GMC Motor Home, Travel with Teri and Dan

One of Those Days

I got up and around this morning feeling really good. Then I looked under the coach and the leak I have been working on all week, trying to "patch" til we get home, was leaking again. Dog gone. I am going to fix it right today. Got Teri out to help me with a few things and I started. I used the air bags to raise the rear of the coach so I can get under it. I block the coach with a 2 ft piece of telephone pole that our son in law has here. So, I am working away and get the coach all blocked up. Came inside to let a little air off the bags and "WHOP" busted off the toggle on the switch that runs the whole air system. I can not even believe this. Tore the panel out of the wall and the switch has 8 lugs on it with wires running everywhere. I can not get my eyes focused on it so I grab my byfoculs. Can barely see what is back there. Time to upgrade the glasses I can't see. Anyway, I get Teri to take a picture of the wires coming off the switch, then I write them all down on paper and tag every wire. Out comes the switch. I grab my keys and let Teri know over the mountain and through the desert I go. Got to get to Radio Shack and that is 40 miles.
Along the way I can see the big telescope on top of Mt. Graham, really well. I take 4 pictures. Can not see it in the pictures.
Get to town, gas has gone up 35 cents. What is up with that? More of the same on how my day is going. Tank is empty. I pay 1.95 and get 11.4 gallons and off to Radio Shack I go.
I arrive and look at the truck I found. That is a nice old Ford. Its a 51 or 52.
Go into the store, praying they have it but not expecting it. Wow, kid goes right to the shelf and pulls one just like the busted one I have in my hand. Great.
Off to Walmart to grab a few things and back home. 2 hours and 20 minutes. I am ready. Get the switch wired back up and put the panel in the wall.
Now, the leaking is coming from the macerator. This is going to get messy so I tried to empty the tank and then raise the coach so minimal damage. Well, with Teri helping, we try to do just what I said. Then I must pull the macerator. Oh boy. The tank was not empty. Soon it filled my coffee can and Teri was running everywhere looking for a bucket. She found one and I shoved it under there to get the rest of what was coming out. Teri is the best helper. I lost my 12v elec. gate that shuts it off back in Sept so I can't shut it off.
Get the motor out and it is not leaking where I thought it was. The leak is actually from part of the pump. So, I tear it apart and the 2 gaskets are pretty much gone. Go pull the spare motor from its storage place. Got to carry a spare, you know how it is. Same motor but has a stud broken so I had to take both apart and swap parts around. Teri leaves for town with the kids so I am on my own now. Good thing. I don't smell good.
So, just before the sun sets I have it all back together and in there where it belongs. Pray for me. I am hoping I got a good fix on this thing. I am tired and don't want to worry about this again for a while. Got my parts coming for the spare that I robbed. Jim K. is sending them to me.
So, that was my day. I am glad to be done with this, finally. Trying to just patch it up was never a good idea anyway. Might as well do the job right. Hope I did.
Tomorrow will be better. Teri and I are meeting friends in Safford. Then we are going to a solar conference. I can never know enough about these panels on our roof.
Dan

posted by Dan & Teri Gregg @ 8:11 PM