Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Over the hump of problems?

Location:  Pilot Knob RV Resort, Winterhaven, California

I slept last night to the sounds of the food spoiling in my electric refrigerator with no electricity.  Is someone trying to tell me something or what?  

I did sleep well because I was so worn out I think.  Woke up around 8:30 after the sun which I always prefer.  During the night, I realized the box that wasn't working was a surge protector and not an inverter.  So, first thing I did was run out to see if there was a switch to reset it.  No such luck.  Must reset internally.

Got some thoughtful ideas in my comments about my refrigerator dilemma  and also thoughts on what the problem with no electricity might be.  A number of them were nearly right on with what the problem was.  Thank all of you so much for taking the time to give it some thought and respond.

One of my new readers, Jasper asked how to subscribe to my blog.  Not sure if this is the solution or not, but when I went to the blogger design settings I found a gadget that allows you to be notified by email when I make a posting to my blog.  I've added it to the top right column of my blog.  Give it a try if you like.  Thanks for the idea Jasper and welcome to the blog.

First thing this morning, I got a text from Ken saying he saw I had an electrical problem and if it was still a problem, let him know and he could take a look.  I couldn't type fast enough to let him know I'd be happy for him to come on down.

I had just called Foothills RV and made an appointment to take the White Lion in tomorrow at 4 o'clock.  Ken was down in no time flat with an electrical monitor and his electrical skills and common sense.  I lack in both those areas.

Ken could tell right away that the 50 amp connection cord was not put together properly.  I explained that I thought RV Lifestyles may have pulled the cord when moving the motorhome before I purchased it.  They were feverishly putting it together when I walked up to the motorhome for a walk through.

After checking the surge protector out and seeing that no current was going to it, Ken turned his attention to the plug and started unscrewing it to see what was inside.  This is what he found.
 
We were shocked!  Only one of the four wires was connected to a terminal.  It was amazing no one was electrocuted.  You can see the black markings of a short at the top of the casing.  In their haste to get the MH up and going with electricity, the maintenance man at RV Lifestyles had done a quick and dirty fix.

Ken spent a great deal of time getting the wires properly sized and fitted into the plug and screwed it all back into place.  Turned on the electricity and waited for the surge protector to go through its testing routine and voila, I now have electricity. 

That's twice now Ken has saved my bacon, or at least a lot of money.  Thank you Ken for your offer and for the results you produced.  I hope I can pass the good deed on down the line to someone else in need.

After Ken left, I got back to having a big breakfast.  Had four strips of bacon and two eggs.  Had to throw away the milk because it was rancid already.  I needed the food intake that's for sure.

For the remainder of the day, Yuma and I laid outside in the beautiful warm sunshine just enjoying the fact that all was right with the world once more.  At least for today anyway.  No promises for tomorrow.  :((  

As I relaxed though I did get one thing accomplished I had been wanting to do.  I mopped the dirty linoleum floors in the bathroom and living area.  They were so dirty from all the people that had traipsed through it while on sale.  Took all afternoon, but I was in no hurry and I enjoyed getting something accomplished, even though it was a small and simple something.

Yuma had  been a good boy all day, so late in the afternoon, after a big lunch, we took the Jeep to Knob Hill Mountain just South of us and let him run free for awhile.  I have to admit, I enjoyed getting back out to mother nature once again for a fresh breath of air too.  Almost got lost in all my little problems that really don't mean much in the larger scheme of things.

My Jeep down there and I-8 off in the distance.

Pilot Knob off in the distance.
Is that a mountain goat, I see!

Train and I-8 to the North.


Getting dark and time to go home.

Pilot Knob Mountains in the background.

Other than still feeling weak and having a small chest cough, I am doing much better in the cold department.  Thank goodness for that!  Get a big dinner tonight and a good night's sleep and tomorrow will be another great day in the Southwest sunshine!

See you later.



33 comments:

  1. Sure am glad things are finally looking up - except for the fridge situation. Hopefully, there will be no more big problems. Yuma looked amazing against the blue rocks. Enjoy the sunshine! And, many thanks to Ken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Dolly. Today does feel like a corner has been turned. At least I feel stronger, mentally and physically. That's a good thing.

      Delete
  2. Does Ken do house calls in SandyEggo? Nice find and fix, glad that all is now working. Also some nice pics of the desert and train in the middle of nowhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jeff. Sorry, but Ken told me today he's retired and enjoying the good life. And helping others to have a good life too! :))

      Delete
  3. Great to hear Ken was able to help you out! Sounds like everything is moving in the right direction! Looks warm and beautiful and that always helps too!😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being warm really does help. Being sick and rundown was a real strain because I need to do so much but just don't have the energy to do it. Ken was a great help when I really needed it. Feeling better everyday now. :))

      Delete
  4. Good that you got that plug problem solved without more severe symptoms! Hopefully things will level out for you. Gord.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true Gord. I'm glad there was a surge protector and there wasn't a fire. I'm already thinking things are coming together now.

      Delete
  5. You are so lucky ... you didn't catch fire and Ken was able to help out. Glad you have electricity!! There's nothing better than friends that will fix things up for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nancy. You're going to have to use that cowgirl charm of yours to get those projects done. :))

      Delete
  6. Yikes ! That electric plug looks scary - Ken is a godsend. I think you are exactly where you need to be for right now. 😎

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true Moonfly. Things are starting to come around and fall into place. Plus I'm feeling better and that makes everything else better.

      Delete
  7. YAY KEN!! Glad he was able to help you out! That plug was ridiculous! Thinking you won't be buying from RV Lifestyles again. Actually your blog has put it out there for a lot of people. How long are you staying at Pilot Knob? We are heading to that area later today. Not the RV park, but behind on the BLM. Hoping to see you, Yuma and the rest of the gang :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've heard lots of good things about RV Lifestyles and I'm just hoping my experience was just an unfortunate set of circumstances. I'm excited that you two are coming through this way. Yuma and I will be waiting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hoping to see you tomorrow for Happy Hour we were late today!

      Delete
    2. Glad you made it safely. Looking forward to this afternoon.

      Delete
  9. Glad you got the Electrical problem resolved. You should E-mail that picture to RV Lifestyles telling them that their fix did not hold up. You might end up with an in-store credit for the future.
    Hate losing food to problems like that.
    Be Safe and Enjoy some peace of mind.

    It's about time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rick. I need to talk to them about the events and let them know.

      Delete
  10. Ken is a life saver, maybe in all senses of the word in your case. Glad he could help. I know you have already started a list of things you found wrong within a day for when you call them.
    Im do glad you are feeling better, gives you a clear peaceful mind. Im sure Yuma enjoyed the outing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Patsy. Yuma was happy to get out and run and explore. Dolly tells me today is Yuma's seventh birthday. Time sure has flown sine I first met him. Very good day.

      Delete
  11. I agree with Rick. The dealer needs to be aware of the situation. They may not care but if your MH had caught fire....well, I don't want to think about that. As you know we were parked close to the mountain. I used to see people take their dogs out there to run loose. Maybe Yuma can find a friend to play with. Have an awesome day. And I'm so jealous you will get to see Ken and Shirley and I won't!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elva. I've been taking Yuma outside the fence daily so he can run and sniff around. Hoping to see Ken and Shirley while they are here.

      Delete
  12. Glad Ken was able to help solve your problem and you have electricity. More importantly thank goodness you never caught on fire. I must say it surprises Tom and I that RV Lifestyle would put our work like that. Our experience has always been that they take pride in their work. We both think you should make the owner aware; something tells us he would not be happy with the job his service person did.
    We are betting Yuma especially enjoyed his outing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Deb. I too was surprised. I'm trying to get the nerve up to call and talk to them and clear the air.

      Delete
  13. Next time,consider DRY ICE. And that plug looked like one that had just been yanked out by the cord. Too bad you didn't get a pix after the repair. How about a small 12v/propane freezer? you could make ice to keep the refrigerator cool while boondocking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a good idea Phil. I never have used dry ice before. This freezer thing needs to be resolved. Just not sure what the best solution is yet.

      Delete
  14. I'm glad Ken was able to help. Very nice to have someone else around that knows what they are doing. I'm glad you got away from everything and just relaxed with Yuma for a while.
    I personally wouldn't want a credit from them, I would want a refund. They didn't earn their money and actually cost you money and could have cost you a lot more money, and caused a fire. One would think they would have caught the tire problem, the dash board problem, the leak in the outer bay, and they would have fixed the cord properly. Their walk thru was laughable, she knew nothing except how to turn on the lights, taps and how to flush the toilet. I think they were in too big a hurry to get you out the door to bother with the work. I recall Jason is the owner, I think you should send him the photo of the plug and TALK TO HIM about the whole experience. Perhaps he doesn't know how shoddy the work is that goes on outside in the shop. If no one tells him, how will he know?
    Hopefully that's the last of the issues.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right Deb. There were several dangerous situations that they let pass and sent me on my way. The tires were major. They should have known those valve stems were leaking as it sat in their lot for all those months. I think I owe it to me and them to talk to Jason.

      Delete
  15. As mentioned in a previous comment we too ran into a nightmare deal when we bought our Chevy Sunseeker in Quartzsite years ago. Maybe there's something in January's Quartzsite water!! When we finally located our rig in Parker Arizona it was obvious somebody had been living in it and no paper work had been done. But that's another whole story for another time. Certainly does look they gave you the 'Bum's rush' at that dealership alright. No excuse for a faulty fuel gauge. leaky tire, a leak, that dangerous electrical job, and any other problems you may yet discover. Very upsetting when one trusts people and that trust is not forthcoming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true Al. I tend to trust that people will be upfront, but not sure if this was the case here. I still have no regrets with buying it just didn't need the stress of working through the problems. Oh well! Live and learn.

      Delete