AZ ranch

[mjncad]

We purchased a 2500 gallon water tank and buried about 2 feet of it in the ground to prevent freezing.

We did a similar thing up the road from you... Just to be sure, you might want to insulate your outlet pipe. It is likely to be more exposed, if you have a shut-off valve there...
No freezing so far, after 5 years.

OK, I'm puzzled...are you just freeze protecting the outlet pipe with the shallow burial? Is there enough water mass in the tank to prevent the contents from becoming an iceberg?

 

[BoFuller]

I'd say it is primarily to protect the valve and the pipe, as it is two feet deep all the way to the trailer. The tank itself must have enough mass that it doesn't freeze. At least that's what all the locals tell me and some of them have been around here for 20 yrs and more. But by having it 2 feet deep, then the heat from the ground also helps to keep the tank itself from freezing. I would imagine that if you put one up on some type of stand (for gravity feed), then it might freeze, as it would have no ground heat and would be exposed to cold and wind on every side, top, and bottom. I guess that's why I never see any elevated around here. :laughing:

 

[rdpecken]

OK, I'm puzzled...are you just freeze protecting the outlet pipe with the shallow burial? Is there enough water mass in the tank to prevent the contents from becoming an iceberg?

Yes. We've never had the water level go below maybe 300 - 400 gallons on our 2500 gal tank. In our area, while the temperatures in winter regularly get down to the high teens, the daytime highs for those days usually reaches into the 40's. We occasionally get temperatures down around zero, but it doesn't stay that way for a long enough time to freeze a sizable amount of water solid.

However, exposed pipes certainly do have a problem in our area. And the most common failure I've seen is the outlet pipe from the above-ground tanks. Partial burying is a common answer for that, but if you have a valve on the outlet, it may be exposed. That's where I think it's good to add the insulation.

 

[mjncad]

Thanks for the explanation gents.

 

[BoFuller]

I just got my report from the soils engineer. I need to remove 2-3 feet of clay topsoil from the 50 X 50 building area and replace with a different soil/gravel combination. Not what I wanted to hear.

 

[mjncad]

Could be much worse Bo as you might have been told you need to remove double that amount, or drill caissons, or any number of things.

If your clay is anything like our Bentonite, you'll be glad to get that crap out from under your future home.

 

[firefighter9208]

I didn't know there was a difference. If it dumps, isn't it a dump truck????

Actually, it's not. When I bought my 77 GMC flatbed "dump truck" I called the insurance agent to get insurance. It has a flat bed with sides and a dump cylinder. When he came to look at it he said, "oh, it's not a dump truck, it's a flatbed with a dump cylinder." I said, "what's the difference?" and he told me the insurance would be about 4 times cheaper on a flat bed.

That made me very happy to own a flatbed with dump cylinder and not a "dump truck". :thumbsup:

Chris

 

[BoFuller]

Hi Bo.
It seems we are neighbors x2 !
We also have 40 acres in Sierra Verde, and live in Mesa most of the time.
Our land is about 5 miles north of I40 in the Markham Pass area.
Yes, we have seen rattlesnakes, packrats, javalina, elk, deer, and antelope.
I look forward to following your thread. I haven't started one here because I don't have a tractor yet! (Bummer...)
Anyway, you can see what we've been up to at our blog at ArizonaRanch.org - Building a Homestead Ranch in Northern Arizona
Here is the cabin we've been building for the last 3 years or so...
Good luck, and have fun!

So I have been through Markham Pass a dozen times in the last 3 or 4 months hauling gravel. What are you close to?

 

[BoFuller]

I went up to the Ranch on Nov3rd and Friday the 4th was a gorgeous sunny day, so I went for a load of chat. I got it spread and packed down just in time, as the late afternoon brought a little hail and rain.

 

[BoFuller]

I guess I got the chat spread and packed just in time, as the next morning I awoke to this. It's getting down into the twenties at night now. Brrrrr.

 

[Ken]

Good Morning Mr. Fuller. Looks like time to air out the Long Johns get the mice out of the insulated boots. unpack the Carharts make sure the stocking hat fits. .
We used to keep a "jungle lunch" and thermos of coffee in truck never knew when would be parked for long peroid of time awaiting for snowpow plow or help to get to the road.
Extra can of gas and set of tire chains. peace of mind if never needed.

Was wondering if your shop was started or still in planing stage.
The freezing and thawing of the soil makes a glue mess that sticks to boots and truck tires.

Keep up the interesting posts. brings back memorys.
ken

 

[MotorSeven]

I just read your whole thread Bo....that's a really beautiful place you have there. One of my best friends just retired and moved out there to start a new job. He is renting a a place in Bagdad cheap until he decides what to buy. I will be headed that way in a few months to deliver his dump trailer and 3 motors...it's a long story, but he was way over loaded on his trip out, so he had to jettison some stuff at my place(ROAD TRIP!).


Have you sourced out your logs yet? Dig deep, the economy is bad and there are some outstanding deals out there.

 

[BoFuller]

Good Morning Mr. Fuller. Looks like time to air out the Long Johns get the mice out of the insulated boots. unpack the Carharts make sure the stocking hat fits. .
We used to keep a "jungle lunch" and thermos of coffee in truck never knew when would be parked for long peroid of time awaiting for snowpow plow or help to get to the road.
Extra can of gas and set of tire chains. peace of mind if never needed.

Was wondering if your shop was started or still in planing stage.
The freezing and thawing of the soil makes a glue mess that sticks to boots and truck tires.

Keep up the interesting posts. brings back memorys.
ken

I haven't started building yet. Plans are still with the engineer. He's real busy and I told him no hurry. There are a million things I can do before I start building. Besides, funds have run low, so the actual build won't start before Spring at least.

 

[BoFuller]

I just read your whole thread Bo....that's a really beautiful place you have there. One of my best friends just retired and moved out there to start a new job. He is renting a a place in Bagdad cheap until he decides what to buy. I will be headed that way in a few months to deliver his dump trailer and 3 motors...it's a long story, but he was way over loaded on his trip out, so he had to jettison some stuff at my place(ROAD TRIP!).


Have you sourced out your logs yet? Dig deep, the economy is bad and there are some outstanding deals out there.

M7,

Still looking for logs. I have come across several offers, but nothing I consider a real deal yet. Patience! I never liked that word, but it does have its merits.

 

[crbr]

Coming right along...

 

[Ken]

I haven't started building yet. Plans are still with the engineer. He's real busy and I told him no hurry. There are a million things I can do before I start building. Besides, funds have run low, so the actual build won't start before Spring at least.

Good Morning Mr. Fuller. This would be a excellant day to travel to the ranch and look at the winter sites. From the weather reports another foot or more has came down.
This time of the year used to be a dog sled team competition west of Williams always interesting sport to watch.

Have you looked around the Williams area for logs? used to be a lot of logging trucks in the area.

Life getting back to normal now. Time heals the mind as well as the body.
I'm not sure but believe you mentioned making a trip to Tanzania, Africa a few years ago.
Our church has a mission team going there next June. can't remember the location close to Lake Victoria. If you did go any suggestions?
ken

 

[BoFuller]

I'm not sure but believe you mentioned making a trip to Tanzania, Africa a few years ago.
Our church has a mission team going there next June. can't remember the location close to Lake Victoria. If you did go any suggestions?
ken

We spent most of the time in Bunda, a small town south of Musoma, which is a decent size city next to Lake Victoria. I would highly recommend a safari if you go there. We went a week early for our mission trip and did a 7 day safari in the Serengheti and several other places. I got the Pimsler language course for Swahili and learned many everyday phrases. It came in real handy, and it really pleases the locals when you try to speak their language. I'm sure I butchered it, but they laughed and it got me what I needed. We needed malaria and yellow fever vaccines since we were so close to Lake Victoria. Make sure you take a mosquito net, although most places have them.

 

[BoFuller]

Good Morning Mr. Fuller. This would be a excellant day to travel to the ranch and look at the winter sites. From the weather reports another foot or more has came down.

ken

I have not been up to the Ranch since the first weekend of November. We had a lot of travel in November (visiting family), and planned for the first weekend in December, but then I had to go to CA and do the funeral. Work had me traveling a couple weeks, and now we are tied up with Xmas and moving. We rented a place and started moving boxes. A moving company is going to move the big stuff on Dec 29, and then we will be moving the rest for a couple weeks. Not sure when I can get there.

 

[BoFuller]

I finally made it to the Ranch after 3 months. Everything was just as I left it. I had a slow leak in the front tire of my tractor and after 3 months it was completely flat. I thought maybe I could carefully back it out of the container so I would have easier access to fill it, but sure enough I rolled it off the outside bead.
I got a little dirt in there so I tried using some really soapy water to clean it and seal the bead, but air was coming out everywhere. Eventually I decided to head into town to see if I could find some bead sealer. The general store didn't carry any, but the local garage gave me a can and said to just bring it back when I was done. I love small towns. There is no way anybody would do that in the Phoenix area!
After finally getting the outside bead to seal, I discovered the original source of my leak - a small dent on the inside of the rim. I beat it a few times with a sledge and the tire filled right up. Pressure stayed up all weekend so maybe it is permanently fixed.

 

[Ken]

Mr. Fuller Good to here your starting back on the ranch.
Weather seemed to not be a problem this year. so you may get the chance start building.

With your tire problem I put tubes in my tractor tires seems to keep the air to lasting longer.
ken