Sunday ; Desert Hot Springs to San Bernardino ( east side of Los Angeles )
Today was sunny and hot ! This morning we slowly prepared for departure then spent over an hour in the swimming pools at Caliente Springs Resort. Each of the three pools was at a slightly different temperature but all of them were pleasantly … tepid. And after an hour in the slightly warm mineral pools, my sore, arthritic left hand was completely pain free. We departed Caliente Springs Resort and drove into Desert Hot Springs, to a laundromat. Joanne got the laundry started, then we had lunch in the trailer in the parking lot of the laundromat. After lunch, before the laundry was finished, I wanted to post my weekly journal entry to my blog, so I turned on the computer hoping to find an unsecured Wi-Fi signal. Well, there were no unsecured signals, but lots of secured ones. I went to the pizza restaurant beside the laundromat and asked if I may use their Wi-Fi signal. NO ! Okay … I went to the legion on the other side of the laundromat and asked there. Sure … one dollar please ! That was reasonable. I sat in the legion, at the bar, and while Joanne finished the laundry I worked online.
We left Desert Hot Springs and headed west on Interstate 10 towards Los Angeles. Within half an hour or so we were passing Morongo Casino. I wanted to take a look at Morongo Casino to see if it was a viable boondocking spot for the future. Our “usual” routing and timing brings us into Palm Springs late in the afternoon or early in the evening, and I don’t like to pay premium price in expensive RV parks when arriving late in the day. I would prefer to boondock overnight nearby for free and arrive at an expensive RV park / resort in the morning. So … we pulled into Morongo Casino and … first thing we found was their travel center / fuel bar, with excellent prices. We refilled with diesel. Then … we found their large parking lot dedicated to RV’s. Very nice. An excellent boondock location !
So … next year … I know where we will boondock overnight upon arrival in the Palm Springs area. And I’ve already picked out what I want for my next lunch at Sherman’s Deli. HA HA HA !
We continued west on I-10 … squabbling and bickering all the way. We’d been doing that on and off all day ! The congestion and confusion of the Los Angeles area freeways in a big rig were stressful and even a bit scary, even on a Sunday afternoon ! In San Bernardino, on the eastern edge of Los Angeles, we found our way to Camping World. We arrived just as it turned dark. Perfect timing ! We got set up in their parking lot, extended the slides, and I hooked up the generator to the trailer. We don’t usually extend the slides when boondocking, but … ! I wanted to try something new.
Tonight was the finale of Amazing Race. We have not had a chance to try out our “new” TV, purchased last winter, using the trailer’s antenna. The United States “over the air” TV signals have been digital for about a year and a half. And we’ve had this “digital capable” TV for almost a year. And I didn’t want to miss the finale of Amazing Race !
So … we extended the slides so we could see the TV. I hooked up and started the generator. I raised the antenna, thinking I would figure out afterwards which direction to “aim” it. I turned on the TV, and started the scan function. HUH ? It found 65 channels ? All digital ? Is that right ? Is that possible ? The first channel it settled on after the scan was completed was … channel 2. HUH ? CBS ? The Amazing Race network ? And …
< blinking > … OMG … that’s the best picture I’ve ever seen on a TV !
I flipped through another half dozen or so channels and they were all … amazingly great pictures. Who knew ? ! ?
We took Bo for a long walk around the neighbourhood. What a lot of noise ! We were at the intersection of I-10 and I-215, and … underneath an arrivals route to LAX ! Bo didn’t care ! He was thrilled to be somewhere new ! All it takes to thrill Bo is … arrive somewhere … or depart somewhere ! HA HA HA … he’s pretty easy to please.
We had supper, then watched Amazing Race. Congratulations, Nat and Kat.
Monday ; Camping World in San Bernardino, California
Two defective fridges in a row ? ! ? That’s not really possible, is it ? ! ?
Today was sunny and hot. Once again, we got up very early to be ready for trailer service when Camping World opened at 8 AM. I met with the General Manager of the store to discuss our sad fridge tale. He wanted to try the same repair that had been recommended by the mobile service technician in Desert Hot Springs. NO ! ! ! New fridge, please. With barely a hint of reluctance showing, he agreed to remove the fridge and install another new one. I was very impressed with his common sense and customer service skills.
We sat in the customer waiting area with Sully and Bo all morning, periodically taking them outside for a walk and some fresh air. We thought the trailer would be ready around noon, but when it wasn’t ready at 1 PM we put the animals in the truck and went across the street to Popeye’s Chicken for lunch. Popeye’s is the Louisiana Cajun version of KFC. We wandered back across the street to Camping World about 2 PM and they were just finishing with the trailer. Once again I was very impressed.
First thing in the morning I had attempted to purchase a door hinge reversal kit. The General Manager advised me that at this Camping World store, they did not charge customers for the door hinge reversal kit, and they did not charge for the labour to install the kit / reverse the door from right hand hinged to left hand hinged. BUT … they didn’t have the correct door reversal kit in stock. And it would take one to two weeks to get one. I asked Joanne if she thought we could tolerate the fridge being hinged on the incorrect side for the entire winter, and she said yes. I told the General Manager I would like to return in four months or so to have the kit installed / door hinges reversed to the other side. When we returned from lunch we discovered why the removal of the defective fridge and installation of the replacement took longer than we had expected. The shop foreman knew from previous experience that it was possible to reverse the door hinges without the kit, by using the existing hinges, flipping them over, drilling some new holes in the hinges and door frame, then tapping / threading the holes. And that’s what they had done. So … the fridge was hinged on the “correct” side for our installation. Well done !
It was our intent to stay in the Camping World parking lot overnight again, to ensure that the fridge operated correctly for at least 20 hours or so, then move to Hemet for three days. Hemet is not too far away, and that would allow us to remain reasonably close to this Camping World for at least the first four days of operation of this fridge.
But … alas … at 5:50 PM … after operating for just 6 hours … just like the other fridge … it failed, and displayed an E3 error code ! ! ! The E3 code indicates that the cooling unit has overheated. I hurried into the store, which closes at 6 PM, hoping to find the General Manager. I found the Service Manager, and advised him. He didn’t look very pleased. I’m certain I didn’t either. He suggested that I try a “restart”, and see him in the morning. The fridge restarted immediately, but then again, so did the other one. And then it would fail again approximately every six hours.
I just can’t believe that it’s possible for two brand new fridges in a row to be defective. Since both fridges indicated an overheating problem … is it possible there’s a problem with the venting ? The fridge’s side wall vent is okay ! Tomorrow morning I’m going to climb up on the roof and check the fridge’s roof vent. Maybe it’s clogged with dirt or something ? But I checked it a few weeks ago when our old fridge first died and it seemed okay. < big sigh >
Tuesday ; San Bernardino to Hemet, California
I was up very early this morning to check something on the trailer before I went into Camping World when they opened at 8 AM. The E3 error code that keeps occurring on the fridge indicates an overheating problem. I thought that maybe the fridge vent on the roof might be clogged with dirt or … acorns ? By 7:30 I was up on the trailer roof. I removed the fridge roof vent cover and discovered that the screened vent underneath was perfectly clean ! At 8 AM I was inside Camping World and met with the General Manager, the Service Manager, and the shop foreman. The “defective” fridge that was removed from our trailer yesterday had been operating in their service shop for almost 24 hours without a problem ! While 3 out of 4 of us were trying to figure out whether to wind our watches, take a shit, or steal third base, the shop foreman suggested that there might be a low voltage problem in our trailer’s 12V electrical system. A “low voltage” situation in the 12V electrical system feeding power to the fridge’s control module might cause “mystery” error codes to occur ! < huge sigh > A low voltage situation could result from a failing 120V / 12V power converter unit in the trailer.
After some discussion with them I decided we would depart Camping World and head to Golden Village Palms RV Resort in Hemet, about an hour away, and there I would do extensive voltage testing at the trailer battery, and at the converter, with AC plugged in, with the truck alternator providing a charge, with an external battery charger connected to the trailer battery, etc. But … it was becoming obvious that I had insisted that Camping World remove and replace a “defective” fridge that probably wasn’t ! With that in mind, and some … criticism … from Joanne, I made the drive through rush hour traffic on Riverside Freeway and Escondido Freeway from San Bernardino to Hemet feeling like shit ! Not a fun drive !
We arrived, checked in, and got set up in a site at Golden Village Palms RV Resort in Hemet. I spent much of the rest of the day doing voltage testing, recording data, and trying to interpret the data. I’m still a bit uncertain, but I think what it indicates is that the converter inside the trailer needs to be replaced … AND … the truck alternator is not charging the trailer battery. The latter is a problem that has been occurring intermittently for the last two months. Joanne is critical that I hadn’t already turned to a “professional” to address that problem.
We spent some time in the hot tub late in the afternoon. I did some online shopping for a new converter … at Camping World, of course. I summarized my voltage testing results in a spreadsheet and sent it by
e-mail to the Camping World General Manager in San Bernardino. I will phone him in the morning, discuss that, and make an appointment to have a new converter installed … I guess.
Wednesday ; Today was cloudy and cool. This morning I phoned Camping World in San Bernardino and made an appointment for the purchase and installation of a new converter / charger tomorrow. We went to view two other Passport America parks nearby, one just outside the city and one within the city. The one outside the city was a dump. The one within the city was worse than a dump. We went to the Hemet dog park. There were two other dogs there, both pit bulls. I’m of the opinion, ignorant as it may be, that the only good pit bull is a dead pit bull. Bo wasn’t very interested in socializing with them. Which was fine, from our perspective, they weren’t friendly dogs.
After the dog park we went shopping. Radio Shack, Walgreens, Lowe’s, Sally Beauty Supply, then Wienerschnitzel for lunch in the mall across the street from Golden Village Palms. Joanne walked from the restaurant to the 99¢ Only store in the same mall, then walked from there to home. I drove to Home Depot to buy something, then drove home.
It was too cold today for us to want to go for a soak in the outdoor hot tubs. I did some minor maintenance chores, and napped with Sully. We spent way too much time and effort squabbling and bickering and making one another totally miserable !
Thursday ; Hemet to San Bernardino to Cabazon, California
Today was cloudy with early morning rain. This morning we prepared for departure, then did more voltage testing ; at the battery, at the converter, at the back of the fridge … with no charging provided, with 120V AC charging, and with truck alternator charging. It seemed pretty conclusive. The converter was not functioning correctly. Time to head back to Camping World in San Bernardino.
We departed Golden Village Palms RV Resort and headed west on Hwy. 74 back to the LA freeways, then northwest on the Escondido Freeway and northeast on the Riverside Freeway back to Camping World on the San Bernardino Freeway. We arrived shortly after noon, got the truck checked in at the service department for installation of a new converter / charger, then walked across the street to have lunch at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen … again.
The trailer’s converter / charger is the electrical “centre” of the trailer. It receives 120 volt AC power when the trailer is plugged into “shore” power. It receives 12 volt DC power from the trailer’s “house” battery. It distributes 120 volt AC and / or 12 volt DC power as needed within the trailer. It charges the trailer “house” battery from 120 volt “shore” power, or it charges the trailer “house” battery from the truck’s alternator when the truck engine is running.
After lunch we sat with Bo and Sully in the Camping World customer waiting area. They were both very well behaved. When the installation of the converter / charger was completed, we once again did extensive voltage testing. Yup … big differences. The old converter was “shot” ! And the “truck not charging the trailer” situation was caused by the malfunctioning old converter. So that problem was solved as well by the new converter. I met with the General Manager and the Service Manager, thanked them profusely for taking a bad situation and making it all better with a bit of common sense and lots of good customer service skills. And I apologized for insisting that they replace a “defective” fridge that wasn’t ! We will try to do as much of our Camping World shopping as we can at the San Bernardino store in the future. Thank you, gentlemen, for a job very well done !
Joanne wanted to boondock overnight in the Camping World parking lot. She didn’t want to leave until certain that the new fridge and new converter were both functioning correctly. I was confident that they would after doing the voltage testing. I wanted to boondock overnight at the Morongo Casino just west of Palm Springs on Interstate 10.
We left Camping World around 4 PM heading east on I-10. We were at the Morongo Casino about an hour later just as it got dark. We parked in the very large, very well lit parking lot dedicated to RV’s. There were only seven rigs there including us. We unloaded what little food we had from the little 12V truck fridge into our new fridge in the trailer. That little 12V truck fridge has certainly paid its way in the last few weeks ! I turned on my computer and … oh boy … free Wi-Fi from the casino, and it reached all the way out here to the back end of the RV parking lot.
Hopefully our fridge “drama” is now over. Hopefully our stress and tension will be over as well. I proposed to Joanne that we consider going into the casino to have dinner at the buffet restaurant to celebrate the end of the fridge drama and hopefully our personal drama as well. We went into the casino and walked around, checking out the restaurants and the gaming areas. It’s a pretty upscale casino ! The buffet restaurant looked pretty good, but a bit expensive. When we got to the “new player’s club” membership desk we found out that registering as a new player earned a free buffet meal. WOO-HOO … guess who are “new players” at the Morongo Casino ? ! ? HA HA HA !
Damn fine meal it was, too ! Joanne played penny slots until she lost a dollar. I played penny slots until I broke even. What a couple of “players”, eh ? HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !
Friday : Cabazon to Andrade, California
Today started out very cold at the Morongo Casino and ended up quite warm out in the desert not too far west of Yuma, Arizona. Our plan for today was to boondock overnight at “Slab City”. We didn’t !
This morning ( BRRRRR ) before leaving the Morongo Casino we pulled into their Travel Center, refilled Lanoire with diesel, refilled the little gas can with fuel for the generator, and refilled Harvey’s fresh water tank. We headed east on Interstate 10. On the east side of Palm Springs, in the very ritzy neighbourhood of Rancho Mirage we found our way to an Albertsons to buy some groceries now that we’ve finally got a functional RV fridge. We continued east on I-10 then southeast on Hwy. 86S and Hwy. 111 around the east side of the Salton Sea. We were on our way to Slab City.
Slab City is iconic in the RV world, a “Mecca” like Quartzsite, Arizona and Livingston, Texas. It is a boondocking area out in the desert near Niland, California. The “slabs” are the remains of the buildings of the military base that was there during the second world war.
On the way there we passed the little < ahem > “village” of Bombay Beach. We had heard of Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea, and drove off the highway and into the village to take a look. It was a ragtag collection of decrepit old mobile homes, RV’s, and shacks. And old vehicles up on blocks. We’ve seen that kind of hillbilly poverty reminiscent of the movie “Deliverance” in the Ozarks in Missouri, but we never expected to see it in Southern California ! A few more miles south on Hwy. 111 and we were passing Fountain Of Youth Spa & RV Resort. HA HA HA ! We’ve shared many laughs around campfires with our SKP BC Okanagan Chapter 33 friend Susan as she tells tales about her experiences as a single woman staying at Fountain Of Youth. We drove in to take a look.
Our directions to Slab City were “drive to Niland … and ask anybody”. HA HA HA … so that’s exactly what we did. And found our way to Slab City. What a filthy dump ! ! ! It’s an area of desert filled with … shacks, decrepit old RV’s, and other old vehicles such as school buses being used as dwellings, and … < shrug > regular, modern, full timer / “Snowbird” RV’s. And 65 years worth of accumulated filth and refuse ! Or however long the disillusioned and psychotic have been living there. Why would “regular” full timer / Snowbird RV’ers want to spend the winter there ?
We pulled off the road into the desert. I asked Joanne to make us a very late lunch, planning to leave as soon as we ate lunch ! I walked Bo around the desert, trying to avoid stepping on broken glass, burnt remains of mattresses, and more filth and refuse than you could ever see in Mexico !
I can hardly wait for the opportunity to make a snarky response the next time I hear an American tell me that they don’t want to go to Mexico because of the “filth” !
Saturday ; Yuma, Arizona
Well, the good news is … Joanne’s water aerobics friend Eilene is not dead ! And the bad news is … 1. I slightly crumpled the bed rail of the truck on one side yesterday and 2. We were able to get a site at Kofa Ko-op only until Christmas morning !
Yesterday just before we got to Bombay Beach I pulled off the highway, through the ditch and into the desert to stop for a bathroom break. The ditch was a bit deeper than I thought. When I was pulling back onto the highway through the ditch, I saw in the truck’s rear view mirror that as the truck leaned one way coming up out of the ditch the trailer was leaning the other way as it was still going down into the ditch. With the truck and trailer leaning in opposite directions the underside of the trailer bedroom overhanging the truck banged against the truck bed rail. When we unhitched today at Kofa Ko-op I discovered that it had hit hard enough to slightly crumple the truck bed rail. Oh, well … just another “war wound”.
Today was sunny and warm. AHHHHH … welcome to Yuma ! This morning we departed our boondock camp in the desert and drove a bit east on Interstate 8, across the Colorado River into the state of Arizona and the city of Yuma. Arriving in Yuma and Kofa Ko-op feels almost as much like “coming home” as arriving back at Keremeos and Riverside RV Park Resort in the spring. When we arrived at Kofa Ko-op, the SKP RV park, and checked in, we were only able to get a site for one week. DARN ! ! ! We intend to be here for Christmas dinner, so … on the morning of Christmas Day, we will have to vacate our site, move to the boondock area overnight, and depart on December 26. Unless … another long term rental site becomes available. But … we are number 7 on the long term rental site waiting list, so that’s extremely unlikely.
We got set up in our site, had lunch, I went to nap with Sully and Bo, Joanne went to do laundry. We took Bo for a walk around the 7 acre dog park, a daily ritual for us when we are here. And … Joanne discovered that her friend Eilene is alive and well here. We were worried when we were unable to reach her by phone last spring on our way home, and there was no one at her home in Oregon when we stopped there on November 2.
Since we are probably going to have to leave here on December 26 we did some planning. After yet more discussion < sigh > we made a decision not to go to Teacapán, Mexico. I’m very disappointed ! Joanne has been expressing reluctance to go to Mexico this year ever since her family cancelled their plans to meet us in Mazatlán on Christmas Day.
After supper we did our Christmas decorating.
DSK
Enjoyed your adventures as ever....really informative too. Sunny's "Mom" Marty Stephens
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