Vannie Refrigerator replacement and GFI work

 

4062026 - 4072026 There is a lot to say about this emergency project, but most of all it made me really consider what needs to be refrigerated. The morning after I got home I took out the refrigerator that was not working and prepped to install the new one. I purchased a BODEGA COOLER 12 Volt Refrigerator 65L(2.3cu.ft.). It is smaller than the old one but has a bigger freezer and a bigger salad cooler drawer. I wanted to make sure it was smaller so I do not have to modify the cabinet. So I waited for it to be delivered. Time to troubleshoot the 110V issue. 

I first inspected all the wiring but I didn’t find anything loose or disconnected. The issue is all the GFIs, 3 each, will not reset. There is one on the right side of the cabinet, labeled “Heater” and 2 on the left, the front one is labeled “Cooktop” and the back one is labeled “GFI”. GFI has 4 outlets in the line after the GFI outlet. This one was blinking red on the reset button. 

I was able to verify that there is power to all of them by testing the wiring at the back of the outlet before the GFI. I was able to talk to Camping World Electrical support, but they just said that the GFIs need to be replaced if they will not reset and they have power to them. They recommended that I take it in to get looked at. This means I would have to leave Vannie for who knows how long. Oh and by the way my warranty expired at the end of March! 

Before I hung up with tech support I told them I will need to fix this on my own. But they would not help any further. So I sat and considered that it was something simple and it is unlikely that all three GFIs would go bad all at once, It just needs to be reset. I thought about disconnecting the batteries but before I do that I decided to connect it to shore power. 

I have a 20A outlet at my bench in the workshop, so I connected it to the shore power. Immediately I was able to reset the heater and cooktop outlets, but the GFI outlet would not reset, but it did go solid red and buzzed when trying to reset it. I asked Ai and the results were that the plug is likely bad. So I went to ACE hardware and bought a new GFI, installed it but it would not reset until I hooked the van up to shore power, then it reset and had a green light. So they all work on shore power and on battery. 

The next day, I stayed out of the van until the new refrigerator was delivered. It showed up at 1330. Plenty of time to get it installed. The hardest part was tearing off the plastic on the front. I was able to connect it using the existing 15A fused wiring, just connect positive and neutral wires using water proof heat shrink straight connectors. This unit has an app that can be used to set the temperatures. Next thing I knew, it was getting cool and it was ready to be loaded. Super easy to install. 

Follow up. I have been using the Bodega and new GFI for about 2 weeks with no issues. The old one had a crack inside on the shelving and I reported it to Thor Motor Coaches before my March 31st warranty deadline and they said they will send me a new one. I called them before I left and they said the replacement has just been ordered and they have no idea when it will be shipped. They told me to call back in a couple weeks. 

Boulder Beach Campground - Lake Mead Recreation Area - Hoover Dam

04032026 - 04052026  Popular campground for Boaters and Family Weekends. I arrived just after lunch and got all set up in space 13. The campground was pretty full which is expected for a holiday. This is a nice area for the e-bike, so I unpacked Jagurandi and took off down to the beach area. I spoke with a Park Ranger that golf-carted by and received a great introduction to the Historic Railroad Trail. You can ride all the way to the Hoover Dam and the other way, all the way into Boulder City. The Ranger gave me maps and directions. 

Ready for some supper, I returned to camp and started to make a salad. That is when I noticed the refrigerator was not staying cold. It was getting power, but the compressor was not running. After finishing my supper, I decided to give it until the morning, thinking that it will work itself out and start running. In the morning I used Ai to help me troubleshoot and through this troubleshooting process I determined the problem was a component that cannot practically be replaced. For example: start relay, overload protector, control board or a locked compressor. So I ordered a new refrigerator. To be delivered on the 7th. So I will be heading home to receive and install. But before I do that, I can last another night without the refrigerator and I still need to ride to the Hoover Dam.

At about 1400 I took off on the e-bike, a 6+ mile ride to the Dam on the Historic Railroad trail that goes through a series of tunnels where the railway delivered materials and parts for the Dam. When the building was over, the railway just rotted away until they made it into a hiking/biking trail. The ride was easy on a e-bike but it was epic nonetheless. The views were outstanding and the tour of the Hoover Dam was nice. There was a Virtual cache at the Dam site about a Dog that worked with the builders. Tragically, one day the dog was killed when a truck ran over him. There is a plaque memorial at the spot it happened. 

With the ride complete, I went and bought a bag of ice to keep cool until I return home tomorrow. In the morning, ready to pull out, I discovered all the 110V outlets were not working! Now what? To be continued………….

Here are the photos I took

Forest road 108 - Kaibab National Forest

 

04022026 There is something calming about a walk in the woods. The breeze through the top of the trees and the smells of pine and dirt. This is my first stop on my journey to Victoria BC, Canada, I originally scheduled to leave on April 3rd, but I thought I would cut the first leg in ½ keeping in mind that this year, I want to slow down and spend more time camping.  So I left today and found a nice boondocking spot 35.19424, -112.2696, near Williams, AZ. I have heard that the full timers "Nomads" venture up to this area when Quartzite area get too hot. There are a lot of areas to set up camp but it's not as wide open as the desert.

I arrived in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day just wandering around the forest and enjoying the cool weather and the smell of the pines. 

The temperature dropped to almost freezing over night, but I was able to stay warm and cozy inside Vannie. 

In the morning I went to find some Geocaches, then hit the road. Next stop is Boulder Beach, Lake Mead 

here is a link to the Photos I took FR108

Santee Lakes Campground, Santee Ca.

03202026 - 03242026  Record high temperatures forecasted for Sun City, so I decided to visit the Grandkids and try out Santee Lakes campground.

Santee Lakes is more of a resort than a camp, meaning full hookups, there is a lot to do and many other amenities like pool, fishing, paddle boats, showers, restaurant and store. They have cabins for rent and easy access. I usually stay away from big public campgrounds, but Santee Lakes is very convenient for visiting family and running around San Diego county. 

I stayed for a long 4 day weekend. I had planned to visit more but I caught a cold and mostly just relaxed in the Van.

I did get my walks in and found a few more geocaches in the park. 

Looking forward to my next stay.

👀 Santee Lakes shared photos 👀

Spring Training 2026 - Peoria Sports Complex

02202026 - 032326 The first game is always the Mariners vs Padres. I was able to get a ticket for the first game to kick it off. Then Todd arrived in town and we saw Texas vs Mariners, an expedition game WBC Great Britain vs Padres, finishing with head to head Padres vs Mariners.

Then Jim and Tracey visited and we saw Giants vs Padres and Mariners vs Padres. This is my 10th spring training going to games and one thing I learned is that it is never the same. This year the weather was hotter and the cost of beer was higher, but who’s counting. A lot of the star players left for the WBC playing for their countries, but the young talent was featured and some old veterans as well. On to the regular season. Play Ball! Go Padres ⚾

⚾ 2026 Spring Training shared photos ⚾

Southwest Old TIme Gathering and Fiddlestix 2026

 

03052026 - 03102026 

Todd and I left the baseball game in Peoria at 1637 headed to the Southwest Old Time Gathering campout in Tucson AZ. We arrived after dark and didn’t get settled until about 2100. But all ended up well. We met up with friends David and Allie. Todd took accommodations in the bunkhouse and I found a spot in a bend in the road for the night.

The next day, Friday, we were able to move to a better spot and Todd was able to set up his tent cot. The music started up around noon with several groups throughout the camp. I joined a group near the pavilion after lunch and I recognized some of the people from Centralia. Everyone said the same thing when they saw Todd "where's Kate"!

photo by Todd Thedell

Saturday was the same, Todd and I got a nice walk/geocaching in, played some more music and attended the potluck that featured Carla’s Gumbo! 

The next day we packed up and moved north to Catalina State Park to attend FiddleStix music campout. They had already had the “pre” jam here before the SWOT gathering, so this was the “post” event. We camped in a group campground with David and Allie with others and the music started right back up.

On Monday a thunder storm came through with some pretty hard rain, but it was short and we were able to keep most of the stuff dry.

One exception was my brother Todd who was out walking when the storm hit.

It rained off and on for the rest of the day and overnight.

In the morning we packed up all the wet stuff and headed out early enough to drop Todd off at the airport.

👀 SWOTG & Fiddlestix shared photos 👀

‎⁨Tonto National Monument⁩, ⁨Roosevelt⁩, ⁨Arizona⁩, ⁨United States⁩

02202026   I took a quick trip out to the Tonto National Forest about 2 ½ hour drive. ⁩Visiting the Roosevelt Lake area, I stayed one night at Cholla Campground and one night at  Porter Springs Campground. The weather was wonderful and I got some geocaching and exploring. The Roosevelt Lake Bridge spans the Apache river right in front of the Roosevelt Dam. The highlight of my trip was the hike up to the Cliff Dwellings at the Tonto National Monument where you are able to see the historical living of the ingenious people that began about 1300 CE. 

 

Tonto National Monument shared album

Desert Tortoise Campground

 

Desert Tortoise Campground Lake Pleasant Regional Park 

02102026 This is the place where I took my sailing class last March. It's a nice size lake and often has good sailing wind. Fed by the Colorado River via CAP system,  the lake was formed by the completion of the original Carl Pleasant Dam in 1927, which was then the world's largest multi-arch dam, intended for irrigation.The campground is popular during the winter months and not only because of the weather, because of the Wild Burros in the area. When I arrived space #126, there was a drove of five to greet me. 

02112026 After morning coffee, I took off to hike the Wild Burro trail that follows the bank, although the lake water level is down now, but will be rising during the spring. There were plenty of people on the trail hoping to see a Wild Burro. I did run across another one on my way back. The day was overcast and cool, perfect for a morning hike.

I visited the Discovery Center that sits on a rise with a good view of the lake. I bought a park sticker and took some panoramics of the lake. 

👀 Lake Pleasant shared album 👀

Organ Pipe Cactus Nation Monument

Twin Peaks Campground Organ Pipe Cactus Nation Monument 

02052026 I arrived about 1730 and found space 101. This is a popular place and I noticed there were a lot of class B camper vans.  The campground is all paved, but I was surprised how un-level it the space was, about 6-7 inches down in the front. I was able to cut that in half with a traction board and a block. This is a different kind of camping that I’m used to, but I knew the spaces would be close together. I think I need to be around other people more, even if I don’t know them. It provides exercise for my people skills. I’m here for three nights. Tomorrow I plan on taking one of the hikes that start from the campground. 

02062026 Victoria Mine - Senita Basin Trails Had my coffee and breakfast. My water pump is making noise, so I did some troubleshooting and wrapped one of the pipes that was banging against the bedbox, that seemed to improve it, but the pump is still shaking when I turn the tap on. But it was getting late in the morning and I wanted to make the Victoria Mine hike. So I started out at 1030 and finished at 1245. The hike was mostly flat with some steps down to transition the washes. Once away from the campground, you are surrounded by saguaro and organ pipe cactus, ocotillo and palo verde trees. Great view of the Pozo Redondo Mountains to the east. 

02072026 Kris Eggle Visitor Center  Beautiful cool morning. There are a lot of people out here camping, but this site is quiet for all of that. I got more steps than I needed yesterday, so I started off, after breakfast, to walk the perimeter trail, but I found the Palo Verde trail that goes to the Visitor center. There was a small museum and a gift shop inside the visitor center. I got a couple of stickers. I was surprised to see that entrance was not free, although included in the camping fee, but if you are just stopping by, you need to pay. 

After a nice walk, I had lunch. At about 1500, I got the bike out and road around the park. I wondered why most of the tow vehicles had their hoods propped open. Turns out this is to prevent rodents from nesting in the engine compartment. I noticed some of the vans were doing too. Maybe there is a problem with rodents here. When I returned to Vannie, I propped her hood open.

02082026 Arch Canyon Trailhead Double Arch  Checkout is 1200 so I took my time with coffee and breakfast. I brought in my Moon Shade and camp stove the night before so I was mostly packed up. I was through the dump station by 1115 and headed out of the park. I took a nice scenic drive on the Ajo Mountain Drive  starts across highway 85 from the visitor center. It is a 21 mile scenic loop up through the desert canyon and to the Arch Canyon. The Arch Canyon Trail is an easy 2 km hike up the south side of the canyon. 

At the end, I was tempted to bushwack/rock hop up closer to the arches, but the temptation passed. After all, there is no Geocache there. But it was obvious that others had made the climb. I had a nice walk and drove the rest of the loop before heading home. 

👀Organ Pipe National Monument shared album👀

 

Lake Jennings Campground Merry Christmas

 1223 - 1229 2025 Lake Jennings Campground  Merry Christmas

Lake Jennings

     I arrived Lake Jennings campground right areound 1500 and checked in. Quickly I discover I did pick the right spot.  Seems like everything slopes towards the lake. I was able to pull in sideways but it was far from level. Considering that I would be pulling in and out almost every day, I want to find a spot where the setup leveling will not be too hard. So I paid the $5 fee to change to the next site over which I was able to back in and get leveled with one or two blocks.  BH and RH came over and picked me up so I could help with the baking, I was a taste tester. After a fine dinner we played a couple games of Clue. 

The next morning I took the campground loop trail getting a couple of Geocaches along the way.  After a small lunch I packed up and drove over to the Heufts. We then went over RH's Grandparents house for a Christmas eve dinner that could be beat. After dinner it was Clue again. It was even more fun with so many players.  Thanks D & R for the wonder meal and great company.  Back a the Heufts we exchanged gifts. 

The next morning I arrived at DL&S house just in time  for breakfast, gift exchange and board games with LCDR and his fins. It was a very fun time. I got a cool 50 states water bottle. 

R & S diving in the living room

Friday BH&RH picked me up to go spend the day at DL&S. We had a great time visiting and playing games. Watching R & S bouncing around especially fun. On the way home we stopped to take the RC Jeep for a spin. Found GC8MTKC  under the Mast Bridge, RH made the grab

On Saturday morning I walked around the lake and got most of the caches hidden along/off the lake road.  It turned out to be longer than I though, but it was a nice trip.  I packed up and went back to DL&S for some more games. 

Sunday I checked out of Lake Jennings Campground, then we all met at the Boardwalk Arcade and watched the kids play the game and win prized.  After the arcade games we went out for pizza.  I stayed at DL&S then took off Monday morning for some 🌵 boon-docking to finish off 2025. 

That's it for this post, here is my 👀 shared photo album. 👀

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas.

Rick, Dawn, Josh, Riley, Breanna, Brinn

Quartzite Camp

121025 - 121525 Quartzite Camp 33°51'21.6"N 114°02'35.7"W 

I stayed the night at three different locations on the BLM land in the Quartzite area. First 2 nights, just south of Joshua Road in Bouse AZ where Dottie and Chief lived. I was Geocaching on my ebike when I met a full time nomad Bjarne Winkler and his Dog Ohana (means family) There was a cache near his camper and they wanted to know what I was doing. 

We talked for a good hour. I explained geocaching and Bjarne shared his wisdom about living on the desert and van life. I enjoyed hearing his stories and I asked many questions taking advantage of Bjarne's experience. 

The next day I explored some of the other boondocking areas there and round Quartzite. A area west towards California called Tom Wells Road Dispersed Camping and then the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. During this camp out I stayed up late to view the Geminid meteor shower  on Saturday 13th.  I also had some peaceful walks and plenty of ebike geocaching. 

The Quartzite area is pretty busy this time of year. There are many RV'ers and nomad campers. But there are plenty of space outside of the Quartzite town to find peaceful Isolated desert camping. 

Thanks for visiting. 

👀Photos 👀

Thanksgiving 2025

112325 - 120525 Sun City to Olympia and back again with points in between

Now that the repairs on Vannie D0T1D9 are fixed I was eager to get on the road again. Destination a thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat compliments of the Caron Family somewhere near Olympia. 

I had a good start heading NW through Las Vegas then on to highway 93 that parallels the Nevada - Utah North and South border all the way to Idaho. I pulled into Pahranagat Rest Area after dark, found a level spot and stayed the night. 

Morning was a quick bowl of oatmeal I headed north. I was going to stop at the Alien Research Center but the alien's were off for the holiday and they were closed 🙁 so I continued north. Driving conditions were very good and I made good time. My plan A, a casino campground in Jackpot at the north border of Nevada and Idaho, was a bust. I just didn't have a good feeling about Cactus Pete's Saguaro RV Park. So I continued north into Idaho and found a gem. 

Lud Drexler Park

USFS Lud Drexler Park right next to Salmon Lake Dam. High desert at 5000 feet. It was about 45°F when I parked. I was the only one there, including any Rangers, but they were open. I paid $13.50 and pick a site that had a view of the lake. I had to break out the sleeping bag because it got down to 28°F. In the morning I cooked breakfast inside on the butane stove which help warm the up the inside of the van. I walked down to the dam and around the park. Found a geocache near where I parked. So it was already after ten by the time I lwas back on the road. Highway 93 meets Interstate 84 in Twin Falls, I figured I would make it as far a La Grande in Oregon before sunset. For the third day I didn't really have a confirmed campsite because this late in the season the state USFS campgrounds are closed in the high elevations. So I figured I would stay at a rest stop. But I thought I would check out Forest Road 21 Dispersed Camping between the La Grande exit and Deadman's Pass.

Forest Road 21

It seemed fine when I pulled in and there was only one other camper. The ground was wet forest floor, not muddy. Satisfied, I found a nice spot between the trees. I checked the weather forecast that shows "wintermix", whatever that means,  starting at 2100 with accumulation of .3". It was already after dark, so I figure I was good, after all it was warmer that last night. I woke up at 0230, stepped out side for the necessary and discovered about 2.5" of wet snow! Now I know what "wintermix" is 😟 

Try as I might, I could not go back to sleep. I was worried about getting Vannie out of the snow. Front wheel drive is good, but with so much weight in the back, I'm always afraid of spinning my wheels. So I forced myself to stay in bed, knowing myself I would try to get out in the dark, and wait until sunrise. No telling when the snow might stop, best to wait until there is at least traffic on the freeway. I decided that I would try to go out the way I came in because I know that ground was somewhat level. So at about 0630, have everything packed up, forgoing breakfast for now, I made my first attempt, which was all that was needed. I did spin the front wheels, but there was plenty of traction all the way to the pavement. Feeling relieved, I stopped at Deadman'd Pass Rest Area and had my breakfast before heading out for the 5 hour drive to Glenwood Park. 

Gus

I arrived right before dinner time, I have a knack for that. We had salad and sausage rolls, a NW treat! Banjo and Fiddle-Mandolin caught me up on all the PNW news and the agenda for the weekend. This includes a nice walk with Gus each day, a Thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat, a music jam and a trip to Tacoma to see old friends.  I always feel welcomed and I'm treated more like a inhabitant than a visitor these days, just part of the big familia.  Thank you all very much!

Alas, I do eventually leave, usually before there is any serious work to be done, always with a heavy heart and anticipation for my next visit.  Sunday morning, after yet another fine Banjo breakfast, I headed south down interstate 5 with my sites set on Umpqua Lighthouse State Park on the coast of Oregon. 

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

The weather forecast was very favorable for this time of year and there were plenty of campsites available.  I arrived way before sunset and set up in a nice back in site with electrical and water hookup, almost glamping for this trip. There was plenty to do, several geocaches to hunt and the lighthouse to visit. The park was maybe 1/2 full make for a nice and quiet visit. 

I walked around Lake Marie an found all the tiny geocaches, then rode Jagurandi down by the beach. At the lighthouse gift shop there was a real nice Letterbox geocache. I discovered all the travel bugs and swapped a pair. I visited the gift shop and got some stickers.  It was nice to have a whole day to explore and relax. My visit went by quick, next thing I knew it was time to get back on the road.  I spent some time planning my stops as I head south. 

I thought I would stay on the coast as I enter California, stay a night then jump east towards Reno area. The USFS and State campgrounds in the Redwood forest were closed, but I did find a first come first serve campground near Trinidad Ca.

Sue-Meg State Park

The drive down the 101 was beautiful with open skies and colorful transitions from forest to sea. The only traffic was through the numerous small towns along the route. I arrived Sue-Meg State Park about 1600 but didn't get parked until about 1700 because I had to drive into Trinidad to get correct change for the envelope drop pay station. I still had enough sun light to take the stairs down to the beach and take in the view. 

The campground area was nearly full so I was lucky to find a site for the evening.  I'm not complaining, but the difference of the facility up keep between Oregon and California State Parks was drastic. Maybe it was only because one is more popular than the other, still this is a nice park, just somewhat run down after the summer season.

Nevertheless, this was only an overnight stay and made the best of my time. Having filled up with water and emptied the grey tank in Oregon, there was no worry about it in the morning. After breakfast I was off again, only heading east across California, wanting to stay clear of any big metro areas. It took most the day driving the very curvy highway 299 from Trinidad to Reading through the Redwood Forest.  I took my time and arrived safely. From Reading I continued east up highway 44 towards Susanville.

Again, a lot of the campgrounds are closed this late in the year, so my choices for an overnight were thin.
Fortunately, Goumaz Campground was still open. A USFS free area with no facilities but nice level spots to camp. "Pack in pack out" rules apply! The forest road into the park was well maintained, mostly free of ruts and level except for the last part. I still had time for a nice walk around the forest, down a babbling creek, almost I wanted to try a fly. So peaceful it was kind of eerie because there was absolutely nobody else here. I defiantly needed my sleeping bag here, temperatures were in the 20's.  Maybe that was why I was the only one here. There was no waiting around in the morning for the temp to rise, so after a quick breakfast, I was off early making Tonopah BLM land for overnight before the end of the day. From here it was a 6 hour drive through Las Vegas and home. 

Here is a link to my shared photo album for this successful Thanksgiving trip. 

Thanks for reading my blog.