New Battery For The Jeep

Above, the ol' girl got a new battery today. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Jeep got a new battery today.

The old one outlived its 2-year rating by nearly a year (it was manufactured in February 2021). I got my money's worth out of it.

The price of batteries today are incredible. The replacement cost $179 at Tractor Supply. At least it wasn't into the thousands that repacement batteries for electric vehicles will cost owners.

Once the new battery was installed, I turned the ignition on and the Jeep started right up, just as it should.

Now to deal with the Mustang's starting problems. It started today okay. 

Time To Get A Battery

Above, the Jeep's battery compartment. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I have to be in Gallup to take Larry Lucier to his physical therapist and, while in town, pick up a new battery for the Jeep.

The battery I have is a two-year battery and it has been almost three years since I bought it. It has been losing power (probably partly due to the cold temperatures) and I have had to hook it up to a battery charger to get the Jeep started over the last couple of days. 

The Jeep, a military 1952 Willys Jeep M38A1, formerly had a 24 volt system. But, before I bought it, it was converted to 12 volt. The recommended batteries for such a conversion are 51R batteries. 

I think I got my money's worth from the battery.

After that's done, I'll have to deal with the Mustang's starting problem. For the first time in two weeks, I got it started yesterday. 

Battery Charging

After yesterday's Jeep problems, I decided to give its battery a charge.

We'll see if it helps.

Back At Grandpa's Grill, Etc.

Above, Grandpa's Grill large breakfast burrito. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since two of our group were already in Gallup yesterday morning, we decided to meet them at Grandpa's Grill for coffee and breakfast. Well, they have better food at more reasonable prices than Denny's.

Normally, I get their chorizo & eggs dish, but this time I decided to try our their large breakfast burrito. They have three sizes of breakfast burritos: small, large and mega. I got the one with sausage. They also have a handheld burrito.

I have to say it was quite good. However, I practically sweated up a storm from the red chili sauce. 

Here's what the menu says about the burritos:

After breakfast, Larry Lucier, Russell Azbill and I headed over to Home Depot. I didn't buy anything (I couldn't think of anything I needed). The guys bought a lot of stuff, so that made up for it. Larry bought a table and later, we returned to Home Depot where he bought two more of them. 

Above, the gang at Grandpa's Grill on November 15.

The day was marred when I couldn't get the Mustang started after we got back to Larry's. This time, I think it's the battery as the check engine and battery warning lights came on. It is about time I got a new battery anyway as this one is four years old. At least I hope it's the battery. To get home, I used Larry's bus.

So today I'll be dealing with that.

The Weird Attack on Paul Pelosi

Above, Paul Pelosi.

The story on the attack on Paul Pelosi is getting more curious by the hour it seems.

The attack was bad enough, but there's much to the story that the drive-by media isn't saying.

Dinesh D'Souza posted on [the now free] Twitter:

Paul Pelosi KNEW his attacker and NAMED him in his 911 call. Media accounts are suppressing this key fact. Listen to the call and you can verify it for yourself. We are not—I repeat not—getting the full story on this. 

It’s one thing for Paul Pelosi to be in his underwear. It’s his own home and it was very early on the morning. The remarkable thing is his assailant was also in HIS underwear. What does that tell you that the media isn’t telling you?  

Where did they BOTH get their hammers? 

As Artie Johnson used to say on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In: Verrry Interesting! 

New RV House Battery

Above, last weekend at Kaibab National Forest. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the things I had to do yesterday after getting my laundry done was to head into Gallup to Navajo Tractor to get a new RV house battery.

During the clampout, the house battery kept draining faster than usual, which had me firing up the generator to charge it up. It got completely down at one point. I had to do this about three times each day.

Navajo Tractor is a dealer for Interstate Batteries. The battey I bought before was a Champion. I did get about four years worth of use out of it. 

So, I got a new Group 24 Deep Cycle Interstate battery for the motorhome.

Saving RV Propane and Batteries

Above, having the propane tank filled. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Saving on propane and electricity while camping, especially while boondocking or dry camping, is essential for remaining comfortable and having a trouble-free time.

Do It Yourself RV has 8 tips on saving propane and battery power.

They begin with:

Here are 8 tips to help you save on propane and other energy costs as prices continue to soar. Use these tricks to preserve your RV propane and batteries.

To see what they are, go here. 

Virginia's Freezing Traffic Jam and Electric Vehicles

The incident involving cars stuck in snowy and freezing conditions is a good illustration of why electric vehicles are impractical in this country, as the below Facebok post below shows:

 

Despite what Facebook's phony "fact-checkers" say, cold temperatures and batteries don't mix. Plus, there's only so much charge a battery will or can hold.

Protecting RV Battery During Winter Storage

Above, installing a power line to the RV garage to keep the
batteries and heating system powered. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Winter is only a couple of weeks away. Here in northwestern New Mexico, it already feels like winter. It is 27° outside as I am writing this.

Along with winterizing the plumbing system in an RV, attention should also be given to protect the batteries from extreme cold temperatures.

Do It Yourself RV has an article on what to do to keep the RV batteries from going dead over the winter months.

They begin with:

By early winter, most RVers that live in colder climates have taken the needed steps to protect their RV’s plumbing system from freezing.

However, RV battery winter storage is often overlooked by many when preparing their RV for the winter. If you take the proper steps to protect your lead acid batteries when putting your RV into winter hibernation, they will be ready to go camping come spring. 

To read more, go here. 

How To Charge An RV Battery While Driving

Above, The Beast in Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Keeping the RV house battery charged while driving is easy. I make sure that the house power system is on so that the chassis alternator charges it while driving to dry camp somewhere. Before I even leave home, I would have it plugged into the 30 amp outlet in the RV garage overnight (at least).

If, while dry camping, the battery gets low, I'll fire up the onboard generator to charge it up.

There are other ways to keeping the house battery charged while driving and Do It Yourself RV has an article telling what they are.

They begin with:

With more and more people dry camping, knowing how to charge an RV battery while driving is important, as arriving with a fully charged house battery is key for a successful campout.

For years, RVers have relied on a 12-volt charge line to keep their RV house battery(s) charged while driving. The charge line basically connects the electrical charge coming from the vehicle’s alternator (tow vehicle or motorhome) to the house battery(s). While it was not the optimum way to charge an RV battery while driving, it sufficed.

To read more, go here. 

How To Prevent A Dead RV Battery

Above, I replaced the motorhome chassis battery during its last maintenance check-up. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Keeping up with RV battery maintenance is a must to prevent having a battery go dead while on a vacation trip. Especially if one is boondocking.

That is one thing I keep up with. I replaced my motorhome's house battery two years ago and I replaced my chassis battery a couple of months ago during its routine annual check-up before I went to Durango, Colorado. Both of the replaced batteries were the originals that were in the motorhome when I bought it. The house battery lasted four years and the chassis battery lasted six years. Not too shabby.

Do It Yourself RV has an article how to prevent a dead RV battery.

They begin it with:

There is something special about traveling to a camping destination in an RV. Watching the sunrise while sipping your favorite hot brew of coffee is a morning ritual for most campers. But those good times will be ruined if your RV battery dies, especially if you are boondocking.

There are several reasons why RV batteries die. According to Mark Polk on GoRVing,

85% of batteries manufactured in the U.S. die prematurely, and RVers often replace batteries every year or two.

Mark Polk – GoRVing

That cost can quickly add up. Fortunately, there are tried and true ways to prevent your RV batteries from dying, and extending their lifespan from just 1 or 2 years to a much more pocket-friendly 5 to 7 years. In this article, we’ll walk you through the fundamental steps to maintaining your RV’s coach and chassis batteries correctly.

To read more, go here. 

Low Battery

Above, the Jeep battery compartment. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People are finding that cold weather and batteries aren't a good mix. That's one big detriment to electric vehicles.

I had to recharge the Jeep's battery today as it was way down. I intended to drive it to the Flying J this morning to pick up my mail, but it barely cranked. Luckily, I have a battery charger and hooked it up and let it charge for a half day. I hadn't driven the Jeep since last Thursday.

A little while ago, I unhooked the charger and started the Jeep. It fired up right away.

Above, the charging battery. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The M38A1 Willys Jeeps have the battery compartment at the cowling outside of the engine compartment. When these Jeeps were in military service, battery charging was made simple by a plug-in outlet behind the passenger side front wheel on the fender. Since I don't have military plug-in, I had to take the battery compartment cover off and attach the charger directly to the battery.

The weather has been cold here, particularly at night, and that causes problems with vehicle batteries.

After starting the Jeep, I let the engine run for a while. The alternator gauge showed that it was charging fine. We'll see in the next few days. The battery is dated 12/18, so it is only two years old. 

I also fired up the motorhome today to make sure its battery was in good working order. It was.

Protecting RV Batteries In Winter

Above, The Beast after a snowstorm. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Keeping RV batteries (house and chassis) fully charged will protect them from the frigid temperatures of winter.

Not keeping them charged will render them junk by the time springtime arrives. I keep The Beast plugged into the 30 amp power outlet in the GOCO Beast Barn just for this purpose.

Do It Yourself RV has an article on protecting RV batteries in winter with Dos and Don'ts.

The start it with:

By early winter, most RVers that live in colder climates have taken the needed steps to protect their RV’s plumbing system from freezing.

However, RV battery winter storage is often overlooked by many when preparing their RV for the winter. If you take the proper steps to protect your lead acid batteries when putting your RV into winter hibernation, they will be ready to go camping come spring.

To read more, go here.