Tag: Van Down by the River II

Bill Windsor Has a Clean Van Down by the River II

Bill Windsor Has a Clean Van Down by the River II

Bill Windsor sends BIG thanks to Izeta and Bill for cleaning the inside of the RV today!  Three hours.  Izeta is from Bosnia.
It’s so nice to be in a clean place.  No olives, mushrooms, or broccoli on the floor.
Not a single dirty item in the sink.  Stove cleaned.  The toilet and bathroom were thoroughly cleaned.  New desk chair pad is in place with the old one in the dumpster.  RAID Ant & Roach Killer refreshed along every exterior seam on the floor.
I’d love to be able to keep it clean for a while.  New Year’s Resolution.
I didn’t accomplish much today other than direct Izeta and Bill.  I salvaged my comforter from the Truck as it’s really cold here, and getting it dry-cleaned will have to wait.  My two quilts did not get the job done last night.
FedEx notified me the battery-powered wheelchair will be delivered on Tuesday – a day early.  Jim will help me see if I can transport it in the front of the Truck.  I know I can’t lift it up over the rails in the truckbed.  The Amazon video makes it look easy, but I’m not sure I can move 70 pounds.
Goodbye Humana, hello Aetna on 1/1/2024.  I have to send in an appeal to Humana for not paying to have my teeth cleaned, something that is clearly covered.  It was denied because I only have half as many teeth, and the dental hygienist had no code Humana would accept. SMH.
I still have no money.  Wells Fargo says they have sent a new Debit Card, but I’m cardless.  The truck is loaded with laundry, but I’m moneyless.
An RV down the way is giving away American flags, so I got a pile of them for all the dental students in Clearwater (all of whom are from other countries).  I am buying flowers for each of the four members of my Dental Team, and I will insert a flag into each.
I’m back there on Thursday.  I know they will be doing individual x-rays.  I need them to do something about the pain where the crown broke off.
My back pain is MUCH better, but I simply can’t walk anymore.  I have to resign myself to that fact.
If you haven’t seen The Mighty Macs, get it on Amazon.  I think I saw it many years ago, but my memory for movies has always been non-existent.  My brain is full, so I have no place for entertainment to be stored.
In the early 70s, Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino) became the head basketball coach at a tiny, all-girls Catholic college, Immaculata.  Though her team has no gym and no uniforms — and the school itself is in danger of being sold — Coach Rush looked to steer her girls to their first national championship.  It’s a true story.
Carla Gugino is really good-looking in the movie, and her assistant coach (Sister Sunday) has such a sweet nunness.  I looked her up – Marley Shelton, and she’s been in a ton of movies.  It’s a feel good movie, and be sure to watch the credits as I was amazed at the success enjoyed after college by the players.
Go Cowboys.  Go Chiefs.

Mission Accomplished in Van Down by the River II

Bill Windsor has been living alone full-time in a motorhome for several months.

Bill Windsor 41-foot Winnebago Before Ravine Dive
Bill Windsor 41-foot Winnebago Before Ravine Dive
It’s a decidedly new experience after 48 years as a homeowner.
There’s a lot of maintenance.  The main task is the holding tanks that hold Gas, Propane, Fresh Water, Gray Water, and Black Water.  You can’t let these overflow, and the Black Water Tank is where all the deposits from the toilet reside until flushed into a sewer.
I learned how to hook up all the hoses, watched numerous videos of the do’s and don’ts, got some help the first time from a friendly RV Campground neighbor, and survived in the original Van Down by the River.  Then it took a rear-end-first dive into a nine-foot Ravine.
The Van Down by the River II is very nice, much smaller, but fully equipped.
2018 Thor Ace 30.4 Black Tank Empty 2022
2018 Thor Ace 30.4 Black Tank Empty 2022

There are tiny buttons that you press to light up even tinier lights that tell whether your Tanks are E, 1/3, 2/3, or F.

I have been unable to get the Black Tank to fully empty.  I was unable to get it below 1/2.  I re-read everything, watched all the videos again several times, tried various ideas presented online, and did a lot of cussing.
Then I put out a call for help on Facebook.  Dozens of people responded, mainly seriously.
Special thanks to Wendi Robinson, Susan Carlson, JulieAnn McDougal, Charmin, Walmart’s ULTRA Dish Liquid, Amazon, Water Company, Campground with Free Water, trash bag makers, Thetford Tissue Digester, Hefty, the manufacturer of my cane, Eveready, Thor, the Propane Dude, and assorted others.
I took everyone’s advice and tried almost everything. At 10:24 a.m. on 10/1/2022, MY BLACK TANK IS EMPTY!!!!!
Smiling
Smiling
When you live full-time in an RV, it seems there’s little in life much better than an empty Black Tank.
It means all the yucky stuff is now in the sewer.
I’ll never know which of the things I used worked.
I’d like to think each of them did. It only took me about 24-hours of work. I’m putting a sign in my windshield: “WANTED, SWEET, BEAUTIFUL PLUMBER. Free room and board.” I’ll post a photo.
I believe Wendi’s advice about the importance of water was huge. My Black Tank registered 1/2 full, but that seems to have been TP stuck to a sensor. I repeatedly filled my pasta pot with water and brought it to a boil. I then poured it down the toilet. That took many hours and resulted in a few leg burns from splashing boiling water.
The water was left to mingle with yucky stuff overnight, and at 9:00 a.m., I began the task of emptying, filling with water using the Black Tank Flush, again and again, anxiously waiting for the clear sewer elbow to be showing nothing but clear water.
VOILA
2018 Thor Ace 30.4 Black Tank Empty 2022
2018 Thor Ace 30.4 Black Tank Empty 2022
Now I’ll be using the Carlson Patented Mexican TP Disposal Method. I’ve got to order something to improve my system —
Living in an RV full-time is a “real trip.” My Heavens there’s a lot to deal with.