The Adventure Begins!

Mossman · Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:08 pm

Well, today was my last day at work... I feel sadder about leaving than I expected to. I've always felt kind of ambivalent about the job (neither loved it, nor hated it), and I work alone, so I never really made any close bonds with any of my co-workers, but still... I've been working here for 8.5 years, and I feel a little bit of heartache about leaving.

But on Sunday morning, I'll be blasting off and joining the mass exodus out of Kalifornia! The Rocinante is about as tricked out as she's ever gonna get. The solar power system is functioning optimally, I now have a fully functional recording studio in here (with several instruments to chose from), I'm finished building and/or installing all the storage I could possibly fit in here. Got new brakes/drums, new battery. Engine's been checked out, and the whole system has been flushed. And I can't recall at the moment who advised me not to skimp on security for the van (I think it was Mickey, forgive me if I'm wrong. My brain is kinda all over the place right now), but that stuck with me, and ultimately prompted me to get an alarm system installed. I wasn't going to at first, as I figured that a dinged up old cargo van wouldn't present a very compelling target for thieves, but nobody breaks into a cargo van to steal a cargo van. They break in for the valuable tools, and materials that might lie inside... and I have valuable tools and materials! It's a basic 2-way Viper alarm. It came with keyless entry, but I don't have power locks, so that's useless to me, and I don't really care about remotely starting the van, so I didn't buy a model that had that feature. I can add remote start later, if I really feel like it's worth it (or if I ever go back to New England in the winter).

About the only weak points are the rear tires. I'd prefer if they had a little more tread on them, but I doubt they're going to give out any time soon. I'll buy tires in Arizona... Apart from some food, I'm done buying stuff in Kalifornia.

Well, I got a bitch-ton of things to do between now and Sunday morning, so I'll drop back in later as I'm approaching lift-off.

Mossman · Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 pm

My theme song:

And of course....

devdem · Sat Jun 17, 2023 1:44 am

I wish I was right behind you. I'm trying to talk the wife into retiring a bit early and moving back to Texas with the family. Good for you. Be safe on the road.

Partscaster · Sat Jun 17, 2023 8:41 am

Bon Voyage, Mossman.

Trim the sails, keep the wind to your back, and watch out for old guys in vans and campgrounds.

Rollin Hand · Sat Jun 17, 2023 8:59 am

Personally, I would love to do a Jim Rockford/Marty Riggs and live in a trailer by the beach, but I am sure that isn't allowed anywhere.

solteroblues · Sat Jun 17, 2023 11:01 am

good luck! And be safe out there!

andrewsrea · Sat Jun 17, 2023 11:45 am

Happy trails and keep in touch!

nomadh · Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:20 pm

Another good ones leaves

I have my rental property here. Both my kids live within 4 houses of me but living in ca makes me feel like i have a business partner that's a psycopath. No idea what someone you're so intertwined with might do that's insane or evil or destructive.
Good luck but the more good people move the less there are to fix this place.

Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:30 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:08 pm
And I can't recall at the moment who advised me not to skimp on security for the van (I think it was Mickey, forgive me if I'm wrong. My brain is kinda all over the place right now), but that stuck with me, and ultimately prompted me to get an alarm system installed.

Well, I do not remember advising that but it certainly sounds like advice I would give.

Some things it never pays to cut corners on and security systems are certainly in that category!

Good luck! Keep us in the loop!

Mickey

tonebender · Sat Jun 17, 2023 1:16 pm

Good luck and I hope everything goes just as planned.

bc rich · Sat Jun 17, 2023 1:46 pm

Happy truckin !

Re security, Do not overlook the usefullnes of very visible steering wheel clamp to deter lowlifes . Mine is on whenever i park , even when out and about.
.

MichaelR · Sat Jun 17, 2023 3:08 pm

nomadh wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:20 pm Another good ones leaves
I have my rental property here. Both my kids live within 4 houses of me but living in ca makes me feel like i have a business partner that's a psycopath. No idea what someone you're so intertwined with might do that's insane or evil or destructive.
Good luck but the more good people move the less there are to fix this place.

I live in Az now and as far as crazies go its no better here IMHO. Nevada was he best for taxes when I was working but now that I'm retired payroll taxes don't bother me anymore. Gas here has been crazy here the last year which makes no sense due to our much lower gas tax, I chock it up to corporate greed. Sadly we have been effected by the rise in property values and rents quite a bit to.

sabasgr68 · Sun Jun 18, 2023 6:45 pm

Pics or it didn´t happen! (Safe travel)

Mossman · Mon Jun 19, 2023 12:35 am

Thanks for all the well-wishes, everybody! Sadly, I didn't make my escape this morning. I grossly underestimated the number of things I would have to do before launch, as well as the time it would take me to do them. But I'm just about ready to go now, and will hit the road Monday morning! I still have a few more things I have to do before I can sleep, so I'll respond to your posts when I have a little more time... Holler at y'all later!

jtcnj · Mon Jun 19, 2023 8:36 am

Godspeed!
Hope this all works out right for you.

sabasgr68 · Mon Jun 19, 2023 2:38 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2023 12:35 am Thanks for all the well-wishes, everybody! Sadly, I didn't make my escape this morning. I grossly underestimated the number of things I would have to do before launch, as well as the time it would take me to do them. But I'm just about ready to go now, and will hit the road Monday morning! I still have a few more things I have to do before I can sleep, so I'll respond to your posts when I have a little more time... Holler at y'all later!

That´s it, Dude!

Mossman · Mon Jun 19, 2023 8:11 pm

Well, I had a successful launch today, and I'm currently trucking through the Mojave desert. I'd show you some pictures, but there's really nothing to look at here. I'm on Rt. 40, not far from the California/Arizona border. I think I might have to stop after crossing the border to do a happy dance, and piss on the Kalifornia side.

Man, the gas stations out here are in full price-gouge mode. The last three stations before leaving Cali have prices ranging from $6.20 to $6.70 (while in LA, its $4.99). But as soon as you hit Lake Havasu, the prices drop to about $4.00 a gallon.

I've already had one mishap, though... Somehow (I have NO IDEA how this happened), one of the cables running from my last solar panel into the van got ripped out. Took the MC4 connector too. I know when it happened... I heard a noise that sounded like a rock hit the roof and went skitting down the length of the van as I was driving down the highway. When I stopped at a rest area, the cables were hanging off the roof (I had secured them under the deck) and one of them had exposed wires sticking out (I tried to take a picture of it, but I couldn't see shit on my phone screen from the glare of the sun). I'm baffled... I made those connectors myself, and they were pretty damn solid. It would take a lot more than just the wind to rip one of those suckers off. But I have the parts to make more connectors, and my batteries are all charged up, which should last me about 3 days, so I don't need to fix it right away. I just wish I knew how this happened.

Well, I should get back on the road again. I'll stop back in with more updates later.

sabasgr68 · Mon Jun 19, 2023 8:42 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2023 8:11 pm Well, I had a successful launch today, and I'm currently trucking through the Mojave desert. I'd show you some pictures, but there's really nothing to look at here. I'm on Rt. 40, not far from the California/Arizona border. I think I might have to stop after crossing the border to do a happy dance, and piss on the Kalifornia side.

Man, the gas stations out here are in full price-gouge mode. The last three stations before leaving Cali have prices ranging from $6.20 to $6.70 (while in LA, its $4.99). But as soon as you hit Lake Havasu, the prices drop to about $4.00 a gallon.

I've already had one mishap, though... Somehow (I have NO IDEA how this happened), one of the cables running from my last solar panel into the van got ripped out. Took the MC4 connector too. I know when it happened... I heard a noise that sounded like a rock hit the roof and went skitting down the length of the van as I was driving down the highway. When I stopped at a rest area, the cables were hanging off the roof (I had secured them under the deck) and one of them had exposed wires sticking out (I tried to take a picture of it, but I couldn't see shit on my phone screen from the glare of the sun). I'm baffled... I made those connectors myself, and they were pretty damn solid. It would take a lot more than just the wind to rip one of those suckers off. But I have the parts to make more connectors, and my batteries are all charged up, which should last me about 3 days, so I don't need to fix it right away. I just wish I knew how this happened.

Well, I should get back on the road again. I'll stop back in with more updates later.

Ok, great! Safe travel, Ed! About that cable, remember Forrest Gump? Shit happens! Fortunately it won´t cause any trouble for the moment.

At $6.20 per gallon, it equals like $1.65 per litre - the unit we use here -; price here is $0.50 per litre, and people cry! Proportional to the average income, that´s high for us. Anyway, I won´t ruin the thread talking about gas prices.

Keep us updated!

Mossman · Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:21 am

Well, California is officially behind me! I crossed the state line over the Colorado river, so I couldn't do a happy dance, or the other thing, but I did let out a loud "Wooooo-Hoooooo!" and hollered: "I'm Back, Arizona! Didja miss me??"

When I got Lake Havasu City, I had about a quarter tank of gas left, so I stopped to fuel up. Gas was $3.75. I put fifty bucks in, and that nearly filled it up. Before I left LA, it cost $100 to completely fill it from about an eighth of a tank. And don't worry, @sabasgr68. You couldn't possibly ruin the thread by talking about gas prices.

As I was approaching Kingman, I decided to go off script and jump on Rt.66, because... Rt.40 is boring as fuck, and a GPS doesn't tell me how to live!

But it was starting to get dark, and I don't like driving at night anymore, so I pulled into a Motel 6 and got a room for the night. My younger self would have pressed on, but it's about another 3 hours to Flagstaff, and my younger self didn't need to sleep much. One time on a cross country trip, I drove until I started hallucinating (with absolutely no recreational pharmacology involved). My younger self was a menace.

Anyway... Here's a funny story... True story.... It wasn't just a cable connector that got damaged. Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, I lost an ENTIRE FRICKING SOLAR PANEL!! It got ripped right off it's mounts! I have to say, there's some hellacious wind out here. It was knocking the Rocinante all over the road ever since I hit the desert. Even as I type this, the van is rocking back and forth (yes, I'm using the van's internet because the wi-fi in my room sucks ass). I'm hoping the second solar panel isn't subjected to the same aerodynamics as the first one. Because I don't get the feeling that this wind will die down by tomorrow, and I can't afford to lose any more solar panels!

sabasgr68 · Tue Jun 20, 2023 9:56 am

Mossman wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:21 am Well, California is officially behind me! I crossed the state line over the Colorado river, so I couldn't do a happy dance, or the other thing, but I did let out a loud "Wooooo-Hoooooo!" and hollered: "I'm Back, Arizona! Didja miss me??"

When I got Lake Havasu City, I had about a quarter tank of gas left, so I stopped to fuel up. Gas was $3.75. I put fifty bucks in, and that nearly filled it up. Before I left LA, it cost $100 to completely fill it from about an eighth of a tank. And don't worry, @sabasgr68. You couldn't possibly ruin the thread by talking about gas prices.

As I was approaching Kingman, I decided to go off script and jump on Rt.66, because... Rt.40 is boring as fuck, and a GPS doesn't tell me how to live! But it was starting to get dark, and I don't like driving at night anymore, so I pulled into a Motel 6 and got a room for the night. My younger self would have pressed on, but it's about another 3 hours to Flagstaff, and my younger self didn't need to sleep much. One time on a cross country trip, I drove until I started hallucinating (with absolutely no recreational pharmacology involved). My younger self was a menace.

Anyway... Here's a funny story... True story.... It wasn't just a cable connector that got damaged. Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, I lost an ENTIRE FRICKING SOLAR PANEL!! It got ripped right off it's mounts! I have to say, there's some hellacious wind out here. It was knocking the Rocinante all over the road ever since I hit the desert. Even as I type this, the van is rocking back and forth (yes, I'm using the van's internet because the wi-fi in my room sucks ass). I'm hoping the second solar panel isn't subjected to the same aerodynamics as the first one. Because I don't get the feeling that this wind will die down by tomorrow, and I can't afford to lose any more solar panels!

Little by little... Good about the lower gas price.

Hidden message at plain sight: We are not our younger selves anymore (Thank God for that)!

Tue Jun 20, 2023 11:53 am

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2023 9:56 am

Little by little... Good about the lower gas price.

Hidden message at plain sight: We are not our younger selves anymore (Thank God for that)!

The gas prices in California sound awfully high to me too!
Mickey

Mossman · Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:38 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2023 11:53 am
sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2023 9:56 am

Little by little... Good about the lower gas price.

Hidden message at plain sight: We are not our younger selves anymore (Thank God for that)!
The gas prices in California sound awfully high to me too!
Mickey

Currently, gas prices in LA range from $4.50-$5.00 a gallon (usually closer to $5.00), but in the desert, they take full advantage of the captive market. Even when gas prices were at their highest, I don't think I ever saw much more than $6.00 per gallon in the valley (I wonder how much gas cost out here back then?). Oddly, Arizona petrol merchants don't seem to feel the need to gouge their customers. As soon as you cross the state line, the prices drop precipitously, even though you're still in the middle of nowhere.

peskypesky · Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:50 pm

without a photo or two, I find this whole story to be hard to believe.

[edit] ok, I found photos of Rocinante in the other thread.

bleys21 · Tue Jun 20, 2023 10:47 pm

Yeah, its been stupidly windy out in the Mojave this spring and early summer. We get regular wind gusts around 40mph this year.

Only nice part is the constant wind seems to be lowering the temperature...we have had one day above 90F so far this month, which is seriously unusual...we're normally hitting high 90's every day, and frequently in the triple digits.

Mossman wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:21 am Anyway... Here's a funny story... True story.... It wasn't just a cable connector that got damaged. Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, I lost an ENTIRE FRICKING SOLAR PANEL!! It got ripped right off it's mounts! I have to say, there's some hellacious wind out here. It was knocking the Rocinante all over the road ever since I hit the desert. Even as I type this, the van is rocking back and forth (yes, I'm using the van's internet because the wi-fi in my room sucks ass). I'm hoping the second solar panel isn't subjected to the same aerodynamics as the first one. Because I don't get the feeling that this wind will die down by tomorrow, and I can't afford to lose any more solar panels!

toomanycats · Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:56 am

Headline, The Messenger, "Nearly Half of All Californians Are Thinking About Leaving."

https://themessenger.com/news/nearly-ha ... ut-leaving

And for those who might like a good visualization of the desert of California, I present to you The Howling Part VII. It is a greatly misunderstood and under appreciated film. Pappy & Harriet's has gone downhill since Robert Plant and Paul McCartney became cultural gate crashers and played there, but the authentic essence of the place is captured in this 1995 film. "Stand Up! Testify!"