Just started my eight month trip to Alaska, I'm now in Georgia heading West. Will try to post pictures as time and connectivity permit. If you'd like to follow along vist my blog - http://www.takethelongway.us
I've now spent 128 nights in my PM since the conversion was completed - loving it!
We have enjoyed your travel posts in the past and the information on the conversion Moorehead Design Lab (SP?) did on your van. Update us along the way and keep the pictures of the sights and the van coming please.
Be well and travel safely.
Friends of ours bought their first RV and traveled east coast to west and back. They stayed almost exclusively at state and federal forests. Their photo album is amazing!
Love the "ironing board table" by your slider..... gonna think about a way to do something like that!
Its a long ways down the road, but wouldn't mind seeing you and the van if you find yourself coming through SE Washington. I might even have my van by then.
Steve, How is the Fiamma awning working out especially in rain and moderate wind? Any wet-out or dripping issues? Their web site FAQ says don't use for rain, only shade and to roll up if raining. Odd. They seem to suggest they are worried about pooling and weight. That could be fixed by proper setup, right? They have simple brackets for PM roof now at $157. Rack or rails not needed. I'm seriously looking at one but would like to ask the guy who probably has the most road experience with this on a PM than anyone.
My awnings (I have one on each side) are working just fine. The passenger side gets used in the rain (with no issues) and does a great job keeping the rain out when the sliding door is open. What I do is set the support poles (i use attachment points on the van) so that the front corner is higher than the rear, so that the water drains off the awning away from the door - haven't had a problem with pooling or wind (but I do get them down if it gets breezy OR if I'm going to be away from the van). Both awnings do a great job of keeping the sun off the van sides - keeping it cooler.
Most of our time on the Trace was around Tupelo. Now just East of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Looks like Oklahoma in a week or so - maybe on the Talimena Scenic Byway to start.
You will like the Talimena. Fantastic hiking trail parallels the road, accessible in many places.
If you come through Ponca City (darn, we won't be here), check out the Marland Mansion--the Palace on the Prairie. Built in the 20’s by oil baron E. W. Marland with more money than sense in the style of Italian villa. When we moved here in 1985, his widow who was first his niece, then his daughter, then his wife (not a typo) still roamed the streets like a bag lady. Quite a story.
Marland Oil became Conoco after Marland lost it and everything else. Just to the east in Bartlesville, Frank Phillips was building Phillips Petroleum. His country estate, Woolaroc, just west of Bartlesville, has a collection of Western art that will take your breath away. The architecture of his office buildings in Bartlesville is also quite striking for a small town.
Osage Hills State Park is just west of Bartlesville. $12 gets a nice site with showers. 15 miles of hiking trails. We try to go there often in winter to stay in shape. I wanted to take the van there this week before we leave on our extended trip, but it was not to be. Last week, the flowers were beginning to pop, so it should be pretty nice by now.
You will like the Talimena. Fantastic hiking trail parallels the road, accessible in many places.
Osage Hills State Park is just west of Bartlesville. $12 gets a nice site with showers. 15 miles of hiking trails. We try to go there often in winter to stay in shape. I wanted to take the van there this week before we leave on our extended trip, but it was not to be. Last week, the flowers were beginning to pop, so it should be pretty nice by now.
I rode my motorcycle through your country a year ago in May following Route 60. I had planned to camp at Osage SP but impending rain put me up in an ancient motel in Ponca City. Rain the next morning too and I had commitments to the east so I decided to ride on. The Van would have made it a pleasant stop and the rain would have just been a minor annoyance. We will return. Safe and enjoyable travels and check the site to update us on your travels. You can send photos of Ducato Vans to keep it on topic.
Are you primarily staying at state and national parks on your travels? How far in advance do you try and plan your schedule? Do you have any suggestions or links to find these beautiful campgrounds or just a lot of Googling and luck?
On the first 14 days of this trip I've stayed in National Forest Service, National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers (great), State, County and City campgrounds. Also boondocked in National Forest dispersed campsites and Walmart parking lots (both free). We plan (sort of) just one day out and have never made reservations - if a GC is full, we just move on down the road.
I use the AllStays Camp & RV app to find most of the campgrounds we use. BUT, the best source (if you don't need hookups) is to simply stop at any US Forest Service Ranger Station and ask about "dispersed" campsites for vehicles. The NPS visitor centers are also very helpful. Also, just stopping in a small town (or country store) and asking can turn up some awesome places to park (again, the key is not needing hookups).