May 22nd - A Lot Maintenance Issue and a Small Upgrade to Homer

This week my sister-in-law and her husband drove their motorhome down from Columbia to stay at our Lake Perry lot for a couple of days. No one is around during the week so it is easy to stay isolated. It was something different for them to do.  They plugged the motorhome into the electric box and within minutes the spring inside the 30 amp breaker physically broke. This was probably from years of dampness in the box, which is out in the weather. It has only been used three times in over ten years so it certainly wasn't worn out. No one in town had one just like it so I ordered a new one online for $8.00. Kellen and I went out to the lot today and while Kellen cut the grass I took the old breaker out so I can compare it to the new one when it arrives. Here is a picture of the broken one. It looks fine but the switch just flops.  An easy fix if I ordered the right one. I'll know in a week.

Homer is a 1993 motorhome on a 1992 E350 Ford van chassis. Door pockets were not a thing back then on vans. I have always found door pockets handy to use for holding tire gauges, maps, small tools, paper towels, etc. I have been looking for some rigid pockets to add to the doors on Homer but all I found are very small and made only to hold something like a cell phone. In my search I came across some small cargo nets that are about 12 inches wide by nine inches tall. They are made to attach to the cargo area carpeting in SUVs for holding items there.  I ordered two for $10.00, knowing I could make them work somehow.

Upon getting them and looking at how to mount them on the doors of Homer, I quickly realized that the door panels are not flat for easy mounting of the netting. I made wooden mounting plates from an old Ouija Board which is hard Masonite that won't bend. I have Velcroed the pockets to the doors for the time being because I'm not sure exactly where on the doors I want them. When I am satisfied as to their placement on the door I will stick them on with double-sided automotive moulding tape which is much tougher.  Here is a picture of one installed.

The tab on the front of the net is handy to pull it open since the net itself is not attached to the door. I think they will serve the purpose quite well for a $10.00 investment.

Also today I attached my very small solar panel to Homer. It is much too small to charge the batteries but it should help maintain them from phantom drains like the LP detector. Here is a picture of the solar panel which is only about 12 inches by 12 inches. It just puts out a few watts.

I learned from using it last year that I have keep the wire up off the ground or the squirrels will chew it in half. To prevent this today I hung the wire over the light to keep it off the ground. Here is a picture with the wire running to the battery compartment in front of the wheels.

I'll be curious to see if it can keep up with the normal battery drain. If not I won't bother with it anymore.

We are hoping to get to use Homer soon. The pandemic has screwed up a lot of summer travel plans for us and others.