090219-Ladders, antennas and E.D.

090219-Ladders, antennas and E.D.

I am always amazed at the connection between seemingly unrelated objects or events.

I firmly believe that nothing happens by accident ...everything happens for a reason.

The roof of a motor home is often cluttered with many devices and equipment. Unfortunately, since I am unable to climb a ladder, the Beast’s roof has always been a source of curiosity but never actually seen.

From the ground there appears a cluster of plastic bumps, which are actually hooded air vents. I’m told there are some other vents for other devices such as the sewer system. Some have air conditioners, or heat pumps, satellite dishes and pods for storage. There is also a collapsible TV antenna that is raised and lowed by a hand crank located inside on the ceiling. In its raised position, it resembles a large “T”, and when lowered, it folds down flat against the roof.

Access to the roof (which is actually coated with a layer of rubber) is by a ladder mounted against the rear.

One day while driving I detected the faint sound of some bumping on the roof. I chalked it up to probably airborne road debris and quickly discounted it. Upon arrival at our campsite, I did the usually walk around before setting up and noticed the tip of my antenna extended a few inches over the edge of the roof. This did not seem normal to me.

Now as a point of information – I rarely ever use my roof antenna. Many campsites now have cable TV hookups, and when cable is not available, there is usually no significant signal available so I don’t even try to catch one. Now that I am mentioning things I never use – there is my awning. It is manually operated (the automatic ones are thousands of dollars) and requires more dexterity and balance than I can deliver.
In addition, if a sudden storm or powerful wind were to develop, it would have to be taken in quickly to avoid damage or disfigurement and again I would be at a loss to accomplish that.

When RV repairs become necessary on the road, the biggest problem is choosing the proper repair service. If I must take it to a dealer or repair station, it usually means either making an appointment for an inspection or waiting all day for an estimate and then probably retuning another day for repairs. Of course the worst-case scenario is having to leave it over night which is never acceptable when your vehicle is your home.

Fortunately there is usually an alternative that saves the day – it is the “mobile mechanic”,
These men are the equivalent of a doctor that makes house call. They are usually acquired by asking around. In the past I have had to utilize the services of mobile mechanics at least 3 times and have become a fan.
Besides the benefit of not having to drive the Beast anyplace, they also charge by the hour and are willing to examine and fix lots of small or minor problems that a dealer or shop would charge individually for.

Dave came highly recommended and was a sight for sore eyes. He quickly diagnosed my antenna as having E.D. (erectile dysfunction - see photos) and we discussed my choices. Since I rarely use the antenna and with the new digital television signals starting soon, I decided it was not worth replacing the whole unit, so he simply disconnected the dangling participle.

Now for the interesting part of the story. After he descended the roof ladder, hew reported to me that the bolts that secure the ladder to the roof had become loosened, exposing the holes and parts of the roof that the plates had been attached to. If this damage had not been discovered, the probability of water damage from rain seeping into these holes and exposed roof portion could cause silent but serious trouble to the interior ceiling.

Within minutes, he was back on the roof, drilling new holes and inserting new bolts to secure the ladder and water proofing the area with silicone.

In addition, he removed and repositioned and replaced the water filter (a differcult job working under the sink), replaced a burned out patio light and fixed a loose connection on my back-up light switch..

In reflection – if I had not seen the antenna problem, the ladder and roof damage would have gone unnoticed and I would have probably incurred major water damage and huge expenses later on.
I believe some unseen force was watching over me and protecting me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
.
And the best part – the total bill was $84.

My hat’s off and a big thank you to Mobile Mechanics everywhere. You guys are the greatest.

090216 - SIGNS

090216 - SIGNS

Here is another sign that bothers me. It seems to be very popular in the state of Arizona and whoever makes them and sells them must do a very good business because they are everywhere.

Somehow, I would not think that the chamber of commerce or tourist bureau finds this sign to be a positive endorsement of the state. I also find it disturbing that they would built rest stops, bathrooms and pet exercise areas within these areas of danger. I have yet to see a sign that says:

NO POISONOUS SNAKES OR INSECTS IN THIS AREA.

Now that would be something to brag about.

090212 - SIGNS

090212 – Signs

We just spent 5 wonderful days in the desert. Even though we were in the middle of a vicious rainstorm with rushing winds over 40 miles an hour that rocked the Beast from side to side, we enjoyed the experience and always marvel at the scenery of mother nature.
I discovered that the huge saguaro cactus do not even grow an arm until they are 75 years old and can live to 150. They are so valuable that the police now hide electronic devices in them to track thieves who steal them from state and national parks and sell them on a sort of black market.

On route to our next destination in Yuma, we paused at an interstate rest stop. Peter wanted to check his P-mail and do some geological surveying.

When he saw this sign about a pet exercise area he got all excited, ran back to the RV to look for his Nikes and warm-up suit and realized he forgot to pack them. Now Peter is as health conscious as the next dog and realizes the need to keep in shape. He tries to work out daily and is always asking me if he looks fat in his vest.

We followed the sign to the designated area and were both greatly disappointed. We searched high and low and couldn’t find a treadmill, exercise bicycle or even an aerobics instructor. In fact, Peter wants me to write a nasty letter to the governor about the misleading sign.

090211-Desert

090208 Desert Shadows

090208
Desert Shadows

Our last location was a Western Horizon Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona (between Tucson and Phoenix) called Desert Shadows. As parks go, it's large and active. There's a big clubhouse which also serves as the dining room with a full commercial kitchen that serves meals almost every day. The pool area is attractive with an roomy hot tub and nicely landscaped.
A well stocked library, a spacious poolroom for the local hustlers, a crafts room for those inclined to bead making and other trinkets and then there:s the card room. This is one of the most active areas of the park where fortunes are won and lost. Of course, with a five dollar buy in, they are small fortunes. Texas hold’em is the favorite game and there is always a seat for a new player at one of 4 or 5 tables nightly. Besides the dining room this is one of Peter’s favorite rooms because he gets lots of attention and people are always rubbing him for luck. He knows it doesn’t work but he enjoys the petting.
The activity schedule reminds me of summer camp. All day long there is something to do. There is no shortage of people who are willing to lecture on their travels, or the use of cell phones or computers or RV equipment. For the more adventurous, there are day trips to historic and archeological sites and Indian casinos or golf courses. In the evening, there is bingo, local talent entertainment or some other kinds of social events.
The super bowl took place while we were there and of course since it was the Arizona Cardinals playing, there was a large party in the clubhouse on a big screen TV. If you weren’t a Cardinal’s fan, the wisdom of concealing it was suggested. With about 100 enthusiastic fans, combined with beer, wine, hotdogs and hamburgers – it was a fun place to be – that is until the last 2 minutes when the tide changed and the Pittsburgh Steelers stole the game.
The weather has been nice and comfortable but when it comes to discussing it, we are surrounded by people with license plates from Canada, Minnesota, Montana, Washington and many more states that are frozen and snow covered from November to May so we tend to reserve our comments and nod our heads in agreement when they compare Arizona weather to their hometown.
Other common discussions revolve around individual travels and many of our neighbors have been on the road for years as “full-timers”. That means that they usually have sold their home, bought a large RV and live on the road 24/7. Generally they are retired seniors with lots of stories and advice, which we listen to with great interest, and then there are some “younger” couples who have “caught the bug” and decided to get out of town – which reminds me of an Albert Brooks movie called “Lost in America”..
One interesting couple had lived on a boat and sailed the Caribbean for years, and now switched to a land yacht.
From here, we'll camp out in the desert for a while, staying in low altitudes and south of I-40.

08_Christmas