Monthly Archives: March 2014

Never a Dull Moment

Yesterday, I continued my wash and wax project. I forgot to mention yesterday that when my neighbor told me his Jeep wouldn’t be in the driveway, he also said a park worker stopped him from washing his Jeep and told him it wasn’t allowed. He thought I might get in trouble for washing my rig in the RV park.

I thought that was strange. This park (Apache Wells RV Resort) is owned by Cal-Am Resorts. They also own the Sun Life RV Resort where we stayed in January. I saw people washing their RVs at Sun Life. I didn’t think Cal-Am would have different rules at another resort a few miles away in the same city. I looked up their policy. The policy states that “washing of automobiles is prohibited within the resort.” It goes on to say that there are many establishments in the area for car washing.

My take on the policy is this: if you have a passenger car or pick-up truck that you can drive to a car wash, you can’t wash it here. I don’t see that as prohibiting anyone from washing a motorhome or trailer.

I got an early start. I was washing the driver’s side of the coach by 8:30am. After I cleaned the windows and dried the surface, I polished the entire left side of the coach. This is a large area to apply polish to and then buff. I finished right at noon. The results look to be worth it.

Rear cap - you can see a neighbors trailer reflected in the shine

Rear cap – you can see a neighbor’s trailer reflected in the shine

Another reflection on the shiny driver's side

Another reflection on the shiny driver’s side

The polymer polish/protectant product I’m using is easy to apply and also buffs out easily. I’ll wait to see how well it holds up before I make a recommendation for this stuff.

In yesterday’s post, I laid out a general plan for our travels in the year ahead. My friend and former colleague, Allen Hutchinson commented that he would be competing in the Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at the end of June. We’ll be in Great Falls, Montana the week before for Donna’s bicycle race. Coeur d’Alene is only a little more than three hundred miles away.

We’ll book a site in Coeur d’Alene and hook up with Allen and his family. Maybe this time I can see him finish the race! I wrote about missing him at the finish of the Lake Placid Ironman here. That’s the beauty of this nomadic lifestyle. We get to catch up with friends when our time and space coincides!

Yesterday, Donna called and said she received a message from the bike shop. They said they’d found cracks in the rim of her rear wheel. I scootered over to the shop and looked at the wheel. In three places, where the spoke nipple passes through the rim, there were cracks. The wheel will have to be replaced. Donna’s figuring out her best option for a new wheel.

I had already arranged to borrow Mike Hall’s Jeep to pick up Donna’s bike. I went ahead and got the Jeep from Mike. I wanted to go to the Handlebar Pub and Grill in Apache Junction to watch the String ‘Em Up Band perform bluegrass music. I met Andy King there.

Andy is my friend from our high school days. He was a member of the String ‘Em Up Band, but now he just sits in for a set or two from time to time. I ordered a mushroom burger and ate while the band set up.

The second set was really interesting and fun. It was like an open mic session. First, a harmonica player from the audience joined the band. He was good. He fit right in with fills and solos on the harmonica. Then a young man (I want to say a kid, but he was at least 21 years old) stepped in. He sang an original composition and played guitar. That’s the thing with bluegrass – as long as everyone knows what key to play in, it’s not too hard to jam together. Finally a young lady stepped up to the mic and sang a song. She had a modern, almost falsetto style. I really liked the song she sang. Lots of talent at the Handlebar!

Today, I’m hoping Donna has her wheel dilemma solved and I can pick up her bike while I have the Jeep. Around 11am, I’ll start washing and waxing the rest of the coach. I’m waiting until late morning when the sun won’t be shining directly on the right side of the coach.

The RV park has a farewell dinner scheduled for 5pm tonight. Most of the snowbirds leave here by April 1st. The dinner and drinks are free! Never a dull moment!

 

 

Making a Plan

I won’t bore you with a weather report. Each day is pretty much the same. The only thing that varies is whether the wind picks up or not.

Yesterday, I started the wash/wax project on our coach. I washed the rear cap, then set up the Wen 10-inch waxer/polisher I bought from Amazon a couple of weeks ago.  It’s an orbital machine that came with two wax application bonnets and two buffing bonnets. Putting the bonnet over the pad is hardest part of using this machine – and that’s not too hard. It’s like putting a fitted sheet on a mattress.

Wen 10 inch waxer/polisher with applicator bonnet

Wen 10-inch waxer/polisher with applicator bonnet

I didn’t use wax. I used a polymer car polish. This polymer formula can be applied in direct sun with no problems. It protects the paint finish and contains UV inhibitors. This was my main goal. Our coach isn’t all that dirty, the paint has a nice shine. I want to keep it that way. The desert sun can really take a toll on the finish.

I spent about an hour, climbing up and down the  ladder applying the polish, then changing the bonnet and buffing it out. The orbital waxer/polisher was easy to use. I think I spent too much time changing the bonnet – I should have applied the polish to larger sections instead of doing a small area, then buffing it. It sure beats Mr. Miyagi’s (Karate Kid) “wax-on, wax-off” method.

I talked to our neighbor on the left side of our site. He and his wife are going 4-wheeling in the desert with their Jeep this morning. This gives me the perfect opportunity to wash and wax the driver’s side of the coach. Their Jeep is usually parked near the left side of our coach. I couldn’t wash the coach without getting spray (and leaving water spots) on their Jeep. I’m planning to wash and polish the entire left side this morning while they’re away.

After I put away the ladder and polisher, I went for a short mountain bike ride. Then I went to the pool. I wanted to soak in the Jacuzzi and then sit in the sun and read a book. I was enjoying the sun and book until a woman sat in the chair next to me. She started talking to me and kept asking me questions. I didn’t get it. If someone is sitting alone with their nose buried in a book, would you strike up conversation by asking them a bunch of questions?

I gave her a couple of short responses, then immediately went back to reading. She didn’t take the hint. I finally said, “Well, I’ve had all the sun I can take. Have a good day.” I came back to the coach and read for a while, then took a short nap.

I think we’ll move out of here in about three weeks. I’m getting the hitch itch and I’m looking forward to hitting the road again. Our plans are taking shape. We know we want to be in Great Falls, Montana by mid-June so Donna can race in the Senior Olympics qualifier. We want to be in western Washington by mid-July. We’ll be in Portland, Oregon the first 10 days of August. Then we’ll come back to San Diego around the middle of September.

In between those dates, we’ll see where the road takes us.

Chicken or Egg?

Yesterday was a fairly lazy day. I had a couple of chores to attend to, but nothing big. The night before, I sat in the Euro-recliner and felt it tilt to the side a bit. I thought one of the legs must be on the heater vent. I moved the chair and sat down. Crunch! One of the legs went askew. The bolt that holds the lower portion of the leg had backed out. The last few threads of the bolt stripped when I put my weight on the chair.

Stuff happens when your home frequently rolls down the road. Things like furniture are subjected to vibrations that they aren’t necessarily designed for. I went to Ace hardware and bought two replacement bolts – one for the repair and one to have as a spare. It was an easy fix.

After the chair fix, I read for a while. I went online and joined the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA). I’m not sure if we’ll see much benefit from FMCA, but I joined in order to be eligible for the Alpine Coach Association (ACA). ACA is a chapter of FMCA – you must be a member of FMCA before you can join ACA.

ACA provides a lot of support for Alpine Coach owners. They schedule several rallies every year. We’re planning to sign up and attend the event in Portland, Oregon in August. It will be a good opportunity to meet other Alpine Coach owners and learn more about our coach.

After I showered, it was time to dump the tanks. I had the gray water valve closed over the weekend to build up some gray water. After I dump and flush the black water tank, I like to run gray water through the sewer hose. Soapy gray water is always my final flush. After I opened the door to the wet bay, my neighbor came over and started talking to me. I was sociable, but I really don’t like interruptions when I’m doing things like setting up, breaking camp or dumping tanks. So I stopped what I was doing and we talked for a while.

We talked about some of the other interesting people in the park. I found out that Forrest, the guy I helped retrieve a wrench from his engine compartment, isn’t 70 years old like I thought. He’s actually 87 years old! Donna and I talked about this once. What is it about the RV lifestyle? Do older people gravitate towards it? Or, does the relatively stress-free lifestyle contribute to long life? It’s one of those chicken or egg type questions that can’t be answered.

Around 4pm, I rode the scooter over to Lucky Lou’s. I saw the usual suspects out on the patio. I sat and ordered a Guinness stout in honor of St. Patrick’s day. I arranged to borrow Mike Hall’s Jeep on Wednesday to pick up Donna’s bike from the bike shop. I’ll also use it to go to the Handlebar Grill Wednesday evening to meet up with Andy King and enjoy some live bluegrass performances.

The people at the next table on the patio were obviously very intoxicated. I couldn’t handle how noisy and obnoxious they were. I guess I’m getting old. I finished my pint of Guinness and departed. I went to the Red, White and Brew Bar and Grill for a traditional St. Patrick’s day meal of corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots.

The plate was good, but it doesn’t compare with Donna’s traditional St. Patrick’s day plate. Every year, Donna makes corned beef, cabbage, champ (Irish mashed potatoes blended with scallions) and Irish soda bread. She’s at her folks’ house near Albany, New York this week, so I settled for the plate on offer at the Brew. It’s the first time since I met Donna that I went out for St. Patrick’s day dinner.

Today, the temperature will reach about 80 degrees, as it has for the past several days. This morning I’ll start on the washing and waxing job. I’ll start by washing and waxing the rear cap. Once I see how that goes, I’ll decide on how to proceed.

Later, I’ll go for a bike ride, then hang out at the pool.

 

 

Glutton for Punishment

I didn’t post yesterday, so I’ll post the weekend update today.

On Saturday, I wrote my blog post first thing in the morning. Then I caught up on a few other blogs I follow. I also looked at the site that mapped the Hawes Trail System. I wanted to ride my mountain bike there.

Around 11am, I rode my mountain bike out of the RV park. I rode a mile up Recker Road to Thomas, then I turned east and rode another mile past the intersection with Power Road. This is the entrance to Las Sendas, where Thomas Road becomes Eagle Crest. I crossed the canal and saw a trail next it, just like I remembered on the map.

However, this trail was gated with a “No Trespassing” sign. I was confused by this. It looked like people had gone in, around the gate, but I didn’t think that was a good idea.

No Trespassing

No Trespassing

I continued up the road another 30 yards and found another trail. There were no markings or signs and the trail entrance was subtle. Once I left the road and followed the trail, it quickly became obvious that this was a well-used trail.

The trail meandered along between the canal and the Las Sendas housing development. It was fairly easy and fast at first, but I ran into technical sections before too long. A couple of other bikers passed me. I wasn’t ready to ride at their pace. I didn’t want to hit a ditch or drop into a ravine at speed, so I rode at a reasonable pace.

Hawes Trail

Hawes Trail

I passed a few people running on the trail as I climbed up towards Usery Mountain. As I gained elevation, I stopped to take in the view.

 

Red Mountain to the north

Red Mountain to the north

I could see for miles across the Valley of the Sun to the southwest. Although Phoenix claims to be located in the Valley of the Sun, it’s really more of a wide basin than a valley. Most of the desert southwest is a series of basins. It’s never as flat as many people imagine.

Valley of the Sun

Valley of the Sun

As the trail climbed, it became more challenging. There were many sections where the trail was narrow and climbed steeply. Other sections dropped into sandy ravines, then climbed up onto decomposed granite or hardpack.

Hawes Trail

Hawes Trail

I missed the turn off for the trail that would take me to the road in Las Sendas. I found myself at the base of a long, steep climb that the locals call “Cardiac Hill.” I decided to turn back. I wasn’t up for that challenge. When I reached Thomas Road again, I’d been out for an hour and a half. I was whipped.

When I returned, I reheated leftovers for lunch, then put on my trunks and walked to the pool. I showered there, then soaked in the Jacuzzi. It felt good. I kicked back on a lounge chair and read a book until I was dry.

I shaved and showered back at the coach and took a nap. I was supposed to hook up with Mike and Jodie Hall, to go to a party in Chandler, but I was too tired to go anywhere. I visited with my neighbor, Peter, from Switzerland. He had been out on his road bike and put in 50 miles. He rode to Saguaro Lake, then did the Usery loop twice!

Yesterday I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested. I wanted to try another part of the Hawes Trail System. This time I rode up to the north end of Recker Road. I couldn’t find the trail entrance once again. Then I saw a couple of guys on mountain bikes. They pointed out the trail head at the end of a cul-de-sac, next to a house.

This trail led me away from the housing tract. It was fairly fast, with sweeping turns that banked against small hillsides. After fifteen minutes of this, it became more technical with difficult drop-offs and climbs. The last half mile was mostly uphill. When I reached the end, at Power Road, I was huffing and puffing for breath.

Once I caught my breath, I crossed over to the trail on the east side of Power Road. I asked a mountain biker on the road how the trail was. He said it had some technical sections, but wasn’t bad. I wanted to ride this trail back to Thomas Road and loop back to the park.

Ten minutes later, I found out what he meant by “some technical sections.” I came to a stop at a steep drop-off. The trail dropped into a ravine. It was a nearly vertical drop of six or seven feet. Then it crossed the bottom for about 10 feet, then climbed the nearly vertical wall on the other side about eight feet high. It was shaped somewhat like the concrete half pipe where you see extreme riders or skateboarders do stunts on TV.

I looked it over, found a line I thought I could follow and went for it. I extended my butt off the seat, over the back wheel. This kept my weight well back and prevented me from going over the bars when I hit the bottom. Half way up the opposite side, when my bike slowed, I pedaled madly with my weight on the front of the seat and made it to the top. After I crested the hill, the trail dropped into another half pipe ravine. I did the same as I did on the last, pedaling like crazy in a granny gear. At the top, I stopped. I was looking down into another, deeper half pipe type section. My upper body was quickly wearing out. I made it through the third one and decided I’d had enough. I saw the trail flattened out and curved next to the road. I may be a glutton for punishment, but I knew when to quit. At the curve, I bailed out and got on the road.

I need to work on developing more upper body strength and endurance. Mountain biking uses different muscle groups than road biking. I was trying to do too much, too soon. I knew if I kept pushing through the technical sections, fatigue would inevitably lead to a crash.

I stopped at Subway on the way home and bought a Footlong Cold Cut Combo. I ate half of it for lunch, then followed Saturday’s routine of Jacuzzi and poolside reading. The other half of the sandwich was dinner. I miss Donna and I miss her cooking too!

Later, I decided to take on a project that I’d back-burnered for awhile. Our surround sound system has a hissing noise, especially from the rear speakers. It sounded like distortion from an amp that has too much gain. The amplifier is a Don Hamilton System that takes the 2-channel signal from the TV and converts it to 5.1 QSurround sound. I thought the amplifier might have an adjustable potentiometer on it somewhere to set the gain. The amplifier is mounted in a cabinet, next to the  TV. I removed the amplifier, but couldn’t find any adjustment for gain.

Surround sound amplifier

Surround sound amplifier – the picture isn’t upside down, the amp is mounted this way

As I was reconnecting the wiring and preparing to mount the amp back in the cabinet, I noticed the wiring ran through a choke. I followed the wiring on the choke and found that the TV sound ran through it. This choke is designed to remove hum from the radio signal. Radios can pick up noise from the alternator through the 12-volt system.

Choke to cancel noise in the 12 volt system

Choke to cancel noise in the 12-volt system

The TV runs on the 120-volt AC system. The choke might be useful if the TV was operating off the invertor, otherwise I couldn’t see any sense in it. Most motorhomes built before 2007 have had TVs replaced with newer flat screen models. This is the case in our coach. Who knows who wired the sound through the choke.

I rewired the TV directly to the amplifier and ran the radio wiring through the choke. I tested the TV and radio – no hiss or hum! Job done!

Today, I plan on a little rest and relaxation. I need to recover from three straight days of biking. Our neighbors, Peter and Ruth Zaug will be leaving. They’re taking the ActionMobil coach I wrote about in my last post to Apache Junction and putting it into storage there. They’ll fly back to Switzerland this afternoon. They plan to return in September and continue their journey through the USA.

Happy St. Patricks Day! At some point, I’ll probably go to the Red, White and Brew for a pint or two of Guiness.

Expedition

Yesterday, Donna finished packing her bag while I posted to the blog. She managed to pack eight days of clothing (bear in mind, she’s traveling to cold climates) in one small suitcase. I don’t know how she does it.

Her driver picked her up at 11:15am for her flight to Chicago. I’ll be on my own for the next eight days. Other than the night she stayed at her sister’s house to watch her nephew, Connor, this is the first time we’ve been apart since we hit the road on July 23, 2013.

After Donna left, I went out for a ride on my new mountain bike. I looked at a map and thought I’d found a good route. It looked like I could get on a trail a couple of miles from here that would take me down to the Salt River and make a nice loop.

I rode out of the RV park, up Recker Road to Thomas. I found a trail into the desert and got off of the road. I haven’t ridden off road in a long, long time. When I lived in Arlington, Washington, I would ride my mountain bike up forest service roads into the mountains and find trails to loop back down. I really enjoyed mountain biking there. I also liked riding the single track trails at Sun River, Oregon.

When I moved to Mesa, Arizona, in 2005, I mostly rode my road bike. I took the mountain bike out occasionally, but it seemed like I always picked up a thorn and had flat tires. I got tired of fixing the tires and sold my mountain bike. The bike I have now has a fluid in the tires that prevents punctures. The tire can still go flat, if it’s cut by glass or some sharp object, or if the sidewall is torn. But, a small puncture from a thorn or cactus spine will not hurt it.

When I purchased the bike, I looked at the small 22 tooth chain wheel and the 36 tooth rear cog and thought I’d never use that short gearing. Ted, the guy that sold me the bike said he often uses that  gear ratio for short, steep, rocky climbs. I found out that he was right.

On the steep, rocky stuff, you need to maintain forward progress, even if you are just crawling along. If you stop, it’s difficult if not impossible, to get going again. The rear wheel will not have any traction from a standing start. You can’t sit and start pedaling. When you stand on the pedal to get going, the rear wheel will just spin. I learned that the hard way yesterday.

Once I learned to get into the appropriate gear before I started a steep climb, I was amazed at the terrain I could ride. The photos I took don’t convey how steep the terrain actually was.

This was a steep, slippery climb

This was a steep, slippery climb

Coming down some of slopes was a challenge. The trail I followed had some technical sections. I took my time and rode slowly to get into the groove of mountain biking. After I climbed the hill in the photo above, the trail dropped down into a dry creek bed. The creek bed was deep sand. Once again, I was surprised at how well the tires coped with the terrain. In the deep sand, I needed to maintain forward momentum. I tried to avoid the softest areas, but couldn’t always do that.

The trail took me through this sandy arroyo

The trail took me through this sandy arroyo

The next climb was very technical. The upper third of the hill was steep, with loose rock. I really enjoyed the challenge.

A rocky hill, it's steeper than it looks

A rocky hill, it’s steeper than it looks

After I crossed that hill, I found that the trail wasn’t taking me down to the river. It crossed private property near a storage yard and ended at Higley Road. I rode along the road and came upon an orange grove. I followed a trail next to the grove that took me to another trail that followed a canal. I knew the canal trail would loop me back to a point near the RV park. I had been riding for one and a half hours and I was feeling it. I was ready to stop.

When I came back to our site, I saw a new neighbor had moved in behind us. As I was putting my bike away, he approached me and asked about bicycling routes in the area. His rig was very interesting, I told him I’d seen one like on TV before. It’s a four wheel drive expedition mobile coach.

His name was Peter Zaug, he and his wife, Ruth, are from Switzerland. They are touring the USA and have a website at www.traveljoy.ch.  But, you have to be able to read German.

Expedition coach

Expedition coach

Peter and Ruth dining al fresco

Peter and Ruth dining al fresco

Swssnghbr3

You can get more information about the expedition coach at Actionmobile.

Peter wanted to take a 20 to 30 mile ride on his road bike. I gave him directions for riding the Usery Loop. I told him it was about a 20 mile loop with a long, three mile climb. I found a map of the area in our coach and gave it to him, since he seemed a little unsure of my directions.

When I saw him later, he said he liked the route and it was 20 miles, just as I told him.

Last night I found information on mountain biking trails in the area. Some of the best mountain bike trails are nearby. It’s called the Hawes Trail. It has several loops, some of them climb all the way up Usery Mountain. I’ll have to ride three or four miles on the road to get there, but I might check it out today.

 

Little Rooster Crowing

Yesterday got off to a strange start. I was lying in bed, not sure if I was awake or dreaming. I heard a rooster crowing. He sounded a little hoarse, like he was suffering from the pollen allergies that are hitting me. I heard Donna get up as I fell back into a slumber.

Donna was up early, to go for a bike ride with her friend, Dara. I got up and dressed. I pumped up her bike tires for her. Her plan was to ride over to Dara’s place in Las Sendas, a few miles from here, ride for awhile and then finish up at DNA Cycles on the corner of McKellips and Power Road. She wanted to drop her bike off there for a tune-up while she’s away next week.

After I drafted yesterday’s blog post, I rode the scooter over to DNA around 10:15am. I’ve been thinking about getting a mountain bike since we were at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. I looked at bikes at the shop in Fountain Hills, but I thought I needed a cooling off period before I spent the bucks on a new bike. I figured I should wait a week or two, do a little more research and see if I still felt like I wanted a mountain bike. I haven’t ridden my road bike much since we left San Diego.

I arrived at DNA Cycles before Donna. I started looking at their selection of mountain bikes. By the time Donna showed up, I was set for a test ride or two. I wanted to try a couple of bikes I was interested in and also try a couple of different frame sizes. I thought a 17.5″ medium frame would be right, but I also wanted to try the 19″ large frame.

I didn’t want to go overboard and spend too much money. I don’t have any intention of entering mountain bike competition. I just want to take recreational rides and stay in shape.

There were two models I tried out, both made by Specialized. I tried the Rockhopper Comp 29 and a Crave 29. The Crave is a higher quality bike and it’s priced accordingly. I liked both both bikes and it turned out that I fit either frame size comfortably.

Donna  had a hair appointment and needed to get home to shower. Her friend, Stevie King was coming to pick her up and drive her to her appointment in Scottsdale. I thanked Ted, the bike shop guy, for the test ride and told him I’d be back. I scootered Donna home.

We ate leftover pizza for lunch. Then I rode the scooter back to DNA Cycles. I took the Crave 29 out for another test ride. I came to the conclusion that I would be most happy with the Crave 29. I thought, if I buy the Rockhopper Comp, I would soon regret not buying a better quality machine. The Crave 29 has a better frame that’s made from higher quality alloy. It’s equipped with higher quality components as well. The big change in mountain bikes since I last had one in 2006 is the change from 26″ wheels to 29″ wheels.

My last mountain bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper, had full suspension. Full suspension frames add about $1,000 to the price of a comparably equipped hard tail bike (one with a rigid rear frame and a hydraulically damped front fork). The ride quality of a bike with 29″ wheels makes a hard tail frame viable for me.

I bought the Crave 29. I had a few items that needed to be added to the bike before I took delivery. I told Ted I would return in a few hours for the bike.

Donna’s plans included a pedicure and manicure after her hair appointment. She would have her nails done at a place in the plaza by the Red, White and Brew Bar and Grill. At 3pm, I put on my bicycle helmet, stowed Donna’s helmet under the seat and rode the scooter to  the Red, White and Brew. I parked it and left the keys in the little compartment on the dashboard.

From there, I walked about a mile to DNA Cycles. I sent Donna a text, telling her where she would find the scooter and keys. I took delivery of my new bike at DNA and rode it down the street to Lucky Lou’s. I had a beer with the guys before I rode home, a few miles away.

My new Specialized Crave 29

My new Specialized Crave 29

Donna came home a few minutes later. She had something to show me. Her friend, Stevie King and her husband, Jim Zedaker invented a product called Zippy. Zippy is a rolling ball therapy device that uses a golf ball in a glass-filled polypropylene frame to roll away aches and pains. She gave Donna a few samples to try out. I plan to try them out this week while Donna is away, since she won’t be here to give me a massage!

Last night we watched the movie Rush, directed by Ron Howard. It’s a true-life drama about the 1976 Formula One racing season and the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. I really enjoyed it. Before the start of the movie, I told Donna about the hoarse rooster crowing that morning. She laughed and told me that was the sound of  her smartphone alarm set to wake her up! I wasn’t dreaming after all.

Today, Donna has a driver picking her up around 11am. She’s flying to Chicago for the International Home and Housewares Association show this weekend. From there, she’ll fly to Albany, New York to visit her parents next week.

I really should start my washing and waxing project on the coach, but I’ll probably take my new bike out for a ride instead. Next week, while I’m a temporary bachelor, I’ll have plenty of time for washing and waxing.

Link

I didn’t post to the blog yesterday. Tuesday was just another day. Nothing too exciting to report. Yesterday, on the other hand, was full of activity.

While I was reading through the blogs I follow, I saw that our friends at Technomadia announced the roll-out of a new social media site for RVers. It’s called RVillage.

“It’s not only about the places we go, it’s also about the people we meet along the way”

Once you join RVillage, you enter your location. Other members of the site can see where you are and view your profile. You can see if other members are nearby. This will facilitate meet-ups with fellow RVers who share common interests. This morning, I saw that 1,109 people have already signed up. There are groups you can join on the site to follow forums on topics that are of interest.

I think it’s a great concept. If we had this a few weeks ago, we probably would have had the chance to meet Tim and Amanda Watson. They’re fellow full-timers and blog at WatsonsWander. As it was, I found out too late that we were at Usery Pass Regional Park at the same time. We didn’t get together.

Later, around noon, Mark and Emily Fagan stopped by (their blog is Roadslesstraveled). We sat and chatted together. We don’t know when we’ll get together again. They’re heading down to Tucson. By the time they come back to this area, we’ll probably be on our way north.

I had to cut our visit short. My friend, Mike Hall, works at ATK in Mesa, near Falcon Field. ATK is Alliant Techsystems Incorporated. ATK has many divisions. They are involved in military defense systems, aerospace, sporting arms and ammunition among other things.

The facility in Mesa builds Bushmaster medium caliber cannons, such as the M230 chain gun used on the AH64 Apache helicopter. This cannon fires linkless 30mm ammunition at a cyclic rate of 625 rounds per minute. It’s accurate out to 4,000 meters – that’s more than two miles! In operation Desert Storm and in Afghanistan, it demonstrated armor piercing capability at ranges of up to 2,000 meters.

Bushmaster M230 chain gun

Bushmaster M230 chain gun

Mike had arranged for me to meet him at 1pm to tour the facility. I was given a security pass and clearance to enter. I saw how they take four-inch diameter billits of steel, about 100 inches long and turn them in gun barrels. This is a very long process. It takes many machining steps, polishing and hardening processes, straightening and stress relieving and so on before they have a finished, accurate barrel.

The way they cut the rifling inside the barrel is fascinating. They have a mandrel that fits tightly inside the barrel. The mandrel has the rifling pattern cut into it. They pump a salt water solution charged with electricity through the cuts in the mandrel. This process is precisely controlled and erodes the rifling grooves in the barrel. I had the opportunity to inspect the finished rifling with a high-magnification boroscope.

A real treat came next. We watched as a newly finished M230 30mm chain gun was test fired. It was bolted to a test stand and carefully hand cycled with dummy rounds to ensure everything functioned correctly. The test stand was in a concrete walled room about 20′ x 20′. The room had a large, heavy steel door. The gun was pointed down range through a tunnel. The cardboard target was down the tunnel, followed by a large sand trap for the projectile.

We exited the room as the final preparations to fire were made. The operator checked everything over, looked around the room and called out, “Clear!” Then he walked out of the room and closed the heavy steel door. I was off to his side, looking at the gun through a thick plexiglass window. The operator pressed the fire control button. Brrrrp. Twenty rounds were fired in about 2 seconds. The shock waves created by the 30mm rounds blasting out of the barrel through the muzzle brake could be felt in my chest even though I was standing outside of the concrete chamber where the gun was mounted.

The operator opened the door, checked the room and again called out, “Clear!” Then we were allowed to enter the room. I picked up one of the spent, lightweight casings. He told me I could keep it if I wanted it. I brought it home to take a picture of it to give some sense of scale of this ammo.  I wasn’t allowed to take any photos inside the facility. I also brought a heavier casing from an M242 Bushmaster 25mm cannon. The 30mm casing is a special lightweight material to reduce the weight of ammo payload on the Apache helicopter.

Spent 30mm casing from an ATK M230 chain gun

Spent 30mm casing from an ATK M230 chain gun

ATK M242 25mm casing

ATK M242 25mm casing

It was an interesting tour. The people working in the plant were all very pleasant and willing to take time to explain things to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity and the effort Mike made to allow this to happen.

Afterwards, I met Mike and John Huff for a beer at Lucky Lou’s. I couldn’t stay long though, because we had more visitors on the schedule. At 5pm, Lana and Joel came over from our old neighborhood. We drove in their Toyota Highlander to Tia Rosa’s, our favorite Mexican restaurant, a few miles from here.

We planned an early dinner to avoid a long wait for a table. When we pulled into the parking lot, I was amazed to see only a handful of cars there. As we were walking across the parking lot, I saw why. There was a sign in front of the restaurant that said “Closed due to fire.” The cars in the lot were from people going to the smaller taqueria across the lot from the restaurant.

We changed our plan and drove over to Red, White and Brew and enjoyed a great meal there. After dinner we stopped at Gus’ and sat on the patio for an after-dinner drink. It was a great finish to a fine day.

Today, Donna is preparing for her trip to Chicago tomorrow. She’s attending the International Home & Housewares Association show there, where she’ll be the cleaning expert in Reliable Corporation’s booth. Reliable makes, among other things, a great steam mop that we use to clean our hardwood floors. For the show, she created a 1-Minute Spring Cleaner Notebook on Springpad (an app she uses to organize her recipes, book ideas and other things). Her Spring Cleaner Notebooks includes 10 quick and easy spring cleaning tips plus her top 10 favorite cleaning tools, including the Reliable Steam Mop.

 

RV Mishaps

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about the RV mishaps that are posted on the RV forums and how I try to avoid them. I have a couple of examples of mishaps that I’d like to share.

Driving a large motorhome requires your full attention. When I worked for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, we had mandatory driver training called the Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Course (EVOC). One of the lessons that was repeated many times in the EVOC training was to always back up your vehicle as if you’re about to hit something. What they meant was, if you have it in mind that you’re likely to back into an object, you probably never will.

Reversing a large motorhome can be challenging. But driving in reverse isn’t the only time you need to think about the rear of the coach. I posted before about swingout, but I’ll go over it again. The rear overhang of the coach causes swingout. For example, the distance from the rear axle to the back of our coach is 11 feet. If I make a sharp 90-degree turn to the right, the rear of the coach pivots around the rear axle. This causes the back of the coach, 11 feet behind the axle, to swing out to the left. It can swing out nearly three feet.

In the photo below, the driver pulled into a gas station. He then realized that he pulled up to the wrong pumps – there wasn’t a diesel pump in his lane. He carefully backed out of his lane. When he started forward, he cranked the steering wheel full lock to the right. What he didn’t notice was a pole at his left rear. The swingout of the rear end caused his coach to make contact with pole. The rear fiberglass cap was ripped away from the body. This happened in a matter of a couple seconds.

Rear fiberglass cap ripped from coach

Rear fiberglass cap ripped from coach

To add insult to injury, he then found out the station was out of diesel fuel!

I don’t have the full story behind the next photo. I don’t think the coach was driven into this position. It may have been a failure to set the parking brake, which allowed the coach to roll down the driveway, across the patio and drop into the yard.

Oops!

Oops!

They posted a video of the recovery of the coach on Facebook here. I’m guessing it was an expensive endeavor.

Yesterday I rode the scooter down to the NAPA auto parts store and bought six feet of 7/64″ rubber tubing to re-plumb our windshield washers. The nozzles for the windshield washers are located on the wiper arms on our coach. There’s a fitting where the wiper arm mounts to the body and another fitting at the nozzle where the blade mounts to the wiper arm.

The washer fluid flows from the fitting on the body through a rubber hose to the fitting at the nozzle, where it sprays the windshield. For some reason, the hoses on our coach came off of the lower fitting and shrunk. They wouldn’t reach the fitting anymore, so I couldn’t attach them.

I removed the old hoses and cut new tubing to the proper length. I put the tubing over the fitting at the wiper arm mount.

Windshield wiper base with washer fitting

Windshield wiper mount with washer fitting

Then I threaded the hose through clips on the wiper arm and pushed the other end over the nozzle fitting.

Windshield washer sprayer on wiper arm

Windshield washer nozzle on wiper arm

It was a quick and easy repair. Before we leave Mesa, I’ll replace the wiper blades. I didn’t do it yesterday because I don’t see the point of putting new blades on just to have them cook in the sun while we’re stationary.

My next task will be washing and waxing the coach and cargo trailer. I know I said that last week, but I also said I would spend a few days thinking about it. After giving it some thought and reading how others wax their coaches, I decided to order a 10-inch 120-volt orbital waxer/polisher from Amazon. With my Amazon Prime account, it ships free and should be here tomorrow. I’ll let you know how that works out.

 

Eat at Joe’s

Yesterday was yet another day with clear skies, abundant sunshine and warm temperatures. We drove the rental car to the Old Town district in Gilbert. We met Tom and Diane Rowe at Joe’s Real BBQ. This is a cafeteria-style restaurant housed in a brick building that dates back to 1929. It’s a popular place – the line to order stretched all the way out the front door.

We all ordered the half slab of pork ribs. All of the barbeque is cooked over a pecan wood fire. It was delicious. I had cut sweet corn and BBQ pit beans on the side. The beans were outstanding. If you have the opportunity, you should eat at Joe’s.

Joe's half rack of BBQ pork ribs

Half slab of Joe’s BBQ pork ribs

We sat outside and enjoyed our meal while we talked. I think we were there for about an hour and a half. The time always flies by when we’re catching up with our friends.

On the way home, we took advantage of the Enterprise rental car. First we stopped and shopped at Trader Joe’s. Then we made a Costco run.

Last night I was reading about mishaps of some fellow RVers on the IRV2.com forum. This got me thinking about the things we do to ensure that everything is properly stowed and road ready before we leave. It’s important to have a system or checklist; otherwise it’s too easy to overlook something.

One mistake we’ve seen other people make a couple of times is driving off with the TV antenna still up. I have a method to ensure that won’t happen to us. The antenna has a handle in the ceiling of the coach. I crank the handle clockwise to raise the antenna, counter-clockwise to lower it.

Whenever I raise the antenna, I immediately hang the ignition key for the motorhome on the crank handle. That way, when we’re getting ready to leave, I find my keys on the handle and crank the antenna down.

Ignition key hanging from antenna handle

Ignition key hanging from antenna handle

Donna has a checklist. She goes over it and asks me if everything has been done.That’s our method of hitting the road with everything safely stowed as it should be.

Today, we’ll return the rental car. Nothing too exciting on the agenda.

 

Long Story Short

We still have the car from Enterprise. Yesterday, Donna took advantage of the car and did some shopping. She went to a flea market and to a resale boutique and bought some gifts for herself and others.

I took a short nap while she was out. Our highlight of the day came around 4:30pm when we met Andy and Donna King at the Osaka Japanese Steakhouse for sushi. We had beer from the big three Japanese breweries – Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo. We ordered an excessive amount of sushi maki and nigiri which we enjoyed with conversation over a two-hour period.

It was around 7pm by the time we said our goodbyes in the parking lot. Andy and Donna put the top down on their Miata to enjoy a warm evening drive home to Gold Canyon.

Last night, we watched two episodes of Breaking Bad, season five. I’m wondering how it’s going to end, but at the same time I don’t want it to end.

My last three posts detailed a troubling time in my life. I’ll spare you from reading further detail. I started writing about it for two reasons. First, I felt a need to explain why I have dental issues caused by head and neck radiation. Second, and more importantly, I wanted to illustrate why you should never take your health for granted. There are no guarantees. If you have a dream, follow that dream. Don’t put it off. Plan for tomorrow, but live for  today.

This is one of the reasons I took an early retirement and why Donna and I are living this lifestyle. We want to experience life on the road while were still young enough and healthy enough to do it without too many physical restrictions.

I’ll close out the cancer story. The surgeon removed a 2.5 centimeter tumor from the right side of my throat. The neck dissection removed my SCM with 26 lymph nodes, 22 of them were cancerous. I had stage IV cancer. Once the incisions healed, I continued treatment with head and neck radiation, including the upper apices of my lungs and chemotherapy. After five months, I returned to work.

Eventually things got back on track. By the end of the summer of 2002, I was working out and trying to regain my strength along with the 22 pounds I’d lost. I had ongoing follow-up CAT scans and exams for the next five years and then I was pronounced cancer-free.

Today, we have a lunch date with friends from Michigan who are here for a week to spend time with their children and grandchildren . We’ll meet Diane and Tom Rowe at Joe’s B-B-Q in Old Town Gilbert for lunch. Donna met Diane and Tom through her Send Out Cards business. We met them for drinks and dinner a couple of times in Rochester, Michigan and enjoyed their company. Serendipity brings us to the same area at the same time to meet once again.