Friday, July 26, 2019

Back Home

Still recuperating from the flights. The Atlanta-Seattle-Fairbanks flight wasn’t an overnighter but there was still a five-plus hour layover in Seattle. We didn’t opt for the Alaska Airlines Lounge but did find a relatively empty gate in the north concourse with plenty of seats with power outlets. The photo was taken in north GA at a lookout with a stunning view. I was playing around with the new photo editing interface on the iPad. I must admit that I like how it works. This is on the iOS 13 beta version.

This morning, I finally broke down and went to the clinic regarding my cough. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and told me to use the inhaler that I still had from my cough last winter. He said it should open things up more. We have a couple of four-footed visitors this weekend. Gary and Stacy from Pau Hana Travels, the organizer of the Eklutna Lake Campout, flew to Utqiaġvik for the weekend and we (meaning Bridget) are watching their two dogs Sofi and Spirit.

We now get to try and figure out what I need to pack into the Prius for my road trip to Georgia. Some things are a given like the e-bikes, kayak, and tools. Other things like kitchen appliances, clothes, etc. aren’t so clear cut. I think the target date for picking up the RV will be near the end of August. We need to talk to the dealer and set a firm date so I can figure out when I need to leave here. It’s about 4k miles so ten days sounds about right. Google Maps says the trip is about 65 hours.

About the only things I plan to install initially on the new-to-us RV is a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor and the TPMS system from the truck. The battery monitor is similar to the Trimetric TM-2025-RV that I had installed in the 5th wheel. You disconnect all of the cables from the negative side of the battery bank and install a 500 amp shunt in series. This allows the meter to measure all the current running out of and into the battery. The additional feature that the Victron unit adds is Bluetooth connectivity. This means that the display doesn’t have to be mounted inside the coach. Just use a phone app to read the display. I suspect that eventually, it will be relocated inside somewhere but that can be done later. By knowing how much power we use on a regular basis, we can size the battery bank and solar accordingly. So, yes, there will be solar installed though not right away. 

No comments:

Post a Comment