Thanksgiving. Tranny Temps. Slide Won't. RV Duals. Map Light. RV Mirrors. Old MH. Yard Sale.

 

Remember this Thanksgiving when you are eating your dinner, smiling and laughing, that in another house there's an empty chair where a hero should be sitting.

They gave up their lives so you could sit with your family, so say a prayer for the heroes who did not make it back and for those who are still serving out in Afghanistan, Iraq or another place.  Thank You.

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Brief history of the Pilgrims' journey

"It's fascinating to review the Pilgrim's history and their roots in America.

Attempting to reform the Church of England, the Puritans wanted to base their religion purely on biblical teaching—both from the Old and New Testaments. In England, they pressured the government so much to establish its laws on biblical principles that they provoked the ire of King James I of England. "King James vowed to make these deviants conform or he would 'harry [harass] them out of the land or else do worse'" (Martin Marty, Pilgrims in Their Own Land, 1984, p. 59).

So a group of Puritans fled from England and sailed to Holland. There they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but eventually became disillusioned with the Dutch way of life, believing it was ungodly and that it had a corrupting effect on their children.

A number of these Puritans, seeking a better place to practice their religion, began to set their sights on America. They finally negotiated with a London stock company to finance a journey to the New World.

They sailed from Holland to Plymouth, England, and from there to the new Plymouth they would reach after more than two months at sea. They dropped anchor at Cape Cod in November of 1620. Only about half of the original colonists were true Pilgrims. The rest, whom the Pilgrims called "strangers," were hired to protect the company's interests.

The Pilgrims finally disembarked at Plymouth Rock on Dec. 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following autumn, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was bountiful and the Pilgrims decided to celebrate with a feast—inviting Native American Indians who had helped them survive their first year. Historians believe that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast lasted three days.

The fledgling Plymouth colony of Puritans would not be the exception to the rule. Over the next 20 years, 16,000 Puritans would migrate from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and many more settled in Connecticut and Rhode Island—thus establishing a lasting influence on American culture and character."

More at: From: http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/thanksgiving-rooted-biblical-festival/

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For "tRaVersing or RV Day:

Keep an eye on transmission temperature

"At a consistent operating temperature of 175°F, automatic transmission fluid can provide up to 100,000 miles of service before the oxidation level gets to the point where you need to replace the fluid.

When pulling a tow vehicle and or driving over mountainous terrain, however, RV transmissions typically run much hotter than 175°F.
Because the rate of oxidation doubles with each 20°F increase in oil temperature over 175°F, the effective life of your transmission fluid can be reduced to 15000, 10000, or even 5000 miles. But unless you monitor the transmission temperature, you have no way of knowing the extent to which the fluid has been oxidized, and continuing to operate the RV with degraded transmission fluid will almost certainly lead to costly transmission repairs.

You can avoid driving for an extended period with an overheating transmission by monitoring the transmission temperature and taking action to reduce the temperature, such as pulling over to allow the transmission to cool down. Although some RVs are factory-equipped with accurate transmission temperature gauges, many provide only a dashboard warning light that may come on too late to avoid damage. A much more proactive approach is to use a transmission temperature gauge.

ScanGauge II

There essentially two types of gauges: an automotive computer-based gauge, such as the ScanGauge II, or a dedicated gauge with a temperature sensor installed in the transmission system, such as the Balkamp 7011280. An automotive computer-based gauge requires that your RV have an OBDII port and is very easy to install. In addition to monitoring transmission temperature, this type of gauge can also monitor many other functions such as fuel consumption and engine temperature.

Ballkamp 7011280

A dedicated gauge requires more effort and expertise to install, but offers the advantage of being integrated with a cooling fan that can be set up to come on when the transmission temperature reaches a designated level. You can also choose where in the transmission system to place the temperature sensor, whereas an automotive computer-based gauge pulls data from the vehicle's on-board diagnostics and so you have no choice.

Whichever type of gauge you use, be sure to keep an eye on your transmission temperature. Although precise ranges vary depending on transmission make and model, your goal should be to keep the transmission temperature between 160°F and 200°F; for short durations during long hill climbs, it is acceptable for the transmission temperature to peak at around 275°F.

Any time your RV transmission temperature climbs above 275°F, you are running the risk of incurring damage to the transmission. At that point, it is time to pull over at the next safe spot and let things cool down."

http://rvtechtips.blogspot.com/2011/11/keep-eye-on-transmission-temperature.html

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Slide Won't Slide?

How to Override Your Slide Out Mechanism -

"How retract (or extend) your RV's slide out room should you lose power. This video shows all type of slide out mechanisms Keystone uses in their travel trailers and fifth wheels and shows you step by step how to override the system to retract your slide out room should you loose power. Every RV camper should see this. Just in case."

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Special considerations for duals

"Many RVers find they need “more space” as they go down the RV lifestyle road. When shopping for the “right” RV, they may find themselves buying rig with duals tires, either a motorhome, or a pickup suitable for pulling that big fulltimer rig. If you’ve never had dual tires, they’re an experience, and sometimes take a little getting used to.

 
Not only do dual tires mean you’ll be buying at least half-again as many tires for the rig when you “re-tire,” they also require special attention throughout their life with your family. Let a “single” tire get a little low, you run some risks.

Let your dual tires get low, they can actually rub against one another and cause damage to themselves. While we always admonish keeping a sharp eye out for tire pressure on any rig, that goes “double for duallies” if you’ll pardon the pun."

More at: http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2011/07/special-considerations-for-duals.html

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Now that the clocks have been changed, it is dark earlier:

RV outfitted with marine grade map light

"I do not like driving my motorhome at night and go to great lengths to avoid it. However, sometimes it happens and during those times I'm grateful for good exterior lighting. Unfortunately our interior map reading lights leave something to be desired.

One time we were traveling at night and I asked Mrs. Professor to check the map. She had to get out of her seat and turn on the overhead light which wasn't aimed properly, so she had to get up again and aim it. When she was finished she had to stand up again to turn it off. I hesitated to ask her to look at the map again further down the road.

 

 

 

 

 

Lon and Christine Cross from Yorba Linda, California solved this problem by adding a map reading light next to the passenger  seat.

This light is from Hella Marine and you can find it here: Map Light.
I like this light because it's flexible and easily stores out of the way when not in use.

I also like it because it can be used as a reading light as well. It doesn't cause glare off the front windshield like some overhead reading lights. The best quality is that it's handy and doesn't require contortionist moves to turn it on and off.

It requires a 12 volt source for power and can be neatly attached for a visually appealing application." 

Helping light you way down the RV road"  Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

From: http://rvnow.rvtravel.com/2009/03/rv-outfitted-with-marine-grade-map.html

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How to adjust RV mirrors

http://RVtravel.com Walter Cannon of the RV Safety and Education Foundation discusses the importance of proper mirror adjustment on RVs and offers advice about how to do it. http://RVsafety.com

This is the short version.

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This is the longer, more detailed version:

RV Driver Confidence Course - Adjusting Your Motorhome Mirrors is the first installment in a series of RV courses. To view the rest, go to http://www.BetterRVing.com.

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Classic Motorhomes:

Frederick Weiss, an FMCA member for more than 30 years, photographed these old-time motorhomes at FMCA events in the 1960s. Motorhomes include like Brill, Condor, ReVella, Beechwood, Streamliner.

 

http://www.rvvideos.com/2011/09/motorhomes-old-unique-ugly-pretty-all.html

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Yesterday:

As for the alternative of having my yard sale here, I found out that the big flea market about 25 miles away has a website, http://www.oldesecuritysquarefleamarket.com/index.html  so I checked on prices. 

"How big is an outdoor covered table space?  It is approximately 10’ wide x 20’ long; the table in the space that is provided is 4 x 8'. "

Only one table!!  That means that I would have to haul several of my 15 tables, and they would fill up the van.  So I would have to put my MH back on the road, and I am not ready to do that until these foster critters are adopted.  Also I would have to buy tires and tags for one of my utility trailers.

It is $30 rent for an outside area for the weekend, and then you have to bring all the unsold stuff back.  I don't think I want to load all the stuff up and transport it for just one weekend.   I did that once before, and took a bunch of stuff to the Way Out West Trading Post at Livingston, TX, but it wasn't worth the hassle. 

At Olde Security the indoor fenced lockable booths rent for $200 a month, and December has five weekends.  But all are rented.  So I guess I will have it here.  I am not sure exactly when yet, it depends on when we can get it ready.

 

Bobbiecat and Prime were out of their brands of canned food, and the kittens were down to a flavour that they aren't crazy about, so it was time to go shopping in Conroe.  Jay needed some things, so he went too.

At 65 deg. it was a long sleeve day, and as the thrift shops were closed, food shopping was our goal.  But we did take all the paper and cardboard to the recycle bin. 

We ran in the back door of Walmart, but they no longer have the 12v. light bulbs that we need for the cargo trailer.  For a change, I bought their brand of scoopable litter to see if I like it better than Kroger's, even though it cost a bit more, but it does come in a big plastic bin, and they are always handy.  It wasn't very busy in there, everyone must be waiting for Black Friday. 

A quick run through Kroger's for some fresh fruit and dry milk, then on to Petsmart.  After stocking up with canned cat food we came home at a speed not over 30 MPH on the freeway, but that was still quicker than coming north on Highway 75 with all the traffic lights.

The freeway was packed with vehicles and semis trying to get to their destinations before the holiday.

"Is it important to have a Thanksgiving tradition? What's the best one?"     Watch this BT Daily at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/best-tradition

As I was raised in England I have never had the family Thanksgiving that is celebrated here in the US.   Also, when I was growing up I didn't have a family life, so I don't miss the family get togethers.  I had some invitations, but I am going to stay home this year.

Have a Happy Day.