Places We Have Called Home In 2020
Home Is Where We Park It – Fort Beale RV Park, Kingman, Arizona
May 19, 2020
Temperature 74 Degrees
Odd Weather
Out and About
New Water Pressure Regulator – This One Is Going To Last
Another Five Minute Project
What odd weather of late. Usually we can leave the windows open at night and we’re perfectly comfortable. We also usually leave a fan running in the bedroom. Let me tell you, around 2 am last night there was such a strong breeze blowing in my bedroom window I had to shut it. I also had to turn the fan off. It was down right chilly. The weather forecast is for more of the same tonight. They’re telling us the temperature will be down in the mid 40 degree range. Yet, by next week we’ll be back every day in the 90 to the 100 degree range during the day and the mid 70’s at night. Bizarre.
Cabin fever struck today and we just had to get out. It didn’t matter where we went we just had to go. In the end, though, we had a plan. I needed some materials for a couple of projects I was working on.
Our destination today was Home Depot. This store and all the stores we typically frequent we discovered are only about fifteen minutes away. How convenient.
The typical water pressure regulator for an RV usually looks something like this or
something like this. The first is relatively inexpensive but you never really know what the water pressures is. It is supposed to be preset at 40 to 50 pounds of pressure. It works, sort of.
The second picture is a type of water pressure regulator of which I have a couple. They have a gauge which allows you to set your desired water pressure. The problem that I have had with all of them is they work fine for only about three months. Then, you come out one morning and you discover your preset 45 pounds of pressure has all of a sudden jumped to 60 pounds of pressure. Not good at all since older rigs like ours can’t take much more pressure than this. I’ve tried to discover the reason for this and the answer I always get is That’s not possible. Oh, but it is.
What to do that was the question.
This is the answer that I discovered while reading through a number of online blogs of RV’ers who have had the same problem with the common RV water pressure regulators. This is a Watts Commercial Water Pressure Reducing Valve.
This is a heavy duty valve, all bronze construction, used with confidence by plumbers everywhere, and if necessary it can be rebuilt. I purchased a couple of adapters that would allow me to use it with the typical water hose hookup we have.
Fifteen minutes later, a few wraps of plumbers tape where necessary and we were in business. The valve can be installed either vertical or horizontal. My water pressure gauge confirms a preset water pressure of 45 pounds. Perfect. I still have a few modifications I want to try that will make its hookup even easier.
This was my next five minute project. You know what kind of projects they are, correct? They’re the kind of projects that should take no more than five minutes but end up taking an hour or more. Such was the installation of this towel ring.
The question was, how to first securely fasten the mounting plate to the wall. Use screws? That’s what someone before me tired with no success. It didn’t work because the wall was too thin and the screws just pulled out. I first tired putting up the mounting plate with a pop-rivet which had always worked for me in the past. It worked for a couple of months but then for some crazy reason it came loose. Well, how about using
a couple of toggle bolts? The challenge here was finding a screw that when tightened to make the toggle expand would not pop through the outside wall. It took a couple of tries and more than five minutes to get the right length but in the end I figured it out. That towel ring isn’t going anywhere now – I hope!
That was our day on The Road of Retirement. It really felt good to get out and about. It is also quite surprising to see hardly anyone using a mask or practicing social distancing. I can only wonder what the future holds for our country. Are we going to be alright? Or will such social behavior come back to bite us in a big way? We’re still wearing our masks. Keeping our distance. Yet, we are also planning on doing some sightseeing in the very near future. We’ll be careful, take it one day at a time, and if it appears that everything is going downhill again, we’ll just scrape any further plans for sightseeing. What will be, will be.
On the lighter side.
Thanks for checking in today. We trust that you had as great a day as we did. Always appreciate your comments. Keep safe. Wear your mask – if not for yourself then for someone else. Remember, six feet apart or you could end up six feet under. Wash your hands often. See you tomorrow.
These are the voyages of Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers. Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.
See you on down the road!
"On The Road of Retirement" 
Get out the flannel jammies. Sounds like you’ll be wanting some of those cool breezes next week. Enjoy!
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