RWI006 The Shakedown Trip
RV Shakedown
A shake down trip refers to a short, close to home, excursion with your RV for the purpose of testing out the systems and stocking up on necessary supplies.
Diane is now filled with everything we did not purge. Trailer brake issue resolved – the trailer power plug was not seated properly – this gave us improper readings in the truck. I may have had brakes my first run and didn’t know it. Whew, major expense avoided.
We selected the Alamo KOA as our shake down site. We have heard that KOA campgrounds were better than average. The location is over by the AT&T center, not a great part of town. But once on the grounds, it felt very safe. We had access to the Salado Creek walking path that meanders through the RV park.
First Obstacle
To drive through the park and put Diane in M5. We had a guide help us from the entrance until I was ready to unhook Jack. He helped me avoid taking out one tree and the back of one truck. We got perfectly placed in our site and unhooked just as it started to rain.
The first thing we did was level Diane, put the slides out and hook up the 50-amp electric. Problem, the heater works, but none of the outlets work. OK so we have an electrical problem.
I go to the front desk and ask for help from maintenance. They sent their handyman over to help discover the problem. He suggested that I replace the GFCI plug in the bathroom. All or most of the outlets are on the same circuit as the GFCI. I went to Home Depot, grabbed a replacement, then installed the new GFCI. Nothing.
I am now an Electrician
I got online looking for solutions and found nothing that I had not already tried – GFCI, Circuit breakers, etc. We also noticed that the refrigerator was acting up and beeping. I went online and found that a power reset would sometimes fix the problem. It mentioned using the battery cut-off switch.
I found the switch and tripped it – everything in the trailer went off. We had been on battery power for over four hours and the battery indicator was showing a near dead battery.
I went to the Electric box and reset the 50-amp circuit breaker and viola – Diane lit up like a Christmas tree. Electrical and refrigerator issues resolved. Whew, major expense avoided.
“Don, there is a leak in the bathroom skylight” says Julie as I enter soaked to the bone. We still have not solved the leak, but fortunately it is right above the tub.
Bless this Mess
My Mom brought Father Miller over to Bless our new home. He consecrated every square inch. Thank you Father Miller!
Nothing is labeled in Diane and the owner’s manual does not go into detail for anything. Thank God for Google and YouTube. We have been able to find answers to most of our questions. Other items become trial and error.
Housewarming
The night before I left for work, we had a little get together with friends. The kitchen sink began to clog. I went to the back of the trailer to empty the grey tank – maybe the indicator was not working properly. That did not work.
Maybe it is a clog. I was resigned to take care of it later, when Nichole McGhee began removing everything under the sink. We took the drain apart to no avail, but I noticed a vent pipe, removed the cap and everything drained. So, it was not vented properly?
Julie Tackles the Poo
The next day while taking a shower the tub drain stopped working. Ok what is going on? I tried in vain to find the vent for the tub then had to leave for work. I got a call later that day, Julie had discovered that we had a 2nd grey and black drain near the front wheel. She discovered a foul smell by the wheels and there it was – a front drain.
I had already pulled both the front grey and black cutoff valves believing they went to the drain at the back of the camper. Problem, all that poo was siting behind the cap on the front drain and when the cap comes off – it is going to come gushing out before Julie could attach the drain hose.
She was smart enough to put a bucket under the drain to catch the waste. Both the front grey and black tanks were full to the brim. Once dumped all drain problems were solved. Whew…Major expense avoided.
Overall the first shake down went pretty well. We figured out that we will have to become electricians, mechanics and plumbers to make this work.
Share:
