My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Thanks Deb ! Glad you're enjoying the stories.....
My first night in California turned out not to be such a good night. I awoke to find that someone had taken a knife and sliced through the netting on my Jeep. As I recall I paid about $300 for that netting.....it's a really high quality product that I loved. The person must have been a total idiot as the doors were unlocked and the window panels are in such poor condition you can stick your arm through the holes. Instead they chose to ruin the netting and crawl through the back to get nothing.....
I decided to leave the coastline and go inland.....next for us was the California Redwoods. This day turned out to be one of the best weather days of the trip, blue skies and great temps for hiking in the forest.....
The dogs weren't allowed on the trails which was fine by me as we did the majority of our hikes along dirt roads.....
After a day of hiking we drove northwest and landed in Medford, Oregon where we ate like pigs at a Red Robin where one gets all the fries you can eat.....we made a killing.....
From Medford, Oregon we drove southeast and spent a night in Yreka, California due to the declining weather. Rain persisted through the night. Back on the road the following day, the clouds lifted and we caught glimpses of Mount Shasta to the east.....
We continued southeast driving through Lassen National Forest. We found a quiet spot in the forest and settled in for the night. Hard rains pounded the camper that night, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep, as I love the sound of the rain landing on the camper roof. In the morning we awoke to several inches of snow.....yikes, I wasn't prepared for that, and with no internet, I had no idea of the day's weather forecast. We grabbed a quick coffee and hit the icy road. We eventually had to stop and wait for the roads to improve.....
By 11:00 a.m. the roads were clear again and I was comfortable with crossing the last mountain pass that laid ahead of us. Not everyone was as patient as we were.....
It took nearly an hour for two massive tow trucks to get this guy back on the road. I was thankful that I drive with no deadlines....and no planned destinations.....
We found ourselves camped near Reno, Nevada last night. The camper continues to disappoint.....so many issues.....the last two nights no heat with temperatures in the 20's.....
My first night in California turned out not to be such a good night. I awoke to find that someone had taken a knife and sliced through the netting on my Jeep. As I recall I paid about $300 for that netting.....it's a really high quality product that I loved. The person must have been a total idiot as the doors were unlocked and the window panels are in such poor condition you can stick your arm through the holes. Instead they chose to ruin the netting and crawl through the back to get nothing.....
I decided to leave the coastline and go inland.....next for us was the California Redwoods. This day turned out to be one of the best weather days of the trip, blue skies and great temps for hiking in the forest.....
The dogs weren't allowed on the trails which was fine by me as we did the majority of our hikes along dirt roads.....
After a day of hiking we drove northwest and landed in Medford, Oregon where we ate like pigs at a Red Robin where one gets all the fries you can eat.....we made a killing.....
From Medford, Oregon we drove southeast and spent a night in Yreka, California due to the declining weather. Rain persisted through the night. Back on the road the following day, the clouds lifted and we caught glimpses of Mount Shasta to the east.....
We continued southeast driving through Lassen National Forest. We found a quiet spot in the forest and settled in for the night. Hard rains pounded the camper that night, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep, as I love the sound of the rain landing on the camper roof. In the morning we awoke to several inches of snow.....yikes, I wasn't prepared for that, and with no internet, I had no idea of the day's weather forecast. We grabbed a quick coffee and hit the icy road. We eventually had to stop and wait for the roads to improve.....
By 11:00 a.m. the roads were clear again and I was comfortable with crossing the last mountain pass that laid ahead of us. Not everyone was as patient as we were.....
It took nearly an hour for two massive tow trucks to get this guy back on the road. I was thankful that I drive with no deadlines....and no planned destinations.....
We found ourselves camped near Reno, Nevada last night. The camper continues to disappoint.....so many issues.....the last two nights no heat with temperatures in the 20's.....
unkamonkey
Explorer
A nice report as always Jerry.
What is the deal with the furnace? We were down South of Moab around Thanksgiving and a friends camper had a bad battery so his furnace didn't work. I wondered why he had his truck fired up at 3 in the morning. He eventually got up and put a large pan of water on his stove and hit the flame. Great, steam heat. I travel with stuff so the next day we wired his camper to my motorhome battery set up. He rewarded me with a large plate of bacon.
What is the deal with the furnace? We were down South of Moab around Thanksgiving and a friends camper had a bad battery so his furnace didn't work. I wondered why he had his truck fired up at 3 in the morning. He eventually got up and put a large pan of water on his stove and hit the flame. Great, steam heat. I travel with stuff so the next day we wired his camper to my motorhome battery set up. He rewarded me with a large plate of bacon.
Sorry to hear about jerks with knives ruining your day, some people just suck... Hopefully you furry travel companions helped with the lack of a heater!
Curious, since I've not ever driven one- how would the bigger, "full size" motor home have been on the snowy roads? Would you still have stopped to wait for better conditions?
Sent from an evil pocket calculator with a flashy screen
Curious, since I've not ever driven one- how would the bigger, "full size" motor home have been on the snowy roads? Would you still have stopped to wait for better conditions?
Sent from an evil pocket calculator with a flashy screen
unkamonkey
Explorer
You do what you do and I was driving back from setting up a hunting camp by Walden for friends and I got the call. (I don't hunt. taint stupid). A friend had his F350 4X4 stuck at his mountain property so I headed that way. I got him out and managed to get my 4X4 motorhome out as well. A lot of it depends on the driver. Not saying I am the best driver but you learn a few things over the years.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Unkamonkey.....thanks.....I spoke with the salesman that sold me the camper yesterday and he believes it's a bad circuit board but he doesn't know for sure. He said to find a shop to repair it.....
Furbucket.....I would have stopped no matter what I was driving. The biggest issue was not snow but black ice. As you know, you just aren't safe driving on that stuff. Thanks for following along.....
I thought about posting a list of the issues with the truck camper, but honestly, what's the point ? I was on the phone yesterday with the salesman and he says he's never seen such a lemon from Arctic Fox. I've been hanging out around Reno, Nevada for (3) days now.....searching the internet for something to replace it and exploring the city. I'm just not coming up with much.....lots of beautiful rigs forty plus feet long. If I'm going to make it full time, I need something larger and something that is dependable.....something new maybe.....that's just who I am.....
Furbucket.....I would have stopped no matter what I was driving. The biggest issue was not snow but black ice. As you know, you just aren't safe driving on that stuff. Thanks for following along.....
I thought about posting a list of the issues with the truck camper, but honestly, what's the point ? I was on the phone yesterday with the salesman and he says he's never seen such a lemon from Arctic Fox. I've been hanging out around Reno, Nevada for (3) days now.....searching the internet for something to replace it and exploring the city. I'm just not coming up with much.....lots of beautiful rigs forty plus feet long. If I'm going to make it full time, I need something larger and something that is dependable.....something new maybe.....that's just who I am.....
unkamonkey
Explorer
Jerry, I hope things work out for you and you seem to be having a decent trip. Not much I can do from here but a few friends are doing camper/trailer repairs as well at this time. The only thing I did in Reno (twice) was to sleep and get the heck out of there in the morning.
stevenbrahney
New member
According to me a professional career is a journey.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Unkamonkey.....I'm absolutely having a decent time and my only regret is buying the Arctic Fox truck camper. I talked with some people from Canada a few days ago and a friend of theirs purchased an Arctic Fox trailer and it turned out to be a lemon as well and they managed to get their unit replaced by Arctic Fox. I don't want another.....
Clay.....yep.....
My last night near Reno, Nevada was spent in a Walmart lot in Gardnerville, Nevada, about an hour south of Reno. I didn't sleep well that night.....I had to resolve the truck camper issue and get on with life. At 4:30 a.m. I was back on the road driving north through Reno and then onto Interstate 80 headed east. Somewhere along that highway the hitch broke and the Jeep was being held on by 2 cables.....pretty scary experience. I was able to find some bolts and put it back together. At 8:00 a.m. I made a call to inquire on the Renegade unit that I'd seen a month prior.....I wanted it. Turns out a couple had flown in from California and were looking at it. The salesman said don't come. But I didn't listen.....no schedule.....no plans. And we continued onward and spent a night in southeast Oregon along Route 95.....
The following day I arrived in Mountain Home, Idaho to see if there might be another unit I'd consider. There was one, but at this point I was still hopeful that I could get the Renegade Classic. I waited around the IWS sales / service center for 2 days. Finally at 7:00 p.m. on the second day the salesman called and told me that the people from San Francisco had decided on something else and that I was now the proud owner of the 2018 37' Renegade Classic.....I couldn't have been more pleased.....
I was glad to see the Arctic Fox go. As I unloaded my gear I found that much of it is covered in mildew. I lifted the mattress and found the underside to be drenched. Many of the cabinets were soaked. Mold was growing on the window seals. The generator and heater were both malfunctioning. A control center had fallen out of the wall. The slide was malfunctioning....and so many more issues. This thing was a nightmare.....
We've been hanging out at IWS for the past 4 nights. I couldn't say enough good stuff about this outfit. Never in my days have I been more pleased with a group of people.....top notch in every way. The Jeep got a new high dollar tow hitch installed yesterday and it's getting a new towing brake system installed on Monday. They've been doing and will continue to customize the rig to my likings next week. It's amazing how much I've got to learn now. These things are so complex.....
Thanksgiving dinner for us travelers was spent at an Arby's / Pilot Truck Stop.....the meal consisted of French Fries and Coca Cola. Staff at IWS invited us into their homes.....we declined.....
So I've made another huge change in my life after 45 days and 2,987 miles on the road on this journey, I'm all in on this one.....
Clay.....yep.....
My last night near Reno, Nevada was spent in a Walmart lot in Gardnerville, Nevada, about an hour south of Reno. I didn't sleep well that night.....I had to resolve the truck camper issue and get on with life. At 4:30 a.m. I was back on the road driving north through Reno and then onto Interstate 80 headed east. Somewhere along that highway the hitch broke and the Jeep was being held on by 2 cables.....pretty scary experience. I was able to find some bolts and put it back together. At 8:00 a.m. I made a call to inquire on the Renegade unit that I'd seen a month prior.....I wanted it. Turns out a couple had flown in from California and were looking at it. The salesman said don't come. But I didn't listen.....no schedule.....no plans. And we continued onward and spent a night in southeast Oregon along Route 95.....
The following day I arrived in Mountain Home, Idaho to see if there might be another unit I'd consider. There was one, but at this point I was still hopeful that I could get the Renegade Classic. I waited around the IWS sales / service center for 2 days. Finally at 7:00 p.m. on the second day the salesman called and told me that the people from San Francisco had decided on something else and that I was now the proud owner of the 2018 37' Renegade Classic.....I couldn't have been more pleased.....
I was glad to see the Arctic Fox go. As I unloaded my gear I found that much of it is covered in mildew. I lifted the mattress and found the underside to be drenched. Many of the cabinets were soaked. Mold was growing on the window seals. The generator and heater were both malfunctioning. A control center had fallen out of the wall. The slide was malfunctioning....and so many more issues. This thing was a nightmare.....
We've been hanging out at IWS for the past 4 nights. I couldn't say enough good stuff about this outfit. Never in my days have I been more pleased with a group of people.....top notch in every way. The Jeep got a new high dollar tow hitch installed yesterday and it's getting a new towing brake system installed on Monday. They've been doing and will continue to customize the rig to my likings next week. It's amazing how much I've got to learn now. These things are so complex.....
Thanksgiving dinner for us travelers was spent at an Arby's / Pilot Truck Stop.....the meal consisted of French Fries and Coca Cola. Staff at IWS invited us into their homes.....we declined.....
So I've made another huge change in my life after 45 days and 2,987 miles on the road on this journey, I'm all in on this one.....
Last edited:
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Wow Jerry! I’ve been reading your trip posts a long time. You no doubt will get lots of use and enjoyment out of the big rig! Going full time with some comfort and space should fit your desire for adventure nicely. Happy Holidays!
