First hitch up of the year!

[denverpilot]

Feels so good. Heh heh.

Even if it was only to go get the trailer out of the front prairie grass area and move it up to the house so I can start on all the prep work.

Time to de-winterize and check wheel bearings, tires, maybe get that battery project done this year, install the inverter, and lube everything up and test everything, make sure all the tools made their way back to the toolbox on board, load up the generator, wash and maybe wax...

Whoo hoo!

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[Milocka]

Nice Laredo! What model is that? I just installed solar last weekend, looks like weather is going to be crappy this weekend. I've gotta do wheel bearings too and get new tires, then we will be ready to roll.

[denverpilot]

Nice Laredo! What model is that? I just installed solar last weekend, looks like weather is going to be crappy this weekend. I've gotta do wheel bearings too and get new tires, then we will be ready to roll.


It's a 2013 312RE. We love the layout but it does have the "brown plastic turning white" issue with the brown cap that Keystone never really acknowledged for the model year, but now claims all are painted and gel coated! Haha. We are such suckers sometimes. Overall the rig is great... Nice combination of features and accessibility to everything.

Only grump I have is the low point drains for the kitchen island are naturally located almost dead center of the trailer and you're pretty much going for a ninja crawl to get to them. If you forget to do them and start draining the other stuff foreward of them first you'll be enjoying the mud. Hahaha. I think for that reason we want a rear kitchen for the next trailer. The island is "pretty" and lots of people ooh and ahh over it, but it's in the way when the slides are in and you get as much countertop or more in the rear kitchen models. Downside of the rear kitchen is be aft end of a trailer does the most bouncy bouncy while towing, so dishes and stuff have to be buttoned up real well back there.

We added about 140 Ah of battery to the unit the first year above the stock system and I'm a nut for electrical stuff so I'm working out a design for a battery box that will hold 4-6 70 Ah high current SLA batteries I already have on hand, and an inverter system. Someday later I'll probably add solar, but since we can park the rig at home, I can keep it plugged in for battery maintenance in winter.

The 80+ lb Munsterlander mix doggy boy (my avatar - he's quite the character) loves being able to curl up behind the recliners on a cold night near the electric "fireplace" when we are somewhere with electric hookups though! Haha.

This year will be our first camping with the "little" 43 lb mutt/mix rescue girl pup. We'll see how she likes it!

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She's a little "nervous" so hopefully just like at home, her "big bro" being around and not worried about anything, will keep her calm.

I looked outside last night and it was SNOWING again! Argh! Wanted to pull the wheels today and do the bearings and check brakes, but it was a rain/snow mix and everything is wet wet wet again after a few days of dusty dry here on the high desert plains of Colorado.

And that means mud here... So it will have to be another day...

If I ever build that huge barn I want out here someday, it'll be big enough to park the fiver inside where I can work on it year round! (And other stuff of course... A nice reloading room would be good... And a huge workbench... And... Hahaha... Good to have dreams!)

First trip is coming up soon, a "little" pull up to the Keystone/Breckenridge area. That'll be this year's shakedown cruise. Could probably find a spot close to home at Cherry Creek State Park this weekend and get the year started, but still have some stuff to do.

Did pick up our annual Colorado State Parks Pass a few days ago, so it's starting to feel like spring!

Have another trip scheduled to State Forest near Walden, CO penciled in. Maybe see some moose? And try not to make them grumpy, of course. Grumpy moose (meese? Haha!) are never safe to be around.

2014 and 2015 we had some life changes we weren't expecting and didn't camp as much as we wanted to when we got the new rig, so it's time to fix that in 2016!

Happy camping!

[gkainz]

Good on ya', Nate! We're hooking up for our annual shakedown trip all the way to Boyd Lake. ... assuming I get hooked up before tomorrow noon. Looks like I'll have to dewinterize up there.

Our group does the 1st trip of the year close enough to Walmart and home so things can be as uneventful as possible.

Edit - guilted myself into walking away from a database upgrade in progress (I guess it really didn't need constant monitoring) and dewinterized last evening. Fridge is running, water heater heats on propane and electric, furnace and stove top all work. Guess we're a little more ready to head out today than I had hoped for.

Although I'm looking out the window to snowflakes falling hard right now ... going to be a wet, white weekend!

Still have to put the Andersen hitch in the truck again ... yeah, wish I had that equipment shed you're talking about!

[denverpilot]

@gkainz I'm hoping you were able to head out...

Silly Colorado weather decided to do this, out here on the plains, putting a major kink in my prep for the season...

Haha. I'm not exactly outside today pulling wheels to do bearings or check brakes, as you might imagine.

I think I've had enough of winter this year... Especially since we are getting it all in May! Haha.

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[gkainz]

We made it to Boyd Lake and had wind, rain and snow all weekend. Stayed inside most of weekend, group went over to Front Range Shooting Club and burned up some ammo. Everything works on the trailer so was a successful 1st of the season, shake the bugs out trip.

[rode2nowhere]

mine has not moved :confused:

[CaptnJohn]

I feel your pain ~~ only 38 days in 2016 so far... "bouncey:

[denverpilot]

Now it's all mud out there. Really sticky nasty mud. :(

[gkainz]

weather guessers are saying your mud should be dried up by the weekend. :D

[denverpilot]

Yeah @gkainz that'll help with trailee prep but won't help with the immediate problem know as "Dog wants to lie in mud..." Haha. He's pretty good at it apparently, though!