TRAVEL DAY 2.0
Well, I learned my lesson the first time we traveled and so I enlisted help early. I sent up some flairs Sunday night to a handful of prayer warriors...."Travel day tomorrow. Prayers appreciated."
The morning was quite leisurely. Gary did a load or two of whites...sheets, towels, even our new Aldi blanket. I finished packing everything away, did the dishes and put them away. Our wifi over the weekend was sketchy so I needed to work on a blog post (I really wanted to do two but ran out of time.). We will be staying at a state park for a week in Florida and won't have wifi.
There was some apprehension about loading the car. We only did it once before and we had help (thank you, Austin). After we put all of our laundry away and made the bed it was time to load up the car. I chose to be between the car dolly and the RV while Gary drove the car up onto the ramps. What I learned is that one tire was exactly on the ramp and the other tire is one tread width outside of the ramp.
AND when the car is pulling forward it must come all the way to the front of the tow dolly.
Then the fun begins. I actually enjoy this part. I wrapped the tires with the tire harness strap things. Also, there are these safety chains that go around the axel. So there on the ground I took care of the things. We have a problem with the bike rack....once the car is on the car dolly the bike rack is only 3 inches off the ground. This could be a problem. Gary offered more than once to leave the bikes behind......
Tanks dumped, power unplugged, slides in, jacks up. I got the wood pieces out from under the jacks. Inside I double checked the cabinet doors...all secure. I have an IKEA knife magnet that I LOVE. But it is hanging under the microwave. I was exchanging notes with Abby from RV MILES and she leaves her knives on the magnet. I took down the big knives and left three steak knives hanging to see if they stay hanging! Also, my friend Pam that is a fellow RVer said she would leave my Emeril's air fryer/convection oven on the counter for travel. It is pretty heavy and has rubber feet. So....I took a chance.
I did have a cabinet that wanted to not stay shut tightly and it is loaded with glass jars so after shutting it all the way twice (it never flew open, just seemed to be threatening to). I found Gary's zip ties and zip tied it to the sister cabinet.
We headed over 95 back to WalkAbout to top off our propane. We needed 10 gallons
Not bad at all. We used the propane heat a few times in February and I cook...a lot.
The people at WalkAbout are just lovely.
Then it was time....we got on I95 and headed south.
We were not on the road long and the dehumidifier, which is on wheels, was tucked under the dinette. She left her spot and rolled to the front of the RV. I caught it and started rolling it back. Gary asked me to make the shower her new travel home.... RV Adventures 101 😊
My husband has been driving 18 wheelers for decades and it breaks my heart to see him wrestle with this RV. Somehow it was a windy day again. But I could feel it when an 18 wheeler came up next to us...it's a battle. And he wants me to drive this thing? No thank you!!
Once we settled in I got myself some snack, Gary was still wound too tight to eat.
At some point there was a temporary third lane on the right after a traffic light to help others merge. Gary took this opportunity to pull over and use the restroom on board. Praise Jesus my days of gas station restrooms are over!!
We took time to check the tire strap tie downs on the car. They needed to be tightened and Gary pulled the rachet out of the Santa Fe and gave them a couple of cranks.
A little further down the road there was an accident and we sat in traffic for a little while. Another nice perk..... Gary started the generator and ran the air conditioners on board! 🤣
What was supposed to be between two and half and three hours took 4. New RV Travel Day Math – for every two and a half hours, add thirty minutes. More if there is a problem.
We eventually arrived and set up. Travel days are not fun. But we have arrived. 🥰. Thank you, Jesus. And thank you to my prayer warriors. 😊
Our new digs in Ross Prairie State Park, Florida