Friday, March 24, 2017

HeHeHe and Today Makes Three

Where Are We Today
El Reno Ok.
 (click on pic to enlarge)

El Reno Ok.
Last night we were in a Texas Travel Center in Amarillo Tx. A nice spot on the east side of Amarillo that allows overnight parking for trucks and RV. There was high wind and rain storm that came thru the west side of Amarillo and the east side caught some of it too.
Picnic area at the Travel Center, Amarillo

 Until ten p.m., we had some gusty winds, up to 50 MPH, then it quieted down, during this time we had pulled in our slides on the windward side of the trailer. Just after one a.m. and about until 2 a.m. the winds picked up again, shifting directions also, so much that I was up to keep watch until they calmed down again. All thru the night I could hear a couple of our solar panels rattling so badly that I thought they might blow right off the roof, fortunately they didn't.

The very back panel, the bolt was gone, not to be found.

The second panel back, the bolt was laying right there.
There were a few of us there for the night



This morning I could see at least two of the bolts that hold the panels in place were missing. Taking a couple from the tilt arms, I climbed onto the roof to replace them. I found one laying right where it fell out but the other one was missing all together, after replacing them, I checked all the others to make sure they were finger tight again, no more rattling.
According to the Weather Network and the staff in the Travel Center, there was a wind and storm warning for today between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. with wind gusts between 60 and 70 MPH for the Amarillo area and less severe to the east. That was all we needed to know, we closed up, lifted the jacks and got out of there. Within in an hour of driving we were into blue skies and mostly a tail wind all the way down the road. Just after 11 a.m. we needed fuel and since we hadn't eaten yet, thought we should get some breakfast. A Flying "J" with a Dennys  happened to be coming up, so in we went.
Us and the truck fed, we headed on down the road to our present location at the Lucky Star Casino in El Reno a little west of Oklahoma City. They have about a dozen sites, first come first served, with full hook ups where you can stay for free for three days, but they do expect you to play some games, we can play a little.

El Reno Casino

Sites right on the edge of the lot

Green open field behind us.

There is some wind here, but gusts up to 35 MPH only and a beautiful day forecast for tomorrow, we can live with that.
Well that's all I have to say today, until the next time take care and be safe.

 

8 comments:

  1. Glad you got the panels secured and safely on down the road again, love this tail winds. travel safely and enjoy the journey.

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  2. Thanks George. Nice to get away from the winds and like when they are pushing us down the road. Safe travels to you too.

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  3. Glad to read with all the wind you have been encountering you had a safe travel day. Sounds like a nice stop and you cannot beat the price. Continued safe travels.

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  4. Thanks guys, I think the wind over the next few days is inevitable.

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  5. Just Catching up.
    If the Panels continue to loosen you might have to change the types of Nuts holding the Bolts. Nylock Nuts stay where you put them.
    Careful of the high winds.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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  6. I don't know many times I worried about our uplifted solar panels on our Damon Challenger years ago. Some of those big Borrego Springs were soooooo bad I would have bet money our panels would not be up there come morning. But they always were.

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  7. Yes, so true, these weren't even lifted, if it hadn't been for the wind, I wouldn't have know the bolts were missing. It all worked out, just something else to check once in awhile.

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    ReplyDelete