As we use our equipment we simply never stop learning. We are always finding deficiencies, things that need help, things that can be improved.
I keep a ‘Note’ on my iphone called ‘Camper Fixes’ as I go, and that ‘to-do’ list grows and shrinks constantly.
Okanagan Trip
At the end of August Shelley and I decided to go to the Okanagan primarily to visit a friend, secondarily to do some exploring as Shelley had not been there, and thirdly to do some fishing at some of the lakes high up above Oliver.
Well, we learned two things:
- If something hasn’t worked once before, it is very likely going to not work when you really want to use it – Gas valve on the hotwater tank is intermittent.
- ATV trails do not like campers. Or at least our camper does not like ATV trails
Enter two days at Burnell lake, or Whipsaw Lake as the locals call it. A beautiful place beyond most tourists.
First night at the Rec site, easy to get to (green trail on the map). Hot, 40C, dry, dusty, need to have a shower. Gas valve in the hotwater tank isn’t playing our tune.
Second day, continue around the lake’s northern trail back to meet up with the road that we had traveled. A reasonably rugged road lands up being little more than a disused ATV trail (Red trail on the map). Our 12,000lb rig did not like that…and Conchita learned all about the concept of ‘stacking rocks’ when four wheeling. I could have sure used the chainsaw I left at home…(note to self)
The moral of a four-hour endeavor? “Hold my beer!” and “Full-size trucks don’t fit on ATV trails”. Oh well…Buena práctica para nuestro viaje a Baja California – good practice for our Baja trip.
Anyway, once home it was time to replace a 1997 gas control valve with something current. Not my favorite, gas plumbing, but the dealer wanted $750 to do the job. Enter a Google and AliExpress search, order a new valve from the US and thermocoupler/pilot from China, scrounge for a 3/8-1/4 NPT reducing bush in my toolbox, find the roll of gas tape, and the six gallon hotwater tank is like new for $230. A far cry from an on-demand system which I would really like at $1800 and change. Oh well. A couple hours of work, done. It’s just fine for the little bit of hot water we require. Tenemos agua caliente de nuevo..
And then we learned all about ATV trails that are 12″ narrower than the camper. I don’t care about pin-striping on the truck and camper, but I hate breaking things. Time to mitigate potential damage to the most expensive items when squeezing between trees and branches, the awnings. Holding tank vent stacks, top rails are sacrificial in my opinion. $2000 awnings are not.
If it doesn’t fit, just push harder, just make sure you don’t have sharp edges that catch. And that’s what I will achieve with my wedgy style brackets I added in front of the awnings.
Some $$$ of 6061 Aluminum square channel, cut on an angle, screwed on and SikaFlex’ed after roughing up the angle and the fibreglass surfaces. Done. That will stop a tree trunk catching my awning and keeping it. If you want some for your awnings just ping me, I’ll make some for you.
That’s it for now. I may need to add some similar ramps for the fridge vent cover and the foremost solar panel. We’ll see. ¡Viajes felices! – Oso
