Truly Winter Wonderland Country- I'll be full time camping in it.

In 13 days I will hit the road to live in my travel trailer full time. I am getting so excited.

I'll be in Michigan, but I will be snug as a bug in my travel trailer. I plan on spending one month at a Michigan RV park. They have winter rates and allow winter camping. For those who don't know, this means no running water. Water would freeze in the hose. Also, it means that i won't be putting any water or sewage down the trailers grey or black water tanks. There are outhouses available.

Taking a bath is like taking a step back in time. I'll heat up a pot of water on the propane stove. I'll then pour it into a basin with some cold water. A long hot soak in the tub is not exactly in the cards. After a nice wash up, I'll slip into my floor length heavy men's terry cloth robe, a pair of house slippers completes the afterbath ensemble.

Cooking isn't much different in my travel trailer than in a house. I'll be hooked up to electric, so I'll have the fridge, just like in a house only smaller. I have a 3 burner stove, a small oven, and a microwave. I plan on lots of soups and stews. In winter, I like food that sticks to my ribs. I enjoy baking, so some nice fresh cornbread, or some homemade yeast bread goes great with stews and soups.

I no longer own a television. With the advent of all the online content, I am sure I won't miss it at all. I do have Netflix and Hulu plus subscriptions. I have also got a large library of videos on my laptop that I haven't yet seen.

I enjoy photography. I'll be taking lots of winter shots. I also write. I have two children's books to edit, and four more in the series to write before I am ready to have them published. I do all the parts of the books myself, both the writing and the illustrations.



It's truly a beautiful Winter Wonderland and there are many beautiful sights that I'd like to share.
The pictures in this post came from my last Michigan winter camping trip.


I'll be enjoying some well deserved quiet and solitude. March in Michigan can be very pretty, almost like a fairy wonderland. I'd like to capture some of that in photos.  These photos are from the last winter camping I did in Michigan.


Feel free to use the donate button at the top of the blog to help with my travel expenses. A gallon of gas moves the van/trailer 10 miles down the road, $20 fills a tank of propane.

Keeping As Comfortable As Possible Driving And Winter Camping In A Michigan Winter.

Today I got a call to go jump a friend's car battery. We've had a lot of snow and cold weather.

So I went out to my van, fired it up, and went to back out of the driveway. Smack into a snow bank. Now I'm stuck for a minute, I carry salt and cat litter in the cargo van. I put a handful of salt in front and back of each of the rear drive wheels. In less than five minutes I was able to power out of the unplowed road in front of the house.

That got me to thinking, what precautions do i take to keep my vehicle running and me safe in cold weather.

Right now, the van heat isn't working. I have checked the level of antifreeze in the van. No problems there. I'm thinking it's probably a thermostat, but it's hard to get that fixed in this weather without waiting for hours.

I carry salt and cat litter routinely. Getting stuck (even when you have an 8 cylinder gas hog with lots of power) is no joke in the deadly weather conditions right now. A woman froze to death in her own driveway just last week.

I also carry extra fleece vests in the van, some candles, and some dehydrated food. I try to keep a jar of peanut butter and some crackers on hand. Chocolate is also good for helping keep warm.

I keep a couple of blankets in the van as well. One blanket is a fleece, the other is a small quilt. I also carry snow gloves, extra fleece gloves, and an extra hat. If i am stuck, I layer up with the extra warm items I keep in an old purse. I usually have a sleeping bag or two in the van. I have two small dogs, so I make sure i carry dog food, dog treats, and extra blankets for them. I've also stuck them down in a sleeping bag with me to keep them warm.

I make sure I keep my gas as full as possible. If the gas level is low, there is the potential for something to freeze and when the engine starts up, it can cause me to have to replace the motor.

It's also good to carry extra hoses and belts if possible. You'd be surprised how many times I've had to have a hose or belt replaced along side the road or in a parking lot.

Generally, i keep some wrenches, a Phillip's screwdriver, a straight screwdriver, adjustable pliers, and a pair of needle nose pliers. I also carry a tow strap. I can be pulled out of the snowy drifts or pull someone who is stuck.

I have a 1970 Amerigo travel trailer. It's a bit different wintering in a travel trailer. I don't do any running water nor do I put anything down the drains or black water tanks. There is a reason for this, I don't want to have to repair any tanks or plumbing lines. An RV is a vehicle as opposed to a house when it comes to winter care.

Most people tend to see it as a house with running water and such. But, leave a bottle of water in your vehicle and see how fast it can freeze. Now imagine frozen black water in the tank. When you go to move the RV, the frozen hunk will roll round in the tank and you are looking at  a tank brittle from the cold breaking all over. This is both expensive to repair and a environmental hazard.

This doesn't mean I don't stay warm or take baths. I use a timeless method for getting and staying clean. Heat water on top of the stove, put in a basin with some cold water. Grab a nice washcloth and my favorite body shampoo. Liquid soaps or body shampoo rinses much better. Hair can be washed over a large pot. We've all done that one as kids I think. Add a heavy men's floor length terrycloth robe and it's warm luxury.

Please take care during the snowy  times. It can and does kill people.

Getting Ready To Travel Again- What Steps Need To Be Done

I've been in a bricks and sticks house helping out here in Michigan since October. The city of Saginaw has started giving me a hard time about my travel trailer, so it's Bug Out time. This blog is about the bug-out process, what I needed to do, and what the associated costs were to do so.

After the initial stages of panic and OMG, then the planning and doing set in

For me, the important thing was to sort out what had to be done versus what I'd like to have done. Breaking it down to only what tasks were absolutely necessary was the first thing I did.

The travel trailer needs registered and plated, I have all necessary documents and the money to do that. The permanent plate for the trailer has gone up to $200. It was $100, but $200 is still reasonable considering once it is registered and plated, it is then good for the rest of the time that I own it.

In order to take the trailer down the road, I need to put a hitch on my van. Hitches are specific to the vehicle. I've learned a few things about hitches. I went with a class III hitch. I was told to always go up a level from what I might need. The travel trailer weighs 3200 pounds empty (this is a typical weight for travel trailers under 26 feet long according to the ones I have owned.)

I called a national chain to have a hitch put on and when I got the quote, I almost fell over from shock. I decided to look into buying a hitch and then paying someone to install it.  I found a Curt Class 3 hitch for $118 and the Curt wiring connector was $29.  Considering the quote I had gotten was $450 for an installed hitch and wiring, I was very happy. I have a friend here locally who can install the hitch for a minimal charge.


I was able to make arrangements with another friend who is kind enough to allow me to park the trailer for a couple of weeks to allow the weather to break and a check to come in so that I can safely have enough money to fill a propane tank and put some groceries in the trailer. I'll also have to put as much gas as I can in the van.

So, within a week, I have arranged a hitch for my van so I can tow my trailer, the license plate and registration for the trailer, and a place to take it off the property for a few weeks so that I can get the money needed to take it a short ways down the road.

The van has a 35 gallon tank, it gets 12 city and 16 highway, when not towing, I am planning on 10 mpg when towing my loaded 1970 Amerigo travel trailer. The vintage travel trailer is 18 feet long and is a single axle hard side hybrid trailer. It will need a sway bar package to take it any farther than a hour or two away.

It's winter in Michigan and it has been a hard winter. So because March will still have some serious weather issues, I will be going to a RV park that has minimal services and winter camping. I believe the cost for a site is still $200  a month and the website informs me that there is a charge for electric based on how much I use.

I've winter camped in Michigan before, so I can do it safely. In April, the weather will still be chilly but it should be safe enough road wise to get into a good boondocking spot. Boondocking is also known as dry camping. It means I'll not have electric, running water, or any other "civilized comforts."


My trailer has a propane heater, a propane Humphrey's light, and I will be very comfortable. I'll carry plenty of food, many paperback books, and I will enjoy camping, photographing nature, and enjoying the solitude.

I will also be doing some writing now that I've gotten a lot of things out of my way. I have two children's books to edit and illustrate. I'd also like to try my hand at a novel. It's a bit ambitious, but I'd like to give it a shot.

I don't recommend winter camping or towing a trailer during that time without some experience. I've done this before, so I know I'll be toasty warm, comfortable, and enjoy it.

Anyone wishing to help financially can use the donate button at the top of the blog. It is a PayPal link to my account and you may donate any amount small or large to help with the expenses.