Trailer Living

We are home now, after driving all night Saturday and arriving at 5am Sunday. No further mechanical or other delays.

Traveling by trailer together for 25 days (19 days for Mom) turned out to be a very fun adventure for all of us.  Because of our plans to be on the road so long, we chose a trailer that we would be comfortable in.  We bought a 28 foot long  Jayco White Hawk with a slide out in the living area.  The master bed is queen size and the boys had full size bunks.  It has a propane stove and oven, microwave and TV, dinette and sofa and a full bath.  There was a good sized fridge and enough cabinet space.

So the size worked well to keep us happy (the memory foam mattress topper for Mom and Dad helped too!) but sometimes it was a little large for some campgrounds.  This was especially true at the National Parks.  Also, a few nights we didn't have room to put out the slide which made it difficult to access the master bedroom.

We didn't need to have electric hookup for one or two nights in a row, but by a third night unplugged we would start to run out of the battery power that we needed to run the water pump, fan (for the furnace), lights, and the slide.  On those nights we would use a battery operated lantern, bundle up, and minimize water use.

Why did we need the furnace in the desert in April?  Good question.  We were surprised how chilly and windy it was pretty much everywhere we went, except for Phoenix.  The Grand Canyon had below freezing temps at night right after we left and we needed jackets in Las Vegas.  Even Phoenix was cooler than usual but perfect for us to enjoy the pool during the day and comfortable nights with open windows. 

Dad did all the driving: 6390 miles total! Mom was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to maneuver the truck and trailer since she has trouble managing the truck all by itself.  Before we left home we watched the Lucy and Desi classic, "The Long, Long Trailer" which made her even less enthusiastic to try.  There was a lot of driving but we stopped frequently for fuel and bathroom breaks. 

Fuel was a big expense as we were only getting about 9 miles per gallon.  On the other hand, we did not have to pay for hotels and ate most meals at "home" rather than at a restaurant.  Leisurely breakfasts with freshly made Tim Horton's coffee was a daily luxury.  RV parks charged between $25-35 per night for full hookup (electric, water, and dumping station).  National Parks were less expensive but no electric.  Walmart (and Cabela's) parking lot was free but of course no services but a parking space and the store bathroom.

We did not make reservations ahead of time anywhere.  We used Google maps GPS on our phone or the Garmin GPS (searching "campgrounds" or "Walmart"), the Camping World paper directory, and the National Parks book to pick out where to stop for the night.  The only time that almost didn't work was at the Grand Canyon but we did get the second last no hookup spot in the park.  (The full hookup spots were all gone.). Even in the off season it's best to make reservations there.  And there was the place in Vegas that didn't allow children.  Probably in the summer we would have had more trouble everywhere.

We chose to use the trailer toilet for liquid waste only and had no trouble with finding a nearby bathroom for other needs.  We also used campsite showers rather than the trailer one to spare the fresh water and avoid overfilling the gray water tank.  Hot unlimited showers were included at all our campsites except for the Grand Canyon which charged 8 quarters for 8 minutes and Joshua Tree which had no showers at all.

The boys were excellent travellers.  They got along well and kept themselves entertained with books/nooks and games and an occasional video.  If there was trouble it came mostly from "an excess of high spirits".  There were a few dustups (they are normal children) but less than we usually have at home.  They kept all their clothes and things in their bunks which affectionately were called weasel dens.  The trip itself was a remarkable education for them.  We were very fortunate to be able to have this adventure together.

It was really wonderful to be able to bring our comfortable living space with us wherever we went.  No packing and unpacking.  No worries about germs and bed bugs.  Mom wishes she took photos of the great variety of views we had from our sofa out the door, from the Grand Canyon pine forest to the flowering desert landscapes of Joshua Tree, the palm trees in Vegas, and cactus in Phoenix.  We saw many lovely sunsets and starry skies.

So the trip was a resounding success!  We all had a wonderful time.  We hope to have the time and opportunity to do some more trailer travelling soon.

These interior pictures were taken" as is":