I drove out to campspot @ Bend in a light rain. I parked in the dark. The Propex heater won’t light. Intermittent rain squalls and gust of wind. My repeated slathering of sealant around the roof fan still allows water in that gravity pulls to the floor. I slept w/o a heater burning under the doubled up down blanket but no head covering. Sunrise is 7:41 and under cloud cover darkness reigned supreme. I scurried out from under the covers and fired the other heater successfully. Different heat profile, don’t dis source warmth. Fix the propex to enjoy forced dry hot air that seems to warm the interior more uniformly.
After Bfast of scratch made pancake, eating, and clean up I started making phone calls about the Propex which is made in the UK and distributed by gowesty back in Maryland. After several conversations he (gowesty)will call the manufacture back in UK early tomorrow to explain my issue and ask for their solution. If the motherboard is to be replaced he said he could have it delivered to a service westy conversion shop in Bend on Monday. I will accept plan. The Propex produces nicer heat. I still need to use it in below freezing temps and after battery charging to complete its evaluation.
I have written about the heater situation several times and repeated some. I am excited for the Propex to be successful, its a big comfort deal. New underwear excites me less.
Weather forecast for Bend called for rain thru the weekend. Oakridge was more certain and for more quantity. I have mail in Oakridge at the Merchantile. Its raining both places. I could be wet in Oakridge and get my mail which I did. I am in Oakridge where the forecasted rain hasn’t delivered. I could have ridden close into town. Nah. I visited w/ Derrick at the shop.
I bought a Haze portable vaporizer last month. Pretty slick. Seems to really burn the veggi material more than the vapor brothers. I need to learn which unit on what setting does not burn off the THC but extracts the most. The Haze stuff is too burnt to yield any butter in my opinion. Uses a large OEM rechargeable battery which takes hours to recharge. Managing my electrical storage I charge during solar power or driving. Yeah, it does a pretty good job.
Did my wash in Bend this AM. An outdoor adventure stenciled van was beside me. 3 Canadians finishing a month long road trip were in doing their laundry and drying some rain soaked clothing. FX greeted me telling me I am his idol that he wants to do what I am doing. He sited the June 2010 Bike Mag article.
Clean clothes he headed over the Cascades to Oakridge mostly in the rain. Have my mail. Shortly I will take a seat at the bar of Brewers Union in old town, drink a few pints of cask conditioned beer, and eat dinner in an English pub motif. Good beer. Social gathering spot. Mountain biking is an economic engine here. Seasonal. Prolly no other tourons like me there.
I will evaluate weather forecast to maybe stay and ride tomorrow. Spoke w/ Derrick who said the trails can handle riding in the wet. My question is do I want to ride in the falling rain. Ride FS rd 1910 to ride Alpine in the rain? At least there will be no dust. Forecast still strongly calls for rain.
Off to the Union, its 5’oclock somewhere.
I turned on the catalytic heater and stayed