Today we are a guest on the blog "Coffee With A Canine" and hope you enjoy reading about me and my Tzus. 

ELECTRIC BIKE UPDATE - YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS

After two sleepless nights, worrying about the broken bike, broken shower hose, broken screen door, excessive heat in and outside of the RV, and my dwindling resources - I had to take action.  Should I keep the RV?  Should I trade it in on a smaller unit?  Should I keep the bike?  Should I modify the bike?  Should I go back to rolling my beach cart around instead of riding a bike?  Should I get a job?  Should I rent my spare bedroom for added income?  So many decisions to make that it's taken me days to get a grip.

I got  up this morning determined to find someone to fix my bike.  Got on the phone and started calling bike shops in the area.  Also went online to search for repair shops in the New Orleans area.  After a few phone calls I realized that this was not going to be easy.  I was given various reasons why these shops will not work on electric bikes and was becoming more concerned with each call.  What was I going to do with a broken bike?  Can't sell it.  I'm out $800.   I looked for upgrade kits and felt that was going to be my last resort.  I would have to do it myself as these shops even refused to do that.  However I'm not sure I can do the motor kit myself.  I would also have to have a new battery pack if I upgrade.  More money!!!   MONEY MONEY MONEY

More on the bike later.

Got dressed and headed out to find a shower hose.  The RV department at Walmart did not have one.   The local RV supply store did.  Bought one for $31.00 and installed it myself.  However, it leaks water at the connection.  No matter how tight I turn it the water sprays out from the connection.  I'm thinking it is a cracked mount in the shower itself and I will have to take it in for replacement if that is the case.  I can still use the shower as it is but it will waste water if I do.

Broken shower hose.  That white plastic connection sticking up is what I suspect is cracked. 

New shower hose

Now on to the next project.  I watched several youtube videos on how to repair a torn screen and feel that I can do the screen door repair myself.

I don't want to patch it as that will look awful.  So I found some screen in my storage shed and will get my friend to help me do the repair.  That will save some money.

I spent yesterday online looking for Class B motorhomes.  

I love this unit.

My thoughts are that if I had a Pleasure Way motorhome I could park it under my deck and it would be in the shade.  It would also be my only vehicle.  I would sell my conversion van and have only one vehicle and one insurance.  I took my measuring tape and measured the height of my deck.  It is 8 feet high.  That is not enough clearance for the Class B vans.  So I had to give that some more thought.  I would be in the same shape as I'm in now with the sun and heat ruining the motorhome in my driveway.  My RV has already lost a lot of its resale value.  I think I'll keep it one more year.    

As for the heat in the RV, I have decided to hook up to my house 110 outlet and run fans inside the coach during the summer.  That will take care of some of that heat that is cooking the inside of the RV.  Next thing I did was order a cover from Camping World.  I found one on an Internet sale for $265.00 and free shipping. That will give it some shade from the constant sun in my driveway. 

So now I'm beginning to feel a whole lot better.  I'm getting things accomplished.

Here comes the good part....

While I was online looking at youtube videos I watched one on electric bikes, specifically on the Cyclamatic Electric Folding Bike.  As I was halfway listening to the narrator of the video - not really interested in what he was saying - I noticed he was talking about a red button.  That caught my attention.  What red button?  Do I have a red button?  I turned to look at my bike which is parked right next to my desk in my office and sure enough there was a little red button.  Well, that little red button is the ON/OFF button that I never used because I always just turn the key off when not riding.

The rest of the story happened in slow motion.  I got up - turned the key on - pressed the little red button - placed my hand on the throttle and turned it.  Yes, the bike moved!!!  My motor is not burned up!!!

I began to laugh hysterically until tears rolled down my face then I began to cry.  What a relief!  I must have accidentally hit that button while parking the bike on the beach.  I wondered why it got me to that part of the beach fine but would not start when it came time to leave.  It all makes sense now.  

What frustration I have experienced with this bike but am so glad that it is not broken.  Can't help but wonder if that is what happened to the bike I returned last month.  I guess I'll never know.    

The button is right next to the thumb throttle and very easy to hit accidentally

I left the Grand Isle State Park a day early due to all of these incidents and frankly didn't think I would ever want to go back.  Now, I feel a burden has been lifted off of my shoulders.  Things are getting back to the way they were.  

As for as my dwindling resources, I have decided to clean out my spare bedroom and rent it out for $500 a month to medical students attending at the local hospital.  I have done this in the past and know I can do it again.  It's easy money and will pay off my credit card debt in about a year.  If I decide to rent for longer I will be able to replenish my traveling funds.  

So, there you have it.  As a friend of mine has said, "Solo RVing is not for the feint of heart."   Boy is she right.

ELECTRIC BIKE HAS DIED ONCE AGAIN

This is the spot on the beach where the bike wouldn't start.

Let me start by saying that the beach was in terrible shape this week.  The wind coming in from the south had the tide so high that there were tidal pools all over the beach which brought lots of debris with it.  The beach was cut off from the rest of the town beach as the water was up to the levee.

I could not ride the bike along the water's edge on hard sand as I did last month.  So, I tried to ride on soft wet sand and that proved fatal for the 250w bike motor.  I was heartbroken.  I pushed the bike and cart back to my campsite and although the bike can still be ridden like a regular bike it is much too hard to pedal towing the cart.

I knew that I would not be able to receive any assistance from the seller but took a chance and emailed them about what happened.  I was informed that their bike was for street riding only.  I don't think their website states that but I will not bother them again.

Went online to find a replacement motor more powerful than what I have.  There are several different types of kits that are available.  I would not only have to purchase a new motor but a compatible battery pack as well.  That could run me another $500.  Not sure what I am going to do, at this point.  I'll try calling some bike shops to see if they work on electric bikes.  Hopefully, I can find one in New Orleans.  If I can not upgrade the bike I will just go back to rolling my little blue beach cart around and sell the electric bike and doggie cart... and possibly the RV.

And to top my week off I tore a hole in the screen door of the RV while unloading large boxes of crafts.  Oh, and let's not forget about the broken shower hose.   So all in all I had a crappy week.  The bad far outweighed the good.  I think with this run of luck I had better stay indoors for the rest of the summer.

It's far too hot to enjoy camping during the next few months.  Yesterday, the temperature was 105 degrees inside the coach in my driveway.  I had planned to purchase a cover for it and found one at camping world for under $400 - but that will have to wait.  Pretty soon I will have to find a job in order to continue to use the RV.

As you can tell by the tone of this post, I'm really bummed about all this.   

Cha Bu running into the Gulf.

Xi Shi enjoying the beach.

Alone on the beach reading my Coastal Living magazine.