Location, Home in CA
Today I finally made it in to the used book store near here. They mostly feature paperbacks and the place has books stacked to the ceiling. I took in a small bag of books I had finished for credit and in return I bought a few. I always make sure that I buy more in dollar amount than they give me in credit. My theory is that I want them to stay in business and they can’t do that unless they make money.
I also trade books on-line at www.paperbackswap.com . Initially you must submit 13 books which anyone may order from you and for that you receive 3 credits which you can use to order books. For every book you send out after the initial group, you receive one credit. You can add as many books as you want but only receive credit when you send one. The only cost is the postage when you mail a book. With the new postal rates, it is about $2.13 for media rate. I don’t know of any used book store which sells books for that price.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Maintenance
Location, Home in CA
Anyone reading this blog for some time can probably tell that I do most of my own maintenance on my trailer. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, if I do the work I know it will be done right and I can depend on that. Second, the local dealer here who can work on RV’s has a really bad location which is hard to get a large trailer into. If they are asked to do warranty work, they charge for their time to talk to the warranty people. Their estimate is about ¾ of an hour of their time to settle warranty issues before the work can begin. The warranty company only pays for so much labor time depending on the job. The RV dealer in most cases losses money if he needs to have more time to do the repair. In some instances, a hurried sloppy job is the result. When I am towing a 13,000 lb trailer down the road, I am not comfortable knowing someone may have cut a few repair corners.
Within the last year I have had to rebuild the front jacks, (broken drive gear), replace the refer circuit board, install a radio/cd player, rework all pullout drawer slides, repair a closet shelf, install 2 solar panels, repair a wheel well after a blown tire, plus a few other items. If you are not a handy man or know your way around tools, it can be rather costly to have these repairs done by someone else. Repairing the jacks myself saved several hundred dollars as most shops would have replaced the complete unit instead of reaping them.
If I have the time to think about a repair I can usually find a way to get it done. In the case of a major breakdown on the road I call Good Sam. I have their Emergency Road Service and have used it several times. They are prompt and helpful and well worth the cost. End of commercial.
Anyone reading this blog for some time can probably tell that I do most of my own maintenance on my trailer. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, if I do the work I know it will be done right and I can depend on that. Second, the local dealer here who can work on RV’s has a really bad location which is hard to get a large trailer into. If they are asked to do warranty work, they charge for their time to talk to the warranty people. Their estimate is about ¾ of an hour of their time to settle warranty issues before the work can begin. The warranty company only pays for so much labor time depending on the job. The RV dealer in most cases losses money if he needs to have more time to do the repair. In some instances, a hurried sloppy job is the result. When I am towing a 13,000 lb trailer down the road, I am not comfortable knowing someone may have cut a few repair corners.
Within the last year I have had to rebuild the front jacks, (broken drive gear), replace the refer circuit board, install a radio/cd player, rework all pullout drawer slides, repair a closet shelf, install 2 solar panels, repair a wheel well after a blown tire, plus a few other items. If you are not a handy man or know your way around tools, it can be rather costly to have these repairs done by someone else. Repairing the jacks myself saved several hundred dollars as most shops would have replaced the complete unit instead of reaping them.
If I have the time to think about a repair I can usually find a way to get it done. In the case of a major breakdown on the road I call Good Sam. I have their Emergency Road Service and have used it several times. They are prompt and helpful and well worth the cost. End of commercial.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Packing wheel bearings
Location, Home in CA
I have had a lot of calls for the generator but most people want to know if I am a dealer and do I have the Honda 2000 in stock. A few are interested but they want to low ball the price. Come on folks, it’s a small generator for back up purposes. Do your home work!
Today I accomplished the largest project on my to-do list and that was to repack the trailer wheel bearings. Jacking up a 13,000 lb trailer one side at a time and wrestling 16 inch tires is not my idea of fun, to say nothing about the dirty brake dust and wheel bearing grease. Fortunately my No 2 son has some of the special tools which help with the job. My next door neighbor also had some helpful ideas which made it easier.
I did one side before lunch and the second side after. The second side did go much faster. I set all of the lug nuts with a torque wrench to the recommended setting. Now I need to remember to recheck them after 50 miles of driving.
I have had a lot of calls for the generator but most people want to know if I am a dealer and do I have the Honda 2000 in stock. A few are interested but they want to low ball the price. Come on folks, it’s a small generator for back up purposes. Do your home work!
Today I accomplished the largest project on my to-do list and that was to repack the trailer wheel bearings. Jacking up a 13,000 lb trailer one side at a time and wrestling 16 inch tires is not my idea of fun, to say nothing about the dirty brake dust and wheel bearing grease. Fortunately my No 2 son has some of the special tools which help with the job. My next door neighbor also had some helpful ideas which made it easier.
I did one side before lunch and the second side after. The second side did go much faster. I set all of the lug nuts with a torque wrench to the recommended setting. Now I need to remember to recheck them after 50 miles of driving.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Small jobs
Location, Home in CA
Today I tackled several small jobs from my to-do list. I needed to check the air pressure in the spare tires on my truck and trailer. Both are stored underneath each unit and fortunately are crank down types which makes it easier to handle the weight.
Next, I cleaned the large BBQ we use at home and the small one we travel with. It had been some time since either had been thoroughly cleaned.
A friend had given me his garden shredder and it needed some attention. I pumped up the tires and put gas in the tank. A generous application of ether helped it to start. I ran it for several minutes as I have no idea when it was last used.
I have decided to sell my Honda EU1000 generator so I placed an ad at www.craigslist.com along with a picture. I immediately received a phone call about it but the person hoped I was a dealer and might have a EU2000 for sale. No such luck.
Today I tackled several small jobs from my to-do list. I needed to check the air pressure in the spare tires on my truck and trailer. Both are stored underneath each unit and fortunately are crank down types which makes it easier to handle the weight.
Next, I cleaned the large BBQ we use at home and the small one we travel with. It had been some time since either had been thoroughly cleaned.
A friend had given me his garden shredder and it needed some attention. I pumped up the tires and put gas in the tank. A generous application of ether helped it to start. I ran it for several minutes as I have no idea when it was last used.
I have decided to sell my Honda EU1000 generator so I placed an ad at www.craigslist.com along with a picture. I immediately received a phone call about it but the person hoped I was a dealer and might have a EU2000 for sale. No such luck.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
New homes
Location, Home in CA
A some what lazy Sunday. This afternoon, friends picked us up and we toured some new homes being built about a mile from us as the crow flies. We had heard that touring was by reservation only but recently found out that was not true.
These are really upscale, high dollar homes starting above $2 million each. With amenities I can visualize them going in the neighborhood of $3 Million. They are stunning to say the least. The detail work is of the highest caliber. All featured high end appliances with double ovens, refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen, beautiful tile work, wine coolers, and 3 car garages. Each bedroom had its own bath, no shared baths. All master suites had Jacuzzi tubs and showers with his and hers sinks and walk in closets. It really was a treat to tour these fine homes.
A some what lazy Sunday. This afternoon, friends picked us up and we toured some new homes being built about a mile from us as the crow flies. We had heard that touring was by reservation only but recently found out that was not true.
These are really upscale, high dollar homes starting above $2 million each. With amenities I can visualize them going in the neighborhood of $3 Million. They are stunning to say the least. The detail work is of the highest caliber. All featured high end appliances with double ovens, refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen, beautiful tile work, wine coolers, and 3 car garages. Each bedroom had its own bath, no shared baths. All master suites had Jacuzzi tubs and showers with his and hers sinks and walk in closets. It really was a treat to tour these fine homes.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
New solar panel
Location, Home in CA
I started working on the solar panel insulation this morning. Several decisions had to be made concerning placement of the brackets which bolt to the roof. I am trying to maintain a footprint for a larger panel if that ever becomes a possibility, and I want to make sure that the smaller panel will be solidly mounted.
I found that the special wire used to connect to my junction box was too short. Fortunately, I had extra wire from the original Camper World installation. It required splicing the wires but a heavy duty soldering gun borrowed from my neighbor did the trick.
A temporary hookup of wires showed that the 50 watt panel added 2 amps to the charging rate. Total charging rate with both panels with a late afternoon sun angle was 7 amps. With high noon over head sun I should have about a 9 amp charging rate.
Both panels were bolted in place using a self leveling caulk to coat all bolt heads to insure no leaks and we are good to go.
I finished the day by picking 3 baskets of boysenberries. The berries are large but there just aren’t as many as we usually get.
Now for some NBA playoff action. Go Cleveland!
I started working on the solar panel insulation this morning. Several decisions had to be made concerning placement of the brackets which bolt to the roof. I am trying to maintain a footprint for a larger panel if that ever becomes a possibility, and I want to make sure that the smaller panel will be solidly mounted.
I found that the special wire used to connect to my junction box was too short. Fortunately, I had extra wire from the original Camper World installation. It required splicing the wires but a heavy duty soldering gun borrowed from my neighbor did the trick.
A temporary hookup of wires showed that the 50 watt panel added 2 amps to the charging rate. Total charging rate with both panels with a late afternoon sun angle was 7 amps. With high noon over head sun I should have about a 9 amp charging rate.
Both panels were bolted in place using a self leveling caulk to coat all bolt heads to insure no leaks and we are good to go.
I finished the day by picking 3 baskets of boysenberries. The berries are large but there just aren’t as many as we usually get.
Now for some NBA playoff action. Go Cleveland!
Friday, June 1, 2007
I Madonnari
Location, Home in CA
This morning was an “up and at em” day. I had errands to run at Home Depot for potting soil, the grocery store for seafood, and Big Box for staple items such as paper products. My list was very long as was the bill at checkout. Most of the items will go with us on our trip this summer.
After unloading all of that, I had my neighbor cut two pieces of aluminum angle to use with my solar panel project. I am adding a 50 watt panel to the existing 125 watt panel already installed. That will be tomorrows project.
We were invited by good friends to eat lunch out and to see the I Madonnari chalk paintings at the Mission Santa Barbara. We lunched at Mulligan’s at the Community Golf Course. It was too cold to eat outside as we usually do when we have breakfast there so today we dined in. I had the Chinese Chicken Salad. They have really good food.
After lunch we drove to the Mission and checked out all of the chalk drawings on the blacktop. I Madonnari has been a staple holiday tradition at the Mission for years. The paintings last for months if there is no rain and can be viewed at any time. I am sorry for no photos but I forgot the camera.
This morning was an “up and at em” day. I had errands to run at Home Depot for potting soil, the grocery store for seafood, and Big Box for staple items such as paper products. My list was very long as was the bill at checkout. Most of the items will go with us on our trip this summer.
After unloading all of that, I had my neighbor cut two pieces of aluminum angle to use with my solar panel project. I am adding a 50 watt panel to the existing 125 watt panel already installed. That will be tomorrows project.
We were invited by good friends to eat lunch out and to see the I Madonnari chalk paintings at the Mission Santa Barbara. We lunched at Mulligan’s at the Community Golf Course. It was too cold to eat outside as we usually do when we have breakfast there so today we dined in. I had the Chinese Chicken Salad. They have really good food.
After lunch we drove to the Mission and checked out all of the chalk drawings on the blacktop. I Madonnari has been a staple holiday tradition at the Mission for years. The paintings last for months if there is no rain and can be viewed at any time. I am sorry for no photos but I forgot the camera.
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