Friday, December 30, 2016

Just when I thought things were going good

Friday, December 30, 2016

Just when I thought things were going good, it all fell apart.  Last night after writing my blog, I turned on the Inverter to charge my computer and phone and nothing happened. 

I went outside to the inverter compartment and found that it was beeping with an error code.  While, looking at that, I could smell propane.  The propane tank is next to the inverter compartment. 

Crawled under the MH with a flashlight and could hear leaking propane and when checking the tank found all the propane I had just put in it earlier in the day was nearly gone.  Turned off the inverter and the propane tank and called it a day.

The starter on my generator wasn’t working when I left home.  I was planning on getting it fixed while out in the south west, so now I just have more things to fix.

Now I have no electricity for my computer and phone, and no propane for the fridge and stove.  What a bummer.  I was feeling so bad, I contemplated just turning around and driving the 1100 miles back home and forgetting the whole thing.  Decided to sleep on it.

Got up this morning feeling better and decided to just keep on going West.  After checking the air in my tires again, I headed out at 7 A.M., planning to get to Deming New Mexico early in the day and think about things.

First stop was Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Dolly and I stayed there overnight last year and loved the beautiful mountains.

The fog was coming in and out.  At times I  could see nearly everything, then the fog would roll back in and I could not see the mountains at all.

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I took many photos, but have to restrict the number I put on the blog.

After walking around a bit, the fog came in and covered the whole area and I could see nothing.  It was time to go down the mountain and head toward El Paso.  The elevation where I am is 4596 feet.

You can see how foggy it got as I was heding down the mountain.

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El Paso is 110 miles straight ahead.

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Here is I-10 going through the Franklin Mountains West of El Paso.  These are the toughest of the whole trip.  You go up forever and my poor MH was having a hard time pulling that Jeep; but we made it.

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Went through an inspection station, checking for illegal aliens.  They didn’t find any.

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Finally, arrived at my destination of the Walmart in Deming, New Mexico.  This is the third time I have stayed here. 

I did a little playing with the inverter and found that if I run an extension cord out the window and plug it directly into the inverter, I can charge my computer and phone batteries without throwing an error code. 

That tells me something is wrong with the main plug wire and not the inverter.  One problem solved for the time being.  I’ll look at the propane leak tomorrow.  In the meantime, I will put ice in the fridge and call it an icebox.

Have a nice New Year’s Eve tomorrow.  See you later.

11 comments:

  1. Sure know how you felt when you said "I was feeling so bad, I contemplated just turning around and driving the 1100 miles back home and forgetting the whole thing". Kelly and I have had those moments as well and probably me more than her. Sleeping on it is always a good idea and it's sometimes amazing how better one can feel in the morning and tackling the problem with a freshened mind.  Been a few years since we've been through Demming. Keep up the good work and enjoy your travels.

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    1. I'm glad I kept going. In Tucson till I get things fixed I hope. Been feeling down so far leaving Dolly and Fergie behind and all these problems don't help. Thanks for the encouraging words.

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  2. I'm glad you're still on the road. I hope you can get everything up and running soon.

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  3. Oh the joys of owning an RV. Sleep is always a good cure for a foggy mind. Hope both fixes are easy ones and safe travels. Happy New Year.

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    1. Good to hear from you. I'm sure I'm not the only RVer to have problems. Thanks for the encouragement. Hope to see you at Bloggerfest.

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  4. So glad you did not retreat - the worst driving is behind you and the West is much more open - those photos in the Guadalupe NP are awesome - Yuma walking the path is one of the best ever ! It's a good thing inverter failed or you might have had a dangerous situation with propane leak. You've already diagnosed some of the problems and found a quick fix. Glad you just bought some ice and kept on rolling forward towards your desert adventures ! Travel Safe - Happy New Year !

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    1. Thanks Moonfly. I already feel better just getting to a warm place and have put a plan together. You have a Happy New Year too.

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  5. Sorry that you are having problems. Seems like they always come in threes. Best of luck.

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    1. Thanks Garth. I hope the good stuff comes in threes too. Have a Happy New Year.

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