2016 Trip 12: down to the last out...

Trip 12: Cedar Cove - Oct 2016 We headed to Cedar Cove this afternoon, our traditional spot to winterize the Alto and close out the camping season. Cedar Cove is a nice private campground, that is quite close to Ottawa. Although it is mostly a seasonal campground, the overnight...

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2016 Trip 11: boys weekend

Trip 11: Bonnechere P.P. - Sept 2016 Headed out at noon, wanting to get a bit of a head start on my "boys weekend". Now before your mind conjures up images of beer cans, hot dogs and bonfires, it will be pretty tame as there are only two of us, and for the record, the other...

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2016 Trip 10: a simple relaxing weekend

Sharbot Lake P.P. - Sept 2016 Back to Sharbot Lake, on the primo site we had last time we were here. Only goes to prove that a little planning can sure help in snagging a great site. Now that September is upon us, the finality of our short camping season has descended upon...

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looking for a little breeze...

So it is a Sunday afternoon and I have just finished a little outside repair on the house. I've got an assortment of tools in my bucket, including my drill and bits, so naturally, I'm wondering if there is anything else that needs to be done...and naturally, my gaze fell upon...

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2016 Trip 9: Rollins...always great!

Rollins Pond S.P. - Aug 2016 Off to Rollins for a week vacation, the second part of splitting our two weeks of vacation this summer. We tried something a little different on this Rollins trip, as we usually head down Friday morning, and use it as our travel day. Throw in the...

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Solar Upgrade Part 3: a 12 volt audit

When one gets a new gizmo, there is a strong tendency to gravitate towards using it all the time...it's only natural. I would have to say that the Trimetric has had a bit of this effect on me...I just have to press that little button to open up the new world of information it has to offer. This is not a bad thing mind you, I have a much better understanding...

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2016 Trip 8: The Hip...Canada's band

Sharbot Lake PP - Aug 2016 Let's just start by saying that our little blurb about camping this weekend pales in comparison to what happened Saturday evening in Kingston...the end of The Tragically Hip's tour, and the last concert they will ever play.  An emotional tour...

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2016 Trip 7: a beach bum vacation

Sandbanks PP - Aug 2016 Friday Headed down to Sandbanks this morning to start one week of vacation. One of our favourite locations, Sandbanks is apparently the largest freshwater sandbar and dunes in the world!  The hot weather has continued in Ottawa, so we figure Lake...

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2016 Trip 6: the weekend was just ducky...

Bonnechere PP - July 2016 Friday It has been stinking hot all week, seriously hot. The sun starts to cook you if you are out in it too long. The humidity is adding a whole other level of uncomfortable to the equation and throw in the occasional thunderstorm, it made for quite...

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2016 Trip 5: sun, sand & fireworks!

Driftwood PP - July 2016 Wednesday: Canada Day long weekend, and actually, an extra long weekend when you add a day on. Friday is the holiday, so we added on the Thursday and headed out Wednesday night. The Wednesday leaving almost did not happen. We made the booking many...

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2016 Trip 4: the Get-Away Weekend

Trip 4: Presqu'ile PP - June 2016 Thursday: The Get-Away Weekend event has finally arrived.  What started out as an idea amongst a few of us in Ontario to camp together this summer, blossomed into a full blown rally once we posted it to the group to see if any others were...

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Solar Upgrade Part 2: the install...

Lots of moving parts to this mod, and right up there on a par with the brain cramps experienced solving the furnace dilemma we had a few years back. As I have mentioned before, do not attempt any sort of mod, or maintenance for that matter, if you are not totally confident...

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2016 Trip 3: a dragonfly ballet

Silver Lake - June 2016 Friday: Heading to a new site on Silver Lake this time, a non-electrical site right on the water. From photos, it appears to be perched above the water, and has a fabulous view right down the lake. The only downside will be that it is close to Hwy 7,...

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Solar Upgrade Part 1: solar musings...

This is a long post...two parts actually. It is pretty much my thoughts based on a winter of analysis, trying to figure out how to best manage our future solar requirements. Do any sort of reading on solar power for RV use and for as many manufacturer articles and personal blogs you find, you will find a similar number of opinions. You really have...

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Another Bearing Repack

Once again it is time to pull apart the hubs and clean and repack the bearings. At the same time, I give the brakes a good cleaning. It's a pretty straight forward job, but it does take a bit of time, as you have to jack up the Alto, pull everything apart, clean and repack,...

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