Mother Gets A New Fridge...

The Mother Ship came with a pretty side by side refrigerator with wooden panels that match the cabinets.  We loved the fact that it was side by side and had an ice maker.

As time went by, we found that we never used the ice maker because most of the campgrounds that we stayed at were on well water or water that we didn't want to drink--even using a whole camper filter so the ice maker turned out to be a waste of space for us.

The original RV fridge

We were sitting in the camper one day when my eyes began to burn.

Just as I began to ask Gman if his eyes were burning, the propane detector began blaring!

We vacated the camper and then opened everything that could be opened to air it out.

As it turns out, according to the internet, RV propane/electric fridges use Ammonia, hydrogen and an anti-corrosive agent.  No wonder my eyes were burning when that leaked out!

We checked around and found that to replace that 12 cu ft side by side would cost somewhere north of $4,000.  Yep!  For that, we could get a Sub Zero!  Are you kidding???!!!

We needed to get the fridge replaced as it was JUNE!  Yes JUNE!

Thankfully we were staying not far from my parent's home and were able to tote everything to the extra fridge in their garage and our little chest freezer that we had in their garage.

We did some noodling and measuring and found that in a camper of the size of ours, we didn't really use it unless it was parked in a campground so we didn't need the option of running on propane.

Out came the fridge.

The fridge and shelf that the fridge sat on removed from the camper.

We could not believe how BIG that thing looked once it was out!  And HEAVY!!!!  Wowzers!

Next, we sawed out the supports and took out the drawer that was underneath the old fridge which left us with a nice opening.

Space after removal of drawer and old fridge.

The gas line was crimped and soldered and cut off and the hard wiring was capped off.  I was totally surprised that there was an electrical plug in there already!  Nice!

Arrow points to old vent which is now insulated and covered.

Next we insulated the fridge vent as we would no longer be needing it since we would not be using a propane fridge.  We covered the insulation (which used to be around the old fridge) with a panel of 1/4" steel--a leftover that our friend had from one of his projects.  It was caulked and voila!  Done!

Grooves in new ceiling of opening to let out heat from new fridge.

The area above the fridge was covered with another piece of that 1/4" steel plate into which a couple of vents were cut so that the heat from the new fridge could go up and out of the camper.  You can see the two little grooves toward the back if you look closely in the picture.

It was now time to do some shopping.

The final opening was measured again and then I checked all around on the internet.  We could pretty much get any size household fridge--even the cute french door fridges (which totally make me weak in the knees!  I LOVE those!)

There was one big consideration though.  We had to be sure it would fit through the doorway into the camper.

After looking around for quite a while, I decided on a regular black 18 cu ft fridge.  No ice maker, thanks!

We headed to Sears Outlet and bought the new fridge.  According to the internet, the 18 cu ft model we were getting actually weighed 50 lbs less than the 12 cu ft model that was originally there because it didn't need the extra propane part of the fridge.  The new fridge was more efficient as well.

SCORE!

We had to wait 6 long days for the new fridge to be delivered, but the day finally arrived!

The guys had never delivered to an RV before.  This was a first!

They were not sure they could get it into the camper.  Yep, you can.  Measured.  Double Measured and visited the store to measure in person.  It will fit guys.

And it did--without removing the doors.

Installing the new fridge!

The guys got it into the camper and slid it right into place.  

It looked like the opening was made for that puppy!  Perfect!

I could have gotten a cabinet depth model but this one just sticks out about the same amount that the doors are thick which allows the fridge doors to fully open but doesn't stick out so much that it gets in the way at all.

They leveled, left and carted the old fridge off.  Their first RV fridge cart off.  :)

And now, we have a nice residential fridge that weighs less than the original fridge but has 50% more space and is much more energy efficient.  We love it!

New Fridge.  Perfect!

When we move the camper, I just put some duct tape on the doors to secure them and off we go!  No big deal and the food stays cold a LOT longer than with the old fridge!

You know what else I love about the new fridge?

With the addition of some fluorescent dry erase markers, it is also a great dry erase board!

Fluorescent dry erase markers make the fridge a GREAT dry erase board!

I use it all the time to keep my grocery list and mark down appointments or recipes that I don't want to forget!  (I use the front of my microwave for that too and it works great!)

Funny.  I was so worried about putting a residential fridge into our camper and lately Gman and I have been touring the new campers.  The big ones all come with the residential fridges now!  

We were ahead of the game.

Go figure!  :)

Mother Gets A Bath...

I was telling you about getting ready to move from Missouri in this post.

Part of what I mentioned was that the Mother Ship (our 5th wheel) was all cleaned, closed up and ready to go.  Today I am going to tell you about how I cleaned our 5th wheel--the easier way...

A gentleman in Missouri and I were talking about my poor camper one day while he was working on her refrigerator which had failed.  That's another story.  Oye!

This gentleman used to work for a camper dealer doing the detailing and was kind enough to share one of his tricks with me.

So, here we go!

First, get your supplies together...

Supplies you will need...

A Power Washer

Hose

Ladder  (you can just see mine in the background)

Clorox Bleach (he was very specific that you use Clorox and don't get the generic brands)

Bug Sprayer

Original Blue Dawn Dish Soap

Now, in the bug sprayer mix the Clorox 1:1 with water.

Add a couple of nice squeezes of Dawn.

Put the top on, tighten and pump it up.

Hook up the Power washer to the hose and be sure that the water is turned on and it is ready.

Get your ladder in place and ready to go.

NOW...and this is the IMPORTANT THING THAT HE STRESSED...Once you begin, do NOT stop.  You MUST always work with a wet edge.  Do NOT let it dry before you are finished!

This would be most easily accomplished with two people--one to use the power washer and one to spray the cleaner.  I did it alone and it worked okay though.

I decided that as long as I did a whole side, I would be okay--just don't stop in the middle of a flat surface until you get to the corner.

Here is Mother...

Mother Ship is very dirty!

Poor girl!

As you can see, the Mother Ship is very dirty from sitting under the trees for a few years while parked in Missouri and was in desperate need of attention!

So, spray with the power washer to wet the surface.

Work on small spaces, working from the bottom to the top, never allowing it to dry until you are completely finished.  

Using the bug sprayer, spray a small area with cleaner, then spray off with power washer, never letting the cleaning solution dry before spraying off with power washer.  Always keep a wet edge.

Hard to see here, but I have sprayed the cleaning solution on the bottom of the camper here.

Now, repeat in the next section, working your way from top to bottom.

Look at the difference where it is washed and where it has not been cleaned yet!
See the bottom is washed and the top is not...

Can you believe the difference????  

No scrubbing...just wet, spray cleaner, power wash!

Our camper is 40 ft long and has two large slides.  

It took me about 5-6 hours working alone.  And be prepared to climb up and down the ladder--a LOT!

I actually forgot to take a picture of the fully cleaned camper because, well, I was tired, hot and covered with cleaner (bleach and dawn) and just wanted to hit the shower!  Sorry!

Suffice it to say if I can do the whole thing by myself in one day and have a nice clean camper, YOU can too!

I LOVE the no scrubbing part too!  :)

Happy camping!

 

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year to All!

January 1 is the day to look forward with excitement for the wonderful days to come!  I am sure many of you have had a hard year past and really are looking forward to something better this year.  Gman and I are looking forward to some great events in our lives this year.  Come on along and let's see how it works out!  :)

May everyone have a wonderful year full of health and happiness!


Here is a postcard from my grandmother's collection.

O Christmas Tree 2013...

Hey everyone!  I put up the Christmas decorations last week and wanted to share the 2013 goodies with you!

Each year we purchase an ornament that celebrates the current year in some way.

You can read about previous years here.

This year we chose...

Drumroll please.....

TEXAS!!!!

I found this at Ricochet Rounds where it was for sale as a necklace but at 3 inches high it just seemed like the perfect size for our Christmas tree.  It has bullet primers and swarovski crystals that bling it out.  I can't get a really good shot of it because the glitter of the crystals in the light just don't come through, but let me just say--it is BLING!!!!  Courtney even included a red ribbon when I told her that we would be using it as an ornament.  How nice was that????

Last year we didn't get the tree up because my mom had a stroke and we were busy but we did get the ornament.  And here is the ornament for 2012:

We purchased our Dodge Ram pickup with a Hemi engine in 2012 to pull our larger "small" camper (Rocky) which you can see here--in case you missed him...

We also have a small RV Park at the base of our tree.  This year we found the cutest old fashioned canned ham camper pulled by a vintage woody and I just had to have it!  We found it at the USI RV Park in Wichita where we were staying while visiting our son.  It joins our little Missouri Airstream.

Now for a little tour of our decor this year:

It was hard to get a good shot of the whole slide but this year I used my Silhouette to cut out Merry Christmas and use Elmer's reposition glue stick to adhere it to the wall.  It's fun and easy to peel off after Christmas and is flat!  Easy to put away!  Very important in a 5th wheel where space is at a premium!

Now for the Tree:

You may have noticed that this year we have TWO trees...

Check out the little one that is on top of the window box:

I found it in Bastrop at the Veterans celebration where there were many booths with crafts and this little guy just spoke to me.  Can you tell what it is made of?

It is a bedspring on an outside faucet handle!  Is that too cute or what?????

So, I hope you enjoyed the indoor decorations.  Later this week I will be showing you some of the lights around the park.  Decorating your camper and space are okay and indeed encouraged and there are some GREAT sites!  I decorated, but mine are pretty basic compared to some of the campers!  It is just great to go around and enjoy the lights.  I LOVE driving through the park to just enjoy the lights!  :)

So, I hope you and yours are having a lovely holiday season and I will leave you with this little saying that I saw recently:
X belongs in TeXas and Christ belongs in Christmas.

Merry Chirstmas!

Halloween With My Silhouette...

First, let me tell you that I am not being compensated in any way for this!!!!  It's one of the happy things that I just really like so I have to share!  Really!  But, if Silhouette wanted to make me a very happy person, I wouldn't say NO if they offered!  ;)

I told you a few weeks ago that I got a Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter.  Well, I had no idea how much fun I was going to be having with this baby!

I received a card for $10 worth of templates from the Silhouette store so I went there right away to check out what kinds of templates they had and stumbled across these:

Can you tell what they are?  They are templates to cut out designs for your fingernails!  Can't you believe it????

Now, we all know how much I like to decorate my nails.  Yep, there's a template for that!  :)

I have tried several things for adding interest to my nails from stickers to drawing with a pen to trying to use the stencils (which never have worked for me!!!!!)

Knowing that Halloween was coming up, I used some of my credits to download a couple of the nail templates.

I found out that I could cut contact paper with the cutter when I cut out the design to customize my Silhouette:

So, I bought some clear contact paper at Wal-Mart and some black nail polish.  The contact paper would allow me to place it where I wanted it since I could see through it and had just the right amount of tack to stick well but not pull off the polish underneath.

All I had to do was choose a victim nail and peel off the cut out sticker.

Then, I placed the sticker on my nail...

Then glopped the black polish on over the top...

Then peeled the sticker off...

And Voila!

A newly painted spider web!  How fun is this????

(just ignore the bit of black polish I glopped onto the side of my finger--it'll come off!)

So, here are my nails all spiffed up for Halloween thanks to my Silhouette!  

There are a BUNCH of different designs available and I plan to use most of them!  Oh yeah...You BET I DO!!!!

Okay, so this is definitely a happy hump day item!

Are you ready for Halloween?

Halloween is Here! A Little Treat...

I found this idea on The Queen's Card Castle via Pinterest and just HAD to give it a try!  :)

There are a bunch of kids living in the RV Campground here and Trick or Treating is definitely on the calendar.  Yay!

The kids are allowed to Trick or Treat at campers that have the porch light lit.  Our porch light just blew out as well as the security lights so I spent a day changing the 3 bulbs--but that's another story.  ;)

The office says that there are about 25 kids in the park so I decided to give this a go and it turned out so cute!  

I started by getting a huge bag of smarties--those are the fingers--and a package of non powdered gloves from the pharmacy.  Grabbed some rolls of ribbon in Halloween type colors, some spider rings and a BUNCH of candy--the little mini stuff.  That works best when filling the palm of the glove.

Oh!  And check out these cool eyeball gum balls!  Are they too cute or WHAT???  I found those at Dollar General!

As I began to make them, I found that TWO smarties in the thumb looked more thumb like--don't you think?  See in this picture?  The one smartie in the thumb just seems a little thin.

Start with the smarties in the fingers, put a ring on it, stuff the palm with all of the mini candies and cute eyeball gum and tie it all up with a bow!  How fun is this????

Bring on the Trick or Treaters!

PS--Uh yeah, I'm dressing up again this year.  I just can't let a good fun opportunity go by!  :)

Happy Hump Day #10...My New Toy...

Today I get to introduce you to my new toy...

First, let me say that I am in no way being compensated for this post by anyone!  I didn't receive any merchandise or anything, but if Silhouette wanted to send me some cool SWAG, I would be fine with that!  ;-)

After months of saving my "blow money" (see Financial Peace University if that term is unknown) and money from doing surveys, I had the money to buy this little beauty!

This is what it looks like straight out of the box...

I was thinking of how it could cut vinyl and had a little something in mind--particularly an 88 for the back window of my truck along with possibly a 15 and a 5?  Hmmm...

After I received the package which included the Cameo, some sketch pens and the Rhinestone starter kit that I found here.

 

In anticipation of the Silhouette Cameo Arriving, I ordered some vinyl that had really good reviews found here:

I then began to watch several tutorials that I found online and I could not believe all that this puppy could do!  Wow!  Stencils, cutting fabric, vinyl, cardstock and those cool tags?  Just cut them on the Silhouette!

I also found out that I can cut out contact paper.  So, I headed out to find some in the local area and at Home Depot found some that looks like black leather.  Fun!

The first thing to be decorated was my actual Silhouette!  Here it is!

Just having a bit of fun!  :-)

Then, I printed out the phrase that Gman and I chose for the camper door.  I had found a few, but this is the one that we chose together...

Notice that there is a charge card right under Having.  I am using that as a burnisher.  It is by far the best way to use a credit card!  :-)

 So, here is the victim door to our camper before...

And after...

How fun is that????  Wait until you see what else I have been doing with it!  So fun!

Thanks for dropping by!