RV Upkeep

Because of money issues; and some procrastination, we had put some repairs on the back burner. The things needed to keep us running took priority too. Maintaining an RV, especially a diesel pusher can get expensive. I maintain that if you take care of it it won't eat you alive. Still, there is a mystique out there that a diesel pusher is expensive to take care of. Now that we have a little more income we are starting down the repair trail. I thought we'd share some of the problems we have had. Keep in mind the coach is 16 years old. We had put off a main seal leak on the engine-count on  spending $300-500 if you run into that. Before we came south we replaced the air filter-around $75-and changed the engine oil and filters-around $80--100 if you do it your self. We also changed the desiccant filter for the air compressor-another $100. When you have air suspension and brakes you don't want to skimp on that. The rear air cost us a little less than a $1000 to repair. We have basement air/heat pumps (unlike most RVs which have them on the roof) and they are similar to a home unit. Ours are no longer made and finding parts and techs to work on them is difficult. The control board(s) for the refrigerator and the water heater went out-they're around $100 each. Still to come, the front end needs checked and aligned and a minor oil leak needs addressed on the engine. We have had the coach for almost four years and, given its age, we are satisfied with the upkeep expense. For those of you wanting to take advantage of the soft RV market, have a reliable RV tech look the prospective coach over along with a chassis guy (they are two different things on an RV) and you will avoid a lot of expense. We should be down to an annual oil and lube before too long!

On the Move

Looks like we'll be moving in the next 5-7 days. We are pleased and surprised that the rig has asked us to follow them as they punch holes in the Texas soil. They will be drilling locally for some time, so at least we'll remain in the area. This is a great bunch of people and we're willing to move, if that's what they want. Besides, it will allow us to exercise the RV and afford us a change of scenery. Who knows, we may get closer to town. This is just another facet of workamping or gate guarding. You have to be willing to adapt as conditions change. One good thing, we think we can get a day or two off during the move. Mo later!

Are you Prepared?

Doing this gate guarding thing has made me reflect on how important it is to be prepared. Americans think nothing of jumping into their car and driving a few miles to purchase something; perceived as necessary-or not. My parents drummed into my head the importance of combining trips and having a list when going out. Living and working out of your RV and doing it off the grid almost makes this imperative. Lest you weekend warriors think this is a little anal; I cannot count the times someone has asked to borrow something from us at a campground. Or how many trips we've seen campers make to the store. The forgotten things include such necessities as stakes, fuses, dump hoses, flashlights, a first aid kit, pots and pans-you name it. Come on people; there are many sites that can help you put a list together. The benefits will be less frustration for you, a happy neighbor and less fuel waste. Plus you'll have a peaceful weekend and keep your partner off of the warpath.

Reality

A gauge of sanity is often measured by your grasp of reality. These days I wonder if the commonly accepted version of reality is so sacrosanct. I've often wondered just what party politically I belong to just because of that. I think abortion is wrong in principal (let's not split hairs here dear readers); but, when necessary it can be a life saver and should be allowed. I think you should enjoy the fruits of your labor without being burdened by draconian taxation. However; I don't think that the people who make the business tick should make 50-100 times less than their CEO. I think our founders had some brilliant ideas. I also think that very few of them ever envisioned this country spreading past the Mississippi. (My hero, Thomas Jefferson being one of the few.) How else can you explain a House of Representatives filled based on population. You don't really think 400 plus people can agree on anything do you? And don't even get me started on the electoral college. Those same wise founders also protected their ideas by requiring that a super majority approve any constitutional changes. Amongst other things that's laughable about all these presidential candidates is that they really believe they're going to be able to fulfill the promises they make. Our Congress can't even agree to disagree and you really think he's going to get his agenda accomplished? How realistic is that; or that the electorate believes it? Where's the realists when we need them? Small wonder we're disenchanted out here. I hate intrusion on our business or personal lives. However, I don't think any business should be able to say they either lost or made money depending on whether you account for something or don't. Talk about blurred reality-read Southwest Airlines last quarterly report. Coincidentally, some government spokesman said we'll never be able to account for over 60 million dollars lost to bribes and who knows what in Afghanistan. This when our nation is in the throes of a recession (depression in my book). Another government spokesperson had the audacity to suggest that Pakistan might not be our ally after all. Forget reality; what the hell has he been smoking? Finally, I KNOW there are a lot of people struggling in our great country. When a President is ignorant enough to suggest that the American people are resilient and can adapt to higher gas prices, I respectfully suggest he hasn't spent $70.00 filling an SUV (over $50 for my Hyundai). Food prices are soaring, medical care and medicine are out of reach for a lot of us and wages (much less the lack of jobs) are stagnant or trending downward. Very few of us are making over $100 a day and we can look for the government to take a bite out of that. Finally, am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy of supporting a disorganized rabble to oust a dictator they're tired of? Then televising his beating and subsequent demise? And we really think they can run a country? Is that what a civilized country does? That's my reality. Nuff said!