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The Winnebago Minnie-Winnie Experience

Dec 122009

RV number 2 is this cherry 1988 20′ Winnebago Minnie-Winnie. OK, really it is number 3 but I’m not including the pop-up I had for a couple of years back in 2000 or so. 5 cold and rainy weekends in the Teardrop convinced me I wanted something more comfortable and I came across this really nice Minnie at a local dealer. It was super clean inside, everything worked and needed very little work.

In the few months I owned it I got a lot of use out of it. I did a few camping trips to Cold Brook Park located about 25 miles from my house. I also used to tailgate at the Notre Dame / Michigan State football game and took a week long trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to see the fall colors (See pictures of my U.P. trip ). It really served me well and I enjoyed it, never would have done most of these trips without it.

Camping in a Teardrop Trailer

RV Equipment No Responses »

Dec 122009

My first real RV that I started to use was a Little Guy Teardrop trailer purchased in the winter of 2008. It was perfect for towing behind my Honda Element and was different enough to draw attention. One of my hobbies is RC car racing and I run a web site, HobbyTalk, that is a discussion forum for RC, Die Cast, Models and Slot Cars. It was a perfect advertising venue for my web site and also served as a great pit trailer when racing.

I did a few modifications to the Teardrop by adding 3 stage battery charger, running 110 volt electric, adding an XM radio system and a separate 12v DC power supply so I could charge my RC car batteries off of the AC. It worked great as a pit vehicle but I found some faults when using it for camping. I have a few photos camping using the Teardrop in the Camping 2009 photo album.

A Bit of History: My Time in Yellowstone National Park

RV Destinations No Responses »

Dec 122009

Might be best to start with a bit of history to see what got me on this path to adventure.

In 2006 I lost the love of my life. After she passed away unexpectedly I was devastated, I was lost. To help heal and hopefully find my way I took a job with Xanterra working at Yellowstone National Park. My job was to be a carpet cleaner in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

Of course things did not go as planned. 4 days after arriving I broke my foot playing volleyball. After a week they placed me in reservations…… I hated it. After 8 weeks in a cast, the doctor in Bozemen wanted operate on my foot to pin the broken 5th metatarsal bone. I decided to pass and headed back home to Michigan to get it taken care of.

But all was not lost. The 9 weeks spent in YNP started me on the path I am on today. I discovered the real wonders of the outdoors. The mountains, the rivers, the trees, the wildlife. The cast on my foot limited me to only scratching the surface of what was out there, but it had me hooked. I knew I had to experience more once I was healed and now I am in a time and place where I can do that.