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Old 05-11-2015, 08:05 PM   #1
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Stuff Happens!

From a recent trip, weird things:

See pix of my spare tire cover? This happened, near as I can figure, Thursday, when we stopped and overnighted at Gila County RV camp in Globe, AZ. Next morning discovered some one, something, had ripped up my tire cover, and worse, also scratched the gel coat! Never heard it happen. No one was parked near us.

Second thought was, before we left home, without my permission or knowledge, a bird had built a nest inside the cover. Then, in Globe, in the night, an animal went after it. However, when I removed the cover there was no evidence of nesting. Clearly on the dusty cover paw prints indicate some animal, guessing raccoon, climbed up, tried to peek in on us. Fool didn't know we pulled the shades. But the gel coat marks and scratches? Stuff!

After dinner Friday, heating water in my Wok, I turned it on and the left burner went totally rogue. Two 6 inch flames shot out, one at 12 o'clock, one at 5 o'clock, and before I could get to the propane tank shut-off the knob and the label melted! Something had clogged the burner. Could find nothing in there to blame! Stuff!

Looks like my water pump has died. Friday I could not get it to pump any water through the lines. Think I forgot I had to turn some valves under the bed, ran it without water and burned it out. It will be hard getting under there.

Testing my homeboy RedNeck cooler: does not produce air cool enough. No surprise there, but had my hopes. Even with the delightful camping temps we had, mid-70's to very low 80's, Red was a bust., Plus, took up too much floor space. Example: with inside trailer temp at 84° at 4 inches from the pipe a thermometer would not go lower than 67°. That sure won't cut it when its 90°.

Found 4.3 Fridge performance when towing and on bat power was good. Seemed to hold in the cold. Tow vehicle was in tow mode, which increases alternator charging. This trip I never used propane to power fridge. At the campsite we were always on shore power, outside temps 78-82°. Fridge clearly had tough time recovering from opening its door. Must be done real quick. Turning my homeboy inside fridge fan on did not make a difference. Yet, nothing inside ever spoiled.


Note: Shore power and 5 dots got fridge down to 31° at 3 PM when trailer temp was 81°. Then you open the door briefly and it could jump to 41°. On Sunday morn, at 6 am, fridge was at 31° and trailer at 62° - then for the drive home switched to tow vehicle bat power, 3 dots, and at 2:30 PM fridge was 35°, trailer 75°. Door was strapped tight. I think that helped. With very few, quick, door openings, on steady shore power 5 dots, never got over 45° um, with one exception.

I know these results are worthless for when it is 90 degrees out there, but... they will likely, at least for now, keep me from pulling the thing out and adding baffles, new door, extra insulation, Texas fans, etc. Don't throw away your ice chests!
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Old 05-11-2015, 08:14 PM   #2
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Myron-

Regarding your tire cover-- I think Critter A was chasing Critter B, who hid inside the spare tire. Critter A then decided to claw through the cover to get to Critter B. Just my guess.
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Old 05-11-2015, 08:29 PM   #3
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Sheesh .....you surely do have adventures !
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Old 05-11-2015, 09:48 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
Testing my homeboy RedNeck cooler: does not produce air cool enough. No surprise there, but had my hopes. Even with the delightful camping temps we had, mid-70's to very low 80's, Red was a bust., Plus, took up too much floor space. Example: with inside trailer temp at 84° at 4 inches from the pipe a thermometer would not go lower than 67°. That sure won't cut it when its 90°.
It doesn't seem to me that your redneck fix was a total bust. I thought I read once that the recommended "setting" for A/C was ten degrees below ambient, e.g., when it's 110 degrees out, the A/C should be at 100 degrees, not 70 degrees. Could be wrong, often am...
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Old 05-11-2015, 09:52 PM   #5
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Myron, a 17 degree drop is not bad, I was always told that at 90 degrees, a 10 degree drop is the goal for a/c, not 23 degrees differential. BTW, we will be cruising by you there in Edgewood on our way to Osoyoos, if you want to feel what a real a/c can do I could plug in and you could determine if you like the noise level. Just a thought....
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Old 05-11-2015, 09:52 PM   #6
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Lately around here there have been reports on the news of multiple incidents involving chewed wiring on automobiles. In this case it has been rats. An automotive expert (on television) said that the insulation on newer car wiring is now made (for environmental purposes) using plant material (soy extract I think) rather than petroleum based. Perhaps the tire covers are now made with a similar product.

Years ago people in northern BC had issues with porcupines eating the rubber on tires. Old timers used to wrap the tires with chicken wire if they were going to be away from the vehicle for a few days.

From what I have seen around here I believe you are correct. Those look like racoon prints, although you usually see the claw print as well.

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Old 05-11-2015, 10:03 PM   #7
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Could be. When test began trailer was 82° and Red started almost immediately at 76.3°. By 3:15PM Red was at 70° and trailer was 84° and at 3:30 pm Red was 68.2°. At 4:15 pm Red was stuck at 67.1 and that's when I stopped monitoring and dumped the ice.

The air flow and subsequent temps all measured a mere 4 inches from the pipe, not elsewhere in trailer, except as a FYI for the general state of the trailer interior. At the pipe, it just didn't seem cold enough there to the touch, as per my pix.
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Old 05-11-2015, 10:23 PM   #8
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Rats and nests and wiring under the hood have been problems/issues for decades. Rats don't care where the stuff comes from as long as they aren't poisoned, truly. I've got buds who spend big bucks building wiring looms for their hot rods and when they put their rides to bed.. they hang stockings with moth balls all over the engine... and hope for the best when it's time to fire it up. At that point everyone hopes the heat doesn't cause a huge stink in the garage from rat urine and feces.
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Old 05-11-2015, 10:23 PM   #9
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Could be. Karen, Jim...Think my test is flawed because I was really only monitoring temp changes at the pipe outlet and that was a mere 3-4 degrees down.

Think I was misleading about listing the interior temps of the trailer. When test began trailer was 82° and when Red started, he showed almost immediately at 76.3° but that's at 4 inches from the pipe.. By 3:15PM Red was at 70° at the pipe but trailer was 84° and at 3:30 pm Red was 68.2°. At 4:15 pm Red was stuck at 67.1and trailer was 84 degrees. and that's when I stopped monitoring and dumped the ice. Red had no influence on overall trailer temp, I believe.
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Old 05-11-2015, 10:29 PM   #10
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Rats, Donna!! I really liked my decal.
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Old 05-11-2015, 10:54 PM   #11
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Rats, Donna!! I really liked my decal.
Hoping for the best for you Myron
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Old 05-12-2015, 06:13 AM   #12
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Yep, 'stuff' happens, and we deal with it.

Well, at least replacing the tire cover, stove parts and water pump are easy things to deal with. Lordy knows I go through this 'stuff' on a daily basis too.
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Old 05-12-2015, 10:28 AM   #13
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Clearly on the dusty cover paw prints indicate some animal, guessing raccoon, climbed up, tried to peek in on us. Fool[FONT=&quot] didn't know we pulled the shades. But the gel coat marks and scratches? Stuff!
Given the footprints (4 toes, size, no claw marks), it was more likely a bobcat that was spying on you...maybe it tore up your tire cover climbing up to peek in!
Raccoon or coati would have 5 toes and a different shape. No claw marks are indicative of something in the cat family.
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Old 05-12-2015, 11:03 AM   #14
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I just noticed the picture on your tire cover is of acorns. Therefore the culprit must be squirrels!!!


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Old 05-12-2015, 04:28 PM   #15
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Acorns and an oak leaf cluster, yes that's right.

A nosy bobcat? How cool is that! Racoon paw prints are so low-rent. Paw print samples much appreciated. I have already eliminated chipmunks and the prairie dog.
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Old 05-12-2015, 04:47 PM   #16
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Acorns and an oak leaf cluster, yes that's right.

A nosy bobcat? How cool is that! Racoon paw prints are so low-rent. Paw print samples much appreciated. I have already eliminated chipmunks and the prairie dog.
Considering that Globe AZ actually has a street named "Bobcat Track Road", it's appropriate.
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Old 05-20-2015, 02:06 PM   #17
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Report: deaths highly exaggerated. Also, from reading other posts of mishaps, tears, dings, random, minor, but highly irritating damage to the perfect camper, not feeling so alone.

Good stuff: today went out to mess in the trailer - turned on the water pump, and, my sink faucet previously thought dead is sputtering water! Looked under there at the pump and sure enough, surging up, water is going from tank into a happy humming ShureFlo. Amazing. Same-mo in the toilet. So the pumps’ not burnt out after all. Problem must have been some kind of in-line air lock produced from a switch from shore water connection to later the fresh water tank.

More good stuff: my near-dead batteries are in full recovery. Risen from a low 9.4 volts when I discovered I had managed to somehow leave fridge parked in yard and on bat for 3 days, up to 11.5 after 3 days with turned on shore power, then add Solar and up to 11.9 after couple days, then today at 10:15 AM up to 14.31volts, on 3rd consecutive good solar-sunny day.

Bought a generic knob. Still looking around for a matching stove knob, and also hoping to eventually remove and replace the burnt black stove decal.

After cleaning up the bob-cat gel coat scratches beside the spare tire with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser you now have to look close to see the gouges in the gel. Thinking, instead of buying a new cover, would be nice to find a baby moon for the spare tire.

Have envy, but just wait, you people towing your gleaming, still show-room perfect Escapes. Your time will come.
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Old 05-20-2015, 02:30 PM   #18
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Myron,
Don't look at it as gel coat scratches but rather as a camping badge of courage and conversation starter. Since you did not actually see the critter, if any visitor/ critical inspector stops by and notices the scratches, why not mention that it might have been a mountain lion or a rare ocelot. "Never thought of a bobcat, could be that too I guess". Long as it's there might as well milk it.
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Old 05-20-2015, 03:04 PM   #19
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Myron,
Don't look at it as gel coat scratches but rather as a camping badge of courage and conversation starter. Since you did not actually see the critter, if any visitor/ critical inspector stops by and notices the scratches, why not mention that it might have been a mountain lion or a rare ocelot. "Never thought of a bobcat, could be that too I guess". Long as it's there might as well milk it.
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I vote Tiger.
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Old 05-22-2015, 01:58 PM   #20
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Re: ".....Mountain lion or Tiger."
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