Postscript

We were gone 230 days from Aug 4^th 2010 to March 22, 2011.  We travelled 17,751 miles.  We visited (or at least drove through) 32 states and 6 Canadian provinces.  We used up 1,573 gallons of gas, at an average cost of $3.50 a gallon.  Our  average mileage per gallon was 11.39 miles.  Our cost per mile $0.29.

We stayed in 75 RV parks, paid an average of $37.69 per night. 

Comparing gas costs to RV park costs we spent 42% on gas and 58% RV park rent.

We also broke up the trip by staying in rented houses in Ogunquit Me, Jacksonville Fla, and San Diego.  We also stayed with friends, Dot and Ben in Jacksonville, MaryAnne and Greg in Traverse City, Bobbie in Scotts Valley and Jackie in Herald Ca (during our December hiatus)

Truck and Trailer

We only had one serious issue with the trailer, when one of the fittings that hold the wheels to the trailer separated from the frame.  Luckily nothing bad happened and we were able to get the fitting welded back to the frame in Washington DC.  One of the stabilizing jacks, jacks which keep the trailer from bouncing while parked, separated on the last day of our trip, but I spotted it and unbolted it from the trailer before it fell off.  It could have done some major damage to the tires had it been run over.  Some minor plastic pieces broke from old age but nothing functionally important.

The Toyota Tundra did fine.  I backed into a stanchion guarding a fire hydrant in Washington DC and had to replace the rear bumper in Jacksonville.  I had the truck serviced by Toyota 3 times during the trip.  My only concern was that the truck was near its limit in towing capacity, which meant that we could not go very fast up hill.  Sometimes we were only able to go 35mph on a 70 mph freeway up steep hills.  Most RVs are pulled with ¾ ton trucks or larger,  and can maintain highway speeds.  On the flat we could usually travel at 55 to 60, unless we had a head wind.  

I’m not sure when or if ever there will be another big RV trip in our future, but we did see a lot of country and visited some very interesting places along the way.  I don’t think it could have been done any other way.