2020 Camper Maintenance

Due to the pandemic our camper sat unused for 8 months so I decided to do the camper maintenance a bit early on my own this year. Bobby normally helps me with this but he is a Respiratory Therapist working in Gainesville, FL. So, I performed the required maintenance on our 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 23RB Travel Trailer to for a trip to Paynes Prairie to help our two younger, Stevie and Charlie, move into their new place to start the new academic year at University of Florida. I somewhat followed the same list as previous years.

Here are some stats on our camper as of July 18, 2020 when the maintenance was performed.:

• Years Owned: 5 years, 2 months
• Total Mileage: 17133 miles
• Total Nights Camping: 166 Nights Camping

For the record, here is a list of all of the systems on which we performed preventative maintenance:

2019 Camper Maintenance

My son, Bobby, came home October 10-11 2019 to help me do the required maintenance on our 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 23RB Travel Trailer for a celebration we had in Orlando for my son, Stevie’s, 21st birthday. This year we were a bit late doing the maintenance, but better late than never. We basically followed the same list that we created last year.

Here are some stats on our camper:

• Years Owned: 4 years
• Total Mileage: 15168 miles
• Total Nights Camping: 161 Nights Camping

For the record, here is a list of all of the systems on which we performed preventative maintenance:

Anthony Galluscio Camper Maintenance

Becca and I are going on a combined work-vacation to New York. My son, Bobby, came home to help me do the required maintenance on our 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 23RB Travel Trailer. We basically followed the list that we created last year. It is my hope that we can help other camper owners finding themselves in a similar situation, and even add to this list next year based on comments and feedback received.

Here are some stats on our camper:

• Years Owned: 3 years
• Total Mileage: 8629 miles
• Total Nights Camping: 112 Nights Camping

For the record, here is a list of all of the systems on which we performed preventative maintenance:

My Grandma, Ruth Alberta Taylor Ritchie, would have been 100 years old on May 16, 2018. She died Monday, July 30, 2007 at 89 years old. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. I was her only grandson and she proved over and over again to me that she loved me unconditionally. When I was a young man and I enlisted in the USMC, I called Grandma to tell her. After a long, thoughtful, pause she said (and I remember her words vividly) “Tony, I can’t say that doesn’t scare me and I can’t say that it makes me happy, but I do believe that you need to do what you think is right. I think that you can do anything you set your mind to and I am very proud of you. I will always love you.” That kind of love and care enabled me to do all kinds of things in my life. Grandma was born with one kidney and ended up on dialysis the last few years of her life. God bless my wonderful parents for taking such great care of her but being on dialysis at 89 years old is hard. One evening when I was sitting with Grandma to give Mom and Dad a well-deserved break. Grandma put her hand on my arm and she said, “Tony, I love you but I just can’t do this anymore.” Less than a week later, Grandma died. I was with her right before she died and my final words to her were, “Grandma, thank you for always believing in me and I will always love you.” I know she heard me.

Words of Wisdom

My time as a machine gun team leader in the USMC infantry carrying sixty to eighty pounds of weapons and gear over incredible distances, developed in me a very dangerous muscle memory. As my wife often points out, “Remember, you are very capable of hurting yourself.”

My Situation

I have severe arthritis in my spine for which I take an immunosuppressant to block inflammation. As long as I stay on the medication I can walk unassisted and I am typically able to function fairly normally with periods of exacerbation that are moderately limiting usually only toward the end of a medication period. When I turned fifty, I decided that I would push myself to make sure I still have what it takes to be US Marine.

The Trial Hike

I packed a backpack full of forty-seven pounds of gear and supplies and headed out on a slow, but steady, thru-hike of the seventy-seven mile Foothills Trail. “Foothills” makes it sound easy, right? Wrong! There is actually a section of that trail called “Heartbreak Ridge.” To make a long story short, about one day into the hike my back started to flare up which had a domino effect of causing my pulse to race, which caused me to lack the extra cardio capacity to climb the hills, which caused me to overexert myself, which caused me to feel nauseated, which caused me to not eat, which meant I was low on energy without enough calories. I ended up breaking a cliff bar into 100 pieces and swallowing one little piece whole at a time. That is an example of how I had use brain rather than brawn to make it the distance.

So, if I told you that I intended to hike the entire 2200 miles of the Appalachian Trail, you would probably say that I am crazy.  Before you judge me, keep reading to see what I learned on my FHT hike:

Lessons Learned

•  Just because I could easily carry a sixty to eighty pound pack in my 20’s means nothing now.  I can’t carry any more than 35 pounds without causing my arthritis to flare. On the FHT I carried 47 pounds.
• I am going to lose weight rapidly as I hike so I have to limit my hike to less than 100 miles. On the FHT I lost 15 pounds in 7 days.
• I need to pack foods that help me fight nausea. On the FHT I packed foods that CAUSE nausea.
• I need to start the hike the day after an injection and NOT a week after (like I did on the foothills trail).
• I can’t hike more than 12 miles per day. On the FHT, I had days as high as 15 miles.

My Plan

I am going to fully embrace those lessons learned and hike the Appalachian Trail at the rate of approximately 100 miles per year and finish when I am 73 years old.  As I said it is the hike of a lifetime.

I am starting soon and I will blog when I get back.  Here is how I am applying what I learned to my Appalachian Trail hike:

• My total pack weight with 6 liters of water is 34.4 pounds!
• My 2017 stretch of the AT is 86.1 miles.
• I am bringing a variety of foods that will help with nausea.
• I am starting the day after my injection.
• My longest day is 12 miles.

Please stay tuned!! More to come!

Anthony Galluscio Pine Mountain RV Resort Camping Review

We were forced to evacuate the barrier islands where we live in Florida for hurricane Irma.  We took my parents to a cottage in Callaway Gardens and we stayed in the camper for two nights at Pine Mountain RV Resort until Tropical Storm Irma arrived.

• Campground: Pine Mountain RV Resort

• Nights Camping: 2 (September 8 to 9, 2017)

• Nearest City:  Pine Mountain, GA

• Space Number:  58

• Hookups:  Water/Electric/Sewer

• Cost per Night:  $47

• Likes:  Clean, quiet, well maintained. Very friendly people.

• Dislikes: Sewer hookup on neighboring spot is very close to the front of our camper. Also, I am concerned about the potential for sap from the pine trees.

• Notes: Ask for a spot in the open area in the back when we stay there again.

• Rating:  Good

• Link: http://www.rvcoutdoors.com/pine-mountain/