When we decide to use the semi-functioning Hydro Hot for a long shower, we also have to move the coach to a nearby sewer dump as our tanks are nearly full. Storm presses the button to retract Room 2 (aka “the couch and kitchen”) and after growling halfway in, it stops! I have always regarded this slide as the least trustworthy of the 3 slides in the RV. Whenever we retract it, I sense its begrudging return to the body of the coach in the whining sound it emits. I expected it to rebel at some point. Storm has always defended this slide as just behaving like any slide its age will do, but I do not buy it. Storm explains that he has developed a technique for coaching it in by bumping the switch over and over until enough contact is made to finish the operation. I am concerned…
We suck in all the slides, secure all moving objects inside and out and move the coach to a sewer hookup for the whole shower episode described in Part 1 of this story. After we park back in our regular level spot I gently re-broach the subject of Room #2’s behavior. We agree to go ahead and contact HWH (manufacturer of both the slides and the leveling system) and get some advice before we find ourselves stuck somewhere with the broken wing of a slide frozen halfway extended by our side. We videotape the slide extending and retracting thinking that a YouTube video link sent to HWH will be almost like being in Iowa at their service department (except not as wintry) and require less written explanation. Crossing our fingers that we are not doing more damage than good, we retract the slide and of course it works perfectly.
By now the new control box for the Hydro Hot has arrived in the mail, so we forget the room slide so that Storm can immediately begin the taxing process of preparing to install the new controller. After a couple of hours of intense mechanical meditation, he slips the box in and the Hydro Hot purrs back to normal. Storm shoots off a note to HWH describing the faulty room slide incident and having done all we can do to stave off future setbacks, Storm gathers the materials to do something really important – build a steering wheel table.
Yes, when we were in Albuquerque I first spied a table that is placed on top of the parked coach steering wheel. I mention that the coach was parked because I am sure if the government has anything to do with this we will have to apply a sticker on the table warning not to drive with the table sitting on the wheel :-). My new table serves the triple purpose of hiding the steering wheel when we are in house mode, creating a designer area for more “stuff we can’t bring ourselves to give away” and finally it makes me happy. I was warned not to purchase a table like this at an RV show because they are expensive, but that has not been a problem since we rarely attend rallies. After fantasizing for a couple months on the least expensive, sturdy way to construct our SW table, Storm and I go to Lowe’s and procure a round wood pre-shaped table top from millwork, some PVC caps and pipe for legs and for $20 and some clever carpentry by Storm, VOILA we have a table.
So bottom line we bought a refurbished control box for the Hydro Hot on Roger Berke’s Forum and got $100 back for sending them our old controller for a core. Storm decided not to buy a new box because from what he could learn this is a fragile part prone to failure and the new $800 boxes cannot be rebuilt so no core credit when it dies. We are waiting for more developments in the slider situation and I have a new table! Life is good….
With Storm’s talent the slide will not be much of a problem, he will be able to fix it, by the time you get to your next station he can open up his own shop to fix RV’s and you might even be able to pay for a trip or two. :>) Thanks for the good and the bad, it sure brings back memories. Keep up the good work. GOD BLESS
JD/SD
Jim & Sandy
Storm believes that warm weather will cure many of the quirks we are experiencing now – both with the coach and ourselves!