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.
Why spend four hours on a monthly maintenance visit when twenty-four hours allow a quick trip to the beach to catch a sunrise? The chronology below outlines a day in the 2025 Wonder Rear Twin Bed.
10:03 am
We arrived at our storage facility in Katy, Texas. Arvan had slept well! The clear blue sky suggested a beautiful day, but the 25 mph wind gusts would make it interesting on the coast.
10:11 am
I noted low pressure in Arvan’s tires. Nearly two months had passed since our last trip. The pressures should be 70 psi in the front and 55 psi in the back, as per the sticker inside the driver’s door.
10:17 am
I love my Viair 400P-RV compressor. The wand simplifies filling all the tires, including the duallies. I also purchased a Valve Capper Pro, the blue item in the photograph, which helps me remove and reinstall the valve caps on the inside dually.
I also took photos of the wheel and tires to help me work with a tire shop to buy a spare wheel and tire for our Wonder Rear Twin Bed that I will keep in the garage.
10:28 am
Having filled the tires with air, I started the generator. As recommended by the manufacturer, I aim to run it for two hours each month. It had been nearly eight weeks since its last run, so I was glad when it started first time.
I noted that my chassis battery was down to 12 volts before I started the engine, though it also started the first time. We haven’t yet seen a need for a trickle charger on the coach battery, though I have a Noco Boost GB40 Jump Starter, just in case. I will need to keep an eye on our coach battery voltage when Arvan is idle for an extended period. When stored, I plug the van into shore power to keep the coach batteries fully charged.
Previously, it took me about four hours to drive to where we store Arvan, perform the monthly maintenance, and return home. I was very much looking forward to turning a task-driven four hours into a quick 24-hour adventure! Less than 30 minutes after arriving at the storage facility, we were ready to hit the road, the generator running and performing its monthly cycle during our journey.
12:14 pm
Soon after leaving home, we realized that we had forgotten to bring milk for our morning coffee. With this almost 25-foot vehicle, it was easy to pull into a parking lot to pick some up. Dollar General stores offer much more than just things for a dollar, and they are very convenient stores!
12:25 pm
After driving for about 1.5 hours, we arrived at our home for the night: Galveston Island State Park
12:50 pm
After an efficient check-in with the park rangers, we filled the van with drinking water and set up our site. The LTV’s self-sufficiency allowed me to choose a site without electricity or water, in a quieter section of the park, and closer to the beach. We had reserved the site the previous day. With the strong winds, we did not use our awning.
1:42 pm
After lunch in the van, we headed out to explore. The park ranger had given us some useful hints about where to find wildlife. The wind was a bit chilly, but the sun was warming.
1:46 pm
We spotted the first of many interesting birds: a Mississippi Kite.
1:51 pm
The sites with water and electricity were mostly occupied. We prefer the tranquility of more isolated campsites and were much happier at our location, appreciating the flexibility of a compact, self-contained van.
1:57 pm
The ranger had suggested checking out the alligators, with 2:00 pm being a good time to catch them basking. We were right on time! However, it was time to keep Saydee, our eight-pound Dachshund, on a tight leash, or she might have become a snack.
2:01 pm
We spotted an American Coot and a Snowy Egret on the pond’s opposite bank.
2:05 pm
We found a large alligator on the far side of another pond. I decided not to get any closer today!
A Great Blue Heron was close to the alligator.
2:37 pm
On the bayside of the park, we found these tricolored herons. The lighter coloring and white belly suggest it is breeding.
2:39 pm
This sculpture commemorates the Eskimo Curlew. Huge flocks of this 12-inch-tall migratory bird used to be seen here, but overhunting and habitat loss led to near-extinction. The bird was last seen in the wild at Galveston Island in 1962. For those interested, this photo shows my birding camera: a Nikon 7200 with a Sigma 150—600mm lens. I am still getting used to this lens.
2:42 pm
This Great Egret was completely still for several minutes, waiting for its next meal to swim by.
2:50 pm
While I was focused on birds, Janet spotted these Indian Blanket flowers in the undergrowth.
2:58 pm
I loved how this Great Blue Heron and a couple of Egrets bundled themselves in their own feathers to shelter from the wind.
3:14 pm
Our walking loop took us past the park’s visitor center, with its flags flying horizontally in the strong offshore breeze.
3:21 pm
I was able to capture this photo of a passing Brown Pelican, who was having no problem whatsoever with the strong wind.
3:32 pm
This Northern Mockingbird was hanging out in the vegetation near our campsite.
3:33 pm
We arrived back at our campsite after a fine, nearly two-hour walk.
4:16 pm
Walking in the strong wind had made us quite sleepy. We each took a nap, lulled to sleep by the wind whistling around the van. This view out of my window reminded me that I needed to head to the beach for golden hour, the hour before sunset, when the light is best for photographs.
5:11 pm
After a short walk along a path over the dunes, I was on the beach. There were a few other people, braving the wind, and some large driftwood was being engulfed by blowing sand.
5:15 pm
Sanderlings explored the foreshore in the zone where waves lapped against the sand.
5:25 pm
As the sun set and I learned patience, I caught these Sanderlings foraging for their dinner.
5:33 pm
Goodnight, sun! See you in the morning.
7:28 pm
After a fine dinner of reheated leftover homemade spaghetti, we settled down to watch a movie.
6:44 am
I awake while it is still dark after a fine night’s sleep, with plenty of time to make my coffee with Arvan’s Keurig Mini. After a few minutes, the eastern sky glows over the sea, letting me know that a great sunrise is coming.
6:56 am
I couldn’t resist attempting an artistic moon shot with Arvan.
7:14 am
A Sanderling checks out the foreshore shortly before the sun rises between two offshore structures.
I was unable to capture the peacefulness of the beach at sunrise in a photograph, with the gentle twitter of a few birds as the waves lapped the beach. This was one of my dreams to do with our LTV—a simple one-night campout to catch a cool sunrise. It was certainly cool – my hands were freezing!
7:17 am
A gull, perhaps the Lesser Black-Backed Gull, found a small fish in the tidepool.
7:20 am
A gull, perhaps a Franklin’s Gull, flew by.
7:24 am
A gull, perhaps a Ring-billed Gull, wrestled with its prey in a shallow tidal pool.
7:25 am
This Franklin’s Gull was proudly showing off its winter plumage as it chilled out on the foreshore, basking in the warmth of the sunrise.
7:26 am
After seeing lots of gulls, I spotted some Sanderlings. This one was enjoying his morning bath!
7:33 am
I had experienced a beautiful sunrise, with plenty of birds as a bonus. On my way back to Arvan, I spotted these swamp sunflowers in the dunes. They were enjoying the sunrise as much as I appreciated the great light.
9:37 am
After another cup of coffee and a relaxed breakfast, we headed home. With no hookups, there was virtually nothing to do to get ready to leave. The main tasks were to swivel the chairs back to their driving positions and put our trash in a dumpster. We made the most of the park’s convenient dump station on our way out.
10:58 am
We arrived home with Arvan. As I had a few projects to perform on her, we kept her squeezed into our driveway for a couple of days before returning her to Katy.
What a Great Twenty-Four Hours!
We discovered that our LTV was perfect for even the shortest of trips: With virtually no planning, we headed out when the weather looked great, and had a beautiful time.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://leisurevans.com/blog/twenty-four-hours-in-our-ltv-to-catch-a-sunrise/