We Finally Found the Sun!

If you have been reading Dave's blog as well as mine, you already know about the problems we have been having with our Norcold 4-door refrigerator.  The cooling unit stopped working (again).  This time it was only partially under warranty and would take about six weeks before the new part would arrive.  No way was that going to work for us unless we turned around and headed back north to home.

(All of these pictures were taken during our drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas--CA state highway 58, then I-15)    *Note the SUNNY SKY! :)

Driving east through Tehachapi Pass

We read a bunch of reviews online about the Amish cooling unit that replaces the Norcold cooling unit.  But that also takes a while to get the unit and then find someone to install it.  A couple of service places we talked to had not even heard of it.  And after all that, we would still have a Norcold which is turning out to be synonymous with bad service and bad products.  Boo.  Hiss.

The other option was to install a residential refrigerator which more and more people are doing these days.  Yes, it only works with electricity, but it can be hooked up to an inverter or run off a generator.  And it's not prone to causing a fire like the Norcolds are known to do.

So we left Bakersfield on a SUNNY day and drove across the Tehachapi Pass, through the Mojave Desert, and into glittery Las Vegas--all with SUNNY skies.

Apache RV in Las Vegas, which I found through the RV Service Reviews website, has done several installations of residential refrigerators.  They seemed knowledgeable, so we headed on to Las Vegas, where we were planning to go anyway.  We pulled into the Apache's service area and three people came out to look at the Norcold spot and take measurements.  I was a little worried because in our Bounder 35E, the Norcold is located in our living room slide.  But they said "no problem" and said that we have more room to work with than a lot of coaches they've seen.

Hills in the desert

After that we checked into our intended destination, Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort (LVM).  And guess what, Apache RV is only a block away from LVM.  Is that good fortune or what?  Since the failure of the cooling unit, we've been on quite a roller coaster the last few days, so this was good news.

Interesting name!

LVM is quite a place and without a doubt is the nicest RV park we've ever stayed in.  I'll write about that in another blog.

Snow!

Last night (Wednesday), after stopping by Apache RV and then checking into LVM, we went out shopping for a new refrigerator.  We couldn't find the one that had been recommended, a small Samsung, but after going to Lowe's, Home Depot, and Fry's Electronics, we found a couple of options.  We thought that a small and inexpensive Maytag would work, but during the night, both Dave and I realized that the doors on it would be too big to open when the slideout was closed.

Entering Nevada and the casinos at Primm 

This morning we headed to Sears to check out their selection.  We found one similar to the Whirpool that we had seen at Lowe's.  The good thing about Sears is that they can deliver it next Wednesday, which is the earliest that Apache RV could give us an appointment, due to the weekend and the Christmas holiday.

Our first sight of Las Vegas 

Soooo, we bought the Whirlpool refrigerator which is a huge 21.7 cubic feet and is a side-by-side unit with a water and ice dispenser in the door.  Yes--just what I wanted.  We verified with Apache that this one will fit.  It will take at least a full day to switch out the Norcold and install the Whirlpool.  We won't be able to totally relax until that work is done, but we feel like we've accomplished a major hurdle without having to limp back home with our "tail between our legs".   ;-)