Drifus' Travels – Well he thought he would

Happy Halloween !! Well another day in the life of a worktimer. On my way home from work I stopped at Harbor Freight Tools. I picked up a 6 ton bottle jack and a Campbell Hausfeld 1 gallon air compressor. With the air compressor I inflated the tires to the proper 80 lbs, with the jack I was able to lift the RV to make it more level. Why did I not use a truck, well I do not have one at this moment. It’s on the book for early next year, I figure I should have a nice check from Uncle Sam and have my current vehicle paid down enough. Well anyway I was able to lift the RV enough to get it level which make me happy and I am sure the RV is happy too. Just to let you all know before I started this I had named my original tow vehicle “Digital” and the RV is named “Forever”. They were named after the website however. Ironicaly Digital is full of gadgets like GPS, CB, TV, DVD, PS/2 etc. Forever is due to this being my last residence until it’s time and being in my later 30′s that also will be a long time. I am going to work with another fulltimer maybe this weekend and skirt Forever so it will be as warm as possible.

Well finally we are moved into the Montana. We have our offices setup, now just some minor touches needed to the rest of it. I installed 2 Maxx-Air vents, one over the bathroom vent and the over the toilet vent. I am not able to cover the Fantastic-Fan since it’s the automated-rain sensor style. Next year the last vent (in the bedroom) will have an AC placed in it and the venting will be finished. I also worked on our water supply since we will be in Kansas City for the winter. Here are a few pictures of my winter line making. Now I am not finished with the entrance head I just ran out of time that day since I had other things to do. I plan to finish the wrapping of the heat tape and then run a high quality extension cord to it. Then wrap insulation around the head and then cover with a 5 gallon bucket. Maybe paint it back to absord any heat it seeks. I may also go back and rewrap the water line in black too. UPDATE: I removed the water filter and the pressure regulator since the pressure here is in the safe pressure for the RV. So I finished wrapping the line and plugged in the heat tape and all seems well. I plan to build a “foam board” box around the entrance head to ensure that the pipes stay frost free.

A lot has happened since my last post. We purchased the RV from Naylor RV’s We are getting a 2006 Keystone Montana 3400RL fifth wheel. Well the paperwork was finished a few days later and I went back to finish it up and discuss delivery since we do not have a truck to pull the new home. So back to the apt. we went and began to pack and decide what to do with all of our stuff. We arranged for a new storage unit since the original one is too small and it’s not near our new permenant location. So we ended up with a 10×25 and a 5×10 climate controlled since I have an antique dresser and some collectables as does Beth. Next was move the stuff from the storage unit we got when we first arrived here and move it to the new unit. We expidited this by renting a truck and doing it a day and a half. Plus by doing it this way we could stop by the apt. and get the washer from our 3rd floor apt. and wrestle it down and on the truck. After that was done we began to repack the apt. and move things to the storage unit. We did our walk-through on Wed. October 12th. Beth took notes and I just nodded since lots of things are similar to TT’s (travel trailers), I learned a few things though. Well we took delivery to Walnut Grove RV park Sunday Oct. 16th. Since then we have been moving things to either storage or the RV. We have most of the kitchen setup and the rest is a work in progess for now. We will have a slight delay since we are off to MN this weekend to visit my kids, but we should be done by next week. Eventually pictures of the fiasco will be published.

Well after 32 years my dream has come true. We will be living in an RV full time! How did I get here? Well here goes. My dad came home one day back in the 70′s and showed mom and I a 30′ Class A that his dad was going to gut and create a mobile restaurant kitchen to show corporate headquarters his invention. Well as a young boy I was amazed, this thing had everything, toilet, sink, shower, kitchen, table and chairs. Well then I said to myself I want to own one of these and travel the country. The dream slipped into the back of my head until about 5 years ago and it cam back. Then about 2 1/2 years ago it hit real hard and I began my research and reading 4 books on RV ownership. So then in April 05, I bought my first camper, an 18′ Starcraft Antigua. Since I owned a van I thought I would beta test my feelings on this. I did my shakedown trip and it went fairly well. Then came a job offer in another state, again I thought what a great way to really test my feeling towards this. So off to Kansas City, KS I went. Here I spent 2 months living in this camper by myself and really got to learn how to use things and maintain the unit. Well it was confirmed, I was hooked and since I am a computer consultant I can get a job most anywhere, this seemed to be the best fit. The house in IL sold and we moved into an apartment. Well that never went well. I had left for vacation for 3 weeks with Beth was setting up the apartment. Well by day 3 she was inundated with BASS. So she tried to visit the offending neighbors, the only result of that was expletives coming from their mouths. From then on she called the local security and complained to management and there was no resolve. Of course they only came over during the day which was pointless since simple daytime noise drowns out some of the BASS. This went on for 3 weeks, after a complaint was made it would be quiet for a day or 3 and then it would start again. The excuses were the best I have ever heard. “Well she leaves the music going because she is afraid of being broke into.” Timberline Village Apartment Management Note from their front door you could not any BASS etc. “She (the tenant) says the BASS can’t be adjusted.” Timberline Village Apartment Management Well Beth called security they came over and were angry that a person could be this rude and agreed with Beth. Later we learned that calls to security were not reported to Apartment management. – Nice job jerks!!!!! So Beth spent many nights sleeping in the living room since the BASS was coming from the bedroom as it backed up to the other tenants bedroom which was the location of the stereo. Later the apartment complex said “we will have it taken care before Dave gets home from vacation”. I also liked this answer, since we are both on the lease, why do I have to end my vacation in order to get a resolution to the problem. Well I came home 4 days earlier than planned. The second night I was home the BASS was pounding through the wall again. So this time we both went to the Office and complained and demanded that we be released from our lease. They first wanted us to try another unit. I said that if I were going to move a single box from my place it would only be if I was leaving the complex. We pointed out that the Gate for our gated community hasn’t worked since after moved in, security was useless, the offending tenants violated the by-laws of the complex numerous times and that the extensive background check that we had to go through should have included an IQ test and a morality test as these people would have FAILED. Then came my final piece of rebuttal, “First of all you all never have the same story. We have questioned about the fact that there is someone apparently living there that is not on the lease” “two of you say no and ironically the one who says the person in question is on the lease is the same race”. “Look if I am not released from my lease I am calling FOX News and we can go from there as I am also prepared to talk to the Missouri Department of Housing too.” Well end of story we were released from our lease and will be present on the final walk through so they don’t make up any other stories about the condition of the unit when we leave. During this I showed Beth the RV I was think would best suit us. Knowing her as well as I do, I knew that cabinets and counter space were important. Well the Montana 3400RL was just the ticket. I had her walk through the other that I thought she might like, but she was sold on the 3400RL. So we went back to the apt. and mulled it over. Well he came the BASS and Beth said “You want that RV?, Well lets go now”. So back to the dealer we went and put down a payment and it will be delivered to the campground the 16th of Oct.