Here we go again

[betsytom]

Imagine, a beautiful late fall evening, stopped at a light just outside of Lancaster, PA a car pulls along side, the driver beeps the horn and the passenger side window comes down-lady yells; 'excuse me, but we think there are sparks coming from the rear of your rv'....

I thank the nice people and pull into a parking lot and while crawling around underneath the dw (about a third of the way through a major panic attack) gets out and says that a trooper is pulling up-he is getting out of the cruiser just as I am getting out from underneath; says that he noticed alot of sparks coming from the left rear wheelwell and turned around to let us know.

Turns out a heavy cable had broken, I taped it up-thanked the officer and we went on our way.

I put the pictures of what happened and the battery fix at

http://www.betsy-tom.smugmug.com/

Total time for the battery modification was a solid 40 hours, but that included alot of trial and error.
Cost was just north of $300 usd; rougly breaking down as; $123 for a sheet of marine plywood, $130 for 30' of very high quality 4 gauge welding cable, battery terminal lugs, solder pellets and fasteners, $32 in various sizes 4:1 dual wall heat shrink, roughly $35 for assorted electrical fittings/paint and $28for two 1/4" rubber truck anti sail flaps.
The aluminum I had, but the heat gun I did not, the tool was not figured into the cost.

Nearing completion is the Waste Master conversion, dinette table repair and window valence repair.

Of course the broken cable will need to be fixed but since I have become expert in the repair of heavy gauge cable this will go very fast......

:mad:

[jimbo]

Man this rig is a piece of &^%$$^. I'd do like the lady in the discount tire commercial and drive it thru their building.:eek:

[betsytom]

jimbo, Betsy and I are both spending alot of time trying to think of a way to get out from under this burden; without saddling some other innocent person with this horrible product but nothing has worked; in campgrounds we will search out every weak looking large tree in the hopes that it will fall onto the rv and destroy it and TWICE I 'forgot' to take the keys out of the ignition in parking lots but the stupid thing was still there when we got back- ;)

Yesterday while taking pictures I noticed something that put me into a Kermit Fisher coma for a few minutes.

I'll have a batch of additional pictures today for the other fixes and I am hoping that you/Steve and others can shed some light on what I -think- I am looking at.

There is a preverted upside to Phoenix Cruiser ownership; the victim WILL get very proficient at rv repair! AND if your self confidence needs a boost having one of these horrible coaches will do the trick. Out of necessity and uttter desperation you will become very resourceful, imaginative and your motor skills will be honed to perfection.

Plus you get to justify buying new tools-:D

[murffdog]

An insurance company won't go for leaving the keys in the ignition. (your fault) How about a sudden fire?
HEY STEVE, you hiring any part time help? Give betsytom a call. :) :)

[betsytom]

The picture I am most concerned about is up at the 'battery fixed' gallery and if I could get some input it would be most appreciated. I hope I am wrong but it sure looks like the only thing supporting the side walls is the osb subfloor and the interior flooring.

If anyone is interested in the 'waste master' install its on the -sani con is gone- gallery; a great product.

The repair of the dinette is continuing and if the table remains solid after this weekend it will be re-veneered, ugly pics at the -more parts coming apart-gallery.

As always- posts are sincerly appreciated.

http://www.betsy-tom.smugmug.com/

By the way, we just surpassed 32,000-thirty two thousand-hits !!!