Author Archives: ellen

New Electrical System for the RV

Posted on July 11, 2021 by ellen

I’ve always had trouble with sealed lead acid coach batteries dying after a season or two. The new RV came with two wet lead acid 67 AH marine batteries that were pretty much shot. So I did some research and … Continue reading →

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To Build a Detached Garage

Posted on July 8, 2021 by ellen

We have decided to clean up our property and empty our attached two car garage by building a large RV garage to the side of the house. We thought we had a contractor willing to build it but he changed … Continue reading →

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New RV Cross Country

Posted on May 27, 2021 by ellen

We took the new RV to Indiana in early April to meet the buyers and enjoy our friends and a final work session on the house. The early April weather is very changeable and there was a late snow across … Continue reading →

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All Fun and No Work

Posted on May 24, 2021 by ellen

I’m not sure how to transition the blog from working on the house to working on other projects. I guess not working on the house either means no posts or off topic posts. One step in the LEED certification process … Continue reading →

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Lithium Battery Test

Posted on May 6, 2021 by ellen

I was told that the advertised amp hours on a lithium battery was a bit of a stretch and that the batteries would not deliver what they were rated for. So this called for a test. My son found a … Continue reading →

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Family Fun in Florida

Posted on April 18, 2021 by ellen

My son got an unexpected vacation from work and the family really wanted to visit the beach. I floated the idea of staying at a Fort Myers beach so we could visit my brother and my cousin and my aunt … Continue reading →

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Modifying the RV for Travel

Posted on April 12, 2021 by ellen

Over the last two weeks I’ve spent a lot of time moving the camping equipment from the old RV to the new one and installing storage upgrades to fit the family. It has been so much fun to set up … Continue reading →

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New RV; New Projects

Posted on March 22, 2021 by ellen

Before we moved to Colorado and started remodeling the new house for LEED certification we bought a 2002 Itasca 22E Class C recreational vehicle. We acquired it and the very end of 2009 as it’s third owner. We had so … Continue reading →

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Moving Up to LEED 4.1

Posted on March 6, 2021 by ellen

All of the documentation on our LEED project so far has been to fulfill the requirements of LEED for Homes 2009. Although I have another year to qualify under the old system, I’ve contacted Energy Logic to finish up the … Continue reading →

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Rolling Case for Trolling Motor

Posted on February 27, 2021 by ellen

The new trolling motor needed a case so that it could be stored and transported more easily. I thought I might use the Sailrite sewing machine and some vinyl to make one but first I thought I should look for … Continue reading →

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Cold Weather Call for Heat but No Boiler Firing

Posted on February 13, 2021 by ellen

I realized when the temperature got down to zero and hung around in the low single digits that the heating zone in the rear of the house was acting strangely. The thermostat would call for heat but the boiler would … Continue reading →

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Battery Box for Trolling Motor

Posted on February 4, 2021 by ellen

It’s winter and outdoor projects are limited. As soon as it turned the new year I made a reservation to camp for the Fourth of July. Camping is very popular in Colorado and it is difficult to get into a … Continue reading →

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Incomplete Sailrite Sewing Project

Posted on December 13, 2020 by ellen

I started a new vinyl cover for a spa section which broke my Singer 9960 sewing machine. I sent it out for repair and it is not yet ready. But I purchased a really heavy duty expensive Sailrite zig zag … Continue reading →

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Hoppe Lock Jam

Posted on December 2, 2020 by ellen

We first had this problem when one of the doors was new. There is a piece on the three point lock that is called a mishandling device. This is a latch that releases the top and bottom throw bolts that … Continue reading →

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Door Lock Issues

Posted on November 30, 2020 by ellen

When we returned from Indiana, our key did not work in the front lock. The mechanism would not turn. Fortunately one of the patio doors is keyed the same and we were able to get into the house without breaking … Continue reading →

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Indiana House

Posted on November 22, 2020 by ellen

We spent the first two weeks of November at our Indiana house. It’s lovely out in the Indiana forest and the house needed attention. In early September I went to Indiana and had to work on taking out moldy drywall … Continue reading →

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New Sailrite LSZ-1 Sewing Machine

Posted on November 1, 2020 by ellen

It has arrived! It shipped faster than I expected. The packaging was very secure and it is amazingly heavy and built like a Mack Truck as they say. The underside of the machine is also very stout! The machine came … Continue reading →

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First Trombé Wall Glass

Posted on October 31, 2020 by ellen

The trombé wall has been missing its glass ever since the new windows were installed. The original Trombé wall had solar glass that was just glued to a wood frame and trimmed on top of the glass. The bottom trim … Continue reading →

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The Wrong Tool

Posted on October 27, 2020 by ellen

Unfortunately I tried to use my Singer 9960 sewing machine to sew a spa cover with vinyl. I didn’t stop the first time the machine jammed. Just cleared the jamb and continued. Then it jammed again and I could not … Continue reading →

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Filters and Boiler Maintenance

Posted on October 18, 2020 by ellen

Fall is falling and some quick chores were completed. We have a Campbell filter on the whole house water supply. It takes a double charcoal filter and it relatively easy to change as long as the water turn off is … Continue reading →

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