Eric Highland - 5/6 - RV Wanderlust

Why You Need to Do Your Own Annual RV Roof Maintenance

May 1, 2014 by Eric Highland 8 Comments

Most RV maintenance shops charge $80-100+ per hour for labor. And while some jobs are well worth it, any job that you can comfortably do on your own could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

From the get-go, let me say that if I can do this RV maintenance task…anyone can.

Saving dollars by DIY maintenance on an RV

Doing your own annual RV roof maintenance could save you hundreds of dollars (Photo credit: 401(k) via Flickr CC)

When the good Lord was passing out handyman skills, I must have been asleep. I’m pretty much clueless when it comes to anything handyman-ish or mechanical. I’m so bad, it is almost laughable.

But honestly, this annual RV roof maintenance was a breeze. So, if you are one of those folks who has been thinking that you’d rather pay someone to do this for you, think again and give this guide a quick read first. [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-29-2014

April 30, 2014 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-29-2014

Current City: Arlington, TX
Current Location: Treetops Carefree RV Resort
Site Number: 163B
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Very Strong / AT&T - Very Strong
Mission: Weekend!

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Clear / 67°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 33%
Wind: 12 mph

Fuel: 33 Gallons of Diesel - 1/3 capacity
Odometer: 100,620
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, May 3rd
Next Destination: Brownwood, Texas

Special Orders: None

Captain’s Remarks

19:46 - Sometimes I feel like many folks assume that because of our new lifestyle, we’re on this perpetual adventure and that we just play all the time.

While it is true that our life is a perpetual adventure, it is not true that we play all the time.

Sure, we get to experience things that many may never see, but like millions of other Americans [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-28-2014

April 29, 2014 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-28-2014

Current City: Arlington, TX
Current Location: Treetops Carefree RV Resort
Site Number: 163B
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Very Strong / AT&T - Very Strong
Mission: Weekend!

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Sunny and Clear / 80°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 28%
Wind: 4 mph

Fuel: 33 Gallons of Diesel - 1/3 capacity
Odometer: 100,620
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, May 3rd
Next Destination: Brownwood, Texas

Special Orders: Get Up On The Roof

Captain’s Remarks

14:39 - Starting to wrap up our workday. We’ve been asked to teach social media and social networking by one of our clients around the country in line with our RV travel schedule. Teaching on these topics is not new for us, but we’ve never been a traveling road show. [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-27-2014

April 28, 2014 by Eric Highland 2 Comments

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-27-2014

Current City: Arlington, TX
Current Location: Treetops Carefree RV Resort
Site Number: 163B
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Very Strong / AT&T - Very Strong
Mission: Weekend!

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Overcast / 87°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 33%
Wind: 3 mph

Fuel: 33 Gallons of Diesel - 1/3 capacity
Odometer: 100,620
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, May 3rd
Next Destination: Brownwood, Texas

Special Orders: Install Wheel Covers

Captain’s Remarks

13:00 - It’s been a nice Sunday. Slept in until 8AM (that’s pretty good for us), then made the decision to go out and get new [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-26-2014

April 27, 2014 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-26-2014

Current City: Arlington, TX
Current Location: Treetops Carefree RV Resort
Site Number: 163B
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Very Strong / AT&T - Very Strong
Mission: Weekend!

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Overcast / 77°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 74%
Wind: 5 mph

Fuel: 33 Gallons of Diesel - 1/3 capacity
Odometer: 100,620
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, May 3rd
Next Destination: Brownwood, Texas

Special Orders: Secure Analog Antenna in anticipation of high winds.

Captain’s Remarks

20:56 - We made it safely to Arlington, TX. The Navigator and I switched out at the helm of Meriwether throughout the drive. We made the 382 mile journey in [Read more…]

7 Awkward and Fun Things Inside the RV Wanderlust Rig

April 26, 2014 by Eric Highland 5 Comments

People online often ask us about the inside of our RV. For those new to RV Wanderlust, our rig’s name is Meriwether and he’s 40′ of diesel-powered goodness…and he’s our home.

Brittany did an interior photo tour post earlier that folks had been asking for. But I figured I’d share some of the more fun and awkward things about the inside of the RV Wanderlust rig Meriwether, for those who follow our blog faithfully.

It will let you get to know us a bit more from a personal side too. Here we go…

1. Theodore Roosevelt

A photo of President Theodore Roosevelt inside the RV Wanderlust Rig Meriwether

Theodore Roosevelt watches Over Brittany as she cooks

Just above the convection / microwave oven is a print of the 26th President of the United States. Truth be told [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-25-2014

April 26, 2014 by Eric Highland 6 Comments

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-25-2014

Current City: Vicksburg, MS
Current Location: River Town RV Park
Site Number: 99
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Strong / AT&T - Very Weak
Mission: Explore / Work

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Clear / 79°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 50%
Wind: 9 mph

Fuel: 12.5 Gallons of Diesel - 1/8 capacity
Odometer: 100,020
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, April 26th
Next Destination: Arlington, Texas

Special Orders: Liberal water use is authorized until Saturday morning disconnect.

Captain’s Remarks

21:00 - One look at the skies last night, and I decided it was time to secure all exterior gear. Though the weather said clear, the clouds said “maybe.”

Not taking any chances on having to carry wet material inside our basement storage on Saturday, I decided to secure our two exterior chairs, our patio rug and I retracted all awnings. All exterior items were stowed below decks and the hatches were battened down.

08:15 - I was right. [Read more…]

Captain’s Log: RV Wanderlust 04-24-2014

April 25, 2014 by Eric Highland 2 Comments

Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust

Date: 04-24-2014
Time of Entry: 13:42

Current City: Vicksburg, MS
Current Location: River Town RV Park
Site Number: 99
Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Strong / AT&T - Very Weak
Mission: Explore / Work

Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
Captain: Eric Highland
Navigator: Brittany Highland
1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator

Weather: Clear / 80°
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 47%
Wind: 9 mph

Fuel: 12.5 Gallons of Diesel - 1/8 capacity
Odometer: 100,020
Generator Hours: 4611.8

Estimated Date of Departure: Saturday, April 26th
Next Destination: Arlington, Texas

Captain’s Remarks

We left Tuscaloosa, AL and arrived the same day in Vicksburg, MS on Saturday April 19th.

Tuscaloosa was not impressive. As one friend put it, [Read more…]

RV Park Review: Natchez State Park in Natchez, MS

April 17, 2014 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

One of our bucket list items was to drive the entirety of the Natchez Trace Parkway. We crossed that item off our list when we finished the journey on March 22, 2014 at the north terminus of the Trace, near Nashville.

But the journey started 13 days and 444 miles earlier, south of that point in Natchez, MS where the Trace begins.

Brittany of RV Wanderlust in Natchez, MS

Natchez, MS along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River

We only drive on the weekends, since we do client work from Meriwether during the week. So we needed a place to stay for the week before we began the journey up the Parkway. After looking around at our options, we landed on Natchez State Park.

When given a choice (meaning it has good Internet connectivity and sites large enough for Meriwether), we’ll always choose a National, State or County park. They are treasures of our country. [Read more…]

Visiting the Home of Tiffin Motorhomes in Red Bay, Alabama

April 16, 2014 by Eric Highland 18 Comments

Red Bay, Alabama, where all Tiffin Motorhomes are built. Pictured is a 1976 Allegro Gas RV.

We veered away from the beauty of the Natchez Trace Parkway to make the obligatory stop that every Tiffin owner has to make: the trip to Red Bay, Alabama, home of Tiffin Motorhomes.

Yes, this is Meriwether’s birthplace. For those new to the blog, Meriwether is the name of our 2004 40′ Diesel Tiffin Motorhome, named after Meriwether Lewis. Even though we had only owned Meriwether for less than three months, there was a certain nostalgia in making the journey to where he was built. That and we needed some work done. [Read more…]

Why You Need to Do Your Own Annual RV Roof Maintenance