I hate plumbing

We haven't been camping in a while, but I feel obligated to put something up here every so often even if we aren't camping.  This post does deal with some issues leading up to camping next weekend, though.

As with many old things, they require much upkeep.  An old Airstream is no exception; perhaps the leader on the repair list, actually.  Airstreams were (and still are) made good in comparison to others, but they still need repair.  In my case today, it is my motorhome.  I de-winterized it finally the other day.  I detected both front low-point drain valves leaking around the stem of the valve.  No biggy I thought, remove the valve body, get new, screw in, done!  Not so.  Apparently no one "repairs" valves any more.  They just replace.  I even called the local plumbing store that has ANYTHING you need and the guy said, "Ah, no, we don't carry that.  We'd just replace the valve."  So I wasn't about to try to set a torch to remove 35 year old solder from valves that are sitting right on the (wood) floor.  So I decided to cut out the valves and fashion all new out of CPVC and then splice back in with Shark-Bite fittings.  Very easy to do IF your old copper pipes have not expanded due to being frozen with water in them at some point.  When that happens, life sucks.  That's where I'm at.  I fixed an issue with some 1/2" copper that had expanded, but the 3/8" line feeding the hot side...nope.  So I've opted to cut yet again but further back into the system.  I will have to deal now with 1/4" line that T's off of the 1/2 and 3/8 lines and goes to the kitchen faucet.  But, hopefully now I'm far enough up-stream that nothing has expanded.

On a similar note.  I would have also been dead in the water tonight since my CPVC epoxy was unusable when I opened the can.  Things you should check before beginning the project...

An Argosy Panorama

This has been a long time in the making.  In 2 weeks time, it will mark the 1 year anniversary of purchasing our Argosy motor home.  It was a weird trip home from the point of purchase, which was 7 hours drive from our home.  We've put time and money into it here and there.  Finally, as of yesterday, our last major plan for what we wanted to put in / on to the Argosy finally came together.  Yeah, they're all Zip-Dees, and no, they aren't cheap; but the pictures do them no justice.  She's rally beautiful with her wings spread...

This one makes me laugh.  It reminds me of the motor home in "Spaceballs" that had wings and flew through space.

As much as I love a front end shot, I think I like this one best.  It shows the major exterior improvements.  Awnings,  wheel covers, air conditioner shroud, pin striping, mirrors.

Spring Break, part 3

Our spring break trip ended with an Airstream rally, the TAC Amish Country rally in our home-area of Wooster, Ohio.  It was a weather shock when we arrived.  We had used our air conditioner the last night in VA, when we arrived in Wooster we found cold and windy weather.  I went from shorts and a T-shirt to needing my Carhartt...which I didn't have!  Nevertheless, we adapted and the rally turned out to be a success once again with new hosts in charge.  As you can see below, the kids had plenty of fun.  Daddy had lots of fun making pulled pork, too!  I love any pot-luck contribution where I can prepare it by sitting around for 6 hours socializing and drinking during its preparation.  This post is more pictures than words, but I love a good rally and pictures say so much more than words.

Colonial toys...whack the circle with a stick.  Hours of fun!

Even an SoB joined us!  Actually, I've seen him at more TAC rallies than some Airstream owners.

Yeah, there's Airstreams in this picture, but there's something much more important; and the wind that was "bothering" us most of the day made for a wonderful picture.

As with any good rally...people sitting in a circle and socializing

Another common rally sight; checking out everyone else's gear.

In case anyone was unsure of what goes on during the day at a rally (notice the smoker!)

The kids are still playing

And playing...

Me pulling my meat for everyone to eat (resist the urge to let your minds go into the gutter).

Spring Break, Part 2

We spent more time at Colonial Williamsburg.  Thanks to a great suggestion from the family next to us at the campground, we visited a great beach.

We were tempted to leave them here, but as you can see, there's  a line for other parents to put their children in the stocks...hmm, can't imagine why.

Children are always eager to be punished, right?

Watch out!  Cool man on the beach and looking for shells.

The water was only like 33 degrees!

Did I mention 33 degree weather?  Notice that Mason is soaked.  It didn't seem to bother him being submerged in near freezing water.  For that matter, a number of people seemed to find it refreshing.

Spring Break Vacation, Part 1

It's been a while since I've posted, but this is primarily due to being busy at work and also due to prepping the Airstream for our vacation last week.  So, there will be a number of new posts in the coming days as I sort through the pictures from our travels.

A great pizza place we found (thanks to online reviews!) called ZPizza in Williamsburg.  Pizza so good that we almost went back a second time during our trip.  All fresh and organic ingredients.

The kids by a tree at the Shirley Plantation 

Bike riding at the campground (Newport News City Park)

Ridin' a Tortoise (fake, of course)

He wanted to eat one of the kids.  Not really, but it's a decent caption for the pose.  This is one of two bald eagles at the Virginia Living History Museum.  I zoomed in and kept shooting until I had a bunch of great poses.

The labyrinth at the Governor's Palace gardens in Colonial Williamsburg.  The kids are in there somewhere.

Exploring a garden with mommy in the lead in Colonial Williamsburg

Review: The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids by Helen Olsson

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/Down-Dirty-Guide-Camping-Kids/dp/1590309553/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1333047931&sr=1-1-catcorr

I asked Jason to review this book in hopes of learning some tips, especially in the activities and cooking sections, from someone experience at camping with kids. We know lots of people that camp but very few do it with young children. We’ve learned from trial and error as we’ve gone along. Here is what he had to say about the book:

This book offers a lot of information that’s good for people that have perhaps never camped before, but doesn’t offer much to people who have been doing it for a few years. There are some things conveyed by the author that made me think that if the reader needs to be told or informed of such things, they shouldn’t be trying to camp. I also thought that the suggested activities chapter (games, crafts, activities, etc) was one to be glazed-over. Anyone going camping with their own kids should already know what needs to be brought along for entertainment. If they don’t then the parents need a lot more help than this book can offer.

A better title for this book would be “How to prepare your family for camping in a tent and hiking.” Camping is not exclusive to sleeping in a tent. There was nothing in this book pertaining to camping in an RV. As a parent of kids and having RV camped with the kids for a number of years now, I was rather disappointed reading this book. Very little of the content pertained to my situation and I would have been disappointed with the book had I purchased it. I hope that anyone needing a beginner guide to camping would not be going beyond camping itself, let alone hiking for multiple hours with children.

On a positive note, I liked the checklists that were provided. Being a forgetful person myself, I appreciate the organization that is suggested with the lists. Overall though I regard this as a book of common sense things that someone who is serious about getting into camping really shouldn’t need to be informed of.

Apparently Jason wasn’t as impressed with the book as I had hoped he would be. He did end up finding one thing he loved in the book. It was a reference to a website that sells ground mats. He found an orange mat which will match the Argosy. We’ve been searching for the right mat to go under the Argosy awning for over a month and hadn’t found the right one. We’ll be buying this one! http://www.cgear-sandfree.com/products/sand-free-mats/sand-free-mat.html

A Happy House

I don't know this from first hand experience since I was too young to remember but whenever my grandpa's semi-truck was parked in the driveway at my grandparents house, I always used to say it was "a happy house."  I've seen pictures of it sitting there.  It was a cab-over something or other.  Considering what a car-guy I am, it's kinda strange that I don't know the brand.  I suppose I could ask my mom to dig the pictures out.  One day I will find out.  There's pictures somewhere that show it sitting there in the driveway.  I'm not sure if it was my early love for all things mechanical and mobile or if it was because I knew it meant grandpa was home and not on the road.  I'm guessing the former since I can't remember a time that I was there and grandpa wasn't.  But, we've already established that my memory isn't great.  Anyway, this post isn't about history; it's about now.  My house is a happy house again today.  Not that it isn't normally, but today it is because of a situation similar to that of my grandparents house back in the day.  Today, the Airstream is once again parked in front of my house.  It can be there for various reasons but today it's there in anticipation of a camping trip.  It's there to cool the fridge, for Andrea to stock it with clothes and food, and in general for easy access before we head out.  This happens every time before we go on a trip.  Since this is the first trip of the year, it's there a little ahead of leaving for the trip.  It is a happy house indeed.  Because the Airstream is parked in front of it.  Even the boys are happy about it; imagine that.