[A/S] (11/01/00) Sleeping bags

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Cold Weather Airstreamers,

Before leaving for this winter's trip, we knew there'd be nights in the southwest when temperatures
in the desert mountains would drop to the 30s and 40s, even though the daytime highs would be in the
70s. With that in mind, we took our biggest sleeping bags (33' x 78' with 3 or 4 pounds of Hollofil
808 insulation). Why?

The basic answer is I'm in charge of opening and closing the couch to make it into a bed in the
evening and return it to the couch in the morning. With that comes making it up with sheets and
blankets (10 minutes) or sleeping bags (1 minute at the most). I chose the latter because the bag
easily fits behind the back rest of the couch and helps keep the back rest at a comfortable angle
when it's used as a couch. Sheets and blankets require considerable more arranging than the two
quick folds lenghtwise of the sleeping bags. 

With our '77 31' center double bed 48" x 75", both bags are kept zipped together for a 66' x 78"
bag. The extra 18 inches of width means 6" can be slipped down between the mattress and padded
outside wall before the mattress is pushed against the wall. The result is the person on the inside
against the wall has the zipper between the wall and the mattress instead of against him/her. This
may sound like a small convenience, but after a week of feeling the cold zipper against an arm and
also having the zipper open slightly (and allow cold air in) with each toss or turn, there's
considerable incentive to finding an alternative way to keep the sleeping bag in place and the
zipper away from an arm. 

The person on the outside benefits also, because he/she has enough overhang (12") to maintain the
heat inside without unzipping even if they get up during the night. Again, this may sound like a
small feature, but at 3am and the catalytic heater not being turned on for another three hours, the
level of comfort is noticeably improved with the wider bags. 

Why am I mentioning it? The large sleeping bags are not typically the size sold in most stores. They
are often found in stores that supply hikers and mountain climbers. Many stores offer them,
including Campmor (http://www.campmor.com/). With Christmas coming, this might make a useful present
for your spouse. <grin>

Terry
'77 31' Excella 500
mailto:Tylerbears@airstream.net

PS - In Ajo, I asked Lee Hunter (Mechanic at first house on right off Schwartz Road & SR85) to
identify what had caused our engine to abruptly stop running while we were driving along on the
highway, yet the next morning the engine would start when I turned on the key. It took him 5 minutes
of chit chat to identify the coil as the culprit and another 20 minutes to install a new coil (which
I had in my spare parts box and had been carrying around for 15 years "just in case it failed while
we were in Mexico"). He charged me $20 to install the coil. The engine in our truck continues to
perform strongly while towing, and at idle, the engine's vacuum reading is still in the green at
18". Today's short run included several steep grades. The familiar aggressive response to flooring
the accelerator at 55 mph is still there. It appears as if the new coil solved the problem. Time
will tell.   

So far during this trip, we've met one mechanic whose recommendation I ignored immediately ("You
need a new engine") and three (one in Colorado Springs and two in AZ: Willcox and Ajo) who diagnosed
the problem logically, explained it to me succinctly, remedied it skillfully and charged a fair
price for their work. We would confidently hire all three again. In this and earlier postings, I've
listed each of them by name as worthwhile recommendations. 

All told, the three repairs and two tows have amounted to insignificant money and minimal
inconvenience. I say this from the perspective of towing our Airstream at least 200 miles each week,
for 8-10 months each year, for the last 11 years. Part of this perspective is a result of having an
Emergency Road Service (for flatbeding truck and towing the trailer) and AAA (for towing the truck
only) which translates into the insurance premium paying for the towing service. Another part is
having a cell phone that's on 24 hours a day; the battery is always fully charged; and there are 450
prepaid minutes and no long distance or roaming charges, which essentially means unlimited phone
capability to access any needed services. As our only phone, the premium is slightly more than when
we have a land line. 

There are all kinds of experiences to be had in life. With just a little forethought and planning,
the unexpected "socializing" with competent mechanics whose help enables us to continue this
adventuresome lifestyle is icing on the cake. Does that me we won't ever get hung up or caught
between a rock and a hard place. Of course not. All we're trying to do is improve the odds in our
favor. Next week, someone may point out another way we can improve the odds and we'll start phasing
in that idea. The only thing constant is change.