Month: October 2008

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Pounding the Pavement

Whew.

This morning, I visited every single winery between Oliver and Osoyoos. While a few persons I spoke to were very friendly, most were snooty. I was told several times that I would not be considered for picking because they only hire teams of two. I left resumés at all of them and made it clear that I’m interested in any job, not just picking, so we’ll see what happens. I’m definitely not in Alberta anymore!

For the afternoon, I planned to visit a few RV parks between Oliver and Penticton. The first one I stopped at was so promising I decided it wasn’t worth my while to use more gas until I hear back from the manager tomorrow! I’m not saying more about that as I don’t want to jinx it. 🙂

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OkanOgan

The US border being just 25 minutes away, I decided to add a state to my list and go to Washington for half a day, the main purpose for the trip being a chance to fill my toad for about 15$ less than I can in Canada. Since I feel that you should always have something to declare upon reentry (looks less suspicious, even if you just spent 20$), I checked to see if there might be a Walmart Super Center nearby. There was! It’s in Omak, about an hour and a half away.

I had no problems entering the United States. When asked when I was going home, I replied truthfully that I will be leaving Oliver in a week. For the first time, I was asked to pop open my trunk, but that was the only delay before entering my 26th state!

The scenery on the drive to Omak down the US 97 was breathtaking!

I had lunch at Tequila’s in Omak, which promised ‘authentic’ Mexican fare. I have no idea if it was authentic, but it sure was good! My Spanish accent must be as good as my profs said it is since after ordering my ‘burrito a la crema’ (chicken cooked in sour cream and wrapped in a tortilla), the server only addressed me in Spanish! What a nice way to get a change of scenery while staying close to home!

Crossing the border back into Canada was a non-event. I declared the 30 bucks worth of stuff I’d bought at Walmart (including a huge quantity of RV-friendly toilet paper, something I have not being able to find here), and did not have to pay any customs on my purchases.

On the way back, I intended to stop off at the Canada Desert Centre, but it closes early, so I’ll need to try again. I did get a shot of Canada’s desert! 🙂

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Occam’s Razor

Well, Croft resolved my electrical issue for me through some of my own Googling.

Turns out I could have solved this problem myself on Thursday evening in about 10 seconds without even going outside.

The problem I was experiencing is that none of my 12V appliances–furnace blower, fridge, lights, or water pump–were working. The battery was good, but no power was going out. Everything had worked fine until late afternoon on Thursday. I couldn’t fathom what had happened in that time to kill my electrical system.

The first thing I suspected was a loose connection. I thought that maybe I hadn’t wrenched the main connector enough because I didn’t have much room to work. So, I went out and bought a teeny wrench. It didn’t help.

I then went and bought a battery terminal cleaning tool and some special gel. They didn’t help.

We blamed the cables. We blamed the converter. I ran I don’t know how many tests with my multimeter. I triple checked my fuses. I quadruple checked my breakers.

Then I did some Googling and found reference to a battery turn off switch.

Croft asked me if that switch could possibly be the great big yellow button on the dash board I’ve referred to a few times.

Indeed. When it’s pulled out, the 12V system works fine. When it gets hit by someone’s knee because it’s at a silly height and location, it shuts off the 12V system.

WHO DESIGNS THESE THINGS?!

I’m choosing to laugh even though I am profoundly embarrassed.

But the upshot of this is that my battery job was good!

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Evaluating Miranda

I’ve been on the road with this RV exactly a month now. I can’t believe that this day in September was my last day of work! Now that Miranda and I are so well acquainted with each other, I thought I’d share a list of things I like about her and one of the things I don’t.

Let’s get the negative out of the way first!

Things I Don’t Like

Since it has been on my mind lately, I will start with the battery compartment. It’s spacious enough that I could put in eight golf cart-sized batteries if I want, but maintaining the batteries is a pain because of lack of overhead space. I am considering installing a pull out battery shelf, but I need to look into how much reinforcement would be needed.

The storage space under the dinette benches could much easier to get to. The bench behind the driver’s seat is especially a waste of space. There is a tiny, hard to open, drawer, accessible from the aisle. Taking it out would give me a large storage chest. It’s on my to do list.

The wardrobe doors suck. The sliding doors have hard plastic holders to keep the doors from moving when I drive. I have yet to access that closet without striking one of those holders with a wrist or elbow. The doors have a tendency to get off their rails and forget about trying to open them if stuff inside has shifted. If I’m going to live in this coach for any length of time, I need those doors replaced with ones that open out. That’s no longer a luxury item! I had considered a tension rod and curtain solution, then realised that this wouldn’t hold the items in while driving. So, back to real doors I go. All I want for Yule is…

The towel holder on the inside of the bathroom door has got to go. I say this an average of once a day. Early on in my trip, I hit my head so hard on the darn thing that I had a dark purple egg on my forehead from Nipigon all the way through to Regina!!! Yesterday, it almost took an eye out. Yet, it’s still there. I need to remember to bring a screwdriver in there the next time I, erm, go.

The cockpit console. I’m told that there are other ones available, so I’ll have to do a search. I’d like one that could hold my atlas and other guides and which wouldn’t make reaching for the glass of water/a pen/a pad of paper/the camera/my sun glasses/the lip balm/the hand cream/ the Purell/etc. a treasure hunt.

The house door sticks as though it’s not exactly square. Maybe it just needs an adjustment. I’ll have to take a closer look at it.

The cockpit door locks only occasionally open from the outside with the key. I frequently have to reenter from the house and open the doors from inside.

Things I Like

The layout is pitch perfect. The spaces flow well into one another and make the coach seem really spacious. I’ve lived here a month and a bit now and I have yet to feel cramped at all. I really like having to cross a room (the main part of the bathroom) to get to the kitchen and that the entrance to the kitchen isn’t exactly in line with that of the study. I am a lot happier having many small rooms than a few big rooms. The fact that the toilet has its very own room is a bonus. In such a small space, having to open an actual door is a real luxury.

The furnishings are well chosen. The absolute only thing I wish I could change, and I’ve said this before, would be to swap out one of the chairs in the lounge so I could fit in a credenza with shelves and drawers. I was surprised to discover that I like having the other chair. When I’m traveling, I overturn my computer chair in the back room, making that room fairly inaccessible. If I’m just stopping for a few hours for lunch or making a late stop in the evening, I don’t bother ‘making up’ that room and instead I find myself plopping down in one of the chairs at the front to read. Unfortunately, the chair that would be easiest to remove, the one behind the passenger’s side (because the bolts are easily accessible via the battery compartment), is the one I want to keep. The chair by the door tends to be a catch all, so I might as well have a proper surface there.

I’m surprisingly fond of the dinette, too. I usually eat there and it’s where I sit with my laptop and research materials to plan out my day. When traveling, I take the wicker baskets that I placed over the fridge and store them on a dinette bench. Eventually, I’ll get around to creating some sort of securing mechanism so I can leave the baskets above the fridge when traveling, but for now they’re completely out of the way on the dinette bench.

The ‘upstairs bedroom’ is a cozy space that works for me even though some might find it a tad tight up there with my mattress. I like that there is room for overflow storage without cramping my sleeping space. I’m not fond of the fact that I have to climb up on the dinette to get up there, though, since it’s getting the dinette dirty. I supposed I c/should put a towel over it. But climbing up (and down) isn’t a pain at all, not even in the wee hours of the morning when my bladder is screaming at me. There is a conveniently located light above the bed and I really like the curtain on a hospital rail. Closing it at night is the equivalent to shutting the bedroom door and gives me the feeling that I’m cozy and secure in a private little nest.

The kitchen is surprisingly efficient. There is just enough room to work. The only thing I’d change is that I would replace the double sink with a single one. The sink could be deeper, too, but that’s a minor complaint. The stove and oven are fantastic. A couple of weeks back, the piezo (sparker), the one part I was told didn’t work, started to work! So, now I don’t have to use a BBQ lighter to fire up the stove. I absolutely adore cooking on a gas range; it’s so much faster than on an electric one. The oven is excellent, too, and doesn’t require any feats of athleticism or eyebrow risk to light. The size is just right one-person sized casserole dishes. As for the fridge, no complaints there. It’s huge! I can’t even keep it completely filled, but when I have something oversized, there’s room for it.

The bathroom is the best space in the coach that I didn’t design myself. It does not feel like a stereotypical RV bathroom. There is plenty of space to walk around in the main part of it. The vanity is generously proportioned, with a medicine cabinet that offers more usable space than I have need for, plenty of counter space, and an under sink cabinet that is roomy enough for all my cleaning products. Next to the shower, there’s enough place for me to put a storage tower I had at my old house, effectively giving me the exact same amount of storage in the bathroom as I’m used to having! The shower is very luxurious and just the right size for me. There’s no elbow banging involved in it! The only thing I’d change is the shower head since it doesn’t have the adjustment for turning off the water while soaping up. The toilet room is surprisingly pleasant for such a tiny space as its white walls and window make it very bright and airy. This room was also the source of a DOH! moment for me. I was frustrated that the coach doesn’t have a broom closet. Yesterday, I finally clued in as to why there’s a hook behind the toilet. Whadya know, it’s just the right height for hanging a broom. Or a Swiffer stick in my case!

Then, there’s the room I call the study or the living room. Oh, I LOVE this space! My mother really outdid herself with her fine tuning of my design. The two mattresses and pillows make a wonderful place to recline and watch a movie or read. The night table is at just the right height and distance for placing a mug of tea or a glass of water. The useless bar has turned into a very useful place for storing all the cables for my electronic equipment. There’s also just enough room to put a litter box and box of litter out of the way, tucked in the space between the toilet room wall and the edge of the storage box topped with the night table.

Looking up, I have no less than four skylights, two of which have covers enabling me to leave them open even when it’s raining. They add a lot of light to the coach and bring in less noise than do open windows. I do need to think about insulating them for the winter.

Finally, there’s the basement. What else can I say about the basement, but thank goodness for all that usable storage space! I packed the basement in Ottawa and have had to make only a few minor tweaks. There can be a lot of shuffling involved to get at things that are stored in the bowels of the large pass throughs, but it’s not tedious at all.

All of these elements combined make for a very airy and livable coach. I don’t feel cramped in here in the least and I just left a 900 square foot home!

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The Best Laid Plans…

Wow. I sure didn’t expect to be here today, here as in the Okanagan Valley, here as in the capital of wine country, here as in the end of the road for the next month.

Yesterday didn’t quite go as planned. By the time I stopped for the night, I was sure that I couldn’t possibly ever again have a worst day. By the morning, though, I was grinning and realising that nothing, absolutely nothing, will ever be as bad as that crunching day between Thunder Bay and Selkirk.

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Here’s Miranda at the Spring Hill RV Park 9km north of Cochrane, Alberta:

Cochrane is quite possibility the most beautiful full service town I have ever visited, even more beautiful than Banff. I could have easily stayed a few months there.

I left the park almost two hours earlier than I had planned. I’m grateful that they had propane and gas fill up stations, so I was able to do everything there before pushing off. All of that, plus the one hour time shift and the week’s rest I just had meant that I was ready to drive if conditions warranted it. Tourism time had ended and it was time for me to get to work. I’d have plenty of time to come back into the mountains to explore in later months.

So, I made it to past Revelstoke yesterday, about 480km, but it wasn’t a drudging sort of drive because I did make the time for two touristy stops, one of which was an hour and a half long.

This stop was, of course, at Lake Louise.

As I expected, Lake Louise is 100% a tourist trap. Oh, the lake is definitely worth the long climb up a narrow winding road, but I can’t believe that people are saps enough to pay 55$ for a one hour canoe trip on the lake. Just call me the cynic. Or maybe I’m just frugal. 🙂 Having had lunch in the rig and craving dessert, I went into the Chateau

to look for ridiculously overpriced ice cream to munch on while I walked partway around the lake and was delighted to find merely overpriced ice cream.

My next stop was at the Spiral Tunnels. I waited almost a half hour there hoping to see a train go through them, but I finally had to press on. The pictures I took here don’t really show anything, so I won’t post them. Very briefly, the Spiral Tunnels were an answer to the Big Hill, a really steep bit of Transcanada rail line between Field, BC, and Kicking Horse Pass. This hill cost a fortune to run and was the scene of many accidents. The spiral tunnels cut into the mountain reduced the grade by 50%. I really can’t do the story justice, so you’ll just need to go read the Wiki article. 🙂

Then, I drove.

My first possibility for an overnight stop was the Kicking Horse rest area, just west of Yoho National Park. Unfortunately, it was only 3PM local time when I arrived there and there was blasting and other construction going on. So, I pressed on, surprised to find myself already going through Glacier and Revelstoke Parks.

Just west of Revelstoke, I found what seemed like an informal truck stop, but it looked very busy and noisy, so I pressed on.

Then, I found what seemed like the perfect stop to stop for the night. There was a rest area with a road leading down to a utility shed, with a large open area. It seemed private and quiet, so I decided to make that my stop for the night.

Which is when I discovered that I had absolutely no power. Now, my batteries were fully charged, but no power was getting through to my 12V system. I check the terminals and my fuse box, trying to figure out what had happened in 5.5 hours to break my electrical system! It was about to get dark and I decided to drive 10km. If I didn’t find an RV park within that time, I would come back to this spot and tough out the night without power.

As I drove, I suddenly remembered Croft’s suggestion that I try to start the generator with the truck engine running. So, having passed two closed RV parks and being ready to turn around, I pulled into a rest area and tested his trick. It worked! I had power! Noisy power, but at least my fridge was running again. I decided to go back to my previously selected spot when I realised that I didn’t need to. This rest area was built a bit like a tea cup. I was parked in the bowl. To the right of me was a thicket of trees and there was a narrow path going around this thicket, like a handle. I pulled into it and to my delight found myself tucked away out of sight of the road. It wasn’t as quiet as the other spot would have been, but at least I didn’t have to double back. It was fully dark now and pouring rain, so I was very, very grateful that my day of driving was done.

I set to work making dinner, then I read for a couple of hours. I went to bed ridiculously early, about 8:30 local time, but it was 9:30 my time and I was beat!

For a first time pulling off the road and sleeping in the middle of nowhere, I slept pretty well. I woke up around 1, then slept soundly again until 5. I ran the generator again for a couple of hours as I puttered around, waiting for it to be light enough out for me to set off. This kept most of the contents of the freezer frozen solid, thankfully, and used up only a negligible amount of gas. I can almost get used to the noise inside, but would hate to run the generator when there are people around!

So, my first day in BC dawned like my first day in Manitoba, very rainy and foggy. I decided to drive until such time as the weather cleared up and run the generator again for about an hour for the fridge’s benefit, then I would make a straight run for Oliver where hookups would give me time to figure out what was going on with my electrical system.

I was in a really good mood this morning. I’d slept well, had an indecently yummy cup of coffee while watching the sun rise at the rest stop, and realised that the part of my journey I had feared the most was over: I was clear across the mountains! Sure, part of the day before had sucked (driving in the dark in rain with no power and chicken about to thaw in the freezer), but, sum told, it had actually been quite a good day. I was especially proud of myself for being able to recognize a good place to stop and, most importantly, for not pushing myself any further than I absolutely needed to.

So, I set off in pea soup fog and made a quick stop at the site of a major event in Canadian history:

And that was it for tourism. I drove quickly through Vernon and Kelowna, glad when I saw them that I wasn’t stopping there for my week of reconnaissance, and then I pulled over at a rest stop outside of Penticton for lunch (thawed out pizza that I hadn’t been able to stuff into the colder part of the freezer with all the other stuff that was still, thankfully, frozen solid).

The Okanagan area looks quite like I expected it to, except for the hills which remind me of the Sierra Nevadas!

Okanagan Valley

Sierra Nevadas

I’m now settled for a week just outside of Oliver, which is the wine capital of Canada. I passed too many wineries to count on the drive down here, so I think I’ll just start at the closest one to here and work my way south to Osoyoos, and then north again, asking at each one if they’re hiring pickers yet. Tomorrow, though, I just might take the morning for a wee bit of sightseeing as I am very eager to see Canada’s only (non-Arctic) desert. But, after that, it’s time to look for work!

So, the first stage of my great big adventure has ended. I have successfully traveled the roughly 5,000km (not counting mileage done with the toad) that separated me from my old life in Gatineau to the new one awaiting me in the Okanagan Valley. I arrived here a lot less naive and cocky, but in excellent spirits and with a month’s worth of memories that make up for a lifetime of disillusionment.

Now that my rig is well broken in and I am more knowledgeable, it’s time to think about finding work, a place to spend the winter, and a way to make Miranda comfortable during that season.

In a way, I feel that my journey is still just beginning. Today is not an ending, just a really, really, really major milestone.