Sunset at Fort Clinch State Park Our year started out at Faith as we prepared for the first period Nomads team to arrive. Their project would be to resurface a large deck in the church’s central courtyard. We would only be available for their first week of work, before we moved north to spend a couple of weeks with Pat and Fred at the northernmost tip of Florida’s east coast at Fort Clinch State Park on Amelia Island. But before the 1st week was done, Dave was boarding a train north to Pennsylvania.
Sketch of deck used for supply estimates Decking Out
The courtyard deck in Faith’s central courtyard is large and . . .complex. Its surface has almost no right angles. The Nomads who would take on the project of resurfacing it would arrive just after the new year. We had placed an order for the composite boards that would be delivered the first day of the project, but knowing what lay beneath the existing boards would have to wait until the old deck had been stripped away.
The courtyard deck in Faith’s central courtyard is large and . . .complex. Its surface has almost no right angles. The Nomads who would take on the project of resurfacing it would arrive just after the new year. We had placed an order for the composite boards that would be delivered the first day of the project, but knowing what lay beneath the existing boards would have to wait until the old deck had been stripped away.
With the surface boards removed, there was good news and bad news. The good news was that most of the existing joists were in good shape. The bad news was that they were 24 inches apart. The composite decking requires joists 12 to 16 inches apart. That would mean the team needed to double the number of joists. So, we placed another order for the dozens of 2x8’s that would be needed. With this extra work a ndthe small team of workers, getting the deck done in 3 weeks would be a challenge.
Cathy stands atop a Jenga puzzle of the old deck boards in the dumpster. Where we could, we lent a hand to lighten the load. Cathy helped Bud and Charlotte haul the used boards away and carefully stack them in the dumpster. Dave helped removing the boards, and we both spent our last afternoon installing a replacement outlet box for one damaged in the process of stripping the deck. But we needed to pull out the next day, so we would have to cheer the team on from a distance, with only an occasional in-person inspection over the next 2 weeks.
Van and Truck at Fort Clinch Van Shakedown Cruise
If we were going to take longer trips in our new camper van, we needed to work out any kinks in its systems. So, when we headed up to Fort Clinch State Park, we would take the van, not the fifth wheel. Before heading out, we had some things to take care of.
Power: It’s always about the batteries right? Dave kept watching the battery monitor as the batteries slowly discharged, but the charger didn’t kick in. These were lithium Iron phosphate batteries, which have a different charging profile that he was getting to understand. But he finally became convinced that the Xantrex charger was not working correctly. He made a call to Xantrex support and after following a series of odd instructions, the charger reset and started delivering a float charge to the batteries.
If we were going to take longer trips in our new camper van, we needed to work out any kinks in its systems. So, when we headed up to Fort Clinch State Park, we would take the van, not the fifth wheel. Before heading out, we had some things to take care of.
Power: It’s always about the batteries right? Dave kept watching the battery monitor as the batteries slowly discharged, but the charger didn’t kick in. These were lithium Iron phosphate batteries, which have a different charging profile that he was getting to understand. But he finally became convinced that the Xantrex charger was not working correctly. He made a call to Xantrex support and after following a series of odd instructions, the charger reset and started delivering a float charge to the batteries.
Our new Wifi set up in the van Wifi/TV: Dave installed a router, wifi extender and TV antenna so we could use the internet, stream TV and get over the air channels.
Water: We had winterized the water tanks before traveling north for the holidays. We needed to flush the antifreeze, sanitize the tanks with bleach and flush them. Over the course of a couple of days, we filled, flushed and refilled the tanks. In the course of this process, we once again had problems with the kitchen sink draining. More borax treatments and we managed to get it flowing again.
Water: We had winterized the water tanks before traveling north for the holidays. We needed to flush the antifreeze, sanitize the tanks with bleach and flush them. Over the course of a couple of days, we filled, flushed and refilled the tanks. In the course of this process, we once again had problems with the kitchen sink draining. More borax treatments and we managed to get it flowing again.
The bike cover with lights and license plate in full view. Bikes: On our trip north, we became aware that our bike cover made it difficult to see the van’s lights. Also, it completely blocked our license plate. We found a solution in a new cover that was fitted with a clear sleeve where we could insert a copy of our license plate, and pockets for trailer lights that could be plugged into the van. The wires for the lights would be long enough to let the hitch swing out, but we needed to corral the excess when underway, which we accomplished with a strap Cathy made. And, of course, we needed a license plate, not the temporary one that had expired. After a call to the dealer, the plate was overnighted to us, arriving 3 days before we needed it to head out. Phew!
Supplies: With tools, dishes, linens, food, clothes and other supplies loaded, we felt almost ready to leave.
We did have a punch list of problems/questions that we wanted to address with the manufacturer. We were surprised when we learned we would be part of a conference call with the warranty manager, the product manager(?) and one of the builders of our Waldoch Coya. . After the call, we had some actions to take, but most would wait until we got back. It was time to cut the dock lines.
Cathy would drive the van on the hour drive to Fort Clinch, while Dave took the truck.
But she had trouble getting out of the parking lot.
After starting the van, an alarm was sounding. Probably about the seatbelt. No. Parking brake? No. There were no messages on the display. So, she tried to call Dave who was sitting in the truck 100 yards ahead waiting. But that didn’t work. Why? Because his phone had paired to the van, so every time she tried to call, the phone rang in the van. When we did connect, we fumbled for a while to figure out the reason for the alarm. Until Dave got into the passenger seat -- and it moved. We had not fully locked the swivel seat into place facing forward. Aha.
After a stop at the CAT Scale to confirm we were still underweight, we pulled into our site at Fort Clinch late on a warm, breezy afternoon. We had 2 weeks of living in the van to see what else we could learn.
Supplies: With tools, dishes, linens, food, clothes and other supplies loaded, we felt almost ready to leave.
We did have a punch list of problems/questions that we wanted to address with the manufacturer. We were surprised when we learned we would be part of a conference call with the warranty manager, the product manager(?) and one of the builders of our Waldoch Coya. . After the call, we had some actions to take, but most would wait until we got back. It was time to cut the dock lines.
Cathy would drive the van on the hour drive to Fort Clinch, while Dave took the truck.
But she had trouble getting out of the parking lot.
After starting the van, an alarm was sounding. Probably about the seatbelt. No. Parking brake? No. There were no messages on the display. So, she tried to call Dave who was sitting in the truck 100 yards ahead waiting. But that didn’t work. Why? Because his phone had paired to the van, so every time she tried to call, the phone rang in the van. When we did connect, we fumbled for a while to figure out the reason for the alarm. Until Dave got into the passenger seat -- and it moved. We had not fully locked the swivel seat into place facing forward. Aha.
After a stop at the CAT Scale to confirm we were still underweight, we pulled into our site at Fort Clinch late on a warm, breezy afternoon. We had 2 weeks of living in the van to see what else we could learn.
Dave works to steady the toilet Van Life
Actually staying in the van was giving us insights into what it needed and what worked and didn’t work. Each day, we learned a little bit more. The insulated window covers are heavy, fit badly, and need to be replaced. The water? Still tasted of antifreeze. It would need more flushing before it was drinkable. The bed? Very comfortable, but the fitted sheet kept slipping. We tried some sheet garters, but the jury is still out. Wifi? Worked well. TV antenna? Not so good. No local channels even though Pat and Fred had dozens.
The toilet? It felt very shaky and the inlet leaked when the valve was on. Dave managed to fix the shakiness with toilet shims, but the leak would have to wait. Shower? Even though we weren’t using it, the shower head dripped, getting things in the bathroom unexpectedly wet.
Actually staying in the van was giving us insights into what it needed and what worked and didn’t work. Each day, we learned a little bit more. The insulated window covers are heavy, fit badly, and need to be replaced. The water? Still tasted of antifreeze. It would need more flushing before it was drinkable. The bed? Very comfortable, but the fitted sheet kept slipping. We tried some sheet garters, but the jury is still out. Wifi? Worked well. TV antenna? Not so good. No local channels even though Pat and Fred had dozens.
The toilet? It felt very shaky and the inlet leaked when the valve was on. Dave managed to fix the shakiness with toilet shims, but the leak would have to wait. Shower? Even though we weren’t using it, the shower head dripped, getting things in the bathroom unexpectedly wet.
Some of our hooks were deployed to hang a shelf in the bathroom. And we needed places to hang things. We put some shower curtain rods inside the shower to hold towels, and Command hooks on the walls to hold shower bags and Dave’s hat. We had a smoke detector, but no CO detector, so we replaced the existing one with a combined smoke/CO detector.
There were other discoveries. How many heaters does it take to keep the van warm on a 28 degree night? Two. How to keep sand out of your van in a beach campsite? A Boot scraper mat. To cook on the table and not the tiny sink top? A short extension cord. Refrigeration? The door fridge has more space than one would think. And the max temp setting would freeze things. There’s a lot more to learn, but we appreciated the time to get know this new “Jr”.
There were other discoveries. How many heaters does it take to keep the van warm on a 28 degree night? Two. How to keep sand out of your van in a beach campsite? A Boot scraper mat. To cook on the table and not the tiny sink top? A short extension cord. Refrigeration? The door fridge has more space than one would think. And the max temp setting would freeze things. There’s a lot more to learn, but we appreciated the time to get know this new “Jr”.
Fort Clinch on the St. Mary's inlet Fort Clinch State Park on Amelia Island
Our plan had been to spend much of our time at Fort Clinch riding the scenic bike trails in the park and around the island. And we did some of that. But a few things got in our way. The first was the wind. Being at the northern tip of a barrier island, when it was fair weather, the breeze was pleasant and cooling. But when the temperatures dipped low, the wind could howl and make the cold feel much colder. It was hard to get excited about biking into a biting wind.
Our plan had been to spend much of our time at Fort Clinch riding the scenic bike trails in the park and around the island. And we did some of that. But a few things got in our way. The first was the wind. Being at the northern tip of a barrier island, when it was fair weather, the breeze was pleasant and cooling. But when the temperatures dipped low, the wind could howl and make the cold feel much colder. It was hard to get excited about biking into a biting wind.
Sunset over Fort Clinch beach campground. Then, Dave got a call from his mom’s estate attorney. As executor, he needed to present himself in person before the court in Pennsylvania. That meant he would be gone for much of our 2nd week at the park. We needed to make arrangements for a train trip to send him north, and ensure Cathy understood the van systems well enough to be on her own for several days. While he was away, while the winds howled, Cathy, Pat and Fred took refuge one afternoon in the history museum on the island which was in the old jail. We had an informative tour of the museum by a volunteer docent during our visit.
Georgia Smoke Pork BBQ Sandwich Parting Shot
We found an amazing BBQ place in Fernandina near the state park. It was Georgia Smoke. We had more than one meal there during our stay.
We found an amazing BBQ place in Fernandina near the state park. It was Georgia Smoke. We had more than one meal there during our stay.
