Hunkered down for the last three days in northwestern Kansas gave me a somewhat safe place to ride out severe weather from two dangerous weather systems. The worst has passed now, so tomorrow I will head into Colorado.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch while I was in Wichita. I was frightened after experiencing tornadoes two years ago in Salina Kansas. I have never traveled through Kansas without being pummeled by severe storms. We made it through the night in Wichita, and more bad severe storms were forecast for the area. I had two choices, neither was good. I could stay put and not risk going out on the road. Or I could venture out and try to travel further north and west to a place where the storms were not predicted to be as severe.
My most important website while traveling is the Weather Channel website. They have an excellent hour by hour forecast as well as big-picture forecasts for dangerous weather patterns. Dark red coloring covered Wichita in the forecast map which indicates severe storms with large hail, tornadoes, and flooding likely. I decided to get the hell out of Dodge, risk the drive, and try to get north and west of the deep red spots into an area that was just red indicating possible severe storms. I made the right choice. Later that day officials closed I-35, the road I drove north on out Wichita because of flooding.
I drove several hundred miles to Wakeeney Kansas which was only in the red part of the severe weather map. Most of the bad storms passed south of me. However, a strong cold front was blasting down from Canada, bringing high winds and temperatures plummeting down into the 30s. Driving a large rid in 20-30 mph winds is not safe. Concerned about the slide toppers tearing from flapping in the wind, I pulled the slides in on the windward side of the RV last night. The worst is over now, just have to deal with freezing temperature tonight. I’m learning how to run the coach and motor in cold weather. The coach is well equipped to handle below freezing temperatures.
The trip is challenging. The first day I ran into swarms of lovebugs, the most lovebugs I have ever seen. Lovebugs are very difficult to get off of both paint and glass. Removing the lovebugs as quickly as possible is necessary as the acid in their bodies eats away and paint and ruins paint. Three nights in a row, the first chore I did when I got to the park was to clean off the lovebugs. The first night it took me two hours and 4 passes to get all the lovebugs off. I was so exhausted that I just went in the coach after I finished, changed clothes, and laid down the rest of the evening.
I ended up staying in a very scary RV park in Milton Florida, that was a mistake. When your rig is worth more than all the other trailers in the park put together, you are in the wrong place. From there I drove up through Alabama and Mississippi, a very difficult and stressful drive. I was very tired when I got to Vicksburg.
After getting to the park, I was so relieved I let down my guard. Bad mistake. I backed up into a pole and tore up the left rear of the bumper/skirt. All I had to do was look in the rearview camera to prevent the accident. When I saw the damage, I just rolled over into grass into a fetal position and cried. I thought, this is only day three, and the damage will be there the entire trip. Eventually, I got up and put duct tape over the damage. At least it’s not a trip ending problem. This screw up was entirely due to extreme tiredness and lack of focus. Thinking I had to clean lovebugs for the third night in a row, and that my water pressure regulator had not worked the night before distracted me. The accident would not have happened with a second person along as a spotter.
From Vicksburg, I went to Shreveport. I spent two nights there waiting for a dangerous weather system to clear out. From Shreveport, I made my way to Durant Oklahoma. The RV park there had the widest roads I have ever seen in a park. A small plane could have landed in the road in front of my site. I thought if I can’t get out of this place without hitting something, that I would sell the RV. The place was there because of the huge Choctaw casino next door. The Choctaw Native Americans served during WWI as the original code talkers, the only code the Germans never broke. From Durant I drove to Wichita, knowing bad storms were forecast for Oklahoma.
Navigating is difficult by oneself, even with GPS. Making a wrong turn could really be a problem since this rig is so difficult to turn around. Google Maps is my second most important website. I write out all the turn by turn directions for the day’s route. That way, the GPS only confirms where I expect to turn. I also use Google Maps on a tablet placed next to the dash. The two navigation systems usually agree. Sometimes the Google Nav puts you on a road that is not suitable for RVs. I’ve learned to program the RV nav system first since that one takes into account you are in a RV. Then I make the Google route match the RV nav route.
I also use Google Maps in the terrain mode to look at roads, especially for getting in and out of parks. There are some roads I just don’t want to drive on after looking at the Google Map photos of them.
I’ve become a lot better at using truck stops for fuel. There is definitely a protocol and etiquette for using truck stops. It’s especially important since I am in a RV and mostly you see truckers. Most are very friendly. I’m using Love’s Truck Stops when possible. They are good consistent truck stops. It’s important to get fuel where there is a lot of fuel being dispensed so you don’t get a tank of bad fuel.
Sunday I will travel to Ft. Collins Colorado for 5 nights. Ft. Collins will be fun. It’s a great town on the front range of the Rocky Mountains and the home of the New Belgium Beer Company. From there, the drive to Grand Teton National Park will only take two days. Driving and navigating is easier now that I am in the midwest and west. There is much less traffic, and not nearly as many roads.
The cats are doing very well. They adapted to the coach right away. They must remember from the previous trips. This coach is their second home. I am trying to relax more and enjoy the moments, remembering the journey is part of the experience. The change from living at home to living on the road is a big adjustment. After two weeks, I am starting to settle into a new routine.
I spent six weeks in the area of Ft. Collins one summer. I think it was the summer of 1958, when I was 14 years old. My mother took some kind of summer program at Colorado State, and the family (she, my father, and I) camped beside the Cache la Poudre River. We lived in tents and a station wagon in a small campground beside the river somewhere west of Ft. Collins. My dad and I spent a good bit of time fishing while my mother went to school. I never really learned the skill, but I did manage to catch one trout.
BTW, this is probably not a place where you should go with your RV.
Sounds like a wonderful summer. I won’t be driving around Ft Collins, staying in a RV park north of the city. I’ll bike around town.
Biking in town! Good! Your still doing some biking! The weather here seems so boring compared to what your experiencing.
Biking is my main way of getting around after I’ve set up camp. I’m ready for some boring weather.
Southern calif ….”boring” weather! But it’s a good “ boring”!
I was referring to the road up the Cache la Poudre River, not the city.
Oh, ok. I’ve been to the campground I’m going to before, so I know I can get there.
Rob, Glad you are through the worst of the trip west. After reading your challenges of getting through all the bad weather at this time of year, I wondered if you ever thought about traveling north out of Florida on 75 up to I80 to try and get above the worst of the tornados and severe weather. It would be more miles, but possibly less stress. Take care and enjoy! Jim
That was my original plan. But the thought of driving through Atlanta, Nashville, St Louis and Kansas City was also stressful.