TOUR AMERICA, 2020: CONGRESS, ARIZONA – THE GRAND CANYON STATE

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It – Escapees North Ranch, Congress, Arizona

May 12, 2020

Temperature 85 Degrees

Victron Battery Monitor – Another Item From the Wish List Fulfilled

Slide Shelf Reinforcement Finished

What an absolutely beautiful day we had today.  Plentiful sunshine with clear blue skies and the real winner, moderate temperatures all day.  Point of fact with the winds that were blowing there was no need for the AC today.  We opened all the windows and enjoyed the breeze that blew through from one end of Elvira to the other.

Two projects were completed today.

I finished the reinforcement of the slide motor shelf.  I know, I forgot to take a finished picture.  Just take it from me the L bracket is on the other side  of the shelf.  I was only able to install one in the front.  There was just too much electrical wiring and what not in the back and I could not get the drill in where it needed to be.  I’ll probably revisit this again when we are up in Kingman.

Today the Victron Battery Monitor was on the install list.  I was back and forth as to whether I could or should tackle this one myself.  Ninety five percent of what was done I could have absolutely completed without an issue.  It was that last five percent meaning the electrical connections that always seem to throw me.

I, therefore, called in the experts.  The owner, Credric, is well respected in the park and has done quite a bit of work up here.

I have a high regard for someone who keeps his truck or trailer as well organized as he does.

In addition as he removed parts and pieces from Elvira he didn’t just lay them on the ground.  Oh no, rather he spread out a mat and carefully laid each piece removed on it.

The shunt was of course installed in the battery bay.  The real work, though, involved snaking the remote cable from the battery bay. . .

over the wheel well, through the wet bay. . .

up through the refrigerator compartment. . .

to the agreed upon mounting location for the gauge itself.  I wanted it installed on the wall outside of the bathroom.  Unfortunately, it couldn’t be installed up front with the other gauges,  there was no room for it and no way to get the cord all the way up there.

Here is the small monitoring gauge in its permanent location.  The wire from the battery box to here is covered with a wire loom and properly support with small grommets from back to front.  Bonus, this gauge is Blue Tooth Enabled so I can also monitor everything from my phone.

With the Victron while boondocking in either a Harvest Host or Boondockers Welcome location I can now properly monitor:

• the battery voltage of the house batteries
• the battery voltage of the chassis batteries
• the actual current flowing either in or out of the house batteries
• the amount of amp hours consumed from the house batteries
• the state of charge of the house batteries
• the amount of time of how long the house batteries can support the present load before they need to be recharged.

All of this is absolutely important, especially since we are now using a residential refrigerator.

Projects are now finished for the foreseeable future.  Time to just enjoy Elvira.

Later in the day Barbara decided she needed some space.  When we stopped and thought about it we have been in each other’s face since mid March.  Not a problem if we were still using a laundromat to do our laundry.  That, really, used to be our standing joke.  We can get along without a problem as long as there are laundromats along the way!  That, of course, is no more since we have a washer/dryer in Elvira.  A new plan was needed.  So off she went today to do some grocery shopping on her own, and just look at what she brought back with the groceries.  Along with the groceries she came home with a delicious Chinese Supper!

Oh, I almost forgot.  Yes, we once again played a round of Mexican Train!

That was the sum total of our day on The Road of Retirement.  Time now to begin getting ready to get back on the road.  Little by little I’m finding storage locations for all the stuff we’ve hauled out over the course of the last several months.  Come Friday and we’ll be ready to go.  You can bank on that.

On the lighter side.

Thanks again for joining us today.  Hope your day was as fantastic as ours.  We also appreciate all your comments and suggestions.  Keep safe.  Wear your mask – if not for yourself then for someone else.  Remember, six feet apart or you could end up six feet under. Wash your hands often.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!