Category Archives: RV Travel

Paging Dr. Google

Reliable, quality health care and RVing don’t often go hand in hand. Health care can be tough even if you’re in a ‘normal’ life situation: living in one place and getting health care from your employer. Factor in the different ways people RV and it gets much trickier.

Let’s start with the (relatively) easy ones. There are fulltime RVers on Medicare, or working remotely with company health insurance, who keep their primary care providers. They either don’t wander far or plan their travels to swing through their home base for scheduled and routine appointments. Sure, they have to worry about something happening away from home but other than that they have one doctor who is a known quantity and they are a known quantity with the doctor. Now let’s visit the other end of the spectrum.

It seems like the fulltime RVing life has become more popular to younger people in recent years. I see them all the time in the workamping groups. Many are families with young children. They think life will pass them by if they don’t do it now. Or they have terrible jobs. Or high house payments. Or they’re just getting out of a terrible relationship. Take your pick for the reason, but they’re out there. Usually with no health care or, at best, catastrophic coverage. This would terrify me, especially with children. They’re basically rolling the dice, hoping that everyone stays healthy, hoping that there are no undetected conditions lurking inside. Their medical plan is basically whatever emergency room happens to be closest when illness or injury strikes. This is also the group most likely to declare medical bankruptcy or start a Go Fund Me page to pay for a necessary procedure or medications.

Now let’s talk about my group, the ones in the middle. We have decent health insurance with national coverage but no home base and no primary care provider. It used to be pretty easy visiting a new doctor. Prior surgeries? One or two. Medications? One. As I age, the list of both gets longer and I realize that the doctor is at a definite disadvantage not knowing my medical history. But sometimes that doesn’t really matter. Finding a good doctor can be tough. Imagine landing in a city with 500 doctors and you don’t know a single one. You can ask your neighbors and they’ll recommend someone, say they’re the greatest, without any knowledge of the other doctors. You can check Google reviews but the same applies there. It’s mostly folks who only have experience with the one doctor they’re rating. All this is leading up to my latest medical rant.

Mary needed reconstructive foot surgery. We checked with neighbors for recommendations. She checked Google reviews for specialists who accepted her insurance. She went in and had the surgery. I guess time will tell how successful it was but during that process I developed a foot problem and made an appointment with the same doctor. My problem was not easily diagnosable, even with X-rays. On the first visit he was very confident that all I needed was an insert. On the next visit, when he was going to provide the insert, we talked a little more and he revised his diagnosis. He thought the problem was caused by nerves from 2 very specific spinal discs and suggested I consult my regular doctor. Well, since he was very specific about spinal discs I made an appointment with a chiropractor. They weren’t very confident in his diagnosis but still thought they could help. After 2 appointments, I decided they couldn’t help and were just wasting my time and money (since they weren’t covered by insurance). So, more research and an appointment with a different podiatrist. He took his own X-rays and listened to my description of the problem, along with a physical exam. He actually said some things that made sense to me. My problem started shortly after I left Amazon last summer. While I was working at Amazon I was wearing composite toe shoes and from previous experience wearing them in a warehouse environment, I got a wider width than usual. After leaving there, I went back to wearing my regular width running shoes. He measured my feet and I found out the problem foot was slightly wider than the other foot. Three different doctors – four different opinions. We’ll see if the problem clears up with wider shoes.

So, why the title about Dr. Google? I know the medical community generally frowns on the use of Google to research your own medical issues. But sometimes you get a much better consensus from Google than actually visiting doctors, in much less time and no cost. As a functioning adult I can order labs just about anywhere in the country from Quest Diagnostics. As a travelling RVer, I can get many medications without a prescription and at low cost across the border in MX. Sure, I have to do a little more homework and get follow up labs at some point but that’s usually easier than trying to get a doctor appointment if you’re not already an established patient. Of course, none of this applies to emergency conditions or serious injuries. I really don’t feel like setting and splinting a broken bone on my own. But for everything else, Dr. Google is my first stop.

A Very Painful Goodbye

Back in May of 2007 I became acquainted with a stray cat at a campground in the middle of nowhere South Dakota. That cat came to be known as Dakota and crisscrossed the country several times with me. During her kitten phase, she would bite my toes while I was sleeping. She stopped that after only 2 or 3 flying lessons. During her adult phase, she would fearlessly walk up to strange dogs to introduce herself. She never once caught a squirrel but she never stopped trying. In the first 5th wheel, she would jump on the sink in the bedroom, in the middle of the night, and whine until I turned the cold tap on for her to drink out of. She outlasted 2 wives and a few serious relationships. When it was allowed, she was an outdoor cat, doing what outdoor cats love to do. When I discovered that she’d lost quite a few teeth, she became an indoor cat. Eventually, she even became a lap cat although I didn’t think that would ever happen. She crossed over the rainbow bridge peacefully the afternoon of 7/6/23. I may get another rescue cat in the future but I’m not sure I’ll ever have a better cat.

And last but not least, Dakota the watch cat.

Another “exciting” trip

It was nice leaving the RGV without a strict timetable. I had stops planned for a nice, leisurely drive up to Indiana. Our first stop was just outside Austin TX, checking a new possible winter destination. And that’s where things started to go wrong.

The campground was waaaay off the beaten path. During the last mile of the drive to the gate there was a narrow section of road with trees close on either side, and a pickup truck coming from the other direction. Silly me. I assumed that the trees would’ve been trimmed properly for big RVs. We didn’t feel or hear anything during that 50 yard stretch. After registering at the campground, I stood on their porch and looked down at the RV and thought ‘Why is my antenna upside down and 20 feet back from where it should be?’

We pulled into the site and got set up before I ventured onto the roof. The King Jack antenna would need to be replaced, along with 2 vent caps. Fortunately, the air conditioning shrouds and the exhaust vent covers were all OK. I didn’t see any other damage on the walk around so I felt pretty good that it was so minor and I could do all the repairs. There was an RV dealer nearby that had an antenna but it was much more expensive than what I’d seen online so we lived without live TV for a few days.

On to our next stop for a 2 night stay and I discover another issue. The main awning won’t go out. Oh! The motor cover got torn off by that nasty group of trees and all the wires were disconnected. After looking at it for awhile I could tell something else was missing but was able to connect the power wires and get the awning to extend. Of course, I had to reverse the wires to retract it. Back online for more research and found the missing part. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something typically stocked by RV dealers so that would have to go on the back burner for a few days. But there was one other bonus. As I’m walking around the RV I notice a crack in the corner of the kitchen slideout box. Wonderful! This is the very heavy slide so that’s just not good news.

We decide to keep driving and just extend the kitchen slide partially until repairs can be made. Driving through Arkansas we bypass a planned stop so we can spend an extra day camped on the Mississippi River. Enroute we stop at a Camping World just outside of Little Rock for a replacement antenna. It listed for $199 in the store but at the register I showed them their online advertised price of $140 and they honored that price. We spent 3 nights on the shores of the Mississippi River, watching barges go up and down the river and visiting with one of Mary’s old friends. Oh, and making repairs on the roof. At least the weather was nice while we were there and we found a nearby Dairy Queen.

On to our last stop before visiting family in Indiana. It was a very small RV park in the middle of Illinois and I don’t think they ever decided what kind of park they wanted to be. From the name and size, they were just supposed to be an unattended, overnight, no frills stop. Then they started adding amenities and a rule that you had to change sites after 2 weeks. Either way, it was convenient.

We made it to Cedar Lake IN the next day. This would be a water/electric site for a week but a very short drive to visit Mom and sis so we dealt with the shower house. First stop was for Chicago hot dogs. Man they tasted good after so long without. Italian beef sandwiches and gyros were a couple of days later. It was also time to make reservations at https://shipshewanatradingplace.com/rv I’d visited them a few years ago with slide cable issues and they fixed me up right on my site. This time I was already thinking something more catastrophic that would require us to drop the RV off for weeks.

We arrived at Shipshewana and the RV tech came out to look at the crack before we parked. Remarkably, he remembered me from my previous visit. Not my name, but my face and the problem. He thought it was more cosmetic than structural but also noticed a broken cable. OK, I thought, I’ve replaced those myself. We got setup on the site with 2 slides extended and I got a better look at the broken cable, and the wall around it. At that point I was back to thinking major, very expensive repair. Stopped at the office and their service schedule was booked out at least a couple of weeks. I couldn’t stay on my site that long due to previous bookings for Memorial Day and rallies. They talked to the tech again and he came to the site for another look. It was bad but not catastrophic. He could come out after hours (Friday) and start reinforcing that corner. Whew! We started running into problems with the cable replacement and he called a stop for the night, and also called a factory rep to assist him the next morning. The Norco/BAL factory rep was a real wizard with cables. We both learned a lot from him. That left a few more minor issues, which were taken care of in the bay on Monday. While waiting for that, I finished repairs on the awning with parts that had just arrived the day before. All told, we didn’t miss a night of sleep in the RV and the repairs were under $1k.

We also got to visit the RV museum in Elkhart and a number of Amish shops right here in Shipshewana. It seems like the Amish are embracing E-bikes. They’re not as prevalent as the buggies and horses but still noticeable. It really is an interesting area and we’ll have to come back sometime when we don’t need repairs.

While all the repairs were going on, I was also looking for my next Amazon job. I really didn’t expect to have any problems with this since they have such a high turnover rate. The first place I wanted ran out of openings AND had ridiculously high RV site rents nearby. Second place had no openings. I expanded my search and found another possibility that I applied for. The first appointment would require us to leave here 2 days early but, again, we couldn’t find a monthly site nearby. I withdrew that application and applied elsewhere. Almost had to withdraw that one but finally found a park with monthlies. Hopefully, this will work out for a few months to replenish the bank account.

Email Problems

I created a separate area for computer stuff but decided to add this in the regular blog since it’s more likely to affect traveling RVers.

This particular problem certainly won’t impact everyone but if my hard-earned knowledge helps a few folks then it will be worth the effort.

A little background might be helpful. When I started fulltiming there were still many people using AOL (I was NOT one of them). Other folks got their email address from whatever local Internet Service Provider they paid to get connected to the internet (via dial up modem). Since I would be traveling all over the country, this presented a problem. I could either establish an account with a national provider (and change my primary email address) or dial long distance to connect with my local provider to keep my email address. I chose the first option. I purchased a hosting package with a national provider, created a new primary email address and got a few other options, like this web page. I still had to worry about connectivity wherever I went but that problem went away as WiFi became more readily available. Since there would be times when I didn’t have Internet access, I chose to use a local email client so all my emails would be stored on my computer instead of a remote mail server. This system has worked well for over 15 years.

So what’s the problem now? Well, a few months ago we were in an area that had T-Mobile Home Internet. We signed up and it was great. Just $50 a month for blazing fast Internet. Only one piece of equipment to plug into an outlet. When we were ready to leave, we decided to keep the account active until we got to our next location. Bonus! It also worked great at our new location. We had much better bandwidth than with the RV park WiFi. Life was good….until it wasn’t.

I hadn’t made any configuration changes to my email but all of a sudden my outgoing emails started getting blocked by a spam protector. I went through their remediation process and emails started flowing again. Then they started getting blocked again. This time the spam company recommended I make a specific configuration change. That sent me on a wild goose chase that lasted hours. The actual problem was the IP address being provided to me by T-Mobile Home Internet. Someone else had abused that address previously and got it blacklisted.

I can’t force T-Mobile to do anything but I have options again. I can still send email through my webmail instead of the local email client. Or, I can connect through a different WiFi and still use Thunderbird. I may even be able to reboot the Home Internet box to try to get a new IP address assigned. I’ll test that later.

UPDATE: The reboot of the Home Internet box worked. I got assigned a new public IP address that was not on a block list. Ain’t DHCP grand? Also, even though this article talks about T-Mobile Home Internet I suspect it could also apply to RVers using Starlink.

Bad luck or charmed life?

We left the PNW allowing plenty of time to get to Houston TX, with good reason as it turns out. We made it precisely 110 miles down the road before pulling into a rest area and noticed smoke rising from the front driver’s wheel well. It didn’t take long to figure out that the brake caliper had seized. I tried taking the tire off to see if I could free the caliper but one of the lug nuts refused to budge past a certain point. Good Sam Roadside Assistance to the rescue. Despite a few miscommunications a very large tow truck arrived a few hours later. We had already reserved a spot at a nearby RV park and Good Sam set up an appointment for us at a nearby Dodge dealer. After a 3 day delay (and new rotors, calipers and pads on the front axle) we were back on the road.

It’s amazing (or not) how much you pay attention to every little sound driving down the road after repairs. Just hoping that nothing else is going to rear its ugly head. But it didn’t. All the way through Oregon, Idaho and into Utah. We rolled the dice on the Hill AFB FamCamp without reservations, mainly hoping for somewhere with great WiFi for a paid interview with User Testing. Well, we got a site for 3 nights and had 2 days before the interview. Naturally, I looked for a Chinese buffet and found a very good one. But while driving through town I noticed some vibration coming from the truck. Damn!! Bright and early Monday morning I drove into town to get it looked at. Surprisingly, they were able to start troubleshooting immediately. The mechanic took it for a short test drive and put it on a lift as soon as he got back. More bad news. The driveshaft was on its last leg. Their first call for a replacement part was the nearby Dodge dealer, where they were informed that the part had been discontinued. They finally tracked one down but it would be several days before it arrived. As I type this, we’re still waiting.

More money for repairs. Bad news. More delay. Bad news. Finding the problems without major accidents? Charmed life. Being in a very safe RV park with full hook ups and shopping within walking distance while we wait? Charmed life. With any luck, the charm will continue and the repairs will be made as quickly as possible and we’ll be on our way again soon.

Random Thoughts from the PNW

For those who don’t travel much, PNW is the Pacific NorthWest. I’m on my fourth visit to the PNW, third in an RV. Sometime last year, I spotted a campground ad looking for help over the summer and, after some discussion, Mary and I applied for and got the jobs. It looked like fairly easy duty and enough time off to explore the area.

Well, next time, I should probably check Google maps a little better. The initial plan was to spend a lot more time hiking in Olympic National Park. It looked very doable last year but now that we’re here, the driving times are somewhat excessive. This week we planned a trip to the Hoh Rain Forest to get my free veteran’s pass and hike a couple of short trails. Well, besides a 2 hour drive to get there it was the middle of the day and the line of cars to get to the visitor’s center was one and a half hours long. So we turned around and drove another hour plus to the Port Angeles visitor’s center where we were in and out in about 3 minutes. Bonus: Asian Buffet in Port Angeles and a short waterfall hike nearby.

For several months I’ve been reading about the heat wave covering much of the country. Here on the Pacific Coast of Central Washington, we haven’t had that problem. It’s rarely hit the 70s during the day and much chillier at night. At the end of July, the heat pump and a space heater still get daily use. But at least we’re not paying for electric.

And an unexpected bonus. Washington is well known for its apple orchards. A few years ago I became acquainted with a variety called Super Cosmic Crisp. In most parts of the country they’re very expensive. Around here I’ve been able to find them on sale at different stores for $0.99 a pound!! For those of you who haven’t tried them, they’re just as sweet as Honey Crisp but much denser. A good sized Cosmic Crisp can almost be a meal by itself.

And now I have to edit because I forgot all about my bicycle rides. First, it’s great not dealing with high temps while riding. Second, it’s way better than road riding in Texas. Down there I always, always, always had to worry about loose dogs charging me. I had to work on my balance down there so I could keep riding and swing a bicycle lock cable at the same time. Here in Washington the few barking dogs I’ve encountered have been behind fences and closed gates. Maybe as a byproduct of that, there are lots of deer roaming the streets in town (bucks, does and fawns). Today I unexpectedly spooked a black bear. He was very close to the road edge and either heard or saw me approaching. As I passed him he was heading further into the brush, very loudly and quickly.

12 Days, 3000 Miles

Another long trip is in the books. Over the winter in the RGV, I’d done repairs on both the RV and the truck and we were just hoping for an uneventful trip. HA! said the universe.

It started out well enough. On the first day northbound, I thought there might be a problem with the inverter (necessary to keep the refrigerator running while traveling). By the second day I was 100% certain. After checking breakers and fuses, Mary started calling around to find a new inverter. We found a few places that would work, for a cost of around $200. We made it to our second overnight stop and had to make a decision about the inverter. During the long drive, I had plenty of time to think and finally recalled a similar problem I had a few years ago with the inverter. When we got to the RV park, I completely disconnected the battery connected to the inverter, waited a minute or two, then reconnected it. Lo and behold, the inverter was working again. $$$ and time saved.

On we drove, ever westward. Going across New Mexico on I-40 we started hearing an unusual noise while braking. By the time we got to our scheduled casino RV park stop, it was very noticeable. We’d stopped early enough to start looking for a mechanic. Google is really great but sometimes the listings are real outdated. I called 3 or 4 nearby mechanics. I got voice mail for one and dutifully left a message (they never called back). One said they were very busy but he would check with his boss and call me back (he never did). The others came up with invalid numbers. By that time, most businesses were closed. I started looking further away, at a Dodge dealer, and settled on that for my last resort option. I also looked a little closer at the maps and found a few more options in a nearby town. Early the next morning, I called a small shop and they could see me right away. Within 2 minutes of arriving at the shop, me and my truck were on a lift. They’d pinpointed the problem and I had new front brake pads installed in under 30 minutes at a very reasonable price. We did a quick restock at Walmart and stayed another night at the casino just to rest up a little more.

While driving towards Albuquerque the next day we decided to skip one stop in Arizona. Between the price of diesel and the wind direction, it just wasn’t worth it. We did, however, stop at a small native American owned trading post (with RV park) long enough to tour the Grand Canyon for a day and enjoy a couple of good meals in their restaurant.

Now we’re heading northwest, over halfway to our final destination. Made it to our next stop in Utah without problems, although we were getting tired of the monotonous scenery. Because of the short driving day, we unhitched the truck to get some cheaper diesel and a local pizza. This particular park was mostly full of permanent RVers, much like many of the parks we’d stopped at. Getting out of the spot required some thought and consideration but we made it without any scratches. Then about 2 hours later a passing car notified us that we had a problem. Pulled over quickly at the end of an on ramp and walked around the RV. Well, halfway around. That’s all it took to notice a broken spring hanger and 2 tires touching each other. This was the same spring hanger that just got rewelded in San Antonio last December. Good Same Roadside Assistance was worthless in this situation. I Googled mobile welders and found one nearby (in Ogden) who responded immediately. Looks like he did an excellent job welding the hanger and even stayed to help me reattach the leaf spring. His price was very reasonable and we made it to our next scheduled stop without losing a day.

This should have been our last 1 night stay prior to arrival at our summer gig. We were all looking forward to fully setting up and settling in. We were heading north in Washington when we noticed another strange sound, this one coming from the transmission area. I just had the clutch and flywheel replaced a couple of months ago in Texas so this came as a real surprise. We had to backtrack about 20 miles to a Dodge dealer. After inspecting underneath the truck, they couldn’t definitively diagnose the problem further than a fluid leak. I found a nearby RV park that had room for us and setup there for a night with plans to return to the dealership when they opened the next morning to at least fix the leak. Dropped off the truck the next morning and while walking back to the RV park got another call from them. They admitted a mistake in the source of the leak, needed to order another part that would arrive the next day. That part was the most expensive repair of the trip but it arrived early enough in the day for the truck to be ready to go by noon. They also advised me that the guy in the RGV did NOT install all the parts he charged me for. I’m fighting over that now.

Anyway, after 12 days and 3000 miles, we finally made it safely to Copalis Beach Washington where we’ll settle in until the fall.

Can we just skip December in the future?

Sure, we’d miss out on Christmas and New Year’s Eve but the last two Decembers have been kind of brutal to me.

In 2020 I was traveling from Kentucky to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I think I had 3 stops planned enroute before getting to my winter park. I made it to the first stop without any problems but when I left the next day only made it about 10 or 12 miles down the road before another driver flagged me down. I pulled over at an exit ramp and he was kind enough to stop on the shoulder to explain what he noticed. He was smelling burning rubber. I didn’t see any smoke as I pulled over but looked very closely at the tires anyway. One of the spring hangers had broken at the weld and the axle had shifted just enough for the tires to rub.

Well, it was early in the day and I was near a major city so it shouldn’t be a big problem. I called my roadside assistance and requested a mobile welder. About an hour later they called back, said they couldn’t find one, and I was on my own. I spent a few hours calling around and the best I could manage was a welder about 2 hours away who could make it the next morning. Wonderful! I was just getting settled into the truck for an overnighter on the shoulder of the interstate when someone tapped on my window. It was a state trooper who had noticed me earlier in the day. I walked back to his patrol car as he was explaining he knew a guy. Within a few minutes he had a tow service on the phone that just happened to have a mobile welder. Within an hour, a temporary weld was finished and I had a recommendation for a local welder to do a more permanent repair.

I made a slow, safe drive to a nearby RV park and settled in for a couple of nights. The next day was Sunday so I left a voicemail for the welder just to get on his radar. I also drove to his shop to make sure the 5th wheel could get in and out. On returning to the RV park I found the welder checking out the RV. We talked for a few minutes and made plans for the first thing Monday morning. The repairs took a little longer than anticipated so I spent another night in north Alabama

The next day I made it to Louisiana without problem and spent a restful night in an RV park. On the road again the next day, for about 100 miles. I pulled into a truck stop for fuel and walked around the RV to check things out. The first thing I noticed was a tire going flat. Then I noticed that 2 of the tires were closer together than they should’ve been. I pulled into the parking area and discovered a broken leaf spring. After the last experience with GEICO roadside assistance, I opted to start looking on my own. There was a trailer repair just 2 miles away. I could make that if I was real careful. I gave them a call and explained my situation. Unfortunately, it was the last week of December and they had no room on the schedule to squeeze me in. They did give me a number for mobile RV tech. The tech was also slammed but found time for me, at the end of the day. While waiting for him, I put the spare tire on and made reservations at the nearest RV park and found a local tire shop to get the flat repaired the next day. Sometime after dark, repairs were finished and I got some shuteye. Early the next morning I was the first one in line at the tire shop and was back on the road by 10.

I was very leery for the rest of the drive, especially when a trucker in Texas signaled that I needed to check the back of the RV. I pulled onto a nice wide shoulder immediately and checked everything very closely but didn’t see any problems. I continued down the road and remembered that I hadn’t retorqued the wheel after changing the spare. I took care of that at the next exit. There were a couple of lug nuts slightly loose. To this day, I still don’t know if he noticed a slight wobble or if it was something else. I finally made it to my winter home without any more problems.

So in December 2021 I was heading back to the Rio Grande Valley but this time the starting point was north Texas. I had just finished a warehouse gig outside of Fort Worth and we decided to sightsee and relax for a couple of weeks before heading down to our winter spot. One of our sightseeing spots was San Antonio. I had a spot reserved on Ft. Sam Houston for a week. Having stayed there before I knew all the sites were fairly level and had big concrete pads. A perfect spot to be on my back under the RV installing a wet bolt kit upgrade for the suspension. That would require all 4 tires being removed so before the slides went out I went around the RV breaking all the lug nuts so it would be easier getting them off while I was squatting under slideouts. The plan was to do one side at a time. I started on the street side and got the tires and equalizer off pretty quickly. Then the problems started. I had to make an extra trip to the auto hobby shop at Lackland AFB to punch out 2 brass bushings. That threw off the schedule by a few hours. It was late in the day when I finally got to the last spring hanger – and found that weld broken. Damn!! Start searching for another mobile welder on Sunday. I contacted one and he was ready to come out right then. In retrospect I should have taken him up on that even though his Sunday rates were higher. Since it wasn’t an emergency though I deferred until Monday morning. We coordinated on the phone and I sat back to wait for him. And wait. And wait. And wait. I started texting him and got no response so I continued my search. Found a big truck shop with a mobile welder and they quoted me a price. It was kind of high but I felt trapped. They agreed to send someone out and I waited again. And waited. And waited. Called them back and they confessed that they wouldn’t be able to help me. Not that day, not the next day, or the day after. I spent the next 2 days calling every possible welder I could find. Finally found one from a nearby town who actually showed up and did the work – the day before we were scheduled to leave. He welded the hanger back on and I finished the upgrade on that side of the RV. By that time I didn’t even consider trying the other side. Just buttoned up the street side and boogied down the road the next morning.

For about 100 miles. On US 281 south, in the middle of nowhere I heard a pop that could only be a blowout. Quickly pulled onto the shoulder and walked around the RV. I was NOT prepared for what I saw. Both wheels on the curb side were missing and all the lug studs were sheared off. I immediately realized what happened. I’d forgotten to tighten the lug nuts on that side before leaving San Antonio after a week of frustration. Time to call roadside assistance again, this time it was Good Sam. They wanted to send a tow truck even after I insisted on a mobile mechanic. Fortunately the tow company they found called me first before responding. They sent someone with mechanical abilities but not a lot of tools. I had the tools and jacks. While he was shopping for new studs and lug nuts, I backtracked and found one of the tires. The other had been completely demolished but I had a good spare. Late that afternoon we were able to continue our trip with an overnight stop at the nearest RV park.

The next morning as we were preparing to leave Mary smelled something like burning wires and we had several dead outlets. After determining nothing was actually burning I decided to pull out for the remaining 2 hour drive to our final destination. We arrived without further incident and got backed into a tight spot. Later that day the electrical problems became more pronounced. It would take a few more days of troubleshooting but what Mary smelled that morning was a capacitor frying itself inside the converter. Since we were on a full hookup site for several months I had the luxury of time and a plugged in battery charger to keep things running until I figured that out.

Slowly but surely I’m tackling the repairs and projects but I’m really, really, really glad that December is over. Maybe in 2022 I’ll just hunker down somewhere for the entire month.

Let’s talk water pressure

No, not the pressure you get when you’re hooked up to city water. I’m talking about water pressure when you’re using your freshwater tank and water pump. Many RVers abhor using their water pump because the pressure is just not satisfactory.

My 2017 Open Range didn’t have a very good water pump from the factory. I can’t even remember the brand/model because it failed in the first year. I talked to the manufacturer and quickly rejected their offer to take it to the nearest dealer for replacement. As a full-timer who’s gotten fairly handy with tools, I felt a replacement would be well within my capabilities. They ultimately agreed so I purchased a new water pump and got reimbursed for it. When I chose it I really didn’t go top of the line since I rarely boondock. It was sufficient for the infrequent overnight in a rest area while traveling but certainly nothing to write home about.

Fast forward 3 years and that water pump failed. For the record, it was a Shurflo model 4028, 2.3 gallons per minute (gpm). How did I find out when it failed? Freezing temps. The kind where you fill the freshwater tank and disconnect your outside hose to prevent frozen hoses and filters. I started the water pump and just got a fast trickle from the faucet. Fortunately, I was in a decent size city with quick access to RV parts. Off I went in search of a replacement. This time I decided to spend more in hopes of much better water pressure when needed and hopefully longer lasting.

I bought a Remco 55 AquaJet, rated at 5.3 gpm. Swap out was simple but since it was a bit bigger than the last one I had to make some new holes when screwing down the base. The first test was a roaring success. I really couldn’t tell the difference between the water pump and city water. It came with a 2 year warranty so I’m hoping it lasts at least 6 years.

An unexpected propane lesson

A few months ago, I realized that the valve on one of my 20 lb propane cylinders would only turn fractionally. Of course, I discovered this shortly after I filled it. I started checking into valve replacements and soon realized that it would be more cost effective to just get a new cylinder. While exploring different options, I reconnected the cylinder in the RV. Surprise!! It opened just enough for gas to flow so I could at least get use of the existing propane.

When the cylinder finally ran out of propane, I headed down to the nearest L&M Fleet Supply store for a new cylinder. As luck would have it, they were right next door to a Tractor Supply that could purge and fill the tank. And that’s where the unexpected lesson took place.

I’ve been a certified propane dispenser for a few years, with actual training from the state of FL, so I was familiar with the purging requirement for new cylinders. Well, things have changed over the last few years and this cylinder had a sticker on it that said it had already been vacuum purged. Great! One less thing to do. The guy from TSC hooked up the hose and started pumping propane. At any other time, I would have insisted that he open the spit valve for safety reasons but since this was a brand new cylinder I let him proceed. Lo and behold, the OPD (overfill protection device) on this brand new cylinder did NOT work. He put over 5 gallons of liquid propane in that cylinder before shutting off the pump himself. Under normal circumstances, the OPD would have cut off around 4.8 gallons (max). So in this instance, bypassing normal safety procedures alerted me to a faulty OPD on a brand new cylinder. The propane guy bled off excess propane and I made arrangements with L&M Fleet Supply to replace the cylinder. When I got the replacement I was sure to ask the guy to leave the spit valve closed to check the OPD.