Mastodawn

Taking the dogs for a quick walk and then we'll be on our way into the park with the final destination for this evening at Furnace Creek. From there, I'll decide whether I'll start the trip home or spend more time in the park. I've been here at least a dozen times, so I'm really sitting on the fence about staying. It all depends on the wildflowers. #RoadTrip #RVing #DeathValley

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Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 10

It's actually feeling a little bit like it wants to storm. The wind just kicked up, although it's not enough to really get the RV rocking. I'm so tempted to just spend the day here and continue on my way tomorrow, but I'm really thinking about being home. The sooner I leave here, the sooner I can be home.#RoadTrip #RVing

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 10

It is so dark here and my eyes are so adjusted to the dark that I just made coffee with a kettle of water, stove, and immersion drip device using only the light of the stove flame and my iPad to see.

And although it's dead quiet, my tinnitus is just whispering this morning. For a while, I didn't hear it at all. How pleasant!

Later I'll drive back up to the paved road, drop down over Jubilee Pass, and be in Death Valley. #RoadTrip #RVing

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 10

I found a place to camp overnight just outside of #DeathValley National Park, not far from Jubilee Pass. I wanted to enter the park from the south along Badwater Road but I want to take my time getting up to Furnace Creek. It was too late in the day to make the whole drive without rushing, so I decided to camp here and continue on into the park tomorrow. This is BLM land, so I could fly my drone. #RVing #RoadTrip

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

Hitting the road! We're leaving a lot earlier than I expected to. I think I'll stop along the road by the hot spring and see if it's worth taking one last dip. #RoadTrip #Rving

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

Did it in the first try. 👍🏻😊 You try hooking up a trailer by yourself with no view out the back window and no backup camera and see how many tries it takes you. And no, they weren't already aligned. And I did have the extra challenge of not jackknifing.

Next I'll stow the block and the rug I idiotically put under it. 🙄 last is the hummingbird feeder. #Rving #RoadTrip

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

I've lowered the camper down onto the truck by retracting all four of its legs. Apparently there was enough juice in the batteries to do that. As you can see, the trailer hitch sticks out so I can hook up the utility trailer. But first I need to strap down the camper so it doesn't roll off on a curve. That would be a bad thing.😬 #RVing #RoadTrip

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

While the legs are pretty much fully extended, I apply silicone to the runners on the legs to help keep them clean and moving smoothly. I do this pretty much every time I put the camper back on the truck. I do not like to extend the legs to their full up position without the truck underneath.

It's worth mentioning here that in very windy conditions, cranking the camper all the way up on its legs is very risky. The camper weighs 3400 pounds and those legs are skinny. #Rving #RoadTrip

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

Well, that's always fun. If I get it just right there's a 2–3 inch gap between the bottom of the camper and the side of the truck tailgate. I did pretty good today without too much re-maneuvering. I need to get it about 3/4 of the way under the camper before I plug in the power, which is on the bed. Then I back it up the rest of the way, but not all the way. I leave a small gap in front or the camper presses on one of my tail light lenses. #RVing #RoadTrip

Maria Langer | 📝💎🌵🛥️Feb 8

I bought these two yellow jacks to help stabilize the camper when it's off the truck. The camper has 4 legs; the front ones are shown here. Those other two hanging bars are two of the jack screws that fasten the camper to the truck. #RVing #RoadTrip