24/7 Chat About Anything

[NctryBen]

So, being a guy that has not been a city dweller for a bit. I haven’t been big on curtains. Haha! So as I build my truck camper that barely enters my mind. Reflectics seem to work fine for me. But as I trim out the inside I’m thinking, hmmm, maybe curtains would be a nice touch. Haha. I’m wondering who out there might have the ability (and by ability I mean have like a sewing machine and all) to make some simple curtains. I’m thinking if there is someone living the nomadic lifestyle and this is what they do to survive... I’d like to support that. Thoughts?
I’m hoping to be in Quartzsite in a few days again. I’d really like to get myself organized and paired down to essentials and such ASAP so I can focus on... well not me. Haha. Number one, I’m going to hopefully get those solar panels going (sent Jim in Denver a message via his web site). And all of the sudden, well, I think I need regular old curtains. Of course my project will be ongoing... like everyone changes are part of things.
My other issue, is as I was leaving home the bottom trim piece of my door came out. It was followed by rotten wood. My original plan was to rebuild the old truck camper I had acquired. All I could save was the door, windows and the mattress in the end. Haha. Even if I fix the door I feel it’s a temporary deal. Then here at my daughter’s the neighbor kid shot a bb hitting the door window. So not sure how that’s going to take the punishment of the road. As I’m realizing how devastating the road can be if things are not as they should be.
So... curtains, solar and door. After that, I’ll be feeling a bit more relaxed. Haha! But don’t be surprised if I just relax after getting back to the desert. Haha!

 

[Morgana]

Hang in there, NctryBen.
In my experience, the last 2% of a project usually takes 20% of the time/effort.
Just when you want it to be done already!
Sounds like you're close, though. Best of luck.

 

[nature lover]

Hello fellow nomads: I am back in the van after almost a month of hospital and staying at a friends house to recuperate. The low temp here in Pennsylvania last night was in the upper 20s, I stayed fine with blankets but getting out of bed this morning was not fun. Last year at this time I was in Florida and I want to be there now. Pennsylvania State inspection requires a sticker annually and I get mine on December 3. The plan was then to head south immediately. My health is not good but I want to do it. So on Wednesday of this week my transmission started slipping between first and second. If that’s a replacement requirement then nomad life is over for me. So I’m not real happy right now but I’m getting along as best as possible.

I hope and pray that all my nomad friends are safe and warm and healthy. God bless all the nomads everywhere.

 

[maki2]

I have a sewing macine with me. Cammilu also has one. I will likely be near Quartzsie in early December. I have made curtains quite a few times over the years. But heads up alert no fabric stores nearby. The Walmart in Parker has some. But you will have a lot better selection at a store such as Joann fabrics. Be sure you purchase some color matched polyester thread. Polyester thread is UV resistant, cotton thread is not.

But if needed you can buy long drapery curtain panels at the dollar store in Quartzsite and cut them to size for your windows using the sewing machine for modification of size. Of course sheets can also be used for curtain fabric.

 

[NctryBen]

Thanks for the info Maki...

Nature Lover... maybe slipping from sitting? Drive it around some? Maybe have the filter changed? When’s the last time it was changed. My old dodge truck was very touchy to that. I had to flush it out now and again. I’d start with that I guess. Good luck with that. I always use my vehicles a lot. Snowplowing, hauling trailers of equipment and such. But auto transmissions need good fluid. And filters plug.
Health is number one... I hope the best for you!

 

[Cammalu]

I have a sewing machine but I’m a really bad sewer. I probably can manage a hem for you if you get dollar store curtains.

I have some blue velvet drapes I picked up for almost nothing. I don’t need them but it was at one of those stores where everything is$5 the first day and the prices go down all week until Friday everything is 25 cents. It’s new stuff so the drapes are good and I haven’t even taken them out of the package. I don’t even know if they are long or short but scissors can take care of that problem. They are a darkish blue if u want them. Don’t even have to pay me the quarter [emoji3]

 

[abnorm]

I just heard......JacqueG's van/home was stolen.......she's at a friend's S&B ..........more details later

 

[maki2]

A real nightmare that happens all too often. I truly hope it gets recovered in good condition very quickly.

 

[jacqueg]

Alas, it's probably in Mexico by now...Stolen from a motel in Huntington Beach.

Short term, I'm OK. I have friends, I have (some) money. In the long term, everything's up in air. Fortunately, the only decisions I needed to make right now is 1) where to rent a car and 2) which safe harbor to drive it to. 

I am too tired and too sad to think sensibly beyond that. I am most worried about finding a good replacement van for a reasonable price in this market. Might make more sense to hunker down somewhere until market sanity returns. I dunno.

It's only stuff. But some of it was valued stuff (not the same thing as expensive stuff) - my houseplants, my good knives, my favorite aunt's necklace, my little Nikon - you get the picture. And of course, there is little chance now that I will be part of the Quartzsite scene this season.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Bummer don’t loose hope just yet it might turn up in the next day or two…..

 

[MotorVation]

That sucks. Hopefully it'll turn up

 

[travelaround]

Jacqueg, I'm so, so sorry your home and treasured possessions were taken from you! I hope you're able to recover some or all of this. What a nightmare.

Not much new here. I'm just surviving and looking forward to springtime. I wish we could cancel winter this year. This is my third winter here since I originally left Idaho thinking I was going to be living in my van. That's right, I came back to my hometown in October 2019. I'm so stuck here............................ couldn't ask for a better town to be stuck in... all these people are like my extended family.

Who knows, maybe I'll someday really get my van 100% converted and be able to hit the road for months at a time. I'd like to see that happen. I haven't given up.

Thanksgiving was nice. I stayed home and decorated a page in my "junk journal" just for fun. I got a nice plate of Thanksgiving food from my daughter who lives near me in this RV park.



This is the page I did yesterday. The junk journal is a book I bound myself. I use it for art experiments in between more serious projects. When making the journal I used a variety of random types of paper including this newsprint, drawing paper and file folders, and some decorative paper. On this page I covered the newsprint with gesso, acrylic paints, and glitter paints. The words were printed from my art program, Paint Shop Pro.

Lost hopes and dreams are on my mind right now. I'm grieving for a friend who probably died a few months ago though I have no way of proving exactly what happened to him. He was in a Sacramento hospital and said he might have pancreatic cancer. I haven't heard from him since August. Here's an interview I did with him years ago, about his giant dreamcatcher project. The dreamcatcher is still standing here in town, as public art. http://bennachti.com/largest-dreamcatcher-world/

 

[Cammalu]

In the meantime Jacque you might want to apply to HOWA for a van or help.

That SO sucks! I think I need to rethink putting a tracking device on my rig.

Maybe we can all start looking around for a decent priced replacement.

 

[Cammalu]

I just looked at marketplace around Quartzsite and there are several vans that showed up.

 

[Cammalu]

There is an 85 camper in Parker called a Cantaberry classic for 1200. You can get someone to tow to YARC camp or I can tow it when I get there are you can use my Jeep for shopping trips. You’ll have months to make a next plan.

 

[nature lover]

Jacq…., What a bummer, I just talk to my father in heaven and asked him to work it out for you. It never hurts to ask. You’re losing your whole van makes my transmission slipping seem like nothing. God bless you.

 

[NctryBen]

Hey Cammalu... I’ll be back Monday. More then happy to help the effort. That has got to be a nightmare.

 

[Camper]

Here's the GPS tracker I use that I bought on Amazon. I pay about $10 a month and am well pleased with the tracker and their customer service. Nothing is perfect, but it must be pretty good for over 24,000 ratings.

https://www.amazon.com/Tracki-Magne...=sr_1_3?keywords=tracki&qid=1638029368&sr=8-3

 

[maki2]

Do not forget that Bob Wells donated his van to HOWA and there is a raffle being held for it. Drawing happens in January.
Other items are also being raffled including a Bluetti with panels and a 40 quart fridge freezer that has a built in Lithium battery and comes with a solar panel.

 

[maki2]

Busy day at my camp. The big job is sorting and rearanging all my stuff. I started doing that yesterday. It sure is a big help having sunny weather as well as a screen room to stage things in.

One item on my list was to get to the tote I had stored my soldering iron in. I have a couple of repairs to make. My hearing protectiom ears muffs have a radio buit in but one side speaker not working. A bit of solder should fix that. My cell signal booster has a broken wire ccoming out of it that engages into the coaxial cable to the antenna. I also will be teaching some soldering lesson in some caravans this coming winter. I am no expert as far as electronics repair but can do basic soldering repairs and connections if needed.

Of course I have my holiday seasonal job to attend to as well. Which I had better get busy with now that my battery is at 100%. First chore of the morning is to dust off my solar panel. Lots of dust gets kicked up by the OHVs and dirt bikes traveling the nearby diirt road. Plus the wind gust also contribute to the dust in the air.

The switch on my diesel stove heater control panel seems to have failed. A problem to deal with on Monday when the service center in Seattle is open. At least the control panel is small enough to fit inside one of the small priority mail shipping boxes! Fortunately the weather is not so cold that I am in real need of the heater for survival. As I am moving further south in few days it is going to be even less an issue unless a freaky cold front with several all day below freezing temps comes through. I do have a quiet generator and a small electric heater. Plus a propane stove.