Hey Bobert. Your rig/ensemble sounds very interesting. You have to learn the plumbing thing by doing it, I think. I succeeded in getting the blackwater tank to register "empty" on the moniter panel by filling the tank with a lot of water and special septic tank enzymes, and then letting it sit while we were gone for the weekend (and then flushing it).

Why don't you get your rig(s) hooked up and head on up here to Michigan for a visit? We'll be here for a few more weeks. (P.S. You might be happy to know that I'm considering voting for Wesley Clark if he decides to run.)

Good luck to your friend, Sorcha. One of the reasons we decided to get a trailer was so we wouldn't have to spend so much money on hotels. The bathroom in our trailer is the biggest I've ever seen in any type of trailer or RV. Having such a (relatively) big bathroom and shower is one of the things that keeps us sane while we're living on the road.

Thanks, SRS. I've read everything of Stienbeck's that I could get my hands on, including Travels With Charley. I remember that I enjoyed it quite a lot, but that was many years ago. It might be about time for me to read it again.

I bought a de-humidifier recently. We've had some problems with condensation on the inside of the tent compartments, especially if I cook something that lets off a lot of steam when it's cold outside. So far the de-humidifier seems to do the trick. Another thing we're finding with this type of trailer is that the tent parts lose a lot of heat at night while we're sleeping, because they have no insulation. I've bought some of those mylar emergency blanket thingies, and I'm going to try use them as a lining in the tent area to see if they provide any insulation. Since we'll be heading south before the winter hits, it shouldn't be a huge problem, but I figure it won't hurt to try to save some heating fuel if possible.

The campground is much quieter now that the summer season is over. It's kind of nice to have fewer people around. There are oak trees all around our campsite and they're dropping their acorns right now. We hear what sounds like cherry bombs going off all day, when the acorns hit the roof of our trailer. I heard what sounded like water rushing from someone's site nearby, and when I investigated, I discovered the sound was actually squirrels chasing each other around in the trees.

It rains a lot in this part of Michigan. It was very brown and dry looking in Minnesota when we were there. I find myself wishing I could send some of our rain to Minnesota. We can certainly spare some of it.