Love Your RV & Boat! Newsletter - 01/25
Welcome to the January Newsletter. Wow 2025! Time flies..
What's New With Us
We spent all of January without much movement, camping on public lands near Ajo in southern Arizona, about an hour and a half drive southwest of Phoenix. We are trying to save money after paying a considerable bill last spring to restore the bottom of our boat. It is value added to the boat and will pay back in reduced maintenance costs for years, but it took a big bite out of the budget.
The weather was slightly cooler than in December but still not too bad. There was lots of sunshine! Ajo is located in the lush Sonoran desert near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The area's topography and varied plant life make for excellent hiking and landscape photography opportunities.
It’s amazing how many animals are out here. Many are nocturnal. At night, I could hear owls but never did see one. Wildlife sightings included coyotes, foxes, chipmunks, long-tail pocket mice, jackrabbits, red-tail hawks, ravens, quail, and other smaller birdlife. A highlight of the month was watching a large Big Horn Sheep easily transiting steep rocky terrain. Too bad I didn’t have my camera for that one.
Since we were stationary in January, I don’t have travel videos this month, but I had lots of time for product installs/testing/reviews and mods/repairs/upgrades. Check below for links to the many recent posts.
There will be more to come. The ol’ Cougar trailer needs more maintenance and TLC. Now that we are boating in the summer, I don’t have the downtime I did in the past when we spent the summers at the Thunderbird RV Park in Campbell River.
The trailer is nearly 14 years old now, so it needs more maintenance time to be spent on it. However, given the prices and often low quality of newer rigs, I think it is worth keeping this one going. Soon, it will be vintage!
In February, we are heading to an inexpensive RV Park called Hickiwan Trails, just down the road from Ajo in Why, Arizona. It’s pretty rundown, but the rates are cheap: $150 a week and $400 monthly taxes included. The AC will be appreciated with temps forecast to rise into the 80s soon.
The vibe is relaxed, with good hiking, bird watching, and pretty desert scenery. It’s primarily snowbirds who use it as an inexpensive place to winter or people using it as a stopover or base to explore the area.
My to-do list includes replacing the well-worn trailer tires, checking and adjusting the brakes, repacking the bearings, and greasing the suspension and landing jacks. I also plan to deep clean the trailer and truck inside and out, pull off the underbelly to inspect the tanks and plumbing, and remove more cracked vinyl decals. We may end up staying for the month. :)
In between jobs, I’m sure we will take day trips to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the surrounding area for hikes and photography. There is also a fiddle festival going on in Ajo. Stay tuned.
Recent Posts on the Website
New Weber Q1000 Grill – Christmas Gift from Anne!
Bluetti Charger 1 Review – Vehicle to Power Station Charging up to 560 Watts
Various RV Shower Mods and Add-ons
Guta RV Tire Pressure Monitor Review (Model GT107-2)
RV Macerator Pump Leak Repair – Service Kit Installation
Cool New Tool! Kaiweets Thermal Imaging Camera
RV Slide Out Wiper Seal Replacement – Keystone Fifth Wheel Trailer
TOPDON 30000 Lithium/LA Battery Charger Review
USA-Made Lithium Battery Review – SFK 300 Amp Hours
Big Power in Small Inexpensive Package – WattCycle Mini 280Ah LiFePO4
Demo *Inexpensive* 12VDC Macerator & Fresh Water Pumps
Baby Bluetti Power Station Demo + 200W Folding Solar
Installed a USB Wall Outlet into our RV
Water Heater Connection Leak Repair & Routine Maintenance
Extra Videos
Setting up tonight's mouse cam :)
Argus Pro 4 as Game Cam - Mouse and Coyote Footage
Long-Tailed Pocket Mouse Seemor Night Vision Googles
Image of the Month
Anne posed in front of a huge Saguaro!
Thanks for checking out my monthly newsletters. Much appreciated. Cheers! Ray
Hey, neighbor! (We’re spending the winter in Yuma.) Congrats on 14 years with the Cougar! With all the miles it’s gone that’s a testament to the TLC you’ve been giving it. Enjoy the hookups while you attend to maintenance. Mid 80s coming up this week. A bit high this early in the Spring.
We just arrived in Ajo today. We are planning on attending at least one day of the Fiddle fest.