Day: January 5, 2013

by

Another Way of Finding a Motorhome Propane Refill Location

I thought I had found a place to fill the on board propane tank tomorrow, but they weren’t sure I’d be able to get in there with my rig without having to unhook. Then, I had a flash of genius.

I went to Google and did a search for “Emporia VA rv park propane” as I knew the Suffolk RV parks would not be on my route, but just about anywhere in Emporia would be. If I hadn’t had a hit with them, I would have tried another city.

Anyway, I found an RV park that has propane. I called to confirm that they sell propane to anyone, that they would be open on a Sunday afternoon, and that their pumps would allow me to pull through. Yes, yes, and yes. Done. Propane found.

And that’s how I found propane in the spring, too!

Finding propane can be a real pain, but I would not be without it. I can’t imagine relying on just electricity for everything. As long as I have propane I can cook and heat up water. Add a smidgen of electricity, and I can run my fridge and heat my home economically. To me, propane is magic.

by

A Vision Coming To Pass

I’m still planning to leave Hampton Roads tomorrow even though the weather isn’t going to be super great. I’m finishing up a couple of projects today and will be doing laundry this afternoon. I’ve got maybe 15 minutes of packing to do in here, if that.

Tomorrow, I need to put the propane tank in the truck, fill the fresh water tank, unplug, and back out of here without impeding traffic too badly. That’s really going to be the hardest part since traffic here is crazy. My friend is going to stand in the road and give me the all clear signal and then I need to be quick and decisive. Next time I come, I am definitely going to arrive later in the day and back in.

I’m looking forward to getting to a drier climate. It has been mostly sunny here, but still quite humid and I’m seeing a little bit of mould starting in the cab along the window frames and the loft windows have been condensating really badly.

I took the giant sheet of styrofoam and cut it down to fit snugly inside the big window and the passenger side window against which my pillow rest with the hope that that will cut down on some of the condensation. Plus, it gives me a bit of a barrier between the wall and my head and means not waking up with soggy pillows in the morning.

While I plan to set off at a leisurely place, I am going to be choosy about the places I will be exploring in the next few weeks. It would be tempting to stop to visit Charlotte and Atlanta for a day, for example, but those cities just don’t interest me.

I learned during my month in Scotland that you really can’t see everything and if you try to, you could end up seeing things you would have gladly missed (glaring at you Aviemore) and missing things on your list (Aberdeen). So I’ve got a pretty good idea of the route I’ll be taking to the Texas gulf coast and have decided that I probably won’t be doing more than one night in a place until I get to the New Orleans area, and there I might spend a few days and do road trips. New Orleans! Finally!

I already know where I’ll be landing near New Orleans as well as in Texas and have a good idea of where I’ll be overnighting in between. I’m starting to find that a more structured route plan is better than my old method of setting off and seeing where the day will take me. I can make educated choices about where to overnight and get an idea of the sights I might want to see along the way.

Tomorrow, my RVing life as I first dreamed of it is finally going to start, nearly four and a half years after I conceived it. I’ve kept a quote on my desktop all this time and today rather than inspiring me, it makes me want to whoop at the top of my lungs!

Those kinds of dreams cannot be found, brave [one]. You have to build them. And I promise you, your hands are still strong and there is plenty of time.