Huston Vineyard in Caldwell Idaho

We arrived in Caldwell, Idaho at our second Harvest Host destination - the Huston Vineyard. Another beautiful setting with welcoming hosts Gregg and Mary Alger. The vineyard is among several in the Snake River Valley and this boutique vineyard has produced top award wining wines.

First Night in the Arctic Fox Travel Trailer

Rowley's Red Barn -Santequin, UT

After a 2 AM departure from Temecula we drove till dawn and arrived in Primm, NV for a short break.  We then pressed on to Santequin Utah.  We stayed the night at a Harvest Host destination there called Rowley's Red Barn. This is a perfect road trip stop. In addition to being surrounded by the Rowley cherry and apple orchards they specialize in ice cream and other fresh fruits and snacks. We caught some much needed sleep and then headed off to Idaho.  More photos of Rowley's after the break.

Media Center Update - World's Cutest A/V System

Raspberry Pi Media Server on Top of Miniature Stereo Amp 

The media center described previously is up and running on 12V and 5V power. We can now be off the cord dry camping on BLM land, or in the corner of a Walmart parking lot, and enjoy a movie.

The media cabinet was wired with 12V co-ax plugs that now power the LED TV and the little audio power amp shown in the photo under the Raspberry Pi media server. Similar to the communication cabinet all the 12V and USB power outlets are wired into a master switch to make sure we don't leave something on by mistake. Turn off one switch and all devices are off.

The stereo power amp drives a pair of small, inexpensive but surprisingly good sounding book shelf speakers that sit on the 'kitchen' counter. They are a significant improvement over the speakers used with the entertainment system that came installed in the trailer.

Yes, that is a dime leaning against the amp to give a sense of the size of the components.

Sure It's New - Show Me the Squeeze Out

Axle Hub with Grease Fitting

We are sure the manufacturer packed the axle bearings with grease, but before launching off on a very long maiden trip we felt better seeing for ourselves that the axles were fully greased.  The trailer axles come equipped with 'Ultrulube' grease fittings that supposedly allow grease to be injected without the need to lift and remove the wheel. But to actually see the grease squeeze out you really have to remove the wheel and dust cap.  It took nearly a full 14 oz grease tube to get squeeze out on all four hubs.  But now we know the axles are well lubricated for the trip ahead.

Trip Planning with Harvest Hosts

From the Harvest Hosts Gallery

Traveling with our Arctic Fox trailer will be an entirely new experience for us.  Up to this point a road trip has meant driving our car or truck as far as possible each day and staying in hotels/motels along the way (as few as possible).  But our upcoming trip with a travel trailer will be different. Overnight stays at a Flying J truck stop or Walmart will be fine when we are pushing through to a destination, but we are wanting to stop and smell the ranunculus a bit in our travels to and from an RVICS project. Experience will tell, but we think we have found the perfect way to experience the journey to and from our RVICS assignments. Read on for the scoop.

The Family Homestead

Homestead Quarter Section Near Kinsella, AB

Taking a break from trip preparations to contemplate travel plans - While in Alberta we hope to visit what was the family homestead near Kinsella, a small village located at a crossroad in Alberta. In 1910 Grandpa Henry Candy and his brothers Richard and Thomas immigrated to Canada from Cornwall, England. Each obtained a quarter section near Kinsella.  Ken's mother Eileen was born on the homestead in 1916. The family eventually migrated to Los Angeles when Eileen was six years old.

Thanks to the kind assistance of Heather Northcott, Reference Archivist of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, we were able to locate the specific quarter section of the Henry Candy homestead and access archive records using the Alberta Genealogical Society's homestead database and Library and Archives Canada's Western Land Grants Database.

Recent Satellite Image of the Henry Candy Homestead Property 

Read on to learn more details.

Whole Trailer Water Filtration and Pressure Regulation

Once the trailer electrical system was protected from electrical vaults it was time to consider how to assure the quality of the trailer water supply. When it comes to filtration there are basically two approaches: 1) filter all water coming into the trailer; or 2) filter water at specific points of use.  We have chosen, of course, to do both. This post describes the external two-stage filter system that will filter all water coming into the trailer from the water hook up.

We have purchased an additional in-line filter system to install under the kitchen sink. This will further filter water used for cooking, and most importantly brewing coffee.  This may be a project taken on while we are in Canada since we are running out of days before we depart.

Another important consideration is controlling the water pressure that the trailer plumbing system is subjected to.  Even residential plumbing can be damaged by too much water pressure.  RV systems are not that rugged so pressure levels need to be limited to around 60 psi or even less.  Read on to see more details about the regulator and two-stage filter.