We had a great time on our trip to the Spring 2021 Fuse Rally. In addition to all of the fun at the rally, we saw some sites and had a blast just getting out of the house.
The main thing we learned on this trip was that we were rusty. After 16 months of not using the Fuse some things had to be re-learned. Where I use to be able to back right up into a space, it took me several tries each time to put the Fuse where I wanted it. I am out of practice.
I also found out I was out of practice writing the blog. I forgot to take many pictures, though that is not new. I also need to find my "voice" again as I am writing. It will all come back as I get in the swing.
Some of the highlights:
We drove 1714.8 miles in 10 days.
We drove 37 hours
Used 105.8 gallons of diesel and got a combined average of 16.2 miles per gallon. Worst tank was 13.2 miles per gallon (our first tank) and the best was 16.6 miles per gallon (our last tank). I did notice that the worse mileage came from tanks we purchased at Murphy (Walmart) stations. Not sure if this is a coincidence but I have noticed this before.
On this trip, I kept the speed at or below the speed limit. We were in no hurry so this time no speeding. As we all know, the Fuse likes a constant speed in the 45-60mph range for the best milage so my staying slow probably helped things.
Things that went well:
The AT&T cellular hotspot worked well everywhere. We were able to stream TV every night on the Firestick and use our computers with no problems. Even in the state parks in the middle of the woods.
The new A/C worked well and was still quiet. Two thumbs up here.
The food we brought. Some junk food, but great for a change after being pretty good about eating healthy for the last year.
We had steak one night and the folding grill worked out well.
The Fuse. We had a great time and still enjoyed our little motorhome and the way it drives and maneuvers around small places, yet it's still big enough to not feel cramped when stuck inside in the rain.
Things that did NOT go as well:
Several things broke. We found a leak in the front passenger corner when it rained and the Fuse was nose down. Will need to re-seal the cap. The rear TV speaker is not working so we had to use our little bluetooth speaker. One of the tank heating pads came loose and will need to be repaired (taped it back up with gorilla tape and that fixed it temporarily). Lastly, we had a scare with the check engine light (DEF complaint) but it went and stayed off after a driving and a few engine cycles.
COVID restrictions at some places made us break our normal routine. We normally pick up a breakfast biscuit in the mornings at McDonalds or Burger King or something similar. Half of the places we stopped at for breakfast were closed or only open to drive through. Though small, I am not brave enough to go through a drive through in the Fuse.
The charcoal I had in the Fuse for the last year would not light/burn. I forgot charcoal is hydroscopic and has been pulling in moisture for 16 months. I had picked up some more charcoal when I got the steaks "just in case" and "in case" happened.
Overall we had a great trip. Now that retirement is close we did not feel as rushed as in the past so the experience was much more relaxing.
So our trip experience starts on April 26 here: https://confusedrv.blogspot.com/2021/04/take-this-covid.html and ends on May 5 here: https://confusedrv.blogspot.com/2021/05/buc-ees-and-jefferson-davis-capture-park.html
Great write up Don.
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