The Nomadic Life

[ides1056]

I am getting ready to drive across the country again. This time from MA to OR. Taking the high road to hopefully avoid the heat. I'd like to miss Chicago, so may take a ferry across Superior. This drive will be a bit more relaxed: six days maybe seven.
I upgraded the headlights- anything was better than stock- with European lenses, better bulbs and wiring loom. Now I am working on the transmission linkage. Parts are readily available in Europe, which must have been unknown to the prior owner who pumped adhesive rubberized caulk into gaps where bushings were meant to go. I mean, oy, stupid. Fortunately the design is simple and robust.

[Todd Amunrud]

Go through Canada instead of going south and using the ferry(across Lake Michigan actually). Niagara Falls over to Michigan then up to Mackinaw.

[ides1056]

I will look at my map. Time to put my passport to use.

[Too Tall]

Strong recommend for Philpott Lake, Va / Horseshoe Point campground.

Go there during the week and you will have the entire lake to yourself. It is "interesting" backroads to get there. Don't trust GPS or you might end up on one of many dirt farm roads that traverse the Mtns.

This Army Corp of Engineers Park is a true gem of a place. Use the Horseshoe Point campground, that is the best and has loads of perfect lakeside no-hookup sites. They allow generators if you need that.

Flat water, great swimming and sunfish to nibble at your feet are a bonus ;)

Floyd, Va is about one hr. away or say the secret word and score local Moonshine...Franklin county has the highest amt. of illegial shine production in the State of Va.

[PaMtbRider]

Since you mentioned generators, I've been shopping for one. We will probably only use it a couple times a year.

A Honda eu2200 seems like the obvious choice. It's rated for 15 amps running output. From what I have read, that should let us run the AC since I installed an easy start. It would probably be at the limit of supplying what we need but it is small, reliable, only 47 pounds, and quiet. Cons are expensive ($1200) and gas only.

I am considering a Genmax 3500iaED. Pros are: It is duel fuel, propane or gasoline, rated at 23 running amps on propane, electric start w/ remote, cost is $800, gets good reviews. Cons are: slightly larger and heavier at 56 pound, slightly noisier but still considered quiet, its not a Honda.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q61WVYJ?ref=myi_title_dp

Thoughts?

[Too Tall]

Honda and done. I've had the older 2000 for about 5 years. Starts everytime, I run it on ethanol free gas. No issues with easy start and tops up the batteries with about 40 min. of run time @ 14.2

I hear only good things about propane however am put off by using propane and you must consider that it reduces your genset output considerably so you'll need a bigger boat.

Same here, I use the thing only a few times each year for camping and about a dozen times per year for running outdoor power equipment.

[Clyde]

https://www.cummins.com/generators/o...able-generator

This will run your whole trailer. I love ours.

[PaMtbRider]

https://www.cummins.com/generators/o...able-generator

This will run your whole trailer. I love ours.

Yes, that would easily run our whole trailer but is a little more than I want to lug around at 100 pounds.

[bigbill]

I have a Wen 4000 watt. It powers up the trailer and is only >50% if I run the AC. I like it for horse shows because our friends can charge up their batteries with an extension cord. I change the oil twice a year, which works out to about 30-40 hours of run-time, and I have a magnetic dipstick. The crankcase holds 28 oz of oil, which will drain into a plastic soda bottle that I can pour out at the recycling place. It is dual fuel, and I carry the adapter to run it off propane, but I haven't tried it yet.

[bigbill]

Update on our summer trailer adventure. If you're keeping score, we put in a septic system last summer and buried 110' of 4/0 cable. I have completed the electrical with a 100 amp box that powers a 30A all-weather RV outlet and a 20A GFCI duplex outlet in an outdoor receptacle. We bought a 12X16' shed, which will get delivered in the next few days. I'll run the conduit from the 100A box and put a smaller panel in the shed fed from a 50A breaker (220V) to have 110 lights, outlets, and another RV outlet on the side of the shed for visitors. If it stays dry enough this week, the plumber will finish the water line, and we'll move the trailer to our property. It's been a record-wet spring in Wyoming, with heavy downpours and flooding. This is a high desert; it shouldn't be this green or muddy. The snow melt is just beginning, so we likely won't wet a fly until August.

On the bad side, my fresh water tank is leaking around the low point drain connection, so we're filling the tank every third day. This involves about 450' of hose. Our current spot has septic and power, just no water. Once we move to our property, hopefully, this week, I can connect a hose and drain the tank to do an epoxy repair. I'm getting some JB Weld Water epoxy tomorrow to see if I can seal it up now.

We'll be in Gardiner, MT, at an RV park from 7/10-7/16 and plan on spending our days in Yellowstone, hopefully catching the salmon fly hatch. Yellowstone is a separate fishing license from Wyoming or Montana, so we'll have three fishing licenses this summer. I cannot begin to describe how cool it is to fish the Lamar surrounded by bison but not too close. All you hear is grunting, bellowing, and flowing water.

[Too Tall]

Big man Bill, we run a big WEN dual fuel genset at the campground as backup power to run the two deep wells. That is a great generator at a bargain price. The loss of power using propane is too great for our Franklin well pumps.

RE that leak. Would it be easier to simply remove the inlet and replace that with a bung?
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/bu...rinking-water/

[Tom]

I cannot begin to describe how cool it is to fish the Lamar surrounded by bison but not too close. All you hear is grunting, bellowing, and flowing water.

Yes. And when the flies that a Blue Wing Olive matches up to appear and suddenly that blank water is alive with cutthroat the size of your leg... gracious. I have never before in my life fished where I could pick a ring, time it, count, drop a fly on it and gulp - fly disappears into the next one. Karen looked up and said "Check out the wolf on the treeline." That was a day not like many others.

[bigbill]

Big man Bill, we run a big WEN dual fuel genset at the campground as backup power to run the two deep wells. That is a great generator at a bargain price. The loss of power using propane is too great for our Franklin well pumps.

RE that leak. Would it be easier to simply remove the inlet and replace that with a bung?
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/bu...rinking-water/

The drain fitting is right over a cross-member that supports the rear stabilizers. It's a dumb design. I will check everything tight and then make some JB Weld "snakes" and wrap them around the fitting. It will stick to wet surfaces and still cure.

[bigbill]

Yes. And when the flies that a Blue Wing Olive matches up to appear and suddenly that blank water is alive with cutthroat the size of your leg... gracious. I have never before in my life fished where I could pick a ring, time it, count, drop a fly on it and gulp - fly disappears into the next one. Karen looked up and said "Check out the wolf on the treeline." That was a day not like many others.

For the last three years, we have seen very few cutthroats. We caught a couple on Slough Creek in 2020. You can stand on the Fishing Bridge all day and not see one. The culprits are the Lake Trout in Yellowstone Lake. I watched a documentary on it. The Lake Trout each eats 40-50 cutthroats a year, so very few are left to swim upstream to spawn. The Lake Trout are also responsible for the thinning Elk herds. Bears feed on cutthroats to get protein and fat. Without the cuts, the bears have learned to feed on elk calves. Many decades ago, someone thought it was good to stock lake trout, now the park spends quite a bit in eradication efforts.

[Tom]

I don't remember the exact year we were there but it was a long time ago. They were just noticing the presence of lake trout in Yellowstone Lake from conversations I had with people that worked for the park.

[merlinmurph]

Go through Canada instead of going south and using the ferry(across Lake Michigan actually). Niagara Falls over to Michigan then up to Mackinaw.

What he said. Highly recommended, you miss all the crap. We stopped for a night at a provincial park on the lake. When we told the customs guys we were just blasting thru Canada to MI, they didn't even bother us.
6 or 7 days is more relaxed?? It took us over 2 months - couldn't leave MI. The lakes, esp Superior, were awesome.
Have a great - and safe - trip.


Regarding generators, here's what I have heard. Keep in mind that I do not have a generator and have zero experience with one. I have considered one and did a little research.
Apparently, the startup of an A/C unit requires a lot more than just running it and you would need at least 3000 watts.
Can anybody support/refute that? I'm curious.
@bigbill: Man, I'm jealous, that area around Yellowstone was absolutely spectacular. I posted a picture from a ride earlier in the thread from there.

[SlowPokePete]

What he said. Highly recommended, you miss all the crap. We stopped for a night at a provincial park on the lake. When we told the customs guys we were just blasting thru Canada to MI, they didn't even bother us.
6 or 7 days is more relaxed?? It took us over 2 months - couldn't leave MI. The lakes, esp Superior, were awesome.
Have a great - and safe - trip.


Regarding generators, here's what I have heard. Keep in mind that I do not have a generator and have zero experience with one. I have considered one and did a little research.
Apparently, the startup of an A/C unit requires a lot more than just running it and you would need at least 3000 watts.
Can anybody support/refute that? I'm curious.
@bigbill: Man, I'm jealous, that area around Yellowstone was absolutely spectacular. I posted a picture from a ride earlier in the thread from there.

Lots of RV'ers use softstart devices on their a/c's to lower the initial power draw.

https://www.softstartrv.com

SPP

[ides1056]

]What he said. Highly recommended, you miss all the crap. We stopped for a night at a provincial park on the lake. When we told the customs guys we were just blasting thru Canada to MI, they didn't even bother us.
6 or 7 days is more relaxed?? It took us over 2 months - couldn't leave MI. The lakes, esp Superior, were awesome.
Have a great - and safe - trip.


I am heading to Oregon to work, so I need to make decent time. My last trip across was five thirteen hour days. I wanted to get home. This trip I plan to go through Livingston, then take 12 through Idaho. I was last there 36 years ago and loved that stretch. Maybe on the way back I will do a bit more wandering. I found my passport, and will head into Canada at Niagara Falls, then over to Michigan and up. I'll take it as it comes. It'll be an adventure.

[bigbill]

Lots of RV'ers use softstart devices on their a/c's to lower the initial power draw.

https://www.softstartrv.com

SPP

I have a soft start in mine. I can run the AC off an extension cord and a 20A outlet. I wouldn't run the microwave at the same time. I sized my generator to have at least 30 amps to run everything simultaneously, including the electric water heater. I oversized at 4kw to let others plug in at horse shows. Without the AC, my generator is <50% loaded. If we don't need the AC, I only run the generator in the morning and evening for about an hour to charge the battery.

[ides1056]

I am monitoring the AQI and heat index as my departure date approaches. It will impact my travels. I may take my car so that I can drive longer distances with the better visibility its headlights afford and stick to the most direct route to get past the worst of it as quickly as possible.

The new normal.