JAG1

I went to visit my elderly mother who lives at the foot of the eastern Sierra mountains. I try to get down there often, from Oregon, because we don't know how long she will be with us. One fine day I decided to go hike up into a canyon valley. It's an area of great beauty because of the meadow and the high saw tooth ridge tops all around. Going quite a long way up this valley it becomes a very large canyon with huge walls of granite growing ever closer together. I then discovered a huge granite rock in the middle of the canyon about the size of 5 football fields and about 200 foot high. The oldest living organism on earth was growing out of the rock crevices on top of this rock., the Bristlecone pine tree . It's seemed as though this big rock tried to be a mountain in geologic history but, didn't quit make it. I decided to go around the back side to see if I could go around it. There where no trails but was an easy walk since it was like an extension of the meadow below all around it. Only it now has become a forested meadow with some enormous ponderosa trees in amongst all the other trees, some with an 8 foot girth. Their branches alone looked like tree trunks. As I walked around the big rock I saw strange and varying rock formations by way of how they broke apart or weathered over time, but were in groups or families in how they were shaped all being somewhat the same in each group. Some looked like varying sizes of pillows, some were fractured in huge curved plates as if you could choose one for using as large rain water basin. Some were smaller like you could prepare a meal on. Others were flat like for stepping stones but too large to lug anywhere. As I continued around I began to notice how pristine everything was. Untouched, as if I was invading a very special place. A place where one is not to go, does not belong. It was a strange feeling, but certain I was yet to discover something great, I continued on. You all know how dry the eastern Sierras typically are but this year in particular is in major drought conditions Something like the worse ever according to record. Only now I discovered a small area of very green grass that was very tall but all matted down like some kind of animals are bedding down there. The matted area was very large, too large for just a few animals. As I looked around for a source of moisture uphill from there, I noticed above this area was a spring that over time had worn a large V shaped depression in the ground that would be protected from wind and cold. What a great spot for a herd to stop and bed overnight, I thought. I continued further on above this spring, going further away from the big rock but was now on the backside. The ground was gently sloped but I had an even stronger, uneasy feeling that I did not belong there, like I was trespassing inside a territory one was not to go. Immediately I smelled a foul smell, not like animal droppings or dead animal, nor a skunk smell but, as if it were the smell of some kind of beast. It was like the foul smells that expert animal behaviorists report that you should stay away from. I never smelled anything like it before but I knew it was from something alive. It was as if it was warning me with it's particular gland that emits this foul order. At this point I took the warning and turned around toward the big rock again to continue going all around it as planned. I got out of that area and closer to the big rock again with a somewhat uneasy feeling about that smell but felt the rock was somewhat more my territory by then.. I headed thru more of the forested easy walk that would now be about the half way point around the rock and happened on a small meadow. I then looked up over the rock between the Bristlecone pines and saw the most beautiful wild, pristine view of my life. It was a true blessing as another saw toothed ridge of mountains appeared behind the already inspiring canyon walls. It instilled as sense of wildness, an untouched world as it was meant to be. It was a very rare sight and created in me a very rare inspiration unparalleled through my whole life. I got pics that I will post soon, but, none with Bigfoot or whoever, whatever it was. BTW, hunters, what was that smell, or what could it be? I know it's Halloween but be honest K? Mike

It would be cool if they had a piece of pipe inside the existing pipe that slides easily up and down to clean the chimney. It would be on a chain and pulley so you just go outside and reach up near the gutter/ eave and pull till it's cleaned again.

Some counties are just the very best, most easy going you'll ever find. So be sure of a nice rural county that has not been converted to big city tactics. Never buy any land in city limits, unless a good investment. Some cities are getting so bad with fees and tactics that it's best to steer clear.

The only way I've ever bought raw land is to deal directly with the seller. I would be honest in telling him what I can afford and how much I had to put down. Then he would tell me what he needed ea. month or year to make it work for him. We would write a contract expressing what our final agreement was, open an escrow account at the tittle company with whatever money and the Land sale agreement. Tittle company does the property tittle search making sure there are no liens or incumbrances on the property. Once everything stands good with a clean tittle, the deal gets signed and then recorded at the county recorders office or county serveyors office. For me dealing direct with the seller worked in both land sale agreements because it is difficult to find a lender that will lend on undeveloped property. But..... you need to go down to the county zoning and planning and find out if it will fly in every way according to how you want to use it. Such as, will it be okay to install a standard septic system. Other types of systems are 3-4 times the amount. Sometimes rare conditions require 20-30 thousand bucks for a system. Talk with all the neighbors and find lots of info. Sometimes you will find that you will want to avoid that particular county all together as some are impossible environmental cases. and with the local well driller to find out how deep and expensive the surrounding wells are. Some get crazy with depth and costs.

Yep front would be on a dolly because of the slide in camper height. Thanks all. I ask cause trucks been smooth running on the 0216 code for three-4our yrs now. Just a matter of time I guess.

Bad tank vent?

Those are so cool.... Thank you

Make sure the very front is sealed down well. I've seen a rubber roof catch all the air going down the road and lifting the entire rubber membrane like a huge air pillow. What Joe said is good IMO, as they are finding eternabond tape to be murder to deal with later on down the road. Although it is good while it lasts and may last forever if kept coated.

Do you need to disconnect the rear driveline? Or can you just put the transfere case and auto trans in neutral and be on your way? Thank you

Anthony, just don't buy any front loaders and you'll be doing better with the residential quality units. That is the word out there anyway. I just can't see doing all the prep/ expense, and then end up with a gas appliance inside the home next to one that may or may not be ignition proof. Our bottom of the line Maytag top loader washer is doing real well for us. It gets all the work. Then the dryer is usually always a front loader, of course but, not one of the new kind. It's the old style and has been great. When replacement time comes it'll be on the cheap with hopefully getting workhorses again.

Anthony, I don't think it's worth the extra effort/ money it's going to take to do this. Why not just use the ones you have till they wear out and then go for some good residential speedgueens by then? 'Speedqueen' is a good name for trucks.

I agree.... this Star Trek thing of going into the future by way of using computers on our engines sucks. I think it's a stupid fad with no benefit and only confuses diagnostics. Sorry for the rant... just the way I see it Imagine my old 1957 chevy with just the usual nuts and bolts and only an engine under the hood . Who'd ever want that? Makes me wonder....... will we eventually get to where we have politically correct computers? When you can no longer pull up next to a Ford truck and offend the owner because you got a Cummins? You know, like the computer systems will make everything evenly reliable or unreliable? I guess your opinion will depend on whether you've owned a 12 valve in the past. I know.... a bit ridiculous perhaps but, look at how they caused diesel prices to be more inline with the gasser guys fuel cost. Sorry... way off topic here.

You can check the quality of wires and connections using an Ohm meter. 0,00 Ohms means no resistance, a perfect connection and wire Caution using an OHM meter to check for resistance must be done without the batteries hooked up as electricity running thru the Ohm meter will burn it up.

Think I have it solved. It's got to be my other battery charger overcharging the two batteries as the other charger is performing as it should (amperes slowly going down) with no boil out at all. The overcharger as I now call it, had the wires cut and extended so the sensing is caput making it overcharge the batts. Thanks all.

Thank you Michael Nelson. White powder is occurring with the truck sitting all week. No charging. Weird! Could it be a shorted cell doing all the boil out off the other battery feeding it?

I cleaned my batteries only last week because they were showing leakage, white powder which dripped down and built up on the fender well. I cleaned all of that up but, now only a week later it's all back again. Only it's worse this time because both batteries are now doing it. I even coat them with grease. Both batteries have never done this before and I'm always in there checking and cleaning the terminals and connectors when needed. So what gives with this? New batteries? Thank you for any thoughts, Mike

You know when batteries are in parallel like they are on our trucks they typically last for a loner time than 5 years. However, mine are also around the 5 yr. mark and are showing signs of weakness. I think batteries are not made as good as before. Then another time I had an alternator go out with my rv and 2 very low batteries. I think it overworked the alt. trying to keep up made it finally kick the bucket but had 240 k miles on it by then too. Wish I could help better except try charging you batteries not hooked up to the truck. See if they stay at 12.5 or better after sitting for 24 hours after the full charge. If they take a very short time to fully charge up then they may be on their way out with little capacity.

Where do you get those speed sensors? Want to put one in the tool box. Thanks

When you say that the alternator is within specs, do you mean the AC noise is very low? Should be less than 0.1 volts ac noise otherwise it makes transmission do the dance.

All I can think of is to get a street legal ATV.

The factory alternator grounds thru the mounting bracket to the engine block. Are you saying you ran another ground wire in the past? I heard the main charge cable from the alternator is the one you separate from the other wires to help stop this problem. I used an Ohm meter and found resistance in the grounding thru the mounting bracket. There are some articles about running a separate ground wire from the Alternator. My hunting stopped when I lifted wires off and away from the alternator. If you need a new APPS get the Timbo APPS. It cost far less and is much better quality.

Thanks for putting up the pics for me. Yep those guys will find a way in, usually by the time the cold part of the winter sets in. They are harmless, never bite but will make you mad when your trying to read or sleep and one lands near your mouth or in your hair. If you don't light the fire on a cold night you will find one or two under the covers with you. The only guy I saw that got rid of them entirely had his whole house resided /caulked, with a very tight job. He said he had a big problem before. I'm winning the war against them, a long process, you have to make your house totally gap free cause they even get behind outside lights inside the electrical box. The pressure washer spraying soap is working great. They're numbers are greatly diminished and I leave it set up ready to go all the time.

You never know, the guy might have a degree in pyrotechnics.

I spent just 10 hours at a campground and a chipmunk got in my engine and chewed a factory rubber cap on the proportioning valve. Had to pull out his makings of a winter home too. Would moth balls work good for mice and squirrels/ chipmuncks? Think I heard something about that

Robert, Imagine the amount of explosive fumes in that situation. Was he an educated man?