Horse Trades

 

 

 

I think Tracy should have been a horse trader.

 

My great grandfather was a horse trader by profession. Every year at our family reunion the subject of my great grandfather's horse trading comes up. I have heard some of the same old stories about Great Grandpa Hough and his many trades, but my favorite story is about a trade he made for a horse that he described as "not looking too good." The man who bought the horse thought he looked just fine and took him home. As the story goes the man called my great grandfather a couple of days later to report that the horse was blind. It's reported that my great grandfather's reply was "Well mister, I told you he didn't look too good!"

 

This week we got a washing machine / dryer combo unit. It is awesome. It's a washer and dryer all in one unit. I have always wondered why we had separate units and thought someone should invent one these. As it turns out someone did.

 

These units usually retail for around $1400, and finding a good used unit is next to impossible. So we put this on our wish list. When Tracy installed the new shower he went ahead and plumbed for a washer and dryer.

 

As luck would have it we have some neighbors here in the RV park we are staying at that had a unit they did not use or want. They took the washer/dryer out to install a dishwasher. Tracy struck a deal for the washer/dryer. He traded a 30 year old band saw, some cheap sockets, and an old, well used drill for the washer/dryer. I feel like we got the better end of the deal. We are now the proud owners of a Splendide (also known as Westland) 2100XC vented washer/dryer.

 

I do have to report that Tracy only electrocuted himself once while working on the installation of the unit.

Our new washer. The Splendide 2100XC

 

We spent our fair share of time at Home Depot this week.

 

We needed more storage space and decided to make a small pantry for the kitchen. This would free up the two over head bins in the living area. Tracy found some sliding brackets on which to mount the pantry so that we can pull it out but still hold it in place while we are driving.

 

We must have spent three hours in Home Depot. I know Doug and I followed Tracy back and fourth across the store three times while he tried to decide what materials he needed to make the pantry. Doug didn't mind so much because all of the employees and regulars at the Home Depot in Waco, Texas know Doug. So he gets a lot of attention when we go there.

 

My trusted companion: Doug

 

 As soon as we got into the car Doug passed out. I just wished I could.

 

Tracy has the pantry installed but we have to go back to Home Depot to get more trim. He will finish out the trim once we pick some up. I will post more pictures after it is fully completed.

 

 

Pantry Construction

Pantry Construction

 

Pantry: Installed, waiting on trim.
Yes, Tracy we see you.

Pantry: Sitting flush with wall.
View from galley.

 

Pantry: Pulled out.
View from galley

Pantry:  Pulled out.
View from living room.

Pantry: Mounted on sliding brackets.

 

 

I am glad to report that Tracy only had one staple gun accident while making the pantry.

 

While Tracy worked on the pantry I started working on the roman shades for the side windows. They are coming along quite well. Since this is the first time I have ever made a set of roman shades I have to confess that I did not expect them to be so hard to complete. Fortunately, I only have to make two. I am almost finished with the first shade and will post pictures as soon I am done.

 

I also took the time to make a couple of hedge hog hot pads for our oldest daughter. I found the pattern on line and she fell in love. These are so cute I couldn't resist. It seems that everyone I show these to wants a set. I am thinking about selling them for around $5.00 each or  $8.50 a set.

 

Hedge Hog hot pad

 

 The Big Lebowski needed leveling this week.

 

After Tracy got the pantry installed yesterday he decided to level the motorhome. We had started to lean a little. Well, we were leaning a lot. I felt like I was in one of those fun houses at a carnival where everything is skewed and leaning.

 

I was sitting outside visiting with my mother while Tracy worked on leveling the Big Lebowski. We were enjoying the nice day and drinking iced tea. It was a lovely visit until Mayhem showed up.

 

While Tracy was adjusting the jacks on the motorhome there was sudden jerk and the Big Lebowski rolled back off the wheel stops. This knocked the Big Lebowski off the leveling jacks, causing a large air tank that had gotten set under the Big Lebowski to get punctured.

 

Mom and I both ran. I didn't drop my tea. I don't know about mom, but I almost peed my pants because of the sound the air made as it escaped the cylinder. Fortunately, the cylinder did not become projectile. It was firmly lodged under the Big Lebowski. We just waited and watched while the air tank lost its pressure. I swear someone better stop that character Mayhem in his tracks before I have a heart attack.

The lesson learned here is to not use the cheap little aluminum wheel stops. They don't work with a large vehicle. Spend the money and get a decent set.

 

We got an early visit from the Easter Bunny.

 

Before we moved in to the Big Lebowski I had Tracy install a cat door into one of the basement compartments to house the litter box. Tracy has been leaving the basement door unlatched so that Princess Kitty Princess and Boss Lady can come and go at their leisure. Its not so bad during the day because we are up and can supervise their activity, but at night I prefer not to leave it open.

 

I have been telling Tracy that because the weather is warming up we should close the basement door so the cats do not bring us a present, or another animal doesn't come visit us. He prefers to leave it open because the cats wake him up wanting in and out at night.

 

After waking up at 6:30 this morning to a little baby rabbit in our bed. I bet that door gets closed tonight.

 

I want to thank all of our readers and subscribers.

We have gotten a great deal of positive feed back and are glad so many of you are enjoying our blog. If you have not subscribed to the blog you can still do so. The subscribe button is near the top of the page on the right hand side.

I included links to some of the items we bought in case anyone is interested in them. We are members of the Amazon Associates program so if you purchase these items we make a small percentage of the sale price. I will be adding a page about my Thermal Cooker in the next few days because I think it is the most awesome piece of cookware I have ever owned. I have gotten a lot of questions about it and hope the new page helps answer some of them.

Injury tally for the week:

Splinter - 1
Staple injury - 1
Electrocution - 1
 

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Here is a link to the washer/dryer we have:

Westland WD2100XC White Vented Combo Washer/Dryer

Here is a link to the hardware I am using for the Roman Shades:
All-in-One ROMAN SHADE HARDWARE KIT, in White (cord lock, pulleys, cord, brackets, cleats, rings)

Here is a link to the drawer slides we used for our new pantry:
Liberty D80614C-ZP-W 14-Inch Ball Bearing Drawer Slides

Here is a link to the new wheel stops we purchased:
Camco 44414 Wheel Chock - Pack of 2

Funyuns and Raisinettes

As I have previously explained my husband Tracy is the kind of person to jump in with both feet. As a result stuff tends to happen. Disaster follows him like a cloud of dust. I am always looking over my shoulder for that character “Mayhem” from the Allstate commercials.

I would like to say that the stuff that happens is really just the normal cuts and scrapes of being an active person, and that I exaggerate; but it’s not. There’s the time he got hung up on two fence pickets that stuck in his chest, there’s the time he cut his leg open with a chain saw, there’s the time he was riding his motor cycle and got ran over by an 18-wheeler,…you get the picture. If he were a cat, his nine lives would have been up a long time ago.

 

My night in shinning armor: Tracy

A couple of weeks ago Tracy picked me up from work eating Funyuns and Raisinettes, and drinking a big Coke.  I was a little surprised to see him eat these, especially in this combination. Tracy is normally a walnuts and cranberries kind of snack food eater.

We had the normal conversation at first, the traditional “Hi, how was your day.” All the while he’s downing a big movie theatre size box of Raisinettes, a huge bag of Funyuns, and swigging the Coke like a starving man. The whole time I am wondering what in the world is going on with him. This is not my husband. Something was off, way off.

After several minutes of listening to him talk, and watching him eat I had to ask “Tracy, are you ok? Have you been drinking?” Tracy is not a drinker, so for me to ask this means something was really off about him.

“Well, no. I don’t think so. Maybe.” was the answer I received. I looked at him thinking, “What? Which is it?”

“I don’t feel right.” He says.

“I wouldn’t feel right either if I ate all those Funyuns and Raisinettes.”

“No. I got hit in the head.”  

“Great! You probably have a concussion.”

I will spare you the gory details about his head being split open in three different places.  

It was twenty-four hours later that I found out what happened. Tracy was working on the motorhome and had the basement doors open. While he was kneeling down to get something out of the basement compartments the wind must have caught the door just right and caused the latch that holds the door up to let go. The basement door slammed down onto his head.

I think Tracy should be required to wear a safety helmet at all times. I am surprised our insurance company does not demand he wear a protective bubble. Being on a first name basis with the emergency room staff and having the doctor’s office on speed dial is no laughing matter to me. I have a deluxe medic’s bag for a first aid kit and it gets used quite often.

He never promised me an easy life, to remember my birthday every year, or to send flowers every Valentine’s Day. What he did promise me was that life with him would never be boring. Twenty-five years later I have to give him credit for keeping his promise, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish he had not kept that promise.

We are excited to get started traveling but are waiting for Spring Break to end and the weather to warm up a little, but when things like this happen I get a little anxious. I worry, that’s just part of who I am.
 

If anyone finds that character “Mayhem” from the Allstate commercials tell him I said to stay away. We don’t need his help.

 

Thanks to everyone who has subscribed so far. Your support means a lot to us and we are happy to share our experiences with  you. If you would like to subscribe so that you are notified by email when a new blog entry is posted the subscribe tool is near the top of the page on the right hand side. Your email address will not be shared.

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Creature Comforts: A Tall Toilet and Water Heater Smackdown

A great cup of coffee, air conditioning, hot shower, clean toilet, and a comfortable bed....

These are a few of my favorite things.  Let's get real, these are things I refuse to do without. We all have those deal breakers, the things we think we can not do without for very long. If I am going to live in a motorhome, it better be comfortable.

The original bathroom in the Big Lebowski was way too small. There was no way it would serve our needs. The bathtub/shower combo was, for the lack of a better word, micro. It was large enough to bathe a Yorkie, but since I don't own one and have no plans to acquire  one, it needed to go.

The original toilet was plastic, set low to the ground, and well used. There is just something about using someone else's toilet that makes me uncomfortable. I also wanted one that was more like home. We opted to get a tall porcelain toilet.

Another item we wanted to include in the bathroom upgrade was an on demand water heater. The original water heater had a seven gallon tank and took an hour to heat. That adds up to a lot of propane when two people are trying to get a bath each day. Plus it meant having to take "Navy Showers". I am not in the Navy. When you have a head full of curly hair and girly parts to wash, that seven gallons of hot water does not go far. Even when taking a "Navy Shower".

Bathroom Before: Bathtub/Shower Combo

Bathroom Before: Lavatory and Vanity

Bathroom Before: Toilet (I like to think of it as a
 potty training toilet for two year olds)

We stripped the bathroom down to nothing.

We took out the old plumbing and Tracy went to work making the bathroom as comfortable as possible. While installing the new plumbing lines Tracy took advantage of the opportunity to install plumbing for an RV washer and dryer. Eventually we will add one because frequent trips to a laundry mat are not my idea of fun, but for now we are just planning for the future.

During Bathroom: New plumbing, flooring

We ordered the new shower basin and walls from an online retailer. These cost us just over $600, and shipped out rather quickly. We had to get these installed before ordering the glass surround and door. So for a few days after moving in we had to use a shower curtain. We were able to custom order the glass surround and door from a local retailer, Waco Glass and Mirror, for far less than we could order them online. Plus Waco Glass and Mirror took the measurements for the glass and frame, so if the measurements were wrong we could easily return it. Tracy opted to do the installation himself so that we could save $100. 



After: New shower basin and walls

After: New shower basin and walls



After: New shower walls, marine vinyl covers
the gap between ceiling and shower wall



The glass door and frame took about a hundred swear words and an hour and a half to install.

The glass door and surround came in about 30 pieces. It was a lot like putting together a 3-D puzzle. The written instructions were not too helpful. If we had not had a little experience at this kind of stuff it might not have gotten put together so quickly. Everything we needed from screws to the rubber seals were included. We only needed to supply the clear silicone caulk, and hand tools for the installation.



During Bathroom Remodel: Installation of glass shower door and surround

During Bathroom Remodel: Installation of glass shower door and surround

During Bathroom Remodel: Installation of glass shower door and surround

During Bathroom Remodel: Installation of glass shower door and surround

During Bathroom Remodel: Installation of glass shower door and surround

After: New Shower

After: New Shower, future broom closet.

We decided to get a neo-classic corner shower. We knew that we would have to give up some square footage for a larger shower, but it would be worth it.  While measuring and taping out our options on the floor we discovered that the corner shower gave us more bathing space while taking up less floor space. It is not exactly what we originally wanted but it is far better than with what we started. Shaving my legs is a little challenging, but I have been searching for a reason to stop.

During the construction of the glass shower surround and doors, Tracy installed some small colored LED lights around the top of the glass. They glow either green, blue, or red. The glow is just bright enough to serve as a night light without being so bright we can not sleep. I prefer the blue light, but the green is not so bad either. The red light just makes me feel like I am in a red light district.

The throne for giants.

If there is one thing I have learned, it's how and when to pick my battles. We purchased our toilet from a local RV shop. The original unit sat on a raised platform which was covered with the faded mauve carpet. Being the daughter of a plumber I understood the purpose of the platform, but having worked in a Microbiology Lab for 15 years my gag reflexes started working over time. When I caught site of that faded mauve poop trap I just knew thirty years of C. diff  and E. coli were lurking like a creepy mouth breather, waiting to lash out and kill us.

Tracy removed the carpeting, recovered the platform with some of the left over flooring, and installed the toilet. Hmmm...with the added height of the platform the toilet was more than a little tall. We had gone from a toilet that could easily have doubled as a potty chair to a toilet that was made for professional basketball players.

Tracy is normally a perfectionist, so I was a little surprised when he did not go the extra mile and cut down the drain pipe to lower the platform. In his defense we were getting close to our deadline and moving day was just around the corner.

After: New Throne

I did not say a word. I kept my mouth shut and bought a step stool.

I don't know if it was because Tracy was tired of tripping over the step stool or if something else caused him to change his mind, but I won. I came home from work one evening and Tracy had lowered the toilet.

No more cold showers = No more body odor.

The new water heater came about two weeks after we moved into the Big Lebowski. We had started pricing the on demand water heaters shortly after we got the motorhome. When we first started looking the going retail price was around $1200. We got an Attwood 90205 On-Demand Hot Water Heater for just less than $600 at Amazon in early February.

This is the water heater we bought.

I am so thrilled with the new water heater. We have had a cold, wet winter here in Texas and taking “Navy Showers” was brutal. The old water heater was only seven gallons and we had to remember to turn it on an hour before showering. After that seven gallons was gone it was another hour before we had hot water again. It seems like that would be enough, but it’s not. So both of us taking a bath every day was a ballet requiring planning and coordination.  I felt like I had to choose between washing my body and washing my hair. After the first week I cut my hair.

 After watching our neighbor take two days to install his new water heater, I do not feel bad about it taking six hours for Tracy to get ours installed. The biggest problem was that the work space is small, and you can not always see what you are doing. The next problem was that we misunderstood what "exact fit" means. The specifications listed the new water heater as an exact fit for our old water heater. Not so fast, as it turns out exact fit means it has the same foot print. The connections were on the opposite side from our old unit.

Old water heater: The old water heater was original  the
Big Lebowski and only heater 7 gallons an hour.
It was full of sediment. We joked that it was
really just a 3 gallon unit.

Our biggest mistake with the purchase of the water heater was to not spend the extra $30 to buy the new door. Again, "Exact Fit". The vent was on the opposite side as our current door. Tracy had to modify our old door until we could order a replacement.

 The actual installation only took three hours. The remaining three hours were spent trying to track down the leak. Tracy made about 100 trips to the interior and back out to the exterior of the motorhome. Doug and I sat in a chair outside and watched. We learned a lot of dirty words that night.

New tankless / on-demand water heater.
I am spoiled for life.

A good nights sleep cures everything.

We eventually decided to just go to bed. I figured after a good nights sleep Tracy would feel better and get it figured out. Sure enough, he woke up early, and declared he knew where the leak was coming from.

I bit my tongue as I watched him pull up a piece of the new flooring and cut a hole in the floor of the Big Lebowski. He reached into the hole and held up a piece of piping with a factory screw stuck in the side. We guess with all the pulling on the piping during the installation of the new water heater the screw must have lost some of its grip on the pipe and sprung a leak.

Upgrades and little changes.

Tracy installed black out tint on the windows so you cannot see the interior from the outside. We had some left over from a job he did for a Dollar General store front a couple of years ago. I am so glad we hung onto it. I was a little apprehensive about tinting all the windows. I was worried the tint would make the interior too dark. It is darker, but not so dark that I feel like I live in a cave. The tint has made a huge difference on hot days.

We changed all the light bulbs to LED lights and have been slowly replacing the lighting fixtures as we go. The original lighting fixtures are dated and the covers block the light. We added a couple of extra fixtures while working on the bathroom and dining area. Something about hitting your mid-forties makes your eyes go wonky.

Tracy and I made a new sink cover. The sink cover helps enlarge your counter space because space is at a premium when you are trying to make a sandwich. We cut and sanded a piece of pine. Then we printed out some vintage travel stickers from Google images and used Modge Podge to stick them to the wood. Once it dried Tracy used Parks Super Glaze to seal and preserve the wood. We had a lot of fun working together on this project and I think it is the most beautiful sink cover in existence.

Freshly sanded and ready for stickers.

This is the epoxy glaze we used
for the sink cover and table.
I highly recommend this product not be used around cats.

Finished sink cover.

We used the same Parks Super Glaze to seal and preserve our new dining table. We found a really nice piece of 1” pine and cut it to our needed length and width. Tracy sanded and coated it with the glaze. I ordered two marine folding brackets to mount the table just under the window in the Big Lebowski’ where the old dinette had once been. We had kept the folding leg from the old dinette table and I ordered a matching folding leg to use as additional support. The brackets and legs allow us to fold the table down against the wall when we need additional floor space.

These are the marine brackets we used for the table.
The walls will eventually get recovered with marine grade vinyl.

Our new table a stools.

I don't recommend you use the glaze if cats are present.

I love the imperfections of homemade things, it gives them character and history. The history behind my table? Tracy spent an hour making sure the glaze was even and smooth before he set it out to dry. He must have forgotten about the cats because thirty minutes later we had a cat stuck to the middle of the table. Princess Kitty Princess was not happy. She spent the better part of two weeks trying to get the epoxy off her paws. So if you look very closely you can see little paw prints in my table.

So close yet so far.

The major work on the bathroom is finished, but we still have a little ways to go before we done. There is still work to be done with the old vanity. We had to remove the lavatory, cut the counter, and cabinet down to make room for the shower. There is now an open space where we plan to create a small broom closet and make a small counter top for the remaining portion of the cabinet. We could not just remove the cabinet because what remains houses the water heater. For now I hung our old metal Ex-Lax sign.

Future home of a broom closet and small vanity.
I am thinking of making the top like our sink cover.

New window coverings are in the planning, but I will not be able to finish them until I stop working. I plan on making roman shades for the side and back windows of the Big Lebowski. My last day is this coming Friday, so it won’t be long. 

We have to wait for the weather to warm up to finish covering the walls with the marine grade vinyl. The spray adhesive will not work if the temperature is less than 65°F and it is going to take both of us to get the job done. We have to do this first before we can finish anything else.

I will keep posting as we finish each project so be sure to subscribe to our blog.

I have provided links to some of the items we purchased on Amazon for anyone that is interested at looking into them. If you purchase them please use the link and we will get a small fee from Amazon. It won’t be much but it will help keep the internet on so we can keep blogging.

Let us know what you think of our handy work so far and leave a comment below. Be sure to share us with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. I have also included a Flipboard widget for readers who would like to save our posts for future enjoyment.

Attwood 90205 On-Demand Hot Water Heater

Rust-Oleum 241352 Parks Super Glaze Ultra Crystal Pour On Epoxy Finish Kit, Clear Gloss

Amarine-made Polished Stainless Steel Folding Shelf Bench Table Folding Shelf or Bracket, Max Load: 330lb, Short Release Arm

6 sets of Gold Stars 11568301-06 LED Replacement Bulb 1003 / 1141 / 1156 Base 120 LUMS 12V or 24V Natural White

TRINITY Aluminum Work Stool

Progressive Dynamics (PD782WSBCV) Double Ceiling Light

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