RVing means having to think about a lot of different things. From buying your RV to hitting the road with it, checklists are a huge help. I started to make my own lists, but the process was daunting. So, I did some Googling and came across Malia’s RV Checklists. These lists cover every aspect of RVing and are easily adapatable to your own unique situation. I used the ‘pre-delivery inspection’ list to determine that the Glendale Royal Classic destined to be Miranda was worth bringing to an inspector while the Minnie Winnie wasn’t and the ‘comparison’ checklist to easily compare my short list of rigs. There are special lists for 5th wheels and travel trailers and driving lists for motorhomes. The checklist for ‘towing a car’ enabled me to quickly hook up my toad the first time I tried, with no help whatsoever. I especially like that there are opposite checklists, for example one for arriving at camp and one for leaving, since doing what you did when you arrived, only backwards, isn’t always all that needs to be done upon departure (or vice versa!). This is a 39 page e-document which costs 11.95USD. I highly recommend it!
Day: January 10, 2009
Priorities
The mobile house I lived in for four years and owned for three taught me two very important lessons:
1) The structure comes first;
2) Water is the enemy.
I just did my routine inspection of Miranda’s far flung corners to make sure that there are no leaks or anything against the walls turning to mould. All was fine until I got to the upstairs bedroom. Oh, things were as I expected, but expected was not good. The condensation on the windows up there is dire, with water pooling in grooves at the bottom of the panes. I also found some mould starting in one corner, but I was able to zap it with a bleach solution. I used a whole roll of paper towels to mop up the windows, but it wasn’t enough. I doubt that I have a leak anywhere, but I definitely need to inspect the exterior seams soon as the weather improves and cover them with Eternabond. The over cab area is a class C’s weakest point and mine was in perfect condition when I moved in, so I’d like to keep it that way! As for the windows, research has provided me with a solution that is really counter-intuitive, but I’m desperate at this point. Soon as things dry out, I’m going to apply a permanent plastic cover to the windows. There is apparently a black variety with a greater R value, so I’m going to look for that since I need to make that area darker anyway. This solution is counter-intuitive because plastic doesn’t breathe, so I’m envision water getting trapped between the window and the plastic. We’ll see how that works.
I’m not sure if gutters are a standard RV feature, but Miranda has some, which prevent water from reaching the end of the roof at the front, running down the over cab area, and pooling at the bottom, which is where damage to the area normally starts. So, more points go to the Royal Classic designers who are forgiven for other design flaws. 🙂 I did get some strange looks from a non-RVer one day when I was up on a ladder cleaning out my home’s gutters. Who says that RVing takes you away from some of the most fun home maintenance jobs? 😀
I’m otherwise snug as a bug and relieved that my propane consumption has gone down considerably. I discovered last time that I went to fill up the tank that I am charged for a full 30lbs even if my tank isn’t fully empty (!), so while my tank was ‘pretty close’ to being empty each time I went, I’m now waiting to run out of propane before I go fill up. I just hope this happens during the day or, at least, not while I’m cooking! I really should invest in a regulator at some point to give me an idea of how much propane I have left. The ‘lift the tank and guesstimate how full it is in proportion to how heavy it feels’ method is not working out. 🙂