TS6 wrapup

The 6th trip south (TS6) started 5 days later than planned due to fuel line failures in the truck. It was initially planned to consist of 8 hops and 17 nights but ended up being 9 hops and 16 nights.

The numbers:

• 1703 tow miles and 2075 truck miles
• Campground costs: $1027 ($64.17 per night)
• 242 gal of diesel fuel (9.4 mpg)

Highlights:

• No truck failures. The oil pressure was high throughout but didn’t affect the truck’s performance.
• Seeing Jett’s sons, spouses and grandson in VA. Getting together with family is always a joy.
• Trip planning and navigation. Jett was not up to providing any navigation support so it was all on me. The GPS handled the route well (except as noted below) and I didn’t get lost except in minor ways.

Lowlights:

• Jett’s health. Despite getting an upbeat assessment of her cancer battle before we left Massachusetts, she continues to deteriorate physically. She had to ride in the back seat of the truck, so there was no joy in the travel, just tolerance. And because she needed so much care it reduced my ability to tour the areas where we stayed. This was particularly evident in Chesapeake VA where I had hoped to see both Jamestown and Yorktown, but saw neither. I had also hoped for two nights either in Savannah or Silver Springs but both became one-night stops as we just wanted to get her to Florida ASAP.
• The nail in the RV tire, necessitating a switch to the spare before Hop 8.
• The weather. From Pennsylvania to Florida the weather was rainy and dreary and, until we got to Georgia, cool. Not great weather for seeing any sights.
• The GPS failure north of Charleston. Despite having the latest maps loaded, the GPS totally lost its mind in South Carolina and forced me into a 3-mile detour.

So, all-in-all, a successful trip but not a joyful trip. I hate to say it but if Jett’s health doesn’t improve this may have been our last RV trip.