Escapees September-October 2022

camping chair chat

Cruising with Cats We often read about frisky Fidos who join their families as they roll along the roadways of America, exploring the great outdoors, boat ing, fi shing, hiking and howling by the camp fi re on moonlit nights. But, in contrast, how often do we see articles and photographs of bright eyed Buttercups or feisty Frankies? These felines hit the road year ly in search of adventure with their humans, too. As an RVer with two cats, three until recently, all fi ve of us (spouse included) traveled through 27 states between December 2021 and April 2022 and then a summer trip to Northern Michigan and Windsor, Ontario that added three new states. Our adventures began several years back with a 6,000-mile journey from Tennessee to upstate New York and Toronto, Ontario, in a 23-foot travel trailer with felines ages 14, 13 and 5, who yowled the fi rst two hours on the road from the back of our SUV. We had set up two large crates, each with a small litter box and a tiny bowl of water, and we attempted to “dope” our four-legged critters with medicine the vet prescribed. They foamed at the mouth, vomited, spilled the water and rolled in the litter! After we threw out the “kitty Prozac,” all

When the Cold Catches You

Many of us plan to head south for the winter, chasing the 70-degree tempera tures. We have routes that will bring us away from the inclement weather and camping spots below the Mason Dixon line. Of course, there are those who love the cold, and also those who are simply prepared for any temperature, but what do you do when you fi nd the cold catching up with you?

As the cold weather sits on me in New England, I look out my windows and everything is covered in snow. The cold air would rush under my camper, if not for the prep that I did to maintain my dwelling while I stick out the winter in the Northeast. I put up a skirt. I did not want to, because of how permanent it appears, although my water lines would surely be frozen if I did not add insulation on the inside of the skirt. Local hardware stores carried most of what I needed, otherwise the local camping supply store carried the skirt on the shelf. Insulation and wind protection only goes so far when the tempera tures are below freezing! I have heat wrap around all my exposed water lines, and it plugs directly into our generator. We also have a heated water hose, which was admittedly a bit pricey but certainly serves its purpose and was worth it in the long run. antifreeze and salt into our holding tanks. So far, between Colorado and Connecticut we have yet to have an issue with freezing. I have heard of special additives I could buy instead of my old favorites; however, as with most of us in this lifestyle, I’ve found a way that works for me. Somewhere along the way, I began putting plastic on our Another easy but effective precaution we take is to put

windows which can be a pain. I will be frank, once choosing to do so, I never went another winter without plastic. A lot of RVs have large windows to allow for natural light to get into the small area, however, in the wintertime, this is wall space that has no insulation. Energy saving curtains or blinds are helpful. I pull the blinds down to help reduce the heat wasted even more. I have also seen boondockers temporarily cover their windows for the winter with canvas, which is effective and has better visual appeal with a little bit of effort. I still use plastic behind my blinds because I would like to be able to see out my windows. Depending on the power source, a small space heater or a low-watt electric fi replace might be a good option. We use a low-watt fi replace and, aside from the cozy atmosphere, there is a noticeable difference in our propane use. We don’t consider ourselves prepped for arctic temps by any means, we are not even ready for Canadian weather. Though we have found ourselves in cold weather unexpectedly and adapted to make improvements along the way. It is so important that we all stay safe along our travels, and sharing tips and tricks I have learned could help a fellow adventurer! Meghan Maloof Guest Contributor

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September/October 2022 ESCAPEES Magazine