The Class-less Class

[steved44]

Yikes, Lee, it's a good thing you don't smoke!!

[Roger & Lynn]

I decided to go up to City of rocks for a few days about noon today. I stopped at WalMart for groceries and shortly after leaving there I heard a loud hissing sound. At first I thought it was coming from something in the area I was going through but it persisted. In down town Deming I pulled to the curb to check it out. Neither of the radios were on so I started turning switches off. When I hit the LP valve switch it stopped. I was only a couple blocks from Jimmy's RV so I went there. The Gas regulator had blown and when you opened the tank valve a hugh cloud of gas came out from under the rig. $102 latter I was on my way again with a new regulator. I feel lucky I didn't blow half of Deming (Including me) off the map. I lost a quarter tank of gas but I've got a big smile on my face because that is all I lost. Now for a Steve. Źzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'd say that you "lucked" out on that one cowboy...glad it ended well!

[Sandie & Jim]

Hey Lee - sure am glad you are still with us. That is downright scary.

[hdrider]

That could have been real bad Lee. You were lucky.

[Onthego]

Lee, what caused it to break? Glad you were able to catch it before it got ugly. Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket.

 

Travel safe everyone

 

Jeff

[hdrider]

We spent the last week in Kanab Utah but will be lifting our jack this morning and moving an entire 75 miles!! I may need to stop along the way and take a STEEEVE!!

[IYQ]

Lee, what caused it to break? Glad you were able to catch it before it got ugly. Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket.

 

Travel safe everyone

 

Jeff

I have no Idea what caused it Jeff. The regulator is high up under the coach with a steel plate under it and inclosed in a heave plastic box. It must have been a manufacturing defect. The gas was coming out the vent and there was no visual damage to the regulator body. After we took it off we put the air hose on the intake fitting and air rushed out the vent. Gas from the tank is at a much higher pressure than the air hose so that is what the hissing noise was. It was really loud. Idrove about a mile through heavy traffic with it hissing thinking the noise was coming from a business in the area and looking for a place to pull off the traffic lane. Edited October 9, 2015 by IYQ

[IYQ]

After yesterday's episode with the LP gas I was feeling a little funny and had one spell of my vision darkening. That evening I took my blood pressure and it was through the roof. I didn't bring my spare BP meds with me so I just took it easy and ate light. By noon today it was back down out of the danger level but still a little higher than my normal. I feel fine now and will be really aggressive on the salt intake for a while. I don't know if it was the scare of the LP incidence or I got too much salt taking the cowgirls out for dinner at Deming. But I'm giving both a lot of attention for a while. I got in several walks today but the wind has been about 20 mph all day and not really comfortable outside. It only got up to 67 degrees today. It's either too hot or too cold no in between. I'm going to try my 10 to 30 degree sleeping bag tonight with the heat pump off. If it works out without getting me either too warm or too cold I'll go back to Dry camping. I don't have any place I could put a blue flame heater in this rig. So, I'll try the warm sleeping bag deal and make a dive for it after getting up in the cold to go potty. I hope I don't miss and go out the back window.

[sandsys]

I don't have any place I could put a blue flame heater in this rig.

Could you set one on the dinette table when in use? And store it on some of that extra bench space? I've never used a blue flame heater so if this is way off base I know you'll enjoy making fun of me.

 

Linda

[IYQ]

Could you set one on the dinette table when in use? And store it on some of that extra bench space? I've never used a blue flame heater so if this is way off base I know you'll enjoy making fun of me.

 

Linda

You're right it won't work. Now let me see how can I make fun of you. Hummmmmm. A blue flame heater that is thermostatically controled is pretty big. About 20"x30" and has to be connected to the rigs low pressure LP gas line. Good try though so thanks. I have a little ceramic brick heater that works on one lb. Bottles to take the chill off in the morning. But I won't leave that on for long or while Steving. (New word.)

[IYQ]

I'm about 8 miles north of Alma NM in a place called Cosmic Campground. It's a long way from any light source and sits in a shallow basin about a mile from hiway US 180. The forest service set it up for astronomy hobbyists. The sites aren't much but they have poured concrete pads to set telescope up on. I just found out about it this morning while eating breakfast and doing a little surfing. I don't have my scope with me but I just had to come up here to see how dark the skys are. According to the darkness map they are as dark as they can get. There are 4 or 5 other rigs here with scopes set up for tonight. I've met most of them and have been invited to join in with them this evening. A lady just came up to the door and invited me to a potluck they are having but I just got done with dinner. I'll go over there as soon as i post this.

[soos]

I'm about 8 miles north of Alma NM in a place called Cosmic Campground. It's a long way from any light source and sits in a shallow basin about a mile from hiway US 180. The forest service set it up for astronomy hobbyists. The sites aren't much but they have poured concrete pads to set telescope up on. I just found out about it this morning while eating breakfast and doing a little surfing. I don't have my scope with me but I just had to come up here to see how dark the skys are. According to the darkness map they are as dark as they can get. There are 4 or 5 other rigs here with scopes set up for tonight. I've met most of them and have been invited to join in with them this evening. A lady just came up to the door and invited me to a potluck they are having but I just got done with dinner. I'll go over there as soon as i post this.

Wow Lee, that sounds awesome, we'll have to get there sometime!

 

I am still hanging out in Boston while Paul supervises the house construction

[IYQ]

The evening started out pretty cloudy but they dissipated just as it got dark. The skies were beautiful. There were so many stars showing that it was hard to pick out the constalations along the milky way. The Orionids meteor shower is coming up on the 21st. I think I'll come up here to watch it. Tonight we had one meteor that was bright enough to call it a fireball. It went half way across the sky before burning out and left a trail that lasted a few seconds. I love this place but sure wish there were more sites and much wider and smoother ones. The area where they have the telescope pads is fine and well drained but the pull through sites are covered with fist sized rocks and only about 10 feet wide. There is the start of another pad that looks like they are going to build an observatory with a roll off roof. I met the couple that are working with the Forest Service trying to get this place completed. They said the head Ranger is with them and willing to stick his neck out a bit to make it happen but money is tight and they need donations to help pay for it and to show the public is very interested in having it. The near by ranchers are all for it and willing to install proper outside lighting to keep the skies dark. The cattle come up close but don't come into the obsevation area. They are trying to get it certified as a dark sky area.

[Striper]

GO GREEN BAY

 

 

5-0 start would be nice.

 

Then GO SEAHAWKS and GO WHOEVER IS PLAYING AGAINST DALLAS.

 

Joe

[steved44]

Go! Pack!

[IYQ]

JUST GO!

 

I'm back in Deming.

[sandsys]

We have so many Packer Backer friends I feel like I should root for them even though we live in Viking land. But since I don't follow sports I guess it doesn't make much sense for me to root for either.

 

Linda Sand

[IYQ]

A few more of my friend came in while I was away. Good to talk with them again. Now the task will be to find out how to carry all my telescope junk in the Navion. Not only do I have to find a place for the scope but my accessory case is almost as large as the scope then there is the tripod and telescope chair and power pack. If I take it all out of my trailer at the same time my trailer might float away. I'll have to steak it down.

 

I took 2 cowgirls out to dinner tonight. I'm getting back in practice by adding cowgirls one at a time to ease back into my old habits.

[steved44]

You can always tell that fall is in the air when all of your tire pressure warning systems go off at the same time. Seeing we are trying to leave here tomorrow, my job today is getting all the air pressures where they need to be. Now that the temps are dipping into the 40's at night the pressures are down by about 10psi, and it doesn't look like where we are headed it will change by much, so I'm topping them off. Even the truck pressures are down by 5psi, so it wants a little air too. The last time I did this one of my valve stem extensions started leaking, and I couldn't get it stopped for a while. Now I don't remember which one it was so I'll probably find out before the day is over. It's another pretty day here in Idaho, so at least I can work on my tan while I get the tires fixed.

[hdrider]

Just wait for the sun to hit the tires Steve and then hurry on down south here and you won't have to worry about it.

[sandsys]

Now the task will be to find out how to carry all my telescope junk in the Navion. Not only do I have to find a place for the scope but my accessory case is almost as large as the scope then there is the tripod and telescope chair and power pack.

The overcab bed makes pretty good storage. Heavy things sink a bit into the mattress which helps them stay put. A cargo net spread over the front opening helps even more.

 

Linda

[IYQ]

Steve the tires on the Navion take half a day to check. You have to take the hub cover off to be able to take the wheel cover off then you use a short piece of thick rubber tubing to reach in and unscrew the valve cap then with a long truck air nozzle reach in and put air in. But if the sun is real bright you can't see the valve stem and need a pen light to find it in there. Then of course you have to reverse the whole process to put every thing back in order. If I had noticed that I would have bought some other type of RV. So much for German engineering.

 

Other than moving all my Astronomy gear into the Navion today pot luck at the Ranch was the only other activity and every thing on the table had too much sodium for me to be eating. So I had a slice of pie and a glass of Cranberry juice (Red Rose) and called it a night.

[IYQ]

The overcab bed makes pretty good storage. Heavy things sink a bit into the mattress which helps them stay put. A cargo net spread over the front opening helps even more.

 

Linda

Only one problem. I don't have a cab over bed. Shucks I did it again.

[IYQ]

I just came back to Deming on Sunday and I've got hitch itch already. My temper tantrum at Holiday World must have done some good. I got a call this morning saying the part was in and asking when I'd like an appointment to have it installed. I chose Thursday of next week 22 Oct. I have a doctors appointment on the 19th, and plan to go to that Cosmic Campground on the 20th with my scope and come back on the 21st. The Orionids peak on the morning of the 22nd but the weather looks iffy so I'll see what I can see Tuesday evening and call it good. Then the following week I'll go somewhere to get out of here during the Rally.

[Sandie & Jim]

Jim is fishing. Happy man. We're at a fishing access campground just outside of Ennis, MT. It's right on Ennis Lake and it's free. My kind of campground. No over the air TV but good Verizon signal. Slowly starting to make our way west and south.