Still on the Edge in Sumas

Time flies. Made it back from Seattle yesterday; lately I've been driving down once a week for meetings. That's a little much at 120 miles one way. Hopefully next week I'll stay home.

On Tuesday I managed to take a few more seats out. Only 12 to go, hah. Found an odd hole-in-the-wall business in Everett, where they do nothing but refurbish old RV refrigerators. rvmobile.com. Chatted a bit with the guy there, not much help. Discouraging really all about the high prices everywhere. Their fridges go for around $700 which is a lot, but cheaper than the new ones if you can believe it.

I'm hopefully picking up a used wood stove that a friend of mine found. Pat says its an older air-tight one out of a mobile home. Sounds good, long as its relatively up to code/safe. With luck, a little hearth for it, insulated stove pipe, good damper, and a topper for the roof will take care of it. Bus'n it with the warmth of a wood fire!

Been getting sticker shock over everything else. Hot water heater = $500; solar system = $1000 easy; a propane regulator goes for $40. I read of one school bus conversion done for $5000; safe guess is they left out the separate 400W inverter dedicated to the laptop. Not to mention the bathroom.

Well bummer. Best maybe to start small, think about a toilet/shower/jacuzzi later. I would like the whole works, right down to those tacky non-slip stick-ons people buy for their showers. But given say a 5 year plan, and in order of importance, I'd be pleased with:

--insulation and heat. Wood stove at least, propane back-up (direct vent).

--domestic water pump with kitchen and bathroom fixtures, hot & cold.

--house batteries and minimal charging capability off the alternator for lights. Inverter & charger. Fuse box etc.

--toilet & shower. Vents, etc

--kitchen fridge (3-way).

--solar panels, charge controller

--internet? vcr? tv? biodiesel tanks?

Of course, Mark retains veto power.

Schitzophrenically enough, I've always regarded most RV's as wretchedly excessive; to my mind if you're going to go camping, you don't take the television! I have only had negative experiences with generators in the woods. Years ago the challenge was about enjoying the outdoors with less, not more. Everything I needed then was on my back. Maybe I'm changing, or maybe what I'm after isn't so much a wilderness experience as a domestic experience--a desire to enjoy the unfamiliar amid all the cozy creature comforts. You don't need the TV, but the idea of taking it all with you--not only the appliances, but the orange juice, the blankets, and of course the dog--I think that's what attracts a lot of people to RV's. Wanderlust combined with materialism. I can relate totally. Its when you DIE that you can't pack.