Category Archives: what hell kind of changes are we making now?

When we started this adventure, we had 2 MiFi hotspots, a Verizon (20gbs) and a AT&T (10gbs) and via a friend, we found another Verizon based one that was unlimited 3G. We also learned how to force both 4g MiFi’s to use only 3g which prevents some of the needless advertisement/bandwidth burning crap for loading, as well as we are learning to surf with our iPads or iPhones more.

Using our WiFi Ranger, we was lucky enough to have a good connection while at TNC Patagonia for 6 months whch you just never realize how good it was until you no longer have access to it. While we was on the road, we only had a few days/stops where we had issues with getting online, but over all we figured it out and life went on.

While staying here at Fort Falgler, we discovered that it also matters how you park, we had issues getting connected while parking East/West and really good connection parking North/South. This is the sort of things you must think about when you live in a box.

Of course, the majority of of our surfing was done using the unlimited MiFi which worked out great until late January when all the sudden, we was not getting any connection at all, which forced us to call the service provider only to be informed that they discontinued the unlimited MiFi as well as their MiFi service, so thanks for the memories and thanks for letting us know in advance.

I love great customer service like that…

So now for the first time in a year plus of living in a box, we are limited on bandwidth and quite honestly, it sucks huge snot balls. (I can keep it clean, or not be gross, I can not do both.)

When you work online, you must be online. But even when you are not working, you want to blog, or read other blogs, or catch the sports scores, or read your favorite news site, watch tutorial videos and whatever else. You find out fast that you burn up a ton of bandwidth on stupid crap like auto play videos and flash and banners of some stupid advertisement or whatever else there is to burn your bandwidth. Not to mention when you are missing episode 2 of “True Detective” on your DVR and do not want to start watching the series until you know you have the bandwidth to finish it via HBOGO.

We had our Verizon shut off 2 days ago for burning 29+gbs. How we got 9+ gbs of over usage before they shut it off, I have no idea, I think it’s insane I can’t see how much I use of it just by looking at it, but I’m starting another rant… And of course the AT&T was also .33 from maxing out, but lucky for us, that was set to reset for the month that night.

It is just too stressful to worry about something stupid like bandwidth, so a few days ago Pauline ordered a new MiFi hotspot and it should arrive tomorrow. It is also a Verizon, this is a newer model that we can not force to stay in 3G, but we have read other blogs who give it positive reviews, so we will now have 50gbs worth of bandwidth.

The plan is to make this new one iPad/iPhone only until we can figure out what the best system is and change as needed.

We decided to start making plans this Spring/Summer for redoing the interior of Ackbar.

We have needed a new overhead cabinet in the driving area since we got Ackbar. The overhead entertainment center was built in 2002 when the TV’s were still square, so we had them take the TV out and I cut the bottom half of the TV area off since it was blocking WAY too much windscreen. Not that we had any use for the entertainment center anyway since we do not even face that direction when we are home having gutted the sofa and table out for our desk.

We think we want to do it ourselves. We tried to hire a friend of a friend, but he declined, and we did find a guy who offered to do it for $350 which we almost (and still might) jump on, he told me it was pretty much to cover the cost of the materials, he just loved wood working.

Pauline and I also love to do woodworking. We just suck at it. And have no real clue. And did not have the space or most of the tools needed. But we do have hard heads and strong wills.

We now have access to a VERY nice wood shop. And if we plan it out right and take our time and do small areas over trying to do it all at once, we can do this on our own.

We think…

Maybe…

For the overhead driving area, we want a nice, but simple cabinet. We need to figure out what we really want to use the space for, to store _____ and build to that end. I have been looking online of “how” and I think I have an idea, but of course the only REAL way of knowing how to do this is tearing out the current particle “wood” cabinets and look at what is holding it up. Not a big deal, its not exactly pleasant to look at now, but I hate the idea of starting something and not being able to finish it.

For the slide out, we want to rip it all out. Everything. The desk, the overhead cabinet. The interior walls. An almost complete gut job, just so we know what is there and that it is done exactly how we want it done. Which means more power outlets desk top high and not on the floor (Need a electrician to do this.)

Remove the over head cabinet that blocks the upper 1/4th of our windows, and putting a cabinet in the center floor area with 4 large sliding baskets, that will take everything food wise we keep in the overhead now. The office related crap in the overhead can go over the drivers. (Which we hardly use at all currently.)

And of course, insulate the entire slide out properly, with the best insulation we can find and as much of it as we can stuff in there. And remove the tile floor with insulated thick carpet.

And pretty much do the same thing with the kitchen are and bathroom. Just not all at once. We are thinking this can be done over the next 1-3 years. It all depends on time, money, knowledge, stress levels etc. But once we start to work on a section, it will need to be done ASAP. So this will take careful, well thought out, advanced planning.

We are so screwed…