Bella and I pulled into the Safari Condo parking lot this morning, ready to adopt the newest member of our little vagabond tribe. There she was, waiting in the bay, complete with a red bow and a welcome sign:
Then it was a day of learning so many new things that I think my brain grew another brain just to try and hold onto the flood of knowledge the Alto grandmaster, Denis Messier, passed along to me. Full tour of outside, then inside, every single thing had something special to remember about it. Kudos to the crew that took care of me, L-R: Daniel, Francois, and Denis. From fixing a cranky power cable to draining the tanks of antifreeze and filling them with water ready for camping, they all rocked it today and I so appreciate every thing these guys did for me.
When we left for lunch, Bella and Breeze were getting acquainted. Sort of… I looked at this and thought, Oh, crap, I will never get this sorted.
After lunch, I did some shopping for the things I hadn’t brought and needed. It’s like buying a house, really. You write the big check and then the rest, well, you just shrug and pull out the credit card. In for a penny, in for a pound.
And then, it was time to learn the hitching up and unhitching up part. I didn’t take any pictures because I was concentrating so hard on grokking the flow of what needs to be done when and why. In the end, I think I got it, but the acid test will come tomorrow when I do it all by myself (and hopefully not in the pouring rain…).
Then it was time for the first drive. That poor guy escorting me, he did not realize it was my first time EVER towing ANYTHING. So we went pretty slow at first, while I got used to the wireless rearview camera (a really slick camera mounted on the back of the trailer that acts like a rearview mirror so you see exactly what is behind and to the rear sides of you. I have the mirror extensions as well, for those who care about such things). The test road is bumpy, but Breeze’s independent suspension handled it well, and after a slow wide turn around, I headed back to the mothership. A quick snap, in the traditional “I got my Alto” pose with Denis and I was off to the KOA. Slowly, very slowly.
The rain that had mostly held off all day started spitting, and being a Seattle resident, I knew I probably didn’t have much time, so I hustled getting the trailer leveled and stabilized, power plugged in, and the load of stuff from Bella moved (ok, kinda thrown in) into the trailer. Didn’t do the water because I realized I was too far from the spigot, and had already done the leveling and stabilizer thing. Note to self: check power *and* spigot distances before settling on a spot.
And now, I am sitting in my new little home, playing some Gregg Allman on the bluetooth speaker, T-Mobile hotspot cranking out the connectivity, and thinking about making some stir fry dinner. Before I sign off for the day, here’s some “first look” pictures of the inside.
And so there is my day. 14 months in the waiting, 21 months since I first thought of being a vagabond. I’m one step closer to that dream today.
Annie – I just found this site and you are living my dream. I consider your blog posts a masterclass and look forward to learning from you. Thanks in advance for being thorough, for posting your experiences and impressions in real time, and for maintaining these pages so I can relive your adventures as I prepare for my own.
Ditch the coiled water hose. Pick up a 5/8in diameter “white hose” at WalMart or RV supply place or Amazon 🙂 but wait until you get back to the US ($). 25ft is a common length that suffices us 99% of the time. When venturing into unknown terriroty (like Canada) we take a second 25ft hose and join the two together if necessary.
Good for you Annie. If you have any RV or camping questions, feel free to ask me. We’ve been RVING over 20 years. Check out RV storage ideas on Pinterest. And RV.net for anything RV. It’s a great forum.
Enjoy?
Annie, so happy for you!! Enjoy the adventures ahead and know that I will be following every one with anticipation. We are here for you if you need us.
I can’t believe they make trailers in such a pretty color!! Looks EXQUISITE, inside and out. So happy for you, my friend!
Wonderful!!!!!!!
Congratulations!
Love your post! Love the Alto and really love the color inside and out! Mostly I love how happy it makes you! I’ll be there soon in my own little giddy party! Smooth sailing Annie!
Looks fabulous! Congratulations! This is a little YouTube on backing trailers that I found helpful, just FYI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4A9oIip7CM
Thanks, Nancy! I have heard the left/left and right/right but not tried it out yet. He makes it all sound so easy 🙂
Love, love, love today’s update! Totally digging the turquoise, stoked on the BB-8, and BIG cheers to you for your bravery in following your dreams!
Thanks, Paris! I totally appreciate the support, it means so much to me to know you’re there for me as I get into these adventures.