Tag: RV repairs

When I got all battened down and ready to leave Plomosa Road camp I had a list of things to getter done in Quartzsite.  You can find all things RV in Quartzsite, and many things not. Top of my list and first stop would be Solar Bill to ask questions, get answers, and hopefully get more solar power added, or at least an appointment.  As I climbed into the driver’s seat I noticed the camper pulling even more apart at the front corner, the tie-down dangling, and figured it had to do with the whole camper sliding back out of the bed of the truck.  Damn it!  It’s always something isn’t it.  No matter if your house is stationary or on wheels.  I fretted the entire 30-minute drive vacillating back and forth, repair or replace.  Should I bother adding more solar if the entire camper is going to shit?  What to do?  Who to talk to?

I’ve never experienced Quartzsite so quiet, but am sure it’s even more so during the high heat of summer.  I lucked out being the second customer of the day and spent over an hour sitting outside, masked, talking with Solar Bill himself.  He started solar on RVs back in the 1970s wiring a big heavy panel on his father’s RV roof with coat hangers.  The rest is history. What a kick of a guy.

Six hours (1.45 hrs labor) and $550 later I had another panel on the roof, 190 watts added to 100 watts already there, that will actually charge the house/camper battery to full over six hours on most sunny winter days.  A 12v plug can charge my phone quickly and will see how long the laptop can run/charge through an inverter.  I’ll be watching the controller as explained not to run the house/camper battery too low.  The selling point if I did have to switch RVs, Solar Bill would remove and reinstall.

While that work was going on they called a local repair man, also Bill, who came to their lot to assess the camper problem.  First issue is lift the camper enough to back the truck back under.  The camper jacks all work yet concern would be if the front corners (yes both sides) were solid enough to hold weight.  Added support would be needed.  Then to think about stopping that from happening again.

We had a couple days to research that which I did while plugged in at Shady Lane, with heat for a couple nights below 40°, a long shower, dump and fill tanks.  After reading and watching videos about the front breakage I know it’s way more repair rebuilding than is going to happen.  Maybe with a combination of liquid nails, expando-foam, and silicone it might look better and not leak because that would make it worse.  To stop the camper sliding, a friend suggested bolting it to the truck bed.  I’m hoping I already blogged about setting boards between the 5th-wheel hitch brackets in the bed of the truck to make a flat surface for the camper.  If I did, I can’t find it.

Another solar employee said he knew someone who might buy it and asked how much.  When I said $3000 he laughed.  Hey the appliances work and the roof don’t leak.  I looked later at the NADA value of this 1996 Weekender with a low retail (that’s a dealer price) $4100.  REALLY??  Don’t tell anybody I didn’t pay that much six years ago.  But then I would need another RV so I have a place to live. This is a good town for selling and buying RVs, but not until January when the RV businesses roll in.  And I’m told they are hurting for merchandise.

While in the RV park I spent much time online fighting with government websites, Federal and State(s).  Surfing off into the cyber yonder and processing photos occupied more than a bit of time.  Being plugged in meant no chance to test the new solar, but its time would come.

Waking Friday morning to 32°F made me thankful the camper appointment wasn’t until noon.  Back to Solar Bill’s with the truck parked on level cement and time to crank down the jacks.  Being it was questionable if the two front camper jacks would hold in possibly rotten wood, a backup plan was used taking even longer to jack the entire camper up, moving around and around until finally lifted off the truck bed.  The rear slid piece of plywood was moved back in place and super glued to the truck bed with additional dabs between it and the camper bottom.  Ever so slowly, backed the truck about 6-8 inches and let the camper back down.  Again, round and round cranking the jacks back down.  Bill was mostly able to use a drill on the jacks instead of cranking by hand.  Took about 3 1/2 hours and doesn’t fix the front corners that are pulling apart.  To be done correctly that would require the camper off the truck, peal back the aluminum and basically rebuild by replacing all rotten wood.  The previously described fix would be purely cosmetic.  Everybody’s recommendation is to stay off rough roads.  WHAT?  I couldn’t live like I do without some gravel.  I don’t take it 4x4ing as the truck isn’t 4×4.

Another little yet important fix on breaking plastic around the refrigerator door hinge.  I asked about a method Jim and Diana used and instead this was much simpler.  A putty that works soft when warmed with fingers then hardens when cool.  It may not be pretty, but, seems a lot of my little home on wheels is rather glued together.

I spent one more night at Shady Lane then time for chores and be done in Quartzsite before testing the solar while boondocking in the desert.

before

after

If you’re looking for solar power for your RV I’d say getter done in Quartzsite if you’re in the area look up Solar Bill, and tell him the Geogypsy sent you.