Fluke Factor Fries Me!

Pre-California snow in Northern NM, 11-18-09

Some things I'd chalk up to my previous novice RVer status. But not after 80k+ miles, starting my 5th year of full-time RVing. I'll share a few of my fluky happenings, but I'd love to hear from others. (I acknowledge gross neglect of this blog. Plenty of excuses...please excuse me.)

FURNACE FLUKE--I try not to use the house furnace, but when Tillie is below 50 inside as I crawl out from under my toasty down comforter, I reach for the furnace switch. A quick warm-up, then I frugally revert to the little space heater. One day I flipped the switch and nothing happened. Hmmm...I checked all obvious systems, no clue.

I happened to be real short of expendable funds, and dollar signs started spinning around in my head like Nevada slots, where I happened to be at the time, parked in the yard of my friends Elaine and Bob. Crotchety ol' Bob is a trucker/handyman, so he offered to take a look. Of course, it worked fine. Never had a problem since.

BACK-UP CAMERA--usually when I'm at my most tired state, and it's dark, and I'm just wanting to get parked on the narrow lil' slab and hop in bed--the act of backing into my camping spot gets infinitely harder when the little camera doesn't work. It happens maybe once every 50 times, and never when I have the ability to park Tillie on a dime (??!).

ELECTRIC WINDOW THINGY--on the hottest day of this past summer I had a brief 1-hour drive to my destination. Hopping in, I decided that 100 was a good point to use my seldom-used AC. Turned the switch and nothing. Too hot to do anything but swear, I pushed the button for the passenger window, figuring a cross hot breeze would be better than nothing. Too bad. Window didn't open. More bad words, and lots of sweat.

Took Tillie to my trusted mechanic at Mike's Auto and Truck in DeKalb. He found the AC problem, but not the window. But when he tried it, viola! It worked, and has ever since.

GENERATOR--recently parked in a WalMart lot in CT and temps went down to the 20s. I sleep fine, and about 3 I pop up, push the genny switch, hit the furnace switch, and jump back in bed till inside temps get to be at least 45. This particular morning I did that routine and was fighting to get back to sleep as genny rumbled underneath my bed. The rumbling started faltering, like someone poured glue into the gas tank. Figuring the worst, I shut it off, knowing that the 36 degrees inside was as warm as it would get. Did use it a few days later and it was fine.

Again, to Mike's, and they checked it out, to no avail. And it's been fine since.

I could wrack my brain for more, but I'll pause and hope that others let me know I'm not just the only one with fluke factor-itis.

Fluke or not, I love RVing, especially now when I'm spending a little time in California. And I'll be on the road for several months on my HEAR US Learning Curve Express project. Follow along, and check out this cool piece that Fox Chicago did on my efforts to raise awareness about homeless children and youth.