Safety -- Part I

This morning I attended a seminar on tire safety and then one of fire safety. Earlier in the week, Sandy attended the fire safety seminar. Both were informative and scary. Fortunately, both Sandy and I are very safety conscious. We know that driving and living in a motorhome can be hazardous to your health. But, then, so can just walking down the street be dangerous.


But there are quite a few things that an RVer can do to minimize risk. The first safety add on we made was a Tire Pressure Monitoring System  (TPMS). Ours is made by Pressure Pro. The system consists of 10 wireless transmitters, and a digital readout receiver.

Transmitter is black knob in wheel opening.

Because our motorhome is 40 feet long we also have an antenna signal repeater in the back of the bedroom to pick up the transmitters on each wheel on our Honda CR-V. We installed the TPMS in April of 2009 when we drove Moose
home from Nacogdoches, TX.

Installation was simple. After I checked tire inflation and adjusted it according to manufacturer specifications, I screwed on a transmitter onto the tire valve stem of each wheel. Six on the motorhome and 4 on the Honda. Each transmitter records and remembers the pressure of the tire it is attached to. If the tire pressure goes up or down more than 12 percent, it sets off an alarm in the digital readout panel. I can check the tire pressure in each or every tire at any time.

This safety add-on has twice saved our bacon. Both times we had a tire on the Honda losing pressure. Without our Pressure Pro system we would have dragged the Honda down the road until someone caught our attention or we noticed smoke and/or flames in a rear view mirror.



The next safety add-on was an Energy Management System made by Progressive Industries. This “black box” device analyzes incoming the external electrical supply “shore power” that we hook up to in campgrounds and will not send it into the motorhome unless it is safe. And it continues to monitor that incoming electrical current so that if the power becomes too weak or two strong it cuts off the external power source.

In our first six months on the road our EMS has kicked in twice, until we got here where we are allocated 20 amps out of a 100 amp junction box. Unfortunately, we were having one or two service interruptions a day and so we finally decided to disconnect from our shore power and run off of our battery bank for a few hours. Then we turned on our diesel generator which produces 83 amps of electricity.










Our "black box" is located under our bed so I borrowed a
photo from the manufacturer's web site. 

The Yuma Country Fairgrounds is a fine place, but when you put 222 coaches all over the grounds and try to supply each one with 20-amp service and factor in that more than one electrician has worked on the network of junction boxes and cables over the years, that the chance for error goes up rapidly.

Some of the 222 RVs here at the Gypsy Journal Rally in Yuma, AZ

This is what we were plugged into for our electrical service.  Kind of scarry looking.

Following Sandy’s attendance at the Fire Safety Seminar we went over to the exhibits and bought two new smoke detectors that are especially made for RV and boat use. I installed those yesterday. One in the front of the coach and one in the bedroom.

We also ordered a fire suppression system for the diesel engine and the back of the refrigerator. Those will be installed by us within the next 10 days. Our fridge runs on either propane or electricity and is a lot more prone to fires than is the standard residential refrigerator.



These safety add-ons give us a feeling of safety. And can increase the time between an incident and the time we have to react.


Stay tuned.

Learning in Yuma at the Gypsy Journal Rally

We are in the middle of the rally and enjoying our time here.  Sandy and I attend the seminars we think will be helpful and usually we are in different classes at the same time.  This morning we both attended a session on backing up your RV.  We didn't really learn anything new, but got reinforcement that what we are doing is what is recommended for safely tucking one's motorhome into an RV site.

Quite often a military jet takes off or lands at the Marine Air Base just across the main highway that runs past the fairgounds.  There are 5,000 military people on the base  where they offer specialized tactical weapons training.  When the "Jump Jet" Harriers are overhead, all converstions come to a halt. 

On Monday afternoon  Marine Lance Corporal Benson from the Public Information Office at the base spoke to us.  He was a fine example of how his generation is accepting military service.  He received a standing ovation from over 500 people before and after his presentation.  In case you can't pick out the Marine, he is the only physically fit person on the stage.

I have also been able to meet a few people whom I recognize as frequent contributors to a couple of RV forums that I follow faithfully. It is good to match the person to the name.

Back in the summer of 2007 when Sandy and I attended a Life on Wheels seminar near Des Moines, we attended several classes presented by Nick Russell.  Nick is one of a kind.  He is funny, he is an excellent  teacher and writer.  Nick is the editor of a bi-monthly newspaper called The Gypsy Journal. 

We began following Nick's daily blog and in doing so we  learned that he puts on his own rally.  We pretty much decided to attend one as soon as we could.  That's why we are in Yuma. Nick is the short portly guy in the red tee shirt next to the Marine (see above photo).  Nick often remarks that when people tell him he needs to get into shape, he tells them that he is in shape:  round.

Tomorrow we are attending classes on Tire Safety, Fire Safety, and Inside Cleaning Tips.  And again tomorrow Sandy will get up early in the morning to go over to the main building to help serve coffee and donuts to the hungry seniors who love free coffee and donuts.

We purchased a fire suppression system for the engine compartment of our diesel pusher, which I will be installing shortly after it is shipped to our next RV park in Phoenix.  More on that later.

The weather has been beautiful.  That's all for now.

Stay tuned.

Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Coyotes and Rattlesnakes....Oh my.

This morning we took a hike on the self-guided Nature Trail.  Every couple hundred yards there was  an interesting placard that described vegetation, plant or animal life, or geology. I did not realize there were mountain lions in the area.  Good thing we didn't take Trixie with us on this hike.

The park is part of the Sonoran Desert.  I used to think that the desert was mostly sand.  Not here.  There is a fair amount of plant life and a limited amout of animal life.  Water is the key ingredient and both forms of life have adapted to desert conditions.

We had hoped to take a trail that would take us to some native ruins, but we would have had to cross a stream and didn't want to risk getting our hiking boots soaked. We'll try again tomorrow, but we will cross the stream in beach shoes and then switch to hiking boots when we get to the other bank.

           

         

Not much else to say and no more photos.  Tomorrow should be more interesting.  Stay tuned.

Maintenance Issues and Happy News

For some weeks now we have been dealing with a limited amount of hot water.  Our coach heats water via a device called an Aqua-Hot.  This system is unique in that it provides not only hot water for dishes and showers, but it also provides heat for the coach.  And, with the flip of a switch it routes heated coolant through the engine block and will heat the engine to 60 degrees in about an hour.  This is great for starting the engine on chilly mornings.




Recently our paths crossed with Roger Berke, a seasoned and certified Aqua-Hot technician.  Roger travels in a 40 foot Foretravel and has restored countless Aqua-Hot units to factory specs.  Last month when I learned that Roger would be in Tucson, we quickly booked him for his first appointment on Monday.  Unfortunately,  a lot of rain got in the way and Roger could not get into the park.

The main road leading to the RV sites 

So we re-scheduled for this morning.  Roger found and corrected several problems, including a dying main control module that needed to be replaced for $700, plus labor.  While this was an unexpected expense, I was pleased to see that the control module is made in West Germany and not in China.

We also got some other unexpected news recently when my youngest son, Jamison, gave us the happy word that he and Jane will have their first baby in September.  In addition to being an old geezer, I can add grandfather to my many names.   

Stay tuned.    

Struggling to use photos

Mountain peaks here at Catalina State Park are cloud covered but not totally out of sight.  It was a cool and rainy.  Later in the day we found out that the road into and out of the campgrouns is partially under water and

we can't get to the outside world.  Yeah!!!

Just to be sure you grapsed the magnitude of  this I took the following picture.

Scary sign.  Right?

Bu at the end of the day, Mother Nature rewarded us with some beautiful colors on the mountain sides

OZARK MOUNTAIN GEMS

From Table Rock Lake at the COE Campground
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Each time we turn off the main road onto the smaller road leading to our campground we pass a small white house with rag rugs hanging on the fence.  Yesterday we noticed that the sign also said Hand Made Soaps.
Today we stopped and went in.  Very nice lady (yes, she has all of her teeth and her home was spotless) greeted us.  She makes everything by had in her home.  Sandy loved the soaps and bought 6 bars. 

I asked the lady if she could recommend a place for lunch.  She suggested Cedar Lodge about 4 miles down the road.   We followed her suggestion.  Huge complex of scattered single family cabins and smaller lodges.  Very, very upscale and expensive homes with mountain views and streams everywhere.  The restaurant we went to is inside the original lodge built nearly 80 years ago by a wealthy businessman.  I took a few photos outside because outdoor pictures are more pleasing than snapshots of buildings.

Then we went to see our third and final show in Branson.  The featured entertainer is Socchi Tabucci.  We left at intermission.  Not only was it poorly done (like looking at Japanese version of the Lawrence Welk Show), but a lady in back of us thought we came to hear her sing.

Tomorrow we leave for a one day stay at DeGray Lake at a CE campground in Arkansas. Then on to Wright Patman Dam in Texas for three days.

A Different Way of Living and Rule #3

Thursday, September 17
Carlyle Lake, Illinois


Life is different.

Gone is the nagging thought in the back of my head that something needs to be done on the house. Grass cutting, window washing, weeding, leaf raking, snow shoveling and countless other chores are a thing of the past. To be sure, we have to keep our house on wheels clean and perform maintenance and repairs, but we also have a lot of spare time and freedom. I can transition from doing e-mail, to walking outside, to cleaning inside the coach and then to just contemplating what a great life we are enjoying. Or I can assemble the paper, kindling and logs for tonight’s campfire. A mental list of things to do is much more fun than a written one.

Just this morning I took a lawn chair and a book and sat under a tree to read for an hour or so. I did not feel like I only had a specified amount of time before I had to do something. In fact, when I got tired of reading, I walked the shore line and watched little fish jump out of the water and mud daubers fly in for more building materials.

This is a beautiful and an amazing lake. It is the largest lake (26,000 acres of water) within the boundaries of the state of Illinois. It is a man-made lake due to the efforts of a local businessman who in 1952 recognized the need for flood control and the recreational areas that would occur as a result of creating a large body of water. The lake was completed in 1967 for a total cost of only $41 million. We are in one of 13 camp grounds, nine of which are maintained by the COE.
Our two dogs – Trixie and Norton are doing better every day. This morning they did not bark at any people or at any other four-footed creatures. We think they are beginning to adjust to the campground lifestyle.

This morning Sandy saw a skunk in back of our motorhome. But we ALWAYS, ALWAYS have the dogs on leashes. Getting sprayed by a skunk now would be a huge problem. And speaking of that, even six months after Trixie was sprayed by a skunk in our back yard in March, if her head gets wet I can still detect a faint odor from that skunk.

Sandy and I have both vowed to get more exercise. The last few months in the house and then in the motorhome were just not conducive to exercising and we both put on a few extra pounds. So by mid-afternoon we decided to drive to another area of the lake that has some hiking trails. We set out on the closest one to the parking lot. And here is where Rule #3 was written. We will never, never take another trail without a map. Yup. We two scouts got lost. Not badly lost and we did find our way back, but it took us an extra 25 minutes past the point where our legs were getting tired. But the hike was really wonderful. The path took us across prairie and huge areas of Goldenrod, through savannahs checkered with lots of oak trees and through the woods were we saw white tail deer and several ground hogs.

On the path through the prairie we saw several Monarch Butterflies stoking up on nectar as they prepare for their migration south.

Following dinner on our walk with T & N we were treated to a nice (not great) sunset, and tonight’s campfire included a special reward. I wondered what a s’mores would taste like with a layer of crunchy peanut butter spread on one graham cracker. And the answer is: INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS.

All in all this was a terrific day. We will sleep well tonight.