We’ve Moved to Our Newell

We took four days off from working on the Newell to go skiing in Flagstaff.  Marcus and Cali will write a post about that coming up in a week or two.  Now that we are back we have officially moved.  We are still arranging things and I am sure we will be quite a long time.  I wanted to share some pictures of our new home with all of our belongings in it.

There sure is a difference in the amount of storage space.  We are working on cleaning and organizing the storage bays underneath.  Our kayaks do fit so we are happy about that.  Many more hours will be spent on making it better, but we are excited to start this new chapter of this amazing life God has blessed us with.  We have our 5th wheel listed on Craig’s List as well as some other online sites.  We are praying a new family will come along that is looking for a 5th wheel.  We know things will happen on God’s schedule not ours.  If you know anyone who is looking, please pass along our listing.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/rvs/6018233293.html

The Newell Week 6

Well the Newell is looking more like a home and less like a construction site.  With the floors completed, we made a trip to IKEA to look at some ideas for Cali and Marcus’ bunks.  When we lived in our sticks and bricks we bought a twin bed from IKEA and Marc made a matching one.  He knew he could make the bunks, but with few tools, I thought we should just buy them and he could modify them to fit.  After a couple hours at IKEA we left with a set of bunks.  They were 6 inches too wide, 1 3/4 inches to long and 10 inches too tall.  So….every board needed to be cut.

 

Marc worked on the shower/bath tub.  He cut new plywood to put into the void where the rotted wood was removed.  We then shopped for waterproof wall covering and molding to install in the shower.  He  had to replace the drain pipe.  He and Marcus went to Lowes or Home Depot four days in a row.  We got a little silly after so many trips.  But the shower looks great and is waterproof.  Cali is all set to take a bath which she completely deserves.  She has spent hours this week sorting everything in our house.  She and Marcus helped move load after load of clothes, books and kitchen items.  We had a car load of donations which we took to a local orphanage that has a thrift store.

We  had a busy week at the park.  We did a very difficult hike with our friends from the park.  Marcus and Cali helped with a homeschool program and we all helped with the final progressive hike.

We also wanted to let our friends and family know we had to say goodbye to our sweet dog Cloe.  She was 17 1/2 years old and had been to 48 states.  We really miss her, but know she lived an amazing life.

The Newell- Weeks 4 and 5

The last two weeks have flown by for us.  We have been busy volunteering and hiking….and working on the Newell.  Marc finished cutting out all of the rotted floor which seemed to take forever.  Marcus and Cali helped treat the metal floor underneath with rustoleum paint.

Then Marc put down plywood sub floor where he had removed the rotted floor.  Finally it was time to start installing the cork flooring we had chosen. There was a lot of cutting because it is such a small space.  He worked after dark for more than a few nights.

Things really looked worse before they got better.  Marc has worked on the floor for parts of the last eight days.  He took out the toilet and in the bathroom cupboard we found a rebuild kit that was probably 10 years old, but it had everything he needed to fix it.  We took a trip to a RV salvage yard.  There were motors, burned RVs and not much salvageable from the last 20 years.  We were looking for new captains chairs, but it was a bust (and very dirty.)

We also had some fun these past two weeks.  We saw our friend Jonah kill it as Sebastian in the Little Mermaid.  We had a great hike with our friend Pat. And we all were treated to an amazing flight over the Superstition Mountain courtesy of a fellow camper who is also a pilot.

And….the floor is finally done.  Yes it is Saturday night and I have to be up at 5AM to be at work, but I wanted to share with you the finished product.  All of Marc’s hard work has paid off.  We are far from done, but God is good and it looks like we are making some progress (after only seven trips to the home store in the last two weeks.)  Thanks for following our journey to a new home.

The Newell -Week 3

Well the progress on the Newell is moving along….slowly.  We would love to say we have it all ready to move in, but we don’t.  We seem to have three main leaks.  The first is in the room which houses the shower.

After years of leaking the wall has some pretty severe damage.  Marc and Marcus took the window out and sealed it.  I ripped off the fux marble. Marc then took out the tub and cut out all of the rotted wood.  There is still a small leak, but we are gaining on it.

In the toilet/sink room Marc completely removed the vanity and the flooring.  Marc thinks it may be the body molding. We took out the bed and moved all of the stuff to front of the bus so we could continue working in the back bedroom.  All of the damaged floor is now removed.

On a positive note this week we reinstalled the rail for the awning.  The kids took off the old fabric from the dinette which we are planning to use for the base of their bunks.  There was a beautiful double rainbow over our site one day this week.

When we weren’t busy working on the Newell we attended a birding program here at the park and got up close and personal with Elvis the snake.

Cali worked on some sewing and made a new jacket and Marcus found us a great new burger joint.  We were so glad to see our friends Mel and Tim from Pennsylvania too.

Renovating the Newell- Week 1 and 2

Well week one and two of working on the Newell is in the books.  Let me tell you it is not all sunshine and roses.  In fact it is pretty much the opposite.  More than once Marc has said, “I don’t think we knew what we were in for.”  But God is good and we will give it our best.

We started ripping up the carpeting in the bedroom.  We knew there was damage to the floors under the carpet.

We, well Marc, could replace the rotted wood, but we needed to find the cause and stop it.  First we thought it was this furnace vent that was leaking but after Marc resealed it with butyl tape water was still coming in.  The next culprit was the large awning.  After some inspection we found some holes near the awning support in the back.

Under the avocado carpet we found more rot in the front of the bus.  We suspected the passenger window with the blue tape on it.  Marc and Marcus took the window out.  They cleaned it and put it back in with butyl tape and new screws.

Again that wasn’t really the problem.  I’m glad we have a nice water tight window. ( We are planning to reseal all the windows in time) But that wasn’t where the leak was coming from.  Again it was the awning support.  This time the front one. So we need to get the awning off so Marc can fix the problem.  Easy right?  Well the awning, roller and supports are very heavy.  We first unbolted on of the supports and untwisted it 20 times to release the tension.  Then we used ladders and hoisted the awning and the roller up on the roof so Marc could remove all the supports.  Next we lowered it back down on to the ladders and had the kids help us remove the roller, which is the heavy component.  After that Marc unscrewed the 45 screw holding the awning to the Newell.  We thought it would come right down.  Well no such luck.  Some of the seal showed wear and was week, but some of the seal was stuck on tight.  We used a putting knife and took turns releasing it.  Finally after two afternoons of work it was down.

Finally we removed the driver seat and the dinette.  The kids took out bolts, staples and screws.  Marc removed the rotted floor in the front.  We have made many trips to Home Depot and Lowes.  We aren’t rushing.  We still know we need family time and need to volunteer here in the park.  So things will be chugging along at a snail’s pace.  We did order cork flooring.  Thanks for checking in on our progress. Can’t wait to see what the next week brings.

A Tour of Our 1983 Newell

After we exchanged money and title with the owner of the Newell at the bank, we spent some time checking it over.  Marcus and Cali love the door bell and the intercom.  There is a “phone”  next to the drivers seat, in the bathroom and next to the bed.  The kids loved calling each other.

The coach and the two swivel chairs are in very good condition, as are most of the curtains.  The table between the chairs extends over to the coach when the leaf is inserted.  We will probably get a couple more chairs to use when we eat and play games.

There is quite a bit of storage in the kitchen.  The convection/microwave oven works as does the electric cook top.  It also has a built in ice maker.  Not sure if we will keep that.  It is pretty neat, but takes up a lot of space.  The is a door that closes over the stairs so there is more floor space.  The is also storage under the stairs.  I am sure we will use it for shoes.  The booth dinette we will be turning into bunks for Cali and Marcus.  Right now they have bunks with the mattresses from their stick and brick beds.  The bunks made where the dinette is will be about that same size.

Half of the bathroom is on each side of the hall way.  On one side there is a tub.  It is about eight inches deep.  Cali is excited to have a tub. It is in pretty good shape so we are planning to just seal it and keep it for know.  On the other side of the hall is a room with the sink and the toilet.  The doors of these two rooms can be locked opened making a full bathroom with privacy.

In the back of the bus is a very large closet.  Large enough for a washer/dryer.  We aren’t sure if we will be putting one in, but it’s nice to have the option to.  There is a queen size bed and a small make up mirror.  There is hanging storage on each side of the bed.  The televisions are very old.  I am sure we will be upgrading them.  In the next blog we will share with you what we found when we ripped out all the carpeting.

Happy New Year

This year we enjoyed spending time with family, having fun with old friends and meeting new ones.  There have been many people who have inspired us to grow…… as a family, as Christians, and as contributing members of this crazy human race.  After five years of learning to trust that God will lead us where we should go, even if it’s not always where we had planned, we know uncertainty is certain.

We have been discussing moving from land travel to an adventure on the water.  This is definitely still something we hope to do in the next year, but in the meantime we have a new project.

We are spending our winter in one of our favorite places, Arizona.  The weather and the people here make this place truly special to us.  Volunteering here is an amazing experience for all of us.

We have been talking about doing a house flip with our kids so they could learn about construction and how things may be more challenging than expected.  We have also been discussing getting a different camper so we could all ride together while we search for the perfect boat.  If you want to know how these desires came together, keep reading.

Marc and I have been taking an afternoon a week to look at class A RV’s.  We didn’t want to spend a lot, because we do plan on buying a boat in the next year, but we did want something we could all feel comfortable in.  We were looking at stuff that was pretty old and dated but felt we could make it work.

Well about two weeks ago Marc’s brother sent us a listing for a 1983 Newell bus.  As soon as Cali and I saw it we knew we should at least go look at it.  Marc called and set up an appointment for 10 am the next day.  Marcus and Cali were volunteering at a program, so it was just Marc and I.  I was praying I would know if this was the right choice for us.  As we drove the 45 miles across the valley it was raining. It’s hard to see in this picture, but a rainbow appeared.

It stopped raining by the time we arrived at the storage lot where the Newell was stored.  We met with the seller and Marc did a pretty thorough exam of the bus.  Was it in great condition?  Could we make it work for us?  Well…..it was in good condition for a 33-year-old RV.  But Marc did find some water damage.  The generator didn’t currently work.  We didn’t think the refrigerator worked. The carpet would have to go. The tires probably need to be replaced. We really do love our current camper and truck.  What should we do?

While Marc was doing his examination.  I looked around in all the compartments.  There we lots of old maps, but no real info about the Newell.  I opened the compartment on the dash,  there was a single receipt in it along with some random screws and sunglasses.  I picked up the small slip of paper and read the words…Usery Mountain Regional Park.  My heart started to beat faster.  What … a receipt from ten years ago, from a park 45 miles away, from a park we have returned to for the 5th year in a row, the park we love.  I summon Marc to come take a look.  He smiled and asked what I thought?  I loved the retro feel.  This bus was our style.

The seller was eager to know what we thought.  He had purchased the Newell from the original owner, but I don’t think he ever used it.  Marc showed him his major concern which was the water damage.  Marc offered $5500 less than where it was listed.  The seller came back with a counter offer. Marc and I had decided on the way there what we really wanted to pay, so he threw out that number. The seller accepted.  We gave him $500 and they filled out a bill of sale Marc had printed out that morning.  As we drove back to the park neither of us were sure if we had just thrown away $500 or if the guy would meet us in a few days to sign over the title.

Well he did meet us and we are excited to give you a tour in the new year.  Happy 2017!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

We want to wish our friends and family near and far a very Merry Christmas.  We can’t wait to share our adventures in the new year with you!

With Love,

Marc, Connie, Cali and Marcus

Tonto National Monument

Cali and Marcus both wrote about our recent visit to Tonto National Monument.  We are so proud of them for completing their goal of 100 Junior Ranger Program.  It has taken us 5 year to visit all of these amazing National Parks.

When we were driving out to the Visitor Center, I was thinking, “Oh great, another National Park. I bet it will be just like the other ones that we have gone to in this area”. But once we arrived, I found it very different. It wasn’t because it was in the middle of nowhere (lots of them are), but because of the mysterious air about the place.

There was hardly anyone around, just a couple friendly rangers. We had signed up for a tour online and had arrived an hour early. The rangers suggest we hike up to the lower cliff dwellings before we hike with our guide to the upper cliff dwellings. So we did. But before we reached the top, let me tell you about the architecture.
Nobody knows why the Salado ( the Native American people who lived in the dwellings) built their houses in the cliffs. Maybe it was to protect them from wild animals. Maybe it was a sign of wealth. In any case, the Salado people weren’t great builders or architects. But they couldn’t have been terrible, because we can still see there buildings today.
The buildings were crowded into a cave on the side of a cliff, as the name suggests (cliff dwelling). The Salado people built from the back of the cave forward. If a large rock got in the way, they would just build around it. You can see rock sticking through the walls of the houses. The houses were 2 floors tall.

   We reached the top (the climb was only about 1/2 a mile) and it was easy to imagine a normal day for the Salado. Women grinding corn on the roofs of the houses, watching the young children play. The older boys hunting rabbits or helping there fathers grow corn down in the valley. The older girls collecting water from the spring nearby. Older men and women relaxing in the sun. In there mid-to late forties, they would only have a few more years to see there grandchildren.

  It was very peaceful at the top, no humans. We didn’t spend much time up there, because we had to get back down for our guided hike. We met our guide and started up, along with a few other people. We stopped many times, and if I told you, in detail, about each stop you’d be reading for hours.
We learned many new and interesting things on the way up. It was an absolutely stunning view at the top. We wandered through the rooms, our guide explaining that each family only had a one room house. I know our camper is not large, but the rooms were absolutely cramped once you put the 4 of us in it.

   Our guide said that we could head down at any time, so after exploring as much as we wanted, we headed down. It only took us about 20 minutes.  We went into the Visitor Center, turned in our 100th Junior Ranger, took picture and headed home.

  I was very proud that we completed 100 Junior Rangers, but in all honesty I am glad we are done.

Cali

On the east side on the Superstition Mountains is the dammed up Salt river forming Roosevelt Lake. In the 13^th and 14^th centuries Salado people lived in  cliff dwellings and farm houses in the valley and on the pueblo in Tonto National Monument. When we arrived at Tonto we got our 100^th Junior Ranger Booklet. The Ranger at the desk suggested that we go to the lower cliff dwellings. It was about a half mile up to the 8 room cliff dwelling. There was already a ranger at the castle like structure. After the ranger showed us around we hiked back down to the visitor center and finished our Junior Ranger programs. Afterwards we hiked with the ranger up to the upper cliff dwellings. This 40 room structure was marvelous. Salado people were not architects, so their houses  weren’t as amazing as the ones in other places but they were still pretty cool. I’m glad I got to 100 Junior Rangers but I,’m also glad I’m done.

M. W. Perry

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

We were driving along a awful, bumpy road in the middle of no where Texas when I see large, dark mountains in the distance. I figure it’s our next destination, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The mountains are covered in fog and rain, so they don’t look very inviting. At least we won’t be staying long, only a night or two.

  We get in the RV sites. There’s no hook-ups, only a parking lot. We get all settled in and it still doesn’t look very promising to me. Then we walked up to the Visitor Center to look into what hikes we wanted to do and get the Junior Ranger Book. We found the hike we wanted to do: McKittrick Canyon. The Ranger at the visitor center said that we would be able to see some pretty Fall leaves on the hike.

  What? Fall leaves in the Texas desert? I had always thought that Texas was a waste land full of yucca and tumbleweed. But once we started hiking we saw little pockets of color in the side of the mountains. And when we got further into the mountains the more color we saw.When we reached the end of the trail it looked like we were back in Pennsylvania!

  We went on another hike at Saturday  morning, before we left to to to New Mexico, and saw even more color. This unheard of National Park was quite amazing. I am surprised more people don’t come to enjoy the Fall season.

-Cali

Note: this was our 99th Junior Ranger program.

Guadalupe National Park contains the tallest peaks in Texas. The first day we were there we hiked up though McKittirck canyon to a Pratt Cabin It was a stone cottage with a stone roof. The next day we went to Carlsbad Caverns. On the last day, before we left, we hiked to Devil’s Hall which was probably one of the best hikes I’ve ever done. It was a beautiful hike though a wash.

Marcus W.Perry