Second Fiddle

This has been a disappointing Pumpkin year. Starting with generator issues, then the LP tank, Russ's surgery, new pups, and my bum shoulder. We just weren't able to get off the ground. But, the generator is fixed, we have a new propane tank, Russ's surgery went great, but there is still the new pups. We haven't settled on just how they are going to travel. Ditto always rode on a pillow between Joyce and the door. That won't work now, with two dogs. We're hoping we can train them to each take a back seat, but I fear that will take some doing. So, until we get them ready to ride and get them both leash trained, any long distance trip is unlikely. We might make it up to Stephen's in St. Joseph. He has a well fenced back yard and Izzy to keep the pups occupied. Or, we might make it to Dustin's in Chesterfield, but it would be a hassle since Hannah doesn't have a fence. Maybe we could get some quickie fence posts and a roll of chicken wire and make them a temporary pen. But, if we have to go through that much trouble, Dusty would owe us a steak or something. In the meantime, Pumpkin is having to play second fiddle.

I've not been totally stagnant with Pumpkin. A couple of weeks ago, Joyce heard a beeping sound coming from Pumpkin (she had to hear it because I can't hear squat). It turned out being the LP leak detector. It is designed to sound an alarm if it detects propane (or dog farts, etc.). The sensor has a lifetime of about 5 years. Ours was original equipment and we bought Pumpkin a little over six years ago. So, the beeping was the alarm telling us it was about to die. I ordered a new one and installed it easily, so that's done. Then just a couple of days ago, Joyce heard a beeping again. Assuming the new LP detector was either bad or we actually had an LP leak, I went out to see what I could do. It would beep about every 30 seconds. I could hear it easily. However, when you can only hear in one ear, determining just where a sound is coming from is quite difficult. I looked down at the LP detector (they are located close to the floor because LP is heavier than air). It has an LED that lights up green if it is good, blinks red if not good, and is extinguished if off. It was glowing solid green. I still wasn't sure and could not tell if the beep was coming from the LP detector. I slowly got down on my knees so I could place my good ear close to the alarm. It still sounded somewhat distant. Groaning, I got back to my feet and listened. "Beep". I still couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then I looked up and there it was, the smoke alarm. Of course, the battery was, no doubt bad by now. I popped it open and...no battery at all in it. It had a place for a 9v battery, but none there. I wondered if this alarm was hard-wired to the 12 volt coach battery. To see what was going on, I took the ceiling mounted smoke alarm down, but there were no connecting wires...and the beep continued. Obviously, it wasn't coming from this smoke alarm. It was then I recalled having to remove the battery shortly after we bought Pumpkin because Joyce would set it off every time she cooked something. But, as I said, the beep goes on. I moved toward the rear of the coach and it did seem to get a little louder. That was when I noticed the red light flashing on the CO (carbon monoxide) detector, also mounted to the ceiling. I popped it loose and tested the battery. It tested a little low (with no load), so I'm assuming it was a weak battery. I should receive a new battery...oh, today! I haven't checked the mail yet.

Begrudgingly, I winterized Pumpkin a couple of days ago. It is obvious we aren't going to need water in the tank any time soon. It's still ready to roll except we can't use the toilet which is pretty much a show stopper for both Joyce and me. Well, not entirely, just less convenient. But, Pumpkin is ready for winter. I am not, however.

The money pit thrives. Oh, not just yet, but all the batteries (3 of them) are 6 years old and could go any time now. The engine start battery will cost around $150-$200. It's in a totally inaccessible area under the driver's side floor so it ready needs to be a totally maintenance-free battery. It has an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) which is good, but expensive. Then there's the two batteries that power the coach. They are also in inaccessible areas (one behind each rear wheel well underneath) and they are even more expensive AGM batteries. Money, money, money. But, that's all it is. Just money. Maybe I can nurse them along one more year.

Alley Pups

We left Elephant Rocks and made a big loop up around Salem and then back down to Alley Spring where we spent the night. We had planned on going there for some time now. However, while at the campground we decided we did not feel like touring the place and we headed on home. At morning coffee Joyce asked if Ava was on our way home. I said, "It could be. Why?" Then she said she'd like to go be there to look at a Westie pup that was advertised there. We had been looking at Westies before we came on this trip. This was one she had found nearby...and we missed Ditto terribly. For the rest of this story, go to https://westiegirls.blogspot.com/. That will explain what happened.

Elephants and Dogs

After our canceled trip plans we were still itching to go somewhere in Pumpkin and maybe try out the generator. As long as we were within phone reach and less than a day away, we felt comfortable leaving Russ and Mike if we were needed (Russ is OK, as it turned out). So, we decided to make a little 1-2 night shake-down cruise. Tues. the 3rd, we headed east toward Elephant Rocks in Eastern Missouri. We stopped and spent the night at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. But, something wasn't quite right. This was our first trip without Ditto. I was looking back over the past posts and realized I had not mentioned Ditto. We lost our little Ditto on July 24. We were, needless to say, heartbroken. Ditto was our traveling buddy. She took every trip we ever made with us in our first Pumpkin and in our current Lil' Pumpkin. This trip was difficult when we let ourselves think about it. So, we tried not to, but not too successfully.

The next morning, we headed out to Elephant Rocks State Park. It was only a few miles, so we arrived there just before noon.

Johnson Shut-Ins and Elephant Rocks are beautiful places to visit, but something was missing.

Trip Interrupted

We were working our way up to a nice trip to New York and on to Nova Scotia (another try). We did not want to be on the road over Labor Day weekend as finding camping spots can get trying. So, our plan was to leave about August 26 or 27. We wanted to arrive by Friday before the holiday weekend.

Then things began to fall apart. Russ was having heart problems and it looked like he was going to have surgery. He had an appointment shortly before the holiday to determine the next step, which most likely surgery. So, we felt we needed to stay home a while longer, at least, until we knew what was to happen and sure enough, he was to have surgery. Then, we were told Tom and Julie were flying to Idaho on Sept. 5. This meant the most time we would have with them would only a few days during which they would be preparing for their trip. The last straw was we were both (Joyce and I) feeling rather depleted. It just wasn't going to be a fun trip under those restrictions.

Since we backed out of the trip to New York, we began considering a trip to Idaho to Skyler's where Tom and Julie were going. Skyler was planning a camping trip for all an invited us. We would have to get there by the weekend to join the party. But, then the news came that Russ's surgery would be Thurs. the 5th. If all went well, we could leave about the 6th and that was "if". We're old and can't change direction like we used to anymore. We gave up. But, the generator runs well.

Tanked

Well, 'RV' Mike got the new tank and regulator installed a couple of weeks ago.  Looks pretty, but did not fix the generator problem. I was afraid of that. So, I bit the bullet and took it to Cummins Generator. The last time I had them do anything for me cost $854. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy to have to depend on them again. I was given an estimate of about $1,200 (gulp). We considered not getting it fixed and just using the little 2000 watt portable we had bought. But, the portable would not run the air conditioner and would require space to haul it around, plus carrying a 1-2 gal. gas can. I opted to get it fixed.

I dropped the RV off on Monday afternoon. They (Cummins) hoped to have it ready late Tuesday afternoon, maybe Wednesday. They called me Tuesday afternoon to tell me they had to order a regulator and it would probably be in Wednesday, the next day...and it was.

Late Wednesday, it still wasn't fixed. The regulator was not the problem. Thursday passed and still no fix. Friday I was told they would continue working on it next Monday.

Monday afternoon the tech determined the problem was the fuel line between the regulator and the carburetor. He didn't have the right part in stock but was able to temporarily install a piece of hose to prove it was the problem. It was! Of course, that meant one had to be ordered and, of course, hope it would come in Tuesday and the generator fixed Tuesday afternoon. It did, but it wasn't. It was finally fixed and ready for pick up Wednesday afternoon. Cost - $594 (better than the last repair, but still danged high for replacing a piece of hose.

The good news is, the generator starts immediately and supports the air conditioner, no sweat. In fact, it starts better than it ever has, even when new. I think the old hose may have been leaking all along. So, where to next?

Long Time No See

It's been a long time since I've posted on Pumpkin. We haven't done much since winter. As usual, we've had some big plans, but seems like something always gets in the way. However, that doesn't mean Pumpkin has been totally dormant.  I'll try to catch you up.

Last fall, I winterized Pumpkin as usual.  As winter set in, I would check on Pumpkin about once a month and during that check, I would start the generator and let it run for 30 minutes or so under a medium load. This is recommended by Onan to help keep corrosion off the windings. 

Last April, I decided it was time to de-winterize (drain and flush the antifreeze from the freshwater system) and prepare for hitting the road again. In the process, I tried to start the generator again, but it wouldn't start.  Funny, because it started without fail throughout the winter months.  I had just had it worked on (to the tune of nearly $900 last year), so I was a little surprised and a bit miffed.  I've had a lot of trouble with the propane regulator in the past and have had several changed beginning about a year after we bought Pumpkin in 2013.  So, I suspected the same problem even though the symptoms were a little different than before.  The generator would start then immediately shut down.  The error code (3-6) wasn't very helpful, but still implied a propane problem (it is a propane-fueled generator).  I managed to change the filter I had added a couple of years ago, but other than that, it's getting too difficult for me to crawl around under the RV.  So, when the filter did not help, I took it to an RV shop in Forsyth that I'm familiar with and trust.  I had him change the filter.  In the process, he said he detected liquid propane coming from the vapor outlet, which is a no-no.  A propane tank is filled to only 80% full to leave a space above the liquid for LP vapor to collect as a gas.  It is this gas that is supposed to go to the regulator, not liquid.  He recommended I take it to a propane supplier/repair shop, which I did.  They reported liquid propane coming from the vapor outlet, too.  The tank was bad.  There is a pipe or tube that sticks up into the vapor area of the tank with the other end connected to the vapor outlet or main outlet valve where the regulator connects.  Apparently, this tube or a weld is fractured or has a pinhole in it, allowing liquid propane to get into the vapor outlet tube and work its way into the regulator.  This is not a good thing.  It will damage the regulator diaphragm and cause malfunction of the regulator, either pressure too low or, possibly, pressure too high, so we couldn't use the gas system at all.  Not even the cooktop.  Dang!  I checked online to find out replacement cost, but could not find one that would fit.  So, I checked directly with Winnebago.  Yay!  They have them in stock.  Boo!  They want $1359.00 for one!

I tried RV salvage yards and other possible sources, but no luck.  I finally resigned myself to paying Winnebago's price.  Then it occurred to me to check with the manufacturer directly instead of Winnebago.  I contacted Manchester Tank for a replacement quote.  First, they wanted the specific cat# off a plate welded on the tank.  So, I managed to crawl under again with my cell phone and got a couple of photos.

The Manchester Customer Service was interested in the rust, as well, so I gave them a couple more photos of the valve area.

I asked the Customer Service agent for a quote on a new tank and was told they do not sell retail.  I would have to get a dealer to order one, and immediately, I pictured that $1359.00 Winnebago price.  I decided to beg a little and asked if Manchester would consider helping with the cost of replacement.  The Customer Service agent said she would present it to their Quality Control Dept. for determination.  It would take a few days, so I had to wait.  In the meantime, summer is ticking on by.  It was June 6 and it appeared we weren't going camping any time soon.

Days passed and finally, I got a response from Manchester on June 17.  They agreed to replace the tank at no cost!  They weren't even going to charge shipping!  But, they would not ship directly to me as that would, apparently, put them at some liability risk since I was not a certified servicer.  I gave them my servicer's name and address.  The agent responded back that they would make a production run of that cat# on July 19.  That chews even further into our summer travel plans, but I wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth.  Looks like it's Labor Day or later for us.

In the meantime, we're waiting for a call from the RV servicer to tell us when he receives the new tank.  Once he has it, it should not take more than a day or two to be up and running again.

But, after all this, I still don't know if the generator will run.

Lake of the Woods

Cold and dreary late September in the Lake-Of-The-Woods area located in Minnesota. It is the furthest point north in the continental US. We actually had to cross into Canada to get to it.



Man! Was it chilly up there. We camped at Moose Lake Provincial Park in Canada. The park was actually closed for winter so we had no hookups, no water, no electricity. Around 10 pm, Ditto and I stepped outside and I nearly busted my butt on the running board. It was all iced up. But, we stayed cozy all night with the propane furnace.

The day was nasty. It was misty or light rain all day. The roads were not paved. They were surfaced with fine white limestone sand which made a mess of the RV.

Pumpkin is ready...almost

We've been stuck here at home for various reasons, but the time has not been wasted. We keep chipping away at fixes and refinements for Pumpkin.

We made our trip to St. Louis to get the anti-skid and cruise control problem fixed. Thankfully, it was determined to be the right rear wheel speed sensor which was still under warranty - by about three weeks! Anyway, that's done.

I didn't get to Cummins to get the generator fixed before going to St. Louis. So, while at Dusty's I decided to slide under there to see what I could see and I found the problem. There's a tiny little spring that closes the choke when the engine is not running. Once the engine starts, engine vacuum opens the choke and away it goes...supposedly. However, in my case, the spring had become dislodged and would not close the choke. It was nearly impossible to do without pulling the carburetor, but I managed to get the spring re-seated. The generator would start and run now. But, I wasn't very confident in the fix. The spring still seemed loose and I was concerned it might come loose again at the most inconvenient time. I decided to look into it further after I get back home.

So, back home and down underneath I went again. After a close examination, I thought I might be able to to wind the spring one turn tighter which should fix the looseness and reduce the likelihood of it coming loose again. The problem was I needed to remove the carburetor to do it and I couldn't do that without dropping the generator from its perch under the RV just behind the rear axle. I considered doing that, but after close examination decided I wasn't up to the task without putting Pumpkin on a lift.

I was not giving up though. I crawled back under and re-examined the carburetor mounting and decided to try to unmount it enough to get to the spring. And, I was able to do so. However, I couldn't disconnect the throttle linkage. I fiddled and messed with it for some time trying to rewind the spring one more turn and, voilà, I got it! It was now snug and closed the choke firmly, as it should. But, all was not good.

In the process of repairing the spring, the carburetor was more or less hanging by the throttle linkage. I guess the stress dislodged something because after put it all back together, the generator would not rev up to normal RPM operating speed, and as a result, would not turn on the AC. Damn!

I messed with it some more, but just could not see the linkage nor access it to do anything about it. I was going to have to let Cummins fix it after all.

I made an appointment with the local Cummins generator shop. I told them what had been done and what I thought was the problem. They said their shop rate was $140/hr. Wow! Oh, well, how long can it take to drop the generator out, fix the linkage, and put it back in? As it turned out, I cost me about $850! And, what made it even worse was the problem was precisely what I had told them it was and all they did was reconnect the throttle linkage. Damn, again!

The only consolation is, the generator works now.

So, now here we are, still tweaking things, getting ready for our next big trip. Joyce has been trying to "Joycify" the kitchen. She had me remove the microwave which opened up a big space for storage. Then she bought a large shower shampoo/soap hanging rack and had me customize it to serve as a dish drying rack. I made a 3-fan fan set from three computer cabinet muffin fans that run off 12 volts. They are mounted on a Plexiglas panel cut to the same size as the rear window screens. I strap it to the screen and plug it into the 12v cigarette lighter socket that's on the end of the counter. With the window open, the fans quietly blow air across our bunks. It's a lot quieter than the roof vent fan and we don't have to close the window when raining.

Now, if nothing else bends or breaks (including one or both of us) then we plan on hitting the road beginning Labor Day. I'll address that when it happens, however, as I don't want to jinx it by discussing it before the fact.

Another St Joseph Trip

We had a pretty good Memorial Weekend. It was a bit hectic getting ready, though. We had to take Allan's trailer down to Michael's to pick up Stephen's dinning set Michael had been keeping for Stephen for several years. Stephen's new home finally has room for his dining set, so we're making another trip to St Joseph and picking up the dining set was the kickoff for the weekend.

Just before the trip, I had to make a quick trip to the Branson VA Clinic.  On my return, it was raining pretty hard and Pumpkin misfired briefly which seemed to have triggered an ABS fault. I tried clearing the error codes, but the error comes back. The biggest inconvenience is that now the cruise control doesn't work. So, we wound up making our trip to St Joseph without cruise control.  I'm going to have to make an appointment at the Mercedes dealer in St Louis to have it fixed since it may be still under warranty (fingers crossed).

But, before a trip to St Louis, I've got to get the generator fixed. I have an appointment with Cummins locally to work on the generator. I hate getting old. In my younger days, I'd crawl under there and fix it myself (sigh).

One good thing, my new mattress is pretty comfortable and well worth the cost - finally.

While at Stephen's, Joyce helped him strip wallpaper and I helped him check out his underground sprinkler system and a cranky sump pump. The sprinkler system checked out pretty good except 2 or 3 sprinkler heads may need replacing and one of Stephen's neighbors built a privacy fence across the property line and sunk a post right through the sprinkler underground line. So, he is going to get to meet that neighbor soon.

What Happened?!!

Just woke up to the fact that it is waay into May 2018. What the heck happened to 2017? It was here just yesterday, I'd swear.

So, what's happened with Pumpkin since, uh, the last time I wrote about something that happened to Pumpkin? Well, not much. It took what seemed like forever for spring to arrive for real, not just when the calendar said. Stephen bought a new house in St. Joseph and closed on it a few weeks back. We took Pumpkin out for its post-hibernation run to visit Stephen. Stephen had stored a bunch of his "rough" stuff in our garage and my workshop, so we loaded Allan's trailer with that stuff and took Stephen's stuff "home". Stephen's new home has a separate drive built especially for an RV which was great. It was level and had a good power source, so we opted to sleep in the RV instead of carrying "stuff" back and forth to the house. We parked and unloaded the trailer and said farewell to Stephen's stuff. Whew!

Stephen's new place is beautiful. Oh, don't get me wrong, it is not perfect. In fact, it has lot's of fixing up that must be done. But, that's one thing that makes it great. Stephen will have lots of fun stuff to do as he puts his touch on things. After raking up a few tons of leaves, he plans to attack that ornamental pond, before it attacks him.

Izzy (Isabel), Stephen's dog, is very happy to move to her new home after having to stay in an apartment for so long, poor thing. But now, she has her own back yard and her own squirrels.  And her own stealthy, lying in wait, deck where she can rest, snooze, and when awake, keep an eye of the bird feeders. Squirrels can rob you blind if you are not alert.

We had a nice shakedown visit at Stephen's. However, I still had trouble sleeping comfortably. The mattress just wasn't getting it for me. So, I ordered a custom foam mattress. I haven't tried sleeping on it yet, but it looks good and feels good just flopping on it. We're heading to Stephen's again next weekend (Memorial weekend) to take another trailer load of stuff. So, I'll be able to give it a good test. This trip it is Stephen's nice dining table and chairs being held by Michael who appears tickled to be rid of. Also, we still had a couple of antique items at our house we'll stick in since the trail will have lot's of room.

All this sounds good, but how it turns out will depend a lot on how well I feel. I just got out of the hospital after an attack of UTI. To top it off, Joyce has a nagging back problem that has her cussing now and then. I think we're feeling well enough to get all this done. We'll see.

Shhh!

Pumpkin is hibernating.  It's all winterized and set for freezing weather.  Tanks drained, water lines blown out, RV anti-freeze added to sink traps and macerator.  We'll likely take it out on occasion through the winter, but without the convenience of fresh water and flushing toilet...unless we decide to head waaay south sometime.

We're Still Here

Well, that didn't work out.  We thought we'd take Pumpkin out for a short spin and tour Alley Spring Mill and other such sites nearby, but old age and plain old lazy scratched that itch.  Oh well, there's always next year.  Instead, we decided to wash and wax Pumpkin.  Sure, we can do it.  Yeah, right.  We got one side almost finished before we both gave out.  But, my friend, Charlie, offered to do the job next Thursday.  I'm going to let him.  Afterall, I just spent an entire day working on his laptop and tablet.  He does owe me. 😊

In the meantime, I get to work on the Dakota.  I went out to take it to the store and it wouldn't cooperate.  I think it's the IAC valve (Idle Air Control), not a difficult fix - if that's the problem.  It got chilly last night and frosted so I think I'll let it warm up a bit before I go out and try to fix it.

Freedom!

We were supposed to be doggie sitting for my son's two pooches this week while he went to Greece and Italy for a fling.  But, he ran into a passport tangle at the last minute and had to cancel.  So, all of a sudden we are free to hit the road for an autumn color trip...maybe.

It happened so quickly, we are having to sit quietly today trying to pack in our minds before we start loading.  Touring this time of the year takes a little more planning as many campgrounds have closed.  So, I've got to make sure Pumpkin is ready for a lot of dry camping.  The last time we were on the road this time of the year, our LP regulator shot craps so we couldn't use the furnace or the generator.  Bummer if you can't find a campground with power available.

I'll try to record this trip while also trying to catch up the blog from last summer's Canada/Western US trip.

We're thinking maybe an old mill trip, visiting some of the old mills in the area like Alley Spring.  We've driven nearby the mill many many times and every time said something like, "We ought to go there someday."  Maybe the day has come.

Custer State Park In All It's Glory

We made it to Custer State Park, one of my favorite places to visit and make a day of it on the Wildlife Loop Road. Ditto loved it.

Ditto loved it.

Roadblock ahead! Some rather aggressive pedestrians crossing the road.

And in my rearview mirror, a young bull bison satisfies an itch as he rubs his head on my taillight. Luckily, no damage.

2017 West Day 1

Leaving Stephen's Tuesday morning, heading north along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Our first stop is Riverview SRA located beside the Missouri River just north of Nebraska City.

Ditto took Joyce for a walk.

Eclipse!

We finally got away, headed for the Great Out West. But first, we want to observe the full solar eclipse. And what better place to do this than at our son, Steven's house in St. Joseph, Mo., directly under the path of the full eclipse and mostly on the way on our western trip. We were in for a treat.

Steven lived in a duplex apartment with a good paved driveway perfect for parking Pumpkin for a few nights. We can watch the eclipse from our lawn chairs right there in the driveway.

We're ready for the once in a lifetime eclipse, but the weather is not. It is very cloudy and threatening rain. The view overhead doesn't look promising.

We were very disappointed. We were unable to see the moon shadow pass in front of the sun. The only evidence we could see was it got dark and the streetlights came on for a few minutes.

That was it.

Oh, well. There's always 2024 when a solar eclipse passes directly over the Bootheel area and Cape Girardeau, Mo. Maybe Wapapello State Park will be a good place to view it...if it doesn't cloud up.

Making Preparations

We've been busy lately, making preparations to get underway - we're heading west again.  Our first stop will be at son, Stephen's, new home in St. Joseph, MO.  He has just taken a new job at Missouri Western State University as General Manager over all food service at the college.  He's pretty busy right now as the Kansas City Chiefs have their summer camp there and Stephen has to see to feeding a bunch of prima donnas.

Anyway, we plan to hit the road no later than Sunday, Aug. 20 but will likely make it a day or two earlier as traffic is expected to be fierce for the total eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21.  We don't have to worry about a place to stay, just getting there intact.  We'll be staying in Stephen's driveway and should have a spectacular spot for eclipse viewing.

I had new tires put on Pumpkin and a front-end alignment done several weeks ago in preparation for this trip.  In addition, I've been doing some fine tuning on electronics (GPS, phone, tablet), hoping to improve our navigation.  At least, if we get lost I should be able to find some bread crumbs to follow.

I, also, got a special gizmo that plugs into the OBD II test port and sends the codes and other info via Bluetooth to my tablet.  I can use it to monitor stuff like transmission and coolant temps in the mountains, stuff like that.  Plus if I do pop a check engine light, I can reset it myself.

Over winter, my engine start battery went south.  When I tried to start it, it wouldn't even click.  Most RV's, mine included, have a special switch to interconnect the engine's start battery with the RV house batteries.  Sort of like giving yourself a jump start, but that didn't work.  Turned out that the solenoid that it supposed to do the interconnecting was burned out.  So, I had to replace that before I did anything else.

I, also, added another gizmo to help keep the engine battery charged when just sitting plugged in.  It's called a Trik-L-Start.  The solenoid and these circuit breakers are located in the front passenger seat base.

Today, I flushed the fresh water tank.  It had gotten kinda funky over winter so I had drained it and refilled with an extra shot of bleach to kill whatever.  Today, I drained that bleach mixture and refilled with fresh water.  I'll probably drain and flush one more time before we leave home.  Maybe even rinse with a bicarb solution to 'sweeten' it a bit.

I built a simple headboard for the beds.  Our pillows tended to travel north while sleeping.  They wouldn't fall off or anything, but they tended to mess with the rear roll down shade and we were afraid the shade would get damaged.  The headboard is just a 1x12 attached at either end.  It needs a finish put on it, but there's not enough time to let the odor clear before we leave, so it will just have to wait.

The headboard has some other advantages, too.  I installed some hooks and clips to mount the water hose, power cord, awning crank and a couple other items that previously have been stored on top of the folding chairs and the big storage tub I have in the back.  This makes them easier to access and frees up space for whatever.

Tomorrow I'm going to the tire shop that installed the new tires and get some work done on the rear valve stems.  They need bent a little so I can access them with a tire chuck.  Then later this week I'll have the oil changed.  I normally change it every 10,000 miles.  I'm a little shy of that, but would have to have it done on the trip and not just any oil change shop can handle it.  Having the oil changed in this beast is not cheap either.  It takes 13.5 quarts at about $8-$10 per quart...plus a $10 filter.  Thank goodness it doesn't need changed for 10,000 miles.

Phooey

For reasons beyond my control, Pumpkin hasn't gone anywhere for quite a while.  So, a couple of weeks ago I went out to do something out there, hit the "unlock" button on my key fob and...nothing.  I unlocked it with the key and got in.  When I put the key in the ignition, nothing happened.  Usually, the instrument panel lights up, but nada.  Dead battery.  No problem, though.  Most motorhomes, including Pumpkin, have two sets of batteries.  One is the main engine or chassis battery, the other is one or more deep cycle batteries for the "house" portion, the power for "stuff" in the back.  Because motorhomes are often parked in the boondocks for a while, having a dead battery when you get ready to leave can be a major inconvenience.  So, in their vast wisdom, the RV makers decided to put a special "Battery Boost" switch on the dash that, when energized, connects both battery sets together which effectively boosts the chassis battery enough to get the engine started.  It's like a built-in jump start.

So, finding a dead battery, I hit the Battery Boost switch to give it a jump start...nothing.  Well, almost nothing.  I could hear the solenoid click that indicated the Battery Boost solenoid was energizing.  When that happens, the house batteries should be connected to the chassis battery for a boost.  But, nothing.

The house batteries (there are two connected together to act as one big battery) were fully charged.  Pumpkin had been plugged into power from my workshop.  When plugged in, the house batteries are kept charged by the converter.  But, not the chassis battery.  For whatever reason (cost, no doubt), most manufacturers don't include the charging of the chassis battery in that process.  But, they do include the Battery Boost switch to take care of this...when it works.  Pumpkin's Battery Boost switch did not work.

I put a charger on the totally dead chassis battery.  It took about 24 hours for my 10 amp charger to get the battery back up enough to start the engine.  After I got the battery charged, I tackled the no Battery Boost problem.  It wasn't too difficult to determine the problem, but getting to it was another story.

The Battery Boost solenoid has to connect a big heavy battery cable from the house batteries and a big heavy cable from the chassis battery.  Its location is hidden under the front passenger seat.  So, first, I had to remove the seat.  Of course, Mercedes used unusual bolts.  Well, at least, unusual enough that it sent me to O'Reilly's to buy some special sockets.  They are called Torx heads, but I don't think Mercedes calls them that.  I had a large Torx bit set, but not a Torx socket set.  That's all I need, more tools.

Seat removed.  Once I located the four bolts and also realized the seat had to be swiveled a little to come off, it was done.

Now to expose the Battery Boost solenoid.  The solenoid is the round silver thing with the battery cables connecting to it.  When it is energized, the two large terminals on either side are shorted together - or, at least, supposed to be.

Here's what the solenoid looks like.  The smaller center terminal is where the wire connects that comes from the dash Battery Boost switch.

Here's a photo of an "exploded" view of the defective solenoid.  The copper bolts are the heavy terminals.  One bolt (on the right) has a black coating on the side of the bolt head while the other (on the left) I have cleaned up.  The round thingy with the spring on it is the plunger with a copper washer that was also blackened (I have already it cleaned).  For normal operation, when the solenoid is energized, the plunger is pulled down so the copper washer connects with both bolt heads.  I probably could repair this solenoid by cleaning it up good, but since it is not easy to get to, I'll install a new one.

Now it's time to start reassembling.  I received the new solenoid in the mail yesterday.  But, what about the original problem - chassis battery run down?  Well, there's a gizmo available that is connected across the two battery systems and will maintain trickle charging for the chassis battery so when the RV is plugged into "shore power", the chassis battery is trickle charged.  The device I got is named Trik-L-Start.

A convenient place to connect the Trik-L-Start is right there on the Battery Boost solenoid, so that will be part of my reassembly process.  I've elected to mount it on the outside of the seat base where I can see the three monitor lights on it.  I'll run the three wires from it through a hole in the seat base into the area where the solenoid is located.  Easy-peasy.

Here's the finished product.  Trik-L-Start mounted on the outside next to circuit breakers.

The solenoid is mounted and connected with the Trik-L-Start yellow and blue wires connected to appropriate sides of the solenoid and the black wire connected to ground.  The two heavy battery cables coming together on the right post of the solenoid are the house battery cables.  The short one of the two going to the right connects to the battery disconnect solenoid which is controlled by the Aux Batt (battery disconnect or "salesman") switch in the coach.  This solenoid disconnects most of the devices that use 12-volt power in the coach, but not all (co2 sensor, LP sensor, etc.).

The Battery Boost switch works and so does the Trik-L-Start.  Will wonders never cease?

Now to reinstall the seat and it's done.  But first, a nap.

Okay, that's done - both a nap and seat reinstalled.  But, before reinstalling the seat, I made one more voltage check.  While plugged into shore power, the coach battery measured 13.86 volts and the chassis battery measured 13.31 volts.  The measurement of the chassis battery indicates the chassis battery charge is being maintained by the Trik-L-Start.  Otherwise, it would measure 12.7 volts or less.  Now if this dead battery episode hasn't done too much damage to my chassis battery.

Day 20

Beautiful morning.  However, it had been a chilly night and our little electric heater got a workout.  Sure would have been cold if we hadn’t had power.

I was sitting at the table having coffee when I saw the park ranger pull up.  He got out and checked the registration tag that I had placed on the site post last night.  Then he headed toward Lil Pumpkin.  So, I grabbed the envelope and hopped out of the RV.  The guy acted more like a cop on a night-time traffic stop.  He questioned me like I was doing something wrong, all the while looking around like he expected to see some contraband, drugs or something bad.  Almost made me feel like I had done something wrong.  He took the envelope and felt it, then asked if I had provided correct change or if someone needed to bring some change back.  His question sounded more accusing than simply asking if I needed change.  I told him it was a check and he just turned and walked back to his SUV and left.  The guy may be the nicest guy in Pennsylvania, but he sure seemed to me to be a little prick, angry because he was a ranger and not a real cop.  First impressions are usually correct.

Today’s trip was interesting.  We let Gypsy guide from Worlds End to Lake Raystown.  The route was supposed to take us down Hwy 15 to Hwy 220 most of the way.  But, Gypsy or Joyce (I don’t remember who) sent us off down State Hwy 64 which turned to 26 just outside State College.  It was a nice drive, one of those with the dots all along indicating a scenic route.  That took us smack dab through the middle of State College, right alongside Penn State University.  The traffic was stop and go so we had a lot of opportunities to watch the next generation (kids were everywhere!) staring at their phones.  Those not staring at phones were riding bikes.

Shortly after leaving State College, Gypsy wanted me to take Hwy 45.  After a few miles, it took a quick, almost hidden left turn and disappeared.  I rounded the turn and right there just a few feet ahead was an old stone railroad overpass with a big sign…8’2” clearance!  We failed to take a photo of it, but Google Earth was there before us.  So, here's a shot from Google Earth.  Our vertical clearance is 9'7".

I stopped just a few feet past the intersection.  I had to back up into the intersection so I could head on straight down another road.  But, there was a lot of traffic.  It was afternoon rush hour and it seemed half of Pennsylvania was rounding the turn behind me…the other half was coming out from under the underpass heading right at me.  All I could do was wave cars on from behind me when traffic thinned coming at me.  Finally, I was able to back up enough to head on straight.  What’s that?!!  Down the road a few hundred feet was another overpass with 8’6” clearance!  I managed to get turned completely around and we back-tracked until I spied Hwy 45 truck route.  I figured, if a truck can make it, I can make it.  Finally, we reached Hwy 22 which took us to the turn-off to Lake Raystown and Seven Points Rec. Area.  So, now, after a long but interesting day, we’re camped by the lake…well, we did see it, but not from our camp site.  But, another nice Corp of Eng. Campground which means ½ price for us old farts…and we have Internet and phone access.

Day 19

After checking with many campgrounds in the northeastern states and Canada, I found that our early side trip to Tom and Julie’s at Altmar had made us too late.  Most campgrounds closed just about the time we’d get there (we had originally intended to stop at Altmar after Nova Scotia).  So, C'est la vie.  We decided to just run up to the 1000 Islands area, cross into Canada and spend one or two nights then cut down across New York through the middle of the Adirondacks.  From there we’d decide what to do because hurricane Matthew might throw a kink in our east coast plans.  But, all that turned to worms before we left Altmar.  I had prepped Lil’ Pumpkin for the trip and the last thing I did was test the generator.  Many of the campgrounds in Canada and the eastern states that were still open were “dry” camps, which mean no power.  Lil’ Pumpkin has enough battery power to get through several nights if only lights and other minor current draws are used.  But, it’s getting cold at night and the furnace would probably be needed and the furnace blower would drain the batteries much faster.  We would need the generator.  But, it wouldn’t start.  It was doing the same thing as earlier this year.  The generator is fueled with propane and the propane regulator was not feeding enough gas to run the generator.  This will be the 4th regulator since we bought Lil Pumpkin in 2013, but that another story.  In the meantime, we now were faced with no generator and cold nights.  It just wasn’t worth it.  We headed south into Pennsylvania.  We stopped to camp at Worlds End State Park just west of Hwy 220 at Forksville, Pa.

Worlds End is a beautiful, well-kept park on the Loyalsock River.  It was mostly vacant except for a few campers sprinkled throughout the park.  No one was manning the office when we arrived so I grabbed a self-pay envelope and we drove on in to find a sight.  Interestingly, they had a special section for campers with dogs.  I’d never seen that before.  The “dog” section was just as nice as the rest of the park, so we weren’t treated as 2nd class campers.  We were just across the road from the river which was beautiful noisy rapids in that area.

I was tired and hit the sack early.  The self-pay envelope stated the payment could be made the next morning if we wished…and I wished.  Joyce filled out the requested info and wrote a check which she stuck in the envelope.  It was ready to drop off as we leave tomorrow morning.