Saturday, March 17, 2012

Here we are again... in more ways than one - or - The good, the bad, and the ugly.

First, a big WELCOME to our newest Follower, sierrasusieq!  She doesn't show a blog, but she is from Truckee, CA, which is a place I love.  You live in a great area, for sure, sierrasusieq!  Thanks for following along with me and Katie, we are happy to have you aboard!

First the good:

We are back in our old site, the original Quartzsite one that I loved so much.  Unfortunately, Hazel and Carrie left on Thursday.  When I was in San Diego for medical stuff, Carrie went to Australia, and she moved her rig into my vacated site next to Hazel so it would be looked after.  When they left yesterday, I moved back into it.  I was happy where I was, but this site has more birds and critters and just has better views out of every window.  So I'm really happy to be here again, and I wish Hazel and Carrie happy travels!  :)


 Goodbye photo of Hazel, Fleur and Val.  We miss you!

Here are a few photos from the new/old site:


 Here we are again - I love this site!

 My old friend

And we seem to have two other kinds of squirrels this time around:


 Lots of birds

 And rabbits!

According to Carol, there have also been rattle snakes and sidewinder sightings.  I don't know what a sidewinder is, but Katie and I are watching where we walk, and staying away from bushes. 

It's been beautiful here in Quartzsite the last few days, with a little intermittent wind today:

Windy enough for you?
 
We're expecting high winds tomorrow, so rather than have my camp chairs blowing down, and maybe away, I folded them up this afternoon and put them near The Palms.

Second, the bad:

I've sent the RV service shop in Utah two e-mails requesting a response by today, and haven't received a reply.   I just sent another one off to him, letting him know the steps I'm going to take if I don't hear from him by noon tomorrow.  

I am going to order my own converter tomorrow and have it installed.  One of the guys here wanted to look at the converter.  It was already unplugged, so he took off the wires, or whatever you do to get them out.  He wanted to test the plug it was plugged into, which was fine, and then he wanted try it in his rig to make sure it was bad.  When he lifted it up, it rattled.  Not a good sign.  He took it with him, but he said he'd never plug it in with the rattling noise.  This is what he e-mailed me: "This converter is definitely bad.  That noise inside is an electrolytic capacitor that is broken loose from the circuit board.  When did you purchase it?  It really doesn't look like a new unit to me.  I suspect that you were sold a defective unit."  

Funny thing is, the Utah shop didn't have the 60 Amp converter my rig needs, so he went to another rig, a Class A, that was in his lot for repairs and since they weren't going to be back for a while, he said he had one in that unit he could take out and put in mine.  It was an 80 Amp.  I assumed it was a NEW converter that he was planning to install in the Class A.  Now I'm thinking he took the converter that was sitting there, cut the hard wiring and re-wired a plug onto it, and installed it in The Palms.  That's one of the things I asked him in my second e-mail. :(   I don't want to slander him, just asking...

But now I KNOW this converter is definitely what has been making my life miserable all this time, and once I have a new one installed, everything should be fine and my electrical/generator/converter issues should be over. Please cross your fingers for me.   

Third, the ugly:

Well, folks, if I don't get satisfaction from the Utah shop, it is definitely going to get ugly.  I am compiling lists of addresses and e-mail addresses of every entity I can think of so that I can 1) report this guy, 2) ask for their help to collect damages from him and 3) warn other RVers about his business practices. 

If I can take him to Small Claims Court, I will.  If I have to park in the street in front of his business with signs in my window, I will.  I will do everything that is legally in my power to do to collect damages from him.  I've spent over $1,300 on parts that failed and the labor to replace them because of his shoddy practices, and I want my money back!  And that doesn't even take into account all the worry and inconvenience this has caused me, and the discomfort I've experienced and the fear I had every time I turned something on.  I was so sure it was faulty wiring, then the generator, then again the generator... if only we had removed the new converter, when it rattled we would have known.   

I'll let you know what happens. 

Let's end this post with a good thought and a beautiful photo:

A man is rich in the proportion of the number of things he can do without.  Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.  --Henry David Thoreau

 Quartzsite sunset



From me and Katie, good night, everyone!  :)

24 comments:

  1. good luck with the new converter..nothing worse than shoddy workmanship and crappy customer service!!

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  2. You go get 'em girl! Don't let them get away with poor service and work.

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  3. You go get 'em girl! Don't let them get away with poor service and work.

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  4. That is frustrating. Hopefully, you'll get a reply ... hopefully.

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  5. Hope the new converter fixes things up. Keep after the guy in Utah. He saw a woman who didn't really know anything about the inner workings of her RV and took advantage. Shame on him.

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  6. Here's hoping a new converter fixes your electrical problems. Too bad about all the lost time and money caused by lousy workmanship.

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  7. Good luck with your converter! Hope you can get the folks in Utah to do what is right and honest. In case you don't....go after them!!

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  8. Don't give up girl. You might also check into the TV stations in his area to see if they offer a consumer advocate program.

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  9. Love the quote! Similar to mine "What does a man need, really need?"

    I hope you are able to settle the converter problem without doing all the "ugly" things you wrote about. To me, that may be like throwing good money after bad. I rely on karma to get even with people who do me wrong. I'm a wuss. Good luck!

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  10. I like Truckee, too. In fact, when I visited my sister-in-law in Reno, I stayed in a campground right in the middle of the city and right on the Truckee River--it passes right through Reno.

    Sorry about your problems. Aside from back problems, I've had a lot of trailer problems, too. My inverter started smoking when water leaked through the tail light into the compartment where it sat. Good thing I could smell it and ran out to unplug it. Had to replace it. Dying to take the trailer somewhere near and make sure everything is safe. Between jaw surgery, Jack's emergency I had a pretty good drain, financially. Back pain has curtailed what my heart and brain want to do.

    I hope you get satisfaction with your RV problems. I wish you good luck, but something tells me that with or without my wishes, you'll beat the bad guys. (grin)

    Katie sure is a sweetie.

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  11. Aw, just hate it when i get 'taken' sometimes they just see me coming, an too trusting too, that who i am talking to know of which they speak :) Take Care, u know Karma does get a person. I am a wuss too....

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  12. I think you have been avoiding the wrong kind of side-winders and rattle snakes.

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  14. How fun having little Rabbits come visit !!! Cute photo of Katie !!

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  15. That is a shame about the mechanic treating you so badly. I had that happen. A mechanic said he had given me a rebuilt carburater but did not. Down the road about 200 miles I smelled gas bad.Went to another mechanic who said that gas was squirting out all over my engine and my rv could have caught on fire. He said the last mechanic had only fiddle with the carb. and it was not rebuilt. He even called the guy for me. I called the better business bureau and filed a complaint. Never got any money back tho. Also my bumper had somehow fallen off at that place !!! and they said it wasnt their fault. They were super rude to me as well. I eventualy had to let it go as it made me so mad. I lived in my rv for 2 yrs in mid 90s and quite due to health problem. But,I am hoping and planning to do it again soon. That is why I found your blog.

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  16. I hope you can get this resolved without too much more effort but I don't blame you for going after him.

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  17. Katie looks so cute and comfortable. I love the pics, are all the critters eating the birdseed? Sorry about the converter, but at least you know now what the problem is. Julie comejourneywithjulie.blogspot.com

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  18. Sometime the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Hopefully you will get some answers and solutions.

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  19. Be sure to submit your experience to RV Service Reviews. Lots of people go there for recommendations. It's also good for the Utah outfit to know you're going to be sharing the outcome with the world.

    Roxanne
    The Good Luck Duck

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  20. Awesome sunset pic and really - could Katie get any cuter !!!

    I am also so happy to see you back at your old site 'cause it is an awesome spot for sure.

    About that converter - I really hope you get justice ! A 60 AMP converter ?? Isn't that huge ??

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  21. Ditto what Roxanne said. You have a lot of friends Barbara. If we all posted the result on our blogs and all of our friends posted it on their blogs...and on down the line, that shop would sure Have a lot of travelers that would steer clear of his shop.

    That picture of Katie at the end is so cute. What a little sweetie.

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  22. You go girl! I am so proud of you. First for persevering and secondly, for pursuing. Love all the wildlife in your new, old spot. On your closing pics, they are both beautiful but Katie gets the "sweetest pic" vote, hands down. :)

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