Mango Bob by Bill Myers Page A
Authors: Bill Myers
tanks are more than half full, so I'll need to dump them. There's no need carrying around all that extra weight on the road.
“I'll dump the tanks at the dump station near the main gates when we leave this evening.”
Jack wiped his hands, “I'm pretty much done here. We can go do your coach now, but I've got to let Jean know where I'm going. She doesn't it like it when I disappear without telling her.”
23
After telling Jean where he was going, Jack came back out and we started making our way to my campsite.
"We've been camping for fifteen years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened. No one's ever tried to break in before. It just doesn't make sense.
“At first I was mad. Now I'm just curious. Why our coach? Why the utility compartment?
“It's got Jean on edge. She's not scared, just ready to hit the road. The sooner the better.
“When I told her you might be camping with us at Walmart tonight, she said it was a good idea. Better to have someone you know in the camper next door if you were expecting trouble.
“But I'm not expecting trouble. Especially at Walmart. They have cameras monitoring the parking lot, and security guards inside watching the monitors.
“Plus there's a whole lot of witnesses coming and going. Criminals don't like that.”
When we got to my site, Jack smiled. “Well, look at this. You parked it the right way. Even got it in the middle of the pad. I'm impressed.”
I laughed, “Jack, you're a good teacher. I just did what you showed me last night.”
Jack motioned to the front tire. “OK, let's see if your motorhome is ready for the trip. We'll start by checking the tires.”
He unscrewed the valve cap on the passenger side front tire, pushed his air gauge onto the valve, and checked the pressure.
“Just as I suspected. Over-inflated by twenty pounds.”
He turned the air gauge over and used the pointed end to release air from the tire. After a few seconds he checked, and repeated the process until the gauge showed the correct pressure.
“This one is good. You do the other five tires and I'll watch.”
Following Jack's lead, I checked and adjusted the pressure on the rest of the tires. All were over-inflated and I adjusted them to the right pressure. Then I gave the gauge back to Jack.
“Good job. You'll be glad you corrected the pressure. Now let's check the fluids. Open the hood.”
I unlocked the driver door, pulled the handle to unlatch the hood.
Jack pointed, “Grab a paper towel, You'll need it to check the oil.”
With paper towel in hand, I moved to the open hood, found and pulled the dip-stick, and wiped it clean. Slid it back in, and pulled it back out again. The oil was almost clear, the level right where it should be. I showed it to Jack.
“Looks good. Now check the brake fluid, coolant level and washer fluid.”
He waited to see if I could do it on my own.
I could. I'd done this many times with all of the vehicles I'd owned.
Satisfied I had done it correctly, Jack smiled, “Looks like she's been regularly maintained. The engine looks clean, fluid levels are correct, the belts look good. You even have a new battery.”
I nodded as Jack looked under the coach.
“Looks like you have a small water leak in the back somewhere. Probably missing a washer on the fresh water hose. An easy fix.”
We went to the back and opened the utility compartment door. Jack was right. The water hose was leaking where it connected to the coach.
He reached in and hand tightened the hose connection. The leak stopped.
Instead of standing back up he said, “This is different. I don't have this in my coach.”
He was pointing to a small locking cover at the back of the compartment.
“Not sure what that would be. I've never seen anything like that on any of the motorhomes I've owned.
“No reason to have a locking
“I'll dump the tanks at the dump station near the main gates when we leave this evening.”
Jack wiped his hands, “I'm pretty much done here. We can go do your coach now, but I've got to let Jean know where I'm going. She doesn't it like it when I disappear without telling her.”
23
After telling Jean where he was going, Jack came back out and we started making our way to my campsite.
"We've been camping for fifteen years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened. No one's ever tried to break in before. It just doesn't make sense.
“At first I was mad. Now I'm just curious. Why our coach? Why the utility compartment?
“It's got Jean on edge. She's not scared, just ready to hit the road. The sooner the better.
“When I told her you might be camping with us at Walmart tonight, she said it was a good idea. Better to have someone you know in the camper next door if you were expecting trouble.
“But I'm not expecting trouble. Especially at Walmart. They have cameras monitoring the parking lot, and security guards inside watching the monitors.
“Plus there's a whole lot of witnesses coming and going. Criminals don't like that.”
When we got to my site, Jack smiled. “Well, look at this. You parked it the right way. Even got it in the middle of the pad. I'm impressed.”
I laughed, “Jack, you're a good teacher. I just did what you showed me last night.”
Jack motioned to the front tire. “OK, let's see if your motorhome is ready for the trip. We'll start by checking the tires.”
He unscrewed the valve cap on the passenger side front tire, pushed his air gauge onto the valve, and checked the pressure.
“Just as I suspected. Over-inflated by twenty pounds.”
He turned the air gauge over and used the pointed end to release air from the tire. After a few seconds he checked, and repeated the process until the gauge showed the correct pressure.
“This one is good. You do the other five tires and I'll watch.”
Following Jack's lead, I checked and adjusted the pressure on the rest of the tires. All were over-inflated and I adjusted them to the right pressure. Then I gave the gauge back to Jack.
“Good job. You'll be glad you corrected the pressure. Now let's check the fluids. Open the hood.”
I unlocked the driver door, pulled the handle to unlatch the hood.
Jack pointed, “Grab a paper towel, You'll need it to check the oil.”
With paper towel in hand, I moved to the open hood, found and pulled the dip-stick, and wiped it clean. Slid it back in, and pulled it back out again. The oil was almost clear, the level right where it should be. I showed it to Jack.
“Looks good. Now check the brake fluid, coolant level and washer fluid.”
He waited to see if I could do it on my own.
I could. I'd done this many times with all of the vehicles I'd owned.
Satisfied I had done it correctly, Jack smiled, “Looks like she's been regularly maintained. The engine looks clean, fluid levels are correct, the belts look good. You even have a new battery.”
I nodded as Jack looked under the coach.
“Looks like you have a small water leak in the back somewhere. Probably missing a washer on the fresh water hose. An easy fix.”
We went to the back and opened the utility compartment door. Jack was right. The water hose was leaking where it connected to the coach.
He reached in and hand tightened the hose connection. The leak stopped.
Instead of standing back up he said, “This is different. I don't have this in my coach.”
He was pointing to a small locking cover at the back of the compartment.
“Not sure what that would be. I've never seen anything like that on any of the motorhomes I've owned.
“No reason to have a locking
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