Shakedown trip: the first trip for a new RVer or for experienced RVers in a new rig, to discover any quirks or problems in their rig and any changes needed to their own habits.
Back in February, driving from Virginia to Texas, we had the first part of our shakedown trip, where we learned how to dewinterize the rig, including sanitizing the fresh water system, and experienced low clearance (ground and roof), non-working hot water, and a malfunctioning living room slide. Five days of repairs and then nineteen weeks of sheltering-in-place put our initial travel plans on hold. But now we're back on the road, and, in our first ten days of travel, we finally had a chance to complete our shakedown.
We covered 2,116 miles, drove through eight states (Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia), and purchased 221 gallons of gas and six gallons of propane. We stayed at two state parks, two KOA's, and three private campgrounds. We lost one SnapPad, we think in a campground pothole, and bashed our power step on an inclined parking lot exit. We purchased a plastic jack pad (to stand in for the SnapPad until we can get a replacement), and sprayed the clunking power step with lots of heavy duty silicone. We found that slide toppers will hold rainstorm water, and perhaps should be momentarily retracted and re-extended soon after the storm to drop that water. We devised a better way to dump our black and gray tanks (liberal use of the black tank spray hose feature) after a stinky day. We increased our kitchen cabinet storage with a couple of free-standing wire shelves; then rearranged the dishes and food after losing one dinner plate, one salad plate, one serving bowl, and a collaterally-damaged dog food bowl. (Details: one shelf tilted forward on a turn, forcing the cabinet door open and dumping dishes out onto the floor; another shelf allowed a stack of bowls to bounce forward and then fall out when the cabinet door was opened at the next campground.) We sprayed a line of ants walking up the outside of the RV, then decided they were just after the water condensing out from the A/C units on the roof. One completely good thing: We love our Truma AquaGo instant water heater, and our tall, relatively spacious shower. Another completely good thing: We keep discovering thoughtful features in the Jayco design, such as pre-installed towel hooks and shower hang-dry bar, multiple electrical outlets, and space separators that have made traveling as three adults more functional than we expected.
We were glad we had stocked household wipes and disposable masks and gloves for road stops, and really appreciated the rig-warming gift of disinfectant wipes from a good friend in Charlottesville VA. We changed our route from southern states to a more northerly route to try to stay on the good side of New York State (where we will be helping our daughter settle into a new apartment before she starts her third year in college), but had both Oklahoma and Ohio "go bad" while we were in them, necessitating a two-week delay before we'll be able to enter New York (or else quarantine days once we're there).
For nourishment, I made chicken tortilla soup (love those Frontier soup mixes!), pork chops, and eggs with sausage, and otherwise we ate a lot of sandwiches, yogurt, pasta, pizza, and fast food. We discovered that the oven temperature dial is perhaps not exact, when brownies were still basically raw after the prescribed time; we also discovered that randomly turning up the oven flame and simply baking until done produces perfectly edible (if slightly more fudgy) brownies.
With the heat of summer settling in, we refreshed ourselves in Lake Murray, Keystone Lake, and Lake Pauline, and in campground swimming pools. We found that campground managers and camp hosts were unfailingly helpful; we were especially impressed by the two KOA campgrounds.
Now we are pausing in Northern Virginia for a week for necessary appointments, to visit friends, and to pick up our daughter's belongings from our storage unit. Due, perhaps, to the increased popularity of RVing during the coronavirus pandemic, we could not find a campground site with full hookups available anywhere in the area, so we are once again staying in a hotel (whose kind manager set aside an extra-long parking spot for us). Next up: New York City!
ADDENDUM: Texas Interlude (5)
In the final two weeks of our stay in Texas, we made some improvements on the rig (a locking hitch shell for our electric bikes, a Blink camera security system, removable tire covers, defrosted freezer, a second rig washing) and completed some final projects with my mother (new garden solar lights, picking out and planting a young Shoal Creek Vitex tree).
For those who are interested in this sort of thing, here are the TV shows we binged during our Texas interlude:
The Mandalorian (Disney Plus)
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
The Man in the High Castle (Amazon)
Upload (Amazon)
Superstore (NBC)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC) (originally FOX)
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