Dad's Toy

[dadstoy]

Originally Posted by bobmiller1

5 whole years……wow ! Most Matco dealers only last 2 ! I’ve been at 31 years…….did you pay your tool truck off ???? Most of those loans or leases run 7 years. In any event……LMAO! Good luck in your future endeavors. Regards, Bob

Oh Bob, your sense of humor alludes me! I get the feeling that it alludes most on here as well. If I'm adding correctly, I started my Matco Tool distributorship five years ago, so lets count, one, two, three, four, five. Yup five years I've been in business. Us tool guys aren't that bright and we have issues counting some time, so I think I got it right. Thirty one years is quite an accomplishment! Congratulations! Jeez, most of the Matco distributors in the San Francisco Bay Area have been in business for 20 to 30 years with some even past 40 years. The so called competition has had to put in many "pay checkers" (you know what that is right, since it happens a lot with snap on here) lately just so they can cover all those broken tools they sell. Whether I leased, purchased or paid cash for my tool truck is sort of irrelevant since my business is not a public company with stock offerings. I just run a little one man shop and I have fun doing it! Most of the guys in my area have all recently purchased those big awesome and beautiful new Freightliner trucks. I'm guessing business here is just better then on the east coast. You're still running your original truck, right?



Anyway Bob, I've been up in the Seattle area for a month now. In a recent post I believe I mentioned that I had to drop everything I was doing at the ranch and on my MH and toys to make an emergency trip north. I'm up here helping out since we came as close as one can get on almost having a sibling die and the family is still working through the aftermath and trying to figure out the future.



Bob, I know most would have been able to read between the lines of my previous posts and conclude something probably wasn't right. But, Bob, I do understand your need to rib me about my business and trash Matco Tools yet once again. Not appreciated, but understood. As a 63 year old Gay man living in 'merica, I've been around the block a time or two and I really do have some pretty tough skin!


Well, Bob, I'm going to get back to looking at some more property while I'm up here in this beautiful God's country and hopefully I can find that home with that perfect out building shop that I am looking for (and with some awesome RV parking too). Bob, I want to wish you good luck in your future endeavors!


Regards, Dean


PS: Oh Bob, just thinking here, a reply from you on this post isn't needed!

[Smartstream]

Hey Dean, I don't know your circumstances but you may want to cross the sound and take a look on the Olympic Peninsula. A huge national park with many small towns all the way around it. Wet on the south and west side and dryer to the north and east, about 10 deg. cooler also.

No big city nonsense but a short ferry ride if one feels the need. Lots of property with open space and values aren't so crazy. Lots of wineries too.

Just something to think about. I hope your siblings are doing well.

[Rocinante]

While driving about we saw (from the outside) quite a few lovely homes in the Sequim, WA, area that had very nice-looking shops / RV garages, so that pointer to the Olympic Peninsula was a pretty good idea, as long as that's not too far from where you need to be for family, etc.

[PeterH-350LE]

“Better not say anything if you are not sure what you are
going to say will improve the silence"

[dadstoy]

Summer temps at the ranch can be pretty brutal. Last couple of weeks and upcoming couple of weeks the temps will be between 100 - 105 degrees. A month ago it was 115.

My Dometic refrig works ok, but I would like it to be colder. The freezer works great.

I'm trying to understand the relationship between adjusting the thermistor position on the fins inside the refrig and the 5 position switch on the control panel.

I understand the thermistor simply reads ohms which changes as the thermistor is moved up or down on the evaporator fins. Higher on the fins means colder. Lower means warmer.

I understand that the 5 position switch on the control panel adjusts the time that the heater is on. Position 1, heater is on less time, position 5, heater is on for a longer period of time. The heater will cycle on and off for a set amount of time depending on the position of this switch. Once the heater switches off, the control board checks the resistence of the thermistor.

Thats all good, but what is the relationship between the two? I've pushed the thermistor as high on the evaporator fin as possible for a colder temp. But setting the 5 position switch to position 5 doesn't necessarily make the refrig colder. Its hard to determine, but I think with my refrig, it gets colder on setting 3 or 4.

So how does a higher or lower setting of the 5 position switch, which determines how long the heater is on before it turns off and reads the thermistor affect the temp of the refrig? I'm confused?

The pics show outside temp of 100 and inside temp of 77 (with AC running full blast).

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

Summer temps at the ranch can be pretty brutal. Last couple of weeks and upcoming couple of weeks the temps will be between 100 - 105 degrees. A month ago it was 115.

The weather out west is just insane anymore, I don't know how you deal with it.

Of course it's just as insane here in Kentucky only the opposite. This morning, August 1st I turned the heater on in my truck because it was just cool enough that the heat felt good. Of course it doesn't help that my body can't regulate temperature anymore but it was something like 57 degrees outside and felt chilly.

When we moved here in 2008 usually around this time of year it was always in the high 90s to slightly over 100 during the day and dry. Now it rains all the time and temps rarely get into the low 90s. We get more rainfall here than Seattle does.

Weird times......

Sorry, I don't have any answers for you on the fridge issue, that's something I've never had to mess with or look into. I am looking forward to any answers explaining how it works for future reference.

Brad

[PeterH-350LE]

Dean, not what you are inquiring about, but considering the extreme temperatures and the workings of an absorption refrigerator using even more heat, have you considered using 12v/110V portable cooler in the summer month? They work very well, even in high temps, have a good amount of space and are portable for the trip from Ranch to Condo. Drawback of course would be no separate freezer.
When I pull a trailer, I have one sitting in the back of the Van, which is not conditioned. With temps above 100F, it will still easily cool down to 32 or below. I did have to run a dedicated, fused 12V supply line.

[dadstoy]

It was a beautiful 75 degree and clear day here in the San Francisco Bay Area. This morning it was 59 and cloudy, but that burns off usually around 10am (typical summer pattern). It's going to be very difficult to retire and move out of this area for weather reason only of course!!!

However, at the ranch today it is a mild 103 degrees and smokey! Yet once again the state is ablaze. I suppose I should have raked the forest floor a bit more! This one which started Friday, due to dry lightning strikes, is now 10 miles west of the property and growing rapidly. It doubled yesterday to 16,000 acres (a small fire all considering).

They have held it on the north side at the highway (well a 2 lane road up there). However, this is where the high power transmission lines run down the mountain that power the ranch and communities below. It is unknown how long the power will stay on. On the south side, it is about to burn up against a massive burn scar from last year so not much left there to burn. Its running unabated to the west as the winds push it that way. They are working hard on the east end in anticipation of the winds shifting directions tomorrow.

The ranch is once again hosting the US Forest Service fire fighters. They set up their own "little town". The ranch provides a unique area for their camp, staging area and incident command post.

Summers up there are not what they used to be!

Originally Posted by bkahler

The weather out west is just insane anymore, I don't know how you deal with it.

Of course it's just as insane here in Kentucky only the opposite. This morning, August 1st I turned the heater on in my truck because it was just cool enough that the heat felt good. Of course it doesn't help that my body can't regulate temperature anymore but it was something like 57 degrees outside and felt chilly.

When we moved here in 2008 usually around this time of year it was always in the high 90s to slightly over 100 during the day and dry. Now it rains all the time and temps rarely get into the low 90s. We get more rainfall here than Seattle does.

Weird times......

Sorry, I don't have any answers for you on the fridge issue, that's something I've never had to mess with or look into. I am looking forward to any answers explaining how it works for future reference.

Brad

[dadstoy]

Hey Peter, we have looked at the portable coolers. They have always seemed to be sort of out of my budget and too small. How am I going to get all my beer up to the MH? LOL.

Originally Posted by PeterH-350LE

Dean, not what you are inquiring about, but considering the extreme temperatures and the workings of an absorption refrigerator using even more heat, have you considered using 12v/110V portable cooler in the summer month? They work very well, even in high temps, have a good amount of space and are portable for the trip from Ranch to Condo. Drawback of course would be no separate freezer.
When I pull a trailer, I have one sitting in the back of the Van, which is not conditioned. With temps above 100F, it will still easily cool down to 32 or below. I did have to run a dedicated, fused 12V supply line.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

Hey Peter, we have looked at the portable coolers. They have always seemed to be sort of out of my budget and too small. How am I going to get all my beer up to the MH? LOL.

2 coolers?
Whats bug me about our refers in the summer is the temp of the side wall. Essentially, you are running a heater and the AC at the same time. Your inside temp is nice, in regions with very high humidity we are not so lucky.

[martin300662]

The modern compressor RV fridges are much more efficient. They are designed for 12/24v but there is an accessory (sometimes built-into the US market units) that can plug into 110-240v supply but also has the 12v supply 'wired through' (a little like a transfer switch). If the 'mains' power is connected it acts as a AC/DC transformer powering the fridge, if there is no mains supply the 12/24v passes through and powers the fridge.

The smaller ones take as little as 6amp to run and can even function as a fridge, or as a freezer, or as a fridge/freezer. They were originally designed, built, tested for marine applications but are so efficient they don't even need venting.

[dadstoy]

Definitely would be something to consider if the current one ever needs replacement. I see the pricing is about the same.

Originally Posted by martin300662

The modern compressor RV fridges are much more efficient. They are designed for 12/24v but there is an accessory (sometimes built-into the US market units) that can plug into 110-240v supply but also has the 12v supply 'wired through' (a little like a transfer switch). If the 'mains' power is connected it acts as a AC/DC transformer powering the fridge, if there is no mains supply the 12/24v passes through and powers the fridge.

The smaller ones take as little as 6amp to run and can even function as a fridge, or as a freezer, or as a fridge/freezer. They were originally designed, built, tested for marine applications but are so efficient they don't even need venting.

[dadstoy]

I wonder if it would be worth it to insulate the refrigerator cabinet?


The only way I can get the inside temp to be this low is to close up the MH and turn on the AC no later than 8am. I also run a 12v portable Fantastic fan to move the air around and I put insulation up in all the windows. I just need to get blinds back up on the front side windows so as not to have to look at the insulation boards.



It can be a bit unnerving to sit inside during the day with all the windows covered up but then I just bring up the security cameras on a tablet and just pretend I'm commanding a nuclear submarine! HA HA!

Originally Posted by PeterH-350LE

2 coolers?
Whats bug me about our refers in the summer is the temp of the side wall. Essentially, you are running a heater and the AC at the same time. Your inside temp is nice, in regions with very high humidity we are not so lucky.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by martin300662

The modern compressor RV fridges are much more efficient. They are designed for 12/24v but there is an accessory (sometimes built-into the US market units) that can plug into 110-240v supply but also has the 12v supply 'wired through' (a little like a transfer switch). If the 'mains' power is connected it acts as a AC/DC transformer powering the fridge, if there is no mains supply the 12/24v passes through and powers the fridge.

The smaller ones take as little as 6amp to run and can even function as a fridge, or as a freezer, or as a fridge/freezer. They were originally designed, built, tested for marine applications but are so efficient they don't even need venting.

Always can leave it Martin to educate us about the latest gadgets, thanks for that. I would not mind to have a compressor type RV Fridge in our little Guest facilities. I just dont care for the House compressor types made to fit in an RV.

[Boom Sounds]

Originally Posted by martin300662

The modern compressor RV fridges are much more efficient. They are designed for 12/24v but there is an accessory (sometimes built-into the US market units) that can plug into 110-240v supply but also has the 12v supply 'wired through' (a little like a transfer switch). If the 'mains' power is connected it acts as a AC/DC transformer powering the fridge, if there is no mains supply the 12/24v passes through and powers the fridge.

The smaller ones take as little as 6amp to run and can even function as a fridge, or as a freezer, or as a fridge/freezer. They were originally designed, built, tested for marine applications but are so efficient they don't even need venting.

#NerdAlert

[Boom Sounds]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

It was a beautiful 75 degree and clear day here in the San Francisco Bay Area. This morning it was 59 and cloudy, but that burns off usually around 10am (typical summer pattern). It's going to be very difficult to retire and move out of this area for weather reason only of course!!!
However, at the ranch today it is a mild 103 degrees and smokey! Yet once again the state is ablaze. I suppose I should have raked the forest floor a bit more! This one which started Friday, due to dry lightning strikes, is now 10 miles west of the property and growing rapidly. It doubled yesterday to 16,000 acres (a small fire all considering).

We've just got back from our Summer vacation. Unusually, that was spent in the UK (due to Covid), rather than the Continent (France, Spain, Italy etc). We endured highs of 66 degrees Fahrenheit and, at times, 70 MPH winds courtesy of Storm Evert https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58022839 . Of course, we were lucky to be in the Airstream rather than a tent during the Storm, but the British Summer weather can be described as nothing short of miserable in 2021. Roll on 2022 and we can get back to some sense of normality.

I hope things become easier for you Dean and stay safe.

[mayco]

Stay safe out there Dean

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

It was a beautiful 75 degree and clear day here in the San Francisco Bay Area. This morning it was 59 and cloudy, but that burns off usually around 10am (typical summer pattern). It's going to be very difficult to retire and move out of this area for weather reason only of course!!!

I don't know how any retiree could afford to live there unless they are independently wealthy. I certainly couldn't.....!

However, at the ranch today it is a mild 103 degrees and smokey! Yet once again the state is ablaze. I suppose I should have raked the forest floor a bit more! This one which started Friday, due to dry lightning strikes, is now 10 miles west of the property and growing rapidly. It doubled yesterday to 16,000 acres (a small fire all considering).

I was working in Ketchum Idaho in the fall of 97 remodeling a friends condo and we used to spend evenings and weekends hiking in the mountains. There were a few times the sky was hazy and you could smell smoke from a couple of forest fires. I can't imagine what it would be like when the whole state is burning......

Summers up there are not what they used to be!

I do believe that is the understatement of the year

[dadstoy]

I'll trade my summer for your summer!

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

We've just got back from our Summer vacation. Unusually, that was spent in the UK (due to Covid), rather than the Continent (France, Spain, Italy etc). We endured highs of 66 degrees Fahrenheit and, at times, 70 MPH winds courtesy of Storm Evert https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58022839 . Of course, we were lucky to be in the Airstream rather than a tent during the Storm, but the British Summer weather can be described as nothing short of miserable in 2021. Roll on 2022 and we can get back to some sense of normality.

I hope things become easier for you Dean and stay safe.

[dadstoy]

That's why I need to retire and move...I can't afford to live here either!

Originally Posted by bkahler

I don't know how any retiree could afford to live there unless they are independently wealthy. I certainly couldn't.....!



I was working in Ketchum Idaho in the fall of 97 remodeling a friends condo and we used to spend evenings and weekends hiking in the mountains. There were a few times the sky was hazy and you could smell smoke from a couple of forest fires. I can't imagine what it would be like when the whole state is burning......



I do believe that is the understatement of the year