Daily Archives: Wednesday April 3rd, 2013

We spent 9am to 1:45pm today at the dealers getting the tow master issue resolved. It APPEARS it has been fixed and it is working as it should. We have hooked everything up and tested it about 12 times today and we will do it a few more times tomorrow. We just want to be sure while we are here and not 1,200 miles away from free warranty work.

Last night around 10 pm the furnace decided to not work again. It did work at 8am today. It did not work at 10am at the dealer, and the technicians witnessed it, so there was a issue. We had 3 guy’s at one time or another working on it. We discovered there is such a thing as “bad propane” so they drained the line’s and when that didn’t resolve the issue they did more test and decided to once more replace the “brain” as well as more wire’s around the furnace just in case there is a bad wiring issue etc.

And since they had to order part’s we get to be back at the dealer’s at 9am tomorrow.

Joy.

And to make the day complete, Pauline discovered moisture build up between the passenger side window. Directly in front of the mirror. This was taken care of 2-3 months ago. Or so we thought. It cost us $350. It took 3 days. I am not at all amused.

We meet with the “window guy” while we are at the dealers in the morning. I am not pleased of the known option’s. I am hoping he can perform magic.

Tonight I discovered water leaking from the water heater (outside). It COULD be as simple as the plastic drain plug needs replaced or tightened.

Yeah, sure it could be.

We are getting more efficient and comfortable in Ackbar. He is so close to be “perfect” right now. Well perfect by our definition. We just have to resolves these final issue’s and we can be going on our way.

Due to staying here longer and the need/desire to get to the area we want to be, we are planning our route and it appears we will be doing a 7-10 hour driving day. It just works out better for us if we make this sacrifice.

When we go on hike’s we always try to do the hardest part of the hike as soon as we can, that way when you accomplish the hard part of the hike, it’s all easy from there. So we wanted to do the hard day as soon as we could to get it out of the way.

At the moment, the planned route is from McMinnville, OR to Grant’s Pass, OR (About 4 hours) and stay 1 -2 nights. From Grant’s Pass to Chowchilla, CA area for 2-3 nights which would get us time to spend a day in Yosemite. No hike’s this time. Damn. From Chowchilla to the Joshua Tree National Park area and from there to Yuma, AZ and from there to Patagonia until August.

All we need to figure out is the dates.

Daphna and Allen was nice enough to allow us to live in our box in the back alley of their house from February 20, 2013 to April 2, 2013. It did not have sewage hook up’s and the power was only 20 amps (Ha!) and it was cold and too damn cold at time’s, but it was a great month plus for us.

We got to do some projects without worry of a park manager telling us “you can’t do that here” or whatever. They have a 40′ RV parking lot in their back alley, and once you close your eyes and just do it, parking there is easy.

Of course, if just 1 of the 3 obstacles (Garage roof corner, end of fence next to bamboo, and neighbor across the alley’s fence post.) I had to deal with was just 6″ farther, this would have been a breeze. But they are not 6″ farther, so I just did what I needed to do and closed my eyes.

I got in/out about 6 times total with only 1 mishap, I scratched the front bumper on drivers side by a 3″ nail no one saw sticking out of the fence. That is how close I had to get Ackbar to all 3 obstacles at one point or another during this adventure.

I learned a lot on just parking Ackbar in such a tight area. I am much more confident in driving and parking. Not too confident to get cocky, but confident enough I know for a fact, I can parallel park Ackbar, since I have done it.

Daphna and Allen will never know the appreciation we will always have for them allowing us this great honor of staying in the back alley. They have done so much for us already. It’s good to be Loved.

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – Why yes I can parallel park a RV, why do you ask?

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – Why yes I can parallel park a RV, why do you ask?

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – This fence post was 1 of 3 obstacles.

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – The left side fence post (front of red tarp) the corner of the roof on right side and the fence behind me (as I take this pic) are the 3 obstacles.

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – Allen wanted to put the bridge outside our door to the fence gate. I said no.

04/01/2013 – Everett, WA – Living in a box in the back alley of my best friend’s house. – Don’t mess up the dirt pile.