Reader Report | 41 last weekend by a friend from the Australian Caravan Club. Time will tell if there’s a design fault or not, but I am more careful now. Lesson: Don’t do things in the dark if you are not sure. • I replaced the two Alco house batteries with two RAA, 105 AH deep cycle, AGM batteries. I put them under Firefly’s passenger seat, but the original cover wouldn’t fit again as the new batteries are a bit higher than the originals, so I put four little rubber covers over the terminals. On purchase of the Kea I was told I had two deep-cycle, house batteries but when I looked and investigated with the manufacturer, they were just cranking batteries and not the right ones at all, so they died pretty quickly. My new batteries are the biggest expense so far, but I am very happy with them. • I have a Muller shower vent on the roof and the wiring from the solar panel goes through it to the electronics. A “capillary action” thing (new words for me) happens and the rainwater runs up the wires and through the shower extraction fan and drips onto the floor in the shower cubicle! I did get someone to put some silicone around the vent, but then the water just pooled and still managed to run uphill and into the cavity. Still looking for a resolution here. • My Vitrifrigo C85i compressor fridge is out for servicing/testing with an RV specialist at present. It cycles four minutes on and four minutes off at times and drives me crazy in the middle of the night. The screws in the frame were going into “thin air” and not into the wooden frame, so I have had a friend put aluminium angle on each side of the frame so the screws now have something to screw into. He also cut a new hole into the cabinetry behind the fridge, near the compressor, to help with the air flow. If I need to replace the fridge I am finding it difficult to find another brand with the same dimensions and I really
The solar panels are great but the way the wiring enters via the bathroom roof hatch isn’t! It leads to water dripping into the shower due to capillary action.
don’t want to change the cabinetry to fit another size fridge. Somewhere in Firefly’s past the 12 V cigarette lighter socket was wired into the fridge’s wiring, which isn’t a brilliant idea! Maybe Polly has come across some of my issues? It is really difficult being a single female and not in the least bit mechanically or electronically minded, and having to ask for help. But I have been very successful in finding lovely people to help me out. I am very grateful to all of them. The Australian Caravan Club, Stillwell Ford, CMCA , Facebook and of course the internet have become great sources of information, friends and helpers. Project Polly has also helped me with ideas, issues and resolutions and now Polly has an admirer – Firefly! Next time I buy a motorhome I will have more knowledge. Guaranteed!