Wednesday, July 20
“What’s this?”
From the side window of the Best Little Trailer I see a horse trailer backing into the field next to our campsite. Bridget and Reggie bark indignantly while hopping around, eager to bust outside to confront the intruders.
“Hello? Hello?” a female voice calls.
I step to the open door of the BLT with the yapping crew at my ankles.
“Hi,” the woman dressed in riding gear begins. “Is it okay if we park here? There are three of us. Usually we park up there but someone is camping in the middle of that space and there isn’t room. ”
“Oh, yeah, I know where you mean. Sure, you can park here. I hope you don’t mind if I take some photos. I like to photograph horses.”
“Oh, good. We’ll be back from our ride and outta’ here around noon.”
Three horse trailers move into the field and the women prepare the horses for their ride.
Meanwhile the crew is going nuts. A spotted dog trots toward our camp and I holler over to one of the women, “I’m going to let my dogs out so they’ll calm down.” She nods and tells me her dog is okay.
Reggie, of course, darts right over to the strange dog, takes a sniff, and tries to play. Bridget demurely stands back while evaluating the situation.
This dog has no time for fun and frolic.
There is work to do! There are horses and people to guard, as well as a trail ride to supervise!
I avoid taking photos of the women as best I can, placing my attention on the horses. Rarely are the women apart from their steeds. I do manage a few shots.
It’s a beautiful morning for a ride.
Soon the horses are saddled up and the women and their chatter disappear up the road.
“Well, that was a fun surprise for us, wasn’t it?”
~ ~ ~
I don’t think I’ve shown you my new, handy-dandy air compressor!
My old one died several months ago. I ordered this VIAIR Air Compressor
I like it because it has an easy-to-read gauge, taking the guesswork out of how much air is going into the tire.
Only 50 pounds! I knew that tire was low on air. Now, how much should I add?
I look on the sidewall of the tire on the BLT, but the print is too tiny for me to read the recommended psi, even with a magnifying glass. Of course, I don’t remember what the guy who put the tires on said about the inflation!
Here’s the 12-foot extension cord
I plug the cord into the PTV’s cigarette-lighter-style socket and then plug the air compressor’s cord into that. This allows the compressor to reach the tires of the Best Little Trailer without me having to drive the PTV up close and risking running over the blue mat or its stakes. I turn on the PTV’s engine, turn on the compressor, and let the compressor bring the PSI up to 60. I go around to the other side of the BLT and do the same for the other tire.
Thursday, July 21
The cool, morning air wafts over my keyboard from the open window at the back of the BLT. I’m sitting at the little table, happily typing up a blog post.
What is that smell? Is that propane?
“BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! –”
I jump up and hit the reset button on the propane alarm.
I test the knobs on the stove to make sure the burners are turned completely off. They’re fine.
Uh-oh. This is not good.
I hustle the crew out the door, leaving it open to air out the BLT. Quickly I open up the cover over the propane tanks and close the open tank.
Darn! A propane leak. All the bouncing I’ve put the BLT through lately has taken its toll.
I turn off the refrigerator. I check that the heater’s knob wasn’t knocked into an “on” position.
I plop into my camp chair with a bottle of water in order to assess our situation.
Well, fortunately the fridge is nearly empty. There’s nothing of any value in the freezer. Just an old bag of Chinese vegetables that I want to throw out anyway. The crew’s chicken is already cooked for tomorrow morning so it’ll keep if I don’t open the fridge’s door.
What to do?
Nothing. My typical response to a problem. Some people dive into action. I sit. I take another sip of water and ruminate.
Call it procrastination, call it denial, whatever. I call it “letting the problem percolate a solution.” This keeps my stress level down.
What a pain. Take the BLT to a repair place? Yuck. I’m certainly not going to buy one of those cans of foamy stuff and crawl around trying to find the leak.
Gee, I hate the styrofoam-cooler-and-ice routine. Oh, well . . .
Friday, July 22
I open up the propane tank long enough to make a pot of coffee and then I close it again. I give Bridget and Reggie their breakfast and we go outside to greet a new day.
Hmm . . . . What to do? What to do? It would be so nice if the leak is in or near the heater, rather than the refrigerator.
Wait a minute! Wait just a gall darn minute!
“There’s a cut-off valve!”
I dash into the BLT and pull one of the big storage cabinets off the fiberglass channel that covers the wheel. I open up the channel and there it is . . . . the sweet, little, red handle on the sweet, little valve that cuts off the propane flow to the catalytic heater.
The yellow line goes to the Wave 3 catalytic heater. The copper line goes to the fridge.
I close the valve.
Dear God in heaven, let the leak be at the heater.
I open up the propane tank and turn on the refrigerator. After a couple minutes I go back inside and sniff and sniff and sniff.
No propane smell! No propane alarm blasting! Oh, thank God! I can run the fridge! I don’t need the heater until next fall!
Hooray!
“C’mon, crew! Let’s go to town and buy groceries!”
rvsue
THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
Follow any of the links or ads you see on my blog and your Amazon purchases will send a commission to “RVSue and her canine crew.”
Here are a few of the items recently ordered by readers:
Riflescope
Day Hiker Backpack
Wall Mount Magnets
Blanched Almond Flour
Pet Perfect II Hand Vac
CorningWare French 14-Piece Bakeware Set
CLICK LINK TO SHOP AMAZON NOW!
First?
WOW! IT’S A THREE-WAY TIE! CONGRATULATIONS, CYNTHIA!
Love that last shot!
CONGRATULATIONS, DAWN! YOU’RE FIRST TODAY!
Good morning
YAY FOR LEE J! ANOTHER FIRST PLACE WINNER!
Second??
YES! LINDA COMES IN AT A CLOSE SECOND!
Well that is just some kind of miracle! Just happened to be looking at my inbox. You blogorinos got me doing it now. HA!
And so the addiction takes hold….
3rd
CORKERINNA620 IS IN THIRD! 🙂
Third?
Not quite, Pat….
Well, I would have been 3rd if it hadn’t taken me 3 tries to get everyting right, lol.
Haha! It takes nerves of steel to win in this competition! Nice try, Pat! 🙂
OK, I’ve gone back and read now. I can’t believe, after four or so years of following this blog that I’ve finally made it to first place! I had just gotten home from church, made myself a cup of coffee and a slice of toast with peanut butter, sat down to check my emails, and up popped the post. I got so excited I almost couldn’t do the math correctly!!
Sue, I need to be more like you and ruminate (another word I love that is similar is “cogitate” on problems. I tend to be one of those spring into action types and often, my action could have been improved if I had just slowed down a little. Especially, where my action involves opening my mouth. Oh my, how often I’ve wished I had kept it shut a little longer.
I’m curious … did the horses leave any horse pies and if so, was the crew interested in them? My little terrier LOVES horse pies and I have to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn’t eat them like dog treats. Then she loves to come give me a kiss. I’m one of those people who is perfectly ok with letting my dogs kiss and lick, but after eating horse pies? Not so much.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and stays cool in this heat wave we’re having out west.
Hi, Cynthia,
No, there weren’t any horsepies left behind, not close to our camp anyway. The women were good about shoveling the horsepies and tossing them away from our camp.
I wasn’t concerned about Bridget or Reggie eating the pies. They usually don’t do that. My only concern was not wanting flies attracted to our camp. I almost said something and then saw that the women were moving the pies away.
You stay cool, too, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
What a morning! Propane problems are the worst! You used your common sense, didn’t panic and it looks like you’ve solved the problem for now. Keep on keeping on RV Woman!
Hi, Marilu,
I don’t know why it took me so long to remember that cut-off valve. I guess I was thinking more about the big picture — managing without a fridge, what to do and where to go for repairs, that sort of thing. This is why I have to sit back and give the ol’ brain time to do it’s work!
Love the close up pictures of the crew! Like ok MOM what are you going to do about that! Especially HRH. Good post
Dave
Thanks, Dave. I’m glad you liked the post.
It’s funny how taking a photo up close distorts their face and makes them look alarmed. Ha! Those pics gave me something to put in that section to break up all the text.
I thought those pictures were a great addition too. Funny and fitting
I appreciate the feedback, Rover Ronda.
I was on the edge of my seat!!!…….problem dodged…….Glad to hear you are back to puppies and rainbows!
Me, too, Diane J! Nothing like propane issues to put a stink into one’s day!
Women out for a ride….how fun! Yep and they are pulling a horse trailer, yep and saddling up their own gear, yep and having a great day! You go girls!
Way to figure out the propane situation!
Rock on desert woman!
Hi, Cinandjules,
One doesn’t have to look around much to see men having fun. That’s why it is delightful to see women doing fun things, too, independently, doing what they choose, not as “hangers on” of the fun men have chosen.
You rock on, too, soon-to-be desert woman! 🙂
I’m glad that didn’t happen to you in the middle of the night. Love the rainbow picture!!
Hi, Linda Rose,
Now I know for sure the propane alarm is functioning well. It would’ve woke us up. The alarm is right below my pillow. 🙂
Glad the propane leak has been temporarily fixed. Hopefully, the final solution will be an easy fix. Horses, I know you were excited about that. Nice pictures today.
Thanks, Lisa. Yes, I’m glad, too, that I don’t have to deal with repairs right now in the heat of summer and where we are. Next fall we will be in Arizona where there are many RV service and repair places. If I have to send off the Wave 3 heater, I can do so at my leisure and where I can have it returned to me using a UPS Customer Center. I don’t want to deal with that now. Summer is for fun stuff!
I love the way you handle problems and find the solutions…:)!!
Those pics of the Crew are soooo adorable…made me smile…:) TY!!
Hi, Betty-Shea,
Bridget and Reggie were very cooperative, although I didn’t give them time to object. I stuck the camera in their face and took the photos!
Nice of Reggie and Bridget to add their feelings to the story via their photos! I swear their faces had genuine concern on them. And the rainbow was a perfect ending.
Hi, Susan,
To tell the truth, the only concern the crew had was, “Why are you pushing the camera into my face?”
Yeah, that rainbow came in handy for an ending to the post! We have a short rain every afternoon (today’s rain is early, started a few minutes ago, love the sound, puts the crew to sleep). The day that rainbow photo was taken there were two rainbows. 🙂
I bought that same air compressor a few months ago. It works well but it does heat up and will shut itself off if it gets too hot. My experience was one full air-up of a Jeep Wrangler’s 17″ tire made it stop and it took a LOOOOOONG time to cool down and work again. So frequent pauses for Iced Tea are probably good.
Our motor home with air brakes has a much better compressor but I have to bleed the tank down by using the brakes fairly often to get it to cycle back on and finish the tires.
Re: Propane leak. Tighten fittings. I had a major hose chafe through and boy did that ever drain a 30# tank in a hurry. Easy fix if you’re in town with a propane shop. Ferrels is usually good for repairs and often has cheaper propane since they usually fill up the gas station’s propane tanks.
Hi, wa desert rat,
Yes, I noticed the air compressor was hot when I finished with the two tires which wasn’t a big job. Love the gauge. My old one didn’t have a gauge so I had to stop the compressor, check, put more air in, check, blah, blah. Little things mean a lot!
Thank you very much for the advice about going to Ferrelgas or a similar propane gas place. I wouldn’t have thought of that since those places are geared toward supplying the big tanks to homes. I’m not going to bother with it right now. I’ll wait until fall.
In fact, I just thought of this… If I can make it to Blythe before cold nights set in, there’s a great propane place there…. 🙂
Feel like giving a shout out to the great propane place?
Bit late now I guess. Most folks have already read this blog n may not be back after all this time.
I hope I wasn’t one of the “regular commenters” you hadn’t heard from in a while. I’ve been reading just, late to the party lately and haven’t been joining in the conversation.
I apologize. I know you see the comments regardless when they arrive. And I’d be happy to correspond with you anytime.
I’ve been trying to catch a post earlier because I have a question for everyone. We bought a C-head toilet for Trixie the Trailer. We just got it, n haven’t installed it yet. My question is…what is the best n easiest way to convert a black tank into a second grey tank. (Did I spell gray right? I never know.) One of these days I’ll catch a post earlier. In the meantime if you have a suggestion I’d love to read it.
Hi, Rover Ronda,
I don’t remember the name of the propane place I referred to. It’s in Blythe on the main road that comes over from Quartzsite. My experience with them is very limited, not really enough to give a recommendation. I thought of them because they’re one of the few places I’ve found that sell propane, sell tanks (new and refurbished), and provide propane-related services. All a person would have to do is ask someone in town “Who sells propane?” I’m sorry I don’t remember the name.
I haven’t a clue what to answer regarding converting black tank to grey. If no one responds here, I’ll try to remember to move your comment to the next post, near the top. If I forget, please feel free to cut and paste this comment where it will be seen by more readers.
Blogorinos…. How does one convert a black tank for grey water use? Your thoughts?
Here is one way: Crazy Easy Way To Combine RV Black and Grey Tank
http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/combine-rv-black-grey-tank
Google search using “convert a black tank for grey water use” brings up others.
Thx, Sue?No worries re the name of the propane place. I was just wondering.
Thx Ed, I’ll follow your suggestions. My husband usually does the research. In this instance he was mulling over his own ideas with me. I didn’t want to stifle his creativity. Maybe what he comes up with will be even better. He’s very “handy”. On the other hand no need to reinvent the wheel, so I thought maybe I should learn what I could.
Beautiful Horse in the window frame and Reggie trying to get a new acquaintance to play and the Bridge setting back watching, ,, glad your safe from the propane problem, ,, well it’s clear to the south west, cloudy to the east and Rumbling to the north of us, typicall Monsoon weather for the area we are in, but presently nice in the temperatures ,,,,,, have a pleasant and great day you 3,,,,,,,,, Rusty n Piper
Good for you, Rusty! You found a place with “nice” temperatures!
I know you are wise about where you set up camp so that you aren’t caught in mud when the rains come. Have a pleasant day with Piper…
There’s a lightning started fire to the north east, 10 miles from us and 3 miles south of Hebber, the wind is blowing towards the north, not to worry, its just 218 acres and burning slow, ,,,,,
Maybe some rain will come and help the firefighters. I know you’ll keep aware of the fire and stay safe.
Your post describing your reaction is timely for me.
My oven died on me earlier this week (part of a range, so involves replacing the stove top too). Then yesterday the hot water heater started to leak!
I’ve been known to lose it on par with oh, Mt Vesuvius, but I am so relieved at how I found myself reacting this time. I’d already done some online research for a new gas range. So yesterday morning found me learning about emergency hot water heater installs. I sat at the local store’s appliance desk filling out paperwork when the electrician called to set up an appointment for yet another issue. And bam, it all started coming together.
I ended up thinking “thank heavens it wasn’t last week when we all had a stomach bug”. Then “thank heavens I have a good job so I can afford this stuff (but still – ouch lol!)”. And finally “I’m so glad that I have a roof over my head at all.” I’ve been single-parenting for many years, and now one is back in the nest with her little one. We can do this stuff! Doesn’t it feel great knowing that?!
Fantastic message, Pat! You are capable and you know you are blessed and have resources to deal with problems. Plus you have the wisdom and patience that develops over a lifetime of dealing with all kinds of situations. Congratulations! Troubles seem to come in bunches…. It will be smooth sailing again soon.
Thanks for sharing your confidence here! Who knows how your words may help another, eh?
Your rig is about the same age as mine. A couple of months ago, I had the propane alarm go off a couple of times. I got down and looked carefully, and the alarm said to replace the alarm after 60 months of five years. I did and no alarms since.
You said you thought you smelled propane. Are you sure? If you did not smell it, it might just have been the alarm. Anyway, I picked up a new alarm from Camping World for $79.95. And even if you do find a leak and get it fixed, you might want to consider replacing the alarm while you are at it. Mine was VERY easy to replace–four screws and two wires to match up. Strange thing is that very recently my son also had his alarm go off several times, so he has replaced his. They bought trailer 4 years ago, but it had sat in the lot for a year before that.
You make a good point and a timely reminder, Judy.
Yes, I did smell propane (that egg smell added). There definitely is a leak somewhere. But along with what you wrote…. That alarm has gone off when it shouldn’t, like when I’m making toast on top of the stove. Too sensitive. It may need replacement like you say.
That’s another thing I’ll save for this fall/winter when we settle in someplace. Thanks for bringing that up. It’s a good reminder for all of us. I didn’t know about the 5-year/60 months time frame.
Thanks for the information Judy on replacing the propane alarm. I didn’t know they needed an update. We bought our fifth wheel August of 2010, so it may need replacing. I’ll have to check our owner’s manual.
Hi Judy Fulltimer. I went out to our FW and looked for the propane gas detector brochure in our folder of user’s manuals. Couldn’t find one, so I went online and downloaded the manual. Ours has a life of 5 years but it also said that when they begin to fail, the LED will flash RED RED GREEN GREEN with a beep every 25 – 30 seconds. You can hit the reset for a total of 72 hours, for up to 30 days. After 30 days you can’t reset and have to replace.
So, thank you! I learned something new that’s vital to our safety.
I just went in to get a new battery for my smoke detector and the store guy read the back of my old one and said I needed to replace it for the same reason you are all talking about – way too old. I think mine was ten years old!
Wow. I barely left your previous post and BAM! A new one! By the time I read it there was a plethora of responses, but that’s great! I really enjoyed the several topics. The surprise guests, the compressor, and the gas leak. Whew. Sure glad you figured it out and in such a calm, and decisive manner. Calming down is so important in keeping one’s wits about them. Panic never solves anything other than panic. DH (darling husband) and I were discussing an onboard catalytic heater and we decided instead to get a bigger Heater Buddy instead to avoid having to take our rig in to get the lines added. We already use a Heater Buddy, but it’s a small one, but we need a larger one to be comfortable when it’s cold. Sure glad you resolved your issue, Sue. Take care.
Hi, Renee,
I’m glad you enjoyed the three topics. I had more to talk about but the post was already too long, so they will appear in the next post.
You’re right…. Panic doesn’t help. It either paralyzes or it lets poor judgement run rampant.
I keep my RV freezer (and my home one, too, for that matter) full of milk bottles (or similar) of frozen water.
This serves six purposes: The freezer doesn’t need to work as hard to keep the temperature right; if you have problems with your refrigerator, you can move the “ice” to that area to help prolong the coldness while you assess/remedy the situation; the ice is available to take to the grocery store to keep things cold on the trip home; assuming that you have used drinking grade water, you will have extra water on hand for drinking and cooking after it melts; helps keep things cold during the dreaded “defrosting the refrigerator” chore; and lastly, on exceptionally hot days, you can move the ice to the refrigerator to help maintain the fresh food area at a reasonable temperature when it is straining to keep up with the heat from the outside.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Hi, Judie,
I was smiling as I read your comment, picturing my tiny freezer. Those are great ideas and I’m glad you shared them here for folks who have the room for bottles of ice.
My freezer can hold the packages of chicken for the crew and a few bags of frozen vegetables and that’s it. I gave up putting ice in my drinks which frees up space in the freezer for other things.
I was thinking the same thing. What a great idea the ice bottles are but my refrigerator is so small! (same size as Sue’s) However, I just splurged and purchased an Orca ice retention chest. It was expen$ive. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy it on Amazon (sorry Sue) because if I purchased it through Bed, Bath and Beyond, I could use a 20% off online coupon. This past year, we started keeping all of our drinks and freshies in an ice chest and it has worked well for us. Less cold air lost and the freshies don’t freeze if I forget to turn down the refridge at night. Also, when the refrigerator doesn’t like the altitude, wind, heat, being alive, etc, I have a backup. I’m hoping that this Orca performs as well as they claim. It’s supposed to keep ice longer than normal ice chests. I considered the Orca, Pelican and Yeti and, as luck would have it, the Orca suited my needs the best and could be purchased at 20% off. It will fit under the bed in the center aisle facing out for easy access. We are headed up to the Sierra on Tuesday and we will see how well it performs. I was looking at ratings on ice chests and the little one that I was using basically holds ice in a container with really no value of prolonging the ice. I did cut a piece of Reflectix and laid it across the to of the contents and it made a big difference. So if any of you travel with a ice chest, try a piece of Reflectix on top. I was surprised. Some people have used Reflectix to wrap the exterior of the ice chest and have had good results. I read strange stuff, huh?
Reflectix is great stuff. I put it on a sunny window and it makes a huge difference. Hope that cooler works out well for you and Clete. Have a wonderful time in the mountains!
How nice for the horses and women to be able to get out for a ride. I imagine their dog loves it, too. I’m glad it was a treat for you, as well. Gosh, of all the groups that might want to park near you that’s about as good as it gets, isn’t it?
Your needing to use a Styrofoam cooler had crossed my mind recently,too.It’s terrific that you found the problem and it doesn’t need work immediately.Love the whole story of how your not having a “knee-jerk reaction” , packing up and rushing needlessly worked out. Ending with a rainbow, perfect 🙂 !
It’s touching that as long as the crew’s chicken is there for them all’s well in your world. I hope after you went to town you filled one shelf with things that you enjoy.
Hi, weather,
Now that you mention it, I can’t think of any “intruders” I’d enjoy more than trailers of horses. 🙂 That dog was all business. Great life…
You’re right about the crew’s chicken. Our plans are influenced by the need to keep them supplied. I can get by with a can a beans, but Bridget and Reggie must have their boneless, skinless chicken breasts! Yes, I did buy some goodies for myself… really sweet and juicy plums. Haven’t eaten a plum in years! Oh wait, maybe I had some the year we went to Washington state.
Sue,. Proud of your response to your propane problem, hopefully someone will learn from that experience.
Went by your area Friday, returning from Denver. Worst traffic I’ve seen in many years, looked like an old Holiday weekend traffic few years back. I’ve been driving that road for 60+ years now, several times a year. If your looking for relief, head for other side of continental divide. 1/10 the the traffic although resort areas are crowded.
Enjoy, Bob
Hi, Bob,
Thank you for your words about my response to the propane situation. 🙂
Yeah, the traffic is especially bad on Fridays. Lots of vehicles and everyone in a big, pressured hurry. I’ve resolved to stay in camp on Fridays from now on! The summer crowds are why we’re moving slowly this year. It’s getting so I can’t enjoy myself among mobs of people. All this boondocking has ruint’ me! Ha!
Went to Denver last Monday early,(in Denver at noon) and traffic was just as bad. Usually after the 4th traffic eases but not this year. Should drop off after Aug 1, as gearing up for school kids begins.
Ugh… I thought it was only on Fridays. I stay in the woods a lot. 🙂
I have a portable air compressor some what like yours and I dont trust the guage on mine. It shows a different pressure then my digital Sears guage. Just a thought.
Ooh, I’m sorry to hear that. Actually I remember reading something like that in one of the customer reviews at Amazon. I’ll check with my digital Slime gauge. Maybe I have the good fortune of having the compressor with a gauge that’s accurate. I hope I do! Wouldn’t that be nice…
Okay, I checked and the Slime gauge reads 57.5, not 60 like the air compressor gauge. Of course, it could be the Slime gauge that is wrong — It’s several years old. As long as one or the other is consistently wrong, that will work out okay. Time will tell…
Thanks for pointing this out to me (and readers), Dave.
Generally, I live by the motto “panic first; you might not have a chance later”, but I’m trying to change. Trying to not be so impulsive and indulgent. It’s hard work! One of the things I have been doing to practice is making up a menu plan the day before, then sticking to exactly what is on the plan the following day. It’s harder than you think to stick to the plan exactly. I failed several times and the I did a penance of a 15-minute walk, which is hard for me.
So my news is….
My pulmonologist confirms that it is very unlikely I will ever get off oxygen, but she requested a smaller oxygen unit for me and they are working on getting it! She said no matter how much air I take in, my lungs don’t process it properly. So I am super unhappy about that.
And my new nephrologist says I am on the border between stage 3 and stage 4 kidney disease. He is getting more tests to nail down what stage. He doubts I will need dialysis at this point, but will know more after tests. The good news is that kidney disease has 5 stages, so I’m not at the end yet. The bad news is that there is no hope of getting better, just possibly stop getting worse. He says my heart problems are probably what damaged my kidneys,
Last but not least, I am going to Albny for two weeks to participate in the Knife training. I hope I have my new, smaller oxygen unit by then, otherwise it will be a hassle. My lung doctor has to contact the airline to make arrangement for oxygen en route, but I’m going. I have to drag along my Cpap and my oxygen and all my mess…but I’m going. What’s the point in living if you have to miss out on everything?
So…that’s my news. How is everyone doing?
Wow DG, sounds like you have a plan. Sorry you are having so many health issues, but your outlook is good. You go girl! Thanks for updating us.
DeGin….the energizer bunny…always finds a way!
O2-Look at it like having to wear contacts or glasses! I can’t see the big “E” without assistance. You’ll adapt just fine!
Albany before the snow flies?
Yes, summer is only time I can really go there and this time I’m just doing training for two weeks then home again. The good thing was I got a deal on a ticket for $450, but it was one of those deals where you can’t see details till after you buy. So it winds up being Delta….3 flights to get there and 2 to get back. That should be fun, with them having to arrange oxygen on all those flights.
We flew Delta to AZ in May….stopped in Detroit as there isn’t a direct flight to Syracuse on this planet!
I’d say that’s a deal! Delta and JetBlue are our favs!
Thanks for updating us, Ginger. We care about you!
Hang in there girl, but soooooo like you to not let it keep you down. Take care.
Nice photos of the horses and crew and friend. This camp looks like there is more activity and less shade than most areas where you camp.
Not much happening here, working to catch up since I had so many issues this week. The main site I use for my work had a clitch and kept taking me to the library site. No good, it took me until 4:30 Friday afternoon to fix it. I worked like a dog Friday night and Saturday to catch that batch up to current. Still finishing the other data. That should be done this evening.
I hope you can take a break tomorrow, Barbara.
Actually this is a pretty shady camp. The photos show the sunny side. Most of the day it’s shady which is one reason we’re staying put.
Gee, if only you kept some kind of electronic record of your adventures that you could refer back to regarding the new tires. 🙂
http://rvsueandcrew.net/new-tires-a-minor-mishap-and-a-new-free-camp/
If you read through the comments it seems as if Big O tires put in 50PSI which you thought was too low and said that you would run them at 60PSI. Might be a good thing that you couldn’t read the sidewall however. Your new load E tires will have a higher max PSI than the load D’s that came on the BLT. But that doesn’t mean that your wheels are rated for that high a pressure. Bottom line if 60PSI has been working for you since April you are good to go. And the new air compressor looks sweet. I just changed the one I’ve kept in my Amazon wish list for awhile now.
Also I LOVE the worried puppies shots. It looks like HRH is thinking that that damn evil camera has finally made you snap.
Speaking of the air compressor I think maybe you linked to the wrong model in the post. The link you provided goes a model that connects to the battery with clips rather than plug into a 12v outlet.
Thanks for catching that, Rick. I saw the neon lined case and thought it was the same one. I changed the link to my 85P model which now is shown without the case.
Rick, you are a sweetheart looking that up! I remember now… 50 PSI does seem awfully low and I don’t like the way the tires look at that inflation… too flat on the bottom. I think the Load D tires were kept at 55 PSI (Don’t look it up!) which sets me up for going with 60 PSI with the Load E tires, following your explanation.
years ago when I was just a young man whenever I had a problem I didnt
know how to deal with I would go over to my moms place and have coffee with
her and tell her whats going on….she would always tell me that when I didnt
know what to do then dont do anything until Ive thought it all out….
I still miss her after 25 years……
wish you had gotten pictures of the women with their horses….my experiences
of looking at women who ride horses tell me that they are a tough breed….
women not to be messed with….:)
chuck
How sweet that is, chuck… You going over to moms place for coffee and advice. No wonder you miss her.
I don’t like taking photos of people for my blog. Some people are very picky about that and I don’t want the hassle and I’m not here to cause anyone trouble, although there are those who would say otherwise. Ha!
I bet you are thinking of TEXAN women who ride horses… 🙂
OMG, if that dog had a docked tail, it would look almost identical to my Australian Stumpy Tailed Cattle Dog. They occur in both blue and red colors. Mine is red as well. They are bred to work and are very dedicated to the task at hand. They are not really suited to be just pets, unless you become attached before you realize all this and just can’t help yourself. 🙂
The rainbow photo is awesome. It’s very rare to see one with such distinct, vivid colors.
I witnessed in that dog what you describe. No interest in Reggie’s foolishness. Ready to work. Nice looking dog.
Thanks re the rainbow pic. I didn’t enhance those colors at all in editing. I didn’t need to! 🙂
More fun on the trail! And I like your camp site – so nice you three found some shade. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Trails.
Pamelab in Missouri City TX for now
Thanks, Pamelab. It has been very nice here, cool, with some rain every day, not much.
Today the damn OHVers and motor bikers are roaring up and down the road, back and forth, like it’s a raceway. I hope they’re weekend people and are gone tomorrow. A group of 7 just went by as I type this.
When it was raining, they go off the road and park under a tree, right by our camp, 30 feet from our window with engines running! and then they grind up the ground as they peal out. So much for staying on the roads as a gazillion signs say…. Those big tires tear up things… Acckk! I’ll stop my ranting. Sorry about that… Your comment is so cheerful!
Happy trails to you, too!
So-o-o sorry that crowd is around your camp, Sue. I’m having a hard time writing this without using nasty language . Are you certain they are camping and didn’t just drive up from somewhere?
Yes, I’m certain. They could be camping but what they are doing is going back and forth, back and forth, the same ones, at top speeds because this part of the forest road is straight. I do try to be tolerant. I really do. But this is a forest, for crying out loud. It’s not a racetrack. Thanks for understanding. If they aren’t gone tomorrow, we will move.
I still am stunned that the group parked in our campsite (but on the grass!) with their engines running. There are trees all up and down this road. It’s like they have OBNOXIOUS built into their DNA. Even when they aren’t driving by our camp that constant droning goes on and on across the forest.
If they’re typical mouth breathers they’ll get hungry soon and go eat like pigs somewhere else, it’s just past 4:30 there right?
You’re right, weather! They’re gone! Haha!
That’s too funny, and great! hope the rest of your evening goes as well
🙂 🙂 !!!
Unfortunately, the few ATV’s, the loud talkers, the yacky ladies, the noisy kids, and the generators have spoiled camping for my husband. People are so inconsiderate! We were using state parks in Alaska, and provincial parks in Canada. We could count on on hand the numbers of nights out 0f 50+ that we had peace and quiet. It isn’t always easy to boondock when you are following a route and schedule, and we aren’t alway sure our trailer won’t be asked to move if we just pick a spot. Tonight we found that Montana State Parks charge $28 for the privilege of one night. However, to their credit, it’s a very well kept camp.
Hi, Mary,
I feel badly for you and your husband. I know how infuriating it is to have one’s travel and camping experience ruined by inconsiderate people and by crowding.
You don’t need me to tell you what is putting you in this position (I state them for the benefit of all readers): big rig, hookups required (?), “following a route and schedule,” and staying in state/provincial parks during the height of vacation season. You’re right, boondocking is easier with a small rig and the time and flexibility to find camps away from the crowds.
What to do? If you can eliminate any of the above reasons (or tweak them), your RVing experiences will improve and your costs will go down.
If you want suggestions from me where to find inexpensive camps, I’m happy to try to help you. I would need to know where you are going, whether you require electric hookups, and the length of your rig. Blogorinos would probably have suggestions for you, too.
If you have a Benchmark atlas, you can trust the boundaries (color coded) for public lands as shown on the maps. If you camp within the boundaries and there are no signs saying “private land,” you can rest assured you have the right to camp there.
Sorry, I led you to believe there was a “big rig” involved. This is a 21′ Escape trailer, no hook-ups involved. In fact we’ve only hooked up twice in some 50+ days. Yes, schedule was a factor, in that we wanted to see as much of Alaska as we could, we didn’t stay in one spot longer than 4 nights. I think the summer season there had a lot to do with the crowds and noise. We have the Benchmark Atlases, I think we just didn’t take the time to search for spots. Although the trailer is fairly small, one has to be careful of the terrain as it’s not that high off the ground. I think we will learn, it’s just getting him to be patient and have a few more positive experiences. Thanks, Sue, for your advice.
You’re welcome, Mary. I wish you and your husband many positive Rving experiences.
Alaska and Canada state parks during the busiest time for tourist is not a place to be if you are looking for peace and quiet.
A lot of people bad mouth commercial RV Parks but in my 6+years as a Fulltimer I can only think of once that I was really upset by the noise and crowds while in one. That was during a July 4th weekend.
The only ‘state parks’ that I will even consider are the Corps of Engineer Parks. They are excellent and I have never had a noise issue when in any of them.
Good options, Ed. I would’ve put us in a commercial RV park for the 4th if I hadn’t found Kenney Flats.
COE campgrounds are topnotch!
Look for national forest campgrounds. Here’s an example of one in Montana that only cost $5 for seniors (Aug. 2013)… “Westward we go!”
Scroll down to read about Quartz Flat Campground. Montana has more campgrounds that are inexpensive like this one and located not far from the interstate.
Thanks for the horse photos……….so envy those girls off for a lovely ride. Nothing better. Shame I don’t get to do that much anymore. My horse is having a nice time! So relieved for you in regard to the propane leak. Hope its an easy fix.
Hi, Glenda,
I wish you many lovely horse rides in your future!
Loved all the horse photos! How wonderful that the ladies were nice enough to move the horsey pies away from your camp! Not sure I would procrastinate about the gas leak too long!
Hope you are n a cooler spot now. Mid 90’s here with 99% humidity, but no rain! *sigh* A mountain or two around here would be nice but I’d settle for a large, shady. oak tree!
We have a young bear cub that has been scouting around our RV park, we haven’t personally seen it but Dawn got photos of it near the bear proof dumpster. Now everybody wants to see it!
Where are you headed next?
Hugs to your two cuties. Radar and Doogie got haircuts last week! They look so much better! hahahaha! Take care and Happy Trails!
Hi, Geri,
I’m not sure where we are headed next. Probably toward Leadville….
Gosh, you must feel like you’re in a sauna! I wish you a cooling rain, one that doesn’t turn into steam… 🙂
I bet Radar and Doogie are proud of their new cuts. Dogs know when they’re looking good. 🙂
It’s wonderful when folks check in to see if it’s okay to share a spot for a few hours. I can’t imagine ever saying no, but being asked makes all the difference. Beautiful horse and their dog looks like Hank :-))) Glad the propane issue has an easy temporary fix. Now just remember it before the weather turns!!
Hi, Jodee… Wow, you’re moving a lot! Enjoy Montana!
Hi Jodee. Yes, I agree. When DH and I even pull in just for a night in an area that has many other RV’ers, he always asks if they mind if we pull in here. Of course, they always say yes. DH always has me fix a little something extra to share too. Yet, we’ve experienced the opposite when boondocking. Other’s just pull in right next to us without asking if we mind. It’s public land so what can you say? Some people just don’t get it.
Rv Sue.. Dont buy store expensive propane detective fluid. Mix a tsp
Of dawn in a spray bottle water, shake. Works great and not toxic for crew!
Thanks, Jack, for the tip!
RV Sue and Crew EXTREME CLOSEUP EDITION!
I love that little red heeler mix potential friend of Reggie’s. Obviously all business, just like a heeler.
It’s super hot and humid here in Wisconsin, like being smothered with a hot wet wool blanket.
The photos of the dry west look appealing.
Hi, Linda,
When we first arrived at Mt. Antero it was very dry. Plants were shriveling. Grass was crunching underfoot. Recently we’ve been receiving rain for about an hour every day. I noticed this morning there are more floors blooming and plants are green and happy.
I hope you can find relief from the heat and humidity.
It was very polite of the ladies to ask before they parked near you. Wonderful pictures of the horses and pups. And the rainbow….wow!! I pray that ole LP leak is under control with the heater off. You realize now you will have a couple of hundred readers reminding you come September 1st to get it fixed…:) Take care and thanks for another glimpse into your lives.
You’re welcome, Retiredcajunlady,
I will probably need all those reminders!
Just to clarify so people don’t worry…. The propane leak wasn’t stopped by turning off the heater (the heater was already off), it was stopped by closing the valve so propane doesn’t reach the place where there is a leak. That’s probably what you meant.
You’re right, Sue. I typed that very poorly. I did mean the turning the valve off. Sometimes my brain and my fingers aren’t in sync! Ok…often they aren’t! I hope your Monday was wonderful.
Let’s hope they get hungry and move on like weather says. That’s one of the reasons I don’t miss teaching anymore, it just seems like today’s youth, not all of them, but A LOT of them have no manners. Their parents were too busy working, or spoiling them, NOT teaching the manners my parents taught me! It’s bothers me, a lot. So I’m gonna get off my soapbox now!
I love the pictures, Sue. You take awesome pictures. I love to look at and watch horses, but I don’t enjoy riding them. They are so powerful, strong, I feel like I’m riding a giant muscle-ly machine that I truly have no control over whatsoever. Give me a truck with lots of horsepower and I feel like I have more control over that than a horse, but horses are beautiful creatures, with healing powers we humans are finally using to our benefit. God knew what He was doing when he created horses! But then again, God always knows what He is doing. (If you believe in God, or whatever Higher Power or not, horses are magnificent creatures.)
I was super tired today and didn’t get much done except sleep, which I needed. I’m still ruminating on the list of names for my rig. Thank goodness you ruminated today about your propane leak! Ruminating is good for the soul! Slows us down, lets our minds truly think, then react.
Be safe, give the kids a good ‘ol belly rub for me.
Beth in Prescott
Hi, Beth,
Thank you for the compliment on my photos. Horses are fun to photograph…
I know what you mean about the behavior of young people, the lack of manners and basic consideration for others. That soured my teaching experience, too.
As for the OHVers, they all looked like 40-somethings and up! The motor bikers are kids, of course.
Sleep is a great restorative. It’s more important than getting things done. When your body tells you it needs to rest, it’s good that you listen to it!
Have a great day, Beth!
My mom called while I was writing my post and so it’s out dated. LOL At least you know I’m still alive and thinking of you and the kids!
Beth in Prescott
🙂
OMG! Great story! Here is mine. About 3 weeks ago we had a bad storm. Well a huge white oak got struck by lightening blew out of ground. Hit transformer in turn that exploded. Power lines went down across highway. Blew out our farm light. Exploded meter off side of house. In turn fried A/C and heat unit. Also my convection micro. So got A/C heat fixed. Trees all over our front yard. Looks lije a wsr zone.Then I get up last Thursday night walk to bathroom realize I am standing in warm water. Hot water heater capped out. So Friday night we fix that with a new one. Sunday morning I get up bathroom sink is leaking. Don’t yu know they don’t have the size we need. Hubby is making a new one. When it rains it really pours at our house. Maybe I need to live on a boat. Gotta laugh at this point.
Sandra! I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a long string of disasters happening to one family…
I’m glad you are working your way through it and you’re still able to laugh!
Thanks for sharing your calamities with us. I’m sure you gave some readers, including me, some perspective…. as in “It could be worse!”
Hi Sue n crew! In 99% of cases you will find horse folks are VERY polite and much more considerate that a lot of campers! In 40+ years of horsen’ , we rode out of a lot of campgrounds and were considerate of campers and parked far away or if shade needed, ALWAYS asked first. Unfortunately, in many ‘horse trailer parking’ or campgrounds that provided horse corrals, RV people camped without any consideration of the horse folk. Enuff of my rant, the horse pics were great, the 2 of the crew were super! And I agree with Geri, keep a close eye (or nose) on the propane problem. Soap n water in a spray bottle sprayed on ALL connections will normally find the leak. A sudden problem like you had is probably a slit hose at a bend or kink.
Hi, Chuck,
I have seen what you mentioned, where people camp in areas that are obviously used by people with horse trailers or the really big rigs (for turning around). I don’t think they realize how their actions affects others.
Thanks for your concern and comments about the propane issue…
Ahh a truly lovely story… nice ending!
Thanks Sue. I read your blog at the end of the day and it relaxes me
You’re welcome, BoxinTheCompass… I’m pleased that you find my blog relaxing.
I am impressed that the women asked for permission to park their rigs there. I am not sure men would, but maybe I am abnormally pessimistic!
Glad you saved the day with the propane; just don’t forget about the problem come fall and cold weather. (that would be me–wait until there is frost on the windows, go to turn on the heater and ….oh, oh, I forgot!)
Hi, Nancy,
As mentioned in a comment above, surely I’ll have loads of readers reminding me about the propane leak… I’m also sure I’ll procrastinate about it!
Have a wonderful Monday!
Well, tis nice to hear about some polite mannerly people for a change!! Wish more of them lived near us!! Ha…and pretty photos too…loved the red heeler…and yep, those dogs are always about their business, whatever it is that they think they need to do!!! HA!!
Hi, Elizabeth,
That dog showed no interest at all in playing. Something Reggie will never understand…. I imagine it is tough on heelers when they aren’t given a job to do, if they don’t have some kind of responsibility. Just like there are people who are happiest when they are working or producing something.
I hope you are enjoying Monday!
Our heelers never paid a great lot of attention to other dogs (other than ones they lived with and even that was limited)…they were always more interested in what their humans were doing and wanted from them!! Yea, I am glad our last one had our youngest child to play with…that kept her more busy!!
Well, Sue the morning walk is over…we are trying to walk at least 2 miles a day now…and still we are probably going to have to go on insulin…argh!! Waiting on bloodwork and call from doc. Oh well, most of us don’t get a perfect ride in this life…tis ok…I am considering going mostly vegetarian (in some ways I already am) because several books I have read strongly propose that as a solution to the diabetes trouble. And for loosing weight. I am also gluten free and other food allergies…the list seems to grow shorter and shorter of foods I can have…oh well, easier to shop eh??
I know what you mean about stress and procrastination. I had years and years of jumping up and dashing around to solve problems. Now I ask myself, “What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do this now?” So far, NOTHING!
The saddle on the horse in your photo looks really, really expensive. Any blogorinos know about saddles?
Your banner photo of the doggies reminds me of a t-shirt which said: “I’m with stupid!” I mean really, it must cross Bridgette’s mind now and then.
Hi, gayle,
“What is the worst thing that can happen?” is an effective question to ask when something goes wrong. Usually there’s no need to hurry and fret.
Yeah, there are times when Bridget looks at Reggie and then she looks at me like, “Is he nuts or what?”
Get that propane leak looked at for your own safety
Thank you, AZChris!
Hi, Sue, do you know yet if it will be a quiet day at Antero Pine Camp or moving day? I wish you nice discoveries and enjoying whatever you and the crew do. We may be getting lightening soon, if so I’ll stay off line until it passes.
Very quiet here! We can stay longer at this camp. I LOVE MONDAYS! Thanks for asking…
Yippee!!
Good Morning Sue, just checking in…Remember that UTI we had in April, well mine did not go away..and now I am on IV treatments…this is the last day of my 14 days, two ER visits and two IV lines later I am almost able to use might right arm and hand again..first day on keyboard..but have caught up this morning with all your posts, so feeling well enough for that. I am glad you and pups are good. Hi to Blogorinos, sorry but have not been able to read comments, but I am saving my energy to get back to work. I will try to be better at staying in touch,
Shirlene! I am so very glad to hear from you! I’ve been worried. Every morning I thought of you and your peanut butter toast. I kept myself from shouting out to you by name, not wanting it to look like I was “playing favorites.” I had a feeling something had happened and it wasn’t good.
Your UTI led to the loss of use of right arm and hand or are you talking about the IV line? Gee, that’s scary. Well, you’re on the mend now and I’m glad for that!
Thank you for letting us know, Shirlene. Yes, save your energy. If we don’t hear from you, I promise not to worry. Just get better!
Whew! Good morning to you, too!
This is funny
As you know, we are moving and decided to purge items we didn’t want to drag BACK across the country. In an adjoining town, the electric appliance store is also a gun store..no bars on the windows and probably no alarm system either. The owner is 88 years old, dressed in overalls, hearing aids on both ears….friend of Jules’ parents. He immediately recognizes Jules and I. We say our hellos and show him a Ithaca 37 featherlight shotgun and a Ben Franklin 347 rifle. His eyes light up and says how much do you want for these? They are yours…do what you want with them. He rummages through a box and pulls out a tin sign…”when they come for your guns…give them your ammo first”…here hang this in your house.
We inquire about his wife, when he gets this sad expression on his face. Oh, my Helen, she’s lost her mind and is in a nursing home. She used to do the books, collect taxes for the town and was never off a cent. Now she doesn’t recognize me. Well…who then is making sure you behave? ME he replies!
It’s lunchtime and folks in this region are on a schedule. He’s gotta go eat! Have a great day….take care. When we get home there is a cut off message from him on our answering machine.
Jules called him back….apparently he wants to take us to the range so he can show US how to shoot a pistol! Uhh I guess he forgot what we used to do. So next week sometime, we are gonna have us a pistol lesson! ?
Me thinks it’s the company aspect more than the lesson.
That story has everything! Funny and quirky, touching and sweet, a glimpse into his world and his heart, so much revealed in those few paragraphs… What good neighbors you are!
I have a feeling he’s going to be impressed with how quickly you and Jules learn how to shoot and how accurate you are!
Thank you for telling this story, Cindy.
LOVED the story…heehee!! Thanks for sharing that!!
You have to tell us what he brings to train you with. I guess it will be a wheel gun with a 10 pound pull and cowboy sights. 🙂
Uh oh! I hadn’t thought about a wheel gun! It’s been so long..back in th day we had SW model 66..where the trigger pull got harder the more ammo that went thru it! We would use “service rounds” to clean it out and then spend hours cleaning it!
Absolutely love the smell of Hoppes cleaner!
Speaking of training……I know who to ring up for some sewing lessons?
My main sewing projects are little padded pouches for my cameras and lenses.
http://s20.photobucket.com/user/mickent/library/Sewing%20Projects
They are cute and look very cushy!
I’m impressed at your sewing skills….
Guy sound sharp as a tack!!
He plays a little dumb and now he has a date with two of the greatest gals I know plus he’s doing what he loves most in life. Smart man. 🙂
We’re looking forward to it!
One is never old enough to learn something…or just having a good time!
How is my favorite REI buddy? Thought of you when I saw REI was having free outings nationwide AND A GARAGE SALE! Ok fess up….ya got another stove….didn’t you!
Gayle,
I’m far from a saddle expert, but I believe the saddle on the bay horse is made by Circle Y. I can just make out the company insignia stamped on the lower fender (ie the piece of leather with the stirrup at the bottom). Circle Y saddles are less than $2,000 new. They are considered a good quality production (factory-built) saddle rather than a custom built saddle. A high quality custom built western saddle starts @ $4,000 & goes up. And the more hand tooling/carving, the higher the price tag. But if cared for properly, a quality saddle can last longer than a (human) lifetime. There!..more than you ever wanted to know about saddles, but I appreciated the opportunity to contribute a little to Sue’s wonderful blog.
And I appreciate your contribution, Luvmyhorse! I hope you will join us often, Blogorino! 🙂
I would have been in heaven if those trailers of horses moved right on in ?
I wished they brought a spare horse for me! 🙂
First time to comment but an avid reader here. I don’t remember how I ended up at your blog. I’ve gone back and read everything from the beginning. I reread a lot of the posts from your winters in the Southwest and love looking at the photos of the desert.
Although by now I’ve lived longer in Kentucky, I grew up in South Dakota and didn’t leave until after college; I still consider myself a South Dakotan. As a kid, my parents took my brothers and me on 3-4 week vacations around the west…multiple times. We saw and hiked a lot of the great national parks. I think we stopped at every museum we came across. My dad bought an old school bus and converted it into our camper. We couldn’t afford a Winnebago, which was the big thing then….at least to us, I think because they were made in Iowa just next door. I loved staying in the national forests. We always spent a week camping and fishing in the Black Hills.
This was back when the interstate system was still being built. So all that construction along with the old bus and so much to see, it made for slow trips around the country. So now that I’ll be eligible for Medicare in a few months, I’ve been thinking about hitting the road again. I really haven’t had a vacation in almost 20 years. All my vacation time has been spent taking one spring and one fall trip back to SD to see my mom. About a year ago she died at 96 and now I’m kind of at a loss as to what to do with my vacation. So I’m thinking why not just skip vacation, retire and hit the road.
After all that intro…I’m wondering if you have had any regrets about the cargo van. Is your next vehicle going to be something else? I really thought a large SUV like a Suburban would be perfect. I remember my Dad’s old Suburban. After he and my mom retired, he used it to pull a travel trailer for them to continue to see the country. That thing was like a tank. I looked at one the other day and decided that wouldn’t work. My crew is fairly large…3 dogs: 40lbs, 50lbs and 70 lbs.
I drove a cargo van yesterday and it was actually nice. I drive a Honda Element so it seemed huge. The dogs and their stuff would probably take up half the space in the van…and I would like to take a bike. I worry that if I had all that space I would feel a need to fill it up…to say nothing of trying to get it lined up with the trailer to get hitched. The truth is, I’d really like an F-150, but even with a crew cab, I’m not sure it would work. I guess I didn’t say that I’m fairly sure it will be a Casita that I pull. I talked to the people in Rice and have been following the ” for sale” ads.
Bottom line..is the PTV still the PTV for you?
P.S. Thanks for reading all that. I couldn’t decide what to leave out.
Hi, Patricia and welcome! Thank you for introducing yourself and sharing a little of your childhood experiences with travel and camping.
To answer your question about a tow vehicle…
I looked at Suburbans and quickly looked away… too pricey for me. F-150s are nice. I notice, however, that when people buy a pick-up to tow a travel trailer, right away they try to turn it into a van by putting a cap on the back and then there’s the crawling to find stuff. Why not get a van in the first place?
In my opinion, a van makes the perfect tow vehicle. Of course! 🙂 With three big dogs, y’all need the room, Patricia. Yes, you will fill up the van. I have filled up the PTV. However, I’ve filled it with stuff I need and want in order to full-time comfortably and successfully!
Folks think vans are uncomfortable to drive… not so!
I chose a Chevy Express van 1500, fully upholstered. It only cost me $8,500, I’ve driven it all over in all kinds of conditions, towing, for 5 years with very few problems and minimal cost. That’s a pretty inexpensive tow vehicle and I have more storage room than what’s available in most other tow vehicles.
Hitching up with a van is not any more difficult that with other kinds of tow vehicles. It’s the ratio of back wheels and overhang at the rear that determines ease of backing up the trailer and hitching.
So, yes, yes, yes, the Perfect Tow Vehicle is still the perfect tow vehicle for us!
Hi Sue. It may be nothing and I don’t know the elevation of the place you are camping, but I have noticed that propane appliances start acting strange the higher up you get. At 8-9000 ft, my refrigerator acted up and had to be restarted a couple of times. I have had the propane alarm go off when the water heater was running several times at high altitude. I have had the water heater checked out and they could not find an issue with the water heater itself or with any gas lines. I have never had the alarm go off at less than 5000 ft. Also, adjusting the tire pressure at altitude can result in a pressure that is too high at a much lower altitude. I guess the trick is to check the pressure often using a gauge that you trust.
Ken… I’m so glad you took the time to tell me this! I never thought about altitude!
I think we’re somewhere around 8,200 feet. I’m guessing. Rte 285 goes up and down as you travel north from Salida but I believe it goes more up than down. 🙂
Yes, I do remember how the fridge would cut off and restart several times when we camped around 8,500-9,000 feet on Badger Mtn. in Utah. And the tire inflation! I forgot all about the effect of altitude! Thanks a lot for pointing that out.
As for the propane leak… I definitely smelled it and the propane alarm detected it. Gosh, wouldn’t it be great if going to a lower altitude would fix the problem. Ha! I’m dreaming. 🙂 Well, sometimes dreams come true…
Hahaha. Dreams can be good and bad. I could smell propane too when my alarm was going off. It seems like the appliances don’t burn the gas completely at high altitude and some unburned gas can escape – hence the smell. I read somewhere that the size of the gas jets in the appliance can be changed out to a different size if you regularly camp at high altitudes to make it work better. But what does it do when you are NOT camping at high altitude? It is scary to smell gas and it certainly would not hurt to have everything checked out. I would not be surprised if you had a similar experience as I had – where nothing out of the ordinary was found. I usually leave some compartment doors open or windows cracked when my camper starts doing this at altitude. I also have a piece of surgical tape over the speaker hole on the propane alarm. I can still clearly hear it but it no longer pierces my eardrums. I think Casitagirl is right. I should probably replace my alarm – it is about 10 years old!
I sure enjoy following your adventures and it has certainly reshaped my vision of retirement someday.
I have to admit I’m thrilled with your last sentence… to have that much of an effect on another person’s life. Pretty amazing!
Gee, I sure hope what you describe is what happened here.
We’ve been sleeping with at least one window open since coming to Colorado and the higher altitude. I chuckled at you covering up the speaker on the alarm. Man, those things are loud. Even Bridget who is hard of hearing is lifted up off the bed when it goes off! Of course, me, in my wisdom, placed my bed so my head is about 12 inches above the alarm. Sheesh.
Good thing that beeped during the day! Our CO monitor started beeping last week. We weren’t running the furnace or using the stove, and after it kept beeping, we realized it was dying from old age. I looked at a label on it and it said to replace it after 5 years–ours was 12 years old. Oops. I should probably check our other monitors. It’s now gone and replaced by a shiny new one.
There is some soapy stuff you can buy to help find propane leaks. I’d loan you ours, but we are in the wilds of Montana right now…
Love the horse photos!!
Hi, casitagirl! Yes, those monitors have to be replaced. Ours is 5 years old so that’s on my list of Things To Do. A blogorino suggested Dawn in water in a spritzer bottle to check for propane leaks.
Enjoy Montana! Love that state!