Once A Cheater

We left Crawfordsville Indiana two days early. I was so angry about the attitude of the owner. You have to realize that I was born into a business. I have had all the basics of dealing with the public drilled into my head by the time I could talk. I was told that each customer that comes into your place of employment pays your salary. I learned from the master (my father) the subtle art of bullshit. He also taught me how to tell a person to go to hell and that person would thank me for it. This poor lady did not know how to deal with the public or she just didn’t care. Her solution to a problem was a perky little smile and an “okay.” Then she didn’t do anything to rectify the situation. I was ready to throttle the woman.

Our lot was so uneven that the levelers didn’t work. I ended up shutting off the refrigerator. Fortunately, we didn’t have too many perishables. I wasn’t comfortable letting the slides out because we were leaning worse than the Tower of Pisa. We were cramped, drinking hot sodas and water, and eating PBJs. To top it off the internet didn’t work. I contacted the necessary people and filed a complaint.

“Work, Work, Work, all I do is work… now its time to get a headache.” Pepper age 3, to give you a visual I was dragging a mop.

I know you are going to ask, “Why did you turn off the fridge?” Kick back I am going to get technical.

A RV refrigerator is different from the one in your house. Your RV refrigerator doesn't use a compressor or any moving parts for that matter. It works off the principle of absorption. Instead of applying cold directly, the heat is drawn out, or absorbed. The theory is, when there is an absence of heat there is cold. Basically, your RV refrigerator uses heat, either from an electric heating element or LP gas flame. The heat starts a chemical reaction and then through evaporation and condensation causes it to cool. It also works off gravity, freezing the freezer compartment first and then dropping down to the refrigerator compartment.

The RV must be fairly level for the refrigerator to operate properly. Older RV refrigerators required more precise leveling, but even the newer models need to be close to level for optimum performance. Over time, a cooling unit operated out of level will be permanently damaged. Traveling with the refrigerator on will not cause problems because the liquids and gases in the cooling unit are constantly moving around. They don't collect and stay in areas of the cooling unit as they can in a stationary, out of level refrigerator.

It was 92 degrees when I pulled into Louisville late this afternoon. I was escorted to my site and was directed in. When I went to unhook the car, it was at a very bad angle and by the time, I got it loose I was having a heatstroke. Mom was so impressed that she said, “I didn’t know you could pick up the front of the car.” It wasn’t strength; it was sheer bullheadedness and adrenalin. I put the jack pads under the levels and leveled the RV, and then I went out to hook up the electricity so we could get the air conditioner turned on, and that was when I realized that I was given a 30-amp service. I need a 50-amp service. I went to the office, explained the situation, and told them I didn’t want 30-amp service. I need to have 50 amps to run the air conditioner. I was told by the owner that they didn’t have 50-amp service. I wanted to cry. Then she said, “Do you have a cheater?” I looked at her as if she sprouted two heads.

Whenever you are in a bad situation, the best thing you can do is learn from it. A cheater is actually a splitter. Don’t worry I am not going to get as technical again. The Cheater box plugs into and 30-amp and a 20-amp source on separate circuits to give the user a 50-amp output. In my case I had two 30-amps plugs on a separate circuit so I am running off of 60-amps. Hence the name "cheater." I am now a proud owner of a “cheater.” Never thought I would get so excited about a cheater.

We are tucked in for the week. Our slides are out, the air conditioner is working, and the soda pop is cold. So, all is well for the folks that reside in the “Little House On Wheels.”