Awning Fixes

The first time we opened Sassy's awning is didn't want to work. We fiddled for some time and finally forced it open. Once started to open it worked fine. Ended up build some new spacers that hold the awning arms up slightly so they don't "jam" at the top. Small aluminium rounds. The ones shown are a little larger than the original. That fixed the problem for the most part. The rear arm still "jams" a little but is workable. I thinks that arm is slightly out of adjustment but not enough to worry about.

When about 6 years old the awning fabric was showing its age. Rather than wait for it to start ripping we had it replaced. Nice new pretty awning.

Furnace Fix

It was getting cold in Prescott so time to head for Brenda. Our propane furnace started to malfunction soon after moving to Orchard Ranch. Upsetting but we have a space heater which heats the place well. If it happened at White Spar we would be cold without electricity. I did some Internet research and had a few ideas about fixing it. We ordered parts to be sent to Brenda.

In Brenda I again worked on Sassy's furnace. Tried most everything I could think of. I was ready to pull it out. That's the only way to clean the innards. On the verge of taking it to a service center in Quartzsite. But I finally figured out the exhause damper needed to be in place for the furnace to function. Don't know why. Once this was done it worked again. Since most relevant parts, including the circuit board, had been changed I don't know which part was giving trouble. But it's been working since.

Caps on TPMS Sensors

Sassy came with a TireMinder TPMS system installed. This monitors the four tires on Sassy to air pressure and blow outs. We had the same system on Dora so we were all set. Having the system from Dora duplicated most of the parts and pieces.

However, the plastic caps on the valve stem sensors are fragile. They are easily damaged letting water into the battery and electronics. I finally got tired on working on them and made new nylon caps.

The TireMinder system has given us mixed results. When working it is useful. But much of the time it gives false readings. We're to the point of ignoring it for the most part. The new caps are nice though.

Propane Regulator

When one propane tank goes empty the regulator automatically switches the the second tank and throws a flag to indicate the first is empty. Very handy system. The original went belly up and was replaced with an identical, or very similar, one. The hoses to the tanks have been replaced also.

New Seat Covers

After five years of near continuous use the dinette seat covers were showing wear. We found the Bigfoot supplier and ordered a new set. Not too expensive but shipping to the US from Canada is. We had some Canadian friends stop by the factory, pick up our order and bring it to Arizona. We both winter in the same RV Park. The new covers are identical to the original, but new.

Loose Screws

After five years of bouncing down many roads a few of the wood screws inside were coming loose. The most notable, and problematic, were those holding the cabinet door hinges. I reset all these screws. The process was to shoot JB-Weld into the screw holes. Then, once set, re-drill the holes and re-install the screws. Those doors now feel much more solid.

Bathroom Fan

Working on the roof one day I noticed the vent cover for the bathroom fan was broken. I looked for a replacement cover but didn't find anything I was sure would fit. This original vent fan was a low end unit. Given those two problems I decided to replace the whole unit with a new Fantastic Fan.