2015 Trip 12: a bittersweet weekend

Cedar Cove Resort on White Lake - Oct 2015 Friday The excitement of getting out again in the Alto is soon tempered with the realization that this is the last weekend of the season. The reality of it in our neck of the woods, it gets colder, the campgrounds close up on Thanksgiving...

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Opening and Closing Process

Thought it was about time to post the steps that we do to open and close our Alto. It's not really that big a job, and I probably have a few steps in here that are perhaps extra, but I figure while I am at it, why not. So here goes. I've recently updated a few things here. Opening1. Drain all the tanks. Again, being at a full service campsite makes...

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2015 Trip 11: raining acorns...

Sharbot Lake PP - Sept 2015 Friday Back to Sharbot Lake this weekend, as we have snagged another site on the water. It would seem that the quest for water sites is now our number 1 priority. We are hooked on them, as they change the whole dynamic of a weekend away. ...

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2015 Trip 10...toasty swimmin'

Rollins Pond S.P. - Sept 2015 Friday Heading to Rollins, one of our favourite parks, mostly because almost all of the sites are on the water. If you are lucky enough to snag one in what we call the beach bay, then you will have a site as good as it gets. ...

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2015 Trip 9: I really like this site...

Bonnechere PP - Aug 2015 Friday... From the amount of traffic, it feels like a long weekend, the roads are jammed up. Took us forever just to get a little outside the city. Oh well, at least the weather is good, and the weekend looks good. We may drive through a few isolated...

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2015 Trip 8: a spectacular weekend

Sharbot Lake PP - Aug 2015 Friday Off to Sharbot Lake this weekend, where we have not been to since our tenting days, what feels like and is actually, many decades ago. Scooted home after work, grabbed the Alto, and picked Dale up at work, a little routine that...

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Water Pump Replacement

Based on the amount of racket coming from the water pump, it was clearly time for a change. I had replaced the pump head portion last spring, to solve a problem with the check valve, or at least that is what I think it was, although it may have been a diaphragm issue. It was...

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2015 Trip 7: the weather funnel called the Ottawa River

Long weekend, and this should come as no surprise, rain is in the forecast. We have had a week of hot humid weather, where sitting at the water would be perfect, yet come the weekend, it has cooled off a bit and rain is on the away. Typical of Mother Nature this summer. ...

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2015 Vacation: Saturday...and so it comes to an end.

Not too far a drive today, so we just sort of sauntered along getting stuff packed away to head out. Not surprising that we have a bit of a linger mentality going on, as we have effectively finished our vacation for this year. An easy drive from Syracuse, probably no more than four hours...

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2015 Vacation: Friday...finally, a classic summer day

No pallets visible this morning, not surprising as I heard activity across the way go on till quite late. Loud was up early though, getting breakfast and starting to tear down the camp. We are hiking around the lakes today, anxious to get a good look at the wonderful colour...

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2015 Vacation: Thursday...a bit of city tossed in

I have no idea how late that Loud went. He did seem to tone it down a bit, but I remember waking up at some point to the sound of pounding and muffled bellowing. In the morning though, there was nary a wooden pallet to be seen. That's a lot of wood to burn. Just a couple of...

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2015 Vacation: Wednesday...there's loud, then there's Loud

Heading to our last campground of this vacation, Green Lakes S.P., just outside Syracuse. We have been slowly circling back towards home, and this park will put us a nice drive from Ottawa. It is not a long drive today, so we took our time getting ready. A woman wandered...

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2015 Vacation: Tuesday...a low key day

Overcast this morning, and they are calling for isolated thunderstorms. Today is low key after the excitement of the gorge trail, so we are heading into Ithaca to have a look at this little city. Along the way we stopped at Enfield Falls to see if we can grab a quick swim. These...

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2015 Vacation: Monday...a walk on the wild side

A big storm rolled through late in the night, lots of thunder and lightning, and pounding rain. It passed quickly, and fortunately there were not any high winds. Today we explored the gorge, using our bikes to travel to the top of the trail. There are many hiking paths,...

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2015 Vacation: Sunday...moving on

On the road by 8:00am this morning, making our way to Watkins Glen S.P. in New York. A bit of a cross country trek, through upper Pennsylvania and into NY state. Quite the drive, lovely countryside, but very hilly, long slow ascents that seem to go on forever, then you crest...

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2015 Vacation: Saturday...another day that feels just Wright

Relaxing morning, our tour is not until 1:30, so we can just take it easy. Tidied up a few things in prep for heading out tomorrow, then headed over for the tour. Kentuck Knob was another commission of Wright, for the Hagan family, owners of a major dairy outside of Pittsburgh,...

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2015 Vacation: Friday...Fallingwater

Fallingwater today. Our tour started at 8:30, so we were up and out early. It is only a short drive from the site, but we will be going down SR2019 to Ohiopyle, which is the road they recommend that large RV's avoid. They are right! Even going downhill...

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2015 Vacation: Thursday...the hills of Pennsylvania

Thursday Big drive today, so we were up early to catch the ferry. A woman in a shop told us the big ferry leaves on the half hour, so that was our target time. The lake was much calmer today, and our passing was relatively smooth. Today is another of those A to B days,...

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2015 Vacation; Wednesday...who knew a golf cart was on Dale's bucket list?

Wednesday Heading back to Kelly's Island to get the Alto and an overnight stay. The storm of the past couple of days has blown by, so it will be interesting to see how rough Lake Erie is. Good drive back, and as luck would have it, the larger ferry was just arriving at...

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2015 Vacation: Monday & Tuesday...time to catch up

Monday & Tuesday Up early to catch the ferry, Alissa and Richard following us. We have left the Alto at the campground and are off to see Bill & Ann. The small ferry was in dock and we soon pulled on. There is a big storm closing in from the midwest, and although it...

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2015 Vacation: Sunday...breakfast and farewells till next rally

Sunday A pot luck breakfast this morning, starting at 9:00, as a number of people are pulling out and heading home. The drizzle of rain could not put a damper on the breakfast, as we all just started talking where we left off last night. ...

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2015 Vacation: Saturday...you can never have enough Altos for a tour

Saturday An Alto tour this morning, followed by a group BBQ in the evening. For the tour we started are doing the rounds of all the Altos, with each of the owners providing a little insight to what they have done to their Alto, their favorite accessories, and...

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2015 Vacation: Friday...Altos, Altos everywhere

Friday Set the alarm for a little before 5:00am, to give us a little leaway to make coffee, a bite to eat and get squared away to pull out. On the road by 6:00, a little overcast, so it should be a good day for a road trip. We are heading to Interstate 81,...

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2015 Vacation: Thursday...a bit of a head start

Thursday We are starting our 2 week vacation a day early this year. Something special taking place on this vacation, we are attending an Alto Rally being held at Kellys Island State Park in Ohio. Now this is a fair hike from Ottawa, and as the rally starts Friday night, we decided...

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2015 Trip 5: rain, rain, rain and more rain...

Sandbanks PP - June 2015 Friday On the road by 8:30am, as Sandbanks is a good 3 hours from Ottawa and we like to get there early to catch a little beach time, since today is forecasted to be sunny all day. Important this weekend as the long range forecast calls for an extended...

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The Brahma Beast

We have pondered a wheel lock for a few years now. Doing a little research, keeping an eye open in RV shops, but never really taking the plunge. I think the main factor that has spurred on this purchase is the current Alto wait time for delivery. On the Facebook group that we...

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2015 Trip 4: tough to beat a water site...

Bonnechere Provincial Park - June 2015 Friday Trip 4 already, and it is almost the middle of June...where does time go? Big storm front rolling in this afternoon, calling for extended periods of rain, however, it is supposed to be nice after this passes us by, and this is backed...

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Refrigerator Fan

There is a lot of discussion out there regarding the cooling efficiency of a propane absorption RV fridge. Some people have reported having difficulties getting the fridge to cool enough, especially if it is very warm outside. Overall, we have not had any cooling concerns with...

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Water Heater Anode

Most water heaters have what is called a sacrificial anode, a part whose metal composition causes the galvanic activity in the water to erode the anode first, and not the tank itself. Over time, the anode will slowly erode away, reducing its effectiveness. It should be checked...

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Checking the Spare

I knew it was under there, but for some reason, had never really explored how it was attached. It was on my list this spring to check the pressure in the spare, and figure out how it was hanging there, two things that would make a roadside flat a little easier to cope with. Pretty...

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2015 Trip 3: shad flies and geese...everywhere.

McLarens Campsite, St Lawrence Parks - May 2015 Friday Off to McLarens this weekend, a destination that is close to home and a nice little getaway. McLarens is one of the campgrounds in the St Lawrence Parks system along the Long Sault Parkway, which is a series of eleven islands...

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2015 Trip 2: a little electrical work...

Silver Lake PP - May 2015 Friday Like Cedar Cove is our first weekend, Silver Lake PP always seems to be our May long weekend destination. It is relatively close, within 2 hours, and we get to visit Helen & Paul at their nearby cottage.  Traffic was slow, totally...

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2015 Trip 1: season 6 begins...

Cedar Cove, White Lake, May 2015 Friday: The opening weekend, one of our favourite times of the year. Again we are headed to Cedar Cove, as it is a nice campground, and offers the services we like to have when opening or closing. We always try to snag our favourite spot down...

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Adding a little storage

We have contemplated the front storage cabinet for a while now. I was concerned how it would visually affect the smooth flow of the curved ceiling, and the outdoor reflections. We did realize the extra storage would be handy over the long term, so figured it was time to take...

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Adding a little comfort

We have always found the bench foam a little too firm for sleeping, great for being a bench though. We have tried a variety of things to try to get a little more comfort for us while sleeping, even a few memory foam pillows that Dale would perch upon. Not overly conducive to...

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Time for a new battery

Last summer I started to notice that the battery voltages were consistantly lower than in the past, and unable to maintain a charged voltage for very long. It seemed time for a new battery. The original is a Deka Marine RV, which is not really a true deep cycle battery, even...

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