Tails From the Highway!

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I just haven’t been myself lately.  Once I heard from my good friend, Chuck, I wanted to share the exchange.

He wrote:

Roady,

Something weird is happening.  Sometimes when Harold and I are pulling our travel trailer, there’s this horrible screeching and screaming noise that comes from behind the truck.  It seems to be cyclical and it seems to be worse when we slow down.  Harold doesn’t really seem to notice, but I promise you it’s there!  What’s going on?

                                                                                       Chuck

“Chuck,” I replied. “There are two possible explanations for your problem.

The first is your trailer brakes are sticking. This is the least likely explanation, but I’m obligated to mention it because the Texas RV Professor thinks that’s the problem and talks about it in his Webinars and his Did You Know Tech Tips at the MobileRVAcademy.com.

The second, and most likely, explanation is you have a chicken infestation in your trailer.  I know what you’re thinking. You’re asking yourself how I could know this so quickly. 

Let me tell you about what happened to me recently …

One evening not too long ago, the Professor and I went to visit the professor’s brother, Pete, on his farm.  After I sat around in the living room with the humans for a while, I got bored and hungry.  So I went to the pantry and had a snack of cookies and chips. I really wanted some cheese doodles and I looked everywhere, but there weren’t any, not even on the top shelf (that’s where the Professor usually puts them).  After four or five minutes of searching, I gave up and made a nice bed out of some rolls of paper towels.  I grabbed a can of soda from the pile on the floor and was quietly licking the leaks from the bite marks when Pete yanked the door open.  He immediately started having a fit! He was pointing and yelling for the Professor, shouting something incoherent about his wife and when she got home.

I have to say right here I had no idea she wouldn’t want me sleeping in the pantry (it must be some sort of rural custom).  I always try to be a good houseguest, so if I’d known she was so particular about her personal space, I certainly wouldn’t have encroached.

Needless to say, the Professor and I were both very embarrassed.  I went to the back door and offered to go outside, thinking it might defuse the situation somewhat if I got as far away from her pantry as possible. The Professor opened the door (oh, for opposable thumbs!), and I crept off into the night in disgrace.

It seemed prudent to go to a small building just outside the yard. The door was kind of small, about Pekinese-sized, but I managed to squeeze through. It was quiet and dark, which was a relief after all the commotion in the house. I stood inside the door for a moment, just catching my breath and letting my eyes adjust to the dark.

I hadn’t been inside more than five seconds when I heard a strange noise. A squawky kind of “brrrr-auck” sound.  Then it happened again.  It was closer! That crazy noise sounded again, but now to my side! There were two of them, maybe more! I still couldn’t see very well, but I could discern a shadowy movement coming at me. It wasn’t very large, but it was coming fast and the noise it gave was horrifying… a long screech of indignation and fury!

Suddenly, the sides of the shadow exploded outwards and the beast tripled in size! It was almost upon me and I could only tuck, duck, and roll as it launched itself at my face!  Immediately, another attacked from the side. Then another!

What had seemed like a safe haven only seconds before had suddenly become a den of terror.  All I could do was hunker down while being flayed by talons and beaks.

All the while the ear-splitting screeching and squalling continued, compounding my disorientation. I wasn’t able to defend myself, and truthfully, I don’t know what defense would have been possible. The attacks were relentless. I would detect movement and a split second later one of the creatures would attack. I was flogged, first from one direction and then the other. As soon as a beast seemed to tire in its abuses, another would rally from the other side, or the rear, or even from above (yes, they appeared to be able to fly or leap!).  Sometimes it seemed as if eight or ten of them were upon me simultaneously. It was terrifying.

It’s hard to know exactly how long it lasted, but I do know eventually they seemed to tire.  I tried to stand, thoughts of escape whirling in my brain as I staggered toward the door.  But my way was blocked, and the attack began again immediately, with more ferocity.  I knew then I was lost.

To make a long story short, I spent the entire night with those fiends looming over me.  At one point, one of the larger ones jumped up onto my back.  I twitched under the grip of its claws biting into my shoulder blades and gasped as I felt it settle down into sleep, confident in its status as conqueror.

It was a long night. I tremble just thinking about those endless hours in the darkness, hearing the Professor calling my name over and over, wanting desperately to run to him and the safety he offered, but knowing I was held captive by those foul specters of the night.

At long last, daylight broke. The creatures became restless and began moving about.  I was afraid the attacks were about to begin again as the monster on my back rose to his feet, stretched, and issued an ear-splitting crow of triumph. Amazingly, upon his signal, they rose as one and trooped from the building, exiting with contented clucks and murmurs.

As soon as the last of them was gone, I poked my head out the door. They were meandering off through the tall grass, no doubt to hunt for fresh meat. 

I wouldn’t have known what the beasts were if the Professor hadn’t said I smelled of ‘chickens’ when he was giving me a bath later that morning. I’ve been trying not to think about the incident, but I believe it’s vital the truth come out about chickens…  So thank you for writing, Chuck.  It’s been healing for me to talk about this.

As you can see, it’s important you do something about this chicken problem. NOW.  Find a trained professional to handle the problem. Do not delay!

I’m sending you a six-pack bottle of Roady’s Toilet Water in case your mouth is dry after hearing my story. It’s not blue and is best served in the safe confines of your coach after the exterminator has been by.

This is Roady saying goodbye for now. Keep your wheels rolling, and those letters and photos coming!

Terry Cooper, TX RV Professor, Electrical Class

August 7th, 2009

This class is now HISTORY.  We now have graduates from this class that we appreciate so much for coming on board with us and making this a success!   We are preparing  this material to be placed on DVD for purchase shortly.  You will be able to go into our store and purchase this 4 week class complete with all handouts, pre-assessment  & post tests and homework.  Please check back with us soon.  For any information on this and other topics, please contact us at the email addresses provided.

Volts? Watts? 30 amps or 50 amps, What does all this mean? Who cares, just give me the power I need! You just wanted to sit and enjoy the scenery, but instead you are sitting  in the dark and wondering what happened. Learn how your RV Electrical Systems operate so you are not in the dark.

The Recreational Vehicle Electrical Systems course has been designed for the individual that wants to not only SAVE money, but develop new skills that can be used while full timing in your RV or just helping your neighbor out with his problems for additional income.

Ladies this course in NOT just for men, but for you also! As a technical trainer I have found that women usually do very well because they grasp the concepts quicker and are able to convert them to real life situations because they don’t over analyze the process. They just do it!

Once  you understand how the electrical systems in your RV work, you are then able to use this information at home, on your auto and even on your ‘other job’.

Have you ever had to pay for a service call and the 1 hour minimum, and then have to wait for someone to come to your RV just to perform some simple little task you could have done if you had only known what to do? You then realize how valuable knowledge is.

The Recreational Vehicle Electrical Systems is a 6-hour instructional  Webinar broken into four sessions with each being 1.5 hours long.

 After registering for the course you can take the optional 50 question pre-course assessment and see how RV Electrical savvy you are. You then download the first session’s handouts and video link materials.

At the end of each session you are given the opportunity to turn in your homework in the form of a post session assessment. This serves as an additional training tool to help you grasp the information you have learned and helps me to make sure that I am covering the subject matter in an effective manner with you.

Come spend six hours and learn the language of Electicity and develop new troubleshooting skills that will benefit you and your wallet.

Click here to check prices, times & dates.

We will cover such topics as:

Electricity – Session 1

• What is Electricity? Where does it come from and what are the terms we use to describe it.
• Learn about the 3 electrical systems in your RV
• Voltage, Resistance and Current, the 3 things that make up the electrical  triangle
• Ohms Law, Watts Law and what they mean to your RV
• To make an Electrical circuit work properly you must have these 3 things
• Learn what the difference is between AC voltage and DC voltage

 DC Voltage – Session 2

• What is DC voltage and where does it come from?
• Why you must have a fully functioning battery to properly operate your appliances, water pump, room slideouts and safety devices.
• Converters are more than just a fancy battery charger
• Going Green – Solar panels and wind generators, what they can and cannot do for you
• How to troubleshoot and locate a blown fuse, open and a short circuit.

AC Voltage – Session 3 

• What is AC Voltage and where does it come from?
• Why you need AC Voltage for the air conditioner, microwave and the electric heating function of your refrigerator and water heater
• Shore (pedestal) power, generators
• Inverters – make AC power out of the DC battery power
• 30 amp vs. 50 amp, why the bother. What does it mean?

Electrical Capstone Materials – Session 4

• How to calculate the power consumption you are using and how to manage your power.
• Basic tools and supplies you need in your tool box to fix 80% of your RV electrical problems
• Replacing a defective circuit breaker
• What is a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) and why we have them
• How to Hot Skin Test your RV for you and your neighbors safety
• Monitoring the AC Voltage from the Campground Pedestal
• How to save a $1000 or more by NOT using this one little device
• How to use your $10 Volt Ohm Meter (VOM) and test light to locate your electrical problems.
• And much, much more………..

To register or check out the times, dates and prices for the upcoming Webinars, please click here.