new Air Bags!

   Well, let's say a welcome to our guest for this blog posting: # 2 son, also known as 'the mechanic".

Q: What are airbags and why did you post a comment a few days ago that we would blow out our tires if we did not get some airbags? (And we think it was your very first comment, dear son! )

A:  You may not blow them out, but the weight on the back tires will get more wear and will get hotter.  The bags move more weight to the front tires, in a way - more load on the front.
  It makes the truck look better on the road!  All your drive line angles will go out of whack without them, and you get more vibration.  It brings your drive line into back into alignment.  

Q: Was it hard to install them? What did you need?
A:  No real special tools, took me about 5 hours with the wiring in your driveway.  The pump took me the most time because of the wiring and routing.  I hide everything and make it look nice.  Some guys don't really care, and man, I have stories! ( Mom is proud of her neat mechanic ).

Q: Should you get a mechanic to do the job? 
A: Yes, you could do the bags, but the pump and wiring should be done by a professional.

Q: Are all the components necessary?
A:  I put in the onboard air supply pump and that was an extra - cost about $200 more.  Without the pump you fill from the back bumper with tire valve-like valves.  It is harder to fill, especially with RV's.  This way, the bags are independent and can be adjusted on the spot. With the pump, they are combined and are adjusted equally and can be measured while pumping.  It is way more convenient - a flick of the switch.
  
So, here are some pictures:

This is the drivers side airbag, from the wheel well.

This is the airbag assembly installed, drivers side, looking from the rear.

This is the control panel, brake controller on left.

Air compressor.  Located drivers side under the rear seat.  The filter is located just outside of the picture.

Ok, well, thanks #2 for helping install ( or rather doing all the work ) our airbags and for being our guest today.

Now, for Mommy's disclaimer:  WE do not advocate installing airbags, we are not promoting airbags and we recommend you inquire with a professional. 

PS: Donald was chirping the whole time while I was typing as well.  It was a trio - effort!

Tidy Thursday

When we arrive in the Kispiox Valley, the camping area is just the rodeo grounds, and as such, has long weedy grass and uneven ground.  Donald, ever the tidy landscaper, brings along the gas weed wacker and cuts the 'lawn' in the square of rv units.  The guys even bagged up the grass and brought it back for composting.

Today, our mechanic son enjoyed a day off at our house installing the air bags in the truck.  Hopefully some pictures will follow as there are a couple of wee things to do on it tomorrow on his lunch hour.

Kispiox 2010

   We enjoyed beautiful hot weather this year at the music festival.  We were surrounded by our very good friends with their rv's and about 2000 others, mostly people we know.  Donald took advantage of the ladder and height on the fifth wheel and took pictures down into our little " group" and then looking back the other way towards the main stage.  If you do not know where the Kispiox Valley is, well, it is in the midst of the coastal northern British Columbia mountain range.  Travel about 16 hours straight from Vancouver and then travel for another hour way out into the backcountry.  There you will find God's country, home to many native clans, and ranchers, fisherpersons and ol' draft dodgers.

  And looking back the other way:

They have a great lineup of music in genres of folk, reggae, funk and blues.  Our youngest son was volunteering on the security crew for the weekend and stopped in a few times to have a laugh with us 'ol folks.

                         Hanging out with Dad, listening to " Mamagaroove" on Sunday afternoon. 

So, the Rv'ing is as tight as you will ever see it, but we all know each other, or know of through someone else.  Lots of visiting, fun, families and wee babies, swimming and floating in the river.... oh yes, did I say there were killer scrabble games as well?

Off to the Kispiox Valley

We are off to the Kispiox Valley this weekend - Donald has left already a couple of days ahead of me.  Man, I need to retire.

 The weather is showing to be nice on the forecast and we hope it stays that way.  We shall see how the new 5th wheel fits into the " group corral" of rv's.  There will be a number of the gang in attendance and it should be lots of fun.


Pictures to follow...... on another note, the airbags for the truck should be installed next week.

Sap rain

We went out to the local provincial park this weekend and forgot abut an incident that happened a few years ago.  Ah, memory skills are not what they should be.  Donald noticed the ground looked wet at the campsites.  Hmmm... did they have some rain? There isn't a cloud in the sky. 

Yep, not wet from rain.  Wet from sap. Lots... of ... sap.  Lovely cottonwood poplar trees.  It comes down in a fine mist over everything.  Over the picnic bench.  Over the car.  Over the ground. All over the clean fifth wheel.  On the dog. Over the truck.  If you knew Donald, 'muck on the truck' is horror. I had some hand quilting that I brought along for the weekend and Donald had his batch of newspaper crosswords and we had to sit under the awning of the fifth in order to avoid the sap "rain".

Nature usually gives you a 'glass half full' when something else does not agree with you.  The forest was very very sparkly with the sap all over the leaves and it looked wonderful!

It is hard to see in the picture, but with the fine mist of sap, all the dust, small flies and dirt stick to the leaves.

Now we have some cleaning to do. Not some. Lots.

  Cottonwood Fluff.  Good stuff.  We did have a great weekend.  The task this week?  Find about about airbags for the truck.  There he goes now, off to the GM dealer........ see ya later - travel safe!

  

Weekend at K'san

   For a change, we decided to travel closer to home and spent the weekend at Hazelton, BC at the K'san Rv Park.  Lovely big park, full services with a reasonable cost.  We stayed 2 nights and they gifted us a DVD of the K'san Village and Gitanmaax culture.

On another note, I changed the heading picture on the blog, only to receive email from our mechanic son.  He advises we need airbags for the rear wheels " no seriously, you are going to burn through rear wheels with that kind of weight ".   Ah, more stuff.  I am all for the safety, so that will be a discussion this week along with eye doctor appointments, finishing the window on the main floor and making a Vinetarta ( Icelandic cake ) for the end of the month.

trying a new place this weekend ...

    We are getting ready to try a new RV place this weekend that is close to home.  If all works out, we will post some pictures.
     We have arranged and found some storage for all our household goods that is near to this house.  That is the first step in getting ready to put this house on the market.  So, now the work begins!  Donald picked up the new window for the main floor bathroom, and has installed it and almost finished it. It looks great.
      I have been busy figuring out my accumulated pension value from my job and a few other figures.  It is such fun ( not ).

back home

We are back home as Kim had to return to work.... someday soon, someday soon... that will not be the case! The weather has turned warm with 30 celcius temps, though not as warm as Ontario.

We are busy with laundry catchup, cleaning the RV outside and in, deciding where to go this weekend and general chores around the house.  Don's sister has noted on her facebook page that she is de-cluttering bigtime, and we will be following suit, that is for sure!

we're back!

It is so frustrating not to have internet access at the rv lot.  Hence, we are very tardy in our posts.  We have had a very relaxing three weeks here, with a visits at the start from our son and daughter in law, and then just doing little chores around the lot.  Donald didn't plan on any big construction this year, and instead built a lovely little terraced stair area next to the gardens.

 There is a large home being constructed down the street, and we managed to purchase some very good underlay landscape fabric that was left over.  The fabric was laid underneath the gravel to keep the weed population at bay.  We hope.

Another neighbour, Mabel, gardener extraordinaire, was cleaning out some of her perennial beds, and gave me some great iris plants.  She was trying to give away more, but at this point I have no flower beds prepared to accept them.  One of the roses was replaced, and will hopefully make it through the winter.  Our 3 year old rose is still blooming brilliantly.

And the new fifth wheel?  We have an appointment this next week to have a few items looked at, but generally we are quite happy, as it really feels like home. 

Today we started on the long trek back to the north country, enjoying a great day for weather.

Oh!  I forgot!  This morning, prior to doing the final pack-up, we were very much entertained by three mallard ducks in the bird feeding garden.  I didn't want to open the door and frighten them away, so this is the best picture I could get of 2 of them waddling away after their fill of sunflower seeds.

As you can see, what a lovely day to travel and take a few pictures along the way - this is Kamloops Lake, just about at the top of the highway.  Yes, it was a bit of a climb, and apparently the truck is handling the climbs great. I wouldn't know, as I can't see the temperature gauge, and I am sure Donald doesn't want me craning my neck over every 5 seconds to check.  

We took our little tomatoe plants with us to the rv lot, and they grew very well in the warmth of the Thompson/Okanagan weather.  Tonight, we enjoyed a few of the cherry tomatoes with our supper.  The travel arrangements of the tomatoes is unusual.

 

The bigger plants fit into the big storage compartments just fine.  Tomorrow we will arrive in Prince George for the day.