Daily Archives: November 9, 2012
Two More Days . . .
Jan was on the 3rd day wind-down from a migraine so we just took it easy again today. She napped and read a little and I did some computer stuff.
I did come across a couple of neat Android apps. Actually both do the same thing. One is called Bathroom Finder and the other is called SitOrSquat.
Both show you where the nearest public restroom is. And if you know of one that isn’t in their database you can add it. You can also sort for things like Baby Changing Tables, etc.
SitOrSquat is sponsored by Charmin, so I guess they kind of have a vested interest in the whole thing. Check’em out. You never know when you might need it.
We have Direct TV in our coach with the East Coast/West Coast Network Stations, and I’ve noticed that lately we’ve started getting targeted commercials on some of the cable channels like TLC, H2, TNT, etc.
By targeted, I mean commercials that are local to our DirecTV billing address, in our case the Houston area. We’ve seen commercials for Houston car dealers, Houston restaurants, Galveston attractions, etc. And I’ve never seen any for businesses in other areas. Just the normal national ones. They’re getting so specific I expect them to call me by name any day now.
After lunch I started looking at another rig problem. When we got ready to leave for Gulf Shores the other day I discovered that my step will not retract. It doesn’t even try.
I discovered the problem right before we left when I went back outside after I had started the engine. I noticed that when I shut the door, the step didn’t retract.
If the engine is running and the door is closed, the step should retract. And then it should extend when the door is opened. Without the engine running it can be manually controlled by a switch by the door.
The step mechanism is pretty quiet and it’s hard to hear it run from inside with the engine running, so I wasn’t exactly sure when it started acting up.
So I downloaded the Kwikee Step manual from online, and after reading it over, went outside with my meter to take some voltages. Sliding under the rig, I found that there wasn’t really a problem with the step itself. There was no 12V coming to it.
Going to my coach manuals I found there are two fuses that feed power to the step mechanism, and they’re located in . . . the Battery Control Center. The Battery Control Center that I’m already having problems with. Checking the fuses I found they weren’t blown, there was just no voltage going to the fuses. Part of the buss inside the BCC was dead.
And now I knew when the step started acting up. It died when the BCC started acting up Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Oct 31st/Nov 1st. while we were parked at the Cane 9 Creek RV Park in Heflin, AL.
I know when it died because it was all working when we parked. I shut the engine off while I was registering and it started back up fine. And the step came out. Then there was some confusion about which site we were going to, and after parking the first time, I cranked up and moved again. So it work then. And after I finally parked, the step came out.
And it was still working at that point, otherwise the step wouldn’t have extended. This means that the BCC died sometime during the night, since when I turned the key the next morning it didn’t work. And I didn’t notice that the step wasn’t working then.
So it seems I don’t have two problems, just one – the BCC.
Monday I’ll give the tech that American Coach recommended a call and see what he thinks. I may end up not doing anything with it until we get back to Houston. I will however do some temporary wiring so I can retract and extend the step until then.
Since Jan was now feeling a lot better, she decided she wanted some charred red meat, so we drove up to the mall on the north side of the canal to have dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse.
I think I’ve pretty much decided that this is my favorite chain steakhouse, better than Outback or Texas Roadhouse. More consistently a better piece of meat, and they always manage to sear it so that the edges are burnt crispy-crunchy.
Jan had the Flat Iron Steak and I had the Bone-In Outlaw Ribeye. Both really, really good.
BTW, why is it OK to gnaw on the bones when you’re eating ribs, fried chicken, or chicken wings, but people look at you funny when you pick up your steak bone and get the last of the meat off.
I didn’t do it, but I sure wanted to. But then Jan would have given me “The Look”. And every married guy knows what “The Look” means.
After that great meal we drove across the parking lot to Books-A-Million. Didn’t find any books, but I did see this shirt. Figured it might help Nick if he wore it while trying to cross high bridges. Maybe Terry could sing it to him.
Course he might need something other than a ‘Medium’.
The “Two More Days” in this blog title refers to how many actual travel days we have left for this year. A week from tomorrow we will head for Galveston Bay RV Park with a stopover in Breaux Bridge, LA for the night.
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Thought for the Day:
Government Health Care:
The efficiency of the DMV –
The customer service of the Post Office –
And the compassion of the IRS.
What could be better?
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