How Many Can You Fit Into FWC Fleet Camper?

Above is my neighborhood at the RTR.

Who would think that my Fleet model For Wheel Camper could fit all my friends in the camper.  Joanne is in a Freightliner Sprinter style van, Susan is in a Toyota RAV4, and David is in a Dodge Caravan.

It gets dark early and turns cool when the sun goes down and sitting outside without a fire gets cold.  I have opted to even cook for everyone too.

My Fleet has a long bench on the passenger side, where I sleep on it most nights.  This bench wraps around to the counter giving even more sitting room.

So, how many fit in my FWC camper?

4 Adults and1Full-size Poodle

The poodle on the floor and 8 adult feet take up all the floor space.

We could actually fit a couple more adults in if I jumped up on the bed above the cab and remove some things on the floor and  there would be 2 more seats available below on the bench.  

It’s tight / cozy, but we did it and allowed us to extend our day visiting into the evening.

My bench design turned out to be nice feature of my FWC camper.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Antenna Pole For Four Wheel Camper

The reason I have a Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper in place of my wonderful Prius campervan is that I want to go places that require 4x4 and high clearance, mostly in Utah but some places in Arizona.  These places I go have poor or no cell service or television.

Even here in Quartzsite, AZ, mounting the television antenna on my FWC rooftop bracket will not pull in a signal.

My friend Joanne had better service from cell towers with her amplifier antenna on top of her sprinter.  My cell amplifier antenna on top of my camper was much less effective.

I decided on making an antenna pole holder using the jack bracket on the passenger rear of the camper.  I used pvc pipe with a cap on the bottom and holes and stainless hardware through the jack bracket’s 3 holes.

Inserted in the PVC pipe is an 4 foot to 8 foot painters pole from my local True Value hardware store. I needed to remove the blue handle end so pole will fit in the PVC pipe.

I then found an adapter on Amazon from corse painter pole thread to 3/4” black pipe thread adapter. (above)

This allowed me to get a short piece of black pipe threaded on both ends to insert into the painters pole adapter and a 3/4” black pipe flange from Home Depot. (Above)

This antenna pole with the cast iron pipe flange is perfuct for magnetic antenna base. Therefore, the pole can be used for my flat TV Antenna I made with magnetic base, (as shown) my cell phone amplifier antenna, and now that I have my ham radio license my ham radio antenna. 

This antenna pole has worked great with TV here in Quartzsite, so I suspect I will have better reception for when I’m off grid in Utah.

One of the advantages of the Truck/Camper combination over the Prius is being able to carry and use antennas this way.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

2019 Lake Havasu City Hot Air Balloon Festival

Each year Lake Havasu City, AZ hosts a Hot Air Baloon Festival while the RTR is going on.  The last few years that I wanted to attend the weather was poor, but this year the weather is exceptionally nice.  Temperature is about 70 deg with full sunshine and it was time to attend.

I drove up from Quartzsite, AZ and the RTR to take one night away to view the evening liftoffs in Lake Havasu City.

Like a number of others who came to to view the assents, I chose to take pictures from the top of  famous London Bridge.  Yes, the London Bridge was purchased from the City of London, disassembled, shipped, and delivered to the new City of Lake Havasu, and finally reassembled to attract tourists.

Just look at the beautiful blue sky.

I bet the city founders, depicted in the statues on the east side of the bridge, would be happy with all the great events the city has during the years

I descended the bridge to the boardwalk below and was lucky to catch this picture of one of the balloons through one of the bridges arches.

It was a great evening watching the balloons with the others in the bridge and I’ll spend the night at one of the BLM lands used for camping.  Tomorrow I head back to the RTR and seeing some more friends that arrived today.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Quartzsite Arrival And Start Of RTR

I arrived in Quartzsite, AZ on Sunday, 1/6/19 after spending 2 nights in Tucson.  Tucson is my layover stop to organize and take on provisions for my stay in Quartzsite.

Above picture is from my RTR (Rubber Tramp Rendezvous) put on by Bob Wells Of CheapRVLiving.com.  I never get tired of the beautiful sunsets.

Quartzsite has stores but as the town swells to 500,000 during January over their 3,500 annual population, there are lines and higher prices  in local stores.  I will patronize the local stores during my 2 week stay to supplement what I need.

I got 2 disc golf games in the Quartzsite 9 hole municipal course my first two days here.  It doesn’t cost anything to play.

I visited some friends at their camp in Quartzsite before the start of the RTR.  Their flag has the letters YARC for You Ain’t Right Club.  A playful title for the differences they have.



Tonight we had a flyover from an ultralight.  They were flying up and down each area with campers.



I happened to pull into the PARTR (PAR-T-R) a play in the letters RTR to designate this area is a more noisy area of folks that like to party.  Above is a moving party stage.



Tonight’s dinner i made a sautéed shrimp over spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and blueberries.

Dinner in the desert with friends.  Desert was lemon cookies from my dear friend Joyce.  She has given me cookies to take on my trip each year.  I wish her a continued trouble free recovery from major surgery.  The cookies are wonderful Joyce!



This morning was the opening of the RTR.  Here on stage is the founder, Bob Wells.  Doing a promo to the camera.



The RTR gathering is expected to draw about 10.000 people.  This is double from last year and yet previous years.  This is my 5th year.  It used to be a small close group of people now it is huge.

I’m having fun meeting up with people that have become friends over the years.  This is my principle reason for attending.

Yes, I’m pushing the beautiful sunsets.



The RTR has sections or subgroups.  This is the art camp.  I have a good friend who will be here later in the week.



The BLM (Bureau Of Land Management) bulldozed a road into this normally day-use area to hold the ever growing event.  It’s a bit of a test for some large vehicles getting through this deep wash.  This motorhome made it.

I have chosen to stay outside the main area and walk over.  This walk gives me necessary exercise I lacked getting at home before leaving.

Here is my camper.  I met a guy named Jeff where I’m parked at the RTR.  I saw him on Facebook before leaving as he traveled the southwest.  I noticed he had many of the same friends from home.  I contacted him and found out he lived in the next town from me and his sister lives in my town.

Although we did not previously know each other,  we have a common interest and common friends.  We met for the first time at the RTR.

If you would like to know more about the RTR please check out https://www.cheaprvliving.com/rtr/

Here is Bob’s first day youtube video https://youtu.be/MQttPT0V-nI

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

When Credit Card Chip Goes Bad

I arrived in Tucson, AZ after my epic drive across the country and went to Walmart to buy my food supplies for my stay at the 2019 RTR.  

I got to the Walmart register to check out and my DCU VISA credit card would not work.

My first assumption was that my VISA card was declined, but the attendant said they didn’t think so.  I had used the chip so we tried the magnetic strip and it was not accepted.

I called DCU customer Service and they did not see a decline on their system, so I figured it was the card machine was not working correctly.  I went to AutoZone for my replacement gas cap and I tried the chip to pay but it didn’t work there either.  I tried the swipe of the magnetic strip and the charge went through.

So, now I knew the chip is bad.

I later saw this small piece of paper on my Walmart receipt that says “Chip Card Invalid, Use MSR”

Well I guess MSR is Magnetic Strip Reader, but it appears that Walmart does not allow chip cards to be used with MSR.

I just started my trip so I will not get card for months when I get home.

I decided to have a new card sent home and then have it sent to my son’s in California when I will visit in a couple weeks and I can get it then.

This is why I carry two credit cards to cover for problems like this.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Loosing My Gas Cap

I went to fill up the Tacoma’s gas tank at a Texas truck stop and my locking gas cap was missing.  Darn!  Nearly 200 miles back in Arkansas I filled up and people were waiting for me to move and I placed the cap on the pump and drove away.

Background- the Tacoma does not have a locking gas door.  I replaced the gas cap years ago to prevent tampering.  There was no tether on the original cap and no holder on the door, so replacement cap has always been loose.

I guess I was lucky that my check engine light haven’t come on.  The truck stop did not have any caps and I get on the road before stores open.

I got it!  I took a sandwich bag and elastic and sealed the gas fill pipe.

When I got to Tucson, AZ I went to AutoZone and bought a new locking cap.  

Now I’m determined to make a cap tether/holder/hook to not require setting the cap in the pump.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

2860.5 Miles In 3 Days - 2019 Brent’s Travels Have Started

We will get to the Milage in a bit.  Above is my 2011 Tacoma and 2011 FWC camper sitting waiting for my departure January 2, 2019.

Here I am leaving before dawn with crescent moon 1/2/19. 

Above is my weather as I leave MA - I decided to head to St Louis as I should be able to slide behind the southern storm into Oklahoma, then to Texas and on to AZ.

Not on radar is some snow flurries in western PA, but there was no accumulation and no issue.  I took I84 in MA, through CT and NY to I81 in PA to I80 in PA to OH then south to I70 west to IN.

I thought I would get on the west side of Indianapolis for the night, but got tired and ended up east of the city on I70.

I woke to a problem with my plan.  I’m the blue dot on map. Snow and ice that was to be further south and east moved into Oklahoma and I had to decide which way I was going to go.  My choices are; Do I drive to Kansas and then south or do I head south through the rain into Texas.  Either way will add to my total drive west, but south is much warmer and I like that best.

I decide to head south once into Illinois, heading to Memphis, TN, on to Little Rock, AR and drive through the weather front on way to Dallas.

Above I’m in Little Rock , AR and just getting gas heading through the storm front.



Above is the kind of stressful driving that wears me down.  It took 2 hrours of driving in this weather and it felt like 4 hours.  I was thinking I would get on the west side of Dallas for the night, but I was worn out and ended up on the east side.

I stopped at a truck stop and went in and had a nice shower.  I then had a salad for dinner and had a great night sleep.

As usual I woke early and saw that Tucson, my destination, was 1025 miles away.  I have been driving long days, but there was this remote chance to drive the whole way today.  Everything was in my favor.  I had a great night sleep, wonderful weather now through the weather front, high speed limits 75 & 80 mph, only 3 cities to go through (Dallas/Fort Worth, ElPaso), early start to day, in the mood if I don’t get tired  first. I don’t drive tired.

I got through the center of Dallas, above, with no problem, as I also did in Fort Worth, and eventually through El Paso, although traffic and construction on I10 west of the city was a little backed up.



Check out my morning shadow of my truck/camper - it looks miniature. 



Started driving before sunrise in TX and the sun is setting on my travels as I drive across New Mexico.

I arrived in Tucson at 9:30 local time and watched the 10 pm news and weather.  Storm off the coast of CA will arrive Saturday night into Sunday with substantial rain and snow in higher elevations.  Glad I made it before the weather.

Officially my drive Friday was 1054.9

I started east of Dallas ad drive to Tucson

17.5 hours of driving

7 pit stops along the way.  Very important to get out and move around for a few minutes.  

This is my first 1000 mile day.  My first year of Prius dwelling I did 960 from west of Houston, TX to North of Knoxville, TN.  I’ve done many 800 mile days and a few 900 mile days but never 1000.  

I can do this because I look at driving as fun.  I like the change of scenery.  I listen to podcasts, stream tunes, listen to the radio, listen to truckers in CB radio.  I have drinks and snacks at arms reach.  I stop ever couple of hours to take a break.  If I get tired I’ll stop and nap or call it quits for the night.  1000 miles wasn’t a goal as I’ve had many chances.  It was just the right circumstances that made it possible.  

My total 3 day trip from MA to Tucson was 2860.5 miles 

Average of 953.5/day.

As I write this I’m relaxing in a McDonalds and then a library to write my blog.  It’s Tucson for a couple days to take on provisions for my trip to Quartzsite, AZ for the RTR gathering.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com