| Trip Report to Kartchner Caverns and Vendor Kudos [message #65503] |
Tue, 24 November 2009 09:57  |
jwillard
Messages: 118
Registered: May 2004
Location: Silver City, NM
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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I just got back last night from a "test trip" in my 73 ex-Glacier. I hadn't used the coach for about two years and I need to make a cross Country trip in a couple of weeks, New Mexico to Southcentral Pa. I thought it wise to "fly the pattern" a bit before I headed out on the cross country.
I decided a quick trip to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Az. It's about two hours each way, close enough to "glide back" if there's an issue. Everything went pretty well.
I have a vintage Prince Trip Computer installed in the coach and it showed I was getting about 11 mpg on the flat, 13 if I was drafting an 18 wheeler. Very little oil use and other that a balky vent on the left side height control value, which would cause a starbord list now and then, the coach did great.
Now for the other side of the story....
Did you know it gets REAL cold in the desert at night in November? It was cozy at bedtime but about midnight, it was chilly. So I reached up and hit the thermostat. Furnace came on but no heat, no light, na da. Tried cycling it a few times and still no heat. So, I fire up the AC unit with the heat strip in it. They don't do much but, I figured it was better than nothing. Just as it seemed to be making a difference, all the AC shuts off!! Popped the breaker on the pedistal. It's now 3am and I'm NOT going to get dressed and struggle with that. So, Me and the dogs got "cuddly" and suffered through till morning. Lit the stove in the AM and that knocked the chill down to allow a shower.
While I was drinking coffee in the morning, I remembered Steve Furgeson (sp?.. sorry) talking about a Benson Rally and an RV dealer close by that had a deal on A/C units. So I went and found them to see if they could fix the furnace. RV City is the name and they were great! The mechanic stopped everything he was doing, pulled the fairly new Suburban furnace out of my coach, set it up on the bench and in 10 minutes diagnosed a bad circuit board. Put in a new aftermarket one and I was out of there in an hour. It was a tad pricy but... a 3am the night before, I would have gladly paid twice as much to have heat. If you're ever down that way, they are good folks.
Karthchner Caverns is also worth the trip. No Wi-Fi though 
Jeff Willard
Silver City, NM
1973 ex-Glacier
[Updated on: Tue, 24 November 2009 10:00] Report message to a moderator |
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