Trailer Life: Leveling Your Trailer

If you've followed my blog for long, you know that I have several recurring subjects, such as "Hike Reports," "On the Road" entries, "Good Eats" reviews, and "Trip Reports." I'm starting a new subject today called "Trailer Life" in which I'll deal with issues regarding travel trailers. Now, I'm no expert on travel trailers by any stretch of the imagination, but I seem to get by. And if you enjoy the RV lifestyle and can pick up a tip or two from these entries, then I'm satisfied.

For the first entry on this subject, let's look at how we level our trailer, which is one of the first things we do upon arriving at a campsite. I have attached levels to the front and side of the trailer so that I can see at a glance whether or not the trailer is level. If it isn't, then I get out my boards and back the trailer on these boards. I use 2"x10" boards with beveled ends for this purpose. These boards are wide enough for the trailer tires to fit upon.

Level on front of trailer. This level indicates how level the trailer is from side-to-side.

Level on side of trailer. This level indicates how level the trailer is front-to-back.

Close up of level. Bubble is dead center, right where it should be.

Leveling boards, wide enough to accommodate the tires.

I've used these levels enough over the years -- on this and other trailers -- to know at a glance just how unlevel the trailer is and how many boards might be needed. So, with Donna's help, I place the trailer in the site exactly where we want it. At that point, I check the level on the front of the trailer to see how level it is from side-to-side. If it is level, then we can disconnect and get on with our other chores. If, however, it is not level, then I estimate how many boards are necessary to make it level. I get these out, place them right beside the trailer tires, then have Donna pull up or drive back -- whichever is the most practical. I then slide a board (or more, if I think necessary) over and line it (them) up with the tires. Donna then pulls the trailer on the board(s), and I recheck the level. If it is level -- or very close to it -- we are then ready to disconnect. If it is still not level, then we repeat the previous step and add another board.

Once the trailer is level from side-to-side, we can then place chocks under the tires and disconnect the trailer. Once the trailer is disconnected, I then work on leveling the trailer from front-to-back. To do this, I check the level on the side. I then raise or lower the front of the trailer using the electric hitch I have. This is a simple process, much more so than leveling from side-to-side.

Once the trailer is level from front-to-back, I then check the side-to-side level again. If it is not perfectly centered, I then use my stabilizing jacks to finish leveling. Let me point out that the purpose of stabilizing jacks is to stabilize the trailer, not level it. Ideally, they should just make snug contact with the ground, enough so that there isn't much or any movement when you walk through the trailer. But I do use them to fine tune the side-to-side leveling. I'll discuss the stabilizing jacks more in another entry.

Let me say a final word or two about the boards. They offer the advantage of ease of use. It is easy to pull a trailer on them, and it is safer than other methods of leveling. I watched a couple at Huntsville State Park recently as they used a collection of wood blocks of various sizes and shapes. The process lasted no less than 20 or 30 minutes as the husband would move some blocks under the tires and the wife would pull or back up an inch or two. Not only did it take a great deal of time and effort, but I thought it was dangerous.

But using boards like mine has the disadvantage of weight and space. My boards are about 5 feet in length, so they weigh quite a few pounds; when you are towing, you want to avoid adding pounds. And then there is the issue of storing them. I carry mine in the bed of the truck. When we return home, I park the trailer on the boards to keep the tires off the bare ground.

I'm happy with this process. The boards provide a firm and stable surface for leveling the trailer, and the ease of using them is a big plus.

Walking at San Angelo State Park

We enjoy hiking at San Angelo State Park. Over the past few years, I've posted numerous entries about hiking the parks 50+ miles of trails. You can see these on my website Living the Good Life in the "Hiking" section. We probably hike at the park once or twice each month, mixing up the trails as best we can to get new experiences.

Sometimes, though, we prefer to walk rather than hike. You might wonder what the difference is. To me, there are several differences between hiking and walking, but in this specific instance the difference largely lies in the surface. When hiking, we stay on natural surface, while when walking we stay on park roads, most of which are paved. Also when walking, we are mainly concerned with fitness, so we walk quickly and without stopping. When hiking, we stop often to "smell the roses" along the trails.

The park is ideal for "road walking." Originally an Army Corps of Engineer park, there are roads all over in various condition. Many of these roads extended into areas that are no longer maintained. As a result, some of these roads are deteriorating. Roads once paved are now breaking apart, with grass growing up in the cracks. Dirt surface roads are now overgrown with grass, weeds, and other plant life.

The two routes we have been taking recently in our walks range from  5.1 miles to 6.3 miles. We've been walking these often in the last few weeks, for we are trying to get in shape for longer hikes. We used to enjoy 10 mile hikes, but lately we just haven't been in shape for that distance. Yeah, we could go that far if we needed to, but we'd be pretty exhausted as the end. For me, my legs and feet wear out, and I think Donna is the same.

For both of these walks, we park at the restrooms next to the playground near the Red Arroyo Campground. The shorter walk is merely a loop that goes southwest to the headquarters, then east along the park road to a lesser used and deteriorating park road that veers northeast. When the crumbling road turns sharply southwest, it then becomes a maintained park road, for it winds briefly through a campground, eventually heading due north. It then turns sharply southwest again, passing through occasional campsites then veering off by the Chaparral Pavilion. From there, we follow another older park road, once again in deteriorating condition, which then intersects with the main park road, taking us southeast to the headquarters and then back to our truck.

This is the 5.1 mile route

The longer route starts from the same location, goes by the park headquarters as in the previous walk, then east along the park road. Instead of turning off as in the previous walk, though, we continue on the park road. Near the O.C. Fisher dam, the road veers suddenly in a north/northeasterly direction. On the left is a colony of prairie dogs that are sometimes scampering about. Most of the dogs in this colony are small, and we rarely see them anymore. There is another colony in the north section of the park with some pretty chubby citizens. We follow the road north along the dam to its very end, then turn around. On the return trip, we veer off on the deteriorating road mentioned in the shorter walk, then come through the campground, eventually back to our truck.

This is the 6.3 mile route

We've had several rains lately, not enough to build our lakes back up at all, but enough to keep things green and wet. Several of the trails are now becoming overgrown, and we prefer not to hike through tall grass, so walking on the roads is a good alternative to this. Also, there are numerous mud holes on the trails during wet weather, and we prefer to avoid those as well.

So for now, we'll continue our walks along the paved park roads, building our legs and endurance for longer hikes on our camping trips.We're lucky to have a state park on the edge of town. It is so much more pleasant to walk there than in town, where traffic and noise make the walks unpleasant. At the park, we can hear the wind and birds and not be bothered by traffic. It's a good way to spend a couple of hours.

End of an Era

It's the end of an era for Donna and me. Last Sunday, her mother, Thelma May Neel Cromwell, passed away at the age of 92. She enjoyed a good life, and she leaves behind a score of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as evidence. We attended her funeral in Conroe this past Wednesday and said our goodbyes. Thelma was the last of our parents. My mother died in 1996 and my father passed away in 2008. Donna's father was the first to go, back in 1994. I miss all four of them, but have so many good memories of each of them.

We still have a few family members from our parents' generation still alive. Donna has an uncle by marriage still alive. One of my father's sisters is still alive, and one of my mother's brothers is still alive. For the most part, though, our parents' generation is largely gone. I've always had the greatest respect for my parents' generation. They suffered through the Great Depression, then fought the greatest of all wars.

While attending my mother-in-law's services (visitation and funeral), I could not help noticing that my generation has now assumed the mantel. We all have children, grandchildren, and a few of us even have great-grandchildren. There were a lot of white-haired folks in attendance.

The passage of time takes us from childhood to old age. I like to think that Donna and I are aging gracefully. We are still pretty lively, and we certainly enjoy life. We look forward to what each day brings, and there is so much we still hope to do, so many places we still plan to see. I just want to live as long as I can do so with some quality of life.

Goodbye, Thelma -- we'll all miss you.

Hike Report: A Mix of Trails at Lake Brownwood State Park

We were happy to be back in West Texas at Lake Brownwood State Park. This time, we stayed in site #83, which is in the trees. In fact, there was no room to let out our awning, but we didn't need it since the trees provided so much shade. A fire ring was at the edge of the trees, and we sat out one night with a cozy fire.

Site 83 at Lake Brownwood State Park

On our first morning there, we rose early for a hike. There aren't many trails at this park (see trail map), so I pieced together a route of 3 trails connected by paved park roads. Altogether, we probably hiked only 4 to 5 miles.

We began near our campsite in the Council Bluff Camping Loop. Just to the north of the camping area is the short -- .31 mile -- Council Loop Hiking Trail, which basically leads from the camping area to the fishing pier. The first part of the trail, though, provides some nice views of the lake, which appears to have more water than any other time when we've been there. I'll be glad when this long, long drought is over.

One of the views from the Council Bluff Hiking Trail.

Donna at the fishing pier. We camped here about 3 years ago, and the water line was farther out then.

From the fishing pier, we followed the paved park road past the Willow Point Campground and the Fisherman's Lodge to the main park road. From there, we followed the road due east to the Group Rec Hall.

Monument honoring the 36th Army Infantry Division in front of the Group Rec Hall.

At the Group Rec hall, I followed the steps leading towards the roof, where I enjoyed some good views of the surrounding area. You can see the steps to the right of the large window in the picture above.

I kind of felt like I was in a castle going up these steps of the Group Rec Hall.

It's a good view from the crow's nest at the top of the stairs.

After leaving the Group Rec Hall, we picked up the Lakeside Trail (.72 mile) to the northwest of that building. This by far was the most scenic portion of the hike.

Rest areas such as this are all along the Lakeside Trail. The CCC really was an industrious group of men, and they did such good work with native stone.

This is the CCC Grand Stairway, which leads down to the lake. It is quite impressive.

I walked to the bottom of the stairway and took this picture of Donna, who stayed at the top. She's a bit right of center.

Another CCC constructed rest area along the Lakeside Trail.

Unfortunately, the battery on my camera died at this point. Oh well, I guess I'll have to do this trail again to get some pictures.

The trail continued on high ground overlooking the lake. There are numerous ups and downs along this stretch. The trail comes close to several of the cabins at the park, and there are many rest areas near the cabins with fire pits. I'd love to have a fire at night in one of these locations overlooking the lake.

Eventually, the trail levels off and curves west. Keep your eye open and you'll see a wooden sign indicating that the trail goes in the direction you just came from. The sign is intended for folks walking in the opposite direction, but it is your signal to turn sharply left and follow the rock steps down, where you will soon find yourself on another paved road near some shelters. If you miss the sign, you will probably continue walking on what looks like the trail and you'll eventually have to back track.

We then followed the paved road past the screened shelters and up a good hill to the main park road, where we headed west for perhaps a quarter mile. We then found ourselves at the trail head for the Nopales Ridge Trail, which we hiked on our last trip to the park (see "Hike Report: Nopales Ridge Hiking Trail, Lake Brownwood State Park"). This time, though, we only walked about a mile of the 2.89 mile trail. We started in a counter-clockwise direction. When we neared the park headquarters, we exited and returned to our campsite via the park road.

It was an enjoyable hike. The weather was ideal and the views were really good, especially along the Lakeside Trail. All trails were in good shape.

On the Road: Huntsville State Park to Lake Brownwood State Park

We got up early Thursday, April 9, for the long drive to Lake Brownwood State Park. We were looking forward to leaving the mosquitoes and humidity of southeast Texas behind for the drier climate we have become accustomed to over the years.

Because of the bad roads and heavy traffic on the trip to Huntsville a few days before (see "On the Road: Hords Creek Lake to Huntsville State Park"), we decided to try an alternate return route. For the first leg of our journey, though, we retraced our previous route up I-45 to Centerville. We stopped briefly at Buc-ee's in Madisonville for drinks and snacks, then continued up I-45. Instead of exiting at Centerville and returning the way we came, though, we continued on I-45 north through Buffalo to the small community of Dew, where we exited and headed west for about 10 miles on Highway 179 to Teague. This area is very familiar to me for I grew up in this county; in fact, I was born in Teague. I was happy with the smooth surface of 179.

Huntsville State Park to Lake Brownwood State Park, a journey of 291 miles.

At Teague, we got on US 84, which we would stay on all the way to Brownwood. This was a great improvement over Texas 7 on our trip down. The surface was smooth and the shoulders were generous. Although we had no passing lanes until we neared Gatesville, it was easy to move onto the shoulder to let cars pass. We stopped briefly on the eastern edge of Mexia at Walmart and did some grocery shopping. I was also able to manuever my rig into the Murphy Gas station at Walmart. At many Walmarts, there just isn't enough room for doing this; I admit it was a bit of a tight fit, but I really had no difficulty, even though a larger truck was taking up some room. In Mexia proper, there is also an H.E.B. with gas pumps that are easy to get into, and the price is the same.

At Waco, I just drove straight through on US 84 rather than take Loop 340 or I-35. 84 is the most direct route, and this directness makes up for the traffic lights I had to endure. I enjoyed 4 lanes all the way from about 10 miles east of Waco -- where Texas 31 merges with US 84 -- until McGregor, about 15 miles west of Waco. From McGregor, the road to Gatesville is easy, with several passing lanes which eventually become 4 lanes a few miles east of Gatesville. There are a couple of nice roadside parks between McGregor and Gatesville, but they are on the south side of the highway, and there are no signs for west bound traffic indicating them until you are right on them. We opted to stop at a nice roadside park on the west side of Gatesville, just a few miles east of Evant.

I've documented the trip from Gatesville to Brownwood in other "On the Road" entries, so I'll not repeat this section of the trip here. This was a much improved route over the one we followed when we were going to Huntsville, so I will probably opt for this route in the future. The surface is good, passing lanes are available in many places, and shoulders are smooth and generous. There are numerous places to stop for gas that have easy access for RVs. I found the level of traffic to be much less than the Texas 7 route.

Hike Report: Huntsville State Park

Donna and I hiked Huntsville State Park back in March, 2008. You can see the report for that hike on our website, Living the Good Life. The park has about 20 miles of trails, so on this trip we tried to hike some different trails. The park has an excellent trail map, by the way.

For our hike today, we started from our campsite, #20 in the Raven Hill Camping Area. We walked just a short distance east on the paved park road and then veered left into the woods on the Coloneh Trail, which at this point parallels the park road. After about a quarter mile, the trail comes back out on the park road to cross Big Chinquapin Creek, one of the main feeder creeks for Lake Raven. Across the creek, we ducked into the woods again for a short stretch to the other park road, which we crossed before joining the Dogwood Trail..

The Coloneh Trail near the start of our hike. This is typical of the trails we hiked on this day.

Signage is good on the trails.

Almost like walking through a tunnel.

We turned west on the Dogwood Trail. We passed a junction to the north and continued west, soon crossing a minor park road (see picture above). The trail emerged at a kiosk. Such kiosks are available at numerous places along the trails at Huntsville State Park, and the kiosks are indicated on the trail map. We then turned sharply north, staying on the Dogwood Trail. For a few hundred yards, this stretch of trail followed a power line right of way, then ducked into the woods behind the Prairie Branch Camping Area. Farther on, we ran into the Prairie Branch Loop Trail and followed it north for almost a mile.

Kiosks like these are located in numerous places along the trails. In fact, their locations are indicated on the trail map.

This part of the trail follows a power line right-of-way

Signage indicating where we get on the Chinquapin Trail.

We then turned south on the Chinquapin Trail. At roughly one-half mile, we crossed a spur to the Lone Star Trail. After another half mile, we reached the Nature Center, where we took a short break. After resuming our hike, we crossed the main park road and continued on the Chinquapin Trail. It slowly worked down to Big Chinquapin Creek, which is about one-third mile from the Nature Center. Just before the creek, we crossed an equestrian trail. A long boardwalk crosses the small creek. The surrounding area is quite swampy.

The Nature Center, along the main park road.

Long boardwalk over Big Chinquapin Creek.

It gets pretty swampy in some areas. This is near Big Chinquapin Creek.

Big Chinquapin Creek, looking upstream.

After crossing the creek, the trail began working up slowly, crossing another equestrian trail at about a quarter mile. Only 2 short stretches of equestrian trail are marked on the map, but I would guess there are more trails available.

We continued on the Chinquapin Trail until we neared the Coloneh Camping Area, where we exited the trail and followed the paved road back to our camp.

All of the trails we followed were well marked and well maintained. There is a lot of traffic on these trails, so they are clearly defined. However, since we were hiking during the week, we met only 4 other walkers and only 2 bike riders, but I’m sure the weekends are busy on the trails. There is very little elevation change, but roots are common and require attention. There are patches of sand from time to time, but not enough to be a problem. The mosquitoes were quite aggressive on our hike, and there was little breeze to help keep them away or to keep us cool from the high humidity levels. I would estimate the length of this hike to be under 5 miles.

Touring Huntsville

Donna and I met in Huntsville in 1976 when I was an undergraduate at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). When I graduated a year later, we married and stayed on for another 2 years while I served on a teaching fellowship while pursuing my MA. So Huntsville was our first home, and we enjoyed living there at the time.

We didn't have long to stay in Huntsville this trip, so we narrowed our sites on doing just one or two things. I'd love to go back and walk the campus of SHSU sometime, but that will have to wait. For this trip, we decided on 3 stops, all related in some way to Sam Houston, the man.

Our first stop was the Sam Houston Memorial Museum on the edge of the campus of SHSU. As a student, I visited the museum numerous times, and I spent a great deal of time wandering the grounds around the pond there. It was a nice place to get away from my studies for a while and visit a more natural environment.

Main entrance to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, sometimes called "The Rotunda".

Sam Houston is one of the giants of Texas history, along with Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, and a handful of other memorable figures. His legend spanned at least 2 states and was intertwined with the Cherokee Indians as well as with his own people. He served as governor of both Tennessee and Texas, President of the Republic of Texas, and the U.S. Senator from Texas. I've always been impressed by his vision, both in time of war and in time of peace. For example, when others in the state were rushing to leave the Union and join the Confederacy, Houston urged calm and voted to remain in the Union.

The museum complex sits on a 15 acre tract which once was part of a larger 200 acre homestead that General Sam purchased in 1847. This was his residence for most of the years when he was in the U.S. Senate from 1846-1859. In addition to the museum proper, the complex also contains two of Houston's homes:  the Woodland home (his residence from 1847-1859) and the Steamboat House, where Houston died in 1863. Houston did not own the Steamboat House, but rather rented it after being removed from the Governor's office after refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.

The museum proper displays many items owned by Houston and his family. It is not a large museum, but the museum is only the first stop. Other buildings on the museum grounds include the Bear Bend Hunting Lodge and the Guerrant family cabin. The Bear Bend Hunting Lodge was originally located in Montgomery County near Atkins Creek. Houston would often stay in the cabin and participate in bear hunts. The Guerrant family cabin was built in 1848 about 11 miles north of Huntsville. It was donated to the museum in 2004 and moved to the grounds and rebuilt.

The museum contains numerous items once belonging to Houston and his family, including the crutch he used following the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Steamboat House. General Sam died in the room on the lower floor behind the stairs. His funeral was held in the room at the top of the stairs.

Houston's Woodland Home. Note steps to the right of the dog run. There are 2 small bedrooms upstairs.

One of the bedrooms at the top of the stairs at the Woodland Home.

Replica of the kitchen, which was in a separate building set away from the house.

This log building was on the land when Houston purchased it in 1847. It served as his law office.

The pond near Houston's home. I spent much time here while in college wandering these grounds.

The Guerrant family cabin on the museum grounds.

The Bear Bend Cabin, also on museum grounds.

After the museum, we drove to Oakwood Cemetery, just a few blocks east of downtown, and viewed Houston's grave. To end our tour of Huntsville, we drove south of town and visited the huge statue of Sam Houston along the interstate. The statue, 67 feet tall on a 10 foot base, was dedicated in 1994, long after Donna and I left Huntsville. But we've seen it for years as we've traveled the area visiting family. It was time we stopped and took a closer look.

Houston's grave in Oakwood Cemetery.

Donna posing with General Sam

There are other things to see in Huntsville. One of the most interesting -- and a place I've never visited -- is the Texas Prison Museum on the north side of Huntsville. The Walls Unit, located just a couple of blocks from downtown, is interesting to drive around. And the prison cemetery is worth a visit as well.

But Huntsville is not the same town Donna and I once lived in. It is much busier, much larger, and the university has changed so very much. I enjoyed our visit, but I was glad to come back home.