Renogy Solar

The solar panel arrived Wednesday afternoon, and the MPPT Controller that evening. (The UPS driver filled his truck with bigger items for his first run, then the smaller boxes for his second run. UPS delivers a lot to our Beaches!) So Thursday morning I drove over to my friend Stephen's house, and we proceeded to Get Solar!


The first step was to look at all the new equipment. The panel was bigger, the controller was bigger and the wires were bigger. Bigger is Better? In this case, I believe so. The old controller was tiny, befitting the little wires in and out of it. The new controller had a heat sink base with instructions to leave several inches above and below for air flow. And the bigger panel befits a 160W output versus the old one's 100W nominal.

The old non-functional panel

A gloppy mess of sealant over the wire hole

The old panel on top of the new Renogy panel

Taking off the old panel took some time to scrape off the sealant covering its wiring. It was coated with a thick gloppy pile of sealant that was a bear to get off. But underneath it was a nice plate that would accommodate the larger wires of the new panel, though we needed to expand the hole in the roof to get them through. Stephen's Dremel with the diamond bit cut through the roof like soft butter, the hard part was controlling it. We unscrewed the four screws holding the old panel on, and Voila! Ernie was solar free.

After we cleaned the roof and let it dry we sealed all of the screw holes, and then placed the new panel on the roof. Instead of new screws, we laid EternaBond tape on all four edges. The tapes sticks impressively well, and we both are confident that the panel won't be going anywhere. The tape will likely be more difficult to remove if we ever need to replace the panel than the sealant of the old one. We threaded the wires though the roof, and then sealed the hole bracket with sealant, and then more of the tape.

The new panel stretches all the way from the AC to the back

All taped down and ready to go

Next up was putting in the new Controller. It's bigger and requires the Inverter to move to make enough room, easily accomplished. Then connecting the wires, and we start charging the house battery! It works efficiently, and it's easily measurable. I bought the Bluetooth module so I can monitor the solar output and battery charge level from my phone.

The new controller passing on the power

My phone monitoring the panel and battery

We spent the weekend in White Springs and powered the refrigerator with just the panel, and everything worked beautifully. Renogy's warranties the panel for 95% efficiency for the first 5 years or so, and 85% after 20 years, so I'm hopeful that we won't have any issues with this setup for quite a while. Being able to monitor it's status from my phone is a delight – metrics make things more real.

Courtney Campbell Trail

Last Friday we took a leisurely drive up the coast from Ft. DeSoto Park, through the beach communities of St. Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, Indian Shores, Belleaire Beach, Clearwater Beach, and then into Clearwater. We wanted to ride our bikes on the Courtney Campbell Trail, which runs parallel to the causeway across the bay separating Clearwater and Tampa.

We hoped to find a parking lot at the Clearwater start of the trail, but no such luck. There is beach parking a few hundred yards in, but I wasn't comfortable driving Ernie and a trailer of yaks on the narrow beach, so we continued on. About halfway along is the bridge over the boat channel, and we saw another parking lot. So we stopped and I took up a second space for the trailer. We unloaded bikes, and rode the 16 mile trail.

Parking the trailer beside Ernie

Sharon crossing the channel bridge

Sharon nearing Tampa

Bikes get a separate bridge from motorized traffic

Boats get one shot past the causeway

By the time we finished riding first to Tampa, then back to Clearwater, and then back again to the parking lot we were happy to stop. We put the bikes back in Ernie, backed Ernie out of the parking space, hooked up the trailer and drove on to continue under the highway and return to Clearwater. As we made the turn to dip under the highway it became quickly obvious that Ernie was taller than the underpass! Oops!

A bridge way too low

Fortunately there was room for the trailer beside the exit ramp

Not designed for tall vehicles

There was no clearance sign, but there was less than 10 feet of clearance, maybe only 8 or 9 feet? So we disconnected the trailer and got it back in a parking space, and then backed Ernie into another space. A pickup driver was quite understanding about letting me back up and delay his exit of the lot, not that I was giving him any choice. Once out of the way, we planned our exit.

We ended up rolling the trailer back up the exit ramp from the highway in the breakdown lane beside the exit lane, and then backed Ernie up the trailer. All the time we were watching out for traffic exiting for the lot, which fortunately was only one car during the process. Backing up on a highway is just not fun, even if it is on the edge of an exit ramp. Even re-connecting the trailer was a process I completed as quickly as I ever have. A break in the traffic allowed me to merge safely, and we proceeded to Tampa, safe and sound.

Arriving at the Tampa end of the causeway, we needed to make a U-turn to return to Clearwater, so we took the first right turn to find a place to turn around out of traffic. Unfortunately, the narrow road led us to a resort with no space for turning Ernie and trailer, and we quickly met up with a friendly security guard in his golf cart. Explaining our situation, he led us on a circuitous route around the resort's buildings and pools and eventually returning to the entrance. Finally we were able to return back to FL 60 and the causeway.

A Week with Family and Friends

We left Saturday for St Pete, Sharon's hometown, and still home to her youngest sister Susie, and her two daughters Marielle and Merideth and their families. And lots of friends.

Driving to St Pete was pleasant, taking back roads to Ocala before succumbing to Interstate traffic. With a trailer toting two yaks and a SUP, changing lanes was a well considered process. Fortunately there were no issues, and we appreciated Mercedes' stabilization software in the strong winds, as we rode smoothly down the roads.

After a great lunch at Red Mesa Mercado in St Pete, we headed over to Matt & Marielle's for a couple nights. They are the most gracious hosts with two adorable boys. William is 4 years, and Christian is 6 months, and both are charming. I don't know what age kids can do what, but Will seemed fascinated by a book Sharon brought, while Christian was happy (oh, so happy!) reaching and watching and grabbing and letting you know what he wants.

Sunday started with a family brunch. Merideth & Ryan came over with their son Kai and newborn Adyline, as did Susie, for a delicious shrimp&grits and collards and baked ham and salad feast. Then we put the SUPs in the water by their dock and manatees were kind enough to entertain the paddlers. Later Sharon and Susie caught up with girlfriends while I hung out with M&M.

Ernie curbside  

Matt and Kai on the SUPs

Monday morning we packed everything we remembered, and continued on to Fort De Soto Park. A county park, it is on an island with water access from most sites. Our site, like many, had a beach access between mangroves, and enough privacy to forget there are 200+ other sites.

We plugged in, set up the screen room and rear screen on the van, then explored some of the park on our bikes. Where the wind was strongest a half dozen kite surfers plied the water with the Skyway Bridge in the background.

Ryan & Merideth came over with their kids Monday evening, as did Sharon's childhood friend Kathy. Kai took out the SUP and learned that paddling into the wind is hard! After everyone left we watched a beautiful sunset.

The radar showed rain was coming, so we got on our bikes for a morning ride. It got threatening enough that we skipped exploring the fort, and spent the day enjoying quiet tasks in Ernie. The rain didn't get in and it was fun to enjoy the winds and thunder from a safe vantage.

Wednesday arose and we rode more around the park. After a quick trip to the St Pete Beach Publix, we put our yaks in the water for a delightful paddle. A few cormorants learned that fishing under our boats can be lucrative. They would land ever closer in an ungainly splash, give us one eye to make sure it's ok, then dive under our boats in the shallow water. Three times a cormorant returned to the surface successful, with a fat little fish in his mouth, and  would fly away, followed by the other two. While they often seem to run across the water before getting airborne, these individuals would never be caught traveling, they were off in just one or two steps.

Wednesday night we celebrated Matt's birthday! Matt & Marielle, kidless, came out to our site, along with Mike & Barbie, and we also had over our friends Richard & Laurissa. Everyone got to know everyone, and a fun time ensued.

Richard & Laurissa join Sharon for apps by our latest table

Matt's birthday feast in process

sunset from our campsite

Thursday was a very pleasant repeat. Bike in the morning, paddle in the afternoon, and Sharon's friend Susan joined us for dinner. 

Friday we left Fort De Soto for New Port Richey to meet up with Muna. Mitch was out of town, but it was a joy to catch up with her. On the way we meandered up the beach communities to Clearwater, and then we rode our bikes on the Courtney Campbell Trail, which runs parallel to FL-60 across Tampa Bay. A fun time, with a heady wind in one direction and a great tail in the other. Riding across the bay is pretty cool.

We picked blueberries with Muna Friday afternoon and rode the Pinellas Trail on Saturday from Tarpon Springs. Riding a trail separate from cars is a delight, far more enjoyable than a narrow strip beside them.

Sharon and Muna off trail

Pinellas Trail

Google Maps' option to avoid highways allowed for a pleasant return to Neptune Beach, only recognizing the route as we approached Gainesville. Ernie served us we'll, delivering a smooth ride and comfortable accommodations.

Solar, Version 2, The Plan

Last September we had a solar panel and controller installed along with an inverter, a gel house battery, and some wiring. The 100w panel was able to power our ARB freezer for weeks, so we were quite happy.

Until it didn't. We noticed that the ARB wasn't staying as cool as we wanted, and it seemed that the battery wasn't staying charged. After some testing, we determined that the panel had failed (thank you, Stephen). We also confirmed our belief that Camping World of St. Augustine is surprisingly ill-equipped to deal with correcting their installs. A bit of research also revealed that the panel they installed is well known for failing within the first year, and the eventual replacement often failing even sooner.

Rather than continuing with Nature Power, we decided to go with a Renogy 160W flexible panel, and a Renogy Solar Charge Controller. The beauty of flexible panels is that you don't have to drill holes into our fiberglass roof, and it lies flat on the roof with no airflow issues. Renogy's panel is just over 60" long, 26" wide, and just 0.08" high. With a 15.75% efficiency, it isn't the most efficient unit available, but with a 25 year power output warranty at 80% (and 95% for 5 yrs, 90% for 10), they clearly stand behind their product.

I spent way too much time on YouTube seeing if a retired software geek was up to the task. RVwithTito proved to be my final source that this was doable. If you want to see where I'm coming from, you might want to watch

• Flexible Solar Panels - What to Look For
• How to Install a Flexible Solar Panel on an RV
• Install Flexible Solar Panel on RV with No Drilling
• One Year After my DIY Flexible Solar Panel Installation

The install will consist of:

1. Renogy 160 Watt 12 Volt Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel
2. Renogy Rover 20 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller
3. Renogy Solar Adapter Kit
4. EternaBond RoofSeal White 3" x 50'
5. Dicor 501LSV1 Ivory Lap Sealant

The plan was straightforward:

1. Remove old panel.
2. Seal up any holes in the roof from the old panel except where the wires go in.
3. Position the new panel. 
4. Apply the tape and sealant carefully on all edges.
5. Run wiring down through hole in roof.
6. Seal that hole.
7. Replace the old controller with the new one.
8. Connect the wires, and chill!

What could go wrong?

A Silly Table

So as we get ready for our final shake-down trip, we're putting the last touches on Ernie T. The counter tops made it too easy for things to roll off between the cabinet and the wall so we added a little barrier to stop things from escaping. The two slides in the back turned out so nicely that we put the foot locker on a pair, too, so now it is so easy to move it back and forth. I am happy to report that the 400 pound weight capability is at least in the ballpark, since when I stand on the box to get up to bed there's likely over 300 pounds being held by the slides, and they seem to handle it with aplomb. I don't plan to put any lead weights in the locker, but even the stuff we have in there already adds up to over 70 pounds.

We thought we were done, but then we saw a YouTube video and got one more idea. Sharon really wants to be able to enjoy sitting outside and enjoy the shade Ernie will provide. So we added a piece of plywood on a piano hinge to the back of the cabinet in the doorway. We now have a table that extends out the side! Most of the work was by Sharon, giving it multiple coats of paint. All I did was find a scrap and cut it to size, and buy the hinge. I found the chain in my workbench, and we had the velcro lying around. A test drive suggested that the chain doesn't make any noise, so we aren't going to cover it in plastic for now.

Velcro at the top holds it securely for travel

The chain keeps it level for appetizers and beverages

A Tale of Two Screens

Magnets are cool. They aren't too cool around memory cards or smartphones or computers or video screens, but otherwise they're a lot of fun. They can make most anyone want to know more about Physics. It's Magic that one a little piece of metal can make another little piece of metal spin and twist and jump off a table to attach to the first piece.

Living in a van is living in a metal box. Metal that reacts to Magnetism. Hmmm...

K&J Magnetics is The Bomb. They sell magnets of all shapes and sizes, and strengths. And the strengths are listed! Our initial foray into magnetics consisted of sampling Home Depot's offerings, which quickly proved to be pretty much useless. We found that we like the BYO42, a 2"x1/4"/1/8" bar that is easily sewn into a fabric pocket. It has a Pull Force of 10.34 lbs, enough to hold a lot of nylon fabric.

One of our goals was  to be able to open the side and rear doors for flow through ventilation, with screens over both openings to keep the flying teeth out. We cut up a tent that we recently retired after 20+ years of use. For our first iteration Sharon went to a local shoemaker to sew some magnets in, but his long experience with leather turned out to be completely untranslatable to a thinner material.

Fortunately, our friend Barbara stepped up and offered to implement iteration 2! And she quickly proved to be well up to the task, delivering a reworked rear screen that is a vast improvement over the earlier version. It hangs lower over the bumper to better keep it from blowing open, and wider to allow us to attach the magnets and leave room to close the doors with it in place.

When Barbara went to re-implement the side screen, no one could find it! But we had another recently retired screen room that proved perfect for the side, giving us a zipper for making for easy entry and egress. It even has some ties if we want to just tie the opening open. And the magnets sewn into the fabric makes it easy to put up the whole shebang and keep it there.

We no longer are limited to Colorado and Wyoming, where there aren't enough mosquitoes and no-see-ums to be bothered by. The first test may well be our final road test next month down in St. Pete.

The rear screen hides everything below the bed

Barbara's artistry shines through all of her work

The side screen easily covers the wide doorway

Barbara's signature touch

Sharon is ready for bug-free camping

The bike/SUP drawer

The drawer that replaced the Big Black Box turned out pretty well. It holds its weight nicely, the plastic boxes fit snugly, so they won't easily get thrown around, and some velcro angle brackets left over from our old VW Sportwagen are handy to ensure that if the need arises.

Sharon loves her water sports. I don't want to tow 20+' of kayaks all over. I successfully paddled around on a SUP during our Baja Un-cruise. Ergo, we need to travel with a couple of inflatable SUPs, along with our bikes.

So I now have an Tribal Boards inflatable SUP, and Sharon will buy her own in April when it arrives. Mine currently fits on top of the three storage bins, but there isn't room there for two. So the bikes will move to an outside rack when we are toting the SUPs. But putting the SUPs in the bike area means dragging them over the axle brackets that are screwed into the floor.

To avoid the angled lifting, and because the first drawer came out so nice, I ordered another set of 40" drawer slides. To hold the bikes, the slide has to be longer than the first one, since my bike is a lot longer than four feet, and extends into the area between the wheel wells. So the shelf is 51" long for Sharon's bike, and 58" long for mine. Another issue is the height of the bed over the bikes, and my handlebars. If I mound the bike axle on the shelf normally, my stem won't clear the bed. Oops! So the front of the shelf is lower than the back to provide enough height clearance for my bike, while also making sure the axle is above the sides of the drawer so I can insert and remove the axle from the bracket. Otherwise it's the same as the first drawer. Since it will be fully extended to put the bikes on and take them off, I have to be doubly sure the far end is secure.

Making sure the bikes will fit on the shelf

The bikes fit snugly, but they fit!

Note the axle brackets just clear the sides of the drawer

Tribal Board! Quail Roost and Manatees!

I photographed the HEAL Great PV Paddle events from the initial one in 2012, and then the others in 2013, 2014, 2015, and the final one in 2016. I kayaked the first annual Crystal River Rendezvous of 50+ SUPers kayaking the Crystal River and Rainbow River. And for all this, and many other outings I've always been in my kayak with my Canon camera in a dry bag. SUPs looked nice, and my brother-in-law Tim, a life-long surfer and avid SUPer, was always respectful of my preference for sitting low in my yak and taking pictures from there.

Our Sprinter van is 23'8" long, and our kayak trailer is another 20+ feet.

Yaks and SUP ready for trailering

It's kinda fun that every turn or even lane change is a careful process making sure no curbs, tires, or other vehicles are hurt in the process. We took back roads down to Quail Roost RV Park in Crystal River, about 7 miles north of town. Google Maps says it can be done in 3 hours, but we avoided the interstates and meandered through the smaller highways, and did it in about 4. The RV Park was surprisingly nice, and they gave us an overflow spot that was so nice we'll ask for it again! 

After the long drive we wanted to stretch our legs and so we hopped back into Ernie T and drove to ride the Withlacoochee Bay Trail and enjoy a FL West Coast sunset afterwards. The trail parallels the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and the paved trail features some a native landscape of cedars and pines and marshland with a nice viewing spot of the Gulf at one end. The no-see-ums were hungry, so our time watching the sunset wasn't overly long, but long enough to find most of the unseen locals. 

Sunset along the canal near Inglis FL

Saturday morning was chilly (for us), in the upper 40s, but we hooked up our trailer for Chassahowitzka River, where we put in for a lovely 9 mile paddle. After exploring a side channel until the water ran out, we tried to reach the Gulf, but as we entered the open marsh of the National Wildlife Refuge the fierce winds at our back reminded us that we would eventually have to return across the open water. We turned short of the Gulf, and struggled against the wind on the return, though the trees on the river bank provided a sufficient break for most of the paddle. And we got to see manatees and birds and otters and turtles along with the gorgeous scenery, so overall it was a great trip.

We showered back at the RV Park before heading right back for an incredible early dinner at Peck's Old Port Cove, a seafood restaurant on the water near the end of the Ozello Trail. Grouper was the fish of the day, and between the crab chowder and the crab-stuffed blackened grouper was a culinary delight. On the way home, we stopped at John Brown Park to watch the sunset.

Sunday we met Muna at Crystal River Kayak Company for a manatee paddle. I broke out my brand new inflatable SUP, Sharon was on her foam SUP, and Muna rented a kayak. We got to see several manatees, though they were almost all in the waterways and not in their protected areas. Which was just as well, as the crowd around Three Sisters Spring was far more than reasonable. We headed behind a nearby island and explored a little channel undisturbed by the scrambling minions. The wind made the paddle to the channel pretty easy, and the return trip was more of a workout. We took a break for Muna to try out our SUPs, which she adapted to immediately and found them more amenable than a kayak. I, on the other hand, hadn't pumped up my SUP quite enough, and after paddling from the knees most of the trip I did manage to stand long enough for Sharon to get a picture of my butt before I went for a swim. (Sharon was kind enough to blame the board's softness for making it harder for me, but there is also the bigger issue of my lack of balance.)

Manatee and her baby alongside my new board

Muna joined us for a celebratory lunch at Blackwater Fins, a sister restaurant of Peck's with a different menu but at least equally delicious. Their crab bisque was the best ever. Ozello Trail is now one of my favorite roads in Florida!

Muna and Sharon at Blackwater Fins

More pictures of the weekend are here.

Over-Built Box

In our initial tour to the Maritimes, we had the bikes separated by a row of storage boxes. We found that those boxes were a mess, trying to reach the back ones. The gear in them was roughly assigned by function, but the rearmost open top milk crate became a mishmash of junk we'd store properly "later".

In version 2 we put the bikes together on one side, creating far more room for the other storage. To address getting the right box, I built a big box with slides to separate it into three compartments that could slide out to get to the back compartments.

The pared down box in its space

Initially, I built it too tall, so we had to pull it out to get to even the first compartment. And while the depth was no problem for my arms, Sharon couldn't reach the bottom easily. So I cut it down. But it as still heavy, and a pain in the neck to move. When we were carrying odd sized stuff (like boxes of food for a bike festival) it was easier to leave the box at home and just used the empty space directly.

So we've decided to leave the box in our garage for stuff, and replace it with a sliding board. On the board we'll try to organize our stuff into several plastic bins. We can slide the board out to reach the bins, and it should be simpler than all the weight of the box.

A cleaner repository for gardening supplies

So after a lot of talking to friends and web searching I bought a couple of Firgelli Drawer Slides with a supposed 400 lb capacity. By the time they arrived, I knew just what I wanted to do, and put it all together in one day. I cut a piece of OSB plywood left over from another the flooring project to fit the space, then cut a 1x3x8 in half for the outside rails and glued/screwed them to the OSB. Then I attached a slide to each, and then attached the other half to a pair of 1x2s. Then I took another 1x2 and created cross braces between the slides, and then glued/screwed a piece of plywood onto the 1x2 frame. Some left over felt got stapled to the top, the handle from the original box attached to the front, and then the whole thing was secured with a few 1" angle brackets. 

Except for the brackets, it was all done outside of the van, which was much easier on my back. It can hold lots of plastic bins, and we have a set of braces left over from our VW Sportwagen which attach nicely to the felt to hold everything in place on the slide. 

laying out the 1x3 on the base

Sitting in place.

There's room for a second row of bins if needed.

IDIDARIDE

Start of the ride, by Georgia Photography Fanatics

$1281 worth of food and plates for the event

Sharon and I volunteered at Suwannee Bicycle's IDIDARIDE, a one day 50 mile bike ride of all of the trails around White Springs. It differs from similar events in Florida in that it has a mass start, making for an impressive crowd of 350 riders. They stretch out on pavement and then forest double track before the single track. There are four SAG stops with gatorade and water and snacks and a lunch stop about halfway in. The last SAG has traditionally been the wine and cheese stop, though Halpatter's Brewery has been also offering a few of their freshest brews.

Our work really started Thursday afternoon when we met the event coordinator Hans at Sam's Club to buy $1200+ of food for the event. We stuffed most of it in Ernie, along with the gatorade we bought online. Early Friday we stopped at a Walmart to pick up stuff we didn't find at Sam's, and then headed to White Springs to help out getting ready for the event Saturday morning. Since Sharon was directing the breakfast servers, we parked Ernie in front of headquarters so Sharon could get up at 5:30 and start the final preparations. I slept in til 6, and drove Ernie around the corner, since Bridge Street would be blocked off to motor vehicles to accommodate all the riders. We didn't plug in, and were delighted to find that the Reflectix on the windows was sufficient to keep the 50 degree cold at bay, a not terribly difficult task. 

As one of the photographers for the event I ran around to get pictures of riders on the trails, riding my bike to selected spots. Then I hopped into Ernie to drive to the lunch spot, and borrowed a friend's truck to visit SAG 3, since it was a few miles of forest track with low overhangs and no clear turning around capability. (Last year it was a 37 point turn, in our Subaru.) Fortunately there was much more space this year, so I could've turned Ernie around with no problem, though low branches still made me glad to be in an F150.

The second night we piggybacked at a friend's campsite in Stephen Foster Nature Center, and plugged in only to charge our cell phones. Both the drive out laden down with food, and the drive back unencumbered, we averaged 21+ mpg on each leg, though the day driving around White Springs, partly on dirt paths, we only got about 17.

We're feeling better about our packing, and there wasn't anything additions or alterations that suggested themselves to us. We are looking forward to getting our refined door screens and proper window shades, but they will be done when they are done. Que sera, sera.

Most popular spot on the ride

Staying Warm, and Cool Later

Our test run to Georgia in freezing temps showed us several problems that needed to be addressed. A leak in the faucet was resolved with a better plug of the hot water inlet. We considered adding a tankless water heater, but decided to forego it this year. Our water system is now complete for 2018.

We bought a thin area rug, then cut it to fit between the cabinets to keep the floor warmer. We brought in our other camping heaters to see if there was a better one than what we used in the Okefenokee. One we decided has no value, and will be recycled in some way. A third has a little louder fan than our initial choice, but puts out a similar amount of heat. We will pack them both for now, since they can run in tandem without tripping a breaker.

The next weak spot was our windows. They are tinted, but their two foot height stretches all around the van, creating a stripe of cold air flowing into our living space. We insulated the floor, walls and ceiling, but not the windows. So what to do? The solution we found is radiant foil insulation aka Reflectix. Our local Ace Hardware in Neptune Beach was the only store that had some on hand. The stuff is like silver cardboard: two surfaces separated by a corrugated center. The net effect is it should reflect the hot sun on warm days, and act as a barrier against the cold in the winter. (I've heard it's too effective in the summer, that it can harm the glass, so we'll have to be careful out West.) For now, we just hope it will keep the heat in and the cold out. We've cut pieces to fit the six side windows and two rear door windows. The windshield and front doors are already handled by our current sunshade, which is what gave us the idea.

The pieces for the front side windows store easily above the cabinet

The middle side windows get form fit pieces

So we spent two nights in White Springs, at Stephen Foster Nature Center and State Park. With Reflectix on all six side windows and the two rear door windows, and our felt area rug covering the vinyl floor, we broke out one of the ceramic heaters and watched as it quickly brought the living space up to a comfortable temperature. We had it on the floor, since heat rises, and it was impressive how much faster the whole van got warm, and then stayed warm. It actually got colder overnight than on our Georgia trip, but we stayed significantly warmer, and the heater was set to a much lower temperature. Ernie was retaining the heat, and the cold wasn't intruding nearly as quickly.

We will put tape magnets to the four panels covering the windows with screens. Packing tape worked after a fashion, but it's now really reusable. With a few small magnets they'll attach quickly to the metal window frame, and another little comfort problem will be addressed.

First Test of Version 2

We don't have our upgraded window treatments, but the rest is pretty much complete. So we are off for a short test trip to the Okefenokee Swamp.

Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo Georgia is sometimes confused with Stephen Foster Nature Center and State Park in White Springs Florida by first time SBA festival attendees. They're 50 miles away from each other, and Stephen C. Foster is in the Okefenokee Swamp which is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys Rivers. White Springs has a distinction of having two of Florida's 13 bridges crossing the Suwannee.

So we packed Ernie T and headed off to two nights in Georgia. The forecast was wet and cold, cold being relative. The morning lows would be above freezing, and the afternoon highs would be sweater jacket weather. Rain was a fair chance, but with luck we'd miss it. With an electric site we should be fine.

Yeah, we're not gonna miss the rain. Thursday arrived, and it was raining in Neptune as we loaded up our trip stuff. We decided not to bring the kayaks, since the forecast didn't seem conducive, and I am fighting a bit of a sore throat, and wasn't really interested in adding more cold wet to the equation.

The drive was pleasant and traffic free. We got off I-10 in MacClenny and headed north for Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp, where we turned west along the edge of the swamp until arriving at the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, and Stephen C. Foster State Park within it. The rain continued in varying degrees during the drive and setting up at our campsite (taking the power cord and surge protector out of the back of Ernie and plugging into the site's outlet).

It's difficult to start a bike ride in the rain, especially when the cold is so biting. So we turned on our little space heater and relaxed amidst our upgrades to Ernie T. We were delighted to turn on the new Pioneer receiver and find that we could pick up WJCT FM, our local PBS station in Jacksonville, a hundred miles away. The original receiver had abysmal range, delivering static while still in town. The Pioneer did a yeoman's job grabbing what remnants of a signal it could and delivering a static-free audio experience. There are circuits in there that make the AVH-4200NEX a superior choice. Thank you, Tony!

We learned that one of the upgrades didn't fare so well. I installed a new faucet, and then with Steven's help a water pump to drive it. The electrical connections are perfect, the switch to send power to the pump easily accessible but out of the way. And we ran the water to the cold water tap of the faucet, and plugged the hot water tap. We ran our testplan, and found everything worked with no leaks. But in Georgia, water seeped out of the plugged tap. My new plan is to split the water coming out of the pump into two lines, and connect them both to the faucet. This will allow for a relatively simple upgrade to put an instant water heater on the second line! The idea of adding a port on the side to allow for using campsite water is tempting, but I am loathe to cutting a hole in the side of the van.

It turned in early, lulled to sleep by rain on the roof, glad that the fiberglass of the roof and the insulation and beadboard made the sound quietly soothing and not loudly tinny. We awoke to temps a degree or three above freezing, depending on your units, though the rain had stopped. My sore throat migrated to my sinuses during the night, but denial isn't just in Egypt, so he took off in the morning light for a hike into the swamp. We met some deer not 50 meters from our site, who seemed nonplussed by our presence. Along the boardwalk in the swamp we saw several more keeping the groundcover neatly trimmed. (Would a Program to maintain a Lawn using Deer be a PLD? It might be better for the smaller areas than a goat array. Points to anyone who gets this. :) There were a myriad of small birds cavorting and denuding bushes of edibles, and one hawk lording over his domain. No alligators, though, I expect that the cold kept them lethargically holed up and sleeping in.

After breakfast we broke out the mountain bikes and explored all (both) of the trails in the campground. "Trails" is marketing term, rather we rode the mown swaths of mostly dry grassland around the camping area. The softness of the earth precluded Ernie from making it along these paths, but certainly not their width. We did verify that there are a lot of deer hanging out around the park.

Two outings were enough for me. I was chilled and sniffling and achy, and perfectly happy to stay in the relatively warm confines of Ernie. Sharon ventured out for a hike through all the areas we hadn't already visited, and some we had. We had planned to rent a canoe for a few hours, but I wasn't up to it, and Sharon was easily dissuaded by the cold damp weather.

Friday night was even colder than the last, though our heater pretty much did its job. Though I insulated the floor, it wasn't enough to keep a persistent chill from emanating up. Sharon will find a nice runner to provide another layer of insulation and foot warmth. Saturday was supposed to a long paddle, but the cold just didn't make it the slightest bit appealing. We had a list of list of some 20 things we forgot or otherwise needed to address before our next venture, so we had a leisurely breakfast and put away our power cable and left the park.

But not the Wildlife Refuge. There was a side road that I visited years ago with my friend Edwin, and we drove down it to see where the Suwannee River starts. We were the only people there (but there were turkeys and buzzards), and enjoying the purity of the Okefenokee like that was a privilege. There was a grove of cypress and water oak with a water line about seven feet high, reminding us of how variable water levels are here.

The drive home was serene, randomly choosing more back roads circling the swamp before taking US 301 to Baldwin and the US 90 into Jacksonville. Our luck continued, letting us drive by the stadium without slowing for Taxslayer Bowl traffic.

What did we learn on this foray? We need to get more incidentals for Ernie, and not rely on memory to move them from home. We also need to pay more attention to securing everything, better techniques to keep drawers or cabinets from opening on turns, dishes from rattling, and the like. And I need to refine our water system, it is so close! Overall, with 22+ mpg for the trip, and staying relatively warm and dry, and well fed and entertained, this trip was a great success. Life is good, Yippee!