Tow@nda's Maiden (Solo) Voyage

Photomom

This past weekend there was a gathering of geocachers from all over the northeast, at Allegany State Park in southwest NYS. I was a little nervous about towing alone, since DH had to work this weekend, but all went well and I'm glad I went. I managed to verify that the Alde heater, refrigerator, and WFCO all work, but did not use the water or propane, and did not dump tanks.

The good:
     The mysterious Alde system was wonderful. I still don't know where the heat is coming from, but I was toasty warm, and it is QUIET. All the other RVs around had really noisy propane furnaces. I have the digital control and it was easy to use, but I did have to consult the manual to learn how to turn the panel off at night and leave the Alde on.
     The refrigerator on 110V is amazing. Nothing better than coming back from hiking and having an ice cold beverage, without having to deal with draining a cooler.
     The Maxxair fan was excellent, so glad we ordered it. It rained the whole weekend and it was so nice to have ventilation.

The mixed:
     The sofa and benches are nice for sitting, not so much for sleeping. This week I plan to work on a way to set up twin beds and make the side benches a little wider, but most importantly, to come up with something to make them more comfortable. A backache and sore hips every morning is not fun.
     The Pahaque awning made for some needed dry outdoor space. I've always cooked outdoors when camping and will continue to do so - and this space made it possible to cook and grill in the rain. I didn't have any problems with things getting wet, but I did note that only the main seam that runs parallel to the T@B is taped. The remaining seams are not taped or sealed, and I did have a little water coming in there.

We are heading out next weekend too, hopefully both of us, and I have a list of things to do before then. I have an idea for the area behind the sofa to let us store bedding back there, away from the tire and the wires and hoses. I have two action packers to mount on the front platform, didn't have a chance to do it before this trip.  I have got to find a way to mark the coupler so I can see it in my backup camera. And put the springs in the front cabinets so they don't slam down on my fingers.

Certainly not the best campsite I've ever had!


Allegany State Park is a wonderful place. The size and wildness give it the character of a national park, in fact, just across the PA Border the region is the Allegheny National Forest, which has lots of opportunities for exploring. This picture is from an area called Thunder Rocks, which has many large boulders left from the glaciers that once covered this area.

Photomom

Oh, I spotted this cutie from Ontario at the campground but never saw the owners out to say hi. Anyone here?

Verna

Photomom, this is just reflective tape that I found at Lowe's or Walmart, cut to fit. I can see it so clearly in my backup camera now.
i'm so glad you figured out everything. I agree about the Alde is a wonderful addition. 

Nomad

VerIna - In general, do you have any trouble with the backup camera getting dirty so you can't see anything - read that's a problem. Wouldn't be for hookup as you can just wipe it.

Verna

PXLated, during rain, I may get a raindrop, but with the three pieces of tape, I can always see the red piece. The camera is one thing that I remember to keep clean. It makes me look like a magician who can almost always hit the ball the first time

IrishCamper74

Nice job, Photomom! THIS gives me confidence that I can also take the t@b and the pup and bugger off on my weekend when hubby is on a trip!
well done!

Photomom

Fortunately I was able to get the SUV in position and hooked up without help, although it did take a few tries, because the only two campers near me were guys who toted oxygen tanks around with them and I wasn't about to ask them for help!