Short sleep
We decided to stop at a rest area in Oneida, NY just outside Utica, NY right after midnight. That way we had the convenience/safety of a rest area as well as a place to go into to use the bathroom and get gas. You could hear the traffic while we were sleeping, but fell asleep quickly.
John was up at the crack of dawn, and I rose by 7 or so. We used the conveniences of the rest area to freshen up, and were back on the road by 8. On our way to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center right outside Acada National Park. Current ETA is 4:30 pm. Will stop there first to get the details on where we can drive with the RV.
Plan is to drive the 27 mile Park Loop trail upon arrival, and maybe get a hike in. We can’t take the RV up Cadillac Mountain Road, so some have suggested the Cadillac South Trail off Route 3.
We have started to log what we would modify with the current vehicle set up based on what we like/what we need.
Running list as follows:
- Accessible mirror
- Black out curtain across the front of the camper
- Longer bed – I was curled up like a baby and there is no way John was comfortable
- Toilet in the shower (or stowaway toilet/shower to save on space)
- No generator – loud – and I am a little concerned even with the generator running the water never got hot. Should make for an interesting shower when I work myself up to it.
- Yes to solar (or lithium batteries)
- More USB outlets
- Smaller footprint – shorter in length, height, and width – at least right now it doesn’t seem like we need as much space as the vehicle has
- Less flashy, the colors and extras are too much. Really
- Shower that seals properly
- Better floor plan, too much unusable space in this one
- Windows that open
- Opportunity to rent it out (outdoorsy style) to fund the purchase and/or make a good investment
The drive through NY up into Mass has shown some leaves changing, but not a ton….so excited to see the vibrant colors as we get further north and east in the coming hours.
The drive ended up being a little stressful…..the RV stalled probably 10+ times during the afternoon into the evening. Also, based on height restrictions, it can not travel on several miles of the loop trail due to low bridges. I seriously thought we were going to get stuck there with a van that wouldn’t run. We did catch some amazing late sunset views over the ocean, in a very windy and cold area….but it was beautiful.
We parked outside a soccer field by the YMCA (along with half a dozen other campers) and then walked into town for some take out. Small world….checked out a woodworking store called “in the woods” and met a guy working there that lived in Toledo and is trying to sell his house (in a neighborhood we own other houses in). Of course, John took his name and number
Indian for dinner – jackfruit curry and chana masala. I am not sure if I can cook since we don’t know the water or propane situation.
Unfortunately, the camper has a ton of quirky issues in addition to stalling so many times. The water heater doesn’t work, when you turn on the heater the air conditioner works at the same time, and we aren’t really sure how much water the water tank has (the lights don’t work on the water tank). The generator is so freaking loud. And the bed is too small for either of us to stretch out our legs.
But, we are glad to be in a safe place. And we are glad to have a full belly. And tomorrow we will tackle some of the RV challenges we experienced today.