2011 Trip across the US
2012 Trip across the US
2014 Trip across the US
2015 Trip to Alaska
2015-16 Southwest Trip
2016 New England Trip
2016 - 17 Southwest Trip
2017 - 18 Trip to Pick Up a New Escape 21 Trailer & More
2018 - 19 Trip to Winnipeg & the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
2019 - 20 Trip to the Southwest
Friday, November 15, 2019 - Oasis RV Park, Van Horn, TX -217.4 Miles, 2,829.6 Miles for the Trip
Well, as you can see, I'm no longer in Big Bend. The furnace has died. It will still sometimes run for part of a cycle, but always times out well before reaching the temperature set at the thermostat. I believe that the sail switch has either failed, or there is lint caught in it. While this may not be the problem, pulling the furnace in a 2017 Escape 21 requires shutting down the propane since the furnace feed must be disconnected to get to the guts of the furnace. I definitely don't want to do this without hookups since it would also shut down the refrigerator.
So, reluctantly, I packed up the trailer and headed out. I hope to find either a mobile RV repair of a shop willing to take a drop in repair (usually difficult to find). Worst case, I'll pick a campground with full hookups & plan for a couple of days, long enough to pull the furnace. I'd prefer a repair person since it may require parts. All I could do myself is clean a dirty sail switch.
I'm at the Oasis RV Park in Van Horn, TX. It is on I 10 business, a level full hookup site for $27.00 with tax & Good Sam discount and lots of traffic & train noise. I wanted at least electric hook ups so I can run the electric heater since the prediction is for an overnight temperature of 34°F. It was down to 54°F when I got up this morning, and while I've done far worst when tent camping, I have eye drops that shouldn't get much below that temperature. The campground owner does RV repairs, but while he agrees that it is probably the sail switch, he doesn't have the replacement and is reluctant to pull the furnace without one. Ordering one would be a 4 - 5 day wait. There is an RV repair place just past El Paso that I may try, although Saturday might be a problem. In any case, I'm stuck with campgrounds that have at least electric hookups until the furnace is fixed.
I did take a walk on the Nature Trail next to the campground during the late afternoon. On the way out of the park on Rio Grande Village Drive I stopped to take a photo of the moon over a mountain.
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| The View Along the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail (Large Version 3.5MB) |
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| Rio Grande Village Nature Trail | |||
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| Rio Grande Village Nature Trail | Mountains & Morning Moon | Site 21 | |
I've stayed at the Oasis RV Park a number of times, and usually eat at Chuy's Mexican restaurant across the street, and will do that tonight.
Dinner was Chili Relleno with red sauce on the side. Excellent!
Until Next Time -
This page is maintained by: vermilye@oswego.edu
Last Update:
October 15, 2021
