Doing Adventure Preparations ! !

MuttonChops

Like most of us, my last Big Adventure was in Feb-2020 with a return home to the world of "this cannot be happening, but it is".  While I did manage some T@B outings none really felt like an adventure.  Most of 2020 was driving back and forth across Washington State as I finally began moving my base from Puget Sound to eastern Washington {following children / grandchildren and getting out-of-the-next big one zone}.  For those endless 'move yourself with a pickup' the T@B was just a nice & cheap motel room . . .

Now I did manage one Puget Sound [slightly warmer region] week during the winter it felt a bit off - - - was fun and restful, just not normal.  Also did a few nights of T@B camping in early spring to eBike ride part of the cross state bicycle trail.  Both of those outing required the T@B to be near 100% winterized.

Now I'm preparing for a real Out-of-State Adventure.  Only 13-days but a big deal after yr-2020.
Yesterday got the T@B water systems** working and cleaned everything.  Today topped-off the propane checked the air conditioner and filled the Alde glycol tank (Hey, I'm retired - - - that's a lot of activity when one's work-hours are 3 maybe 4 long - - - the time between a late breakfast and early happy hour).  Today I also started the 'special' food preparations.

Everyone has their Makes it Our Camping Trip Menu Items.  One of mine is dutch oven bread and super-soup.  So the bread mix (wet & dry) is made, super-soup special ingredients are pre-cooked and ready for the cooler.  Another is a hardy salmon 'steak' for cooking over a campfire while sweet potatoes bake in the coals . . . will cut & freeze that off of tonight's dinner.

** Why is it that some days the fresh water pump will prime and pressurize in minutes.
While other times (like yesterday) every trick in the book does not seem to work?  For me this was complicated by the installation of a Tee Valve before the water pump.  I do air-pressure blow out weatherization but still like to have anti-freeze in the pump, traps, and all tank bottoms.  So of course the reason for the pump not stopping was due to my Tee Valve work.  No.

Seems I did an OK job installing it.  Water Pump would not pressurize due to a really small air bubble in the hot water plumbing - - - just took me hours to figure it out and once the really tiny blast of air came out of the sink hot water the pump pressured and shut off.

Will need to edit my "everything in the book" resource.

Side Note:
    If any of you are considering to use or learning to use the Furkot trip planner.  I can forward you a link to my route (no dates) so you can see some of the features of the program. { as I have just learned how to 'publish' my route }
Forum email/message me if you would like the link.

ScottG

FWIW, I also experience some variability in trying to get the pump to pressurize the system to the point of smooth on/off operation, which I also attribute to small air bubbles (probably in the hot water side).

I've taken to filling, bleeding, and pre-pressurizing the system at home on shore power. That way I can futz as long as needed without drawing down my battery or water tank, or filling my gray and black tanks. 

Enjoy your trip! 

feministravelers

Hi, can you tell me where you camped in the Puget Sound for a week in the winter? We live in Tacoma and just bought a T@B320. We moved here from the midwest (MN, IL) so winters are very mild seeming for us and we thought we might not need to winterize. We definitely want to camp all through the winter. What are your thoughts on that? And how long do we need to keep it winterized while camping? Thank you for any advice! 

Now I did manage one Puget Sound [slightly warmer region] week during the winter it felt a bit off - - - was fun and restful, just not normal.  Also did a few nights of T@B camping in early spring to eBike ride part of the cross state bicycle trail.  Both of those outing required the T@B to be near 100% winterized.

MuttonChops

feministravelers said:
Hi, can you tell me where you camped in the Puget Sound for a week in the winter?
. . . thought we might not need to winterize.

Welcome to the T@B Family and the Evergreen State.

In general the warmest & driest area of Puget Sound during the winter months is in the rain shadow of the northern Olympic Mountains.  I was camping at Fort Casey SP and Fort Worden SP (Port Townsend).
And I was not alone . . . several T@Bs were enjoying the late January sun.

As for winterizing.  I always do so.  While the city areas do stay warmer at night once away from the warm spots overnight temperature can get in the 20'sF.  While wintertized I use bottled fresh water and flush/wash toilet bowl with a mix of 50/50 water to RV antifreeze.  If the sink drain is used it also gets the 50/50 rinse.

Am sure others have different approaches.

feministravelers

Wow, that was fantastic advice that I did not know. Thank you so much!!!

MuttonChops

My final morning 'Goodbye' from Buffalo Camp . . .

dlb

Quite the dusty fellow!