This post is not getting any fluff. If I were trying to make it look like all is flawless so far with this adventure, I would never write about this topic. It’s like “Instagram vs. reality”…and I’m focusing on reality rather than Instagram. This journey is about learning as I go, and in doing that, I’m bound to stumble and fall many, many times. This is one of the many times.

So, the diagnosis was accurate about my vehicle failing to charge the Airstream while towing. The towing “module” had a malfunction and all of the 7 parts of the 7-way outlet were not working as they should have been. After a few days at the VW dealer here in Richmond (thank you Susan and team at Brown’s VW!), the module has been replaced. Now, when I’m towing the trailer, I have the proper electric set up so my Touareg will charge the Airstream. Yay!

But, after some lengthy “Dad and Sarah” research and some extremely helpful advice from Airstream Ambassador and new friend, Ronnie (who read my blog and reached out offering advice), for ample power I will need a little more than simply a healthy battery charge while towing. I’ve learned that the batteries in my Airstream are…how do I say this…not that strong. They’re not powerful enough to support even just a few days of heating the trailer without an electric connection. As I learned, I have to be prepared to expect the unexpected. As much as I planned my route based on not experiencing freezing temperatures, there will be mountain nights when temperatures WILL drop below freezing - even when the Wally the Weatherman doesn’t predict it.

Per Ronnie’s advice, I purchased a generator. Now, a generator is not a completely new idea to me…it’s something I had considered months ago. There are two reasons why I initially opted out: 1) I wasn’t planning to be in 20 degree temperatures, therefore wasn’t planning to use the heat, or other electric devices that rapidly drain the power, and 2) It’s not safe (nor did I want) to have a generator and gasoline inside my SUV or trailer on an ongoing basis. However, the cool thing about the generator I bought is that it runs off of propane. Propane = no smelly gasoline smell, quieter while running and burns more cleanly. I already have two 20-pound propane tanks for my Airstream and this can be connected to those, or I can pick up a Blue Rhino-type tank anywhere and run it off that.

I ordered my 2,200 Watt generator from a company called GenConnex Direct. They convert gasoline generators to run off of propane. The one I purchased weights about 50 pounds and allows me to be off the grid (or simply off an electric hook up) for weeks at a time and charge my trailer battery as needed. After a weekend like last weekend, I feel way more confident having a generator companion. It provides me with some independence while I’m out on the road, so I can focus on more of the fun stuff. Also, admittedly, my dad won’t always be a short two hours away to run home to when the going gets tough.

I picked up the car this morning and it’s working as it should. The generator was delivered today and I’ll test run it tomorrow. Hopefully (fingers crossed) this is the last of the major “bumps in the road” for the next few days and I can be on my way shortly.

Anything else, Mercury in Retrograde?

I spent Veteran’s Day weekend at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. This was the first stop on my journey, and to be honest, it tested me a little. It was filled with ups and downs but through it all, I challenged myself to go with the flow…which is all I could possibly do!

I decided a collection of lists would be a good way to communicate the major highlights.

Things I realized:

Expect the unexpected. Two of the four nights I was there, temperatures dropped under 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I kept warm by layering and getting under down and wool blankets, but utilizing the heat may have drained my trailer battery faster than planned (more to come on this).
It’s okay to disconnect. I didn’t have wifi or cell signal at the campground. I had to drive to a specific location in order to communicate with the outside world. Yes, it was a little stressful for various reasons, but at night it was rather nice to write, read and just “be” without any distractions.

All will be fine. The weekend had its fair share of hiccups, for sure. However, part of my journey is learning to let things go and realizing that I can’t control everything, all the time. I make the best decisions that I can with the facts I have at that moment and that is all I can do. There is a quote/saying/phrase I have really adopted over the last few years:
10% is what happens to me, and 90% is how I react to it.
It is so, so, so, so true!

Things that surprised me:

People are good. When my trailer wasn’t level, a man came out in the freezing rain to ensure my set up was safe. When I couldn’t successfully back the trailer into a campsite, my campground host, Alan, was literally helping me before I even had the chance to ask. A man named Dave was on the ground with his electrical meter checking the wiring of the 7-way outlet (outlet on the back of a towing vehicle that the trailer plugs into to connect lights and other electric when towing). My site neighbors had extra firewood and left it next to my fire pit when they left a day early. When the battery of my trailer died, I had people lined up presenting various solutions from which to choose. We hear so many stories of people acting poorly to each other (especially these days), but I was reminded that there are kind-hearted people out there…and a lot of them reside in campgrounds!
Park showers are legit! I was picturing the worst, but the $1.75 shower I took on the last night was incredible. I had pressurized hot water for an entire five minutes in a clean, well-lit bathroom (I still wore flip flops, but that’s just a no-brainer).

Bears are no joke. When the signs say to watch out for bears, they mean it. Day One, Addie and I set out on an afternoon hike and about 15 minutes into the trail, we spotted a small black bear staring at us from about 50 feet away. I thought I was hallucinating. My heart pounded, and we promptly turned right around and swiftly headed back to the trailhead. We didn’t get very far on the hike, and I was too scared to take any photos of the bear, but I did get some majestic shots of Addie (note to self: purchase bear spray, STAT).

Things I learned:

Be aware of the Airstream battery voltage. I should have checked the voltage before I left for the park and also when I arrived. I went into the weekend assuming I had a fully-charged battery after driving with it hooked up to my car. The battery drained after the second night, but I am not sure how charged it was in the first place. The battery dying could have been for a few different reasons: 1) the car didn’t charge it while driving, 2) I left my dad’s house without a full battery, or 3) something is not right with the batteries. I’m urgently working on determining the cause so this doesn’t happen again!
Have kindling handy. The park sold firewood, which I purchased, but I really needed kindling to get the fire roaring. Or, keep my axe handy to further chop up the large pieces of firewood into kindling (my axe is currently stored in an under-bench compartment which my bed is currently on top of…).
Check the maps (thoroughly) on hikes. My friend Lauren and I looked at the maps at the start of the trails we hiked, but sometimes the trails turn and fork when you don’t expect. Often times, if the trail is a loop, it may be named something different for part of the loop as it connects with another trail. It’s just wise to have a resource while you’re hiking. We had planned a three mile hike, but we ended up doing a seven mile hike! When I did have mobile service, I used the AllTrails app which is really helpful.

Things I will NOT do next time:

Dirty a lot of dishes. The more dishes used, the more to wash. And washing them is a small pain in the butt. As I’m still getting familiar with my Airstream, I didn’t want to use up my water supply, so I washed dishes outside from a water spigot. But you can’t just let your wastewater run off into the grass…the water contains food and soap remnants. You have to use a wash basin and dump the run off into the toilet in the campground restroom. Since it was so cold, my hands were numb after washing in the cold water. It was just annoying (but I understand very necessary to preserve the natural environment).
Plug my destination into Waze and assume it’s leading me to the accurate location. This was an obvious mistake and I should have known better. I entered the name of the campground into my GPS and it led me down a fire road. I twisted and turned and the path became less and less “managed'“ as it continued. Fortunately, I put two and two together (and actually got four!), realized something wasn’t right and (thankfully) found a place to turn around with the trailer to head back to the main road.

The start of the fire road. I snapped a photo because I just thought it was pretty.

Choose a campsite that “looks” the best. No judging books by the cover anymore. When I first arrived, I drove around the campground loop about eight times to find a “good” spot. I wanted seclusion, trees around me, maybe a view of some sort. Well, I found a good one and it happened to be the most uneven site in the campground (so I was told after unhitching there). This just made things way more challenging…in the freezing cold and rain. I had to get the trailer level by placing 2x4 pieces of wood my dad gave me (I didn’t have leveling blocks which would have been helpful) under one tire. Getting the trailer level is important - for balance and the obvious things, but also for the inner workings of the trailer. I moved sites the next morning because being lopsided was not only really bothering me, but it was also not healthy for the trailer. Sometimes the things you can’t see are the things that matter most.

Things I will do again:

Get up to see a sunrise. Spectacular. Especially when you meet a nice man from Korea taking photos on the same overlook and he snaps a few of you and emails them to you later.

Have a friend join me. My childhood friend, Lauren, joined me for a few days. What a breath of fresh air. Not only did she bring her dog Mazie, delicious California wine and dinner ingredients and the vessel to cook it in (Instant Pot - which I highly recommend) (oh, and she rented generator in case power was a challenge), but she also brought her “we’ll figure it out” attitude, friendliness to those around us (very contagious) and loving support for both Addie and me as we kicked off this adventure.

Accept help from others. I first learned this on my Kilimanjaro climb. There is no shame in accepting help. And there is no shame in asking for it. For some of us, it’s very hard to do, though. I can confidently say that if I didn’t ask for, and accept, help from others this past weekend, it would have ended much differently. By accepting help, not only did I get my issues resolved less painfully, but I also got to meet, converse with and learn from interesting people. That’s. What. This. Is. All. About. Oh, remember I mentioned the campground host, Alan? I may meet up with him and his wife in Key West. And Dave - he and his wife live in Tennessee and he gave me his card in case I’m passing through and need anything. I’m telling you, campground people are good!

Update post-Shenendoah

Mercury in retrograde is no joke. After my Airstream battery drained so fast, understanding why is crucial to preventing it from happening again. I need to be prepared to run primarily off my battery because more often than not, I won’t have an electrical hook up. I left Shenendoah and headed to the closest safe parking lot (it happened to be a Target…there is always a need for an incremental Target run!) to sort out my best course of action. After five hours of calling Volkswagen dealers in a two-hour radius for a service appointment in the next few days, checking all fuses to ensure it wasn’t a quick fuse fix and speaking to the VW dealership where I purchased my car, I came up with a viable plan. Since the earliest appointment I could get was in the Richmond area and the forecasted temperatures were dropping to record lows, I headed back to my dad’s house in Richmond to get this issue resolved before continuing any farther. Although I desperately wanted to head in the direction of my next destination, there is no need to make this more complicated than it has to be. I need to be safe and smart.

More to come in the next few days…

#4: Instagram vs. Reality: This is reality (battery situation update)

#3: Shenandoah National Park