Editor’s Note: This post is written by a member of LTV’s sponsored content team, The Leisure Explorers. Do you own a Leisure Travel Van and enjoy writing? Learn more about joining the team.
After we visited with friends in Eastern Ohio, we continued on Interstate 80 east. But before we leave Ohio, I wanted to point out that the rest areas on the Ohio turnpike (Interstate 80/90) are great places to spend the night. On the turnpike, we spent the night at the Vermilion Valley Service Center (rest area) for $20 a night.
The $20 fee got us electric hookups with water and sewage available. It’s all done on an honor system through a kiosk; there are no attendants at the rest areas to confirm your payment for the night. The RV parking is a good distance away from all the trucks and car parking to assure a quiet night’s sleep.
In Part One of our story, we traveled on Interstate 80 east from Utah to Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. In Part Two, we continued on Interstate 80 east through Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. In this last segment of our story, we will continue our adventure on Interstate 80 east through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, ending our trip in Holbrook, Long Island, New York.
We stayed on Interstate 80 east through Pennsylvania, a state known for its mountains and forests. Interstate 80 is a ribbon of pavement that winds through these mountains, with rest areas sprinkled along the way.
We drove for five and a half hours, stopping for the night at Lehigh Gorge, Poconos, Pennsylvania. The cost per night for full hookups was $55.80. The campground is an interesting place. It was here that we plugged our LTV into a tree for 30-amp electric service.
The next day, we drove through New Jersey. Typically, we stop in New Jersey at a Cracker Barrel to spend the night to time our crossing of the George Washington Bridge onto Manhattan Island.
Getting through the traffic is always a challenge when travelling in the Northeast. However, on this trip, we drove straight through New Jersey from the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. This would provide us with the best time of day for crossing the bridge.
When I think of New Jersey, I think of skyscrapers and city lights, but Western New Jersey actually has large amounts of forests and rivers. There is far more open land than I imagined and far fewer city streets and high rises.
After crossing the George Washington Bridge into New York, we began our adventure in the New York City traffic. A few things to remember when driving your Leisure Travel Van in New York: First of all, your LTV cannot use any of the Parkways because it’s too tall. Second, do not try to use the tunnels for the same reason. Third, do not use the lower level of the George Washington Bridge; your LTV is too tall for that, too.
We took the upper level of the George Washington Bridge and then the Long Island Expressway out of the city and onto Long Island. Our destination on this trip is Holbrook, New York.
We did some driveway camping at a relative’s house in Holbrook for a couple of weeks. Mary Ann grew up in this area, about ten miles west of Holbrook in Brentwood, New York.
We carry a twenty-amp adapter and a fifty-amp adapter but couldn’t plug them into the house because the air conditioner draws too much power, which would trip the house’s breakers.
When we bought our 2018 Unity FX, it came with a 1,000-watt inverter and maintenance-required lead-acid batteries. After about a year and a half, we upgraded the lead-acid batteries to AGM batteries with no maintenance required.
Two years later, we replaced the AGM batteries with Battle Born Lithium batteries and our 1,000-watt inverter with a 2,000-watt Smart Victron inverter. At the same time, we also had our Leisure Travel Van rewired so that all the outlets are now inverted. We also upgraded the solar controller for the four solar panels on the roof.
When we got back from our Alaska trip in 2018, we added a WeBoost cell phone booster (white antenna above the cab). We also added a Komo Rear Storage to store two E-bikes and an inflatable kayak. We also have a diesel generator.
Since purchasing our LTV in September 2017, we have replaced the water pump, shower pan, two aluminum rims, the hose on the macerator, and the propane regulator. We also replaced the lock on the house door and repaired the step.
We have driven our Leisure Travel Van 116,580 miles in seven and a half years and visited every state in the Union and most of Canada. When you use your LTV a lot like we have, things require repairs. This is true with all recreational vehicles, no matter what they cost.
If you are ever on Long Island and need a place to dump your tanks on your LTV, I recommend Smith Point County Campground on Fire Island Barrier Beach. The park charges $9 to dump your black and gray water. I recommend The Propane Guys, Inc., if you need propane while on Long Island.
After leaving Long Island, we headed south for Orlando, Florida, and then west to Arizona. That story will have to wait until next time. Safe travels, my friends.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://leisurevans.com/blog/the-road-east-from-utah-to-long-island-part-three/