Our adventure begins this weekend!

[LibbyLA]

We will be hauling our remodeled Alumascape to MS Saturday morning and setting it up on 20 acres of private property smack dab in the middle of the Homochitto National Forest. It will be in a temporary location while we (well, my SO...) runs the plumbing and sewerage lines and electrical conduit.

Then we'll put the rafters and roof on the shed (several weekends of work, I'm sure), move the FW to its semi-permanent location under the shed, and finish all the plumbing, including building an enclosed shed for the pump and water tank.

We'll never have electricity, but we will probably have some solar panels to recharge the batteries. The well pump and electrical stuff will run on a generator.

After that's all done, there's a deck to be built and then we'll be improving the deer habitat.

The AC seems to work reasonably well. It's been hot, hot, hot here in south Louisiana and the FW is out in the sun, unprotected. The AC keeps it comfortable (not cold, but cool enough that it's a relief to walk inside).

Baked a cake in the oven last weekend. It was a tad lopsided, but it did bake evenly in the time suggested on the package. The rectangular pizza stone that I put in to help equalize the heat broke in half in the first few minutes but it should still serve the purpose.

I have never RVed, nor camped/stayed anywhere other than a campground (and then for only a couple of days at a time) so this is going to be VERY interesting. I think we'll have all the comforts of home with the peace and quiet of the boondocks.

We've invested a lot of time and effort (and $$$) into making the FW ours. Thank goodness, we're very happy with how it turned out and are looking forward to enjoying using it quite a few weekends a year.

I took lots of photos of the remodel. Before and after, as well as in progress, photos are here if you're interested in seeing the total transformation:

1998 Alumascape 30RLS Remodel

liz

[NLOVNIT]

All I can say is WOW! You've done an amazing job with your Alumascape. It looks better than new.

Best of luck & keep us posted on the construction at your little piece of paradise.

Lori-

[ronspradley]

What are y'all doing for electricity to run A/C, TV, charge batteries. Where is potable water coming from? What are you doing with grey and black water? Propane? I looked at your pictures and commentary. Great looking work...........ronspradley

[LibbyLA]

Ron,

220V generator for electricity and charging batteries (one 12V, two 6V for now, probably four or six 6V in the future, with solar). Probably won't be much TV watching. We'll be working most of the time we're there. Wouldn't surprise me if the only TV channel we get is MPB. There's a station in the nearby little town. Everything else is Jackson, which is a good distance away.

There's a new well with a 1 HP pump (run off the generator) and a big water tank. Also a septic tank, although it's not quite ready for use. We'll be working on all the exterior plumbing this weekend.

Once we get the barn built and the FW under the barn, the permanent water lines and septic lines and connections will go in (two water outlets, two sewer outlets, just in case we have visitors). Until then (probably 4-6 weekends), we'll use a hose from the water tank to the FW for water. Gray water will drain on the ground in the woods. Black tank will be emptied into a hole in the ground, then covered.

We'll haul propane in. Probably get a larger external tank at some point.

I think we've got it all covered. At least I hope we do! We have friends in the area so we won't be completely stuck.

liz

[LibbyLA]

The weekend was a success. This was my first time to stay in an RV/travel trailer/camper so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. We got the FW set up in its temporary location without any trouble, although backing the thing in with a dogleg turn and on a narrow road amongst trees was a little challenging.

On the way up, we stopped and dumped at the MS rest area. We'd put Calgon and Dawn in both black and gray tanks and ice in the black tank and we did that again at the rest area. Even though the FW won't be hauled again any time soon, we plan to put Calgon and Dawn in the tanks each time they're emptied. T says that the gray tank water still looks very nasty and we haven't put much of anything other than soapy water in it so this is probably gunk left over from 13 years of previous use.

It's nice to be somewhere where you don't have to have the shades or blinds closed for privacy, although a little strange for me at first.

The generator ran all night on less than a tank of fuel (about 5 gallons) and kept us comfortable.

It was hot (upper 90's?) and humid. After a few minutes outside, we were both soaking wet. Some of the work was in full sun. We got the sewer and water lines laid and covered and the electrical down, too. We started with a trencher and shovels but several feet of red rock and clay was too much so we called in a backhoe. It was still very hard work, but we were glad to have the FW so we could have a comfortable place to rest and get out of the heat and sun, and to clean up at the end of the day.

We used the internal freshwater tank the entire time this weekend but will hook up to the external water tank next weekend.

All in all, it was a successful weekend. It will be a lot better once we've done all the work so the FW can be in its permanent location, but we'll be able to get a lot more done now that we have the FW there.

We saw lots of deer tracks on the road and by the little creek. I think we'll see deer once the FW is on the hill looking down on the creek.

I can see why y'all all enjoy your RVs!

liz

[ronspradley]

If automatic deer feeders are legal there, they will really draw a crowd............ronspradley

[LibbyLA]

Ron,

Automatic feeders are legal, but they have to be at least 100 yards from any property line. The FW is too close to both the north and east property lines so we can't put a feeder near it, but there will be a big food plot in the "bowl" the that FW will look out on when it's in place.

The deer cams all around the place have caught pictures of quite a few does and young ones, plus some spikes and three or four legal bucks. There were twins that just about "camped" on the feeders last year. We didn't ever see evidence of a doe with them so we think they were orphans. Maybe they survived the winter because of the feeders and the food plots.

There won't be any hunting from the FW area. That's a "safe" zone, and does are safe anywhere on the property even though it's legal at times to shoot them.

(If T ever actually kills a buck, it will be one of the most expensive deer on the planet .)

liz

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Liz, sounds like you guys had a productive weekend. One of these days before long you can look back at all that work and agree that it was worth it! I know you will enjoy your new place. Good luck!

Joe & Annette