SeaDawg

We had a great time. The ideas, creativity, and implementation were inspiring, but especially the conversations with the students who planned and built the homes. We were also encouraged that the DOE is looking heavily at Affordability and Market Appeal in the ratings. In the past Decathlon, the house that won was totally out of reach, entirely clad in solar panels--not just the roof, but all exterior walls, putting it totally out of reach for any family's budget. I have some photos from each of the past two decathlons, but the professional photos, and the students' photos are probably better. You can see them at solardecathlon.gov, where all the information from all the years is contained. Sherry

To visit Washington D.C., we camped for three nights at Greenbelt National Park, Greenbelt, MD. The location of the park offers a lot of convenience. A traffic light at the entrance, it sits just off highway 193, and the Metro station, with an enormous parking lot, is just a few miles from the park entrance. The Green Metro line takes you to L'Enfant, and one more stop after transfer lands you at the Smithsonian/National Mall stop. The relaxed 35-40 minute ride sure beats driving in DC, and trying to locate a parking place. Also convenient to shopping, restaurants, IKEA, and I-495 and I-95. The park itself is an amazing 1100 acres, twelve miles outside the DC city center. Lots of deer, squirrels, some red fox, and a maturing hardwood forest. Our site was home to a naturally "braided" dogwood, and many laurel and holly bushes. Their lower height allowed our solar to recharge the battery daily, while we still had pleasant shade on the other side of the trailer for the afternoon. No services, however, so our rather rude neighbor across the road ran his noisy generator for hours at a time. Generators are ok from 6 am til 10 pm. We were in loop B, and got a fair amount of siren noise and helicopter noise through the evenings, reminding us of our proximity to the city. Bathrooms are older, but fairly clean, but with only one shower stall each for men and women in each loop of approximately 50-60 sites. Not a problem during the shoulder season, as we only had a half dozen campsites occupied around us, but could be a long waiting line in the summer. However, at $16 a night, (and half that for anyone with a geezer pass), it's a bargain in the DC area. A very nice volunteer staff, too. The park apparently suffered a lot of damage in a summer storm, as we saw hundreds of downed trees everywhere, and two loops were closed for repairs. A really unusually sighting was a fungus called "elegant stinkhorn," which sprouted daily in our campsite. Resembling a carrot growing upward rather than into the soil, in the morning the carrot tip was coated with a bright green slime. They attracted lots of flies, but wilted to the ground by the afternoon of each day. We see a lot of odd mushrooms and toadstools around the Appalachians, but I'd never seen one of these before. Sherry

Once again, the Solar Decathlon was a great experience. The weather was perfect this year for the two days that we toured the small, zero energy homes constructed by 19 college teams. (20 were approved for the competition, Hawaii dropped out due to financial issues.) All the teams had worked for 18 months to two years to create their compact (maximum 1000 square foot) homes utilizing the sun for energy, heating and cooling, and hot water. Their inventiveness and enthusiasm is quite energizing. Sadly, our two Florida teams didn't fare too well, but their houses were well-engineered and creative. Hot water issues left Team Florida at the bottom of the list, and Florida International had moved up to 11 from 16 when we left. Both houses also had to conform to Florida's stringent building codes, which added to the expense of construction. Affordability was a key issue this year, and rightly so. Clean energy powered homes will only become the norm when affordable. Still, both Florida homes ranked in our favorites from a design standpoint, as well as Appalachian state, New Zealand, and the Parsons/Stevens house, among others. Parsons/Stevens built the first story of a Habitat for Humanity house; the Deanwood HH is building the second story. More info at solardecathlon.gov, with lots of great videos and photos. Next US decathlon will be 2013; the European version is next summer in 2012, in Spain. We camped at Greenbelt National Park for three nights. No hookups, but decent sized spaces, only $16 a night (half with the geezer pass....), and a few miles to the Metro station for a stress-free ride to downtown DC. More on Greenbelt Park later in the camping forum. Sherry

We love our Maxxi's, but wish the Duros were still available. We got over 30k on those. So far, really happy with the ride and mileage of the Maxxis. Will start looking closely when we pass 15 k miles. We keep a log re: tire miles, axle grease miles, etc. Sherry

Sounds like a great trip! Post a few photos along the way? Safe travels! Sherry and Paul

One cousin in Maryland reported a few problems (including power outages). How did you fare?

We sincerely hope that none of our friends are in the path of this hurricane. It's a wide, wide path. Our prayers are with everyone from Cape Hatteras north. Sherry

Our daughter and her friends could not get into Blue Springs this weekend. They did snag a last minute opening at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Anyone been there? It's very close to Blue Spring. Sherry

TripAdvisor sent this link in an email today... It's that time of year when folks think about getting out on the road! Of course, as a hotel-oriented website, there's an inn or two linked into each drive. Wish they listed campgrounds instead! Anyway, 10 more vintage American drives http://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.road__5F__trips I don't think you have to be a member to view this part of the website. Sherry Happy Traveling!

Paul installed one this past week. It looks very nice. It hasn't rained lately, so I can't tell you how it works for us yet. He installed it on the curbside window, at the foot of the bed. I think we'll put the second one on the streetside window over the small dinette table, for cross ventilation. Have most of you installed two of them? Also, Jam49, the install requires only 5 small screws into the window frame only, not the trailer. The way the vent is manufactured, there is not enough surface to grab with two-sided tape, so that excellent idea won't fly, unfortunately. Sherry

Thanks. I see two Midland models online, both of which could work. The white one, model 100, is lighter and smaller. I think it could mount with Velcro, at only one pound weight, in the spot you mentioned. Is this what you have, DC Kiefer? The other model is black, weighs twice as much, model 300. Sherry

Pete, the frs radios are a good idea. I didn't realize any of these came with weather service capability. We already have two sets of handheld radios for communicating around the property, but if I don't find a dedicated, small, weather radio, we might just have to have three sets! I have a windup weather radio/flashlight, but there's no alert function on it. Good for no power situations, though. Sherry

Has anyone found a small weather radio with alert capability that runs on 12 volt? I got one at Radio Shack in December, along with a converter to run it on 12 volt instead of battery or AC, but it was so large there wasn't really a good spot for it. We camped in a number of places with tornadoes last summer (actually, the sheriff's dept. came out to warn us at one remote campsite in SE Minnesota, which was really nice), and I'd like to add a better radio with alert to our trailer before this summer's travels. Thanks. Sherry

I know I've seen these on a number of Olivers, but I can't remember who now. I'm looking at the Maxx-Window louvers that allow you to slide the windows partly open for ventilation on rainy days and nights without soaking the interior. For those of you who have installed them, how do you like them? Do they work as described? Easy to install? The website mentioned something about a security clip to keep the window from being slid further open. Did you install these, or did the kit come with it? Thanks for any info you'd like to share. Sherry

Have you seen the moonrise lately? The amazing "supermoon" event a few days ago, on the full moon, was so beautiful, and not to be repeated for another 19 years. Tonight, the almost full moon hangs orange and beautiful, just above the horizon, as I type this post. Wonderful, serene, and inspiring. Sherry

What a lovely campground, and an extraordinarily beautiful park. The park has it all for central Florida: private campsites, electric and water, and very level sites. Small, but with our trailers, who cares? The park is incredible. A beautiful boardwalk rims the spring run, the spring, and ends at the St. John River and the marina. Absolutely lovely. Bugs? Yes. Tiny mosquitos in late Feb/early March, a campfire took care of them. Very nice neighbors. The bathhouses are old, but absolutely immaculate. Not a cobweb or spider in sight, (nor mildew), in spite of the 80's color theme of yellow and gold. The posted schedule on the wall for cleaning, cobweb removal, and pressure cleaning is strictly followed. Kudos to the staff. We loved our stay, and we'll be back again. Photos to folllow. Sherry PS Blue Spring is a fabled, legendary spring in the heart of Florida. I was so glad to finally see what I'd read about in poetry and essays. Go if you get the chance. At $24 a night, it's a steal, manatees or no. The spring is 73 degrees year round, so the manatee population is larger when the river is colder (November thru February). You cannot swim or kayak during the manatee season, as Blue Spring is a refuge area for the gentle giants. S.

The only other accessory we're adding this season (I think) is the tire pressure/temperature sensing guages and monitor. We had a flat on the truck in Canada (Quebec) last fall, and after talking to Pete and Jr Birdman, decided that adding the sensors we already have in the truck, to the trailer, was a good idea. I'm sure we saved a lot of hassle knowing immediately when that big bolt we picked up on the highway cut thru the truck tire. As the trailer is now back in its spot next to the garage, we have not yet installed this system, and not tested it. More on that later. Wishing you a great camping spring season, Sherry

The trailer's last birthday present arrived while we were camping. A pressure/temperature sensing system. I think there's already a thread started by Pete or JuniorBirdman, so I'll look and add details there. I believe it's the same as at least one of theirs. The trailer is feeling pretty "downtown, right now, with new tires and batteries, and more accessories to be installed after a wash and wax tomorrow. Must be time for a long camping trip!! Sher

As our trailers age, we'll all find new items to discuss, I'm sure. Someday, I'd love to see your binder, but it might become a bit heavy to carry! Sherry

Jennifer, I think you're wise to look into every system while you have the time. It's how we all learned. Please do pm if you ever travel our way. Sherry PS I still would look into replacing the household light with a compatible cfl or led. We replaced all of our kitchen lights (recessed cans, quite a few...) with cfls, and it's quite nice. No heat, and though they burn a bit orange-ey at the beginning, it's a nice warm light (as advertised on the package) when warm. These lights are not on a dimmer, so a standard, relatively inexpensive cfl is adequate. S.

So, in honor of our trailer's third birthday, it got new tires and batteries. Wow. The 34,000 mile Duros were replaced by Maxxis m8008 10 ply, e rated tires. (We kept the best of the two duros for Alaska...). Sadly, duros were not available locally, and not e rated... 34 K is long enough to keep trailer tires, and one tire was wearing a bit thin... Both tires had been replaced when we changed from a five to a six lug axle long ago. Paul chose AGM batteries, since we have solar, and the local battery friend/guru gave him a great price on a pair of (very heavy) AGMs that fit the tray. We had thought about replacing our original betteries with the same type, but it was an upgrade we could not refuse.... Now, we don't have to worry about the water level anymore. We'll keep you posted on performance. Happy birthday to the trailer. We celebrated with a trip to Blue Spring State Park. More on that in another thread under Oliver Camping.... Sherry Ps I added up the miles. We rolled over 42,000 on the way home. Sweet. I'm so grateful we got the Oliver when we did. S.

I'd start with spraying a lubricant and working the handle in and out. Spray, and work again. Repeat as necessary. In all likelihood, it's simply binding up a little, since you don't use the handle very often... Graphite probably smells a little less than wd40 in the confined area. Either way, point the little nozzle, and turn your face to the open air as you spray. Close your eyes, or wear goggles. Leave the shower door open. If you have graphite, try that first. And you should have it anyway, because it works on the window tracks, too. A bound cable is a more complex issue. Hope that isn't it. Spray, work and repeat. It may clear it all up without a lot of work. Sherry PS Never force anything. I know you don't think you're really strong, but you"re stronger than you think, in most cases. Work a little at a time. S.

We haven't had any pathway lights fail, since we rarely use them. In your house, a halogen in an enclosed, or even semi-enclosed space is likely to cause problems with heat. You may want to look for a cfl or led replacement at home. Carrying a spare for one pathway light would not work for me... too many lights, too few uses. We never turn them on because the light cast is too bright for the other person who is (hopefully) still asleep. It's great to hear from you again. Are you coming east or north someday? Sherry

Hi, Jam49, Great to hear from you! Probably, some of this discussion needs to be tempered by a few things: 1. You said the handle (to the grey tank drain, in the shower) is hard for you to pull. Ours is not. Perhaps it need lubrication? 2. How often do you use the indoor shower. We rarely use ours. We use public facilities, and the outdoor shower, more than the indoor shower. Probably, because we have so much stuff stored in the bathroom that's hard to move. For us, it wouldn't make sense to do the mod Perhaps it would for you. Sherry

Phil, Thanks for the photos! Looks like a great time going on at Hillapalooza. Was there a hat contest? I loved the coonskin caps, straw hats, and prairie bonnets... Horseshoes with toilet seats looks like amazing fun... And, how did you get all those folks to wear overalls???? Most impressive, all the kids seemed to be having fun in the multi-generational extravaganza, too. Hope we make it out there one year... Sherry