Son of the Morning?
October 21st, 2008I’m Burnin’ Daylight
This is horrendous. A disaster. This morning I didn’t wake up until 7:20!
I exaggerate for effect. How unusual.
I have been getting up at 6:30 to start the day off right with Communion and prayer and so on. It’s fantastic. I actually look forward to getting up, which is beyond weird. I do my religious stuff, and I go out and tend the plants, and I get the birds ready for their day, and by the time the world is functioning, I already have a good day going. I’m hoping I can eventually find it in myself to move it to 6:00 or 5:30, although I would have to go to bed no later than 9 p.m. in order for 5:30 to work. Waking up 50 minutes late was highly disturbing. I felt like a degenerate.
A month or two ago, I always shot for 7:30, but it seemed like I always ran into a situation that kept me up late or interrupted my sleep, so generally, I was managing 8:00 or 8:30, and it wasn’t unusual to wake up at 9:30. I am not having these problems any more.
The writer Georges Simenon filled shelves with popular books. When he was asked how he managed to write so much, he said he worked from 5:30 to 8:30 every morning, and that was about it. I don’t know if he was serious, but Stephen King, who is also prolific, says he writes for four hours a day. There is something about the early hours that makes them more productive. Maybe it’s the simple fact that other people aren’t awake to distract you and waste your time.
I use my TV as an alarm clock. Twice, it has let me down. I have no explanation. Both times, I checked the settings, and they were correct. I guess I’ll have to use a backup.
Here is odd news. My father visited Mancamp this weekend, sort of. We were actually next door, at Pat’s house. Pat has built a magnificent outdoor bar and grill. While my dad was there, he took a look at Pat’s new travel trailer. These things are going dirt cheap right now, so Pat got himself one. Dad was very taken with it, and now he feels he has to have one. Or a motorhome.
Guess who has been assigned the duty of helping him research?
I had a feeling my readers would know about stuff like this, so let me ask. I tend to think his best bet is a trailer and a pickup. The total cost is cheaper than an RV, and you don’t have to drag a crappy little car so you’ll have something to drive when your house is parked. You can take off in the pickup. Also, the pickup is useful in and of itself, when you’re not traveling. And it should be easier to repair than an RV. He has a choice between a regular trailer connection and a bigger one that requries a fifth wheel. Seems to me that the fifth wheel will ruin the pickup.
Anyone have any clues to share?
Also, what brands should he avoid? So far he believes Coachmen looks good.
He wants me to join him on trips from time to time. The obvious question: what do you do with two parrots in a situation like that? You can’t put them in a pickup, unless you want to eat all your meals in the truck while you’re driving. The alternative is leaving them in the hot pickup interior to die. You can’t keep them in the trailer with no air conditioning. And what would you do with them when the trailer was parked? You can’t sleep in a trailer with two parrots. Impossible. I you put them outside, they’d be in danger from predators, kooks, thieves, and exposure. And indoors, they would fling seeds everywhere. I guess they’d have to go to the bird hotel, which means short trips only.
The up side of all this, apart from the possibility of spending some quality time with my father, is that he may get a pickup, which would mean I could steal it when needed, instead of buying my own.
Not that I ever think that way.
October 21st, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Regarding the parrots: why can’t you sleep with them in the trailer with you? Noise? I’ve got a friend with a bunch of macaws and cockatoos. Sometimes the cockatoos get rambunctious at night, and have to be covered so they’ll quiet down and go to sleep. Would that work for you?
Alternatively, do you know someone trustworthy who could come over to your house daily and feed/water/spend some time with them?
October 21st, 2008 at 3:05 PM
I’m a light sleeper, and parrots bang around in their cages at night, making sounds like “toing toing toing” as they climb on the bars.
As for bird-sitting, I think the bird hotel people do a great job, and they’re not expensive.
October 21st, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Airstreams are nice, but costly. My aunt and her husband spend 7 months of the winter down in Arizona in a 34 foot Excella. Try a Safari (23 ft) or Bambi (16 or 19 ft) model. Bigfoot trailers and campers are great too.
If you want a light, nice trailer for relatively shot trips, look into a Casita. It’s fiberglass and comes in 13, 16 and 17 foot models.
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/
I’ve been looking for a cheap old “canned ham” style trailer from the 1960’s. Trouble is, they all have water damage or have been “retro-restored” to the point of ironic comedy.
Maybe think about a pickup truck and a nice cab-over camper. You can park it, unload the camper and drive the truck. Arctic Fox campers are great. Make sure you get a truck that can carry the weight.
October 21st, 2008 at 3:39 PM
On the same note as Mumblix, we’ve been very happy with our 16′ Scamp, which is another “fiberglass bubble” type trailer (there are several regional makers of these things). Roomy enough (just barely) for my wife and I and 2 kids, and light enough for a standard V6 vehicle to tow (and for one person to manhandle it onto the hitch if you have a wheel on the front). Note: it might work for your dad alone, but sleeping arrangements for two non-married adults are not very roomy (one of you ends up on what amounts to a couch).
October 21st, 2008 at 7:06 PM
You could also get a pet sitter so the birds don’t have to leave the house and be traumatized. The only way you could take them with you on long trips would be if a huge motorhome were purchased.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:19 PM
I would not recommend a smaller trailer, such as any of those named above, for anyone not sleeping with their traveling partner. Father and son definitely need separation at night. We have been trailering since 1993. We have always had an around 27″ trailer that has a definite living area and bedroom. Now that they mostly come with slideouts they are pretty roomy. Put the birds in their cages and travel with them. Many people do, I see it all the time. I recommend a pickup or suburban type vehicle to pull it.
We currently have a special ordered Mobile Scout, but I wouldn’t do it again. One off the lot would be fine. I’m sure you can find a good deal, new or used. Just be sure it has separate rooms for you and Dad as things can get a little techy, if you know what I mean.
I personally would prefer a motorhome with bathroom available at all times but my husband has declared he never wanted to be a bus driver.
October 21st, 2008 at 9:18 PM
My grand-daddy stuck with Coachman, but that was 30 years ago. I personally would only have an Airstream, but I love the retro look of them, and the quality way they are built.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 AM
We have a 1975 Avion 28′ travel trailer. Like the Airstream, they’re timeless and will be on the road long after the SOBs (Some Other Brands) are in the junkyard. The advantage to a travel trailer as opposed to a 5th wheel is that you have the use of the truck bed. During most of our travelling, we have a cap on the truck that would probably accomodate your birds. We have cats and have someone come to the house daily to feed them.
Do NOT make the mistake of buying a too-small truck before getting the trailer! Learn about things like GCVWR, as your life is (literally!) on the line. It’s not complicated, but a bit of study beforehand will save trouble and expense later.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 AM
Fifth wheel trailers are much more stable and tend to oscillate less. A big regular hitch trailer will need weight equalizers. Another plus for fifth wheels is maneuverability. If you turn short with a regular hitch, you might rearrange bodywork. You’d about have to jackknife with a fifth wheel to bend something.
If you are worried about the ball in the bed of the pickup being in the way, recessed versions are available that pop up when needed.
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:58 AM
Just a bit of definition from someone who hauls trailers at work.
A BUMPER HITCH is that- a ball that attaches somehow to the back end of your truck..
A GOOSE NECK is one that sits on a ball right above the axle, inside the pick up bed.
A FIFTH WHEEL is the one that looks like the thing a semi ses under their trailers.
Both fifth wheels and goose necks are much more manouverable than a bumper hitch.
Then you have the differing wiring pigtails to think about- but they make adaptors to make all work.
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:19 AM
I have towed trailers and fifth wheels. The differences are real but both have advantages and disadvantages. Fifth wheels tend to have better sleeping arrangements for sleeping partners, travel trailers for separate sleepers. It depends more on layout of the individual RV than what type it is.
Having a motorhome nearly necessitates a toad. (Towed Vehicle) And all it comes with, hitch and insurance wise. A real pain in the nether region. It is not without cause that it’s called a toad. The coolest looking Motorhome-Toad combo I ever saw was a full size (HUGE) diesel powered Greyhound conversion towing a VW Westphalia camper van. Both were detailed to look like father and son. It must have costf a million dollars at least. Magnum grade coolness though.
Fifth wheels are easier and more stable on the road, and far easier to learn to back up. The hitches can fairly easily be removed, leaving only a pair of low rails across the bed between the wheel wells. Not a big deal.
Travel trailers have only the drawbar to take off and store when not in use. Even less of a deal. A PIA to learn to back, but it can be done. Obviously. Either one allows the use of a cross-body box for locking up “stuff”.
All in all I prefer a 5th wheel. Look at Alpenlite.
October 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 PM
My wife and I have a smallish travel trailer and my parents have the deluxe fifth wheel. I absolutely recommend a fifth wheel over a travel trailer. It’s much easier to hitch and unhitch, the levelling is usually easier and sturdier. You can also tow a much larger trailer and still not have an enormously long total length. You can make sharper corners and backing up is generally easier. Fifth wheels generally start out much better equipped and roomier than travel trailers and always have better storage. I would strongly consider a KZ built version. Everything I’ve seen of theirs has been well made and also efficiently laid out and attractive.
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:30 PM
This year, Barb and I have spent over 5 weeks on the road in this:
.
http://www.crossroadsrv.com/line/fp_large.asp?line=z&type=TT&fp=14008
.
Two years ago, we spent sometime researching and found this was the best one to meet our needs (Barb and I plus two kids and a dog):
– Separate Bedrooms for Parents and Kids
– Large Slide out (for more room)
– Travel Trailer (bikes go in the bed of the PU)
– Extra room (bunks) for kid’s friends
.
I strongly suggest going to an RV Show and looking at the different models and make sure to try out the beds! I found the queen bed on ours was good for me, but the bunks are too short (but its okay for the kids, so we got it anyway).
.
For shows, try:
http://www.frvta.org/rvshows.asp
.
As for travel trailer versus fifth wheel, I generally agree that fifth wheels are easier to tow, but I really like having the bed of the truck open for hauling additional items (bikes, fire-pits, firewood, etc…anything I don’t want haul inside the truck or the camper). And I haven’t had any real problems towing or parking (although some sites can be a little tight).
.
Maybe you can put your Harley in the bed of the truck?
October 24th, 2008 at 12:43 AM
I guess I am getting lazy, My cell phone has a wake up alarm that fires even when phone is off. havent set an alarm clock in a few years..
bob
October 24th, 2008 at 11:40 PM
When you lay on the brakes hard, the bumper hitch trailer will steer the truck. The hitch being about 5 feet behind the rear axel, it has a 5 foot lever to force turning the frame. The goose-neck or 5th wheel pivots right above the rear axel, and can’t put steering pressure onto the frame of the truck like the bumper hitch will.
Yes, I’ve laid on the brakes hard with a goose-neck. The brake controller blew the fuse (they’re not supposed to be fused). I had a really heavy trailer about 10k. The truck only turned slightly to the right. If’ I’d had a bumper hitch, it would have been a wreck.
You can get a 30amp self-resetting fuse for about $10.