Learning Curves

 So there’s quite a lot of those going on right now!

From dump station use through learning about paint! Whew it’s a lot to take in, but I’m getting there.

I’ve just been told that people usually move off a dump station to pack up their gear, so others can get in. Newbies, which I’m not now, take around half an hour to complete the process. 

Things I'm learning include:

1: Keeping the vents closed in high winds, & checking they’re closed when moving off site. Apparently they will fly off otherwise

2: Sieve water that’s going down the sink, to help prevent solids ending up in the grey tank. I wash out my coffee plunger into a sieve, so I can catch the grounds & use a bowl in the sink, to wash my dishes in, then pour out the water through a sieve 

3: Use a bungee cord to secure the TV in place when leaving a place. Mine swings out for some reason

4: Don’t stress over every little noise in the truck or camper. Worrying doesn’t help. Take a note of it & deal with it as I can. Although I think the handbrake is sticking on since I’ve had the clutch repaired. I’ll call about that today.  ✅  Currently something is squeaking In the camper when I drive, can’t seem to find it...it’s the low bed 🤔 

5: Take time to smell the roses as they say. I’m noticing an amazing array of bird life, as I just sit quietly observing. I saw a decent sized fish jump in shallow water this week too.

6: Not everyone is  the expert we all think we are. For a long time I’ve had an alarm going off, frequently in the truck, that freaks me out, as it’s loud. I now know after being tested at the mechanic shop, that it’s Air pressure, not oil. I have air assisted brakes & clutch, so it happens when I leave my foot on those pedals for a period of time, & the air is used up in the tank. It builds up again quite quickly with a few revs of the engine & stops 😅 

7: When something is new, (& there’s a lot of that going on right now,) it’s big & scary. Once the necessary skills are learned it’s easy

Use a brass wire brush to clean the jet, or compressed air in a can

8: There are a lot of people willing to help & share the knowledge of their field. Yesterday I learned some more about paint 😂 I need to paint my truck wheels & want to tie the colour in with the sign I now have on the Luton. I might ask the graphic artist who did the sign for me 🤔  from Cairns Printing.

9: Cold showers only hurt for a few minutes 😂 I keep forgetting to turn the hot water on, & yes I have set a reminder in my phone. But I get up at different times each day 🤪

10: Most people are friendly. When I encounter people outside at night, when I’m out taking pookums wees, I encounter people, who mostly say hello & carry on about their business. It really freaks me out, but that’s my issue, not theirs. I still have some PTSD that needs taking care of 🤦‍♀️ 

Last night a man parked in a car beside my camper turned his lights on, (deer in the headlights look) He said he had done it so I could see where I was going. He blinded me, but that was a nice thought 🤣

11: Less is more! It’s easier to live out of a camper if you have less stuff. It’s really hard to choose clothes to wear, when you can’t open the drawers, or the lockers are stuffed full. Also when I use a laundromat to wash & dry clothes, I get them back within an hour, so I don’t need so many. I’m still working on that 🤫

In saying that, there is a place for a full drawer or cupboards, so things don’t move around & break or fly out. That applies with dishes

12: Shop around. There are always deals to be found that can save me money & time. I usually plan my physio appointment for the same day I shop for food & do laundry, fill gas tank & fuel up the truck. It’s a full on day, but worth it for how much I save, in the area I go to. E.G. I buy a 9kg bottle of gas for $25 vs $40 where I often stay 😉 I’m still learning about the fuel discounts with the card I have for that. 

13: Water filters are easy to change, once you know how. They have bayonet fittings, much like a light bulb

14: It’s amazing how much battery charge I can get, just using the solar panels on the roof. I don’t even use the new panel I have to put out each day, but may have to in Winter. My house battery is a new Lithium Iron Phosphate 200ah, & that’s where the main need is, to keep it charged up enough, so it doesn’t kill the battery. Good batteries & tyres are essentials 

15: Put everything away immediately after it’s used, so it’s easier to drive off when I need to. Leaving is a Big process by itself. 😂 

Vents down, switches & gas off, everything in the house part secured & closed or removed, dish down, sink & stove tops down, lockers & valve caps locked blah blah, you get the idea.