We pulled the RV out of storage last week. I charged the batteries up, drove it home, and we went through it, cleaning and organizing. Then we packed it all up with stuff for the lake and headed out.
I stopped at the gas station to get gas, then tried to start it. The starter was spinning, and there was a little grinding, but not engagement. Broken tooth on flexplate. Blast.
Usually, you can pull the engine forward a bit so that it gets past the broken tooth and can be started by grabbing an accessory belt, but this leads us to our second surprise: The smog pump has locked up, and it shares a belt with the alternator.
So, we dodged a bit of a bullet, having the broken tooth on the flexplate. Otherwise, we might have gotten halfway to camp (running on the battery and not knowing it, the alternator light didn't illuminate) and ended up with a dead battery. For those who aren't familiar with the situation, this is not something that a jump start can fix.
So we repacked everything into other vehicles, grabbed our tents, and camped the old fashioned way.
Today, I'll be trying to explain what Memorial day means to my 5 year old, but at least I won't be doing it on the side of I-5 while covered in dirt and grease.
