EV Pusher meets the Eco-Trekker

...Continued

Originally, Shaun was going to ride with me on the trip to Eugene, and we would continue to Corvallis the next day after an overnight at my property. Shaun and Teresa decided that the time on the road would be best spent as a crew conference, so I drove north alone in the EV and Pusher. Since the RV was running on Biodiesel, Shaun's transportation was being provided by renewable fuel, so the trip mission was preserved (coast-to-coast on no petroleum fuel).

The drive was uneventful, although quite hot, mid 90's. I emptied the windshield washer bottle of water into the radiator on the Pusher, misting the front of the radiator using the new system I had installed to help keep the coolant temperature moderate. Eddie and Ray followed in the diesel van, and the rest of the crew tagged along in the RV up the interstate.

After an hour or so of driving, we arrived at my place. The RV was pulled in next to the Crown bus, the satellite dish deployed, the extension cord plugged into the outlet by the back of the bus, and the preparations for the night's activities got started. Tomas arrived with a gas BBQ grille and Eddie and Ray took the van up to the market to purchase steaks, fish, vegetables, and lots of beer and cider. I can't remember now who hatched the idea, but a night of food and fellowship followed.

The back deck/ramp of the RV made a perfect platform to use as a temporary kitchen. I set up a step ladder on the expansive deck with a couple of clamp lights for illumination. Eddy showed off his skills as Chef, and a sumptuous meal followed.

Since the flat-plate water heater had been operating for the entire day, the hot tub was ready for use. Since my tub is actually a very long cast-iron, claw-foot bathtub located behind a hedge of bushes in the yard, it's really only suitable for one person at a time, unless you want to get very friendly with the other user(s). I offered the tub around to the crew, but only Marty seemed interested. I lit the kerosene lamp next to the tub and left him to soak away some cares. Apparently he enjoyed it enough to not hurry, as he was submerged for quite a while, nursing a Hornsby's hard cider to keep the heat bearable.

Things wound down about 10:30PM, and I shut off the lights on the back of the RV and we all slipped off to our respective beds...

August 1, 2003, at home.

During the dinner and conversation last night, Teresa kept reminding everyone that the RV needed to be packed up and ready for the road by no later than 8AM this morning so that they could be on their way to Portland.

I got up about 7AM, and noticed no activity around or within either the RV or the camera van. Took care of some of my morning chores. 8AM, still no signs of life. About a quarter to nine, Ray and Eddy were up and asking to use the shower and wash some clothes in the laundry. They rooted around inside the RV getting some breakfast and stirred the rest of the crew into wakefulness.

After some Vegemite and coffee, a new plan was formulated. With my consent, the crew and vehicles would stay here today, and some catching up would be attempted, along with business calls, e-mails, and production duties. The foray up the valleys of the Umpqua River had limited both cellular telephone use and internet access, and contacting the office in California, as well as making calls ahead to some of the other locations that the crew would visit was planned.

8AM, No lights on inside

Marty had some concerns about a leaking front wheel bearing on the RV and wanted to contact the local Ford dealership to see if it needed to be brought in for service. He was told to keep an eye on the lubricant level, but to not be overly concerned. Working together with my help, we installed some brackets to secure cargo in the garage portion of the RV, coiled and stowed some hoses and a pump used to transfer Biodiesel, and off-loaded a 55 gallon barrel belonging to SeQuential.

Eddy used my shop vacuum to clean up the inside of the camera van, and then he attempted to use some silicone sealant to waterproof an expensive underwater camera enclosure that was supposed to allow the Sony DV camera to be used underwater. Not too far into that project, he called the enclosure's manufacturer and told them he was sending it back. "$5,000 is too bloody much to pay for a camera case that needs caulking to keep it from leaking" was what he decided.

Ray needed to make duplicates (dubs) of the digital film footage that they had shot over the previous few days. I set him up in my home theatre, as it was the coolest, least dusty place available, and as it has actual furniture, it was comfortable as well. Ray watched the video images on a portable DVD player's screen as the copies were made, insuring that they were fit to be sent back to the production company's main studios.

Teresa had expressed some interest in using the bath last night, but Marty beat her to it, so I offered to drain and refill the tub with some fresh water, heated using the LP gas instantaneous heater. I showed her the tub and the sheet of corrugated roofing that an be used as a gate to close the fence for privacy. She decided to add some essential oils and a cup of milk to the water to make a complete beauty bath.

While Teresa soaked, Sally and Shaun needed a quiet place to do some interviews that would be used as voice-overs in the series. About the quietest place on my property is my Housetruck, so I unplugged the phone and left them inside to do some recording with a tape machine and microphone.

Last night's feast and festing had left a lot of debris in the yard. The local yellow jackets had discovered the fish bones, and there was a mighty pile of dirty dishes, glasses and utensils piled on the back deck of the RV. I separated things out, composted the food scraps, and collected the empties (lots of empties). More hands pitched in and everything was cleaned, scrubbed and put away in good time.

Later in the afternoon, I noticed Shaun, talking on the cell phone and being very animated, strutting back and forth in the driveway and obviously "on", or "in character". When asked, Teresa confirmed that he was doing a live interview with a Portland radio station about the next day's arrival of the RV and the Eco-Trekker crew in PDX.

Continued...