What did you do for your Escape today.....

[Patandlinda]

Had trouble with our Barker electric jack . Would hesitate going up and down . Still under warranty , called manufacturer and they sent out a new actuator switch right away .
Installed yesterday and still not working .Last night checked the Victron battery monitor and saw 9-10 volts ? After all day solar charging batteries ,not holding a charge .Turns out not enough battery power was the reason . So the trailer got 2 new Interstate golf batteries today . The jack is back to working like day one . Got 6 years and 1month out of original batteries . Called Interstate and they said 3-4 years is usual life span of their 6 volts . So I guess they had a good run ! Pat

[cpaharley2008]

I secured 2 Elfa shelves under the sinks with hold down straps to keep them fixed while under tow.

[Greg A]

6 years is great on the original batteries, Pat. We’re at 4 years and hope we get to go as long as yours have.

[LIJ Michael]

Originally Posted by Merlin

LIJ, l want to do that as well. Can you post the wheel size you got. Looks great!

They are 15 X 6 with a 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern.
Thanks for the compliment.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

My new Blue Seas battery switch needs a 2 5/16" hole saw and all I have is 2 1/4" or 2 1/2". I used a 2 1/4" once, what's a 1/16" to file off. More work than I want to do. So I'm off for a walk in the warm sunshine to my friends house to get one the proper size.

What else. Finished installing the step, worked on my new battery box and started playing with shims to mount my tongue box to so it doesn't look like it's falling forward.

Ron

A 2” hole saw for electrical conduit is 2 3/8” OD , may be close enough

[steve dunham]

I varnished the bare plywood inside my Escape 21 ( Bed platform , folding shelves , dinette bench tops , dinette table bottom . When I removed my dinette table I discovered that about 1/2 the table hardware mounting screws were loose or missing . A quick trip to the hardware store for screws and a little Gorilla Glue and things are back to normal .

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Greg A

6 years is great on the original batteries, Pat. We’re at 4 years and hope we get to go as long as yours have.

I know Greg Interstate said just keep doing what I am doing . Checked the water religiously especially because of the solar charging on all the time . Before solar used a battery tender , that’s it . Didn’t get the Costco 6 volts , less amps , bought new Interstates 6 volts . Got for pretty good price 125 .00 each ,and even got 14 back for the original battery cases from another battery supplier . Baby got new power ! Pat

[Mike Lewis]

As your lead-acid batteries get older, check the electrolyte levels more often. I would check mine every six months or so and find little change in level. Then one day I checked and had dry plates. I ruined the batteries after about four years. I have solar power, which may have contributed to this.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by MyronL

I sure hope the work I put into doing this produces warm feet.

Even with the spray foam we founds our feet cold, put in a square of wall to wall carpet under the dinette, much better.

[Ron in BC]

Yuk, way to rainy to crawl under the trailer and install the last 3 foam panels.

So I made 3 towel racks. Two for the bathroom door and one for in front of the sink. Pretty much what I did for the 19 except the 21 has an electrical outlet about half way across the counter front. I didn't think running a towel bar across the front of it was the thing to do so it's shorter than the 19's was.

And, no, I didn't get mixed up and put the feet on the tea towel the wrong way. That maximizes the length and for the bathroom door allows the screws to go into the perimeter framing.

Ron

[MyronL]

Really nice work as usual. I am currently floundering around with my porch light that has gone dead. Changed bulbs, wall switch. Not it, and no current through it. Seems to be wiring busted inside the door framing someplace but not seeing any way to access that area. Nervous if I take that plastic trim apart I will ruin it.

[Ron in BC]

Can you confirm that first without risking damage to the molding? I'd take my mulit meter, set it for continuity and check each of the conductors individually. If you confirm one isn't conducting then you can decide on how much force you want to use to get into the area to replace the wiring.

I sometimes use a length of wire as an "extension cord" if the leads on my multi meter aren't long enough.

It would be unusual for a conductor, fixed in place, to fatigue and crack, usually it's near an end subject to some movement.

Good luck,

Ron

[MyronL]

Was only able to do continuity check of red wire going from switch up to fixture. It is good. Unable to test continuity of both other wires, black down to power, and very short wire up into switch, because cannot locate their other ends. Nothing accessible under sink. Sure do not want to disturb that plastic molding.

Thinking if I could find where they come out down below I could run new wires but it's looking like they disappear on some internal pathway going ....someplace..(?)

[Ron in BC]

Too funny, when you said "porch" I think of a house porch.

OK, the exterior light fixture has to have a ground to complete the circuit. There should be continuity between the lamp base and a good known ground.

Also there should be battery voltage between the incoming wire to the switch and a ground.

Ron

[MyronL]

Well hot damn, if being patient and methodical and not jumping to conclusions isn't a virtue, then I will be forever lost. Just back inside, after going back over and rethinking and revisiting the whole thing.

Decided to poke around the actual porch fixture -- unscrewed four screws holding it and began to pry it away from the trailer wall when suddenly-- the bulb lit up! So the problem is in the fixture. Must be something pinched in there.

[Ron in BC]

Yes, patience is a virtue when trouble shooting, unfortunately sometimes I'm not that virtuous. I've broken things by being too aggressive too soon, then finding out that I needn't have done what I did.

I think that your problem is a poor ground between the socket base and the connecting ground wire. I seem to remember having a similar issue.

Still raining cats and dogs here, supposed to get about 4" of rain this week, so no laying under the trailer for the rest of the day.

So I got my towel bars installed, cross another one off the mod. list.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Well hot damn, if being patient and methodical and not jumping to conclusions isn't a virtue, then I will be forever lost. Just back inside, after going back over and rethinking and revisiting the whole thing.

Decided to poke around the actual porch fixture -- unscrewed four screws holding it and began to pry it away from the trailer wall when suddenly-- the bulb lit up! So the problem is in the fixture. Must be something pinched in there.

Our porch light died by year two . Could never get it to work . Reace sent us 20.00 in cash and just purchased new light , never had a problem since after new light . It just was the light for us . Pat

[Iowa Dave]

Our Escape got a nice bath today coming from Brevard NC to Limestone Tennessee. It’s the least I could do as it has kept us warm, dry and comfortable for the past week and then some. Lots of Fiberglass at the King of the Wild Frontier Rally several Oliver’s, seven or eight Escapes, lots of scamps and casitas and for you aficionados a flat top Boler. Hoping for good weather the rest of the week, Hatchet throwing lessons on Friday I think it is. Remember when Ed Ames threw the hatchet for Johnny Carson?
Iowa Dave

[MyronL]

Well at least now, when the porch light fails again I know where the problem area is. Will leave well enough alone for now. No rain here but ET19 will get a hose job soon. I remember Ed Ames, the Ames Brothers, and his hatchet. Never thought of the guy as a Native American. Have thought sometimes of using a hatchet on some of my little projects, though. How times have changed. Torini towels: looks like someplace off the Greek aisles?

[Ron in BC]

Yesterday, rolling out from under the trailer I rolled into a puddle on the driveway that managed to wet every piece of clothing that I had on. Then it dawned on me that I should put the awning out and keep one side dry. Duh.

First time that I've rolled out the new awning. All is working well. Great to have a manual awning that can stay out in torrential rain without any problem.

Today I managed to get the last of the 3 front panels on. Whew, that's a relief, I hate dodging rain showers. A few small fill in bits and some paint touch up but they can be done anytime.

I probably went overboard on mechanical backup to the adhesive. One strap is enough to keep the panel from coming down if the adhesive failed. Oh well, as usual, I have back ups for my back ups.

Ron