Our daughter is a Veterinarian in AZ, if you do travel with pets please make sure you have a copy of your pet’s vaccinations. When we traveled from AZ to Fl and FL to DC with Ira our African Gray we made sure to get a health statement from his vet stating the health and wellness of Ira! Since parrots are considered exotics we wanted to make sure there would be no issues. Granted it was “easier” for us on these trips since we were staying in hotels & Airbnb’s. Ira and I had many lunches on the front porches of CrackerBarrel’s to the amusement of guests and staff! But he is a delight travel and enjoyed the breakfast buffets in the room like a risk star! Peace and happiness!
Really enjoy your videos show casing van life in general and then the main reason for it, for so many of us, the outdoor adventures. Please keep up the beautiful hiking videos as well, just great! And congratulations a 16 mile day hike is a big accomplishment, a beer and shower well earned!
John Havens thank you and we agree the beer and shower well earned. Mt Frosty is one of our favorite trips and we hadn’t been there for a few years. It was a perfect day, sunny, but not hot! Appreciated the comments!
Thanks to you (3) for all of your great videos and insights about your Roadtreking experiences. You were inspirational in our decision to purchase the same rig you have! We've been watching since those first snowy videos in January and have enjoyed "traveling" with you all summer too! Take good care, Denise & Mike
Michael G. Soriano, AIA thank you so much! And that is great news that you also bought a Zion, perhaps one day we can we can all sit around a campfire and share adventures🚐🏔🌲🐾🥂. And now you know some of the great spots out this way.
Thank you for a very informative and entertaining video. In the Class B research stage right now and your real-life assessments and opinions are greatly appreciated! The Zion is definitely on the short list of candidates. Keep the vids coming...thank you!
Great video, thanks for all the info. I would like to try a class B some day. Camping in a travel trailer for now with a dog. Love that your cat goes with you guys.
Great video. RV’ing is a great way to travel with your pets. I appreciate the hikes that are featured as we have stayed in some of the same areas and were not aware of these great hikes. Keep up the video’s and enjoy the travel adventures.
Chris P thank you and glad you enjoy them. The Mt. Frosty hike at the end of the video is one of our favorites and you could make the trip 4K shorter by simply driving to the trailhead, but we enjoyed the hike from the campsite as well (we were at Lighting Lakes campsite this time which has a number of trails right there).
Thanks for an informative video. It's always nice to get confirmation to one's already acquired impressions. With my Simplicity I have the same grey tank issues.
Marc Dsh you are very welcome. Our dealer ordered a venting kit and we are hopeful it will help. Not a huge issue for us, just have to empty the gray tank a bit more often.
Love your respect for animals. They do become part of the family! Ira our African Gray Parrot is out only grandson. He has his own spirit and temperament that one must respect. Once we buy our Roadtrek he will be on the road with us! That cockpit center table or one of the lside rear window will be his vantage point in his larger travel cage! Although he has a nice travel backpack with stainless steel window panels, I am sure It will have to the screening replaced at some point! The boy has a beak! He loves demolition! In fact he has been potty trained to use a wicker basket with an attached cholla wood perch! Every 2 weeks we have to replace it since he turns it into kindling. Love that beak! I am considering get a second smaller Aluminum cage (10#) and trying to find a light weight rigid backpack frame and lashing him to the frame for short walk abouts. We actually use a wheelchair and place his bigger travel cage for walks in the neighborhood when it’s not too hot. The “flock walk” makes quite a sight! It is fitting since his one foot has some damage most likely from birth since he is a “re-home” ! Love you posts. The best of health and happiness to you
Thank you for the comment and sharing the story of the “flock walk”! We have seen many folks travel with dogs, some with cats (even hiking), but never yet a parrot, though we discussed that option once too. Be safe and be well! And good luck on your van search! 🚐
@@hikenrv Parrots require an great deal of stimulation and enrichment. African Grays have the intelligence of 5/6 year old. Once bonded can be very affectionate though he can be raptor. Literally he will let me head scratch/rub home for an long periods 20+minutes. To keep him engaged my wife reads children’s board books and we have repurposed old iPad and Surface tablets with preschool games! Once we get too old to care for him my daughter who has graduated and is in practice now will once again care for him! But for now Ira is the grandson! He and I love to sit on the screen porch watch the birds! Regards
I have enjoyed all your videos and love seeing where you guys hike. Thanks for converting to US miles. When we go to Canada I change my odometer reading so I won’t speed.lol. Also love the fact that you thought of your cat when purchasing a van. I have two cats I have rescued and I would not travel without them so you answered a lot of questions and I also have a dog but I can take him with me on hikes unless if I am in a National Park. Where do you put the litter box?
Wanda Willoughby thank you for your comments and glad you enjoy the videos! 🚐 Yes Precious does tend to set the agenda, but she is part of the family! The litter box is actually in the bathroom, fits well and if we need to shower (we generally use the facilities at campgrounds) we simply remove and place nearby until we are finished. It works well. Just to note, most national parks here allow dogs on trails, though usually need to be on leash. Same with most BC provincial parks, though not all, but most. It is usually where we get to visit and play with a number of dogs..love that part too!
Hike'n RV thank you. We fish in Ontario each year and look forward to it each year but the animals do. It accompany us. Someday I hope to be able to travel more in Canada.
Wanda Willoughby and we should have noted that we can leave the bathroom door open enough that it doesn’t get in our way generally, but allows Precious access when needed. And if you can, visit the west as well 🌲🏔🌊
Excellent video! Once again, very informative about the RT and nice editing too. We have a 15 year old Yorkie, I understand your concerns. Is the gray tank fix for the airlock issue? Hope the fix works. I kinda wish RT would combine the Zion's gray and black tanks like in the Carado Banff to give you ~ 33 gallon holding tank. Like you say, if you're staying in a campground with shower houses or pit toilets, you can use those facilities thus saving your 33 gals to use as you need most. Beautiful scenery at the end and loved the ridge music!
Fly Fish we love Yorkies! Yes, I believe the gray tank is an airlock issue since the dealer has ordered a vent kit to resolve. Npt really a problem for us, just means we dump tanks a bit more often, but that is very easy and fast to do - you just don’t want to be at a Sami station around check out time in one of the parks...could be a half hour wait. The ridge music was amazing and completely unexpected...a first for us in our decades in the mountains. Thanks again for your comments and hoping your summer has gone well!
Thank you. In our case, Precious seemed to enjoy traveling with us...perhaps because we ended up spending more time close to her. Our only really challenge was to ensure we kept the temperature in the van OK; ensuring we didn’t leave her in a closed van if hot out and keeping it warm enough for her if cold out(she was over 20 when we first got the van). Litter box was kept in the washroom and we always had that door open for her when stopped. We also would normally only drive for 90 minutes or so, and then stop for a quick break for all of us. She never had a lot of interest in going outside, and the screen door made that easy to control. Worked well for us and we still miss her on our trips!
Your cat is 22! Good job; obviously you give her good care. Had you looked at other class b vans before choosing what you did, and would you mind saying why you chose what you did?
Joseph Henry Long thank you, but we often think it is Precious who runs things! We touch on other vans we considered near the end of our 6 week review of our van video, but in short we narrowed our choices to the 2018 Travato G, the Hymer ACtiv and the Zion (or Zion SRT). The Zion seemed to best fit our needs, but all were likely good choices. We also liked the Pleasureway Promaster version (Lexor?). Main features for us were the 6 year warranty and the technology...lithium batteries, Voltstart, Underwood generator.
Hi Guys, Thank you for this and all your other videos. I is hard to find camper van class B folks who are Canadian and know how little we have in the way free government land to camp on. I am in Ontario and it is even worse here -- south of Sudbury and down into South Western Ontario. I am looking to get a smaller class B -- the Hymer Carado Axion which is only 17 feet long. My primary reason is so I can come back to Toronto frequently to visit my friends and have my 2 adult indoor cats with me. This way my two puds and I will be self contained in the Axion with the Eco Trek 400 lithium battery and the under the hood generator to help keep cool or warm on these weekend visits. Another reason for getting the little Axion is that I can again take my puds up north to the family cottage for a couple weeks and have control of the heating or cooling needed. These hot summers have limited my enjoyment of the place without air conditioning. The small van will be my only vehicle and should park nicely in any surface parking lot and I think in any covered parking garage with height limits of 9.5 feet or more. Thanks again
Mary Jane Pender thank you and glad you enjoyed! The slightly smaller van sounds like a perfect fit for your needs. We just returned today from a trip and did note a few spots that should work well for the odd boondocking adventure. We don’t have to use AC often here if we are able to keep the van in the shade and not let it warm up to much through the day. The AC is loud, but works well.
I would really train your cat with a halter and leash, I put the halter on for just five minutes to start with, and lengthen the time each time, for a about a week, the introduce the leash. I would be to scared to just let her go out in a strange area each time, as you never know that some sort of noise or even smell might frighten her and she would be off, even though you say she is slow, the right smell etc., she just might act differently. Some rv'ers have lost their cats and they haven't come back. But it is your decisions to make...? Love the rv, would love one myself.
PJ D thanks for the comments and some very good points. We never leave her more than a few inches or so from us, but your idea of graduated training would be the safest and probably give her a little more time outside. Appreciated!
Winfield Sam we have seen bears on a few trips, sometimes quite close, but never had an issue. Our advice,; be bear aware, make noise especially if there is not a lot of open space, always good to travel in a group of 4 or more if you can (we don’t often, but a good idea) and try to a keep a good distance between any you see, try to look big (pack over your head sort of thing) and walk away (don’t run). We don’t carry bear spray, but likely would if we were often in areas with grizzlies.
Short answer...loud! Loud enough when running that it would certainly wake someone up, but we find it bearable. You can find a water pump silencing kit on Amazon, that will help and not too expensive. We considered it, but as part timers we didn’t feel we needed it. Still, would be nice. It adds some additional tubing so as to reduce the vibrations. We use the water heater infrequently but it does work OK. We find two things...it can take a while before the water is hot and we do note that the temp will cool a bit every few minutes for a few seconds while running. Appreciate the questions!
Hi Gordon and Miki (and Precious) - My husband and I really enjoy your videos. It is very educational too. We live in Ohio and plan to start traveling part-time when my husband retires in a few years. I am a teacher and will not retire for several years after him. We will have the advantage of traveling in the summers. My question would be directed to the "hike" side of Hike'n RV. I am concerned about bear, snakes, and bobcats especially since we have two dogs that would join us. My husband, of course, said I shouldn't be too concerned as long as we make a lot of noise. He has always taken short walks/hikes near our home at state parks. Is there any advice you could offer me to soothe my fears? Thank you for all your time!
Stephanie Mihelich thank you for your comment and we love to share our hiking experiences 🏔🌲. We have been active and outdoors for years and truly have never had an issue. More often the wildlife wants to avoid you. Your husband is correct; make some noise, especially if an area where wildlife can’t see you (bushy trails etc) and just be conscious of where you are. Statistics are in your favor. Note we often carry a small air horn, but have never needed to use it. We always avoid bringing foods that might attract bears or other animals, and show them respect. Rarely bring bear spray unless In a remote areas that also may have a Grizzly population And when we do run into bears, we move away slowly and deliberately. Dogs and their barking may work well, but best to be sure they are on leash If in an area with lots of wildlife. Also minimizes the likelihood of the dog bringing back a bear to you! Usually just the two of us, though i (Gordon) do some solo trips on occasion, but groups of 4 or more are even safer. Start with some short trips in areas you know and soon your comfort level will grow. 🚐.
Hello, new subscriber here😁 and I have a question more for Micki, but Gordon’s feedback is appreciated too. Mickie would you feel comfortable taking your Zion on a trip alone or with a teenage child? My husband’s job does not always allow for him to take more extended trips and I’ve been specifically looking at Class Bs for convenience and level of comfort driving, parking, etc. Thank you!
Peri Winkle thank you for the question! I haven't taken the Zion out for a trip on my own yet, but yes, I know I would feel comfortable when the time comes. My main concern would be driving and parking the rig, since Gordon does all the driving on our trips. I have however brought the Zion in to our dealer a few times so the practice helps. Once you get used to the size, it's a very easy vehicle to drive. I would probably start with short trips that are close to home to build my confidence for longer trips. Good luck with your search, and keep us posted on which Class B you decide on.
Thanks for the comments/questions. Less about distance and more about elevation gained! Though this was not too bad either way. If memory serves we were out about 7 hrs. As for ages; one of us is early 60’s, the other mid fifties and one of us 22. You get to guess who fits with what😊
Our daughter is a Veterinarian in AZ, if you do travel with pets please make sure you have a copy of your pet’s vaccinations. When we traveled from AZ to Fl and FL to DC with Ira our African Gray we made sure to get a health statement from his vet stating the health and wellness of Ira! Since parrots are considered exotics we wanted to make sure there would be no issues.
Granted it was “easier” for us on these trips since we were staying in hotels & Airbnb’s. Ira and I had many lunches on the front porches of CrackerBarrel’s to the amusement of guests and staff! But he is a delight travel and enjoyed the breakfast buffets in the room like a risk star!
Peace and happiness!
Great advice! And we have yet to visit a Crackerbarrell (don’t think we have in CDA), but look forward to it!
Really enjoy your videos show casing van life in general and then the main reason for it, for so many of us, the outdoor adventures. Please keep up the beautiful hiking videos as well, just great! And congratulations a 16 mile day hike is a big accomplishment, a beer and shower well earned!
John Havens thank you and we agree the beer and shower well earned. Mt Frosty is one of our favorite trips and we hadn’t been there for a few years. It was a perfect day, sunny, but not hot! Appreciated the comments!
Thanks to you (3) for all of your great videos and insights about your Roadtreking experiences. You were inspirational in our decision to purchase the same rig you have! We've been watching since those first snowy videos in January and have enjoyed "traveling" with you all summer too! Take good care, Denise & Mike
Michael G. Soriano, AIA thank you so much! And that is great news that you also bought a Zion, perhaps one day we can we can all sit around a campfire and share adventures🚐🏔🌲🐾🥂. And now you know some of the great spots out this way.
Yes! 👍
Thank you for a very informative and entertaining video. In the Class B research stage right now and your real-life assessments and opinions are greatly appreciated!
The Zion is definitely on the short list of candidates.
Keep the vids coming...thank you!
Michael Yin, glad it was helpful. Thanks for your comments and enjoy the shopping!
Love the videos of your hikes. We are so fortunate in western Canada to have such beauty close to home. Happy kitty! Cheers from Calgary! D
Dee Stephenson so glad you enjoy and yes, western Canada has so many great areas. And looking to visit Alberta soon!
Thanks for posting such informative videos. We are considering the purchase of a Roadtrek and you have helped convince us of the choice. Happy RVing.
Cracking video with very useful information- good luck with future adventures .
Adrian Hockey thank you and glad it was helpful!
Great video, thanks for all the info. I would like to try a class B some day. Camping in a travel trailer for now with a dog. Love that your cat goes with you guys.
swamp dawg thank you. Traveling in a trailer with your dog sounds pretty good to us!
Great video. RV’ing is a great way to travel with your pets. I appreciate the hikes that are featured as we have stayed in some of the same areas and were not aware of these great hikes. Keep up the video’s and enjoy the travel adventures.
Chris P thank you and glad you enjoy them. The Mt. Frosty hike at the end of the video is one of our favorites and you could make the trip 4K shorter by simply driving to the trailhead, but we enjoyed the hike from the campsite as well (we were at Lighting Lakes campsite this time which has a number of trails right there).
Thanks for an informative video. It's always nice to get confirmation to one's already acquired impressions. With my Simplicity I have the same grey tank issues.
Marc Dsh you are very welcome. Our dealer ordered a venting kit and we are hopeful it will help. Not a huge issue for us, just have to empty the gray tank a bit more often.
Thanks for sharing your thought process and experiences with the Zion.
Ryan Birr most welcome and hoping that it was helpful.
Thanks for another very cool and informative video guys love the class b RV 😊 have fun and safe travels 👍😎🚌🍹🍷🌲🐈
Tom Austin thanks again for comments and all the emojis!
Love your respect for animals. They do become part of the family! Ira our African Gray Parrot is out only grandson. He has his own spirit and temperament that one must respect. Once we buy our Roadtrek he will be on the road with us! That cockpit center table or one of the lside rear window will be his vantage point in his larger travel cage!
Although he has a nice travel backpack with stainless steel window panels, I am sure It will have to the screening replaced at some point! The boy has a beak! He loves demolition! In fact he has been potty trained to use a wicker basket with an attached cholla wood perch! Every 2 weeks we have to replace it since he turns it into kindling. Love that beak!
I am considering get a second smaller Aluminum cage (10#) and trying to find a light weight rigid backpack frame and lashing him to the frame for short walk abouts.
We actually use a wheelchair and place his bigger travel cage for walks in the neighborhood when it’s not too hot. The “flock walk” makes quite a sight! It is fitting since his one foot has some damage most likely from birth since he is a “re-home” !
Love you posts. The best of health and happiness to you
Thank you for the comment and sharing the story of the “flock walk”! We have seen many folks travel with dogs, some with cats (even hiking), but never yet a parrot, though we discussed that option once too. Be safe and be well! And good luck on your van search! 🚐
@@hikenrv Parrots require an great deal of stimulation and enrichment. African Grays have the intelligence of 5/6 year old. Once bonded can be very affectionate though he can be raptor. Literally he will let me head scratch/rub home for an long periods 20+minutes. To keep him engaged my wife reads children’s board books and we have repurposed old iPad and Surface tablets with preschool games! Once we get too old to care for him my daughter who has graduated and is in practice now will once again care for him! But for now Ira is the grandson! He and I love to sit on the screen porch watch the birds! Regards
I really loved your video and information. I have been wondering how the reality of traveling works, especially with a fur-baby
I have enjoyed all your videos and love seeing where you guys hike. Thanks for converting to US miles. When we go to Canada I change my odometer reading so I won’t speed.lol. Also love the fact that you thought of your cat when purchasing a van. I have two cats I have rescued and I would not travel without them so you answered a lot of questions and I also have a dog but I can take him with me on hikes unless if I am in a National Park. Where do you put the litter box?
Wanda Willoughby thank you for your comments and glad you enjoy the videos! 🚐 Yes Precious does tend to set the agenda, but she is part of the family! The litter box is actually in the bathroom, fits well and if we need to shower (we generally use the facilities at campgrounds) we simply remove and place nearby until we are finished. It works well. Just to note, most national parks here allow dogs on trails, though usually need to be on leash. Same with most BC provincial parks, though not all, but most. It is usually where we get to visit and play with a number of dogs..love that part too!
Hike'n RV thank you. We fish in Ontario each year and look forward to it each year but the animals do. It accompany us. Someday I hope to be able to travel more in Canada.
Wanda Willoughby and we should have noted that we can leave the bathroom door open enough that it doesn’t get in our way generally, but allows Precious access when needed. And if you can, visit the west as well 🌲🏔🌊
😊
Excellent video! Once again, very informative about the RT and nice editing too. We have a 15 year old Yorkie, I understand your concerns. Is the gray tank fix for the airlock issue? Hope the fix works. I kinda wish RT would combine the Zion's gray and black tanks like in the Carado Banff to give you ~ 33 gallon holding tank. Like you say, if you're staying in a campground with shower houses or pit toilets, you can use those facilities thus saving your 33 gals to use as you need most. Beautiful scenery at the end and loved the ridge music!
Fly Fish we love Yorkies! Yes, I believe the gray tank is an airlock issue since the dealer has ordered a vent kit to resolve. Npt really a problem for us, just means we dump tanks a bit more often, but that is very easy and fast to do - you just don’t want to be at a Sami station around check out time in one of the parks...could be a half hour wait. The ridge music was amazing and completely unexpected...a first for us in our decades in the mountains. Thanks again for your comments and hoping your summer has gone well!
Thanks, our summer has been fun. From your videos I'd say yours has too! Looking forward to more vids with some possible boondocking:)
Really liked your video. I have been wondering about how to travel with my beloved fur-baby
Thank you. In our case, Precious seemed to enjoy traveling with us...perhaps because we ended up spending more time close to her. Our only really challenge was to ensure we kept the temperature in the van OK; ensuring we didn’t leave her in a closed van if hot out and keeping it warm enough for her if cold out(she was over 20 when we first got the van). Litter box was kept in the washroom and we always had that door open for her when stopped. We also would normally only drive for 90 minutes or so, and then stop for a quick break for all of us. She never had a lot of interest in going outside, and the screen door made that easy to control. Worked well for us and we still miss her on our trips!
Your cat is 22! Good job; obviously you give her good care. Had you looked at other class b vans before choosing what you did, and would you mind saying why you chose what you did?
Joseph Henry Long thank you, but we often think it is Precious who runs things! We touch on other vans we considered near the end of our 6 week review of our van video, but in short we narrowed our choices to the 2018 Travato G, the Hymer ACtiv and the Zion (or Zion SRT). The Zion seemed to best fit our needs, but all were likely good choices. We also liked the Pleasureway Promaster version (Lexor?). Main features for us were the 6 year warranty and the technology...lithium batteries, Voltstart, Underwood generator.
Hi Guys, Thank you for this and all your other videos. I is hard to find camper van class B folks who are Canadian and know how little we have in the way free government land to camp on. I am in Ontario and it is even worse here -- south of Sudbury and down into South Western Ontario. I am looking to get a smaller class B -- the Hymer Carado Axion which is only 17 feet long. My primary reason is so I can come back to Toronto frequently to visit my friends and have my 2 adult indoor cats with me. This way my two puds and I will be self contained in the Axion with the Eco Trek 400 lithium battery and the under the hood generator to help keep cool or warm on these weekend visits. Another reason for getting the little Axion is that I can again take my puds up north to the family cottage for a couple weeks and have control of the heating or cooling needed. These hot summers have limited my enjoyment of the place without air conditioning. The small van will be my only vehicle and should park nicely in any surface parking lot and I think in any covered parking garage with height limits of 9.5 feet or more. Thanks again
Mary Jane Pender thank you and glad you enjoyed! The slightly smaller van sounds like a perfect fit for your needs. We just returned today from a trip and did note a few spots that should work well for the odd boondocking adventure. We don’t have to use AC often here if we are able to keep the van in the shade and not let it warm up to much through the day. The AC is loud, but works well.
I would really train your cat with a halter and leash, I put the halter on for just five minutes to start with, and lengthen the time each time, for a about a week, the introduce the leash.
I would be to scared to just let her go out in a strange area each time, as you never know that some sort of noise or even smell might frighten her and she would be off, even though you say she is slow, the right smell etc., she just might act differently.
Some rv'ers have lost their cats and they haven't come back. But it is your decisions to make...?
Love the rv, would love one myself.
PJ D thanks for the comments and some very good points. We never leave her more than a few inches or so from us, but your idea of graduated training would be the safest and probably give her a little more time outside. Appreciated!
Excellent video on newbie concerns. Can you share your experience with bear encounters and how you have navigated such encounters, during your hikes.
Winfield Sam we have seen bears on a few trips, sometimes quite close, but never had an issue. Our advice,; be bear aware, make noise especially if there is not a lot of open space, always good to travel in a group of 4 or more if you can (we don’t often, but a good idea) and try to a keep a good distance between any you see, try to look big (pack over your head sort of thing) and walk away (don’t run). We don’t carry bear spray, but likely would if we were often in areas with grizzlies.
Love your Vids!
Allan Kawakami thank you! We love sharing. And Mt Frosty at the end was a hike we hadn’t done for a few years, so nice to get back there as well!
Kitty looks great!
michelle schweizer thank you...doing well for 22 and a half. Best of the season! 🎄 🚐
How noisy is your water pump? Ways to quiet it? Also has your on-demand water heater been working well and consistently? Ours functions erratically.
Short answer...loud! Loud enough when running that it would certainly wake someone up, but we find it bearable. You can find a water pump silencing kit on Amazon, that will help and not too expensive. We considered it, but as part timers we didn’t feel we needed it. Still, would be nice. It adds some additional tubing so as to reduce the vibrations. We use the water heater infrequently but it does work OK. We find two things...it can take a while before the water is hot and we do note that the temp will cool a bit every few minutes for a few seconds while running. Appreciate the questions!
New subscriber! From Houston Tx
Maria Vicinaiz thanks for subscribing and hope you enjoy our scenery!
@@hikenrv I'm sure I will I'm not able to travel now I'm caring for my 90 year old mother so it'll be a while probably
Maria Vicinaiz it must be challenging looking after an elderly parent and we wish you both all the best.
Me too new subscriber from Houston Texas
@@hikenrv me too just got here recently discovered your amazing channel I'm going to buy a 2019 roadtrek Zion SRT
Hi Gordon and Miki (and Precious) - My husband and I really enjoy your videos. It is very educational too. We live in Ohio and plan to start traveling part-time when my husband retires in a few years. I am a teacher and will not retire for several years after him. We will have the advantage of traveling in the summers. My question would be directed to the "hike" side of Hike'n RV. I am concerned about bear, snakes, and bobcats especially since we have two dogs that would join us. My husband, of course, said I shouldn't be too concerned as long as we make a lot of noise. He has always taken short walks/hikes near our home at state parks. Is there any advice you could offer me to soothe my fears? Thank you for all your time!
Stephanie Mihelich thank you for your comment and we love to share our hiking experiences 🏔🌲. We have been active and outdoors for years and truly have never had an issue. More often the wildlife wants to avoid you.
Your husband is correct; make some noise, especially if an area where wildlife can’t see you (bushy trails etc) and just be conscious of where you are. Statistics are in your favor. Note we often carry a small air horn, but have never needed to use it. We always avoid bringing foods that might attract bears or other animals, and show them respect. Rarely bring bear spray unless In a remote areas that also may have a Grizzly population And when we do run into bears, we move away slowly and deliberately. Dogs and their barking may work well, but best to be sure they are on leash If in an area with lots of wildlife. Also minimizes the likelihood of the dog bringing back a bear to you! Usually just the two of us, though i (Gordon) do some solo trips on occasion, but groups of 4 or more are even safer. Start with some short trips in areas you know and soon your comfort level will grow. 🚐.
Hello, new subscriber here😁 and I have a question more for Micki, but Gordon’s feedback is appreciated too. Mickie would you feel comfortable taking your Zion on a trip alone or with a teenage child? My husband’s job does not always allow for him to take more extended trips and I’ve been specifically looking at Class Bs for convenience and level of comfort driving, parking, etc. Thank you!
Peri Winkle thank you for the question! I haven't taken the Zion out for a trip on my own yet, but yes, I know I would feel comfortable when the time comes. My main concern would be driving and parking the rig, since Gordon does all the driving on our trips. I have however brought the Zion in to our dealer a few times so the practice helps. Once you get used to the size, it's a very easy vehicle to drive. I would probably start with short trips that are close to home to build my confidence for longer trips. Good luck with your search, and keep us posted on which Class B you decide on.
Precious!! 🐱💗
Yuko Hirahara that says it all!
Holy smokes 16 miles! How long did that take you? May I ask your ages. What ever your ages that is quite a feat👍.
Thanks for the comments/questions. Less about distance and more about elevation gained! Though this was not too bad either way. If memory serves we were out about 7 hrs. As for ages; one of us is early 60’s, the other mid fifties and one of us 22. You get to guess who fits with what😊
liked
added ya subscription
masshole vanlife thank you and hope you enjoy!