After taking delivery of our Phaeton from Vogt RV in Fort Worth, TX we decided we would go about 25 miles to a small campground between Dallas and Fort Worth and spend our first night. Well, the trip was interesting to say the least. This was the first time I had driven a 40ft RV any distance and the route we had planned was one of the most tore-up routes in the metro area, and it was five pm. We did make it without any problems however, I probably caused a few drivers to lose their cool due to my rookie status. The dealer should have painted my rear bumper yellow like they do in NASCAR.
We spent a few days in the metro area packing our things into the RV. We planned our trip from Texas to South Dakota via Colorado so we could stop and visit friends and family along the way. Our kitty's, Thelma and Louise, were given a few days to get used to the RV while we continued to load up.
We were finally ready to go. All I had to do was re-audit the lighting in ten movie theaters located in small towns surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We decided to use the RV to travel to these towns so I could complete the audits. It turned out to be a nice delay as we where able to take our time, travel slow on mostly secondary roads, outside the metro area and get used to the way the RV handled.
When we were done we left for Pueblo, CO via Midland, TX. We traveled mainly interstate and had a pleasant trip out to Colorado. During the last two years I have averaged 1000 miles a week in my Expedition. Driving the RV is a much more relaxing experience. I travel much slower and more relaxed. If I get bored or the least bit tired I stop. I'm going to love this lifestyle.
We stopped in Pueblo, CO to visit Joan's Aunt Jan and her husband Roy. Since we where only going to be in town a few hours we met them in a Walmart parking lot. They were very surprised to see how much space we had when we put the jacks down and opened all four slides. After a nice lunch we departed for Denver to visit Joan's nephew, sister and father.
For a city the size of Denver there are very few RV parks. We ended up staying at one that was alright in a pinch but I would not go out of my way to stay there again. The two days visiting passed much to quickly but we had to get up to South Dakota to sign papers for the sale of our home.
While passing through Wyoming we experienced the strongest winds we had felt since getting the RV. I can't say it was a pleasure to drive with a broadside 30 mph wind but it was manageable. It's not something I would want to do for an entire day.
While in Rapid City we where busy with visits, errands and a trip to the Freightliner dealer for an oil level problem. After coming over Raton pass in New Mexico we noticed quite allot of oil spray on the front of our Jeep toad. When I checked the oil level the next morning it appeared to be about an inch and a half over full. It was hard to tell so I kept an eye on it each morning. Once in Rapid City we scheduled an appointment and had the dealer change the oil and check the marks on the dipstick. It turned out to be mis-marked and after talking with CAT they re-marked the correct levels. They also had the oil sent out to be tested. The results did not show any problems. $154.00 worth of piece of mind.
Our return trip to Texas was very nice and uneventful.
We have now been living in our Phaeton for five weeks and are loving it.