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RE: A computer programmer needs help.
If you are a programmer working on a 1099 basis, make sure you have the correct answer to the infamous IRS 20 questions. Otherwise the IRS my just decide to declare that you are not a independent contractor but are in stead an employee.
One important issue is that the IRS likes to view anyone that is paid hourly as an employee. If you are paid by the project then that is a contractor status.
Alternatively, consider incorporating and become an employee of your corporation.
On edit, you should be familiar with section 1706 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Then President Reagan cost me a lot of money when he signed that into law.
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PopBeavers
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08/20/09 11:25am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Parking Rant !
We never felt the 'right' to leave a vehicle parked on a public thoroughfare. We always kept ours in a storage facility and just drove back and forth to pack it.
I just think when streets were built they didn't have storage of vehicles in mind whether it's for a day or a year. To me, it's a hazard for others driving down the street.
Just read the rules that are specific for your area and you'll probably find a restriction in the HOA dictates.
Otherwise, have a great trip.
That depends a lot on the city. I grew up in San Francisco. Very narrow streets. Single car garage with a driveway that can barely handle the second car.
I now live in San Jose. Every home in my neighborhood has a three car garage with the same size driveway. The street is very wide.
Other parts of San Jose are like San Francisco.
Perhaps it would make sense to impose restrictions on a street by street basis. Old neighborhoods built at the turn of the century would have no parking but modern neighborhoods designed to handle it would permit it. One rule does not cover an entire city.
Many homes in the city are built on a 60x100 standard lot. In my neighborhood, with rare exception, the smallest lot is a quarter acre.
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PopBeavers
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08/20/09 11:13am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Parking Rant !
Sorry, I wouldn't want my neighbors to have a travel trailer parked in front of their house for 3 days either.
My truck is bigger than my popup. Why is a small folded down popup a problem but a 22 foot 2500HD long bed different? I only drive the truck to tow the trailer to go camping one weekend a month.
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PopBeavers
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08/20/09 09:56am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Full timers, Where do you work?
Regarding seeing the country...
When my son was 14 he started to race mountain bikes. So that took us to races on the east coat, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Washington.
During their high school days DD played Volly Ball and Softball most of the year. DS played Volley Ball and baseball. For that to happen we had to not be moving around.
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PopBeavers
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08/20/09 09:54am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Full timers, Where do you work?
My cousin works at home. For 8 years home was a sail boat somewhere in the Caribbean.
She was an early riser, up and working at 5 AM. Her husband slept in until noon. By the time he got up she had already generated 500 bucks worth of billable hours. That is enough for the day, so she closed the laptop. With satellite internet service you can be most anywhere except the poles.
Not all programmers make 100 per hour, but some do. How much do you need to make? How much are you willing to learn?
I've thought about it.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 11:07pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Newbee needs help with choices for family
My Trailmanor is 18 feet long when parked in the garage, 20 feet long when I tow it and 27 feet long when I pop it open. It is all hard sides, unlike HTTs and PUPs.
It will sleep 6. A queen, a double and the dinette makes a double, but it is a little short, but adequate for kids less than about 10 or so.
But my kids (26 and 28) sleep in their backpacking tents. Allegedly I snore.
And, as the song says, it never rains in California.
FWIW, my trailer, wet and loaded for a week of camping, weighs 3,380 on the single axle. I did not weigh the tongue. I estimate a total trailer weight at 4,100 pounds.
Because it folds down to less than 7 feet total height, as measured at the top of the roof a/c, I don't push a lot of air down the freeway. This allows towing by modest sized tow vehicles.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:53pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Head count for cooking
What age range for the guests?
My son (26) eats 6,000 calories per day, every day.
My daughter (28) probably only eats 1,500 calories a day.
Most people are probably in between.
I think planning a dozen shrimp per person OR two catfish per person would be adequate. Some eat more, some less.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:47pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Generator or Solar Panels/Battery System
I also live in California. I only camp in the Sierras, in a valley in the shade. Solar does not work well in that environment. Solar really wants full direct sun. If you camp in the desert all the time then solar would work better for you than it would for me.
I use a 2000 watt generator. I run it about an hour per day to recharge the pair of batteries. If all I wanted to do was recharge the batteries then 1000 watts would have been big enough. But 2000 watts lets me run a modest microwave, so DW can make popcorn and warm up left overs. If I want to run the a/c I could buy a second 200 watt generator, but since I camp above 5,000 feet I do not need the a/c.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:44pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Turning off propane while traveling
Since I have a 3 way, I run it on 12 volts while towing. If I had a 2 way I probably would lee it off, because I never tow more than 4 hours. A cold fridge full of cold stuff will keep that long, except maybe ice cream.
If I was towing farther, then I would probably do like every one else and run it on propane.
As far as I can tell, turning off propane while refueling is a recommendation, not a legal requirement.
Turning off propane for some bridges, tunnels and ferries is a legal requirement.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:37pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Microsoft Outlook
I feel for you. I was never happy with the performance or connection Outlook. Especially with dial-up. Outlook Express has so much less overhead.
But if the office is using Outlook, then you probably have no choice.
I'm still a sysprog, since 74. Now I have to use Lotus. You can probably guess why. Makes me feel rather blue.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:33pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: fifth wheel in a chevy quad cab
If it really is a 1500 crew cab, then isn't that the 4 foot bed? To get the 6.5 foot bed I thought you need the 1500HD, which is really a stripped down 3/4 ton. To get the 8 foot bed you have to go to a 2500.
Chevy definitions for bed length:
short = 4 foot
standard = 6.5 foot
long = 8 foot
The short bed (4 foot) seems to be a real problem with a FW.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:28pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Parking Rant !
I also live in San Jose. I called code enforcement several years ago.
I can leave my trailer on the street for the same time limit as a car, 72 hours. Then you have to move it the same amount as would be required for a car. No requirement or advantage to keeping it connected to the TV.
It can not be occupied while on the street. I asked what that meant. They said no one can sleep in it over night, but you can take a nap during the day.
If parked in your driveway it must be at least either 3 or 10 feet (I can not recall) away from the property line. The purpose of this rule is so you neighbor can see around it to back out of his driveway. It can not block any portion of the sidewalk.
If it is on your property then there is no time limit and you can sleep in it.
I did not discuss sewer connections, water connections or power connections.
This was the city rules. If you live where there is a home owner's association, or your deed has restrictions then that is entirely different.
I have had my trailer on the street for as much as two weeks and no one complains. All of my neighbors have been my neighbors since 1986. The street is wider than 4 car widths. All homes have a 3 car garage with a driveway the same width.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:24pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Where to check how level on a pop up.
My first attempt was to level the fridge, perfectly. But then when doing dishes water ran away from the sink and counter, towards the floor and towards the front where the seat is.
My second attempt was to set it so all water from the counter next to the sink ran towards the sink. That was better. Fridge is still plenty close to level.
Now I put a modest amount of water in a frying pan and level the stove so that I could fry an egg in the middle of the pan. Water still runs towards the sink and the fridge is within spec.
One of these trips I will actually fry and egg. DW likes them scrambled, I don't like cooking, and never argue with the cook.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:14pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Yosemite and Half Dome from the top
When my son was in middle school, he and I were on top of Half Dome. I have a photo of him, looking not quite scared, with one foot hanging over the edge of a rock.
DW asks why it looks a little nervous.
Because if that shoe fell off it would fall nearly 4,000 feet before it stopped.
I so much wanted to throw a paper airplane over the side, but that would be illegal and littering.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 10:07pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Waste Water Tote...which one?
I finally found something about blue totes in Florida:
clicky
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 12:57pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Waste Water Tote...which one?
Florida state parks prohibit transporting black water in totes. I've never seen it enforced thou.
I could not find that rule.
I did find the following:
Gray water and sewage must be dumped in the dump station.
That just says you can not dump it on the ground. It does not say how you get it from your camp site to the dump station.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 12:46pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: generators
I really appreciate the posts and the discussion this has generated. Several of the posts have actually made me think a little about dual 2000's...but...weight is really not an issue, it will spend its time in the bed of the truck...and I dont have a problem hefting it in and out...I am still leaning to a 3000. Thanks all for the feed back, and keep it coming. It certainly helps us all...
Since you are now reconsidering the dual 2000s...
I bought the first Honda 2000 in March 2005, when I bought the TT. I figured I would add a second one the first time I nneded it.
So far, I have not added the second Honda 2000.
But...
Humidity is never a problem in California.
We mostly camp in the Sierras, above 5,000 feet, where the temperature rarely gets higher than 85, and the nights are cool. With low humidity and low temps, it turns out I don't need the a/c, so I don't need the second generator.
If I ever leave California, or go dry camping the the central valley in the summer then I would be tempted to get the second one.
Leaving a generator in the bed of a truck makes no sense to me. If I park the truck at a trail head on go hiking or riding for 5+ hours, then how would I secure the generator so it does not get stolen.
I can put a Honda 2000 (or even two of them):
inside the TT, out of sight.
in the back seat of the crew cab truck, out of sight.
downwind from the TT when I am running it.
If I was going to be either in camp all day and/or in the truck all day, then securing the generator would not be an issue.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 12:33pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Filling up with Water at National Parks
Tom brings up an interesting point.
I have always assumed that if the park website says "dump station" for a particular campground, that it will have potable water for filling fresh tanks as well.
I have never seen potable water anywhere near the dump station. The dump station areas that I have used only have non potable water for rinsing sewer hoses. The potable water is usually several hundred yards away near the campsites.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 11:27am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Yosemite and Half Dome from the top
nice trip report... makes me wish i did more hiking when i was there last week. Wife only made it as far as the bottom of Vernal falls, while me and the kids went on to check out the emerald pool at the top of the falls.
I will be back again to hike to the top of Half dome! I'll just have to leave the wife in camp next time.
Just below Nevada falls is a restroom. The closest I have ever been to a bobcat was the one sitting in the bushes 50 feet down the Mist Trail from there. He was about 3 feet off the trail on the north side, in the open. But since he was not moving he was not easy to see.
If he were to pounce on a squirrel at the feet of a hiker I can only imagine how high the hiker would jump.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 11:25am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Waste Water Tote...which one?
In my case, I will be hauling the tote several miles on a dirt road to the nearest dump station. Therefore, I will carry it in the bed of the truck.
I just need to make sure I can either roll it into the truck after filling it, or use a pump to fill it while it is in the truck.
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PopBeavers
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08/19/09 11:20am |
Fifth-Wheels
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