RV Repairs and Riding

Yesterday Ken and Rachel of Cameron's Reliable came out to work on the RV.  When you own a Class A, it's always something.   Here is Rachel, doing the yearly PM on the Hydro-Hot. It was due! It sounds much better now that it's been cleaned and tuned.

 

This summer Jim noticed that sometimes when driving, the house batteries would start discharging.  This is bad.  It's indicative that the Big Boy (white thing in the middle of the photo) was malfunctioning.  The Big Boy is a battery isolator.  Please don't ask me to explain that, I'd have to get the manual out and read it to you.  Anyway, see the black thing far right in the photo?  That the BIRD, a Bi-directional Isolator Relay Delay.  It has something to do with chassis battery charging.  Ken decided to replace both items.  The Big Boy went in fine, but when the new BIRD was installed it literally went up in smoke.  Ken reinstalled the old one and will be getting a replacement part.  Good thing we're planning to be here for awhile.

 

Later, I asked Ken to listen to the bathroom faucet while running the water pump. Ken, I asked, is it supposed to pulse and make the lights blink?  Why no, Ken replied.  The pump is dying.  This would be the water pump we had installed in Bend last June.  Ken went out to look at it to see what it was and noticed a manufacturing date of 2001.  That's not a typo, 2001.  We'll be taking that back and asking the parts manager if it's a common practice to install parts that old.  It's too bad, we thought they were a decent shop, but I am definitely feeling ripped off about this.
It was a long day.  I did notice the pigeons are beginning the season of love while standing around watching other people work.  The one with the wings up is defending his nest position.

 

Today we went for a ride with Don and Jamie.  Fortunately Jamie suggested that I should wear a jacket instead of the vest I was contemplating.  It was cold!  This is on the campus of the University of Arizona.  These people are providing a screen.  They are there to promulgate a message of tolerance for the GLBT community.  They are also making it possible to not see the man behind them.

 

The man on the left in the sport coat using a cane is Brother Jed.  He is an evangelist who does not espouse a policy of tolerance.  He is exercising his First Amendment rights.

 

This is a university secular group.  When Brother Jed is on campus, they like to have a presence as well to rebut Mr. Jed's positions.  They were very nice about posing for me.  It's good to see the students out making a stand on what they believe.  I'm glad to see it.

 

After watching the people for a bit, we went over to Starbucks at the main gate and had coffee and a nosh.  It was very pleasant sitting in the sun.  These people are painting bells for Ben's Bells. 

After a nice break, we pushed off and rode home.  After sitting in the sun, it was again very cold on the bikes.  However, it was good to be outside, on the bikes with our friends.  It will be perfect with the addition of another 10 degrees or so.