When looking back at my posts, I thought I would pass on some of my knowledge on what I know about the electric system on your RV. But first a bit about me.
I am not a certified RV technician, but I am a Ceritfied Master Automotive Technician. I was in the field turning wrenches, for many years and then decided to go into teaching automotive for over 19 years. OK with that being said lets get started.
The Basics. We'll start with the 12 volts system first. The heart of the 12 volt system is your battery(ies) on your unit. Voltage is devided into two catagories. One Alternating Currect and the other is Direct Current, often called in the field ac or dc volts. We will be dicussing the dc voltage.
DC voltage is commonly refered to and associated with batteries, from the ever so popular AA's to the one in your RV. At this time you might be thinking that you need to get a voltmeter that measures both ac and dc, good thought. Measuring the voltage across the terminals on the battery is simple and should read about 12.5 volts. OK sounds easy enough but when I check mine is reads around 13.8 volts. Uh Oh, do I have a 13 volt battery instead of a 12 volt one? No what you are measuring is the charging volts going into the battery.
When you are plugged into shore power you have what they call in the industry a "converter". This is a fancy word for a "battery charger". Sometimes when your vehicle is connected to the RV, your vehicle's charging system may charge the battery when driving. So just like in the auto repair shop the charger is plugged into the outlet and "converts" ac into dc volts to keep the battery up.
So what is being used by the battery in my RV? Well your fridge may run off of the battery and propane (that's a different story). Let's see....Some of your lights, the furnace and the water pump for running water from your tank. Now lets take a ride and park the RV where there is no shore power, the RV is on its own.
What can I use: Well the fridge is still cold, I have some lights, I can take a shower, and have hot water. The hot water tank (on most units) ignites the propane by way of the battery.
What won't work is the tv's, microwave, coffee pot, hair dryer, basically anything that plugs into an outlet won't work and this includes the air conditioning unit. All of these items require ac voltage.
To maintain your battery is very simple. About once every two weeks go to the battery compartment and check the water level. Fill accordingly, and make sure the connections are tight. Oh I forgot, the battery also operates your sides and leveling legs on a 5th wheel. You may have heard that you should only use distilled water in your battery. This is true but tap water will work just fine.
Now lets talk about when something doesn't work. We'll say some interior lights. The system is protected with fuses just like on your car or truck. Somewhere in your unit you will find a fuse box and it should be marked which fuse controls what circuit. Find the fuse that controls your lights and check to see if has blown, if it has replace it with the same one and not a lesser or more rating than the one that has blown. If you are not sure check your owners manual. OK the lights are back on but one has to think, what caused the fuse to blow in the first place? If you put the new fuse in and it blew right away then you have what we call a "short to ground". This is something that a qualified service technician needs to look for.
I hope that I have gave you some information that will help in understanding your 12 volt system. A few maintance items once every two weeks and you are on your way in taking care of your battery.
Until next time................Be safe.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Pictures Maybe????
 |
| Here is our unit at the gate. |
OK not exactly where I wanted to put the pic but at least it's here. OK lets try another one.
This is our generator, fuel for the generator and NON-potable water tank. The water tank holds 550 gallon and the fuel tank holds 200 gallons. OK now for the smelly trailer.
Here is our mini septic system trailer. It's a septic tank system above ground and works great. I dump into a smaller tank by my discharge and the pump takes over and I don't have anything to worry about. A sewer type system or a regular honey wagon once a week was necessary for us to be gate guards.
OK now it's time to post this puppy and see if it takes.
Until next time..........Be safe.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Repairs Made Easy........We Hope
I have been looking back at my posts and realized that I have made a lot of repairs since we have been here. One would think that our RV is falling apart around us. The latest repair that I have to make is the door lock mechanism. Our door is hard to close and latch so in doing so the handle on the inside has cracked. I have ordered the new part and will be installing it soon.
Trying to make repairs when you are in the boon docks can be difficult at times. The biggest problem is getting the necessary parts. There is no RV store close by so I have to order everything and get it shipped to the nearest town. This door problem is an easy fix and should be taken care in a jiffy.
The repairs that I have done on our RV are sometimes small in detail and large, like replacing the air conditioning unit. Most of the repairs can be accomplished with a little know how and common sense. If you have ever made any repairs to your sticks and bricks home, then you should be able to make repairs on your RV.
The basics still apply. The one thing you may need to study up on may be the 12 volt system that your RV has which is just like on your vehicle. When you are not hooked up to shore power, you are able to still have lights, water pump, fridge and your furnace. These items run off your battery, just think of what you were able to use if you have ever boon docked.
My first RV repair that I tackled was on our first bumper pull trailer. The fridge didn't work at all. I have never worked on anything like this before so I started to do some research on it. I found out that this model operates on ac power and battery. When I opened the outside panel I noticed a circuit board and an electric outlet with a cord plugged into it. OK that must be the ac part of the fridge. On the circuit board there were two fuses, one marked 12v and one marked ac. Both fuses were good. OK now lets apply some common sense here. When I was studying this board there were some other connections to it and more connectors. This board must be the heart of the fridge.
I started by checking the voltage on the outlet. Since it looked like any other household outlet I assumed that the voltage should be 110 volts ac, and it was. Then I checked the connector that said 12volts, meaning 12 volts dc, battery voltage and it had 12 volts. OK now, proper power going to it but the fridge doesn't work. The only conclusion that I came up with is that the circuit board was bad. I didn't know that for sure but I was about 85% sure of it. That still left 15% that it may still not work. When you order any electronic parts, like a circuit board, you cannot return it. The board that I ordered cost about $120. Now that 15% is really starting to bother me. The board came in and I installed it and it worked great.
In summarizing, you can repair items on your RV using some simple tools, applying logic and common sense. You should get a digital volt/ohm multi-meter or at least a volt meter, which can be purchased at most auto stores. Small parts such as 12 volt fuses can be purchased at the auto store but larger items or specialty items need to be purchased at your local RV store. What I mean is just because you have an RV that doesn't mean that you have to get everything at the RV store. Try thinking out of the box. Remember, someone installed it which means you can fix it. Don't be afraid to try, it can be done. You just need more information on the subject. Good luck and I would be happy to help if I can.
Until next time................be safe.
Trying to make repairs when you are in the boon docks can be difficult at times. The biggest problem is getting the necessary parts. There is no RV store close by so I have to order everything and get it shipped to the nearest town. This door problem is an easy fix and should be taken care in a jiffy.
The repairs that I have done on our RV are sometimes small in detail and large, like replacing the air conditioning unit. Most of the repairs can be accomplished with a little know how and common sense. If you have ever made any repairs to your sticks and bricks home, then you should be able to make repairs on your RV.
The basics still apply. The one thing you may need to study up on may be the 12 volt system that your RV has which is just like on your vehicle. When you are not hooked up to shore power, you are able to still have lights, water pump, fridge and your furnace. These items run off your battery, just think of what you were able to use if you have ever boon docked.
My first RV repair that I tackled was on our first bumper pull trailer. The fridge didn't work at all. I have never worked on anything like this before so I started to do some research on it. I found out that this model operates on ac power and battery. When I opened the outside panel I noticed a circuit board and an electric outlet with a cord plugged into it. OK that must be the ac part of the fridge. On the circuit board there were two fuses, one marked 12v and one marked ac. Both fuses were good. OK now lets apply some common sense here. When I was studying this board there were some other connections to it and more connectors. This board must be the heart of the fridge.
I started by checking the voltage on the outlet. Since it looked like any other household outlet I assumed that the voltage should be 110 volts ac, and it was. Then I checked the connector that said 12volts, meaning 12 volts dc, battery voltage and it had 12 volts. OK now, proper power going to it but the fridge doesn't work. The only conclusion that I came up with is that the circuit board was bad. I didn't know that for sure but I was about 85% sure of it. That still left 15% that it may still not work. When you order any electronic parts, like a circuit board, you cannot return it. The board that I ordered cost about $120. Now that 15% is really starting to bother me. The board came in and I installed it and it worked great.
In summarizing, you can repair items on your RV using some simple tools, applying logic and common sense. You should get a digital volt/ohm multi-meter or at least a volt meter, which can be purchased at most auto stores. Small parts such as 12 volt fuses can be purchased at the auto store but larger items or specialty items need to be purchased at your local RV store. What I mean is just because you have an RV that doesn't mean that you have to get everything at the RV store. Try thinking out of the box. Remember, someone installed it which means you can fix it. Don't be afraid to try, it can be done. You just need more information on the subject. Good luck and I would be happy to help if I can.
Until next time................be safe.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Disadvantages of Gate Guarding
The day is starting out to be a gorgeous day with the highs only to be in the middle 70's. Cool mornings and evenings and nice in the afternoon. As promised here are the disadvantages of gate guarding as we see it.
1. The Dirt and Dust: The dirt road that leads back to the wells is made out of what they call "calachie" ( I think that's how you spell it.). When dry this stuff produces a fine powder that will inundate your RV. It will be everywhere even if the windows are closed.
2. Rain: I don't mind when it rains but out here it becomes a mud soup. It does keep the dust down but now you have it in your RV. We cannot pull out our awning because it would be out too far and the trucks would hit it plus the wind would rip it off as well.
3. No Cell or Internet Service: I guess you might say that we are fortunate enough to get some kind of service here. You may find yourself in an area that is so remote that you won't get a single bar and that is with some kind of booster.
4. No Town in Sight: We are only 16 miles from the nearest town and 50 miles from Laredo. There are some gates that can put you right next door to a busy town or some where you may have to travel several miles to get anything and the prices are expensive.
5. Drinking Water: You have to provide your own drinking water. The water that is supplied for you is for bathing and such but not consuming it. When we started thinking about this job we started to buy gallon bottles and had a nice stock pile. You usually can find a water dispensing machine and get water there. One dollar for five gallons is not bad but just one more hassle.
6. Prepare to be Bored: If you are a busy type of person then you better find something to do. The gate always have to be manned and the days and nights can get pretty long. Find yourself a hobby or something to do because if you don't be prepared to be bored.
7. Up and Down, Up and Down: I have to go to the bathroom, sounds normal enough until when you get started and you hear the bell go Ding Ding. Or its time for dinner, I have been looking forward to this meal all day. Ding Ding, Damn, a bunch of trucks just came in and now when you are finished the dinner is cold. Enough said.
8. RV Needs Repairs: Where we are at the nearest RV store I think is in San Antonio. You would think that there would be something in Laredo, nope, nothing that I can find. If you are not handy with tools or comfortable doing major or minor repairs on your RV you are out of luck. Or should I say good luck getting a repair guy out where ever you are.
9. No Training: I have talked to some other gate guard people and found out that they had about as much training as we did. It consisted of telling us how to fill out the log sheet and that was it. No more than just that. You are left in a state of confusion and not sure who to let in and what your limits are. Our supervisor never has checked in with us to see how we are doing. I guess this is normal.
10. The Wildlife: I know that I put this one as an advantage but recently we have had reports of rattlesnakes all around. A worker showed me one that he killed. It had to be at least 7 to 8 feet long and at least 3 inches in diameter. There are also wild hogs in this area as well so you better be careful and watch where you take your next step. Did I mention the coyotes?
Well looky there, the advantages and the disadvantages cancel each other out. I did that on purpose so you can make up your own mind on this type of job. We are all different types of people and always never see eye to eye on certain things. Everything that we do is determined by what fits us the most at that particular time in our life. Enjoy what ever you choose to do and always.............be safe.
Until next time......................
1. The Dirt and Dust: The dirt road that leads back to the wells is made out of what they call "calachie" ( I think that's how you spell it.). When dry this stuff produces a fine powder that will inundate your RV. It will be everywhere even if the windows are closed.
2. Rain: I don't mind when it rains but out here it becomes a mud soup. It does keep the dust down but now you have it in your RV. We cannot pull out our awning because it would be out too far and the trucks would hit it plus the wind would rip it off as well.
3. No Cell or Internet Service: I guess you might say that we are fortunate enough to get some kind of service here. You may find yourself in an area that is so remote that you won't get a single bar and that is with some kind of booster.
4. No Town in Sight: We are only 16 miles from the nearest town and 50 miles from Laredo. There are some gates that can put you right next door to a busy town or some where you may have to travel several miles to get anything and the prices are expensive.
5. Drinking Water: You have to provide your own drinking water. The water that is supplied for you is for bathing and such but not consuming it. When we started thinking about this job we started to buy gallon bottles and had a nice stock pile. You usually can find a water dispensing machine and get water there. One dollar for five gallons is not bad but just one more hassle.
6. Prepare to be Bored: If you are a busy type of person then you better find something to do. The gate always have to be manned and the days and nights can get pretty long. Find yourself a hobby or something to do because if you don't be prepared to be bored.
7. Up and Down, Up and Down: I have to go to the bathroom, sounds normal enough until when you get started and you hear the bell go Ding Ding. Or its time for dinner, I have been looking forward to this meal all day. Ding Ding, Damn, a bunch of trucks just came in and now when you are finished the dinner is cold. Enough said.
8. RV Needs Repairs: Where we are at the nearest RV store I think is in San Antonio. You would think that there would be something in Laredo, nope, nothing that I can find. If you are not handy with tools or comfortable doing major or minor repairs on your RV you are out of luck. Or should I say good luck getting a repair guy out where ever you are.
9. No Training: I have talked to some other gate guard people and found out that they had about as much training as we did. It consisted of telling us how to fill out the log sheet and that was it. No more than just that. You are left in a state of confusion and not sure who to let in and what your limits are. Our supervisor never has checked in with us to see how we are doing. I guess this is normal.
10. The Wildlife: I know that I put this one as an advantage but recently we have had reports of rattlesnakes all around. A worker showed me one that he killed. It had to be at least 7 to 8 feet long and at least 3 inches in diameter. There are also wild hogs in this area as well so you better be careful and watch where you take your next step. Did I mention the coyotes?
Well looky there, the advantages and the disadvantages cancel each other out. I did that on purpose so you can make up your own mind on this type of job. We are all different types of people and always never see eye to eye on certain things. Everything that we do is determined by what fits us the most at that particular time in our life. Enjoy what ever you choose to do and always.............be safe.
Until next time......................
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Toilet Sealed and No More Leaks......I Hope!!
"Here I sit, all broken hearted, came to s.......Oops I better not continue. A little toilet humor.
I received the new toilet flange and gasket a few days ago and opened the box and guess what......The wrong parts!!! I was determined to make this flange work. The gasket was for a different manufacturer all together. I can't even try to make that thing work. I went across the street to the Ace Hardware store and started to explain my dilemma to the sales guy. After we were talking the same language we were able to get the parts I needed.
While we were discussing my situation, I noticed a similar flange on the shelf. I picked it up and sized it to the one I had and it matched up perfectly. Damn, who knew that the one in the trailer is a standard flange that you would use in a regular house. Keep that little tid bit in the back of your head if you have to do this job yourself.
The one thing that I didn't want to do was to glue pipe but life goes on. When I got home it was drizzling and I decided to wait until tomorrow to start the job. Tomorrow is here so it's time to get going. OK everybody go potty!!! I turned off the water and proceeded to remove the toilet. After that I had to go outside and in the belly I had to cut the pipe and then removed the flange. If you remember I told you that this toilet had three different flanges and the one I have is the threaded type. I couldn't tell because it was covered up by the floor.
Now it was time to size everything up and dry fit it together. I cut my new piece to fit and then put the flange on. Crap!! The flange doesn't fit flush on the floor. I have to cut the floor to make it fit right. No problem and it fits great, minor adjustment. I squared up the flange so the toilet would be straight and screwed it to the floor. Now outside I dry fitted the elbow and marked it and did the same for the cut pipe. OK now it is time to glue it all up. That wasn't too bad and everything is going to plan. I gave it some time to let it all set and took a break.
Sherry cleaned the outside of the toilet and after that I went inside to tear up the carpet. We are going to put laminate wood flooring in there so the carpet had to go. It was nasty underneath. Before going on I cleaned the floor with bleach water and paper towels. I mounted the toilet and bolted it down, hooked up the water line and it was time to test it. Once the toilet was in place I stepped back and looked, it was turned to the right a bit. I guess I didn't square up the flange as good as I thought. Oh well can't do anything about that now. The water is on and it's time to flush the toilet. Yippee!!!!! No more water leaks. I put a towel down for now to soak up any water on the floor but it is drying up nicely.
It has been a couple of days now and the floor is all dryed up and no more towels soaking up water. I am waiting for the flooring to come in from Home Depot next week and then will tackle putting it down.
A little side note: I would be taking pictures and posting them but my internet connection is very weak and I am afraid it would take all day just to load one pic. I may try one pic in the future just to see how long it takes to load. Look for the disadvantages of gate guarding in the next few days.
Until next time............Be safe.
I received the new toilet flange and gasket a few days ago and opened the box and guess what......The wrong parts!!! I was determined to make this flange work. The gasket was for a different manufacturer all together. I can't even try to make that thing work. I went across the street to the Ace Hardware store and started to explain my dilemma to the sales guy. After we were talking the same language we were able to get the parts I needed.
While we were discussing my situation, I noticed a similar flange on the shelf. I picked it up and sized it to the one I had and it matched up perfectly. Damn, who knew that the one in the trailer is a standard flange that you would use in a regular house. Keep that little tid bit in the back of your head if you have to do this job yourself.
The one thing that I didn't want to do was to glue pipe but life goes on. When I got home it was drizzling and I decided to wait until tomorrow to start the job. Tomorrow is here so it's time to get going. OK everybody go potty!!! I turned off the water and proceeded to remove the toilet. After that I had to go outside and in the belly I had to cut the pipe and then removed the flange. If you remember I told you that this toilet had three different flanges and the one I have is the threaded type. I couldn't tell because it was covered up by the floor.
Now it was time to size everything up and dry fit it together. I cut my new piece to fit and then put the flange on. Crap!! The flange doesn't fit flush on the floor. I have to cut the floor to make it fit right. No problem and it fits great, minor adjustment. I squared up the flange so the toilet would be straight and screwed it to the floor. Now outside I dry fitted the elbow and marked it and did the same for the cut pipe. OK now it is time to glue it all up. That wasn't too bad and everything is going to plan. I gave it some time to let it all set and took a break.
Sherry cleaned the outside of the toilet and after that I went inside to tear up the carpet. We are going to put laminate wood flooring in there so the carpet had to go. It was nasty underneath. Before going on I cleaned the floor with bleach water and paper towels. I mounted the toilet and bolted it down, hooked up the water line and it was time to test it. Once the toilet was in place I stepped back and looked, it was turned to the right a bit. I guess I didn't square up the flange as good as I thought. Oh well can't do anything about that now. The water is on and it's time to flush the toilet. Yippee!!!!! No more water leaks. I put a towel down for now to soak up any water on the floor but it is drying up nicely.
It has been a couple of days now and the floor is all dryed up and no more towels soaking up water. I am waiting for the flooring to come in from Home Depot next week and then will tackle putting it down.
A little side note: I would be taking pictures and posting them but my internet connection is very weak and I am afraid it would take all day just to load one pic. I may try one pic in the future just to see how long it takes to load. Look for the disadvantages of gate guarding in the next few days.
Until next time............Be safe.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Advantages of Gate Guarding, Are There Any?
Today looks like it is going to be a nice, beautiful day. No clouds, rain or high winds, with the temp reaching up to the lower 70's. I guess you can't beat that.
Sherry and I were talking last night about what the advantages of gate guarding would be. Let me list what we think are some.
1. The Pay. The basic rate is $125 a day with the company we are with. Some companies that I have heard and read about start at $150 to $175 a day. If you are fortunate enough to get a gate that is concidered a main one like us then you would get paid more.
2. South Texas Weather. We don't like snow or ice so going south was ideal to us. In the winter months this is the place to be. It does have its days where a heavy jacket comes in handy but for the most part it isn't bad. We have had days were the temp has reached into the middle 80's and it is still February.
3. The Freebies. We have received all kinds of food. We have been given steaks, catered food, and even deer sausage. One of the land owers even has given us a DVD movie called "Giant". The story was based on the area we are in. May not be a very good advantage but we thought it was nice.
4. The People. We have met some real nice peolpe here at the gate. The workers come and go and if they are just going to town to get a few things they always ask, "Do you need anything from town?" When I bought our new air conditioner we had help from the guys to get it up onto the roof.
5. The Sunrise and The Sunset. I am originally from Arizona and we got some pretty awsome sunrises and sets. Here in south Texas it reminded me of Arizona when watching the sunsets, very pretty. Again may not be an advantage but we sure enjoy them.
6. No Boss Around. Have you ever had a job where the boss is always breathing down your neck? Well not here. You are placed at a gate and nobody ever bothers you. Now if you need something or have a problem you just give him a call and things are taken care of.
7. Solitude and Quiet. What I mean, is there is nobody to talk to except the truck drivers. No politics, gossiping or back stabbing like you might get at another job. Quiet in the middle of the desert, if you like that sort of thing.
8. Learning Something New. If you have never been in the oil field business, then this is very interesting. We never knew that any of this was ever going on. I was amazed that they can drill over 4 to 5 miles deep and then turn right. How does that happen with steel pipe?? MMMMM, makes you think.
9. Fuel Savings. This one might be a stretch but I am going to list it. Since you are manning the gate at all times, you really don't go anywhere. I put in about $50 every two weeks to get me back and forth from Laredo. Not bad I think.
10. The Wildlife. So far we have seen rabbits, deer and roadrunners. What we have been told that was out here but yet to see are wild hogs, bobcats and rattlesnakes. I don't like rattlesnakes but I have yet to see one in the wild. You are now thinking this guy is totally nuts. Sometimes.
Well that's about all that I can think of for now but like I said before, this is what we think that are advantages. I am sure people that read this may think otherwise, which is fine by us.
Until next time.............Be safe.
Sherry and I were talking last night about what the advantages of gate guarding would be. Let me list what we think are some.
1. The Pay. The basic rate is $125 a day with the company we are with. Some companies that I have heard and read about start at $150 to $175 a day. If you are fortunate enough to get a gate that is concidered a main one like us then you would get paid more.
2. South Texas Weather. We don't like snow or ice so going south was ideal to us. In the winter months this is the place to be. It does have its days where a heavy jacket comes in handy but for the most part it isn't bad. We have had days were the temp has reached into the middle 80's and it is still February.
3. The Freebies. We have received all kinds of food. We have been given steaks, catered food, and even deer sausage. One of the land owers even has given us a DVD movie called "Giant". The story was based on the area we are in. May not be a very good advantage but we thought it was nice.
4. The People. We have met some real nice peolpe here at the gate. The workers come and go and if they are just going to town to get a few things they always ask, "Do you need anything from town?" When I bought our new air conditioner we had help from the guys to get it up onto the roof.
5. The Sunrise and The Sunset. I am originally from Arizona and we got some pretty awsome sunrises and sets. Here in south Texas it reminded me of Arizona when watching the sunsets, very pretty. Again may not be an advantage but we sure enjoy them.
6. No Boss Around. Have you ever had a job where the boss is always breathing down your neck? Well not here. You are placed at a gate and nobody ever bothers you. Now if you need something or have a problem you just give him a call and things are taken care of.
7. Solitude and Quiet. What I mean, is there is nobody to talk to except the truck drivers. No politics, gossiping or back stabbing like you might get at another job. Quiet in the middle of the desert, if you like that sort of thing.
8. Learning Something New. If you have never been in the oil field business, then this is very interesting. We never knew that any of this was ever going on. I was amazed that they can drill over 4 to 5 miles deep and then turn right. How does that happen with steel pipe?? MMMMM, makes you think.
9. Fuel Savings. This one might be a stretch but I am going to list it. Since you are manning the gate at all times, you really don't go anywhere. I put in about $50 every two weeks to get me back and forth from Laredo. Not bad I think.
10. The Wildlife. So far we have seen rabbits, deer and roadrunners. What we have been told that was out here but yet to see are wild hogs, bobcats and rattlesnakes. I don't like rattlesnakes but I have yet to see one in the wild. You are now thinking this guy is totally nuts. Sometimes.
Well that's about all that I can think of for now but like I said before, this is what we think that are advantages. I am sure people that read this may think otherwise, which is fine by us.
Until next time.............Be safe.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Gate Guards, Is It For You?
Quick note about the toilet, the floor flange is ordered along with a new gasket as well. Once these parts come in I will put on my plumber's hat and go to work.
OK moving on. We have been at this gate now for about 3 months. This is a main gate to about 10 to 15 different wells. There is a constant flow of traffic day and night, so Sherry has the night shift and I have days. I often wonder what type of people can do this job. The job is not hard, come on signing people in and out requires about 30 seconds, but it can get hectic. So what does it take to man one of these gates? Going into this blind is one reason why I am posting what we have been through so far.
The first attraction is the money. You get paid $125.00 a day, which is the going rate now. Some companies pay more than that per day but we will stick with this figure. A check or direct deposit once every two weeks is pretty good cash. Now for you math wizards out there if you try to figure the hourly rate for 24 hours you will be disappointed. I have done it and it is below minimum wage, but figure the "actual" time that you are working and you might be surprised.
Next for us is that we are out in the boon docks, I mean in the middle of nowhere. I tell my older kids that we have found "BFE" and it has a zip code. I guess we are fortunate that we are close the interstate and we get decent cell phone signal but on the other hand my internet signal is very weak. That's why I haven't posted anything lately. Now if we were deeper back, like nine miles in, there isn't hardly any cell service at all. I have noticed on many trucks that they have some kind of booster for their phones, may have to check into this later. We are close to a small town but their grocery store is the only one and the prices are out of this world, imagine that. We are only about 50 miles from Laredo so I go into town to get groceries for two weeks and any other business as well.
Next up is the dirt and dust. We are right at the front gate and on a dirt road which leads back to the wells. The road is kalche (don't know if I spelled that right) and rock and this stuff gets into everything. If you happen to have your windows open because it is a beautiful day this would be a bad mistake. The dust is everywhere that you can imagine, I mean everywhere. Then it starts rain. This dust now turns into a pancake type mess, thank God for rugs.
Let me try to size this up for you, if you like the pay, don't mind the dirt and mud, don't have good good cell service and have to travel 50 plus miles to get food, I guess this is for you.
Next time I will try to give more info about this job. We are by no means an expert on the subject but just giving our experiences to you. I am trying to put it in perspective for anyone who is toying with this idea.
Until next time..........be safe.
OK moving on. We have been at this gate now for about 3 months. This is a main gate to about 10 to 15 different wells. There is a constant flow of traffic day and night, so Sherry has the night shift and I have days. I often wonder what type of people can do this job. The job is not hard, come on signing people in and out requires about 30 seconds, but it can get hectic. So what does it take to man one of these gates? Going into this blind is one reason why I am posting what we have been through so far.
The first attraction is the money. You get paid $125.00 a day, which is the going rate now. Some companies pay more than that per day but we will stick with this figure. A check or direct deposit once every two weeks is pretty good cash. Now for you math wizards out there if you try to figure the hourly rate for 24 hours you will be disappointed. I have done it and it is below minimum wage, but figure the "actual" time that you are working and you might be surprised.
Next for us is that we are out in the boon docks, I mean in the middle of nowhere. I tell my older kids that we have found "BFE" and it has a zip code. I guess we are fortunate that we are close the interstate and we get decent cell phone signal but on the other hand my internet signal is very weak. That's why I haven't posted anything lately. Now if we were deeper back, like nine miles in, there isn't hardly any cell service at all. I have noticed on many trucks that they have some kind of booster for their phones, may have to check into this later. We are close to a small town but their grocery store is the only one and the prices are out of this world, imagine that. We are only about 50 miles from Laredo so I go into town to get groceries for two weeks and any other business as well.
Next up is the dirt and dust. We are right at the front gate and on a dirt road which leads back to the wells. The road is kalche (don't know if I spelled that right) and rock and this stuff gets into everything. If you happen to have your windows open because it is a beautiful day this would be a bad mistake. The dust is everywhere that you can imagine, I mean everywhere. Then it starts rain. This dust now turns into a pancake type mess, thank God for rugs.
Let me try to size this up for you, if you like the pay, don't mind the dirt and mud, don't have good good cell service and have to travel 50 plus miles to get food, I guess this is for you.
Next time I will try to give more info about this job. We are by no means an expert on the subject but just giving our experiences to you. I am trying to put it in perspective for anyone who is toying with this idea.
Until next time..........be safe.
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