Traveling Light Reflections
Our Journey
We are John and Patty Tracey
RV Enthusiasts
When our 3 kids were between ages 9 -16 we took our first ever cross country trip. We spent 30 days on the road. Our goal was to see the country, be together and have fun. We set 3 rules to guide us on that first trip. No hotels, No fast-food and No driving at night. We spent those 30 days visiting a myriad of National Parks as well so many as other magical places in this great country. We did it all tent-camping out of our car. It was a revolutionary trip for all of us in many ways. Most importantly, it bred in us, a thirst to travel more and see more.
Our dream to RV came true with our first 1986 Yellowstone Class C. This thing was run down a heap of junk and was scary to drive. It cost us a mere $3000. It was a loud, heavy, gas-guzzler with no fuel gauge and dangerously poor mirrors. However, it showed us that we really loved to travel in an RV.
Many years, countless trips and 4 travel trailers later, our kids were grown and we looked forward to retirement and living full-time in our RV. We had done so much, but there was still so much to do and see. We loved the RV life. As school teachers, we would spend every summer traveling the country in an RV. Life in an RV is spectacular. It is this phenomenal place where the front yard changes with the days and weeks, but home is always where we are.
The Good Things in Life
As we grew older we began to enjoy the creature comforts of home. You know, the simple stuff like electricity, a coffee maker, the internet, and of course, Netflix. In my younger years one of my hobbies was building and flying radio controlled model airplanes. This was back before lithium batteries were introduced and even before they became safe. However, my interests with the hobby focused on converting and building electric powered radio-controlled model airplanes. The industry did not have the technology it does today so I would build my own batteries from cells in the configurations I needed. It did not take long for the world to catch up. Today we can buy an electric radio controlled, well almost anything, that is ready to fly as soon as you open the box. Well, needless to say, I have always had a high interest in electronics and power systems. So each RV I owned always had a modified power system. Each increasingly more advanced.
The Real Price of a cup Coffee
I wrote an article outlining our evolution through many RV and power systems. There is a link to it above. I joke that the journey through learning about and building multiple solar-powered RVs was really just a very expensive way to make a cup of coffee. The short version is that, during a visit to the Smoky Mountains National Park, we would wake up before generator hours. So, we would drive down the road, start the generator and make coffee. We needed a better solution. I know, I know…pour over. But that makes for a boring story! Well, 3 RVs later, each with progressively better power systems, we don’t ever need to worry about waking up anyone with a generator anymore. Today we have 965W of solar panels, 900Ah of LiTime lithium batteries and a full Victron setup, complete with a Multiplus 3000 inverter/charger and a Cerbo networking hub. With this setup we can completely sustain our power needs as long as the sun cooperates. Even when it does not, we have enough reserve energy stored in our batteries to get us through those dark days!
Time to Hit the Road
As plans generally go, our plans changed. After multiple diagnoses, 4 surgeries and unfathomable other treatments over a period of 5 years, my life was changed. This led to me no longer being able to work or do many of my past passions due to my disabilities. It was at this point that my wife and I could really see that life was too short. We needed to start it right now. She retired and we hit the road. For the last 1.5 years we have been happily staying home and watching our front yard change. We have been traveling and spending the cold months camping in the warmer south west states. We have 2 kids and grandchildren in Connecticut. We get to moochdock there during the summer. Though with our solar power system we do not even need to plug in.
Giving Back
My strong desire to learn has always been accompanied by an aspiration to help others. I created this website where I post the many articles I have written to help other RVers better understand their RV’s power systems as well as how to improve them. The evolution of the use of lithium batteries in RVs has developed so quickly in such a short time. Only a few years ago an upgrade to a 100Ah lithium battery would break the bank. Today we have companies like LiTime that are making lithium batteries that are not just affordable but also of a high quality.
This has opened the door for so many RVers to upgrade their power systems incorporating these lithium batteries as the core of their power needs. The use of an inverter in an RV, only 2 years ago was limited to making a pot of coffee. Today, it is both possible and affordable to live off the grid like you would in a regular sticks and bricks home. My passion to share what I know and learn has driven me to write more and more articles to help other RVers realize and build power systems of their own. I have even created a spreadsheet where someone can enter their prospective solar panel wattage, their battery size, and power needs and even the weather. They will get a readout of how their system will perform over a week's time. Playing with lithium batteries and solar power is just one passion I still get to enjoy.
Other Interests
Along with being a techy, I love taking photographs. I use 2 Nikon Z6s with an assortment of lenses. I am not able to go as far off the beaten path these days but I still try to capture as creative shots as I can. Along with writing and photography, the ukulele has a piece of my heart. This small, gentle, melodic musical instrument absorbs and occupies both my time and my mind. I enjoy the peace it brings me and how well it fits into the traveling RVer life that I have begun to write about it as well. I recently completed a persuasive article about 10 reasons you need a ukulele in your RV. I have other articles about the joys of a ukulele in your RV too.
Patty is an extremely active and outgoing individual. She makes long lasting friendships everywhere we go. Her list of hobbies while on the road, include Pickleball, any chance she gets. She also loves fitness and working out. She always fits yoga and working out into she busy schedule. She is also a flat water kayak enthusiast as I am too. We carry Oru foldable kayaks in the back seat of our truck.
RV life is not all fun and it is not just a vacation. It is life with all of its obstacles and joys and revelations. It is a journey, as is life in itself. We are glad to be here and to be able to take the ride.
