Musing- 2023 Trip Epilogue

Liveaboard Lifestyle - PART 3

We have often been asked, "What is it like living on the road in a motorhome"? First, it takes some adjusting, especially since the R.V. is less than 80 square feet of living space, including space for the Salon, Galley, Shower, Toilet, Closet, Cupboard, and Queen+ Bed). Our bedroom walk-in closet at home is average in size, but it is 20% larger than the entire interior of Club Level.

When you travel like us, it is all about mindset. When we are in our explorer lifestyle mode, we have many of the conveniences of home onboard and 100% flexibility to go wherever we wish and stay as long as we can or care to. The interior build, construction, craftsmanship, and fit/finish are first-class in luxury and comfort.

Our LTV Motorcoach was the ideal 'home on the road and the range.' To adequately capture our daily rig interactions, we must break the experience into two main categories: the Mercedes Sprinter and the LTV Coach. 

• Let's start with the Mercedes Sprinter chassis;

  

  It performed expertly, handling intensive mountain passes and summits, pulling our 11,000-mile home on her back up and down steep 8% grades, twisting and sometimes harrowing 'banked' turns at 50-60 mph. I frequently paddle-shifted through three or four transmission gears on some days. The suspension upgrades we made in 2020 and 2021 helped the handling and our control during some of the more challenging driving conditions. As great as she ran and drove, I want to add a performance enhancement before we take next year's BIG TRIP

  

• The Leisure Travel Van coach (inside where we live while on the road) is incredibly functional and comfortable.

  

  

   The folks at LTV make a high-quality, world-class R.V. in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada. On this trip, I had the unique opportunity to tour the LTV high-tech manufacturing line and meet key factory people and senior executives. After seeing 'inside' the company, I am even more impressed, content, and happy that we bought a Leisure Travel Van.

• 2023 Best Upgrades: Last year, we improved our power by upgrading to 600 watts of BougeRV solar and 3,000 watts of inverted Xantrex electricity, increased our electric storage with a 320 Ah Lithionics lithium battery, and changed all of our electrical system chargers/monitors to Victron. Months before leaving Florida this year for our big trip, we added several upgrades; each enhanced the function, versatility, flexibility, and comfort on the road. Here are our top five:

  • Minney - We added a tow vehicle (2009 Mini Cooper S Cabriolet) behind Club Level, so we can see more, visit more, and experience more of the area we are visiting. It was a total game-changer. Drives up/down unique scenic venues like the Theodore Roosevelt NP (North Dakota), Needles/Wildlife Loop/Iron Mountain Scenic (South Dakota), Beartooth Pass (Montana), Glacier NP-Going To The Sun Road (Montana), and Grand Teton N.P. (Wyoming)

Halfway up Beartooth Pass Montana.

• Starlink - Last year, I was writing a daily blog during our 2022 Coastlines and Mountaintops tour; unfortunately, many days and nights, I could not find a cellular signal to upload my content. I pledged that wouldn't happen in 2023. Even though LisaMarie and I have AT&T cellular service, we knew we needed to prevent a repeat of last year's connectivity issue. To remedy the situation, I took two steps. First, we signed up for T-Mobile Home Internet in our motor coach (because of their solid, rural tower coverage). But, more importantly, we added Starlink; it was a total game changer: easy to set up, blistering fast speed, and simple to manage. We have elderly parents, and staying in touch is crucial. Never were we in a location where we couldn't call or connect online.

It only takes a few minutes to set it up.

And it is fast too!

• Refrigeration -  Our LTV Unity model came with a Dometic three-way refrigeration system. It operates on 120v, 12v, and propane. Unfortunately, we like our food cold, but we were going to be on the road for months; it was forecasted to be one of the hottest summers in recent history, so we weren't taking any chances. We ordered an L.G. residential 120v fridge. Once it arrived, I had to do quite a bit of customization (two days before departure)

  

   in back-to-back 90-degree days. It performed beautifully, never wavering from -7 degrees in the freezer and 37 degrees in the lower box. It was an excellent investment, for sure.

• Stovetop - The standard Dometic cooktop is a classic option in our rig and operates on propane. It always did the job, albeit with a few downsides. Propane is only 34% efficient, omits carbon-based fumes into the cabin, overheats the salon, and is a bugger to clean. We have an electric induction stove at home, which we love.

  

   It is efficient, heats pots/pans ridiculously fast, produces zero fumes, transmits heat directly to the cookware, not the room, and is as easy to clean as wiping a kitchen countertop. With all those benefits, why not converge from the propane to an induction stove? So I did.

• Snuggy Cubby-HUH? Let me explain. We have a versatile Salon; one minute, it is part of the Galley, then a tiny T.V./Family room, and within minutes, it transforms into a bedroom due to its uniquely designed/engineered Murphy Bed. The downside for LisaMarie is that there isn't a nightstand/countertop for her 'stuff' (iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpod Pro, books, jewelry, etc.). To ensure she has many of the comforts of home in our rig, I decided to make a small piece of furniture that would solve the problem. Furniture making is not a hobby or skill, so I had to take my time measuring, cutting, fitting, taping, gluing, screwing, and finishing.

  

   It fits perfectly; most importantly, she loves having it permanently at her bedside to hold her stuff.

She read a book a week in addition to the National Park editions, so the lower shelf served as a nice library above her slippers.

We have nearly perfected our home on the road.

 However, LisaMarie and I have already discussed a few tweaks that would be nice for next year's journey. An engine performance (software upgrade), a high-tech water filtration system, some odds and ends in the Galley, and a more well-engineered cabling system for our beloved Starlink are minor enhancements on the possible to-do list.

We hope you have enjoyed your time on the road with us this summer.