Sippie (Nosey Neighbor) finds this all so DULL!I haven’t been blogging regularly, but there are many reasons why…including the Basset Hound Nationals, side trips and fun outings, resting up from all that, work in the mobile office, and a few dramatic moments with the motorhome, which we call La Casita. This is a catch up entry, ‘kay?
On the morning of our third day out Eddie was in his birthday suit and ready to jump into the shower when, once again, I heard him exclaim “Oh Crap!”
Apparently there was no hot water…so he got dressed, checked the water heater, and quickly called our friend John, our electronics guru, for both tech support and moral support. John lives 10 minutes away from where we were staying and came over right away….bless his heart! The men quickly determined that it was a failed safety sensor on the hot water regulator. Fortunately, they found a new valve at the hardware store and by noon they had it installed and we had a working shower again. All was well.
Three days later we woke up in Washington on a Saturday morning to find that the coach was running on the inverter (battery power). Again, Eddie quickly got dressed, checked the shore power, the breakers, and finally the switch that transfers power from the generator to the batteries to shore power. It was FRIED and there was no John nearby!
Fortunately, considering it was a Saturday morning in a small town on Puget Sound, Eddie consulted the Yellow Pages and found an experienced, confident and creative young electrician (also a John…though it was a Sean…Irish for John) who was willing to come out that same afternoon and was able to re-route the power around the switch and get us back up and running. Another crisis averted!
In the meantime, Eddie called the Country Coach repair facility in Eugene, Oregon, to order a new power transfer switch. We then canceled our reservation at Outdoor Resorts on the Oregon coast in favor of fixing our electrical system. You don’t want to mess around with the wiring of a rolling home…trust me…it gets better!
On Thursday we left Washington and drove to Eugene. We pulled in at Carrier & Sons, hooked up, had a little dinner and prepared to get out of the rig at 8 am so they could put it in the bay and work on it.
On Friday morning we went out for an unusually early and quite delectable breakfast, did a little shopping and visited another RV repair, remodeling and restoration company in Eugene…the Oregon Motorcoach Company, which was highly recommended by our friends Tommy and June, also CC owners. We were given a tour of the new facility that was founded by the heirs and employees of Bob Lee, the founder of Country Coach, who sold his company in good faith before the CRASH of the RV industry. That’s another story….
While there, we met some of the folks who bought into the full-time RV dream and are living through the fall-out. I should say that I met a couple of them.
Three days later we woke up in Washington on a Saturday morning to find that the coach was running on the inverter (battery power). Again, Eddie quickly got dressed, checked the shore power, the breakers, and finally the switch that transfers power from the generator to the batteries to shore power. It was FRIED and there was no John nearby!
Fortunately, considering it was a Saturday morning in a small town on Puget Sound, Eddie consulted the Yellow Pages and found an experienced, confident and creative young electrician (also a John…though it was a Sean…Irish for John) who was willing to come out that same afternoon and was able to re-route the power around the switch and get us back up and running. Another crisis averted!
In the meantime, Eddie called the Country Coach repair facility in Eugene, Oregon, to order a new power transfer switch. We then canceled our reservation at Outdoor Resorts on the Oregon coast in favor of fixing our electrical system. You don’t want to mess around with the wiring of a rolling home…trust me…it gets better!
On Thursday we left Washington and drove to Eugene. We pulled in at Carrier & Sons, hooked up, had a little dinner and prepared to get out of the rig at 8 am so they could put it in the bay and work on it.
On Friday morning we went out for an unusually early and quite delectable breakfast, did a little shopping and visited another RV repair, remodeling and restoration company in Eugene…the Oregon Motorcoach Company, which was highly recommended by our friends Tommy and June, also CC owners. We were given a tour of the new facility that was founded by the heirs and employees of Bob Lee, the founder of Country Coach, who sold his company in good faith before the CRASH of the RV industry. That’s another story….
While there, we met some of the folks who bought into the full-time RV dream and are living through the fall-out. I should say that I met a couple of them.
Eddie was still touring the plant, discussing the mechanics, electronics and new flooring, while I was talking to Betty from Lubbock, Texas and Leilani from Honolulu, two of the ladies who were waiting for repairs on their motor homes. Leilani, whose Power Take Off (PTO) system had failed, found herself obliged to wait for three weeks for a replacement component, and was planning to leave her rig in Eugene, unhitch her tow car and find a vacation rental on the coast until she could head south. God bless her…I hope she gets out before it snows up here…this year the weather is so unpredictable.
Leilani was a real inspiration! She travels alone and DRIVES her 40 foot rig by herself. As I gazed at her in awe, she gave me one of those unique island hugs and told me that I could do it, too. Eddie happened to observe the tail-end of this conversation, smiling and shaking his head. Finally he told her, “You drive half an hour with Lisita and say that to me.” I admit, I’m a distracted driver. Even my own children have refused to ride with me since the day they earned their driver’s licenses.
Betty, probably more akin to me, told me that once she had driven 70 miles down Highway 10. (Try to imagine this conversation in a classic, warm, West Texas accent…I can’t write it but it is SO charming!) “It was straight, flat, and I even passed an 18-wheeler,” she said. But, she went on, “Still, when my husband told me to turn into the RV park, I prayed. I told God, if I make this turn I promise I will never sit down behind this wheel again.”
As bad drivers we bonded instantly. Betty and her husband Dan have a developed lot at Outdoor Resorts in Newport, exactly where we were planning to be today. She graciously gave me her address and phone numbers and told me that we could stay at their place next year if they don’t happen to be there. I actually hope they WILL be there…I’d love to catch up with her again!
This is so long…but here’s the grand finale…finally!
Our coach was repaired a little after lunchtime. I gave the doggie girls their last relief, we hooked up the tow car and we were off. We arrived at Seven Feathers RV Resort in Canyonville around 3:00 and were all set up about half an hour later when, again, I heard Eddie exclaim “Oh Crap!”
Actually, by now he’s progressed to more colorful expletives. He’s discovered we are on inverter power again. Fortunately, he’s still dressed, but the drill is the same. Check shore power connection, check breakers, call John (we’re blessedly close to John again) and then call the repair facility in Eugene to find out WTH is going on!
I tried to stay out of the way, took the dogs for a walk, watched Eddie and John run up and down and in and out of the rig, teleconference with the technician in Eugene, rewire and finally remove the GFI on the interior power outlet circuit, and FINALLY…we have full power again! Hail Mary!
Tomorrow morning the boys will go to the hardware store and replace the failed GFI and hopefully we’ll be golfing by 11 am. We’ll be here for four days, about the time the rainstorms are expected to come in…and then we’re off to Chico to celebrate Lila Blue’s first birthday.
I acknowledge that this was long, but I hope not dull. Believe it or not, I am actually LONGING for a dull moment at this point. Not really…but no further electrical adventures would be welcome and sweet.
Leilani was a real inspiration! She travels alone and DRIVES her 40 foot rig by herself. As I gazed at her in awe, she gave me one of those unique island hugs and told me that I could do it, too. Eddie happened to observe the tail-end of this conversation, smiling and shaking his head. Finally he told her, “You drive half an hour with Lisita and say that to me.” I admit, I’m a distracted driver. Even my own children have refused to ride with me since the day they earned their driver’s licenses.
Betty, probably more akin to me, told me that once she had driven 70 miles down Highway 10. (Try to imagine this conversation in a classic, warm, West Texas accent…I can’t write it but it is SO charming!) “It was straight, flat, and I even passed an 18-wheeler,” she said. But, she went on, “Still, when my husband told me to turn into the RV park, I prayed. I told God, if I make this turn I promise I will never sit down behind this wheel again.”
As bad drivers we bonded instantly. Betty and her husband Dan have a developed lot at Outdoor Resorts in Newport, exactly where we were planning to be today. She graciously gave me her address and phone numbers and told me that we could stay at their place next year if they don’t happen to be there. I actually hope they WILL be there…I’d love to catch up with her again!
This is so long…but here’s the grand finale…finally!
Our coach was repaired a little after lunchtime. I gave the doggie girls their last relief, we hooked up the tow car and we were off. We arrived at Seven Feathers RV Resort in Canyonville around 3:00 and were all set up about half an hour later when, again, I heard Eddie exclaim “Oh Crap!”
Actually, by now he’s progressed to more colorful expletives. He’s discovered we are on inverter power again. Fortunately, he’s still dressed, but the drill is the same. Check shore power connection, check breakers, call John (we’re blessedly close to John again) and then call the repair facility in Eugene to find out WTH is going on!
I tried to stay out of the way, took the dogs for a walk, watched Eddie and John run up and down and in and out of the rig, teleconference with the technician in Eugene, rewire and finally remove the GFI on the interior power outlet circuit, and FINALLY…we have full power again! Hail Mary!
Tomorrow morning the boys will go to the hardware store and replace the failed GFI and hopefully we’ll be golfing by 11 am. We’ll be here for four days, about the time the rainstorms are expected to come in…and then we’re off to Chico to celebrate Lila Blue’s first birthday.
I acknowledge that this was long, but I hope not dull. Believe it or not, I am actually LONGING for a dull moment at this point. Not really…but no further electrical adventures would be welcome and sweet.
Hasta pronto!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment