All Moved In

DATELINE: WEST MEMPHIS, AR, 9:45 p.m. CDT

Miles Today: 0

Just a quick update tonight to let y'all know that I'm getting ready for bed here in my new home--er, truck. 'Twas long about 4:00 this afternoon when I ambled back into the shop to inquire about the status of my trade-in. They finally did have the proper info on their computer system, and they handed me the keys.

I walked over to where she was parked, unlocked the door, climbed in, turned the key in the ignition, and...par for the course, the batteries were dead. What else would I expect but more drama? But that was a minor stumbling block as a mechanic wheeled over a charger, got the beast started, and the rest is history.

I spent the next few hours moving my stuff (it's amazing just how much stuff I do have in here) from my old home to my new, finding places to put it all, and familiarizing myself with my new accommodations. Notable differences:

1. I'm still trying to decide if the new truck has more or less storage, or if it's pretty much equivalent but just different. I have found places for everything, so I'm leaning for the "equivalent but different" verdict. This one definitely has more "closed" storage; what they call "airline cabinets" under high shelves on either side of the sleeper berth.

2. Instead of small windows high up above the shelves on either side of the sleeper, this one has larger windows on either end of the bunk. That adds more light to the sleeper in the daytime, but now I don't have one wall to lean against to work (or play) with my laptop on my lap. That was my preferred position for computing in my old truck. However, this truck has a slide-out work table in front of the bunk, so I have my laptop on it right now as I sit on the bunk and compose this update. I think this'll work pretty well, though I do have to sit up to work here.

3. This truck has an APU, or "Auxiliary Power Unit", that I can set to run the climate controls instead of having the engine idling to run them. That's gonna save lots of fuel, and it's a whole lot quieter and doesn't shake the whole cab as much as the engine did when turning on and off. However, the APU itself is a small diesel engine tucked under the cab, and it does produce a vibration throughout when it's running. But no doubt I'll get used to that, too.

4. The APU also has a power inverter, so there are 4 AC power outlets in the sleeper. I have my laptop plugged into one right now, and it's working like a dream. WOO-HOO! No more laptop power problems! I can blog and hit the virtual poker tables right here once again, so I have no ready-made excuse for not posting daily updates on this blog. (Is that a downside or an upside? The jury's still out.)

5. One "irregularity" I haven't conquered yet--with the engine off, I can't turn the sleeper berth's lights on. The overhead lights in the cab will come on and do provide enough light to work by, but it'd be better with more direct light back here, especially when I have to get up when it's dark. The switch for the cab lights is way up on the console, and it'd be much easier if I could just reach up by the side of my bunk and switch on the sleeper's lights. We'll see if I can figure that one out.

6. This truck does have an automatic transmission, so I'm gonna have to get used to that--not shifting, stepping on a clutch pedal, resting my hand on the shifter, etc. One thing I have noticed already is that, with the truck in gear--Drive or Reverse--if I take my foot off the accelerator, the engine doesn't provide any power to the transmission. So it'll take some practice with the pedals, especially in docking maneuvers.

Well, I'm gonna get up early tomorrow--4:15--to hit the road to Laredo by 5:00, and it's late now, so time to wrap this up. Thanks for checking in to today's second update, and be sure to keep on truckin'.