Rich I don’t know anybody who has topped your RV turnover! Record setting FTE. Hopefully your uptrading like people do houses to step up each time with added improvements to create more value?

 

Morning all. The 1950 truck frame got powder coated. They are going to put the suspension back on then I get it back (in the next three to four weeks). Hopefully I will have the house siding done by then. Yesterday afternoon was nice enough to get some more on. Still need to wait for warmer dryer weather to finish the slate on the deck and the woodstove chase.

 

Good Thursday morning Andy and....
Currently 35°.

 

I have to clean my carburetor once or twice a year to get the corn goo out. Been burning non-ethanol but the corn jello persists on a longer scale…


The heater was very nice to have working properly!!

 

Morning all.

Yeah not really my deal and not exactly how I do things but y'all know that saying about happy wardens....

Jim - After a lot of looking (again) we landed on Rockwood. Most of their models have bed slides which was a "must have". They have some different features such as aluminum roof trusses, adzel siding, 1.5" walls, decent insulation, tank heaters and torsion axles that I liked. We got the 12v compressor fridge and 200w solar. We'll see how that will work. I'd like to add more solar at some point but I did opt for dual 6v batts. We were looking hard at a couple 30 foot models (current trailer is 26') but ended up going a little bigger (33'). I still would have rather had a Lance 1172 or an Eagle Cap 1160 but I can't compete with all of the room. Since she is working at home, getting out of the house and being comfortable is paramount. We got it at Waterdog RV in Dayton so service is fairly close.

 

Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. 27, dry and overcast.
Survived the Dentist appointment in Mac yesterday, then shot home and picked up the Warden and we headed to Dallas for a meeting with the County Planner. Then we headed on over to Washington Street Pub and steak house for a belated Valentines Day dinner. It was Wednesday night $12 Steak Special night.

After dinner, and discussing the homestead farm and ranch, we came home and continued the discussion trying to decide how much money, time, effort and heart ache we want to put into this. Somewhere during that discussion, we got a little crazy weighing our options and may have come up with a rather radical idea for a facelift....at least something to chew on. This place is just over 11 acres. Apparently they sliced it off of a larger 49 acre place. The new looking fence separating the house/outbuildings from the outdoor and indoor arena & barn is the break off point from the overall 49.
It sure is enough to get us thinking...........PS, the Warden loves the kitchen pictures. I'm thinking it is a ways from "home", she is saying it isn't that far and we can always make the trip back in 3 or 4 hours.

 

We've got 200 watts of Solar on the roof of the camper. Seems like around here it works Okay as long as you can stay out in the open where you get all day sun. Even a little bit of light, whispy type overcast still gets plenty of electricity into the batteries. Near worthless though if you get in a few trees casting shade on the roof for most of the day. Since we spend a lot of time boondocking (or primitive USFS/BLM) campgrounds, I picked up a set of 300 watt Dokio portable Solar panels. and SAE extention cords for it. Worked out very well, so 1-1/2 years later I picked up another set. So now we tote 800 watts of solar around with us. The Warden gets a laugh out of me when we come back into camp and I start "chasing the sun" with the portable panels. But, it does cut down a lot on genset use.
I've got two 100 amp VMax RV AGM batteries optimized for solar charging. I have thought about 6 volt & may look into the 6 volt battery options when it comes time to replace what we have.

These solar panels come in very handy to recharge the boat batteries if that becomes necessary and there are no current bushes to plug the electric battery charger into.

Primitive USFS Campgroung, Icicle Creek in Washington

Boondocking in the forest off of Stevens Pass Washington.

Boondocking in the forest off of Stevens Pass Washington

 

Jim - Some portable panels are on my list for sure since like you, if we are boonedocking we're likely undercover of trees. The charge controller that came with the rig is good for 30amps. I need to figure out if the solar plug on the outside is wired into it. If so, that is a viable solution since chasing the sun how it's done. We have a 1000w inverter also and my hope is that with the 6v batts, I have some decent amp hours. I know it better than 2 of the cheapy 12v's. We have our little honda 2200 so I figure we are ok for now.

How do you store those panels? do they roll up? they look flexable.

Looks like that place in the previous post is near LaPine? Shoot I'd move there and never come back to this valley. The barn looks huge.

 

Good afternoon Ford Drivers.

 

Goodnight Ford Drivers'.

 

Good Friday morning Ford Drivers.

 

Morning Chris, and all to follow. 27 on the way in, but it should be another nice afternoon to get more siding on.

 

23 is cold enough for here! Bracing for your local bail-in? TGIF!

Looking forward to getting your F1 home soon Andy?

 

Yes and no, Brett. Wont have time for it until I finish the house. First thing will be wiring it up and get it running again.

 

Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. 33 and overcast. Getting ready to head out for the show in PDX.

The panels I have fold up to the width of one section outlined in the picture in read. They lay flat or stand up in the corner. They are very easy to carry stow away and carry around laying flat on the floor, the seat at the table, or the back seat of the pickup. The panels are semi flexible. The only hang up with them might be that they don't have a stand.
I've got everything converted over to 12 volt except for the microwave and AC, so there really isn't much need for an inverter. Running the microwave or the AC from the batteries would run them dead in pretty short order anyway. TV, built in DVD player, extra stand alone 4K Blu-ray player....all 12 volt.
Haven't done the 6 volt. I have 2 12 volt 100 amp VMax AGM Batteries. When the time comes to replace those, I may look into the 6 X 2 option. I think it would be very tight in the battery compartment.
I don't have the external built in SAE plug for the panels. I bought pigtails that are hooked to the battery and then the panels hook to the pigtail via their own individual 20 amp controller that came with the panels.

Yes, that place is south of La Pine and north of Gilchrist with Little Deschutes River frontage. It would probably be off the market by the time we get the estate stuff settled. Still haven't given up on the ranch stuff between Balston and Perrydale but it is looking pretty bleak. She's caused a lot of damage and the maintenance has been mostly ignored for nearly 8 years.