At my first free moment, I called FI Tech and we ran down the list, reinstalled the factory tune, etc. The fuel pump issue was still there so I got a RMA number to send it in for repair. About that time there was this rapidly growing tropical system Irma, growing in the Atlantic. I had a bad a feeling about it as it was in what my Dad deemed "Hurricane Alley". As a kid growing up in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, it was a concern every year. My Dad instilled in me a great interest in meteorology and it didn't hurt that I met Bob Gordon (a weekend weather guy for channel 10 in Miami) when they were shooting the movie "Jaws of Death" across the street in the Yankee Clipper.
It's a fun B drive in movie and Bob is the bartender in the Green and white striped shirt. I warmed up to him and he encouraged me to go harass the star Richard Jaeckel. Richard invited me to come back the next day and sit on the set. My Dad was excited to do so too, so we sat off camera on the north corner of the bar in the Wreck Bar (world famous). Bob was super nice and invited our family down to the WPLG studios in Miami to see everything. This being the 1970s, no web, no internet. I was amazed at the equipment and the print out of the surface maps that are so easily found on the web now.
Bob taught me how to read these maps and as a surfer, I am forever grateful for the knowledge gained that day. But I digress.....
Here comes Irma, blowing up into the storm of huge proportions and Houston is still underwater. I decide NOT to send in the FI system just yet as instincts tell me, danger is afoot. At this point the 5 day forecast is just north of Puerto Rico, and I have a BAD feeling.
As the coach was away for awhile, the side yard weeds took over and I pull out the coach to clean it up. No Biggie. Hop in, put the fuel pump fuse in, it starts running, I fire her up and pull her out. I do the garden work and then jump in as I'll go pick up the daughter from the library and then head to the gas station as I know gas is gonna jump up 20+ cents a gallon soon. Get in and hit the starter and CLICK. WTH? Gotta go, gonna be late, so I jump in the car and collect the kiddo and return thinking I'll jump it. CLICK.....Oh No! Wed night it's on the lawn and my gate won't close as the coach is in the way. Call my buddy up and he is there in an hour. We determine the starter is not good (It has maybe 3000 miles on it and maybe 40-50 starts). We get around the gate issue as he suggests unbolting the gate and re-bolting in the close position. BRAVO to the Mechanical engineer he is! We get that done and call it a night.
Next day I pull the starter and take it to the parts store when I have to show them how to hook it up. Figure the solenoid is bad, so I save a few $$ and just get that. I put it in, and zoom it works! I go around the block and park it.
Well fast forward a week and Johnny was right about Irma. It's a full on prep mode and the entire FL peninsula is on red alert. It's 2 days before the arrival of the storm and I have the house locked down and we decide to move the vehicles to our studio. I pull the Pineapple out into the front yard and we stuff a 10 ft kayak inside it. Lucy takes off for the studio and I do a few more things around the house. 20 min later I jump in and CLICK! You know that feeling you get right before a fight or something you REALLY don't want to do? That sinking in the pit of your stomach, OH SHIT moment? Yeah that one. My mind races with the WTFs. I get out and walk in the house for a second and then remember, I just hooked up the house batteries again. I run outside and pull all the fuses so the only thing connected is the chassis battery. WOO HOO it starts. I was going for gas, but the hell with that. I call Lucy and say you better be ready, cuz I ain't stopping this pig until she's parked.
I get there and pull her in no problem...
We managed to squeeze two more cars in there and leave one (the SUV AWD) at the house. About the time we get the last car in there, I go next door to the brewery for a cold one and sure enough the 5PM update says we are more or less out of the woods and the west coast is going to get it......PHEEEEEW.
At 5AM the next morning the wind is RIPPING at my house. It really doesn't let up for about 18hours. This is one BIG and nasty storm
We get off easy though as we never had sustained hurricane force wind. Only a few MPH below it for over 12 hours, but we stayed outside the worst of it.
The next morning, I went to check on my Mom's as she was out of town. Mostly good, only minor damage and no power. We were lucky in that our power was restored around 1 AM! Later that afternoon, I go to retrieve the cars and coach. She fires up and drives home no problem.
I don't think too much more of it and a week goes by or so. I am now 2 weeks away from our Disney trip although their campground is closed until further notice due to storm damage. Anyway a week later I want to pull the coach out and wash it from the big trip and all. It won't start! Same problem again!
Oh No, I guess it wasn't the solenoid. Short version: I spend all weekend going through EVERYTHING on the coach, disconnecting all the extra wires, etc. and can figure it out. Late Sunday afternoon, we decide it's a starter issue. I have to take down the neighbor's fence so I can crawl under the coach on the side of the house. We just put the fence back up from the storm lol.
I get the new starter in Monday night after work, and the problem doesn't go away. WTH!!??
I start looking REALLY closely at the battery cables and realize that while it shouldn't make a difference, I move the line to the starter so it physically touches the one from the battery. I burnish it all up and boom! She cranks right away! Hooray Disney vacation in 48 hours is saved!
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