8.25.2008

The first fun thing about full timing in Ohio over
the winter is staying warm and, not going broke
about it!

This season I was fortunate enough to come across a little wood burner which fit my little home just so perfectly as almost one might think it was constructed exactly for the application. The firewood is in such fantastic abundance here where I'm settled that I wonder if this is to be my winter base for some years to come and, in the warmer months, when most snowbirds are heading north I may find myself either heading south or, maybe, farther north.



At the start of the winter season I was not sure just how much wood I would actually burn and that, together with my friend's cottage wood burner whether I might need to bring a few more of the dead oaks down. Now, months into the season and maybe only a good fat month to go of wintry conditions, I was fairly sure what was already down was enough.




Then a wind storm came. An expert could not have dropped this sixty footer more perfectly! Narrowly missing my friends boat, the yard furniture, only nicking my outdoor fire grille, and comfortably dropping about fifteen feet from my friend's cottage, this ready-to-burn dead oak came down with barely a sound. The way it is laying smack dab in the middle of the fire pit has me planning on sawing it to both ends leaving that log right where I'm gonna burn it this spring.



By the way, notice the huge dark furry looking vine running the length of this sixty footer? That, is poison ivy. It is everywhere, here. And, seemingly quite useless. You can't even burn the stuff. The smoke from the ivy can be lethal if inhaled!



Back to the particular subject of this blog, and that is the second most fun thing about full timing in Ohio, which is keeping a supply of unfrozen water. With no utility supply, nor a well, I had devised a rain water collection system last summer which worked just great and, even better still, was cheap to build and free to replenish - one of those best things in life that are still free - rainwater.



The system is made from two large non-metallic garbage cans (new, of course) ; seventy five feet of water hose (which I already had from years of full timing - the safe potable type) ; two water filters - the first in line a simple screen type filter; the second in line a RV in line charcoal type of filter; a drop-in general purpose water pump; an outdoor type extension cord; chlorine bleach.



Simple and inexpensive setup, which, is great for me. The garbage cans collect water off of the roof via gutters and downspout. When the water is needed to fill up my RV's water tank I hook up the hoses to the water pump and in line filters, drop the pump into the garbage can, stick the other end of the hose into the RV water tank supply fitting, plug the pump in and in about fifteen minutes it is all done. For the sake of safety I dress up my supply of rain water with just a splash of chlorine bleach.



Over the years, I've just gotten into the habit of buying my drinking and cooking water. I suppose I could drink the rainwater with a bit of filtering refinement, but, for now the rainwater is for washing and toilet duty.



My concerns that all the water would be completely frozen this winter soon melted away. The garbage cans do not stay constantly frozen. With a little bit of rationing, the water available is just enough to make full timing in Ohio through the winter a reasonable sport. Maybe, at some future blog, I might get into the challenge of keeping the waste lines unfrozen.

8.04.2008

I hate being cold. Aspirations of becoming a 'snowbird' someday still fill my horizon as life travels along. In the meantime, I have developed a new hobby... chopping and splitting wood to stuff into my little camp stove.
It all started last summer as I was cutting up a heap of felled dead oaks on my friends property. The plan was to install a wood burner in her cottage and put all that wood to good use. The search was on to find a bargain wood burner for her. While looking for her wood burner I came across some Mil-Spec camping stoves made for tents... and, that's when the ol' noggin began to do some figgurn'.
Being able to 'fly the coop' for the winter was not looking too promising for the upcoming season. And, there sure is a lot of firewood available where I am settled. And, that little Mil-Spec stove sure looked like it might fit just right with a few modifications. So, I did it.
Today, the temp outside is about 10 degrees (F). I am sitting here in a tee shirt and pajama bottoms with an inside temp of 80 degrees (F)... and, I don't even have this little stove stoked to it's potential.
The manufacturer of the stove would probably not advise the stove for this kind of installation. Actually, my advice is not to put a wood burner in a motor home. It's kinda weird and may not be the safest thing to do. But, for me, it works great and, with a bit of common sense care and caution, confidence against the cold is a go!
As you can see in the pic to the left I am well equipped with staying warm contraptions - wood burner, kerosene heater, electric heater, propane furnace (not shown - OEM built in). I love working this wood burner so much that I may just put off my 'snowbird' plans for a few more years...at least, until the wood runs out.,, or global warming kicks in.. ?

8.03.2008

HOW I MOVED MY STOVE INTO MY MOTORHOME

HOW I MOVED MY STOVE INTO MY MOTORHOME (click title for complete story)

I heated my 25' motor home last winter and am absolutely sold on this stove - liked mine so much I started selling them. I was not even chilly on the coldest windiest days and my motor home is drafty - lots of places heat can escape but I kind of like it that way. Just an extra precaution against monoxide dangers in small sealed spaces (recommend buying a detector).

The stove was not made to be installed in campers. I decided to try it in my motor home for the heck of it and with many precautions taken, was more than satisfied with the result. Still, I cannot recommend using it in your camp trailer - if something went wrong and you were hurt I would be horrified. I am only telling my story of how I did it. Again, I am not recommending you try this. I did it with several precautions. But, cannot recommend you do it.

Follow this link for the complete story - http://portablewoodburningstove.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-heated-my-25-motorhome-last-winter.html

FULL TIMING IN OHIO

FULL TIMING IN OHIO