August 11, 2022 - RV Trips Mean RV Repairs in My Experience

In my experience in over twenty years of traveling by RV, after just about every trip there are items that need to be fixed or improvements to be made. This trip was no exception. The first item discovered on this trip was that the vanity cabinet door was very loose. I tightened the screw in place but noticed that the two doors then rubbed each other. I took all screws out, except one in the bottom, put toothpicks in the holes, held the door so it didn't touch the other door, then reinserted the screws. Problem solved. Here is a picture. I wish all repairs were this easy.

The next item was that the converter access panel came loose several times. This panel is located just as you enter so being loose or falling off can be a hazard. Here is a picture of the door in place. 

From the factory this panel was one half this size. It consisted of only the black screen portion, which is now on the bottom. The original panel was nailed in place. Soon after purchasing Homer I decided to replace the converter because the old one buzzed so loud it could keep us awake. Upon prying the panel off I could not get the converter out. It was too large for the opening. Additionally, there was very little room to work in to install a new one. The panel was strictly for air flow. I took a saw and doubled the size of the access panel. I could then get the old converter out and the new one installed. I used the wood I cut out in a new frame I made to cover the opening. I didn't want to nail the new panel back on so that I would have future access. This was a good move because last year I had to replace the converter because it went out. The molding is only an inch and a quarter wide and less than a half inch deep. I could have screwed the panel on to the wall, but I liked the clean look of the original with no visible means of attachment. I attached a spring-friction cabinet catch on each side of the wall. I used short screws in the frame to engage the spring catches. It worked fine but sometimes the door would shift a little in the opening, the screw would slide out of the friction latch, allowing it to come loose. Today I solved that problem by adding a second screw to each side. By doing this, even if the door moves left or right in transit, it stays in place. In the picture I have placed arrows showing the double screws and arrows showing the spring cabinet catches. It is tight as can be now. (I should have done a better job the first time, but these little projects keep me out of the bars.

The next issue was the 12-volt power hub I installed several years ago on the dash. On the road we use a Garmin GPS that needs a twelve-volt cigarette lighter outlet for power. We both have cell phones to charge as well as a wireless speaker we use to listen to audio books as we travel.  All of these gadgets need power. I bought a 12-volt power hub and attached it to the dash so that everything could be powered. It has three 12-volt cigarette outlets and one USB port. I purchased adapters for USB ports in the 12-volt outlets.  Here is a picture.

It has worked but the USB adapters and the Garmin cigarette plug often vibrate loose while traveling. Homer is a truck chassis, not a car, so we feel the many bumps in the road. Periodically we would have to push the plugs back in. This trip they just wouldn't stay in tight enough to make a connection most of the time. To get us home I duct taped the adapters in place but even that didn't hold for the entire trip. I decided I was going to glue the two USB adapters in place. Upon rethinking that idea I decided it was a bad one. When we tow the HHR we need to have a 12-volt cigarette outlet available for the brake control alert system.  What to do? A light bulb went off. All I need is friction to hold the adapters in place. I am a big fan of Velcro and always keep some on hand. I hit on the idea of putting a strip of the fuzzy Velcro on each plug and pushing it into the sockets. It worked like a champ. Very tight yet removable. Here is a picture of the Garmin plug with and without the Velcro.

All that is left for me to repair is the gray water sewer line which was broken at some point when Homer was in the shop. It is clear that they backed it into a grassy area and broke the connection because fresh grass and mud were in the strap on the lowest part of the drain. Thank goodness it did not break the tank connections. 

Lastly, Homer goes into the shop Monday for a new ignition switch.