Date: Tuesday, 28 March, 2023
Location: Redding, California
Location: Redding, California
We made it! Six months after we bought our RV, we finally flew out to California to pick it up on 8 March. We have been here almost 3 weeks and have been busy little beavers learning our way around the idiosyncrasies and fixing things up to our liking.
The weather has been interesting. While it's been mostly cold and rainy (with several inches of snow our second day here!), we've also had a few warm and sunny days that we've been all too eager to take advantage of making a couple of short shakedown cruises. We're very happy with our purchase so far. It's been cold, so we've been exercising our propane furnace and are happy to report that it works great! However, as of last night we're just starting another bout of rain, predicted to last about 10 days. At least we'll be warm and snug in our new little home.
Mark continues to be impressed with the build quality as he installs new equipment and explores the existing systems. This turns out to be a well thought out and very well built RV. Being 25 years old, it lacks some of the more refined features of newer models, but that's fine with us - less stuff to break!
We were able to stay with Julie's son Dan for the first week while we got the RV's systems up and running. He's been very helpful to us. He has set us up with some new tires, arranged to have the air conditioner serviced, had a new fan belt installed, given us a solar panel (with controller and inverter), and continues to serve as our Amazon package shipping and receiving department.
On top of that, he has also been a great host. We've been out on Lake Shasta several times in his houseboat, and he hosted a party for us at his house that provided great food, new friends, and stimulating conversation to all who attended. He's come to visit us most evenings after work, and has been good company. Thanks, Dan!
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line we have both come down with colds involving lots of nose blowing and emptying box after box of tissues. After a few days of this Mark is on the mend and Julie is
just coming into the really snotty part. Luckily, some friends Dan introduced us to on our last trip out here have offered us a spot in their back yard (with electricity and loaner tools!) for as long as we need. Thanks Ryan, Ryann & family!
We're finding our transition back into travel mode relatively easy. We're a little older and a little more cautious than we used to be - perhaps not such a bad thing. For example, like little Timmy the Toyota, there's an "upstairs" berth above the cab. Unlike Timmy, however, access is via a 5 step ladder that we have unfortunately found is a bit much for us. And, after awkwardly clambering up, it would be about a 5 foot fall if one were to misstep getting out in the middle of the night - something we'd obviously like to avoid!
As a result, we've opted to sleep on the fold-out sofa. This means we have to make the bed every evening and unmake it every morning. Surprisingly, though, we're not finding it too onerous. It turns out we actually find a certain satisfaction in the ritual of changing our space from day use to night use and back again. Plus, the "upstairs" gives us loads of storage for our bedclothes (and plenty of other stuff, too, as it turns out).
So we are sitting tight for the moment, finishing up a few more jobs (like installing a battery monitor and a rear view camera, fixing hinges, etc.), and blowing our tender, red noses until we feel better and are finally ready to head out. We still don't know where we're going or when we'll be back in Radford, but we do know that we still love living in tiny spaces together and traveling together and are really looking forward to getting moving.
We'll keep you posted as things develop. In the meantime, be well and safe and happy! And have a wonderful spring!
Almost back on the road again,
Mark & Julie
