Even The Simple Things - Wood And Cabinet Beautification

Wood, Wood Everywhere!

    Like most of you, I have lots of wood surfaces in my RV. A good portion of my floor, all of my cabinets and doors as well as some of the walls are either solid wood (I have NO idea what kind!) or wood paneling. Between the dust and regular use, they can get pretty dirty and dull. As everyone knows, I hate to clean! So, anything that makes that easier is alright by me. When I first bought my RV its' exterior was pretty dull and faded from oxidation of the fiberglass gel-coat. Back then folks where trying out a floor finish product called RED MAX PRO #3 with amazing results. Thinking back, I realized that the original purpose of the stuff was a floor finish! Yes, WOOD floors were on the menu. Seemed like a good fit. Especially since it's been on the outside of my RV for 3 years and still looks great.

Shiny!

Sadly, when I went to purchase more of the Red Max Pro #3 at a large home center store, it is no longer made. Yup. Murphy was indeed an optimist! Now what? Well, if you do some research online and dig a little deeper you find that the product was manufactured by another company that also markets the same formulation as a product called ZEP Wet Look Floor Finish. This is readily available at most home stores.

What's it do? Well, it's an acrylic floor finish that bonds to the wood (or other surface) fills in microscopic cracks and imperfections and leaves a shiny smooth surface. Truly Amazing stuff. It isn't a slippery surface feel (that would be pretty dangerous on a floor!) but it looks great. One of my cabinets had some bad wear marks on the edge and the floor by the galley/entrance-way was worn. This stiff made it look like new!

Wow! Clean AND Protected!

It's incredibly easy to apply inside the RV. Outside requires some labor to clean the oxidation on the fiberglass before you can apply, but that's another article! Inside, you simply clean the wood surfaces with a damp cloth. If it's REALLY dirty, use a wood cleaner first. Then take a soft microfiber cloth, slightly damp with the ZEP product (I use a shallow container to do this) and wipe it over the surface. DO NOT USE TOO MUCH! If it drips, smooth out the drops before it hardens!!! It takes VERY little of this stuff to make a big improvement. Be aware it will take multiple coats to be perfect. I used 5 coats on the floor and 4 coats on everything else. You do NOT need to rub or buff at all. Simply wipe it on smoothly and let dry before the next coat. The results will amaze you!

Since this is an acrylic floor finish and you're not likely to be walking on your walls or cabinet doors (well at least I wouldn't think so!)  this finish will last a LONG time. Of course you should try it on a hidden surface first if you think it may look bad or harm an existing coating. Better safe than sorry.

I'm a believer!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

New Year (2014) - Best Wishes And Plans

Wishing For SPRING 2014!

    Happy New Year!!! Well, almost anyway. It's New Year's Eve day and I am finishing up some last minute, end of the year items at my office. It's just before Eleven A.M. and I am already itching to be out of here. It's quiet and almost deserted. Seems perfect for writing up some New Year's thoughts before I skeedaddle. This year had it's ups and downs. The failure of my old Solar Charging system's panels put a severe dent in my RV travel plans during this past summer. Hopefully, (well definitely!) that's fixed for the upcoming season. I found some pretty cool items and modifications that made life in my small class A more comfortable. I made it past my 100 Article! I've had the opportunity to share my trials and tribulations with all of you and I am grateful for the friends I've made through these short written pieces. What's on the agenda for this New year?

Let's take a look.

Locke Down For Winter

I have a list....yes it's pretty extensive and grows all the time. Seems like each time I remove something from the list, another item takes it's place. Some of the bigger projects for this year? First, will be the implementation of my Solar Thermal Hot Water System. This one got put on hold when the old Solar Panels quit working. Now that the new ones are all set, I can get back to work on heating hot water with the sun. Turning wasted furnace exhaust heat into usable, battery charging, electricity is high on the list. If this works and I can offset battery amp usage when the furnace fan is on it will significantly extend my RV'ing season. RV forced hot air furnace fans are a BIG drain on a battery bank. Especially a small two battery one like mine! Next up? Lithium Phosphate batteries as replacements for Lead Acid. I've been keeping tabs on this front for a couple of years. Prices are really starting to come down and the technology is soon going to allow direct replacement of Lead acids (even the battery physical sizes will be the same) lighter, more power storage and longer lasting. Right now....it's simply not cost effective. But soon it may well be.

Fridge Flue Cleaning

Then there's the ongoing maintenance projects. Like any home, an RV requires some basic house-style maintenance. The main difference?  Your stick built house doesn't drive down the highway at 65 MPH! That will rattle all sorts of things. Come spring, I have a long list that I go through to prep for the season. Things like tightening all the screws that have vibrated loose over the previous season, checking rubber for dry rot and crack, and such. The better you take care of your RV the longer it will last AND give you far less trouble during your ownership. If you attend to maintenance items a bit at a time, no project becomes overwhelming. I'm all for easier....believe me!

As always, I am looking for cool projects that make RV'ing more efficient, easier or more fun! Let me know if you think of something to try and I'll attempt to put it into practice!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

Christmas Tidings - With Cool RV Gifts!

Looks Sad And Cold...

    As I begin to write this, it's Christmas eve. Some family will be arriving in a few hours and I've got a ham in the oven. W'ell be having some sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts on the side. I've got my homemade (from scratch, even!) sugar cookie dough chilling in the refrigerator with the egg nog. The weather folks are predicting a light snow. Shaping up to be a post card Christmas. But, to be honest, I went down to check on the RV this morning. Had a bit of a daydream while inside. Wouldn't it be neat to have Christmas IN the RV. Of course there would be less room and cooking would be a bit more difficult due to space, but I'll wager it would be fun!

Christmas Presents By The Fireplace

Meanwhile, back at the house, in front of the fireplace near the tiny tree are a bunch of wrapped gifts. I know what's in the ones I wrapped (and yes, I am absolutely terrible at wrapping!) but have no idea what's in the others. Everyone knows I'm an RV fan. A big one. So There's a good chance I'll have some nifty new items to use next season. When I come back to finish this article, I'll have finished off the dinner (and had lots of leftovers!) distributed and unwrapped all the gifts. I'll let you know what arrived with Santa this year. Who says it's only children who are excited on Christmas eve???

Big Steel Frying Pan

Wow! Santa (and my friends and family!!) really went all out this year. Great stuff, weird stuff, useful stuff and more. Lots for the RV! There's this 21 LED camp lantern. Runs on 3 "D" batteries or an AC adapter. Not really sure why you'd want to run on AC in the RV, but I could if I wanted to. Man is it bright! I'll probably use it to wander from place to place seeking out an honest man. (Yes, that was an ancient Grecian Diogenes reference...I'm a bit of a geek, so sue me!) Next up I finally got steel, non-stick frying pans (3 Sizes! That work GREAT with my induction cooktop. I had one that worked OK, but not great and already had all the regular pots including a big one for pasta. I can't wait to try them out this RV season!

Silicone Multipurpose, Peeler, Garnish Maker and Baconator

Also, some nifty new multipurpose gadgets. A multipurpose silicone trivet/pot holder/lid gripper that has a really cool hexagonal pattern AND matches my interior color. Then there's the peeler. This one slips over a finger and peels with more control. Maybe? I'll have to try this one out and get back to you. There's the flower shaped garnish maker. They say you can cut sandwiches too, but that would make for a VERY small sandwich. Again, we'll find out after I use it. Last is the baconator. I call it that since I've used it to make bacon for YEARS at home in the microwave. It channels all the grease away and makes for perfect bacon every time. A must have if you're a bacon fan. MMMM, fresh roadside produce tomatoes and lettuce on white toast with mayo and unmelted cheddar. Maybe even a few slices of Avocado. Now THAT"S an RV lunch!

You know, it's not all about the STUFF on Christmas, it's the whole "Peace On Earth" mentality it fosters. It sure would be nice if everyone could get along AFTER the holidays are over. After all, we live on the same ball of rock, speeding on its' journey around and around the sun. We should share nicely. How's that for a seasonal wish? Maybe it's the RV traveling? I meet so many kind and interesting folks out there on the road. Very few are disagreeable. I wonder just how to get that concept to spread.

Anyway, the New Year is almost upon us. Just a few months away from RV friendly weather. better get busy! Lots of projects to get done before that glorious day is upon me. I just can't wait till RV season finally arrives.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com