How To Enjoy Your Trip More And Save Money Too
After having traveled by bicycle, motorcycle, car, truck, motor home, boat, airplane, (I'm also a private pilot) and even horse and mule, I've learned a lot about the wonderful freedom we in America have to travel. This is a freedom many in other countries do not have. This is a freedom I love! On the following pages, I will share with you some of the things I've learned in nearly 60 years of wandering about in this great North America. I do not pretend to be the great authority, but as you peruse these tips I think you may learn some things which will make your excursion more enjoyable and less expensive. I hope you enjoy your trip immensely. Burl the Trucker
Getting Started
Make A List 1) The very first thing to do is to make a list of all the things you may need for your trip. This list should be well thought out and talked about with your traveling companion(s). Do not duplicate items that can be used by all parties. In other words if one of you is bringing a shower/outhouse tent there is probably no need to bring another. Keep this list with you. It should probably be in a small notebook which you can keep in your pocket or glove box. As you enjoy your trip and find that there are things you brought that you're not using, mark them off the list. If you wind up needing something that was not on the list, add it on the list for your next trip. After a few trips you'll have your own customized list and the packing for the next trips will be a breeze. One very important item you should have on your list is water. There are some really neat water dispensers on the market if you don't mind lifting 3-5 gallons of water around every time you need a little water for something. However, tightwad that I am, I actually prefer to use gallon plastic containers. They are carried and stored easier than the larger, more cumbersome containers. I like the ones that a couple of the ready-made teas come in. They are very stout and durable and have excellent resealable lids. You may have a different idea for this purpose, but just make sure that the container is strong and that you have thoroughly cleaned it and checked for any leakage. Don't Squish The Bread 2) Whether you're going in a motor home, car or a pickup you need to carefully plan out how you're going to pack everything in the amount of space you have available. Think this out carefully not only for the sake of space but also keeping in mind what is fragile or squash-able (is that a word?). IE, you don't want the eggs under the cases of soda pop, or the loaf of bread under the inflatable boat. Unless you're planning to stop at cafes for every meal and snacks, you should pack the food stuff where it will be easy to get to without having to move a lot of your other things while still in the travel mode. Check It Out 3) Check or have your vehicle checked out. Good or good enough tires? Is the air pressure right? In every tire? Got a good spare? Do you need to add or change oil? Is your gas tank filled? Got the windows clean? Is your tool kit handy, just in case? Been hearing any funny noises while driving it lately? These are things that will probably be a lot cheaper and a lot less aggravating to take care of before you leave. Get A Map 4) Get a map and plan your route. I use Mapquest web site quite a bit and really do appreciate the routing's and the in-city directions. But, being from the 'old school' I always keep an atlas handy. I don't like toll roads and avoid them like the plague whenever possible. You may have some likes or dislikes and you can plan around them or to them by using a good atlas or state map. Maps aren't given away at the service stations any longer, but you can get them for around $3-4 at convenience or department stores. If you're going thru more than just one state you might as well go ahead and get an atlas for just a little more than what a map would cost. While in the planning stage you may want to go to my 'Helpful Web Pages' to get some ideas on the type of camping, the general or specific area you'd like to visit, where you'll stop along the way, etc. Along the lines of saving you money and probably the aggravation of finding a good campground at a very reasonable rate, you may want to go to Campgrounds As Low As $10.00 A Day...Across The USA...Everyday! These are really nice folks who will save you some money and are glad to answer any questions you may have.
If You Will Be Camping With A Tent
If you'll be 'tenting', you need to get your tent out and do some checking and maintenance. Even the best tents need to be cared for so they will give you the longest and best service possible. 1) Unroll and unfold it. (You really didn't wad it up the last time you used it, did you? Your tent should always be thoroughly dry and folded and neatly rolled when you're headed back home. If you leave camp in wet weather, as soon as you get home or to a dry place it needs to be opened up and wiped down, then allowed to dry completely before folding then rolling before storing it.) A tip on rolling your tent: You may need to open a flap or slightly unzip a zipper in order to allow any trapped air to escape in order for the roll to be tight. 2) After it is opened on the floor or on a dry lawn or porch or? you need to check the zippers and probably lube the entire zipper with some graphite or a commercial zipper lube. After the zipper(s) have been lubed, you should zip and unzip them a few times to get the lube worked in. Do not force the zipper! Which brings me to another tip: Try to never walk on your tent. If you happen to step on a zipper it can be ruined in one instant. 3) If there are no tears or holes, then you can now neatly fold and roll your tent and pack it in your trunk/pickup bed or trailer. If you do have some damage, you need to get a canvas or the appropriate fabric repair kit and make the necessary repairs before you hit the woods.
If You Will Be Towing A Trailer
Load It Right 1) One thing that I have seen far too often over the years is accidents and near accidents caused by improperly loaded trailers. The trailer starts to weave back and forth and the driver has to rapidly slow or the trailers weaving causes the car or pickup to go out of control and the result is never pretty. I see this several times a year and I often think, "Well he's learning the hard way". This is caused by only one thing that I know of; not enough weight on the front of the trailer. Your trailer needs to be loaded front heavy by about 100 to 200 lbs. In other words, when you lift the tongue of the trailer you should be lifting 100-200 lbs. Much more will cause too much load on the rear of your towing vehicle and cause some instability when steering. Much less will cause the above mentioned problems and very possibly a wreck. This is not something you want to overlook when towing a trailer ! Backing 2) Backing a trailer is a learned skill. If you don't know how to back a trailer, then make sure you don't get in a situation where you need to until you can get out on an empty parking lot and practice. Be very careful ! If you start going the wrong way and don't correct it immediately you can ruin not only the trailer but the rear end of your towing vehicle too ! Practice, Practice, Practice ! A couple of hints about backing a trailer: A) You have to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction that you normally would if just backing the car/pickup, then be sure to quickly follow the trailer as it turns. If you do not follow the trailer quickly enough, your rig will 'jackknife' and you will damage both trailer and the rear and/or side of the towing vehicle. Go very slow ! B) Be sure to watch out for the front of your car/pickup, since you will be swinging it sometimes widely to follw the trailer. You will need to watch carefully thru your side rear view mirrors. (I realize that these things are elemental and may sound a bit silly if you're an 'old hand' at backing, but there are many people that will be reading this that have never tried backing a trailer.) The Trailer Has Tires Too 3) Don't forget that the trailer has tires too. Therefore you would do well to bring a spare tire and wheel for it and make sure your jack and lug wrench will work for it as well. (If they won't work for the trailer wheels, then you need to get another jack and/or lug wrench for it.) You might not believe how many loaded trailers I see dropped along side the road with a flat. The traveler has had to drop it and run to town, hope there is a tire shop open, hope no one pilfers from the trailer while he's gone. Likely he'll have to pay a higher price to get another tire etc. than if he'd gotten a spare tire and wheel before he left home. My motto is: "Always be prepared" !
Covering Your Load
One of the things I see a lot of is improper tarping of loads. Even professional drivers of flat-bed trailers do it. Whether you have a top of the line canvas or rubberized tarp or one of the less expensive (none of them are cheap any more) department store plastic tarps, your tarp will be ruined very quickly if not secured properly. Don't Poke A Hole In It 1) Make sure your load does not have any sharp items sticking out that will come into contact with the tarp. If there are such items, then you need to adjust the load a bit or cover the item with something to eliminate the sharpness; ie, an old quilt or very thick blanket or sleeping bag etc. Whatever it takes, you must get rid of anything that will, with wind whipping over it, rub or tear a hole in your tarp. Cover Up 2) The tarp needs to cover the entire load, even the front, rear and sides of the trailer, down far enough that a wind driven rain will not get up under the tarp. So, the tarp needs to be large enough. A rule of thumb that I have found pretty effective is: Take the size of the trailer or pickup bed and add 3 feet to it. That will give you the minimum size tarp that you need. Example: If your pickup or trailer bed is 5'X8', you should get a tarp that is about 8'X11'. If your load is much over the top of the trailer or pickup bed sides you will need to adjust the size of your tarp accordingly. Don't Scrimp On The Straps 3) Use tarp straps or bungee cords to secure the tarp. Do not use rope for this ! The wind currents being whipped across your load at highway speeds will very quickly tear the grommets out if there is no give to allow the tarp to spring back when forced up a bit by the wind. Don't scrimp on the straps. If your tarp does not have many grommets in which to secure the straps, then you can get a grommet replacement kit and use either the permanent or temporary type to get more grommets on the tarp. To a point, the more, the better. The more straps you have, the less strain on each grommet. Not Too Tight 4) The straps or bungees should be stretched only about half length for the proper snugness. If they are too tight, there will not be enough give. Too loose and there will be too much movement of the tarp and it will be flopping badly and will wear out in no time at all. Pay special attention to the rear of the load. It takes the most punishment and will quickly be in shreds if not secured properly. One of the recent items on the market is a load net of rubber or other stretchable material that helps to hold the tarp down all over the entire load. I have not tried one yet, but they strike me as being very useful. Click here to go to page 2: On The Road
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