Setting up Infrastructure – 220– 255

Sept 2 – Oct 7

Geez. Seems that I’m getting worse at posting regularly instead of better.

Ok. So it has been over a month since I last posted. While I haven’t made as much progress as I’d like to have, I have made progress. I’ve been tired in the evenings after work so on evenings when I haven’t worked late for work, I haven’t been very productive on projects. Weekends have generally been productive though. Doing what you ask?

I replaced the vents in Rachel’s trailer that were broken by the previously mentioned hail storm the Saturday following the storm. I had wrapped the vents in garbage bags then closed the vents to keep the weather out. Rachel was ready for the vents to be replaced after listening to the garbage bags blowing with the breeze at night for a week.

September 15 and 16 I cleared mesquite brush while waiting for supplies to be delivered. In the course of digging out the mesquite I saw a few new to me breeds of critters that I hadn’t seen yet.

Google indicates this is a couch spadefoot which is not a toad as I thought when I saw it.

This is a kangaroo rat (in the heteromyidae family – not a rat or mouse). These critters like to chew automotive electrical cables. May be also responsible for the missing insulation between the engine and passenger compartments in my truck (I discovered last October). These and mice are the reason I leave my hood up on the vehicles at night and have a LED rope light under the vehicles in an effort to deter them from doing damage to the vehicles.

This is a long nose snake. Google search indicates it is non-venemous.

I spent a number of days working on installing the electric.

Trenched to the near side of the drive. Waited to trench across the drive until I have everything on hand to minimize the amount of time the drive is torn up. This phase of trenching was completed September 2-3.

Trench along the length of what will be the RV carport to install water, electric, and data. Completed September 3.

When I finally trenched across the drive, I setup a bridge to walk across and go no further barrier for parking. Trench across the drive dug September 21.

Conduit with cables pulled between shed and location of future utility building. Electric on the right and data on the left. Second vertical conduit on the right is data which goes to the RV carport. This was taken before conduit and wire for electric service was run from here to the RV carport. Data cable was run September 22 and this part of the electric was pulled September 23.

Data and electric into the shed completed to this point September 23.

Ordered metal detectable electric line warning tape to be buried in trench approximately a foot below the surface. September 24 – 25 filled in trench from shed to far side of drive way so that the drive way could be fully used again.

The weekend of September 29 was spent planning and researching specific needs for electrical distribution (what I had previously bought was not appropriate for my needs). Also spent a day in Sierra Vista celebrating Rachel’s birthday and shopping.

Electrical Pedestal for RV Carport. To the left is conduit for data cable. I plan to cut it down to proper length and terminate the data cables into data jacks in the coming week. Wiring of the pedestal connections completed October 5.

Electrical distribution box that will be inside future utility building. Temporary bracing in place until I fill in the trench. Installed October 6-7. Bracing withstood 25 MPH winds Oct 7 & 8. Data cables tied up to electrical box to keep it up off the ground so it doesn’t get chewed by critters.

Inside the electrical distribution box. Wiring completed October 6.

GFI outlet wired to future utility building’s electrical distribution box. Installed October 6. Outlet will be used for water pump that will supply pressurized water to RV’s and eventually the house.

I completed the electrical wiring in the shed today (October 7). I held my breath and turned on one breaker at a time. Nothing blew up. I took the drill motor around to test the various outlets. It just occurred to me as I write this, I’m sure I have an outlet wiring tester somewhere. Anyway, it all worked as expected. I moved Rachel’s trailer from the temporary power cable that is laid across the top of the ground from the shed to her trailer to the pedestal. Progress!!

And now for misc pictures for your enjoyment.