the great places visited. There are a wide range options to consider for vlogging cameras or that personal camera to share videos and pictures with friends and family. Below are options for vlogging cameras that we use at I Love RV Life that are budget friendly as well as cameras that have a reasonable price tag in the event you want to expand the quality of you video content.
Is there a perfect RV vlogging camera? Maybe. In the video we discuss our “run and gun” style of video recording. What we find important is to use a camera that meets a particular our video style at an affordable cost. There are so many options available when searching for a camera and frankly, it can be overwhelming as well as costly, especially if a camera purchased done not provide the desired results.
We have a number of cameras that we have purchased starting with the very basic and later expanding as we experienced viewer growth from our I Love RV Life website and YouTube channel. All have served us very well, meet our “run and gun” style of video recording and each has their purpose. Any of the cameras that I’ll list below have the ability to provide good videos and some providing great photos of our RV travels. We wanted to provide this short list of vlogging cameras for those starting out on a budget as well as those who may be at the point of stepping up their game a bit.
Your Smart Phone
In this day and age, everyone has a smart phone in their pocket that contains a camera feature. Some of the new iPhone and Android phones provide excellent photo and video capabilities. This is where I Love RV Life began, but we quickly outgrew the limited features of a phone camera. Below are pros and cons of using a phone as a vlogging camera.
Pros:
No additional investment
Handy. It’s in your pocket all of the time.
Most of the new generation phones have great photo and video features
Large screen for viewing
Wide range of moderately priced accessories to improve video and photo capture
Cons:
Little to no stabilization. Video can be jerky
Limited zoom capabilities for those far away shots
Video can pixelate when moving the camera across a scene
Sony HDR CX455
The Sony HDR CX455 is a simple to use, full featured camcorder that fits in the palm of your hand. This was our next step to improve our video production. The camcorder provides great high definition video along with the ability to take a reasonable quality picture. At the time of this blog, you can find this camera around $400.
Pros:
Small form factor. Fits in the palm of your hand
Provides good high definition video even in lower light indoor shots with up to a 30X digital zoom
Varying battery size for all day shooting
Ability to add a standard SD memory card for video storage
Offers some stabilization for minor camera movement
Cons:
The zoom capability is digital and can be a little grainy on lower light, longer distance shots
No ability to add external lenses for wide shots or longer distance shots
Stabilization is not adequate for running or aggressive hiking.
Has a jack for an external microphone, but not place to mount
Canon T6i DSLR
We wanted a DSLR camera that would improve our video recording along with the opportunity to create better pictures for our website galleries. We looked at a number of cameras and settled on the Canon T6i. We use this vlogging camera for half of our video creation.
Canon has an extensive line of cameras from lower end consumer models to very expensive professional offerings. We found the Cannon T6i to have all the features we needed at an excellent price point. Aside from the camera, we use a 10-18mm wide angle EF-S lens for most of our vlogging. This lens is great for close up shoots supporting a crisp wide field of view. We also use a 75-300mm lens for long distance shots giving clear, bright video and photos. A Rhodes VideoMic GO completes our vlogging camera set up to improve the audio when shooting outdoor video. This not an inexpensive purchase, but on the mid to lower end of DSLR cameras. Basic body and lens kits run in the $600 range, our 10-18mm wide angle lens costs $250 and the microphone with wind cover can be found for $120.
Pros:
Excellent high definition video and 24-megapixel photos
Ability to use a wide range of lens to meet the style of video and photo shots
Has a jack for an external microphone and hot shoe to mount
Easy to use auto set options for focus and lighting
Cons:
Can be expensive adding lens and accessories
Learning curve for all options available to maximize video quality
Not suitable for dusty or wet environments
Poor video stabilization
GoPro Hero 8
This has become our go to vlogging camera for all of our action style video recording. We love using the GoPro Hero 8 camera. When we pack our vlogging cameras, the GoPro Hero 8 is always the first to go in our bag. Adding a few accessories has made a substantial improvement in our video production. Super simple to use. Compact in size, the GoPro 8 is easy to carry around and allows us to maintain a low profile we recording video in crowded areas. Excellent video quality and superb video stabilization in most aggressive hiking situations or use along bumpy roads. With a couple of batteries, we can shoot all day with the camera. We have expanded with reasonably priced cases and mics all listed below in the Products section. Not the least expensive, but great features with a base price of $350.
Pros:
Compact platform making it easy to carry.
A multitude of accessories including, SD memory cards, extra batteries, mounting options, cases, interfaces and mics.
Extremely good stabilization providing quality high definition video in some of the more demanding vlogging opportunities.
Simple push button to record and push again to stop.
Cons:
Small fixed screen offering menu access and short view times to set up a shot. Screen does not flip for selfie styled shots
Can take pictures, but difficult to frame shots
JI Osmo Pocket
The DJI Osmo Pocket is the first camera of its kind to focus on many of the needs of video vloggers. This is our most recent purchase and we’re looking forward to using more and more as we document our RV travels. Extremely compact, supporting a 3-axis stabilized camera, the DJI Osmo Pocket provides stunning HD and 4K video long with 12-megapixel photos. The camera has been available for a little over a year at the time of this blog. A wide range of accessories are available expanding the capabilities of this video platform. We’re looking forward to using this camera more and more in the upcoming year.
Pros:
Pocket size camera that’s easy to carry and available to shoot video or pictures in a few seconds
Shoots HD and 4K video and also shoots 12-megapixel photos with the press of one button
Great for forward and selfie modes of shooting
Accessory shoe to connect phones for larger viewing screen along with a wide range of interfaces
Very stable video when walking or running
Cons:
Very small thumbnail sized screen to frame shots
Contains an internal battery. Requires an external source to charge.
Camera mounted on a built-in mechanical stabilizer. Could be damaged if dropped.
Not weather proof
Crosstour Action Camera
Everyone needs what I call a “beater camera”. Something cheap, takes reasonable video, can be used in more challenging shots and if lost or damaged, you haven’t blown your budget. That where the Crosstour Action Camera fits our video vlogging camera needs. This Chinese GoPro styled knock off, comes with a waterproof case, a basic mount, couple of batteries and I can stick virtually anywhere to get that out-of-the-way video shot. These can be found in the $30 to $40 range.
Pros:
Reasonable HD video
Comes with a few accessories and extra batteries
Fits standard GoPro style of mounts
Simple push button operations
Inexpensive
Cons:
Poor battery life
Fair stabilization
Poor documentation
That’s our current list of vlogging cameras. This list is where we started and now what’s used weekly to make I Love RV Life video and photos. As our needs expand, you can be assured, so will our camera and accessory inventory. View the video below for more detailed information about our vlogging cameras, how we use and why you may want to consider one from this list as you document your RV travels.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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As you travel along I-75 through Middle Georgia, there is a treat for anyone who enjoys military history and aircraft. The Museum of Aviation is located on the edge of Robins Air Force Base and is open to the public free of charge. The museum is located on 51 acres with four buildings containing 85 historic U.S. Air Force aircraft and other exhibits. The impeccably restore aircraft and exhibits cover WWII, Korea, and Vietnam to present. We took a self-guided tour thought the buildings with museum volunteers available share a wealth of information about each exhibit.
The Buildings
The four buildings contained much more than restored air craft. We were amazed at the amount of pictures, uniforms, and detailed explanation about the life of the air personal who served the bombing wings missions and purpose of the aircraft. The Scott Hanger was equally interesting containing a number of aircraft in the process of restoration and we were able to see the progress being made with each.
The Grounds
The tour continued outside the four building with other air craft located throughout the grounds including a B-52, C-141, C-130, and much more. The outside area also contains a number of covered picnic areas, restrooms, playground and a large parking area suitable for the largest tour bus or RV.
Join us in the video below as we tour The Museum of Aviation.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
When it comes to the topic of RV trip planning, this is the single most requested topic we receive from our website contact page and our I Love RV Life YouTube channel. We understand the unknowns so many face when dealing with long distance RV travel – the miles to travel, services needed on the trip, the unknown of campground availability, suitability of the campground and so much more. RV trip planning can eliminate much of the unknowns especially for those who have a big rig RV, long travel trailer or a fifth wheel. Knowing the time of travel and having a suitable campground to meet your needs is a great benefit especially if you are covering very long distances over an extended period of time.
One of our goals at I Love RV Life is to share our travels and the fun places Joan and I visit. Traveling thousands of miles a year, I want to share the process we use for our RV trip planning.
RV Trip Planning Tools
Most of what we use is free and online with one exception. We use Google Maps for our distance planning and route management. We also use Google calendar to maintain all trip information including travel routes, reservation confirmation, along with detail directions to each camp site. An added benefit with Google Calendar is the ability to share with family. This is a simple one time process within Google Calendar registering an email address for those who will be able to view your calendar. The remaining tool is Allstays for our campground research.
RV Trip Planning With Allstays
There are a number of methods to use Allstays including iPhone apps in addition to free and fee based web access plans. We have used all and prefer the paid web access plan. At the time of the blog, a one year subscription is $32.95 and our preference is the three year plan for $79.85. We have found the minor investment for subscription service yields many more benefits with the ease of locating campgrounds, fuels stops, dump stations, propane, highway information and so much more. While iPhone apps are available, we find the web based access to be far more feature rich when using a laptop, tablet or phone. Below is a list of some of the Allstays Pro features:
Full Screen Maps Campground Ratings Latitude and Longitude Tools Rest Areas Propane Road Hazards Nearby Places
Campground Information Tent Camping Truck Stops Lodge Members RV Dealers GPS Weather City and State Maps
This is a short list of the many features offers in the AllStays Pro subscription. I show some as part of our RV travel planning in the video below. If you would interested in purchasing an Allstays Pro subscription, please consider using this Allstays Pro link and support our website.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Hiking Panther Creek Falls made a perfect day on this crisp October fall morning. The trail to the falls is a 3.5 mile hike over moderate terrain. Our son Joel came to join me on the hike adding a little bonding benefit to the day.
The Trail
The trail starts with moderate elevations and is rather rocky and has a large amount of exposed roots. Not difficult, but you do have to watch your step. The lower half of the trails is much flatter running along side of the creek bed.
Throughout the hike you can hear the rushing water and there are great views along the creek before you reach the falls. We ran into several hikers who had packed in for the weekend staying in a number of the primitive camping spots along the trails.
The Falls
The Panther Creek Falls were very pretty. Not high waterfalls as many of the others we’ve visited in the area, but long rolling rocks. We were told this is a popular spot in the summer months with a number of pools at the bottom of the falls where you can wade in. Definitely not something I wanted to do on this chilly day.
For those who want to add to the hike, there’s another 4.5 mile hike beyond the falls to Yohnah Dam. Just make sure you have some energy bars and extra water for this longer stretch.
One other benefit to this beautiful area. Adjacent to the paved parking is a day use area. Check out the video for this unique spot for family gatherings or a cookout with friends.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We had the opportunity to visit The Hermitage, the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson’s home in Nashville TN. Andrew Jackson purchased the land in the early 1800’s completing the first home between 1819 and 1821. The current structure is the 3rd rebuild completed in 1837 after heavy fire damage. This was a great opportunity to visit a part of early 1800’s history, discover life during this period, even the political struggles that had a great impact on our nation.
One other point. There are many aspects of life during this period and this presidency that offer dark parts to US history and the people it impacted. A statement was made by one of the presenters during the introductory video viewed in the museum stating: “History is messy.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m a huge history buff. My hope is we learn from our history, regardless of what it was at that time, and never to return to the darker parts.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Merry Christmas from I Love RV Life! We’re home for Christmas. We so enjoy this time of year – fun with family and friends. This time is a mixture of Christmas school musicals and church plays with our talented granddaughter Jaymi Kate, big meals with family and of course, watching our favorite Christmas movies.
Our new tradition is going to downtown Macon, GA for the Christmas lights. Our friend Bryan Nichols and his team spend countless days and hours decorating Popular St. and Third St. as their Christmas Gift to everyone. As our son Joel shared: “This make me feel like Christmas!” I agree Joel. And to all of our iLoveRVLife YouTube viewers and to those we have met along our RV travels – Joan, Jerry, Joel, Julie, Josh, Jake, Jaymi Kate and Jilli Beth wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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While recently visiting the North Georgia Mountains, we took a day trip to Amicalola Falls State Park. It has been a number of years since our last visit. The park is a beautiful place to hike, see the amazing sites nature has to offer, along with a wide variety of photo opportunities. Aside for the nature trails and waterfalls, Amicalola Falls State Park offers a variety of lodging options including a campground on top of the mountains, cabin rentals and a lodge with stunning views of the mountains and valleys.
The Amicalola Falls
Amicalola Falls are an amazing site. The falls tower up the mountains side at 729 feet making them the tallest falls in Georgia and the third-highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. For the adventurist, a path starts at the bottom of the mountain in front of the Welcome Center. A short walk along a path is bordered by the creek at the base of the falls. Midway you are greeted by an amazing view of the fall’s base. From an observation deck, 175 steps lead to a bridge in the middle of the falls. This is the most picturesque views of the falls.
Standing midway of the falls, the bridge view is spectacular. A view of the steepest section of the falls displays the sounds of the water cascading along the rocks, the view to the bottom of the falls and the first sights of the mountains to the south. To reach the top of the falls, another set of 425 steps leads to the observation deck above.
For some, the hike may be too strenuous, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting Amicalola Falls and enjoying the amazing views. A short drive up the paved road toward the Lodge, you’ll find a parking area and short .3 mile paved path to the midpoint bridge. The path is fairly level with no steps. To continue to the top of the falls, continue up the road toward the Lodge where you’ll find more parking and a short, easy walk to the observation deck.
The views from the top of the falls are breath taking. The sounds of the falling water, the expansive site of the valley then the cascading mountain ridges in the background offer amazing picture after picture. Also at the top of the falls is a park with seating, picnic areas and an amphitheater. Continuing across the bridge you come upon the beginning of the 2,180 mile long Appalachian Trail that leads to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
The Campground
At the top of the mountain are 24 wooded camp sites. Each sight has ample space for the largest camper and natural barriers between each site. Water and electric are available at each site and a dump stations is located near the entrance. The campground has large grassy areas for the kids to play, a pavilion and bath facilities with a laundry. The campground provides access to many of the hiking trails, minutes from the top of the falls and a short walk to the lodge.
While big rig friendly, there is one word of caution. The road leading the campground is a long with a 25% incline grade. Make sure your tow vehicle or motorized RV has the horse power to reach the top. It’s steep!
If you don’t have an RV and still want to experience the rustic side of the park, there are a number of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom cabins.
The Lodge
Few state parks we’ve visited include lodging. The Amicalola Falls Lodge is located along the top ridge providing breath-taking views of the valley’s and mountains. The facility offers hotel style rooms and service. The Lodge has a restaurant, meeting rooms, outdoor deck and veranda. This is a great location for weddings, corporate events, or a pampered weekend to enjoy the mountain views after a day at one of the many North Georgia vineyards.
Amazing Zip Line Course
If you are up for something designed for the heartiest of thrill seeker, consider one of the zip line tours. Appropriately named, the Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventure Tour, the zip lines range from short treks through the trees to the longest at 2,000 feet from one mountain top to another at 250 feet across deep valleys. Just seeing the course from the ground was enough to get the adrenaline flowing. This is one amazing course.
Whether a day trip, long weekend or 14 day stay at the campground, Amicalola Falls State Park offers the quite peace of the mountain trails, stunning views of the falls, valleys and mountains, along with wide range of activities for the adventure.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We took a couple of days to tour a few of the North Georgia sites from our recent trip. Our first stop was Brasstown Bald located around a 15 minute drive south of Blairsville, GA or 60 minutes from our favorite campground in Cleveland, GA. This is the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet. On this early December day, we still had a little snow along the trails, mild winds and low 30 ℉ in the middle of the day. We had super clear skies and the views were spectacular.
The Trail
From the parking area, there is paved trail that extends .6 miles to the top of the mountain. It’s a strenuous hike with a steep, but manageable rise along the trail. There are several stops along with way with seats and informative markers to catch your breath before you reach the summit. For those who have physical challenges, there is another option to visit the top. For a few dollars, a van is provided to take you to the Observation Deck and back.
If you are up for the hike, the walk along the trail is something to see. Although this was a winter day, the trail was boarded by an abundance of wild mountain laurel and rhododendron. With the elevations, these will flower in the late summer and should offer an amazing walk along the trail. Even without the blooms, the views were great with teases along way where you can see the rising mountain peaks surrounding the bald.
The Interpretative Center and Observation Deck
We made it to the top. Wow, this is something to see! We stopped first to see a short movie about the ecology of the mountain. Then off to the Interpretative Center to see displays and take in some of the history about the area and surrounding mountains. Then up the steps to the observation deck.
The views from the deck are amazing. One this clear day, we could see the mountains surrounding Georgia along with the southern peaks of Tennessee and North Carolina, and northwestern peaks of South Carolina. No clouds, little haze and you could see for miles. Looking south, you can see the mountain peaks that support the Appalachian Trail from Amicalola State Park, past Springer Mountain and on. If you follow the blog, you know what’s coming next….that right “it was some kinda pretty”!
The walk back down the trail is a breeze. Compared to the assent, it took minutes. Next to the parking lot is a small gift shop with basics for the hike, refreshments, and a few mementos to remember the hike. A friendly staff is available to address questions about the area and the trail.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
We just completed 3 months of RV travel. But, the beginning was not our best planning effort. And to top it off, we had more travel issues with truck problems, bad roads, hurricanes, wreck delays and damage to our 5th wheel. Regardless of how well you can plan a trip and the preventative maintenance performed on your RV, challenges can happen. Even with these unplanned issues, we still had a great time traveling, seeing the sites and meeting fellow RV travelers along the way.
Bad Roads
To say we ran into some bad roads is an understatement. I-95 in South Carolina is a mess. I’m amazed at the condition of this major stretch of Interstate. It’s riddled with large pot holes, uneven concrete and giant cracks. We discovered that it doesn’t matter if traveling north or south, I-95 in South Carolina needs some serious repairs. Fortunately, the State roads off I-95 to our Huntington Beach destination we well maintained and gave some relief.
I wish I could report this was the only area with poor roads. We took US-65 from Gulf Port, MS on our route to Vicksburg. This highway is one giant stretch of uneven concrete. Speaking with others RV’ers once we arrived in Vicksburg, everyone asked why we didn’t take one of the state roads. We just didn’t know. Goes to prove it’s always good to ask about a route if you’re not familiar with a new area of travel. The last bad leg was the I-440 bypass around the southeastern area of Little Rock. Simply one word – Aweful.
We’ve faced bad roads before, but this was stretch after stretch. The 5th wheel suffered too. A number of broken light fixtures, bent the electric fireplace bracket and somewhere along the route, we fractured one of the axle leaf spring hangers and it snapped in two on the way home.
Truck Problems
We are very particular when it comes to the maintenance of our F-350 dually and the 5th wheel. But, there are somethings that you can’t see or plan for. Between Vicksburg, MS and Hot Springs, AR the engine light came on. Our diesel exhaust fluid heaters shorted out. Fortunately, the fine folks at Sparks Ford in Malvern, AR was able to make a quick repair and get us back on the road. And to top it off, the repairs were covered by a recall and it didn’t cost a penny.
That wasn’t the end of our truck issues. Ninety miles from Nashville, TN, we blew our turbo hose. We had no idea what happen. We first thought the engine was blown, but no smoke, fluid leaking, not even an engine light, all we experience was a huge loss of power. Making it to Nashville was quite the task and the following morning I’m at Town and Country Ford. Excellent customer service again. They discovered and replaced a blown turbo hose. A couple hours later and a swipe of the credit card we were back on the road.
Trip Planning and Our Time
I don’t know what I was thinking. 3,000 miles to cover these destinations, not including the touring miles, 7 states and all this in 6 weeks was a whirlwind of RV travel. For most of the trip, we set up, toured, and repacked several times a week. This may be a reasonable way to travel in a Class A, B or C, but for a 5th wheel or travel trailer, we found it to be physically draining. Plus with all of the video recorded, it took weeks to edit and air.
What We Learned
Even with our very busy RV travel and miles covered, we still had a great time. Even with the bad roads we managed. And even with the vehicle problems, each was quickly resolved and travel continued. Going forward we’re returning to our preferred mode of RV travel – 10 days to 2 weeks per campground. We’re going to plan better to provide a balance of play, tour, work and rest time.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
This is the second trip Joan and I made to Memphis TN over the last 4 years. Our first visit was all about Elvis and a night on Beale St. But this time we want history of Memphis music with a daytime visit of Beale St along with stops at the Rock n Soul Museum, Sun Records and we couldn’t leave without a stop at the Stax Record Museum. While music is a huge draw for all things Memphis, there’s one amazing place we had to see – the iconic Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. All made a very interesting day experiencing the sights and sounds of Memphis.
Beale Street
Our first stop was Beale St. Walking along the street, peaking inside the many music venues, shops and restaurants, Joan and I both agreed this area is one of the coolest places in Memphis. As we walked along the street, great blues music was coming from all directions. If you visit Beale St, make sure you go to B.B King’s Blues Club. Great music and the barbeque is good too. But there’s much more to feed that blues music craving. There’s Alfred’s on Beale, Silky O’Sullivans, Jerry Lee Lewis’ Honky Tonk, Tin Roof and the list goes on and on. We also wanted a quick Memphis style lunch before we left Beale St. and stopped at King’s Palace known for the excellent gumbo.
Rock n Soul Museum
At the corner of Beale St. and B.B. King Blvd. we found the Memphis TN Rock n Soul Museum. The self-guided tour provided a look into the history of not only Memphis music, but the artists and many contributors who made an impact in blues, R&B, Rock and so much more. This museum starts with the roots of the blues, originating in the farms and fields of the south. Displays show many of the early artists who were inspired by the work songs from the fields which created the classic American genre of music.
The museum contained music, videos, displays of instruments and recording equipment from the 1930s through the 1970s along with a classic mixing board from Ardent Studios where so many of my favorite artists recorded. I was amazed to see how the many artists and the city of Memphis set the tone for so much music and impacted musicians from around the world.
Sun Studios
Out next stops was Sun Studios which many tout as the birthplace of Rock and Roll. Here, young up and coming artists from the 1950s and 60s including Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and so many more started their music careers. Known first as Rockabilly, this Memphis inspired music soon migrated to be known as Rock and Roll and set the foundation for many artists and new forms of music.
The bottom floor contains a small café along with a wide variety of merchandize. The upstairs contains the original recording studio. We wanted to take the tour, but 3 tour buses unloaded as we arrived and it would have been several hours before we could tour. A visit downstairs and some mechanize met our immediate needs.
Stax Records
Next was the Stax Record Museum. Sharing a love of R&B from my teen years growing up in Macon, GA, I couldn’t leave Memphis TN without a visit to the Stax Record Museum. Otis Redding from Macon, GA was one of Stax biggest stars. There were several displays dedicated to his career, but there was so much more. This list of Stax artists and their memorabilia seemed to be endless including Al Green, Booker T and the MGs, Wilson Picket, the Mar-Keys, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, the great R&B guitarist – Steve Cropper, and so many more.
Music was everywhere. Many of the artist’s costumes and other memorabilia were displayed along with the wild gold Cadillac owned by Isaac Hayes. The studio had been recreated with much of the original mixing board, amps, speakers and instruments. It was amazing to think of all the great music and artists who stood next to this equipment and recorded so much great music. The last stop was a long corridor which had hundreds of album covers, gold and platinum records all recorded at Stax.
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
Sure, Joan and I came for Memphis music, but we had to stop at one of the most unusual retails outlets in the US, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. 535,000 square feet of retail space dedicated to outdoor activities, this Bass Pro Shops was something to experience. From the building’s origin as a sports venue, the skyboxes have not been converted into a 103 room wilderness hotel with private screened porches overlooking the man-made cypress swamp retail space below.
The space is massive with fishing and pleasure boats floating in the indoor stream, clothing, upstairs gun center, fishing gear and so much more. Two restaurants are located on the main floor along with a bowling alley, aquariums, live alligators and a 28-story freestanding elevator to the glass observation deck. One of the most unusual experiences to be enjoyed by everyone.
Rock N Soul Museum – https://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/ Sun Records – https://www.sunrecords.com/ Stax Museum – https://staxmuseum.com/ Memphis Beale St. – http://www.bealestreet.com/ Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid – https://stores.basspro.com/us/tn/memphis/1-bass-pro-dr.html
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Over the past several years, we have been looking for a backup camera to use with our 40 foot 5th wheel. Due to length of the 5th wheel, coupled with a long wheel base Super Duty F-350, we haven’t been able to find a backup camera solution that would work reliably. Until now! The team at Haloview contacted us stating they now have a solution for long RVs with a system capable of operating up to 80 feet in length using their new Haloview Range Dominator 7 backup camera. Looking for a reliable system for the last 5 years, we were very interested in installing and testing the RD7.
Backup Camera 5th Wheel Challenges
When dealing with long RV’s, there’s a challenge when considering a backup camera solution. The challenge is further amplified when a 5th wheel comes into play. For wireless solutions, we have the distance from the rear camera to the truck dash that typically exceeds the working distance from camera to monitor and then we have the metal structure of the truck cab further impacting the video transmission. Our tests of past wireless cameras gave less than favorable results due to our attempt at transmitting 52 feet to the truck dash monitor. The signal would drop out from time-to-time causing blank screens or the video would pixelate to the point of being unusable.
End-to-end wired backup cameras are an option that typically provides a quality signal, but with a 5th wheel, we’ve now added a break in space between the RV and the truck. Due to this break in connectivity between truck and 5th wheel, we have to come up with a creative solution to power the camera from the truck, adding a weather proof connection to route a cable around the pin box, then cable through the truck bed and on to the truck cab monitor. For our needs, a hardwire-only solution was more trouble than it’s worth.
The Haloview Range Dominator 7
Haloview contacted us to review their wireless backup cameras. We shared our past experienced with our 40 foot 5th wheel and failures from the past. Haloview’s response: “We fixed that”. And I’ll add; a very creative fix they have indeed. The Haloview Range Dominator 7 or RD7 is a hybrid wired and wireless solution with claims of a working distance from camera to monitor up to 80 feet in length. For our application, this was perfect. Our distance from backup camera to truck dash was around 52 feet.
Receiving the RD7, the box contained all the parts required for Haloview’s recommended installation. Clicking to enlarge the picture on the right, Haloview suggests mounting the backup camera in the back of the RV and running the supplied cable to the front 5th wheel cap connecting to the wireless transmitter. A power inserter is supplied and due to the low power requirements of the transmitter, suggest using a rear marker light for power. This is a simple installation that should take the better part of an afternoon to complete.
Our RD7 Installation
While the installation recommended by Haloview works, our preference was more of a factory style install. We found the supplied 12 meter cable provided sufficient reach to run from the backup camera mount, through the rear wall and the floor, then route under the 5th wheel to the front bay where power and wireless transmitted was installed. While hiding the wires provided that “factory” look, it tripled our installation time. Removing all the bolts from one side of the black underpinning and running the cable from front to back, then replacing the bolts took about 2 hours with the overall installation taking around 6 hours.
Finding power for the wireless transmitter was easy. Our front bay had a spare fuse block and adding the wiring with an inline fuse took minutes. We also took an extra step adding a power switch between the 12V DC connection and the wireless transmitter. Although not required, we wanted that extra assurance of removing power from the transmitter when we weren’t traveling. Click the simple wiring diagram on the right to enlarge with the full installation shown in the video below.
The Cab Monitor
The Haloview RD7 monitor is feature rich. It’s capable of supporting 4 wireless cameras offering a solution for rear, left/right side and front along with a number of display options. The monitor also contains a memory slot to for recording. There is an easy to use menu for all the features and we found the monitor setup to be very intuitive.
We have limited dash real estate with our current 8 inch GPS tablet, but fortunately, Haloview provides several powering options along with brackets to install the wireless backup monitor. The large 7 inch, 720P high definition monitor provides a vivid display and we wanted to ensure we had good visibility of the unit while traveling. Our solution was to use the 12V DC dash power plug and the bracket, installing the monitor on the front of our center console.
Our Results
To say we are thrilled with the installation and performance of the Haloview Range Dominator 7 backup camera is an understatement. The factory look of the installation turned out better than expected. The video quality of the camera and monitor provides a wide view of multiple lanes along with a very detailed presentation of the all things behind us. And with a transmission length from the wireless monitor to camera transmitter now at 12 feet, we have zero video drop outs or pixilation.
We have provided links below the video of the Haloview products along with the items we used for our factory style installation.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
If you plan to travel to Memphis, TN, there’s a few campgrounds close to the center of town to consider. We thought we’d seek a different experience on this stop with a weeks stay at Tom Sawyers RV Park located in West Memphis, AR. The campground is minutes from the heart of downtown Memphis, TN just across the Tennessee – Arkansas state line. We found the campground to be spacious, offer full hook-ups along with the novelty of our 5th wheel located feet from the banks of the Mississippi River.
The campground
We chose one of the premium riverside campgrounds for our stay. This camp site offered 50 amps, water and sewer connections along with the benefit of a level concrete pad to park the 5th wheel. One of the benefits in our spot was the unobstructed view of the Mississippi River from our awning. Comfortable evening breezes and watching the river traffic made this a unique experience. Click the picture to the right to view the park map.
I have to tip my hat to the efforts by the campground owners. You may remember the severe flooding experienced by many Arkansas residents during February 2019. Due to the campground’s location between the town’s flood levies and the Mississippi River, it wasn’t spared during this time. From the efforts of the owners, the campground was re-opened in July of this year. For the most part, there was little evidence of the flood with the exception of some minor tree debris along the riverbank and some cosmetics along the gravel roads and drainage area. None of this had an impact on our stay.
The area and Memphis, TN
West Memphis, AR is a small town, but offered the amenities we needed during our stay from chain grocery stores, Wal-Mart and a variety or restaurants. There’s a large casino minutes nearby, but we skipped this go round.
The main draw for us was the easy access to downtown Memphis. A short 15 minutes from the campground, we were at Beale St to visit some of the blues clubs (B.B. Kings is a favorite offering great music and excellent Barbeque. At the corner of Beale St. and B.B. King Blvd. is the Rock and Soul Museum, a definite stop to explore the impact of Memphis music. Leaving the downtown area, we traveled to the amazing Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid, then on to the birthplace of Rockabilly, Sun Studios and finally the Stax Records Museum where many of our favorite R&B artists recorded throughout the 60s and 70s.
We thoroughly enjoyed our Tom Sawyers RV Park stay and along with our time in Memphis, TN. Below is the video tour of our stay at Tom Sawyers RV Park.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Joan and I are in the middle of a 3,000 mile trip. We’ve wanted to visit Hot Springs, AR for some time. There are a wide range of campground options in and around Hot Springs, but on this leg of the trip and after some very long towing miles, we thought we would treat ourselves to more of a premium camping experience. To state Catherines Landing is a nice campground is an understatement. This is a very nice campground offering premium camping spots, full hook-ups and so much more.
The Campground
There are a number of options for camp sites. The paved roads to each site contain level concrete pads and landscaped green space between each camper. I also liked the fact the camper spots were staggered, giving the impression of a larger space where you’re not window to window to your next door neighbor. Sites and prices vary from back-in, pull-through and lake side. Sites are equipped with power options from 30 to 100 amps, picnic table, fire rings and reasonable Wi-Fi service is accessible throughout the campground.
The Amenities
The campground offers much to do and experience. There is a very large pool, splash pad and large playground for the kids, a zip line course, boat and kayak rental to use on Lake Catherine, an entertainment room with projector and large screen, large onsite laundry, and a well-equipped fitness room. The campground is pet friendly providing plenty of green space plus a large, fenced dog run. They also offer one of the largest covered pavilions we’ve seen in a campground with ample seating, bathroom facilities, large bar area and giant overhead fans.
With all of the fun things to do at Catherines Landing, there still remain the many sites, tours and fun things to see and experience in Hot Springs. Our stay provided a much needed time to relax and Catherines Landing provided that ideal place.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Joan and I took some time to walk around the historic district of Vicksburg, MS. Close to the river and minutes from the old train station we found the Lower Mississippi River Museum. The museum has been created by the US Army Corps of Engineers and access is free. The museum provides an extensive amount of information about the Mississippi river and river life in the area. There is an excellent movie about the river and how it has impacted the area throughout the years. The museum also documented the great flood of 1927 which displaced over 900,000 people.
The Museum
The museum has a number of displays describing the use of steamboats and the major impact the Mississippi river made on transportation during the 1800s. Aside from the riverboat models, there are a number of pictures and information about this period of transportation and trade. One area of interest was a large wall timeline showing life along the river from the later 1700s to present.
M/V Mississippi IV
Another area of interest is the M/V Mississippi IV and the displays showing life aboard this vessel. The former towboat was used by the US Corps of Engineers for over 30 years. The Mississippi IV served multiple roles to for the Corps delivering goods and equipment along the river project sites. This workboat, its powerful engines and size made it an ideal vessel to handle large towing needs, rough waters and annual river inspections.
Entering the main floor of the vessel we discovered the hearing area, a large public space and dining area. The boat has 22 staterooms and can transport 150 passengers and was often used by the Corps as a giant floating ambassador. The Mississippi IV was often used to host public meetings for the Mississippi River Commission. We were able to tour the main and second deck house, engine rooms and the pilot house. Although decommissioned in 1993, the vessel saw duty again in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and was used as a flowing command center.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
There is so much history in Vicksburg, MS that we had difficulty picking those few locations to fit into our short visit. Our second stop in town features the Old Court House Museum located in heart of the historic district of Vicksburg. The court house is an amazing building completed in 1858 and has been deemed to be one of Vicksburg’s most historic structures. The two stories of the Old Court House Museum contain a rich representation of life in Vicksburg before, during and after the Civil War.
The Court House
Walking up the steps to the court house, you are greeted by massive 30 foot tall stone columns. The court house presents a stately presence and it’s understood why the American Institute of Architects has named this one of the 20 most outstanding courthouses in America. The court house is located on one of the highest hills overlooking the bluff to the Mississippi River with the building becoming a target of much Union shelling during the Civil War only to suffer one major hit. Over the years, the court house suffered from years of neglect along with a direct hit from a tornado in 1953. Fortunately, the Warren County Historical Society took over stewardship of this beautiful building and in 1948 opened the doors to the museum displaying an extensive exhibition of Vicksburg artifacts.
Tour the Court House
The lower floor has a very large display of Civil War artifacts including clothing, cannon shells, bullets, letters, actual newspaper articles, flags and so much more. One room contains furniture used during mid-1800’s with rare china, along with other home furnishings. The rooms on the second floor has actual period clothing from the 1800’s, dolls and toys. The final area was the court room, left untouched for tour. One of the outstanding features is the cast iron railings used throughout the court room.
The Court House Grounds
Walking around the court house grounds, we were taken by the old oak and magnolia trees that have survived so much conflict. The building provides a striking pose on top of the bluff overlooking the city down to the Mississippi River. One very interesting item that remains from the Civil War lies at the base of the large stone columns. At each pad you can see the remnants of graffiti. This graffiti is not modern or recent, but left by the Union soldiers who camped on the hill after the fall of Vicksburg.
The tour of the Old Court House Museum provides a rare view into Vicksburg during the 1800’s. Our thanks to Vicksburg and the Warren County Historical Society for their hard work maintaining this piece of history and their warm welcome.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Our trip to Vicksburg, MS included a visit to the National Military Park Vicksburg also known as the Vicksburg Civil War Battlefield. I’ve always been interested in Civil War History for a number of reasons. It’s hard to grasp the scale of the war in this day and age as to the events that lead to so much destruction and loss of life. We hear the saying in so many ways, but philosopher George Santayana stated: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” My objective on this trip was to learn more about this period, its places and the people it affected. My videos and blogs are intended to share the sites as they exist today. I’ll leave the opinions to those with far more knowledge about the events of this time and hope you’ll enjoy sharing in my adventure.
The Importance of Vicksburg
At the time of the Civil War, Vicksburg was a major commercial shipping port and railroad hub. Jefferson Davis share that Vicksburg was a key component that held the South’s two halves together. Both the Confederate and the Union Armies knew this to be a fact.
Vicksburg exists on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and the lands east. Confederate leadership created a riverfront battery and surrounding fort consisting of 170 cannons and over 18,000 soldiers. Abraham Lincoln knew Vicksburg as a key location for the Confederate Army and charged his General Ulysses Grant to attack and capture the city. Grant assembles an army of 45,000 soldiers and began the assault in May of 1863.
The Vicksburg Battlefield
We started our visit at the Visitors Center watching a well-produced video of the Park and battle that ensued. The center also had a number of displays explaining the events of the Vicksburg campaign. Touring the site, you can see monument after monument dedicated to the Union forces that fought in the Vicksburg campaign. Driving throughout the battlefield I was able to see gun placements, deep scars in the earth where trenches and soldiers lived, fought and died. Standing today over these tranquil large hills and overlooking the landscape it was difficult to image that the overall campaign that lasted over 43 days and took many thousands of Union and Confederate lives. While the Union was not able to overtake Vicksburg, surrounded, cut off from all supplies, and suffering from disease and little food, the Confederate Army surrendered Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.
The USS Cairo Gunboat
Working our way around the park and near the end we found the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum. On site is the partially reconstructed USS Cairo Gunboat, one of seven river ironclads operated by the Union Navy. The gunboat reached the Vicksburg in 1862 and the aggressive defenses of Vicksburg. The USS Cairo was struck by canon fire that left a catastrophic whole in the wooden bow causing it to sink in twelve minutes. The gun boat was forgotten and rested in the deep Mississippi River covered in silt and mud until discovered in 1964. We are now able to walk through the gunboat, see its construction and weapons. The museum next door contain a treasure trove of weapons, personal property and so much more to give a glimpse at how the sailors lived on the ship.
The National Cemetery
The last area viewed was the National Cemetery located at the north end of the park. Here you see a chilling reminder of the spoils of war and the resting place of over 17,000 Union soldiers covering 116 acres of the park. Confederate soldiers who died in the campaign were buried in the Vicksburg City Cemetery.
A trip to Vicksburg would not be complete without a visit to the National Military Park Vicksburg. See the video below as we experienced the park.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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We have wanted to travel to Vicksburg, MS for some time to experience this city’s rich history. Wanting a comfortable campground close by, we found the Ameristar Casino RV Park to be perfect for our needs. Located minutes from Exit 1-A off I-20, the campground is next to the center of Vicksburg. From the campground we were able to experience the national park, museums, numerous restaurants, groceries, big box stores and of course, the casino.
The Campground
The campground was very cost effective. Paved roads throughout and all spaces were concrete with some offering shade. The sites were a mix of 30 and 50 amps, water, sewer, cable and reasonable WiFi. The office lobby was assessable 24 hours a day with access to the coin laundry, bathrooms, showers, a comfortable lounge in the front and a small swimming pool just outside the doors. A shuttle was available to take us to the casino for gaming or to enjoy the restaurant or buffet. We had a great sense of safety in Vicksburg, but the campground offered 24-hour security and was well lit. Click on the picture to the right for an enlarged park map.
The campground was very popular. Many stopped for the day for an overnight stay with about half of the campers enjoying the many Vicksburg sites. For the amenities and camping rates, the Ameristar Casino RV Park was a bargain with the added benefit of being minutes for all things Vicksburg.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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I love American history. From those who lived on this land before the settlers arrive and throughout the history of the amazing country. On this trip, we have experience so much from historic homes, a lighthouse and forts, but this stop was different. Joan and I had the opportunity to visit Mobile, AL and visit the Battle Ship Memorial Park. We were able to tour a huge piece of WWII history – The USS Alabama Battleship, USS Drum Submarine and a wide variety of military aircraft that was involved in various wartime efforts. Touring the battleship was an amazing experience showing how 2,500 Sailors and Marines lived on this floating city protecting the United States throughout WWII. And our tour didn’t stop with the battleship. We were able to walk through a submarine and see a wide range of aircraft. An amazing day and great appreciation for those who served our country.
USS Alabama
The USS Alabama began its mission in 1943. 45,000 tons of steel and machine, the “Mighty A” served in a number of notable campaigns throughout the Pacific. Walking across the deck, we were amazed at not only the amount of armament, but the sheer size. I must admit, I stood in awe under the giant 3-gun turrets with the capability of accurately firing a 2,700 pound shell, 16” in diameter, traveling over 1,500 miles per hour and the ability to reach a distance of nearly 21 miles. The armament didn’t stop there with numerous 5”, 40mm and 20mm guns wrapping the outer edges of the ship.
But, the big guns weren’t the only interest. We were able to walk throughout the ship to see how life and tasks existed. The ship was self-contained to meet not only the basic needs to emergency services. We were able to see where the offices and enlisted lived, their living quarters, kitchen, dining, even a soda fountain. You could see the ship wasn’t designed for much downtime with such a critical wartime mission that laid ahead for those manning the ship.
The engineering used in the 1940’s from building the ship, its propulsion and electronics was something to see. We were able to tour parts of the engine room. As one could image, the 4 engine rooms producing 130,000 hp was massive with the ability to push this 680 foot, over 40,000 ton ship at 28 knots. In the video, we also show some of the sophisticated electronic systems used to maintain the ship. Computers of this period filled rooms, taking a wide range of highly trained individuals to maintain. Each filled an important task and was designed to operate under the most extreme conditions. Leave the USS Alabama Battleship was not the end of the day. The Memorial Park had much more in store.
USS Drum
Having the ability to see a WWII American submarine is a very rare experience. The USS Drum is the oldest American submarine on public display. While a fraction of the size of the battleship experience, the tour was no less informative. The 311 foot submarine supported a maximum of 75 day missions and designed to operate at depths up to 300 feet.
Entering the submarine, our first site was the 6 forward, 21” torpedo tubes. We continued through to see living quarters, operations, the engine room and the aft with 4 more torpedo tubes. It was difficult to grasp how life must have been for the 8 offices and 75 enlisted men that crewed this submarine. To state that living on a submarine was minimal and confined is an understatement. Space is given to the critical mission of operating the submarine and any remaining space to supporting the crew. We left the submarine with great appreciation of the men who served in the extreme capacity protecting the shipping lanes during WWII.
The Aircraft Museum and Park Memorials.
The Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion has a large collection of air craft. Various jets and helicopters are displayed. One of particular interest was the restored helicopter used by presidents from Nixon to George H. W. Bush.
Outside of the pavilion we saw a rare A-12 Black Bird. This is an amazing aircraft capable of speeds at 2,300 miles per hour and altitudes over 93,000 feet. The pavilion had a video from one of the pilots that flew this aircraft supporting spy missions in the mid 1960’s. A Vietnam War era B-52 Stratofortress was on display. The sheer size and massive engines on this aircraft were something the experience. The grounds also contained an extensive amount of tanks, boats, planes, artillery and memorials.
A great experience that Joan and I are grateful to share this Memorial and honor the brave men who served on this USS Alabama, The USS Drum and the various aircraft.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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While visiting Gulf Shores, AL we discovered the Fort Morgan Alabama Historic Site located on the point of Fort Morgan Peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay. This fort has an extensive history starting as Fort Bowyer during the War of 1812 then as Fort Morgan protecting this critical shipping lane from 1819 through the Civil War, WWI and WWII. The site is an amazing piece of military architecture with well-preserved seacoast fortifications along with the wide range of modifications made throughout this fort’s historic career.
The Fort from 1819 – 1864
The fort has changed much over the years. The original 1819 construction consisted of local brick along with granite, sandstone and ironwork shipped from New York. The fort was a key defense for the Confederate Army and in 1861 as a major defense for Mobile Bay. In 1864, the Union shelled the fort in one of the most intense bombardments of a single fort ever recorded during the Civil War with the Confederate army surrendering the following day.
The Fort in WWI and WWII
Starting in 1895 and until WWII, much of the fort saw new fortifications. During WWI, 2,000 troops were stationed at the Fort and a substantial expansion occurred to support the Army’s. And again in 1941, The US Navy occupied the fort to renew the coast defenses and in 1944, the fort was abandoned for the last time, officially ending its role as a coastal defense mission.
Today, you can walk the grounds of this historic fort. Visit the seacoast fortifications, talk to the many volunteers about life in the fort. The grounds offer an extensive museum of historical artifacts from life at the fort and it use over 125 years. The Fort Morgan Alabama Historical Site is a great way to spend part of a day enjoying the beautiful surrounding and a fortunate piece of American history not lost.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Joan and I travel on a budget. Every now and then we will splurge on a campground that may be at the higher end of our budget, but then we’re looking for places along our travel route that may be a little more affordable. One such place is Rainbow Plantation Campground located in Summerdale, AL. We have stayed in a number of Escapees campgrounds and always found them to cater to those who are the occasional RV traveler, full timer or long timer as the multi-month style of RV’ing that Joan and I experience.
About Escapees
Just a note about Escapees. We have been members from day one of our RV travels. Escapees is as much a community as it is an organization. Starting in 1978, Escapees was created to remove some of the challenges RV’ers faces with long term travels. They offer services such as mail forwarding, an advocacy program for RV needs and a number of Rainbow Parks from Florida to Washington State. We’ve stayed in several of the Rainbow Park campgrounds and have found them not only very affordable, but perfect for our style of travel and needed amenities while we are on the road.
The Location
Rainbow Plantation Campground is located about halfway between I-10 and Gulf Shores, AL. The beach is located 15 minutes from the campground where Gulf Shores State Park is located with free beach parking and access to beautiful sugar sand beaches. Fort Morgan is a great historical stop less than 30 minutes west of the beach providing a view in to how we protected our shores from the War of 1812 until the end of WWII. And Mobile, AL is 30 minutes away from the campground with a multitude of sites to see including the USS Alabama and much more.
The Campground
The campground offers water, up to 50 amp electrical connections and sewer. Paved roads provide access to the sites and each camping spot is hard packed grass covered and level. One thing that is unique about Rainbow Park Campground is the double width sites with deep green space behind each spot. Add the many that sites that have beautiful, sweeping live oak trees and the camping experience is idea. The campground also has a club house, laundry and pool. Click the map on the right for more information.
Great coastal food
When you travel to this area, you must experience to coastal food. From high-end 5 star to those favorite local spots, there is no shortage of places to experience the local seafood cuisine that is a mix of the coast, home style Alabama and even a little bayous influence that makes each eatery a little different.
Friendly, very affordable, short access to the beach, great places to tour, ample shopping and restaurants makes this an ideal place to spend time enjoying the Alabama coast.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Our campground travel formula is pretty simple. We have a budget we need to manage for each trip since we may be on the road for over three months at a time. On this trip, we started off with a splurge that was at the top of our expense list which meant we had to find campgrounds that would be less costly going forward. This can be a bit of a challenge since low cost doesn’t always equate with nice campgrounds. Well the latter certainly wasn’t the case for Eastbank Core of Engineer Campground located next to Chattahoochee, FL and Bainbridge, GA. This campsite is an absolute jewel.
The Local Area
We needed some down time. Over a short period, we had traveled a number of miles and toured some really interesting places. Joan and I wanted to just take it easy for a few days. Leaving the Georgia cost heading to Alabama, we needed to find a stop for a few days in the middle of our route. I’ve looked online at Eastbank COE campground for several years, but the opportunity never existed for us to book a stay. We didn’t expect much, located in a very rural location with the closest shopping for basic grocery needs provided by a Dollar Store. We thought this will be OK for a few nights. We’ll just rest and move on. Wow! Were we wrong! This was a fantastic campground with great camping sites topped off with amazing views of Lake Seminole.
The Campground
The campground has 67 sites, 65 with electric and water hookup and many supporting 50 amps. There’s a very nice bathhouse with laundry facilities, dump station on the way out of the campground, boat ramp and picnic sites. Lake Seminole is massive with a surface area of 37,500 acres of water and 376 miles of shore. From the campground, most sites have views of the lake that are stunning. The sites have a substantial amount of green space between the campers, all the roads are paved and the camping sites are either crush gravel or paved concrete. Click the map on the right for site availability.
While the area is limited for touring spots and places of interest, the campground does offer public access to the dam. This was a great place to walk and see this marvel of engineering.
This is a beautiful campground, huge sites, fantastic views, off the beaten path, quite, relaxing, just the prescription for Joan and me after a busy month of travel.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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On a recent trip to the Georgia coast, we took a day to see the sites at St. Simons Island. St. Simons Island is the largest of the Golden Isles barrier Islands. The Poet Sidney Lanier immortalized this island in his poem Marshes of the Glynn. “Affable live-oak, leaning low,– Thus–with your favor–soft, with a reverent hand, (Not lightly touching your person, Lord of the land!) Bending your beauty aside, with a step I stand” Sidney Lanier 1842-1881 – The Marshes of the Glynn.
And as the poet exclaimed, that is exactly what Joan and I experienced. There are wonderful places to tour where the natural beauty of the island has been preserved. And the live oaks on the island….breathtaking. There is also a wide range of things to see and do including beaches, museums, shops, championship golf courses, exceptional restaurants and so much more.
Fort Frederica
We spent part of the day touring Fort Frederica. This is a beautiful site that has been restored to show the area where a vibrant English colony was established in 1733 and flourished until the British garrison was withdrawn in 1758. Many of the town’s people left and time reclaimed much of the settlement. Today, we were able walk the streets, see the tabby foundation ruins and a part of the fort.
We started at the museum near the entrance to the fort. We viewed many of the items discovered from archaeological excavations. The museum also provided a glimpse into much of the past history. Leaving the museum we were greeted by the stunning site of Fort Frederica. The ancient, Spanish moss filled live oaks were simply stunning. We were able to walk along the same streets mapped in 1733 viewing the tabby foundations where homes had been. At the end of Broadstreet, we found the remnants of the fort overlooking Frederica River.
This is a beautiful site. Peaceful, stunning views and well preserve nature. The tour of the fort provided a wonderful morning on the island.
St. Simons Lighthouse
Our next stop was the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to Saint Simons Sound. This is the second lighthouse with construction completing in 1872. The lighthouse is 104 feet tall and continues to operate today. At the base of the lighthouse is the Keeper’s dwelling where we were able to see artifacts from the days of the keepers. Here we could see how the dozen keepers lived until the lighthouse was automated in the mid-1950s.
We also walked to the top of the lighthouse. The 129 steps were definitely worth the effort. A number of landings along the steps provided a window to tease the view for what waited at the top. The views from the landing atop the lighthouse were spectacular. Directly in front is the Atlantic Ocean providing a view as far as the eye can see. To the right is the edge of Jekyll Island and to the north is the town of St. Simons and a live oak canopy covering the island. Simply beautiful.
There was so much to see and do at St. Simons that could have filled a week or more. We enjoyed our day trip with these two locations and the wonderful visual memories offered.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
If you have been following our travels, you know we enjoy visiting historical sites. We like to find places off the beaten path and enjoy sharing the sites with others. And the older, the better. That was the case with our recent tour of Fort King George Historical Site located in Darien, GA on the edge of the Altamaha River. Manned from 1721 to 1736, this is the oldest English fort remaining on the Georgia coast. General Oglethorpe brought Scottish Highlanders to the fort in 1736 and named the settlement Darien. Darien mean protector and was Oglethorpe’s plan to add protection to the southern Georgia coast.
The early inhabitants
Walking through the fort, we were able to visit a reconstruction of the British fort as it may have existed in in the early 1700’s. Using records from this period to reconstruct the site, we found a blockhouse, officer’s quarter, barracks and more. The buildings are open to walk through providing a view into what life may have been for those who lived in the garrison at this time.
Nature trails
Leaving the garrisoned walls, we followed the nature trail along the marshes. The trailed offered spectacular views of the marshes. Along the trail, we found a recreation of a Scottish Highlanders’ home. Nearing the end of the trail, we discovered the tabby ruins of three sawmills that operated on the site during the 1800’s. We finished out visit near the entrance. Walking along the edge of the marsh and under ancient, Spanish moss filled live oak trees, we came upon a small cemetery where over 150 British soldiers were laid to rest. Peaceful surroundings, but further proof of the harsh living conditions experienced in the early 1700s.
As you travel along I-95 and just minutes from exit 49, take a few hours to visit this unique view of life in the earlier 1700’s. Also treat yourself to some of the local restaurants. Our favorites are Skippers Fish Camp and Mudcat Charlies, both offering the freshest local seafood. And stay a couple days. Inland Harbor RV Park is just off exit 49. The local folks are very welcoming, the atmosphere is laid back and enjoy seeing the sites and local cuisine.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Just minutes off I-95 at exit 49 is Inland Harbor RV Park in Darien, GA. The campground is located about 60 miles south of Savannah and 20 miles north of St. Simons. The campground is big rig friendly offering easy access, large pull-thorough spaces, full hook-ups with cable, Wi-Fi, bath houses and laundry. The park has a number of well shaded spots and green space between each camper. This is a pretty campground and a welcomed stop after a long day of towing the 5th wheel from South Carolina. The town of Darien is 5 minutes away where you can restock grocery items, but there’s much more to this area than just a campground.
A Travelers Rest
This campground really is a travelers rest as you travel I-95, but there are other treasures nearby that you’ll want to consider adding a few days to you stop. There are excellent restaurants in Darien that features local catch, fantastic crab stew (a local specialty) and more so, fresh shrimp usually caught that morning. Two of our favorites that are just minutes from the campground are Skippers Fish Camp and Mudcat Charlie’s. Both have great food, are local favorites and super friendly.
Sites and Tours
There are a number very interesting sites to see that are minutes from the campground. Fort King George Historic Site provides a look into life in 1721 which served as the southernmost outpost of the British Empire until 1727. A short 20 minute drive south brings you to St. Simons Island with Fort Frederica National Monument with the remnants of the 1736 town established by James Oglethorpe. Then cap the visit off with a tour of the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum built in 1872. Plus great costal food before you return to the camper.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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While camping at Huntington State Park near Murrells Inlet, SC, we discovered Atalaya Castle located between the campground’s north and south loops. If you are a follower of my past blogs and YouTube videos, you know that I am a huge history fan. I’m equally intrigued in places where unique architecture exists. Atalaya Castle filled both of these interests. Atalaya Castle was built as a summer resident by philanthropist Archer M. Huntington and his wife, the sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington in the mid-1930s.
The Watchtower
Atalaya means “watchtower” in Spanish. The castle is a Moorish design made of brick and concrete containing 30 rooms in a U shaped structure. As you approach the grounds, you first notice a large tower that rises 40 feet in height in the center of the gardens. A covered walkway stretches from the main entrance of the gardens, under the tower, to the foyer entrance at the center of the home.
The Castle’s Location
I found the castle to be unique for someone of substantial means in the 1930s. Located on 1000’s of acres of pristine coastal forest, steps away from the beach dunes, living in this winter home must have been a welcome retreat from a busy New York life and the business demands of Archer and Anna. Thinking of this area located between today’s Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet, this must have been a place to escape. In the 1930’s, no bridges existed to the island with the only access provided by boat or ferry.
The Castle and Gardens
It is a castle, although small in design, the outer structure surrounds beautiful gardens. Now over eighty years later, these beautiful gardens continue to welcome visitors. One element I found interesting were the beautiful, ornate iron grills placed over the windows in the garden and outer walls. The grills added to the Moorish charm and displayed exception craftsmanship of the time. The rooms inside the castle were surprisingly small when one considers this to be the winter residence of one of the richest people in America. Thick masonry walls and large windows made the building tolerable for the hot temperatures. The castle contained:
a single bedroom for Archer and Anna with separate baths,
library,
office,
a very large studio and courtyard for Anna’s sculpting,
a secretary’s room,
small kitchen and dining, and
resident servant’s and housekeeper’s quarters.
There were no guest bedrooms or guest quarters on the property. The castle was meant to be a private place for escape.
All That Remains
Sadly, all that remains of the castle are the bear walls and ceilings. Nothing remains of the furnishings and the interior has weathered over time. Yet, the castle still displays a striking pose as to what it may have offered the Huntington’s for their winter stays in the 1930’s and ‘40s.
There is much more to see and experience of this unique American castle. Enjoy the tour in the video below and I hope you have the opportunity to visit Atalaya Castle in Huntington Beach State Park.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
We were going to skip the beach this year. After a number of years traveling throughout Florida, we wanted new places to visit and sites to see. I had a friend share about a camping trip to Huntington State Park Campground between Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet, SC. Little did we know the special treat in-store for us.
All good things come to those who wait
Not wanting to make comparisons to the beaches we traveled to in the past, we discovered there was quite a bit of distance yet to travel from I-95 to the beach. From the Interstate exit, we still had almost 2 hours to reach the campground on State roads. I mentioned to Joan the old adage that all good things come to those who wait. Reading reviews of the campground and looking at pictures on the web in no way prepared us for this amazing campground.
The campgrounds
This was a splurge stop for us. We saved a little extra knowing the full hook up sites would be pricey, but all roads were paved, concrete sites, full hook-ups with 50 amps and sewer (rare for a State park) and even reasonable Wi-Fi (even more rare for a State park). The premium area looked new, with fresh concrete; even the bath and laundry facility had little use. There is a second loop of campgrounds at the north end of the park. These were older, 30 amps only and no sewer with 3 dump stations outside the entrance. These were very spacious and like the premium area, many had large live oaks providing shade. Some kinda’ pretty!
The beach
I have to share about the beach. The park is large, 2500 acres and the beach seemed to be endless. There were many times we could count the amount of people in our area on one hand. Great sand, cool water, reasonable waves and a great breeze made the beach experience exceptional.
But the beach is just one of the attractions. Numerous walking and biking paths were scatter throughout the park, great views of the marshes, wildlife (we saw deer several times), bird watching, playgrounds for the kids and the spectacular Atalaya Castle.
Great restaurants
Then there is the food! Leaving the campground and traveling north 2 miles, you enter Murrells Inlet and what is known as “food row”. Wow! Dozens of amazing restaurants offering simple to five star seafood dishes. We blew the budget and ate out 4 times in one week. From the great food to the live music, we just could not get enough.
What a great trip – campground, beach, castle, hikes, beautiful scenery and amazing food. We just could not get enough of Huntington Beach State Park Campground and the surrounding area.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Joan and I have owned our 5th wheel for five years. If you are in a similar situation, you have discovered that things break overtime. Just as owning a home, vehicle and anything mechanical, maintenance and repairs are needed from use. That’s the case with today’s project: Repair RV Fireplace. One crisp, early Spring morning this year, we were enjoying the RV Fireplace electric heater and then: Snap, Crackle, Pop! Sparks flew from the top, the breaker blew and that was the end of the heater. We are getting ready for a long trip, like the convenience of the RV fireplace heater and after much searching, found a replacement.
Finding a replacement RV fireplace
After a long search, we found a replacement RV fireplace at etrailer.com – same model and size as the unit that failed. We consider a repair, but parts were hard to source and the cost ended up close to that of a new unit. In the video, I mentioned this would be the shortest video I ever created. Thought was to take the old RV fireplace off the mounting bracket and hang the new unit in its place. Wrong! After 5 years, the mounting brackets had changed. Only option was a complete new installation.
Installing the RV Fireplace
The new RV fireplace came with mounting instructions, but unfortunately, they were useless. The instructions were based on a flat wall installation and I had to fit inside of a cove style door. It was very time consuming, measuring and remeasuring to ensure the fit and off camera, I’ll admit, patience ran a little thin. Advice for those planning to tackle a similar repair:
Take your time.
Measure
Then measure again before you start drilling for the mounting the bracket.
Once the bracket was in place, it took less than a minute to hang the RV fireplace, plug in and turn on. We couldn’t be happier with the installation. The newer unit has a few extra features. And the fireplace display is more attractive over the previous unit. Overall, we’re glad we tackled the Repair RV Fireplace project and are looking forward to having our heater back for those brisk Fall and early Spring mornings.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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For those who have an RV that is several years’ old, repairs often pop up due to general wear and tear. We recently experienced a water leak around the skylight in our bathroom. We inspect our roof at least twice a year and even with this effort, very fine cracks occurred in the RV skylight during our travels. On a recent trip, enough road vibration, hot sun then cool North Carolina evenings open these cracks. After a hard rain we discovered water dripping from the bathroom ceiling and knew we needed to act quickly.
Temporary RV Skylight Repair
The RV Skylight is in two pieces. The inside unit is part aesthetics and part light diffuser. I removed the inside unit and discovered very fine cracks around the base rising up to the edge of the outside skylight. It was easy to see where water was seeping inside. Equally concerning, was the beginning of mildew and mold on the inside edge of the wood. We suspect gentle leaking started allowing a small amount of water to enter, but the cracks had not increased in size to allow larger amounts of water into the bathroom ceiling.
I caught the water leak early, treated the area multiple times with 100% bleach and a good scrub with a souring pad. I also went on top of the RV and applied Dicor Self Leveling Compound over the crack in the RV Skylight and again on the inside. This gave some assurance that we could stop the leaks until a more permanent RV Skylight replacement could be made. Allowing the inside wood to dry throughorly, I replaced the inside unit.
Removing the Cracked RV Skylight
Fortunately, an exact size RV Skylight replacement was found on Amazon. Replacing the crack unit took about an hour. First step is to remove the old lap sealant compound from around the RV skylight. This took a little patience and gentle force to scrape the lap sealant first from the top and around the screws of the plastic.
Next is to work a paint scraper underneath the RV skylight to release any sealant bonding the unit to the roof. I like using a 6-in-1 painters tool to remove the lap sealant. This tool is ridged, has a beveled edge and with careful use can easily slide against the roof without ripping or tearing the fabric. Once the old RV Skylight is removed, I take a few extra steps to ensure the roof is clean and the old lap sealant is removed. One note, it’s very difficult to remove 100% if the old lap sealant. Work to make the roof surface as flat as possible without damaging the roof fabric.
Installing the new RV Skylight
This new RV Skylight was an Amazon reseller product. It had limited screw holes, about a third of those found in the Heartland unit. I matched the old and new skylights together, marked where the holes should be located and carefully drilled, ensuring not the crack the plastic.
Now apply a thin bead of lap sealant on the roof, just inside the screw holes. This will provide an extra bond for the RV Skylight to the roof. Placed the new skylight on the roof and lined up the holes to match. Here where more cautions applies. I did not want to over tighten the screws. I believe this was part of the reason the old skylight cracked, having too much pressure on the plastic adding stress and eventual failure.
Last step was to cover the screws and sides with lap sealant and we were done.
Overall, not a difficult installation. Using extra care removing the damage RV skylight is key and most of all, liberally applying lap sealant will ensure new leaks will not occur.
Heavy Duty RV Camper Trailer Exterior Skylight – 18″ x 26″ OD – https://amzn.to/2YSzr2k T his was the exact size replacement for the existing RV Skylight. We found a wide range of sizes on Amazon.
Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealanthttps://amzn.to/2LGSXgF Creates a secure, secondary seal along the roof’s edges, air vents, vent pipes and screw heads. Compatible TPO RV roofs.
6-in-1 Painters Toolhttps://amzn.to/2HlK5ce 6 uses in one tool include gouger, scraper, putty remover, spreader and roller cleaner. Great for removing laps sealant from your RV roof.
Black and Decker Cordless Drillhttps://amzn.to/2wVlCUX This is a very handy drill for general installations plus those quick fixes – a loose drawer, replacing cabinet screws or just minor maintenance where a good cordless drill is needed.
Kline 11-in-1 Multi Toolhttps://amzn.to/2JPLM3x It would be great to have a toolbox filled with every tool I may possibly need. This is one of my favorites. I keep this multi-tool screwdriver in the RV for those times when you just need to tighten something. Well made and a good quality product.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.
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Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
The 50 amp RV power connection is one of the most misunderstood. As shown in the graphic on the right, the plug supports two 50 amp, 120 volt circuits often referred to as “legs”. The two legs can support up to 6,000 watts of power each. The legs are separated into two RV circuits to distribute the power load. Most common wiring configurations for RVs equipped with two air conditioners has one air conditioner on the “L1” leg and the second air conditioner will be on the “L2” leg. The remaining 120 volt outlets will be distributed on the two legs. With this amount of power and using typical household appliances, tripping the RV power pedestal breaker is rare.
We find 30 amp RV power connections mostly in state and federal parks and some of the older privately owned campgrounds. Even in campgrounds that report to have 50 amp connections, there may be a number of sites with 30 amp connections. We prefer to stay in campsites that are 50 amp, but if only 30 amps are available we don’t let that stop us from going to a location and seeing the sites.
Both the 20 and 15 amp RV power connection looks the same, a standard household 120 volt plug. Wired similar to the 30 amp connection, the 20 amp connection supports 2,400 watts and a 15 amp connection supports 1,800 watts. These can be found in campgrounds, but most often are used at home or when stopping at friend or relative’s home for the holidays. The only way to determine if the receptacle amp capacity is to verify the circuit breaker assigned. There are 20 to 50 amp and 20 to 30 amp adapters available providing a standard plug to connect the RV to an extension cord. One note, if you plan to use this type of connection, use a good quality 10 gauge extension cord.
As mention, this was a day’s work. We wanted something that specifically fit Julie’s height and would be wide enough to comfortably support all of the technology and teaching materials needed for the day. See would need a method to power all the devices and manage the multitude of cables. She also needed a shelf to hold books, papers and other teaching materials that would be easy to access.
You may ask, why build a desk and not purchase one? This answer is simple – cost. Looking online, most the standing desks cost $500 to $1,000 and more for those with mechanical height adjustments. We were on a budget and confident we could build a high quality standing desk for less the $100 and in fact, built this one for less than $75 including wood, nails, screws and a little paint.
There is ample cable support to run from the rear camera to the forward facing repeater. One’s imagination is the only limiting factor on how to run the cable and where to place the repeater. Haloview provides a 12V DC power inserter that can be used at the rear camera or at the repeater. For RV’s that have been prewired for the Furrion Camera, a mounting bracket is provided to mount the rear camera. The installation guide provides several roof style cable run options. We preferred more of a custom installation running the cable under the RV belly pan. You can learn more about our installation in the video below.
The heart of this system is the Haloview Wireless Rearview Observation Mirror. The kit comes with all cables and mounting hardware for each component. In less than 10 minutes, I mounted the Observation Mirror, synced to the rear camera and was able to display both the forward dash cam and the rear camera. One nice feature about the Observation Mirror is the ability to attach to the existing vehicle rearview mirror. This frees up the dash from any clutter that could impact visibility though the windshield. One other favorite feature is the screen presentation. With the simple swipe of a finger or tap of the screen, I could use as a mirror only, split screen with dash camera and rear camera view or full screen with dash or rear camera. 
One of my favorite activities is a morning beach bike ride. One of the benefits of St. Augustine Beach is the deep beach at low tide. This provides a great path to ride near the water, enjoy the sun rise, hear the sound of the waves and just go for miles. The beach doesn’t open for cars until 8am. Going early, you’ll meet walkers, joggers and other bicyclists along the way. Add a light breeze as we experienced in the video below make this morning a perfect ride.
Business closures resulting from covid, has had an impact on restaurant availability and service levels. Arriving the first of June, we found some of our favorites were still closed. At the time of this blog, we are in the middle of June and slowly seeing some of our favorite restaurants open again. With many having replaced large numbers of serving staff, we’ve gone the extra step to thank those working hard and adding an extra dose of patience. In the video below, we stopped at a restaurant we always frequent on Saturdays afternoons, The Golden Lion in Flagler Beach, FL. It didn’t disappoint meeting our expectations of past visits – live music, raw oysters (lots of them on this visit), views next to the beach and a great staff. Just a fun place.
In this day and age, everyone has a smart phone in their pocket that contains a camera feature. Some of the new iPhone and Android phones provide excellent photo and video capabilities. This is where I Love RV Life began, but we quickly outgrew the limited features of a phone camera. Below are pros and cons of using a phone as a vlogging camera.
Let’s face it. RV travel along our highways can be a challenge, especially when it comes to rough roads, pot holes and construction. Our last trip was especially challenging and after 5 years of travel we broke a leaf spring hanger. To our good fortune, it occurred close to home and we were able to make it back without damage to our tires or axle. With our next trip weeks away, it was time to tackle the job of trailer suspension repair and make the 5th wheel road worthy.
It’s not the parts in question, but the labor required to remove the old hanger and protect the undercarriage from the sparks generated from grinding and welding. The new hanger and bolt was $20 total, but I had 4 hours in removing wheels, grinding and welding. So be prepared for a large labor bill if you ever have to face any type of trailer suspension repair.
Our first stop was Beale St. Walking along the street, peaking inside the many music venues, shops and restaurants, Joan and I both agreed this area is one of the coolest places in Memphis. As we walked along the street, great blues music was coming from all directions. If you visit Beale St, make sure you go to B.B King’s Blues Club. Great music and the barbeque is good too. But there’s much more to feed that blues music craving. There’s Alfred’s on Beale, Silky O’Sullivans, Jerry Lee Lewis’ Honky Tonk, Tin Roof and the list goes on and on. We also wanted a quick Memphis style lunch before we left Beale St. and stopped at King’s Palace known for the excellent gumbo.
At the corner of Beale St. and B.B. King Blvd. we found the Memphis TN Rock n Soul Museum. The self-guided tour provided a look into the history of not only Memphis music, but the artists and many contributors who made an impact in blues, R&B, Rock and so much more. This museum starts with the roots of the blues, originating in the farms and fields of the south. Displays show many of the early artists who were inspired by the work songs from the fields which created the classic American genre of music. 
Out next stops was Sun Studios which many tout as the birthplace of Rock and Roll. Here, young up and coming artists from the 1950s and 60s including Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and so many more started their music careers. Known first as Rockabilly, this Memphis inspired music soon migrated to be known as Rock and Roll and set the foundation for many artists and new forms of music. 
Next was the Stax Record Museum. Sharing a love of R&B from my teen years growing up in Macon, GA, I couldn’t leave Memphis TN without a visit to the Stax Record Museum. Otis Redding from Macon, GA was one of Stax biggest stars. There were several displays dedicated to his career, but there was so much more. This list of Stax artists and their memorabilia seemed to be endless including Al Green, Booker T and the MGs, Wilson Picket, the Mar-Keys, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, the great R&B guitarist – Steve Cropper, and so many more. 
Sure, Joan and I came for Memphis music, but we had to stop at one of the most unusual retails outlets in the US, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. 535,000 square feet of retail space dedicated to outdoor activities, this Bass Pro Shops was something to experience. From the building’s origin as a sports venue, the skyboxes have not been converted into a 103 room wilderness hotel with private screened porches overlooking the man-made cypress swamp retail space below.
The main draw for us was the easy access to downtown Memphis. A short 15 minutes from the campground, we were at Beale St to visit some of the blues clubs (B.B. Kings is a favorite offering great music and excellent Barbeque. At the corner of Beale St. and B.B. King Blvd. is the Rock and Soul Museum, a definite stop to explore the impact of Memphis music. Leaving the downtown area, we traveled to the amazing Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid, then on to the birthplace of Rockabilly, Sun Studios and finally the Stax Records Museum where many of our favorite R&B artists recorded throughout the 60s and 70s. 
The USS Alabama began its mission in 1943. 45,000 tons of steel and machine, the “Mighty A” served in a number of notable campaigns throughout the Pacific. Walking across the deck, we were amazed at not only the amount of armament, but the sheer size. I must admit, I stood in awe under the giant 3-gun turrets with the capability of accurately firing a 2,700 pound shell, 16” in diameter, traveling over 1,500 miles per hour and the ability to reach a distance of nearly 21 miles. The armament didn’t stop there with numerous 5”, 40mm and 20mm guns wrapping the outer edges of the ship.
Having the ability to see a WWII American submarine is a very rare experience. The USS Drum is the oldest American submarine on public display. While a fraction of the size of the battleship experience, the tour was no less informative. The 311 foot submarine supported a maximum of 75 day missions and designed to operate at depths up to 300 feet.
The Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion has a large collection of air craft. Various jets and helicopters are displayed. One of particular interest was the restored helicopter used by presidents from Nixon to George H. W. Bush.
I have to share about the beach. The park is large, 2500 acres and the beach seemed to be endless. There were many times we could count the amount of people in our area on one hand. Great sand, cool water, reasonable waves and a great breeze made the beach experience exceptional.
But the beach is just one of the attractions. Numerous walking and biking paths were scatter throughout the park, great views of the marshes, wildlife (we saw deer several times), bird watching, playgrounds for the kids and the spectacular Atalaya Castle.
After a long search, we found a replacement RV fireplace at 
The new RV fireplace came with mounting instructions, but unfortunately, they were useless. The instructions were based on a flat wall installation and I had to fit inside of a cove style door. It was very time consuming, measuring and remeasuring to ensure the fit and off camera, I’ll admit, patience ran a little thin. Advice for those planning to tackle a similar repair:
