Repairs ... again!

It's a misconception to think if you own an RV, it's going to be a free, or even economical, means of travel. They cost money, a lot can go wrong, and repairs and maintenance can be expensive. I've sure had my share of those expenses. Part of the problem is the amount of time it sits in storage in the Arizona heat, part of it is my inexperience or ignorance, part is general wear and tear, and part is just plain bad luck. 

Take for instance when I took it into Walmart to have the oil changed. You might say it was my fault for not warning the pit crew that the end was long with a short wheel base, and to be careful when pulling it out of the bay so they didn't turn too sharp and bang up the back corner. Or you might say it was just bad luck. But yes, they did bang up the back corner, so then I had matching banged up back corners. We won't dwell on who banged up the opposite side earlier. Let's just move along. 

Fortunately, Walmart paid to repair the damage they had done, and it was probably cheaper to have both corners fixed at once, so I saved a little on my portion of the bill, too. I ordered the parts online and took it into Arizona RV Service to do the install and body work. 

I also had a "clunking" noise in the back end that I wanted diagnosed and repaired. The downside was it took eight weeks for them to diagnose a damaged bushing in the slide, order the parts for it and complete all the service! Luckily, I didn't have any big trips planned, other than wishing I could spend a few weeks in the New Mexico State Parks with Dale. 

I finally got it back in late August only to discover that my coach batteries were on their last legs. I decided it is probably time to buy a Lithium Ion battery and end all this battery trouble. At some point, I will add a solar panel to complete the worry free power delivery system.

After getting back from my September trip to Boise for Megan's wedding, I made a snap decision to load up my rig and drive up to the Mogollon Rim and join Dale for a week or so of cooler weather and getting re-acclimated to RVing. He was camped in a large spot on the rim near Woods Canyon, and I set up beside him. It commenced raining shortly after I got there, and continued for 2 1/2 more days until we finally packed up and drove down to a dispersed site near Rye. 

Mud puddles!

 It was much warmer there, possibly even a little too warm each afternoon. That lead to me turning on my A/C one day, only to discover it wasn't putting out any cool air. Richard says RV air conditioners are not built to add freon, and I likely need to replace it. Another big expense! ...sigh...

While we were in Rye, Dale set up his extra solar panel and small charge controller on my batteries, and it worked beautifully, delivering plenty of power to keep my dying batteries charged. It was enough to make me decide I'll be investing in a solar panel of my own the same time I replace the battery with a Li-Ion one. 

After another week in the Rye area making S'mores and chasing cows out of our campsite, I made my way back down the mountain and put Minnie back in the side yard. RVing is not free, but they say travel is the only thing you spend money on that makes you richer.

Ran out of chocolate bars, so tried peanut butter. Not bad!