Buy Land. They Aren't Making any More of It

Linda is now the proud owner of 50 acres in the west Texas high desert.

Street sign at the corner of our 40 acre plot

We have two plots: a 10-acre plot in the Antelope Acres ranch and a 40-acre plot in Sunset Ranches nearby.

The 10-acre plot has electricity available, and also gives us access to the Antelope Acres community well.  We will likely only use that well water for livestock and gardening and have potable water trucked in from El Paso.

We haven't decided if we will live on the 10 acres or on the 40.  We may give both locations a try for a while before we put down permanent roots. 


We will be paying around $280/mo for land payments.  Linda's Social Security will easily cover that.  We can use the remainder of her payment for groceries. I will need to find a way to generate some additional income.  I really want to avoid a J.O.B. if possible.  I plan to use this blog to generate income from ad click-thrus, as well as producing some YouTube videos and monetizing that as well.

I've got a couple of years to figure this all out; I don't need to bring in much; just enough to pay for fuel, cell/internet service and feed for the animals we plan to raise.

"He's dead, Jim."

On some far away planet with a cloudless sky that is some bizarre pastel shade, or in a forest of flowers that have parts that look like they're made of felt and spray confetti on people, old Bones would often look up from his patient and proclaim, "He's dead, Jim."

Sadly, I must report the same about the engine in the Motorless Home.  With Ken's help, I was able to get the right hand cylinder head removed. When I pulled it off the block, I found this in cylinder #6.

This explains the sudden strange sound I heard

This is the worst of the four cylinders I uncovered, but all four had some damage.  It looked like something with a squarish cross-section had bounced around inside the cylinder.  Since the impact happened thousands of times, whatever it was that got in there had to be very hard.  Harder than the pistons at those temperatures, anyway.

Then, we went and looked at the head.  Here's the head side of that same cylinder:

The head is made of steel.  So whatever it was that got into the cylinders was HARD.  Also, since there is damage to all the cylinders on this side of the head, there had to be multiple "somethings" that got in there since the odds that the piece of "something" moving between the cylinders is astronomical.

Here, you can see the head side of cylinder #2.  Notice the cracked and broken exhaust valves.

It has impact damage as well,but not as much. I don't know how the valve got broken, but perhaps the "something" that did the damage to this cylinder got stuck between the valve seat and the valve and cracked it off before exiting.

Here in cylinder #4, a similar thing happened.

Ken and I racked our brains trying to figure out how the "something" could have gotten in the engine.  I had driven it close to 100 miles before this happened, and the air cleaner had not been removed.  So, we concluded that whatever got inside the cylinders was on the "clean side" of the air cleaner.

We went out and looked at the air cleaner to see if there was evidence of something having been inside it.  Nope.  Granted, it was all melty from the fire, but there was no indication that there was anything inside there that could have caused this. The only other thing we could assume was that something was down inside the intake manifold and it broke loose during the sustained revs and bouncing of going down the highway at 65MPH.

We looked at the carburetor.  I could not find any missing pieces in the air path.  The only other place where the problem could be is in the intake manifold.  I checked the intake runners and found nothing.

We thought that perhaps the EGR valve had failed and allowed bits of the valve to enter the intake stream.  The valve bits of the EGR would certainly be hard enough to cause this damage, but they would not have a square cross-section.  I removed the EGR valve from the intake manifold just to be sure and found that while the EGR valve was no longer functional, it had not catastrophically failed.

Based on all this damage, we've decided that it would be best to replace the engine rather than try to repair it.  Luckily, a long-time acquaintance of Ken's happened to have a Chevy 454 sitting in his garage (he builds drag race cars). Unfortunately, there is no intake manifold or carburetor on it.  Since I have not been able to find the cause of the failures, I cannot reuse the intake manifold from the dead engine, since there may still be bits and pieces inside it that would cause additional failures.

The Chevy 454 is a hard engine to find.  I considered putting a Chevy 350 in it, but I don't think it will make enough power or torque to do the job well. The 350 was an option in that motor home, but I doubt it was used on the 37' model.  So, I want to put a 454 back in it. I found one at a junkyard that I've done business with, but it's a 90-minute drive from here (one way) and it's in unknown condition. 

I was able to inspect the engine at Ken's friend's today. He said that he's not seen it run, but if he were going to use it, he would have no qualms about installing it and firing it up.  Ken has known this guy for a very long time (and I've known him peripherally for almost as long) and if he says he'd run with it, I'm going to trust him.

He wants $700 for the engine, and I'm looking at up to $500 for an intake and a carburetor. This project just keeps getting more and more expensive.

However, on a positive note, I was able to test the furnace this weekend and it works.  Also, the refrigerator and microwave are working now.  There is a rear furnace for the bedroom that is not functional. I don't know what is wrong with it.  I have not had time to pull it open and see why it's not operating.  It may be something simple.  I hope so.

I can't test the water heater until the weather is warmer.  To test the water heater, I need to fill the water tank and I don't want to do that with the possibility of freezing weather.

So, here we go on another tangent on this adventure.

Opening the Flood Gates

We've decided to start telling some of the family.  We told Stephanie (Linda's Daughter-in-Law) about our plans today and she has since become a member of the blog! (Hi, Steph!)

At the end of the month, we're planning to gather my family to let them know what we're up to. I don't really like keeping secrets from them, especially when it's something of this magnitude.  Heck, I might even get some help with my planning/prepping from them!

While I know it will be difficult leaving them behind here in Ohio, I really feel that this is the right move for Linda and me. We've both wanted to live off the grid for a while now, but had never really seen a way to make it happen until we discovered the land available in Texas.

Once I came to the realization that I was working so that I could keep working, the drive to make my life less complicated came on very strongly. We're downsizing our entire household as much as possible, in preparation to live in a motor home for several years while we build our earthbag home.

I Haven't Lost my Head(s) Quite Yet

I went out and worked on the engine in the Motorless Home today. I took some old sheets out to cover up the couch and the carpet while I worked.  I need to get a few more sheets from the thrift store to cover some additional areas, like the barrel chair and recliner, the captains chairs, the dinette and the carpet leading to the bathroom. I want to try to minimize the chance of getting stuff greasy.

I got the valve covers off, removed the rockers and pushrods and bagged them all up neatly so I can be sure to put the same rockers and pushrods back in the right place. It's clear that there was water leakage because I saw some oil-water mix (often called "milkshake") in the valve covers and on some of the rockers. It wasn't terrible, but it was clear that it was mixing

I removed the carburetor and distributor and there was a bit of milkshake on the distributor shaft. I wiped it off and set it aside. In order to remove the intake manifold, I had to remove the alternator and its bracket.  So I disconnected the battery so that I didn't create short circuits when I moved the alternator. 

When I went to remove the intake bolts, they turned VERY easily.  I was rather annoyed. Apparently the previous owner of this motor home just tightened them without consulting a torque reference.  I am sensing a pattern here.  If he installed the head gaskets using the same "technique," then it's no wonder that the gasket blew.  Good lord!

Once I had the intake manifold off, I was able to inspect the lifters and the cam.  Thankfully, there appears to be no scoring or bluing on either the cam or the lifters.  This suggests to me that there is no engine damage to bearings.  I'll do a few more checks, but this is encouraging.

I checked out the exhaust manifolds, and I may have trouble removing them.  It looks like some of the bolts are messed up.  So, since I need to replace the manifolds due to their leaks, I may just cut the exhaust with the sawzall and pull the heads off with the manifolds attached.  Then, I'll be able to remove them from the heads in a better location.

So, soon, I should know what my cost for this repair is.  If the heads and block are still square and flat, I'll just need a head gasket set and some new head bolts. I bet the previous owner reused the head bolts. I don't know if this engine uses Torque-To-Yield bolts or not, but I'm not going to take chances when a set of head bolts will cost about $50.

Motorless Home is home

Friday night, I pulled down the fence segment behind my house.  I had to cut a tree that had grown into the fence so that it was free to be removed.  I then hooked it up to the Jeep and ripped it out of there. Unfortunately, until the end of the month, we will have to supervise the dogs when they are outside since the fence is no longer enclosed.  I will buy the components to recreate the fence on payday.

A guy responded to the Craigslist ad I placed to get rid of the lumber from the dead tree I cut down last week.  He came over with a large truck and hauled it out.

Ken and I (and my dog Yasmina) camped out in the motor home again last night.  In the morning, Ken and I cut the tree stump flush with the ground and then cleaned up all the fence brush in preparation to move the motor home into the yard. Once we had cut down quit a bit more brush and moved it out of the way, I used a SawzAll with a metal blade to cut off the old fence posts that were set in concrete.

Then, we went over the route that we planned to tow the motor home on.  We decided to go down a side street to avoid towing up a hill. When we surveyed the route, it looked great.  So, we went back to the motor home and hooked up to the Jeep with a tow strap.  We put the Jeep in 4-Wheel-Low and just idled along pulling the motor home.  All went well until the second turn.

During the route survey (20 minutes prior) everything was fine.  However, in the intervening time, a car had parked along the curb and we got stuck in mid-turn.  We tried to back the motor home up bu pushing on the bumper with the Jeep, but since the wheels were turned so sharply, it would not move.  So, Ken went and knocked on doors until we found the owner of the car and asked him to move it.  He came out and was kinda asshole-ish, but he moved the car and we completed the tow into the alley.

The next phase of the towing operation had Ken unhook the Jeep and then drive around and hook up to the rear of the motor home and pull it through the yard into position. While he was going around the block...

I DID IT AGAIN.  I closed the driver door and locked the ^!*(&!)^%&% keys inside again.  This time, I didn't have the money to call a locksmith, and while the guy we called before would probably happily come and break in again for another dose of meth, we decided we'd get in ourselves.  After much tinkering, I wound up cutting an access hole in the driver door to actuate the mechanism.  Thankfully, the door panel was made of fiberglass and will be easily repaired.

We then pulled the motor home the rest of the way into the yard. 

Yippee!  The Motorless Home is Home.

Next Steps

I spent this past weekend evaluating the motor home to see what now needs to be done.

The good news is that I was able to get it to fire (not catch on fire, but fire as in burn fuel in the cylinders) and "kinda" run.  I wound up having to replace most of the components in the distributor as well as all the spark plug wires.  They were burned to a crisp, and the silicone on the outside of them just turned into black dust that got everywhere.

The bad news is that at least one of the head gaskets is blown. When I filled the engine with water and tried to run it, water was shooting out of the engine at the head gasket at cylinder #1.

It's possible (but somewhat unlikely) that the heads got warped by the overheat.  If I get really lucky, I will only have to replace the head gaskets in order to get this thing to run again.  Then, I have to address the problems that I knew about when I bought it.

Most notably is the exhaust leak. Apparently, the Chevy 454 was known for having issues with cracking of the stock cast manifolds.  Almost everyone on the internet recommends replacing them with headers that won't do that.  Headers are more expensive than replacing the manifolds with new cast units.

Also, I'm out of money for repairs until the end of the month, so all I can do is start the tear-down. Once I know what will be involved, I'll decide on the headers.

The motor home is still on the side street near my house.  Ken and I measured it to be 37', just like the ad said. We then measured the parking area behind my house. As expected, I need to move my fence. This also meant that I needed to get the dead tree cut down in my yard.  Since I have dogs that use the yard, I can't just pull the fence up until I'm ready to rebuild the fence in its new configuration.

I got the tree cut down, and by the time I completed that, I was out of steam for the weekend and went inside.

Tomorrow, I will take some photos of the felled tree and post an ad on Criagslist for free firewood.  They come and cut it up and take it out and they can have it.

Then I can start working on prepping the existing fence for removal. Once I get the fence line moved, Ken and I can tow the motor home into position.

There and Back Again: Murphy's Revenge

So FINALLY, we're ready to make our first major investment for the move to Texas. We entertained the idea of getting a travel trailer and towing it with our Jeep. However, while searching and doing some research, I came to the conclusion that any travel trailer that was large enough to allow us to feel comfortable would be entirely too heavy to tow with our Jeep and its 5000lb tow capacity. So, figuring that a motor home was certainly designed to tow itself, we switched gears and began looking at motor homes.

We decided to purchase a Class A motor home.  Basically, it's built on a large truck chassis and tend to be roomy.  This is one step below the style that are built on a bus chassis and require a commercial driver's license to operate.  We found one we liked in Toledo, Ohio with an asking price of $3500. It's a 37' 1985/86 Georgie Boy Motorhome. Here's the pics from the Craigslist ad:

I contacted the seller and asked a few questions:

1. Do you have a clean/clear title?
2. Does this need any major repairs?
3. Would it be safe for me to drive it to Cincinnati?

The seller answered quickly.  Clear Title, no major defects, no leaks, and it's ready to drive to Cincinnati...EXCEPT...it needs new steering tires.  The seller even tells me of a shop that has them in stock.  They're only $214+$45 (mounting) EACH.  However, since these are tractor/trailer tires, I know that they are tires that will last a very long time, so that doesn't make me worry. 

We decide that we want to go see it and probably purchase it.  So we plan to take $4000 with us for the motor home and tires.

We made all the arrangements with the seller to meet them "noonish" on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012.

February 7, 2012
Day One:

8:30AM

We swing by the bank and withdraw $4000 cash and head north. We decide to limit the amount of drinks we take with us to minimize potty stops.  We decide to stop every 45 minutes for a break.

11:40AM

We are in the metro Toledo area, just south of I-475, and the seller calls us to make sure we were still on our way.  I tell them that we're almost there.  We decide to make one last potty stop.

12:15PM

We arrive at the seller's house and start looking at the motor home.  This thing is much rougher than I thought, and rougher then what the pictures showed.  I'm also told that the pics of the motor home that were on the Craigslist ad (they are the ones above) were not recent, but from when the seller bought it from the previous owner.

I ask the seller to start it up.  I watch him turn the key and it doesn't start.  So, he futzes with the gear selector and is able to make it start.  This can sometimes happen with older automatics if everything isn't "just so," and given that this is a 1985 model, I forgive this -- after all, I'm a pretty good mechanic and I can usually tell the difference between a "problem" and "inconvenience" or "annoyance."

He fires it up and it's clear that there is a nasty exhaust leak.  Again, I'm not worried about this, since it's just an exhaust leak.  Those are easy to fix, and I figure I can use it as leverage when it comes to negotiation time. I ask if I can drive it to make sure that it operates properly.

1:00PM

I jump in the driver seat. WOW, this thing is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG.  After all, it's the length of a bus! He helps me get the thing out of his driveway and we go for a spin.  Clearly it needs a bit of a tune up, but the engine seems to operate just fine and the transmission shifts properly.  So, I decide that it's good mechanically, but needs some TLC.

1:30PM

Linda and I finish looking it over and retreat to our car to talk.  We decide that we will offer him $2800 in the hopes of getting it for $3000.  And, as planned, I offer $2800 and he counters with $3000.  Rather than dicker further, I accept the deal.  We go down to the title office and transfer the title and get plates.  We come back to the seller's house.  I then send my friend a picture in an email, with the subject line, "Mine!"

It's visibly rougher in this pic than in the earlier ones.  This is why we offered $2800.

2:00PM

We drive down to the tire place and put it in the bay to get tires.  We drive off in the Subaru in search of lunch.

3:00PM

We pick up the motor home at the tire shop and pay our bill. We were also advised to take the one good tire with us just in case we encounter a blowout on one of the rears on the way home -- this way we won't get soaked on the price of a tire, just for the roadside service.

3:15PM

We head south on I-75 a few exits and stop for fuel. I get out using the driver-side door and discover that the latch mechanism doesn't work from the outside. So, I'm effectively locked out of the driver door! The keys are in the ignition!  ACK! Thankfully, I had left the deadbolt on the side door unlocked and I'm able to get back in. I fill the tank up in sub-zero wind chills and then we head south again.

4:00PM

I'm truckin' down the highway at 65MPH turning 3000RPM.  It's going well.  We're making good time!  Looks like we'll be home by 7PM or so!  Every time I go over a bump the whole thing shakes.  It sure is like driving a bus! I'm getting used to all the new noises this thing makes and I hear a "WHAP!" sound. I figure it was just a rock on the windshield or something.  More rattles and bangs with every bump.  Nothing terrible.  Just the noises of a motor home.

4:45PM

WTF? Why am I losing power?  I'm decelerating!  WTF is up?  Now the engine is missing!  WTF! I just bought this!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  I pull over. As soon as I stop, the engine dies. Then it's clear.  I'm overheated.  It's pretty obvious with all the steam pouring out of the front of the engine. I let it cool a bit and start looking for answers.

5:15PM

CRAPPITY CRAP CRAP! Here I am at the Bluffton exit on I-75 (mile marker 145) with an overheated engine with no tools and the light starting to fade. I rummage through the Sube looking for a flashlight and locate one in the rear compartment. Returning to the motor home, I remove the engine cover and start looking inside. The alternator belt has broken! The problem is that the alternator belt also drives the water pump.  This is why the engine overheated. I need to get some tools and a new belt to get this thing on the road!

 I get on the phone and locate a Harbor Freight Tools and an AutoZone in nearby Lima, about 20 miles south of where the motor home broke down.  We head over to Harbor Freight and I pick up a set of tools for $40. We then head to AutoZone.  We drove on route 309 for quite a while until  we were pretty far out of town.  So, we call the AutoZone again and are told that we had gone the wrong way and that we needed to turn around.  The AutoZoner told us that they were right across the street from a Save-A-Lot store. 

6:00PM

We drive until we see the Save-A-Lot.  However, there is no AutoZone anywhere near there. We drive down the road another mile and discover that the AutoZone is not only on the same side of the street as Save-A-Lot, but that it's across the street from the local hospital!  How could this AutoZoner be so wrong?  I go in and pick up the belt for the alternator and we head back north.  Of course, we have to go to the next exit north of where the motor home is and turn around and come back.

7:00PM

I climb in and get my new tool set out. When I release the adjuster bolt for the alternator, it slides easily.  WTF! Someone forgot to tighten the pivot bolt! No wonder the belt broke! The tension would loosen the belt a teeeeeny bit and allow it to start to slip.  This burns up the belt slowly and it will eventually break.

I install the new belt...and it's too long!  AAAAGH! I triple-check to be sure there is NO way that this belt can fit.  I grab the broken belt (yeah, I know I should have taken it with me the first time....) and head back to AutoZone, 20-something miles down the road.  While on the way, Linda and I decide that once I get the belt back on, we will go to the truck stop that is 10 miles south of where the motorhome broke down and get some dinner and decide what to do next.

7:30PM

I return to AutoZone and get the shorter belt.  The first (longer) belt was $4.99. This new belt is identical in every way except for its length.  It's shorter. Yet it's $8.99.  WTF!  But hey, it's only $5 difference, so who cares?  I take my new belt back north (another 20-something miles) and install it on the engine.  Once I got the tension set, I TIGHTENED THE PIVOT BOLT. DUH.

W00t! It starts up!  YAY!  We head south to the truck stop.

8:30PM

As I'm getting off the exit, I notice that the engine seems to be missing more that I should expect.  It's still driving OK so I pull into the truck stop and park in a truck parking space.  I jump out the driver door to check everything out to be sure there's no damage and discover that I'm low on water from the overheat.  That's when it hit me. 

8:45PM

YOU DUMBASS! You got out the driver door and left your keys in it again! This time, however, I had locked the deadbolt.  I was locked out of my motor home and the only keys to it are locked inside. It's really cold with subzero wind-chills and I'm outside my motor home in a T-shirt trying to break in.  I could not get any of the windows to open, and the driver door was not cooperating. After about 10 minutes of attempts, I give up and head inside the truck stop to call a locksmith.

9:00PM

Linda and I decide that we are going to sleep in the camper. We're both too tired to make the drive home by this point. I go up to the front desk and ask for a referral to a locksmith.  The manager offers me a set of slimjims to see if I can get in myself.  I go out and freeze for another 10 minutes trying to use the tools with no results.

9:15PM

I return the slimjim tools to the manager.  She tells me she will look up a locksmith. Around that time, another employee that says he's had lots of success getting into semis wants to go out and try again.  I tell Linda to go into the Denny's and get some dinner and I'll join her as soon as I can.

9:30PM

The employee and I go back out and try for about 10 minutes.  No dice.  Freezing my butt off, I return to the manager and she agrees to call a locksmith.  I tell her that I'll be in Denny's getting some dinner so they will know where I am when he gets there.  After a few minutes, she comes into Denny's with her cell phone in hand.  She has a locksmith on the phone who says that he can get me in for $50 and that he'd be there in 25 minutes.

10:00PM

The locksmith arrives. He's a somewhat seedy-looking individual with his front teeth missing. I understand that this is typical of meth addicts and he looked a little bad.  But hell, what do I care?  If he can get me into my motor home, I'm happy! So, we head out.  He spends about 10 minutes trying to pick the deadbolt on the side door.  Then he spends a few minutes trying to get into the driver door.  No dice.  By this time I am frozen solid.  I tell him to do what he needs to and that I will be waiting for him in Denny's.

10:20PM

Just as I'm finishing my dinner, the locksmith returns and holds my keys up triumphantly.  SUCCESS!  I ask what I owe him and he says $50.  I give him an extra $5 since it was harder than he planned and because it was so damn cold out.

10:30PM

As I'm getting up from the table, I see the locksmith come back in escorted by a police officer.  He gestures toward me and the police officer approaches.

"Good evening, Officer.  How can I help you?"

"Do you own a motor home, and were you locked out?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you hire this gentleman to unlock your doors?"

"Absolutely, I did.  He's legit."

"OK.  We got a call about someone breaking into a motor home and just wanted to check in."

"No problem.  Thanks for checking in, and have a great evening!"

10:40PM

Linda and I head over to Wal-Mart in Lima, about 10 miles south of the truck stop.  We purchase a few things that we need.  Since the motor home doesn't have any heat yet (because I have not filled the propane tanks or tested the systems) We pick up a comforter and blanket and plan to bundle up to stay warm.

11:30PM

After returning from Wal-Mart, I add the needed water to the engine and start it up to make sure it's all good.  Seems to run fine, so I shut it down and Linda and I unpack our bedding.

11:59PM

We crawl into bed, cuddled up for warmth (it was 40 degrees INSIDE the motorhome!), and go to sleep.


February 8, 2012 (Linda's Birthday)
Day Two:

8:00AM

We get up and stagger into the Denny's for some breakfast.

8:30AM

Once we're done with breakfast, I go fetch the Subaru so it can warm up for Linda to drive behind me in the motor home. I fire it up and we head out.

9:00AM

While just cruising down the road minding my own business, there is a sudden change in the sound of the engine.  It sounds much louder and rattly.  It's a very disturbing sound, so I pull over at mile marker 127. Again, the engine has overheated.  However, this time, I cannot get the engine to turn over.  I go out and check the oil level.  There's nothing on the dipstick!  Now, stupid me, I didn't check the oil level before we left Toledo!  How I managed to forget that basic thing, I'll never know! So, I decide to let the engine cool and go get some oil.  We head back to the same AutoZone from the night before and pick it up.

9:30AM

I return to the motorhome and put the oil in.  It still won't turn over.  So, I start clicking the starter.  I can see that the engine will turn just a teeeeeeeny bit each time I engage the starter.  After several attempts, it starts turning over.  However, the batteries are are running low from all the starting and stopping over the last day and then the added load of trying to turn an engine that is acting like it's seized will drop the voltage so low that the spark plugs can't ignite the fuel.  CRAP.  I need something volatile like brake parts cleaner of starting fluid.  There's none in either the Sube or the motor home.  So, it's back to the parts store for starting fluid. This time, I went to Advance Auto because I was too embarrassed to go to that very same AutoZone again.

10:15AM

After getting the fluid and taking an emergency potty stop, I return to the motor home and squirt starting fluid in.  It starts!  YAY!  After putting things away, we decide to head down the road, driving with blinkers on and staying slow.  We just want to get home so I can fix this thing.

10:30AM

I call Linda and tell her I plan to stop at all the rest areas to allow it to rest.  How prophetic. Just before we get to the next one, I start losing power again.  I managed to coast the rest of the way to the rest area and park. 
Apparently, I wasn't BURNING oil like I had thought, but somehow it was escaping the side of the engine and coating the frame rails on the passenger side. Since I don't have a temp gauge (one of the things on the list to fix) I had no way to know when the engine was getting too hot.  So, I decided that I'd just get enough oil and water to keep putting into the engine so that I could limp all the way home.

12:30PM

I stopped at O'Reilly Auto Parts and got four GALLONS of oil, and then went to Wal-Mart and got 16 GALLONS of water and a digital thermometer.  I figured I'd tape the thermometer to the upper radiator hose so that I can read the temperature, and that would allow me to stop and rest the engine before it got terribly bad.

1:15PM

I got back to the motor home and added oil to the engine. I also wound up adding over three gallons of water!  The radiator on this thing is enormous! I taped the thermometer to the upper radiator hose and set the alarm temperature to 220 degrees.  I start it up and we head down the road.

1:30PM

We're chugging along down the road and it seems to be going rather well.  The engine temp is staying low and is quite reasonable. Of course, the strange engine noise was still there, but there was no change in how it sounded, so we just kept on going.  I was even able to get up to 65 MPH for a while.  Then, around mile marker 95, I heard it backfiring again and power dropped off a little. It seemed to recover and then after a short distance, started backfiring and losing power pretty quickly. It was having trouble staying running at the lower RPM, so I downshifted to 2nd gear to keep the RPM up.  That only worked for a few seconds before I had to downshift to 1st gear because of the loss of power. I continued to slow, and got down to 25MPH. It was clear that I wasn't going any further. I pulled over at mile marker 94.  Sure enough, there was steam again and it was overheated.

1:45PM

I exit the motorhome and walk back to the Subaru and get in.  I tell Linda that it overheated and that I was just going to let it cool down.  Just then, we hear a loud "POP" and steam comes out like gangbusters.  I say "Great, there goes the radiator." The steam is so thick that it completely obscures the roadway. Linda expresses some concern, but there's nothing I can do about it except wait for it to dissipate.

1:47PM

While sitting there waiting for the white steam to dissipate, it suddenly turns to black smoke. I say "I think that's a fire!"  Linda agrees.  I jump out of the car and look along the passenger side of the motor home.  Sure enough, there are flames licking out of the wheel well. I run up to the motor home and open the side door.  There is thick black smoke inside.  It's so thick that you can't see anything.  It's like a black wall.  Thankfully, the fire extinguisher is right by the door and I don't have to enter to get it. I say to myself, "Oh, PLEASE work!" as I grab the fire extinguisher and pull the pin.  I spray the yellow powder all over the fire and get it to go out.

1:48PM

I look back and a state trooper has pulled up and is fetching a fire extinguisher from his trunk.  I holler at him that the fire is out, but he can't hear me.  I walk back to meet him. He looks at the area and agrees that it's out, but tells me that the fire department is on the way to be sure that it's OK and safe.  He asks me if there was anyone else inside the motor home and I tell him that I was the only one.

1:55PM

A trucker who saw this unfolding had stopped and walked back with his fire extinguisher.  We told him that the fire was out and thanked him for stopping.  He said that he had to get going, and turned and left. I then open the hood of the motor home to let the steam and smoke out.  I also went inside and opened several windows to let the yucky black smoke out before it settled on everything. Right about that time, we hear the sirens of the fire truck approaching. The park in front of the motor home and I meet them.  I explained that I got it out, but they wanted to inspect to be sure.

2:05PM

After several minutes of inspection, I saw that they were trying to get their eyes on the top of the engine.  I offered to go inside and remove the doghouse cover so they could see the engine.  They said that would be good.  So, I went in and pulled off the cover.  Apparently, the fire HAD gotten all the way up onto the top of the motor.  The insulation on the bottom of the doghouse cover was completely burned up and crispy. I looked down at the engine. THERE WAS STILL AN EMBER GLOWING.  The firefighter took the air cleaner off and fetched a large CO2 fire extinguisher and hosed down the engine until he felt it was safe. 

2:10PM

Now that the fire was out, the "official business" began.  I met with the firefighters for a few minutes and they gave me their business cards and I gave them my contact information.  They packed up and left.  I met with the trooper.  He had called a tow truck for us, and while we waited for the tow truck to arrive, we completed the accident report. Strangely, he kept focusing on what I would need if I were going to file an insurance claim.  I guess he just assumed that I'd have full coverage insurance on the motor home that would cover this.  Lol.  Right now, I only have liability. I never dreamed that THIS would happen!

2:30PM

The tow truck arrives. He starts to hook up to the motor home.  I ask him what his tow rate is.  "$150 for the hookup and $3.50 per mile."  OUCH.  I figure we're 100 miles from home, and some quick math says it would cost me $500 to have it towed home.  I retreat to the Subaru and discuss it with Linda.  We decide that towing home is the better option.  If we towed to their yard, we'd have to pay storage and STILL pay to have it towed at a later date.  Since we had the money available to us, we figured getting it home was best so that I could affect repairs.

2:45PM

I tell the driver that we want to tow it home.  He tells me that we still need to tow to their shop first so they can call in a driver to take it, since he was not going to be the one to bring it. He completes the hookup and we drag it back to the shop.

3:00PM

The tow company tells me that they will need to disconnect the drive shaft for the long tow so that it doesn't harm the transmission, and that labor will be an additional $50.  They tell me that it will be about an hour before the driver gets there.  We decide to go get some lunch and come back in an hour.

3:15PM

We stop at Bob Evans for lunch.  Worst service we've ever had at a Bob Evans.  Waitress took forever to bring things, and Linda's Cobb Salad took 10 minutes or more to prepare.  The place was nearly empty and I can't understand how it can take more than about 2 minutes to make a salad. We eat most of our food and pack up the rest as leftovers and head back to the tow shop.

4:15PM

The tow shop says they are still trying to locate a driver to haul my motor home to my house.  We decide to just head home and have them deliver it as soon as they can.  I ask them to call me as soon as they have a driver assigned so I can estimate when they will arrive with it. I pay the tow bill ($532!  ACK!) and Linda and I get on the highway and head for home.

6:45PM

We stop at the Kroger pharmacy to pick up medications that we had ordered the day before.  There are 3 cars ahead of us and it takes almost 30 minutes to get through the line and get Linda's meds.  The pharmacy is understaffed....AGAIN. Ugh.

7:15PM

We arrive home and let the dogs out.  I collapse on the couch.

7:30PM

I start writing this blog entry.

7:45PM

I realize that I have not received a call about the tow. I call to ask where my motor home is.  They tell me that the driver "just left" and that they will have him call with an ETA. I continue writing the blog.

8:00PM

I get a call from the driver saying that he's "just about to leave" and that he expects that he will arrive right around 10PM.  I tell him to call me when he gets off 129 so that I can go meet him where I want to drop the motor home. He agrees and I continue writing this blog entry.

9:30PM

I'm still working on this blog entry waiting for my motor home to arrive.


10:00PM 

Finally!  He called me and I went out and met him. We dropped the motor home on a side street near my house. Over the next couple days, I plan to either get it running and drive it to the parking area behind my house, or tow it with the Jeep and put it there on the weekend when Ken comes over.


11:59PM

I'm glad this day is over.  I'm going to sleep.

Letting People In

Yesterday, we told our good friends, Eric and Tracey about our plans to move. Not surprisingly, they understood completely. In fact, they even stated that they would consider doing something similar one day.

I also told my good friend, Amanda by email this morning.

I'm starting to feel bad about not telling my family.  However, since I anticipate that they will resist this move strongly, I really don't want to tell them just yet.  (Family, if you're reading this after I've told you, please accept my apologies for keeping this secret from you.)

I'm sure it won't be much longer before we paint ourselves into a corner.  My family knows about some of the things we've been doing.  We've told them that we are just "simplifying our lifestyle." While this is true, it's not the WHOLE truth.

However, once I bring a camper or motor home back to my house, the questions are going to start.  I've already decided that I won't outright LIE to them.  If they ask the right questions, they will figure this whole thing out in short order.

In some ways, I hope it comes out soon; I don't like this feeling of skullduggery. I also believe that the more time they know about it, the more time they have to accept the fact that we ARE moving, and it's only a function of money that decides WHEN.

I love my family dearly, and I will miss them terribly when we move.  However, I've had it with the Rat Race, and the feeling of the coming Zombie Apocalypse makes me want to be sure that I'm self-sufficient, in a place that is uninteresting to the masses, and also a place where I can be armed sufficiently to defend it.  To me, that means Texas.

Back to the Drawing Board...Maybe.

ACK!  I Thought I had my power situation all worked out, and now I've come across some disturbing comments about Missouri Wind and Solar.

The commentators complain that the PMA-based turbines that they sell don't put out what they claim.  I've spoken to the guys at MWAS about this by email, and they assure me that the problems are from an older design and/or from competitors trying to give MWAS a bad name.

So, now I have a whole bunch more homework.  I need to dig into the Internet to sort the wheat from the chaff. This means that I will need to read a lot, join several forums on alternative energy and try to decide if these complaints have any merit.

Boo.

So, now do I slide back to primarily solar?  The only problem there is how to make power at night. I was always planning to do mostly wind power with a few PV panels to help out, but now I find myself thinking of going all solar or mostly solar with wind to help out because of this negative information.

I really hope that I can determine that MWAS is a good product.  It looked like they made good equipment from the initial research I've done.

Back to the drawing board....Maybe.