DJB66
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Joined 18 years ago
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Re: Winter heated hose not working
I used mine for a year then it went bad. Nothing like fixing water problems in 5 degree temps with snow. I now use my white hose cut to the length I need. Wrap it in aluminum foil to spread the heat around the hose. Use the heat wrap from the store but I get one that is longer so I can have extra on each end, then use the hose insulation and wrap that in duct tape. If I have a issue I have a extra heat tape and hose. Within a hour I can have water back running.830Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ever get bored?
Boredom is a state of mind. I'm a traveling welder and was always on the road. My wife of 26 years was at our home and she was working a high stress job. We never had kids and all the family left the area. So I came home one day and said" Hey quit your job, lets sell everything we own and get a RV and hit the road with me and make my lunches." So that's what we did and have never looked back. I was asked by many people OMG whats your wife going to do when you working 60 to 90 hours a week months at a time. I was worried about that for a short time but she makes friends and gets involved with churches everywhere we go. I'v had that poor woman in some remote places in this country but she is a trooper. We have crossed this country many time east to west north and south, between jobs we hit everything we want to see. Her bucket list is empty, she doesn't have to work but does when she finds some work that she likes, but I never force her. When people ask what does your wife do when your at work I usually say I'm not her entertainment director. As far as me I like what I do and when I can spend 2 months in the Florida Keys, Elk hunting in Montana, or fly fishing a river in Yellowstone OR Colorado. Fishing San Clemente Islands off Long Beach CA. or Red Fish in South Carolina. The list goes on and on. Whats important in life we under stand that life is a journey not a destination. I'm not waiting to retire and say I'M going to travel the country we are seeing it know......601Views0likes0CommentsCrossing into Mexico with a F350 one ton dually and boat
I have been reading on here and many other forums that anything over 3.5 tons can't cross into Mexico. I was trying to plan a trip Crossing at Nogales, getting on the Ferry at Topolobampo getting off a La Paz. Then getting the boat the the marina in Capo. I have read that a special permit can be purchased but cant find anything on the web. Has anyone here taken a F350, 4 door, 8 foot bed dually pulling a 8,000 lb trailer into Mexico? Or do I need to change my plans. Any help would be helpful. Thanks Dave4.8KViews0likes8CommentsRe: How insane is this?
We have been full timing for almost 2 years know and looking back we miss a couple of things from the house we owned. The large shower and the hot tub come up the most,other then that we dont miss a thing. We have no exit plan because living in our RV is the only way we can spend time with each other. My job has me all over the country and the wife was in a house all alone working her job and thats no way to live. So she quit and know she is with me. We looked three years for the right 5th wheel and we got a 2011 Mobile Suite. The size thing was a factor going with the 38' rig and a Ford F350 8 foot bed 4 door truck. Some parks we know we cant fit in most older RV parks and State and Federal owned parks. Since I RV where I work running from the weather is not always possible. We went from a winter in Chicago to the summer in Blythe CA in the desert.Insulation in the construction was a big factor for us and we fell in love with our RV from first sight, you will know when you see the right one. I have drove and backed up everything on wheels but a tractor trailer and although a big fifth wheel looks overwelming its easier to back up the a tow behind. Selling everything was hard, you see the true value of items that we purchase when WE resale them. Pennies on the dollar and we gave our big ticket items to freinds to save us from the heartache.We didnt have kids to hand anything thing down to and in the end of life with no kids to through away all your memories from our past that are collecting dust in the basement and attic we saved someone the job. Like it or not thats the hard truth on the stuff that owns us, in the end it goes to the dump in the trucks of people that love and miss us with tears in the eyes. Been there and done that no thank you. In the end of it all YOU will have to pull YOUR truck and YOUR RV in to a spot and set it up, close the door and be happy with everything. Thats the trick, get what you want first so your not on the computer looking around for new units a month after you start hating the one you just purchased. Good luck and enjoy the journey Dave467Views0likes0CommentsRe: Quartzsite solar tower
Im a Pipefitter/welder that is working in Blythe at a differant design Thermal solar power plant.The one Im on uses mirrows to heat up oil at 800 degrees and it goes through a heat exchanger, flashes the water to steam and the steam turns a turbine. It covers 1800 acres of land and a new designed closed system cooling tower will save alot of water cooling the turbine. The tower type that you are talking about the bioler is on top of the tower,it heats sodium to 1200 degrees and that goes to the exchanger to make the steam. The exchanger, boiler and turpine are all in the tower. I dont know why but the higher the tower the more efficient the process. There are 20 or so solar plants on the books for the California,Nevada and Arziona region. I have been on some of the largest clean coal power plants built in the last 10 years in the US, These are 850 MW and will be eating ALOT of coal for years, as said these plants are the backbone of the power grid in the US along with Nuclear. Big coal plants are at least 3 to 4 Billion dollar in total construction cost and will be eating ALOT of coal for years, Which isn't a bad thing, I like to have my lights on too. We all know the cost of a Nuclear plant but the fuel is small for the 800 to 1200 MW output but the fuel is very costly to get rid of. The small Natural gas peaking units are compined cycle meaning a HUGE jet engine turns a turpine the shaft is connected a generator and makes power there, then the hot exhaust gas goes through a boiler and makes steam to turn a turpine. Power companies like these units they can sit cold for weeks then when energy is in PEAK demand means most expensive they can turn them on is 20 minutes and keep the air cons on in the summer and the heaters in the morning in the winter. These units are 150 MW average, some are larger and have heard that these cost 175 Million per unit and are always built in pairs eather 2 or 4. They need a high pressure natural gas pipe line to keep them running. The death of the old dirty coal burners in the coming years is due to the EPA rule for clean air, it's cheaper to build a peaking unit then to build a dry gas scrubber for the coal plant to clean the exhaust gas. The biggest enemy to the coal industry in the US is not the feds but is from fracking, the amount of cheap natural gas in the country is staggering. Having read the facts of how power is made in the US the solar project im on cost 1 Billion dollars to build ,makes 250 MW, the owner will never need to spend money to purchase fuel but will take 15 years to turn a profit. After that its money in the pocket from the sun, long term smart, short term dump and wall street needs profit NOW to come up with the money to build. So uncle sam steps in to fund it, these solar units do work and the ones being built now are not experimental. I will also say this, the money from my pocket, from my pay check is a shot in the arm for the small town of Blythe. The local economy in these remote sites the units are built are very happy to see my money Lord knows they need it and the permanent jobs will be a happy site. Hope this helps Dave335Views0likes0Comments
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