Figuring Out Life in 360 Square Feet

Discoveries I've made and lessons I've learned in my first two weeks on the road.

11/7/20236 min read

Well, I am finally and officially on the road, and have been for just a hair over two weeks now. There have been a few surprises, some unexpected hiccups, a veterinary emergency for my senior dog, Bella, (and of course the expense that goes with an emergency vet visit!) But all in all...things are going well!

The four of us left Vermont on October 22, after a grueling time finishing packing and getting everything hitched up, and ready to roll. That damned rain was so cold! I will chilled to the bone by the time I was done the evening of the 21st. And by some miracle, we actually got on the road at exactly 8:00am Sunday morning! I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. I am normally running anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half late getting going, but not this time. Right on time!

Of course, that's not to say that as I was cruising down the highway one item after another that had gotten left behind began to pop into my head. I reckoned it was likely I didn't truly need them, or if they turned out to be items I really did need, I'd have to replace them along the way. The important thing was, WE WERE ROLLING!!

With everyone safely settled in their respective places, Bella riding shotgun in the passenger seat, Kasper riding in his travel crate right behind my seat ( He is way too hyper to be uncrated on long drives, and he seems happier in there.)Loki, the senior rat in his cage right beside Kasper, and finally, providing constant musical accompaniment for the trip, Opal, the parakeet in his cage.

It was rainy, cold, and miserable as we headed out, and I really hoped the entire five hour ride to Rhode Island wasn't going to be like this, but if it was, there really wasn't a lot I could do about it. Despite the gloomy weather, I cued up Willy Nelson to serenade me with the live version of "On the Road Again" which is a longstanding tradition of mine anytime I begin a road trip. Opal, as always, was more than happy to sing right along with Willy.

I drove out of the rain and into better weather right around Littleton, NH. I was thankful for the nearly clear skies and dry roads, and was now certain I'd make my first campground well before dark with plenty of time to set up camp.

The drive for the most part was uneventful which is always a good thing when your traveling. The one thing that was confirmed during these first few hours was that I had, indeed, made the right decision to upgrade my tow vehicle from a Toyota Tacoma to a V-8 Toyota Tundra. The difference in power and ease of towing were amazing. Most of the time, it felt like the truck barely knew the trailer was there. It's always validating and a relief when you realize you've made a really good choice for yourself.

The one stop that I did have to make was just before I arrived in Delaware as I realized that both tires on my trailer were running a little on the low pressure side and causing just the tiniest bit of "sway". And trust me, even the tiniest bit is too much! It can go from a minor inconvenience to disaster in just a second. The other issue, which has been a problem since day one, is the weight distribution trailer hitch was mounted incorrectly at the dealership where I purchased the R-Pod. It was causing the trailer to ride "nose high" which is never a good thing and can also contribute to sway, uneven tire wear and more. Since I was stopping anyway, I had that addressed as well. The ride and handling now feel pretty near perfect!

Setting up at my first campsite in Rhode Island went very smoothly, although, I have to admit, I tipped the odds in my favor and changed my site choice from a back-in site to a pull through site. It would have been my first time backing into a site with the Pod and I was just too tired, and it was getting too close to dark to deal with that. I felt no shame in the fact that I wimped out and got a great site that I could just pull right into, hook up my 30 amp electric, water and sewer, and call it a day. In the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!" If you enjoy camping at all, whether you tent camp, have an RV of any type, I highly recommend Newport RV Park. It's a beautiful spot with friendly staff, both wooded and open campsites, full hook ups, a playground, laundry, and more. It's close to many popular Rhode Island destinations and beaches. The critters and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

So there it is on the photo above, the R-Pod, the tow vehicle, and the dog's outdoor fencing, which incidentally is a total life saver! It is so much easier to just open the door in the morning and let them out to do their early morning business rather than fussing with harnesses, leashes etc. That's just way too much shit to deal with before my first cup of coffee!

The Pod from hitch to rear is 22.5' long, and four feet of that is the tongue, leaving 18.5' of interior space, for a total of 216 square feet of living space. If your wondering where the additional square footage I mentioned comes from, it's from the Gazelle Gazebo when I have it set up. It has an interior footprint of 12'x12' which is a huge amount of space! I generally set up the outdoor camp kitchen in the Gazelle, as well as the propane Outland Fire Bowl The dogs raised beds and a couple of chairs go out there as well. Always bug free, warm and dry, it's the ideal outdoor living space for us!

I knew while I was still in the early phases of planning this journey with 2 dogs, a parakeet, and a rat; with their respective crates and cages, as well as all the necessary gear, and my personal belongings that every square was going to count. as well as weight and weight distribution in the truck and trailer. I invested in bins of various sizes to keep things from moving around in the overhead, and underbed storage compartments, drawers and pantry. I even put bins in the fridge to limit movement of items in there while traveling down the road. Some genius at Forest River decided that glass shelving in a mobile unit was a great idea. I humbly disagree. While they are indeed lovely and easy to clean, they are far from practical, especially when you remember that a travel trailer is exposed to the equivalent of a 3.0 earthquake the whole time it's driving down the road, and on bad roads, it's even worse!

So I do the best I can to mitigate the movement of anything I can in the R-Pod's interior. On moving day, (going from one site to another) everything is secured and made as immovable as possible. And then, you hold your breath and hope for the best, cross your fingers, and invoke all of your deities, and beseech them to grant you safe passage.

Below is a short list of my self-imposed rules and guidelines that help to keep me sane (somewhat) and all of us safe and reasonably happy-

  • Everything MUST have a place.

  • Everything must be in it's place when not in use, and be put away as soon as I'm done with it.

  • Things inside and out need to be kept clean at all times to help discourage infestation, or invasion of all types of creatures I'd just as soon not share space with!

  • Weight must always be evenly distributed, truck cab, truck bed, and trailer. If gear needs to be added, something else has to go. Bless someone else and find the displaced item a new home.

  • Be patient...with the critters, with myself, with others that I encounter and meet, and with situations as they unfold.

  • Eat well, get adequate sleep every night, (and naps, if they present themselves are always highly encouraged) stay well hydrated always.

  • Enjoy every moment of every new day, and every new place to the fullest!

  • When leaving a place, as much as is possible, Leave No Trace.

    I am learning new things every day-about myself, about the world, how to travel better and more efficiently, and about all there is yet to discover about life on this planet we all call home, and Mother.

    For now my friends, stay happy, stay blessed, stay curious, and stay grateful.