2014 Roadtrek 210 Popular

For something to do the other day, I was shopping RVs  at World Wide RV in Mesa , and found this new Roadtrek for sale. The window sticker says $118,000 USD, so I was relieved when I looked at their website and saw it had been reduced to a mere $91,990. I'm being facetious here. For Canadian prospects, you'll need $115,000 to drive this home (at current exchange rates and before taxes).

Since we owned two Roadtreks, and traveled over 100,000 miles in them, I feel like I should have some idea how life goes in a Roadtrek.

My last one was a 2002, Popular, and I saw a lot of NA in this vehicle. It was all good. I wanted to see the country, and this vehicle served the purpose. The longer you're in it, the bigger it gets.

Like the one pictured, mine was built on the Chevy chassis, and in my opinion, this is one stout unit. I purchased it for $40,000 in Florida when it was five years old. It was like new. The Canadian dollar was on par with the U.S. dollar. I sold it five years later for $24,000. I had traveled over 50,000 miles. Annual maintenance was about $1,000, so it proved reliable to say the least. The first owner ate a big hunk of depreciation, my shrinkage was minimal.

I sold it because we wanted to settle in an RV park where class B motorhomes were not welcome in-season. What replaced the Roadtrek was a 5th Wheel, purchased for a fraction of what the Roadtrek sells for. The 5th Wheel is ideal for long stays, the Roadtrek cramped, and you feel it when you're sitting for longer periods in one place.

Looking back, I'm happy for the years we enjoyed seeing the country, and Roadtrek served us well. At this juncture, we need more space, and the urge to be constantly on the move has finally passed.

You'll see me switching back and forth between us and I in this post. My wife was still working during those Roadtrek travel years, so I have a lot of solo miles under my belt. When she could, she would fly and meet me, and we enjoyed the time together, but we did have to adjust to the limited space. The 5th Wheel has addressed all those space issues. What we don't do in the 5th Wheel is travel anywhere, it stays put.

RV Parks Reviews - Valle del Oro

Here's the link to RV Parks Reviews of Valle Del Oro in Mesa, Arizona.

Since I've been in this park for several years in a 5th Wheel, I'm also a happy customer, so I'm a little sensitive of unfair criticism. Generally, I found the reviews on this website pretty fair, although some are dated. This park is in a state of constant upgrading, so things that were not so good three years ago, may well be improved now.

What hasn't changed is the park's WiFi, especially in-season - still not great. This has everything to do with too many users, with too many devices. The park has spent mega bucks trying to address this, but they're spinning their wheels. Save yourself frustration and find an alternative to park WiFi. We subscribe to Verizon, and this works. Accept that when you travel, WiFi will not be like what you have at home.

Don't plan a vacation here without a confirmed reservation. The waiting list for an ever diminishing number of RV sites is a long one. Especially in-season (J,F,M). Even with confirmed reservations, check before you come to be sure a park model hasn't taken your spot, in which case you'll almost certainly be looking for another park. This caveat pretty much applies to all the better parks in warm locations in the winter. If you haven't heard, the 'Baby Boomers are coming.' Space in the better parks is tight. One way to avoid disappointment is to buy a park model, and this is a discussion for another post sometime.

Air Canada gets the job done

I'm never really sure where I am when I look out the window of an airplane, but what we're most likely seeing is the East shore of Lake St. Clair on April 1, 2015. And yes, there is still ice on the Great Lakes. People in Arizona have been asking.

I'm on a four hour flight from Phoenix on Air Canada, which will arrive in Toronto 1 pm. We departed at 6 am, and this made for a 3:45 am wake-up call. Six and four gives you 10, but there is a three hour time difference at this time of year, given Arizona does not move their clocks for daylight savings time.

Since we've taken to flying back and forth to Phoenix, this is my first return trip on Air Canada. I left on March 4, and there were flight delays due to absolutely horrible winter weather. Giving AC credit, I arrived in Phoenix on the same day I left Kingston, Ontario. As you can see by the picture, the trip home was sunny and bright.

Living on the U.S. border gives us the option of flying from Syracuse, and this is the way we typically go. Problem is, the two hour plus run down Hwy. 81 through the snow belt in winter weather. As it turned out, on this trip, getting to Syracuse was not going to happen due to winter weather, so the AC alternative right from Kingston was a lucky choice, even with delays getting out. And, it was all about good luck, because the flights were booked 90 days out.

What AC did right, with a weather delayed departure from Kingston was call us on the phone, and help with rescheduling. The call came late at night, and thankfully I heard the call and answered. Score one for Air Canada, they were on it.

On Customs clearances and times spent in lineups. If you are clearing through Toronto, pack some patience. There are new streamlining systems in place, but it does take a little getting used to. Don't arrive at the last minute, there are also security clearance lineups to get through. In scheduling your connecting flights, I say, to minimize stress, allow for two hours if you can between connecting flights in Toronto.

Speaking of reducing stress. Have you heard about WestJet's new Smart Seats? Have a look, there is a short video that explains it all.

On The Road Again - Trip Planning

Ed and Ruth are friends, and they've made countless trips across America (from Nova Scotia), and they've stayed out of trouble by taking it easy, paying attention to weather forecasts, and thinking out each leg of the trip before they leave (see travel plan below).

When they hauled a 5th Wheel, this planning was more complex, because you need to know where you can stop, and where you can get fuel. You especially need to know how to navigate around big cities, where a wrong turn can get you in serious trouble in a hurry.

The 5th Wheel stays in Arizona these days, and motels have replaced truck stops and RV parks. Life is good in an economical SUV, which is comfortable, roomy, and reliable.

A good day for them is six to seven hours of travel, in daylight, with a finish around 4 pm. If there are storms ahead, they wait until they clear, or they take an alternative route. The trip home in the spring (end of March) is especially challenging, bad weather is everywhere. Ed is a retired Air Force pilot, and avoiding nasty weather is something that comes natural. So does trip planning.

Ed's Route Plan - click to enlarge

As I write this, they're arriving in Nashville. And, they'll take a couple of days break. It has taken four days to get there from Mesa, Arizona. This is no speed record. They have spent about $125 in fuel so far (paying as little as $2.11 a gallon in Oklahoma). Ed estimates the trip back to Nova Scotia will come in under $300. This is definitely the year of low fuel prices.

Contrast this with what they used to spend hauling the 5th Wheel (about $1,000 in fuel each way), and motel living sounds pretty appealing.

Since Snowbirds are all flocking home during this period, their motel stays are booked well in advance, which means lower prices, and they're sure of a room. Their preference these days is La Quinta, which affords them frequent user discounts and loyalty bonuses. Ed is registered with La Quinta as ex-military, and the staff know this when he registers, and never fail to thank him for his service. A nice touch.

Simply Noise - When you need some rest

iPod charger and speakers work great

There's an app for that. Truth is, RV parks are often in noisy locations. When you're on the road, so are truck stops, Walmart parking lots, and some motel rooms.

If noise is killing your sleep, add some noise - Simply Noise. This $1 app is all it takes.

You'll need a little amp/speaker/ear-buds, and your mobile device. Simply Noise generates a hishing noise that blocks out noisy cars, trucks, motorcycles, slamming doors, whatever. You easily adjust to Simply Noise, and the other annoyances just disappear.