It has rained every day for the last three weekends that we have spent in NH.\u00a0 This is unfortunate, of course, as we have tried to show off our new traveling home to friends and relatives each of those weekends.\u00a0 And I am still waiting for sun so that I can take a nice photo of the complete rig, to use in applications for workcamping positions.<\/p>\n
But the weather hasn’t completely ruined the fun.\u00a0 Last night we hosted a cookout for two couples that are dear to us.\u00a0 We had to spend too much time under the awning, but we still managed to have a nice campfire (complete with s’mores) and vegetables for our steak tip dinner cooked over an open flame.\u00a0 Add some wine and lots of witty banter and the result was a very pleasant evening.<\/p>\n
And Gary, our chemical engineer friend, figured out how to light the oven.\u00a0 Good to know.\u00a0 That was our get-to-know-your-RV lesson for this weekend.<\/p>\n
Last week’s lesson was the battery backup.\u00a0 It began with Jett calling me in from outside with news that the outlet used by the coffee maker was not working.\u00a0 I dutifully checked the breaker\/fuse panel and, sure enough, one of the fuse warning lights was glowing red, indicating that it was blown.\u00a0 But when I removed it and took a look it didn’t seem blown.\u00a0 I replaced it anyway, but without any effect other than to extinguish the warning light.\u00a0 Hmmm…<\/p>\n
I then noticed the little sticker on the outlet that informed me that the outlet was GFI-protected.\u00a0 So I began a search for the GFI, thinking that it needed to be reset.\u00a0 No GFI in the kitchen.\u00a0 One GFI in the bathroom, but I was unable to reset it.\u00a0 Or test it.\u00a0 Double hmmm…<\/p>\n
Now it was time to test the other outlets.\u00a0 None were working.\u00a0 That is when I noticed the little orange light on the refrigerator that indicates it is running on propane.\u00a0 So, after working the problem for about 30 minutes – and about 30 seconds before Nancy appeared at my door to tell me that the power was out in the campground – I concluded that we had lost power and were running on battery backup.<\/p>\n
It is somewhat comforting, I think, to know that we can lose power and not even notice.\u00a0 And I now know that the battery backup works, but only for the 12-volt lights.\u00a0 And I know where the GFI is (and, yes, it did work once the power came back on).\u00a0 It is a little weird to have the GFI in the bathroom controlling the outlets in the kitchen, but I am ok with that.<\/p>\n
But why was that warning light on? I haven’t figured that one out yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has rained every day for the last three weekends that we have spent in NH.\u00a0 This is unfortunate, of course, as we have tried to show off our new traveling home to friends and relatives each of those weekends.\u00a0 And I am still waiting for sun so that I can take a nice photo … Continue reading