Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience

When we told a friend we’d just bought a 2024 Forest River travel trailer (an Arctic Wolf 17CB), he excitedly forwarded us an email he’d received from Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, that told the story of their acquisition of Forest River.

Forest River sounded like a very special company. Obviously we’d made a great choice with this trailer!

But when we told another friend about our purchase, he exclaimed in horror, “I can’t believe you bought a Forest River! Don’t you know those things are junk? The fresh water tanks fall out of them as you’re driving down the road!”

So, which is it? Are Forest River RVs any good? Are they well made? Are they worth the money?

Here’s our experience with our brand new rig.

Is Forest River a good RV band? Are Forest River trailers well made?

Are Forest River RVs Well Built? Here are our thoughts!

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB travel trailer

Our trailer purchase was unique because we bought a brand new never used trailer from a private owner. He’d traded in his $200k motorhome for the cheapest trailer on an RV dealership lot so he could get his cash out of his motorhome. Then he immediately put his new little trailer up for sale.

When we bought this trailer, we paid a fraction of what a brand new unit would have cost because we didn’t get it from a dealership and the seller really wanted to unload it.

However, because he hadn’t ever intended to use the trailer himself, he skipped doing a thorough and detailed Buyer Walkthrough and simply towed it home.

When he showed it to us, it was apparent he’d never done more than poke his head inside. It had sat on the dealer lot for a few months and prospective customers had looked at it, but other than that typical dealer lot exposure before he bought it, it was the same as it had been the day it left the factory.

So, we got to see in depth what a brand new trailer fresh off the Forest River production line is like when it lands at an RV dealership.

Here’s what we experienced in the first five months of use:

1) Fresh Water Tank Can’t Be Filled

Responsible: Forest River Assembly Line Workers

The first day we had the trailer, Mark put a hose into the gravity fill fresh water intake so he could fill the fresh water tank and test the plumbing systems. Instantly, the water spurted back out at him and soaked him completely.

Fresh water intake on a Forest River RV 2

When Mark put a water hose in this fresh water intake, water gushed all over him!

It turned out the fresh water intake hose didn’t go downhill to the tank the way a gravity fill hose should. Instead, it looped upwards for a foot or so and then back down before going to the fresh water tank. The water from the hose in Mark’s hand couldn’t go uphill, so it spurted back out all over him.

Fresh water intake hose bad installation on a Forest River RV

The white fresh water intake hose goes up for about a foot from the basement and loops over all the other hoses in the bottom of the vanity before going back down below the flooring to the tank.

Obviously, a properly installed fresh water intake hose goes downhill or horizontally all the way from the intake to the tank and doesn’t go uphill at all.

Was this improper installation due to bad training or incompetence? Why didn’t Quality Control catch this incredibly obvious problem?

The intake hose is located below a rat’s nest of water hoses and other things under the bathroom vanity, and it’s very hard to reach, so it was not an easy repair.

It took Mark nearly a day of work to troubleshoot the problem and then fix it. He cut about a foot off the intake hose line and rerouted it to lie below all the other hoses and lines, making sure it had a downward or horizontal slope the whole way to the tank.

Forest River RV removing excess hose ion the fresh water intake line

Mark cut off about a foot of the fresh water intake hose so it would lie flat along the trailer floor.

Forest River RV fresh water intake line rerouted so it can work properly

He re-routed the fresh water intake hose underneath the rat’s nest of other hoses instead of on top of it.

2) None of the electrical outlets worked

Responsible: Forest River Assembly Line Workers

The second day we had the trailer, Mark hooked the trailer up to shore power and plugged his electric razor into a wall outlet to see if the outlet worked. Nope!

It turned out NOT ONE of the wall outlets worked!

This was because they were all wired to the GFI outlet in the bathroom, and that outlet had been wired backwards. The Hot went to the Load rather than the Line.

Forest River RV GFI outlet was wired backwards at the factory

This GFI outlet in the bathroom was wired backwards, so none of the electrical outlets in the trailer worked!

Wow! Had the installer been trained to wire GFI outlets backwards? Or did s/he forget how it’s done? Or was it sabotage by an disgruntled employee? How many RVs did that employee wire backwards? Has that employee learned how to do it correctly yet?

Clearly, Quality Control never bothered to plug something into an electrical outlet in this trailer!

That problem took another few hours for Mark to troubleshoot and fix.

3) Slide-out Adjusted Incorrectly

Responsible: Forest River Assembly Line Workers

Next, we opened the single slide-out for the first time, and just as it finished opening we heard a loud crunch/thud as it jerked into place. Oh dear!

The single slide-out on the trailer uses an Accu-Slide Cable Actuated system that consists of pulleys and chains mounted to the wall above the slide-out behind the fascia board.

Slide-out needs adjusting on a Forest River travel trailer

The Accu-Slide mechanism is behind the fascia board at the top of the slide-out.

The two pulleys move horizontally along the wall parallel to the road in the direction of travel while the slide-out itself moves in and out perpendicular to that. It is considered very ingenious, or even genius.

Accu-Slide adjustment on a Forest River travel trailer

Chains with pulleys move horizontally to move the slide in and out.

However, it must be adjusted very precisely. On the outside of the slide-out the cables should have about 1/2 inch to an inch of play in them. Instead, one cable was sagging by two inches and the other was banjo-string-taught.

Clearly, Forest River didn’t adjust the slide-out mechanisms on this trailer before it was shipped to the deal. The Accu-Slide mechanism was fastened to the wall and that was it.

After some research and studying a slew of videos, Mark figured out how to adjust this Accu-Slide cable mechanism.

He did 3 complete adjustments and spent the better part of two days studying, adjusting, testing and sorting it all out until he could repeatedly bring the slide in and out and retain the correct tension on each exterior cable. It is now adjusted properly and it goes in and out with just a small clunk when it reaches the full Out position.

AccuSlide adjustment on a Forest River RV

Adjusting this Accu-Slide mechanism was not easy and took three full repeats of the process to be 100%.

4) Camco Shower Wand Leaked

Responsible: Camco

Mark then turned on the water in the shower to test it. The shower wand leaked like crazy all over everything. He tried to fix it to no avail. So we bought a replacement.

Oxygenics shower wand leaking

When Mark first turned on the shower the shower wand leaked all over the place and couldn’t be repaired so he bought a replacement.

5) Outdoor Shower Leaked

Responsible: Lippert Components

Next up was the outdoor shower which also turned out to have a leak which Mark fixed.

Leaky Outdoor Shower Wand on a brand new Forest River travel trailer RV

When it was first turned on, the outdoor shower leaked all over the place too.
Forunately, it was repairable.

6) The tankless “instant” hot water is useless unless you have a Sewer Hookup

Reponsible: Forest River Designers

With the basic electrical and plumbing systems finally functional, we took our first weeklong shakedown cruise to a campground at Lake Pleasant, Arizona, that had electrical and water hookups as well as nice bathrooms (just in case!). Our site didn’t have a sewer hookup.

One of the two funky things about this new trailer is it doesn’t have a hot water tank (the other is that it has a 12 volt electric refrigerator). Instead, it has a tankless on-demand “instant” hot water heater.

Rather than heating up a tankful of water before taking a shower or washing dishes, this system heats the water as it flows through the pipe into the sink or shower when you turn on the hot water faucet.

All of our previous RVs had hot water tanks (Fleetwood popup tent trailer, Fleetwood travel trailer, Hitchhiker fifth wheel, Arctic Fox truck camper, Genesis Supreme toy hauler) and they worked just fine.

Tankless hot water heater on a Forest River travel trailer RV

The Forest River Alpha Wolf travel trailers come with a tankless “instant” hot water heater

Unfortunately, we immediately discovered that the tankless “instant” hot water heater is more accurately described as a tankless “eventually” hot water heater. It is anything but instant! A lot of fresh water has to pass through the tankless hot water heater before it gets hot.

The shower, which is right next to the heater, wastes 2 gallons of fresh water as you wait for the hot water to arrive. The kitchen sink which is about 12 feet away from the heater wastes 5 gallons of water.

That’s 9 gallons a day of wasted water for two people taking showers and doing one load of dishes! Never mind washing your face or hands in hot water at other times during the day!

Worse, if you want consistently hot water to flow, you can’t turn the faucet off at all while showering or washing dishes. If you do, you’ll have to waste the same amount of water all over again when you turn the faucet back on.

Ultimately, the tankless hot water heater sends massive amounts of clean fresh water down the sewer drain, either into the RV park’s plumbing system if you have a sewer hookup or into the RV’s gray tank if you don’t.

So, without a sewer hookup, you fill up the gray tank in no time! And that’s what we experienced.

What’s even more unsettling is that when you’re dry camping, every PINT of fresh water you carry is precious and you don’t waste any. So putting all that good fresh water down the gray tank drain is a colossal waste.

In our over 3 thousands nights of boondocking we developed a simple system for heating and using hot water with our hot water tank. We’d heat the water in the tank for 15 minutes once a day which was sufficient for showers and dishes. In all our rigs the water in the hot water tank stayed hot or warm most of the day.

Before showering, we’d put a small sauce pan in the shower and capture the first quart of water that had been sitting in the pipe between the shower and the hot water tank and was still cold. Later on, we’d heat this water on the stove and put it in the sink for dishes. We’d turn the tap to hot (which flowed cold at first) and fill the sink the rest of the way. As we rinsed the dishes, the water in the tap would be warm and then become hot. Super Easy!

Unfortunately, because of the tankless “eventually” hot water heater, we stopped using hot water all together after the first day of that first shakedown cruise. Ugh!!

But what to do longer term with this new trailer? We certainly weren’t going to travel only to campgrounds that had showers!!

Workaround: ShowerMiser Hot Water Heater Product Saves the Day

Replacing this tankless hot water heater with a tank-based system would have been very difficult due to space constraints.

Fortunately, we found a workaround product that Mark installed when we got home, and we both absolutely love it. It’s a ShowerMiser and we’ll be describing the installation and how it works in a future blog post. It’s a simple concept but tricky installation. Fortunately, some RV brands are now installing them at the factory.

The only problem is that it works for just one faucet. So, we have it on the shower but nowhere else. This means we can take hot showers but we don’t have running hot water anywhere else in the rig.

ShowerMiser installation on a Forest River travel trailer RV

Installing a ShowerMiser has made it possible to take a shower in our trailer!
But we can’t use hot water at either the bathroom or kitchen sink or at the outdoor shower.

We’d love to install a second ShowerMiser for the kitchen sink and a third one at the bathroom vanity and a fourth one at the outdoor shower so we could have hot water at each of those faucets. But the installations in those locations are prohibitively difficult.

So, we’ll just travel and live with hot water in the shower but nowhere else. We’re okay with it, but what a huge step backwards from every rig we’ve ever owned, including our 2005 popup tent trailer!

In our opinion, any RV with a tankless hot water system MUST HAVE a factory installed ShowerMiser at each faucet that has a hot water tap if it is to perform equivalently to an RV with a hot water heater.

Even for RVers who stay strictly at RV parks with full hookups, just imagine if every RV in the park had a tankless hot water heater. The amount of the park’s fresh water supply that would be going straight into their sewer would be significant.

For now, we have nice hot showers and we heat water in a sauce pan on the stove for dishes. We rinse our dishes in cold water (yucky in the wintertime) and we have no hot water at the bathroom vanity or the outdoor shower.

That’s pretty primitive living for a brand new 2024 RV!

7) Gray Water Dump Hose Handle Fell Off

Responsible: Forest River Assembly Line Workers

At the end of this trip Mark went to dump the gray water tank at the RV dump station and discovered the handle for the gray tank was gone! We’d towed the trailer over a hundred miles, so it must have fallen off while driving. We bought a new one and Mark used Loctite to screw it on securely. While he was at it, he put Loctite on the black tank handle too.

Looking for silver linings in all this frustration, the original two wastewater tank handles were both black but the new gray tank handle is gray. So now the black tank handle is black and the gray tank handle is gray — easy to distinguish!

Black and Gray water handles on a Forest River travel trailer

The Gray tank handle fell off. We replaced it with a Gray colored handled to color code the two tanks.

8) Nowhere to store a dripping wet RV Sewer Hose

Responsible: Forest River Designers

The rear bumper is presumably designed to hold an RV sewer hose. However, it is too small to hold a modern RV sewer hose with a flange on the end for attaching it to the waste tank valve.

Also, the endcaps on this too-small bumper have a tendency to fall out of the ends. So, Mark used a self-tapping sheet metal screw to hold the endcaps in place.

RV dump hose bumper on a Forest River travel trailer RV

This bumper is too small to hold a sewer hose and the endcaps fall off while driving.
So Mark screwed each one in place.

9) Massive Water Leaks in the Basement

Responsible: Lippert Components, Inc.

Now that we could use hot water in the trailer, we went on our Second Shakedown Cruise for 5 days at Canyon Lake Marina RV Park near Phoenix. This campground had electric and water hookups but no sewer hookups, so we could test the ShowerMiser.

Before we even tried the ShowerMiser at the campground, Mark filled the fresh water tank because we planned to run off the tank and refill it from the water hookup if necessary.

Suddenly, a puddle of water began to grow on the ground right by the tankless hot water heater. Mark took the cover off, and the basement compartment where the heater was installed was full of water.

After sopping up the mess, he discovered that as long as we had the water pump turned on or were connected to city water, the water heater would flood the floor under the vanity with water. If we turned off the water pump or disconnected from city water the leak stopped.

So… we camped for 3 nights and 2 days without using any water in the rig at all except what we’d brought in drinking water containers. We’d turn the water pump on very briefly to flush the toilet and that was it for water use. We used paper plates and brushed our teeth with bottled water. It was awkward and dirty living for a fancy new RV.

We ended up canceling our final 2 nights at the RV park. Why spend good money on a park when you can’t even rinse out your coffee cup without causing a flood in the bathroom? The campground had a strict no refund policy but we persuaded them to bend the rules a smidge due to our mechanical failure.

The tankless hot water heater is a Lippert product, and once we got home, Mark tried working with Lippert’s Tech Support on the phone. However, after several phone calls and submitting multiple photos of the problem area, he was getting nowhere.

So, we called a local mobile RV tech who got it fixed in a few hours. The problem was two cracked O-rings deep inside the heater. They were impossible to reach without removing the hot water heater from the rig all together.

$220 later along with two perfectly sized O-rings that Mark had in his collection, we could now turn on the water pump or connect to city water and not have water leaks fill the basement with water. Yay!

The RV tech commented that when he’d worked at an RV dealership, they would have replaced the whole hot water heater rather than troubleshoot the problem and find the broken o-rings inside. They would have done this whether the trailer was under warranty or not, and it would have been a very expensive repair.

10) Insufficient Solar Power

Responsible: Forest River Designers

Now that we’d fixed the huge water leak in the hot water heater, we returned to Canyon Lake for our third Shakedown cruise to use the last 2 days of the reservation we’d canceled and then move on to camp at one of our favorite places, Roosevelt Lake, which is all dry camping with no hookups.

This trip went well.

At Roosevelt Lake we used the Honda Generator because the 200 watts of factory installed solar power on the roof wasn’t enough to boondock for more than 24 hours at a time due to the 10 cubic-foot 12 volt refrigerator.

200 Watt factory installed solar power system on a Forest River travel trailer RV

The 200 watts of factory installed solar power are enough to keep the refrigerator working while underway but not enough to live on AND use the fridge for more than a day.

We knew that ahead of time and were pleasantly surprised that using the generator for two hours or so a day gave us plenty of power and supplemented the small solar power system very well.

When we returned home we installed a large solar power system which gave us all the power we need to boondock indefinitely and will describe that installation in a future blog post.

11) Three Water Leaks in the Bathroom

Responsible: Forest River Designers

Now that we were fully set up for dry camping, we took our 4th Shakedown Cruise and spent 8 days at one of our favorite spots, a dry camping campground called Bonito Campground outside Flagstaff Arizona. This is where had a wonderful surprise visit by a pair of camels and a guy wearing a Civil War officer’s uniform!!

We wanted to test the solar power system to see if it was sufficient for our off-grid RV lifestyle with that big electric fridge. It worked beautifully even though the panels were shaded for about 3 hours a day. It was late May, a few weeks from the summer solstice, so the days were long and the sun was high in the sky — ideal for solar power.

However, after washing our hands and doing a few dishes on the first day when we got to the campground, we noticed the water pump was “grunting” periodically when no water was running.

We listened to this for a while and determined it wasn’t just the elevation change (3,000’ to 7,500’). It was a water leak somewhere.

It actually turned out to be 3 water leaks!! Each one was at a junction between two water hoses under the bathroom vanity and below the shower.

Forest River uses pex cinch clamp rings to connect water lines together and some of the water lines are joined in places that are impossible to reach after the appliances have been installed.

When RVs are built, all the wiring, plumbing and conduit runs are put in place first before the appliances are installed, so it is common for important things to be in places you can’t reach without extraordinary effort.

If the designers planned ahead for repairs and used higher quality fittings, leaks would be less common and would be easier to fix. Our beloved sailboat had two stainless steel hose clamps on every water pipe junction. You don’t want water leaks when you’re in the middle of the ocean!

The first two leaks were fairly accessible and Mark fixed them within an hour. The third leak was underneath the shower stall in the far back corner. Worse, it was behind the shower drain tube, virtually out of sight and out of reach.

Somehow Mark managed to get his arm under the drain tube and replace the fitting with a hose clamp. But when he tightened it, it began to twist and became impossible to tighten completely.

Shower leak under the shower pan on a Forest River travel trailer RV

The leak under the shower pan was below the far back corner. Mark had to squeeze his hand underneath the drain pipe and then blindly feel for the broken connector, replace it and tighten it. No small feat!

So, because he couldn’t tighten it all the way while were out camping, we had a slow leak throughout that shakedown cruise. For a full week we turned on the water pump only when we needed water and turned it off immediately to avoid getting a pool of water under the shower pan. After turning off the water pump, we’d “burp” one of the faucets to make sure there was no pressure on the leaky fitting. This was an inconvenience, but we lived with it.

When we got home Mark put another hour or two into fixing that water leak. He came up with a creative way to make an extension rod that could reach the fitting and fortunately was able to tighten it. So far it seems to be holding. Yay!

12) Entry Stairs Don’t Work on Unlevel Ground

Responsible: Lippert Designers

This trailer came with fold-down entry steps that are now found on most trailers. While these are much more solid underfoot than the older style flip-out stairs of yesteryear, they require some forethought when parking.

There are three stairs on our step system and they stick out enough from the trailer that you have to ensure there’s space by the trailer for them to touch down. When we were camping at Bonito Campground we were in a very narrow site and there was about a one foot drop right in the spot where the stair supports needed to be. We had to stack several blocks under the feet in order to set up the stairs. Ironically, we moved campsites after a few days and had the exact same problem in the second campsite!

They also rattle a lot while traveling. We’ve tried wedging things in to make them stop wiggling but haven’t found the right solution yet.

Lippert Solid Step RV Entry Stairs on Uneven Ground - Yikes!

The stairs could not reach the ground and required several blocks stacked up the feet.

Smaller problems and inconveniences

Responsible: Forest River Designers and Assembly Line Installers

Those were the major problems the trailer has had in its first four trips. However, there were lots of other little things that cropped up too.

– Not enough Dicor was used on the roof skylight installation and there were some big rain water leaks waiting to happen. Mark went over everything on the roof and added a big dollop of Dicor wherever needed

— Forest River has begun leaving certain items off their new trailers. This trailer did not come with a dump hose, a TV or a ladder to the roof even though it has a walk-on roof.

There is a sticker on an interior wall indicating that’s where to hang a TV. There is also a backing plate on the back exterior of the trailer for installing a roof access ladder which Lippert makes.

We bought a dump hose. We don’t watch TV. We’re making do with a household extension ladder at home and taking a telescoping ladder with us on the road. I sure miss the ladder on the back that is permanently attached and is so easy to climb at a moment’s notice.

— The water pump is installed in such a way underneath the rat’s nest of hoses below the vanity that it makes a massive racket whenever it runs. We haven’t yet decided how to dampen the noise.

— All four trailer tires and the spare were low on air. This is to be expected on a unit that sat on the dealer lot for a long time but during a Buyer Walkthrough it is worth insisting the tires be pumped up to spec.

— All the wheel lugs were loose. Again, if the trailer were new from a dealer they should be tightened before you tow it off the lot.

So… Does Forest River Build Quality RVs?

With all the catastrophic failures, it would be easy to call our trailer a lemon, but in reality I think it’s a pretty typical trailer.

I suspect that every Indiana-made RV brand arrives at the dealerships with similar types of problems, and we’ve had plenty of experts who are “in the know” tell us that is the case.

One quipped, “If it’s 80% functional, then it’s ready to ship to the dealer.” So, that’s the goal: 80% operational.

While we were going through all of this, a friend of ours who has a new Airstream told us his trailer was in the shop at that very moment for warranty repairs. Even though his rig probably cost two or three times what ours did, he’d experienced much the same misery.

Crazier still, he had a friend with a new Tiffin motorhome who’d also gone through the wringer with ridiculous numbers of stupid problems even though that motorhome probably cost three times what his Airstream did.

So, the kind of quality we all might hope for when buying a new RV is completely missing across many brands, no matter what the price point.

All the responsibility for getting the unavoidable repairs taken care of falls on the Buyer/Owner, and the best time to get them done is while you’re still a Buyer and not yet an Owner!

When doing a Buyer Walkthrough on a new rig at a dealership, it’s a good idea to insist you see water successfully going into the fresh water tank, make sure the black and gray water handles are attached securely, verify all the electrical outlets work, heat a mug of water in the microwave, put a thermometer in the fridge, test all the faucets and shower wands plus the hot water system, air conditioner, furnace, stove burners, etc., not to mention verifying everything on the roof and the windows are sufficiently sealed from the elements.

The dealership may want to hustle you out the door, but until you sign the papers and transform from a Buyer into an Owner, all the power is in your hands. After that you have to take your turn in line for service and live without your rig while it’s in the shop or tackle the repairs yourself.

Why Are RVs Built So Poorly?

I think it boils down to two things.

1) Speed vs Quality

We’ve toured many RV factories (Fleetwood, Northwood Arctic Fox, KZ Durango, Keystone Raptor, Jayco Highland Ridge, Thor Heartland, NuWa Hitchhiker) and we were told time and again that the trailers are built in 2.5 to 3 days. That’s pretty quick for throwing together a rolling house, and each factory was very proud of their speed.

So, the goal is speed, and assembly line workers (and perhaps the Quality Control inspectors and repair people) are measured by how fast they complete their jobs, not by how well their jobs are done.

We’ve also toured two super high end custom manufacturers (Space Craft and Luxe) as well as a tiny tear drop trailer manufacturer (Escapod) and a tiny travel trailer factory (Casita), and those factory environments were completely different.

Their whole focus was on quality, not speed of manufacture. Things like wiring and plumbing lines were proudly shown off for their tidiness and organization, and at Casita we watched a trailer standing under a torrent of water being tested for water leaks. However, trailers at those first two top-of-the-line brands take weeks to build and they exceed most RVers’ budgets.

And even being super high end, we spoke with customers at both of those plants who’d returned to the factory for warranty repairs. They each had a long list too. Apparently, no RV is immune to that!

2) RV Manufacturers are not RVers

I think the other primary reason RVs are built so poorly is that the manufacturing executives are not RVers themselves.

When I wrote for Trailer Life Magazine, I published three different articles surveying all the toy haulers, full-time quality and weekender quality fifth wheel trailers that were on the market at the time. As part of my research for those articles, we met with executives at several well known RV manufacturers while we were in Indiana.

As a lark, I asked each executive we met, “So what kind of RV do you have?’

I expected they might own the brand they sell so they would know their own product line on an intimate level. Or perhaps they’d own a competitor’s brand for market research purposes. Or perhaps, like NuWa (Hitchhiker) used to do, the company had a few of their own products available for employees to use. They could take these rigs out on weekends for fun and also educate themselves and come home with valuable feedback.

However, only one executive out of half a dozen we met in person and another dozen I spoke to on the phone currently owned an RV…or had ever owned an RV for that matter!

The most common answers I got from these RV executives were:

“My wife doesn’t like RVing.”
“We prefer flying to distant vacation destinations because we don’t have time to drive there.”
“We go overseas (or to the tropics) for all our vacations.”

This explains a lot about the failures in the RV manufacturing industry.

One wonderful exception to all this was an RV designer I corresponded with who worked on the Forest River Cherokee brand (which is the brand our Alpha Wolf is part of).

He was not a top flight executive in the corporate ranks but was the designer of a small toy hauler that I thought was a particularly clever layout. I asked him what kind of RV he owned, and he said he owned that trailer! So, he not only designed it but he went camping with it too.

No wonder it was such a great design!

RV Manufacturers are “Assemblers” more than “Manufacturers”

In the end, RVs are complicated little rolling homes and RV manufacturers are more “assemblers” than true “manufacturers.”

RV manufacturers install a bunch of products made by other companies into a rolling box. The walls, ceilings, ductwork, wiring and plumbing are their purview, but all the appliances and systems we rely on in the RV life are made by third parties.

Interestingly, in most cases, the “other companies” are actually just “one company,” that is, Lippert Components, Inc. Just about everything in an RV, from trailer frames to windows and doors to kitchen and bathroom appliances to climate control systems to entry stairs and toy hauler ramp doors, is made by Lippert.

There are other component manufacturers out there, but Lippert’s products are always cheaper and generally not as good. So, more often than not, RV designers choose Lippert’s products over the competition to save on costs.

Also, if a new company creates a clever new product, Lippert frequently buys the company out and suddenly every RV has one. Then they find shortcuts and material/component alternatives to make the product cheaper to produce.

Lippert can be very aggressive with pushing their products as well. One executive told us they deeply discount their products when sold in bundles, so if the manufacturer wants a specific item, it’s often most cost effective to take the whole bundle even if there are products in the bundle they’d rather not use.

I asked an executive of an RV component company that has all the skills and manufacturing capability to build superior trailer frames why they didn’t get into that business. He said it would be impossible to compete against Lippert which virtually owns the trailer frame market (with a few notable exceptions).

We saw first-hand the strong arm tactics Lippert uses in the industry when we attended a horse trailer dealership owner’s gathering in Oklahoma. A Lippert rep was demonstrating a new landing leg system for horse trailers to a group of dealership owners. One fellow in a cowboy hat said with a casual drawl, “That will never fly with my customers. They wouldn’t like that one bit!” The young and eager rep’s response was, with a laugh, “Just shove it down their throats!”

Fortunately for the deep pocketed buyer, higher end RVs are typically built with fewer Lippert components and the highest end fully custom RVs openly eschew Lippert products all together.

So, to a large extent, all brands of mass market RVs are essentially the same because they are just assemblies of identical components. The difference could be the care with which the components are installed, but if every company measures its assembly line workers by how fast they do the job-because time is money-then they’ll all have the same problems with quality.

Years ago, we traded in our “lower end” year-old Fleetwood travel trailer for a “higher end” Hitchhiker fifth wheel that cost over twice as much.

We were astonished to look around the interior of our new rig and realize that almost all the appliances were the exact same models as the ones we’d had in our cheaper trailer.

So, Are Forest River RVs Well Built?

Given all this, I think the answer is a resounding, “No.”

However, from what we’ve seen at the RV factories, RV dealerships and in talking to other RVers, Forest River trailers aren’t significantly worse…or better…than the competition. No matter how much money you spend on an RV, failures of some kind are pretty much guaranteed.

The bottom line is that if you like traveling by RV, then dealing with failures is just part of the picture. And if you can’t afford a fully custom RV, then generally shoddy construction is to be expected, with few exceptions.

However, people like ourselves who love RVing will continue buying and owning these poorly built mass market rigs because, well, RVing is a great way to travel and explore! And for us, in the end, the fun outweighs the hassle (and Mark can fix almost everything)!

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Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG!

May 2025 – Sunset Crater National Monument is a little jewel near Flagstaff, Arizona, that showcases the remains of a massive volcanic eruption that happened around 1085 AD.

Next door to Sunset Crater is one of our all-time favorite campgrounds, Bonito Campground. This was our “go to” campground when we lived in Phoenix and escaped out of the city every weekend with a popup tent trailer. Bonito has paved loops and is set in a forest of beautiful towering ponderosa pines growing in ancient volcanic cinders.

Best of all, something really exotic happened at the campground while we were there!

Sunset Crater Lava Flow and Bonito Campground Camels

Always expect the unexpected!

Bonito Campground is next to a wonderful scenic drive that takes you to several overlooks and hikes through the lava flows in Sunset Crater National Monument. Although the volcano erupted 1,000 years ago, in many ways it looks like it blew its top last year.

This scenic Loop Road also takes you to some well preserved ancient Indian ruins at Wupatki National Monument.

Sunset Crater Loop Road Scenic Drive

The Loop Road through Sunset Crater National Monument offers some fantastic views.

After repairing all the problems that had happened on our first three “shakedown cruises” with our new 2024 Alpha Wolf 17CB travel trailer and also installing a solar power system, we decided to take a fourth shakedown cruise to Bonito Campground which offers only dry camping campsites.

It was a wonderful 8 day getaway and the solar power system performed beautifully (I’ll write more about that in another post). However, the plumbing system sprang three leaks under the bathroom sink on the very first day. That kept Mark busy doing repair work for most of that day. Sigh.

On the bright side, it’s a very cool area. We explored the woods and meadow where we had views of the San Francisco peaks. And we saw a beautiful sunset over the volcano one evening.

Girl and her dog San Francisco Peaks Flagstaff Arizona

In late May the San Francisco Peaks still had snow but Buddy and I were warm in the sunny meadow. The tallest peak is over 12,000′ in elevation!

Sunset Crater National Monument Arizona

Looks like it blew its top just a while ago!

Even though we’ve visited this campground many times, we discovered a fantastic area of cinder lakes and lava rocks right off the far back end of the campground that we’d never noticed before.

When the volcano erupted, molten lava was spewed everywhere. When it cooled, a vast field of super sharp and craggy black lava boulders was left behind. In between these jagged rocks and on the edges of the lava flow, black sand cinder “lakes” were formed. The land looks like a moonscape!

Cinder Lake Sunset Crater National Monument

A flat area of cinder sand resembles a lake in many ways.

Lava and cinders Sunset Crater National Monument

Outcroppings of lava rocks poke through the cinder lake sand.

It was really fun to prowl around in this area.

In some places the molten lava formed into huge boulders. They were piled haphazardly and were surprisingly loose and unstable. When they wiggled and rocked as we climbed over them, they clanged with a metallic kind of sound! We had to be super careful because many of the lava rocks were unstable.

The rocks are super sharp too, so we had to keep our hands off of them. So much for stabilizing ourselves as we moved from wiggly rock to the next!

In between the lava rock piles there were black sand trails that seemed to have been naturally created as the wind blew and sand shifted. Buddy loved exploring all of this too and wisely stuck to the sandy paths.

Lava flow Sunset Crater National Monument Arizona

With carefully placed footsteps you could get through the area on natural black sand trails.

Lava Flow Sunset Crater National Monument

Some areas were quite forbidding and required slow and thoughtful movements!

Buddy was on the lookout for Mark and after searching around he finally found him. The sun was high in the sky and the black cinder sand was getting hot underfoot. So they sat down under a tree and had a nice chat!

Puppy in the Lava and cinders Sunset Crater National Monument

Buddy scans the area for Mark.

Deciding what to do next

Buddy listens intently as Mark explains how volcanoes erupt and create lava flows.
Or maybe they were just discussing what to have for lunch!

Back at our enormous campsite in the campground, Buddy insisted on a game of “Chase the Frisbee” and Mark threw it all over the place.

Puppy runs after a frisbee

Catch that frisbee!

He also started digging to China in the cinder sand. He looked up at us for a moment and we laughed. He was a little Cinder Fella!

Cinder Fella

Our little Cinder Fella!

In the campsite next to us a big family with 7 kids showed up. They strung up three hammocks, one above the other, and had a ball climbing in and out of each one. It looked like so much fun!

We thought some of the kids might bed down in the hammocks for the night since the family had set up just one medium sized tent. But they all ended up squeezing into the tent!

Triple hammocks at the campground

“Hey, whatcha doin’ down there?”

Two of our favorite things we look forward to seeing at Bonito Campground are the Steller’s jays that flit about all over the place and the Evening Primrose flowers that bloom all night and close up when the sun rises. Sure enough, they were there and didn’t disappoint.

Stellars Blue Jay Flagstaff Arizona

A Steller’s jay keeps an eye on me.

Evening Primrose Bonito Campground Flagstaff Arizona

The evening primroses are completely closed by midmorning!

One of the highlights of Sunset Crater National Monument is the Lava Flow Trail. This is a paved trail that goes through part of the lava flow.

It is the only area in Sunset Crater National Monument where dogs are allowed. So Buddy was very pleased to be invited. The trail is only about 1/2 mile, but we saw quite a few dogs out walking with their owners.

Puppy and person talking

“Are you ready to go for a hike?”
“Yes!”.

Lava Flow Trail Sunset Crater National Monument

The Lava Flow Trail is a sidewalk that winds through the landscape. Both dogs and people love it!

The Lava Flow Trail has some gorgeous views of the cinders. Several hillsides are covered with a layer of cinders and sparse vegetation. Some of the cinders are black and some are red, and in one spot there’s a little bit of each. This made for a very cool image.

Red and black cinders at the Lava Trail Sunset Crater National Monument

Red and black cinders on the Lava Flow Trail.

A huge forest fire in 2022, the Tunnel Fire, swept through the area and there are a lot of burnt logs and stumps as well as the remains of beautiful ponderosa pines. One tree skeleton in particular caught my eye because it looked like a person raising his hands before him in welcome or perhaps in reverence.

A tree's ghost raises its arms to the heavens

This ghost of a tree looked eerily like a person with raised arms.

One afternoon when we were lounging in our campsite we heard a cowbell. That was odd!

The cowbell got louder and louder. We looked up and were shocked to see two people riding camels!! What on earth?!

The guy in the back was dressed in a Civil War officer’s uniform! We instantly grabbed our cameras and began running after them as they cruised around the campground loop.

Camels arrive in Bonito Campground for a talk about the US Camel Corps in Arizona_

Two people came riding through the campground on camels, one dressed as a Civil War officer!

It turned out that they were doing a campground presentation for everyone and the cow bell was meant to get our attention so we’d follow them to the amphitheater area.

The original amphitheater appears to have been destroyed in the huge 2022 wildfire and/or flooding aftermath. Fortunately, the rangers still do their talks, but rather than the audience sitting on benches in the amphitheater, everyone brings their own camp chairs to a small hillside to listen. It was wonderfully spontaneous as everyone in the campground gathered together for this talk.

We’ve seen several really good talks at Bonito Campground, and this one about the 1850s US Military Camel Corps was no exception.

Bonito Campground talk about the US Camel Corps in Arizona

We were given the most wonderful ranger talk about the US Military Camel Corps of the 1850s and 60s!

The man in the uniform was impersonating the military officer who, back in 1855, was appointed by the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, to sail to the Mediterranean and buy a bunch of camels to be used by the US Military as beasts of burden for operations in the Southwest!

The idea at the time was that camels were perfectly suited to the dry and hot conditions of the Southwest, and the plan was to form a US Military Camel Corps.

As our lecturer pointed out, the officer had probably never seen a camel before! However, he managed to procure 33 camels from various Middle Eastern countries and brought them back (there was a bonus calf born during the voyage to America too!).

We learned that there are two types of camels, the double-humped camel from Asia and the single-humped dromedary from Africa, and they had brought one of each type for the talk. Because of their different humps they had different saddles on their backs!

Camels at Bonito Campground Flagstaff

The single-humped African dromedary is on the left and the double-humped Asian camel is on the right.

They made funny faces at us as we listened to the lecture by the Civil War military officer (actually a camel expert and handler in disguise!).

One hum dromedary camel from Africa

The dromedary made an old grandma face at us.

Whatcha lookin at?

Not to be outdone, the Asian camel did a good teenager sneer!

The 1850s US Military Camel Corps was gradually expanded to over 1,000 animals and many camel handlers from Arab nations came with them. However, even though multiple long distance “test” journeys proved that camels were far superior pack animals in the desert Southwest than mules and horses could ever dream of being, in the end the experiment was discontinued and sadly recorded in history as a failure.

In part, this was because Jefferson Davis, who backed the US Military Camel Corps wholeheartedly, defected to become President of the Confederate States of America in 1861. In addition, the outbreak of the Civil War diverted the entire US Military budget to funding the war effort.

It was also clear from experiments that camels would perform terribly in traditional combat situations, making them useless for the Civil War. Lastly, they were notorious for being ill-tempered animals. So, in the end, they could only be used for exploratory expeditions under the watchful eye of patient handlers. Ultimately, the camels were rounded up and sold off and some were released into the wild.

As many RVers know, one of the Syrian handlers who cared for the camels ended up staying in the United States and lived out his life in Quartzsite, Arizona. His name in Arabic sounded like the words “Hi Jolly” which became his nickname.

There is now a plaque and small pyramid in Quartzsite that commemorates this handler and this unusual piece of American history.

The Hi Jolly monument in Quartzsite Arizona honors Syrian camel handler "Hi Jolly" who came to America in 1856 and died in Quartzsite in 1902.

This monument in Quartzsite Arizona honors Syrian camel handler “Hi Jolly.”
He came to America in 1856 to be part of the US Military Camel Corps and died in Quartzsite in 1902.

During the talk we learned about how camels store water in their fat-filled humps. That’s why they don’t need to drink water very often and actually had no thirst whatsoever during the long experimental journeys they made across the desert in the mid-1800s.

We also had a chance to see the dromedary’s teeth! Yikes!

Camels and a Civil War general at Bonito Camgrpound in Flagstaff Arizona

We learned about camels and about their experimental use in the Southwestern American deserts

The general shows the dromedary came's teeth to the crowd

We also got a quick glimpse of the camel’s teeth.

Everyone loved this unusual lecture, and when our lecturer took questions from the audience the eager hands of both kids and adults shot up!

Q&A at the Campground talk on the 1800s US Camel Corps in Arizona

Lots of hands went up during the Q&A afterwards.

Last and best of all, the kids were allowed to come up and meet the camels face to face and pet them too.

Kids pet teh camels at Boniro Campground in Flagstaff Arizona

The camels knelt down so the kids could pet them.

Dogs had been openly invited to attend the lecture as long as they were on a leash, but not everyone got the memo. On our way back to our campsite we passed a van whose owners had left their beloved dog behind while they took off and learned about the US Military Camel Corps.

The dog patiently waited for them behind the wheel of the van and watched the whole event through the windshield. I couldn’t resist taking a photo!

The owners were walking right behind us, and they said that’s where their pup likes to be whenever they’re go somewhere — right in the driver’s seat!

Dog in the driver's seat

On our way back to the trailer we saw a dog who’d watched the whole thing from the driver’s seat of his van!

If you have a chance, go camping at Bonito Campground and spend some time in the lava flows at Sunset Crater!

Sunset Crater National Monument showcases a dormant volcano!

Sunset Crater National Monument is a fun destination.

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2024 Alpha Wolf 17CB Trailer – Our Goldilocks RV!

After our big beautiful Ram diesel truck gave up the ghost in May 2024 right before our summer RV travels, we sold our 2022 Genesis Supreme toy hauler and quit RVing. Just like that!

It was a bitter blow to turn our backs on a lifestyle we loved, and it took a few months to adjust to the idea. After all, we’d been just weeks away from a summer of RV travel adventures when we walked away from it all!

But we’d had it with modern diesel trucks and were ecstatic to trade in our now unreliable 2016 Ram 3500 for a trusty little gas powered 2021 Toyota Tundra. It couldn’t tow a big fifth wheel trailer, but it was perfect for hauling a tent.

Above all else, we didn’t want to make an investment in an RV until we’d thought it all over for a good long time. We were willing to think it all over for as many years as necessary!

Periodically we’d notice a trailer for sale on a street corner or we’d peruse the online ads for various types of rigs, but we had no inclination to do any serious RV shopping. The tent was just fine for now…or forever.

As time went on, though, we really began to miss having a rolling weekend getaway home. We began talking about small trailers the Tundra could tow comfortably. We even took a very long look at an ad for a barely used popup tent trailer. But for some reason we didn’t pick up the phone to go see it.

And then, on the very last day of 2024 — New Year’s Eve — everything changed.

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17 CB Travel Trailer RV

Our cute new digs.

Mark had noticed an ad in Craigslist for a small, “NEW” and “NEVER USED” pre-owned trailer.

Huh? How could a “pre-owned” trailer be “new” and “never used” ??

He contacted the seller to see if it was a scam or if it was being sold by a dealership. No, it was for real and the seller was a private party who’d towed it home from the dealership a few months ago and never used it!

In Arizona there is no sales tax levied on private sales of used vehicles, so buying from a private seller would be very advantageous.

I shrugged it all off, though. I was standing by our strategy of waiting to get back into RVing…indefinitely, if need be!

But on New Year’s Eve morning, Mark said, “Hey, we’ve got nothing going on today. Why don’t we go kick the tires on that trailer I saw in Craigslist?”

Aw heck…it was a beautiful sunny day…why not?! So, the three of us hopped into the Tundra and drove 100 miles to take a look at it.

As soon as we stepped inside, we were smitten. It was perfect!!

The funny thing is we’d had no idea what “perfect” was before we opened the door of this trailer. But we knew this trailer was it when we saw it!

Within an hour we were signing papers.

We drove home in shocked silence. We’d had no idea when we woke up that morning that we’d be buying a trailer that afternoon. But we sure were getting 2025 off to a great start!

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17C Travel Trailer RV & 2021 Toyota Tundra truck

One of our first shakedown cruises to Canyon Lake.

This trailer is a 2024 Forest River Arctic Wolf 17CB travel trailer. It’s 23’ long end-to-end and it has a single slide-out.

It has an open floor plan with a walk-around queen bed, super comfy wall hugging theater seat recliners, a small but functional kitchen and a big enough bathroom to do what ya gotta do comfortably.

It’s light and airy inside and has a pass-through basement compartment underneath.

Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Floor Plan

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB. In our unit the dinette was upgraded to theater seats. More details here.

The biggest surprise, though, was that it has many features of a much larger trailer despite its small size.

It stands on two axles and has a cargo carrying capacity of nearly 2,400 lbs. Yet it’s GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is only about 7,000 lbs., a weight the Tundra can handle, even in the mountains (its “limit” is 12,000 lbs.). It can carry 81 gallons of fresh water, has a whopping 10 cubic foot refrigerator and a 15,000 btu air conditioner.

These large capacities are not at all typical in small and lightweight travel trailers!

Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Specs

Basic specs for the 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB. More details here.

But was it really “new” and “unused” ?? The seller had an interesting story.

He’d owned a huge $200,000+ motorhome outright and wanted to get the cash out of it quickly. But he’d had trouble selling it. It occurred to him that it would be a whole lot easier to unload a super cheap and small travel trailer.

He’d been a car salesman at a big name dealership for 25 years, so buying and selling vehicles was old hat for him.

He traded in the motorhome at an RV dealership for one of the smallest brand new trailers on their lot. He got his cash out of the motorhome, and he also avoided paying sales tax because his net outlay on the transaction was negative (he’d already paid sales tax on the motorhome when he bought it).

All he had to do now was sell the little trailer.

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17C Travel Trailer RV & 2021 Toyota Tundra truck

The Tundra and the Alpha Wolf 17CB make a nice and tidy little package.

We lucked out because he did all this during the holidays and he had more trouble selling the trailer than he’d expected. By the time we came along, he was so thrilled to get out from under it that he happily let it go for a song. We were equally thrilled to find such a cute little brand new trailer at a bargain basement price. Win-win!

Best of all, it’s homey and cozy but has enough space for the three of us to move around without crowding each other.

Come on inside and have a look around!

Welcome into our 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

Welcome to our new digs!

When you walk in, the kitchen is on the right (passenger’s side), the bed is up front and the recliners are on the left. It’s surprisingly spacious!

Interior of our 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

It’s an open but compact layout.

The kitchen is small but it has everything we need, including an oven, which we might use if we’re out for a while and Mark gets a hankering to make muffins or banana bread!!

The microwave is a wonderfully small low energy unit, drawing just 900 watts. It is hard to find a modern RV that has a low wattage microwave like this, as most are residential size and draw 1,500 to 1,800 watts. But this little guy is perfect for warming a small plate of food which is all we’ll ever use it for.

There are only two upper cabinets for our pantry and dishware. However, there are three full-size drawers for everything from eating and cooking utensils to office supplies like pens, paper, scissors and other goodies.

There’s also a very large cabinet under the sink that can hold 9 one-gallon bottles of drinking water. We like carrying our drinking water this way and storing it on the floor of a lower cabinet.

Kitchen in the 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

The kitchen storage is modest but we’ve found it is plenty adequate for the three of us.

The bed is a walk-around queen. The mattress is 80 inches long but the platform under it is actually the length of a short queen (75 inches) or perhaps an inch or two longer. The mattress is firm enough that it doesn’t flex a whole lot at the foot end even though it is unsupported there.

“Walk-around” is a little bit of wishful thinking because the bedside tables (which are actually the ceiling and walls of the basement below) stick out far enough that it’s a challenge to tuck anything in along the top of the bed unless, perhaps, you’re over 6′ tall! But it’s good enough if you aren’t super fussy about how beautifully the bed is made!

There are closets on either side of the bed with hanging space for shirts and jackets. Above the head of the bed there are three doors that open to a single upper cabinet that runs the width of the trailer.

2024 Queen bed in the Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

Each side of the bed has a closet and a drawer.
The cabinet above the bed runs the whole width of the trailer.

The earlier editions of this trailer a few years ago came with a window at the head of the bed. Many small trailers are built with windows like that and it really makes the interior bright and gives you a cool view of the stars while lying in bed.

However, some people—including a friend of ours—have had the nasty experience of a rock flying up and breaking the front window on their trailer when it was being towed. For our friend, the expense was covered by the trailer’s factory warranty, but the time lost to repairing their new trailer was frustrating.

The wall hugging theater seat recliners stole the show for us. If anything clinched the deal, it was when we both sat down in those chairs. They are super comfortable!!

For us, being able to relax completely in a comfortable recliner at the end of the day is really important.

We had recliners in our full-timing fifth wheel and we actually went through two different pairs of wonderful recliners during our 12 years of living in that RV. We loved being able to come home, kick back and put our feet up, and chat with each other about that day’s adventures or mess around on our laptops.

2024 Theater Seats Recliner in the Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

The theater seat wall hugging recliners clinched the deal.

We didn’t have recliners in any of our other rigs besides our full-timing fifth wheel — not in our popup tent trailer which we owned before full-timing, nor in our 27’ Lynx travel trailer that we used for our first year of full-timing. We didn’t have recliners in either of the rigs we used part-time after ending our full-time travels either…these were a truck camper and a fifth wheel toy hauler.

And we really really missed them in those rigs!!

It is possible to sit sideways in a dinette and put your feet up in front of you, but it’s awkward and not relaxing. We did that in the truck camper and Lynx travel trailer, but it wasn’t great.

Our toy hauler’s Euro Chairs could recline a little bit, but they weren’t anything like truly cushy recliners. Toy hauler furniture has to be easily moved, and we tried replacing those chairs with gravity chairs and thick cushions, but they were hard to lock into position so they’d stay at the right reclining angle. The arms weren’t cushioned either and the chairs were uncomfortable for sitting with a laptop in your lap.

But these wall huggers in our new trailer are absolutely fabulous.

It’s embarrassing to say, but we almost feel like we’re towing around a pair of recliners. The rest of the trailer is just icing on the cake!

2024 Theater seat Recliners in the Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

We’ve sat in a lot of recliners and these are among the most comfortable!

We aren’t the only ones who love the recliners. Buddy loves them too, especially my side.

Fortunately, the bed is a perfect height for him to spread out and still be part of the scene with us near his eye level. So there’s a place for each of us to relax.

2024 Sharing the Recliners in the Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

Buddy claims my side of the twin recliners.

Dog on the Recliners in the 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

“Mine… Don’t even think about it!”

As you can see, the kitchen is compact. However, it works better than the L-kitchen did in the big fifth wheel toy hauler. There’s a flip down top for the stove and a slotted insert for the sink that extends the counter space so we can stand side by side and not get in each other’s way.

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV Kitchen

We can maneuver side by side without crowding each other

Hmmm…Buddy wants to show you what’s in the bathroom!

Who's there in the 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

“Hi Dada! Can we come in too?”

There is a big stall shower, toilet and vanity. It’s funny, not all stall showers are the same. This one has a long wide shelf for soap, shampoo, razors, etc., that’s very convenient. It also seems larger than some other stall showers.

Bathroom in the 2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer RV

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There are two things in the trailer that gave us pause, though. But we decided they weren’t deal breakers and thought we might actually appreciate them in the long run.

One is that gargantuan 10 cubic foot 12 volt refrigerator. Sure, plenty of RVs have full size 110 volt residential fridges that are 18 to 22 cubic feet. But we’ve always had a propane fridge that was 8 cubic feet or less, and even though one had to be replaced, they’ve worked well enough and not put any demands on our solar power system.

We like to boondock and were off grid about 98% of the time when we were full-timers. An electric fridge will require a lot of solar power to support it. So, we’ll have a much bigger solar power system than any we’ve had before, yet we have less roof space than ever before too!

The other thing we weren’t crazy about is the “instant” hot water heater. I had an “instant” hot water heater in a liveaboard sailboat in the mid-1990s, and all I can say is that we never had hot water at the kitchen sink even though it was located just two feet away.

You had to waste precious water while it ran cold until it finally heated up, and if you turned the faucet on and off while you did dishes or took a shower, it wasted even more water as it went from cold to hot every time you turned the faucet back on. Frankly, I hated that thing.

While we would have been perfectly happy with an 8 cubic foot propane refrigerator and a 6 gallon hot water heater, that’s not how this trailer or many other 2024/2025 small trailers are being built.

So, we decided to take a “wait and see” attitude…and hope we could fit enough panels on the roof to satisfy the fridge and hope that “instant” hot water systems have improved over the last 30 years!

Let’s head outside again and have a look at the exterior once more.

We got a lovely shot of the trailer at sunset and then another at sunrise!

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17C Travel Trailer RV

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2024 Alpha Wolf 17CB

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We feel a little Like Goldilocks and the three bears with this trailer! When she entered their house, the papa bear’s porridge was too hot, the mama’s too cold and the baby bear’s porridge just right. Then when she sat it their chairs, the papa bear’s chair was too hard, the mama bear’s was too soft but the baby bear’s chair one was just right!

Since we moved out of our full-timing fifth wheel back in 2020, we’ve tried several different types of RVs.

The truck camper turned out to be too small and cramped (among other things).

The toy hauler ended up being too big and ungainly (among other things).

But this new Alpha Wolf 17CB travel trailer may be just right.

We’ve taken it on a few shakedown cruises and have MUCH to report about how those went.

Hint: It wasn’t until the THIRD shakedown cruise that all the systems were fully operational (YIKES!). We even had to cut the second journey short and head home earlier than planned because of a catastrophic failure!! (YIKES AGAIN!!). But we’re still smiling about this trailer because it’s just right!

We’ll have more on our shakedown cruise (mis)adventures coming up!

2024 Forest River Alpha Wolf 17CB Travel Trailer

Our second shakedown cruise was fun but had to be cut short!!

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Mogollon Rim, AZ – Cool Pines & Peaceful Willow Springs Lake

July-August 2024 – Arizona is known for its very hot desert areas, but the northern part of the state is filled with cool mountains, towering ponderosa pine trees and fabulous lakes. This is where everyone goes in the heat of the summer!

Willow Springs Lake Arizona on the Mogollon Rim

Willow Springs Lake on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona

So we packed up our new tent a few times over the summer and headed north to the Mogollon Rim (pronounced “Mug-ee-one”). The Mogollon Rim is a geological escarpment on the edge of the Colorado Plateau that was created by erosion and faulting. This resulted in sheer and dramatic 1,000′ cliffs for many miles. The immense views from the top go on forever.

Dog at Mogollon Rim Arizona

Buddy kept an eye out for rabbits while we walked the edge of the Mogollon Rim and savored the views.

Mogollon Rim Arizona

Huge boulders and sheer cliffs define this special place.

Mogollon Rim Arizona

Gnarly tree roots hunt for water and lichen clings to the faces of the boulders while we explore the edge of “The Rim,” as it is affectionately known to Arizonans.

The views from the Mogollon Rim are outstanding year round, of course, and the pine woods are a great place for desert dwellers to play in the snow in the middle of winter. But in summertime one of the best things about the Mogollon Rim is its cool refreshing lakes.

Woods Canyon Lake is the largest and most well known of the lakes. Small Spillway Campground is on the eastern shore and larger Woods Canyon Campground is on the road heading in. These are very busy places, though, and the area was undergoing construction while we were there. So we took a peak at it all but didn’t stay.

Fortunately, heaven was awaiting us at nearby Willow Springs Lake! This scenic lake is much less visited and is the very essence of peacefulness and tranquility. The water is crystal clear, and in the early mornings it was glassy smooth.

Willow Springs Lake Arizona Glassy water

Glassy water at Willow Springs Lake.

Mirror water at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

Willow Springs Lake offers a peaceful escape.

Willow Springs Lake Arizona clear water

Underwater and above water, Willow Springs Lake is lovely.

Crystal clear water Willow Springs Lake Arizona

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There was wildlife too. Ducks swam and quacked, and dogs played happily and sniffed around the shore, including our pup, Buddy!

Duck at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

There’s wild wildlife at Willow Springs Lake.

Dog sneaks between ponderosa pines at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

And there’s not-so-wild wildlife too!

At one point Buddy led us off into the woods where he’d found a pile of rocks and a cross with a musical G-clef on it. Whose story lies here, we’ll never know.

The day the music died Arizona

The day the music died…

On a brighter note, summer flowers were blossoming in the sun everywhere, giving a splash of color to the blues and greens of the woods, lake and sky.

Summer flowers Coconino National Forest Arizona

A tree was full of these gorgeous pink blossoms.

Yellow columbine flowers at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

Yellow columbines were blooming by the water.

For outdoor lovers, there’s lots to do at Willow Springs Lake, and Sinkhole Campground is within walking distance.

A hiking trail goes around the lake, although we were told the trail vanishes in spots. “Just keep the lake in view until the trail reappears again,” we were told. We didn’t go all the way around but loved rock hopping and following the pine needle trail for a good ways.

Kayaking and paddle-boarding are also popular ways to enjoy the tranquility of this lake.

Willow Springs Lake Arizona Kayak

Will Springs Lake is a kayaker’s delight.

But fishing is where it’s at! Most folks claim a spot for a few hours, cast a line and bask in the peace and quiet as they wait for the fish to bite.

Fisherman at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

When it comes to favorite pastimes at Willow Springs Lake, nothing tops fishing!

Fishing boat at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

Whether fishing from shore or from a boat, lots of anglers had a line in the water.

Fishing at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

Peace.

One little boy’s father caught a few fish for dinner, and the boy proudly held up the string to show us.

A string of fish caught at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

We heard his mom cooks these to perfection!

But when his father caught another fish, the little boy suddenly began to cry. He was utterly grief stricken that the fish was going to die.

He kept saying, “No, no, no!” and he flung himself on the ground in distress. His genuine excitement at the day’s catch and then his full blown sorrow that the fish would lose its life were touchingly innocent and dear.

Our little boy, the furry kind, loved Willow Springs Lake. He’s a total water dog — as long as it doesn’t involve getting wet above the armpits! So he waded in the shallows, cooled off his feet and drank his fill. Then he flopped down in the dirt.

Happy pup at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

It’s a dog’s life!

Since we’d been camping for a few days, Mark suddenly got the idea that this would be a great place to give Buddy a rinse and get some of the camping dust out of his fur.

Buddy thought otherwise!

Dog bath at Willow Springs Lake Arizona

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Fortunately, the bathing mission was accomplished, despite the scowl, and he was a clean dog once again! He dried off quickly and became our usual sweet and fluffy bed fellow when we got back to our tent!

Happiness is a warm puppy...n a tent!

Snugglebugs.

Most RV snowbirds that visit Arizona in the wintertime leave long before it’s warm enough to camp up on the Mogollon Rim. But for Arizona natives and for RVers that brave a trip to the Copper State in the summertime, the Mogollon Rim is a wonderful destination.

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Out with the Ram Diesel truck and In with a…??

May 2024 – Sometimes in life you do a 180 and end up heading off on a whole new trajectory even though that was the last thing on your mind just moments before!

Out with the Ram Diesel Truck and in with a Toyota Tundra pickup

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Right before we hitched our fifth wheel toy hauler to our big diesel truck for our Spring shakedown cruise to Utah, Mark reached into the trailer’s kingpin box for the power cord…and his fingers touched a little bird’s nest tucked deep inside.

He gingerly pulled the nest out to look at it and saw several newly hatched chicks with wide open mouths peeping inside. Oh no!!

Baby chicks in a nest

Mark found a nest of brand new baby chicks in our fifth wheel king pin box!!

“Em…look!” He yelled. I came running and he showed me the nest and my heart sank. I love birds very much, but where on earth could we put the nest so the parents would know where it was and be able to take care of their babies? We certainly couldn’t leave it in the kingpin!

We were all packed up and just minutes from leaving on a 3 week long journey…

The desert southwest springtime winds had already kicked in, and our entire house and yard were being buffeted by 25 to 50 mph winds every afternoon for hours on end. There wasn’t a single square inch anywhere that wasn’t completely windswept!

I searched everywhere for a suitable place for the nest and came up with nothing. In the end, I placed it on a log in a corner where it was protected from the wind by walls on two sides. It was high enough to be out of reach of predators yet still accessible to the parents. It wasn’t great, but it was the best place around.

As we towed the trailer down the driveway, all I could think was that this was a terrible omen for the start of our long anticipated RV trip.

Even though it was a trip we very much wanted to take, the timing was off in many ways. We both had things we wanted to do at home, and we’d had a hard time tearing ourselves away.

However, the moderate temperatures of Spring were quickly disappearing and Summer’s oven baking temps loomed ahead. If we didn’t go now, we’d embark on our summer travels in a month or so without having tested anything on the rig, especially the truck.

The previous summer we’d spent 4 weeks holed up outside of Buena Vista, Colorado getting our 2016 Ram diesel dually truck repaired. The exhaust manifold had warped and broken two of the six studs that held it in place, and the turbo had become totally gummed up and had to be replaced too. All to the tune of over $6,600. Ugh!

We’d driven the truck a fair bit over the winter and had towed the trailer about 1,500 miles too (here, here and here). But we were still uneasy about whether the repair had truly fixed the underlying problem or was going to hold up over time.

I wanted to trade the truck in for a newer diesel truck, but Mark liked the way it drove and towed the trailer. Also, it was paid for, and had only 89,000 miles on it.

Surely, that big breakdown last summer wouldn’t happen again!

Yet we’d gotten a blast of diesel exhaust in the truck cab a few weeks earlier, and that was not a good sign at all. During the big repair we’d learned that that smell was a telltale sign of exhaust leaks and broken parts in the engine compartment! However, the exhaust manifold studs we could see were still intact, so we hoped for the best.

Before long we were driving between the exquisite canyon walls that line US-89 in northern Arizona.

The beginning of our last RV trip Route 89 in Arizona

The scenery on Route 89 in Arizona is out of this world!

Scenery on our last RV trip Route 89 in Arizona

We snaked our way between glorious canyon walls!

We set up camp near Page, Arizona, and had a marvelous time exploring Lake Powell and the Beehive Trail.

A few days later we broke camp to head up the road to the shores of Lake Powell at Lone Rock. To our chagrin, as we pulled onto US-89, the “Check Engine” light came on and the truck began throwing error codes. I frantically checked my notes from last summer, and they were the exact same codes that we’d seen in Colorado 8 months earlier!

To make matters worse, by the time we got to Lone Rock, the truck was making the most horrific screeching sound we’d ever heard. The ranger who greeted us at the entrance gate covered his ears when we pulled up! There was an RV dump station right inside the gate, so we decided to dump the tanks while we weighed our options.

Mark cleared the engine codes, turned off the truck, and gave me a long dark look as we set about doing the dirty deed at the dump station. The bright blue water of Lake Powell sparkled invitingly just over his shoulder, but we both knew that with a serious truck problem like this unfolding, there was no way we could ever enjoy ourselves at that gorgeous spot.

Unfortunately, finding a qualified diesel mechanic anywhere outside of a major Arizona city would be a challenge, and we were far from any big cities. Who knows how long the repair might take or what it might cost. Fortunately, we were only a few hundred miles from home. So, by the time the trailer’s tanks were empty, we’d decided to limp home if we could make it.

Miraculously, when Mark started the truck up again, there was no screeching noise and no new error codes on the display. We had an Edge engine tuner which showed the error codes and made it possible to clear them.

The trip home was mostly downhill, so Mark coasted as much as possible and drove very cautiously. We made it home with no mishaps. But a big black cloud hung over us!

As if symbolic of this whole experience, when we checked the nest of baby birds we’d found in the toy hauler’s kingpin before we left, not one of them had survived, and it appeared the parents had never returned to the nest.

This wasn’t a surprise, but it made that big black cloud over us even bigger.

2022 Genesis Supreme toy hauler and RAM 3500 dually truck

We loved our stay by the Beehive Trail at Lake Powell, but moving to our next campsite proved disastrous.

Over the next two weeks we debated what to do. The problem might be very simple and a mechanic might fix it in an hour.

However, the diesel mechanic who was 30 minutes away wanted $180 to evaluate the problem before beginning to fix it, and he charged $175/hour once he took on the project. The mechanic who seemed better qualified and cheaper was 2 hours away wanted $95 to evaluate the problem before beginning to fix it and charged $150/hour for labor.

Ugh! How many hundreds or thousands of dollars should we put into a truck that had already cost us thousands in repairs? The exhaust leaks weren’t the truck’s only problems either. The main wiring harness sported soldered wires due to mice chewing through them!

We’d found that the smell of mice in the engine compartment couldn’t be scrubbed away completely, no matter what solvents we used, and that smell always attracted more mice, chipmunks and even stoats into our truck anywhere we parked.

We relied on the liberal use of the most effective deterrent on the market, packets of Fresh Cab. We refreshed the packets periodically with Balsam Fir oil which seemed to keep the mice out, but we knew our truck was more of a target for mice than most because of the impossible-to-remove mouse smell they could detect.

We sure didn’t want to throw good money after bad at this point…

So, we thought about trading the truck in for a different diesel truck and we went to several dealerships to test drive all three brands of diesel trucks. Our dually was the second Ram diesel we’d had, and both had exhibited the same problem of stinky exhaust fumes in the truck cab starting at about 75,000 miles. So, we weren’t keen on getting another Ram. Between Chevy/GMC and Ford, we were leaning more towards Chevy/GMC.

But did we really want to get another diesel truck? Since 2007, there have been significant government mandates requiring diesel truck designers to reduce exhaust emissions, and compliance has come at a massive cost in performance, functionality, reliability and longevity for all diesel trucks.

Diesel engines need a lot of air to breathe and run properly, and unfortunately the air flow in post-2007 diesel trucks has been so vastly restricted that they can’t breathe or operate properly. Consequently, engine components break prematurely.

What’s worse, there’s so much additional equipment surrounding the engine to modify the air flow that any repair takes a long time to complete because all that stuff has to be pulled out of the engine first and then put back in again after the repair is done. Half of our repair bill the previous summer had been labor, even though the actual parts replacement took just a tiny fraction of the overall time.

So, even though we loved the idea of trading in our diesel truck for a different one, we decided it was just too much risk for us to invest in another diesel truck at this stage of the game. If we were still full-timing, we might have felt differently. But as seasonal travelers, we knew we could have a wonderful time traveling with a variety of setups, none of which would require a diesel pickup.

Of course, not owning a diesel truck would mean that our big beautiful toy hauler would have to go too!! It weighed 15,000 lbs loaded, and the only pickup that could tow it was a one ton diesel truck. That trailer was our ticket to freedom on the road, and we had all kinds of fun RVing plans for the summer…starting in a month or so!

What awful timing!! The last thing we wanted to do was stay home for the next few months. Good grief!

So, suddenly our diesel truck problem morphed into a meltdown of our summer travel plans as well as the looming ordeal of getting rid of both the truck and trailer. What a mess!

Totally dejected, we went about our business at home and ignored the truck and the trailer for a while. It was all too overwhelming. I know you’re probably thinking, “C’mon…just trade in the truck — there’s thousands of them on the road and they’re fine!” All I can say is when you’ve been hit with a super expensive unexpected repair once, you’re not eager to flirt with fate a second time.

So, the search was on for a reliable gas vehicle.

Last pic of 2016 Ram 3500 dually truck

Little did we know that this pic we snapped of our Ram dually was the last one we’d ever take!

Ironically, during the winter and spring, Mark had been reading back issues of Arizona Highways Magazine we’d picked up at a flea market. They were from the 1960s, 80s and early 2000s. Each issue had an article that described a back road adventure in Arizona’s hinterlands, something that involved going down a rugged 4×4 dirt road.

These stories really inspired him, and he’d begun talking about getting a Toyota 4Runner, which was considered to be one of the best off-road vehicles, so we could do some long distance off-road exploring with a tent. Our beloved Polaris RZR side-by-side was fabulous for short distances, but it couldn’t carry much gear, was very dusty underway, and had a range of just 100 miles unless we carried gas with us.

So, in the months before our Ram dually died, we’d amused ourselves by doing a test drive of a Toyota 4Runner. Our immediate impression was that it was basically a truck. We already owned a big beautiful diesel dually truck — why would we buy an additional truck?

The big beast of a dually wasn’t really as suited to rugged 4×4 roads as a nimble little 4×4 SUV would be. But we put the whole idea on the back burner because it didn’t really make sense for the two of us to own so many vehicles.

However, now that we were suddenly planning to get rid of our big diesel truck, the lure of taking a rugged 4×4 gas vehicle down those rough back roads came alive again.

We test drove the Subaru Forester and an older Nissan Xterra and tried the Toyota 4Runner again. But none of them seemed right. And besides, we realized we might want to tow a small trailer someday, and none of those could tow anything much bigger than a popup tent trailer!

Finally, we decided that a Toyota Tundra would be the way to go. It is known for reliability, can handle rugged off-road driving, and heck, we used to own one (a 2004 model)! The only reason we’d gotten rid of that Tundra was because it wasn’t strong enough to tow the 27’ travel trailer that we purchased to begin our full-time RV adventures. We’d replaced it with our first 2007 Ram diesel truck. We have a summary of the various trucks and trailers we’ve owned here.

In our research, we discovered that Toyota had built the last of its legendary 5.7 liter engines in 2021, and that engine had been what gave the Toyota Tundra its legendary status for reliability and durability.

Again, Toyota’s decision to replace this rock solid engine with a different design was due to government intervention, this time relating to carbon footprints (something Sasquatch leaves behind?) and fossil fuels (fossils are fuel powered?).

So, the hunt was on for a 2021 Toyota Tundra with the renowned 5.7 liter engine and as few miles on it as possible. In addition, we wanted a silver exterior, cloth seats, a bench seat in the front, a basic SLT model (not the TRD) and the tow package so we could tow a small trailer.

Hmmmm…. That was quite a tall order!

To our astonishment, after lots of searching, we found that exact model with only 16k miles on it at a dealership about an hour away!

In the blink of an eye, all our truck problems vanished when we dropped the Ram dually off at the dealership and drove home in a beautiful new-to-us 2021 Toyota Tundra! (We still use Fresh Cab packets in the engine compartment and the interior!)

00 721 2021 Toyota Tundra SLT Truck

2021 Toyota Tundra SLT pickup

By now it was mid-May, though, and central Arizona’s summertime furnace was quickly approaching peak temps. What to do? We didn’t want to buy another trailer until we’d sold the toy hauler, and we weren’t in the mood to shop for one anyway, yet we wanted to escape to cooler temps.

2021 Toyota Tundra in the ponderosa pine woods

Our new Tundra looks pretty comfortable in the woods!

So, we began shopping for a tent!

Yes — a TENT!

We hadn’t tent camped in 20 years, but we were game to give it a try. If we were going to sample those awesome Arizona 4×4 roads, we’d be tent camping along the way, and we’d have to assemble some tent camping gear. So, now was as good a time as any to get started looking at tents, sleeping bags and pads, etc!

One day while taking the Tundra on a little drive to check out local mountaintop tent-oriented campgrounds, we came across a most unusual tent. It looked like a small cabin! The campers who owned it happily told us all about it and showed us the inside. It was very cool!

Panda 8 person hot tent

We came across this cute portable cabin in the woods!

It was a Panda inflatable tent that was erected like a bouncy house for kids. Inflatable tube arches formed the structure rather than conventional tent poles, and the whole roof and one end open up with wonderful huge mesh skylights and windows.

The owners were very experienced tent campers who went camping almost every weekend. They said that after they’d had to throw out several conventional tents that fell apart after repeated use, they splurged and bought this high end tent. How much of a splurge was it? $1,600!! Holy smokes!!

We loved the idea of the Panda tent, though, and tucked it away for future consideration. For now, however, we decided to get one of those “disposable” types of conventional tents: a Coleman Evanston 8-person tent that was on sale for $115.

Turns out — we love it!! What a great tent!

Sure, it’s a bit delicate. We had to replace the bungee in one of the tent poles after the first time out and we’re very careful with the zippers. But the tent is really well designed and lots of fun.

The best part is it has a screened in porch and a huge mesh window that’s almost the entire back wall of the tent.

Coleman Evanston 8-person tent

Our new digs — what a fun change of pace!

Who would’ve thought a screened in porch was a good idea in a tent? But it’s actually a fantastic place to leave your shoes and jackets without worrying about bugs getting into them, and it’s a nice “breezeway” that keeps the dirt out of the tent and plenty of cozy cleanliness inside the tent.

It’s also Buddy’s favorite nighttime hangout. He’ll get up in the middle of the night and wander out there to sit for a while and listen to the night sounds and watch for nighttime action. Fortunately, he’s not the type to paw at the mesh, so it lets him be outside while actually being inside. He also loves going out there just before sunrise to watch the wild world of nature wake up. We love that he enjoys his morning hour out there because it keeps him occupied while we catch a few extra zzzzz’s.

Screened porch on the Coleman Evanston 8-person tent

Buddy LOVES the tent and especially the screened in porch.

The main room of the tent is like a typical 10×10 dome tent, but because of the porch we can keep a lot of items out there instead of cluttering up the main room, giving us more floor space around our sleeping bags. We both can stand up to full height everywhere in the main room except the outer edges of the floor.

Coleman Evanston 8-person tent screened porch

The screen porch is Buddy’s favorite!

Besides the porch, the other super cool thing is the mesh wall at the back. Lying in bed at night we can look up at the stars. Sometimes the stars are so bright they seem jump right out of the sky. Early in the morning we can watch the changing dawn light on the trees and sky above us.

Looking up through the mesh skylight in the Coleman Evanston 8-person tent

Our view when lying in bed!

Of course, during the day, we have to be a little careful changing clothes if the mesh wall is facing any other campers because it doesn’t have it’s own zipper cover like the other windows do (fortunately, the rainfly covers it completely, although we’ve used the rainfly only once so far).

Looking out of the double doorway of the Coleman Evanston 8-person tent

Looking out of the interior of the tent through the screen porch to the front door.

We’ve been out boondocking with the tent a few times and we’ve been to a few campgrounds too. It is so cool to pull into a campground and find that all the RV sites have been booked for ages, but there are still some fantastic tent sites available!

Tent Camping on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona

Home sweet home.

We’ve slowly figured out what we need to tent camp comfortably and have gradually acquired these things. They fill the truck to the brim, both the back seat AND the truck bed under the tonneau cover, but they make our camping experiences comfortable!

We’ve also adjusted to eating outside, and each trip gets easier as we sort out what works and what doesn’t.

Tent camping...dog eats outside!

One huge difference from RV life is that we eat our meals outside.
Buddy doesn’t mind one bit!

Tent camping is definitely roughing it compared to the luxurious RVing and boating lifestyles we’ve enjoyed before. But it’s also a really fun change of pace.

The Toyota Tundra is a dream to drive, and one thing that really surprised us was Buddy’s reaction to it.

Weirdly, back in 2018 when we were still full-timing, after Buddy had happily traveled around with us in our Ram dually for the first 8 months he was with us, suddenly, out of the blue, he was absolutely petrified of the truck and hated to be in it for any length of time.

We tried everything we could think of over the next six years to make him comfortable in the truck, but he hated it with a passion. He would shake and pant and drool and be miserable the whole time he was in it.

To our utter amazement, he loves the Toyota Tundra! It’s quieter and smoother than the Ram, and he has his own place between us in a dog bucket seat that’s buckled into the bench seat.

Camping scene - tent, dog and truck!

We hadn’t tent camped in 20 years, but it has been really fun to get back to it.
Fortunately, Buddy is happy in the new truck too!

In hindsight, we now think the Ram truck developed its first exhaust leak back in 2018 and started making a high pitched sound that only Buddy could hear. We were oblivious to this noise, but it drove him crazy!

As proof of how much he likes Tundra-and-tent travel, one day after patiently watching us pack the truck all morning long through a bedroom window, he came barreling out of the house and jumped into Mark’s lap in the driver’s seat the moment Mark put the key in the ignition to warm it up.

“Don’t forget about me!” he seemed to be saying. With the dually, we would have had to drag him out of a hiding place somewhere and carry him to the truck while he shook frantically in our arms!

So, it’s all worked out, although it was quite a detour from our original plans.

Happy camper with his Coleman Evanston 8-person tent

Here’s a happy camper with his new tent.

So, what happened to the toy hauler? Ironically, speaking of buying a truck that makes our beloved pup happy, the people who bought our toy hauler wanted to replace their motorhome because their dog hated it! Fortunately for them and for us, their dog ran up the stairs of the toy hauler and said, “I like this!” We made a deal right away!

This isn’t the end of the story, though, and our traveling lives have taken more twists and turns since last summer. So stay tuned!

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Beehive Trail in Arizona – A “Mini Wave” hike by Lake Powell

May 2024 — On our recent RV trip to Lake Powell we came across a fun little hike that is near Lake Powell, just over the Glen Canyon Dam from town of Page, Arizona. It’s called the Beehive Trail, and it’s pretty obvious why: the predominant rock formation resembles a beehive!

Beehive Trail Arizona - hiking in the red rocks by Lake Powel

Hiking the Beehive Trail is lots of fun!

The whole area is a wide expanse of relatively flat boulders, and you can head in any direction from the trailhead. However, if you like to follow a real trail, the National Park Service (managers of Glen Canyon Recreation Area where Beehive Ttrail is located) has outlined a path across the boulders using two lines of small rocks to show their suggested route.

Our Trail Scout (our beloved pup, Buddy) promptly hopped on the trail and showed us the way.

The Trail Scout leads us to the Bee Hive

Buddy, our Trail Scout, bounded ahead of us on the Beehive Trail.

What makes this rock formation very “beehive-like” is the thin layers of rocks that lie like shingles overlapping each other very slightly.

The side of the namesake Bee hive on Beehive Trail Arizona

Narrow “shingles” adorn the sides of the beehive.

The thin lines curve this way and that, making wonderful patterns everywhere.

Swirling patters in the rocks on the Beehive Trail near Page Arizona

Curvy layers.

Beehive Traile rock patterns Page Arizona

Straight layers.

Pup on the Beehive Trail in northern Arizona

A mix of layers leading up to Buddy!

People compare these layered undulations to The Wave, a nearby sandstone formation that resembles a fabulous curling ocean wave. Both formations were undoubtedly created by similar forces: small trickles of water rolling downhill followed by extended periods of very high wind.

The hike was super easy, but we kept getting waylaid by the fantastic shapes and contours that begged to be photographed.

Beehive hike rock patterns Arizona

Creases and layers on the side of the beehive.

Beehive Traile rock patterns in Arizona

Such great patterns!

Beehive Trail near Lake Powell Arizona

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We ended up doing the hike several times at various times of the day, and each time it was a completely different hike.

The spring flowers were blooming, but we discovered that some of them liked to sleep in in the morning! So, if we got out on the trail too early they were all closed up! Later in the day, though, they blossomed to their fullest.

There were a few magenta cactus flowers in bloom here and there, and late one afternoon we noticed one that was backlit. So pretty!

Cactus flower

These humble cacti burst with color each spring!

Backlit cactus flower on the Bee Hives hike near Page Arizona

The cactus flower wore a halo when the sun shone through its petals.

Early in the morning, we found evening primroses that were still opened up. Once the sun had ascended into the heavens, these delicate flowers quietly closed, saving their beauty for the next evening.

Primroses blooming on the Bee Hives Hike in Arizona

Evening primroses were still open in the earliest morning light.

The whole hike is about 45 minutes if you follow the loop trail and circle around the beehive rock formation in the middle without stopping too much, but we just couldn’t go that fast. This was a special moonscape that was worth savoring, even sitting down!

Photography in the rocks on the Beehive Trail near Page Arizona

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Our favorite time was late in the afternoon. Not so late that the sun was setting, because by then all the shadows were gone and the landscape flattened out. But a bit before sunset when the sun cast a burnt orange glow across the red rocks.

Guiding rocks on the Beehive Trail near Page Arizona

The beehives beckon at the end of the day.

Buddy loved being out there, and we always conferred with him about which direction we’d go.

Conferring on the hiking trail at Bee hive Arizona

“Which way?”

He liked posing amid the rock formations too. He’d run ahead and then pose as he waited for us slowpokes to come along.

Happy pup on the Beehive Trail in Arizona

Buddy waits patiently for us, his colors blending in with the surroundings.

Like a true model, he took different poses and faced in different directions.

Happy pup on the Beehive Trail near Lake Powell Arizona

“Do you like my front side?”.

Happy pup doing the Beehive Trail

“Or my left side?”

The trail scout leads the way on the Beehive Trail in Arizona

“Or my back side?”

There were some fabulous rock pinnacles at the furthest point in the hike. You can clamber up to the base of these pinnacles or even scramble up the sides. Peering into the crack between two of these pinnacles we found a little oasis of scrub brush and small trees in a huge sandstone bowl.

Golden hour on the Beehive Trail near Glen Canyon Dam Arizona

We spotted a hiker between the pinnacles in the distance.

We saw other hikers each time we hit the trail, but it is the kind of place that is so expansive you never feel crowded.

Beehive Trail near Page and Lake Powell Arizona

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We highly recommend giving the Beehive Trail a try. It is located just west of Glen Canyon Dam on US-89.

Beehive Trail Glen Canyon Recreation Area Arizona by Lake Powell

What a lovely surprise this hike turned out to be.

If you’re looking for a spot to camp, there’s a tiny campground right there opposite the trailheadl. There are only six sites and it is an extremely exposed and dusty place, especially when the wind howls in the afternoon. But it works if you don’t mind hiding inside when the dust flies. It is first-come-first-serve, and it fills up quickly during the peak spring and fall seasons.

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Reese Goose Box Review: 20K Gen 3 TESTED + How to Hitch

This page is a review of the Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3. We’ve used ours for over a year and tested it thoroughly towing our 15,000 lb. Genesis Supreme toy hauler over 2,000 miles of varied terrain that included mountains, back roads, interstates, switchbacks and dirt roads. If you’re curious how to hitch and unhitch a Reese Goose Box, we’ve included some tips and tricks we’ve found make it as easy or easier than a traditional fifth wheel hitch!

This hitch is essentially a replacement for the original kingpin that came with the trailer. So, you remove the original kingpin and replace it with the Reese Goose Box. The beauty of the Reese Goose Box is that it hitches to a gooseneck ball in the truck bed, eliminating the need for a fifth wheel hitch all together and freeing up the truck bed completely when you’re not towing!

We paired the Reese Goose Box with a B&W gooseneck ball that is designed for the Dodge Ram OEM puck system (we have a 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 long bed dually truck).

Reese Goose Box Review 20k Gen 3 Tested + how to hitch and unhitch

What do we think of the Reese Goose Box after towing with it for 2,000 miles over the course of a year?
Read on and find out!

For over a year now, we’ve towed our trailer on all kinds of roads, including freeways, secondary roads, around tight winding switchbacks and on very lumpy, bumpy, potholed dirt roads on our way to remote boondocking locations. We’ve also climbed up and over several towering Colorado mountain passes, including Monarch Pass, Hoosier Pass and Slumgullion Pass (twice!), each of which is more than 11,300’ in elevation.

The Reese Goose Box has performed flawlessly everywhere. The ride is much smoother than any fifth wheel hitch we’ve ever used, and it’s easy to hitch and unhitch.

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch - How to hitch and unhitch

The Reese Goose Box replaced the original kingpin that came with our trailer.

We installed Reese Goose Box on our trailer ourselves, just the two of us. It was intimidating but it wasn’t difficult, despite the heavy weight of the original king pin and the even heavier weight of the Reese Goose Box. (There’s a trick to it!)

However, before we describe that process and present our step-by-step installation method (in a future post), we wanted to explain why the Reese Goose Box is so unique and also show you how to hitch and unhitch a trailer so you can see exactly how it works.

How to Hitch and Unhitch the Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch

The 20K Reese Goose Box is rated to tow up to 20,000 lbs.

Here are some shortcuts for this article:

 

WHY A REESE GOOSE BOX?

We’ve been towing fifth wheel trailers around for 15 years now, and we’ve used a variety of fifth wheel hitches made by Pullrite, B&W and Demco.

While each one was a fine hitch with certain great advantages, the drawback with any fifth wheel hitch is that when you aren’t towing a trailer, the bed of the truck is occupied by a large and heavy fifth wheel hitch.

It is awkward to remove the hitch, even a lighter weight one (as we discovered with our Demco hitch), and it’s all too easy to avoid this chore and simply leave the hitch in the truck bed indefinitely. Unfortunately, with the hitch in there, you lose the use of the truck bed except for hauling smaller items that fit around the hitch!

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 - how to hitch and unhitch

With the Reese Goose Box there is no need to have a fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck.

When we were full-time RVers, we didn’t need the truck bed except for carrying whatever we used in that lifestyle: spare water jugs, patio mat and chairs, portable generator, bbq, etc.

However, now that we RV seasonally, we wanted to have the full use of our truck bed during the off-season when we’re at home. It’s no fun hauling plants, soil, mulch and lumber in the trunk of a passenger car or trying to fit those things around a fifth wheel hitch.

How to Hitch and Unhitch the Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3

The “business side” of the Reese Goose Box is the driver’s side with the locking lever and air bag status window clearly visible (more on those important items below!).

By using a gooseneck style hitch instead of a fifth wheel hitch, all you need in the truck bed is a gooseneck ball and gooseneck receiver. The gooseneck receiver can be a factory installed OEM puck system or can be an after-market installation. What an easy way to free up the truck bed!

For this reason, some people switch out their fifth wheel kingpin for a gooseneck hitch. However, that puts a lot of strain on the fifth wheel trailer frame (fifth wheels are a lot taller than horse trailers…), and fifth wheel manufacturers advise against it.

Unlike a gooseneck hitch which has a long vertical lever arm that creates strain on the frame as it sways back and forth, the profile of the Reese Goose Box is angled and shaped like an ordinary fifth wheel kingpin. That reduces the strain on the frame significantly.

We were surprised to learn that the Reese Goose Box is the only gooseneck style hitch that Lippert Components Inc. has approved for use with their fifth wheel frames. I spoke to a Lippert sales rep to verify this, and he stated that, unlike other gooseneck style hitches, the use of a Reese Goose Box does not void the warranty on a Lippert fifth wheel frame. Like most fifth wheel trailers, our Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler is built on a Lippert frame.

Obviously, many things can ultimately contribute to the failure of a fifth wheel frame, so I have no idea how that would play out in the event of the frame developing a crack. But it’s an impressive endorsement.

In our research, we came across some comments on the internet asserting that of course Lippert Components endorses the Reese Goose Box because they own Reese Products! However I looked into it, and that’s not true. Reese’s parent company, Horizon Global, was purchased by First Brands in early 2023, and neither Horizon Global nor First Brands is related to Lippert Components.

We have the 3rd generation of the Reese Goose Box that is rated to tow a 20,000 lb. Trailer. The Gen 3 version of the Goose Box was released in the Fall of 2022.

Reese Goosebox
Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 hitch as seen from behind the truck

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We decided to pair it with the B&W gooseneck ball designed for the Ram truck OEM puck system on our 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 long bed dually. This gooseneck ball is a very nifty piece of gear with a huge handle. You can easily latch the gooseneck ball into the gooseneck receiver in the truck bed and also pull it back out using that handle rather than grabbing the ball itself with your hands.

B&W Gooseneck Ball and Safety Chain Kit

The B&W Gooseneck Ball and Safety Chain Kit fits in a cool suitcase.
The actual chains themselves are sold separately.

That may seem unimportant until you’ve actually lubed up the gooseneck ball and used it a few times! It’s much nicer to use a big handle to pull the gooseneck ball out of the truck bed rather than grab the greasy ball itself! We would have used this gooseneck ball with our Demco 21k Recon fifth wheel hitch, but the handle got in the way of the hitch.

B&W Gooseneck Ball for Ram Trucks

The B&W OEM gooseneck ball kit also comes with two safety chain anchors that get inserted into the OEM puck system on a pickup. These are used to secure the safety chains (which are not part of the kit — we got the safety chains separately here).

Reese Goosebox Safety Chains

 

HOW TO HITCH UP A TRAILER USING A REESE GOOSE BOX

REESE GOOSE BOX vs. FIFTH WHEEL HITCHING PROCEDURES

Hitching up a trailer using a fifth wheel hitch involves backing the truck (and its fifth wheel hitch) into the trailer’s king pin. It is a horizontal movement of the truck, and the connection locks in place once the truck has backed the hitch into the kingpin.

Hitching up a trailer using the Reese Goose Box involves lowering the trailer’s kingpin (the Goose Box) onto a gooseneck ball in the bed of the truck. It is a vertical movement of the trailer’s kingpin that is controled by the trailer’s landing jack leveling system. The connection locks in place once the Reese Goose Box is completely lowered onto the ball.

So, the hitching technique is quite different for each type of hitch.

ALIGNMENT: LEFT to RIGHT (DRIVER’S SIDE/PASSENGER’S SIDE)

With a fifth wheel hitch, we always found we had some room for error in aligning everything from right to left (driver’s side / passenger’s side) due to the shape of the fifth wheel hitch jaws.

If we backed the truck up so the fifth wheel hitch was slightly misaligned with the kingpin, the jaws of the hitch would catch the kingpin anyway and still make the connection and lock the two together.

However, with the Reese Goose Box, if the truck is slightly off, the kingpin will lower down and hit the top of the gooseneck ball and stop right there rather than slipping over the gooseneck ball as it is lowered into the locked position.

Where we could always “eyeball” the left/right alignment when backing up the truck with a fifth wheel hitch, we now use a small telescoping magnetic pole with a bright yellow ball on top to get a perfect alignment between the Reese Goose Box and the gooseneck ball.

Amazingly, that little pole makes this process a cinch!

I place the magnetic pole directly in front of the gooseneck ball and then Mark uses the pole to align the truck and Reese Goose Box side to side as he backs up.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box with a magnetic telescoping alignment pole

Put the magnetic telescoping pole directly in front of the gooseneck ball

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch - How to hitch and unhitch

This simple little device makes it possible to be precise when backing up the truck.

We have the two Ram OEM backup cameras in the truck, but Mark finds them inadequate for this job and he prefers to use the magnetic telescoping pole with the ball on top.

He then backs up the truck until the kingpin hits the magnetic telescoping pole and tilts it forward.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box Gen 3

The magnetic pole helps the driver align the gooseneck ball and the Reese Goose Box left to right.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box Gen 3 Hitch

When the magnetic pole tips forward, Mark stops the truck for a moment so we can adjust the alignment from front to back by an inch or two.

Magnetic Trailer Hitch Alignment Kit

ALIGNMENT: FRONT to BACK

The Reese Goose Box has to be aligned accurately from front to back as well as left to right. For this, Mark relies on me peering into the bed of the truck and guiding him verbally until the alignment is correct. For folks who hitch up solo, you’ll probably have to get in and out of the driver’s seat a few times to get the truck positioned correctly. If you have some tips and tricks for solo drivers, let us know in the comments!

At 5’4” I am just tall enough to see into the bed of our 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 dually if I stand on my tiptoes.

When we were researching the Reese Goose Box, we saw reports that it is hard to hitch up. After learning how to do it ourselves, we suspect that those comment might have come from people who were either trying to eyeball the left/right alignment or were hitching up solo and struggling with the front to back alignment.

If you have a driver and a spotter, it’s a piece of cake.

LOWERING & LOCKING THE REESE GOOSE BOX – TRUCK IN NEUTRAL

Once the truck is positioned correctly, I use the landing jack leveling buttons to lower the Reese Goose Box onto the gooseneck ball. We’ve found it helps to put the truck in neutral at this point. That way, if the positioning isn’t 100%, the truck can shift a little bit as the Goose Box is lowered.

Our truck has an auto leveling option, so as soon as the truck senses the weight of the trailer in the truck bed, it inflates its airbags and raises the truck bed up. This effectively pushes the gooseneck ball up into the Reese Goose Box. At that point I generally don’t need to lower the trailer much further to complete the connection.

Just like a fifth wheel hitch, the Reese Goose Box automatically locks its connection to the gooseneck ball.

It’s easy to know when the Goose Box/gooseneck ball connection has locked. First, as the Goose Box slides over the gooseneck ball, the locking lever on the driver’s side of the Reese Goose Box moves slowly from the Locked position (green label) to the Unlocked Position (red label). Then, once it has locked in place, it snaps back to the Locked position (green label).

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box Gen 3 and locking the gooseball

Before the Reese Goose Box slides over the gooseneck ball, the locking lever (blue arrow) is in the Locked position (green label)

The Reese Goose Box Gen 3 hitch unlocks autoamtically

As the Reese Goose Box slides down onto the gooseneck ball, the locking lever (blue arrow) slowly moves into the Unlocked position (red label)

The Reese Goose Box locks onto the gooseneck ball automatically

As soon as the Reese Goose Box locks onto the gooseneck ball, the locking lever (blue arrow) snaps back into the Locked position (green label)

At this point I can finish raising the landing jacks up all the way into their fully raised position for towing.

SAFETY CHAINS and POWER CORD

The final steps to hitch up with the Reese Goose Box are to latch the two safety chains to the B&W safety chain anchors in the truck bed and plug in the power cord.

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch safety chains

Next step is to connect the safety chains to the B&W safety chain anchors in the truck bed.

Connecting the safety chains to the Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch

Connecting the safety chains.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch: connecting the power cord

Last of all, connect the power cord.

Like all kingpins, the Reese Goose Box has a trailer breakaway cable that engages the trailer’s brakes if the trailer accidentally disconnects from the truck. With our fifth wheel hitches, we always looped this cable around the hitch handle. With the Reese Goose Box, we loop it through the hook on one of the safety chains.

Reese Goose Box Gen 3 hitched up with safety chains attached

Ready to tow.
Note that the trailer breakaway cable is connected to the safety chain hook on the left side.

The trailer breakaway cable is shorter than the safety chains. So, if the trailer were to become detached from the truck, the breakaway cable would snap and engage the trailer brakes before the safety chains were fully extended. At that point, the drag of the trailer brakes would keep the safety chains taut, and the driver would slow the truck and trailer to a stop.

 

AIR BAGS

The Reese Goose Box is equipped with internal air bags that use the same technology as the Trail Air fifth wheel hitches. They are inflated using the Schrader valve on the top of the Goose Box. We used a pancake air compressor to inflate them.

That pancake compressor is too big to bring with with us in our RV travels, so we bought a Ryobi cordless power inflator to use on the road if needed.

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room in the Goose Box’s Schrader valve compartment to attach the cordless power inflator’s locking valve to it. So, we purchased a 135 degree valve extender to use with it. Luckily, we haven’t needed to use that setup at all yet.

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 has the air bag inflator on the top of the kingpin

The Gen 3 Reese Goose Box has the Schrader valve for inflating the air bags on top in the center. Previous generation Reese Goose Boxes had this valve on the underside and it was hard to reach.

Ryobi Portabe compressor 135 Degree Valve Extension

The Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 has a gauge on the driver’s side that allows you to see the level of inflation of the air bags. This is another new feature with the Gen 3 that wasn’t on the previous generation Reese Goose Boxes.

When the air bags have no air in them, the viewing window is a black circle. Once they begin to fill with air, a silver bar appears in the top left part of the window.

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch inspection window shows the air bags are not inflated

The air bag inflation window lets you see the status of the air bags. Here the bags are barely inflated.

As the air bags become more and more inflated, this bar moves lower and lower in the window.

When the air bags are inflated to the ideal amount (somewhere between 40 and 50 lbs. of pressure), the bar crosses the middle of the window at a slight angle.

Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3 Hitch inspection window shows the airbags are properly inflated

As the air bags inflate, the silver bar moves down from the top.
When the bar is in the middle, as it is here, the air bags are properly inflated.

We have not had to change the inflation of the air bags at all in the two months we’ve been traveling with our trailer, despite being in altitudes ranging from 3,000’ to over 11,000’ and being in temperatures ranging from 30 degrees to 95 degrees.

 

HOW TO UNHITCH A TRAILER WITH A REESE GOOSE BOX

UNHITCHING CAN BE DONE SOLO (WITH AN EASY-TO-MAKE MODIFICATION!)

Unhitching a trailer with a Reese Goose Box is as easy as pulling on a cord and extending the landing jack legs! I love it because one person can easily do it solo.

Unhitching with a Reese Goose Box (as opposed to a fifth wheel) is particularly handy in situations where you won’t be driving the truck by itself but still want to raise the nose of the trailer to make it level.

For instance, when you stop for a quickie overnight in a rest area on unlevel ground, you might want to level the trailer from front to back by raising up the front end.

All you need to do is raise the trailer off the gooseneck ball to the point where the trailer is level from front to back and leave it there. When you are ready to continue driving, simply lower the trailer back down onto the gooseneck ball and away you go!

With a traditional fifth wheel hitch, the truck and trailer must be completely unhitched, i.e., the truck must be driven out from the hitch in order to level the trailer from front to back.

All this is truly awesome, but we did have to make one minor modification to the Reese Goose Box to make it possible to unhitch so easily, as explained below.

 

RELEASING the GOOSENECK BALL EASILY — With a SIMPLE MODIFICATION!

The Reese Goose Box is locked onto the gooseneck ball by a lever, as shown in the three hitching up photos above. While hitching up, the lever moves from the Locked position to the Unlocked position and back to the Locked position automatically as the socket on the Reese Goose Box slides onto the gooseneck ball.

For unhitching, however, this lever must be held open in the Unlocked position to allow the Reese Goose Box to slide up off the gooseneck ball. You do that manually by pulling back on a long cable that connects to the locking lever.

The cable rests on a hook on the side of the Reese Goose Box. It has a nub on it that can be secured in front of the hook, forcing the lock to remain open while you extend the landing jack legs.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box lock release handle

The hitch locking mechanism is automatic when hitching up. When unhitching, a long cable (above the arrows) must be pulled back to unlock the hitch and allow the Reese Goose Box to rise off the gooseneck ball. The white arrow shows the nub that can be secured in front of the hook (blue arrow) to keep the Goose Box unlocked.

We’ve found it very difficult to reach the cable’s handle from the back of the truck when the truck’s tailgate is open.

Ironically, the truck’s tailgate is always open at this stage of the unhitching process because you are disconnecting the safety chains and power cord. Also, you can’t drive the truck out with the tailgate closed.

When we did successfully maneuver ourselves to reach the handle, we found it extremely difficult to pull the cable back far enough to place the nub in front of the hook!

I’m sure Reese will address this issue since it has been raised by many people. However, in the interim, we found a super easy solution.

We tied a strong cord onto the latch cable’s handle and then used a short dowel to create a mini handle at the other end of the cord.

Reese Goose Box Gen 3 lock release handle modification

We tied a strong cord onto the handle of the hitch latching cable. Again, the white arrow is the nub that can be secured in front of the hook (blue arrow) to force the lock to stay open, but we found it tricky to do.

Reese Goose Box lock release handle modification

We made a handle at the other end of the cord with a short dowel.

Now, all we have to do to get the Reese Goose Box off the gooseneck ball is to pull this cord to open the lock and extend the trailer’s landing jacks. Then the Goose Box rises off the gooseneck ball very easily.

Reese Goose Box lock release handle modification

One person can simultaneously pull the hitch lock open and extend the trailer’s landing jacks!

The beauty is that one person can do this job alone by holding the Goose Box’s locking cord in their left hand and pressing the trailer’s landing jack control buttons with their right hand.

Once the Reese Goose Box is clear of the gooseneck ball, the Goose Box’s locking cord can be released and the truck can be driven out from under the trailer and parked elsewhere.

To tidy things up, just snap the safety chains onto the back of the Reese Goose Box and stow the power cord inside. Be careful, though, because there’s 12 volts coming from the trailer batteries on one of the pins.

How to hitch and unhitch a Reese Goose Box 20K Gen 3

There are two holes in the back of the Reese Goose Box to hold the hooks for the safety chains.

How to hitch and unhitch the Reese Goose Box 20K Gen 3

Chains and power cord are out of the way.

 

TOWING WITH THE REESE GOOSE BOX

As I mentioned, we have used the Reese Goose Box to tow our 15,000 lb. trailer all over Arizona and Colorado for two months on all kinds of crazy roads. Not only has the towing been smooth but we’ve been super happy with how easy it is to hitch and unhitch.

The airbags inside the Reese Goose Box make the ride super smooth. There is no chucking and no bouncing, and best of all, no noise! The trailer kind of floats along behind us.

We’ve taken some very sharp turns and haven’t had a problem with the Reese Goose Box touching the bed rails of the truck, and we’ve gone over some serious bumps and sharp inclines and declines and haven’t had the overhang of the fifth wheel come too close to the top of the bed rails either.

We are delighted with the Reese Goose Box and the B&W gooseneck ball. Best of all, now we’re able to haul anything we want in the truck bed, even 4×8 sheets of plywood. All we’ll have to do is remove the B&W gooseneck ball, clean it up and put it away in its little suitcase. Then the whole bed of the truck is available to use!

So, that’s our review of our fully tested Reese Goose Box 20k Gen 3. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments below. We’ll be happy to answer as best we can. If you own one of these very cool hitches, we’d love to know what you think of it!

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Here are all the parts listed in this post and where to get them:

The Goose Box:

The Gooseneck Ball:

Magnetic Pole for Hitching Up:

Compressors:

More info about Reese Products:

Other blog posts about trailers and hitches:

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Lake Powell – Heart of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

May 2024 – Spectacular Glen Canyon on the Arizona/Utah border was transformed into Lake Powell when the Colorado River was blocked by a big dam in 1963, creating one of the largest manmade lakes in the US. Today, Glen Canyon Recreation Area is a fabulous place to enjoy the outdoors, and we went there last week to do a little exploring.

The beauty of the Lake Powell as it snakes through the Glen Canyon on the approach to the dam is truly awe-inspiring.

Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area with a boat weaving between the cliffs

A boat weaves between the walls of Glen Canyon on Lake Powell.

The views change throughout the day as the light changes. Although the most magical times are at the beginning and end of the day, we thoroughly enjoyed driving the scenic road to Wahwheap that goes past several overlooks. The water was a rich dark blue, making a wonderful contrast to the whites and browns of the cliff walls.

Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell Arizona

Glen Canyon Dam was responsible for creating gorgeous Lake Powell.

Lake Powell Arizona near Glen Canyon Dam 2

These are the tops of Glen Canyon’s very steep cliff walls.

We could see boats far below cruising the twisting path through Glen Canyon. What a fun way to see it!

Boats on Lake Powell Wahwheap Overlook Arizona RV trip 2

What a unique boat ride this would be!

Boats on Lake Powell Wahwheap Overlook Arizona RV trip

Coming and going…

In the distance we could see Wahwheap Marina which is loaded with houseboats and big cruising boats along with smaller power boats. Many are available for rent, and we made a mental note to return someday to get out on the water. It wasn’t in the cards for this trip, though.

Wahwheap Marina Lake Powell Arizona 2

Wahwheap Marina is set against a jaw-dropping backdrop!

Wahwheap Marina on Lake Powell Arizona RV trip

Not a bad place to have a boat — and some of them are huge!

The size and scale of the Glen Canyon Dam hydroelectric project is staggering. Lake Powell began filling with water on March 13, 1963. It didn’t finish filling up until seventeen years later on June 22, 1980!

On a plaque by the dam there are photos of Sentinel Rock which towered 200 feet in the air from the banks of the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon before the dam was built. Once the lake was full, Sentinel Rock was submerged under 300 feet of water!

The lake is not a big round lake. Instead it consists of a long arm of the Colorado River with 90 water filled side canyons coming off of it on either side like tentacles. One of the best spots to see these bright blue tentacles is at Glen Canyon dam.

Lake Powell RV trip Wahwheap Overlook Arizona

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Lake Powell Arizona near Glen Canyon Dam

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Over 5 million people visit the Glen Canyon Recreation Area which each year. They come for all kinds of outdoor fun from boating to hiking, camping, taking photos and playing in the water. Spring and Fall are great because the weather is warm but not too hot. All summer long, the lake teems with people and boats.

The whole area is rich with breathtaking sights, and a drive along US-89 is a journey past towering red rock drama. Now-famous Horseshoe Bend is just a few miles south of Glen Canyon Dam. Amazingly, it was unknown to residents of Page just 60 years ago.

Just a few miles southwest of Glen Canyon dam as the condor flies, US-89 meets up with US-89A at a sharp turn and then reveals the wonders of Navajo Bridge, Lees Ferry and Marble Canyon and “Cliff Dwellers” as you head west. This is Canyon Country, and for travelers coming up into Utah from Arizona, it is the beginning of some of the most majestic scenery America has to offer.

Red rocks at Lake Powell Arizona

Looking at the far shore of Lake Powell from Wahwheap Overlook.

Glen Canyon Dam has large parking areas on either side of it, and you can walk all over the huge boulders that line the sides of the canyon. Buddy and I dashed off to explore the boulders — it was just so inviting!

We could hear Mark yelling, “Be CAREFUL!” far behind us. The wind was whipping, and he was afraid we’d go over the edge into the water far below. However, even though it looked like we were on a dangerous precipice, we were actually quite safe with several shelves of boulders stair-stepping down a ways before we’d be anywhere toppling over into the fast flowing water.

Red rocks near Glen Canyon Dam Arizona

What a place for photography!


We used two of these solar panels to upgrade our toy hauler's factory-installed 200 watt system to a 600 watt system.

See our DIY installation here:
RV Solar Power Upgrade

Pup on the red rocks near Glen Canyon Dam Lake Powell Arizona

Buddy’s fur was flying.

The rocks had wonderful lines and shapes. Buddy disappeared into a small slot canyon and then reappeared, trotting happily towards me.

Pup runs through slot canyon near Lake Powell Arizona

Dog heaven.

As I said, Glen Canyon and Lake Powell are stunning at any time of day, but some of the coolest scenes happen early. We returned to the Wahwheap Overlook scenic drive at dawn and waited for the first wink of sunlight to appear across the lake.

Sunrise at Lake Powell Wahwheap Overlook in Page Arizona on an RV trip

Good morning, Lake Powell!

Sunrise over Lake Powell near Glen Canyon Dam and Page Arizona

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The far side of the lake backs up to some wonderful mesas and rock pinnacles. I loved the layers and shapes of the mesas and stone pinnacles in the misty distance.

Distant mesas at Wahwheap Overlook at dawn on Lake Powell on an Arizona RV trip 2

Layers upon layers…

As the sun rose, highlights appeared on the rocks and cliff faces. This was a truly magical time of day. No one was around and the air was still.

Wahwheap Overlook at dawn on Lake Powell on an Arizona RV trip

Sunny highlights appeared as the land woke up.

A car drove on the road by behind me and then two more followed. I could hear them drive all the way to the boat ramp, and then I heard the rev of their boat engines as they took off. Suddenly a series of boats snaked through the canyon and disappeared into the deeper water beyond. Hopefully the fish were biting!

Wahwheap Overlook Lake Powell Glen Canyon Dam Arizona

Fishermen make their way out to the best fishing grounds.

Glen Canyon Dam was controversial when it was built because many historical treasures and magnificent landscapes were lost forever beneath the Colorado River water that filled the lake. Before the dam was built, some folks thought the area deserved to be a National Park. Many felt it was unwise to build the dam.

Interestingly, most of America’s major dams were constructed at a time that followed decades of plentiful rain and snowmelt. The data the engineers were working from was biased towards wetter than normal conditions. However, at that time and even today, no one knows what the Colorado River was like in the 13th and 14th centuries when the ancient Indians abandoned their pueblos all across the southwest and Mexico due to intense and persistent drought. If that data could have been taken into account, Glen Canyon Dam and others might not have been built!

Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell in Page Arizona on an RV trip

Lake Powell hovers around 50% of water capacity these days..

Oh well, that’s all water over the dam now. Lake Powell is gorgeous and we’ve just scratched the surface of all there is to see in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Before you pack up and go, here are some notes about the seasons: Spring is a great time to visit Lake Powell, however it can be exceedingly windy. Like 40 mph gusts and dust devils. Summer has much less wind but is very hot. Fall is cooler than Summer and less windy than Spring. Our visit one January was exceptional because there were few tourists and the air was very clear after some winter rains. It’s chilly at that time of year, but it’s a great time to go!

Happy campers and puppy at Lake Powell Arizona

Happy campers at Lake Powell

This little portrait of us was captured by a gal named Beth that we met on the trail. We were lamenting that for once we didn’t have our cameras, and the view was out of this world. She said, “I’ll get a pic of you three!” and she got it on her phone and emailed it to me. What a kind gesture that was, and what a great memento of that beautiful hike and view!

Arizona Highways Scenic Drives

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More info about Glen Canyon Recreation Area and Lake Powell:

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Quick Release Pull Pins for Fifth Wheel Landing Jacks – YES!

One of the very first upgrades we did to our 2022 Genesis Supreme toy hauler was to install quick release pull pins for the fifth wheel landing jacks. Our full-time Hitchhiker fifth wheel trailer had come with this kind of landing jack pin installed at the factory, so we assumed it was standard for all fifth wheels with electric landing jacks. Not so! And what a difference they make!

Quick Release Pull-Pins for Fifth Wheel Landing Jacks Installation

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Our Genesis Supreme toy hauler came with goofy D-ring pins that were clumsy and fussy and added a frustrating and unnecessary step to hitching and unhitching our rig.

https://amzn.to/3xJ4mVD

These pins were slow and frustrating to use!

After messing with these things two or three times, I got online and started hunting for the really nice quick release spring loaded pins we were accustomed to, hoping that they were something we could get our hands on. They were! We got ours HERE.

Tools and parts needed to install Fifth Wheel Landing Jack quick release pull pin

The quick release pull pins (left two) and the tools necessary to install them (right two). Not much to it!

We put a bottle jack under the front of the fifth wheel to support the trailer while we removed the silly pins that had come with it and replaced them with the quick release pull pins. You can also hitch the fifth wheel to the truck and work on the legs that way instead. However, the bottle jack worked just fine.

Bottle jack supports fifth wheel trailer for landing jack quick release pull-pin installation

We supported the front of the fifth wheel trailer with a bottle jack.

Fifth Wheel Landing Jack D-ring Pin 2

We removed the D-ring.

The hardest part of installing the quick release pull pins on the landing jacks is simply lining up the two pieces. They fit on either side of the landing leg like a clamshell with two long bolts holding them in place.

Make sure the handle is on the outside of the fifth wheel where you’ll be grabbing it.

Installing fifth wheel landing jack quick release pull pin

One half of the quick release pull pin.

Installing quick release pull pin for fifth wheel landing jack

Both halves of the quick release pull pin with long bolts that will hold them in place.

We used Loctite to make sure the bolts wouldn’t unscrew and walk back out.

Using Loctite to install fifth wheel landing jack quick release pull pin

We applied a little Loctite.

Then we tightened the bolts.

Installation of quick release pull pin for fifth wheel landing jack

Getting the bolts started.

Installation of fifth wheel landing jack quick release pull pin

Tightening the bolts down.

And there it was — a fabulous new quick release pull pin on our fifth wheel landing jack.

Installation of quick release pull pin for fifth wheel landing jack=k

Ready to go!

We installed the other quick release pull pin on the other landing jack and sighed a huge sigh of relief. These things are so much easier to use!

To hitch up: Simply raise the electric landing legs with the Retract button. Once the jacks are in their fully retracted position, pull out the spring loaded handle and slide the lower portion of the leg upwards into the upper portion. Then release the spring loaded handle to latch it in place.

To unhitch: Pull the quick release pull pin’s spring loaded handle and let the leg drop all the way down so the foot is on the ground. Then raise the leg slightly until the spring loaded handle snaps into place through the hole in the lower leg.

Fifth Wheel Landing Jack D-ring Pin

.

And that’s it! We purchased this quick release pull pin for our 33’ 15,000 lb. GVWR trailer, but there are others available> too.

Hitching and unhitching a fifth wheel trailer can be stressful enough as it is. For us, having a super simple mechanism for getting the landing jacks in position is an important stress reliever. It was an inexpensive upgrade, but has made a huge difference.

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Sheep May Safely Graze (in the Mountains with Dogs!)

July 2023 – Despite all the dazzling technological advancements in recent years and the ultra fast pace of living these days, there are a few constants that still reach across borders and the passage of time. Raising herds of livestock on vast pastures is one of them.

From biblical times through the Middle Ages to our current era, despite conquests and cultural upheavals and dramatic social shifts, livestock has continued grazing quietly around the world. And surely JS Bach’s musical piece, “Sheep May Safely Graze,” is as vivid a depiction of sheep placidly nibbling on summer grasses as it was when he wrote it in 1713.

Sheep May Safely Graze - In the Mountains With Dogs!

Our furry shepherd…

During our RV trip through Colorado last summer, we were happily camping in the National Forest, minding our own business, when we caught wind from other campers in the area that a flock of sheep was going to be brought in to graze for the summer. How fun!

We had witnessed the thrilling arrival of a huge flock of sheep once before when we were camping in Utah, and we’d gotten a huge kick out of watching the whole process. It was like nothing we’d ever seen before.

RV Camping in the National Forest in Colorado

We were quietly camping when a sheep parade came right by our door!

Sheep like to graze at 10,000’ elevation in the summertime, so they are often driven by truck up into the mountain peaks to enjoy a months-long feast of high elevation grasses and flowers. The flock owners lease the land from the US Forest Service and they hire people to live with the sheep on the mountainsides.

Often these temporary employees are experienced shepherds from Peru that are flown here with special work visas for the summer to camp in the high altitudes of the American West and tend the sheep.

Although we’d been wrapping up our stay and planning to leave, when heard the sheep would be arriving, we decided to stay a little longer to watch the action.

Suddenly, a huge livestock truck rattled down the dirt road, and we could hear the ba-aa-aa of the sheep in the truck. They were making quite a racket!

Sheep livestock truck arrives

A truckload of sheep rolled up!

The truck parked right next to our rig, and we could see little sheep heads peeking out of the openings in the sides of the truck!

Sheep peeks out of livestock trailer in Colorado

“What’s going. on out there?”

Lots of sheep were peering out at us. But we did a double-take when we noticed one of the sheep was actually a fluffy white DOG!

Sheep and dog heads poking out of a sheep livestock trailer in Colorado

Ahem…the one on the right is NOT a sheep!

The dog was a Great Pyrenees. We’ve met a a few of these wonderful dogs before. They are gentle giants. The owners of the flock said it was okay to pet the sheep dog and neither one of us could resist.

Great Pyrenees sheep dogs are raised with their flock outdoors from the time they’re young puppies. So, they get to know and understand sheep very well! They learn their jobs as Guardians of the Sheep from the older sheep dogs in the flock, and they live their whole lives outdoors with the sheep.

Great Pyrenees dog gets a pat on the head in a sheep livestock trailer

“Mmmmm…that feels good!”

The Great Pyrenees have an important job guarding the sheep from predators, but they aren’t the only dogs involved in the sheep management business. Border Collies help the shepherds move the sheep from place to place.

Sure enough, a Border Collie was right there ready to help out. Buddy wanted to know if he could help too, and the owners and dogs said “Sure!” Wow! He was thrilled!

Border collie helps with herding the sheep

This agile Border Collie had the fun job of chasing the flock to move them from one place to another

Dogs at a sheep livestcok trailer in Colorado

“I’m a runner too! I’m ready whenever you are!”

The owners had set up a long chute from the back of the livestock truck over to the pen that would hold the sheep until they were all out of the truck and ready to be moved to a pasture.

The first sheep cautiously looked down the chute, unsure of what to do.

The Border Collie jumped and yipped and the owners clapped and encouraged the sheep to start running down the ramp. The sheep got the idea, and suddenly a whole line of sheep was running down the chute.

Sheep gets ready to run down the chute from a livestock trailer

The border collie did some yipping to encourage the cautious sheep down the ramp.

Line of sheep run down the chute from a livestock trailer in Colorado

And down they ran in a steady stream of woolly white coats.

The sheep were all mamas (ewes) with their lambs, and they were very cute as they trotted down the chute and into the grassy pen!

Sheep run to new grazing grounds in Colorado

“I think the best grass is up ahead!”

Photographing sheep in Colorado

We had a ball watching these sheep running towards their new grazing grounds.

The owners used a small hand counter to count the sheep as they ran out of the truck. It seemed to be a tricky business distinguishing one trotting sheep from another as they passed in a blur of fur, ears and legs.

The sheep had traveled on two levels in the livestock truck. After the sheep on the lower level had been let out, the ramp was attached to the upper level and the sheep on the second floor began to run out.

A sheep jumps from the 2nd level of a livestock trailer

A ramp was set up for a second group of sheep on the upper level.

The owners had a third dog that was their pet. He had the job of Rodeo Clown! He zoomed in and out between all the sheep, in and out of the pen and all around the grass like a madman. He was faster than the Border Collie and probably faster than a speeding bullet! He leapt on and off the chute fencing and did all kinds of acrobatics.

The owners said he was always a little crazy like that. The other dogs paid him no mind, and neither did the sheep!

Sheep grazing in a pen with a happy pup

The owners’ Pet Dog was bursting with excitement. He had the most lighthearted job ever: Rodeo Clown!

Buddy was having an absolute ball as an Apprentice Herder. He seemed to know that he was playing a Junior role, so he never went into the pen with the sheep even though he could have like the other dogs did. He just ran alongside them on the outside of the pen, barking to make them run — and the Pet Dog followed along!

Happy dog runs alongside a sheep pen

Buddy was having a ball in his new role as Apprentice Herder.

Dog excited about sheep in a pen

He just loved getting the sheep to run from one end of the pen to the other.



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In between Buddy’s practice herding runs, the sheep settled into doing some serious grazing. They mowed the grass down by an inch or two in no time!

Sheep grazing in a pen in Colorado

The sheep’s job was to graze.

And in between grazing, life went on for the ewes and their lambs.

Lamb nursing from its mother

Mealtime

At this point we’d forgotten all about the Great Pyrenees sheep dogs, but then we noticed one inside the sheep pen. He stuck his head out under the fencing. There wasn’t a whole lot of Sheep Guarding to be done at the moment, so he seemed a little bored.

Great Pyrenees sheep dog looks out under the fencing of the sheep pen

“I’m on break right now, ’cause there’s not a lot to do!”

When he saw Buddy he perked right up. Here was a new friend!

Sheep dog and pet dog meet over the fence

“Hey there little fella!”

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Suddenly, the Great Pyrenees decided he wanted to be on the outside of the pen. So, jumped up and over the wooden fencing of the chute!

Great Pyrenees sheep dog jumps out of the sheep chute

Up…

Great Pyrenees sheep dog jumps out of the sheep chute

…and Over!

I was floored by the agility of this very large dog. The fencing wasn’t all that sturdy, but he leapt on and off of it with ease and grace.

Once he was out with Buddy the two hung out together and kept an eye on things for quite some time.

Dogs guard the sheep pen

“We’ve got this!”

Meanwhile, the Pet Dog wanted to show off a little too. He straddled the chute fencing, almost as a challenge to the Great Pyrenees!

pet dog Rodeo Clown

“Hey, you’re a pretty good jumper, but can you do this?”

Back at the truck, the Border Collie helped the owners make sure that all the sheep had been moved out and there weren’t any stragglers left inside.

Checking out the sheep in a livestock truck

“Yup, one last one and that’s it!”

Finally, it was time to open the sheep pen and move them to their first real grazing grounds. The gate swung wide, and the Border Collie swung into action. He chased them and dashed this way and that as the owners told him what to do with a special high pitched whistle.

Border Collie runs past grazing sheep in a pen

The Border Collie went to work herding the sheep out of the pen, taking cues from the owner’s whistle

The sheep headed out the gate and munched their way across the grass, mowing it down as they went.

Sheep let out of a pen into a pasture

Noses to the grass, the sheep made their way out of the pen.

We followed from a respectful distance and were really surprised when they headed towards the highway. The owner stood in the middle of the highway to stop traffic. And sure enough, before long there was a line of cars and trucks waiting for the sheep to cross the highway!

A flock of sheep crosses the road in Colorado

Make way for ducklings sheep!

A flock of sheep crosses the road in Colorado 2

After a while there was quite a line of cars and trucks waiting for the sheep parade to pass.

Eventually the whole flock had crossed, and they began making their way to the pasture on the far side. This was quite a production!

Sheep moving from one pasture to another

Everyone is across…

We wandered back towards our rig and noticed there was a bit of commotion going on. We peered a little closer and saw a sheep lying motionless in a bed of dandelions. We heard some of the workers talking, and it seemed she had been pushed to one edge of the flock where there were some brambles and a fallen tree in the way. She’d gotten tangled up in the branches as the flock had rushed along, and she’d stumbled and fallen as the other sheep brushed past.

Sheep resting in dandelions

She stumbled and couldn’t keep up with the flock and got left behind.

It wasn’t clear if she was injured or just stunned. The owner carried her over to the flatbed ranch truck and made a space for her in the back. A little while later she traveled in queenly style and seemed to appreciate getting a chauffeured ride back to the ranch. They assured us that she would be fine and just needed some R&R back home. They’d bring her back the flock in a few days.

Sheep gets a special ride back home

She perked up when she got a chauffeured ride home!

Phew! That was a lot of excitement for one afternoon! We caught one of the owners catching a few winks on the sheep ramp.

Resting after a hard day's work

After counting every sheep running past in the flock, it was time to lie down and count a few more sheep with closed eyes and catch some Zzzz’s!

Then the empty livestock truck rattled its way back out to the highway.

Sheep trailer and RV in National Forest in Colorado

What a great day this was!

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A little more about grazing sheep, both here and in Germany almost 300 years ago:

Related blog posts about animals!

Happy Campers is a FANTASTIC holding tank treatment that doesn't harm the environment. For more RV waste system tips, see out page:
Dirty Little Secrets from the RV Dump!


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