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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Negotiating For Lower Campground Rates

Back Story: We bought our membership to Resorts of Distinction at Adirondack Adventures RV Resorts @ Schroon River.  This RV Park has five weekends during the year where they don't allow nonmembers to book camp sites.

Even if a person has a Resorts of Distinction membership and is in the Schroon River area, they can't use Adirondack Adventures RV Resorts campground because that specific time has been blocked off so that members of this specific campground can use the park without fear that there may not be an available campsite.

The Fourth of July is one of the dates when only members are allowed to reserve time and use Adirondack Adventures RV Resorts @ Schroon River.  The last weekend in September is also blacked out by our home campground.  Eric made reservations at two other campgrounds in the La Pine area using our Passport America 50 percent off membership.

We stopped at Newberry RV Park about three miles down the road from Cascade Meadows RV Resort on Thursday.  This is one of the campgrounds we would move to as we tour the La Pine area before our appointment with AM Solar next week.  Please click on Facilities Link:  All the gray on the map is gravel.  The green strips are the only grass a person sees in this campground.  Half off camping at Newberry RV Park is $16.50 per night.  Eric and I have to pack up the motor home, move it and the Jeep three miles for one night's camping, in what is essentially a gravel parking lot.

I wasn't thrilled with our future accommodations. @ Newberry RV Park.  Eric wasn't either.  So, Eric went to speak with Lilian, the woman in charge of sales at Cascade Meadows RV Resort to negotiate discounted camping fees for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.





 Eric read about negotiating campground fees on 
RV Forums.  Our Resorts of Distinction 
membership doesn't cover the extra three nights









There are plenty of empty sites here at 
Cascade Meadows RV Resort.  



So, Eric asked for a discount to camp on our site for three extra nights, fairly sure that it would not be producing income during that time.  Lilian agreed and we pay 52% of the off the street campground fee for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Yay!
It only cost us $3.50/night to stay here instead of going to the gravel campground. What a deal!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

News From Central Oregon


Just a few articles from local La Pine newspapers....




Oregon Department of Transportation
project in La Pine





Good news for Verizon customers




Health & Fitness Classes 
available






This kitty will find a home




 





Advertising classes for those in need of
a Concealed Carry gun permit




Ashton Eaton won the Decathlon
at the London Olympics
this summer




Rodeo Roundup Results




The Deschutes Public Library is
hosting League of Women Voters Forums



News on the upcoming increase in
the Minimum Wage
in Oregon

Keeping the Motor Home Shiny

While I sit around working on blog posts, Eric is out and about, working on the motor home.  It's important to take care of the full body paint job on our house.  When sitting for a few days, Eric will pull out Protect All Quick & Easy Wash.  He adds half an ounce for every 2 quarts of water.  Eric washes one section of the motor home at a time and then he wipes that section dry. 




Eric is washing the fins in front of our radiator.




Drying the section he just washed




This section of the motor home requires
 a lot of stooping











Finishing the RV Wash & Dry


Shiny results

How We Store Things in the Motor Home - The Basement

Bette from NYS Department of Transportation asked Eric about storage in the motor home.  Eric bought bins, labeled them and created an inventory for each of the bays in the basement  of our motor home. 





These are pics from the curb side 
of the motor home.




The gray container on the right side 
of this pic is a refrigerator/freezer,
 we can adjust the thermostat
for either function.


 This is the entertainment center area.  
See the red & gray thing to the right 
of the purple bin?  It's the top of 
the 7 foot ladder Eric bought. 

 It's the area Eric has to clear out 
& redistribute it's contents for 
the 6 AGM Batteries that are 
part of the solar panel 
installation.








Eric numbered the bins, as you can see. 
The 3 foot ladder is super handy.   
 


There are five batteries in this compartment.
Two for the chassis and three coach batteries, 
on trays.  The chassis batteries start the 
motor home and the coach batteries 
run the living space of the motor home. 





This is the street side of the motor home.  
The front compartment opens to the 
frame of the motor home and
 has the LP filling connection.








I'm grateful that Eric took the time 
to record everything in every box.....  

The black bag with the  blue coil 
has the tow connectors for the Jeep.





The compressor hose lives in this 
compartmentwith the wash supplies.
 






The water compartment.  The water hose is on 
the reel on the left.  There's a sanitizer dispenser
above the hose, paper towel dispenser in the 
middle.  The right side of the compartment
is for disposal.....





To the right of the water compartment is 
this small area where Eric keeps 
leveling boards, and there's the
other end of the 7 foot ladder. 









The electrical connection compartment.  
It has the electric cord storage,
the inverter and other fun
electrical stuff.

How We Store Things in the Motor Home - Our Living Area

Bette's question about storage in the motor home lead me to a photo inventory of our rig. 

These pics represent things this month.  I've been shifting things around and working  to store more similar items together. 
Here are some representative pics

Driving Area Storage




Drivers side window storage




Storage above the windshield





Our satellite control box is above the windshield











Storage area above the passanger
seat and the door







Living Room





The electrical area of our Cherry Cabinet




Lower storage in our Cherry Cabinet


  Storage over the couch










 



  Things are smushed together













Food is mixed with kitchen items.  
With small spaces it's easy
to find things.










Dining Room







Eric keeps things in his drawers
in containers





My drawer is more free flowing.





Storage under the dining room table












Kitchen







Storage above the kitchen sink




Storage below the kitchen sink




 Drawers beneath the stove
Silverware and kitchen tools






The middle drawer has 
wine glasses and dishes











The bottom drawer has frying pans, 
lids, collapsible bowls









The lower compartment in the 
counter area that pulls out 












The end storage area in the counter that pulls out










The pantry next to the refrigerator










Bathroom Area






Upper Linen Closet 
Storage











Lower Linen Closet Storage



 Storage
Above
the
Toilet







Storage across
from the toilet














Storage under the
bathroom sink

The Bedroom





The
Closet

 



















My storage over the bed










Eric's storage over the bed







Storage under the bed