Living my long standing dream, I've joined the ranks of the esteemed RV Fulltimer

Friday, January 14, 2011

"The best laid schemes..."

I'm sure you're familiar with the rest of the saying...

I made it to Quartzsite and the borrowed rig ran like a top (I was mistaken, by the way, it's a 1979.) I had a little problem when I passed the rendezvous site and ran into what looked like too much of a ditch for the RV (and my heart) I had to back up a loooooooong ways. At this point I still didn't realize I had passed by the camp site. So I passed them by again and found a place to turn around. It was because the road was banked with stones, that I had to back up so far. I pulled into the first available flat space and proceeded to set up camp. I figured I could be the greeter! Anyways, Bob came by later and we figured out who each other was. But, by then I was happy to settle in for the day.

The picture below is looking towards the RTR, you can just make out their rigs.


My main concern was getting the fridge turned on so as not to lose 3 weeks worth of food I had prepared. Yeah, that didn't happen. At first i couldn't get the pilot lit and then I got the pilot lit but it wouldn't stay lit. !@#$!!%$**&!!!!!
Even cussing didn't help! Fortunately, the refrigerator is well insulated and everything was still frozen, even those items in the fridge! I figured it was good until tomorrow morning and I would work on it then. Or I could power the fridge by generator in the morning, to bring the temperature back down and keep what was frozen frozen.

I went outside and joined Stumpy in relax mode.


Next up water.
Keep in mind the my son and his father worked all weekend to make sure everything was in running order.

So I turn on the water pump and no water. @#$%^&*!!!! yeah, that still didn't help. By now it was dark so I couldn't really see what the problem was. I could however see the water running across the floor when I turned on the pump! AWESOME!!!

"OK, I'll deal with this in the morning, too." I told myself (or the dog, as if she cared)

It was a gorgeous night! And today is gorgeous, too. There's a massive leak in the hose going from the tank to the water heater. I think I'll have to empty the tank to replace the hose. :(
The generator is running, cooling off the fridge. As soon as the fridge is nicely chilled I'll move camp and join the others up the hill.

Don't sweat the small stuff!

"The best laid schemes of mice and men often, go oft awry..." .... The saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns.”

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Home Sweet Home (for the next three weeks)

We will be heading south in the morning.

This is where I will be living for the next 3 weeks. It's a 1975, 20' Dodge Jamboree, borrowed from a dear friend (Thanks, Michael! I hope you'll come down to Quartzsite and spend some time with us!)

I'm excited! And nervous!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Um.... no thanks

This one might have sat, just a little, too long!


"1971 Chevy Class B Motorhome - $2000
96,000 Original Miles on 350 V8 with automatic Turbo 400. New upholstery. New tires & brakes. Arizona vehicle. Dual A/C. $2000 OBO or trade for Silver, Platinum or Gold"


In my search for the RV that I will drive into my future, I have run across some serious clunkers.

I live 50 miles from the closest semblance of civilization. If the RV is still there, by the time I arrive, there's probably a very visible reason why.

*Disclaimer: I didn't even bother to call this one!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Dog is my co-pilot


That's right! And her name is Stumpy. We've been traveling together since March of 2007. She's pretty easy to get along with. As long as our schedule includes food and some walks, she's amenable.

Stumpy is a seasoned traveler. Besides many smaller trips she has journeyed from the East coast to the West Coast and back five times.


Her duties are extensive and her job description is very detailed. Among other duties, she's also my service dog.

(you can help feed shelter dogs by making a postcard, such as this. More details can be found at the Pet Postcard Project

And in times of trouble and stress (or any time at all) she is happy to provide comedic relief to a situation.


Stumpy also has her own blog: Stumpy's Daily Dose 'o" Dirtville, that documents her daily doggie doings, while we're domiciled in dirtville.