Zephyrs

SNU Folks.

The February Newsletter has been posted — Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the February newsletter

January lunch review -|- Notes from Judy -|- Prez Notes -|- Rally Planning -|- Thanks to Dave -|- LED lights -|- February lunch in Gardnerville

Lunch Gardnerville

The SNU lunch will be at the Overland Basque Restaurant in Gardnerville on Saturday February 25, 2012. The Overland is just North of J.T.s and on the other side of US 395 (1451 N. Main St.) The lunch will be at 11:30am. Please contact the SNU to let us know if you plan to attend. Email:hq (at) SierraNevadaairstreams.org or call 775 972 5011

SNU 2012 Rally Schedule

Join now or renew your membership on-line

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the website homepage

Check Zephyrs and find out what’s new at SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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Cool Tools, Flexible LED Strip Lights, has some nice pictures of LED strip lights installed as counter lights in a kitchen.

One problem with the LED strips is that you might want a housing so they aren’t installed bare but protected inside a fixture. That might make mounting easier and result in a less ‘industrial’ look. Here’s the Amazon link to one:

Superbright LED’s as linked by Cool Tools has a selection of these housings in both aluminum and MDF with lenses, end caps and other accessories. The problem is that they seem rather expensive. The Amazon item is nearly $10/foot and doesn’t include the LED’s.

An aluminum U channel extrusion can be found at the hardware store for less than $2 a foot. It might be possible to use one of those to make your own LED strip lighting housing. There appears to be a lot of this for 3/8″ thick glass edges and that is about the right width to handle one LED strip. The prices are all over the map. National Mfg. N342295 U Channel is a half inch wide, .08 high and 4 feet long for $6.19. Check your local hardware or big box home improvement store with a chunk of your light strip and see what might work. These stores will often have a selection of plastic sheets and things you could use for a diffuser.

For now, the PowerTrekk is clearly as much of a lifestyle product — it comes in a choice of red, yellow or green — as a practical alternative to rechargeable batteries.

Extreme Tech says Portable fuel cells arrive: Will your next battery be a water fountain? — but it’s all about charging cell phones and such. 4 watts just isn’t that big a power level to do much.

One problem is that Fuel Cells need a rather clean hydrogen supply. The Signa Chemistry fuel cell uses a compound that will react with water to outgas hydrogen for its $199 fuel cell. A ‘puck’ with this compound will be sold at REI at a cost of about $4. The puck is equivalent to 6 AA batteries. They do plan on larger fuel cells like their briefcase sized DPS300 due at the end of 2012.

The article does have a nice table that compares capacity and cost between these fuel cells, gensets, and batteries. That indicates the fuel cell energy density by weight is about 13 times that of a rechargeable lithium battery. The prices in the table indicate that SiGNa Energy plans a fixed cost of $125 and a 3 kWh variable cost at $19 for their fuel cell. For comparison, 3 kWh is about 5 times the usable energy capacity of the typical RV lead acid battery.

If SiGNa pulls this off, they might make an impact in the RV market. Don’t hold your breath, though, as promises like this have been made for years and years.

Update Note: One drawback of fuel cells compared to batteries is that the power level is only a couple of hundred watts. To run an inverter for a microwave or similar appliance would need a much larger power rating.

Ever wonder about that idea of ‘digging to China’ ? Free Map Tools has a map tunneling tool that will show you your antipodes on a map. For the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org territory, the antipode is in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar.

The site has a few other tools that might be fun to play with …

SNU Folks,

Happy New Year!

The January 2012 Newsletter has been posted

Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the January newsletter

December lunch review -|- January lunch in Fernley -|- SNU Community Service -|- Prez Notes -|- SNU website  -|- WBCCI song book

Lunch in Fernley at the Black Bear

Saturday December 17, 2011 The SNU will have lunch at the Overland Basque Restaurant in Fallon. Time, 11:30 am. Please RSVP to hq@sierranevadaairstreams.org or call 775 972 5011. We need to know how many people to reserve a table for. The Overland is located at 125 E. Center Street Fallon, NV Off Hwy 95 in downtown Fallon, NV

SNU 2012 Rally Schedule

Join now or renew your membership on-line

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the website homepage

Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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SNU HQ

Nowadays, with computers and stuff, the memorabilia made to remember participation in events and activities can get rather flashy. Not so long ago, it was hand crafted and had an appeal of its own.

See the photo gallery!

This collection was from the Wally Byam Caravan Club’s Monterey Bay Unit ca 80′s.

LED lighting is an attractive option in RV’s. LED’s aren’t necessarily the most efficient in terms of battery draw for light output but they do allow for a more focused light that is tailored for what you want to do. Most LED’s run at about 50 lumens per watt:

LEDs are efficient for some applications – “Compare to 14-17.5 lumens per watt for standard “A19″ 120 volt 60 to 100 watt incandescents, and typically 16 to 21 for most halogen lamps rated to last 2,000 hours or more, typically 50-70 (at optimum temperature) for most compact fluorescents rated 13 to 26 watts, and 85-100 for 32 watt T8 fluorescents operated with electronic ballasts.”

You can get battery operated LED ‘puck’ lights, strip lights, lights on a gooseneck, and all sorts of other innovative lighting solutions. The FLEXIT light (says its at Home Depot stores) puts a bunch of LED’s on a flexible pad with a magnetic base that holds 3 AA batteries. That allows spreading the light out a bit as well as shaping the light source for a particular need. You can also see the variety when browsing through the big retail outlets.

One common issue with lighting is the color. Most of the ‘white’ LED lights are like miniature fluorescent light bulbs and have the same color options and concerns as standard fluorescent light bulbs. Jason suggests using a CD you might have handy to see the color spectrum of a light (How do LED lightbulbs compare to CFL and incandescent? | JasonMorrison.net)

You can get LED lights designed as replacements for the common light bulbs in your RV. There are even models designed to replace fluorescent tubes. These tend to be rather expensive. If you have a bit of a do-it-yourself bent and some creativity, you might be able to supplement your RV lighting with LED’s without too much effort. One way to do this is to get a 5 meter (16 foot) reel of LED lights and go to town. These LED strip lights are very common and provided in many varieties with costs running from a bit over $10 to more than $100.

The LED strip lights are long flexible circuit boards with an adhesive strip on the back. They are usually configured as 100 separate 12v LED light circuits. You can cut the strip between the light circuits to configure how you want to make your light source – from 100 small lights to one long light source. The typical 3258 SMD (surface mount device) strip circuit used in these has three white LED’s that drop the voltage about 3.4 volts and a 150 ohm limiting resistor. At Amazon – HitLights LED Flexible Lighting Strip Cool White or Bright White, 5 Meter or 16 Ft, 3528 Type, 300 SMD, 24 Watt (sponsored link – new idea here being tried out!) is a $14 item that has a clip for a coaxial power connector.

A strip of LED’s like this has a total light output just about on par with that of the typical 2 bulb T-8 18 inch fluorescent fixture used in many RV’s.

For household use, you need a 12v power supply. One $38 offering that includes both the power supply and a dimmer is 5 Meter Reel Warm White 3100k Flexible LED Ribbon 300 Leds 16 Ft with Free Dimmer and Free Transformer By Ledwholesalers, 2026ww-31k. You can use the dimmer in your RV 12v system.

The simple LED light control for ~$7 is PWM Dimming Controller For LED Lights or Ribbon, 12 Volt 8 Amp, 3301. The whizbang version with a remote control $11 – PWM Dimmer for LED Lighting with 12 button Wireless Remote 12 to 24 Volt 6 amp, 3317-DM. These dimmers use PWM or pulse width modulation just like a lot of solar charge controllers.

note: SierraNevadaAirstreams.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. — check the links and you help support the website.

Several tests have been run with inexpensive LED strip lights – pictures to show color differences and how a camera adjusts for light output will be provided soon.

Into fossils? Death Valley? Maybe guitar recordings? Check out the Fossils in Death Valley National Park website. It is another one of those ‘busy’ pages with a lot of pictures and a lot of information. Check it out.

Dale and Virginia Leipper did a skit at a Monterey Bay Unit rally about how to take a shower with minimal water use. It was so funny and such a hit they were asked for a repeat performance at the March 1994 Region 12 Rally in Los Banos, CA. For this performance MBCU member Joe Gorman assisted.
See the web page in travelogues.

SNU Folks,

The December 2011 Newsletter has been posted! Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too. Topics in the December newsletter include: Lunch at B.J.’s -|- Notes from the Prez – Thanksgiving at Scout Camp -|- SNU 2011 Highlights -|- Fun, Fellowship, Adventure

Lunch in Fallon at the Overland — Saturday December 17, 2011 The SNU will have lunch at the Overland Basque Restaurant in Fallon. Time, 11:30 am. Please RSVP to hq@sierranevadaairstreams.org or call 775 972 5011. We need to know how many people to reserve a table for. The Overland is located at 125 E. Center Street Fallon, NV Off Hwy 95 in downtown Fallon, NV

SNU 2012 Rally Schedule

Join now or renew your membership on-line

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the Unit homepage:

Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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SNU HQ

Down by Fort Churchill State Park is the Carson River Ranches. Scout Camp is set for horses with corrals and trails going up and down the Carson River. It is also a nice spot to spend Thanksgiving with a few friends.

See the photo gallery!
Too much good food; leftovers for the weekend; somewhat cool mornings – the campfire felt nice! – but pleasant afternoons; coyote choirs in the distance; low rumble of traffic on ALT US 95 on occasion; gophers trying to clean out their holes without bothering the dogs; rabbits working the grass around the edges;

SNU Folks,

The November 2011 Newsletter has been posted.Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the November newsletter

October Rally Review -|- Notes from the Prez includes information on SNU elections, Region Rally, Dinner with NorCal, November outings, & future Region Rally plans -|- Region 12 Rally review -|- Nov SNU lunch at B.J.’s

Lunch at B.J.’s BBQ

The SNU November lunch will be at B.J.’s BBQ in Sparks. The date is Saturday November 19, 2011. Time, 11:30 am. Please RSVP to hq@sierranevadaairstreams.org or call 775 972 5011. We need to know how many people to reserve a table for. B.J.’s is located on North McCarran at East Prater Way close to a CVS pharmacy.

SNU 2012 Rally Schedule

Join now or renew your membership on-line

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the Unit homepage.

Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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SNU HQ

The WBCCI Region 12 gathered at the Jackson Rancheria for their annual rally. That’s a highly regarded and new RV park just off highway 88 with a gas station and mini-mart at the highway and a casino a bit up the road. The park is on a bluff so that its horizon is California foothills on three sides and a view of the valley to the south.

See the Flamingos in the Foothills index for links to photo galleries and other information about the rally.

Following the region rally, the SNU folks headed back to the wilds of Nevada for some time on the Carson River near Weeks, the site of Buckland Station on the Pony Express route near Fort Churchill and Lahontan state parks. Scout camp was originally set up by the state horse association fifteen years ago and is where they have their annual get together every year on the third weekend in October. The state parks department has picked up on the idea for trails along the river between Fort Churchill and Lahontan reservoir but differs a bit on what the future may hold.

see the photo gallery of the SNU Rally at Scout Camp October 2011.

The firewood was waste that didn’t get burned before the fire department said it was too late in the summer for the parks department to get a permit for trash burning. So, instead of waste, it was put to good use. It’d be nice if the parks people would provide more primitive camping such as this along the river. Leave Scout Camp as a horse focused area and provide another for self contained RV’s.

The Baxter’s report on roads and conditions on their southwest tour in six segments:

1 – Reno to Beatty NV – Used Highway 95, good whole way, with some construction and short delays. Stayed at Beatty RV Park, small (30 +/-) spots, exceptional restroom / showers.

2 – Beatty to Boulder City – Used Highways 95 & 93, roadways good except in/near Las Vegas, lots of construction and detour. Stayed at CanyonTrails RV park. Nice facility, large, nice level sites and clean restroom/showers. No trees, lots of sun…

3 – Boulder City to Flagstaff AZ – Used Highway 93, then Highway 40, good road conditions, #40 four lane and thus easy driving. Slow gradual climbs about 35 miles outside of Boulder City all the way to Flagstaff. Stayed at J&H RV Park. Small (35 +/-) sites. Well maintained and quiet. Billed as a “senior & adult ” park.

4 – Flagstaff to Zion National Park – Used Highway 89, then Alt 89 thru Hurricane and Virgin to enter Park from West
had been informed that the East entrance via 89 was lots of turns at end and also trucks, RVs, trailers needed special permit and traffic control to pass thru tunnel. Highway 89 and Alt 89 is two lane, good road surface and a few climbs,
nothing difficult at all. Stayed in WATCHMAN campground within Park. Had electricity at each site, no water. Campground full, wanted to extend stay could not due to no sites available. Recommend reservations pretty far in advance. This campground most convenient, can walk to Park shuttle, and thus all hiking trails were available to us.

5 – Zion National Park to Caliente NV Used I 15 to Cedar City, then Utah Highway51, then NV highway 6, then NV highway 93 south to Caliente. Road surface good, a few climbs, but nothing steep. Few fuel stops available, long stretches without town or many cars. Stayed in Youngs RV park. relatively small, mostly long term people here. We we put in a site with lawn/trees. Some other “itinerant” RV’ers showed up and were put in a large graveled area, no trees, no lawn, pretty barren. All sites had full hookups with WIFI. An ok place for a one night stand,

6 – Caliente NV to Hawthorne NV Used highway 93, then extraterrestrial highway, then highway 6, then highway 95. All road surfaces in excellent condition, Long slow gradual climb (4%,5% grade for 7 miles) out of Caliente NV. Not an extreme climb just long. 190 miles from Caliente to Tonopah…No fuel available!! No ATT cell phone service available for most of the run. Must have seen 8 or 9 cars on the extraterrestrial highway.

SNU Folks,

The October 2011 Newsletter has been posted. Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the October newsletter

SNU Anniversary Rally -|- October Rally at Scout Camp -|-  Notes from the Prez -|-Best Classic Aircraft -|- October Elections -|- Thanks to the Grossmann’s

October Rally at Scout Camp

The SNU October rally will be at Scout Camp on the Carson river. The dates are Thursday October 20 – Sunday October 23, 2011. It is located just off Alt 95 just over the bridge from Buckland Station. It is right on the Carson River.  Be sure and bring firewood for campfires.

SNU 2011 Rally Schedule — 2012 Rally Schedule — Join now or renew your membership on-line — For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the website homepage — Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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SNU HQ

The challenge at the South Lake Tahoe campground was getting around the trees. That was the spot for the SNU’s 35th anniversary rally. Things were rather strange although camping in the trees without fully defined parking areas was as usual. The ground was flat and very little leveling effort was needed. There was electricity and water available. There were also event’s! Everybody formed a mob Saturday morning to walk over to the museum and then in the afternoon for the bus ride to the MS Dixie II mooring pier.

See the index page for the SNU 35th Anniversary Rally & Dinner Cruise and check out the links to the photo galleries, history quiz, and other stuff. To get into the SNU history, check out the history index page.

SNU Folks,

The September 2011 Newsletter has been posted! Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the September newsletter

Obsidian Dome Rally -|- SNU September Anniversary Rally -|- Support the SNU -|- SNU Highlights -|-  Notes from the Prez -|-Welcome to the Swaffers -|- October Elections

Anniversary Rally at South Lake Tahoe

The special SNU 35th Anniversary Rally at Campground by the Lake in South Lake Tahoe is September 22 to September 25, 2011. This rally includes a dinner cruise on the M.S. Dixie and a private tour of the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum.  If you can’t join us for the rally, consider coming by for a visit during the weekend. Campground by the Lake is easily accessible to everything South Lake Tahoe has to offer. Don’t forget to bring firewood.

SNU 2011 Rally Schedule

Join now or renew your membership on-line

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the website homepage.

Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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The Arizona Daily Sun reports on the conflict between the full timers and the badge carrying rangers in the National Forest Service.

Darrell and Rose found a camper, a van to pull it, and some solar panels for power. Now married, the Eddlemans live out of their recreational vehicle in forests around the Southwest with their dog, Freeway, and have seen a lot of the country.

They now hike and visit with other campers.

She paints.

He fishes.

“I like this lifestyle a lot,” Rose said.

Just one problem, in their view: The Kaibab National Forest doesn’t want them around and is recently stating as much.

Actually, living in the forest is illegal, say Forest Service officials, pointing to federal law.

One of the surprises was that the ranger didn’t cite staying past the 14 day limit by a day or two, he saw the Quartzite BLM LTVA sticker and decided on a residency use ticket. “Federal law prohibits building or “occupying or using a residence” on national forest land.” The ranger decided their MoHo was a residence. The implication is that any RV could be similarly categorized at any time on NFS lands.

This treatment is unfair and a form of discrimination, they say, particularly when other presumably wealthier campers with homes come and go from campers that sit for months and face no penalties.

“We’re normal people,” Dallas said. “We just live in the woods.”

Another aspect of this is the MVUM or motor vehicle use maps that the NFS publishes. You need to consult those maps to make sure that you don’t take your vehicle to where it is not allowed (anymore). It also brings to mind the land management companies comments about volunteer hosts and ‘badge and gun’ rangers in their attitude towards problems with campers.

This starts to get one thinking about Robin Hood and the Sherwood forest.

January 15, 1957

Left Juarez 8:10. Caravan started leaving 8 shart. Weather fine but a little chilly. What a sight after we all got strung out on the Highway. Over 200 trailers. Have to be seen to believe. Met up with our neighbors, Mr. & Mrs, North from MO and Mr. & Mrs. Luckynot from WA.

Back to Juarez for a few highlights. “The Banquet” needs some mention. Our introduction to the land of Mananna. Soup, cold beer. Shrimp cocktails – ran short and served fruit instead. By the time turkey was served at our table everything began to run short. I doubt if some of the people got anything to eat. The floor show was something they picked up out from one of the drivers in Juarez. But all in all we had a nice banquet.

Now back on the road to Chihuahua. The road is narrow and bad shoulders. We were traveling too fast so three of us decided to travel together and drive slower. Stopped for lunch about 1 o”clock. Arrived in Chihuahua about 3:30 pm. All three of us parked together. State Band here to greet us and a Mariachi band to entertain. Spent the evening sitting out in front of our trailer with our neighbors and enjoyed the new moon. Very beautiful.

SNU Folks,

The August 2011 Newsletter has been posted! Links to photo galleries and additional information mentioned in articles in this newsletter can also be found there, too.

Topics in the August newsletter: Hickison Highlights -|- August joint rally at Obsidian -|- Notes from the Prez SNU Anniversary Rally NorCal at J.T.’s Member Travels

See the special note from Bruce Rhymes.

Rally at Obsidian Dome

This is a special rally, the SNU’s first ever joint rally with another WBCCI Unit – The San Fernando Valley Unit. This is a two part rally. The first half is Thursday August 25 to Sunday August 28 at Obsidian Dome. The second part is Sunday August 29 to Wednesday August 31 Mammoth Lakes. Join us for one or both parts, whatever suits your schedule. Reservations are required for Mammoth Lakes. Contact Mammoth Mountain RV Park and mention you are part of the San Fernando Valley Airstreams. We’ve got some neat things planned for this rally so plan on joining us. See http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/snu/2011/events/11ag-obsidian.html for maps and detailed information.

Get the details on the September SNU Anniversary rally. Don’t miss out. RSVP today!

For the latest on the Sierra Nevada Unit, check the website homepage.

Check Zephyrs and find out what else is new on the SierraNevadaAirstreams.org

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SNU HQ