To most of you, this is a sports term, but for me it describes another season of widow's training. In the past year, I have faced quite a learning curve. I have learned to drive a small motor home along with tasks such as dumping the tanks; how to change the furnace filters in the house; how to prepare the outside faucet for winter; where the outside Christmas lights were stored and how to hook them up; how to check tire pressure; and other similar jobs. Some of this knowledge came the hard way; pictured are results when the outside faucet starts to leak in sub-zero temperatures. And I now know that when the furnace filters don't get changed, the furnace can overheat and shut down during the coldest week of the year.
Then there's my motor home, Agatha. I had backed her in last fall as usual, but that leaves her nose pointing north on the exposed alley. The heavy snow and ice storms earlier this year did a number on one of her windshield wipers, requiring a trip to the mechanic after the spring thaw. I think a different arrangement and some sort of cover is in order for next winter. Or just go south.
But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the worst of the winter is over and it's time to DE-WINTERIZE! Agatha is excited. I'm excited. First I decided to make up the beds. I hauled four totes and two garbage bags of bedding from the attic to the camper. I made up one bed--a feat for which being on the US gymnastics team would be useful--only to realize I had forgotten to put the foam pad on first. So, do-overs. Fortunately, before I did the second one, I remembered that the drain valve for the freshwater tank is under that bed, so best wait until the dewinterizing was done.
Suffice it to say that Google and I have become very good friends as I have spent hours researching the process on line. There are instructions for dewinterizing most RVs but Thors might be a little different than other RVs and Vegases might be a little different from other Thors and 24.1s different from other Vegases and 2014s--well, you get the idea. Today my big accomplishment was step 1: Finding the water heater drain plug and replacing it. The rest of the process can wait until the weekend when it's supposed to be about 35 degrees warmer than today.
Meanwhile, I have started to make reservations and several trips are planned with the Midwest Glampers and our old camping group. I've made my lists and am checking them twice--don't want to forget a veggie or spice. I know, pretty bad. But I think a little giddiness can be forgiven in light of the past long, pandemic winter. I know the pandemic isn't over but camping has been rated one of the safest activities and I intend to take advantage of it.
Suffice it to say that Google and I have become very good friends as I have spent hours researching the process on line. There are instructions for dewinterizing most RVs but Thors might be a little different than other RVs and Vegases might be a little different from other Thors and 24.1s different from other Vegases and 2014s--well, you get the idea. Today my big accomplishment was step 1: Finding the water heater drain plug and replacing it. The rest of the process can wait until the weekend when it's supposed to be about 35 degrees warmer than today.
Meanwhile, I have started to make reservations and several trips are planned with the Midwest Glampers and our old camping group. I've made my lists and am checking them twice--don't want to forget a veggie or spice. I know, pretty bad. But I think a little giddiness can be forgiven in light of the past long, pandemic winter. I know the pandemic isn't over but camping has been rated one of the safest activities and I intend to take advantage of it.
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