Living Our Dream

Still Hangin' Around Blueberry Hill

Well, we were really wanting to get out and do some sightseeing, but the weather isn't cooperating. It seems we can have the weather cool and sunny or warm and cloudy, but not warm and sunny. But at least the cool days aren't as cold or as frequent as they were a few weeks ago. The redbuds are blooming, the deciduous trees are starting to leaf out, and the grass is starting to green up so we're hoping the weather will continue to improve.

We occasionally run some errands, but mostly we are continuing to hang around the motor home due to the "iffy" weather. We are spending time watching the Olympics, but we're also taking advantage of our down time to take care of some maintenance items. We had new tires put on the Saturn, and Paul installed new brakes. The campground discourages mechanical work on vehicles; but the brakes are pretty easy to change, it doesn't make any noise, and there's no mess so Paul went ahead and did the work himself.

In the motor home, we noticed the seam binding on the edge of the carpet along the living room slide was coming loose, so Paul got out a needle and some thread and sewed it back on. Molly supervised.

 

When we first got the Saturn Vue for use as a toad, we bought a Protect-a-Tow shield, which is a skirt that goes between the motor home and the car to help protect the car from road debris when towing. The Protect-a-Tow worked fairly well, but it was a little too short for the length of our tow bar setup. Also, because of the long overhang at the back or the motor home, the hitch sometimes drags on uneven pavement such as driveway entrances. When that happens, the pavement puts tears in the fabric of the tow shield. Over the years, the tears had gotten to be pretty plentiful, so last year we decided it was time to replace the tow shield.

We got a remnant of 80% shade cloth (blocks 80% of the light) last year at Beasley Manufacturing in nearby Center Hill, FL, and we made a replacement fabric skirt for our Protect-a-Tow. Beasley sells shade cloth remnants at very reasonable prices. We were able to make the shield a little bigger to better suit our tow bar setup, and we were able to reuse most of the mounting hardware that came with the original Protect-a-Tow.

Unfortunately, over the course of the past year we found the 80% shade fabric for the tow shield was a little too porous, and we also seemed to get a lot more tears in the fabric. Therefore, we picked up some 90% shade cloth at Beasley when we got to Bushnell this year in order to sew up another new skirt.

On one of those warm, but cloudy days we got out Margery's Singer Feather Weight sewing machine and started on the new shield. The 90% cloth is denser and stiffer, and it was a lot more difficult to sew than the 80% fabric we used last year. As you can see, Margery had to hold her mouth just right.

 

Margery's sewing machine had to work its little heart out to get the job done, especially at the corners where we had four overlapping layers, but it handled the job well. Getting the tension adjusted properly for heavier fabric is always difficult, but Margery persevered.

Margery has put the time hanging around the motor home to good use by spending many hours researching our summer travels. A lot of people travel by the seat of their pants heading in a general direction and moving at will. However, that is not the Zeller way. Our motto is, "if you plan for nothing, you achieve nothing."

The other reason we feel the necessity to plan is when we want to stay in more crowded tourist areas or over holiday weekends. For example, we wanted to return to Trailer Village at the Grand Canyon this year which requires reservations made fairly far in advance. As we have said before, we don't like to be tied down by reservations, but we dislike being inconvenienced by not having a place to stay even more.

Using our mapping software, Margery maps a route to our farthest destination and then back to our planned stop in the east placing via points as we decide where we want to visit on our way. This gives us an idea of the mileage and number of four-hour traveling days we'll need. By dividing the total number of days in the travel period by the number of travel days needed, we get an average number of days we have per stop. This gives us an idea of whether our plans are doable.

Here's a map of our anticipated 2010 travels, God-willing.

Then, Margery begins extensive research evaluating campgrounds along our route as well as things to do and see in the areas through which we will be passing. This enables us to have a better sense of how much time we will need in any one area also allowing 'down' time to catch up on laundry, shopping and relaxing.

At this point, we make reservations only at the places we know for sure we want to visit and where getting a site could be problematic. We have now made broad brush strokes on our travel canvas. Here is where our flexibility kicks in. We try to leave as much wiggle room between our reservation stops as we can so we can make schedule adjustments as we go. Margery is currently researching the leg between Kansas City and the Dayton area where we plan to spend Labor Day Weekend.

Our other project has been doing the final editing on a book of our first year of Living Our Dream blog. There is no way to back up our blog so 'slurping' it into book form will be our backup as well a memory book in hard-copy form so we'll be able to browse through in the years ahead.

So that's about it...not much sightseeing but we're getting a lot of other things done. We have friends visiting us here next week, so we'll be sightseeing rain or shine. We'll let you know where we go.

Motor Home Project: Replace Day/Night Shades

Are you noticing a common topic for our posts lately? It seems like we had a bunch of motor home improvement projects planned during our winter stopover in Florida. Our motor home is approaching five years old; and while it's still in good shape and we're not ready to replace it yet, we still like to stop in Red Bay, AL, to tour the Tiffin plant and to occasionally visit an RV dealer or an RV show. This lets us see some of the improvements that have been incorporated into newer RVs. Since we'll probably be hanging onto our motor home for at least several more years, we decided it would be a good time to make some upgrades.

Replacing our old tube-type TVs with LCD TVs was first on our list, and we're enjoying our new TVs very much. As we said, most of our viewing is still in standard-def, but we did appreciate watching over-the-air broadcasts of the Super Bowl, the NASCAR Bud Shootout and the Daytona 500 in hi-def.

Another improvement we noticed a few years ago in Tiffin motor homes is an upgraded type of day/night shade. Almost everyone complains about traditional day/night shades. While the idea of having a sheer privacy shade to let light in during the day combined into one unit with an opaque shade for night is good, the old-style day/night shades are troublesome. The strings are constantly breaking. Paul has re-strung all of our shades at least once, and some four or five times. We buy the string in 300 foot spools, and we're on our second spool. The traditional shades require two hands to raise and lower, and they are difficult to keep clean. The photo below shows one of our original day/night shades.

The new shades we started seeing a few years ago were made by MCD Innovations. American Duo shades by MCD are roll-up shades that can be raised and lowered with one hand. The American Duo shades combine a shade for day that makes it easy to see out (but hard to see in) with an opaque shade for night. The American Solo shade is available with a single shade for either day or night. The shades are also available in motorized versions that are controlled either by push button or optional wireless remote.

The roll-up speed of the MCD shades is slow and controlled, and the speed can be adjusted. To raise the manual shade, just give it a tug and let go, and it will raise by itself. The stop can also be adjusted so they won't roll up too far and disappear behind the valance.

We placed our order shortly after visiting the MCD booth at the Tampa RV show back in January. All MCD shades are custom made, and our order took about three weeks to arrive. MCD has representatives in various locations around the country that will do the measuring and installation for you, or you can go to the factory in McKinney, TX, to have the installation done. Since Paul has removed all the valences and original day/night shades to repair them in the past, he was comfortable doing the installation of the new shades himself.

The installation is straightforward provided your valences are at least 2" deep. If they are less than that, some modification will be required to accommodate the shades. Fortunately, our valences are deep enough, so we were good to go.

Both the old and new shades are held in place with clips. Once Paul removed the valences with the old shades attached, all he had to do was remove the old shades and clips, screw the new clips in place and snap in the new shades. The next photo shows the old shade ready to be removed.

Installation of the valences with the new shades was a little harder than the removal because the new shades take up more space inside the top of the valence so some of the clearances were a little tight to see and reach the screws that hold the valences in place. Paul needed a flashlight and a long screwdriver, and he still had to stand on his head to reach some of them.

 

One risk of doing the measuring and installation yourself is the custom-made shades are non-returnable, so if you make a mistake measuring, you will have to bear the cost of correcting the error. There is an exception if there is a defect or error on the part of MCD, but given the level of quality we see in this product we're guessing an MCD error or defect is pretty rare. Fortunately, Paul measured and checked each valence several times, and all the blinds fit. There was one that was a little snug because the cloth covering the valence was bunched up inside the valence, but Paul removed some of the excess cloth and made it work.

The photo below shows the same window as above with the MCD shades installed. Left to right: both shades open, day shade down, night shade drawn.

We are very pleased with our new MCD shades. They are much easier to raise and lower than our original day/night shades, and the appearance is neat and clean. One thing we especially like is how much more open it makes the motor home feel. The MCD shades raise to a higher level than the old day/night shades which results in more open window area. That will take a little getting used to because we feel somewhat exposed with all the blinds wide open, but all we have to do is pull the day shades, and it's just about impossible to see in unless it's almost totally dark outside and the lights are on inside.

Valentine's Day is pretty low key for us. Margery regrets that we did not keep the cards we sent to each other our first Valentine's Day...we had sent the same one to each other. We kept those cards for a few years and sent them back and forth to each other, but then they were put away and eventually became victims to downsizing. E-cards have made card giving much easier. We no longer stand at the greeting card display picking out each other's card, giving it to each other to read, then putting them back. LOL

Paul's tradition of giving Margery a single red rose for Valentine's Daywent by the wayside once we went on the road, so you can imagine her delight when flowers were delivered to the motor home this past weekend. For Margery, fresh flowers NEVER grow old.

You've got to love these on-line flower sites like From You Flowers that make it easy to spread a little cheer.

Another thing we have been doing while hanging around the motor home is planning our summer travels. While gas prices remain stable, we want to travel out west as much as possible. Because our first visit to Zion and Bryce in southern Utah was when Margery's knees prevented her from hiking, she wanted to return. Paul regretted we didn't stop in Salt Lake City two years ago, so this year our farthest point will be Utah.

In the past, we have purchased travel books published by Moon. However, friends of ours put us on to the AAA travel books which seemed to be better suited for our needs. Just a couple of Moon books can cost $50, so this year we invested our money in a AAA membership instead. We'll be able to get whatever travel books we want at any AAA office. Here's Margery after picking up tour books at the AAA office in The Villages on one of our rarer sunny days this winter.

For those who enjoy solving jigsaw puzzles and are looking for a momentary distraction, we've included the picture below. Just click the arrow, and you will be taken to the Jig Zone web site where you will be able to reassemble the picture with your mouse. You can even change the shape and number of pieces. We tried the puzzle with a picture of a fishing boat in Tarpon Springs, and several people liked the idea so we thought we would do it again. Your comments are welcomed.

Our travels this year will include spending sightseeing time in at least 13 states. We'll be taking a southern route out across Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico before we stop in Tucson then head north toward Utah. Our return route will be a northern route across Wyoming and Nebraska to hit the Escapade (Escapees RV Club rally) in Indiana and then go on to Pittsburgh in the fall. It sounds like a lot of traveling, but it will be a much slower pace than we had going to the Pacific Northwest last year.

With all the projects we have done so far this winter we are looking forward to some sightseeing, but will the weather cooperate? Like the rest of the country, we've had lots more cold, rainy and cloudy weather than we've come to expect when wintering in Florida, but we're grateful our precipitation doesn't need to be shoveled, and we're hoping for an improvement.

Motor Home Project: Replace Rear TV

Although we made the decision to replace the front TV a couple of months ago, we didn't actually buy the new TV until after we returned from our trip to Pittsburgh for Christmas. When we first made the decision, we weren't sure if we wanted to replace the rear TV as well; but once we went to Best Buy to pick up the new TV for the front and took another look at the sleek, flat panel TVs on display, we decided to go ahead and replace the rear TV, too.

A 26" LCD TV would fit just fine in place of the old 21" TV in the rear; but unfortunately, Best Buy quit carrying the 26" Panasonic LCD TVs sometime during or right after the holidays. They had other brands available in 26", but we wanted the TVs to match. That way, not only would they look the same, but the remotes would be interchangeable. Margery's research turned up several online sources. We picked Electronics Expo, which had a good price and good customer reviews. We received the new TV about one week after placing the order.

After Paul finished installing the new front TV, and after a little time off to relax and catch up on regular chores and errands, he went to work on the TV for the rear. The next photo shows the setup with the old TV.

After removing the wood trim and a couple of retainer blocks, the old TV came right out.

While we were able to box in the existing cabinet in the front of the motor home and surface-mount the new TV without it sticking out too far, doing the same thing with the rear TV would have caused it to extend beyond the corner of the wall, and we would have had to be careful not to run into the TV every time we walked into the bedroom. Paul could have easily recessed the new TV into the existing cabinet at the rear, but doing so would have prevented us from reaching the manual control buttons on the side of the TV. Therefore, Paul needed to come up with a way to cut back the cabinet so the new TV didn't stick out to far.

Paul decided the best way to cut back the cabinet was to remove it and take it outside. Since the cabinet is angled, trying to cut it in place would not only have been messy with sawdust flying everywhere, it would have been difficult to make the angled cuts accurately. The cabinet was screwed into place from all sides, and the only way to get it out was in pieces. Some of the screw heads were hidden, so the screws has to be cut instead of being removed. Fortunately, Paul was able to get the cabinet taken apart and removed without any damage. The next photo shows the space where the cabinet was.

Paul didn't want to make a mistake when modifying the cabinet. He wanted to cut it back the maximum amount, but not too much because the bottom of the TV cabinet forms the top of the cabinet below. The sides would be cut separately, but the edges all needed to align when the cabinet was reassembled. Therefore, he spent a lot of time sitting and staring at the empty space rolling various options over in his mind. (Actually, Margery says that's a common pose for Paul when he's working on a project. LOL) How much should be cut? What angle? How will it look? How will it fit?

He also spent a lot of time measuring and calculating.

Paul finally came up with a plan he was happy with and proceeded with the cutting. All that planning, measuring and calculating paid off because when he brought the pieces back inside and reinstalled them, everything lined up and fit perfectly - the first time! The next photo shows the cut-down cabinet back in place. The 2 x 4 support for the TV and furring strips around the perimeter are similar to what Paul used for the front TV replacement.

Working without a proper workshop and with minimal power tools was a real challenge. Paul had to do most of the work on the ground. He's getting a little old for that, but there aren't any picnic tables at Blueberry Hill, and our small folding table wasn't quite sturdy enough. In the next photo Paul is trimming the cabinet frame for a good fit.

 

Without a router, Paul had to radius the edges of the frame with a block plane. That method worked OK, but it was slow and required extra sanding.

The next photo shows the finished plywood cover, trim, rubber bumpers and rear half of the mounting bracket in place...

...and the next photo shows the finished cabinet with the new TV installed. As you can see, it doesn't protrude beyond the corner of the wall.

As with the front TV, there was also some weight savings with the new rear TV, but not as much. The old rear TV weighed 49 pounds, and the new one weighs 22 1/2 pounds. Cutting back the cabinet canceled out the additional weight of the 2 x 4 for the TV support and plywood trim. Adding a little weight for the mounting bracket yields an estimated weight savings of about 26 pounds. That is a total savings of about 64 pounds for both TVs.

We put an ad on the bulletin board in the clubhouse for two free, tube-type TVs. We got a call from someone whose TV was acting up, and he said he would take both our old TVs. With everything going digital, there isn't much of a market for the old-style TVs, so we're happy we found someone who could make good use of them.

Replacing both TVs was a lot of work, but we're happy with the results. Stay tuned for our next post to see what else we're up to.

Hangin' Around Blueberry Hill

It took a little over a week to finish the front TV project, and we (especially Paul) needed a break. We wanted to get in some sightseeing, but we just didn't feel like it. Not only that, the weather turned cloudy and rainy, so we just hung around the motor home.

Our neighbors across the street at the campground had a "get to know your neighbor" happy hour over at their site one afternoon. Fortunately, they picked a day with fairly nice weather. This is their first year at Blueberry Hill, and they wanted to get to know the people around them a little better. They invited everyone along both sides of our road in the campground to bring their own beverage and a snack to share. It was great to put some names with faces of people we wave to all the time and to find out where they are from.

A day or two after the happy hour, the weather turned back to clouds and rain.  When the sky finally cleared after second day of solid rain, we got out our bikes and rode up to the office to check for mail and to drop off the trash. The next photo shows the front of the clubhouse where the office is located.

We stopped in the campground library where Margery took a quick look to see if they had any new books. There are also a couple of tables in the library with jigsaw puzzles. (Click on arrow on picture if you'd like to solve the puzzle.)

The building that houses the library also has a card room and an area with four pool tables. We like to ride our bikes in the afternoon, and we sometimes stop in for a game or two of pool. However, we have been so busy this year we haven't ridden our bikes much. This was the first time this year we have taken time to test out the newly-recovered pool tables.

The next photo shows Paul lining up an easy shot.

 

On our way back from the office, we took advantage of the sunshine and rode our bikes around the campground. We like to check out license plates to see where people are from, and we like to see if there are any empty sites. The campground is finally starting to look full, although there are still about 15% of the sites in the front section unoccupied and at least half a dozen empty sites in the back section. In past years, the campground has been almost filled by the middle of January, and essentially completely filled by February 1; but this year the bad economy is apparently taking its toll, and there are more empty sites than in the past.

We also ran a few errands during our down time, and on the way home from a shopping trip to the Villages, we passed the interesting sign in the next photo posted at the end of someone's driveway.

Also on our way back from the Villages, we decided to stop at Catfish Johnny's Restaurant in Lake Panasoffkee. Lake Panasofkee is off the I-75 exit just north of the Bushnell exit. The restaurant is situated under towering, Spanish moss-draped live oak trees.

 

Carfish Johnny's is known for seafood. We usually get either fried catfish or popcorn shrimp, but this time we both opted for fried grouper. Grouper is a member of the sea bass family. The fish is firm and has a mild almost sweet flavor. It is also low in fat and cholesterol, but the deep frying kind of cancels out that benefit.

During our time of relaxation we also decided to try the new Hong Kong Chinese restaurant located in the little strip mall next to Walmart in Bushnell. There's a real international atmosphere with Little Caesars right next door.

The Hong Kong restaurant seems to be primarily geared for takeout, but it has a few tables so we decided to eat in. Lunch specials are available from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for $5.25. The specials include a main dish, pork fried rice and an egg roll. Even though it was after 3:00, they allowed us to order from the lunch menu. We knew the dinner portions would be larger and would be much more than we could eat.

We are both big fans of General Tso's chicken, so that's what we both ordered. The egg roll was pretty good - piping hot and not too greasy. The General Tso's chicken was good, but Paul thought the fried rice was a little dry. All in all, it wasn't bad for the price. And we were correct about the portions - the lunch-size meals were more than we could eat, so it's a good thing we didn't get dinners.

Even though we had come to the conclusion that Margery's knee discomfort "is what it is," the outside of Margery's left knee has gotten progressively sorer with a snapping sensation whenever she sits down. The orthopedic surgeon gave the knee joint itself perfect marks just about a month ago, so she knew it had to be something else. It had gotten to the point that it was sometimes becoming extremely difficult to walk. She has been scouring internet sites like WebMD researching for possible causes, and asking God for wisdom to know how to proceed. She concluded that most likely she was dealing with something called liotibial band friction syndrome. It is a form of bursitis on either side, or lateral part, of the knee. Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that provides a cushion between a bone and tissue such as a ligament.

Based on her research, that ligament needed to be stretched so she started doing her post-surgery leg exercises with minimal relief. Then, she made a passing comment to a shoe salesman during the above-mentioned shopping trip to the Villages, and the salesman gave her information that has proven to be the most helpful. He had had a knee replacement and experienced the same thing! Don't you just love how God answers our prayers? The salesman shared the information he got from his physical therapist...using stretch bands in two specific stretches. Margery is finally getting some real relief. We share this information in the hope it will help someone else someday.

With some time out for relaxation, we are ready for another project. Look for our next post to see what we're up to.

Motor Home Project: Replace Front TV

Ever since the country switched over to digital TV broadcasts last year, Paul has been eyeing flat panel TVs. Even though we have satellite TV and don't have to worry about digital vs. analog, the more modern-looking, larger flat-panel TVs are very attractive. Besides, replacing our old TV with a new LCD TV would be a good way to save weight. More about that later.

A few months ago, we began researching LCD TVs, and we decided on a 32" Panasonic, which is the same brand used in new Tiffin motor homes.The old TVs in the motor home were Panasonic, and we had a Panasonic TV and a Panasonic DVD player in our stick house. The Panasonic LCD TVs got good reviews on several web sites we visited, and we have been happy with every Panasonic product we have ever owned.

We waited until we got to our winter stopover in Florida and until we got back from our trek north for Christmas to make our purchase. The only problem with waiting until we returned after Christmas was the model we wanted was out of stock at most Best Buy stores by that time. HDTVs must have been popular for the holidays. We ended up having to drive about 80 miles to Davenport, FL to find one.

As soon as we got back to the motor home after picking up the TV, Paul made a temporary setup for the new TV on the shelf on the dash so we would have something to watch while the work progressed.

With the new TV operational, Paul went to work removing the old TV. Paul had some ideas of how to mount the new TV, but he wasn't sure exactly what he would find behind the old TV. After removing the trim and several blocks of wood retaining the old TV, out it came. With a full view of the empty cavern, Paul was finally able to begin planning exactly how the new TV was going to be mounted.

 

The upper part of the front of the outside of the motor home is painted a relatively dark color; and when we park facing the sun, the upper compartments containing our electronic gear get very hot. Even though Paul installed a cooling fan in the back of the compartment where our satellite TV receiver is located, the receiver sometimes shuts itself down to cool off. So the first order of business was to install several layers of aluminized bubble insulation behind the top of the front cap. Paul insulated the center section and slid layers of insulation behind the side compartments, too.

Although Paul would have probably rebuilt the entire front cabinet if he had all the tools he had back when we were in our stick house, he decided to just close off the existing cabinet and surface mount the TV. In addition to his cordless drill, the only power tools Paul has are a 7 1/4" hand-held circular saw, a saber saw and a palm sander, so he had to make things as simple as possible.

With the insulation in place, Paul installed a vertical 2 x 4 as the main support for the TV.

Metal brackets reinforce the attachment of the 2 x 4 to the top and bottom of the cabinet.

 

Paul added some furring strips around the inside perimeter of the cabinet, then cut a piece of 1/2" birch plywood to fit the opening. The next photo shows the plywood screwed to the furring strips. The back half of the TV mounting bracket has also been firmly screwed to the 2 x 4 with 3" lag screws.

A couple of months ago when we first decided to replace the TV, Paul knew he would need some maple hardwood to make the trim. Margery did some online research and found a supplier of hardwood in a town near where we stayed at Ortona Locks back in December. At that time, Paul wasn't exactly sure what the trim was going to look like, so he bought plenty of wood. It turned out all he had to do was replace the bottom strip of the old trim frame, so he has plenty of wood left over.

The photo below shows the plywood and modified frame after final installation. The four bumpers help support the corners of the TV to keep it from bouncing as we drive down the road. The black rectangle at the bottom is for the center speaker for our home entertainment system. When watching a DVD, the center speaker carries the main part of the dialog. Tiffin originally installed the center speaker down below the dash by the passenger's feet. This sometimes made the dialog a little muffled, and the sound didn't always seem like it was coming from the characters on the screen. Since there was so much room in the now-empty TV cabinet, Paul decided to relocate the center speaker so the sound would come out from under the TV instead of out from under the passenger seat.

With the plywood and trim installed, all that remained was to hang the TV on the mounting bracket, attach the wires and cables to the TV, put the locking screw into the bracket and remove the protective film from the high-gloss frame of the TV.

Earlier, we mentioned saving weight with the new TV. According to our scale, the old TV weighed 69 pounds, and the new TV weighs 28 pounds. Add a few pounds for the new mounting bracket (it's quite heavy for its size) and the additional wood support and trim, and we figure we saved at least 38 pounds.

We are enjoying our new TV. We aren't planning a complete switch to HDTV just yet because DirecTV requires a very large dish to receive hi-def via satellite, and we don't have room on the roof with the internet dish up there. We'll still be able to receive over-the-air hi-def broadcasts, but the problem with over-the-air broadcasts is we won't be able to record them on our DVR. Standard-def still looks quite good on the new TV, so that's probably what we'll watch the most.

We have more projects and sightseeing planned, so look for our next post.