Head West not so young Man

[daugen]

Conspicuous Consumption NC...
with a receding stiff neck after a long hot shower, I am safely "berthed" in a large rv park South of Roanoke Rapids/Weldon NC, just South of the Virginia line, a mile East of Route 95. Proximity to 95 is why this park exists. Mostly filled with large Class A rv's and 36 foot fifthwheels pulled by diesel duallies. All big iron that find the layout here super easy to navigate. And the free internet remarkably fast. I already checked, easy to watch a movie on Netflix without speed issues. I'll give my little Verizon mifi a break for the next two days.

The ride here should have taken three hours and it took four, a prime contributor to my stiff neck. I had it all written down on my big tablet, easy directions and the gps started squawking turn left, turn left. Why? Low underpass ahead? So I went left and oh my seventeen miles through the boonies again. Except this time the roads were a little flatter, and the plowed fields a little less red. The gps was determined to take me to 95 it's own way and in some ways no complaints, I must have crossed over Lake Gaston four times as the road rambled all over the place. The speed limits are only 45 and 55, slowed down a bit from further West, on secondaries, but there is no warning before coming up on these really narrow bridges crossing the Lake, which granted aren't very long, but luckily I never met anyone on them. But several WHOA events when I came around a turn to see a little bridge over water and the road turns right before the bridge. Scenic, in a Porsche...

So it was not a relaxing drive, and I'm going to follow my own directions next time, particularly if it's on major roads. Could be the gps is trying for shortest distance instead of shortest time. It took me almost an hour longer to go the shorter distance...
I have one of those microwaveable heat wraps for my neck and that works wonder erasing one too many curves for the day.

Boy, every half hour or so the train horns blow, and I just love train horns. I Googled the area and yup there's the line going through Weldon.
Does the Acela run along 95?

Almost all the sites around me are full, good thing I got here earlier. Constant sound of air brakes hissing, and the parking brakes going on, to the sigh of the driver I'm sure. The guy next to me with his beautiful 40 ft diesel pusher rv, going home to Maine after the winter in Florida mentioned that despite his buying this rig last August he already has two foot itis and wants a tag axle/dual rear axle larger motorhome. Some things don't change...and that keeps the economy stronger I suppose. One of the appeals of the 42-45 foot double rear axle motorhomes is that they allow the rear of the rv to be one huge bathroom from side to side, privately to the rear of the master bedroom. Which is exactly, btw, how they do it in a Hatteras 72 motoryacht and larger megayachts. A lot of yachting ideas trickle down to rv'ing; basically how to stuff the most amenities in the smallest space.

Most of my neighbors will be on the road again tomorrow morning. Not me. I don't know how much racket the outgoing crowd will make, but they usually are going very slowly.

 

[Buppies]

Glad you made it safely rest up and you'll be good as new. The ocean comes soon but watch out for rain which is headed your way

 

[buckeyefarmer]

A former coworker of mine has a house on lake Gaston. Been down that way once, was once looking for retirement property on kerr lake, but have now given up on that idea. glad you had a nice day at SML yesterday, springtime is pretty. We sure are enjoying the pictures.

 

[3930dave]

Daugen - take a look at your GPS "Preferences" page, if you haven't already.

You should have some kind of control to adjust your Routing - mine (Garmin, basically the Streetpilot) has a linear slide control. One end is Minor Roads, the other end Expressways. In the middle, you'll get a mix of both, but if that routing filter is at one end, and you want the other.....

What I'm speaking of is a separate control, distinct from Distance vs. Time priority.

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

just went for a walk around the immense parking lot called an rv park, and boy was there some serious road iron back there. So, if you have no interest in large expensive mechanical things, houses on wheels..., ignore this. But since I find anything with a motor interesting, seeing the upper crust is always a treat for us soil serfs...

The fanciest one was the Prevost. Older model, makes no difference they are built so well, like a Mercedes. Funny, just heard a serious diesel rattle and pulled open the shade to see the Prevost heading out. Dark brown with gold accents. Giant satellite dish on top and pulling a Lincoln MKZ. Easily a seven figure rig. And since the little insignia on the rear said Caterpillar, I'm guessing it has a 600-660hp Cat 12 litre engine in it. And probably about 1800-2000 pound feet of torque. I've seen the same engine in many 50-60 foot yacht engine rooms. Well, if you can afford a million dollar boat, which I'm not sure will even get one a 50 foot Searay these days, and you don't like water, and you do like horsepower, and of course have very deep pockets, well this is the American Dream on wheels.

and since I can't find a tractor to take a pic of, the neighboring tiny dogs will have to do...
actually many full size dogs being walked here.

 

[daugen]

Dave, I've gone through every submenu I can find on the Rand McNally RV gps, but it's not like the garmin in my VW at all.
After this last backroad escapade, I'd better find the manual which is here someplace.
Even if it isn't directing me on a route, it still warns for upcoming curves, reduction in speed zones, narrow bridges and of course height restrictions.
Just not sure I want to follow its directions anymore. At least I can make sure it's set on fastest vs. shortest.

I find Google Maps directions very helpful, no truck/rv filtering though.

 

[3930dave]

Dave, I've gone through every submenu I can find on the Rand McNally RV gps, but it's not like the garmin in my VW at all.
After this last backroad escapade, I'd better find the manual which is here someplace.
Even if it isn't directing me on a route, it still warns for upcoming curves, reduction in speed zones, narrow bridges and of course height restrictions.
Just not sure I want to follow its directions anymore. At least I can make sure it's set on fastest vs. shortest.

I find Google Maps directions very helpful, no truck/rv filtering though.

I know I'd miss that control on my Garmin, for certain situations.

Given the size of RVtrains today, I can't imagine not being able to filter out minor roads at will..... too easy to end up in a spot where you'd need a Sikorsky for extraction !

Do you have European Vacation, Stripes, and that Robin Williams RV movie on DVD for reference ?

Keep on with the good luck/good driving, and please keep the pics coming !

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

Glad you made it safely rest up and you'll be good as new. The ocean comes soon but watch out for rain which is headed your way

It sure is, and I spent part of the day cleaning the rig, doing laundry, and still haven't done what I needed to do inside the rv. This thing does not clean itself...didn't get that option I guess. Would have been a heck of a big button.
So at 32 bucks a night, which gives me fast internet and full utilities, I'm just going to sit here for another day and catch my breath. And then after the rain dies down, head on down to Washington NC. Got all my reservations changed, so it all worked out fine. I'm in zero rush, my stepbrother I am going to see in Colorado just sent me a picture of snow all over his lawn, and reminded me, don't come soon...got it.

This area near the Lakes is very pretty, fairly upscale and looks like it would be a zoo in the summer time with all the tourists. I saw three golf cart companies within a half hour of driving. But further South of here looks more interesting to me.

 

[ronjhall]

I did the RV GPS for about 2 weeks. Sent it back and bought a Garmin trucking model. It has a RV mode.
I like looking a big HP equipment. Especially Motor homes and tractors.

 

[daugen]

am glad I stayed here for another day. Poured all night long, little respite now, but will start raining again and go apparently most of the day.

well I have determined that free wifi is not so dependable. At 7:30pm each of the last two nights, the free stuff conked out. I think too many folk are logging on locally for their equipment. And when the free stuff slows to a crawl, then when one looks for a connection, almost a dozen Verizon mifis and a few other competitors pop up from the surrounding parking lot. The Verizon is secure, the free stuff is not.

I did wash yesterday and washed the motorhomes floors. My test is to walk around in my bare feet. It's amazing how good bare feet are for finding anything on the floor...

several rv's are leaving, a big Dutch Star motorhome with a motorcycle on the rear bumper and a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind just rumbled/idled by. And I hear air brakes hissing, parking brakes getting released, the big boys are on the move.

My only regret staying an extra day and traveling tomorrow on Easter is I will miss going to church locally. Easter services are always wonderful.
But the traffic should be minimal and I only have a several hour drive, which this time I think I will try using 95 South to 64 East. All big roads for once, see if I can actually stay on cruise control for a while. Any big hill though and I have to flick off the cruise, that extra 5mph I slow down on hills would take a hellacious amount of fuel to keep up to speed. This is where the big diesel pushers accelerate up the hill, or so they like to tell you.
But since there are enough other trucks slowing down a little, I just get in line. For once in my life I am in zero rush.