Back in D’Hanis, TX

Wednesday - We arrived back at the Escapee Co-Op yesterday afternoon after a windy travel day from Lake Conroe. Going through San Antonio was, as usual, a pain due to the traffic and construction. We got particularly set up after moving the class C back to storage. Surprisingly, it started right up, but I should have used some sort of trickle charger on the chassis battery. 

Thursday - This morning, I finished setting up the RV, including the propane connection to the bulk tank. After setting everything up, I noticed that the awning touches the rain gutter on the shed. So I lifted the jacks, started the engine, built up air pressure, and moved the RV about 2” forward. The awning is on the south-facing side of the RV, so I prefer it to be out. But we need to be careful of the wind. 

Friday - A quick trip into town this morning to get blood drawn in preparation for my upcoming doctor appointment. Then back into town to deposit some checks at the bank. Now some projects. The rear A/C unit blows cold air for a while, then not. I pulled off the shroud, and the evaporator coil needs cleaning. The local stores didn't have the A/C cleaner in stock, so I ordered it from Amazon (at half the price!). It should be here on Sunday.

I was going to start the Ural before I realized it'll run better with at least a little gas. 

Monday - It has been raining off and on for most of the weekend, so not a whole lot has been going on. I have been slowly continuing to set things up around here at the CoOp lot. I did run into a black widow at the water spigot, and there are a handful of wasp nests around the lot. I picked up some spray for both of them, but haven't gotten around to spraying the wasp nests. 

This is the evaporator on the rear A/C unit. It really needs cleaning and with the high humidity, ice builds up on the coil, eventually blocking air flow through the coil. I suspect that the front unit may be equally filthy.

Occasionally, the power glitches in the RV. I've monitored the incoming power using the Bullydog app, and it isn't the incoming power. The A/C unit continues to run, but the TV, microwave, and Starlink will "blink". Those are all circuits that are running through the Magnum Inverter. The DC power will shut off for a very short time. My current theory is that as soon as the lithium batteries are fully charged and the BMS shuts off charging, it will disconnect the batteries, and the inverter will turn off for a fraction of a second, even though there is still AC power at the input. This morning, I lowered the absorption voltage on the Magnum inverter/charger from 14.6V to 14.4V as 14.6V is the setpoint on the lithium batteries' BMS. We'll see if this resolves the problem.

Willis, TX - TT

Monday - Yesterday, we arrived back in Texas. We stopped at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails for convenience and low cost. The sites aren’t very level, but it does have a pool and hot tub, which, unfortunately, is not open on Mondays. It is hot and muggy. The front of the RV is really high, and the hitch at the rear is only a couple of inches from the ground. We are scheduled to leave on Wednesday. 

We picked up some groceries at H-E-B, and the produce is so much better at H-E-B than at Walmart in Florida. 

Tuesday - No rain this morning, but the humidity does seem very high. I'm waiting for the midday test session, and it's too hot and muggy to do it outside. In fact, I see very little activity outside. Not even people walking their dog.

I checked out the pool this afternoon. The hot tub was half working (no bubbles), and the pool was pretty cold. But between the two of them, it was fine.

Broussard, LA

Friday - A 240 mile travel day from Alabama, through Mississippi, and half way through Louisiana to south of Lafayette. The traffic was a lot heavier as we headed west. Baton Rouge was almost like Florida. We aren at a small RV park for a couple of days as we plan on visiting Avery Island, the home of Tabasco. There were a few complaints about this park on Yelp but it is very nice. Plenty of real, green grass and large, level sites.

Saturday - Up early today for the Saturday, early morning test session. It starts at around 7:30, which is early for me. I think we plan on going to the Tabasco facility on Avery Island this morning. I had heard that the tour is pretty good. Better if you don't mind the smell of Tabasco sauce.

Later - The Tabasco “factory” is in a beautiful area with old oaks and lots of bamboo. The self-guided tour was well done with numerous short videos. The process seems pretty straightforward and hasn’t changed much over the years. Peppers, salt, and vinegar. 

The mash is aged for around three years after being sealed with salt on top of the barrels. 

The aged mash is then mixed with vinegar and stirred for several weeks before being strained and bottled. 

Since we were there on a Saturday, the bottling plant wasn’t running. 

A great place to visit!

Mobile, AL - HH

Thursday - Another 350 mile travel day to a Harvest Host farm southwest of Mobile, AL. I think that this is the first time we are staying in Alabama. We picked up some steaks but we will save them for tomorrow. Not quite enough time to make them tonight. We are plugged into a 20 amp outlet so our batteries will stay charged. Plus, we are parked under a large tree. It’s only 76°F so no A/C needed.