Author: David

F.D. Roosevelt State Park

We stayed at F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Another nice state park, though a little tight for a big rig.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2024-03-17
  • Check out: 2024-03-24
  • 7 nights

Weather:

  • Partly cloudy; a couple days with some rain
  • High temps ranging between 59-70°F, lows around 30-50°F
  • Some wind, gusts to 29 MPH

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train noise
  • Negligible neighbor noise

Site:

  • #104, pull-through, gravel
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
  • Fairly level, a little high on the driver side; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 75 feet long by about 15 feet wide
  • Slope to driver-side site 20 feet wide
  • Grass and trees on passenger side about 75 feet wide
  • Picnic table and fire pit on 20×10 feet gravel patio
  • Clean site

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, somewhat conveniently located
  • 40 PSI water, somewhat conveniently located
  • Good sewer connection, somewhat inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • Starlink: 6-9 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up, 60 ms ping
  • T-Mobile: 10 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, 50-120 ms ping
  • Verizon: 15-25 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
  • AT&T: 30 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 30 ms ping
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpsters
  • Trading post
  • Lake
  • Park

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Nice park, a little tight for big rigs

Very few sites here are FHU, but they all have lovely views of the lake in one form or another. The roads into and around the campground are a bit narrow and windy to drive a big rig around comfortably, but if you take your time and pay attention it’s manageable. Lots of nice trails around the park for hiking and boat rentals are available at the lake. Nice camp store at the main building where you check in and a convenient trading post in the campground itself, where you can get snacks, bait, firewood, etc. In the spring, the pollen is positively ridiculous, turning every internal and external surface bright yellow. If you’re sensitive to such things, bring your meds. We camped at F. D. Roosevelt State Park in a Motorhome. 

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

There was tree pollen everywhere; here’s some on our truck:

Pollen on truck

We used our griddle:

Griddle

The visitor center; we went straight to our site, then drove our truck back to check in, since their parking lot is too small for our coach and toad:

Visitor center

Park info sign:

Park info sign

Visitor center:

Visitor center

This site, #113, would probably be my preference if we were to stay here again:

Other sites

Other sites

It has a nice private patio overlooking the lake, down a couple of steps:

Other sites

Another Tiffin Allegro Bus:

Another Tiffin Allegro Bus

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Playground:

Playground

Tent sites:

Tent sites

Tent sites

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

Shelter:

Shelter

Shelter

Little free library:

Little free library

Goose:

Goose

Lake:

Lake

Trading Post:

Trading Post

Trading Post

The nearby Liberty Bell Pool:

Liberty Bell Pool

Liberty Bell Pool

Liberty Bell Pool

A narrow exit road:

Narrow exit road

Travel from Adel to Pine Mountain, Georgia

We drove our coach 191 miles, about four hours of driving, from Adel, Georgia to Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northwest:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops marked:

Departing the state park:

Departing

A stop to take out some garbage:

Garbage stop

Bye lake:

Lake

Joining I-75 north:

I-75 north

A cute small fiver:

Cute small fiver

“Georgia for Peanuts”:

Georgia for Peanuts

Separate minimum speed signs really confused our Mobile Eye warning device:

Minimum speed sign

A large rest area:

Large rest area

Paladin sat on the dash during the rest stop, and stayed there until we got back on the freeway, then jumped down:

Paladin on the dash

“Cotton” water tower:

Cotton water tower

A stop opportunity that we didn’t use, but would have worked for us; a business parking lot:

Stop opportunity

Waiting for a train:

Waiting for a train

An interesting building in Reynolds, Georgia:

Interesting building in Reynolds, Georgia

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Entering FD Roosevelt State Park:

FD Roosevelt State Park

Uphill in the park:

Uphill in the park

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Road to the campground:

Road to campground

Lake:

Lake

Our site:

Our site

Reed Bingham State Park

We stayed at Reed Bingham State Park in Adel, Georgia. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A nice state park with a lake and dam.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2024-03-10
  • Check out: 2024-03-17
  • 7 nights

Weather:

  • Mostly cloudy; one day with rain
  • High temps ranging between 62-81°F, lows around 41-61°F
  • Negligible wind, gusts to 19 MPH

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train noise
  • A little neighbor noise (kids)

Site:

  • #33, pull-through, gravel
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
  • Mostly level; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 150 feet long by about 15 feet wide
  • Leaf-covered ground between sites about 50 feet (front and back; nothing on side)
  • Driver side to road about 25 feet
  • Picnic table
  • Fire pit
  • Lantern hook
  • Mostly clean site

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, somewhat inconveniently located
  • 50 PSI water, somewhat inconveniently located
  • Good sewer connection, somewhat conveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 20 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
  • Verizon: 25 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
  • AT&T: 30-80 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, 50-90 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpsters only in a central location
  • Mini golf

Our review on Campground Reviews:

A nice state park with a lake and dam

Nice large sites, not all 50A or FHU, so plan accordingly. We were in site 33 in loop 2, which was a large pull-through site under the trees. A pleasant walk down to the lake and dam and several easy, short hikes in the park. We would definitely stay here again. We camped at Reed Bingham State Park in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Nice side view from our coach:

Nice side view from our coach

Utilities:

Utilities

Our first visit to Georgia, so time to add its sticker to our coach (the older ones are so faded!):

Georgia sticker

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

Little lending library:

Little lending library

Mini golf:

Mini golf

Mini golf

Playground:

Playground

Nature path:

Nature path

Nature path

Bat box?

Bat box?

Kids fishing ponds:

Kids fishing ponds

No swimming, alligators present:

No swimming, alligators present

Stage:

Stage

Pond:

Pond

Boat ramp:

Boat ramp

Lake:

Lake

Ducks:

Ducks

Dam from bridge:

Dam from bridge

Flooded:

Flooded

A GIF of the dam:

Dam

The water level after the dam was very high due to rain:

Dam

Later in the week, a lower level:

Dam

A nice state park. We’d be happy to stay here again.

Travel from Clermont, Florida to Adel, Georgia

We drove our coach 235 miles, about four hours of driving, from Clermont, Florida to Adel, Georgia.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northwest:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops marked:

Rain coming off the slide topper:

Rain coming off slide topper

A line to leave TTO:

Line to leave TTO

Line to leave TTO

Citrus Tower:

Citrus Tower

Heading north on Florida’s Turnpike:

Heading north on Florida's Turnpike

Rest stop:

Rest stop

A busy foodcourt:

Busy foodcourt

The Villages golf cart bridge:

The Villages golf cart bridge

I-75:

I-75

A nice colored Prevost bus:

Prevost bus

Motorcycles and wildflowers:

Motorcycles and wildflowers

This car was going very slowly, with a flat tire. Just pull over!

Car with a flat tire

Our coach in traffic cams:

Our coach in traffic cam

Our coach in traffic cam

Our coach in traffic cam

Paladin at a rest stop:

Paladin at rest stop

“Thank you for visiting Florida”:

Thank you for visiting Florida

“Welcome to Georgia”:

Welcome to Georgia

Reed Bingham State Park:

Reed Bingham State Park

Dam:

Dam

Arriving at our site:

Our site

 

Thousand Trails Orlando RV Resort

We stayed at Thousand Trails Orlando RV Resort in Clermont, Florida. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A second visit to TTO, the flagship Thousand Trails park.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2024-03-05
  • Check out: 2024-03-10
  • 5 nights

Weather:

  • Mostly cloudy, some rain
  • High temps ranging between 78-85°F, lows around 59-66°F
  • Negligible wind, gusts to 21 MPH

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train noise
  • Some neighbor noise, dogs
  • Distant fireworks from Disney some evenings

Site:

  • Mako 11, back in, asphalt
  • Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
  • A little unlevel, high on right; used hydraulic leveling
  • Asphalt driveway about 45 feet long (plus about 30 feet of gravel behind that) by about 17 feet wide
  • Weedy grass between sites about 12 feet
  • Picnic table
  • No fire pit
  • A bunch of trash on site

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, conveniently located
  • 45 PSI water, conveniently located
  • Loose sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 55 Mbps down, 5-7 Mbps up, 36 ms ping
  • Verizon: 18-25 Mbps down, 15 Mbps up, 30 ms ping
  • AT&T: 0.1 Mbps down, 0.01 Mbps up, 500 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpsters only in a central location
  • Package delivery to office, for $5 per package (we got a local mailbox)

We’ve done a review on Campground Reviews for TTO before, so didn’t bother doing it again.

Campground map; our site this time was in the narrow strip on the left side, above the X-ed out section:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site; a quiet area of the park, one that would be a good choice for a longer stay:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Swamp near our site:

Swamp near our site

Cabin near our site:

Cabin near our site

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

We enjoyed some Chinese food from the local takeout restaurant:

Chinese food

Sunset:

Sunset

 

Travel from Disney World to Clermont, Florida

We drove our coach just 52 miles, about an hour of driving, from Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground in Disney World, Florida to Clermont, Florida.

It would actually take less than half an hour to go from Disney World to TTO (our destination), but check out time from Fort Wilderness was 11:00, and check in at TTO is very strictly not before noon, so we drove a longer route, with a fuel stop, to kill some time.

We’re planning to do this again next year, so next time we might instead wait in the Fort Wilderness overflow parking area, and go direct.

Here’s a map showing our route:

Route map

An interactive map:

Leaving the Fort Wilderness campground; we drove separately to a hitch/unhitch area, and toaded up there:

Leaving campground

Leaving campground

This is the overflow parking area, which might be a better place to kill half an hour, if there’s available space:

Overflow parking

Passing the Fort Wilderness entrance:

Fort Wilderness

Leaving the Disney World bubble; it’s been nice:

Leaving Disney World

A Mickey-shaped power pole:

Disney-shaped power pole

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Fuel stop

Fuel stop

Our DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid, an additive to reduce pollutants) tank was about half full, but the DEF nozzle in our fuel lane was out of order, so we bought a Blue DEF box (for the first time):

Blue DEF box

Plane:

Plane

FL-33 highway:

FL-33

Our destination, Thousand Trails Orlando:

Thousand Trails Orlando

TTO gate:

Thousand Trails Orlando

Unlike most Thousand Trails parks, at TTO arrivals go to a central area to await your turn to pick a site from a list of available ones. Since we arrived a bit after noon, there was a line of RVs waiting to get to that area:

Line of RVs

Line of RVs

Line of RVs

We untoaded there:

Untoaded

Following our coach to a site:

Following coach to site

Our site

Replacing solar fuse with breaker

As followers of this blog may recall, we had a fuse between our solar panels and the solar controller:

Fuse

I had an issue where that fuse blew a few times, possibly due to our extra solar panels putting out too much power. The most recent time I replaced it with a 30 amp fuse:

Fuse

That didn’t end so well — a few months later, that fuse melted. Perhaps cheap junk, I don’t know; it should just blow, not melt. It set off our smoke detector, so could have been much worse:

Melted fuse

I considered replacing the fuse holder, but figured I needed a better solution. I decided to replace it with a circuit breaker, so if it is over-current again it’ll just pop instead of blow or burn.

I needed a short length of wire to connect it, so went to the nearby Lowes for wire, using 8 gauge wire, the same as used elsewhere in the coach:

Shopping for wire

That was an adventure in itself; the guy who helped us wasn’t familiar with wire cutting, but he figured it out.

Wire

I connected a short length of that wire to the breaker:

Breaker with wire

I then drilled some holes for the wires above the solar controller:

Installing breaker

And reconnected the controller to that wire:

Reconnected controller

Here’s the breaker installed, and preparing to re-mount the controller:

Installing controller

The completed breaker and controller (with the solar pulling in 14.4 amps):

Completed breaker and controller

Here’s hoping this solution will prove satisfactory!