Deferred Trailer Maintenance?

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I always think I am doing a good job of cleaning and maintaining the trailer.  I check the roof, tires, and most of all the solar charging system.  That turned out to not be the case.  If you remember, we went out to Monte Sur a little less than two months ago, everything was in "good working order".  When we got home two days later, I took off one of the LP tanks to use with our Weber for dinner.  I noticed that one of the batteries was kind of drooping down lower than the other.

The two batteries sit on a metal frame down below and behind the LP tanks.  You really can't see them from the front of the hitch.  I got underneath the trailer and the battery frame was completely rusted.  It was crumbling and deteriorated.  

Don't laugh!  Imagine if one of the batteries had fallen through on the road! 

I don't have a welding set or whatever metal workers use and finding someone is not that easy for such a small job.  Everyone wants to erect a steel structure five stories high.  I finally found a guy who had painted our gate.   He had been in the hospital with a heart issue and lost his job.  I tracked him down and he had told me his story.   He was able to find the machine (not a clue what it's called) and he bought the materials.  He removed the old tray, measured here and there and I kept my eye on him as I didn't want to drag this out.  He doesn't wear a mask as he believes he is immune to any disease (he's 27 years old with a heart condition).  

Looks brand new!

He came yesterday in the heat of the afternoon.  I cut the grass at eight o'clock because it's cool and next door the worker always cuts the grass after lunch.  I don't get it so it must just be me.  The work took a couple of hours, plus a lunch break and of course, I told him not to come back until late afternoon.  I didn't want to sit outside and watch him when it is over 100F.  He did a great job as you can tell from the pictures.   He also made a new tray, at his insistence, for the LP tanks and it turned out equally as good. 

I was smart enough to tag all the battery posts and cables so when I put the batteries back it was a breeze and the solar started right up again.  I checked it this morning and they were charging at 13.6.

Some of you know the route from Reynosa to Monterrey or our house.  As you get off the autopista is the Pemex refinery in Cadereyta.  Presidente Dingus came to town to give one of his mañaneras (two-hour morning presentations).  We are fighting to either fix the refinery or shut it down as it is causing major pollution problems and we have the stats to prove it.  What did PD do?  He had the smokestacks shut down the day before so the skies could clear.  An hour after his plane took off to return home, the stacks came back on.  

PD is also a fan of public surveys to help him make his decisions.  The new survey involves corruption by past presidents and whether they should be sued or tried in court.  Well, guess where he is doing the surveys?   They are being done in cities where the majority of voters belong to his party.  This administration is a joke.