The Odyssey is Over

artgpo · 10-28-2011, 07:00 AM

Well our 209 night odyssey of Camp Hosting is over for 2011. We arrived back home yesterday afternoon. Today all the freshly laundered linens are back in the Cruiser at the storage place. Next trip???

Over the winter we need to look into some comfortable living room furniture. Thinking about Lazy Boy chairs and sofa. The original CR Lifestyle Lounge was very uncomfortablebecause ofnot enough padding.

On the way home Wednesday I got 9.2 mpg, the lowest ever. I set the cruise control for 62 mph but we had a head wind. On the SD/MT trip in July we got better than 11.5 combined. Think it was all the hot air escaping Austin

**Lloyd** · 10-28-2011, 07:04 AM

Art:
Did you spend 209 days/nights in that Cruiser this year??????????????
If you did, WOW!!

artgpo · 10-28-2011, 07:20 AM

Lloyd, we spent most of the days in the Cruiser with some at our daughter's house 40 miles away. We volunteered 24 hours a week between us. We were fee collectors. Karen worked the morning shift and I, afternoons three days a week. Aside from a few very hot days in the hottest summer on record up there we were comfortable with one 15k a/c unit. We were always comfortable at night.

Call it a "Stick House Appreciation Trip".

cowboy_71 · 10-28-2011, 08:54 AM

So where were you hosting and did you have to plan that very far in advance? Would you do it again??...

artgpo · 10-29-2011, 12:44 AM

We were at Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Isle du Bois Unit, Pilot Point, TX. We were "Day Use Fee Collectors". The park uses volunteer Park Hosts for fee collection and trash pickup. You can also volunteer for maintenance. 24 hours per couple or a single person in return for an RV site. There are four full hook up sites for Camp Hosts but we had two more hosts in non-sewer sites.

We volunteered almost a year in advance for Summer, 2011, but had a change of plans when we decide not to go elsewhere in the Spring and added another three months, Apr - Jun, 2011. Fortunately for us the Spring dates were open as well as a FHU site.

We are scheduled again for Jul - Nov, 2012 in the same site. All in all it was a very good experience once we got three consecutive weekday volunteer days. Fee collectors work a monthly schedule prepared in advance whereas trash collectors make their own schedules. When we were not working we were free to do as we pleased, i.e. be away from the park. We were off the month of July and took the opportunity to visit Mount Rushmore and the Little Bighorn and have the Cruiser in for service.

Ray Roberts Lake State Park also has the Johnson Branch on the north side of the lake that uses Park Hosts similar to IDBU on the south side. Facilities are similar at both parks but JB is not as busy.

Flyone · 10-31-2011, 04:46 AM

Art, question--- How did the trailer and contentshold up? 209 days in the Texas heat, wow! what are you going to upgrade or replace--anything other than the furniture?

Flyone

artgpo · 10-31-2011, 10:56 AM

There were a few days where the 106 degree temperature made it a bit warm in the living area of the Cruiser but nights were always comfortable. The a/c ran continuously during the record hot 71 days with 100 or higher temps from about 9 am to about 1 or 2 am then cycled.

Probably the sofa will go but nothing else needs or requires replacing. I'll do some routine maintenance over the winter. The Cruiser did well but we learned for sure that full timing is not for us.

Edited by: artgpo

**Lloyd** · 11-01-2011, 03:18 AM

Art:
I find it very interesting that you said "full timing is not for us".We found that out also. Before a person retires, you are all excited about being on the road going here, going there, doing this or that. It all seems so exciting, and it is, but after a certain amount of it, realization sets in----

. We were lucky in the respect that we never sold our place and went full time. That is why I have always cautioned people about getting to carried away when they retire. Although, for some,it works.

artgpo · 11-02-2011, 12:49 PM

Lloyd, you are SO correct. It was never our intention to full time. The volunteer opportunity arose and we ran with it and will again.

Different strokes for different folks.

Sirsea · 11-02-2011, 01:14 PM

Wouldn't mind a short stint as a camp host, but something less than 209 nights. Just completed 171 nights and 15K miles this year from Texas to Flordia, then Texas to California, Texas to NC, SC, GA, FL and back. Headed to San Marcos, TX tomorrow for some heavy duty holiday shopping at the outlet malls.

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