Clean machine

Sunday, March 13, 2011

BENSON, AZ – Aside from my jaunt into town, on my own at the wheel of our big red truck, to attend the church service at St. Raphael in the Valley and pick up today’s paper, we didn’t go anywhere today.

Instead, today was appointed Grand Clean-Up Day for the Zanin trailer. It needed it! After the wind storm in Truth or Consequences, we had dirt in pretty well every nook and cranny of the entire trailer. Val set to work on the outside, scrubbing all four sides, scouring the trim around every window, cleaning all the exterior windows, tidying storage compartments, draining tanks and even cleaning the wheels.

Inside, I wiped black dirt from every surface going, shampooed carpets, cleaned linoleum, polished mirrors and sent enough brown water down the drain to fill our grey water tank to the one-third mark, although Val had just drained it this morning!

Also, it was laundry day, which involved commandeering three of the four KOA machines and a heavy change purse full of quarters. When we get cleaning, we get clean.

The result, by about four in the afternoon, was a great feeling of satisfaction and a clean tidy home on wheels for the next leg of our journey. Plus two fairly pooped Zanins, content to enjoy leftovers for supper and put our feet up for the evening.

Our teamwork serves us well for breaking camp when it’s time to move on. While Val is outside stowing water hoses and electrical cords, turning off the propane tanks, cranking up the stabilizers and stowing chocks and other materials, I’m inside tying down the dining chairs and our two easy chairs, drawing in the two room slides and bracing them with bars, turning off the furnace, fridge, and hot water heater, and making sure nothing is loose.

We’ve written out two checklists with these chores so that we can cross check and be assured nothing has been forgotten. There are so many things to remember, we’d be sure to forget something if we didn’t have them. We’ve seen people driving off with their TV antenna still up, and know that we’d be in the same boat if we didn’t have the lists. And if we had a TV.

I remember a chilling time, early on in our ownership of the trailer, when I tried to bring in the bedroom slide without having removed the bars that brace it into place for traveling. A sickening cracking sound made me stop immediately, but not before wood had splintered around the closet door. Needless to say, that’s something I have never done again. Fortunately Val and his friend Carl were able to repair the damage so you’d never know it happened.

The last item on our list is for me to stand at the back of the trailer while Val touches the brake pedal in the truck, flicks the right turn and left turn signals and the four way flashers, so we know the electrical connections are good and other motorists will know what we are about when we change lanes or make turns or stops on the highway.

There’s a lot to keep track of with the fifth wheel, but it sure is a comfortable way to travel. Having our own kitchen to prepare meals we like, and sleeping in our own bed every night, no matter where we go is as nice as can be. Especially when it’s all shiny and clean!