Author: Rae

by

Heading Inland

I have been blessed with three solid days of sun on the Oregon coast! I woke each day to heavy rain that would stop just as soon as I was ready to head out for the day. Much appreciated! I just hate that I’m so behind in my posts. 🙁

Yesterday was maintenance day for Miranda. There’s a quick-lube place on the road into Florence and I stopped in to ask if they could take Miranda, but they said no, worried that their bays wouldn’t be big enough (I knew they’d be fine). They referred me to Florence RV, at the north end of town along highway 101. So, I headed there first thing yesterday to see if they could squeeze me in for an oil change and I was told to come in any time before one.

So, around one I pulled out of the casino lot with just Miranda. I took on a full tank of fuel first and then rolled into Florence RV. I had a short wait and then the tech moved Miranda into the bay himself. The reason: they don’t have service wells, so she had to be driven up onto very short and steep ramps! I’m not sure I could have done that without overshooting!

All she needed was a basic oil change (no filter) and air in the tires. Total for the oil change was just $75!!! That’s what I pay for my car in Canada! I also picked up a new regulator ($28) for my on board propane tank. Unfortunately, the part has changed and is now longer, so there will be some pipe cutting to be done to fit it in. Simple projects never are with me! I may end up bartering the installation for beer should I find a good candidate. 🙂

The service tech backed Miranda off the ramps, but let me back her out of the bay. He thought he was guiding me around the various obstacles, but I don’t do well translating flailing arms with what I need to do, so I was actually focused on my mirrors. 🙂

I had mixed feelings about having work done at Florence RV. On the one hand, staff was courteous and knowledgeable, on the other the office was filthy and filled with parts for sale that were probably thirty years old. I only bought the regulator because it was one of the few shiny and obviously recent pieces of equipment they offered. The place served its need for yesterday, but I’d be depressed if it was the only RV place available to me.

I had thought to go to a dump station, too, but there wasn’t a convenient one nearby with potable water. I’m not desperate yet, so I’ll hold off a bit. I have to say that what I miss most while boondocking is a looooong hot shower every night!

Propane levels were also not low enough to consider filling in Florence, so I just headed back to the casino and parked Miranda in a flatter spot that will be easier to pull out of with the toad.

Today, I’ll be heading heading back to Eugene and up I-5. I’m aiming to leave around noon and have a leisurely four and a half to five and a half hour drive ahead of me. With the days being so much longer already, I don’t see any reason to pull in too soon to a purely overnighting spot.

My batteries are holding up splendidly. I’ve now done a full week on them and have never reached evening without them being at at least 13.0 voltage, even in overcast conditions. I have been conscious in my electricity consumption in the evening, but have not scrimped. I think I could do this indefinitely!

by

Fun and Sun on the Oregon Coast

Unfortunately, there isn’t a single viable public wifi signal in all of Florence, so I am still unable to share the story of the two remarkable days I’ve had along the Oregon coast, much less the last photos I took in Eugene. It just wouldn’t be fair to the tales to tell them without pictures.

I have been blessed with perfect weather, good company, and adventures straight off my bucket list. I cannot wait to share it all. The posts have been written so that the details do not fade from my mind and I will get everything up as soon as I can!

Today is a maintenance day. I’ll shortly be pulling out of the casino with just Miranda to have her oil changed and perhaps to use a dump station. I’ll hook up when I pull back in, then spend a final night at the casino. Tomorrow, it’ll be time to start the journey back to Canada where potential employers are eagerly awaiting my arrival so we can start to schedule interviews!

by

Seriously Missing My Internet Connection

I have over 100 pictures to share of my adventures yesterday, but this Safeway/Starbucks connection isn’t allowing me to do much. The story is worthless without the images, so I’m not even going to offer a teaser.

Not having my own internet connection is starting to cramp my style. I’ll be back in Canada within the next two weeks and I will have a few days left on my current billing month, so I plan to surf, surf, surf!

by

Respect

There weren’t many rigs in the casino lot last night, but it seems like everyone but me was running a generator. It was actually not that bad; we had room to spread out so the generator noise was a gentle buzzing in the background. It was annoying, but tolerable.

The casino rules state that there is a ‘quiet hour’ from 10PM to 7AM. Almost as though on cue at bang on 10PM, the parking lot went silent and suddenly the air was filled with the chirping of cicadas.

Thank you, casino lot neighbours, for being so respectful of the rules and considerate of your generator-less neighbours!

by

The Fine Line Between Need and Luxury in Electrical Matters

Croft is harping at me to get a second set of batteries. Well, harping might be strong, perhaps ‘heavily hinting’ is better. 😀

Here’s the thing. A second set of batteries is useless without a way to recharge them. So, I’d need to add another solar panel. And then I’d have way more power than I need to run my 12 volt stuff, so I’d have to add a whole-house inverter to run my 120 volt stuff.

I understand that another way of looking at the second battery bank is that it gives you a spare to extend your boondocking trips. But what if my current system can fulfill my needs indefinitely? I don’t ever plan to boondock for an extended period of time in super cold temperatures.

So, battery monitor not withstanding, the next upgrade to my electrical set up will cost about $3,000.

If I had unlimited means, hell yeah, I’d go ahead and do that so I’d never have to think about my power consumption ever again! But I don’t have unlimited means and one of my goals for this life is to be more aware of what I’m doing and to stop spending money mindlessly.

The things I am not able to run with my current electrical set up, such as the microwave, rice cooker, breadmaker, or dehumidifier are luxuries. Not being able to use them does not in any way interfere with my quality of life.

If I had $3,000 to spend on luxuries right now, my first priority would be a Flexsteel captain’s chair. I’m tired of having a sore back after a long day of driving.