Our Ford F-250 and Airstream Flying Cloud Shakedown Trip was a success!
Friday morning, October 28th, we got up at the crack of dawn and headed out for our first ever trip towing our F-250 and Airstream Flying Cloud. It was still dark and a Friday, so the traffic was jam packed with vehicles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Anxiety was at its highest and the slow crawl to get out of the Los Angeles area was a bit nail biting.
Fifteen minutes into our trip a Fedex semi-truck pulled along the passenger side and started waving and honking erratically. GREAT – we already have a problem. Unbeknownst to us in the moment, the driver had spotted the Airstream and was wondering to himself if his friend that just got one had gone on their maiden voyage yet. As he got closer he saw the back window of the tow vehicle and realized it was indeed his friend and his lovely wife. What a coincidence! His waving and honking was out of excitement that it was them… US! Crazy how things happen. It was definitely the break in anxiety we both needed to relax a bit and focus on the upcoming drive to Lodi, CA.
Hello RC4WD
Since we were heading to Lodi we decided to make an intermediate stop at one of our favorite RC Manufacturers, RC4WD in Visalia, CA. RC4WD makes high quality RC trucks and other scale parts. We own quite a few vehicles from RC4WD and love them. Check out the RC4WD trucks available at AMain Hobbies. AMain is our go to online resource for everything RC!
After we spent some time touring the warehouse with Tom, the owner, and meeting all the employees, we got back on the road and finished our first day of driving.
Next up, Flag City RV Resort in Lodi, CA
We arrived at Flag City RV Resort just after 4PM and registration was super simple. It was our first ever RV park stay. Our site was a pull-through, which from what we could see was the majority of the spots. Since we didn’t have a lot of experience with towing and backing up we were glad to have a pull-through. Once we parked our Ford F-250 and Airstream Flying Cloud we unhitched, grabbed some diesel and got a bite to eat (nope, we did not “hook up”, we are newbies and were a little intimidated).
After we returned from our meal, we joined a couple of fellow RV Facebook group members for “happy hour”. We had such a nice time meeting Anna and Jeff in person. They are very entertaining and have so many cool stories and recommendations. Our evening ended back at the Airstream with a bit of work and pushing all buttons around the rig to see what they did.
“Do Not Get Distracted!”
Bright and early Saturday we ventured out into the area and picked up a little nutrition to get our day started. Our pack up and hitch up to the tow vehicle routine was interrupted by a neighbor that had googled our website from the back window on the truck, CompetionX.com. We were so excited to chat and be friendly, but soon realized we broke one of the most important rules when RVing… Do Not Get Distracted!
We realized when we turned back around we were lost in the process and had to start from scratch checking each step to make sure we had finished it. Once we were hitched up and lights were checked we took off for Jackson, CA where we were meeting Ron from Gold Country Driving School.
A Beautiful Drive
To our surprise, CA-88 E that led us to Jackson was a beautiful drive. We made a quick pit stop for a photo op and “rest”. Towing your own personal bathroom and fridge are two of the biggest perks of owning an RV! We passed many wineries, a quarry and a ranch on the way. We have made notes to come back and explore the area sometime in the near future.
RV Driving School
Kmart was a huge part of our childhood and now an integral part of our RV life. We met Ron DeLaney of Gold Country Driving School in the parking lot of a closed Kmart in Jackson, CA. From the moment we shook hands we knew Ron was a good guy and going to be a great teacher. He was full of RV and towing related information. On top of giving us great driving instruction, he took the time to walk us through our Airstream and truck. He pointed out important things we would need to know down the road and tips like picking up a furnace cover to keep insects from setting up camp and the order in which to check fuses when power fails. Overall it was very informative and backing up is now a piece of cake. We received our Certificate of Completion for RV Driving and headed South.
The next leg of our trip was up in the air. We originally tossed around the idea of doing our first free overnight camping at a Cracker Barrel in Bakersfield, CA. However, we were feeling a little tired and decided to check out a KOA instead.
We arrived at Lost Hills KOA around 6pm and the office was closed for the day. Since it was our first after hours experience, we didn’t have a clue as to what to do. We had booked and paid online, but there was a sign that instructed after hours arrivals to fill out an envelope and pick a spot. So we did that and lucked out with a spot right up front and easy to pull-through. Dinner was a truck stop and afterwards filled up with diesel. We finished the evening with lounging in the Airstream and reminiscing on what a wonderful weekend we had had so far.
Sunday morning came fast and we slept in slightly before heading out for breakfast at Denny’s. The experience was nice and the service was good. Upon our return we noticed the office being open and strolled over to take a peek. We met the front desk attendant and she mentioned she had taped our spot and reservation information to the front door the previous night. We completely missed that! Nice to know in the future to keep that in mind if we arrive after the registration office is closed.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, other than the drive through the Tejon Pass. The elevation and climbing is typically a little intense. Overall it is pretty rough on vehicles, but the Ford F-250 climbed it like a champ will pulling the Airstream! So happy we got the Ultimate Tow Package with our truck – it helped make our first experience a good one!
We arrived home around 2PM and backed “Rollin Rivets” into her spot – first try! The Ford F-250 and Airstream Flying Cloud Driving School – Shakedown Trip was a huge success and we are so excited about the next adventure… Thanksgiving at Palm Springs RV Resort with the Parents!