When we get back to Bangor, we’ll have the RV guys check:
The windshield wipers (they keep stopping in the middle of the window when you turn them off)
The quarter-panel on the passenger side (it came loose and is currently being held on with duct tape)
The slides (they are squeaking, and probably need a good greasing)
The air conditioner (the filters need to be changed)
And, the big one – our big plug that we use when plugging into the power at a campground is…melting. Yes, you read that right.
The other day, when Richard’s friend, Chris, was visiting us at the RV in Racine, the power kicked off. That happens sometimes but usually when we do something dumb, like trying to run the air conditioner and the microwave at the same time. We figured that was what had happened so Richard threw the breaker and everything came back on and we didn’t give it another thought.
On Friday, when we arrived at our next stop in Frankenmuth, MI, it was quite warm and we plugged in and ran the air conditioner with no trouble. That night, however, the power went out. Richard discovered everything was off when he got up the next morning. The next afternoon, it was off again. Richard threw the switch and it came back on again, but only for a few minutes so Richard called the campground office. They came out and took a look. Richard had already noticed our plug was starting to melt. It was a Saturday and nobody nearby would be available to replace the end of that plug for us. We did buy a converter so we could plug into the 50 amp plug but we couldn’t risk a fire by continuing to use the air conditioner. We could run everything else without the plug getting hot but not the A/C. It was around 92 at the time so we did what any normal family would do. We went to an air conditioned restaurant for dinner. 
This is how hot the RV gets on the outside while parked in direct sunlight (which is why we like SHADED campground spots!).
After dinner, we walked to the park and the boys played until sunset.
By then, it was cool enough to just run the fan in the RV with the windows open. (Our neighbors were playing 80’s music outdoors and that was a treat.) After midnight, it dipped down into the upper 50’s and we actually needed quilts the rest of the night. We got up bright and early and hit the road because we can run the air conditioner all day as long as the generator is on. And, we can run the generator on the highway, but not at a campground (because neighbors would complain about the noise).
After dinner, Max, Mason and I all started having stomach cramps. Max’s stomach had been cramping before dinner a bit so it wasn’t that meal in particular but we obviously all had a mild case of travelers diarrhea. I was up for a few hours (ug) and racked my brain but couldn’t figure out what the three of us ate/drank that Richard didn’t. By morning, we were all feeling just fine, thank goodness.
We are currently racing down the highway somewhere in Ohio. We stopped at a crowded rest-stop for gas and lunch. Mason wanted one item in particular. We stood in line for 10 minutes waiting to order, and then another 10 minutes to pick up the order…and then Mason decided he didn’t want to eat it (sigh…). On the tollway after that, Richard took out an orange cone but it’s been otherwise uneventful day. Concerned about the incessant heat and our lack of air-conditioning while parked, Richard had me check the weather for our next three city stops. We ended up with another major mechanical problem as well. More on that later in the week! 
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I’ve posted many, many more pictures of our trips HERE.
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