Picking up a few tips from our RVing friends
We’ve learned so much while traveling in our 23-foot Thor Gemini, but there’s always going to another lesson or three down the road. For today’s knowledge drop, we checked in with some of our fellow travelers. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom we’re grateful they shared.
Spokane-area resident Joe Slauson and his crew have been making the most of the summer season, spending a couple of weeks at Riley Creek near Sandpoint before heading west to Deception Pass State Park, Fort Casey and Rasar State Park. His sage advice will warm the hearts of amateur meteorologists: “Check the weather where you are traveling to… even if it’s close to you. Our first trip to the Oregon Coast, a July trip… we packed for the 90s and got high 60s. Didn’t even cross our minds the weather would be cooler.” They’re heading back to chill on the coast in September.
This time of year, it’s also a good idea to check airnow.gov for updates on smoke from wildfires.
Spokane-based chef Anna Vogel and her partner Bethe Bowman, – we love their restaurant Italia Trattoria – take extra care to book only full hookup sites during the summer because the generator on their pull-behind doesn’t have enough juice to power the AC. They’ve got to keep the place cool for their pups, who travel with them. “Reservations have to be made plenty in advance,” she said.
On the more mundane front, Vogel advises being diligent when it comes to maintenance: “Keep the right amount of air in the tires, secure the torque on the wheels and don’t forget to flush lines to winterize. All the boring things.”
Most of the time, we ignore the user’s manual, but have found it to be a helpful road map to those tasks designed to keep the rig running smoothly.
Our pal, Ann Osborne Peavey of Leavenworth, is a big believer in checklists. Top of the to-do’s when it comes to setting up and checking out? Wheel chocks are the first thing down and the last thing up.
But the most valuable advice she shared is a motto we try to live by: Roll with the punches. “Always have a Plan B, even if it’s loose.” For instance, she and her husband, Mike, and their two pugs had planned to criss-cross the state this month, but “with temps in triple digits in Eastern Washington and a few big, smoky fires, we’re restructuring our itinerary.” That moving target makeover includes a stop at Hoodsport on Hood Canal where they’re going to “mooch dock at a friend’s RV site.” She said: “We’d rather gorge on oysters and Dungeness crab than get smoked out on the east side.”
When state park and commercial sites are full, check out the options on Hipcamp.com.
Finally, this is our mission/hobby: Always be shopping. We’re excited to see some 2025 RVs trickle onto the market recently. On the high end, our jaws dropped while taking a virtual tour of Newmar’s Dutch Star ringing up at just under $600,000. Yes, that’s expensive, but that includes a special fridge for beverages. The Midas 24 BT is an intriguing update from Tiffin, now owned by Thor. Biggest changes include the no slide out approach, which gives the vehicle a more van vibe. It’s on a Ford chassis and retails for around $167,000. What’s on your wishlist?
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