vandwellng 101- Little things can turn into expensive repairs

Looks like I'll be redoing all new wiring under the hood of the 73 high-top camper van.

It all started with a starter solenoid going bad and a crazy (literally) mechanic. The So-called mechanic missed the second battery when replacing a starter. 

So a simple starter then became a starter and the wiring to it. 4 wires not 3. And no photo or diagram.

The starter is normally 20 minutes and a $55 part. It's one of the easiest abs cheapest repairs to do. Usually. 

It's hard to understand how even a beginner can fail to see both batteries under the hood. He did. I came out just in time to see sparks flying under my vehicle. He'd also taken bolts of first rather than disconnecting the wires. Oopsie. That meant the short ran through the entire electrical wiring. 

That sent extra current thru a vintage system. The batteries were affected by it and the desert summer heat. It also meant the cables near the battery failed on one, the ground wire on the other was the next to go almost causing an engine fire. 

So rather than kill 2 more batteries and the alternator, I need to go through the entire set of wires under the hood and check each one, replace fusible link, 2 sets of wiring harnesses, check and maybe replace the alternator wiring harness, and test the alternator. All while being parked half hour away from town. 

Add to that the repairs and getting the other Van safely back to parking spot only to barely coast it in, its going to be heavy repair on both vans starting $250 in debt this month. The 73 needs the wiring fixed and the 90 threw 2 serpentine belts. I've 2 batteries to replace and the duralast Maine House battery looks like it's toast. 

Added to that, the rear corner wood went bad on the travel trailer. 

Looks like I'll have to winter where I am and I might not have a running Van this month. 

I've had it much worse. At least I'll be able to fix each one. Thank goodness none of it is heavy, just tedious and it's too cold this week. Next week will warm slightly. 

On the plus side, I've found all my cold weather Michigan warm clothes.  I had not cleaned out all the panty dry goods or the big pantry full of foods. I even found my stash of the drink singles you add to a bottle of water. All my yarn and knitting needles and crochet hooks, and loads of books were stored in the trailer, my wool blanket, my quilts, and my hefty crocheted blankets were there as well. 

Its the season. It'll get better.

And I've 3 20 lb propane tanks so one run to town will give me plenty for heat and cooking. 

I had wanted to go see friends and do some traveling. And again I'm delayed. This is the reality of full-time vandwelling 

If you've enjoyed this blog, feel free to contribute a dollar or more at PayPal.me/LouBurgess