Christmas Tidings - With Cool RV Gifts!

Looks Sad And Cold...

    As I begin to write this, it's Christmas eve. Some family will be arriving in a few hours and I've got a ham in the oven. W'ell be having some sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts on the side. I've got my homemade (from scratch, even!) sugar cookie dough chilling in the refrigerator with the egg nog. The weather folks are predicting a light snow. Shaping up to be a post card Christmas. But, to be honest, I went down to check on the RV this morning. Had a bit of a daydream while inside. Wouldn't it be neat to have Christmas IN the RV. Of course there would be less room and cooking would be a bit more difficult due to space, but I'll wager it would be fun!

Christmas Presents By The Fireplace

Meanwhile, back at the house, in front of the fireplace near the tiny tree are a bunch of wrapped gifts. I know what's in the ones I wrapped (and yes, I am absolutely terrible at wrapping!) but have no idea what's in the others. Everyone knows I'm an RV fan. A big one. So There's a good chance I'll have some nifty new items to use next season. When I come back to finish this article, I'll have finished off the dinner (and had lots of leftovers!) distributed and unwrapped all the gifts. I'll let you know what arrived with Santa this year. Who says it's only children who are excited on Christmas eve???

Big Steel Frying Pan

Wow! Santa (and my friends and family!!) really went all out this year. Great stuff, weird stuff, useful stuff and more. Lots for the RV! There's this 21 LED camp lantern. Runs on 3 "D" batteries or an AC adapter. Not really sure why you'd want to run on AC in the RV, but I could if I wanted to. Man is it bright! I'll probably use it to wander from place to place seeking out an honest man. (Yes, that was an ancient Grecian Diogenes reference...I'm a bit of a geek, so sue me!) Next up I finally got steel, non-stick frying pans (3 Sizes! That work GREAT with my induction cooktop. I had one that worked OK, but not great and already had all the regular pots including a big one for pasta. I can't wait to try them out this RV season!

Silicone Multipurpose, Peeler, Garnish Maker and Baconator

Also, some nifty new multipurpose gadgets. A multipurpose silicone trivet/pot holder/lid gripper that has a really cool hexagonal pattern AND matches my interior color. Then there's the peeler. This one slips over a finger and peels with more control. Maybe? I'll have to try this one out and get back to you. There's the flower shaped garnish maker. They say you can cut sandwiches too, but that would make for a VERY small sandwich. Again, we'll find out after I use it. Last is the baconator. I call it that since I've used it to make bacon for YEARS at home in the microwave. It channels all the grease away and makes for perfect bacon every time. A must have if you're a bacon fan. MMMM, fresh roadside produce tomatoes and lettuce on white toast with mayo and unmelted cheddar. Maybe even a few slices of Avocado. Now THAT"S an RV lunch!

You know, it's not all about the STUFF on Christmas, it's the whole "Peace On Earth" mentality it fosters. It sure would be nice if everyone could get along AFTER the holidays are over. After all, we live on the same ball of rock, speeding on its' journey around and around the sun. We should share nicely. How's that for a seasonal wish? Maybe it's the RV traveling? I meet so many kind and interesting folks out there on the road. Very few are disagreeable. I wonder just how to get that concept to spread.

Anyway, the New Year is almost upon us. Just a few months away from RV friendly weather. better get busy! Lots of projects to get done before that glorious day is upon me. I just can't wait till RV season finally arrives.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

Even The Simple Things - Micro Storage Boxes

Above The Couch

    Eureka! Wow, that feels good to say. I get to do it so rarely. OK, to be really honest, this wasn't THAT big of a deal, but it solved a problem I've had for a while. I have very little storage on-board my RV. What I have has to be packed, "Tetris-style," to maximize what I can carry in such a small volume. A couple of years ago I started using plastic, locking top boxes. They can be bought in a variety of sizes, have see-through sides and stack perfectly in my (an possibly yours) storage bays and cabinets. The problem was, small items ended up at the bottom of each bin, making you dig or unload an entire box to get to them. That's where micro storage comes in handy.

What are we talking about here? What's so small that it can get lost at the bottom of a plastic storage bin and be a P.I.T.A. to get to? My main one was hardware. You know, screws, nuts, bolts and washers. While I do have most of the new ones in kits, lots of extras I save ended up rattling around at the bottom of a drawer or in one of my storage bins. How about fuses? Coins? Bits of String? Really anything that will fit and is a nuisance at the bottom of a larger container is fair game.

Enter micro boxes. A long time ago my Grandfather used old baby food glass jars to store small items. It's a great idea, but I didn't like the idea of having glass containers bashing together while underway. These micro boxes are plastic, and the lids snap on securely. I bought a 10 pack of them for under $2.00 at a discount store. ($1.99 to be exact) Brilliant! I can fit over a dozen of these in each plastic bin AND still be able to put the lid on securely. Not that I NEED that many, but it's nice to know what's possible. I was pondering using them for food storage as well. Spices, sprinkles, cloves, etc. If it fits, it should work well. I haven't tested their water-tightness yet, so liquids will have to wait.

These come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Some with lids in different colors. You could color code your odds & ends! I'm losing it. Cabin fever, perhaps?

Looks Better Now!

This new storage medium got me thinking about ease of access to the stuff I already carry. So much of it is "one of these and another of those" kind of things, and it can get really difficult to find any particular item. A while back, someone suggested labeling the individual boxes on the outside with exact contacts. That WOULD work, but what a HUGE amount of work to keep it up to date. I do have specific boxes for things like, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, ENTERTAINMENT, BULBS, and the like, but that's just a guideline. Over time they end up somewhat mixed despite my best efforts. I could use a spreadsheet style application and number the boxes, but really is that what I want to spend my leisure time on? Naaaahhhh!

I'll keep looking into it. There HAS to be a better way. I've got all winter to come up with a new solution. Or at least a different one. Of course, I could just stick with what I have and sort through them based on my "Swiss cheese" like memory. Ah well... I've got the whole winter to puzzle it out.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

Winter Blues - What to Do? Plan!

What Happened To "Global Warming?"

    Here we are again. After talking about Solar power for the last few weeks, it really didn't sink in that winter is here in the Northeast. I'm watching a snowstorm blow through while I write this. Of course, I didn't put my cover on the RV yet. I was too busy tinkering and testing the new solar panels. When I was in the rig yesterday, I noticed a small line of de-lamination on the wall next to my vanity mirror, below the light fixture. I had a small leak at one time that traveled down the curvature of the roof and ended up at the wall. I thought it was already fixed. Must be the cold shrinking the materials and the crack is back. Why do I bring this up now? Simple, it's a good time to plan your repairs and mods for the next season while you are forced to sit around and NOT go someplace in your RV!

Solar Thermal Roll (For HOT Water)

"Idle hands are the devil's hand-maidens." Umm, OK. That may be true, but I get antsy without some projects to keep me going until it warms up and I can get back on the road. What's planned so far? Well, I have the solar thermal hot water heater project that one should be fun AND useful. After that I've always wanted to replace the decals and refresh the paint on the lower 1/3 of my rig. I was looking at changing the curtains inside to gray? I am definitely going to re-visit the Lithium Phosphate battery question. I truly believe that it's the future for RV house batteries. Well, either that or some other new battery chemistry. I'm going to take a closer look at generating electricity from waste heat from the furnace, if it works well, it would be a great economizer, especially since you could extend your cold weather boondocking.

Typical RV Covers

Christmas is coming up! I have to get my list to Santa (and my friends and family!) out soon, I've been wanting a new cover for the RV. (Yes, I am well aware I forgot to put the old one on!) I've been eyeing a couple of welders so I can fabricate some heavier duty brackets and maybe a new battery drawer assembly and make other repairs as they come up. Oh, and an in motion satellite dome. OK that last one isn't all that useful, since I mostly travel alone. Watching TV while driving is  BAD! But they are much better protected than my current crank up dish and far more streamlined. Of course, They are higher than the folded dish, so I'd have to re-examine solar panel shading. You see, it's easy to get excited about projects you haven't even started! The imagination is a powerful tool, my friends.

An "Off The Beaten Path" Aviation Museum Find

Trip planning, is also a great way to pass the winter slow times. I try and seek out new places to explore, maybe even boldly going where I haven't been. Sorry, bit of a geek moment there. The internet is a great place to ferret out new and interesting destinations. I've found some really good ones over the last few years.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's always seem to be hectic without getting much done.  I have a great time (mostly) but feel a bit like I am shirking my responsibilities. Maybe I'm just replacing one set of responsibilities with another, but you get the idea!

Much as I prefer warmer, nicer weather, the snow does look beautiful. Especially on Christmas eve and day. While I may not dream of a white Christmas, it's sure nice when it happens!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com