Things were at a dead standstill for a while after moving my trailer to the new service location. Finally things got going. I had chosen Rick’s RV in Tucson to finish what had been started. Including fixing the solar panel frame, install the new heat and some other things I needed like a real deadbolt on the door. One real big issue that came up is emptying the black water tank. On my good days I can only pull the handle half the way required to empty it. On my bad days, I cannot make it out to the handle. Bad days can last up to a span of 3 months, so greasing the handle will not help. In the beginning I thought “no problem”. I would just higher one of those services that go around and empty RV tanks. Boy was I off! I know people in New Mexico that use those services, not cheap, but the cost is manageable. In Arizona, no such services exist. The only option would be a septic pumping service. Very costly! So Rick will also be installing and electric black-water valve, that will have a button I can press from inside to empty the tank.
I made a trip to Arizona to look at spaces and see the progress made on my trailer.
The heat is mostly installed.
The solar frame is fixed and can be adjusted anywhere from flat to about 45 degrees. Notice the pieces that were sticking up to shade the panels are now gone, along with the hanging “cat toy” wires.
Everything else should be done by Tuesday. I hope….
Last Tuesday I went to Arizona and saw my trailer for the first time, since July when I bought it. It was a very long trip and a very long day. I cannot stay in any hotels, as they all have wifi, so I must make a straight round trip. On the way I pulled over at my favorite rest stop and shot this video. I cannot walk well enough to use any of the facilities at this rest stop, as they are quite far from the car.
My first stop was to see the progress on the trailer. It was a big disappointment. One of the exterior repairs on the corner was only half done and the solar is going to have to be redone. The installer had agreed to make the frame per my design and I confirmed this with him 3 times.
My Solar Stand Design
I ended up getting something else. The manufacturer of these panels informed me that this frame would cost me about 10% efficiency! The installer was angry that I could not have the panels, on the roof, due to the fact, I can NOT take the emissions, and I guess this is my punishment. There are more options on the ground: tilting them for the sun and being able to get solar, while parking in the shade. I deducted the frame from the bill and will be taking it elsewhere to have the adjustment bars changed to something that does not shade any of the solar cells. A few other things are going to have to be redone elsewhere, as well. Renogy gave me a name of someone they recommend.
Pieces sticking up will cast shade on panels!
Those wires will be the perfect play and chew toy for the first cat that comes along!
After that I felt kind of down. I then traveled 3 1/2 hours away to look at spaces in another area. My mouth stayed numb for a couple hours: there was a lot of RF radiation at the shop where the trailer was, though their wifi was off, the neighbors’ wifi was still going.
I had picked three very rural half empty parks to see, but only actually was able to consider one. The other 2 had no wired internet service available period. This is a requirement, when I can’t get to stores or even go in them, if I did. My food comes by fed-ex and UPS and so does every other necessity. Homebound people need some internet access. I drove for what seemed like eternity to see this park. It is out there. It felt calming to be away from the sprawl. The spaces I looked at were far from neighbors and would have been perfection had the power lines in the park not been hooked to the smart grid and were now RF antennas. After checking the most remote spaces, I tried some of the ones closer in. They were further from the lines, but still not good. The best one is about the same or better, than where I am now.
I am seriously considering it, in case my current landlords do not agree to give me more time. If they do not then I will go with this to avoid ending up in something worse, as it’s hard to find a place as good as the unsafe place I have now. Over time I can pay off the bills and continue to look for something further away from frequencies. It will be easier to find something if I am living in the state and do not have to drive a day each way to see these spaces. My goal is to get my own land to park on. This is also a bad time to find parking in Southern Arizona, as fall is, when all the snowbirds are after spaces. People tend to stay one last winter and give up their great long-term spaces in the spring.
After leaving the park, one of the other parks that had no internet service was on the way, so I stopped and checked it out. That way I would know about it, if the phone company ever expands their DSL area. This second park was far worse. There were smart meters on each post, pulsing away. The park itself was less densely populated and further away from anything. It was a very nice park. Too bad it was blasted by the smart meters.
So I will have to see if I can have till spring or if I will have to make a lateral move, as far as RFs go and take the best of what I saw today so I can be out in October. Outside of RFs it’s a big improvement: No blasting train, a nicer area, more peaceful and a better environment.
Primadonnagoingoffgrid 