holding my breath, alternative fuels update

[deborah12060]

Hi Ladies,

I spoke with the people yesterday who are going to assess the rig for the motor home features, take more pictures for me, etc. The rig. hasn't been delivered yet but the owner did call in to say he was getting it there. The "shop" said I should call on Wed. to see what had happened. Dare say, I"m holding my breath.

Meanwhile, Linda I took to searching the Web. about natural gas. Didn't go easily. Lots of stuff for fleets. Sounds a little iffy to me. The savings factor would take a long time to recoup for the investment cost. Further, though I am rather
embarrassed to share this, I have this image of myself being rear ended with the result being not so different from
driving over a EUD (do I have those initials right?). I almost wrote IUD. Lyme brain. One stores the natural gas in
cylinders. Takes a lot of cylinders. Would have to store them on the back of the vehicle.

"Collie Mom", I need a motorhome because I travel with pets and I need to crash fast on occasion unless I take medication.
I spent a lot of time, early in my search a year ago, looking into the horse trailers with living quarters (like a motorhome but not a toy hauler in rear but, rather,horse stalls and tack room space. The new ones were too expensive and the old ones would be too costly to convert besides which giving a very bouncy ride for the horses and (during the move) the other farm animals.

I am giving some consideration,however, of the logistics of getting so much done "away from home" on the "first" drive after purchase. Feels big. Is big. Just hate to spend the money for multiple trips and taking the time during summer for that as well. Seems most of the places where I need conversion work are around Missouri or Tx. or, S.
Dakota.

"Almost there", I have given some thought to Oregon, primarily because my best friend and her family are moving there. I spend all my holidays with them and, she is my oldest friend. Thing is, I need sun. Love sun emotionally.
I would have to live up over the Mountain range, I think in order to get sun. What would that be, maybe an hour our of Portland? I love the sensibility of Portland. Think Austin would serve the same purpose generally. Am planning to visit there to check it out, probably next winter as a side trip from the Hill Country. Not sure.

I appreciate everyone's input. Karen and Janet, I think you are very funny and, for me, I really enjoyed your
posts.

I'll keep everyone posted as this week unfolds with the rig. I have this fear that the owner of the rig. will bring it in
and "Tom's" and the owner will come to terms about putting the vehicle there for consignment sale at a higher cost
than I am paying and, I will loose out. I promise, I won't cry and take it as a voice from fate. Wrong time/wrong
place. In any case, I'm glad this is going more slowly than the owner wanted because it's getting too late in the week to work around the holiday, the carpenter who isn't finished yet at the farm, and my mowing.

DD

[Liz]

Thinking about you...it's Wednesday.

[OutandAbout]

DD, sorry my mention of natural gas sent you off on such a goose chase. I remember watching a news magazine show and they were talking about the possibility of converting the big rigs to the natural gas. It was at the height of the gas price increase and the show was just throwing out ideas. Now we can toss that idea for RV's for now. Good luck with the rv purchase. Linda

[Bethers]

Thursday now - any word from those checking it out?

[Getupngo]

Re: natural gas ... it's something I would consider except that the NG stations are few and far between.

What's the word from "the shop?"

[avalen]

I've been watching for some word too, hope all goes well with the inspection

[deborah12060]

Hi guys,

Wow. You all are so supportive. Dare say, I couldn't wait to get off the phone with the "shop", Tom's R.V. and Trailer in
Springfield, Mo. and get on line. Before I address that, "Out and About", how sensitive of you to apologize about "sending me on a goose chase" about the natural gas. And, please don't feel that way. I am grateful for your input on all counts, however you want to deliver it. I need it and, want it. It's a whiff of "we all in this together" that smacks of jolly
commonality. I appreciate any brainstorming.

Now, as to Tom's. Very unsettling. I got on the phone with a new person named Dennis who I quite enjoyed. Free thinker type who did an electric car forty years ago. Perfect. Told him I was inquiring about the progress with the rig when he said "they were just buffing it out now getting it ready for consignment." I shared that "the rig is there because I am having it assessed for purchase, not for any consignment". Of course, my inside were screaming conflict of interest which my intuition had forecasted earlier. He smoothly didn't skip a beat and said Ed's (the owner) name had buffed out but that "if I were you I wouldn't do anything about the decals unless you are going to do a whole new paint job because it might distress the original paint job underneath. The box is pretty faded anyway".

So, I'm worried, of course, about this slip about consignment. At best, the buffing was happening just to get the owners name off the rig. But, why would Tom's be doing that if it was just there for my assessment. That certainly isn't a cost of mine for assessment and hope not to be charged for it. Which brings up to mind my worry that I will be paying for the owner's assessment and he will then put it on consignment and not sell it to me for the price quoted with the "OBO" after it in the ad. This new man, Dennis, said he wouldn't be able to complete the assessment of all systems until mid next week because he was leaving for the holiday and wouldn't be back until Tue. I told him I would change the apt. with Mid-Way Ford (who is assessing the engine) to Thursday and would notify the owner of the extended time frame.

Dennis likes this rig. It has no stove or oven. Sadly, the awful bubble gum with purple carpet extends two feet up the side walls. And, the couch that I want out will not increase the floor space as I hoped because the water tank (which, curiously is a mighty hundred gallons-common for these race car people who like water to wash their race cars) extends above the floor under the couch. I can work with all that. An important part, having the opening from the cab to the rig really wide so I can have the passenger seat put on the gizmo that raises it and swivels it, is sufficient. Further, this Dennis has an old Winnebago that he is dismantling so he said he could convert that over for me.

So far, some five dollar part is needed for the air bags for the suspension, though the labor would be something because the wheel has to come off to do that. He said he would raise all the air bags some to make the hauling
the eventual horse trailer more even.

We got to the area under the rig, theoretically, given the very large holding tank I want for the vegy oil. Turns out there isn't going to be much room as the generator (which he thinks can be fixed perhaps easily) is gas and has it's own thirty gallon tank. Wow. We brainstormed back and forth about seeing what Dennis had in a tank for the remaining space if the couch came out. He thought he might have a water holding tank that could fit there for
they vegy oil but I shared that the people I had spoken with didn't like working with conduit and plastic like stuff.
They liked metal so the seals and fittings could be proper and ordinary, welded, etc. He said he would check and see what he might have.

I moved into sharing my thoughts about having the fabricated "extra" vegy tank on the back of the rig. Dennis said it was illegal to have fuel stored there. Well, I don't quite get that as I saw all kinds of vehicles with cylinders of
the natural gas stored there when I was investigating that. But fine. "But vegy oil isn't fuel", I told Dennis. "I'd put a decal on it that says "portable water", just in case some one stops you, he replied. I didn't like the sounds of that. My luck, I'd get into an accident and something illegal like that (if it is illegal) would cancel out my insurance. I think further research has to be done on this. When I spoke with the vegy conversion people about my idea neither one of them said they thought that would be illegal.

I got an e-mail off to the owner sharing my concerns about the "consignment" reference" and asked him to address that.
We'll see what he says.

This is what I know. In process as they say. Part of me is thinking the rig is too small, only a twelve foot box, so it would be 24 or 25 ft. long, and that it really needs to be longer. Then again, I am relieved to be having something so very mobile that will do the job that needs to be done. This is about a goal, a job, even more than being about leisure. The money for the leisure aspect will come with what I'd probably have to ad to a larger rig anyway....the
sleeping option on the roof which I haven't even shared with you guys yet, the alternative awning system, the solar panels, etc. Another part of me is trusting with a sigh that I can only control so much. If this owner is going to place the rig on consignment, what really can I do about it. It would just mean this is not my time yet. At this moment I have no idea how any of this is going to turn out. Meanwhile, I have a closet to clear out tonight for the carpenter
to work in tomorrow and, horror of all horrors, a notice from the IRS for particulars on my 2008 taxes to deal with.
The extended assessment time for the rig actually works just fine as I couldn't get in to see my tax man until next
Thurs. Guess next Thurs. will be a rather pivotal day for me. Sugh.

DD