Toy Hauler Life – What’s It Like Living in a Toy Hauler?

After living in our new Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler for about 5 months, we are absolutely loving this rig. Huray for toy hauler life!

When we first purchased this 5th wheel toy hauler, we wrote an overview with photos of a walk-through which you can see here — Genesis Supreme 28CRT Toy Hauler – Why We Chose It! Now, with a little more experience under our belts, we wanted to show you what it’s like living in a toy hauler, especially an open box floor plan like ours.

Toy hauler life - what's it like to live in a toy hauler RV?

What’s it like to live in a toy hauler?

Living in a toy hauler is different than other RV lifestyles, not only because of the big open garage space, ramp door and the ability to bring additional motorized vehicles along for the ride, but because of the back patio — a game changer! If you are considering getting one or are just curious about what it’s like living in a toy hauler, this page will give you a few things to think about and explain why we like ours so much.

A Toy hauler patio transforms RV life

Nevermind the garage and all the things it offers…
We’ve found the patio on our toy hauler totally transforms the interior of our RV!

Toy Hauler Pros and Cons

There are advantages and disadvantages to living in a toy hauler, like there are with every type of RV. Here are some of the biggest advantages of toy hauler life:

Toy Hauler Pros:

Water: The fresh water tank is usually very big. 100 gallons is typical but 160 gallons isn’t unusual.

Gas: Because toy haulers are built to haul gas powered toys, there’s usually a gas station onboard complete with a gas tank beneath the floor of the rig and a gas nozzle on the side to fill the toys. This makes it easy (and typical) for toy haulers to sport onboard gas generators that seamlessly tie into the gas tank. Our gas tank is 40 gallons, and I believe most toy haulers have a 30-50 gallon tank. However, some of the major brands don’t list the gas tank sizes on their websites.

Patio: The ramp door on most modern toy haulers converts into a rear 8′ x 8′ patio. Some toy haulers have a side patio too.

Beds: The powered Happijac bunks that come on most toy haulers in the rear of the garage have a queen mattress on the top bunk and a queen or full size “mattress” on the bottom bunk, plenty of room for kids or guests. The “mattress” on the bottom bunk is actually two loveseats laid flat that can be raised up to face each other. A mattress topper or custom RV queen mattress is a great toy hauler upgrade.

Happijac bunk beds in the rear of a toy hauler RV

The top bunk is a queen size and the bottom bunk is a full size. The bottom bunk also becomes two loveseats that face each other.

Toy Hauler Cons:

Decor: Many toy haulers make me feel like I’m in a sports bar. All we’d need to top it off would be a keg, some munchies and the big game on TV!

Furniture: You may not want or need the lower Happijac bunk convertible sofas or the factory supplied heavy moveable table(s) that go between the recliners and between the rear sofas. However, they generally come standard with every toy hauler.

Kitchen: To fit everything into a modest length rig, the kitchen often takes a big hit. Pantries and counter space are reduced or virtually eliminated.

Storage: A toy hauler has less storage per linear foot than a traditional fifth wheel because you can’t have cabinetry on the lower part of the garage walls.

Setup/Breakdown: If you use a toy hauler to haul a toy, loading and unloading it plus dealing with the tie-downs takes time during setup and breakdown.

Rear Wall: Because the ramp door can’t have a window, the back of the garage is a big black wall when the ramp door is closed. If the trailer has a side patio, that creates another big dark wall when it’s closed.

Dirt: If you haul an ATV or UTV, dirt and/or mud will be tracked into the garage.

Gas Fill: Maneuvering a long toy hauler at a gas station to fill the gas tank can be a challenge, especially if the gas fill intake is at the rear end of the rig.

Putting gas in the tank of a toy hauler (Genesis Supreme)

“Fill ‘er up!”
The far back end of our toy hauler is at the gas pump here. There must be room ahead of the gas pump for the whole truck and trailer…

Enclosed Garage vs. Open Box Toy Haulers

There are two basic layouts for toy haulers: a “separate enclosed garage” where the garage is separated from the living space by a wall with a door, and an “open box” floor plan where the garage space converts into living space using moveable furniture. There are big trade-offs when you choose one layout over the other.

Enclosed garages are much more common in fifth wheel toy haulers and open box floor plans are much more common in travel trailer toy haulers.

Here is the floor plan for our 33′ long open box fifth wheel toy hauler with its 16′ garage compared to a 44′ long separate enclosed garage floor plan (a 2023 Keystone Raptor 415) that has a 15′ garage.

When you unload the toys from our open box toy hauler, the whole trailer becomes 33′ of 100% living space. In contrast, you don’t need to unload anything from the 44′ enclosed garage toy hauler to get 29′ of dedicated living space.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT 5th wheel toy hauler floor plan only

2022 Genesis Supreme 28CRT 5th wheel toy hauler floor plan
33′ long trailer with a 16′ garage.

2023 Keystone Raptor 415 Toy Hauler 44' long with 15' garage

Keystone Raptor 415 5th wheel toy hauler floor plan
44′ long trailer with a 15′ garage

Here are some of the tradeoffs between open box and enclosed garage toy haulers:

Dirt: A separate enclosed garage keeps all the dirt related to the toy(s) in the garage. An “open box” style layout brings the dirty muddy toy right into your living room!

Overall Length: A separate enclosed garage adds 10-15 feet to the length of an ordinary fifth wheel. At the back end of most toy hauler garages the last 18 inches of the floor is ramped. So, if you want your vehicle to ride level and not have two wheels heading downhill, you must add 18 inches to the overall garage length you need. Designers reduce the living area to keep their rigs under 50′ long, but almost all fifth wheel toy haulers with separate garages are over 40′ in length, nose to tail. An open box design allows for the overall length to be as little as 33′. When towing, a 33′ trailer is much easier to maneuver than one that’s well over 40′.

Garage Length: An open box trailer can offer a longer garage in a shorter overall trailer length. Whereas most enclosed garages top out at 13-15 feet in a trailer that is 38-46′ long, a shorter 33-34′ open box trailer can have a 16′ garage. At the long end of open box floor plans, one 44′ open box design has a 26′ long garage! That’s a heckuva lot of room for toys or for indoor party space with friends on rainy days or late at night.

Comfort and Storage: Separating the garage and living area means that both spaces are dedicated to their individual purposes. This allows the living space to have lots of built-ins and be more comfortable and attractive. For a given garage length, an enclosed garage rig has a lot more storage space than an open box design because the garages can’t have any lower cabinetry and in an open box design half of the rig’s length is the garage.

Single Overnights: An enclosed garage can be filled to the brim without impacting the usability of the rest of the rig. If you pull over at a rest area or stay just one night in an RV park and don’t feel like unloading the toys, you can still be comfortable in the rig. With an open box design your living space is gone once the toy(s) are loaded inside. The only way to get your living room back is to unload the toy(s). That isn’t possible or desireable in a rest area and it’s unnecessary extra work if you’re in transit to a distant destination and aren’t planning to use the toy(s) during a one or two night stay in an RV park or campground on the way there.

Tie-down Rings: The garage has tie-down rings and table pedestal supports built into the floor. With a separate garage, these toe-stubbers aren’t in your living room. However, in an open box design, they are. You can cover them with a carpet, but that is yet another thing that needs to be set up or put away each time you travel.

Bottom line: How do you plan to use the rig and the garage? A separate garage room can be used for anything — kids’ room, office, workshop, yoga room, art studio, storage, party room — but it will be a smaller space requiring a longer trailer. An open box offers an open floor plan with a cavernous living area that has a kitchen at one end, a patio at the other, and portable furniture throughout. However, if you’re hauling a toy, the living room will need to be set up and broken down every time you travel, and your toy(s) will bring dirt in with them.

An Open Box Flexible Floor Plan is Fun!

We love our 33′ long open box Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler because our 9′ long Polaris RZR 900 (the reason for getting a toy hauler) fits in it well and the trailer is very maneuverable to tow and park.

Even though this trailer isn’t cushy in the way that our Hitchhiker fifth wheel was, we have found the flexible floor plan is a lot of fun. We set it up differently depending on where we are, where the views are and how long we’ll stay.

Factory Provided Furniture We Don’t Use

Like many toy hauler owners, we removed all the moveable pedestal tables that came with the rig (ours had three). The tabletops for these tables are very heavy, and stowing the tabletops and the poles for traveling was awkward.

Also like many other toy hauler owners, we don’t use the opposing sofas that make up the bottom bunk in the Happijac bunk bed and we haven’t used the lower bunk for anyone to sleep on either.

We do use the lower bunk for storage, however. There is a 6 inch gap between the two bunks when they are flush against each other, just enough to slide in a folding table onto the lower bunk. However, if the items stored there are not secured and you go down a steep descent, things can slide off. We live in a hilly area and face a 150 yard long 25% descent every time we leave home, and we’ve had a folding table slide off the lower bunk in its raised position and land on the roof of the RZR side-by-side.

When we are set up for camping, we keep the bunk beds raised up to the ceiling so we have unencumbered floor space underneath. The upper bunk can make a fantastic napping spot, though, especially when the ramp door is open. It’s like being in a big wide comfy hammock!

Toy hauler upper bunk is good for napping

Mark and Buddy snuggle in for an afternoon nap.

 

Toy Hauler Fun – Bring Your Own Furniture!

So, with all that furniture not being used and the powered bunk beds raised to their Up position (allowing us to move around freely underneath), here is what the floor plan looks like:

2022 Genesis Supreme 28CRT 5th wheel toy hauler floor plan with moveable furniture and Happijac bunk beds removed.

2022 Genesis Supreme 28CRT 5th wheel toy hauler actual floor layout
(i.e., it doesn’t show the raised bunk beds or the moveable furniture).

We replaced the factory-provided pedestal tables with two small folding tables that can be set to dining table height or coffee table height.

This gives each of us a “desk” or we can place them side by side to make a larger table. We can also put one or both at coffee table height if we have company. Sometimes we leave one stowed on the lower bunk and bring out just one folding table if we’re not staying very long.

We also got two small ottomans that have a drawer and a tray flip top. This gives us each a personal “junk drawer” and storage space for small items.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler alternative chair layout ramp door closed

This is a typical layout we use if we’re not staying long. We share a table between us and use the small ottomans (trays up) to set drinks and snacks on.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler living room

Here we have both “desks” set up and the ottomans become footstools
(the Eurochair foot rests aren’t very comfortable).

When we travel, we spend a lot of time on our laptops processing our photos, and having desks is fantastic.

Our Hitchhiker fifth wheel had a tiny built-in desk, but it was so small we never used it. Instead, we always had the laptops in our laps. How nice it is to have our laptops on a table along with a pen and paper, if needed, and a snack or a drink!

Buddy likes to hang out on the sofa. He loves to watch the Outdoor Channel!

Dog looks out the window of an RV toy hauler

Buddy keeps an eye on things from the sofa.

Last summer we made a foldable perch for Buddy’s dog bed so he could look out the rear window comfortably and not have to stand on the sofa to see out.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler ramp door closed

We built an experimental perch for Buddy’s dog bed by the rear window last summer (back left corner).

Once we got home, we ordered a large storage ottoman bench that is the perfect size and height for Buddy to sit or lie on and look out a rear window. The fabric even has a travel motif! We didn’t install the legs that come with it because that would make it too high for the window. As a bonus, this storage ottoman has a flip up lid and a large interior which gives us a huge storage locker!

Storage ottoman bench for dog window seat

A window seat for Buddy with storage for us!

A window seat with storage for a dog in a toy hauler RV

On watch…

You may think we went a little crazy with the storage ottomans, but we had two in our fifth wheel trailer that we loved. We used them to replace the chairs that came with the dinette (blog post about that here). They are very handy because you can sit on them, put things on them and put things inside them!

Our most common layout is to place one chair and table opposite the sofa and the other one towards the back of the rig. This gives each of us plenty of space.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler ramp door closed

Our typical setup.
A slipcover on the black loveseat lightened and softened the decor a little bit
(it’s available here — I think that’s Buddy’s cousin in their ad photo!)

If the views are spectacular, we like to face them.

Room with a view in Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler

Room with a View.

Unfortunately, there are huge divets with raised rims in the floor where the factory-provided table pedestals attach, and those big bumps as well as the D-ring tie-down attachment points in the floor get in the way when we move our furniture around. The D-rings are necessary equipment, but hopefully we can find a way to remove the five metal supports in the floor that hold the table pedestals we aren’t using. We have some ideas…

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler patio open no screen

Bright and airy with the patio open.

The Patio is a Game Changer!

The biggest surprise for us was how totally awesome it is to have a patio. It has been a game changer for us. We would have LOVED having a patio during all those years we spent living in an RV!

Toy hauler patio overlooking a stream in the woods

For us, the toy hauler patio has completely changed the way we live our RV life.


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

Ramp Door = Patio Floor!

We have a ramp door made by Lippert that is not too heavy. I can open and close it myself although it takes some effort. Mark can do it alone quite easily, and for the two of us together it’s a breeze.

MorRyde makes a ramp door that is so lightweight it takes just one finger to raise or lower it and it can hold its position partway open as well. Quite a few toy hauler brands have these cool ramp doors but Genesis Supreme trailers do not.

Genesis Supreme toy hauler ramp door and RLT mascot

Our ramp door is heavy but not unmanageable, even for one moderately strong person like me.

At first we weren’t sure exactly how and when we would use the patio, and after our first afternoon of totally loving it, we had a bad experience with it overnight.

Most toy haulers have an accordion door system that can close out the elements out of the rig’s interior when the patio is open. There are windows in those doors so you can choose to block out the hot or cold temps with glass or allow the breezes to flow through the doors with the screens.

Vinyl Patio Screen

Our trailer is a lower end model, so instead of accordion doors, it came with a vinyl screen that has mesh “windows” for bug-free fresh air flow. The screen rolls down from the ceiling.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler Vinyl screen and patio open

A vinyl screen rolls down from the ceiling. It has mesh windows in the upper half that allow fresh breezes to flow through the rig. There are vinyl flaps that close these windows if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

On our first night we left the patio open. The vinyl screen was in place, fully zipped closed with the bottom resting on the floor. By midnight the entire rig was filled with huge ugly moths that had crawled in on the floor underneath the vinyl screen because there is no seal there.

Talk about a rude awakening. It was like a scene out of a horror movie as we jumped around the rig swatting the walls like mad and shrieking (me)!

After that, we never left the patio open at night again, and we soon stopped using the vinyl screen all together because it is cumbersome and time consuming to set up.

Toy hauler RV ramp door closed and vinyl screen lowered

The vinyl screen is lowered and zipped closed (the ramp door is also closed).
Here you can see 4 of the 5 the toe-stubbing table pedestal attachment points for the factory supplied tables that came with the rig (and that we don’t use).

Toy hauler patio screen rolled up

Vinyl screen rolled up.

Not only does the vinyl screen require rolling/unrolling two large 8′ x 4′ panels (which are held against the ceiling with snap ties) but three zippers (two sides and the middle) must be zipped or unzipped from ceiling to floor.

Once the screen is in place, you are either inside or outside and you have to unzip the middle zipper to get from one area to the other. Most important, even with the mesh screen “windows,” air flow is restricted and the see-through mesh only goes from the ceiling to waist height. From waist height to the floor it’s black vinyl. In contrast, the more upscale accordion doors on higher end units have glass windows on both top and bottom, bringing lots of light in.

Let the Breezes Flow!

However, if we simply open the patio door and leave the vinyl screen rolled up against the ceiling, the interior of the rig is completely transformed. We open both the front door and the patio door, and any stray bugs that wander by fly in one door and out the other. This wouldn’t work in a buggy area, but the areas where we travel in the West have few bugs during the day.

The patio extends the floor space of the rig by another 8′ and you can wander freely from inside to outside. We tend not to sit out on the patio, but we love being inside and having all that fresh air and nature right there.

Toy hauler living with the patio open

Out on the patio it can be hot in the sun and blowy in the wind and impossible to see a laptop screen.
Sitting inside with the patio open, however, it feels like we’re sitting on a covered deck.

Genesis Supreme 28CRT open box toy hauler

It took us a while to figure out how to make the best use of the patio, but after missing out on a few campsites where it would have been fabulous, we realized just how transformative the patio can be!

Patio Rails

Most toy haulers come with a complete patio kit that includes the accordion doors and railings that go around the patio so you don’t fall off. Our patio rails were an option that the first buyer sprang for, but in hindsight they aren’t entirely necessary for the way we use the patio.

Our patio rails are hinged on the outer walls and roll open like two large doors. Once completely open to the outer edges, they get extended to reach the far corners of the patio and then they unfold again, creating a 3-sided rail system around the perimeter of the patio.

Patio rails closed on a toy hauler

In the stowed position, the folded patio rails rest against each other in the back of the trailer.

Toy hauler patio deployed on an open box floor plan

The patio rails roll open until they are aligned with the outer edges of the patio floor.

The railings are easily clamped to the patio floor along the outer edges, and the overall effect is an attractive and sturdy fence system. There’s a gate at the far end so you can step (or jump) down to the ground.

Trailer manufacturers provide big heavy stair systems for patios, but we didn’t want to deal with storing something like that. So, we bought a 16 inch tall lightweight plastic folding step stool to help get up and down. Of course, depending on how level or unlevel the ground is, the patio floor may be very high off the ground or quite close to it. We haven’t used that step stool all that often, but it’s nice to have along just in case.

Over time, we realized that we just weren’t sitting out on the patio the way we anticipated. We were happy to stay inside but feel the cool air or warm sun coming in the back end of the trailer. So, we began simply rolling the patio rails out along the two outer edges of the patio and leaving it at that. Since we weren’t hanging around on the patio itself, we didn’t risk falling off!

Toy hauler RV patio with rails partially set up

The patio rails can be extended to the far corners of the floor and then unfolded further to fence in the end of the patio, but we often leave them just like this so the views from the interior are unobstructed.

Toy hauler patio without the patio rails

The patio rails don’t need to be extended and set up all the way.

Some folks like the patio rails because their furry friends can sit outside on the patio while still being contained without being tied up. One caveat: the floor of the patio gets very hot in the summer sun — too hot for bare feet or puppy paws. We throw a mat down so Buddy can enjoy the patio too.

Many toy haulers have an awning over the patio but ours doesn’t. We’ve found that in the summer months it’s best to orient the rig so the patio gets the cooler morning sun but is shaded by the rig itself in the afternoon. Likewise, when we’ve taken it on winter trips, we’ve placed the rig so the patio gets the afternoon sun, making it possible to open it up for a few hours.

Enjoying the view from a toy hauler RV patio

Buddy enjoys the morning sun…

A toy hauler patio is great for dogs!

…and a little shade too!

Although it’s really tempting to buy a set of folding chairs and a folding table just for the patio, we haven’t done that yet. When we want to sit outside, we’ve found it’s just as easy to drag the Euro chair recliners onto the patio as it is to set up camp chairs. We’ve been putting our old camping chairs out on the ground for sitting outside down there.

For us, the jury is still out on the chairs in general. I’ve thought replacing the Euro chairs with good quality zero gravity chairs with some really cushy cushions. We’ll see!

Loading and Unloading the Side-by-side

Driving a Polaris RZR UTV into a fifth wheel toy hauler (Genesis Supreme 28CRT)

In she goes!.

Although it was super intimidating at first, loading the RZR is not hard. We put down rubber mats under each wheel and that’s what Mark aims for as he drives in.

We use CargoBuckle retractable ratchet straps to hold the RZR in place, and those are worth their weight in gold.

Back in our fifth wheel days when we towed the side-by-side behind the fiver on a flatbed trailer, we used to mess with traditional ratchet straps but they never held the RZR totally securely. We’d have to stop driving to check and tighten them and they chafed through quite often.

Then Mark found the CargoBuckles which mounted permanently to the frame of the flatbed trailer, and suddenly tying down the RZR was a breeze!

The CargoBuckle retractable ratchet straps worked so well on our flatbed trailer that we got another set for the toy hauler. To use these straps with the D-rings in the floor of the toy hauler, we use S-hook adapters rather than mounting the CargoBuckles permanently in the floor of the toy hauler.

These awesome retractable ratchet straps have transformed the whole process of loading and unloading the RZR. We wrote a blog post about how we installed them and use them on both our flatbed trailer and in our toy hauler HERE:

CargoBuckle Retractable Ratchet Tie-Downs – SO EASY!

Driving a side-by-side UTV into a toy hauler RV

Mark aims for the rubber mats on the floor (they are there to protect the flooring)
Notice the table pedestal support holes in the floor (one rubber mat can’t even be flush to the floor), and notice the small storage ottomans and other gear has been stowed against the wall.

 

What’s It Like When There’s a Toy in the Garage?

For us, one of the most important features in an RV is that when it is fully loaded for traveling and the slides are in, you can still make and eat a meal as well as use the bathroom and sleep. That way, if we end up at a rest area or truck stop overnight, we can still be somewhat comfortable.

This is not possible in every toy hauler, and it is not possible in every other kind of RV either. However, the Genesis Supreme 28CRT floor plan works well this way as long as the toy is around 10′ or less in length.

We place the Euro recliner chairs side by side in front of the side-by-side facing into the kitchen. This gives us a place to sit while also leaving enough open area to move around the kitchen and use the sink and stove.

Genesis Supreme toy hauler with the side-by-side UTV RZR loaded

Looking towards the back of the trailer, everything fits, even the bike.

toy hauler with the side-by-side UTV RZR loaded

It’s a tight squeeze but it works. Note that the flip-up sofa is flipped up against the slideout wall with the window, and two folding step stools are tucked in behind a metal bar on the underside of the sofa.

If our side-by-side were longer it would still work, but the Euro chairs might have to be stowed in the hallway that goes to the bedroom instead. This would be fine as long as you didn’t plan to sit in them at all.

Obviously, lots of people travel with their RVs and never overnight in places where they can’t open their slideouts or unload their toys, but it’s something to consider if you travel by the seat of your pants the way we do.

Toy hauler kitchen with the side-by-side UTV RZR loaded

Full access to everything in the kitchen.

Room to maneuver in Toy hauler kitchen with the side-by-side UTV RZR loaded

Sometimes we have to turn the bike wheel a little to get into the lower drawers.

What Toys to Bring?

Last summer we traveled with one mountain bike and the RZR. Before we bought the trailer, I thought there would be enough space for two bikes and the RZR, but once we started working out exactly how we would load the garage, I discovered two bikes would be too tight. So, we took just one bike and loaded it in and out of the trailer at every campsite.

Buddy loves running with our bikes on forest roads and trails, but it wasn’t the same going out without both of us together. So, the bike never really got used.

Now that we’ve lived in the toy hauler for a few months, I’m not so sure I’d want to load and unload two bikes and a side-by-side every time we set up camp anyway. Perhaps a longer trailer would make it possible to stow two bikes until they were wanted.

A bike rack on the back of the trailer wouldn’t work because of the ramp door. So, for all those reasons we won’t have any bikes with us this summer, and I think life will be simpler.

There’s a fine line between taking everything you could ever want along with you in an RV versus being comfortable day to day because you are willing to live without a few things and you’re not crowded out of house and home by all your stuff.

I devised a way to tie the bike to the sofa when it was in its flipped up stowed position against the wall and also clamp it to two D-rings in the floor using rope and two caribiners. The bike was rock solid when we traveled but it was a tight squeeze to get to the back of the trailer if we needed to.

Because of that, we learned to stow the most important daily items in the forward cabinets so they were easy to reach when we were in transit and all loaded up!

What About the Dirt?

Having a RZR in our living space is definitely dirtier than not having one. However, it’s more manageable than I expected. We sweep out the garage before loading the side-by-side and after unloading it. We don’t have a carpet so it’s easy to sweep the vinyl floor. On our next adventure we’re bringing a portable vacuum too.

In reality, when it’s muddy, Buddy brings about as much mud in on his paws as he runs in and out all day long as the RZR brings in on its wheels when we travel from place to place, and the RZR doesn’t bring any dirt into our bed!

So, if dirt is something that would keep you from considering an open box toy hauler yet you have a dog(s) that loves to run around outside, perhaps reconsider. You’ll be cleaning up mud and dirt regardless.

The toy hauler has a fresh water spigot on the outside and 100 gallons of fresh water, so we can rinse off the RZR or at least wipe it down before loading it inside.

Also, if the RZR gets really filthy, we can always drive it to a car wash. We haven’t done that yet, but there have been times when we’ve thought about it!

Overall Impressions

We love this rig. It is just right for part-time travels, and the flexibility of the floor plan and ability to bring the RZR on our adventures is everything we wanted.

In my first post about this toy hauler, before we’d taken it out on a four month journey, I was quite certain I’d never consider an open box floor plan for full-time living. In hindsight, though, we’ve found it actually makes for a very cool home on wheels and could work quite well for full-timing.

In that case, I’d look at a longer rig, perhaps 36′ to 38′ end to end. That would give us a bigger kitchen and/or bigger bedroom. I’d also hunt around for super comfortable and lightweight recliners, and I’d make sure I bought a rig with a light colored decor!

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Genesis Supreme 5th Wheel Toy Haulers – Ours is the 28CRT

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Dead Horse Ranch State Park + Tuzigoot and Clarkdale

February 2023 – Back in mid-November we spent the better part of a week at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in central Arizona and used it as a home base to visit Tuzigoot, Clarkdale and the Arizona Copper Museum. We’d known about this state park for many years but this was our first time visiting. What a delightful stay we had!

DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK – LAGOONS and TRAILS

The first thing we noticed after we got our campsite set up was the trio of beautiful lagoons that are the centerpiece of the park.

Rich fall colors at Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

Autumn splendor at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in central Arizona.

The name “Dead Horse Ranch State Park” seems strange, but it has a fun origin.

In the late 1940s the Ireys family of Minnesota was looking for a ranch to buy in the southwest, and they visited several prospective properties. At one of them the kids noticed a dead horse. After two days of driving all over the dirt roads of Arizona ranch hunting, the dad asked the kids which one they liked best. “The one with the dead horse!” was the reply!

The Ireys named their ranch, “Dead Horse Ranch” and they lived and worked on the property until the 1970s. When Arizona acquired the ranch, the Ireys made retaining the name one of the conditions of the sale. Dead Horse Ranch State Park officially opened on June 1, 1977.

The lagoons in Dead Horse State Park Arizona

The lagoons are a highlight at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Many people think that the desert regions in Arizona don’t have four seasons. However, that’s not entirely true, despite winters being warmer than elsewhere!

There is a distinct Fall season, complete with brilliant autumn colors, that arrives about a month or two later than the northern states, and Spring brings lots of wildflowers. Summer is, well, a lot like being in an oven!

Trees near the lagoons at Dead Horse State Park Arizona

Under the golden arches.

We found some wonderful hiking trails that meandered under the canopy of trees that grow alongside the Verde River. Buddy loved exploring these trails ahead of us and then dashing back to tell us what he’d found!

Fast dog sprints in the woods

“You wouldn’t believe what’s up there!”

TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT

As comfortable as we were in our spacious campsite inside Dead Horse Ranch State Park, we ventured beyond the park’s borders a few times too.

Tuzigoot National Monument, a site of ancient Indian ruins that were built by the Sinagua people in between 1050 and 1380 AD, is quite close by.

The ruins consist of a series of rooms defined by stone walls that were built onto a hillside.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Tuzigoot National Monument is a 110 room ancient Indian ruin.

It is believed there were 87 first story rooms and 23 second story rooms in this community and that it housed about 225 people. The rooms were terraced and entry and exit from each room was through the roof.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Tuzigoot’s rooms are all adjacent. It is thought the residents climbed in and out of each room by a hole in the roof!

A paved path took us to the top of the hill where there were 360 degree panoramic views, and we could look down at the rooms of the ruins below us.

View from top of Tuzigoot National Monument

The hill that Tuzigoot is built on has panoramic views that go on forever.

Heading back down to a lower level, we were able to go inside a room that had been reconstructed with posts and beams to show what it was like when these rooms were occupied and were enclosed with full height walls and ceilings.

Inside Tuzigoot National Monument ancient Indian ruins

A reconstructed room interior.

Mark noticed a mortar and pestle up on a ledge.

Mortar and pestle at Tuzigoot national Monument

This mortar and pestle were originally found at the site.

As with most Indian ruins in Arizona, lots of incredible artifacts have been found in these ruins. A museum on site houses a large collection of pottery that has been carefully pieced back together again. What a treasure trove of handiwork made by the ancients!

Pottery found at Tuzigoot National Monument in Arizona

Pottery found in the Tuzigoot ruins are on display in the museum.

CLARKDALE and COPPER MINING

On another day we took a drive over to the village of Clarkdale. We’d bypassed this town of about 4,200 people dozens of times over the years and never stopped in to see what was there. It is tucked away off the main highway but has a delightful main street and downtown area.

Despite its small size, it is home to one of Arizona’s most famous museums: The Arizona Copper Art Museum which is housed in the old high school building.

Clarkdale High School now the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

The old Clarkdale High School is now the Arizona Copper Art Musuem.

In years past, Arizona school kids learned about the “5 C’s” that made their state special: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate.

The Arizona Copper Art Museum celebrates the first C and is situated in the heart of the old Verde Mining District where the twin mining camps of Jerome and Clarkdale grew up around the United Verde Mine which was owned by William A. Clark.

Bucket of copper ore at the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

Copper was a huge industry in the Verde Valley at the turn of the last century
as it is elsewhere in Arizona today.

The United Verde Mine and Clarkdale mining camp were just one part of William Clark’s extraordinary holdings. He was a man of vision, energy and drive, and it seems no project was too big or difficult for him to take on.

Besides the copper mine and mining camps he’d built in the Verde Valley, he owned three mines and two banks in Montana, controlled several newspapers in Montana and Utah and owned a sugar plantation in California!

Before he built the United Verde Mine in Jerome, the copper vein there was considered too remote to ever be profitable. However, William Clark managed to make $60 million from his mine! Yet getting the ore out of the ground was just part of the challenge. He also needed to build a railroad to get the ore from the mine in Jerome to the smelter in Clarkdale and from there out to the world. So he built a railroad.

Needing a place to service his trains, he bought a ranch in Nevada and brought in employees to live and work there. That little train maintenance camp and yard is now the city of Las Vegas…in Clark County, Nevada!

And if all that weren’t enough, he then became a US Senator for Montana.

Outside the Copper Museum in Clarkdale Arizona

William Clark was a busy and massively successful man. We kinda like the quieter life!

We had fun roaming around the outside of the museum where we found a large bell, a barrel of monkeys and a huge chess board.

The museum wasn’t open yet, however, so we decided to return to explore the inside of the museum another time.

Barrel of Monkeys at the Arizona Copper Museum in Clarkdale AZ

Who are these guys??

Chess game in Clarkdale Arizona

Buddy ponders his next move.

Clarkdale has a pretty park shaded by several huge trees, and these trees were all in the peak of fall color. Every time the wind blew, a flurry of vibrant yellow leaves would flutter to the ground. A blanket of yellow leaves surrounded the base of each tree.

Autumn color in Clarkdale Arizona

Golden leaves were falling everywhere, leaving a thick blanket of yellow on the ground.

Down one street we discovered Saint Cecilia’s Mission Catholic Church, and we learned later that mass is held here in Latin! If you are visiting the area and want to experience a Latin mass, Saint Cecilia’s is the place to go!

St. Cecilia's Mission in Clarkdale, Arizona

Saint Cecilia’s Mission holds mass in Latin!

Down another street we came across a vintage gas station that is still intact and is a wonderful throwback to earlier times.

Classic historic gas station in Clarkdale Arizona

Clarkdale’s old gas station evokes an earlier era.

An old gas pump served many customers over the years.

Old gas pump at a historic gas station in Clarkdale Arizona

An old gas pump.

A woman came over to chat with us, and we found out she owns a 50% share of this gas station. She told us it was originally built in 1942 and it served gas right up until 2014.

At that time the government gave all gas stations an ultimatum: upgrade the underground tanks or they’ll be removed (for free). The station had been struggling against more modern competition out on the highway, so they opted to have the tanks removed.

Even though gas is no longer sold there, the original gas price sign was still advertising some very appealing prices!

Historic gas prices in Clarkdale Arizona

Old gas prices!

VERDE CANYON RAILROAD

Automobiles weren’t the only way to get around back in the day or even now. The Verde Canyon Railroad takes tourists out along William Clark’s original train tracks that he’d built to transport copper ore from his mine.

The Verde Canyon Railroad is a very popular train excursion that goes through some red rock scenery as it chugs through the Verde Valley, and they have lots of different specialty rides, from starlight rides to chocolate, wine and beer rides to fall color and spring flower rides and a magical ride at Christmas.

Again, we have wanted to do this train ride for a while, but they don’t allow pets, so this particular trip wasn’t the right time.

Verde Canyon Railway in Clarkdale Arizona

The Verde Canyon Railway takes tourists on the tracks that were built to haul copper ore.

VIOLETTE’S BAKERY

But we still got a train ride (of sorts)! In the heart of Clarkdale stands an antique train car that is now home to Violette’s Bakery. Violette specializes in French pastries along with specialty coffees, as well as yummy breakfasts and lunches. We stepped right up to the train car window and put in an order!

Violette's Bakery Cafe in Clarkdale Arizona

Violette’s Bakery is in an antique train car.

Buddy was delighted to order puppaccino. It totally made up for him not being allowed on the Verde Canyon train!

Puppaccino at Violette's Bakery Cafe in Clarkdale Arizona

Buddy orders his favorite treat.

Puppaccino!

Puppaccino!

We really enjoyed our few hours in Clarkdale and will get back another time to see the Copper Art Museum and take the Verde Canyon Railroad ride.

Street lamp in Clarkdale Arizona

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In the meantime, Dead Horse Ranch State Park was calling us back with its its lovely campground and beautiful lagoons wearing their Fall finest.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park Lagoon in Arizona

Fall color at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Fall colors at the Lagoon in Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

View from the water’s edge at the lagoon.

RV camping at Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona

We enjoyed our stay at Dead Horse Ranch State Park — and we’ll be back!

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More info about this area:

Other blog posts from Central Arizona:

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Catalina State Park & Roosevelt Lake: RV Camping in AZ

It didn’t take us long after we returned from our summer travels to get the itch to run off in our RV again. So, before the holidays, we packed it up and headed to Catalina State Park in Tucson, Arizona, to do some winter camping, and on the way back we stopped at a longtime favorite, Roosevelt Lake.

Catalina State Park RV Camping + Roosevelt Lake RV Campground

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Catalina State Park is nestled up against the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains and is loaded with beautiful, classic Sonoran Desert scenery. Saguaro cacti stand sentinel throughout the park, watching over the arid landscape with arms held high, and waving to each other on the hillsides.

Golden hour at Catalina State Park Arizona

The Santa Catalina mountains light up at the end of the day.

Catalina State Park Arizona at sunset

A pink blush of sunset settles over Catalina State Park.

The campsites at Catalina State Park are suitable for RVs of any length and have water and electric hookups at each site. This is an extremely popular campground in the cold months, and reservations book up months in advance.

We managed to snag a site in December for 5 nights, and we were very glad we did because the place was booked solid from January through March!

Saguaro cactus slow dance Catalina State Park Arizona

Sweet embrace.

This is a campground we knew and loved from before we began living in an RV full-time. Back in 2006, we took our popup tent trailer there for Thanksgiving, and we fondly remember putting a shallow pan of water at the edge of our campsite under a bush and watching cardinals, roadrunners and a chipmunk stop by for a drink.

One day, as we enjoyed some late afternoon refreshments, Mark put down the jar of shelled peanuts he was munching from, and that brazen little chipmunk came over and helped himself to a few!

That memorable campsite was in a back corner of “A Loop.” This year we got a space in the middle of “B Loop” which was just as lovely but not as conducive to luring animals in for a visit.

All the campsites in Catalina State Park are roomy and have plenty of space between neighbors.

RV camping at Catalina State Park Arizona

Our site in “B Loop” at Catalina State Park.

As soon as we got set up, we hit trails and paths that surround the campground, happily snapping pics here and there.

Saguaro cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

Wild arms!

Cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

A barrel cactus listens to a saguaro.

The Santa Catalina mountains tower over the campground and are wonderfully jagged. Buddy was much more interested in what was going at ground level, however.

Photography at Catalina State Park Arizona

“Those mountains are pretty, but what’s back here?”

We went back to that same spot on the trail for more pics late in the afternoon and the mountains were glowing.

Hiking at Catalina State Park Arizona

The afternoon glow was magical.

There are a lot of popular hikes in these mountains, but we decided to head up the less visited 50 Year Trail which starts near the campground. Buddy was our Trail Scout, of course.

Happy dog at the lake

“I’ll show you the way!”

The trail climbs steadily for quite some time, offering wonderful saguaro-filled views of the mountains across the valley.

Saguaro cactus at Catalina State Park Arizona

This saguaro has a great view!

We turned a corner on the trail, and suddenly a saguaro cast a long shadow in front of us and held us up.

Saguaro cactus on the hiking trail Catalina State Park Arizona

“This is a hold up. Put ’em up, Cowboy!”

One morning we woke up to a dusting of snow in the mountains.

Snow in the mountains at Catalina State Park Campground

A thin veil of white blanketed the mountain tops.

Catalina State Park Arizona saguaro cactus in storm clouds

Stormy skies and a touch of snow at Catalina State Park.

At sunset the mountain peaks turned pink.

Catalina State Park Arizona at sunset

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We will definitely take our trailer to Catalina State Park again!

RV campground at Catalina State Park Arizona

Catalina State Park is a great spot for a winter retreat.

On our way home we stopped at Roosevelt Lake, a fabulous recreation area we enjoyed for weeks at a time back when we were full-time RVers.

Roosevelt Lake was formed by a dam on the Salt River that was constructed between 1905 and 1911 (Arizona became a state in 1912). A pretty suspension bridge marks the spot.

Roosevelt Dam Bridge Arizona

The bridge at Roosevelt Dam.

Roosevelt Lake is a big lake, some 12 miles long and 1 to 2 miles wide. The drive alongside it is one of our favorites.

There are several wonderful dry camping campgrounds along the south side of the lake. Cholla Bay and Windy Hill are the two largest, and we always end up at Windy Hill.

Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Roosevelt Lake

Windy Hill Campground has 9 campground loops that offer fantastic first-come first-serve campsites that are either near the water and boat ramp or up on a bluff overlooking the lake from a distance and are very spacious.

Unfortunately, only 3 of the 9 loops are open nowadays. Years ago, we remember times when 5 of the 9 loops were open. But now those additional two loops are open only for overflow camping a few times a year on holiday weekends. We’ve never seen the other 4 loops open.

Great Blue Heron at Windy Hill Campground on Roosevelt Lake in Arizona

A great blue heron fishes for dinner at Roosevelt Lake.


Sadly, whereas Catalina State Park books up months in advance, the campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake stand vacant.

During our stay at Windy Hill Campground, out of 351 total campsites less than 25 were occupied. About 8 or so of those campsites were occupied by work camping volunteers.

All the rest of the campsites were empty.

RV campground at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

The campsites at Windy Hill Campground on Roosevelt Lake are spacious and are equipped with shaded picnic ramadas and campfires rings. There are bathroom buildings with flush toilets and showers, and there are water spigots in every campground loop. All the campsites are lovely!

Up until a few years ago, camping at Roosevelt Lake cost $6 per night and just $3 per night for seniors, an unbelievable bargain. With prices like that, lots of senior winter RVers would spend a few weeks at the lake because it was gorgeous and dirt cheap.

When we arrived this year, we discovered the camping rate had jumped to $50 per night for a “double” site and $25 per night for a “single” site. With the senior 50% discount, it was now $25 or $12.50 per night in “double” and “single” campsites respectively.

Oddly, despite the price differences between “double” and “single” sites, the campsites are generally all the same size as far as an RV and tow vehicle or toad are concerned! The sites are plenty long enough for big RVs and are well spaced out in most of the loops.

However, “double” sites have two picnic tables instead of one and they are usually located in a more desirable spot, for instance at the end of a row of campsites.

Whereas everyone used to camp in the so-called “double” sites in the old days, now no one camps in them because they aren’t worth paying double the price of a single site, especially for working age people who would have to pay $50 a night!

Roosevelt Lake Arizona red rocks at sunset

Red rocks on the far shore light up at dusk.

Fishing on Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Fishermen drifting by at dawn!

It was quite shocking to go from a super popular campground where people book months in advance to an equally beautiful (if not more beautiful) campground where nobody goes and we had our entire campground loop to ourselves.

Ironically, the new rate of $25/night for a dry camping site at Roosevelt Lake–which is 50 miles from the closest city and 100 miles from either Phoenix or Tucson–is now the same as for a campsite with both water and electric hookups in Catalina State Park’s “A Loop” which is just minutes from downtown Tucson.

No wonder Catalina is packed and Roosevelt Lake is vacant! But it’s a shame because Roosevelt Lake is a fantastic place.

Four Peaks at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Mist and fog swirled around Four Peaks in the early morning hours.

Unfortunately, the US Forest Service, which operates the campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake, has decided that because so few people are camping at Roosevelt Lake these days, they must remove some of the campground loops all together.

That deconstruction is currently underway. Some of the campsites at Windy Hill Campground with the most spectacular lake views are already dismantled: picnic tables gone, campfire rings removed, and gravel camping pads overrun with thigh high weeds. They will soon remove the posts with the campsite numbers on them and, as one volunteer told me, they’re encouraging these entire campground loops to “go wild.”

Windy Hill campsite being removed to go wild at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Tall weeds, picnic table and campfire ring gone…picnic shade ramada and campsite number post soon to go!
But what a beautiful view this Windy Hill campsite once had!!

Hopefully that trend will not continue. However, a few years ago we watched the Forest Service remove an entire campground on the north side of the lake…

One positive sign is that they are building an RV dump station at Windy Hill Campground, so now you will be able to dump onsite before you leave, a big plus.

Sunrise at Roosevelt Lake Arizona

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Whatever the USFS decides to do in the long run, Roosevelt Lake is a gorgeous place to take your RV and is well worth a visit. The ancient Indian cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument are right across the street too. As always, we loved our stay.

Roosevelt Lake is also an awesome place for a work camping gig. The volunteers do all kinds of work for the Forest Service besides campground hosting. So, if you don’t want to be a campground host there are other options, and you’ll still get a fabulous campsite in one of the scenic campground loops that is closed to visitors.

If you can work the Grapevine Group Campground a few miles away from Windy Hill Campground, you’ll get a fabulous campsite and have very little work to do since almost no groups ever camp there. I chatted with a very happy volunteer who had been doing just that for a few winters!

There are pretty hiking trails that wind along the edges of the Windy Hill Campground loops, criss-crossing here and there, and Buddy just loved scampering down those trails, his nose following the enticing scents of rabbits and ground squirrels.

As we got ready to go home, I asked him if he’d enjoyed our little winter vacation RV trip. Absolutely — he was ready to go again!

Puppy love

“Did you have fun?”
“Oh, YES!”

We made another pit stop in the mountains as we towed our rolling home back to the homestead. The dusting of snow in Tucson had left a nice thick blanket of snow higher up in the mountains.

Buddy jumped for joy.

Puppy plays in the snow

Buddy loved the snow in the mountains.

And he sprinted across the snow in sheer delight.

Puppy runs in the snow

“Look at me — I’m flying!”

Until next time, happy trails!!

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Here are some links for Catalina State Park and Roosevelt Lake:

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Blog posts from southeastern Arizona (including Tucson):

Blog posts from central Arizona:


Our most recent posts:

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Demco 21K Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Review and Installation

When we sold our Hitchhiker fifth wheel, which had been home-sweet-home for twelve of the thirteen years of our full-time RV adventure, we thought we’d never own a fifth wheel trailer again. So, we let our fifth wheel hitch go with the trailer as part of the sale.

Oops! Never say “Never!”

After trying Truck Camper Vacation Life for a year, we realized we wanted a bigger RV, and we purchased a 2022 Genesis Supreme 28CRT fifth wheel toy hauler for extended travels and shorter getaways.

Suddenly, we needed a hitch so we could tow our new trailer home from the seller’s storage lot! Enter the Demco Recon 21k Fifth Wheel Hitch!

Demco 21K Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Review and Installation

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This is a detailed article. Here are shortcut links to each section:

Demco Recon 21k Hitch

We’ve owned two fifth wheel hitches over the years. The first was a Pullrite traditional fifth wheel hitch that was installed permanently on rails mounted under the bed of our 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 single rear wheel truck. This rail-mounted hitch design had been an industry standard for fifth wheel hitches for many years. We used it for 7 years.

Our second hitch was a B&W Ram OEM fifth wheel hitch. This new style hitch used the Dodge Ram OEM factory installed pucks that came with our 2016 Ram 3500 dually to mount the hitch to the truck bed. The four corners of the hitch base were secured into the four pucks by turning each puck handle a quarter turn. The hitch could be removed from the truck just as easily simply by turning the four puck handles, a game changer! We used that hitch for 5 years.

We loved being able to install and remove the B&W hitch at a moment’s notice, even though it had a big, beefy base that was a little bit of a challenge for one person to manage alone. So, when we went hitch shopping, we wanted our new hitch to be equally mobile but a bit lighter, if at all possible.

01 771 Genesis Supreme 28CRT toy hauler towed by Ram 3500 dually truck with Demco 21K Recon fifth wheel hitch

Our first stop on our 16 week maiden voyage!

One of the shortcomings of any OEM puck system fifth wheel hitch is that the three diesel pickup manufacturers, Ford, GM and Dodge, have all designed their own unique footprints for the placement of their pucks in their pickup beds. This means that an OEM hitch designed for a Ram truck will not work in a Chevy or Ford and vice versa.

As we contemplated which hitch to get for our new toy hauler, we knew that there might come a day fairly soon when we would want to replace our current truck. Of course, that may never happen, especially given the weird state of the car and truck market today, but it has been on our minds for a while.

So, our hitch requirements boiled down to these two:

  1. Could be easily installed in or removed from the bed of any brand or age of truck
  2. Would be comprised of components light and small enough for one person to maneuver alone

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch – A Gooseneck Ball Mounted Hitch!

We discovered that the Demco 21k Recon fifth wheel hitch is mounted on a gooseneck ball in a gooseneck receiver in the truck bed. Gooseneck receivers come standard with all OEM puck systems and can also be installed as an after-market addition in any truck that doesn’t have an OEM puck system.

The beauty of this hitch design is that the Demco 21k Recon fifth wheel hitch can be used in any brand or age of truck. This took care of Requirement #1 in our new hitch wish list!

Like the OEM puck system fifth wheel hitches, the Demco 21k Recon fifth wheel hitch is installed in two basic parts: a base that installs onto a gooseneck ball mounted in the gooseneck receiver in the pickup bed, and a hitch head which mounts onto the base and latches onto the kingpin of the fifth wheel trailer.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Base

The Base unit for the Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch

The hitch head can be further broken down into two parts: the actual hitch head itself and a center column that inserts into the base. These two parts can be installed and removed separately, which adds a step to the process but keeps each individual part quite lightweight. Or they can be handled as a single and slightly heavier unit.

Upright Centerl Column Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch

The Center Column (or “Upright”) that supports the hitch head.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Head

The hitch head for the Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel

I called Demco to talk to a salesperson about the hitch and get some details about the sizes and weights of the individual components.

And I was absolutely floored when an operator answered the phone on the second ring and immediately transferred me to a salesman who picked right up and greeted me warmly.

How often does THAT happen nowadays?

We were delighted to find that the total weight of the hitch and the weights and physical dimensions of the individual components were slightly less than other manufacturers’ OEM puck based hitches. That took care of Requirement #2 in our hitch wish list!

But back to that phone call… In a fifth wheel towing setup, the fifth wheel hitch is one of the most important pieces of equipment to ensure you get down the road safely. For us, it is reassuring to have the company behind the product be easy to reach by phone without having to listen to endless lists of menu selections, punch in endless numbers and wind up leaving a voicemail in some unmonitored voicemail box anyway. In the RV industry today, most brands are owned by massive umbrella corporations. It is rare to find an independent manufacturer that is not a subsidiary of a massive corporation.

Demco Recon 21k Fifth Wheel Hitch Specifications:

  • Rated to tow a 21,000 lb. trailer. Our toy hauler has a GVWR of 15,000 lbs which is well within the limit.
  • Mounts onto a standard 4″ tall 2 5/16 gooseneck ball.
  • Total Hitch Weight: 134 lbs.

The component weights are:

  • Head Weight: 35.75 lbs.
  • Center Column Weight: 20 lbs.
  • Base Weight: 78.25 lbs.

If the Center Column and Base remain connected as a single unit, the weights of the two components are:

  • Head Weight: 35.75 lbs.
  • Center Column + Base Weight: 98.25 lbs

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Installation

The installation proved to be straight forward. As mentioned above, the hitch has three main components:

  1. The Base which is installed on a gooseneck ball in the truck bed
  2. The Center Column which slides into the Base and sets the overall height of the hitch
  3. The Head which mounts on the Center Column and whose jaw latches onto the trailer’s kingpin.

The parts included the following:

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Base and Base Parts

The Base, the Center Column Upright and some pins.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Head Handle and Parts

The Head, hitch handle and bolt, and a blue urethane pivot bumper.


Tools Required for Installation

Installing the Base

The gooseneck coupler (or socket) on the underside of the Base slips over the gooseneck ball in the bed of the truck.

If you flip over the Base, you can see that the coupler is slilghtly offest from the center of the Base. The coupler location is offset to accommodate the Center Column which stands directly in the center of the Base (for balanced support) and holds the Hitch Head.

Demco 21K Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch underside of the Base

On the underside of the Base you can see the gooseneck ball socket is offset from center.

When the hitch is installed in the truck bed, the gooseneck ball coupler is positioned towards the cab of the truck.

The Base is secured to the gooseneck ball in the truck bed by sliding the Coupler Pin through the hole in the square column at the bottom of the Base. By tightening the Top Coupler Bolt nut on the top of the Base to 30 ft-lbs, the Coupler Pin is cinched up against the Base, clamping the Base and gooseneck ball together into the bed of the truck. A very clever design!

Before getting to that step, however, the Top Coupler Bolt on the Base was loosened so the gooseneck ball coupler would slide over the gooseneck ball easily. We did this before placing the hitch in the truck bed.

Unbolt collar Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

The Bolt Retainer Assembly was removed and the Top Coupler Bolt was loosened so the hitch Base could slip over the gooseneck ball in the truck bed.

Remove bolt retainer assembly Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

The Bolt Lock Plate was removed.

The Top Coupler Bolt was loosened.

Then the Base was placed in the bed of the truck with the Gooseneck Ball Coupler sliding over the Gooseneck ball. As you can see, when the hitch is removed from the truck, the entire bed of the truck is open except for the small bump of the gooseneck ball. You can haul things in the truck or just drive around peacefully without a fifth wheel hitch clanking around in the back (especially helpful when driving on rutted dirt roads)!

Pickup truck bed with gooseneck ball

The gooseneck ball was ready and waiting in the pickup bed.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Base in Truck Bed

The hitch Base was mounted onto the gooseneck ball. The footprint of the Base is contained well inside the four OEM pucks which makes it both lighter and less awkward to maneuver than a larger OEM fifth wheel hitch base.

In order to secure the Base into the bed of the truck, the Coupler Pin was inserted into the Coupler Hole on the Base below the round head of the gooseneck ball. Then the nut on the Top Coupler Bolt was tightened to 30 ft-lbs using a torque wrench and 15/16 socket.

Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch Ready for torque

The Top Coupler Bolt cinches the Coupler Pin under the Gooseneck Ball up against the Base frame, securing the hitch Base onto the ball.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Top bolt

The Top Coupler Bolt is tightened to 30 ft-lbs.

The Bolt Lock Plate was placed over the Top Coupler Bolt head and then tightened the adjacent 1/4″ bolt with a 7/16 socket. The Bolt Retainer assembly blocks the Top Coupler Bolt from turning.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Notched Bolt Lock Plate

The Bolt Lock Plate slides over the Top Coupler Bolt and is held in place with a 1/4 inch bolt to prevent the Top Coupler Bolt from unscrewing.

Notched bolt lock plate aligns correctly flipped over

The Bolt Lock Plate goes over the Top Coupler Bolt.

Notched bolt lock plate with two bolts

The Bolt Retainer Assembly was secured using a 7/16 socket on the 1/4 inch bolt.

Installing the Center Column

Next, the Center Column was placed into the square opening in the Base.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Inserting Center Column in the Base

The Center Column was placed in the square opening in the Base.

The Center Column can be positioned at one of three different heights that are 1 1/4 inches apart. The height of the Center Column determines the vertical distance between the bottom of the fifth wheel overhang and the top of the truck box. Demco recommends that this distance should be about 6 inches.

The middle height looked like it would be the best choice, so we placed the Cross Pin through the center hole in the Center Column. The Cross Pin was secured with an R-clip.

Hitch head height Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

The Cross Pin is inserted in the middle hole in the Center Column

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Cotter Pin

An R-clip secures the other end of the Cross Pin.

Two set screws hold the Center Column in place in the Base. Using a 3/4 inch 12 point socket, the set screws were tightened to Demco’s recommended spec of 100 ft-lbs of torque. Then the jam nuts were tightened using a 15/16 inch deep well socket.

12 point socket Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

The two set screws holding the Center Column in place were tightened to 100 ft-lbs with a 3/4 inch 12 point socket. The jam nuts were tightened with a 15/16/ deep well socket.

721 Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Torque to 100 ft-lbs

The Set Screws were tightened to 100 ft-lbs with a torque wrench.

Installing the Head

Flipping the head over, the blue Urethane Pivot Bumper was placed on the bottom of the Head. This quiets the hitch when you aren’t towing.

Dampening bumper for hitch head 27 721 Hitch head pin Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

To minimize noise when not towing, a urethane pivot bumper dampens the movement of the hitch head.

Dampening bumper for hitch head Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

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Then the Head was placed onto the Base, and a 1 inch Pin was slid through it to hold it in place. The 1″ Pin was secured with a Lynch Pin.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch Installing the Center Column

The hitch Head was set onto the Base.

Hitch head pin Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

A 1″ pin held it in place.

Demco 21k Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch D-Ring on Center Column

The 1″ pin was secured by a Lynch Pin.

Then the Hitch Handle was assembled. A Safety Lock Pin held the handle in place while the bolt was tightened. A light coat of White Lithium Grease was applied between the Safety Lock Pin hole and the handle housing.

Hitch handle Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

The Safety Lock Pin held the handle open so the bolt on the handle could be tightened.

Lube hitch handle Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch

A light coat of White Lithium Grease lubricated the hitch handle.

That was it!

Genesis Supreme 28CRT Toy Hauler Fifth Wheel towed using a Demco 21K Recon Fifth Wheel Hitch

Ready for new travel adventures!

Hitching and Unhitching

There are many different mechanisms used for locking a fifth wheel hitch’s jaws around a kingpin. The jaws of the Demco Recon hitch wrap completely around the kingpin. This 360 degree wrap makes a very tight seal around the kingpin and helps reduce chucking when towing, which we loved.

Demco 21K 5th Wheel Hitch has a wraparound locking jaw

The Demco 21K Recon fifth wheel hitch has a very tight wrap-around jaw that minimizes chucking.

However, the hitch’s tight wrap-around jaw also makes the process of hitching and unhitching a little bit more finicky.

Demco provides two brief videos that show the process of hitching up and unhitching (“coupling and uncoupling”) in action (click here and here).

These are well worth watching to get a feeling for the relative positions of the hitch head and the king pin. The videos are for Demco’s rail mounted fifth wheel hitch, but the positioning of the components is identical to the Demco 21k Recon gooseneck ball hitch.

Demco also recommends using wheel chocks for both hitching and unhitching operations. We weren’t accustomed to using wheel chocks, but we found they made a huge difference in easing the fifth wheel’s king pin into and out of the Demco hitch while preventing the trailer from rolling slightly.

RV wheel chocks

Wheel chocks are recommended when hitching and unhitching with this hitch.

The Demco 21K Recon hitch also requires that the fifth wheel’s landing jacks be lowered slightly below where they would be with other hitches.

We found that as we were hitching up, the trailer king pin’s lube plate needed to be positioned slightly lower than the hitch plate. The truck would squat a bit once the trailer was hitched up. Eyeballing across the lube plate and hitch head, the lube plate needed to be coming at the hitch about halfway up the little lip on the edge of the hitch head.

When unhitching, there needed to be just a slight hairline crack of light showing between the king pin’s lube plate and the hitch plate. Since our truck has a factory installed auto-leveling system, we’ve found we need to wait until the truck bed has completely stopped raising or lowering and then see if a hairline crack of light is visible betwen the lube plate and the hitch plate.

For unhitching, Demco provides a Safety Lock Pin to hold the hitch handle open until the truck has pulled out completely. We found we needed to use this Lock Pin whenever we unhitched or the handle would close on its own before the truck had pulled out completely.

Demco 21K 5th wheel hitch with handle open for unhitching

The Safety Lock Pin holds the hitch handle open while unhitching.

We also stabilized our Rota-Flex pin box with an Andersen Rota-Flex lockout kit as Demco recommended. Because both the Rota-Flex pin box and the Demco hitch are mobile in multiple directions, the two can end up working against each other. One will move in one direction and then the other will compensate for that motion in a counterproductive way. The Anderson Rota-Flex lockout kit prevents the pin box from moving at all, allowing the Demco hitch to make all the movements necessary to hitch up or unhitch.

After using the Anderson Rota-Flex lockout kit for a few thousands miles during our trip, we removed it and found that we didn’t really need it. So, if your trailer has a Rota-Flex king pin, you might try using the Demco hitch without the lockout kit first and purchase the lockout kit only if you are having trouble hitch and unhitching.

Towing

Underway, we have found that when suddenly accelerating or braking hard, or turning a sharp corner or starting a steep climb or descent, the hitch sometimes clunks loudly as it adjusts to the change in motion.

However, although we’ve taken the trailer over some very rough terrain and deeply pot-holed dirt roads, we’ve found the motion of the trailer has been surprisingly smooth. This absence of chucking is due to the very tight fit of the wraparound jaws encircling the king pin and is a wonderful feature.

After about 1,000 miles of towing, the shaft of the Center Column began to wobblie slightly. Interestingly, the set screws hadn’t come loose by unscrewing themselves because the two jam nuts were still tight. Probably the set screws had worn away a little metal on the shaft from all the jiggling as we went down the road. We didn’t have our torque wrench with us, so Mark tightened the two set screws as hard as he could and they never loosened again.

After 4,000 miles of towing, we noticed that the hitch base had twisted very slightly in the truck bed, about 5 degrees of rotation. This was due to the hitch being secured to the truck in just one location in the center, by compression on the gooseneck ball, rather than being connected in four corners like an OEM or traditional hitch. With the hitch slightly twisted in the truck bed, it was harder to slide the king pin in and out of the jaws while hitching and unhitching. We straightened the hitch and tightened it down again and it hasn’t twisted since.

One of our readers left a comment below suggesting that we try putting a rubber horse mat (sold at farm and feed stores) in the bed of the truck under the hitch with a hole in it for the gooseneck ball. This would provide some friction that might prevent rotation and would also protect the bed of the truck.

Demco 21K Recon 5th Wheel Hitch rotated in the bed of the truck

After 4,000 miles of towing we noticed the hitch had rotated slightly in the truck bed. We realigned and retightened the hitch and it hasn’t rotated again.

Portability

The three components of this hitch are slightly lighter than some of the OEM puck system hitch counterparts, and the Base has a smaller footprint too, so it is less awkward to load into and unload from the truck bed than other hitch bases.

Mark can lift the Base in and out of the truck easily by himself. Of course, it is even easier with a second pair of hands and I happily jump in to help! The other two components, the Center Column and Head, are easily lifted and maneuvered by one person, even me.

That said, if you choose to keep the Center Column attached to the Base after the initial installation, which saves you from loosening and re-tightening the two set screw bolts on the Base to torque spec, then two people may be required to lift that Base/Center Column combined unit in and out of the truck.

Overall Impressions

The three great benefits of the Demco 21k Recon fifth wheel hitch are that it is:

  • Compatible with any pickup truck
  • Easily installed and removed by one person
  • Almost free of chucking when towing

The process of hitching and unhitching is a little different than with other fifth wheel hitches but is easily mastered (it took us a while to realize we had been doing it wrong!). The hitch also required two small adjustments after we had used it for a few thousand miles, but our adjustments have held since we made them.

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Where All News is Good News – At the Saguache Crescent in CO

September 2022 — We were headed home at the end of our fantastic summer RV travels and making our way south through Colorado on US-285, when Mark suddenly glanced over his shoulder as we approached a highway interchange and said, “Wow, that’s a really cool looking main street town over there!”

I couldn’t see what he was talking about from the passenger seat, but before I knew it, he’d looped around and parked the rig on a side street, and we were walking under a canopy of trees in a neighborhood of pretty homes on our way to the town’s quaint main drag!

Saguache Colorado where History Comes Alive at the Saguache Crescent

We didn’t even know what the name of this town was, but we could tell it had an artsy flair when we passed a giant mural of a western tanager sitting at a birdbath on the wall of a house!

Western Tanager bird mural on a house in Saguache, Colorado

What a pretty and unusual mural on the side of this house!

Suddenly Buddy stopped in his tracks and stared up at us. We looked down and saw he was standing next to a tiny, wee, mini house with a little red heart on the door!

Mouse house in Saguache Colorado

“Who lives in this little house?”

Buddy hadn’t noticed that detail but was very interested when Mark pointed it out.

Puppy inspects Mouse House Saguache, Colorado

There’s a little heart on the door!

As we walked along we came across several other mini houses. They were tucked into all kinds of out of the way places. We had no idea what these were or why they were there, but we were delighted when we spotted them here and there.

Mini mouse house Saguache, Colorado

We found several mini houses along the streets of this unique town.

Mini mouse house or bird box Saguache, Colorado

A barnyard!.

When we got to the main drag, which was actually 4th Street, I could see why this street had caught Mark’s attention from the highway. It seemed to sparkle in the sun!

Main street in Saguache, Colorado

The colorful storefronts were appealing.

At the Village Pub we noticed two park benches made from truck tailgates. What a clever idea!

The Dodge Power Wagon tailgate bench had a sticker on it that said, “No bar too far!” The other bench was made from a Chevy pickup tailgate.

Village Pub in Saguache, Colorado

Two park benches outside the Village Pub are made from truck tailgates!

Power Wagon tailgate bench Saguache, Colorado

A Dodge Power Wagon tailgate bench…complete with a sticker that says, “No bar too far!”

We poked our heads in at the 4th Street Diner in hopes of finding some banana nut muffins and a cup of tea. Although the gal behind the counter appeared to be the only person working in this busy shop, she carefully studied all 12 muffins that were on display to tell us which kind each one was while explaining that for some reason they hadn’t been labeled that morning.

Talk about an unhurried pace!

She sat us at the table she usually reserves for the county sheriff and state police because, well, they weren’t there at the moment and we were, and all the other tables were full!

She also said Buddy could definitely join us because, as she told us, in Colorado it is illegal for a shop or restaurant to ask if a dog is a service animal. She could tell by his impeccable manners that he was, of course. Wink wink.

Feeling like honored guests, we savored each bite of our muffins and marveled that we’d accidentally bumped into such an inviting town.

Across the street, the Historic Ute Theater had an unusual suggestion on the marquee. This town definitely had a sense of humor!

Old movie theater Saguache, Colorado

Hmmm…Okay, will do!

Even with so many historic buildings in town, the townspeople here weren’t living in the past. The Cozy Castle CInema was showing movie that had recently been released — “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris!”

Cozy Castle Cinema Saguache, Colorado

An intimate place to watch the latest movie!

Nearby, a small park celebrated the town’s history with informative plaques and photos that explained a bit about its origins.

The town is called “Saguache,” pronounced “Sah-Watch,” and although people once thought the word came from a Ute term for Blue Water, the translation seems to have been refined as “Water at the blue earth.”

The surrounding San Luis Valley was claimed by the Spanish in the 1500s, and centuries later Chief Ouray, the namesake of Ouray, Colorado, enjoyed camping here with his wife. In 1848, a treaty transferred ownership of the land from Mexico to the US, and today a few residents can trace their roots back to ancestors who lived here during those earlier times.

The park has a large photo of a parade on 4th street on Pioneer Day in 1913. I recognized the peaked roof and columns of the bank and got a shot of how it looks today over 100 years later.

Saguache, Colorado, Pioneer Day 1913

Saguache, Colorado, parade on Pioneer Day in 1913.

Saguache, Colorado, Main Street 2022

The peaked roofed bank building with columns out front is still here today.

We heard hammers and saws and construction noises down the street and then noticed that the Saguache Hotel was being renovated. How fun it would be to stay in that historic hotel once the renovation is finished!

Saguache Hotel Saguache, Colorado

The historic Saguache Hotel is getting a face lift.

At the end of the street we found the county courthouse. Even more appealing than the stately building were the many apple trees that had dropped perfectly ripe and unblemished apples all over the ground. They were tiny, just an inch or so in diameter, but they were soooo tasty!

County Courthouse Saguache, Colorado

The County Courthouse is very elegant but the tasty mini apples that had fallen from nearby trees are what kept us hanging around!

Heading into the local grocery store, we saw a box of tiny local pears from a neighbor’s yard that were offered in exchange for a donation. They were delicious too!

Free pears Saguache, Colorado

Mini pears from a neighbor’s garden – Yum!

We walked out the backside of the grocery store down a hallway and found ourselves emerging through the front door of Bread and Botanicals.

Bread and Botanicals Saguache, Colorado

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But it was when we peered in the windows of the Saguache Crescent that we struck gold in this town.

Saguache Crescent Newspaper Building in Saguache, Colorado

What’s in this shop?

It appeared to be some kind of machine shop or a place that sold antique machinery. We weren’t sure if it was open, but Mark tried the door, and it was. So in we went!

Saguache Crescent Newspaper Building in Saguache, Colorado 2

Let’s check this place out!

Our jaws dropped as we took in the wildly cluttered surroundings. I had no idea what I was looking at, but Mark immediately recognized that we were staring at an antique printing operation of some kind.

Linotype Machine from 1937 at Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

What the heck is this?!

A man came out from the back and introduced himself as Dean Coombs. “These are Linotype typesetting machines,” he said, gesturing to the machine behind him labeled “His” and the one to his side labeled “Hers.”

1937 Linotype machine at Saguache Crescent newspaper in Saguache, Colorado

This Linotype machine (dating to 1937) has a small label up top to the right: “His.”

He went on to explain that his grandfather had purchased the Linotype typesetter marked “Hers” in 1915, and it had been used in the production of the weekly Saguache Crescent newspaper ever since.

1915 Linotype typesetting machine Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado

“Hers” — A 1915 vintage Linotype machine and the first one used by the Coombs family to produce the Saguache Crescent newspaper

After his grandfather died in 1935, Dean’s parents took over the business, purchasing the Linotype typesetter marked “His” in 1937. For the next forty years his mom and dad sat at those two machines every day, turning out the weekly newspaper.

When his dad died in 1978, Dean took over the business.

Dean Coombs and 1937 vintage Linotype machine at Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado

Dean Coombs has worked at the Saguache Crescent since he was a boy and has been the Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Head Typesetter and janitor since 1978!

Dean’s mother continued to work at the “Hers” machine every day, and to this day he relies on both Linotype machines to publish the newspaper each week. They are the only Linotype machines that have been in continual use since they were purchased new all those years ago!

I was overwhelmed by the antiquity of the machines and the decades upon decades of use they had seen.

The way they work is an operator types a line of text at the keyboard (and it’s NOT a QWERTY keyboard!).

1937 Linotype typesetting machine at Saguache Crescent in Saguache, Colorado Not a QWERTY keyboard!

An operator sits at this keyboard and types in one line of type at a time.

Then the individual letters fall down a chute and get lined up to form a line of text. An ingot of molten lead then imprints the line of text, forming a “slug.” Once the slugs are cool, they are arranged to form a column of text, and the columns then form a page of the newspaper.

Individual letters used in a Linotype typesetting machine Saguache, Colorado

Each of these is an individual letter that falls down a chute to be put in line as the operator types.

No one knows how to repair these machines anymore, except for Dean. So, if something jams or fails or breaks, he has to figure out the problem and do the repair himself.

There’s also nowhere to get parts. Dean was so concerned about being able to find spare parts that when an identical 1937 vintage Linotype machine came up for sale in a distant state, he quickly purchased it to be a spare parts hanger queen. It cost him as much to ship the machine as it did to buy it!

1915 Linotype typesetting machine NOT a QWERTY keyboard

The keyboard on these Linotype machines is NOT a QWERTY keyboard!

The magic of turning all those lead slugs containing individual lines of text into a page of a newspaper happens in the back room. Dean has a huge table with clamps on it so he can align the text and keep it all in place. Of course, each line of text reads backwards from right to left. But he has become very adept at reading backwards!

There are two machines used for printing and folding the newspaper pages. One machine makes the inked impressions on pages of newsprint and a second machine folds the pages.

Vintage printing press Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

Out back this machine prints each page of the newspaper.

In the olden days, the newspaper was multiple pages long but nowadays it is all on one sheet of newsprint.

Vintage newspaper folding machine Saguache Crescent Saguache, Colorado

This machine folds the pages into the familiar newspaper format.

I found a website that has some archived editions of the paper (listed in the reference section below), and the stories on those pages are wonderful. Back in 1902 it was routine to report the goings-on of all the residents: who was headed out of town, when, where to and why, and who was coming to town to visit, whom they were visiting, when and why! The degree of faith, trust and comradery jumps off the page.

Dean’s mother was determined that their newspaper would print only good news because she knew everyone was getting plenty of bad and sad news from other sources already.

Local events spring to life on the pages of the Saguache Crescent, and the intimacy of small town life and the nostalgia of a bygone era are palpable.

We stayed and chatted with Dean for nearly two hours. It was fascinating to hear his family history, the history of the newspaper and the history of the Linotype machines. He is the only person in America, and perhaps the world, who still publishes a paper using these antique Linotype machines, yet in their heyday, every newspaper, from major big city daily papers to small town weeklies, relied on Linotypes to get the job done.

What incredibly good fortune that Mark tried the door of the shop and poked his head in! Dean assumed that we’d learned about the paper in one of the major media stories that has been published in the last few years and, like so many others, had come to Saguache specifically to visit the Crescent. But it had just been lucky happenstance that we stopped in this special town and then wandered into his shop.

What we loved most is that usually antique machinery like this can only be seen in a museum and it’s usually in some state of disrepair. A museum curator can describe the antique equipment with passion and affection but their knowledge isn’t first hand. THere’s a tangible distance between “back then” (which neither you nor the museum docent has ever experienced) and “here right now” in our modern times.

In contrast, walking into the Saguache Crescent building was an immersion in the past fully embraced by the present. Rather than staring at a machine that was last run 50 years ago, the machines in front of us were about to go to work in another day or two typesetting this week’s edition of the newspaper! What looks on the surface like a quaint novelty is actually part of a serious media enterprise and has been more than a full-time job for Dean his whole life!

He works seven days a week and constantly feels the pressure of each deadline involved in getting the newspaper printed and delivered on time. All the news stories are brought to him by people in the area, and nearly 400 area residents have paid subscriptions.

Dean has no kids and no plans for the newspaper in the future. But he also has no plans to stop working any time soon! The knowledge and skill necessary to keep the machines running is immense, and no one has stepped up to the plate to learn. The shop is loaded with his family’s memorabilia and awards as well, and it is impossible to imagine anyone else at the helm of this unique family enterprise.

Saguache, Colorado Main Street

What a fabulous stop this was. Who knew, a few hours prior, that we would find such rich discoveries in this small town we’d never heard of before!

We left the shop with our heads spinning. What a special place, both the town and the newspaper.

Of course, visiting Saguache and checking out the Crescent is a “must do” for all travelers. Just go! But if Colorado isn’t on your horizon, we highly recommend you watch the CBS produced video in the reference section below. It captures the spirit of the Saguache Crescent very well — and you can see and hear the machines in action!

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Pomeroy, Washington – An Impromptu Sunday Stroll!

July 2022 – One of our favorite aspects of traveling by RV is bumping into special places by accident, and we knew we’d found such a treasure when we rolled into Pomeroy, Washington.

It was early on a Sunday morning, and the whole town was at rest and quiet. When we pulled over to park our toy hauler on the side of Main Street (US-12), ours was the only vehicle in town!

Pomeroy Washington RV Trip

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We were on a mission to get through the vast wheat farms that lay ahead of us on our way to celebrate the 4th of July in Othello, Washington, and a stunning black storm cloud looming on the horizon in front of us promised cooler temperatures as we traveled through that hot, dry expanse.

Storm over Pomeroy Washington

A huge storm cloud greeted us as we pulled into Pomeroy, Washington.

We couldn’t resist taking a stroll through this picturesque town before we continued on our way.

Pomeroy Washington RV trip

There was something very inviting about this small town.

Before we arrived in town we’d spotted two enormous 1950s-60s era statues of a cowboy in a tie-die shirt and a blonde in a bright red bikini along with a collection of antique signs surrouding the Dutch Boys Paint building.

What the heck?

We zipped by too fast to get a pic, but we kept a much sharper eye out for unusual sightings after that.

The ornate Garfield County Courthouse appeared on our right as we arrived in town, and it was too beautiful to pass without grabbing a pic. That’s what motivated us to pull over and walk the town.

Garfield County Courthouse Pomeroy Washington

Garfield County Courthouse is ornate and stately.

it’s crazy how some towns are all dressed up and warmly invite visitors to stop by while others aren’t nearly as appealing. Even though there wasn’t a soul in town at this hour on a Sunday, the funky artsy flare of Pomeroy made us feel like a red carpet was being rolled out for us.

Historic Pomeroy Washington

Black clouds and empty streets aside, Pomeroy was really inviting!

The Pioneer Plaza honors the history of Pomeroy and the Lewis and Clark expedition that traveled through the area with informative plaques and statues.

Pioneer Plaza Pomeroy Washington

The Pioneer Plaza tells the history of the town
and the overnight encampment of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

On the night of May 3rd, 1806, the Lewis & Clark expedition camped in a grove of cottonwood trees 100 yards south of the where the Pioneer Plaza stands today, and according to a plaque, they ate “scant rations of dried meat and dog” that night.

Lewis & Clark statues Pomeroy Washington

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Looking back from where we are now, 116 years into the future, it is so easy to romanticize those early explorations. But it must have been both grueling and exhausting. That poor dog!

Happy puppy in Pomeroy Washington

“When we go on traveling expeditions I like to EAT dinner, not BE dinner!”

Another large plaque honors Pomeroy area soldiers who lost their lives in wars. Most war memorials we’ve seen in our travels go back only as far as WWI, but this plaque honors soldiers who died in the Spanish American War that took place in the Phillipines, Guam, Cuba and Puerto Rico in the spring and summer of 1898.

Pomeroy Washington Spanish American war memorial

The Pomeroy war memorial honors the veterans of the Spanish American war!

Back out on Main Street, the architecture was delightful. Even the Senior Center is located in a fabulous building!

Pomeroy Washington Senior Center

The Senior Center. Not bad!!

All the buildings were closed, but as we returned to the rig, we noticed the door to the store right next to our truck was now open. So in we went!

We found ourselves inside the Blue Mountain Artisan Guild, and the curator, Nancy, welcomed us warmly even though the shop wasn’t officially open.

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild Pomeroy Washington

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild.

Inside Blue Mountain Artisan Guild Pomeroy Washington

The Blue Mountain Artisan Guild has lots of interesting treasures.

What a super cool place this was. All the artwork on display was created by local artists and there was a wide variety of beautiful pieces.

Paintings at Blue Mountain Artisans Guild Pomeroy Washington

All the painting and other artwork was created by local artists.

I started chatting with Nancy, and she filled me in on what Pomeroy is like when it isn’t a stormy Sunday morning with no one around. Ordinarily, the sidewalks are full of people and the shops are busy!

She had moved to Pomeroy from Seattle and was loving small town life. There’s a vibrant artsy streak that runs through Pomeroy and she was lucky enough to be in the center of it.

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild

Nancy told me a little bit about the town she loves.

She told me the statues of the tie-die cowboy and the red bikini clad blonde that we’d seen on the way into town were part of a collection owned by resident Dave Webb who has a passion for odd antiques like that.

He has also found dozens of original neon signs in his travels. He gets them working again electrically and hangs them on the buildings all around town.

Sure enough, we found quite a few!

Bait & Tackle Neon Sign Pomeroy Washington

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Neon Ice Cream Sign in Pomeroy Washington

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Neon Sign Pomeroy Washington

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Greyhound Bus Station Neon Sign

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Nancy also told us a bit about Meyer’s Hardware Store, an old fashioned hardware store that has been in the family for generations. Along with hardware items, they sell ice cream and espresso coffee at their Bean Counter.

It was right around that moment, as she described Meyer’s, that I realized we just have to come back to Pomeroy to see the town in full swing and spend some time exploring.

Meyer's Hardware Store Pomeroy Washington

Meyer’s Hardware Store sells hardware and paint — and espresso drinks and ice cream!

I asked her when the best time was to visit, and she suggested the Tumbleweed Festival which takes place in June and is kicked off with the Pioneer Day parade down Main Street. We’d just missed it, but it sounded like it’s a blast with a Wine & Stein event, an art show and a running race.

Flowers in Pomeroy Washington

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We wandered back out onto the sidewalk, and along with nostalgic neon signs we found a display of three antique gas pumps.

Gas pumps in Pomeroy Washington

Gas pumps from the old days.

And around one corner — underneath another noen Greyhound Bus Station sign — we spotted an antique city bus.

Antique city bus & Greyhound bus station Sign Pomeroy Washington

An antique city bus circa 1951.

On the back was a license plate that seemed to indicate it was Public Bus #24 and that it had been active on the city streets in 1951.

Public Bus Washington license plate

“PB” = Public Bus?

The door was open, so we went up the stairs and poked our heads inside.

Gosh, what a rush of memories I had of riding similar city buses as a kid. The ones I was on weren’t quite that old, but not much about them had changed by the time I started riding city buses in the late 1960s!

Antique city bus interiorPomeroy Washington

A very familiar looking bus interior from days gone by!!

Nancy had mentioned that one of the special spots in Pomeroy is the historic Pataha flour mill at the east end of town. Serving as both a museum and a church, visitors can see the old mill equipment and/or take in a community church service too. They also serve meals on a donation basis, and apparently the food is out of this world.

Gosh, now we were really wishing we had time to stay. And looking back now a few months later, I think we probably should have.

But the insane heat was driving us onward, and scooting across the hot plains following the cool, damp breezes of a storm was very appealing. So, we took notes and stored them away for a future visit!

In the meantime, we found ourselves standing next to the Stage Door at the Seeley Opera House. How cool was that?!

Seeley Opera House Stage Door Pomeroy Washington

“Hey, we’re standing right next to the Stage Door…”

The brick opera house was built in 1913 and replaced an older wooden opera house that had been built in the late 1800s. The new opera house saw many decades of use for vaudeville shows, plays, community events and even movies, like “Gone With the Wind” when it came out in 1940. It is now undergoing renovations with plans to reopen soon.

Seeley Opera House Pomeroy Washington

The Seeley Opera House.

At the Artisan Guild, Nancy had told us that there is an artist in town who loves to paint the historic town buildings and the beautiful homes that dot the area. The owners of these old homes love to buy his paintings of their houses.

Even better, he puts together a calendar every year that features twelve of these pretty homes. The calendars sell out in no time as residents and former residents who now live far from Pomeroy snatch them up to reminisce about the beauty of their hometown.

Back on Main Street we came across a farm store with some small tractors on display. This is farming country, after all!

Farm and Home Supply Pomeroy Washington

The neighborhood tractor store.

A nearby sign expressed a wonderful sentiment about farmers.

Farmer Earth Day Pomeroy Washington

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As we made our way back to the rig and got ready for the next leg of our trip, our heads were spinning with images and stories from our brief encounter with the town of Pomeroy and its wonderful impromtu ambassador, Nancy.

RV trip to Pomeroy Washington

What a cool town — we’ve gotta go back!

We will definitely be back someday to check out the Pataha Four Mill, revisit the Blue Mountain Artisan Guild and discover some of the other gems in and around town. Nearby Palouse Falls State Park was highly recommended to us by another traveler we met a few days later. Such a rich area…Next time!!

Welcome to Pomeroy Washington

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Lakes and Light in Wyoming and Colorado

August 2022 – We finally began to cool off and slow down towards the end of our summer whirlwind travels when we got to Wyoming, and that’s when we began to discover special places we’d never heard of before.

Wyoming and Colorado RV Trip Highlights

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Intense monsoon rains had hit the southwestern states in July, but the places we’d been visiting at the time in Washington and Idaho hadn’t seen a drop of rain. When the storms finally came to Wyoming, however, the skies got wild and the temperatures became more comfortable.

RV with rainbow and stormy sky

The late summer storms in Wyoming were magnificent!

We’d found enchantment in the small town of Encampment, Wyoming, and folks we met there had recommended we take a drive into the Snowy Range to Lake Marie.

What a fantastic recommendation that was!

Shore of Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Lake Marie in Wyoming’s Snowy Range

Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Two happy campers by the shore of the Lake Marie.

Puppy at Lake Marie Wyoming

Buddy was in his element.

There is a hiking trail that goes around part of Lake Marie, so we had to check that out!

The pungent smell of evergreen trees was thick in the air. It reminded us of the balsam fir trees in Maine that gave off such a fabulous fragrance that we deliberately drove around in woodsy areas with our noses hanging out the open truck windows! I’m not sure which trees were giving off such a wonderful scent in Wyoming, but we loved it.

Hiking trail near Lake Marie Wyoming

We hiked the trail along the water’s edge.

This was a beautiful spot to get some pretty pics.

Photography at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

What a great spot for photography!

Still water at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

The water was perfectly still.

We met some people who have been coming to this lake for a visit every summer for the last 40 years! They had just done the longer hiking trail that goes up into the peaks of the mountains that frame the lake. We weren’t prepared for a big hike, though, so we made a mental note to check that out next time!

Tree + root at Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

A hiking trail goes up that ridge…

Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

…and continues along the crest.

This is Buddy’s favorite kind of place. He ran up and down the trail excitedly and then rested in the shade.

Regal pup

Buddy takes a break between romps.

Across the road there was a beautiful stream with a bridge crossing it.

Stream near Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

We followed a stream down towards a little bridge.

Bridge and clouds Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

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Buddy, the Trail Scout, ran ahead, of course, and then came back to tell us all about it.

Trail near Lake Marie Snowy Range Wyoming

Buddy tells Mark what’s ahead on the trail.

From Southern Wyoming we dropped down into Colorado. We stuck to the roads we hadn’t traveled before and ended up at Green Mountain Reservoir where we spent some time on the gravel beach admiring the mountain views.

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

Green Mountain Reservoir in Colorado

Someone had pitched a tent for daytime shade.

Tent at Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

A couple brought some shade with them to the beach!

The clouds looked promising, so we stuck around to see what kind of light show nature might bring. Sunset was a true winner!

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

Some clouds began to turn pink.

Pink Sunset Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

Wow!

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

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Sunset Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

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The people with the tent launched their kayak for a sunset cruise.

Kayak at twilight Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado

An evening cruise…

They came back ashore and packed up their tent, and then a gorgeous orange glow settled across the lake.

Green Mountain Reservoir Colorado at Sunset

Fire and water.

It was startling to realize that summer was almost over. It was such a bittersweet feeling. We’d really enjoyed our travels this summer and had fallen right back into the RV lifestyle that we know and love so much. But we were excited to return home too.

Deer in Encampment Wyoming

Summer’s over?!

We met some folks along the way who told us about special places we’d never been before, and they got us excited thinking about future adventures. After a few weeks at home getting unpacked, getting organized and getting resettled, we began to talk about possible destinations for next year.

What fun — we can’t wait!

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Goldline RV Cover – Winter protection for our new trailer!

After our summer travels, it is time to put our Genesis Supreme 28CRT fifth wheel toy hauler to bed for the winter with a Goldline RV Cover, something we never had to do as full-timers. For those who are going to be doing the same thing, we wanted to let you see what how this winter protection will work with our new trailer.

Goldline RV Cover for a Fifth Wheel Trailer

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Before we left in June, one of the things that concerned us most about buying our virtually brand new Genesis Supreme toy hauler was how we’d protect it from the elements during the eight months of the year it was sitting dormant waiting to be the Mothership for our travel adventures the next summer.

Our 2007 Hitchhiker fifth wheel that we lived in full-time was out in the elements 24/7/365 for the twelve years we owned it because we were living in it year round except for the months it was in storage between 2009 and 2013 as we sailed Mexico’s Pacific Coast on our boat.

Sadly, even though we washed and waxed the Hitchhiker fifth wheel regularly, by the last few years we owned it, the exterior seriously showed its age and looked terrible. Likewise, the exterior of the formerly garage kept Arctic Fox truck camper we owned for a year was just beginning to show a few signs of aging after it sat outside for the 12 months we had it.

We don’t have a good covered storage option for our new trailer, so we decided we’d try protecting our new trailer each winter with a fabric RV cover.

There are quite a few brands of RV covers on the market, and all get mixed reviews. They tend to tear over time and generally fall apart. For several weeks before we left, we read reviews of various RV covers until our eyes got tired.

Then we came across a discussion in the Escapees RV forum about the Goldline RV cover, a brand we hadn’t heard of before.

This cover is made from a 7-ply material rather than the standard 6-ply material used by other manufacturers, and the reviews and discussion about its construction were very favorable.

We dug a little deeper and discovered that one of the things that makes the Goldline RV cover unique is the Marine Grade fabric used in its construction. Similar to Sunbrella, which has a weave density of 800D, this fabric, Marinex, has a weave density of 600D which translates to a 33% weight savings, a big plus when trying to pull a 50′ x 25′ piece of it up onto an RV roof!

Also, the the color of the fabric is obtained by dyeing the thread rather than dyeing the finished fabric which makes the color hold much better over time.

One of the things we liked is that the Goldline RV covers are sized in two foot increments. Other covers we considered have as much as four foot increments between sizes, making it difficult to get a good fit.

Our toy hauler is 32′ 10″ long, so we chose a 33′ Goldline RV cover. We’ve done a trial run of putting the RV cover onto the trailer so we could see how it worked and what we are in for when we’re finally ready to cover it for the winter.

It’s not hard to put this RV cover on. We laid it out on the ground next to the toy hauler, putting the “Front of cover” label at the front of the rig, and then Mark pulled it up onto the roof and lowered the sides.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 1

We laid the cover on the ground alongside our trailer.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 2

We located the “Front of Cover” label. You can also look for the piping that is on each side of the fifth wheel overhang.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 3

Up the ladder he goes! This is where the full weight of Sunbrella fabric would be a challenge.

There are panels on the two sides of the Goldline RV cover that can be rolled up by the roof or lowered down and zipped closed. This allows access to the RV door, windows and hatches as needed.

Goldline makes toy hauler RV covers for travel trailer toy haulers that have an opening in the back for the ramp door as well. This would be terrific! However, they don’t have a model for a fifth wheel toy hauler like ours available yet, so we went with the regular fifth wheel RV cover. We just won’t be able to open the ramp door when the cover is on the trailer.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 4

Mark pulled the cover towards the back of the trailer and let the sides fall as he went.

The last step in the installation is to cinch up the straps that go beneath the trailer and hold the sides down and also to tighten the straps on the rear end as well as the fabric that covers the fifth wheel overhang.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 5

Looking good up there!

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 6

It seems like a good overall fit.

I’ll be writing a more detailed review of this RV cover once we’ve had it on our trailer for the winter months, gone in and out of various hatch compartments and the front door with the cover in place, and seen the cover through the worst of the mid-winter storms.

We rarely get snow in our area but we do get plenty of heavy rain in short doses, some wind, and tons of UV-filled sunshine. Those UV rays cause the worst damage to an RV’s exterior, so we’re excited to have found an RV cover made of UV resistent fabric that can protect our rolling home and hopefully keep it looking good!

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 7

We tied a few of the straps but not all of them…this was a trial run.

Eevelle Goldline RV Cover fifth wheel installation 8

While it’s “in storage” we’ll be able to go in and out of it easily…nice!

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Finding Enchantment…in Encampment, Wyoming!

August 2022 – When we rolled into Encampment, Wyoming, just north of the Colorado border, we’d been driving through miles and miles of wide open land. So, when we passed a sign that said, “Population 452,” we figured we’d stay for a quickie overnight and move on.

Finding Enchantment in Encampment Wyoming! Grand Encampment Museum

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After all, how much is there to do in such a little place?

Moments later, we passed an old fellow whiling away the hours and watching the world go by from a chair in front of a small log cabin with a sign that said, “Visitors Center.” He waved at us as we drove by.

Wow! When does that ever happen?

And then we passed a building with a huge, colorful mural on one end:

Greetings from Wyoming in the town of Encampment

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We were smiling at each other by now and commenting about receiving this surprisingly warm welcome when we spotted some tall, conical metal buildings, one of which was covered with decorations. The town’s High School logo was emblazoned in bright red on one side.

Teepee burner with high school logo at Encampment Wyoming

Home of the Tigers (in flames!)…but what is this building??

On the back of this odd metal building there were a whole bunch of numbers similar to the high school graduation years we’d found painted on rocky hillsides in Arco, Idaho, and Entiat, Washington.

We got out of the truck to take a closer look, and we discovered the numbers were for the years the local high school teams had won their championships. How fun!! Cross-country was blazing…but the football team was still in the hunt for a win.

Yet we still had no idea what the building had been used for.

Encampment Wyoming high school sports championship years on teepee burner

What a clever way to honor the high school sports teams!

As we got back in the truck, we noticed a deer crossing the street in front of us. Our smiles grew wide as we whipped around to catch him on camera.

Buck crosses the street in Encampment Wyoming

The buck stops here…well, over there!

The buck was joining some friends across the street, and we suddenly noticed there was a group of 5 or 6 deer hanging around and sampling the grass!

Young buck crosses the street in Encampment Wyoming

There were bunches of deer!

A young buck peeks out from behind some election signs in Encampment Wyoming

A political stunt?

Young buck in Encampment Wyoming

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Not long after that we saw a small group of pronghorn antelope milling about. This was unbelievable!

Pronghorn antelope in Encampment Wyoming

The pronghorn antelope thought they owned the place too…

Pronghorn antelope at Encampment Wyoming

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As we drove down the main drag, the only paved road in town, we noticed the liquor store was called White Dog Liquors. Now, ya gotta love that — and we realized we were beginning to love this town!

White Dog Liquors Encampment Wyoming

Good name…!

As we cruised down some of the dirt back streets, we discovered someone had a row of antique trailers lined up. Whether they were carefully selected collectibles or just a collection of old cast-offs, we weren’t sure, but there was a fun and funky spirit to this place that was quickly growing on us.

Old travel trailer RV collection in Encampment Wyoming

An interesting collection of travel trailers from long ago!

We decided to head back to the Visitors Center to meet the guy that had waved to us when we pulled into town. He was still sitting out in front of the Visitors Center, and he introduced himself as Cowboy Wadsworth.

A warm welcome from the Encampment Wyoming Visitors Center

We received a warm welcome from Cowboy Wadsworth who volunteers at the Visitors Center.

He regaled us with fascinating tales of the history of the town. Originally called Grand Encampment by fur trappers who settled here, it later became home to “tie-hacks” who logged the surrounding forests into carefully cut railroad ties for the burgeoning railroad industry.

Who knew that making railroad ties was an entire industry unto itself?! But if you consider how many ties were needed to create the vast network of railroads that spread across this country, it must have been a big business in many forests!

Then copper mining took over the area, and a 16 mile long tramway was built to move buckets of copper ore out from the mine. The town grew quickly and became something of a company town, although unlike conventional company towns, deeded lots were sold, giving residents a tangible stake in their community. In no time, 15,000 people called Grand Encampment home.

Around the edges of this bustling town, cattle ranchers and sheep herders soon filled the valley and hillsides with their herds.

Learning the history of Encampment Wyoming

Cowboy gives me the low down on Encampment’s history.

But what about those weird metal conical buildings we’d seen? Cowboy explained that those were “teepee burners” that were used to burn the bark that came off the logs during the railroad tie making process. In the olden days there was no use for the bark — fancy landscaping hadn’t taken off yet — so it was burned.

“Go to the Grand Encampment Museum,” Cowboy urged us. “You’ll learn even more about this town over there!”

Now, we’re not really big on museums, in part because they aren’t typically dog friendly. But we wandered over in the direction he was pointing to see what was we’d see.

This way to the Grand Encampment Museum in Wyoming

“Can I go to the museum too?”

First, we noticed a replica of a stagecoach.

My, oh my. It is startling to see just how small those things were inside. I can’t imagine traveling for any length of time over rutted and dusty dirt trails, wearing a long skirt and hat and squeezed into tight quarters alongside my hubby and nose to nose with people I’d probably just met.

The people who lived in the west in the late 1800s and the turn of the last century were not only outdoorsy and rugged but were very determined!

Grand Encampment Museum Stage Coach replica in Wyoming

Pretty as it is, this would be a rough ride!

Then we rounded the bend, and before us stood the buildings of Grand Encampment, Wyoming, just as they were back in those days.

Wow!

Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Grand Encampment Museum – Gem of Wyoming!

This isn’t just a “go inside a building and see historic relics and read signs” kind of museum. This is a fully reconstructed town that has been lovingly preserved with family memorabilia from the locals. It is an outdoor museum with a few special indoor spots, and dogs are allowed in the outdoor parts.

What’s astonishing is that the population of the town that hosts this museum is just 452. The streets of modern day Encampment are still all dirt roads. The neighboring town of Riverside located a few hundred yards down the one paved road has a population of 66 people. And there is nothing else around for 18 miles except wide open land.

Talk about a strong community spirit — what an achievement to create this fabulous museum!

It turns out that back in the 1960s two women who loved the town decided the old buildings and relics of Encampment’s earliest inhabitants deserved to be preserved for generations to come.

They set about raising the funds and raising the interest among their friends and neighbors that was necessary to set aside a large parcel of land right in town and move the town’s oldest buildings from where they originally stood to where they now stand on the museum grounds.

Buildings from downtown Encampment at Grand Encampment Museum in Wyoming

These two stores were owned and operated by Encampment residents at the turn of the last century.

The main museum building was erected in 1969, but all the other homes, cabins and stores on site (except the very large Livery building) were moved from elsewhere in the area. There is even an old US Forest Service ranger station log cabin that is painted in the familiar US Forest Service brown. It sports a very cool door knocker.

US Forest Service Door Knocker

What a cool door knocker!

We were enchanted!

Not all the buildings were open, but we peeked in all the windows, and each room of each building had been set up as it would have been back in the day using artifacts that had been carefully stored and passed down through the generations by local families.

Inside a cabin at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

There are many buildings, and each one has been lovingly set up inside with antiques donated by locals.

Back in the early 1900s, an enterprising merchant opened a mercantile store along with some other businesses. The house he built in 1908 to persuade his wife to stay in Encampment rather than return to Denver is just charming. It is a simple house with small rooms by today’s standards, but it boasted all the modern conveniences of that time, including electricity, heat (via steam piped in from his store), running water and indoor plumbing!

It remained in the family from 1908 until it was donated to the museum in 1996.

Historic buildings at Grand Encampment Museum, Encampment Wyoming

The building on the right was built in 1908 to persuade the mercantile owner’s wife to stay in town!

One building at the museum used to be a stagecoach stop, and the front room is set up the way a boarding room for travelers would have been. Imagine riding in a stagecoach for hours and hours, seeing a lonely cabin in a vast prairie, and being told, “This is where you’ll spend the night!”

In a way, that little cabin must have been so cozy and inviting and such a relief. And yet it must have also seemed so isolated, remote and perhaps even a bit forlorn at the same time!

Out in a field we found a bunch of old farming equipment, and Mark was floored that the tractor had a crank start!

An old tractor at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

It’s got a crank!

Our greeter at the Visitors Center, Cowboy, told us winter temperatures in this area have hit 75 below zero. Chatting with the Chief of Police a few days later (no, we weren’t hauled in, and yes, it’s super easy to meet people in this town and talk to them for a few hours!), we discovered he’d seen temperatures around 40 below zero. The town clerk we chatted with who’d lived in town for just a few years said she’d seen temps in the negative 30s.

Wow, that is COLD!

The snow piles up in this area too. It’s not uncommon to see 10 or more feet of snow in the dead of winter.

So, back in the day, a ground level outhouse just didn’t do the trick in the wintertime. Grand Encampment Museum has a replica of a two story outhouse on display. Once the lower level got completely snowed in and couldn’t be used any more, the second level became “ground level” and they simply used that level of the outhouse instead!

However, no one explained to us how things worked out drainage-wise when the snow melted in the springtime…!

Double outhouse at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

A two story outhouse so you can still use the loo when the snow is 13′ deep!

Inside the immense Livery building we found all kinds of vehicles from days gone by. There was a covered wagon, a basque sheep herder’s wagon, and early motor cars.

There was also a one horse open sleigh adorned with Jingle Bells!!

One horse open sleigh at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

What we all sing about at Christmas!

A horse drawn hearse was on display, reminiscent of the funeral procession and the horse drawn hearse we’d seen in Utah earlier this year (blog post here).

Horse drawn hearse in Grand Encampment Museum Livery building

A horse drawn hearse.

One resident of Encampment kept all of his license plates through the years. It was fascinating to see that the year wasn’t imprinted on license plates prior to 1918, and the familiar Wyoming logo of the bucking bronco first appeared on the license plate in 1936.

Wyoming license plates through history at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Wyoming license plates dating back to 1915.

There were all kinds of other intriguing things from beautiful and intricately hand sewn clothing to fascinating antique photos. The photo of a group of women lined up to ski was a hoot!

Skiing in a long dress…with a single ski pole!

Back outside on the Grand Encampment Museum grounds we found a replica of the copper ore tramway. The buckets and all the gear were original but the scaffoldings had been recreated. The original tram went for 16 miles and each scaffolding was a different height because the terrain was hilly!

We first saw an ore tramway like this in Pioche, Nevada, where the original tramway and buckets still stand, frozen in time (blog post here).

Copper ore bucket on tramway display at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

A copper ore bucket on what was once a 16 mile long tramway!

We went behind some buildings and were surprised to come across two large open boats. These were tie-drive boats that were used to float the newly cut railroad ties from Encampment downriver.

Tie-drive boat at Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment Wyoming

Tie-drive boats were used to push the specially cut railroad ties downstream.

The size, scale and scope of the railroad industry in the late 1800s has never hit us as hard as when we stood in Bovill, Idaho, two months ago and stared at the remains of a railroad crossing (blog post here).

Touching the immense, rusted railroad spikes and imagining what it took to nail millions of them into the thick wooden ties (with the rails precisely spaced so the train wheels would track properly) all across the country suddenly brought the whole creation of the railroad system to life for us. We sang “I’ve been working on the railroad” for a few days after that!

A photo in Grand Encampment Museum shows one of these tie-drive boats with two tie-hacks in action guiding the boat and the newly hewn ties down the river.

Historic photo of tie hacks using tie-drive boat to push railroad ties down river in Encampment Wyoming

In action…

Encampment (and neighboring Riverside) had lots of other things to offer besides the museum. We shopped at the thrift store that’s open two days a week and we had a fabulous lunch at the Bear Trap Cafe in neighboring Riverside.

While we were savoring our meal, we noticed Cowboy Wadsworth coming into the restaurant. He was all dressed up in a freshly pressed cowboy shirt, kerchief around his neck and a cowboy hat, big belt buckle and cowboy boots.

Lots of other people began to arrive, and they were all dressed up as well.

It turned out Cowboy had just turned 95 and all his friends in town were celebrating his birthday with him in style at the Bear Trap Cafe! How cool is that?!

If your RV travels take you to southern Wyoming some day, we hope you too will find enchantment in Encampment!

Deer and dog in Encampment Wyoming

Buddy stalks the deer…and they teased him until the last second when they bounded away effortlessly.

Deer in Encampment Wyoming

Encampment is a very special place!

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Brooks Lake, Split Rock, Adventure Travelers + Wyoming Highlights!

August 2022 – There are several routes in and out of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, and this year we exited on the eastern side of the Park on a road we’ve never taken before: US-287. This goes up and over a mountain pass and swings by beautiful Brooks Lake.

Brooks Lake Wyoming

Brooks Lake, Wyoming

Brooks Lake Wyoming 2

Mountains and cliffs surround pretty Brooks Lake

Brooks Lake is a very scenic spot, and it was a great place to wander around with a camera! Long ago, one of our readers had recommended that we visit Brooks Lake, and we are so glad we were finally able to take him up on his recommendation. It’s lovely!

Boat at Brooks Lake Wyoming

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Truck at Brooks Lake Campground Wyoming

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There are two USFS dry camping campgrounds in the area, Brooks Lake Campground and Pinnacles Campground. Each one is very nice and can fit small to medium sized rigs fairly easily. Unfortunately, there’s a five mile long dirt road to get there. But if you’re up for some back country driving, it’s a wonderful spot.

Truck Camper at Brooks Lake Campground in Wyoming

A truck camper in Brooks Lake Campground

Pinnacles at Brooks Lake Wyoming

The sun and clouds came in waves across the pinnacles.

Brooks Lake, like many lakes in the western states, has a tendency to get toxic blue-green algae blooms in late summer when the temperatures rise, and this algae is lethal to dogs. There were Forest Service signs everywhere warning people not to eat the fish they caught too. But it is a gorgeous spot nonetheless. In springtime the algae wouldn’t be a problem — and there would be snow on the peaks!

Fishing at Brooks Lake Wyoming

Fishing is popular here, but toxic algae blooms in late summer are something to watch out for.

Creek at Brooks Lake Wyoming

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30 miles south of Brooks Lake, a few miles south of the town of Dubois (more about that town in a later post), we came across a fabulous petroglyph. This one is really intricate. It has three fingers and three toes on each hand/foot, and it has a tail. There’s lots of detail on its skin or clothing. I’m not sure if this was a doodle gone wild, or if it has some hidden meaning or if, perhaps, the artist drank some toxic blue-green algae water and had a crazy vision… But whatever it is, it’s cool!

Petroglyph in Wyoming

An elaborate petroglyph pecked into the rocks a few miles south of the town of Dubois.

175 miles southeast of Brooks Lake, also on Wyoming’s US-287 highway, we found another wonderful spot for photography: Split Rock Overlook. It’s just a pullout on the highway with bathrooms and picnic tables, but we loved it. This place was super dog friendly and Buddy had all kinds of fun there.

Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

Buddy checks out the Split Rock Overlook.

The boulders were a blast to jump around on and were reminiscent of the Redstone Rest Area in Nevada. Kids would love playing on these rocks and they sure brought out the kid in all of us!

Dog playing at Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

“This is my kind of place!!”

Dog poses at Split Rock Overlook in Wyoming

Buddy takes a breather from running and jumping all over the boulders.

Happy dog at Split Rock Wyoming

In the spotlight.

We had stopped just to get a bite to eat, but we ended up spending the better part of a day there!

Happy Camper at Split Rock Wyoming

The boulders at Split Rock Overlook are just plain fun!

Photographer at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Boulders at Split Rock Wyoming

Cool rocks.

Buddy loves all of our adventures, whether it’s hiking or taking photos. He takes his job as Trail Scout very seriously and always runs in front of us on the trail to scope out what’s ahead.

Fortunately, he waits for us or runs back to check on us if we’re lagging too far behind, and if there’s a fork in the trail, he waits for us to decide which way to go.

Sometimes he runs a little ways down one leg of the fork or the other and then stands there expectantly, letting us know his recommendation for our route. But he always leaves the final decision up to us.

Dog on the hiking trail

“Are you coming?”

He also knows the tell-tale sounds and signs when we get our camera gear out to go take photos. He gets super excited and leaps down off of wherever he’s perched to sit by the door until we’ve got all our gear loaded up and are ready to go out.

Once we’re out taking photos, he goes back and forth between us, checking on how we’re doing, checking how the photos are turning out, and generally keeping an eye on our whereabouts as we move around.

Sunrise photography with a dog

Buddy watches me for a moment before running back to check on Mark.

Several places where we camped in this part of Wyoming were near the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the longest off-pavement route in the world, and we watched a steady stream of die-hard long distance mountain bikers making their way down this trail.

The trail starts in Jasper, up in Alberta, Canada, it ends at the US/Mexico border in New Mexico, and it takes a full summer for most cyclists to complete. Most of the cyclists we met had started in Jasper or Banff in late May or early June and were headed all the way to the border. Many were European. We met them on the trail, at our campsites and at the various grocery stores and post offices in the small towns that were near their route.

We chatted with Jenny and Romain from Switzerland for a while one day and were impressed with their bikes, their gear and their nonchalant attitude towards the full day of high altitude climbing that lay ahead of them.

They’d taken a year off to do some traveling as Covid waned, and they’d already camped all around Portugal and Spain for several months before they hauled their bikes to the American West to do the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

They’re keeping a blog of their American adventures at this link.

Jenny’s native tongue is German and Romain’s is French, so they alternate the two languages with each other, speaking German together for three days and then switching to French for the next three! How cool is that?! Of course, their English was excellent too…

Continental Divide Mountain Bike Trail cycilsts

Long distance mountain bike adventurers Jenny and Romain.

We also met several hikers walking this same trail, and a few were doing the full distance as well. One hiker was on his fourth pair of hiking shoes so far and the other was on his third.

We are always amazed by long distance hikers and walkers and have now met quite a few people who have hiked the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail or simply walked across the entire United States from coast to coast (one gal we met had done it twice!).

One time we met a Lady Long Rider who was riding her horse (and towing a second horse to carry her gear) on a long distance adventure (more about her adventures at this link).

Bikers on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Wyoming

So long!!

While grabbing lunch at Split Rock Overlook, we met a solo road cyclist who was riding his bike, a Boundary GRX 810 from OBED, from New York to California. That is not the typical direction, since the prevailing wind goes from west to east, but he was having a ball and was very fit. He hailed from England, and his 3-month visa had run out mid-ride in late July. So he flew home, visited family and friends for a week, renewed his visa and returned to finish riding his bike across America. His favorite places so far had been Niagara Falls and Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is open to motorized vehicles as well as non-motorized, and our new Swiss friends said they had seen lots of side-by-sides like our Polaris RZR. At another campsite we met up with a pair of long distance dirt bike riders who were doing a cross-Wyoming dirt bike ride on a new Backcountry Discovery Route that had just opened up.

Dirt bike adventure travelers in Wyoming

Off to ride the new Backcountry Discovery Route in Wyoming

Sometimes it’s these little discoveries — the backwoods lakes and campgrounds and unique highway rest areas and unusual fellow travelers we meet — are the most memorable highlights of our travels. The big name places like Sun Valley and Grand Teton National Park are stunning but the lesser known places can be just as fulfilling to visit.

Dusk at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Sunset at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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Wyoming sunset

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Moon at sunset at Split Rock Overlook Wyoming

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RV under Milky Way in Wyoming

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