RV Fridge Temps. Grey Water Odors. Trailer Sway. Pull Over. Disasters. Side Shifter. Living With Your Mate. RV Tips. Four Wheels Down. Columbus' Mermaids.

 

For "tRaVersing Thursday" or RV Day:  

How to monitor your RV fridge and freezer temps

"Here's a great way to monitor the temperatures in your refrigerator and freezer, or even the air temperature inside and outside your RV — and all on one portable device."

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How To Control RV Gray Water Odors

"Some effective methods for controlling gray water holding tank odors in your RV"

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How to control travel trailer sway

"RV safety expert Walter Canon discusses trailer sway, a common problem for RVers, and offers suggestions about how to control it."

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Pull over going downhill

"Chuck Woodbury provides a tip that will save you money when pulling over to let faster vehicles pass."

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Are you and your RV prepared if (when) disaster strikes?

"Having a mechanically maintained and fully stocked RV could make a huge difference in the quality of your life following such a disaster. But do you have the skills to live in your RV for an extended time without support such as the hookups you normally take for granted? Obtaining supplies–food, water, and electrical power–may be  impossible due to flooded roads, fallen or damaged bridges and highways,  supplies inaccessible due to damaged or closed stores, power supplies cut off, water mains broken.:  Complete article at: http://blog.rv.net/2013/08/are-you-and-your-rv-prepared-if-when-disaster-strikes/

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Side Shifter - Amazing Invention to make maneuvering 5th Wheel's Easy

"No more accidents or being stuck in hard to maneuver areas. This new invention gives you more maneuverability with 5th Wheel campers or tractor trailers than ever before. You can easily fit into areas that nobody else can!"

If you want to know more visit www.sideshifteronline.com  or call 931-808-3330

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Close-space RV living with your mate

"Thinking about full-time RVing with your significant other? If not fulltiming, how about extended RVing? Anne and I have been together over nine years and lived full-time in an RV for two. Thankfully, we're very compatible and have grown even closer while RVing. We manage to cohabit in 180 square feet of living space. How do we manage it without killing each other?

Test out the lifestyle: If you don't have a rig, rent or borrow an RV and travel for a few weeks and see how it works out. Anne and I took my camper van on several trips of 2-4 weeks and got along good. We knew at that point if we were OK in a small camper van, then we would be great together in a 30-foot fifth wheel.

Division of labor: RVing brings plenty of chores and mundane day-to-day tasks. Sort out who is responsible for what. When each has a clear idea of their responsibilities, the smoother things will go. Some refer to these as pink and blue jobs, with more dirty, outside tasks like sewer dumping being an example of a blue job, and washing the bedding and sheets being pink.

Food: RV living means coping with restricted cupboard and fridge space. We split up the space into combined and separate areas for each of us to have our own foods. I do the bulk of the cooking — this is helpful when it comes to organizing and purchasing the groceries.

Personal space: With space at a premium, it's very important for you to have some personal space. We assign different drawers, cupboards and closets to each other along with some common areas. We also have separate areas for using our computers.

Noise and movement: Two things that can drive the other spouse crazy! In an RV, any type of noise is magnified. You need to be very considerate of the other person. When Anne is writing she likes quiet, so if watching TV I use headphones. The RV being on wheels and springs is prone to shaking as you move around, so we respect when the other is trying to sleep and reduce our movements in the rig.

Away time: Occupying the same space 24/7 can be taxing on a relationship, so plan to give each other some time to be off on their own. Even if it's only a trip by yourself shopping for supplies, to the pool, or getting the oil changed on the truck, a little away time is beneficial.

Don’t stay angry: We get angry with each other from time to time but the trick is to resolve the issue quickly. That’s one nice thing about the tight quarters — it forces you to talk it out and settle a disagreement — there is no place to run and hide. Nip it in the bud and don’t let things fester.

Do-nothing day: Even when traveling and having fun you still need a break once in a while. Every few weeks we have a do-nothing day and just chill out with no plans or chores. This helps reduce the stress that can come from being on the go so much and helps us get along a little better.

Happy Hour!: Each day at around 4-5 p.m. we sit down and discuss the day's events and our plans for the coming ones. This is a great way to relax and stay on the same page." by Ray Burr, loveyourrv.com

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RV Tips:

Trailer stabilizers
"Use a portable electric drill with the appropriately sized socket to run holes up and down your trailer stabilizers. Saves time and frustration. Bringing an extra battery or charger isn't a bad idea — especially on long trips with lots of stops."

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Handy campground caddy
"Drill holes in the bottom of an old ice cream or plastic bucket. Use it to carry shampoo, soap, washcloth, etc., to and from the shower or laundry building."

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Handling putty/butyl tape in hot weather
"Working with putty tape or butyl tape in hot weather? Prepare for frustration as the backing paper will stick to the gooey tape. Better: Put the roll in the freezer for a few minutes — tape peels off backing easily. We store our butyl tape in the freezer for this reason."

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What vehicles can be towed four wheels down behind a motorhome? Information from Edmunds.com

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On This day:

Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, Jan 9, 1493:

"On this day in 1493, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three "mermaids"--in reality manatees--and describes them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted." Six months earlier, Columbus (1451-1506) set off from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, hoping to find a western trade route to Asia. Instead, his voyage, the first of four he would make, led him to the Americas, or "New World."

Mermaids, mythical half-female, half-fish creatures, have existed in seafaring cultures at least since the time of the ancient Greeks. Typically depicted as having a woman's head and torso, a fishtail instead of legs and holding a mirror and comb, mermaids live in the ocean and, according to some legends, can take on a human shape and marry mortal men. Mermaids are closely linked to sirens, another folkloric figure, part-woman, part-bird, who live on islands and sing seductive songs to lure sailors to their deaths.

Mermaid sightings by sailors, when they weren't made up, were most likely manatees, dugongs or Steller's sea cows (which became extinct by the 1760s due to over-hunting). Manatees are slow-moving aquatic mammals with human-like eyes, bulbous faces and paddle-like tails. It is likely that manatees evolved from an ancestor they share with the elephant. The three species of manatee (West Indian, West African and Amazonian) and one species of dugong belong to the Sirenia order. As adults, they're typically 10 to 12 feet long and weigh 800 to 1,200 pounds. They're plant-eaters, have a slow metabolism and can only survive in warm water.

Manatees live an average of 50 to 60 years in the wild and have no natural predators. However, they are an endangered species. In the U.S., the majority of manatees are found in Florida, where scores of them die or are injured each year due to collisions with boats."

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Yesterday:

It wasn't quite so cold, but when Ray came over we still did inside jobs, and cleaned the ceiling fans and air cleaners. 

As the new long ethernet cable had arrived, we moved my computer desk to the front of my living room by the patio door that goes to the screen porch.  I prefer it there, for the view and watching the birds at the feeder.  But that wasn't going to work as long as I am using the 220v space heater, as the cord is only so long.  My other computer was a flat one and would fit on the desk shelf, but this new one doesn't.

We moved the desk back to the space in between the living room and dining area, and so I am stuck with it there until the new Heat/Air is installed.  As least, as we were moving things around, some areas that were hitherto inaccessible were vacuumed.

Misty my old dog, is obviously unhappy and not having any good quality of life anymore.  She eats, sleeps and goes out, but she is in pain and in a daze.  She and Ava, my 'new' old cat, have an appointment at the vet, but Misty is declining fast, and I don't think she will be coming home with me today.