Whew. Moving just a kilometre and a half (even less far than I'd estimated!) is as much work as moving 200km!
So, I'm here. As Croft describes it, this park is of the drive in sort. It's on pavement and the rigs are parked tightly together in a herringbone pattern. I'm tucked away in a corner where I have a bit of grass and trees. It's definitely one of the nicer sites. Next door to me is the house they offer campground hosts who don't have an RV. It's empty at present, so I'll be given a key to it so I can access the laundry room and television until such time as the park owners decide what they will do with the house. The television doesn't interest me, but the free laundry does!
One thing I figured out five minutes into arrival is that I need to come up with an efficient interior privacy curtain for the cab. Until now, I've been using an exterior cover that works great, but it's a pain to install and remove. The only way I'm going to get direct sunshine into this coach during the day is through the windshield, so I need something I can open and close easily. The way the cab is set up now, there are little bits of velcro around the top for hanging a flimsy curtain. It's an even bigger pain to install and it doesn't hide much.
This afternoon, I'm settling in and running errands, then I'm going to get keys from the manager so that I can start my gate closing duties. It's not Sunday night (duh), but the people who work the nights I'll be off are not here this weekend, so I was asked if I'd mind hitting the ground running. Not in the least.
Some people might be wondering if there is a catch to this arrangement. There is. I'll be responsible for closing the gates at 11PM. No biggie, I'm up at that hour. But I'll also be responsible for opening them up at 6:30. Yeouch. So much for a good night's sleep four days a week! That said, I can just stumble out of bed in my PJs, get the gate open, and go back to sleep if I so please. So, if I don't find work that starts insanely early, this should be fine.
Being the night owl that I am, I am beginning to think that a night job would be ideal. I could close the gates at 11, go to work, come home to open the gates at 6:30, run a few errands, then sleep a full 'night' until I go on duty here at 5. Another possibility to consider.
The handyman at the last park spent three winters in the area and comes from out east, so we spoke the same language today when we talked about the winter climate here. He told me that I absolutely need a heat tape on my water hose, but that there is no risk of my tanks freezing. What we've been living the last few days is very comparable to what we'll be getting in the next few months, but it will be much less sunny. I can expect temps to go down to as far as minus 10 at night, but to rise above freezing most days. So, next time I go into Penticton I need to get insulation for my skylights, a heat tape, and weather stripping for the exterior doors. I already have plastic for my windows. I hate putting that stuff up because it just looks ugly, but I've been using it for years, so I know it works.
It's weird to be set up here and know that I'm likely not going anywhere for the next five months. But I'm okay with that. I'll get to know the area and be able to take day trips in the toad and perhaps take Miranda out a few times. This is actually closer to my vision of my life on the road than the last month was. Traveling every couple of days, even once a week, is positively exhausting and you remain a tourist. I want to stop somewhere, get a feel for its rhythm and move on when I've had enough.
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4 comments:
It seems you have everything figured out Rae. You might want to pick up a shorter "white" water hose to better fit the length of available heat tape. You can simply tape the heat tape to the hose. If you use Miranda a couple of times the fuel should be OK to leave, otherwise a bottle of fuel stabilizer poured into the gas tank will ensure it is still good in the spring. I still think you should run the generator for a bit every month. Wait until there is some other noise going on or when most people are out and fire it up. If there are other rigs parked there perhaps everyone could agree to do it at the same time. Generators are expensive to repair even if you can find someone capable of repairing them, which is not always easy to do.
I have seen people insulate the skylights with that blue "board" type Styrofoam, cut a tiny bit bigger than the hole and forced in. If you have the little crank knobs sticking down in the way, they are easy to remove and store away.
Hose: I think I'll just cut this one to size and buy a better one in the spring... after making sure that I can find one made by another manufacturer. The one I have now is junk!
Heat tape: I'm used to working with the stuff... and wish I wasn't. I'm having not-so-good flashbacks to my mobile house. LOL There's a plug and a breaker dedicated to heat tape here, which I think is awesome!
Fuel: Can I put in the fuel stabilizer and still take her out a few times? Or is that meant to be used only if I know she'll be standing for several months?
Generator: Good idea about having a monthly generator rally. I'll suggest it on my first bingo night!
Skylights: I was thinking the same thing, only the foam I see here is pink, not blue (shame, I prefer blue!). The wells are really deep, so I doubt my cranks are going to be an issue.
The stabilizer will not interfere with driving but just make sure that if you have to fill the tank up, add another bottle of the stuff.
Have fun at Bingo!
Stabil: Duly noted, thanks!
Bingo: It was my dad's idea of a good time. Mine? Not so much. So I know he's sitting up there somewhere smirking at me.
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