Arizona Adventures and Stalled Progress ...

After an exhilarating 8 day camping trip in the deserts and mountains of the American Southwest, I ass-u-me-(d) that i would make stellar progress on the Turtle. Well - here's what happened.

1. Mother nature has decided to water Florida a LOT lately. In two days, I only got in 3 hours of work. When it was sunny, I was at the home supply/hardware store. Arg.

2. Plumbing sucks. I had a well-meaning friend come help with the grewater drain lines. I realized at the last "build day" (rolling eyes) that I would have to undo his work ... he did not actually make anywhere for it to drain TO.

3.  also realized CPVC would be an awful choice for hot/cold lines ... one bump and those joints are undone and I've got major water damage to deal with. Switching to PEX.

4. Gnats. I *%$!#@& hate gnats. Do they serve a useful purpose on this Earth??!!??

On the less-annoyed-more-pleasant side, my desert adventures included coyotes, the best view of the Milky Way I've ever seen, the very cold Colorado River, Saguaro cacti, and nervously watching my boyfriend rescue Aussie women about to make a choice that would certainly lead to a 100+ ft fall to their deaths. Here are a few pictures :)

Build Day 1: Frame the subfloor

After a few design changes, we finally got started on the actual construction of the Wandering Turtle! The first hurdle - where to place the water tanks so that they would not be exposed below the axle but still distribute weight evenly. After playing with it, we straddled the axles with the tanks. All that was tricky to figure out since the tanks haven't even been delivered yet. (Should be here tomorrow!) Blake made the first cut and my heart soared. My dream is coming true!

Once we got the framing done, we opted for Tyvek house wrap instead of aluminum flashing. I know it may need repairs in a much shorter time frame than aluminum sheathing would. But...Blake made a good point. Tyvek will make it so much easier to access the plumbing in the subfloor should anything need repairing. Cutting out the aluminum or ... even worse ... tearing out the hardwood flooring to access the subfloor for repairs would be a nightmare. 

What a lovely day for a build! The next build event will be two days. Our goals: 1) install plumbing in the subfloor framing, 2) lay the plywood subfloor, and 3) frame out the walls. Yikes! That means I need to find the rest of my windows PRONTO!

The long, long trailer

The long-awaited phone call arrived! My custom trailer from B&G trailers in DeLand is finished!!

7ft wide, 18ft long ... dual dropped axles (10,500 GVWR) with custom fenders to minimize intrusion into square footage.

I'm so thankful for Austin's help in getting the trailer towed up to Hawthorne (Thanks for letting us borrow the truck Grandpa!). And such a beautiful place for a build! (Sorry, my camera died so no pictures yet...) Blake's workshop is nestled in rural Florida right against the beautiful Poore lake! He didn't tell me we would have such a spectacular backdrop...

I get butterflies thinking that Blake and I will start construction in two days!! Many more pictures to come. And now it is time to re-watch a classic:

Feelin' Rich

Well, I got my tax return AND I got paid. So, feeling rich, I made a few big purchases for the Turtle.

I will be using the Rainwater HOG tanks for potable water storage built into the floorboards.
http://rainwaterhog.com/

I ordered two tanks. I plan to hook up to well water at first and eventually move to rainwater catchment ... where these lovely tanks will be crucial. The sales rep was incredibly friendly with an Aussie accent that made me miss my sister! (Not that she has the accent - but she moved to Melbourne over a year ago!)

The second purchase was a mini-split heat/cool/dehumidify system. I was a bit reluctant to pass on the radiant heat floors. The idea of toasty warm toes. Just makes me smile to think of it. But I'd still need an AC for the dog days of Florida summer. So I decided to splurge on this beauty:
http://www.thermospace.com/ductless_split/ksil009-h119.php





Construction starts in UNDER THREE WEEKS!!!!

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14x14 Solar Cabin

I stumbled across a great site today with videos and information on solar and wind energy. The site also has wild food recipes, food storage, and natural remedies.

http://thehomesteadsurvival.com/build-14x14-solar-cabin/#.UVIlQxx1SSo 

Radiant Heat Floors

Living in Florida, heating isn't usually a huge issue. But I long for Asheville ... so I want to make sure I can stay warm (especially since I'm sooooo acclimated to Florida winters!!) I cannot sacrifice a hearth in my home so I will be using the amazing miniature cast iron wood stove my Mom found for me. I have no idea where she found it but she has a real knack for finding awesomeness at flea markets and yard sales! ($5 bread maker? Yes, please!) But the wood stove will require tending & tinder and carries the risk of fire. With just 150 sq. ft., one mistake and I'm cooked! So, I've settled on radiant heat flooring as my primary heat source. Here's the run-down of what I've learned:

There are two major types: Electric and Hydronic. I personally didn't give much consideration to hydronic systems. The system is thicker, taking up vital space in my house AND I can just envision the nightmare scenario where one of the pipes burst and there's moldy, soggy devastation everywhere. No thank you. (Apparently leaking isn't much of an issue these days because of PEX ... I still don't want to risk it.)

The electric systems are supposedly easy to install. I'll let you know if that's true in a few weeks. But for now, we'll assume it is a snap.

Pros:

• super duper energy efficient
• doesn't make a peep during operation
• kind to your nose: avoids blowing allergens around & doesn't dry out the air
• heat rises! and warm toes
• less drafty

Cons:

• a breakdown in the system likely requires extensive work to access it (i.e. ripping up the floors)
• electric heat is not the cheapest method (I'm curious how a solar set-up would handle the draw of an electric system ... if using the Hydronic system, solar heating is quite efficient)
• more expensive than traditional forced hot air (electric system is ~$6 per sq. ft for materials but very inexpensive labor/install costs)
• not all flooring is compatible with radiant heat (wood expands and contracts with humidity)
  Post coming soon: flooring choices when using electric radiant heat

As a chemist, I got a kick out of this description I came across...

Wood - a hygroscopic and anisotropic material

Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a block of wood from an elm tree. At top is a transverse section and at bottom is a longitudinal section. Xylem vessels (larger tubes) transport water and mineral nutrients from the roots throughout the plant. Its thick lignin walls also provide structural support for the stem. Due to woods cell structure a change in moisture content results in a change in dimension. 

Image credit: Andrew Syred/Science Photo Library