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We pulled out of Glenwood Canyon RV Resort Tuesday morning when, just outside the entrance I glanced at my EEZTire TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) ...
... and noticed my passenger side front tire was reading 89psi. I try to keep all 8 coach tires at 105psi (maximum cold inflation is 120psi). This particular tire has been a little low (in the 95psi range) for a few days and I had been meaning to put some air in it. All other tires were reading in the 95psi range - the lower than normal readings due to the cold temperature (36°) and the high altitude (5,761'). I knew that once we got rolling the tires would heat up causing the pressure to rise - but 89psi was just too low, so before proceeding the couple hundred feet to the I-70 West onramp I pulled over, got out my air hose and pressure gauge, slid the generator out of the front end, allowing access to the air hose port, and proceeded to pump another 11 pounds of O2 into the mushy Michelin.
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Oh yeah, while at Glenwood Canyon RV Resort I took care of another one of those things-I've-been-meaning-to-try-to-fix (it seems like there is always at least one thing in or on the coach not functioning as designed). We have three TVs on board - one in the living area, one in the bedroom and another outside, behind a door on the passenger side slide. Two years ago I installed a DISH network satellite dish (here's the link to that blog entry, if you're interested). We usually watch satellite TV or OTA (over the air) TV via the motorized roof TV antenna. Often times RV parks offer a cable TV connection at the power pedestal - but I have ALWAYS gotten TERRIBLE reception on the living room TV when connected to cable. The two other TVs look fine, but the one we watch the most, in the living room, is barely viewable. I was pretty sure the problem was a bad connection somewhere in the seemingly miles of coax, but knowing the relative complexity of the coach's A/V system (amplifiers, DVD players, air/cable selectors, signal diverters, splitters etc.) I surmised that finding the source of the problem could prove challenging.
I of course eliminated the obvious by first checking the connection at the back of the television (which I have done before) and then removing the faceplate from the cargo bay housed cable park-connection point. Everything looked okay at both locations, and wiggling wires and tightening connections had no positive effect on picture quality. Back inside the coach.
To the right of the entry door is a cabinet with a bunch of AV stuff.
I removed front & rear panels checking, as best I could, all connections in the rats nest of coax and wires - but it all seemed okay. Next I dug into another potential problem area over the entry door - removing panels and inspecting connections there...
... all good.
Finally, I removed the clothes hamper drawer/bin located in the bedroom. The TV in the bedroom is mounted to a motorized lift where, with the push of a button, the television disappears down into the same cabinet in which the hamper is located. With the TV in the up position and the hamper removed, you can see a bunch of AV related wiring.
And THAT'S where the problem was!!
While Suzanne sat in the living room with an eye on the TV, I wiggled coax connections. Upon wiggling one such connection I heard, "That's it!". It just so happens that I have coax connectors and spare couplings in "inventory" and after replacing both connectors and their coupling...
... the problem was solved!
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I had enough fuel onboard for the 200 mile drive from Glenwood Springs to Moab but a few hours into our journey a roadside sign indicated there was a TA service center just ahead at exit 26 in Grand Junction, Colorado. The gauge showed I had a little under 1/2 tank of diesel fuel remaining and TA service centers are sometimes few and far between, so I made an executive decision to take advantage of the situation and fill 'er up. Upon exiting the interstate there were signs pointing the way to Love's and Pilot. In fact, both of those establishments were in clear view - but nothing indicating which direction I should turn to find the TA. - and neither Suzanne nor I could see the usual towering TA sign anywhere on the horizon.
I turned right.
No TA.
While I made a gigantic U-turn in the Love's truck parking area Suzanne opened the EFS fuel app on her phone and said it most definitely showed a TA on the other side of the interstate. Sure enough, about 1000' after passing back under I-70 there was a Conoco gas station/truck stop on the left with a small "TA Express" sign. I knew TA was affiliated with Petro but was unaware of the TA/Conoco connection. Anyway, we took on 80 gallons of fuel, saving $44.51 in the process with our EFS fuel card. Pilot & Love's offer discounts to card holders as well, but not nearly as much as TA.
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SR191 intersects I-70 at its northern terminus in Crescent Junction, Utah - and that's where we left the interstate to head south to Moab. We've visited Moab several times in the past - most recently in 2009. At that time we had a 5th wheel trailer that I pulled with our Ford F250 King Ranch (I loved that truck). The 2009 trip down 191 to Moab is memorable because we blew a trailer tire at about the halfway point. I had a spare - and somewhere on my home PC I have a photo of me changing the tire. It was completely shredded. I wish I had the pic to share here.
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The Portal RV Resort is a lovely little oasis just north of town and where we've been since Tuesday afternoon. We're scheduled to leave Monday morning but due to a waylaid UPS package my daughter shipped here containing my new eyeglasses ($35 guaranteed it would arrive by yesterday!) we may end up staying until Tuesday. I called UPS about an hour ago and complained. I think Allie can get a full refund from the UPS store from which she sent the package.
The Portal is divided into two sections; the campground and the resort. The resort has large, concrete slabbed sites with pergolas, decorative plantings etc. The campground sites are on crushed stone, not quite as big, sans the plush landscaping but with an equally breath-taking view of the surrounding red rock hills and mesas. We're in the campground... and saving $30 nightly.
Some of what we've been up to since our arrival...
Arches National Park
More Hiking
Projected wind gusts in the 50mph range necessitated retracting the drivers side full-slide before going to bed last night for fear of detaching the 35 foot long slide topper (been there, done that. Twice!). Gusts are forecast to continue through today (Saturday) and into the night.
Thanks for checking out the blog!
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