I am passing this on from the Y2K for Women mailing list for those who have been investigating the travel trailer as a solution to Y2K housing. The second part will be posted next week Warm regards, Jean Wasp

Issue #64 October 19, 1999

Topic: Self-Reliant Living

Dear Friends,

This week and next week I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to reprint in its entirety Bruce Tippery's newsletter, The Y2K Early Warning and Preparation Report.

Bruce is a personal friend of mine and a preparedness expert whom I highly respect. The report is on the advantages of using a travel trailer if there is a crisis. Although buying a travel trailer and moving is not a viable solution for many of you, when I read his report I realized he was giving good, basic, practical information that would be applicable in many situations. Since it was so concise, I thought it would be beneficial for you and he's graciously given his permission for me to reprint it for Y2K Women. (Even ig some of it seems familiar, please read it as you may learn something new!)

Love to you all, Karen

The Y2K Early Warning and Preparation Report: Advance information, protective strategies, and specific steps for Y2K preparation, Bruce Tippery, Editor

Travel Trailer Preparations for Y2K (part 1)

Though time until January 2000 is short, you can still find safety in a good location. By the time you get this newsletter, it will be all but impossible to sell a suburban-style home, locate a new residence in a safe place and outfit it for an extended crisis. What can you do? For most families, one of the best remaining solutions is a well-outfitted travel trailer pre-positioned in a good location.

Why a travel trailer? They are easy to buy; they are designed for living without direct access to utilities; they are portable; and they are extraordinarily cost effective. No, travel trailers would not be as functional or comfortable as a well-outfitted home. But then, a well-equipped trailer would be far more livable than a non-functioning city house or apartment in a crisis.

How to buy and prepare a travel trailer for an extended crisis

* The first consideration is your location, and one of the basic criteria is to be away from a major population of people who might do you harm. This means you need to at least be insulated from society by some barrier, be it geographical or even psychological. Find a river that people wouldn't normally cross or a small mountain range. Other barriers include national borders, however, I have my doubts about future security of borders, especially the southern border of the United States, which may become very porous during a crisis. Find a place where there will be fewer people to deal with in an infrastructure crisis and, ideally, a place with people that have a reputation for hard work and clean living.

* Second, how far from your existing home you can travel at the first sign of a crisis? If you put off a move until the initial phase of a collapsing infrastructure, you will not want to have to fly in an airplane to get to your safe location. It is important to be able to drive to your safe location in a reasonable length of time -- using one tank of gas. If everyone else in a major metropolitan area thinks there is trouble, there will be major traffic jams, so do not wait until the last minute to attempt to move through gridlock to a safer location. If you cannot locate an ideal safe haven that is extremely remote, find a place that is at least an hour's drive or more outside a major population center.

* Third, consider your neighbors. I strongly suggest you find a trailer site near friends or family. Don't just go find a site on a lot or in a trailer park somewhere. In a crisis, people need to know they can count on others, so find a place where there are trustable people. You may be able to find a location within a strong moral community. My community in the Northwest is populated with first, second and third generation Dutch immigrants and has a good reputation.

Do you have relatives who are concerned about Y2K and live in a rural location? An ideal location for a trailer is where a rural family already has an independent infrastructure in place. For example, a travel trailer could easily plug into an existing well or a septic system, reducing the cost and time of your preparation.

Community is very important! If you buy a travel trailer but are not part of a safe community of some sort, after a few weeks of a crisis you may soon feel like a war refugee. If you do not have rural friends or family, I suggest "adopting" a family. This is no time to be shy. Inquire among organizations that will have conservative, Christian members who will likely be concerned about Y2K. Seek referrals of families who may have space where you could park your trailer including families in your church denomination, the local homeschool association, the local 4-H club -- any organization that is a pre-selection for reliable, rural people. This is not an easy task in our present, individualistic society, but it's important.

* Fourth, the actual, physical site for a travel trailer doesn't have to be complex. The site should be level or on a place that can be leveled. One asset is a site screened from the road, to avoid being highly visible; although if you have a dirt road, with good neighbors on either side, this is not such an important issue. A location with a view is always pleasant, too.

* Lastly, what size trailer do you buy? Consider what kind of vehicle you have to tow it with. If you have a truck or van, you can tow a large travel trailer, up to 30 or 32 feet long. (I do not suggest 5th wheel trailers, because they require special equipment for towing). If you don't have a heavy-duty vehicle, then will need to purchase a smaller trailer. Just remember that if you end up living in your travel trailer for an extended period of time, that you will greatly appreciate having a lot of space. In an extended crisis, you will be glad if you have purchased the biggest trailer that you can afford to buy and move. So, what do you look for when you buy a travel trailer?

* Because much of what you buy in a travel trailer is a package of appliances, newer is better. In a travel trailer, appliances are designed to work off the power grid and without being connected to the major utilities. A trailer stove, for example, runs on propane, which is stored in a tank. And too, a trailer furnace runs on propane, so as long as you have fuel, you can have heat. Generally speaking, newer refrigerators are more efficient. For this reason I suggest you buy a travel trailer that is a 1990 or even later. I also suggest, unless money is not an issue, that you not buy a brand new one. Travel trailers do depreciate, and you can save money and still get good value in a used trailer.

* If you live in a hot location, consider your need for air conditioning; in most travel trailers, air conditioning runs on electricity. The year 2000 crisis is likely to start in winter (early January), which is not a hot time of the year in most of the 50 states. Generally speaking, air conditioning is far down on the priority list of working appliances in a travel trailer.

* Important: A leak in a roof or skylight is one of the hardest things to remedy in a travel trailer. So check very carefully for any signs of water damage or leakage through the roof, and see if you can get a warranty. Many states will require an inspection process to license the trailer for towing. This inspection does not check the appliances or for leaks, rather it certifies that the trailer is approved for highway travel.

A real life example: I recently purchased a used, 32 foot long, 1990 travel trailer for $8,000. (A new trailer, equivalent to this, might have cost $25,000 to $40,000). It's not a deluxe model; it has vinyl flooring throughout, instead of carpet. But it does contain the major appliances, such as a furnace, refrigerator/freezer, stove and oven, and stereo system. It has a full bathroom, one double bed, three bunk beds, and a bed that pulls down from over the kitchen table, so it sleeps quite a few people and it would be fairly comfortable living quarters. There are trailers with extendable living areas, which can be cranked out after the trailer has been parked. These give a good deal more floor space for a couch or chairs, which would not fit inside the 8 foot wide travel trailer alone.

If you need to settle for a small travel trailer, that's fine. What you're really buying is a warm space where you can function with the basic necessities of life. Many people live in accommodations like this for extended periods of time. In fact, some spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to live in lesser accommodations when they buy a small yacht or a sailboat. A travel trailer is certainly a better option than finding yourself in a tent or a "relocation center" in the middle of winter. And if the Y2K Crisis turns out to be minimal, you have an asset that is easy to sell or enjoyable to use in normal times.

Important systems you need to have in your travel trailer during a major crisis:

1) WATER Make sure that you have a reliable water source. If you plan to move your trailer onto property with a well, make sure that you park your trailer within easy access to the water. Connection with a water system is usually accomplished by connecting a heavy-duty hose from a faucet to your trailer's water line.

If you are on a location with no well and you have to treat surface water out of a pond, a creek, or a spring, you will need to put a water treatment system into your trailer! This entails two steps: sanitizing the water with chlorine or other sanitizer and then, second, running water through a filtration system. The prices of these systems range from thousands of dollars for a big automated system to a few hundred dollars for a fairly simple system. I prefer the High Capacity water filter. It's a simple, ceramic based filter that will provide you with safe drinking water. It even takes out Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts that are found in surface water. Even if you plan to be near a well, purchase one of these filters. I like the High Capacity filter so much that I made arrangements to make them available through WAVE Publications (800) 528-0559. Please understand, if you do not follow the proper steps for water purification, you could be risking your and your family's life.

Also, purchase a couple of 5 gallon water jugs, which you can buy at Wal-Mart for about $6 each. You need Clorox bleach (some people will use iodine, some people will use hydrogen peroxide, and some will use other purifiers, but Clorox is the most widely available water sanitizer), and you need a water filtration unit, like the High Capacity filter.

To purify water, fill a 5 gallon jug with the best water that you have available. A good way to get water is to gather it from the eaves of your home in a roof catchment system that filters down into a rain barrel or directly into your 5 gallon water jug. Or, you can fill your water jug out of a creek, pond or stream. Add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach into 5 gallons of fairly clear water, or 1 teaspoon of bleach for 5 gallons of murky water.

Let it sit for at least a half an hour, making sure that the bleached water spills onto the sides and rim of your water container so no parts of it will contaminate the water when it is poured out. Let the treated water sit over night, which gives the bleach a longer time to do it's job of killing bugs, and also, if the water is in an open container, some of the bleach will evaporate and you will have less bleach in your drinking water. (Pre-filter murky water through a cone-shaped coffee filter, which you can buy at any grocery store. This will catch slime or dead bacteria before you pour the water into the ceramic water filter. The ceramic water filter would certainly filter that waste out, but slime and other material will shorten the life of the filter and make it more troublesome to clean.)

If you use the ceramic High Capacity filter I recommend, the water goes into the upper chamber, through some very fine, porous ceramic material, and drips down into a lower chamber, at which point the water is safe to drink.

You can filter approximately 30 gallons of water over a 24 hour period using the High Capacity filter, so limit the filter's use to drinking and cooking water. If you need to flush your toilet or even take a shower, use the regular surface water (maybe treating it with Clorox first, if you are going to clean yourself in it). When washing dishes, it is a good idea to use a Clorox dip afterward. Wash dishes using surface water with Clorox and detergent, then rinse off the detergent and let your dishes sit in a dip of strong Clorox solution, several tablespoons to about two gallons of water. Let the dishes air dry on a rack.

2) LIGHT & POWER If you plan to use the travel trailer's lights, the water pressure pump for the sink and shower (which is only necessary if you aren't hooked up to someone else's water system), and the furnace, you will have to use a 12 volt battery and keep the battery charged. In order to charge this battery, you can use a small solar panel system (call Barry Hutchinson 360-592-2267) or a generator (Maranatha Generators 817-318-6464). If you plan to rely on the battery, buy at least one extra deep-cycle (12 volt) battery. If you use the battery sparingly, for lights, water pressure, and a radio for example, it can be charged by the solar panels daily. This is ideal, because constantly recharging the battery, never letting it get low, will keep it in the best condition.

Travel trailers have capabilities for 12 volt lighting, so buy extra 12 volt light bulbs. There is a super-efficient, long-lasting 12 volt lighting system, using white Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). These excellent lights are available from Kansas Wind Power (785) 364-4407 and The Real Goods Trading catalogue (800) 762-7325.

Of course, a generator and fuel, especially a portable generator with the extended run kit, will greatly improve your standard of living. I regret there is no space to give you my specific cautions and recommendations concerning generators here, but I have enclosed a letter on my research and conclusions about generators along with this newsletter.

3) SANITATION Sanitation is a very important topic! In the bathroom facility there should be a shower (possibly a tub in the larger units), a wash basin for washing your hands, and a toilet. Toilets in travel trailers are different than toilets in a regular home -- in travel trailers, you have to physically pump the water through the toilet in order to flush. Trailers have two holding tanks for water waste. One is called black water, which is for sewage out of the toilet, and the other is called gray water, which is for used water from the shower and sinks.

While the best option for sewage from your trailer is an existing septic system, if this is not an option, then it is possible to make an expedient septic tank. (Keep in mind, this would not be code approved, but in an emergency you do what you have to do.) An expedient septic system can be set up if you have fairly sandy soil nearby. (Note: the septic system should not be placed near any source of drinking water.) First, dig a hole that can hold a 30 to 50 gallon garbage can, and then dig a couple of feet deeper. Add some rocks, like round river rocks, an inch or less in size.

Then punch holes about one foot from the bottom in the garbage can, and set it in the hole. Run your black water line into your tank, and then bury the garbage can with about 6 inches of dirt. Put in some chunks of meat that will soon rot, and bacteria will start growing in the tank. You will have created a mini septic tank; anything from your toilet that's flushed sits in the tank and all the liquids drain out the small holes. Again, this is not likely to be approved by the health department, and I cannot recommend this except in an emergency situation, but this is an effective, expedient way to deal with sewage.

Another very good long-term option for sanitation is the old fashioned outhouse. If constructed correctly, outhouses are very safe and sanitary, if not totally pleasant to use according to our modern sensibilities. Remember to make sure you dig an outhouse away from your water source; it is also good to dig it away from your trailer. The saying goes, "in the winter it's about a hundred feet too far, but in the summer it's about a hundred feet too close." So one-hundred feet is a good compromise. And outhouses can be very simple and can be put in after you arrive at your safe location, unless you might arrive at a freezing time of year in your area, when the ground will be too hard to dig up. In that case, dig a hole for an outhouse early on. Dig the hole six feet deep and cover it so that children or pets won't fall in. Having an outhouse is a good back-up plan in case there are too many people using your septic system or just to have the extra toilet facility nearby.

Continued next we

-- Jean Wasp (jean@sonic.net), October 20, 1999