So where am I at with things? Well, my house (the one without wheels) is looking less and less like someplace anyone would ever want to live. Between my job, my show, and working on (and getting used to living in) the RV, cleaning hasn't been a terribly high priority. Things are slowly getting packed and parceled out to go to their new homes, and certain items have already been moved. Some into the RV, some to friends, some to the curb.
The RV on the other hand, is a vexing thing. I am slowly plucking my way through my to-do list, but for everything I get done, I discover two or three more that need my attention. However, it dawned on me about a week ago that, as I've checked things off the list, I've managed to get damn close to having the RV in a state where it could easily, and comfortably, lived in, so for now, I've rearranged that pesky to-do list to push me in that direction.
I have five major things that need to be done before I could potentially live in the RV, and only one thing on top of that to fulfill my dream of off-the-grid living.
- After doing some research, and asking people who know far better than I do, it's likely that the engine troubles would be more or less solved with a simple, thorough tune up. Luckily, the engine is a common one (Chevy 454 Big Block), and pretty straight forward. Changing fluids and filters, plugs and wires, should only be a few hours work.
- I still haven't filled up the water tank. I've tested the water pump, and it works, and I've "tested" the toilet for liquid functions, and it works, but anything else water related is still an unknown. There's a decision I need to make, which I'll discuss in a moment, before I should go forward here though.
- I have hooked up a propane tank, and it damn near could have killed me. The previous owner replaced the propane/electric refrigerator with an all electric one, I knew that much. What I didn't know is that the propane line that the old refrigerator was hooked up to is still wide open. As soon as the gas is turned on, it pours out of that line, just waiting for a stray spark to blow my RV to pieces. With my fingers crossed, I'll be closing that line tomorrow, and actually getting to test the gas appliances.
- Where the Rooftop Air Conditioners used to be, I have now discovered that I have two very leaky bits of roof. This should be an easy fix. Slop some leak sealant around and problem solved. This is another item on tomorrow's to do list. Once spring rolls around and the weather comes back up and they'll be needed, then I'll put new ACs on. Unless I decide to do it sooner.
- The final thing to do to get the RV in a liveable state is one that I'm looking forward to least. The bathroom needs to be scrubbed clean from top to bottom. Of all the of the spaces in the RV, the bathroom is in the worse condition. None of the light fixtures work, there's still junk in there from the previous owner, and if I were a more discerning person, the toilet should really be replaced (this is still an option later on. for now I'm just focusing on getting everything functional).
- And finally, I'm almost ready to install the solar panels. I've been window shopping and reading and learning the tricks that I'll need to get the RV entirely electrically self-sufficient. All that's holding me back here is money. Between the Solar Panels, Charge Controller, Power Inverter, new deep-cycle batteries, and the various odds and ends (plugs and wires, 110v wire, 12v wire), I'm looking at an investment about half of what I paid for the RV itself. My hope is that they'll be in place by mid-November.
Once these five (or six) items are checked off the list, and barring anything else popping up to stop me (there's a lot of opportunity for that to happen), the RV is more or less done. When I say done, I don't mean 100%. There will always be upgrades to make (light fixtures, gas detector, toilet, blinds), piddly fixes (cigarette lighters, bedroom door, couch upholstery), annoying recurring problems (blowing light bulbs and fuses, batteries dying), and creature comforts to install (wifi, gps, stripper pole, bat signal). No, when I say "the RV is done", what I mean is that, everything I would need to live comfortably works, and I'm faced with that decision I mentioned earlier.
When do I make the move? Do I pull the band-aid off now and see how well I can handle the winter, or do I wait until spring and face another season of high bills and expensive rent? This is a terrifying choice to make, and I don't know that waiting through the winter will make it any less scary. I honestly don't have an answer yet.
Tomorrow will be a day full of RV work, so I plan on a pretty substantial update. Hold me to it, yea?
-Z
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