Friday, January 11, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Planning
5/11/19 Where do trips begin? Most definitely for me, I’m traveling long before I’ve set out. It takes a good deal of planning to make the trip run as smooth as your luck allows. It is also surprisingly enjoyable. I found this truth when I decided to make a big trip to Alaska a couple years ago. The truck was new as was too the configuration of the FWC Eagle on it. I discovered then there were a number of categories in trip planning. Some are exciting and others are not but each takes you to the place in your head like you were a kid again, pretending to be someone or somewhere… your imagination puts you right in it.
Trying to imagine circumstances helps you make decisions. I imagined being 150 miles out on a Yukon dirt road and the engine light comes on or that sick wobble telling you a tire is flat. Being stuck in a mud hole or your wiper just took sail. Just things that are unexpected. We were on a trip in the north Maine woods…way the heck in there and the canoe mount snapped. The canoe front line could not hold the sudden straight up flip the boat took. It pivoted just right to have the stern of the canoe smash through the rear door of the camper. It was raining. Black flies as thick as soup. Huh. We solved the problem of how to keep water out and stuff in but when I got home I made a copy of that rear door glass out of 1/8” ply and stored it under the mattress. Experience is the best teacher and having a nature that expects disaster helps. Sometimes being raise by an Irish mother who believed death was probably going to happen in the next move taken did not help build self confidence easily. If you swim you’ll drown or climb a tree… broken bones! Thank God my father was an engineer.
So planning comes in fits and starts. Lists are drawn up on various topics. The repair box is filled with MacGyver materials: JB Weld, copper wire, small C clamps, Gorilla duct tape, silicon, fuses, replacement parts. The tool box must be small and cover a long list of possibilities, multi-tools and only sockets needed, as compact as can be. The dog box has a wide range of things needed in the just in case scenarios: Tick puller, skunk wash, small pliers for quills, nail clippers, scissors, brushes and comb, belly bug cream…. Then there is the fishing box. The grilling box. The ropes, lines, and clips for the tarps box. The tire repair box (compressor too). The list of things grows over time and refined for the destination. The desert is different than the woods. The only way one could use a winch for extraction on a beach would be to bury the spare wheel for an anchor… better to have sand mats.
Amazing how easy it is to over plan. I took way too much stuff, especially food on our last trip. Having just a few days of food is plenty as staples can always be bought on the way. Beer however is an exception to the rule. If there’s room, beer is a great space filler. Always nice to have extra to offer someone you meet.
The basic route planning is done in hopes that one has a general itinerary good for catching ferries and perhaps making a reservation at a must see place. Having an idea of places to camp either for just an en route overnight or for a few days at a time exploration. Going over maps and being able to “see” what it looks like via Google Earth gets the juices flowing. The trip itself will fly by so enjoying the preparation makes it twice as nice.
For those of you who love to make mods to their camper this too is part of the fun. Each trip ideas pop that would make something a bit handier to get at, store or use. After a few years we decided we never really use the sink. Instead of washing up inside I prefer to do that outside using the Tupperware basin, also used to store pots and pans. I also did not like where the stove top was located on the counter. When the bed was pulled out it covered the range. When the Mrs. slept in…. I couldn’t make coffee! So I tore out the counter and replaced it with the stove at the other end, the sink gone but the faucet pump still there handy to get the coffee pot full. I also tore out the bench rollover couch and used the hardware to make a side dinette. It works better for us. From the WTW site help was given to rewire the exhaust fan to have dial speed rather than set 3 speed, making it able to be just barely on, circulating air quietly. Started with an Engle top opening fridge/freezer and changed over to the builtin Isotherm 65. Just continually evolving the space.
New England seasons, weather as opposed to climate, makes chores happen when they can and the long cold months a very good time to suss things out. As the date approaches the excitement builds!
Trying to imagine circumstances helps you make decisions. I imagined being 150 miles out on a Yukon dirt road and the engine light comes on or that sick wobble telling you a tire is flat. Being stuck in a mud hole or your wiper just took sail. Just things that are unexpected. We were on a trip in the north Maine woods…way the heck in there and the canoe mount snapped. The canoe front line could not hold the sudden straight up flip the boat took. It pivoted just right to have the stern of the canoe smash through the rear door of the camper. It was raining. Black flies as thick as soup. Huh. We solved the problem of how to keep water out and stuff in but when I got home I made a copy of that rear door glass out of 1/8” ply and stored it under the mattress. Experience is the best teacher and having a nature that expects disaster helps. Sometimes being raise by an Irish mother who believed death was probably going to happen in the next move taken did not help build self confidence easily. If you swim you’ll drown or climb a tree… broken bones! Thank God my father was an engineer.
So planning comes in fits and starts. Lists are drawn up on various topics. The repair box is filled with MacGyver materials: JB Weld, copper wire, small C clamps, Gorilla duct tape, silicon, fuses, replacement parts. The tool box must be small and cover a long list of possibilities, multi-tools and only sockets needed, as compact as can be. The dog box has a wide range of things needed in the just in case scenarios: Tick puller, skunk wash, small pliers for quills, nail clippers, scissors, brushes and comb, belly bug cream…. Then there is the fishing box. The grilling box. The ropes, lines, and clips for the tarps box. The tire repair box (compressor too). The list of things grows over time and refined for the destination. The desert is different than the woods. The only way one could use a winch for extraction on a beach would be to bury the spare wheel for an anchor… better to have sand mats.
Amazing how easy it is to over plan. I took way too much stuff, especially food on our last trip. Having just a few days of food is plenty as staples can always be bought on the way. Beer however is an exception to the rule. If there’s room, beer is a great space filler. Always nice to have extra to offer someone you meet.
The basic route planning is done in hopes that one has a general itinerary good for catching ferries and perhaps making a reservation at a must see place. Having an idea of places to camp either for just an en route overnight or for a few days at a time exploration. Going over maps and being able to “see” what it looks like via Google Earth gets the juices flowing. The trip itself will fly by so enjoying the preparation makes it twice as nice.
For those of you who love to make mods to their camper this too is part of the fun. Each trip ideas pop that would make something a bit handier to get at, store or use. After a few years we decided we never really use the sink. Instead of washing up inside I prefer to do that outside using the Tupperware basin, also used to store pots and pans. I also did not like where the stove top was located on the counter. When the bed was pulled out it covered the range. When the Mrs. slept in…. I couldn’t make coffee! So I tore out the counter and replaced it with the stove at the other end, the sink gone but the faucet pump still there handy to get the coffee pot full. I also tore out the bench rollover couch and used the hardware to make a side dinette. It works better for us. From the WTW site help was given to rewire the exhaust fan to have dial speed rather than set 3 speed, making it able to be just barely on, circulating air quietly. Started with an Engle top opening fridge/freezer and changed over to the builtin Isotherm 65. Just continually evolving the space.
New England seasons, weather as opposed to climate, makes chores happen when they can and the long cold months a very good time to suss things out. As the date approaches the excitement builds!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Setting Things Up
6/1/19 Every time I climb into the camper I smile. It’s like a space ship…. beam me up…take me away. A small world where everything is shipshape. In this crazy world it is good to have things at times boiled down to the basics. One never has all under control but the experiences that make you decide to modify the space evolve it into a great place to be. I was definitely concerned before the eight week AK trip that the small space would create ‘marital friction’ but was pleasantly surprised that once the ball was rolling it was like being a crew on a small sailboat… guessing by motion where the other person wants to be and sidestepping. Each has their favorite spot to sit, store their immediate access stuff and a routine settles in. It is actually freeing not to have to worry beyond the space. Life gets easier. There are so many responsibilities and “have to do’s” when living in a house. There seems to be no end in sight. But the limited world of the pop up soft top, keeps it simple.
Part of the latest list of mods was the the battery/solar set up. Since the first trip it has evolved into what I hope to be a long term solution. As maintenance free as possible, ample electricity for our purposes and a long life to the components… I am at the age where a new 35 year roof on the house is seen as “well that will see me out!” I started with one AGM battery and a 90 watt portable solar panel I wired to an exterior wall plug. I had it on the tripod that came with the speaker stand for raising the roof (prior to getting the struts!). Yankee types use everything …squeeze the nickel hard enough you make a dime! Later I added a second AGM battery, and at the time still had the side roll over couch so built a compartment beneath and it was good except I had to lift it out to tighten the turnbuckle through the access door…. I knew that would have to change.
One hundred ten pounds of batteries just seemed to be cutting into my beer allotment weight! Man they are beasts. Two years ago I started reading on WTW, smart people discussing the new electrical technologies and being a woodworking guy …not electric it seemed really cool and though something I had no confidence in myself I started to follow the thread and try to suss out what they were talking about. Being a nudge I asked questions and eventually saw this LiFePo4 Lithium battery as a wonderful solution to a number of problems.
And so others, with the patience of saints, laboriously explained how/why it all worked. Mind you this was on a a basic level but it empowered me to say what have I got to lose but time and money! Most of my learning come through mistakes but I figure those who don’t make mistakes aren’t doing too much are they?! I got a list of stuff needed to begin the project, a tad scary buying things that there is a good chance you will destroy but it was done…the ship had left the dock… I was now committed and going forward was the only direction.
After a year of fits and starts and life’s unexpected events stomping on me I actually had built 120 cells into a battery that only weighed 40 pounds, had more usable energy than two AGM’s and had a life span that “would see me out”! All this was due to the patient tutelage of Rando and others on WTW.
Last week I pulled the 2 behemoths out and installed the battery which has a Victron 100-20 controller. I have a 160 Watt solar panel on the roof as well as a 100 watt (4 pound) flex portable solar panel that plugs in an exterior wall plug if needed. Wow….. it works.
The Victron has bluetooth and an iPhone app so you can see how the energy comes in, is stored and goes out. For a novice electric guy this is very exciting! AND I can take more beer weight!
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Manicouagan Reservoir
Initially I had thought to travel the loop clockwise as I was hoping to start the trip driving north through Vermont on I-91 into Quebec province, along the St. Lawrence River until the road ends. This takes you north on Rt.389, the only road there is, to Labrador (Rt 500). Luann, my wife pointed out a good point which reversed our direction. Having to have to make a reservation for the ferry crossing from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland puts a schedule demand on the calendar. Best to have this constraint at the start which then leaves the wandering wide open for our trip otherwise we would always know we had to be at a location on a certain date.
So, it just takes rethinking the places to camp for the first four nights in the other direction. Prior to this shift I was quite excited going into Quebec first. Vermont is a very civilized, low key, two lane interstate that is very relaxing to drive (a rarity in New England). It shadows the Connecticut river, separating NH from VT. Farms and forests, rivers and lakes…. a pleasant start. Our prior first major goal was to be northeast of Quebec city on the first night and then getting to Manicouagan Reservoir on the second night. I am really interested in this place. I had no idea it existed until two years ago.
When one sees it for the first time it is usually on a map of Canada, that’s how big in scale it is. It looks man made at first. What could be this big and nearly perfectly round? And, in the shape of a donut! It is sixty miles in diameter and doing the math means one can get in a big boat and do the whole circumference of 180 miles around the center island and that is not counting the real shoreline mileage.
It was created some 214 million years ago by a meteor strike… wow must have been a doozy. Some theories suggest it was part of a multiple strike event, the others in France and the Ukraine. At the southern extreme there is a hydroelectric dam which is also a possible interesting stop. There are a few places to camp on the shore that have showers that might be timely now it is a stop after crossing Labrador.
Finding out about places to visit keeps the excitement high as the departure day approaches….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manicouagan_Reservoir
http://craterexplorer.ca/manicouagan-impact-structure/
https://www.nasa.gov/content/manicouagan-crater
Monday, January 7, 2019
Camper Description
7/14/19 Last minute preparations always seem to be needed. Concerns about a loud tire lead to realizing I had bad wear pattern which lead to replacing a ball joint and control arm (remember that pothole I hit in the Yukon?) and then new tires and an alignment. I hate the sucking sound from the wallet but very happy to avoid on-the-road problems. After finishing up all the work related obligations and prepping the house for work to be done while we are gone… we are in the last days before departure. Freezing the semi prepared meals and going over lists. “Glamping” is what we are doing. Camper trips are comfortable because the amenities are brought along though thought out for weight and storage size. That said it is pretty cushy. Yes to take a shower one has to fill the bag and lay it out in the sun for an hour…. hang up the solar shower and it is better than wonderful. Hot water and cool breezes. I love tent camping but knowing one has a queen sized bed and no wet gear to break down makes a long trip comfortable. Once on the road we will do as Thoreau said, “avoid all activities which require a change of clothing”. Simplify.
I don’t like road barns… those monster take it all with you and run a generator to watch a wide screen TV “camping” vehicles called RV’s. There is nothing camping about them and they are a waste of our National Park upkeep dollars providing a place for a person to park their MacMansion on wheels. It is nuts. Parking lots like at an airport or a mall so people can visit the great outdoors? Wrong. A camping space for a passenger car is all that should be provided. Otherwise stay at a lodge or hotel.
See I like blogs…I get to rant.
The plan is to head to route 9 that goes from Bangor ME. to New Brunswick, Canadian border. There are forestry wilderness campsites along the Machias River about halfway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_River
No signs but they are there. Boondock sites. On a river… even has a table and a fire pit which we no doubt will not be using if the weather report is right. Rain. No fun for the first night out but we will make do.
As we haven’t even left yet I thought I’d post some photos of the interior of the camper for those new to this way of traveling. It is a Four Wheel Camper. One of four companies who make light weight pop up campers for truck beds. There are short small ones, midsize ones (ours) and bigger ones for the larger American pickups. It’s all about weight and the engine power to carry it safely. Ours started out on our Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder manual gas engine truck. We did a lot of flapping our arms trying to get up hills in 3rd gear but it did okay. It is now on a mini diesel that has a lot of (torque) ability to handle the speed and hills.
One can buy them as a shell for you to build your own insides or one can have a ‘build’ with as many of the options you want. After getting it and using the camper I tore out a lot of how it was configured and rebuilt it to suit our needs. They call that “mods” on the websites. The best website (IMO) out there for people who like to travel to quiet backroad places usually requiring 4WD and equipment to get unstuck, is call “Wander the West” (WTW). It is a polite helpful collection of people who truly love getting away from the crowds. They champion “pack in pack out” mentality and are generally naturalists. I have learned more from the sharing of ideas and project help with these folks then anywhere else and I am very thankful to many.
How the camper looks inside now is nothing like how it was when we bought it (California… very few out east). There is a fridge/freezer, 20 gallon fresh water tank with counter top pump (I removed the sink as I prefer to wash up outside the camper and prefer more countertop space) a propane thermostated heater with fan, a marine portal potty, a counter top two burner propane stove, two roof vents one with a fan, Lithium Battery charged by 260 Watts solar panels, USB charging as well as 110 V with inverter, a pull out queen size bed, a two seat dinette with table, LED lighting inside and out, screens on all windows, a screen door and folding stairs to enter and exit. The front window can open to access the sliding window in the truck to store things without exiting the camper. On the roof, which has gas struts to assist in popping up the top, there are Yakima racks for two canoes as well as an aluminum rack which carries ‘sand mats’ …used for getting out of mud, deep sand or crossing ruts. There is a compressor to air up or down tires for off road travel as well as a tire patch kit and 3 ton jack. Two Kermit folding chairs to sit outside and on this trip, as well as for the AK trip, we have a large screen house to set up if we stay for a few days so not to be eaten alive by bugs outside the camper. Just added two no-see-ums screened floor vents so the dog has air on her bed.
It really is a compact, safe way to enjoy being in the boonies. We also carry a separate GPS unit with bluetooth to iPad for offline topo-maps and routing. No need for cell coverage. It is so cool. A minimalist’s way to travel as a geezer. A cold beer out of the fridge in the evening or a hot pot of coffee in the morning.
I don’t like road barns… those monster take it all with you and run a generator to watch a wide screen TV “camping” vehicles called RV’s. There is nothing camping about them and they are a waste of our National Park upkeep dollars providing a place for a person to park their MacMansion on wheels. It is nuts. Parking lots like at an airport or a mall so people can visit the great outdoors? Wrong. A camping space for a passenger car is all that should be provided. Otherwise stay at a lodge or hotel.
See I like blogs…I get to rant.
The plan is to head to route 9 that goes from Bangor ME. to New Brunswick, Canadian border. There are forestry wilderness campsites along the Machias River about halfway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_River
No signs but they are there. Boondock sites. On a river… even has a table and a fire pit which we no doubt will not be using if the weather report is right. Rain. No fun for the first night out but we will make do.
As we haven’t even left yet I thought I’d post some photos of the interior of the camper for those new to this way of traveling. It is a Four Wheel Camper. One of four companies who make light weight pop up campers for truck beds. There are short small ones, midsize ones (ours) and bigger ones for the larger American pickups. It’s all about weight and the engine power to carry it safely. Ours started out on our Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder manual gas engine truck. We did a lot of flapping our arms trying to get up hills in 3rd gear but it did okay. It is now on a mini diesel that has a lot of (torque) ability to handle the speed and hills.
One can buy them as a shell for you to build your own insides or one can have a ‘build’ with as many of the options you want. After getting it and using the camper I tore out a lot of how it was configured and rebuilt it to suit our needs. They call that “mods” on the websites. The best website (IMO) out there for people who like to travel to quiet backroad places usually requiring 4WD and equipment to get unstuck, is call “Wander the West” (WTW). It is a polite helpful collection of people who truly love getting away from the crowds. They champion “pack in pack out” mentality and are generally naturalists. I have learned more from the sharing of ideas and project help with these folks then anywhere else and I am very thankful to many.
How the camper looks inside now is nothing like how it was when we bought it (California… very few out east). There is a fridge/freezer, 20 gallon fresh water tank with counter top pump (I removed the sink as I prefer to wash up outside the camper and prefer more countertop space) a propane thermostated heater with fan, a marine portal potty, a counter top two burner propane stove, two roof vents one with a fan, Lithium Battery charged by 260 Watts solar panels, USB charging as well as 110 V with inverter, a pull out queen size bed, a two seat dinette with table, LED lighting inside and out, screens on all windows, a screen door and folding stairs to enter and exit. The front window can open to access the sliding window in the truck to store things without exiting the camper. On the roof, which has gas struts to assist in popping up the top, there are Yakima racks for two canoes as well as an aluminum rack which carries ‘sand mats’ …used for getting out of mud, deep sand or crossing ruts. There is a compressor to air up or down tires for off road travel as well as a tire patch kit and 3 ton jack. Two Kermit folding chairs to sit outside and on this trip, as well as for the AK trip, we have a large screen house to set up if we stay for a few days so not to be eaten alive by bugs outside the camper. Just added two no-see-ums screened floor vents so the dog has air on her bed.
It really is a compact, safe way to enjoy being in the boonies. We also carry a separate GPS unit with bluetooth to iPad for offline topo-maps and routing. No need for cell coverage. It is so cool. A minimalist’s way to travel as a geezer. A cold beer out of the fridge in the evening or a hot pot of coffee in the morning.
Sunday, January 6, 2019
End of Second Day
7/20/19 Last minute preparations always seem to be needed. Concerns about a loud tire lead to realizing I had bad wear pattern which lead to replacing a ball joint and control arm (remember that pothole I hit in the Yukon?) and then new tires and an alignment. I hate the sucking sound from the wallet but very happy to avoid on-the-road problems. After finishing up all the work related obligations and prepping the house for work to be done while we are gone… we are in the last days before departure. Freezing the semi prepared meals and going over lists. “Glamping” is what we are doing. Camper trips are comfortable because the amenities are brought along though thought out for weight and storage size. That said it is pretty cushy. Yes to take a shower one has to fill the bag and lay it out in the sun for an hour…. hang up the solar shower and it is better than wonderful. Hot water and cool breezes. I love tent camping but knowing one has a queen sized bed and no wet gear to break down makes a long trip comfortable. Once on the road we will do as Thoreau said, “avoid all activities which require a change of clothing”. Simplify.
I don’t like road barns… those monster take it all with you and run a generator to watch a wide screen TV “camping” vehicles called RV’s. There is nothing camping about them and they are a waste of our National Park upkeep dollars providing a place for a person to park their MacMansion on wheels. It is nuts. Parking lots like at an airport or a mall so people can visit the great outdoors? Wrong. A camping space for a passenger car is all that should be provided. Otherwise stay at a lodge or hotel.
See I like blogs…I get to rant.
The plan is to head to route 9 that goes from Bangor ME. to New Brunswick, Canadian border. There are forestry wilderness campsites along the Machias River about halfway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_River
No signs but they are there. Boondock sites. On a river… even has a table and a fire pit which we no doubt will not be using if they weather report is right. Rain. No fun for the first night out but we will make do.
As we haven’t even left yet I thought I’d post some photos of the interior of the camper for those new to this way of traveling. It is a Four Wheel Camper. One of four companies who make light weight pop up campers for truck beds. There are short small ones, midsize ones (ours) and bigger ones for the larger American pickups. It’s all about weight and the engine power to carry it safely. Our started out on our Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder manual gas engine truck. We did a lot of flapping our arms trying to et up hills in 3rd gear but it did okay. It is now on a mini diesel that has a lot of (torque) ability to handle the speed and hills.
One can buy them as a shell for you to build your own insides or one can have a ‘build’ with as many of the options you want. After getting it and using the camper I tore out a lot of how it was configured and rebuilt it to suit our needs. They call that “mods” on the websites. The best website (IMO) out there for people who like to travel to quiet backroad places usually requiring 4WD and equipment to get unstuck, is call “Wander the West” (WTW). It is a polite helpful collection of people who truly love getting away from the crowds. They champion “pack in pack out” mentality and are generally naturalists. I have learned more from the sharing of ideas and project help with these folks then anywhere else and I am very thankful to many.
How the camper looks inside now is nothing like how it was when we bought it (California… very few out east). There is a fridge/freezer, 20 gallon fresh water tank with counter top pump, a propane thermostat heater with fan, a marine portal potty, a counter top two burner propane stove, two roof vents one with a fan, Lithium Battery charged by 260 Watts solar panels, USB charging as well as 110 V with inverter, a pull out queen size bed, a two seat dinette with table, LED lighting inside and out, screens on all windows, a screen door and folding stairs to enter and exit. The front window can open to access the sliding window in the truck to store things without exiting the camper. On the roof, which has gas struts to assist in popping up the top, there are Yakima racks for two canoes as well as an aluminum rack which carries ‘sand mats’ …used for getting out of mud, deep sand or crossing ruts. There is a compressor to air up or down tires for off road travel as well as a tire patch kit and 3 ton jack. Two Kermit folding chairs to sit outside and on this trip, as well as for the AK trip, we have a large screen house to set up if we stay for a few days so not to be eaten alive by bugs outside the camper. Just added two no-see-ums screened floor vents so the dog has air on her bed.
It really is a compact, safe way to enjoy being in the boonies. We also carry a separate GPS unit with bluetooth to iPad for offline topo-maps and routing. No need for cell coverage. It is so cool. A minimalist’s way to travel as a geezer. A cold beer out of the fridge in the evening or a hot pot of coffee in the morning.
I don’t like road barns… those monster take it all with you and run a generator to watch a wide screen TV “camping” vehicles called RV’s. There is nothing camping about them and they are a waste of our National Park upkeep dollars providing a place for a person to park their MacMansion on wheels. It is nuts. Parking lots like at an airport or a mall so people can visit the great outdoors? Wrong. A camping space for a passenger car is all that should be provided. Otherwise stay at a lodge or hotel.
See I like blogs…I get to rant.
The plan is to head to route 9 that goes from Bangor ME. to New Brunswick, Canadian border. There are forestry wilderness campsites along the Machias River about halfway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_River
No signs but they are there. Boondock sites. On a river… even has a table and a fire pit which we no doubt will not be using if they weather report is right. Rain. No fun for the first night out but we will make do.
As we haven’t even left yet I thought I’d post some photos of the interior of the camper for those new to this way of traveling. It is a Four Wheel Camper. One of four companies who make light weight pop up campers for truck beds. There are short small ones, midsize ones (ours) and bigger ones for the larger American pickups. It’s all about weight and the engine power to carry it safely. Our started out on our Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder manual gas engine truck. We did a lot of flapping our arms trying to et up hills in 3rd gear but it did okay. It is now on a mini diesel that has a lot of (torque) ability to handle the speed and hills.
One can buy them as a shell for you to build your own insides or one can have a ‘build’ with as many of the options you want. After getting it and using the camper I tore out a lot of how it was configured and rebuilt it to suit our needs. They call that “mods” on the websites. The best website (IMO) out there for people who like to travel to quiet backroad places usually requiring 4WD and equipment to get unstuck, is call “Wander the West” (WTW). It is a polite helpful collection of people who truly love getting away from the crowds. They champion “pack in pack out” mentality and are generally naturalists. I have learned more from the sharing of ideas and project help with these folks then anywhere else and I am very thankful to many.
How the camper looks inside now is nothing like how it was when we bought it (California… very few out east). There is a fridge/freezer, 20 gallon fresh water tank with counter top pump, a propane thermostat heater with fan, a marine portal potty, a counter top two burner propane stove, two roof vents one with a fan, Lithium Battery charged by 260 Watts solar panels, USB charging as well as 110 V with inverter, a pull out queen size bed, a two seat dinette with table, LED lighting inside and out, screens on all windows, a screen door and folding stairs to enter and exit. The front window can open to access the sliding window in the truck to store things without exiting the camper. On the roof, which has gas struts to assist in popping up the top, there are Yakima racks for two canoes as well as an aluminum rack which carries ‘sand mats’ …used for getting out of mud, deep sand or crossing ruts. There is a compressor to air up or down tires for off road travel as well as a tire patch kit and 3 ton jack. Two Kermit folding chairs to sit outside and on this trip, as well as for the AK trip, we have a large screen house to set up if we stay for a few days so not to be eaten alive by bugs outside the camper. Just added two no-see-ums screened floor vents so the dog has air on her bed.
It really is a compact, safe way to enjoy being in the boonies. We also carry a separate GPS unit with bluetooth to iPad for offline topo-maps and routing. No need for cell coverage. It is so cool. A minimalist’s way to travel as a geezer. A cold beer out of the fridge in the evening or a hot pot of coffee in the morning.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Cape Breton
7/22/19 Cape Breton. After a beautiful sunset, a sleep by the sound of the waves we woke to a whole beach of quiet. Walked our noble hound Lucy Rose the length of the beach. She had finally mustered the courage and conquered her fear of the crash of waves, something never seen before. The licking of salt water had to be controlled… why am I so thirsty?
Having a boondock spot like this allowed us to have a leisurely morning instead of packing up and flying off. Scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, Oj and coffee. Another long walk on the beach followed by a slow packing up. Now then where to find a stream to get the salty dog a freshwater dunk?
On the real side of camper travel which most would say “lets not talk about it”, is the need for a bathroom. We have tried nearly all systems and for a trip like this I have to admit that a marine, flush type, porta-potty has worked splendidly. I am stuck with the maintenance part but it is worth it.
We drove an old coast road that was potholed and slow but scenic joining up to the Cabot trail going clockwise. This avoided the herds which mostly go counter clockwise to be on the ocean side for views. On our way on the potholed road we took forays down questionable dirt roads only to have to work our way out in our quest to find the next nights perfect spot. Can’t start too late for there are others out there doing the same thing.
We ended up at one of the two spots I had researched before the trip. There is a man who lives in Massachusetts (we don’t know him) that built a house on a bluff and visits at off times during the year and he allows well behaved people who keep things clean to park their rig on his bluff about 1/4 mile from his home (he isn’t there). The last folks who used this site left it impeccably clean and also a small stack of firewood at the fire ring.
The photos will not do this justice. The camper back door is 20 feet from the cliff edge (150 ft down?) on a grassy knoll. There is a hard scrabble trail down to the water, not to bad if you go slow. There you are walk either way for a long while at the base of the cliff… mindful of the tide chart. About 1/4 mile down the beach to the north there is a stream rushing into the ocean and Lucy Rose is now her un-salty dog self again. One additional thing to note is the value of a set of leveling blocks. Easy to stack fit together and raise an end or one wheel to level the camper. I hate sleeping with blood rushing to my head or both of us slid into one wall. Lucy does not care.
Fast forward to Sunday 21st, but continuing the trip at the point of the bonfire. It was great with being up wind of the fire…the crashing waves hide the talking if there was any and the fire couldn’t be seen from inside the camper. In the morning …young folks policed the area and they had 5 big trash bags full… the beach was spotless. Country youth raised properly in a small community.
We decided let the day role out slowly… made a full breakfast and coffee and sat on the beach after a long walk. Finally got loaded up and head for the next unknown. A day one can’t see clearly, just gonna happen.
And, it did.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon allowing time to putter and organize a bit. I am sure the sound of the waves will do an encore tonight so sleep will be easy. An incredible spot as the photos will attest. BUT…. there is always the unexpected! At sundown…the caretaker of the property came by and said all was well but that friends of the owner wanted to have a bonfire here! So instead of being in the owners way (we were about to sleep), with the top still up I drove through the hay field 150 yards away and parked. Bingo… then a thunder storm came out of nowhere… they never came to do the bonfire.
Up for coffee and breakfast … happening early as a dog needs to do her business…..carpe diem and all that. Off to Meat Cove at the most northerly tip of Nova Scotia. We camped there out of our pickup truck 25 years ago. If, as I expect, that it has been discovered and sadly a zoo of packed together tents we will head out in search of another cliff hanger.
Meat cove campground is unique. It is not set up for RV’s …no services… so they tend to not go…some do and they are monsters in scale to the rest of the campers and tents.There is a clam shack offering great seafood takeout run by the family. It is still just a big field on a bluff looking out to Ireland. Whales go by…really. Puffins nest on the higher ledges. It was a magical place 25 years ago… hoping it hasn’t been loved to death.
Very Happy to find on our arrival that Meat Cove has balanced growth, maintaining the same feel…actually it is almost as it was. They have added 6 cabins and a little restaurant. Still brave tenters perched on the grassy cliffs and not one road barn to be seen. Many folks do a day trip here as it is prime whale watching from the bluffs. It is gorgeous one the scale of the California coast but with cold North Atlantic colored water.
Now the news…. the BDS ever…. I was so anxious that it would be taken or ‘discovered’. It is the base of an old lighthouse. A circle of cement and rock right on the ledge. An insanely perfect FWC site, dead flat. One has to back in a thin dirt road but it is jaw droppingly beautiful. Our own patio looking north along the coast (seeing Meat Cove below us…we are a few hundred feet above the water). We celebrated with a beer and snacks looking out toward Ireland… puffins and bald eagles few by as did black tipped gulls. We wait for the puoooooce sound of the whale blow.
We are about a mile away from all other people! Lucy is glad…good dirt road for walks. The rest of the day was longing with binoculars and taking it all in. Last night the wind and rain started up. As a previous person to this site wrote “best BDS ever 10 outta 10….except when the wind howls then 1 outta 10”…. we were… as we are perched out there on the ledge, rocking and rolling… Lucy got off her couch bed and lay on the floor. Buffeting all night with scary gusts but I had been in worse…maybe…so with ear plugs and “nah don’t worry…it’s nothing” we did our best to sleep…
Cleared up this morning (Monday 7/22) though the wind is still strong. We will spend most of the day here before heading down east to Sydney Harbor, do some supply shopping and ready ourselves for the overnight ferry to Newfoundland. Lucy has started her 6 pill regiment to have her smilingly unaware of where she is until tomorrow. We have Bonnine, taken when we board. A shower and sleep to arrival.
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