Wonderful weather for tinkering.

[Lakota Wolf]

Finally,, a wonderful day to tinker,, Weather guy says NO rain forcasted,, temps in the upper 70's, light breeze,,  Really couldnt ask for a better day to get into some type of mischief. Started off looking for some epoxy to fix the handle on a pot cover,,, and I think a gremlin hid it someplace,,OR, I put it someplace so I wouldnt lose it. ummm I lost it. Okayyyyy,, thats 1 thing on the to do list that apparently isnt getting done today. I get a call from the local cable company saying their tech is enroute to fix an ongoing internet problem we have been having. The tech, should really just quit his job and work in a back room somewhere by himself, because he had the personality of a rock. I tried to be nice and told him I had tracked their internet problem back to an amplifier/node,, and he said, Excuse me sir, But I have been a cable pro for 4 years and I think I know a hell of a lot more then you do ,,so sit down and I will show you how its done. I look at Deb,, shake my head,, and she gave me permission to set this snot nosed lil cuss right.. I said,, look buddy,, I know you think your good at your job,, maybe you are,, maybe your just an egotistical brat who was cuddled all his life,,, But Ive done cable for over 20 years and I have built complete cable systems even before you was a thought in your dads mind. I am trying to make your job easier by giving you a run down of what has already been checked,, but apparently Your to smart to take some advice to make your job easier.He gets a new modem installed and asks me if I can get online,, and I went into dumb arse mode and said, I dont know how to work a computer,, I can barley use the bathroom by myself,, Here you figure it out smart guy.

He then says he wants to check the connections outside etc,, and asks where it comes in at, and I do a duhhhhhhh I dont know,, Im to stoooooopid to know anything about wires and such... I pretty much gave this snot nose a really rough time,,, he couldnt wait to get out of there.... He finally left and a line tech comes up and says yea, it was an amplifier that I had told dispatch etc, and I was right on the money,,

So after that fiasco,, I decide to tackle my electric landing gear issue.

1st order of business,,, 12 V,, check,, keyed switch,on,,, check,, toggle switch good,, check,,, Flip the switch up then down,, nada.

Jumper wires directly to the motor,,, whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr,,, Ok, issues with the switching and or wires, or all 3.I decide to replace and install new wires and connectors including solder,, That takes 30 minutes or so,, Cabin battery is like 6 inches from the motor and 6 inches from the outside control switch. Everything all replaced,,, flip the switch, and whirrrrrrrrr,,  awesome,, it works,,, but when the legs go to lift the weight,, its groaning and moaning and pleading,, please stop,,,,

Light bulb blinks above my head,,,, Need a Tim the tool time Taylor remedy,, More power,,, Im glad I dont throw much away,,, I install a 1/3 hp mini electric reversable motor that came off something,,, a little tinkering with the end gear,, I fabricate a mounting bracket and install it,, wire it up,, and I do believe I have the fastest landing gear set up, this side of the Mississippi.  So now instead of having to stand there for 20 minutes waiting for the landing gear to lower or raise like on normal landing gear set ups,,, its almost a 3o second manuver.. Kind of like a lawn tractor doing the 1/4 mile in under 4 seconds, I will have to apply some grease to the end caps of the main jack shafts,,, I think it might get warm in the hyper drive. I went over to the RV guys and told him to swing by and take a looky,,,, he came over about an hr later and I demonstrated it for him and he had a grin from ear to ear,,, then wrote down some numbers off the electric motor and said he wants to try that on his own personal rig...He even agrees that whirr  whirr, whir, whir whir, for 10 minutes sucks and to speed it up will be an improvement. Landing jack honey do, is complete,,, Its dinner time and what a better way then to relax in the lawn chairs and enjoy the evening. Watching a few over night snow birds pull in to stay over before heading out in the morning heading home.

[Rich Thomas]

I'm glad your not a baker, I don't think I could do a cake made with a snot wad of flower and shortening. LOL

[Lakota Wolf]

Well,, before it started to sprinkle,, I unwrapped the ole 5th wheel hitch and dusted off the dust and cob webs. The bad thing about Texas weather, is anything and everything will either rust, corrode or seize up pretty much over night. My Hitch is a NON roller slider. I scrape off the dirt and what ever crud was on there, and applied some H/D red marine grease. I take my 4 lb sledge hammer and tap each rail back and forth from one end to the other, slathering on the grease. Finally after going back and forth several times,, its slides smoothly as it should. I then take the locking mechanism on the hitch and use good ole fashioned Brake cleaner and disolve all the old grease and gunk,, then liberally apply a good snot wad of grease on the pin grips and springs. I then man handle the lower cradle of the hitch up into the back of the truck,, get the lock pins installed and pull the release handle to manuver from the lock position and slide the cradle back and forth on the rails,, then I slather on a snot wad of grease on each end of the locking handle. I then crab the hitch assembly and get it mounted and locked into place with the swivel cradle pin,, which by the way got a good snot wad of grease added to it, before I tapped it into place and locked it in with its safety pin. Seems to me this hitch is getting heavier and heavier,, making me realize I will have to go to Harbor Freight and pick up another pick up bed crane to do the lifting for me, Like I have set up in the Dodge. I had to put the Hitch in the Ford to make a trip to storage and pick up the 85 Funtime 5th and take it back over to the inspection station, (Texas DMV is still having issues with registration), They ask,, has it gained any weight in the last 12 months? Seriously? Umm no, it hasnt,,, I keep it on a very strict diet of vegetation and asphault. Has anything in the drive train been altered? Nope, still has that invisable 792 cubic inch, 9,000 H.P V-2  engine in it with a 90 speed transmission. Has it been involved in an accident in the last 12 months, making it not road worthy? Um nope,, Its a safe RV,, only follows me where ever I take it,, It hasnt wondered off by itself that I know of.

So, with all that,, It does need to get the tires rotated,, Does rolling mean the same as rotating?

Another plus,, it will help knock off some of the wasps nest and cob webs.

[Lakota Wolf]

Another day for tinkering. I filled and flushed and sanitized the fresh water tank. Flushed​ the grey and black tanks, Noticed a cracked wire on the safety break away switch. Went to just repair the wire and sumpin didn't look right. So cut the other side also and took the switch off, and it has seized. Clamped on a pair of vice grips and pulled,, that thing wouldn't budge and come out. Glad I noticed.. time for a new one. Mother nature wins again. I did save the water I drained out of the fresh water tank,, ( water and bleach ). And have 20 gallons of wash water to wash off the roof.  The management charges a small fortune to let you wash an RV. But,, I will be using technically used water to wash my 5th.  I'm also a tightwad and collect rain water to wash my trucks. Manager lady laughs and said I sure know how to beat the rules with logic. The galls who own and run the park are great. They have rules and they are fair, and yes they send the traveling or short term RVers my way to help them out if I can, I'm more then happy to help them out, unless they give me attitude.Today was short.. good day to relax,, tomorrow will have to go hunt bunny eggs.. I have never seen a bunny lay eggs,, so it should be interesting finding them.

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning, LW; 

     You have weather in the 70s?  Nice.  And, what is this thing about your saying that the weather guy IS NOT predicting rain?  Where do you live, anyway?  Some where in the South or something like that?  I am not sure that I have ever heard a weather guy failing to predict that it is going rain out here in Latté Land.  Besides, there must be a reason why God gave us Goretex. 

     Sorry about your encountering a "super tech" type personality.  I worked under one of those for a while.  This guy took just a couple of hours less than a full work week to repair, test, and restore to operating condition on the shelf one of our control systems.  Later when he had risen to shop foreman, one morning he also gave to me an impossible task; he told me that I had to have three (3) control systems back up and operational in only three (3) days time.  Then he walked away and he left me alone for those three days.  He hardly said anything to me until the end of the third day, when he walked over and asked if I had any controllers done.  I asked him if he had checked the large cabinet shelf where the controllers ready for service were to be placed.  With a disgusted expression on his face, he walked over to the cabinet and opened the doors for that shelf.  Inside he found nine (9) repaired controllers waiting for him in only his specified three (3) days time.  He did not say a word.  He just walked back into his office. 

          Enjoy; 

          Ralph 

          Latté Land, Washington