RV-Dreams Journal

Tires, Wheels, & Financials - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

I wanted to get on the phone early this morning and figure out our tire situation.  Linda & I agreed that there would never be a good time financially to upgrade our tires and wheels.

And we've had so many friends with large trailers (and some not so large) that have had blowouts with the same tires we have - the Goodyear G614 LT235/85R16 Load Range G tires.  In fact, Mark & Dale Bruss who I linked to yesterday, had a blowout at the end of August with the same tires.

Like us, they were going to wait to upgrade until next year.  Well, that changed quickly.  So, the safety factor and peace of mind are just too important to put the decision off any longer.

A quick tire refresher.  As Mark says, "Your tires are the foundation of your RV.  Everything is supported on your tires.  The selection, monitoring, and care of your tires is crucial to the safety of your RV experience."

Reading A Tire

Let's look at the Goodyear G614s we have - LT235/85R16 Load Range G.

LT = Light Truck (For most car tires the numbers are preceded by a "P" for passenger)

235 = The width of the tire in millimeters (To convert to inches divide by 25.4);  235 mm / 25.4 = 9.25 inches)

85 = The aspect ratio; This is the ratio of sidewall height to width; So this tire's sidewall height is 85% of 235 mm or 199.75 mm; Converted to inches that would be 199.75 mm / 25.4 = 7.86 inches (9.25 inches X 85% = 7.86 inches); Keep in mind that is one sidewall from the ground to the tire wheel/rim - so there is another 7.86 inches from the top of the wheel to the top of the tire;  High performance tires, which we don't need for RVs, have low aspect ratios because the shorter the sidewall, the better the tire performs in turns at higher speeds

R = Radial (a B would indicate bias tire construction, but we're dealing with radials on full-timing RVs)

16 = Wheel diameter in inches;  So this tire requires a wheel/rim of 16 inches

Load Range G = maximum load of 3,750 pounds at the maximum pressure of 110 psi for this tire; Although the tires have load range codes, they also indicate the exact maximum loads and pressures on the sidewall

Note:  Load ranges are indicated by letters on Truck tires (the higher the letter, the higher the load capacity).  See Truck Tire Load Range Chart  Load ranges for Passenger tires are indicated by numbers with higher numbers having higher capacities.

Changing Tires   

The reason we want to change tires is because we don't have enough cushion on the weight capacities of our current tires.  In a perfect world with unlimited cash, we would change our 7,000 pound axles to 8,000 pound axles and change the tires and wheels and everything else necessary for that change.

However, we have been told by the professional RV weighers (we have weighed twice) that we are probably okay on the axles, but really should change the tires since we are overweight on individual tire positions.  That is more of an issue with the design of our fifth wheel than anything.  We have three slides on our left side with most of our weight concentrated there.  We are talking "built-in" weight, not weight we can shift.

So what are the considerations in changing tires?  All experts say you should have the same size tires with the same capacities.  So, it's not just as easy as getting better tires for our left side.  Also, there are no tires we can find that have higher capacities and fit on 16-inch wheels.  The wheels have to have the same or higher capacities as the tires.  High capacity tires on lower capacity wheels doesn't help.  :)

Therefore, to upgrade and get the weight capacity we want, we had to research changing tires and wheels.  So what did we have to consider for that?  I went through tire websites, and RV websites and forums.

If the new tire diameters are too high, we might have clearance issues between the trailer and between the tires themselves.  If the tires are too wide, then we might have fender clearance issues.  If the wheels don't fit on our current hubs, we would have to change hubs, brakes, and other components.

So the goal was to find tires with a higher capacity and similar size that fit on wheels that were compatible with the current hubs.  Everything I could find pointed to 17.5 inch wheels with H-rated tires with a load capacity of 4,805 pounds per tire.

I narrowed down the choices, but was still confused enough to need help before pulling the trigger.  It's too expensive a decision to make a mistake and buy incompatible tires/wheels.

Fortunately, that's when I discovered Mark & Dale had just gone through the process and had the exact same tires and axles we have.  After reading his New Sized Tires page, I knew he had done the research and come to the same conclusions I had.  Still, I needed reassurance so I called him this morning.

I got the reassurance I needed.  We're also going with the 17.5" X 6.75" 865 Aluminum Hi-Spec Series 3 Trailer Wheel with 4,850 pound capacity from Trailer Tire & Wheel Supermarket.  In addition to Mark and the folks from Weigh-It Portable RV Scales, I've gotten other suggestions to use this company.  These wheels will fit on our hubs and axles without modification.

And for the same reasons as Mark, we are going with the Goodyear Unisteel G114 LHT 215/75R17.5 H-Rated tires.  These tires are actually a little narrower (215 vs 235 mm, about 8.5 inches vs 9.25 inches) and .2 inches smaller in diameter so there are no clearance issues to worry about.  Because of the narrower width and lower aspect ratio, the sidewalls are shorter and offset the 1 1/2 inch larger wheel.  So it's a smaller tire with greater strength and better performance in turns.  However, the "contact patch" (the amount of tire touching the pavement based on width) is about 3/4 of an inch less.

Note:  There is a G114 LHT 235/75R17.5.  So why didn't we go with that wider tire that actually has even more capacity?  Well, a couple of reasons.  First, it is well over an inch more in diameter than what we currently have so there are compatibility issues.  Second, it has a speed rating of 62 mph whereas the smaller tire has a speed rating of 75 mph.  Like Mark, we don't intend to go 75 mph, but we like the extra cushion.  In fact, almost all the other tires requiring 17.5 inch wheels have the lower speed rating.  Lots of folks like the Michelins in Mark's tire comparison table except for the speed rating.  Oh, the G114s also come in an F Load Range in the 215/75R17.5 size - gotta be careful to not order that lower capacity tire as that's what we were quoted by one dealer.  :) 

I called various Goodyear stores on our path to Arizona to get pricing on the tires.  They either couldn't find the tires or they priced them between $370 and $390 each.  One store came down to $349.  And that didn't include sales tax or labor and was going to end up around $430 per tire.

I called Trailer Tire & Wheel Supermarket since their website says they can package the tires with the wheels.  I just assumed their price and the shipping would be too much.  I was wrong.  :)

Their price was $287 per tire.  And they will mount the tires on the wheels for free and balance them for $6.  The written quote for four tires/wheels was for $2,230 including shipping to Buckskin Auto up the road.  All I'll have to do is have them mounted.

We're hoping to place the order and get them on the truck Monday.  :)

The Rest of Our Day

Whew!  With that decision finally made, we had to pick up some toner for our printer and run a couple other errands.  The main goal was to fill the truck up with diesel.

With our ten cents off using our City Market card, we filled both tanks on the truck for $130 at $3.29 per gallon.  The last time we filled up at the end of June it was $4.89 per gallon.  Wow!

On the way back, we stopped at Buckskin.  I wanted to make sure they would accept the tires/wheels if I shipped them there.  It was fine.

I also made an appointment for next week to get the truck serviced and the tires on the truck rotated.  The tires are showing some wear and they haven't yet been rotated.  We had budgeted for a service in October, but I guess early November will do.  :)

Speaking of budgets, I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening doing the October Financials.  The entry is below this one.  Another thing off my list.  :)

Linda is on a beading frenzy as she has a few orders to fill.  And she made her Taco Soup recipe in the crockpot for dinner.  Always good on a chilly night.  :)

And that was about it for our day.  We may or may not be more exciting tomorrow.  :)

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October Financial Summary

October 2008 Results

Campground Fees $87.83 (2.83 per day) - Budget $450.00

We didn't know that we would be workamping during October when we set the budget at the end of 2007.  We finished our position with a few days left in the month.  So the expenses in this category are for those few days.

RV Clubs $0.00 - Budget $40.00

RV Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Propane $0.00 - Budget $10.00

Cell Phones $85.41 - Budget $85.00

Satellite Internet $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Note:  Satellite internet is not included in our regular expenses.  We now classify it as a business expense.  We paid $798 in December 2007 for all of 2008. 

RV Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Satellite TV $79.04 - Budget $75.00

RV Maintenance $31.79 - Budget $50.00

We had to buy some wire for our solar system.  We had to replace it due to some rodent chewing.  Pesky varmints.

Diesel $130.00 - Budget $150.00

Again, we didn't know we would be workamping in October and the truck would basically sit.  We drove it 31 miles as we towed from our remote job to town.  We drove it 18 miles and filled it up for the first time since June 23.  The diesel price dropped $1.60/gallon from the last time we filled up.  :)

Gas $129.90 - Budget $170.00

We drove the Jeep 859 miles in October.  We did about 300 miles on a four day high alpine drive.  And another 300 miles was going to meetings for our workamping job for which our employer paid the gas.

Truck Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $120.00

We budgeted for a service in October, but it will actually happen in early November.

Jeep Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $20.00

Truck Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Truck Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Groceries & Dining Out $382.82 ($12.35 per day) - Budget $450.00

Our Groceries & Dining Out budget for 2008 is based on $12 per day per month for groceries PLUS $90 for dining out.

However, while working, our employer often fed us.  Also, the guests at the Ranch often gave us their leftovers when they left.   But we did dine out quite a bit on our four day "mini-vacation".  Still, we were well under budget.  :)

Laundry, Clothing, Hair Care $17.64 - Budget $75.00

Our laundry is free at the Ranch while workamping.

Entertainment $389.68 ($12.57 per day) - Budget $200.00

We sort of piled a lot of "entertainment" into this month during our little driving tour of the mountains.  Almost all of this was for lodging on our trip.  Even though we were well over budget this month, we have spent less than half our budget in this category for the year with only two months to go.  :) 

Insurance - Health, Life, Umbrella, Etc. $195.07 - Budget $200.00

Monthly health insurance premium. 

Medical & Dental Expenses $0.00 - Budget $50.00

Miscellaneous $103.94 - Budget $150.00

Emergencies/Budget Cushion $0.00 - Budget $500.00

Totals $1,633.12 ($54.44 per day) for normal living expenses - Budget $2,255.00

Totals with Emergencies/Budget Cushion $1,633.12 - Budget $2,755.00.

We were $622 under budget in normal living expenses.  Could have been better, but we're still quite happy with it.

We were $4,027 under budget for the four months we workamped - July through October.  Even with an October splurge, we still spent $1,000 per month less than normal.  :)

For a look at this year's numbers through October, go to Our 2008 Actual Expenses. To see our budget month-by-month click on Our 2008 Budget.

On the business side, we made a profit of $1,170 for the month.  That put us over $10,000 for the year.  We're very proud that we've pieced together that kind of income from doing what we enjoy.  :) 

Our business income & expense summary statement is now available at Our 2008 Business Financial Summary page.

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Pagosa Riverside, Errands, Tires - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

I was up early this morning.  We have a new checking account, so I spent a long time changing as much as I could online.

We have lots of income related to our businesses "direct deposited":  Google, Amazon, PayPal, Commission Junction, etc.  One of our withdrawals, our health insurance, is deducted via ACH transaction through our bank account, so I had to change that as well.  But most of our automatic withdrawals are done via an automatic charge to our debit card so I don't need the bank account number and bank routing number, just the VISA debit card number and expiration.  It's certainly a pain to change everything.  :)

Once Linda got up and had her coffee, she started getting prepared for our morning of errands.  But before we could go, we had one of the ladies from the weekend's baking camp coming by to pick up a pillow she left at the Ranch.

I checked our slow leaking tire, and it was down about 20 psi.  Sheesh.

After that, I casually rigged up our fly rods.  I went out to the river to make a few casts.  Since I didn't have much time, I decided to take a few pics instead.

 

It was another gorgeous day.  Nothing like blue skies and a beautiful river.  :)

I could just walk around out there, take it in, and capture it for others and for our own memories.

While I was out, our expected visitor, Bonnie, stopped by for her pillow.  And before she left, she bought two bracelets and two pairs of earrings from Linda.  :)

Then we headed out to run our errands.  We stopped by the automotive place up the street, Buckskin Towing & Repair, to see if they would send someone to come get our tire and repair it.  They said they could get it this afternoon.  Cool.

We stopped by Pagosa Baking Company to drop off a couple items.

They told Linda that the folks at the baking camp on Saturday were so excited they were talking about having two baking camps next year at the Ranch.  Another satisfying moment.  :)

We stopped at the accountant's office and picked up our last paychecks.  Karen paid us a couple extra weeks since I'll be finishing up some website stuff over time.  That was a nice surprise.

We then hit the post office and the grocery before heading back home.  We couldn't resist another money-saving, space-saving tip.  Here's our RV Jack-O-Lantern.  :)

A little tangerine and a Sharpie are all you need.  Happy Halloween!  :)

And on November 1, it's just peel and eat.  :)

After the several seconds of "pumpkin" decorating, Linda gave me a way overdue haircut.  I almost fell asleep in the warm sun.  I knew what I was going to do next.

I drug my lounger, a small table, a book, some peanuts, and my water out to the river's edge.  A little reading and a nap in the sun to the soothing sound of the babbling water was in order.

Aaaaahhh. 

The tire guy came too soon and woke me up.  :)  Ultimately, we decided to just stop by the auto service place on our way out next week.  The shop is only about a mile away and the tire will hold its pressure long enough to get there.

We have been looking at changing out our 16 inch, G rated tires for 17.5 inch, H rated tires.  That would mean a change in wheels (rims) as well.  We are pushing the weight limits of our tires on one side and we would sure feel better if we had more cushion provided by the H rated tires.

It's not the best time economically to make that change since it looks like it will cost somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000.  Based on estimated taxes we've paid in this year and the lack of investment income, we should get a pretty substantial tax refund next year.  I'm just not sure we want to wait that long.

And changing the tires and wheels isn't as easy as it sounds.  I'm still learning about the various considerations we must take into account before ordering.  I drove up to Buckskin to talk to their manager.  Unfortunately, they weren't much more help than what I have already found on the internet.

So, more research and more discussion with Linda.  And I will be calling our friends Mark & Dale Bruss who just went through the process in September - see their New Wheels page.  Mark researches these things as much if not more than I do, so he can probably save me some time.  I've linked to their website before.  If you haven't been, it's fantastic. :) 

Well, that's certainly enough for today.  I'll be dealing with the tire thing again tomorrow in between trips to the river.  Until then.  :)

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Farewell To The V.A. Poma Ranch - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

We knew it wasn't going to be an early departure.  Linda slept in until 9:00 and it was too cold to rush anything outside.  :)

I had set up the Ranch on the Datastorm Users Map.  You can pinpoint the location by clicking on V.A. Poma Ranch on Datastorm Users Map.  Anyone using satellite internet (actually you don't really even need that) can sign up.

Early this morning I sent Karen an email on how to navigate the site.  Your position will drop off the map if you do not update it periodically.  I set her up to get an email notification every 30 days to re-submit her information.

I also set it up so that she can "follow" us and get an automatic email notification and link every time we move.  We have a few folks that "follow" us that way.  :)

I also emailed her the ad I proposed for next year's workampers along with a detailed list of what RVers might be looking for when they inquire.  Better to be completely honest than have someone arrive and turn around and leave due to different expectations.  :)

And finally I emailed her about her new blog and how to navigate and post.  She hasn't posted anything yet, but here is the link: V.A. Poma Ranch Blog.

While Linda was easing into the day, I went to the Ranch House and went over a few other computer related items with Karen.  We want to be sure she is self-sufficient after we leave.  :)

I finished up and returned to the rig to start our usual routine.  Linda took my place at the Ranch House going over a few remaining items.  I got called back to help explain back-up procedures to make sure Karen doesn't lose data permanently.

By late morning, we were doing our thing once again.  I drained our fresh water tank, emptied holding tanks, and cleaned the sewer hose and put it away.

Linda's back & neck were feeling pretty good as she got the inside ready.  She stowed the satellite dish and put everything in traveling position.  She's the one that monitors our departure checklist.

I got out our ladder and climbed up on the roof to sweep off slide awnings and generally make sure everything was okay.

After that,  I plugged in our Pressure Pro.

Uh oh.  One of the trailer tires was showing 23 psi.  That's not good.  Do we have a slow leak?  Did I not get the sensor on right and it was allowing air to escape at the dill valve?  Hmm.  Of course that just gave Linda something else to freak out about.

I got out the compressor and refilled the tire to the appropriate 110 psi.  "Just get us to town" I heard Linda saying behind me.

We got our last remaining items loaded in the truck and Jeep and we were ready to hitch up.  How do we do this again?  :)

I backed the truck into position while Linda ran the landing gear to get the trailer at the right level to slide into the hitch.  When it clicked into place, she released the arm bar to lock the hitch pin.  I set the emergency brake on the truck and got out to do my chores.

At that point, she removed the wheel chocks while I took care of the breakaway switch lanyard and put in the pin in the hitch arm.  I plugged in the trailer electrical to the outlet in the truck bed.

She raised the landing gear just a little until we could do a test pull.  Back in the truck, I did the test pull and drove just far enough to make sure the trailer was off the leveling blocks.

Linda got behind the trailer and we checked lights.  Right turn, left turn, emergency, brake, and back-up.  Check.

She gathered up the leveling blocks while I started to snap our truck bed cover in place.  However, we hitched at an angle and it wasn't acting quite right.  Rather than force it and possibly tear it with the hitch, we left it undone until we straightened out on a more level spot.

Hey, I think we remembered everything.  Time to pull out of our very tight spot.  I assumed we might have to pull forward and back-up several times to get into position to avoid the cabin on my left and the trees on my right.  But with Linda's excellent spotting, we pulled right out the first time.  Whew.  Part one down.

The next obstacle was a low power line.  Karen used my fully extended golf ball retriever to lift the power line above everything on our roof.  I slowly proceeded while Linda watched making sure the line didn't snag and that I didn't hit the wood shed on the right.  Whew.  Part two down.  I knew that golf ball retriever would come in handy eventually.  :)

I got the trailer out past the Ranch House and up the hill.  We stopped and got out just long enough to give Karen a big ol' hug.  She decided to ride out to the bridge in the Jeep with Linda.

We proceeded on making the sharp turn past the shower house, avoiding a low limb on the left, and across the first cattle guard.  Whew.  Part three down.

I stopped at the bridge to make sure Linda spotted me across it.  I hugged the right side to make the sharp left turn on the other side.  Piece of cake.  Whew.  Part four down.

I climbed up the hill toward the Ranch entrance.  I stopped on a flat spot where we adjusted our walkie-talkies and secured the truck bed cover around the hitch snapping it into place.

At the Ranch entrance, we would need to make a very sharp right turn.  But we had already decided we would go straight and go about a half mile to the next ranch entrance where it would be a good place to turn around.  I could have made the turn, but we might have drug with the way the road sloped.

As we proceeded toward the next ranch, Linda radioed me.  There in a tree on our left, sitting next to the Weminuche River on the V.A. Poma Ranch was a majestic bald eagle.  We both thought that was our farewell sign that seemed to say "Good job, you'll be fine on your way out".

We got the rig turned easily and headed back out the long gravel road toward Pagosa.  As we passed by the entrance to the Ranch, Karen was sitting on the hill and blew us a farewell kiss.  Since we are staying in Pagosa for a few days, we will see her again, but we may never see the Ranch again.

We know we left a little piece of our heart and soul there.  It is a very special place.

I looked down at my clock and it was 2:00 pm.  I prepared myself for the 18 miles of gravel road.  It wasn't nearly as bad going out as it was coming in.  Rather than the 5 to 15 mph earlier in the summer, I could do 20 to 30 mph going out.  But it was extremely dusty.

With the gravel and some downhill grades, I reached over and squeezed the brake controller to give the trailer a little more braking so it didn't push the truck down the hills.  That worked perfectly, and I was a lot more comfortable driving out than driving in.  Still, it was quite a relief to reach the pavement.  :)

At the end of Piedra Road, we took a left and went through downtown to the Pagosa Riverside Campground on the eastern edge of town.  We had decided long ago that we wouldn't go far on the day we left the Ranch.

With Linda's travel anxiety at a peak, our 30 mile trip today was just about right.  :)

All the way, I kept checking the pressure on that troublesome trailer tire.  It held just fine.  We'll have to see where it stands in the morning.

The nice couple at the campground took care of us and put us in a large site - site 67.  It seems like a great place since no one is here, but I bet it is pretty tight in the summer.

The campground has full hook-ups with 30 amps.  At the off-season weekly rate, it's about $29 a day.  We wouldn't ordinarily stay anywhere that high, but it suits our needs for a few days.

Linda quickly got on the phone with her sister.  Without cell service at the Ranch, it has been killing them not to talk whenever they wanted.  :)

I did all the hook-ups and filled the fresh water tank.  Even though they have water hook-ups, they turn it off overnight during this time of year to keep it from freezing.

The inside of the trailer was quite dusty, so Linda cleaned while I got the satellite connected.  We also got permission to rinse all the dust off the trailer, truck, and Jeep.  So I also did that.

By the time I got the camera out to take pictures, the sun had already dipped below the hill on the other side of the San Juan River.  So the photos are a little dark.

View from under our awning.

Our site.

We didn't take one of the more expensive river sites, but we are just one row from the river.  This shot is from the river's edge.

And this last shot is looking upriver to the continental divide.

We're going to relax here for a week, so I'm sure I will be out in the middle of that river a few times with my fly rod.

Linda had finished the cleaning and we settled in for the evening.  It was weird to hear traffic noise and realize the privacy we had enjoyed for the last four months was now gone for awhile.  We might actually have to close a blind now and then and lock our door when we leave.  :)

And thus ends another chapter in our Journey.  It is one we will remember fondly forever.  Thank you Karen for making us feel like family.  :) 

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Preparations To Leave The Ranch - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

Linda was much better today.  She could still feel a twinge, so she was cautious.

She gathered laundry and I carried it to the Ranch House for one last "freebie".  :)

While there, I used Blogger to set up a Ranch blog for Karen.  That was one of the things left on my "to do" list.

Linda spent the afternoon going over procedures and answering Karen's questions.  I filled our propane cylinders and completely emptied the basement to clean up after our previous rodent residents and to re-pack.

With all the stuff out, I decided to see if I could replace the wire the pack rats ate and get our Trimetric battery monitor working again.

For those newer readers that have no idea what I'm talking about or what a Trimetric is, you may want to peruse our page on Our RV Electrical/Solar System.

I had previously studied the current wire noting the size and the four insulated individual wires inside with different colors.  Several days ago, I went to a couple of hardware stores in town to see if I could find the same stuff.  Of course not.  So I got a four-wire wire that was slightly larger and with one of the inside wires being blue instead of the current black.

Not being a handyman, it was not immediately clear that this new wire would work.  It took me quite some time to logically run through the reasons it should work.  There was a time when I wouldn't have bought anything if it wasn't the exact same wire with the exact same colors inside.  :)

Today was the day to find out if my logic was right.

One of the hardest parts of our installation when I was watching and assisting Jack was fishing the wires through the wall.  I remembered the process.

I carefully noted how the four little wires were connected to the shunt and what color went where.  I disconnected them.  Then I reviewed the Trimetric manual where Jack had noted which colors were wired to which terminals on the monitor.  I verified they were where they were supposed to be and disconnected those.  I just had to substitute the new blue wire for the old black wire.

Then I taped my new wire to the old wire like I had seen Jack do.  The wires all run down the wall, under the lower step leading to the bedroom, through the accessible but hidden guts of the basement, and then up and across the ceiling of the storage part of the basement.

I was hoping I could just start pulling the old wire in the basement and the new wire would feed through.  Of course it wasn't that easy.  There were lots of other wires, some tight spots, and some tough turns.  I tugged and tugged and finally the end of the old wire appeared .... without the new wire attached.  I had a few choice words, 'cause I now knew my task was going to be tougher and longer.

I went back inside, took the step off and a small step light down low on the wall and just tried to feed the wire down where I could see it and grab it.  There was just too much stuff in the way.

After pondering for quite some time, I found an old piece of really stiff wire in the Ranch garage that was a perfect length.  I ran it down through the wall and I could see the end.  So I tightly taped my new wire to the end of my feeder wire and it worked.  I was able to get the wire pulled, laid out and ready to connect.  Whew!

I had to do a little wire stripping, which I am terrible at, on each end.  On the shunt end in the basement, I had to find little terminals and crimp them on each of the little wires.  Well, two of the wires had to be crimped into one terminal.  Never done it before, but I had watched Jack very closely and I got it done.

I went back inside and stripped a tiny bit of insualtion off the four little wires and inserted them into the Trimetric according to my notes.  I tightened everything up and went back to the basement to connect the other end to the shunt, again according to my notes, which is connected to the battery bank.

With fingers crossed I went back inside to look at the monitor.  Yippee!  It was working.  I did it!  It was really a pretty simple task, but it was a huge triumph for me in my handyman development.  :)

I went back into the basement and used wire ties to pretty everything up.  It doesn't look quite as tidy as when Jack did it, but it's close and certainly acceptable.  I hope Jack is reading this and smiling just a little bit.  :)

By then, Linda was back and she assisted me while I vacuumed and cleaned the nooks and crannies in the basement.  It was pretty disgusting, and we were quite lucky the rodents hadn't chewed any of the many other wires going in all directions.

With the basement cleaned and all our stuff wiped down and checked, I finally got everything re-packed just before it got dark.

I had also taken a can of silicone lubricant and sprayed all the metal moving parts on the rig - slide mechanisms, front landing gear, rear stabilizing jacks, folding steps parts, etc.  That should all be done at least once a month, but I never seem to do it.

I was very pleased with our accomplishments for the day.  It will make tomorrow much easier.  :)

We both got hot showers and I heated up some more lasagna and garlic bread for dinner.  It was a relatively early night, but we were both tired and ready to get some sleep.

We sure hope moving day goes well tomorrow.  It will be no easy task getting our rig out of our spot and all the way to Pagosa without incident.  We both are always a little nervous about that first trip after sitting for so long.

But, oh am I ready to start moving again.  :) 

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Durango Trip, Linda Rests, Tire Pressures - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

I was up at 5:00 this morning.  I got the Journal entry done and then Karen & I left about 7:30 and drove to Durango for a meeting with a tax accountant.

Linda was sleeping soundly when I left, so I let her be.

There are lots of complicated tax issues with the Ranch, and though taxes are not my strong suit, Karen needed someone to ask good questions and interpret the answers.  :)

She bought breakfast, lunch, and gas for the Jeep.  After a quick stop at the post office and grocery on our way back, we got home around 3:00 pm.

Linda was still in her jammies taking it easy.  She had slept late and was doing nothing to aggravate her neck or back.  And she was feeling much better.

I used the rest of the afternoon to re-set and test our Pressure Pro System.  I took off all the Pressure Pro sensors and manually checked all the tire pressures on the truck and fifth wheel.  Actually, I should have removed all the sensors when we got here to save the batteries, but I just completely forgot.

Usually, with all the sensors off, it's important to keep them separated because each sensor is programmed to a certain tire position.  However, when we sit for a long period, I always reset the entire system and move the sensors around.

We were told that we could expect the sensor batteries to last about three years and then we would need new sensors.  Well, we are a couple months past three years, so we were concerned about whether they would still perform.

I got out our handy-dandy air compressor ....

and topped off all the tires to the recommended pressures.  Then, one by one, I re-installed and re-programmed each tire position.

By the way, some of our RV-Dreams Family have the above compressor, but it was discontinued and is very hard to find now.  Based on information in the Forum, many are now turning to the DeWalt D55140 shown below for tire pressures up to 125 psi.

Just an FYI for those in the midst of the high-pressure, compact, RV tire inflator quest.  It's quite a challenge to find a good, small, RV tire inflator that can handle higher psi requirements.

With all the sensors back in place, I have one sensor that is not generating a signal.  I placed it on one of the truck's dually pair where a tire failure would be least traumatic due to the other tire being there for support.  I'll check the pressure manually on each moving day until we can get a new sensor.  We probably should go ahead and replace all of them.

Whew.  Glad that part of our preparation to leave is out of the way.  :)

It's going to be a long, busy day tomorrow re-packing and getting ready.  On Wednesday, we're just going to Pagosa and staying at the Pagosa Riverside Campground for a week.  That will give us time to rest a little, make sure we get all of our mail, and will give Karen time to see what else she might need from us before we vacate the area.

Then, we will be heading to Arizona.  You'll know our destination when we figure it out.  :) 

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Long Day, Longer For Linda - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

Oops.  Sorry to those that get the Journal via email or other feeds.  I mistakenly hit the "post" button before I was finished yesterday.  That's happened a couple of times lately.  So, if it looks like you got an incomplete entry, you did.  :)

Our baking camp was a big success and we finished it off this morning with a pancake breakfast.

Since we had no new folks coming in today, the baking camp guests didn't have to rush.

After breakfast, we bid everyone farewell and I helped load the supplies into the Kathy's truck camper.  The bakery folks stayed next to us in their truck camper last night.  :)

The bad news today was Linda's condition.  The morning started with a twinge in her neck, and it wasn't long before she was having one of her annual neck/back issues where she can't rotate her neck and she has severe pain if she moves too much.

Karen & I took on the cleaning of the cabins while Linda sat in the Ranch House with the portable phone to answer incoming calls.

With five cabins vacating, it wasn't a good day for Linda's neck to go out.  But, fortunately, our single night guests left the cabins in great shape, so the cleaning was rather light.

Late in the afternoon, Linda headed to the rig to relax in her recliner.  Karen and I have a meeting in Durango tomorrow with an accountant, so we spent about three hours going over files.  It was about 7:30 when I finally got home.

I warmed up some leftover lasagna and garlic bread to get us fed.  Everything gets out of kilter when Linda is down.  :)

Hopefully she will recover quickly.  Otherwise, we may not get out of here on Wednesday as planned.

Maybe with some rest, a little medication, and good vibes from the RV-Dreams Family, she'll get well quick.  :) 

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Baking Camp - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

We had to get up earlier than usual this morning to prepare for our High Altitude Baking Camp.

That meant Linda set the alarm for the first time in months.  And that's always bad news for me, because she worries about the alarm and can't sleep.  Sure enough, she turned on the bedroom TV about 3:00 am and woke me up.

I couldn't get back to sleep.  She got in another hour or so.

We went to the Ranch House about 7:30.  We scheduled this Baking Camp for today because we had no reservations this weekend even though there were still two additional days of hunting season.

Well, it turns out that some of the hunters just assumed they could stay longer if they wanted.  That's what they had been allowed to do in the past.  So they were a bit taken aback when we told them they should have reserved the extra days in advance and we had new guests coming.

Now if we can just get Karen to stand up for herself and continue to run this place like a business after we are gone.  :)

Anyway, we had a cleaning lady come in from Pagosa this morning to help us prepare.  We would have been in a bind without her.

So we had people moving out, we were cleaning, and we were helping the ladies from Pagosa Baking Company get prepared for a 10:00 am brunch.  It was a bit hectic, and seemed unorganized, especially as folks started arriving shortly after 9:00 am.  :)

But brunch in the Ranch House happened promptly with scones, and quiche, and a few other goodies.

The baking camp guests enjoyed brunch while Linda and Kelly, our professional helper for today, cleaned The Lodge where the classes would be held.

After brunch and a break, the "students" gathered in The Lodge for the beginning of the class.

The first part was sort of "cooking chemistry" where everyone learned about "leavening" at sea level and then how high altitude affects that chemistry.

The attendees determined that they were having the most trouble at altitude with cookies, cakes, bread, meringue, & biscuits.  Some people brought recipes and the bakery had some.  So the class converted recipes in each troublesome category from sea level to high altitude.  The conversions are all based on ingredient weight rather than measurements.

After the chemistry and math portion, they took another break.  When they resumed, they divided up into teams.  There was Team Toll House, Team Scones, Team Spice Cake, and Team Focaccia Bread.

They used scales to weigh out their ingredients.  Then the teams got to baking.

Linda was on Team Toll House.  They did their cookies both with the sea level recipe and the high altitude conversion so the group could see the difference.

All the other teams just baked with the high altitude conversion recipes.  Ingredients were flying around and the two guys in the class were really good at doing the math for the conversions.

These folks learned a lot and they all seemed to have a wonderful time.  I heard many that said they learned a lot more than they expected.

All the food turned out great.  The scones and cookies were sampled.  The focaccia bread was going to be served with dinner and then the lovely spice cake would be dessert.

These folks worked hard.  :)  They finally got a break to check into their cabins before dinner.  I had turned the heat on for everyone since it was getting cool and dark.

We were all happy to sit down for dinner around 7:30.

Kathy and Kirsten from Pagosa Baking had pre-prepared an elk lasagna and a vegetarian lasagna to go with salad and the students' focaccia bread and spice cake.

There were a few bottles of wine and great food.  I especially liked the elk lasagna.  I was trying to hide the leftovers.  :)

Everyone was pretty tired, but there was one more event.  Leon Harms from Wild Vistas Adventures had seen our baking camp flyer and asked if he could come up from Santa Fe and do a dutch oven demonstration around our campfire.

This was an added bonus that the students didn't know about.  :)

I hung in as long as I could, but I just couldn't wait for the cobblers to get done.  I took one last photo ...

and went to the rig for a shower and some sleep.

I heard the cobblers were delicious.  Maybe there will be some left in the morning.  :)

Tomorrow, the camp ends with a sourdough pancake breakfast.  They voted to move it from 8:00 am to 9:00 am.  Good call.

It started out a little wild, but I think it was a very successful day by most accounts.  We should certainly sleep well tonight.  :)

 

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Cold Camping & The Forum - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

We did the cabin cleaning thing and various other chores.

I sent an email to an RV park in Arizona that had an ad on the Workamper Hot Line yesterday.  They have an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Fuzzy Zoeller.  :)

The new online Workamper News magazine for November/December was posted today as well.  Linda scoured it for winter jobs in areas we would consider.  No luck there.

Oh well, whatever is meant to be will be.  :)

While we filled our fresh water tank and disconnected our hose from the spigot, our guests in an RV site didn't take precautions and their water froze.  The spigot busted, so the trip for parts and the repair took up a bit of the day for Karen and Glen.

We have tank heaters to keep our tanks from freezing, but we rarely use them.  The ambient heat from the interior of the rig keeps the tanks in the enclosed underbelly from freezing.  Still we try to make sure we have plenty of fluid in all tanks when it gets really cold.  Just like a small pond will freeze before a lake, the more liquid the better.

As Terry mentioned in yesterday's comments, there is a Forum topic with some good information on cold climate RV living.  Here is the link: Living in Cold Climates

Speaking of the RV-Dreams Community Forum, did you know we are up over 1100 members?  More expertise and more great new folks with excellent questions every day.  :)

Thanks to everyone that participates and for keeping it the friendliest RV forum on the web!  :)

Well, that's all I have for today.  We should have some photos of our High Altitude Baking Camp tomorrow.  Until then.  :) 

 

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Cold Start - (Pagosa Springs, CO)

It was 16 degrees when we woke up this morning.  Yikes!

Fortunately, I had learned my lesson and we had taken precautions.  No problems.  :)

I decided to work from the RV today as I am still putting together my "sample" website for the Ranch which will be transferred and maintained by the Ranch's current webmaster.  It's hard to concentrate for any length of time in the Ranch House.

Linda and Karen cleaned the Ranch House and got it ready for this Saturday's "High Altitude Baking Camp".  That's certainly going to be a busy day.

We were hoping all of our hunters would be leaving early, maybe Friday, so we could get all the cabins cleaned and ready ahead of time.  It looks like half of them will and half of them won't.  At least that will help.

In the afternoon, I did a trash run and then returned to the rig.  I filled up our fresh water tank and dumped the holding tanks.

Linda got home a little after 5:00.  We had a bowl of soup and watched the usual Thursday night TV shows while I flipped over to check in on the World Series once in awhile.

And that was about it for the day.

By the way, thanks for checking out the "sponsors" on our website.  I did notice and really appreciate the effort.  :)

 

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