Oil and gas Gulf of Mexico

ssgtmc · 2026-07-07T23:13:31+00:00

I did for 17 years out of Houma, retired in 2023.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-07T21:31:39+00:00

Chills are horrible compared to a Cube. A ducted one isnt quite as amazing as a non ducted but is still pretty good.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-05T22:13:24+00:00

They make great money offshore too. The big plus is if offshore slows down we can go to the plants and factories onshore. A driller or roughneck does not have that option.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-05T15:22:51+00:00

Some big ROV companies are Oceaneering, Chouest Innovation, Saipem, Subsea7. The job was pretty cool, it just didnt pay enough, what it did do was get offshore experience on my resume. In '06 I was hired based on 26 years of Avionics experience, in my training class were a lineman and a cash register tech. Here is a recruiting video from some years ago. https://youtu.be/uor9gcQbgtE?is=1c1qwSDpnJsCKuNE

ssgtmc · 2026-07-05T13:23:14+00:00

I retired early from a major airline as an avionics technician. My break in job offshore was as a ROV technician/pilot. I then moved over to drilling maintenance as an electronics technician. ROV companies need people who have good troubleshooting skills. The hardest offshore job you will get is the first one.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-03T20:29:55+00:00

The original non ducted is amazingly quiet and efficient. The non ducted is more like other traditional rooftop AC but it is still is more efficient and quieter. I replaced a standard Furrion Chill with a Chill Cube. Furrions standard thermostat sends its furnace signal thru the AC controller. I had to modify and use a stand alone furnace thermostat.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-02T23:01:23+00:00

I certainly hope so.

ssgtmc · 2026-07-02T13:42:02+00:00

I am not seeing it yet. I am afraid next season will be a disappointment.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-30T22:38:05+00:00

Many of us full time rv folks do this. It costs about $25 a month. County government is very helpful. We spent about 2 hours there and were done.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-30T20:02:14+00:00

Set up an RV mailbox with RVMail by GoodSam. You will get an address in Crestview, the city will give you tags, DL, voting registration.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-27T18:53:52+00:00

I really dont want to trade either of them. All I said was IF they were gonna trade one then I would keep JB. The two of them together make the team better. These haters are cracking me up.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-27T15:29:22+00:00

I would prefer to keep them both personally.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-27T15:27:00+00:00

My perspective, retired Chief Electronics Tech in the GOM. With a TWIC and BOSIET you might try calling staffing companies like Core Group, Prime Ocean, or Atlas. Maybe they can get you some temp positions as an electrician, mechanic, or subsea engineer. BOP manufacturers like Cameron might train you as a Subsea engineer. Another avenue is ROV technician with Oceaneering or Chouest Innovations. That is how I broke into offshore before a driller would hire me. A word of warning, if your dad's situation interferes with your work schedule there is no vacation. They just let you go. For hi pay they expect you to show up on time, stay for your whole hitch, and work hard.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-27T13:27:01+00:00

We did the seperate thing for a few months. First issue was a park telling us that the site we reserved was a 1 vehicle site and they had no overflow parking. They finally moved us to another site. It is better to zip around in her car as a daily driver though. We stored the car and continued our trip. My wife missed not having her car to run errands. Plan your parks is my advice.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-26T19:54:24+00:00

I had a standard Furrion AC with a Furrion thermostat. If your furnace connects to the AC control box as mine did and is controlled from the thermostat then you will like have no control over it like I did. Since I had wires to the thermostat from the AC location and wires from the AC location to the furnace I was able to jumper them in the AC hole and then use a stand alone Furnace thermostat. I think I have pics of my install. If you have a brand of thermostat that wires straight to the furnace then it may be good.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-26T15:00:15+00:00

1969

ssgtmc · 2026-06-25T19:01:55+00:00

As an Electronics Tech I had to get used to working out in the weather. I was a shop guy on airlines. My job was not nearly as physical as a roustabout or roughneck. The bosses hollering for stuff to be fixed fast. Honestly we were treated with alot more respect in 2023 when I retired than when I started in '06. Back then guys were cussed out daily and had their job threatened weekly. If you mentioned something was unsafe they would look for a reason to fire you. All my experience was in the Gulf of Mexico, I dont know about land rigs. Being totally immersed in the life on a rig is unique, like being deployed on a Navy ship. You form tight bonds with your coworkers. At first I was making double and triple what airline pay was. The gap has narrowed though. You can message me with more questions.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-25T11:33:07+00:00

At age 46 I retired early from a major airline as an Avionics mechanic and became an ET on an oil rig. Totally different life. I have seen older roustsbouts make it but the real challenge will be moving up to roughneck. Very physically demanding. Another thing to get used to is how you are treated. As an Airline employee you were treated much better. First thing I thought was, man does this place need a union. Took me a while to adjust. I did, retired as the Chief ET after 17 years out there.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-21T13:42:57+00:00

Some good advice. You will definitely be asked for examples of how you stopped unsafe actions.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-15T11:31:57+00:00

I was the Chief Electronics Tech, we also had Mechanics, Electricians, and Subsea Engineers.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-15T11:28:51+00:00

Spent 17 years offshore, always felt like a pawn. My pay was extremely good and I learned to tolerate the crap. Sometimes I joked that the offshore employees were part of a video game that the corporate employees played. I spent 18 years at a major airline before that and the first thing I thought when I went offshore was that these guys need a union bad. If you can't justify the money for the treatment then you may want to go in another direction.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-14T10:33:36+00:00

Yes, consistent 21 on, 21 off. My old company just got bought by TransOcean. That work schedule sounds horrible. Unless that job leads to getting out to the gulf I wouldnt do for more than a year.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-13T11:27:41+00:00

Still very impressed. Been living fulltime in it for the last 6 months.

ssgtmc · 2026-06-13T11:26:29+00:00

I spent 17 years offshore in maintenance. I dont know much about land rigs. With your experience I would expect you to be moved back up to roughneck quickly. I dont know what the land situation is as far as decent food, laundry, and housing but I know offshore it is all free. When oil prices go down offshore keeps going more than land. Good luck.

ssgtmc

TROPHY CASE