Where do you go...

 

... when you need to buy storage solutions?  Yep: IKEA.  It works for the house and we went in search of a few things for the van.  Plus, a bonus reason (besides wanting to see a Skanka): getting some steps in when the temperature is above 100º.

Arriving at the truly BIG box store...

Photo bombed...

 We started our trek through the "maze."  Joan was looking for some storage and bedding solutions, I was wanting a cabinet that will serve as a night stand between the twin beds.  One of the needs for us: a place to put our stuff when we're in bed - phones, a bottle of water, iPads.  Roadtrek does a good job of making things work double duty, but there is no good place to put your electronics when you're ready to turn over and go to sleep.  It's a fairly snug space, and not really designed for a night stand.

Joan found a bedding solution for her; I already have a sleeping bag that is waiting for a sheet insert.  About half way through that huge store, I found a cabinet with a "push to open" door that is part of a bigger wall storage unit.  You could buy the "cubes" separately.  The hang tag for that item was missing, but we found the aisle and bin where it is located; we continued shopping.

Fourteen hours later, we found our way out of the "IKEA maze."  Yes, I'm kidding.  I don't know how many hours it was, but there were buzzards flying over people who had given up all hope for finding a way out.  We found the cute/cabinet right where it was supposed to be and headed for the check out.  Only two people in front of us, but every self check station was taken by people who have obviously never used a scanner.  When it was our turn, Joan had us out of there in less than 2 minutes.  Don't mess with a pro.

We had parked the van at the far end of the parking lot; there was a skinny tree next to the parking, providing a small bit of shade.  Well, the sun had moved far enough while we were inside that the shade had moved.  A couple other stops, then lunch at Outback - we haven't eaten at one of those in a couple years.  Make mine an Alice Springs Chicken (Joan copied me).

Then a stop at Dollar Tree to see if we could find a small dishpan to fit the sink in the van (no, IKEA didn't have one)... nope.

Then, heading for home (108º along the way).  I really enjoy driving the Roadtrek, but we'll be putting it in storage soon so we can have the driveway back.  It drives nice - good view from that high vantage point (higher than in the Aspect).

Back at home, we carted stuff out of the van, and I went to work on assembling my IKEA purchase.  Since we weren't using this as part of a "whole wall storage solution," there were some parts left over.  Intentionally.  But, the cabinet is going to work well in the van...

It is square, and we will attach it in place when we're ready to use it.  👍

Fire On The Mountain...

 

... lightning in the air.

If you said, "Marshall Tucker Band, 1975, from their album Searchin' for a Rainbow," you get 15 bonus points.

If you said "Wait! What?  There's a fire?" - no bonus points.  Yes, there are actually 4 brush fires just past the southwest foothills of South Mountain.  The temperature is 115º and the wind is at 9 out of the SSE.  We are a bit northeast of where the fire is.  Fortunately for us, that means the smoke is blowing just barely west of us...

The photos above are from our courtyard.  The fire isn't on the mountain, but I needed a song title.  The fire is just beyond the mountain.

It's a Dry Heat...

 

So is an oven.  Looks like 112º for the high today.

 It will be 10 days before the daytime high will be less than 100º.  It is brutal out there mid to late afternoon.  I did get Murphy out this morning (it was 80º at 7:00 am)...

The boy is happy to be home - he likes to get out in the courtyard; mornings are the time for that... it would burn his paws in the afternoon.

Joan and I did get out in the afternoon.  A fine burger (Five Guys) and grocery shopping.  Yes, we took the van.  I'm impressed at how it does as a daily driver.  Pretty sure we won't be using it that way regularly, but I enjoy driving it (like a kid with a new toy).

And... we're back!

 

If you said, "Every radio DJ from the 60s at the end of a twin spin," you get 30 bonus points.  If you said, "What's a 'twin spin'?" get off my lawn ya damn kids.  If you said, "Is there anyone still alive who lived in the 60s?" I am going to come to your house and slap yo Momma for raising such an idiot child.  Yes, I am kidding - yo Momma probably tried her best; it's not her fault that you're an idiot child.

That said, we are back home.  A 3-night outing - not to be confused with Three Dog Night: that was a great band from... nevermind.  Three nights is what we planned.  The goal was to get more acquainted with the new Roadtrek.  We have owned RVs for decades, but each one is different, and this one feels more different from any of the others.  In a new, interesting, more tech oriented kinda way.

A brief synopsis: we were moderately overwhelmed the first night while we tried to figure out where to put stuff.  Then a day trip to the Grand Canyon, where the features of this Class B van really showed.  I'm impressed.

Night two felt more settled.  Until Murphy decided to "sing the songs of his people" starting around 2:00 am.  Like a Bruce Springsteen concert, it went on for hours.  We tried to comfort him, but he finally wore himself out.  Day three was a "chill day," where we lounged in, took Murphy for a couple walks, did a tour of Williams, had a nice lunch out, then back to the campground, where Murph got more outside time, including some "tree time."

This morning, we were ready to head out by 9:30.  A short wait at the dump station in the campground, and while I was getting out the macerator hose, a lady from the small travel trailer behind us asked, "Can I watch you do this?  This is our first time and we don't know what we're doing."  I explained that our van uses a macerator pump, so it will be a bit different.  When we were done, I moved our van, then went back to talk then through the process.  "Thank you SO MUCH," she said, "We would have messed this up!"

I told her, "It's only scary the first time."  I explained that their gravity dump is the way almost all RVs operate and told them some best practices: "Dump the black tank first, close that valve. Dump the gray tank and it will help rinse out the sewer hose after dumping the black."  There was a lot more, and the couple seemed relieved that it isn't a tough process.

We headed down the road, stopping to fuel up - the van and our bellies at a Pilot 20 miles down the road.  We turned off I-40 onto I-17 for a short time, then took Hwy 89A through the Coconino National Forest, and into the Red Rocks area on the way to and through Sedona.  We shot some video of this, and I will pull off some "snapshots" of that later.  It was a beautiful drive, and I got to use the manual up/downshift feature of the transmission on the RAM Promaster to slow our descent on some steep downhills... works great. Then, along the Red Rocks Scenic Byway, which led to I-17 once again.  And from there, it was up and down some hills, into the Phoenix area.

We are home.  It is hot.  "How hot is it?" you ask... yeah, that's an old Johnny Carson bit.  We rolled in around 2:00 pm, and it was 105º.  Joan put out the awning (with the van in the driveway), we fired up the a/c and started the unloading process... we were done in about 45 minutes.

Murphy seems happy to be home.  Joan is definitely happy to be home.  I'm thinking: "It is hotter than the gates of Hell... but I'm happy that everyone is happy."

To quote Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz: "There's no place like home."  To quote the Wicked Witch of the West from that same movie: "I'm melting!!!"

There was a stack of Amazon boxes waiting for us (Steph and Dan brought them into our house) and a few more that got delivered while we were unloaded.  Several of those packages were things Joan ordered while we were out; things for the van.  There are some things we need to do to it to make it "ours."  All in due time.  It will be a while before Joan and Murph are ready to head out again.

Check back later this evening or tomorrow for some photos of today's sights.

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As promised, some "snapshot" images from today's drive - Hwy 89A is a scenic delight...

That's a twisty road...

Pretty red rock formations...

These were shot with the DJI Action 4 camera, which has a wide angle perspective; with us driving right into the sun, there is some glare and reflection in these shots.  Still, it gives you an idea of how striking the scenery is along this drive.

Into Sedona...

It has been a few years since we've been through this area.  The RV parks are pricey around here, but I think we'll make it a point to get back this way when things cool off a bit.

Talent...

 

Music appreciation apparently runs in our family.  Having a guitar in my life has been a thing longer than Joan and I have been together.  I still like to sing and play guitar.  No, we did not bring a guitar along on this trip... while we're learning how to do this Class B lifestyle again, we knew we would be cramped for room.

The first night in the Roadtrek was a bit tough: different bed, learning where to put things without night stands, different noises.  None of us got much sleep.

After getting some exercise walking around the rim of the Grand Canyon yesterday, I knew we'd be ready for a good night's sleep.  And, that is exactly how it played out.  Until I had to get up around 2:45 for the short trip to the bathroom (don't worry, I won't go into more detail about that).  Apparently, my getting up was enough to get Murphy all revved up.

The furry boy likes to be able to look outside, whether we are are home, in the Aspect, or now in the Roadtrek.  The Roadtrek has nice windows, but during the night, all the shades are closed.  Murphy does not like the shades all closed.

Shortly before 3:00 am, the furry boy exhibited his vocal talents... opera, rap, twangy country - the boy gave us his whole repertoire.  The show went on for 2 hours.  In the middle of the night.  At what seemed like an extreme volume, but that may just be the close quarters.  No amount of shushhhhing, scolding, or clamping a hand over his mouth could keep him from sharing his vocal talents.

(Editor's note: oversharing coming, skip this paragraph if you don't care for TMI)  Frequently, Murphy will be very vocal prior to taking a poop.  I don't know why it is called "taking a poop," because you are actually leaving a poop, but I digress.  Murph gets loud and active (as in running about) prior to a poop.  Yep.  The litter box is in the area between our beds, but covered.  He pooped.  Big smell to go with the big noise.  I thought the vocal offerings would subside while we all got to enjoy the fragrant aroma.  I was mistaken.  He went from opera to rock-opera at full arena volume.  At one point, he got up into the storage area above the cab (seriously, it is so tall I can barely reach into it) and flung a box of band-aids down onto the floor.  No, I don't know why.  And at 4:07, I was more concerned about making it stop than pondering why.  Somewhere around 5:07 am, the concert ended.  It was not because I choked the life out of him (it was considered), but I think he ran out of steam.

We were able to get back to sleep (all 3 of us, I think) until just after 7:00.  I'd say we'll all need a nap today, but that rarely works out.

The furry boy has been fed, Joan has had her coffee, I've had my hot chocolate (the coffee maker has been "vinegared" and is working fine again.  Breakfast is under way, and the furry boy is getting to look out the window...

Today is a planned "chill day" - lunch out at Williams, a look around the town.  No excursions.  Maybe there will be time for a nap?  ;-)

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Observations about "living in a van"...

Everyone say it: "Down by the river!"  Chris Farley, Saturday Night Live reference to the Matt Foley sketch.  And, no, we are not "living in the van."  But, we are trying out all the day to day uses with the Roadtrek to see what will need to be addressed.  Much of it is stuff we need to buy or change to make it work for our use.  Only one "shakedown item" (a rattle from one wall where the shade needs more support) that we will probably do ourselves.

The last item to try out: the shower.  Class B vans generally have a wet bath.  You have a toilet, a sink, and a shower; they just all happen to be in the same small space.  Thus, the term "wet bath": you sit on the toilet to shower.  That feature alone turns some people off.  We have had a wet bath in our previous Leisure Travel Van and in our C-Dory (Wild Blue).  It works.  Functional.  And I'd rather shower in my own than go to the campground or marina showers.  I know mine is clean.

This morning, we both christened the shower.  Good and reasonably fast hot water with the Truma Aqua Go tankless water heater.  The shower head doesn't have a water flow shut-off on it... I've never seen that missing in a wet bath, since you are trying to conserve water.  There is no medicine cabinet in the bathroom, so there is no place to put toiletries that you don't want to get wet.  The sink is small, with no place to set stuff around it.  There is a shower curtain you pull across the door to keep the water off the wood and from getting out onto the floor of the van.  It works, but the factory didn't put Velcro® tabs on the shower side (they are on the curtain) to keep it in place when it is pulled out.  The rail that holds the shower curtain hooks has a stopper on one end, but not on the other - probably another oversight at the factory, but if you weren't watching, you could have the shower curtain on the floor.

The shower floor has a fairly aggressive non-skid; good to keep from slipping, but hard on my tender feet.  I'll get used to that.  The drain for the shower is at the back towards the driver's side of the van.  We are reasonably level, but being just a bit higher on the passenger side front would allow better drainage.  Joan was amused that the toilet seat has a slightly concave lid... it makes for a "butt rinse" when you sit down after standing to reach any nether regions with the shower head.  And speaking of the shower head: it is decent, but the hose is stiff as can be... a bit like wrestling with an octopus while in the shower.  Joan already has another one on the way from Amazon.

So, how did the shower work out for you?  Thanks for asking.  It works fine.  We'll be adding some hooks and things to make it work for us, but it is very adequate.  It is just what we expected.  And we are nice and clean.  :-)

No photo - you're welcome.

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The Chill Day...

We toured around Williams today.  This town exists because of Route 66 and being "the Gateway to the Grand Canyon."  While there are a few new buildings, it has a definite 50s and 60s feel to it...

I followed this hot chick for a while...

I think she's into me...

It's probably my animal astigmatism.  It all worked out: I took her out for lunch at an Italian place on the main drag.  We parked the Roadtrek in a regular diagonal parking site, first one on a side street.  We were sticking out a bit in the back, but it is pretty hard to miss.  Murph stayed in air conditioned comfort while we walked around Main Street, then had lunch.

The food was good; not a fancy establishment.  Then, back to the campground... Murphy got some more outdoor time (yes, he got to go for a walk earlier today, too).  This evening, another walk.  When Joan took him outside earlier, she helped him up a tree.  More tree time this evening...

"Look, Dad - I'm a jungle cat!"  Yep.

Ain't It Grand?

 

The Canyon, that is.  We didn't get out as early as we had thought, and got caught in the lines waiting to get into Grand Canyon National Park...

That is a a solid red line for the traffic on that shot of the GPS/map above - it took us an hour and 15 minutes to go a half mile.

Once into the park, it was smooth sailing.  We had no problem finding a parking spot where we fit...

It was warm, but Murphy stayed comfortable in the van with the air conditioning running - this is part of the convenience of the lithium batteries and 3000w inverter, making it no sweat (literally) to keep the coach cool and comfortable.  Joan and I walked to the Visitor's Center, then the "5 minute walk" (there was some heavy breathing, thanks to the elevation) to the first views of the canyon...

I shot a bunch of photos and video (I may put together a video of this trip at some point), but I'll keep it down to 100 or so images on this post (yeah, I'm kidding).

And, the obligatory selfie...

The photos don't do it justice.  It truly is... Grand.  We spent some time driving around; the van is as easy to get around with as a car.  We checked out the RV campground there (couldn't get a site on this short notice) for future reference; the train yard where the passenger trains from Williams (where we are staying) bring people in.  Nice hotels and lodges... and visitors speaking languages from all over the world.

The main purpose of this short getaway is to try out the Roadtrek and all its systems, but this day trip to the Grand Canyon was a delight!

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We're all tuckered out this evening, including the furry boy...

So, How'd It Go?

 

Thanks for asking.  First night out in the new compact motorhome... we're all finding what works for us.  I don't think anyone got much sleep last night.  New bed, different bedding, different noises.

At home, we have a Sleep Number bed - it measures a bunch of different things, including restful sleep, tossing, if you got up and for how long... and then it gives you a "sleep score" on a phone app.  "Oh, look, I got an 88 (out of 100) for my sleep score."  There is nothing like that in the Roadtrek... it has a lot of techie stuff in it that we're still learning how to use, but the beds are dumb... they are just a bed.  If I were going to give a "sleep score" for myself, it would be... 4.  Out of 100.  Joan was thinking hers would be a 5.  Murphy said his was "7, maybe 8."  So, we may all need a nap today.

On the bright side, the Truma furnace was the last of our main systems to be tested, and it works fine... it got down into the 40s last night, and the furnace did its job when we turned it on.  So, we have heat, air conditioning, hot water, TV (cable and antenna), and the "smart" lithium batteries and inverter.  Fridge and freezer work; microwave works (it's only 700 watts).

Unfortunately, our Keurig coffee maker decided to plug up, and we have no vinegar to run through it.  Joan needs her morning coffee, and I need my morning hot chocolate.  The campground has a coffee bar in their office, but they don't open until 8:00 and we were up at 6:00.

Murphy got fed on schedule this, but he didn't eat.  His routine is off, too.  The most important thing for him first thing in the morning is being able to look outside.  At home, we leave the shade on the patio door up enough that he can see out, at any time.  In the Aspect, Joan would raise the shade on her side of the bed and Murph could sit on the night stand to look out.  There are no night stands in this compact Roadtrek.  Lots of windows, but no easy "cat perch."  So he spent the early morning hours (real early) going window to window... and crying.

We need to formulate some systems: how to convert from 2-couch sitting mode to 2-bed sleeping mode.  There are power outlets all around the coach, but very few horizontal surfaces to put our devices for charging.  We'll get it figured out; time and practice.  Open space is snug, so when you move something, you have to plan ahead for where it will go so it doesn't block something else.

The main sitting/gathering place in the Aspect, and also in Wild Blue, was the 4-place dinette.  There is no dinette in the Roadtrek, but there is a Lagun table that rotates and moves (can be attached in the back or in the front), but it is snug for 2 people.

We'll get it figured out.  The Roadtrek is nice; and compact is what we were looking for.  Murphy will adjust, too.  Now we just need to get some coffee.  ;-)

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I forgot to mention this in last night's post: we gassed up the Roadtrek before getting to the campground: almost 18 miles per gallon, and that was a lot of uphill driving.  That's more than double what we usually got with the Aspect.

Shaking Down...

 

If you said, "That's a Taylor Swift song," you lose any bonus points you may have accumulated to this point... that song is "Shake It Off.

We took off this morning in the Roadtrek to give it a proper shakedown cruise.  We had talked about going to Tucson, because we really like the KOA that is associated with Lazy Days (RV sales) - nice facilities and easy to get around.  But, Tucson is in the same situation as Phoenix, with Mother Nature turning up the heat after getting a few days in the 90s... there are Heat Advisories starting on Wednesday, with temps getting towards that 110º range again.

Instead, I suggested we head towards the Grand Canyon - higher elevations making for cooler temps.  Joan booked us 3 nights at the KOA in Williams.  The high temperatures for the next three days: 78º, 81º, and 81º - that sounds great!  We decided to take "the back way" there, with roads going through Wickenburg, Prescott, and then a short stretch on I-40 instead of I-17 north to Flagstaff, then west to Williams.

Since we were going that way, we decided to fuel up, so we can get an accurate idea of fuel burn, then stop at our storage to get a couple things out of the cargo trailer...

 Joan likes the Fry's in Goodyear, so we stopped there so she could get a few things, while Murphy and I parked the van and waited.  We have driven the van around since we got it, and found some of the shopping center and restaurant parking lots have short parking sites - we're a couple feet too long to fit in just one site.  But, Fry's has parking sites they way they ought to be...

That's a good fit!  From there, it was west to the Loop 303, heading north...

The van has a comfortable ride and handles car-like.  We are enjoying the ride...

We turned onto Hwy 60, towards Wickenburg.  We stopped at the rest area just outside of Wickenburg, where I got Murphy some lunch and Joan made lunch for us.  Now, to be fair, we could have stopped at any of the fast food places in Wickenburg... because we can.  But, this was our first "lunch in" with the new Roadtrek.

Wickenburg is growing, but there is a lot of desert out there...

We turned off of Hwy 93 (which would take you to Laughlin and Las Vegas), and onto Hwy 89, heading towards Prescott...

The first town you come to on this road is Congress - a small desert town...

Out of Congress, you get into mountains and curves...

It is quite a climb in this area, going from around 2,000' elevation in Wickenburg to over 6,000'...

Murphy spent the first half of the ride in his carrier - this is all new, compared to the Aspect.  He got some lap time in, as well...

Murph also got to explore around the van.  The boy is curious, and he is discovering that the Roadtrek isn't full of cat-killers.

Prior to Prescott, the road gets very twisty and the speed limit is down to 35 mph for about 30 miles - it would be a good road on the scoots, but the Roadtrek handled it just fine.

We have never been to Prescott before - it is a pretty city in the high desert (5,319' elevation)...

I didn't get a photo of it (doing that driving stuff), but we went by Air Village - I would describe it as a boutique hotel, but instead of rooms, they have refurbished old Airstream and Avion trailers - great concept!  (file photo)

 

From Prescott, it was mostly highway to get to I-40, going past a pretty small lake and some interesting rock formations...

And then getting into our site at the RV park in Williams...

This is the first time we've been able to connect all the hookups - everything is working great.  It took us a while to figure out how to program the "smart" TV for the cable here at the campground.  Joan made us supper, Murphy got to spend time at that big sliding door (with the screen), and looking out the rear windows.  The views are pretty good with the windows on all sides; Murphy appreciates that.

We plan to go to the Grand Canyon tomorrow (about 50 miles north of here), making it a day trip.  Sites at the RV "village" in the park book up months in advance (yeah, I looked).  As I recall, it is a nice drive (it has been years since we've been here).  When we unplug and head out, we won't have to pack a cooler, won't have to hunt for a bathroom, and Murphy will be comfortable if a/c is necessary.  And, did I mention: we fit in most normal parking spots!

Murph is settling in for the evening...