theboondork's RV blog

Another day in paradise?

1/25/2021

Only one pic to click again today.

The weather's been so bad, for so long, that even seeing that teeny-weeny piece of blue sky makes me feel good.

Rainy, chilly, totally overcast, no, I'm not talking about the Pacific Northwest; that's actually the way southern Arizona has been for the last six days. And tomorrow's going to be the same with a chance of some snow thrown in, just to make it even more miserable. After that, the weather's supposed to get back to normal, whatever that is nowadays.

I towed the Arctic Fox up to the Big O Tire store in Wickenburg this morning and had four new Goodyear Endurance tires put on it. I was the only customer in the place, so they put two guys on my job and had me re-tired.... A little play on words there since I'm already retired.... And out the door in 30 minutes.

When I got back from the tire store, I parked the Arctic Fox in a slightly different area at Box Wash. The area I was at before was getting a little muddy, and the spot I'm at now has gravel on it, so the water soaks in without leaving a bunch of mud.

I noticed the other day that I had lost a Dust Cap off one of my wheel hubs, which seems to be a way of life when you pull a trailer on bumpy dirt roads and jeep trails as much as I do, finding the perfect boondocking spot. So today, I ordered two Dust Caps from etrailer so that I would have a spare. It seems like I lose one every couple of years, and the kind I need is somewhat hard to find, especially when you need one right now. A piece of tinfoil held on with rubber bands is keeping the rain out of my wheel bearings at the moment.

theboondork

6 Comments

OFM

1/25/2021 03:59:24 pm

Great choice on the Endurance tires from what I have experienced. Just to let your know, for the last 12 years I have had boat trailer grease in my trailer bearings. So far it has been wonderful and no worries about a bearing cap leaking a little water.

Tom

1/25/2021 07:21:33 pm

Thank you Barney. I hope they last a long time because buying a set of tires nowadays is not a good way of having toooo much fun.

I used a lot of Marine grade bearing grease when I lived in Miami and had boats. Dunking wheel bearings in warm saltwater a couple of times a week is a good way to find out what kind of grease works and what kind doesn't.

Right now I've been using Amsoil synthetic grease, on the trailer bearings, mostly because I knew the guy that was selling it, back when I lived in a home with no wheels, and he gave me a bunch of it. I don't know if it works any better than Crisco or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, but Amsoil has a cult following and since cult members usually know what they're doing I've still got three or four tubes to use up before I can leave the cult.
Tom

1/25/2021 08:17:35 pm

My grease is a lithium based synthetic that does not channel like the old greases in the 70s.

It is turning out to be interesting trying to get back into traveling every two weeks or so. Here at Falcon SP the sites are all full most all the time for the next two months. I will have to leave Feb 4 and go to the free camping park next door or on up to San Pedro depending on the coldness up there. It turned out to be more difficult to jump right back into full time boondocking than I expected it to be. Just another adventure for an old fat man.

1/25/2021 09:04:10 pm

I wonder, is Falcon State Park always that full, or is it a Bat flu thing? Free camping sounds good to me, that's where I would've headed first, in less they're back-in sites and then I would have to give it some thought.

Long-term boondocking does take some getting used to if you haven't done it for a while. When I had to self isolate and stay at the Pima County Fairgrounds with hookups for a long, long, time, it took me a while to get back in the swing of things again. But while living with hookups is certainly convenient, I like the feeling of being self-sufficient. And while I was just thinking about self-sufficient I remember you had just said you "have to leave February 4". And that's something I try desperately to avoid. If I have a time that I have to leave, all I can think about is I've got four days before I leave, now I've got three days before I leave etc. etc. And then I start thinking where am I going to go? Where am I going to stay? And then suddenly I'm not enjoying my life anymore.

You used to be a Boondocker, and I assume you enjoyed it, and I'll bet you could enjoy it again if you could determine why it's no longer fun for you and fix whatever the problem is. Like I've mentioned before, I believe this whole RV Park, scheduling, reservations, and cost is going to get a whole lot worse, not to mention expensive in the coming years. So boondocking may end up not just being the most fun way to camp, as far as I'm concerned, it may end up being the simplest, easiest, most available and inexpensive way to camp in the not-too-distant future.

Tom.... Having toooo much fun living in the rainiest part of the country.... Hey! Did I just see Noah's Ark go by?

Judith

1/25/2021 08:26:02 pm

You have my sympathy. We have just emerged from a week of dark, drizzly sometimes, foggy sometimes weather. And that's too long. I couldn't handle Seattle.
So the sun came out today. We have another sunny day forecasted for tomorrow, and then I suppose the system that is bringing you possible snow tomorrow will arrive here......I was amazed this morning the difference the sunshine has made in my mood. I knew that, but sometimes I guess I need reminding. Hope the sun is shining down out there soon!!

1/25/2021 09:12:59 pm

I've been coming to Southern Arizona for a long, long, time and I have never seen it rain this much for this long. In fact other than up in Washington state during the winter I don't think I've ever seen it rain anywhere this long. If this keeps up the Saguaro's are going to explode.

Here it just doesn't seem to quit. Tomorrow is going to be another bad day, supposedly with some snow. And then another cloudy day, and then hopefully back to normal. I hope you don't get this, I wouldn't wish this weather on anyone.

I think sunshine does make a difference in people's lives, or maybe it's just places that have sunshine are happier places.

Tom

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