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Old 07-01-2011, 01:10 PM   #1
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We're here in WY! (Long)

Hi e'body!! We're here in Wyoming now after cooking in Tx (111 degrees when driving through Amarillo!!). We arrived in TX around midnight last Thursday, stayed till Monday morning.
Swimming in a pool that was 100 degrees with an outside temp of 106 in the shade. When we arrived in TX the T@b had a dead battery (2.5 volts). Turned out the hitch shop installed a 10 amp fuse on my battery charge line. With the fridge trying to keep cool running on 12 volt it must have drawn too much through that fuse and it popped. The hitch shop said they usually put in a 20 amp but didnt have on on hand so put in the 10. I have since changed it to a 20 amp. The brand new deep cycle battery charged back up fully w/o an issue. Cant say the same for my fridge. Each day it got a little warmer and a little warmer till the 3rd day when it now wont cool at all on either propane or electric. My Dad mentioned maybe I have a leak somewhere and I lost all my amonia. I'll just use an ice chest and have it looked at when I get back. Other than than T@bitha has performed perfect in all kinds of conditions. We call her that as her nick name. Too formal and difficult to say "ViTabin C" every time, lol.

I'm not getting the mileage I'd hoped for. Not sure if my mileage is so much worse b/c Tabitha sits up higher over my minivan than the 13 ft Scamps or what. She weighs about the same. When I drove 60-65 mph I only got 13 mpg . 57 mph seems to be the "sweet spot" and even then I only manage 15-16 mpg. So I'm getting a 10 mpg drop from my usual highway mileage. I thought Scamp owners (13 footers) only reported about a 5 mpg drop when driving 60 mph and no jack rabbit starts/stops etc.

I can attest to the safety of my Toyota Sienna and Tabitha combo! I was coming into Montgomery, AL at 55 mph as we hadnt hit the city limits speed reduction yet. I looked over at my oldest to ask her to check the map for highway changes and when I looked back a towtruck was coming at me in my lane. He was apparantly trying to cross the median to get to a disabled vehicle but he stopped in my lane for some reason. I hit the brakes and jerked into the left lane since nobody was there. My traction control kicked in beeping like crazy and the trailer's surge brakes activated. Didnt skid, slide, nothing. Kept on going straight as arrow after changing lanes at 55 mph on a rain slicked highway. Those surge brakes also performed flawlessly down the hills in CO and Wy. I LOVE those things! Oh, and to whoever it was that posted the construction was done in Montgomery and so it's an easy drive through, THANK YOU! It was no trouble at all, no traffic etc. I thought it was a much larger city than it is.

We stayed in a COE CG in Eufaula, AL on a lake which was beautiful and had air conditioned bath houses! They gave me a pull through site and even led me to it as I had just had my first experience backing Tabitha down a dark dirt road when I turned too early and ended up at a private drive . My oldest had to hold a lantern so I could see the road. I was freaked out over that when I finally got to the CG at 10pm (just as the gates were about to close) so they felt sorry for me and gave me a pull throught, lol. Said I'd have enough backing for one night. The next night was a State Park in AL which my GPS said I'd arrived at 4 miles before we acutally did. This time it was about midnight and of course pitch black. The sites were not lit so once again my oldest is out there with a lantern. We never planned on stopping so late but it turns out campgrounds on the back US roads are kindof few and far between. No Walmarts in a lot of those tiny towns either. We had to have elctric to run the A/C as it was still near 100 degrees at night. Of course I pick a heatwave to travel across the country in, lol. Both of those campgrounds only cost $20. In Cheyenne, WY I ended up at a KOA since my GPS wasnt picking up anything and my State Park and COE Guides weren't showing anything nearby. I paid more for that KOA (which turned out I didnt even need the A/C after all since it dropped down to 55 degrees so could have stayed at Walmart) then I paid for the 3 other campgrounds combined! So after leaving Ft. Worth Tx on Monday afternoon (delays trying to get away from the inlaws, lol) we arrived in WY on Weds. Afternoon. Hit some nasty crosswinds in CO and WY but Tabitha and Sienna did great together. I've been sleeping in Tabitha since I got here and other than when the winds get to blowing and rocking her I sleep like a baby. Cant quite say the same when the kids are sleeping with me though b/c they keep kicking me and tossing and turning and kicking the trailer. It's the only time I've wished Tabitha had bunks like a Scamp.

My Dad had to use his tractor to pull Tabitha up into their driveway b/c the incline is so steep it would have drug my hitch and power connections. I've got picks of Tabitha and the tractor hooked up but dont think my camera card fits into the slot on my daughter's new laptop. The camera is older and the card it too small. I'll have to ask my Mom if her media reader is different on her computer otherwise I'll have to wait to upload photos till I get back to FL.

Well, that should keep ya'll busy reading for now, lol. I'll post more little tidbits about the trip here and there so as not to overload you, lol.

Melissa
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Old 07-01-2011, 04:18 PM   #2
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Wow! When you want an adventure, you sure go after it! I think this is what they call 'baptism by fire'!
I'm impressed and can't wait for pics.
Glad you made it safely!
Ruth
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Old 07-01-2011, 04:21 PM   #3
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You sure do know how to have interesting trips. LOL

You seem to be doing fine and your way of writing is very good.

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Old 07-01-2011, 04:48 PM   #4
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appreciate the update. Boy that panic stop sounded scary, but now it will give you confidence on your setup. Glad you made it safe
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Old 07-01-2011, 09:14 PM   #5
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Melissa, I'm proud of you. You are doing GREAT it seems. And reading your adventures second hand is fun!

Hope the rest of your trip is great and a lot less stressful!
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Old 07-02-2011, 08:06 AM   #6
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Melissa, I hope you are keeping a log of your adventures, even the mundane things like what it costs at campgrounds and problems like the 10A fuse install. In years to come it will be great to look back over your notes.
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Old 07-03-2011, 01:41 PM   #7
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Yes, this trip has been an adventure! And we still have the return portion the end of the month in which we're going straight to FL with no layovers in TX.

I am keeping a daily journal which includes other campgrounds I saw when passing through little towns so it will be easier to find places to stay. Also details about where I stayed, site/bath house info, gas prices/mileage etc. Also, any problems I run across and the fix (once I have one, lol).

Tabitha weathered her first hail storm and Wyoming thunderstorm yesterday. She came through with flying colors and no leaks! The hail was pea size and then quarter size then a few golf ball but thankfully the bigger ones were breaking apart as soon as they hit. I was in the house so I dont know how loud it was but she was dry as a bone when I did go out later.

Looking forward to more fun!
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