Yo folks! This is Danny. As always a lot to update.
We have gotten most of the flooring down, not without issues. It is tough laying down flooring when all your stuff is in the way, so we have to move it all out of the way. Trouble is out of the way is outside, and when it is raining more than it isn't that tends to be a tricky issue. As well cutting boards is not something that can be easily achieved in the small space, so it has to be done outside. Add weeks of rain to the equation and you have a floor that can be worked on only every couple of days.
Amelia and I celebrated our four year anniversary about a week ago. As a present to ourselves we went and splurged on a nice battery for the camper. When we hooked it up we were happy to find the air conditioner still runs cold, a blessing in Florida as summer begins to get strong. I also ordered a bunch of LED lights off Ebay to reduce the amount of power we are using.
Unfortunately after a few days of awesome power we began to notice our battery draining, even though we are plugged into shore power. I did some research online and determined when we are plugged in the DC power should be coming from our converter charger, which converts AC shore power to DC 12v power for the accessories. It obviously wasn't, nor was it recharging our battery as it should when it is plugged in. Both of these point to it being dead. Our camper did not come with a manual, so I spent countless hours looking online trying to figure out more about it. I found the breaker box, but unlike most campers that was not where the converter is located. Finally while laying floor one day last week I noticed a panel underneath our hall closet. I had to open it to get the flooring flush, and right there staring me in the face was the broken power converter! Hurrah! I looked it up, and it turns out this model is made by a company that went out of business a decade ago,. Ironically they filed for bankruptcy because they couldn't afford to keep up with the warranties on all their products breaking all the time. So seeing as how it is my birthday tomorrow, when my father asked what I wanted I quickly replied " A progressive dynamics 9200 series 45 amp charger". Some times being practical can be fun too.
Anyway I have been asked by a friend to shuttle a touring DJ across the state to help him out, so tonight I am going to check out Govinda here in Tallahassee, and tomorrow I drive him to Gainesville where I will party down for my birthday like a champ! Keep checking in, we will have more updates for you soon!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Working together for the greater good of...oh, fuck it.
Danny named this blog "The Couple in a Camper: Adventures in Love and Freedom".....I'm starting to think it should be called "TCIAC: LESSONS about Love and Freedom".
Today we started putting down laminate wood flooring...and I have officially been dismissed from duty. Anyone who knows me, is thinking "Amelia? Dismissed??" But, don't fret, I've already come to terms with this; it's for the best. Danny and I seem to have very different approaches to physical labor. Frankly, I am a perfectionist with trust issues and feel the intrinsic need to micromanage, while pushing every one of Danny's buttons simultaneously. Danny is a perfectly capable fellow and has sworn a solemn oath that he has read and re-read the directions and is insisting that it is time for me to retire from laying flooring. Well, fine then. Since he seems to be more willing to get dirty and inevitably smash his fingers than I, who can argue?
As I sit on the porch, I am looking at this as the ultimate test of my trust and patience. Guess it's time to take the dog for a long walk....
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Well, it has been a couple of crazy
weeks…. Lots of driving, packing, painting, unpacking, yard sales,
go go going!! This is the first time I have opened my computer in
almost 2 weeks, which is actually a long time for me! In our last
post, Danny detailed the adventure of going to pick up our new home,
so I will fill you in on the the few days after we went to Ormond
Beach.
Once we got it back to my mother’s yard we had a cleaning party. My father, step-father and Danny took over the outside, while my mother and I were supposed to tackle the inside. I say supposed to because my mother thought that Danny and I would just be happy bleaching the living hell out of everything and then redoing the flooring, but I had other plans. I had a no holds barred attitude about ripping everything out. EVERYTHING! She went to the bed room to clean out the closet and pull out the mattress while I went nutso in the living area.
First thing everyone should know is
that most trailer interiors are just glued and stapled together. As
soon as I realized this, I went crazy with the mean (meaner, maybe)
end of a hammer, ripping out the dinette set. There are only two of
us, and frankly we aren’t planning on having a bunch of house
guests so the dinette/sleeper system was a huge waste of space.
Because the dinette bench was stapled to the floor, I inadvertently
pulled up a chunk of linoleum flooring, revealing (to my absolute
horror) rotten wood!!! EAK!
Well, what did I really expect from an
eighteen year old vessel; at least it wasn’t the ceiling. With the
new discovery of floor rot, Danny and I went about tearing up all of
the flooring to see how much damage there really was. The damage was
limited to areas around the storage access hatches. In newer trailers
the storage areas are sealed off from the interior, probably just for
this reason. Thankfully, what would have been a stressful few days of
re-flooring only took a morning thanks to my contractor step-father,
Jose. One run to Lowes and a few hours later we were standing on
solid ground. In all honesty, I had never been overly fond of my
step-father, but he really came through for us and I will always be
thankful
The next morning we were on our way
home… (Will write about our adventure home in a future post)
Once we got back to Tallahassee, we
painted the walls and got closet organizers hung up so we could
smoothly move from the apartment to the trailer. We have to wait till
next week to put in the new flooring because we had to be out of the
apartment ASAP, so we figured that once everything has found a home
in the trailer we will be able to lay the laminate wood flooring as a
weekend project.
We are officially out of the apartment
and in the trailer now. I like to think of myself as a moving
aficionado as I have moved more than my fair share during my
collegiate years, but this time I thought I might just break down and
throw everything away. Reducing the amount of stuff was the hardest
part. We no longer have a need for most furniture and decorations.
And the random things that hide away in closets and storage bins had
to be mercilessly cut from our lives. Danny said more than once that
he will never own that much stuff again, I whole heartedly agree! But
it is over! And now we get to put all our energy into organizing and
getting stuff ready for the road.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Camper Week
Hi, it's me Danny! It has been a crazy week! We got our camper, and it has been non-stop since then. I guess I will start this off, as there is a lot to cover.
Well as many of you know we bought a camper sight unseen. Our truck finally came back from the shop, so this week we drove the four hours down to go pick it up. We ended up staying with Amelia's mom since she lives only a half hour away from where it is.
We got up early Monday morning to go to the tax office to get the tag and registration for the camper. It went surprisingly smooth, so fast that Amelia wanted to go back and sleep before we actually went to pick it up, but we both knew it was going to be a long day. We drove with her mother to Ormond Beach to the house where the camper was at.
When we arrived the lady whom we had bought it from was not home, so we waited for about fifteen minutes for her to arrive, we could see our new home in her back yard, but we could not yet access it. When she finally came home she let us into her yard to begin getting it road ready, and her chihuahuas were less than enthused about our presence there.
The trailer looked pretty good for a nearly twenty year old machine that had been sitting for two years. The only issues we found at first were a few broken odds and ends with the cabinets and doors, a non functioning AC unit and fridge, and a busted front window. There was also a piece of plywood screwed down right by the front door, but we shall elaborate on that later.
The guy who had been living in it was an obvious smoker, as there were burns on everything! I can only imagine alcohol or something else must have played a roll in it, because I can't imagine somebody dropping so many cigarettes otherwise, as there were burns on: the carpet; the couch cushions; the tables; the bathroom floor; ac vents; you name it. I honestly can't even imagine somebody just throwing their lit butts wherever when they were done with them doing more damage than this. On top of all this he had apparently not been dumping or flushing out his black water tank, simply draining it bit by bit into an old gas can and I assume pouring it somewhere. This, and his waste water must have simply been emptying into this poor woman's yard, as when we went to first check it the valve was already open.
So we spent several hours getting it ready, taking it off the jacks, emptying it out, when I go to hook it up to my truck and realize something is amiss. The brake connector for the trailer lights was a seven pin round connection, but the connector coming from my truck was only four. I called a local RV store to ask about this dilemma, and they told me I would have to rewire my truck, and that they would have to get a service technician to call me back with an estimate. Being a DIY kind of guy I started researching it on my phone and realized I could get the parts to do this myself at a local auto parts shop, and within an hour we had the part, had eaten burritos, and I was underneath my truck installing it.
As I was in the process of putting the part in myself I finally get a call back from the RV store for an estimate, and the guy on the phone tells me it could be anywhere from 175-500 dollars. I tell him that is a lot of money, and ask if it is something I could possibly do myself. He says probably not, and I tell him "Well, in the time it took you to get back to me I did it myself for thirty bucks and had time to eat a burrito, eat my shit" and hung up. By the way that shop was http://www.giantrecreationworld.com/ Of Ormond Beach, just so we're on record for saying they are scum.
Anyway with all that finally done we were able to hook up our new home and ride off into the sunset. We told the lady about our blog, and I hope she gets a chance to read it and enjoys being part of our story. Also I hope she knows she sold us a camper with water damage, but that is for our next post, which I will let Amelia tell you more about.
Well as many of you know we bought a camper sight unseen. Our truck finally came back from the shop, so this week we drove the four hours down to go pick it up. We ended up staying with Amelia's mom since she lives only a half hour away from where it is.
We got up early Monday morning to go to the tax office to get the tag and registration for the camper. It went surprisingly smooth, so fast that Amelia wanted to go back and sleep before we actually went to pick it up, but we both knew it was going to be a long day. We drove with her mother to Ormond Beach to the house where the camper was at.
When we arrived the lady whom we had bought it from was not home, so we waited for about fifteen minutes for her to arrive, we could see our new home in her back yard, but we could not yet access it. When she finally came home she let us into her yard to begin getting it road ready, and her chihuahuas were less than enthused about our presence there.
The trailer looked pretty good for a nearly twenty year old machine that had been sitting for two years. The only issues we found at first were a few broken odds and ends with the cabinets and doors, a non functioning AC unit and fridge, and a busted front window. There was also a piece of plywood screwed down right by the front door, but we shall elaborate on that later.
The guy who had been living in it was an obvious smoker, as there were burns on everything! I can only imagine alcohol or something else must have played a roll in it, because I can't imagine somebody dropping so many cigarettes otherwise, as there were burns on: the carpet; the couch cushions; the tables; the bathroom floor; ac vents; you name it. I honestly can't even imagine somebody just throwing their lit butts wherever when they were done with them doing more damage than this. On top of all this he had apparently not been dumping or flushing out his black water tank, simply draining it bit by bit into an old gas can and I assume pouring it somewhere. This, and his waste water must have simply been emptying into this poor woman's yard, as when we went to first check it the valve was already open.
So we spent several hours getting it ready, taking it off the jacks, emptying it out, when I go to hook it up to my truck and realize something is amiss. The brake connector for the trailer lights was a seven pin round connection, but the connector coming from my truck was only four. I called a local RV store to ask about this dilemma, and they told me I would have to rewire my truck, and that they would have to get a service technician to call me back with an estimate. Being a DIY kind of guy I started researching it on my phone and realized I could get the parts to do this myself at a local auto parts shop, and within an hour we had the part, had eaten burritos, and I was underneath my truck installing it.
As I was in the process of putting the part in myself I finally get a call back from the RV store for an estimate, and the guy on the phone tells me it could be anywhere from 175-500 dollars. I tell him that is a lot of money, and ask if it is something I could possibly do myself. He says probably not, and I tell him "Well, in the time it took you to get back to me I did it myself for thirty bucks and had time to eat a burrito, eat my shit" and hung up. By the way that shop was http://www.giantrecreationworld.com/ Of Ormond Beach, just so we're on record for saying they are scum.
Anyway with all that finally done we were able to hook up our new home and ride off into the sunset. We told the lady about our blog, and I hope she gets a chance to read it and enjoys being part of our story. Also I hope she knows she sold us a camper with water damage, but that is for our next post, which I will let Amelia tell you more about.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Emotional Aspects of Moving
Danny and I have spent the evening sorting through our possessions, making piles to keep and give/sell. I know I am supposed to feel liberated. I know that this is for a purpose, but I'm actually quite melancholy tonight. I'm not really a pack rat, so I feel like the stuff that I have I have for a reason.... albeit sometimes sentimental reasons. I almost feel like when my grandfather died and I helped my mom clean out his garage...stuff I've I've been given for birthdays or from music festivals...that bring back memories and faces of friends.
I know that this is all for a greater purpose, but tonight the reality is really setting in.
I know that this is all for a greater purpose, but tonight the reality is really setting in.
How We Got Started. Part 1: Learning
I know that many people are yearning for an alternative lifestyle, but don't really know how to go about rearranging a lifetime of habits and personal effects. If you are feeling a bit jealous or even inspired because of our up coming adventure, then, please, let me tell you that you can do it too. With a little hard work and ingenuity, it is totally possible. Over the next few posts, I am going to help break down what and how we went about making our dreams a reality.
Downsizing your life can be a very daunting task. Living life like a gypsy can be a romantic dream, but down right scary when you actually start thinking of how to survive on the road.
Danny and I did a lot of research before we started spending money.
Here are some of the best sites we came across:
"RV-Dreamers" (http://www.rv-dreams.com/) was one of the first sites that gave us some really useful information. They share a plethora of information for "Full Timers" including a 3 month budget laid out by income level including: "Thrifty", "Moderate" and "Money Is No Object". Looking at these budgets helped a lot. We are obviously in the "Thrifty" category, but it was nice to know that we could actually pull this off on our budget. Through this site we also found out about "Workamping" (http://www.workamper.com/?gclid=CL3Y2fjikLYCFetAMgodxDEAAw) and a few other work while traveling web sites. Nice to know that we can eventually find a job when the savings runs out!!
When we bought the trailer the first thing that came to mind was remodeling....new floors, storage space and general customization is pretty standard for older trailers getting a second chance at the road. While searching the web, I came across the site "Goin' RV Boondocking" (http://www.rv-boondocking-the-good-life.com/boondockingtips.html). Brian (the "host") is a bloody genus. Really, I'm designating him the "Jesus Christ of RVing". His posts are so funny and bring a lot of common sense to the table. He shares brilliant, super easy and inexpensive ideas on how we could spruce up our new home. And so so much more. From this site I learned about serious boondocking. Boondocking is a type of RV camping where you have no hook ups to electricity, water or sewer. You have to be totally self sufficient This may seem petty easy considering that you have your home attached to your vehicle...How hard can it be, right? Well, apparently it can be an art.
Enter "The Adventures of Tioga and George" (http://vagabonders-supreme.net/). George is a "Full time Boondocking Vagabond" and takes it to the extreme. He never pays for camping, EVER! He also has some great advice ranging from how to deal with cops at 2AM when you're trying to "city camp" to exact GPS coordinates of camps he has used successfully.
Both Brian and George use a "Club" service to help them stay connected when between camps. RV Club services range widely depending on the "Club". Danny and I will probably end up with Good Sam Club because they provide things like road side assistance, fuel discounts, and dumping stations. As well as a monthly magazine and a mail service. All of which will be ridiculousness handy to have (well, probably not the magazine).
What I really love about this whole endeavor is learning that there is community there is out there with information and support about RVing full time or just generally living on the move. There is even groups who meet through their RV Club to do like minded adventures or knitting circles...whatever floats your boat.
-A
Downsizing your life can be a very daunting task. Living life like a gypsy can be a romantic dream, but down right scary when you actually start thinking of how to survive on the road.Danny and I did a lot of research before we started spending money.
Here are some of the best sites we came across:
"RV-Dreamers" (http://www.rv-dreams.com/) was one of the first sites that gave us some really useful information. They share a plethora of information for "Full Timers" including a 3 month budget laid out by income level including: "Thrifty", "Moderate" and "Money Is No Object". Looking at these budgets helped a lot. We are obviously in the "Thrifty" category, but it was nice to know that we could actually pull this off on our budget. Through this site we also found out about "Workamping" (http://www.workamper.com/?gclid=CL3Y2fjikLYCFetAMgodxDEAAw) and a few other work while traveling web sites. Nice to know that we can eventually find a job when the savings runs out!!
 |
| Remodeled Airstream |
When we bought the trailer the first thing that came to mind was remodeling....new floors, storage space and general customization is pretty standard for older trailers getting a second chance at the road. While searching the web, I came across the site "Goin' RV Boondocking" (http://www.rv-boondocking-the-good-life.com/boondockingtips.html). Brian (the "host") is a bloody genus. Really, I'm designating him the "Jesus Christ of RVing". His posts are so funny and bring a lot of common sense to the table. He shares brilliant, super easy and inexpensive ideas on how we could spruce up our new home. And so so much more. From this site I learned about serious boondocking. Boondocking is a type of RV camping where you have no hook ups to electricity, water or sewer. You have to be totally self sufficient This may seem petty easy considering that you have your home attached to your vehicle...How hard can it be, right? Well, apparently it can be an art.
 |
| Boondocking |
Both Brian and George use a "Club" service to help them stay connected when between camps. RV Club services range widely depending on the "Club". Danny and I will probably end up with Good Sam Club because they provide things like road side assistance, fuel discounts, and dumping stations. As well as a monthly magazine and a mail service. All of which will be ridiculousness handy to have (well, probably not the magazine).
What I really love about this whole endeavor is learning that there is community there is out there with information and support about RVing full time or just generally living on the move. There is even groups who meet through their RV Club to do like minded adventures or knitting circles...whatever floats your boat.-A
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
WOW! Things Move Fast in this world.
Danny reporting in here. Things are still a blur from St. Patrick's day. What happened in the last 48 hours?
So as you know by now we have a truck. I have been hesitant to post pictures so as not to jinx it, but it is back from the shop and running fine now. We cleaned it up this evening, both inside and out. The thing looks twice as good now as when we first looked at it. What a monster!
On top of all this last night Amelia pointed out there was a camper she has been looking on at craigslist. It has been on there for a while, and the price had gone down significantly. We had not been able to look at it since it was located four hours away, but last night Amelia convinced her mother to go look at it. Considering that her mom has bought and lived in two campers before, we trusted her judgement on the matter.
So when she said if it was her in this situation we should go for it, considering that it was almost a thousand dollars below our budget, we trusted our instincts and bought the thing sight unseen! Granted we did get to see pictures of it online, but we are putting a lot of faith and heart into this decision. When the morning sun comes around I will take some pictures of the newly cleaned up Pretty Pretty Truck Truck, and in less than a week we set sail to pick up this camper. Tomorrow is insurance, title, and tag day for the truck. Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us!
So as you know by now we have a truck. I have been hesitant to post pictures so as not to jinx it, but it is back from the shop and running fine now. We cleaned it up this evening, both inside and out. The thing looks twice as good now as when we first looked at it. What a monster!
On top of all this last night Amelia pointed out there was a camper she has been looking on at craigslist. It has been on there for a while, and the price had gone down significantly. We had not been able to look at it since it was located four hours away, but last night Amelia convinced her mother to go look at it. Considering that her mom has bought and lived in two campers before, we trusted her judgement on the matter.
So when she said if it was her in this situation we should go for it, considering that it was almost a thousand dollars below our budget, we trusted our instincts and bought the thing sight unseen! Granted we did get to see pictures of it online, but we are putting a lot of faith and heart into this decision. When the morning sun comes around I will take some pictures of the newly cleaned up Pretty Pretty Truck Truck, and in less than a week we set sail to pick up this camper. Tomorrow is insurance, title, and tag day for the truck. Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us!
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