Ep. 331: Canton Lake, Oklahoma | RV travel camping hiking kayaking

[@ElementalShogun]

I grew up in Fairview so this was great and relaxing to watch!

[@GrandAdventure]

That's wonderful to hear, Levi. Thank you so much for watching!

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

now on my bucket list.

[@kimwilkins1500]

Thanks for another great video, Mark! Sorry about the electrical issue you had and happy to see your handiwork at getting it going once again!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, Kim! We are happy to have you along.

[@joyces3550]

Fabulous video Marc! That's my kind of campground. Oklahoma has lots to offer, can't wait to see more. Tasty looking food! Safe Travels!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Joyce! Our second stop in Oklahoma, slated to Premiere next week, was truly something special.

[@rv_at_the_beach2603]

Wichita Mountains will ROCK!

[@GrandAdventure]

They do! Plus, they're a huge hunk of rock as it is. 😄

[@gina50gina]

Very nice area Marc. I enjoyed your paddle in the lake, and with multiple camera views, it felt like I was riding along with you! Suzane

[@GrandAdventure]

That's our biggest goal, Suzane: bringing the viewers along.

[@user-pr8df3mb5g]

Love your videos. Just discovered you a month ago and enjoy catching up on your older videos.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you, and it's wonderful to have you along! Don't go too far back in our catalog, though, as some of those early efforts were cringe-worthy. 😁

[@joannewinters9616]

Beautiful thank you

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always for watching, Joanne!

[@najruqwi7008]

Beautiful views 👍 Thanks for sharing this with us 👍

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always for coming along!

[@georgecarpenter4126]

How cool is it to have the whole place to yourself. Hope it was a good stay...from the looks of things, it seems like it was. Stay safe !

[@GrandAdventure]

It sure was, George. Thanks for coming along!

[@arewethereyet2653]

Love the being right on the water

[@GrandAdventure]

So do we!

[@grillinandchillinwithdeb]

Nice video, thanks for sharing

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always for watching, Deb!

[@NvFlyAngler]

FYI, Marc... several Nevada state parks, including Washoe Lake, now have online reservations. I believe a couple of them in southern Nevada do, too.

[@GrandAdventure]

The plan was to make the entire Nevada state park system reservations only this summer. However, I understand that they had some technological issues that delayed implementation. To be honest, we're kind of sorry to hear that. It was nice to have one state that still kept things first come, first served.

[@cpwatching5647]

We are properly inspired. Enjoyed the video. To bad about the electrical zap. Uff da. Take care.

[@GrandAdventure]

Mission accomplished.

[@laughingram7287]

We have only stayed in one Corps of Engineer campground. I remember it being super clean and very detailed. That was in Truckee, California. It is good that you have good electrical knowledge. I cannot imagine someone that doesn’t have that and experiences what you went through. I liked the Gloss Mountain area; looked like a cool view. Looked like a great paddle. It seems like it has been a long time since you took us out on the water. Very peaceful. Thanks for sharing your time in Oklahoma. Ram 👍🏼👍🏾

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Ram! I only know enough to figure out how to fix it; I don't know enough to figure out what caused the problem in the first place. That's what's frustrating. The new one has now suffered a catastrophic but very different failure. I am contemplating migrating over to Victron like the rest of my system.

[@johncrowley3833]

My backyard ha ha fun times keep up the awesome videos

[@GrandAdventure]

We'd loved your backyard, John. Thanks as always for coming along.

[@OverlandAddiction-qj1cn]

canton lake goes from calm to pure hell in 30 sec😂😂😂

[@GrandAdventure]

We can believe it, as we witnessed that ourselves.

[@OverlandAddiction-qj1cn]

@@GrandAdventure like being on the north atlantic if your in a boat🤪🤪

[@geraldsouthard7092]

Loved this vlog Marc. Thanks!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, Gerald!

[@BillSprague]

That looked like a great spot but bummer on the fried inverter/charger! Also, be aware the Ouachita Mountains are home to an Okie Bigfoot! Be on the lookout! 😉 Thanks for another Grand Adventure!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always for coming along, Bill! We will keep our eye out for Sasquatch.

[@nationalparksprincess3216]

Fantastic episode, Mark! 😊

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always, NPP!

[@craftytraveler9238]

Thanks for the video. It looks like a beautiful area.

[@GrandAdventure]

No doubt it certainly is. However, for Oklahoma we actually enjoyed this coming Wednesday's spot even more. We hope that you'll tune in for that one.

[@daviscrt]

Great video. Sorry about the inverter. Should add a fuse or maybe a smaller one on the positive side between the shore cord and the inverter. Thanks Don

[@GrandAdventure]

Yep Don, we have a 300A 12V circuit breaker on the positive side between batteries and inverter. Should probably have a breaker between shore power and inverter, too. What I can't figure out is what's causing the existing breaker between batteries and inverter to trip occasionally, both with the new inverter and the old one, and even when the load on the inverter is confirmed to be only around 200W @ 120V. Sometimes, instead of tripping the breaker the inverter will shut down to protect itself. It worked flawlessly for two years before this behavior started occurring, and nothing whatsoever has changed. There's nothing that should be drawing anything close to 300A @ 12V.

[@MikeLockheart]

my grandparents favorite lake in oklahoma, and according to them the best lake, is lake Eufaula. Hope you consider checking that one out, would make for another great okahoma video.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks Mike! We'll keep that on our radar.

[@Thomas-sp1pp]

Hello Marc, thanks again for the great production and informational narrative, you do your research well which makes your videos so great to enjoy. looking forward to the next adventure. Thomas.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always, Thomas! Will we be seeing you in the Q again this year?

[@jesib7526]

Looks like a good stop over next year.

[@GrandAdventure]

It's a good'un.

[@scottcravens3533]

Great episode. I went to college in Stillwater and never really knew about or explored these areas. Thanks.

[@GrandAdventure]

You're most welcome, Scott, and thanks for watching!

[@daveb.8692]

👍👍👍

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Dave!

[@gringo3009]

Never been there, yet. Thanks for sharing.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks for watching, Gringo!

[@davidjgarner3242]

Stayed at Beaver Dunes Park in Oklahoma panhandle a few years ago ... did know OK had sand dunes.

[@GrandAdventure]

We will have to look that one up.

[@ervinslens]

Another stunning episode 👏👏, this whole area is just heavenly beautiful!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Ervin! Many folks think of the southern Plains as flyover or drive-through country. We disagree and have found beauty everywhere. It's just that some places require you to look a little harder than others. (Well, OK...Waco, TX may be an exception. 😆)

[@PedalingAdventures]

Looks great!

[@GrandAdventure]

It was a wonderful week, thank you Jim.

[@moretoliving2236]

I remember when I had to cut my power cord... that was gut wrenching but being an RVer means that you have to become a jack of all trades, even an electrician. My experience in Oklahoma was actually quite nice. I drove on I-40 just trucking along actually. It was super windy in the Texas area where it meets OK... I got myself caught in derecho. Driving on 2 wheels of my motorhome entire way from Dallas to Amarillo was brutal. OK was a whole bunch of flat until the city and then bam... as if someone invented trees all of a sudden.

[@GrandAdventure]

Yep MTL, you consistently need to just roll with the punches and figure out solutions. Downsizing Makes Cents just released a great fast-paced video of everything they've had to deal with in 4 years of fulltiming kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJOlp6ShhtiIbKs that illustrates that point beautifully. Oklahoma definitely surprised us. We'll be back to explore more, for sure.

[@heatherlandskron]

Great video!! Have a good day and weekend

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Heather, and same to you!

[@heatherlandskron]

@@GrandAdventure your welcome and thank you! I shared this video and tagged you on my community tab. I subscribed to you

[@GrandAdventure]

@@heatherlandskron thank you so very much! We're happy to have you along.

[@heatherlandskron]

@@GrandAdventure your welcome

[@normgibson6565]

CHEERS Marc from Golden Valley, AZ where I stay until the first of Jan 2024 and then head to the Q.

[@GrandAdventure]

Cheers to you, Norm! Greetings from just south of you in Yuma.

[@surfpapo]

We always watch your videos every Wednesday evening with a beverage to see where you guys at ☮️

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much! We always premiere them with a beverage in hand. Feel free to join us in the chat room during next week's Premiere.

[@CampgroundRecon]

Love it!! Canton Lake was the location of one of my greatest camping finds around 1980. Previous campers left a half dozen green army men by a tree at our campsite. Lots of memories in that area. My granddad worked at the dam during or shortly after its construction.

[@GrandAdventure]

Very cool - both stories!

[@gypsymountaineers3215]

Jim says, “Now I have to go to Lake Erie and go fishing!😂

[@gorrdd]

Very nice episode, Marc. I really liked that you can just find a place like this to go and relax for a week with a beautiful view of the lake from your RV. The mesa's were great to see as well. Climbing up is definitely a hike... but the view of the flatlanders was fabulous. I bet there are some ducks on the lake around the marshes, later in the fall. What an investment in larger rocks as water breaks for the park. Yup, when the winds say hey, you gotta protect the shore line from erosion. What was that you were wearing on your back in the kayak... a life vest?🤔 Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

Yep, that's a kayak specific PFD from Stohlquist. And I'm sure The Fall duck hunting there is fabulous.

[@gorrdd]

@@GrandAdventure Just not for the ducks... Which reminds me... and this is why they call them ducks... right? Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

@@gorrdd 😄

[@mikemrha9013]

Am in a 2017 Jayco Designer 39re @ Harbor Marina, Keystone Lake on weekends, check this area out if you can. Do other Corp of Eng have flush toilets or are there other places you've found with flush toilets during your travels? Harbor Marina has a bathhouse with two sides with toilets & showers. Keystone Dam supports keystone lake. Amazed @ what you can fix/do.

[@GrandAdventure]

This Corps of Engineers campground does have flush toilets and showers, similar to many that we have encountered. And thank you, I only know enough to get in trouble, not enough to get out of it.

[@mikemrha9013]

@@GrandAdventure thank you

[@scotty92028]

A real bummer about the power surge 😞 Is your surge protector onboard or at the pedestal? Usually, when a significant surge happens the protector is destroyed. I’m wondering why the protector didn’t protect your inverter/converter? The main thing is that the Grand Adventure handyman fixed it……well done👍👍👍

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks Scott. Ours is portable on purpose -- we've had friends who have had protector failures, then it's a royal PITA to remove the protector from the connection. The surge protector will prevent damage from dirty power at the pedestal -- out of phase, surges, low voltage, etc. It won't protect you from something happening internally within the RV downstream of the surge protector. I suspect that the fault came from within the inverter/charger itself, the solar charger, one of my LiFePO4 batteries, or somewhere else within the RV. Still working on figuring that out.

[@ShawnPatterson402]

Very relaxing video for sure. Those look like a couple of really nice campgrounds on the lake there. I have defintely taken some notes. Will be curious to find out if you ever figure out how your electrical connection got roasted. Would have thought your surge protector would have prevented that, but clearly not I guess. As always, continued safe travels.....

[@GrandAdventure]

The surge protector would protect us from anything bad coming from the pedestal or the grid. I suspect something is going on in my electrical system internally. Something is occasionally tripping a 300-amp 12V breaker, which definitely shouldn't be happening. I just haven't yet been able to figure it out.

[@ShawnPatterson402]

@@GrandAdventure Yes that makes sense that it is within your system. Definitely needs to be checked out, as it would appear to be a potential fire hazard. Could be something as simple as a loose connection or chaffed wire in your battery bank, or could potentially even stem from your solar controller. These things can be super simple sometimes and other times very hard to diagnose. Good luck with it. take care and be careful...

[@GrandAdventure]

@@ShawnPatterson402 thank you so much. Everything you stated above is spot on.

[@jbenn118]

What a surprise to see this video tonight, since we were also at Canton Lake last week for four nights. However, we stayed in a site along the edge of the lake in the Canadian campground. I agree that COE parks have been some of the nicest and least expensive parks that we've stayed in. At least in October, the lack of trees was not a problem and actually improved our view. The covered patio at our site was also a nice addition that we have rarely found. We also had high winds for two days and rain another day. Unfortunately, we didn't know about the other areas to explore around there during our visit. That's disappointing about the electrical issues.

[@GrandAdventure]

Sorry we missed you, Jim! We were there about 4 weeks ago, as there's a lag time for video production. Canadian benefits from the fact that it's far newer, thanks to its reconstruction following the 2011 tornado. We're sure that your stay was as relaxing as ours was.

[@StepvanDan]

Wow that was so fun thank you for taking us all with and big hugs from MN

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks for coming along, Dan! We always love to have you at the premiere events.

[@bertkelly7650]

Just missed ya by a few. Man, that electrical. What can you do to avoid that next time?

[@GrandAdventure]

I won't know until I figure out what caused it, Bert. I am getting some high amperage draw issues that I haven't yet been able to figure out.

[@waynehogue2499]

Marc, what’s the brand of your kayak and how much does it weight. You make it look so easy!

[@GrandAdventure]

That boat *is* easy, Wayne, especially in calm water like we found on Canton Lake that Saturday afternoon. That's an Eddyline Fathom, a 16-foot sea kayak. With that length and a 22-inch beam, it tracks like a dream and is exceedingly fast, but with its good rocker it's nevertheless easily maneuverable. Unlike a rotomolded boat, this one is made of thermoformed ABS; not only does that make it lighter (50 lb, which is great for 16 feet), but it allows them to mold sharper lines into the hull. We explained more about that boat when we first found it in Bend, Oregon last summer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJmYn4OZgN98aqc

[@AF1US]

Mark - another great video. I have a question, are you sure the Xantrex was "another victim" or could it have been the initial cause of the overheat? Could the transfer switch failure have caused a short creating the problem with your connection and not showing up at the pedestal at all? If that's the case, may Xantrex owes you more than just a replacement under warranty. I also run the Xantrex Pro 3000 watt inverter charger and, although we haven't had any issues, some of our friends have had really strange things occur. Just some food for thought as another possibility. Brian

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that, Brian. Some of the odd behavior that never occurred a few weeks earlier, including occasionally shutting off or tripping a 300A breaker while only under a load of ~200W, has persisted even with the new unit. So some other gremlin is acting up.

[@TraderDan58]

I thought that lake dried up! I used to catch sand bass and walleye there when I was a kid.

[@GrandAdventure]

No Dan, as you'll see tonight it's very much full pool.

[@TraderDan58]

@@GrandAdventure looking forward to seeing your video and maybe going back there next summer

[@okiefarmerswife7154]

It was years ago when they were sending water to the City, but it’s nice & full now

[@okiefarmerswife7154]

The Walleye Rodeo….. good times.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@okiefarmerswife7154 We sure Love a good deep fried fillet of walleye.

[@akgobears]

Love the COE campgrounds...Was that $22 you paid for the campsite using the America the Beautiful pass ???... I know that pass gets you half off at COE campgrounds all over the country....Sorry you had to deal with your electrical problem...That would have ended my trip or at least until i could have gotten it fixed somewhere cause i never could have done that....Lookin forward to next week .....be well

[@GrandAdventure]

Nope, that $22 was full freight. It's only the senior edition and access pass edition that gets you half off, and we don't (yet) qualify for either. Fixing the electrical damage was actually quite easy; it's finding the reason that it happened that's difficult.

[@akgobears]

@@GrandAdventure I have the senior pass so my stay at that nice campground on Canton lake would have been $11 a nite....COE campgrounds are great for a tight budget...There is an old fella (My Scamp Trailer Adventures) that basically does this but would love to see a youtuber that is touring the country focus on COE campgrounds to show all...Hope you find that electrical fail reason you were looking for....

[@GrandAdventure]

@@akgobears thank you! And yep, $11 for this campground would be a bargain, indeed.