DWO recently had an opportunity to review EcoFlow's new "Alternator Charger" that can use your vehicle to recharge an EcoFlow Power Station with up to 800 watts along with two other modes. Sneak Peek: We can't wait for you to hear about some cool features like remote monitoring and dual recharge with solar panels. We have a full write-up coming soon in RVLife. We'll update here with the link when it's published!
If you haven't heard of Escapees RV Club, you should check it out. We have had the privilege to host some of their "Hangouts". This month we hosted a 7-day event in Spearfish, South Dakota. The hangout is nice because it includes your full hookups at a nice RV park. Also included are several group meals and activities. The hangout was called the Black Hills and Badlands experience. But we covered so many more features while we were in the area.
We saw the Devil's Tower and Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park. We also visited Mount Rushmore. Hangouts are also a part of getting to know other RVers. So, we also had all types of campground activities. We had a Chili Tasting, game night, a Murder Mystery Show, and campfire cookouts. We also went for bison burgers and took over the town of Deadwood with a brothel museum tour. Although we started the week with storms and strong winds, we ended the event with sunshine and kolaches! And we exchanged contact information with many other RVers we will see on the road. We look forward to hosting another Hangout in September in Nashville, Tennessee! We look forward to having a new Hangout experience soon.
Taking your RV to Mexico is not as complicated as you would think. Especially in Puerto Peñasco. And we have a 44-foot RV. You will find a lot more expats and Arizona vacationers. Take care of a few steps and you are good to go. We got our insurance and border cards within a week. We went with a group which is very helpful for your first time. We stayed for a month and learned the ropes from RVers who stayed several times before. February was a little chilly for us, but the prices were great. We were able to get out and walk along the beaches.
Next time we go, we will invest a little more, we will stay in April or May, or even September or October. This way we can enjoy water activities too. But it was unique to the beachfront campground for local vendors to sell. We bought tortillas, empanadas, fresh seafood, fresh vegetables, and more right from our rig. It is a little windy at the beach so be prepared for that. Anchor down your chairs or tents. And do what you can to keep sand out. But we are sure we will spend a lot longer in Mexico next time we go!
When we started in our rig, we had a motorcycle AND a sidecar. The sidecar filled our toy hauler garage space so our solution, at the time, was to install a lift on the back. Unfortunately, the installer attached the lift to our back bumper. After several years of use (and bouncing), the lift separated our garage floor from the bumper. Thankfully, this was a destruction we were able to fix. We welded the corner back together and reinforced it. This has been disruptive to our travels. Instead of heading north, we had to return south so we had the resources to remove the lift and make repairs.
We will spend months traveling without motorcycles until we find a solution. We have an idea in mind, but it may take us a year to be able to pull over, retrieve our motorcycles, and make repairs. This is one of the main reasons we got on the road. We are disappointed the lift was installed improperly and the lift itself caused many problems. We look forward to sharing the solutions with you soon!! Which means we will be back on our bikes again full-time.
We love going to Fredericksburg but were disappointed in the changes they have made lately. Do not expect a free or reasonably priced wine tasting. The tasting now costs an average of $35 per person. Most wineries you are fortunate to get a one ounce pour. And how many do you tastings do you get? Four-six depending on the location. I think the whole area has gotten too full of themselves and most importantly has lost the definition of a "tasting". The intent is for us to be able to come in, taste a handful of wines and decide what glass or bottle we would like to purchase.
If we purchase a bottle of wine at $50, we are paying approximately $2 per ounce. That means a reasonable rate for a tasting would be $10. I understand they have people serving the wine, so I am OK with $13 a tasting. That is adding more than 30% overhead costs. Fine - go all out! Round it up to $15. One more critique - if you are going to charge a ridiculous price for your tastings, you should provide an educated sommelier. None were provided in Fredericksburg. The outcome from our visit... we didn't.
We were excited to hold the first ever RV & Motorcycle rally combo. We had over 125 attendees. We do apologize for Texas delivering nearly 100-degree weather. It put a dampener on a lot of the daytime activities and rides. But we all go to meet new people and new vendors. We had almost 20 vendors onsite. We had all types of activities everyday including rides, bike hauling demonstrations, seminars, giveaways, trivia, coffee talks and more.
We did a survey, and we got an overwhelming positive response and helpful suggestions for the next rally. We even had several people admonish us for not asking for volunteers so we will do that next time! Tentatively plans are to launch the second annual rally in 2024 and we are looking closely at Arkansas for the next event!
You always want to ride where you feel safe and comfortable. But you also want to ride in unique areas in your travels. Here are several places we have ridden lately the were great!
On a Ferry! Yes, there are ferries you can ride your motorcycle onto. You can even stay sitting on your bike if it is a short ride. It is worth the experience to be sitting on your bike moving across the water without your engine running.
On a Beach! There are beaches around Texas you can ride your bikes on. The sand is nice, compact, and damp so no worries about getting stuck. The wind in your hair riding down the beach is an awesome feeling and one you shouldn't miss.
We are building up to the first RV motorcycle rally in the fall of 2022 but in the meantime, we want to get together and ride when we can. Our first group ride will be taking place this July 2021. We will meet in Rock Springs, Wyoming (exact KSU location TBA). This will be an afternoon ride with a chance to stop and visit at a local restaurant.
For those of you who are registered Escapees (an international group of RVers and services for RVers), we hope to meet up with some of you on site at the Escapee Convergence in Rock Springs that week. We will be on the ROW (where all the RV groups meet) for Twist Your Throttle. We will be having a drawing and giveaway so stop by our table and visit with us.
No matter whether we meet in Wyoming for the group ride or at the convergence, we look forward to connecting and riding with you in Rock Springs for the local ride. All bike types, riders and passengers are welcome. Get it on your calendar. We will have registration for the ride in our next newsletter!
It is about that time. If you are headed to Sturgis for 2021 and want to really experience as many of the rides as possible, planning is key. If you have not been following our blogs with Twisted Road we have a six-part series from January through June. Each month we provide a ride route with the important sites and hole-in-the-wall stops you will want to make along the way.
The goal is to help you experience 14 rides in one week. That is important if you have limited time off and want to maximize your experience. For a quick reference guide, we have a shorter, downloadable version on Amazon. If you are a prime member it is free to download. Or get a physical copy to carry in your saddlebag. Either way, the booklet has detailed maps, stopping points and recommendations on what to do and eat along the way.
Click here for "14 Sturgis Rally Rides in 6 Days: Enjoying the South Dakota Black Hills and More"
It does not matter, if you ride or drive long enough in beautiful, treed areas, you will have an animal cross your path. Naturally, the smartest thing to do in these situations is slow your speed and give yourself enough time to react in case you have a surprise visitor in the road. That means the less visual you have in front of you (like rounding a curve), the more cautious you should be. Also, the bigger the animal you might encounter, the more space you want for stopping distance.
What if you are already going slow and you round a curve to see a herd of buffalo or deer. Remember where you see one, there are others sure to follow. We have heard stories where people actually leave their vehicles or get off their bikes for close-ups. I hope we do not need to tell anyone in this group they are wild animals! We do not think like them, they do not think like us and they have different basic needs and instincts.
We even took roads not popular with a buffalo herd and were lucky enough to see hundreds in this herd. But slow speeds, staying on our bikes, alert and riding near large cars was a smart move – and an incredible one too. We got video! (Check it out on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLeO2xbPFrg)
Trying out a new RV? Free boondocking nights are available in most states through many options like Bureau of Land Management and free camping websites online. But if you do not want to start out with a little more support, there is another option. If you are a foodie, wine lover or enjoy learning experiences, you should check out Harvest Host. They let you stay for free. Bonuses are other helpful RVers may be available for support, you get a night out on the town (so to speak) and the hosts are deeply knowledgeable about their local area.
Harvest Hosts are wineries, farms, museums, and other remarkably interesting options that let you park your RV overnight (sometimes longer) in order to show off their wares. It is highly suggested you partake of the goods and services offered, whether it be a wine tasting, museum tour, farm fresh goods, etc., to show your support for a free night. So, it may wind up being the cost of an overnight RV park but at least you get something in return – plus the extra support. If you want to check out Harvest Host and get a discount for membership just use this link: https://harvesthosts.refr.cc/willlucinda
Like the movie, "Night at the Museum", the bikes do come alive. Outside of Wichita, Kansas at a wonderfully outfitted motorcycle museum uniquely named, Twisted Oz, things do happen after hours. The museum curator, Paul told us every motorcycle in the museum, apart from one, is taken out and ridden. This is particularly amazing because half their collection contains bikes from the early to mid-1900s as well as many custom bikes and sidecars. It is a thrill to look at a bike from history and know it could still carry you to new places with all the unique rustic starters, time owned sounds and bare minimum seats.
Also, after hours the museum curators and owners create their own riding stories and they share them with you as you tour the museum which truly enhances the eye candy experience. There is a guest book there for you to sign. I would not be surprised if when the doors are closed for the evening, they don't occasionally take a peek to see what far away destination people have traveled to see their one-of-a-kind collection. I heard a story about someone riding through from Australia. Ask Paul about that one.
I ride a Harley Sportster with a sidecar. The question I get asked most often is "how easy is it to ride?" There are so many riders out there unwilling to give up riding and are looking for a solution to stay on the road. I can understand because I took that path when I had an accident and broke my kneecap. Right now, the options for continuing to ride are not as varied as the people's reasons they need a solution. You are really looking at a trike, sidecar or Spyder.
I cannot really speak to the trike or Spyder. Even though I had never seen a sidecar in real life, it is what I went for and I am glad I did. I still feel like I am riding my motorcycle on the road. It does ride differently with the bucket on, so you must learn a few tricks and skills in that area. I do not ride with sidecar brakes so if you want a smoother stop simply add brakes. Sidecars ride a little rougher and there is a little more pull with the sidecar when you are out on the open highway. But I like the raw feel of the sidecar. It is also more difficult to find dependable, close by and good service for a sidecar.
I like the old-fashioned ride and the history behind sidecars. There are not great stats out there on sidecar owners, but I am estimating about 20,000 in the United States. If stats match up with motorcycles and, accounting for a slower adoption of sidecars than motorcycles, there could be under 2,000 female sidecarists out there who ride in the U.S. If you see a female sidecarist, honk three times and give her the thumbs up. If you like the "sidecar delay", which is when someone stops you at every stop to talk about your ride, then a sidecar is something to think about.