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The Dunes RV Resort
Our first two nights are at The Dunes RV Resort, near Copalis, WAReport from the Road; Uncle Joe’s shakedown cruise.
We recently acquired a HitchHiker 5th wheel. This is a report of our shakedown cruise on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula.
We left port Monday morning May 12, 20009 about 11 a.m.; hitched up and headed west for the Pacific Ocean. We found the day loaded with drizzle.
The Beast has a gps navigation system that provides vocal turn-by-turn narration to a destination.
We arrived at the Dunes RV Resort in Copalis, WA, notwithstanding the turn-by-turn narration.
“At the next intersection make a legal U-turn.” Right away, we knew “the Voice” was lost. So we ignored her and made our way according to memory.
As I type this report (which may be interrupted by toddy time), I’m sitting on the starboard side at the desk, looking out the window at a wave tossed Pacific Ocean and flint colored squall clouds.
The wind is steady and brisk. Hopefully, the rig will act as a wind break when we grill tuna for supper.
The heater works. We’ve used it to take the chill off.
We are giggling, with shared memories of so many previous
UJ at The Dunes
Uncle Joe at The Dunes RV Resort trips in the Quicksilver compared to this new style of high-falutin’ camping. “We’ve moved on up to the east side; to a deluxe apartment in the sky!”
Oops; someone just awarded me with our first toddy of the shake down cruise. Salud’
. . . . .
For dinner, I grilled some Ahi tuna on our portable Webber gas grill. Nan fixed some asparagus and rice in UJ. Chardonnay wine accompanied the meal.
When I was grilling the tuna, the maintenance guy from the resort stopped by.
“I see you have your tv antenna up. Do you know we have cable?”
“You do?”
I just happened to have 50 feet of coaxial cable which I quickly used to connect UJ to the cable pod.
Hey; we’ve got cable!
“High-falutin; east side!”
When we arrived at The Dunes RV Resort, it was wet and cold enough to merit the use of the heating system in the rig. It took the chill off, and created a cozy - comfy space.
Through the night, squall after squall marched inland from the Pacific Ocean, and danced atop Uncle Joe who remained steadfast and
First Dinner in Uncle Joe
We grilled Ahi tuna for our first dinner in Uncle Joe. We used a Webber Grill with a propane canister. rock solid.
Our memory foam topper from the Quicksilver tent trailer fits perfectly on the queen bed slide-out in UJ. Cozy slumber.
When Nan fired up the stove to make trailcakes for breakfast, it wouldn’t light. Somehow, we had managed to use an entire bottle of propane to take the chill off.
We have two tanks, and it was easy to switch to the second, back-up bottle. We will get the empty refilled today.
The hot water system is not working. I called the dealer by cell phone and it looks like we will have to take UJ in for some service work. No hot water on this trip unless we heat it on the stove. The anticipated hot shower inside UJ will have to wait.
The smoke alarm works! Nan glazed a little char on the trailcakes to test the smoke alarm. Shaddy got nervous at the racket. I turned on the ceiling fan in the kitchen to help clear the air.
Our first breakfast in UJ was sapid.
Wednesday Afternoon
It was drizzling when we broke camp Wednesday morning at The Dunes RV Resort. We hitched up and headed out;
The Back Window
At La Push, looking out back window at Pacific Ocean north on Hwy 101 to Forks WA.
Driving along the luscious western bench of the Olympic Mountains as they stair-step-down to the Pacific Ocean is a visual delight; a twisting verdant green ribbon of roadway teasing with occasional glimpses of ocean waves and surf rushing the beach. Only at water’s edge is the view uninterrupted.
When we arrived in Forks, we rushed west toward Rialto Beach and Mora Campground. Alas, Uncle Joe is simply too long for Mora Campground. We had to carefully negotiate our way through the campground to avoid coming inn contact to the giant evergreen monoliths along the roadway. While disappointed that we are too long to fit in any of the primitive spaces, I was relieved that we were able to navigate our way out of the campground without incident.
As we drove away from Mora, there was a sense of loss; my mind flooded with memories of all the times we have camped there amid the sentinel old growth evergreens, the tops of which furrow the sky.
Our backup plan turned into gold. We drove on to La Push that has a full service campground operated by the Quinnult Indian Tribe.
Salt Creek Recreation Area
On the Olympic Peninsula, north of Joyce, WA, on a bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Looking at Vancouver Island, Canada. Uncle Joe is parked for the next two nights at a distance from the Pacific Ocean which is less than a Ken Griffey homerun shot to center field at Safeco!
While we set up in the drizzle (call it rain), we were able to point the back of the trailer, with the big picture window, toward the ocean. Is this what they call the “cat-bird’s seat”? Well, someone has a Cheshire grin as he types this report.
The windows in UJ are dark tinted. We can see out just fine, but folk walking by outside and gawking cannot see us watching them.
For dinner tonight, I’ll grill up some chicken on the Webber. A dry, boneless, skinless chicken breast for Nan and a couple of juicy, bone-in, skin-on thighs for myself. Slaw and beans will make the sides.
Thursday
There is too much going on to report it all. Here is the important part; the view out the back window of Uncle Joe of the Pacific Ocean about 40 yards away is magnificent!
This morning, we tore ourselves out of UJ, and drove to Rialto Beach; glorious Rialto!
Rialto was the main inspiration
Shrimps on the Barbee
Jumbo shrimps grilled on a Webber barbee! for our move from Texas to Washington State. Our hope is to have our ashes spread here someday.
We sat on weather-aged, sun bleached tree trunks, and breathed in the scent of the ocean. Homecoming. Majesty.
Later, we drove to Forks where we enjoyed lunch at a favorite Mexican food restaurant. We filled up The Beast with diesel. Ouch; 10 mpg. Uncle Joe has gained weight since we loaded him up.
We returned to La Push. More of the same. How delightful.
Friday morning, we harness Uncle Joe to The Beast, and headed out for our next destination; Clallam County Park on the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Our Goodness!
The back end of the rig is looking north at the Straight and Vancouver Island. Ooooh, la la!
What a magnificent view.
It is Saturday morning. We enjoyed trail cakes for breakfast. Today we will venture to nearby Port Angeles in search of a library that features wi fi, so we can upload posts to our blogs.
Later, we will come back to camp and explore the tide pools for which this campground is famous.
Monday May 18, 2009
We
UJ at Salt Creek Recreation Area
From this perch, we have a wonderful view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island, Canada across the way. have enjoyed three relaxing nights at the Salt Creek Recreation Area on the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
We’ve hiked, explored tide pools, grilled, and jawed with other RVers in the campground. Some have shared spots to check out when we head south toward Arizona next winter. Even some of the Class A crowed have drooled over Uncle Joe, but express reservation about being able to back up such a rig.
Shaddy is always a hit with dog owners as he and I strut through the campground, he at a perfect heel on my left side. He thinks it is I at a perfect heel at his right front shoulder.
Saturday afternoon, I explored the tide pools of Tongue Point, on the west side of the campground. The barnacle infested rocky point required slow - going, accurate stepping, especially descending the rocky bluff. I used an extended tripod and large umbrella to pick my way.
The umbrella was to shade the water from the sun’s glare while I took a picture of marine life in the tide pools. During the setup for the first photo, the umbrella was in proper position. As I
Umbrella
A photo of the umbrella that got away! focused the camera lens, a gust of wind grabbed the umbrella, flipped it in the air and placed it right side down in the water a distance of about ten yards, where it floated away.
“Who’s umbrella is that?” I asked aloud. “Someone has lost an umbrella!” I took a picture of the flotsam to document the episode.
“It appears to be sinking,” I exclaimed.
I took another picture.
Soon it was gone from sight, and now serves as habitat for underwater creatures. That was a good umbrella; the one Shaddy and I used to go to the mailbox in the rain. We’ll have to replace it.
Last night, Sunday evening, we grilled jumbo shrimps on the barbee; a favorite camping treat.
It was a dinner that someone realized that we are really not “camping” anymore. Someone else calls it faux-camping. Yes, that’s it; we have quickly adapted to faux-camping.
I’m getting pressure from my two companions to wrap this report up, so we can hitch up and head out. Today, after dumping our tanks, we will retrace our path along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula. We’ll stop for provisions at
a grocery store in Forks, and then look for a hot wifi spot to update our blogs.
Tonight, we should be in Kalaloch, on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.
Tuesday May 19, 2009
We awoke this morning at Pacific Beach State Park, not on a bluff but close enough to water’s edge. We slept in to the surge of the Pacific breaking close to our doorstep.
The realization has set in. Uncle Joe is simply too big to get into some of our favorite campgrounds. There are two or three sites at Kalaloch that would accommodate us, if they are vacant. There were occupied yesterday, and we were unable to squeeze into any of the other sites. So, we continued south on Hwy 101 to Humptulips where we turned west to Pacific Beach, and set up “camp” in a drizzle.
It was perfect weather to scramble up some eggs for supper, with hot chili poured on top, and a garnish of Frito chips. Maybe a douse or two of Tabasco. Comfort food on a blustery evening. Red wine to round out the meal.
The rain stopped during the night and morning dawned to slate
Uncle Joe at Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach State Park, WA gray skies accompanied by a steady on-shore breeze. Nan toasted up some bagels on the griddle for breakfast, and from the dinning table we watched a trick kite acrobatically carve through the sky.
This morning, we are negotiating how to set the thermostat on the heating system, and learning about amps in the electrical system. We have been using a ceramic heater to remove the chill from inside Uncle Joe, which seems to strain a 30 amp connection. UJ is wired and has a 50 amp capacity, but few campgrounds are wired for 50 amps. I believe that Nan has the patience and better temperament than I, to figure this amp stuff out. I’m more of a poet / philosopher. If a good whack doesn’t fix it, I go on to some’um else. Some things are just not meant to be.
Uncle Joe is Sick
We have run into our first shake-down problem with Uncle Joe.
It seems that his converter system has developed a hick-up, and some of the ac electrical systems have quit working; the microwave and a couple of the ac electrical outlets in the kitchen area.
Nan looked at the fuses
Pilings at Pacific Beach
Beach view - Pacific Beach State Park and they seem to be ok, but two of the main breakers don’t look right to her. The other day at Salt Creek, when we were on 50 amp power they tripped off. There was a funny smell. Thinking back, it was a sickly, electric kind of smell. So who knows? I flipped them back on, but some’um is not right. Sounds like we may have to schedule some warranty work.
But a few of the ac electrical outlets work, and it seems like the 12 volt system is working. The refrigerator is supposed to work on ac when plugged in. But it also works on dc and propane, and is holding up fine. The important thing is that we still have ice for toddy time, and the Chardonnay wine is chilled.
And the heating system works on propane and 12 volt dc. Nan says that now is the time for me to practice boon docking skills since I am so keen on the idea. So I went out on the beach and took some pictures of UJ in our spot at Pacific Beach State Park.
We have a small squall passing through. I hope to grill some ahi tuna on the barbee a little later.
Touchdown!
This afternoon, we arrived back from where we started our shakedown cruise in Uncle Joe, our new HitchHiker 5th wheel trailer.
Well, it was more like a wounded duck landing in the pond. What started out with lip curling grins, ended with a limp across the finish line.
We’ve known for a few days that something was amiss with the electrical system in the rig; ever since we plugged into a 50 amp pedestal at Salt Creek Campground overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
A burning smell with a thrown switch in the converter box was the first clue. I reset the switch, and it seemed we had power again. The next day, another burning smell was the second clue; this time without a thrown switch. By hindsight, this was not a welcomed smell.
It appears that we had been running down the batteries for the rest of the trip; the converter was compromised and was not recharging the batteries.
Last night we stayed at a little campground in Elma that accepted our Passport America ½ price discount card; full utilities, cable tv and wifi. But our batteries had become so depleted that we turned everything off (including the heat) and slept under blankets through the chill of the night.
Boy howdy; it reminded me of old days of sleeping under a horse blanket with Apple Jack out on the open range. ‘cept this time I had my two sweets to cozy up with. Truth be told, Apple Jack had bad breath, bad gas and was not one to cozy up with. Not so with my two sweeties.
So, anyway; when we got ready to head to the barn this morning, two of those dang slides would not close. We had wings on Uncle Joe on the starboard and port sides. There was not going down the roadway in that configuration!
I’m not going to bore you with all of the details of our predicament. The folk at the campground brought over a battery charger, and in five minutes the two recalcitrant slides were closed, and we were ready to head home.
I wish you could have been there, and I’m glad for you that you weren’t!
I even earned a lemon credit for not losing my temper in the ordeal, and not tongue lashing or pistol whippin’ any body.
So, we have a warranty repair appointment on June 9 to drag Uncle Joe over to Fife, WA to get things into working order. I talked to the warranty manager today and s‘plained the problem as best I could. I’m not one for fancy talk. I said, “Sandy, its broke; I’m bringing it in the be fixed.”
“Well, what’s wrong with it?”
“It seems to have quit working.”
“Why is it not working?”
“Shucks; I don’t know the why; I just know the what. I want it fixed.”
So, there you have it. We want to get it all sorted out by July 4 so we can head out and avoid all the misery of the fire works that go on hereabouts. But that is another story.
We all sure slept well in Uncle Joe, with the memory foam topper and all.
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Julie Knaake
non-member comment
Your Trip continued...
I could see all the glorious sights you have seen out that back window with your comments. What a great trip . Will Sequim be a stop off on that trip too ? Remembering those wonderful crabs we caught there years ago....mmmmm so good and juicy.