The Long, Long Trailer Trip

[Frederick L. Simson]

After running around finishing Trailer Mods, Servicing the Tow Vehicle, and oh by the way WORK!... Friday finally comes!

Saturday, July 11, 2009




Alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and we get up. Coffee & Breakfast. Then and pack all of the stuff that has been gathered in the living room. Then go to the storage yard to hitch up the trailer and shift the load. Actually get underway at 8:30 AM.
C-r-a-w-l-e-d thru LA. C-r-a-w-l-e-d up the grapevine. Stop for fuel and lunch at Gorman, CA at 12:30. I-5 thru the central valley of California id B-o-r-i-n-g. Made it to Dos Reis County Park just south of Stockton, CA by 7:00 PM. Went to Denny's for supper. TIRED! go to bed.

Sunday, July 12, 2009




Light streams thru the open Fan-Tastic Fan Vent. It's 6:00 AM. This time, we make it on the road by 8:00. We miss a chance to stop for lunch south of Redding at 12:30 due to indecision... can't find a suitable restaurant north of town so we just press on. Finally stop to eat in Weed, CA. Wonderful Mexican place with Asian ownership & staff. Go figure! Then we find out by cell phone that Robert's sister cannot host us tonight. So we search for a KOA, and find one in Medford, OR. And we find out that it is not an original idea!

We FiberglassRV people tend to congregate.

[Lizbeth]

A pre rally mini rally!

Have fun, stay safe!

[Frederick L. Simson]

Our campsite at the Medford, Oregon KOA.

After this picture was taken, the camera's battery went dead.

[Bill A]

You did some driving.Nice shady spot . It looks real tight ,your fellow camper is right on top of you.
Maybe its the angle of the shot.
Bill

[David & Leslie]

Hi guys! What a hoot to connect with other 'eggs' at the KOA ... especially Lex & Rita. Sure wish we were going to this year's Gathering so we could meet them Please keep up your travel journal if time permits - we love following along on your adventures. Safe journeys, L 'n D

[Frederick L. Simson]

It looks real tight, your fellow camper is right on top of you.

Those spaces are kinda close. The gravel area to the right of my rig is an unoccupied site.
Since I generally only use KOA's as an overnight stop during long trips, and rarely spend more than 12 hours at a time,
it doesn't really bother me.

[Frederick L. Simson]

The last map I posted had us going to Cave Junction, OR. But we didn't wind up there; Robert's sister wasn't home.




Monday, July 13, 2009

6:00 AM I see a trend here... If this is a vacation, why am I getting up at the same time I do to go to work?

Travel Trailers are compact abodes. I can reach out and turn on the Coleman Stovetop Coffeemaker without getting out of bed. After having set up the thing before going to bed, all it takes is lighting the stove burner under it, and I can roll over until it stops brewing. CHEX ^® cereal with blueberries and milk on a tray for breakfast-in-bed: priceless.

Since we didn't unhitch last night, getting underway this morning is quick and easy. By noon-ish, we are in Bandon, Oregon. We go directly to our internet/coffeehouse/restaraunt: "Brewed Awakenings" for the Fish & Chips special, and the free WiFi.

[Taylor Kissinger]

Great report Fredrick, we will see you tommorrow, I am going to weigh on the hwy30 scales and recheck with your jump scales.
The Oregon Gathering is here

[Frederick L. Simson]

After lunch we head on to the campground. We are a whole day ahead of schedule, and we ask at the booth if they have a space until our reservations kick in tomorrow. The ranger says that the site we reserved (A16) is occupied until tomorrow, but the one right next to it (A13) is vacant. It will be an easy move into our site.

Across the road is Donna D. in full relax mode.




We unhitch and drive to Coos Bay. Shopping and preliminary sight seeing.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 (6:00 AM)
Check-out time is 1:00, so I expect we'll have to wait 'till at least noon to move to our reserved space. Go to "Brewed Awakenings" and spend all morning online. Lots of email to catch up on.

When we get back to Bullard's Beach, our reserved site is vacant! An easy hitch-up and move. This time we set up the awning and put out the "Patio Furniture."

[Frederick L. Simson]

Other "Early Birds" are showing up. Lex & Rita and Brett & Ellen show up from the Medford KOA. There is lots of visiting amongst us. After supper in the evening we congregate at Bret & Ellen's site. Eric B. shows up. We talk through the twilight, and it finally gets dark about a quarter to ten... much later than in Southern California.

[Bill A]

Thanks for the report. Nice camp.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Open one eye... Get up and take 2 steps to the bathroom. The clock on the Microwave says 7:00. Hmmm. Finally in vacation mode? Upon return, light the stove burner under the coffee maker before crawling back into bed.

After breakfast, get out the camera:


Lex & Rita's European BIOD


Eric's PERRIS PACER


Bill & Jacquie's TRILLIUM


a CASITA LIBERTY waiting to check in.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Then we get in the van and drive back to Coos Bay. I wanted to stop at The Oregon Coast Historical Railway. As luck would have it, they are open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.



We spent a lot of time swapping stories with the volunteers.

Across the street is a bank building with an interesting mural built into the brick wall; I think it's their Logo.




Then we find the local Super WalMart...,
and the Fred Meyer's. $3.48 for a 2 Lb. tub of Blueberries; of which we buy 3. Our Potluck contribution is gonna have Blueberries in it.

After shopping and a light lunch, we head off to Brewed Awakenings for internet access.



After checking eMail and other websites I log onto FiberglassRV.com.
I furiously download pictures from my camera onto my laptop; then re-size them for posting, then try to compose a proper narrative for the pictures...

[Frederick L. Simson]

... Just as I click "add reply" to Post #13, the Owner of Brewed Awakenings says from behind the counter:"We're closing in 20 minutes. Please finish up. I want to go home."

[Frederick L. Simson]

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Today is a busy Day! It is the "Official" opening day of the Oregon Gathering. No time to go back to Brewed Awakenings for more WiFi access; it will have to wait for Friday.

We will be Weighing Trailers from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.


Sign along the road to the Beach


Sign at the Beach Restroom Parking Lot

This year we will be doing it differently. Robert and Eric B. have two Wheel Weighers in the parking lot next to the Beach Restrooms. Before a Gathering participant enters the campground to check in for the Rally, they may select to drive their rig to the beach to weigh their axles.




I will have one Wheel Weigher and a Jack Stand in my car. As the participant leaves the Beach Parking lot, Eric will call me on my cell phone to dispatch me to that person's campsite. After he unhitches, I will weigh the tongue at the coupler.




Last year we weighed 16 trailers at the beach. I figured on a similar turnout, but printed out 20 Weigh-in forms.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
6:00 PM
I feel like I've worked harder on this vacation than I do at work! In the afternoon we stopped making carbon copies to keep, so we could stretch our supply of forms. We ran out of forms, and had to use scratch paper for the last 3 customers.

We weighed 25 Trailers

[Steve Dunkel]

Fred - Sorry for the off-topic question but do you weigh each trailer wheel or only one side and double it?

BTW, good job keeping us up to date on the your travels. I enjoy reading your posts.

[Frederick L. Simson]

do you weigh each trailer wheel?

Yes, you'll see when I collate all of the weight data in my weight post.

[Frederick L. Simson]

It is now Monday, July 20th, and we are in a KOA in Mountain Home, south of Boise, Idaho.

I took some pictures during the "Open Trailer" time on Saturday, July 18th, at the Oregon Gathering:


Escape 19'

[Frederick L. Simson]

U-Haul 13'