Victoria to Las Vegas or bust!

Mellow_Yellow

I’m back from an amazing “solo” trip from Victoria to Las Vegas to see The Killers live at Caesar’s Palace. I was blessed with dry but somewhat cold January weather - way better than rain/snow, for sure. I had one day of snotty weather through Salt Lake City and that was it!
I was on shore power for most of the trip, something I rarely get on Vancouver Island. 

My little 2014 T@B MAX was fantastic and I especially appreciated running the Alde on shore power AND propane to get things warmed up quickly. Here are a few of the highlights and low lights.
Before the trip, I had my 7-way plug replaced. The replacement plug had smaller tabs than the original. On day 1 of my trip, the plug fell out, likely by getting bumped on the ferry trip and it got destroyed by being dragged down the interstate. I had to wait a day in southern Washington state to get it re-replaced. It was an unfortunate ordeal and now I zap strap it in place to make sure it it stays in. 
 

Electrical tape to the rescue - to make the letters. I was really angry when I did the letters and I think it shows!

New plug and off to South Beach State Park, Newport Oregon - it was lovely!

One of many fantastic vistas in southern Oregon, Route 101

No photo, but I was especially proud of myself to navigate from Rte 101 S to I-99 S via Oakland, CA without any wrong turns.

Minor inconveniences during the trip were a few blown Alde fuses and one 30 amp battery fuse. Always encountered at night in the dark, of course!

Glamping in Las Vegas. For an “off grid” gal, I found the Las Vegas RV Resort to be safe, hospitable, and clean. I really appreciated the laundry facilities and hot showers. 

Desert sunrise from my bed in the T@B

The Killers concert was mind-blowing. They played the entire Hot Fuss album, front to back and each song had its own graphics. 

Zion National Park, Watchman Campground, Utah. I was here 2 nights before a 3-day drive home. My last rest day was warm and sunny!

On the last night, yet one more “mishap! I arrived to Emigrant Springs State Park in NE Oregon 1 hour before dark. The road and campsites were sheer ice and while backing up slightly uphill into my campsite, I slid forward into a solid frozen snow bank. I was completely jammed - couldn’t go forward or back! So I called AAA who came to the rescue and yanked me out! That night, it was -12C and I was especially grateful for a hot shower, shore power and my little Alde to keep me warm. 

On day 15, I made it to the BC Ferry terminal to head home to Victoria. My little T@B earned a well deserved wash and some down time. Also, because I know someone will ask; those are stainless steel colanders over my fridge vents. The Mason bees’ mud got in there 2 years ago and blocked up my fridge - it cost me $1000 to have the fridge pulled and cleaned. No more!

And that’s it. Just as I got home, we got snow and colder weather. I was fortunate to take my trip during a sunny, dry spell!

Yoshi_TAB

Fantastic...thanks for sharing .  Congrats on persevering  past your hiccups.  

bubbazanetti

Congrats on a great adventure. We have nearly identical t@b to you! 

Former Victoria boy here. 

pthomas745

There is bound to be a Killer's themed Tab name out there!

Thanks for the great thread...

PS: I took the liberty of fixing your "sideways" photo of the AAA tow truck.  If you prefer it the other way...just let me know!

BandB

@Mellow_Yellow Thank you for sharing about your big adventure! It's inspiring how you persevered through your challenges. Very clever what you did with the electrical tape! We're planning a trip in March to drive from MN to the Grand Canyon. We'll make sure to have a way to doubly secure our 7-pin and bring plenty of fuses and electrical tape 😉.
Great pictures, too!

Cherokee

Congrats on making it to Zion NP! Decompression after sin city?

Mellow_Yellow

BandB said:

It's inspiring how you persevered through your challenges. Very clever what you did with the electrical tape! We're planning a trip in March to drive from MN to the Grand Canyon. We'll make sure to have a way to doubly secure our 7-pin and bring plenty of fuses and electrical tape 😉.
Great pictures, too!

Thank you! I spent 32 hours “stuck” in a freezing cold campground, so close to I-5, that the din was constant. I told myself the noise was “just like the ocean” (except for air brakes). Fortunately, I found an RV dealer close by and they got me in the next day. The plug was so badly mangled that it took them 6 hours to get the 7 wires in the right spot. I told myself: worst case scenario, I go home tomorrow. I also remembered to use hand signals while driving without tail lights. 

Fortunately, my 2014 T@B was one of the last models on the BAL hitch with surge brakes. So at least the trailer still had brakes! Only the tail lights and charging under tow were affected. 

Mellow_Yellow

Cherokee said:

Congrats on making it to Zion NP! Decompression after sin city?

Interesting that you mention that! I am a costume designer and I spent hours navigating LV to find a fantastic fabric store (Heddy’s), costume jewelry (Dubarry’s), as well as new jeans for myself. 

I am also autistic and while I was thrilled with the wonders of Sin City, after 3 days, I was ready for a break and Zion absolutely fit the bill. My only complaint: no showers. I re-winterized my T@B for the trek north - good thing, because it went down to 10F the last 2 nights of the trip. 

My T@B is also one of the first models with the Alde and it kept me impressively warm on those cold nights!

Mellow_Yellow

I thought it would be useful to mention a winter mod that really made a difference on this trip: interlocking foam floor mats. I also put them on the floor over the shower drain and beside the toilet. 

It also helps to block 2 out of 3 of the exterior fridge vents with duct tape - the ones beside the side door. This makes a HUGE difference in heat retention. My main ventilation is the ceiling vent, which also has a vent cover. 

Here is a link to that post: https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/14690/solo-winter-boondocking/p1

Towhee

We are thinking about going your direction and am curious what the ferry charged for your Tab.

Mellow_Yellow

Towhee said:

We are thinking about going your direction and am curious what the ferry charged for your Tab.

The ferry ramp can be very steep, depending on the tide and how many vehicles have loaded before you. BC Ferries to Victoria/Nanaimo are huge double vehicle deck ferries. They continually adjust the angle of the ramp while loading/unloading as the ship sinks/rises in the water. Basically, I bottomed out a bit on the ramp and did not recheck the plug. 

Tip: recheck your brake lights after you load/unload from the ferry. 

Cherokee

Mellow_Yellow said:

Towhee said:

We are thinking about going your direction and am curious what the ferry charged for your Tab.

The ferry ramp can be very steep, depending on the tide and how many vehicles have loaded before you. BC Ferries to Victoria/Nanaimo are huge double vehicle deck ferries. They continually adjust the angle of the ramp while loading/unloading as the ship sinks/rises in the water. Basically, I bottomed out a bit on the ramp and did not recheck the plug. 

Tip: recheck your brake lights after you load/unload from the ferry. 

This would be easier to do with a Boondock model with more clearance