Paintings Update

Have been doing some fun painting in my wonderfully mobile RV studio. Here's an update for those who are interested.

Have opened a Gallery on Etsy.com . Here's a link WyomingRoaming Gallery

Easy 1 Minute Do It Yourself Tough Waterproof RV Ceiling Vent Pillow

Winter RVing calls for vent pillows. Make your own in a flash without sewing a stitch. If you can stuff an envelope and seal it you can do this. For each vent you will need a square of  1" thick craft foam that can be cut to about an inch larger than your vent opening frame, and a 14.5"x19"  self-sealing white poly mailing envelope (I used padded bubble poly mailers since they are nice and puffy but plain poly mailers would work too just be sure to get your foam cut an inch larger than your vent opening).

 My vent frames are about 14.5x 14" so I cut my foam into about a 15"x15"x1" squares.  I stuffed one foam square into a poly mailer and pulled the flap down far enough to make the envelope snug around the foam then sealed it. Voila! I had a waterproof vent pillow. I stuffed one in each vent opening and they work wonderfully.

 Being in a poly envelope makes them tough and waterproof, too! I purchased the 1" squares of 16"x16"craft urethane foam squares in packages of 2 in the sewing and craft notions at Wal-Mart for about $6.00 per package.You can purchase the large mailers in Wal-Mart's office supplies section or office supply stores for about $1 or $2 apiece.. E-SupplyStore.com has 25 for $12. I already notice the difference in the RV. I've been able to retain heat without running my heaters nearly as often even when the wind is blowing. If they get grimy just wipe them off with a damp cloth. They're waterproof and I have 3 of  them for a total of about $16 or about $4 apiece.

Campsite Photos Dot Com

I absolutely love this website and their YouTube videos. Fun to see where the good places to park are in state campgrounds etc.. Pick your state and your park and watch the video review of each campsite. Total fun. Check it out. Campsitephotosdotcom You Tube Channel

Just can't stop painting. North Platte River Bend at Henry, Nebraska. Such a peaceful bend at sunset.

RV Art Studio

Below is a shot I took tonight of my RV Art Studio. It's small but it works for me and its completely mobile! This is where one of the little recliners used to sit in the back by the picture window. Now it's my studio and I love it. Need to dust my modeling light off though!

Here's my latest painting, Jenny Lake Reflections

My Latest Paintings of Wyoming and Nebraska

Have been doing some painting the past couple of months. Moved one of my old recliners that had failed out of the back of the RV and set up  my studio by the picture window where the chair used to sit. Of course my window faces north here so that is perfect non directional light for painting during the daytime. I love my new mobile studio. So many days it was impossible to paint outside, too cold, too windy, too hot.... Now I can paint in the comfort of the RV night or day. See what you think of my paintings.

The above painting is Aspen Lace.

This one is called Midnight Flight.

This is the first in my Nebraska Oregon Trail Landmark Series, Guardian of Mitchell Pass, Scotts Bluff National Monument. If you've never visited this place be sure to put it on your bucket list. They have a wonderful collection of William Henry Jackson photographs, the largest in the world, at the visitors center.

 This is Oxbow Bend Evening, with gorgeous Mt. Moran as the subject.

Midsummer Tetons from the Broken Pine

Below Treeline at Douglas Lake in the Wind River Range

. The Birdwatcher depicts my rescued siamese, Macaroni. I tried to capture the maniacal look he gets in his eyes whenever he watches birds. This is done as an ACEO card which is only 2 1/2" x 3 1/2".

. As you can see I have pretty good light in my RV studio even at night with my modeling light if not a lot of room. But a great view out the windows always!

Dog Ramp for RVing

If you have an elderly dog that can't make it up the RV steps you will want to check out this great Solvit Dog Ramp as used and reviewed by bloggers, Love Your RV. Here's the link to their review: Solvit Dog Ramp Below are their pictures of the ramp on their 5th wheel and their elderly dog, Oscar. While you're there be sure to check out the rest of their wonderful blog.

Moonlight Lake Camp Brooks Lake, Wyoming

There are some fantastic alpine lakes in Wyoming that are lovely midsummer destinations. This Midnight Black  painting I did today inspired by lovely Brooks Lake at Midnight. This lake is located NW of Dubois, Wyoming. You can hear the owls hoot and the crickets chirping already can't you?

 Spent many wonderful summertime days at this lake with my family in years gone by. Due to its high altitude don't expect the snow to be gone until mid June. Spoke to one of the rangers and he said the campground works for 5th wheels. His parents had no trouble navigating with their 27 ft. Fifth Wheel Trailer.  Check it out Brooks Lake

Adventures in Full Time RVing Video Series

There are no stupid questions. If you are considering RVing full time or part time check out this excellent series by Tracy Seekins. She answers many questions potential and current RVers might have regarding the RVing lifestyle.  Our Adventures In Full Time RVing

Frigid Weather RV Living

    I love my propane furnace and Wave 8 radiant heater (also propane).

 This winter has been a bit colder and nastier than in the past few years due to several very windy arctic cold spells with one going on right now. Our present temperature is 1 F. Our low last night officially was -4 F but according to our thermometers it was -20 or better out by Bear Mountain. Our high yesterday was 9 F with lots of winds gusting to about 30 mph with snow. Made for some very icy wind chills. Today is a warming trend. We are to get up to a high of 20 F with lows of 14 F.

   When the temps get below freezing I start running my RV furnace to keep water lines from freezing. I have electric heat blankets on my holding tanks to keep them liquid.
    But running the propane furnace can get expensive. It's quite possible to winter without using one's water system if you use a portable water container/s and just heat water on the stove or in the microwave or use the coffee maker for enough hot water to wash a dishpan  full of dishes. You can suspend a camp shower in the shower filled with warm water for a really nice shower without having to use the water system or simply fill a bucket with warm water for a nice sponge bath.
        I think for the rest of the winter I will set up my small space heater in the basement on low to keep those water lines liquid in lieu of running  the propane furnace and run  my other small electric ceramic disc heater along with my Wave 8 to heat the upstairs. That will really save on the propane bill for the rest of the winter by not running the furnace which wastes heat since it heats the outdoors.
      New Mexico RV neighbor Bill heated his Cougar 5th wheel using only his electric space heater and one stove burner set on low.  The other night my electric cord connection shorted out and I didn't have a spare cord so I couldn't run anything other than 12 volt electric and didn't want to drain my coach batteries using the furnace. The lows that night were about zero. So, I adapted Bill's system to my situation. I turned my Wave 8 propane heater to High and turned one stove burner to high.  That kept my coach at about 68 all night in spite of a cold wind. If things were colder I could have turned on the oven or more burners as needed. In my RV there is enough outside air exchange I don't have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning. Your situation might be different so you should monitor that carefully and have a CO detector.

 If you don't have the electric heat blankets or are off the grid it's a good idea to pour some of the pink RV antifreeze into each of the drains after dumping the holding tanks each time and keep adding a little as the tanks fill up. That will keep things from freezing in the tanks. If you do have a freezup in the tank or drain Alan Sills has a good solution in his new video. He also shares how he avoids using much propane in his coach, about 100 gallons for 2 months. He is parked at Steamboat Springs, Colorado again this winter.  Take it away Alan: Unique Solution To a Clog in the Gray Water System
  Ever wonder why the weather may be changing? Here's an interesting review of Earth Changes:
Signs of Change . Don't let the day of the Lord overtake you like a thief. Check out this timely message from Jack Chick: Somebody Angry?

How to Back Up an RV Trailer.

Here's Pete's RV showing us how to back up our trailers. How to Back Up A Trailer

RV Leveling Tips!

Pete's RV gives some great tips on how to level an RV with ease. You don't need an expensive hydraulic leveling system if you use these easy tips and the tri- leveler (or three tri-levelers if you're leveling a motorhome).   Check out this video: Quick Leveling Tips

Sinks Canyon State Park, Lander, Wyoming

Alan Sills does a very nice video review of Lander, Wyoming, and the spectacular Sinks Canyon, the Popo Agie (pronounced papozhee) River, and the famous (to us locals anyway) switchback road, which used to be single lane gravel but now is two lane paved! In the old days if you met someone going the other way you had to back down the road as there was no getting past each other, lol.
    This gorgeous state park is near my hometown of Riverton, in Fremont county, Wyoming. Lander is the county seat of Fremont county and you can't find a nicer place to vacation in my opinion. Alan takes you up to the top of the switchbacks but keep on going over the mountain and down the other side for gorgeous Alpine lakes and a view of  historic Atlantic City  and South Pass City, both famous ghost towns. You will love it. Also visit the trout pool at the entrance of Sinks Canyon for spectacular views of some of the biggest trout you will ever see. Lots of really nice fishing in the river and some beautiful cross country skiing trails, too. Also wonderful trails in the area for hiking, or trail riding if you bring your horses. Enjoy! Sinks Canyon

Great Boondocking Website

Some of the most relaxing camping I've done has been while boondocking. Here's a great website featuring wonderful videos of boondocking campsites, articles, maps etc.. Be sure to check out RV Boondocking Adventures . Enjoy!

50's Renaissance Trailer Stories Video Links

Who says you have to spend a lot of money to go fulltime RVing? Check out this couple's dream of eventual fulltime living in a Teardrop: Teardrop Trailer Video.

Another cute 50's trailer used for fulltime living video: Comet - Tiny House Video
You sure don't have to buy a big expensive rig to fulltime RV.

EZ-Snap Do It Yourself RV Skirt Winter 2013-14 Results

Third winter results for the EZ-Snap Direct 's RV Skirt after enduring seven contiguous days straight of below freezing days and sub zero nights (e.g day highs -1F, nighttime lows -19F) in December, three days straight in January and so far seven days straight of below freezing highs and sub zero lows in February.

 (See my previous posts for my experiences of the ease of designing and putting on the skirt).
     I had a water line freeze up the second night of the December cold streak and the second night of the February cold streak but no problems at all during the January cold streak possibly because there was little or no wind at that time and the low temperatures were not as cold. December and February there was a cold wind blowing so the wind chills were -40 F even though the December actual low was only -17 F and the February lows to date were -19 F with -40 F wind chills again. The January cold streak lows were -12 F actual temperature without the wind chill so I had no problems with freeze ups in January at all.
     My little ceramic disk space heater that I used the prior two years in my basement had given out last fall and I did not replace it this year. I think if I had the small space heater going on low blowing on the water line inlet into the heated basement my water lines would not have frozen up.
     Both times the water freeze-ups occurred about 4-5:00 a.m. when the temps get the coldest. My rig is manufactured stupidly so that the water tank is blocked off from the heated basement and the water line freezes between the tank and the hole where it enters the heated basement (the water tank itself has a heat blanket as do my other holding tanks). The small space heater blowing on low toward that aperture where the lines come into the heated basement probably would have solved the problem on those coldest nights.
      Winds have been extremely high and continuous most of this fall and winter. We clocked one gust of 110 mph on my neighbors weather station. My skirt could be made more airtight (I'm not mechanical or very handy at all) by the addition of some simple foam rubber insulating strips above where the snaps are and I left a gap under my staircase which I need to close up with the addition of some of EZ-Snap's RV skirting Velcro that will stick to the fabric.

 The industrial grade Velcro I use around the rig did not stay on the fabric and let the flaps underneath my staircase gap a bit this year (it did last for a couple of years though!).
     If you have any questions or comments I'd be happy to answer them if I can. However the Experts at EZ-Snap can probably give you all the information you need. Another winter possibility would be to add some of the thin styrofoam type sheets of insulation underneath the skirting. I got this tip from EZ-Snap a couple of years ago. I haven't tried this as I wanted to find out just how well the skirt would work by itself since I wanted to keep the operation as simple as possible and didn't want to tote around a bunch of insulation whenever I moved.  Before I had the skirt the RV froze up when I was in Cheyenne, Wyoming with a low of about +14F.  The addition of the RV skirt has been a very great success as far as my experience of Wyoming winter time RVing goes, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to winter RV in colder climates.

Flo-Jet Macerator Pump Tips and Problems?

Freedom from sewer hookups is the result of owning a Flo-Jet Macerator Pump. It is one of the handiest devices that I purchased for RVing.

 I can park anywhere regardless of sewer hookup availability. I can dump my tanks without the necessity of moving my RV. The addition of a large Thetford Blue Boy sewage tote like the one below (except mine is bright blue) just added to my independence.

 Using the Flo-Jet I can dump my tanks anytime. I leave my Blue Boy in the bed of my pickup and use the Flo-Jet to pump my holding tank contents into the tote. Then I simply drive to a sewer dump and dump the tote without removing it from the bed of the truck-- whoosh! and I'm done. Or if, as at present, I'm parked some distance from a sewer inlet I can simply pump my tank contents directly into the septic tank using just the garden hose.

     That being said, I have had a couple of problems with the Flo-Jet that were totally due to my own ignorance (I'm not mechanical, remember). Since it has been so cold this winter I decided that I didn't need to connect the fresh water hose to the Flo-Jet since I always dump black water first and then finish with the gray water tanks to clean everything out. But with temperatures down in the negative figures at night since the first of December I think some of the contents of the black tank were ...frozen and more solid than normal. It sounded like ice cubes going through the pump and then clinkity clank my Flo-Jet stopped! Now what???? Well what I should have done and what I did were two different things. Live and learn!

      I closed my black water tank valve and removed the Flo-Jet. Ooops. Live and learn.  What I should have done was simply change the little knife fuse in the small fuse housing that sticks out of the base of the handle of the push button switch controller which had blown because of the pump binding up on the partially frozen contents of the black tank. Then I should have attached the fresh water hose to the Flo-Jet's fresh water connection and run it on low pressure at the same time while I was pumping the black tank contents through the Flo-Jet. I finally did this and the fresh water blending with the frozen black water was sufficiently liquid to allow the Flo-Jet to work like a whiz. Very simple fix especially for winter black water pumping with your Flo-Jet. Always be sure to let your Flo-Jet back flush with its fresh water connection open for several minutes after you are finished pumping your tanks out. This keeps the Flo-Jet from getting jammed up with dried up poop between jobs which can also bind the pump (ask me how I know this, haaaaaaa) and blow the little knife fuse. Size of that fuse is a 20. Better stock up. I bought a whole box of assorted knife fuses for about $15 at Walmart.

    Also be sure to turn your Flo-Jet motor on BEFORE you open its fresh water valve unless you want your Flo Jet to explode off of your sewer pipe. Yes, I learned that one the hard way, too. lol. Thankfully it was hot weather when I made that mistake.

     Thanks goes to my neighbor, Larry York, for teaching me the proper care and maintenance of my Flo-Jet both for summer and winter pumping.      

Organize Your RV Dish Cupboard...Just File It!

Ideas can come in small sizes and yet something simple can make life so much more enjoyable! I have one cupboard for all of my plates and everyday glasses that is organized so far.

 OK so I admit organization is not one of my strong points. My mother would laugh at that were she not home in Heaven! Bless her for putting up with my disorder all those years. My organization of the plate cupboard began when a friend gave me four of the plastic stackable letter files she no loner needed. Similar to these Universal Product side loading trays:

Well, they fit wonderfully in my overhead compartment I use for plates, cups and glasses. Which even though I drove many miles with everything just thrown in and stacked willy nilly without any chipping or breakage It is so nice to have everything stacked neatly so I can extract just what I need without having to move everything on top of it just to locate it.

 In addition to the stackable files I added three Cesar Canine Quisine cartons

 (available from your grocer or pet food vendor when they restock their shelves with Cesar dog food. However if you have a dog you might want to buy your own carton full since it's great dog food, and the cartons are very sturdy and a terrific size for stacking your cups and glasses in.

 I like these so well I've decided to put Contac paper on these boxes and trim the flaps off the open side as they mostly are just in the way. However the flaps do offer an extra measure of protection if your glasses are in danger of flying out the end for some reason. The top box I lay my glasses in it on their sides.

Using these organizers I'm able to store, 13 bowls, a cake plate, 4 dinner plates, 4 lunch plates, 8 plastic picnic plates, 8 snack trays, 6 tall glasses, 7 ceramic mugs, 1 plastic mug, and 5 short glasses, 1 small pink glass candle holder. By placing some rubbery shelfliners between the stack of plates and bowls, etc. and the plastic shelves you completely eliminate any plate stacks sliding.