I had a pretty big scare yesterday when I prepared to hook up the Airstream after three days of boondocking in Yellowstone--the backup lights on the trailer came on and wouldn't go off, even un-hooked, and the Tundra dash lit up like a Christmas tree when I did hook up. It warned of all kinds of things, including the end of the world, if I didn't get to a dealer pronto. Well, pronto up here is relative. Everything else worked, and a short test drive around the campsite gave me the confidence to drive to W. Yellowstone and cell phone coverage (the SLICK hasn't been so slick for me...). I wound up driving to Bozeman (another 90 miles) to the Toyota dealer and after confirming that the problem was two-fold--a short in the power cable from trailer to truck (plug was fine) and a subsequent scrambled code to the Tundra brain so that had to be reset by their computer. I called the local RV place to get an appt. to fix the Airstream power cable and they said they could work me in in about two weeks. Seriously. Hunting season starts Sat. so they are that booked up.
Anyway, the really nice Toyota mechanic took pity and did what I was planning to do on my own, albeit with great trepidation: He did some battlefield surgery on the cable and found an area that had been pinched or crushed some time ago (I'll blame it on the PO), and between corrosion and friction, it was a mess of exposed and touching wires. Some electrical tape and sharp instruments and I was good to go. Cost me 1/2 hr labor and they even gave me fresh popcorn in the waiting room. I highly recommend the Bozeman Toyota service dept. as they go above and beyond, even for a stranger passing through!
I had been prepared for something a lot more dire, like a new transmission (my 4wd Low gear light kept flashing on even though it was in 2wd), and I was bracing myself for some really bad news, and possibly a pathetic trade to the Chevy dealer next door, but Mr. Tundra came through unscathed and I was able to retrace my route back to the mountains by nightfall.
I'm now in W. Yellowstone at a private campground, resting and washing up, and will head back into the park this afternoon. Browns are running on the Madison...bucket list item!
Anne
On Oct 19, 2011, at 10:30 AM, Hunter Hampton wrote:
> coptop8@aol.com wrote:
> > Found the problem! Yesterday I bought a new extension cord. Same problem. I
> > also bought an adapter and plugged into another outlet as suggested.
> > Problem went away. Shut off the breaker and pulled the dedicated camper outlet.
> > The licensed electrician who installed it hooked it up wrong even though
> > the plug itself clearly said where the wires went. It is now fixed and
> > everything seems to be working.
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