Travel Journal – November 16, 2015

Winter Home

I can’t believe I have left you guys hanging so long. It’s amazing how fast the time goes, especially here in Mesa, Arizona. It seems like I’ve been busy since I unhitched the Coach for a two month sit in it’s current location. That will get us through the Holidays then I will move the Coach all the way to the other side of the campground for two more months.

This is the longest I have sat in one place since I left Mesa earlier this year. Having family near is a blessing and it keeps me busy between my maintenance projects with fun times, like the “trick or treating”.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day we honored those that have served, some giving the ultimate sacrifice. Also on the Holiday, I got together with my Daughter-In-Law, her two children and my Daughters two children, as she had to work. We loaded up and we were off to visit the Arizona Science Center.

It was nice museum which was setup with children in mind. A lot of “hands on” exhibits which they had enjoyed. Of course I always enjoy my time with the kid’s and got some extra walking in! The walk back to the Workhorse topped off the day. Since the Workhorse was too tall to fit in the museum parking structure I had to park at the convention center about a block away, they have a 8′ clearance with a $12 price tag.

Science Museum 3D Printing

Sound and Water

More Water

Continued Maintenance

LED Conversion

I’ve been converting all of my light fixtures to LED lights over the last year. When I arrived here in Mesa I ordered another round of “LED” lights. After receiving them from Amazon, I replaced the last few ceiling lights, completing my conversion of over 30 light fixtures in the Coach.

This will pay off partially in savings on my electric bill. While staying long term at most RV Resorts I have to pay for the electricity I use separately. Also here in the desert, the air conditioning can run non-stop for days, the heat from incandescent bulbs can add more heat to the Coach, requiring the AC to run even longer. LED bulbs are cool to the touch, producing very little heat. Finally I will be Boondocking (Dry Camping) next March and April. LED’s will help the Coaches batteries last longer since I will be on Solar Power during that time.

The Coach’s “Kantleak” valve that developed a leak somewhere around Missouri over a month ago, was replaced. I had called Grand Design, the manufacturing company of my Coach, explaining my problem with the Kantleak valve.

My intention for the call was to ask for advice to get it fixed and where I could purchase the part. “JD” told me they would take care of it, even though I was out of warranty over six months when it started to fail. Needless to say I was happy. Then he proceeded to tell my I could have a mobile RV repair company come to my camp and install it. As it turned out, it took three hours to remove the old one and install the valve replacement. It cost a little over $300 in labor alone. As you can see from the picture below, the valve is the center of my water distribution  for the Coach.

A little surprise – Crab Spider? Dead

Basement Cleaning

Kantleak Control Panel

While I was preparing for the “RV Doctor” mobile repair service to arrive, I decided to clean out my basement and get rid of anything I have used in the last year. It felt pretty good to clean up the area and lighten the load. One of the items I decided to get rid of was the “Crab Spider” shown above. Thankfully he/she was dead when I found it, but I am hoping there won’t be any new babies come this spring 😦 These little critters get about 2 inches across and can be intimidating when they show up unexpectedly. I speak from experience. I’m not a fan of spiders.

I have to sign off here. I need to pick up Jagger from the groomer. It’s a special treat for me, however Jagger is not too fond of all the attention and glad we don’t do this very often.

Until next time, safe travels… Gary

More Photos: Maintenance Winter 2015