theboondork's RV blog

relaxing at the big O tire store

7/19/2018

theboondork's old truck getting freshened up for next winter's travels.

This morning was spent sitting in the waiting room of a Big O Tire store while I waited on them to change my oil, rotate my tires, and change my fuel filter. And I have to admit it was nice to relax in air-conditioned comfort while others did the hard work that I used to do myself.

I was there for about two and half hours, but in those 2 1/2 hours I got everything done that I normally do to the truck every summer when I've put it off as long as possible. So it was good to get it all done at once so I can clear that out of my mind and start putting off other things I should be doing.

Of course not doing it yourself is kind of expensive and in this case $318 expensive. But the thing to look at is the cost of labor, because if I had done it myself I still would've had to buy the filters and the synthetic oil, so what it really cost me is the labor for having them do the job, and the labor came to $120. So I have to ask myself how long would it take me to do that job without the proper tools and the difficulty of working under the truck in the heat, and the answer is, "too long".

So to my way of thinking it was worth paying them 120 bucks so I could sit in an air-conditioned waiting room, watching YouTube on my cell phone while guys far younger than I had hot oil running down their arms, after all they need the job and all I need is to be happy.

theboondork

I'm glad I don't have to have hot oil running down my arm. been there done that.

18 Comments

Darrell

7/20/2018 11:56:50 am

Looks like you're getting all geared up for winter travels. Have you decided where you plan to winter? With such a hot summer, it's anyone's guess as to how the winter will be.

Tom

7/21/2018 08:36:11 am

Yeah since Denver has become kind of a home base for me I try to do my travel preparation work while I have access to lots of stores and a permanent address that I can have things sent to. I never planned on doing it this way, it just sort of happened.

I'm still leaning towards going to the Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida area this winter. If I can live in that area successfully for the winter then that will conceivably give me the entire southern part of the United States from Florida to Arizona that I can spend winters in without getting bored or in a rut.

I have found that now that I can go anywhere I want, anytime I want, I have a tendency of wanting to go to the same place over and over again. And I think it could be that there's a sense of safety going to the same place because I know where things are and how to get there, so everything feels familiar and I feel like I'm a part of it.

But at the same time I'm having that warm fuzzy feeling for being in a familiar place, I get mad at myself for taking the easy road and not challenging myself. So in a way I have to force myself to go to new places but I'm always happy when I do. In the mountains we have a saying that anyone can go downhill, to get stronger you've got to climb the mountain. So going to new places for me is like climbing the mountain, I don't really like it when I'm doing it, but I love the view from the top.

Tom

Tim

7/20/2018 01:18:24 pm

I'm not looking forward to the cost of oil changes for the new truck. I've been spoiled because I had free oil changes for the life of my SUV, which I had taken advantage of for over 15 years. A lot more oil for this truck than the SUV.

Tomorrow, I go pick up the new truck. It's funny that I don't really mind paying the money so much, but I'm really going to miss the old SUV that runs like a top and is easy to get around town (but I'm nervous about taking on long trips). However, I thought I was going to miss my house, but it didn't bother me at all - I'm hoping letting go of the SUV is the same.

Also, I've spoken with the RV dealership and they are getting the Arctic Fox ready for pick-up, which will probably be at the end of August. I was also concerned about finding a place to store the RV (since I live in an apartment right now), but my top pick has a spot for me and the price is really reasonable. I also asked if I could install the solar panels on their lot and they said "Sure, no problem - people do that kind of stuff here all the time", so another issue resolved.

So, it looks like it's all starting to come together. I still feel really good about the decision to stay here a little longer (but ask me how I feel about that decision in January).

Tom

7/21/2018 09:24:18 am

It seems like a lot of new vehicles require synthetic oil, so if yours does it will take 10 quarts and cost around $130 or so to get it changed. As a matter of reference, my first car didn't cost that much.

I wish I was going to go pick up a new truck. With any luck you're going to have many many miles of worry free travel. Getting around town in a truck will take a little getting used too. But it's a lot better to do it now than wait till you have a 30 foot trailer behind it. And picking up the Arctic Fox at the end of August will give you plenty of time to get used to the truck.

I have found that some storage places don't mind you working on things, but for some insurance won't allow it.

Some of the things that I have found indispensable while working on the Arctic Fox is a telescoping ladder, to get up on the roof. You can get up there with the ladder it comes with but as you will soon find out it's not easy or fun, especially while carrying stuff. My Milwaukee 18 volt cordless drill is my most used tool. They make more powerful ones but there's nothing on an Arctic Fox that should require more power than that, everything I've done to my Arctic Fox has been done with that drill. I have a lot more tools than that of course, but those two things I consider indispensable.

When your shiny new truck is sitting outside, and your Arctic Fox is a few miles away just waiting to be hitched up. You going to be looking at the Internet and seeing all of us full timers camped under a palm tree on the Gulf Coast, or next to a Saguaro in the desert and you're going to wonder why in the world you're still sitting there in the snow and the cold..... And we will all be wondering to.

Tom

Tim

7/23/2018 08:00:37 am

Hi Tom,

Well, I now have the new truck. They gave me a decent offer on the trade in for the SUV, so I took it and traded it in. I had thought about keeping the SUV and selling it myself later, but I know that I would have used it more than the truck and I need to drive the truck as much as possible (to get used to it) before picking up the Arctic Fox.

I want to thank you for the great advice on 1) Not getting a dually. This would have been a huge mistake, especially where I'm living now; and 2) Not getting a long bed. It's long enough as it is - I can't imagine trying to maneuver a long bed around.

You are right, it is going to take some getting used to, especially when running errands around town. I've driven many trucks over the years, including some pretty big pick-ups for work. However, none of them were crew cab 3500's. This is a whole different beast. Parking in particular is a challenge, but every time I park, I'm learning a few tricks that is making it easier.

The good thing is this truck just wants to be on the highway cruising. I was worried that the 3500 would be rough (and maybe it is compared with the 2500), but it seems pretty smooth to me (but that's compared to a 16 year old SUV). Also, that diesel just hums and is much, much quieter than I was expecting.

I wasn't prepared for all the fancy gadgets, buttons, switches, and computers on this truck. It's overwhelming and I spent some time yesterday sitting in a parking lot just going through it all. As a comparison, the cassette player in my SUV was about the most sophisticated thing on that vehicle.

So, Phase 1 (Buy the RV) and Phase 2 (Get the Truck) are now complete. Next, it's on to Phase 3 (Prepare the Truck for Hauling the RV) and Phase 4 (Go Get the RV). Next up is purchasing the Andersen Hitch and figuring out all the other stuff I'll need (leveling blocks, water hoses, etc.) for the trip to pick it up.

I did keep a decent set of tools and have quite a collection of rechargeable tools, including drills, impact drivers, saws, etc. There are a few things I need to get, such as a good torque wrench and a telescoping ladder. I'm guessing my tool collection will increase again with this RV; I had a full workshop in my basement at the house, but whittled it down to three Rigid stacking tool boxes.

It suddenly feels very, very real. Up until now, I didn't really see any difference in my life, but with the purchase of the truck, things are starting to change. And yes, when you start posting photos of palm trees and margaritas in January, I'm going to be very, very jealous.

Tom

7/23/2018 10:52:37 am

Well that's great Tim, you're well on your way to becoming a full-timer. You've got the expensive, difficult stuff out of the way and now it's easy peasy from here on out. In fact other than changing addresses and drivers license and things like that....everything else is fun.

To me the only thing more fun than driving a brand-new truck to pick up a brand-new trailer is modifying the truck and trailer to fit your brand new life style.

One of the secrets to using a truck as a daily driver is to park as far away from everyone as possible. When I go to Walmart I Park far away from the front door out where the RVs are parked, even when I'm not towing. And I do that to all the big-box stores and anyplace else where it's possible. The benefits are, people not banging their doors into my truck, parking spaces are easy to find, and I get some free exercise walking to and from the store.

The Duramax is smooth and quiet, and it's going to take a while to break it in. I didn't get my best fuel mileage until I had about 50,000 miles on the engine. And speaking of fuel, until you get used to it, when you pull up to the pump at the gas station keep telling yourself, get the diesel not the gas, get the diesel not the gas,

I believe the only difficult things that lie ahead now are mental. With the purchase of the rolling stock out of the way your pretty much left with, logistics, decisions, and mental hurdles. It sounds like you've got the logistics figured out with your different phases, and the decisions about what to do and when to do it will start to become more apparent as time goes on, and the decisions that seem difficult now will almost make themselves when the time comes. The mental hurdles are a little more difficult.

Things like leaving a long-held job. Moving away from a place that's been home for many years, and saying goodbye to old friends, are often as not what keeps a lot of people from making the change to a full-time lifestyle. Those of us that are full timers have made those decisions and know how difficult they can be. And no matter how much you've thought about it, or how anxious you are to hit the road, pulling out of the driveway for the last time is a heartrending experience.

But with a tow vehicle and a trailer you're pretty much committed now to at least trying the gypsy life. So if you can avoid putting mental road blocks in your way, both now and after you move into the Arctic Fox, you will feel what freedom really is and wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Tom

Tim

7/23/2018 12:18:25 pm

The "getting diesel instead of gas" issue has been bouncing around in my brain all weekend. I'm trying to trick my brain into thinking that the only thing that works in vehicles is diesel. It helps that I have a 36 gallon tank, so it'll be an event when I do get diesel, which should help. I think what I'm more worried about is when I take a company pool car on a trip and forget that it takes gas and put diesel in it; that wouldn't go over well at work.

I've already started parking far away, which is really helpful; except at my apartment, where I have assigned parking. We have a parking garage at work, but based on the listed height, I can't get into it now. So, I just parked in the lot, which means I walk a little farther and have a few more steps - all of which is probably good for my health anyway. I'm going to try like mad to never have to take it into "The City"; that was bad enough in the SUV.

I think things will be different when I get out of the Northeast. Once I learn how to get around here, out west should be a piece of cake in comparison (outside of the big cities). Of course, the next step will be learning how to pull the fifth wheel, which will probably make parking the truck by itself seem like nothing.

I have quite a bit of vacation time left this year, so when I go get the RV, I'm going to try to get out there as fast as safely possible and then slowly travel back, hopefully only doing a couple of hundred miles a day. My guess is that trip will get me more excited about the lifestyle and moving on with my life; but, time will tell.

You are right, the mental part of this is one of the toughest hurdles. There are several reasons why staying until the Spring makes sense, including some minor medical procedures I need to get done this fall, plus staying will help financially. Also, I can take my time getting the solar and batteries installed, which should be fun.

It's funny how the mind works, though. All last week, I was getting really sentimental about the SUV and letting it go. That lasted until I drove up to the dealership and saw the brand new, shiny truck. For some reason, at that point I realized that they are just machines and the memories are in my brain. With the new truck lies the potential to make new memories instead of dwelling on the past.

Yes, you are right. I feel that I'm committed to at least giving it a shot. I'm committing to at least 3 years and then reevaluating what I think and if I want to make any changes (for example, maybe getting a winter base and traveling in the summer). Like you've mentioned, plans keep changing in this lifestyle and I think I've already changed my plans at least a dozen times so far. Heck though, with everything I have marked on Google Earth, I don't see how I'll get to everything in my lifetime. I've been watching folks driving to Alaska, so now that's on my list as well.

BTW, how often do you put DEF in? I asked the salesman, but he didn't give me a very good answer.

Hope your planning for visiting the south in the winter is going well!

Tom

7/23/2018 02:41:35 pm

Height restrictions are something you will have to get used to, not just while pulling the Arctic Fox but with the truck as well. not every drive through, or as you already know, parking garage, will fit a truck.

There's so many big cities in the East I don't know how you're going to avoid them, but in the West there fairly easy to avoid and about the only time I end up in a big city is when I have to go there for some reason. But yes the farther you stay from big cities the better off you will be when pulling the Arctic Fox. Fortunately for me big cities don't provide anything I'm interested in so avoiding them is easy.

Also keep in mind that when traveling as a full timer there should be no need to hurry, so if you have to drive out of your way to give a big city a wide birth it's no big deal, you're not in a hurry, and the view will be a lot prettier.

Learning to pull a trailer is gained through experience and there's no better experience than hitching up and going someplace. And it can't be all that hard because I can do it. I would advise that when you're pulling the Arctic Fox back home that you stay on the big roads, interstates and four-lane roads, and for the time being avoid the small roads.

Narrow two-lane blacktop's and the little towns with little gas stations that they serve is not a good place to learn how to deal with a large trailer. You be able to do that soon enough but for your first trip I would say stay on the interstates. There's plenty of room to correct any mistakes and when you pull off to get fuel chances are the station will be big enough for you to maneuver in.

That's a great idea to slowly come back home when you get the Arctic Fox, I would say the longer it takes the better. The more days and nights that you spend in the Arctic Fox before you actually start making changes to it, the more insight you will have about how to make it into a home. And not just any home, but a home that suits you. And that insight can only be gained by watching TV, cooking, sleeping, and using your computer while living in the Arctic Fox.

And I would heartily recommend spending a night or two at or near the dealership that's selling you the Arctic Fox. So they can repair anything that doesn't work right before you leave the area.

By the end of my first year of full timing most of my well thought out, and well-intentioned plans on how I was going to live had been left in the dust. It's really hard to make plans about something you've never done before. Your best plans will be slowly formed as you start living your full-time lifestyle, and even they will change as you get more experience in the way you want to live your life.

I don't have any experience with DEF. my truck is a 2007 so it's pre-DEF. so the only thing I know about DEF is that you pour it into a tank in your truck and when it gets low a light goes on and tells you to buy some more.

I will make a wild prediction and say that by the time you get the Arctic Fox home and your used to the feel of the truck with the Arctic Fox trundling along behind you, and your mind is overflowing with ideas about things you want to do with the trailer..... YOU WILL BE HOOKED!

Tom

Tim

7/24/2018 01:19:29 pm

I had a lengthy response to your last post, but I accidentally deleted it. So, here's the short version.

The truck is getting easier every day. Probably by the time I pick up the RV, it'll feel like old hat. Just in time to get out of my comfort zone when learning to tow the RV.

I believe all of this (as well as your proposed trip to the South), has to do with getting out of our comfort zones (which you discuss in your last post). Every step I take is one step out of that zone and into a situation that I'm having to adjust to. This even includes selling the house and moving into an apartment. It felt really weird at first, but now I'm used to it. That's probably the way it will feel in the next phase of my life.

It really depends on which direction I'm heading as to how many cities I hit. Along the seaboard, there are tons of big cities. If I head west or north, it's not bad at all. To the east, I'm swimming. The trip to bring the RV back won't be too bad for cities if I can avoid Chicago (which I'm planning on giving a wide berth).

There are several state parks along the way that I'm going to try to stay. I should have about 1.5 weeks of time to get back, so I can take my time and hopefully only travel 200 to 300 hundred miles a day max. I do play on staying at a state park close to the dealership for the first couple of days. Almost the entire trip will be on interstates or other major four lane highways.

I've pulled several trailers, including gooseneck trailers, bumper pulls, and towed a car with my Class C. The biggest difference with this is going to be the shear size and weight and the fact that I'll be doing this totally by myself. In most other cases, I've had someone with me to spot, especially when backing up. Eventually, I'll add some backup cameras to the RV, but probably won't have them for this trip.

I think there was a lot more in the other post that was deleted, but that's all I can think of now (hopefully I won't delete this one as well).

Tom

7/24/2018 02:18:48 pm

I've accidentally deleted some long and laborious writings myself, and that is a really terrible feeling when you realize it's gone forever.

I just pulled the word "challenges" out of the air because it was the first thing I thought of. "Comfort zone" is much better, and more descriptive of the way I feel, so I will appropriate that term for future use.

State parks will be a great place to stay and practice your trailer handling skills. Usually they are easy to get around in although some of the really old ones, especially ones in the woods, can get a bit tight in the turns. In some state parks they only have back in sites which will enable you to recall the joys of backing a large trailer into a small narrow spot. For some people it's good practice, for me its a nightmare.

Having a spotter can help you do certain things especially backing up, but a backup camera, or what I like to call a rearview camera because it's on all the time, works better for me because it doesn't argue with me, or laugh at my somewhat limited backing skills.

It's good that you've had some practice pulling smaller trailers because the techniques are basically the same with a big trailer, if you can pull a small one you can pull a big one. About the biggest difference is fifth wheels are really tall, I think mine is about 12 foot nine. So you always have to check ahead for low bridges, which is another reason to stay on the interstates as much as possible until you get used to the height. And the extra weight means it takes it longer to get up to merging speeds, and stopping it takes a looong time. If you have the slightest tendency towards tailgating, the Arctic Fox will break you of that bad habit really quick.

It's great to hear of your progress, and I hope you're keeping up with all this for a blog that may be in your future. Your experiences remind me of what I was going through when I was in your position and I consider them very happy days.

Tom

Tim Barnes

7/25/2018 12:30:36 pm

For my Arctic Fox, the Northwoods website says the height is 13' 5"! That's pretty darn tall and something I'm going to have to be really careful about in the Northeast. I'll either be getting an RV specific GPS or an RV app (I need to research both very soon) in order to avoid low overhead areas.

You're right about the stresses of having a spotter. In fact, I would have to think long and hard about this kind of a life style if I was traveling with a spouse or girlfriend, for many other reasons besides the spotting issues.

I went ahead and put in for two weeks vacation for the end of August. I don't believe I've ever taken two weeks of vacation in a row in my life, but I'm glad that I'll have plenty of time so I won't feel in a rush to get back. It will also be a good "test run" for future retirement. My guess is that your guess is right and that I'll be hooked by the time I get back and will be ready to hit the road for good.

One other good thing about having plenty of time is that I can give major metropolitan areas (like Chicago) a wide berth, even if it adds a few miles to the trip. I'm still getting used to driving in traffic with just the truck - can't imagine pulling a fifth wheel through downtown Chicago. I will probably hit a few other big cites, but most of them look pretty easy in comparison to the Big C.

I'm looking at a portable, inexpensive, backup camera with a magnetic mount that runs off of batteries that I might try for this trip. It's meant to just slap on the bumper when backing up. I'm thinking I might mount it on a tripod and place it on the blind side of the trailer - it may get better reception there. It's cheap enough that It might be worth it and I could use it for other things as well (like hitching up, or monitoring the inside of the RV while traveling).

This week I need to start ordering a few things, including the Andersen Hitch and a decent torque wrench. Also, need to drive up to the storage facility and get that taken care of and check out the details Over the next few weeks, I'll be seeing my checking account taking a hit, but then things should stabilize somewhat.

I'm really looking forward to staying at the State Parks along the way. I find most regular RV parks depressing, but love most of the State Parks I've stayed in.

I do want to start a blog and/or YouTube channel. I've been giving some thought to the focus and thinking that the trip out might be the right place and time to start.

Tom

7/25/2018 01:46:20 pm

Being on a 2 lane road and coming up on a low bridge is one of my nightmares and definitely takes me out of my comfort zone when I'm traveling in unknown areas. I've never had that problem yet, and my Garmin RV 770 is supposed to warn me if there's a problem ahead, but I still check my truckers Atlas just to be sure.

You've never taken a two-week vacation in your life??? That's hard to comprehend. Even when I owned some businesses I wasn't that gung ho. Taking that into consideration, this upcoming change of life may be more difficult for you than for some other folks.

When I had a tourist restaurant that was only open for six or seven months of the year I found that it would take me at least one month of not working to decompress and start enjoying life again. Two weeks after closing the restaurant for the winter my brain was still totally into the restaurant problems and no matter what else I was doing the restaurant was still in the back of my mind and it took a couple more weeks for me to calm down, relax, and enjoy my six month vacation.

So it's possible that you've never been totally separated from "the job" before. So it seems to me there may be a huge hole in your life when you finally leave. Now hopefully that emptiness will be filled by all the opportunities that's going to be available in your new life, and that's usually the case. But you may have to take some extra time to get used to not having a job in your life, and how long will probably depend on how much of your self-worth you attributed to the work you did.

A decent torque wrench is a good idea, I have an indecent torque wrench from Harbor freight which can be used as a torque wrench or a club. I have found that my Arctic Fox holds it's wheel torques pretty well. After I do the usual drill of tightening, driving for a while, and tightening again. When I've done that three times the wheels will stay at the correct torque from then on.

State parks are a great place to stay but their daily rates can get kind of expensive when you stay there for a couple of weeks. Which is why New Mexico parks are such a bargain when you buy the annual pass and can boondock for free for the rest of the year. I sure wish some other states did that.

Love the idea of the YouTube channel, I've got one myself but seldom use it. I thought I was going to get more into making videos but I found the editing process rather laborious, especially when the video looks like crap and your trying to edit lipstick on a pig. I think it takes a lot more artistic talent to make an interesting video than I possess or have the desire to learn.

But for others I think it's a great way to get out on the Internet. I haven't given up on it completely, I still have all the necessary equipment to do it and some day it may call me back, but for now it seems like a lot of work for something that doesn't look all that good. But other than that my feeling is, it's never too early to start a blog.

Tom

Tim

7/26/2018 08:43:06 am

My fear is coming up to a low bridge and somehow missing that it's too low and "bam" there goes my air conditioner.

As far as vacations go, it's probably even worse than you realize. For the last decade or so, I've either been spending my vacation time visiting and helping sick parents or remodeling my almost 60 year old house (one of the reasons I'm glad I sold it and why I'm loving the apartment). The last couple of years, I've been going with friends on a once a year trip, but it's not what I would call a relaxing trip. So, for me, taking a relatively relaxing two week trip is a momentous occasion.

No, I've not been separated from the job for a long time. I've been in this industry for almost 30 years and almost every vacation has required that I call in to a conference call or deal with some issue while I'm out, so even a vacation doesn't get me away from it (and this trip will be no different in that aspect).

You're right, it's probably going to be a tough transition for me. I think that's why, for me at least, it will be easier if I continue to work to some degree; which I'll have to do for the health insurance I'll be getting anyway. My guess is that I'll be working just as much, if not more, but will get to do it on my own schedule.

The torque wrench is going to be really important for the type of Andersen Hitch that I'm getting. It's the one that fits over a gooseneck ball and requires several bolts that need to be torqued to a certain setting and rechecked periodically. Here's a link to it: https://andersenhitches.com/Products/3220--aluminum-ultimate-5th-wheel-connection-2-gooseneck-version.aspx

I'm not too worried about the State Park rates for this short trip. I won't have a generator or solar panels yet, so I'll even be getting electrical sites, when possible (and it may be hot this time of year in the midwest, so I'll probably be running the AC). That will have to change when I go fulltime.

I'm taking the time over the next 8 months or so to learn more about video production, graphic design, blogging, etc. Every night after work, I've been taking online classes on Adobe products - I've already gone through Premiere and After Effects basic training and am working on Illustrator now. I'm learning a lot, so hopefully I can hit the ground running when I'm ready for "semi-retirement". I'm looking at all of this as an investment in a second career.

I've noticed that for YouTube, some channels' quality starts out low, but the more they work on it and refine it, most of them get much, much better. I think it's just a matter or learning and practicing.

Everything is starting to fall into place, I now have a scheduled date and time to pick up the RV and go over the systems. Pretty exciting stuff!

Tom

7/26/2018 03:10:24 pm

The full-time lifestyle is supposed to be all about freedom, and freedom means you can go and do what you want when you want. Therefore what other people call freedom may not be what you call freedom and vice versa, that's the beauty of the whole freedom thing.

So if working a job or something resembling a job is what you enjoy then being able to do that will mean freedom to you. Now that may be totally incomprehensible to the terminally lazy.... Such as moi, but it will be freedom to you.

And since you have given the hours of your life over to your family and your job for all these years retirement is there to be all about you, and the freedom to enjoy the remainder of your life in the way you see fit.

I like the gooseneck version of the Andersen hitch. And even though mine works great, if I had a new truck I would get the gooseneck version too.

I used Adobe Premiere when I was making videos for YouTube but since I haven't done that for a while I canceled my Adobe Premiere subscription. I found Adobe Premiere to be a lot like Adobe Photoshop, steep learning curve, only a few things you need to use all the time, and the rest of it is all but incomprehensible. But that's just me.

The things that I used it for did really well, but it seemed to me that by the time YouTube was finished compressing, processing, and composting my video it never looked as clear and smooth as it did on my computer so I was almost always disappointed with the way things came out.

And I think I could look at every Premier tutorial on YouTube and it wouldn't do me any good because by the time I got around to needing the information I would have forgotten most everything I learned.

You're right about a lot of YouTube videos starting out bad and getting better, unfortunately mine went the other way. There is a learning curve in there and sometimes it's hard to last on YouTube long enough to learn how to do it properly.

But there is nothing that will make me turn off somebody's video quicker than poor sound quality. I had rather people used a cheap camera and an expensive microphone than the other way around. The other thing that drives me crazy is a camera that never stops moving, I find myself yelling at the screen, BY A TRIPOD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE !!

Yeah it's all a slide on the ice from here on out, and they'll be so many things to do the time will go quickly, so remember to enjoy it because the trip is half the fun.

Tom

Tim

7/27/2018 08:57:54 am

I agree with your definition of freedom and do believe that over time, my own definition will change and morph into something different. Fun and relaxation will probably become more important and the thought of anything that looks like work will become less so. But, that will take some time to develop.

I really like everything I see about the Andersen Hitch - I hope it works well (it does look much flimsier than the regular fifth wheel hitches). Almost all the reviews I've seen have given it high marks and you seem to like yours. I went ahead and ordered it yesterday, so it'll be here next week, along with the chains kit. Did you figure out a good way to lock your pin? I'm thinking about just springing for the one that Andersen sells, although it's pricey. My Arctic Fox will be in a storage facility over the winter and I don't want it to wander off.

One of the things I've decided about learning Adobe products is that it's important to do something with one of them everyday. I use Lightroom and feel really confident with it (even teaching others), but that's because I use it frequently and I don't think it's as complex. With Photoshop, I don't use it very much, so struggle with it. However, I'm finding that many of these Adobe products share some key points (ie, layers, panels, etc), so the more I use one, the more I understand in others. That's why I'm working my way through training programs on Lynda.com and trying to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour every night. It's cutting down on my YouTube watching time, which is probably a really good thing.

Premiere is a very powerful program and there are many things that can be done to enhance videos . For example, I notice that a lot of videos don't seem to be color graded, which can make them look really muted and dull. Color Grading isn't difficult, but does take an understanding of the program. It's kind of like taking a RAW photo into Lightroom, but not adjusting the White Balance, Hue, Saturation, Shadows, etc.

I agree that sound quality is important. I kept quite a bit of my sound gear from when I had the house and did a lot of music stuff. What I struggle with is to keep it as simple as possible, but keep the quality high. For example, I could use a separate recorder with one of my high end mics, but then I have to sync the sound separately (which in fairness, isn't that difficult); or I can use the mic on the camera; or what I've been playing with, which is a separate mike mounted on the camera which records to the video camera. That isn't as good quality as my high end mics, but acceptable and easier to deal with when editing. I'm working on some videos now that aren't related to RVing (they are basically ready, but I want to add in some Illustrator graphics when I'm done with the current training program).

I don't understand why some people refuse to use tripods. Sometimes they have great information, but when they jerk the camera around so much, it just makes it impossible for me to watch, which is a shame. Some people persevere and improve their camera handling skills and some just never learn.

I'm thinking I might set up a camera in the truck on the way to pick up the RV and doing a little filming on my thought process and how I've gotten to this point. It's a long trip, so I might enjoy having the camera to talk to for awhile.

Tom

7/27/2018 12:15:40 pm

I agree the Andersen hitch does look more spindly than the old flat plate hitch. But it must be just as strong or they would have been sued out of business by now. I still love mine and have no desire to go back to the old style fifth wheel hitch.

I bought their chain kit also but I've never used it. I never figured out a way to lock the hitch so the trailer couldn't be stolen while I'm gone, so far I've been depending on a crook not having a way to hook up to the trailer because of the weird hitch attached to the pin. And I installed a hidden switch that turns off the power to the landing gear, I just couldn't bring myself to pay the extremely high price for the factory lock.

I use Lightroom every day, and will often go to Photoshop for sharpening, and removing things I don't want in the picture, because I find Lightroom somewhat lacking in the quality of its sharpening, and spot removal.

Adobe Premier is extremely powerful, in fact it's so powerful that I never learned to do anything but the basics with it. And Adobe After Effects was even more powerful to the point where all I ever learned to do was open it.

To me the worst microphone failures on videos are when they use the cameras microphone and put the camera 20 feet away from the subject, so the volume is not only extremely low but it picks up every other sound in the room. I can understand them not knowing any better, what I don't understand is how they can view the video after its done, know that at full volume they can barely hear the speaker talking and still put it on YouTube.

I like the idea of putting the camera in the truck and making a video as you drive. I've seen people on the Internet doing that, even while riding their motorcycle, and they seem to be pretty popular. If I had the talent and the skills to pull it off, I think a Vlog is much more interesting than a blog and seems to attract a whole lot more viewers.

As full-time RVers we spend a lot of time sitting in a truck, sitting in a camp chair, or sitting in our living rooms. If times like that could be spent miked up with a camera pointing at you while speaking with knowledge about something interesting, a person might be able to get a lot of views on something like that and maybe even make a few bucks on the side. Of course I may be preaching to the choir about that.

Tom

Tim

7/30/2018 12:22:54 pm

The Andersen Hitch will be here tomorrow, but I'll be out of town for a few days, so won't see it for awhile. One nice thing about this apartment complex is that they take the deliveries and I pick up at my convenience, which is really nice. I'm sure it's strong enough, it's just weird how big and overbuilt the regular hitches look in comparison. I have so many other things that I'm nervous about that I don't have time to be nervous about the Andersen Hitch and will just trust their engineers had their slide rules and abacuses calibrated properly.

I figured it would be better to have the chain kit than not, in case I'm stopped somewhere, so went ahead and got it. I'll probably definitely use it in the east, but might ease up on that when I get out west.

I have a shotgun microphone that fits on the video camera. It's not an expensive one, but does pretty good for the price. I bought it mainly to experiment with and so far it seems to do much better than the on camera mic. I also have a cheap lavaliere mic, which does well too, but you're tied to the camera with it (but that's probably what I'll use in the truck).

I agree about the concept of a Vlog. I can't figure out why some Vloggers are more popular than others. I would chalk it up to them being consistent or better quality or more charisma, etc. However, I've seen examples of very poor quality and not much charisma (at least in my view) being very popular, while really good channels seem to struggle and never really take off. Probably a YouTube Guru could look at both those types of channels and say "Ah, here's the problem or here is what they are doing to be successful", but it alludes me.

I think the main thing is just do what makes you happy, be it writing or video or nothing. There seems to be many RV YouTube channels, so I have no allusions that mine would be anything special - I would only want to do it if it was fun or helped my family and friends see my trips.

Also, I'm starting to get used to the truck now. The size still bothers me, but it's getting easier everyday. I did speak to a guy in the parking garage that had a Ram 3500 and he is able to get it in there without any problem, so I might give it a shot at some point before winter hits.

Tom

7/30/2018 01:37:01 pm

I hope you realize you give away your age when you talk about "slide rules". I don't think anyone under the age of 50 as ever heard of a slide rule.

I have a Rode Mic that I use on my camera and so far I've been very happy with it. I had a Sennheiser but it self-destructed rather quickly and had to be retired. But a lavalier microphone is definitely the best to record somebody that's speaking.

I can't figure out the Vlog popularity either. There used to be a Vlog I watched pretty regular and it had nothing to do with anything that interested me, in fact if someone had told me what the Vlog was about, I never would've tuned in, and yet I watched it on a regular basis not knowing why other than the guy made things that I'm not interested in.... Interesting.

The truck will grow on you over time as you overcome its downsides and start to realize how cool it is to be sitting up higher than all those tiny little cars made out of tinfoil, and realize that when they look over at you at a red light all they can see is your tires.

Tom

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relaxing at the big O tire store

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