The 5th Wheel Travel Trailer Move

Coming soon, to a theatre near you.  Ummm, try tomorrow and coming to my property, a pick up truck with a 5th wheel to move the trailer from here to the RV park.  This little deal has put me back some what with having to pay the lot rent up front, an electric deposit, moving the trailer and fixing some things on the trailer.

However, Lynnette has promised to pay me back - which I don't doubt that she desires to do so but seriously doubt she will ever be able to pay all that back plus afford her monthly expenses so if I get, say, half of it back I will be happy.  She says she landed a job today and that it starts sometime next week.  I hope that's true, that would definitely help her a long ways towards her immediate issue:  a serious lack of sufficient finances to pay for the basics in life.  We're not talking satellite and internet and a home phone, we're talking a place to live and food to put in your mouth and eat.  Whatever the case, the expenses are all but over on my part of it.  Which is a good thing because I really don't want this to tap me out.  I still have to pay - eventually - $300 to have my trailer moved up north plus the rest of what I need to buy for it.

But, I am in no great hurry to do that, my finances will inch back up there.  I have a couple of Christmas presents to buy and regular monthly expenses, but if tenants continue to pay me on time or close to it, I will be in the black on monthly expenses, not the red and that will help me get ahead.  Not to mention the fact that my monthly electric bill has gone from around $400 and change to less than $200 - well, probably around $150 per month and should stay that way until the AC will need to be turned on again next year.  The subsequent lack of intense, external heat also has reduced my water usage on the plants signficantly and that bill has been cut more then in half.  So, less monthly expenses and all tenants paying equals more money coming in than going out - excepting in this situation with this trailer.

I am also thinking of switching to Cox cable version of internet.  They have deals going an the price is right.  If I can get 12 months of lower price on a 2 year contract and at least reduced amount on a modem/router setup, I am going to do it.  It will save me money in the long run.  I could, of course, lower the amount of bandwidth I get from my current provider - but that isn't going to work.

I was driving - in the pickup truck not the semi - today the back roads through the Indian Reservation to get to Casa Grande.  This route facilitated by the fact that I had made  a delivery out east and the fastest way there were the 2 lane highways I took to get there.  I pulled out the computer and the router to see what kind of coverage I would get in the middle of Nothing, Nowhere and found that I had coverage the ENTIRE route.  The only sticking point is this issue of 4G and 3G network. I was on 3G network during most of the Indian Reservation and all of Casa Grande, too, which I thought surprising, I would have thought Verizon to have 4G network there.  3G network is slower, that's all.

The switch from 4G to 3G is not seamless. Meaning loss of internet connection while it's transitioning, but, the  computer picks up where it left off, reconnects itself and if I simply wait it out, there is nothing that I actually have to do.  Overall and so far, I am happy with the coverage and the service.  I am not happy that the computer battery runs out in less than 2 hours instead of the 4-1/2 it claimed on the box, so I will be looking to find a car charger for it and the router as well - though I have no idea how long the router battery lasts, it hasn't run out yet while using it, the computer runs out first.

As for the new fan motor for the roof AC unit on my trailer, what  a load of garbage.  The guy calls a couple of days after I pay for it and tells me there is an "issue" they have with the vendor and won't be able to do it that way.  He magically found the part at another Camping World location somewhere else in the country and since it's so far away and this that and that other thing, I will still have to pay the shipping fee which I already prepaid.  The man allegedly talked to his manager about this.  All of this information was offered by him, I asked nothing, he called me actually and went into this spiel.

Well I happen to work for a company that has inter-company shipments.  "Full Freight Allowed" is the name of that game, that Camping World location where I am getting this part from isn't paying ANYTHING for that shipping if it's anywhere near the same setup my company has.  I was paying for UPS to ship it from a vendor.  I said nothing to him, just please get the part here whenever you can, thank you.  That's all I said, honestly.  What I didn't say is that I will be taking up this shipping charge when the item arrives and I come in to pick it up.  They are GOING to give me that shipping money back or they are going to give me a very good percentage off of something else I need or they are going to issue me an in-store credit - anyway about it, I am going to get something out of this, especially since they are the ones that screwed up with vendor of theirs.

I am well aware of what goes on with shipping and receiving problems, I have to deal with that stuff quite frequently at my company.  Either I have to deal with it or I see everything that is going on with problems that I am not directly dealing with.  Why they suddenly could not deal with that particular vendor, I have no idea.  I could guess, though.  The point is that they are dumping this all on me.  In BenB's world, that simply doesn't happen. I will get something out of it, especially since the price of that motor was quite inflated to begin with.

Well, anyways, that's it for now.  More going on, but, this entry will go on forever if I delve into everything.  Tomorrow is going to be an unbelievably long day with work and getting that trailer moved and making sure that everything is good to go.

The only thing to do?

Go to bed early, yet again.  And that's my version of early, we're talking 7:30, maybe 8:00.

G'nite.

ben

Tuesday 11/29/2011

Just got an email from dad. I mentioned I had some time off at Christmas and that I could come down for a visit on the days of the week before.  He's hoping Caleb can come, too - which I can't guarantee but I'm gonna try.

Cyber Monday.  I was going to get online and start going through the stores yesterday - I did go to a few sites, but I was so tired a very long, grinding day at work that I didn't have the energy for it.  In fact, around 7 last night I fell asleep sitting here on the computer chair.  I need a microwave for that trailer, no big rush on it and I'm sure more good deals will come before Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, almost time to set up Christmas lights.  A bit busy this week, though, with all that's going on at work and tomorrow moving that trailer to the trailer park.  Plus the projects going on around the house.  Plus this that and the other thing. Caleb wants a computer desk for Christmas, a small one for his room plus a chair like I have for my computer - it's very comfortable, I scored it for $20, it's about a $150 chair.  He isn't getting one as good as mine unless he would be okay with a used one.

Umm, but I just remembered I need a sat dish for both trailers, so I just put out a bunch of offers on Craigslist for them.  They all want $40 and $50 for a regular dish, not an HD dish.  Bunk.  I offered half that and hope one of them bites.  I don't need the second one right away, but I need the one for the trailer being moved to the park by - tomorrow actually.  Lol.

Gag. I hope not to got off so late from work today, I really have plenty on my plate.  Gotta get a lot done before they are gone tomorrow.  Well, not a lot lot, but enough to consume an afternoon.

Anyway, almost time to leave for work.

G'day.

ben