On The Road to Las Vegas, oops Phoenix

Yes, the title is correct.  We were on the way to Las Vegas but Saturday we lost shore power to the motor home.  The generator worked fine and the solar panels generated enough power to run the necessary things in the motor home,  i.e.,  refrigerator, pumps, toilet, lights, coffee pot etc.  No a/c since it draws too many amps and would drain the batteries really fast.

I suspected it was the transfer switch and called La Mesa RV in Phoenix to see if they could repair it.  We scheduled an appointment for Wednesday and drove up close to the shop on Monday.  Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort was our destination and we booked two nights at the beautiful resort.  I told them about our electrical problem and said we would need to run the generator during the heat of the day so we could keep cool.  We were located away from others so the generator noise would not be an issue.  The resort was really nice, but we were too close to Luke Airforce base and the F-35s were flying all day and into the night.  They sure are loud airplanes.

We got in contact with a fellow blogger and met Jim & Sandie of the Where Are The Dixons Today  for lunch at the Naked BBQ right off I-17.  It was a 23 mile drive for us and a 50 mile drive for them. As you have surmised, we are at opposite sides of Phoenix and the Phoenix metro area is huge.

BBQ and chatting were on the menu of the day and we enjoyed both.  I've followed their blog for a while now and they are followers of our blog.  It seemed like we have known them forever and had a very enjoyable meal with them.  We stayed so long that the manager of the place offered us a job.  They weren't busy after lunch and we didn't take up a much needed table so it worked out fine.  Finally, they had to make the long trek back to Apache Junction and we had some errands to run so we said our goodbyes until next time.  Maybe Helena, MT this summer if it works out.

Gerry, Larry, Sandie & Jim

We wound up driving by the Arizona Cardinals NFL football stadium a number of times and got this picture of the place.  It is huge and is an interesting place.  The football field is grass and is on rollers that they slide out of the stadium when it's not in use so it gets the needed sunlight to keep the grass alive.

There were still a number of things on our to do list and we wound up stopping by La Mesa RV to see where they were, Camping World, Rocky Mountain Cummins shop and Costco.  We have an appointment on Thursday to have the generator serviced and also a complete lube job done.  $$$$$ flying out the window.

Today was our day at La Mesa RV and we got some good news.  The transfer switch was fine but another connection was burnt out.  Much cheaper fix so that was good.  Also, a heater hose broke on the way to the shop and when I pulled into the service bay, antifreeze sprayed all over the floor.  Thank God it happened there and not out in the middle of nowhere in Nevada.  Both repairs were made, even if it did take all day, and we were out of there by 4pm.

We spent the day chatting with fellow rvers in the client lounge and that made the day go by quickly.  Most rvers are interesting people and enjoy discussing different places they have been and quizzing us on what we have seen.  One couple, Fred & Dee, recently purchase a Tiffin Open Road unit and had it in for servicing.  They are planning a trip East this summer and hopefully our paths will cross again.

We are sitting in the lot at the Cummins dealer with a 50amp hookup and have an 8am appointment on Thursday.  It surely is nice to have electric power again and to run our air conditioner.  Hopefully, we can get a good nights sleep and after the work is finished we can hit the road for Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon.  If not, then we will stay another night here and leave on Friday.  The hookup is free and that is always nice.  Wish us luck.

Not all is peaches and cream everyday when full timing, but you learn to roll with the punches and make the best of it.