It’s the Low Point – Dummy!

We’re winterized – we’ll find out how well we did in the spring when we de-winterize.  Only then will we know if all of the water lines and tanks were protected.  Yesterday we got ourselves wrapped around the axle after unhooking the city water from the RV.

The white object on the left is the water filter for the ice maker.  Behind it, where the label says “ice maker shut off” is, oddly enough, the ice maker shut off switch.  On the far right, out of frame is the hose that goes to the ice maker.  Not wanting to put antifreeze in a residential refrigerator, we unhooked the filter, so the water would drain out of the hose to the ice maker.   After unhooking the filter, we opened the shut off valve and expected a small amount of water to dribble out.  Nope, water dribbled out and didn’t stop.  It was weirding me out pretty good, where was the water coming from?  The water pump wasn’t running, there was not city water attached, where?  Hence the title of the post – it’s a low point, dummy.  If you look over to the right at the valve handle, that’s the low point drain.  It was closed, and so the low point was the ice maker filter.  After we opened the low point drain, the filter stopped flowing.  Note to self, remember this next time.



Today we went back and ran the antifreeze through the pipes and taps following the directions in the Beaver manual.  It took six gallons.  While Jim opened taps in the RV, my job was not to let the antifreeze tank run dry.  Last time we did that, we burned up the switch that sucks antifreeze out of the tank as well as the water pump.  In our defense, we did not know that the Prevent-a-Freeze system had been turned on by the mechanics during a maintenance stop.  It’s a cool system, instead of having to attach a tube to the water pump and stick it in the jug of antifreeze, one pours antifreeze in the reservoir and the Prevent-a-Freeze transfers it through the RV.

In the spring, I think the first thing we do is connect to city water and run water through the ice maker filter until it’s no longer pink.  Then we install a new filter and hook it back up to the hose leading to the freezer.  We’ll leave the ice maker shut off valve closed until the rest of the RV is cleared of antifreeze.

Yes, I know this was a boring post, but we’re leaving future selves notes on how this went.

In news of the weather, we still have a low over us, pulling up moisture from the gulf south east and generating high winds.  I will be very happy when the ridge of high pressure establishes itself.

Day Two of the RV Unload

I have to tell you, I knew this would be bad, but I did not think it would be this bad.  One of the really good points about the RV was the massive amount of storage; big closets, drawers everywhere.  Massive medicine chests (plural).  Over the years we filled it all up.  The house has way fewer drawers.  We’re going to get it all in, but it has been a struggle.

One of of larger boxes we have yet to unpack is full of baby clothes (his and mine, hand made with love), our parents’ wedding albums, black and white pictures of people we don’t know.  That box has been in storage since 2007.  What do we do with it?  This box is weighing on me.

Tomorrow is our last day of getting stuff out of the RV, there is still some cleaning to be done.  Before we left we ordered a wood cabinet with two adjustable shelves.  Jim picked it up and only got one shelf, so we have to go back so they can measure it and make another one.  It’s always something.

This was tonight.



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Other than working like dogs, I have nothing interesting to report.

Storage Solutions

Friday it rained because of the remnants of Hurricane Sergio.  Yesterday it rained pigs and chickens due to a low pressure system pulling water up from the gulf.  This morning it also rained so we did not get the RV washed and waxed.  We had to push that out a week towards better weather.

Since yesterday was rained out, we went to the Container Store to see what they had.  They had a 25% off sale.  We bought storage.



Some assembly was required.  They’re actually easy to put together.  Elfa has done a good job with making them idiot proof.  We only had to back out one part, and that was no biggie.  The only tool required is a rubber mallet.  There was a lot of beating on the top and bottom cross bars to get them in.



This is the left side of the closet.  We put two shallow drawer units here, so we could still get to the hanging clothes.



Here we have the right side of the closet.  Most of our clothing is folded, so the drawers will be good.  Eventually I’m going to put a shelf on top of the bottom hanging rod, as well as one in the middle of that space.  We need more horizontal space for shoes, bike helmets, sheets and towels and etc.



When we bought the house we were so enamored of the side yard that we completely failed to notice there is no linen closet.  So the master closet will have to provide space for all the things one stuffs in a linen closet because there’s no good place to put it.



On the other side of that low wall is a very wide and deep wash.  It’s a soothing view.



Tomorrow we’re driving the bus over to the house to unload.  Jim and I were putting stuff in the truck this afternoon and were both attacked by some melancholy.  We’ve lived here since 2011 and it feels very odd to think about being out for the winter.  We haven’t had a house since 2007.  If we are efficient enough, this will be the last night we sleep in the RV for awhile.

Meeting the Neighbors

We have an in ground trash can at the house.  It’s weird.  It makes the garbage guys get off the truck, lean down and haul it out of the container.  It’s a narrow street and they use small trucks.  I was looking in it today and found these guys.  The first is a Western Banded Gecko.  We dumped him out of the trash can on the driveway and eventually he wandered off.  Hopefully he’ll find something to eat.  Who knows how long he’s been down there

This was also in the trash can.  It’s a dead scorpion.

So today’s key learning is to look before putting a bare hand anywhere.

Back in Tucson

Ack thppppptttt!  New (to us) houses are exhausting.  We’ve spent the last two days deciding how big of a TV the living room would tolerate, how big a pair of loppers were required to prune the dead fronds off the palm trees and what size of sun shades for the patio.  These are momentous decisions.  We bought bigger loppers today, the smaller pair goes back.  I have to tell you, the previous year’s palm fronds are tough.  Also, there has been much thinking about where stuff will go.  The hacienda is a little light on storage.

Anyway, we’re here, we’re tired.  The HVAC guy came today, the cable guy comes tomorrow, and we get the RV washed Sunday.  We’ve been reading up on how to winterize the RV, which we have never done ever.  An El Nino winter is forecast, so we must get it done before going to storage.

This was day before yesterday.  I never get tired of looking at that.



This was tonight.  Sergio the tropical depression is arriving tomorrow.  It’s been windy and overcast.  There will be rain over the next couple of days.



So, that’s it.  We’re moving in to the house, slowly but surely.

Boulder City, NV to Buckeye, AZ

Today’s route was US93, to I40, back to US93, thence to AZ60, followed by AZ303, and finally hanging a right onto westbound I10 into Buckeye.  US93 runs diagonally across AZ, parts of it are hilly, but it’s not awful. Parts of the road surface are awful.  When we reached the RV park at the end of the day, I felt like I’d been beaten with hammers again.

When one leaves the Lake Mead Recreational Area, one turns east on to US93, toward the Hoover dam.  One will pass by a sign indicating how bad the winds are across the bridge.

Yesterday we drove out and looked at the sign and its location.  Although GPS does not clearly depict this, shortly after the warning sign there is a round about.  Should there be a high wind warning in effect, you do have a bail out plan.  Go around the round about, go back the way you came and get on I11 west bound.

Eventually you will intersect with US95 southbound.  Go that way and replot your course.  There are many options available to you which do not involve high winds on a very tall bridge.

We had a very calm morning, and so were able to drive across the bridge and continue down US93.

The route takes you through Kingman, which has just become a bear to transit.  There are two stop lights before you reach the exit for US93.  There is a TA travel plaza on the right which is very busy.  Between the lights and truckers wanting to make a left coming from the other direction, it’s very tedious.  If you need diesel and are going south on US93, don’t go to the TA.  There are stations just outside of Kingman that are much easier to access.

See this truck?  He pulled a tonnage move on us and just forced his way in front of us.  Jim had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him.  So annoying….

Tonight we’re at the Leaf Verde RV park which I have previously reviewed.