Morgan Road Block Party

7-25-09
Today we had our annual Block Party.
We had it again at Jean Sinclair's house, since she has the most tables and chairs.
This is the last year though at her place. Next year a younger couple will take over.
The food was good as always. I feasted on Doreen's Shepherds Pie, it is one of my favorite meals.
In the morning I did some work on the motor home, and we went to the Shanty Shakers breakfast in El Cajon. The Shanty Shakers are the Southern California chapter of the Escapee Camping Club. The back up camera is installed now and so is the under the sink water filtration system. I put in a separate faucet for that.
We are ready to roll now, but have to wait for one of Doreen's doctor appointments and going to Corona for the new shower door and the large molding on the rear of the motor home.

Balboa Park

7-19-09
I am still not doing any traveling. Buying the new motor home ruined our schedule.
The solar panels are working now. The second panel is hooked up incorrectly.
Doreen's son came to the house and he played with it for a while.
We decided to bypass the diodes. As soon as I get together with the WIN's I copy the hook up from one of the members.
I had color coded all the wires from the controller to the batteries and solar panels, but did not do it for the panels, because it was so simple. It is not simple anymore.
I feel stupid. It worked on two motor homes and I could not get it right on the third one.
I removed the heavy TV and installed the LCD TV we had in the old motor home.
There was some wood work involved. I was able to match the wood around the TV very close with the cabinets.
The CB is now installed too. I had to remove the driver seat to get under the dash.
The driver door on the C class was very handy.
While I did this I also installed wires for the back up camera monitor. This is my next project.
On the 4th of August we have to go back to Corona to have the new shower door installed and the large corner molding on the back of the motorhome.
While the molding is off I can use this space for 12 volt wires for the camera. There is a light in the last storage bay and I can hook on to that.
Today we went to Imperial Beach for the US Open Sandcastle Competition. There was no parking available within five blocks of the beach. All the spaces along the streets and parking lots were taken. We went around several times but it was too early for somebody to leave.
Next year we will come real early and make sure we get a spot.
So we stopped at Balboa Park in San Diego, and went to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, to the Imax Theatre, to see " Wild California". It is a film about surfing, skydiving, snow boarding, climbing the Redwoods and other real California actions. The photography was fantastic.
Before the show we had walked in the park and also stopped at the Orchid Show.



















On the way home we stopped at El Indio Mexican restaurant.
We met Ron Johnson and his wife and grandson there. I had not seen him for 14 years.
When we stood in line I was sure I knew that person, so I asked him whether he worked for Convair. He was a supervisor on the F&G line on the MD-11. Later on he moved to the advanced cruise missile. It was wonderful to see him again. We shared a table and talked about the past and about what we are doing now. He is a mail carrier now.

Convair Camping Club Picnic 2009

7-7-09
We had our club picnic at San Diego Mission Bay.
Arlene and Howard, the hosts for this outing, served bratwurst with all the trimmings.
The weather was very good. Some of us actually had to wear sweat shirts because of the ocean breeze. Everybody had a good time. Some members, who do not camp anymore,
came and it was fun to talk to everybody.
We had the gazebo for shade.













Howard was cooking bratwurst on two grills.






















We had some excitement. Doreen thought that somebody took her hand bag. We looked all over the place. There were some strangers nearby. Finally somebody got up and there was the white hand bag with the brown handles. Doreen had moved from our chairs to a picnic table for a while. When she came back to the chair she did not bring her hand bag.




















Here is Bill checking out the dessert.









I am still working on the new motor home. I have the solar panels mounted and the four house batteries installed. Unfortunately the controller shows 13 volts and the charging light is on, but the amp meter is at zero.
To make sure that the batteries are full and it is therefore not charging, I turned on the microwave oven. That draws a lot of current from the batteries. The amp meter still was not moving.
I was really frustrated and wanted to accomplish something. So I removed the toilet and cleaned it and installed a new rubber seal. The bowl did not hold the water.
The Purple Heart organization is interested in my old motor home. If they take it and sell it, the money will go to wounded soldiers.

Independence Day 2009

7-4-09
Another 4th of July. Since the new motorhome is not ready for a trip, and Red Beach at Camp Pendleton was not open for camping, we celebrated at the club house.
The hamburgers were good and this time the committee had bought some bratwurst.
There was plenty of food and talking to the neighbors was fun too.


















In the morning I worked on the motorhome. Yesterday I had mounted the solar panels on the roof. Today I brought the wires inside and cut a hole for the controller and mounted it. It is not easy for me to cut a three inch by six inch hole in the beautiful wood interior.
Nothing bothered me on the other two motor homes. The Coachmen motor home is almost new inside.
San Diego Trailer Supply had the rig Wednesday and Thursday for installing the leveling system and reworking the hitch. They did a good job on the hitch. I gained another three inches.
When I came home and went up the driveway I did not hit the cement with the rear of the motor home.
Last week I removed two three speed fans from the old motor home and installed them on the Coachmen. Then I installed the vents in the old rig.
This was a messy job. Removing the sealants was not easy. Two of my fingers suffered too.
I had bought 1 1/2 inch aluminum angle material for mounting the solar panels, since I could not remove the brackets from the old motorhome.
When I got home and was realizing that I just paid $ 70.00 for material, I bought a new putty knife and worked at it again. This time I was successful.