Day 1 of New Life

[RV-Writer]

Originally Posted by okmunky

Relax and enjoy more! These things will get figured out and you'll find lots of bumps in the road just like when you lived in a sedentary dwelling. The bonus is you have a MUCH better view.

I encourage you to look into dry camping once things settle down for you. The greatest RV parks can't hold a candle to camping beside a lake with no other humans in sight. Your RV is fully self contained but adding solar panels means rarely having to run a generator.

My FT strategy is to stay in perpetual Spring and Fall weather. That's harder to do if you need to make reservations ahead of time. I move when the temperatures where I am are too hot or cold or when the temps where I want to go next are right.

Enjoy your new lifestyle! You've worked hard to get here.

Thanks for the advice. We do plan on a lot of boondocking but solar panels aren't in the cards for a while. I can manage with the generator easily enough though LOL

Water is the big issue. We have large enough tanks but the tank monitors are way off (even the fresh tank which I find weird - it says 2/3 full but water comes out of the fill valve lol). Also haven't convinced DW to try conserving yet since we have been in parks only so far.

It will all work out as you suggested - eventually!
Jim

[Dan McMartin]

Originally Posted by RV-Writer

Thanks for the advice. We do plan on a lot of boondocking but solar panels aren't in the cards for a while. I can manage with the generator easily enough though LOL

Water is the big issue. We have large enough tanks but the tank monitors are way off (even the fresh tank which I find weird - it says 2/3 full but water comes out of the fill valve lol). Also haven't convinced DW to try conserving yet since we have been in parks only so far.

It will all work out as you suggested - eventually!
Jim

Congrats! Sounds like heaven. We're waiting to order our MH (2018 model year switch) and chomping at the bit to get on the road. We'd love to be tinkering with our new MH, trying to figure out life on the road.

Good luck! And for whatever reason, that link didn't work. I found your blog anyway.

[RV-Writer]

Originally Posted by Dan McMartin

Congrats! Sounds like heaven. We're waiting to order our MH (2018 model year switch) and chomping at the bit to get on the road. We'd love to be tinkering with our new MH, trying to figure out life on the road.

Good luck! And for whatever reason, that link didn't work. I found your blog anyway.

Sorry about the blog link. I changed the website last night so the link takes you to my blog instead of my website homepage. I think you have to leave the www off.

HTTPS://RV-Writer.com should work

Good luck on your MH purchase. I wish I could get something newer. Maybe someday. Hope to see you on the road!

Jim

[Dan McMartin]

Originally Posted by RV-Writer

Sorry about the blog link. I changed the website last night so the link takes you to my blog instead of my website homepage. I think you have to leave the www off.

HTTPS://RV-Writer.com should work

Good luck on your MH purchase. I wish I could get something newer. Maybe someday. Hope to see you on the road!

Jim

BTW, I was a self published author for five years. I promised myself I'd get out of the game when it felt like a job. It began feeling like a job. The industry changed a lot and it was just too much work and too little return for something that was more of a hobby to me. I satisfied my desire to write (mostly) and checked writing a novel off my bucket list.

Good luck with your writing. As long as you're writing your stories on your terms and having fun, you can't fail.

[TonyDi]

Congratulations on the jump to full timing. I hope it's everything you dreamed it would be. Keep us posted as to how it is going

[RV-Writer]

What a week!

Kid graduated High School on Wednesday and a late winter storm tore through Colorado and Wyoming area. Kept my In-laws from leaving Thursday. 2 hotel rooms for 2 nights extra down the drain!

Good note - my toad was released from the shop Friday morning ready to go. The driver of the car that hit us is claiming there was a 3rd car that hit him first and fled the scene. Liars really annoy me! I am out 1000.00 on this accident because the cops believed him and wrote it in the police report without checking with any other drivers to see if it was accurate. Oh well - wish USAA would fight for us like AAA is fighting for their client!

The family finally got out of town driving my non toad car and my sons car on Saturday morning. They made it 600+ miles and in the last 5 miles were driving through a round-about and were hit in the passenger front door and fender junction. That door doesn't open now!

Cop can't seem to figure out that the person in the round-about has right of way or that the person that hits the other is at fault. Letting him claim "both drivers say they were in their own lane" - I only have liability insurance on that car so I am out any repairs on it now.

Both that driver and I have USAA insurance. Anyone think I should try to file a claim against his insurance? My luck they will just deny it and ding my insurance record again!

We will depart Minday for Idaho in the RV. Got caught up on laundry at Buckley Air Force Base and have to hook up Toad tail lights and the fuse bypass switch for my 12 CR-V as well.

Going to try to get our dealer to look at the front driver side leveling jack that is leaking and not holding weight.

I think I am low on fluid as my front jacks don't seem to want to fully retract!

Fun fun

[RV-Writer]

We spent a night (Monday) at our dealership in Frederick Colorado for free with power and a dump station. Moved Tuesday to the FE Warren Air Force base in Cheyenne Wyoming. 10.00 for 50amp power. Filled up our water tank too.

Drove to Rock Springs Wyoming today. About 250 miles and pulled into Walmart. Wife went shopping and I checked on the toad. Smelled Diesel fuel and crawled under the rig. Nice big leak!

I googled a cummins shop here in Rock Springs and drove it over. Their team jumped me to front of line and the mechanic was looking at the rig in 30 minutes. Wow!

Have a broken fuel line between vp44 pump and lift pump. Parts on order and they are going to try to get it done tomorrow (Thursday). Mean time, they let me stay on their lot in the rig! Can't say more about these guys than WOW! More tomorrow on that!

Tested my Air Force one beak away switch before towing today! It wasn't working. Called SMI who helped me figure out operator error during install. Got that fixed in 10 minutes and towed the toad to Rock Springs with no issue other than fuel all over the car from my fuel leak!

Fun fun!

[RV-Writer]

Update: Cummins didn't order a seal for the VP44 that they have to remove to get to the fuel line that broke. Had to stay in a hotel last night. Seal came in this morning but the oil filler assembly broke as they were removing the hose! None in this town so wife is driving 3 hours to salt lake to pick one up used! Still waiting to see if anything else breaks - fragile old parts on this 98 Endeavor! Think about that before buying old rigs LOL

[RV-Writer]

Got the fuel line fixed, replaced the crank case filter assembly, and hit the road! We made it exactly 57 miles before another leak reared its ugly head. Called Good Sam for a tow (they were awesome by the way) and the cummins shop fixed the leak. Appears the tech that did the work missed tightening the bolt!

Got it fixed and hit the road again. Got about 300 miles to our family reunion and got another fuel leak!!!!

Called Rock Springs Wyoming cummins who did the work and they asked me to take it to their mechanic in Afton Wyoming about 65 miles away. Dropped it off this morning.

One more leak and I will have to get ahold of my credit card company and dispute charges - getting tired of this issue! To be honest I was reluctant to give them a 3rd chance but to their credit they have been fully engaged and are trying to help!

Update end of week when they are supposed to have it done. Seems it is leaking at the same place it was on the original fuel line banjo fitting.

This nearly Ruined my weekend, but we made it to our family reunion and I tried to ignore it for 24 hours.

Top it off, I have some kind of infection or muscle damage in my rib cage/lungs causing severe pain. Nearest VA emergency room is 350 miles in Salt Lake City! When it rains it pours!!!

I do love the RV and living in it so really hoping this will get resolved for good this week.

Living in my in-laws RV for next few days, but it's just not the same!

[RV-Writer]

Cummins rep in Afton Wyoming called this morning and said it is good to go. I have heard that from them three times now!

Picked it up and haven't seen any leaks after 125 miles. Hoping we are really fixed this time!

Motor home stinks like a truck stop now and I am out a lot of money on fuel, time, and aggravation but I have it home now and will be driving a couple of hundred miles to twin falls Idaho on Tuesday next week. Then on to Mountain Home Idaho for 13 weeks at a campground.

Looking forward to some down time soon. Have some pyramiding issues in the black tank and sensors are all wacky but trying the geo method soon.

Hope everyone enjoyed Memorial Day weekend!

Jim

[RV-Writer]

Looks like our fuel leaks are resolved. Drove another 150 miles or so to my sister-in-law's place in Murtaugh Idaho about 45 miles east of Twin Falls. No leaks

We are mooch docking for a few days before moving to Mountain Home for 14 weeks. Will be heading south end of October I think.

I have to find someone to fix my front HWH leveling Jack. I have no idea how to remove it to get the leak fixed. Still have tank reading issues on my monitor panel. "Holding tank shows 2/3 full, gray shows empty, and fresh shows 2/3 full when I know it is completely full. Trying the GEO method on the black tank (1 cup Calgon, 1 cup dawn dish soap, and 9 gallons of water). Put it in both gray and black tanks. Hoping whatever is stuck on the sensors will clear off.

Upgraded our internet with Verizon to unlimited data (which is actually 22gb then possible rate limiting after 22gb depending on tower usage). I am also going to get the Mobley Car Connect Standalone 22gb plan on AT&T for 20.00 plus cash purchase of the Mobley hot spot for 100.00 to double my internet. Full timing takes way more data than I thought I would need.

Pictures of my current mooch docking spot below. Loving the RV living and DW is too. We really want to get moving to where there are no kids around for a while. Love the nieces and nephews but need some us time too.

My son has an orientation day this Monday at Boise State so he will be with us on our move to Mountain Home this weekend. Then he goes back to Eastern Idaho/Western Wyoming until August when school starts. We will be close by for a month after he moves into the dorms just to give him a little security.

Loving life again!

[bonzocfi]

Just before you hit the road, try putting ice cubes down the toilet. Let the ice knock down your pyramid.

[RV-Writer]

Thanks - will give it a try - anything is worth a shot at this point

[RV-Writer]

Here is the promised pic of my mooch docking site in Idaho. There are several dairies nearby so the smell is an issue (worse than a feed lot IMHO) but near family and kids we haven't seen in a long time.