Roadtripping with Ron

  First trip out - four nights at Coachland RV Park in Truckee My first adventure in the Expedition was only about an hour and a half away, in Truckee, California. Claudia and Bruce had booked four nights at Coachland RV Park and invited me to join them, so I jumped at the chance to try out the new trailer. We had adjoining spaces between some tiny home rental units in the park. Coachland RV Park is along the eastern edge of Truckee, just off Highway 89. It is a convenient location for mountain adventures, including Squaw Valley, the north shore of Lake Tahoe and other lakes in the area. The RV Park has numerous sites with full hook-ups, an updated laundry room, restrooms with showers and a good-sized community room. Most of the other amenities were not open due to the Covid shutdown. Breakfast! Our first morning began with what is becoming a tradition for us: scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and mimosas! After breakfast we ventured out (in separate cars) for a nice hike along Sageh...

Old anode rod on the left, new one on the right One thing is certain, this trailer will satisfy my need to tinker with stuff.  Before I was ready to test out the trailer on the road, I wanted to do some important maintenance tasks as well as start to make it "my own."  Some of the maintenance tasks I performed first: Tested all the components: electrical, water systems, propane appliances. Serviced the wheel bearings. Disinfected the fresh water storage tank. Replaced the water pump (the bypass valve was malfuntioning and allowing "city water" to fill the water storage tank) Replaced the anode rod in the water heater (see above, it needed it!). In order to make the trailer more functional and comfortable, I also: Replaced the dinette table with a smaller and lighter folding table. The original table was very heavy and also served as a bed platform that would span the dinette benches, making the dinette into a twin bed. I don't have a need for a twin bed at this ...

Aliner Expedition - folded down for travel mode Aliner Expedition - folded up for camping mode My Honda Pilot tows this trailer easily. I bought this Aliner Expedition folding A-Frame trailer in mid-September from a couple I know through photography. I had seen photos from some of their photography adventures and noticed this Aliner as their travel vehicle. When they put it up for sale, I took a look and made the purchase!  This has a "sofa" that can be converted to a queen-size bed, 4-seat dinette, 2-burner stove, 3-way refrigerator, sink, microwave oven, heat pump/cooler, outdoor shower, cassette toilet and water heater.. For full service, it has hook ups for shore power, city water and cable tv.  I've made some enhancements to improve storage spaces, create new ones and add some features. (More about those projects later) When folded down, the trailer pulls easily. The smaller box means less wind-resistance and a lower center of gravity than a standard trailer. It is a...