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 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.
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.
posted by The Highway Guys @ 8:09 PM
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