Looks like it was just too freaking cold LOL

Getting them to slowly retract now. Next step is a new control module. I hope everyone has a great Sunday, and Ray & Anne - when we heard the border would reopen we immediately thought of you!

The rig is a 2018 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS if that matters. I have left a message for Lippert emergency tech line, no response yet.

Many vets still use anti anxiety medications that make tje problem worse by essentially making the dog unable to respond to its fears. Imagine being in a terrifying situation and being immobilized- that's basically what those drugs do, and then of course the next time the scary situation ( car ride, thunderstorm, fireworks) happens, the dog's anxiety is worse because they know that they'll be trapped and helpless.

I'd suggest two things: get some CBD for dogs (pet releaf is a reputable brand, and a decent vet can also prescribe CBD-- dump any vet who won't as they are stuck in the past and doing the bidding of their pharmaceutical rep.) Second, have a consultation with a postive dog trainer (never ever work with a trainer who adheres to dominance theory which has been discredited for over a decade). They can help you reframe the scary situation for your dog so they learn to not fear it. Punishing a dog for bring afraid does not work but a bad trainer, and there are plenty out there, will try to convince you that you need to "alpha" your pet into being afraid to show fear.

Good luck!

Hey Ray,

Just a quick follow-up: it stayed up until just a few minutes ago, when the entire big sticky pad stayed on the window but dumped the unit itself. So, it worked for 9 days and then failed differently.

Once we get to our own property for the summer, we'll probably just go ahead and mount it with the 3M tape like you did. But it would be great if they could fix the suction cup problem so the permanent mount was not the only viable option for full timers.

Thanks!

Mary

Hi Ray,
It's been about 5 hours and so far it is holding after the wet wipe. I'll keep you posted!
Thanks,
Mary

Thanks, Ray! We just remounted it after trying the wet wipe, and if that doesn't do the trick we'll move to the double-sided tape. :smile: Thank you!

We have the 30 gallon aquatank as well and absolutely love it. We've used it for over a year with no issues... well, adjusted for covid times it's really about six months. Our rig has a power fill setting for the fresh tank which makes filling up a breeze. We highly recommend it

Lisa, check out Unlimitedville. They have plans that are based on a single carrier -- for AT&T you would choose the Blue plan which is $199/month. It is truly unlimited - no throttling, no cap, no overage charges. They have a T-Mobile plan also which is the least expensive (Pink, $149/month). We have to have unlimited data for our work, plus we like to stream music and movies without worrying about the impact on a carrier's so-called "unlimited" plan that slows everything to a crawl after a certain point. It is plug-and-play: you get the router, plug it in, attach the antennas, log in to a website and set up your password for security, and that's it. Takes about 5 minutes to set up. We've been using them for about a year and are very happy with them.

We are followers of Technomadia as well and they have very good, but very complicated, high-level information. I'm not a computer scientist. I just need a simple system for strong internet that works. This is that.

If you need truly unlimited WiFi, check out Unlimitedville. They have color-coded plans, each one corresponding to a different carrier. We use the Red plan, as that is based on Verizon. Of course that's the most expensive - it's $250 per month plus a one-time $250 activation fee, but because we run a business it's an expense we can justify. After limping along using a Verizon jetpack and then switching to an AT&T hotspot when we went over the Verizon limit and got throttled speeds, switching to Unlimitedville has been awesome. Now we can stream music all day while we work, speeds for work applications are fast (obviously depending on the Verizon signal where we are) and we can stream shows at night and not have to worry about caps or throttling. If you're going to be mostly stationary, figure out what carrier has the strongest signal there and choose the corresponding plan. For being nomadic in the western US, Verizon (Red Plan) is the clear choice.

Some things I wish were different -- the router has no meter to tell you how strong the signal is, so we have to look at one of our Verizon devices to see that. You also can't tell how much data you're using or have used, and that would be nice to see (but just out of curiosity -- the plans are truly unlimited.)

Summers are frustrating for us to begin with because we can't stand heat or crowds. We've been keeping our eyes open for lots in cool areas (we're from the US) where we could put in an RV pad and spend the summer boondocking on our own property. Those places are increasingly hard to find, as most desirable places have adopted regulations forbidding RV camping. So now we're looking at similar properties that have little cabins on them, because then we can park both the motorhome (anyone want a 2018 Class C with a boatload of solar and lithium and a ton of other upgrades?) and the fifth wheel without a problem. Due to COVID, we'd stay beyond just the summer this year. Given the attitudes we've seen in AZ as well as parts of NM and CO, I fully expect a second and perhaps third wave of infections, so I'm not optimistic that the southwest US will be a safe place to snowbird this year. And FL is no better, of course.

Stay safe, everyone.

Thanks, Ray!

Thanks, Ray! Are there specific types or densities of foam to look for?

If it's not raining, and you turn off the water (I'm assuming you're on water hookup and not your fresh tank) does it stop?

Dave and Shelley,
Since you're open to New Mexico, and don't want to be near a major city, you might check out Cedar Cove RV Park in Elephant Butte (next to Truth or Consequences). We have a long term spot there that we come and go from. Here's what we like about it.

Like you, we still work and rely on stable high-speed internet. We have an Unlimitedville account on their Verizon plan, (expensive, but truly unlimited) and have not had connectivity issues here and what we do takes a lot of bandwidth intermittently. We also have AT&T and I usually have full signal on that as well.

It's a VERY quiet park. Very. There are different sections of the park and I would recommend doing what we did - book a few nights, and then walk around with a map of the spots that are open for a month or two or however long you're looking for, and pick one. I think Level 2 is the quietest. This is where we are and there's a buffer of wild desert between here and the roads. When we leave we miss the quiet.

It has all the necessities (bathrooms, laundry) but none of the crap I don't want to pay for (watered lawns in the desert, a pool, playgrounds, other "resort" amenities. It does have a huge kitchen that you can use if you're staying a month or more.It has a dog park.

There's a Walmart about 10 minutes away and another grocery store in T or C (Bullocks) that I've been to once and found very limited. There are a handful of local propane places where you can fill up; if you're staying a while you can have them drop a bottle at your site.

Some LT sites have lean-to shelters, and some have small storage sheds, and some have both. The rest are "plain." All are pretty level, gravel, and the staff rakes daily to keep it tidy. The plants are native, not stuff that needs watered and fussed with (I abhor parks that waste water trying to make the desert look like a golf course in the midwest, if you didn't pick up on that.)

The people here are friendly. Everyone is here for the same reason: it's quiet and relaxing.

From our RV we look out at hilly desert. I've seen more quail than in my entire life before now, and the occasional roadrunner.

Las Cruces is about an hour away if you do need to get to a bigger town. El Paso is about an hour an a half if you need an even bigger city.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park is a mile or so away and has great easy and moderate hikes. There's lots to see around the area if you enjoy the outdoors. This is like an old beach town in the middle of the desert. Some people hate that. We love it. It's not a fancy, upscale destination.

Holler if you have any questions!

Mary

Edited to add: this used to be officially a 55+ park. Their current policy is children are allowed only for those staying a week or less. There are a number of long term people here, including some who have been here over a decade. Unlike any other park I've been to, they do not tolerate a mess around any vehicle. Some people have plants and outdoor decor, but it is all neatly kept. I can't recall seeing any kids here, ever. That may be either a plus or a minus depending on your situation. -mhk

We mounted shoe pockets along the sides of the bed frame where the mattress overhangs the support board and the vertical sides. That's unused space, and since the mattress sticks out further than the shoe pouches, we don't run into them. (They are just like the ones in the top post, but only one row high.)

Hi Al,

My husband used to teach high altitude climbing and he suggests that you find a doctor who specifically works with mountain climbers, sky divers, and/or who was trained as a flight surgeon in the military -- in other words, a doctor who understands the effects of altitude on the body and specifically how it affects oxygen levels in the lungs. A physician with this kind of experience should be able to help you determine what is possible and what you need to expect in terms of acclimatization. Good luck!

Hi Dave, we had this issue a couple of times. Have you changed elevation significantly right before this happened? Just like a bottle of water will collapse in on itself and form a suction when changing elevation, the tanks will do the same thing. After making sure there was no issue with the air intake for the gray tank and that the shower and sink drains weren't closed, my husband used the softer side of a rubber mallet to tap (okay whack) on the drain line, on the "tank side" of the gate valve. After a few hits, WHOOSH the suction broke and it drained. This has happened to us twice, both when we had 3000+ ft changes in elevation between the last time we dumped and this time, and only on the gray tank. Good luck!

HAHAHA yeah, I can be that far from Starbucks and be just fine :rofl: Thanks!

Thanks, James!

Awesome, Lorraine - thanks so much for the detailed info! The side-to-side weight is something I've thought about because the majority of the storage as well as all the appliances and the bathroom are on the left side of the rig. The only heavy thing on the right is the recliners. (I'm not sure how the 4 tanks Fr/Gr1/Gr2/Bl are situated.)