They tell you not to approach wildlife and for good reason, but what do you do when wildlife approaches you? In addition to the pack of wild burros, I’ve had two more close encounters with nature in Pahrump.
I was about to head into town when I noticed this guy hanging out in front of my van. I’ve seen the street signs warning about tortoises crossing but never seen one for myself. I was taking the bike, not the van, so he didn’t need to move for me to get out. Lister was already asleep in the van and never noticed. I’d be more worried about the tortoise messing Lister up than the other way around. The tortoise was gone when I got back, off to do tortoise things somewhere else, I guess.
Later that evening, this wild horse walked by. He just came out of the desert and seemed to be on a mission, heading that-a-way pretty quick. I barely had time to get my phone out to take a quick picture and video before he was gone. I had no idea there were wild horses out here.
And then there’s this savage beast.
With lows in the 40s predicted for this weekend, I needed to get my heater operational again, at least for more than ten minutes before it overheated and shut down. People on one of the Facebook groups for these diesel heaters suggested upsizing to a four-inch duct instead of the three-inch one that comes out of the heater. The extra length of the narrower duct was probably causing the extra restriction, leading to overheating. Fortunately, there’s a Home Depot right here in Pahrump, and upsizing to four inches opened the realm of dryer vent parts, of which they have a large supply. An adapter, a semi-rigid duct, an outlet, and insulation led to this semi-temporary setup. It’s not the prettiest thing to look at, but it’s functional and, with the insulation wrapped around it, safe. The duct is cool to the touch even with the heater at full temperature. The piece between the duct and the diesel tank is just a scrap I put there to be extra safe.
The outlet is actually a dryer vent intended to fit into the side of a house and blow downward. I’m using it vertically in order to blow hot air forward into the rest of the van. It’s high enough to blow over any pillows or other bedding so they don’t obstruct the opening and get too hot. I’m going to be in bed for cold overnight temperatures anyway, so this should put the heat exactly where I want it. It does touch the curtain on that side, so when I use the heater, I’ll have to move that curtain out of the way to avoid problems.
This isn’t the prettiest solution, but it should work well enough for now. After installing the new duct, I tested the heater by running it for 20 minutes and had no problems. Before, it would throw the E-05 overheating error and shut down after 10 minutes. At some point, I’ll design a better-looking solution, but this is good enough for now.
It’s also going to be windy over the next couple of days. I’ve already taken down Melissa’s MoonShade and shower tent and stashed those and our chairs in the trailer. Unfortunately, strong winds also prevent me from setting up my HF ham radio antenna, which would otherwise be a perfect activity to pursue while hiding from the wind in the van. I’m sure I’ll find ways to entertain myself and catch up on other projects I’ve been neglecting lately.
Smokey Da Van 