Learning Something New

Later this morning we will pull out of Yuma and head north back to Quartzsite.Our first stop will be "Starlight Solar" to get a hydrometer. This is an important piece of equipment if you rely on solar power and need to monitor your batteries. Next we will stop at and see Mary's aunt who winters here in Yuma and lives the rest of the year in B.C.
Besides learning something new at each seminar we attended I also found the folks attending the rally  have much to offer as well. Case in point. I got talking to Roger, at the pizza party the other night, and he told me about an additional oil cleaner he had installed on his truck. Seems the oil cleaner spins the oil at very high rpms. and the centrifugal action forces any contaminates through a 1 micron filter effectively removing all solid impurities. This allows him to drive 25,000 miles between oil changes. The little black can in the picture below is the filter. Check out their web site at: http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm

One seminar I attended addressed the issues of electrical protection. Often when travelling we find some camp-grounds have old antiquated systems that can't handle the electrical demands of  today's RVs. You may not realize it but the electricity coming into your RV may be less (or greater) than the expected 120. This is called "dirty electricity" and can damage your electrical appliances over time. To prevent this and monitor your electricity you need one of these:

Once again I was able to buy this from an attendee who no longer needed it since he now drives a motor-home that has a 50 amp service. This is designed for a 30 amp service and that is what our trailer has.

Nick and Terry once again thanked all the volunteers for their help during the rally, then gave each of them a $25.00 gift certificate, very much appreciated. Being our last rally night it was time to give out more "door" prizes. Here someone in the audience won an embroidered shirt. Hope it fits!

 Hopefully you will be in the audience next year. This is a great area to spend the winter and there is lots to see and do in Arizona; so make plans and come on down.

Keep in touch and travel safely.

Yuma Rally Last Day

Today is the last full day of the Gypsy Rally here in Yuma. The people we've met and the seminars we've attended have been great. Regardless of how long you have been on the road or camping there is always something new to learn. Yesterday I attended a seminar on "Don't Go without Velcro" Naturally it was all about the many uses of velcro in your RV. I also learned that the glue used on most velcro will melt at 97*F. That sounds high but think of how hot the inside of your car gets on a sunny day. No wonder the monitor for my back-up camera doesn't stay in place on hot days.

This seminar was about joining the "Elk and Moose" two clubs much like the Lions or Optimists.

We are right next to a major military airport that trains and certifies over 10,000 planes and pilots each year, many from the NATO countries. When these babies fly over, all conversation stops.

Friday we load the wagon and head north to Quartzsite, then up to Roosevelt Dam on Saturday.

Hope to see you on the road as we slowly make our way back home.