Several of the motorhome's 14 running lights were replaced today. Since my storage facility's liability insurance doesn't cover working on vehicles, getting on a ladder meant that I had to use an alternate site. My current energy level is just about where it usually is. But a friend of the family does roofing on houses and he was telling me about how getting up and down ladders all day wears him out. I only did a half day and my hamstrings can feel it. As of now, only two driver's side markers don't work. That's because one is Ford OEM and the other is a 4" red marker with a bulb that doesn't stick and spin, but has a port much like the Ford OEM front orange one. I've never seen a 4" side marker light with that socket before.
I got the top lights done in just enough time to drive back across town so I could secure the tarp to the overhead cab sleeping area before the storage facility closed. I probably covered that over cab area at lightning speed because I was cutting it close.
With rain in the forcast this week, I wasn't able to caulk the new marker lights. But I didn't know this at first, but the plugs on the back of the new orange ones weren't in the same places as their predecessors. Their predecessors used a four screw mounting system where the new ones were only a two. Being unprepared for this, I used a sharper point Phillips screwdriver and hammered the new holes in with my palm. It worked.
Anyways that saves the only tube of RV caulking that I purchased from Camping World (which is 50 miles away) to do the new marker lights and roof vents after I install them. I can caulk those when it's not raining, then use something recycled plastic grocery bags and Gorilla Tape to keep them dry while their curing for 24 hours. I know that it is illegal to drive without any of the marker lights when it rains or at night. But I don't know so much about the day and I don't want to tempt it either.
When I purchased the motorhome on May 5th, I took it on the freeway and noticed that the slightest gust of wind was causing me to overcompensate for it. Today, I took it on under similar conditions and found that it handled fine. Before I was suspecting that the suspension might have been the problem. Last night, I saw that it would probably cost about $500 just to have the rear leaf springs replaced. Mechanically, it's suspension is something I could easily repair.
The difference between this time and last is tire pressure. When the previous owner told me that he checked the levels and filled up anything that was low, either he didn't read the sidewalls, or didn't didn't do them at all? I filled them up from 50psi. It's LT215/85/R16 tires are rated for 80psi, which I filled them about a month or so ago. It drove on the freeway much better today.
- Prior to this entry, my Treeman's Adventures & Volunteerism Logs exceeded 8,000 pageviews.
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