Our RV Adventures

I spent the morning working on the Kwikee step on our rig. Jan reminded me yesterday that when we stopped at Monterey’s Little Mexico for lunch when we traveled from the Colorado River Thousand Trails down to Galveston Bay RV, the step wasn’t  retracting. So I slid under the rig to take a look at it.

The first thing I discovered is that the motor is not even trying to run, so the next  thing I did was to pull the pin that connects the motor drive to the step in case the step mechanism was jammed, but that didn’t help.

So I dug out my voltmeter so I could check the 12v coming in to the system. I was hoping that it was something simple like a blown fuse or something, but the 12v was good.

Next up,  I checked the magnetic door switch while I had Jan open and close the door while I measured the voltage, and once again it was good.

I didn’t like the way this was headed. I had now eliminated the cheap, easy to fix, stuff. The only things left were the not cheap, motor and the control box. But I would have to wait to test those, since I needed some heavier wires to drive the motor. I pick some up this evening.

Next on my list was a problem with my bin doors. Our rig has two different types: First are swing-up doors like this,

and the others are flip-up doors like this.

The swing-up doors are not a problem. You pull them out and up and the gas struts hold them in place with no problems. But the flip-up doors are another deal.

The plastic wedges that lock the doors in place have become worn down over the years, and sometimes on a rough road,  the chassis twists and the doors pop open. Which means I have to stop and close them. And sometimes stuff falls out. Which is a pain.

I looked at replacing the wedges with new ones, but that requires drilling out rivets, and a lot of other work. So I decided to go with cheap, simple, and quick. And it looks like this.

These screen door hook & eye latches cost 98 cents, and after drilling two pilot holes, it just takes a couple of minutes to screw them in. And they can’t be seen unless you’re down on your knees close by. Like I said, cheap, simple, and quick.

Next, since I had a little more time before we had to leave for dinner, I started masking the front bumper area so I can paint it when (and if) the wind dies down.

We’ll see.

Jan wanted to have our Valentine’s Day dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse up in Webster, so we headed out about 3:45pm, hoping beat the crowd. A forlorn hope, as it turned out.

We got there about 4:15, but didn’t get seated until almost 5pm. But it was really worth the wait.

My bone-in Outlaw Ribeye was probably the best steak I’ve had in recent memory. Or distant memory either. It was done a perfect medium-rare, without a tough bite in it.

It was charred around the edges just like I like it, and at 18oz (counting the bone, of course) it was the perfect size.

Jan said her center-cut filet was perfectly done for her, and delicious. She likes her steak kind of halfway between medium and medium-well, and apparently  that’s a hard target to hit for some cooks.

Jan and I agreed that our favorite steak places are, in order:

• Longhorn
• Saltgrass
• Outback
• Texas Roadhouse.

Unfortunately, our #1 and #2 choices aren’t as numerous around country as 3 & 4.

After a quick stop at the Lowe’s next door for some heavy wire for the step motor test leads, we got home about 7pm, making a quick stop at the park office to pick up my Amazon packages.

Tomorrow, more projects.

Thought for the Day:

Common Sense isn’t a flower that grows in every garden.

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I’ve liked the Magne Shade Solar Screens ever since I first saw them at one of Nick Russell’s Gypsy Journal Rally’s. They’re on the outside so less heat gets in, and they take just seconds to put up without a ladder. They use super strong Neodymium magnets glued inside the windshield corners and on the shades to hold them in place. So they’re great. But they’re also pretty expensive.

They run about $500.00 for the windshield, and if I want Mister’s picture on it like this,

it’s close to a $1000 bucks.

And since I’m frugal (Jan says ‘cheap!’), I was looking for another way to go. But until recently I wasn’t able to find magnets that were strong enough and cheap enough to make it worthwhile.

But now I found these.

10 Neodymium Magnets 1/2 x 1/4 inch

They have a pull of over 12 pounds, and it’s actually difficult to separate the stack. 10 of them are only about $7, and I figure I’ll need 5 sets, so $35.

As far as the screen material, I have a set  of these RV Quick Shades that are held to the inside of the windshield with suction cups. They work pretty well, but are a pain to put up, especially on the driver’s side.

So I figure I will use my RV Quick Shades and place the magnets in the hem across the top and the bottom. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Since my Starlights RV Lights have died,

I want to at least have something working while I decide what I want to do long-term. So I came up with this. I took one of the LED strips that I used to replace my fluorescents in the rig,

and a 12v remote control switch, and after removing the LED bulb from the Smart Light, mounted the LED strip and the relay inside the light, and got this.

And at night it looks like this.

And it works great too. It’s brighter than the original LED bulb, and I can turn it on and off remotely when we come home at night. Now that I know it will work, I’ll go back in and tape the LED in place so it won’t move around. I’ve got another switch and another LED so I’ll probably do the other light soon.

Thought for the Day:  Fun Fact

The fax machine was invented the same year people were traveling the Oregon Trail.

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