Power Predicament

Much to the kiddos great dissatisfaction we have actually been home for almost a whole week and are not headed out again for four more days.  Being home for a stretch did, however, give me a chance to get the power problem in the RV fixed. 
 

Learning The States While On the Road

It appears the capacitor in the converter was bad.  That sentence makes me sound like I know what I’m talking about!  Ha!  And no, I did not say Flux-Capacitor.  Wouldn’t that be neat…a time traveling RV!  Sign me up!! Seriously, what it came down to though, was a part that was still under warranty from some work we had done last year.   Good News!!

 

The unknown at this point is rather or not the generator caused the problem.  To determine the culprit I am waiting to take it to my dad who is brave enough to stick a volt-meter into the generator’s 30 amp outlet.  In the meantime, however, the batteries are charging and all systems (except the generator) are a go.

 

Our next trip is going to be another excursion into the mountains.  My brother and his kids are going to caravan with us and at this point it looks like the vote is leaning toward the Entiat river valley again.  I guess my kiddos want their cousins to see the waterfall and explore the woods and water they experienced a few weeks ago. 

 

If we can just get through one more week of school we will be ready to REALLY get this show on the road!  We are always looking for suggestions and info on new spots.  Leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite camping location.

 

 

 

 

Battery Breakdown

Battery Breakdown

 

Well today we woke to pouring down rain and dead coach batteries.  I love the rain.  I just wish it hadn’t arrived on the same day the battery and generator are both dead.  I think this is my own fault, but until I get home and test it for sure, it is just a theory.

What the back-side of a waterfall looks like

It started yesterday while I was running the generator. We were getting a.c. power but the battery didn’t seem to be charging very efficiently.  So, instead of believing the gauge and just letting the generator run longer I decided it must be the gauge with the problem and turned the generator off thinking our batteries were fine.  Wrong.  I now think (more like know for sure since the lights and water pump won’t work) that the gauge is fine and the batteries are the problem.  What I don’t know for sure yet is if the generator was ever charging the battery or if it was but I just wasn’t letting it run long enough. It is loud and obnoxious after all.

 

 But wait, it gets better.  To charge the batteries you need a generator right? Got it.  To start the generator you need spark (like an engine) which comes from a battery.  Yep. You guessed it.  No battery life, no generator, no generator, no battery life. How dumb is that?  Needless to say, I need a spare battery or at the very least a car jumper battery pack thingy. 

 

On the bright side, the battery that starts the motor home engine is working great so we aren’t stuck! And the kids are getting some really good journaling and reading time in while we wait for this rain to let up long enough to load outside stuff and head home. 

 

It is a great day to be camping in an RV instead of a tent!