digital voltage monitor
To my surprise and horror there is no Harvest Hosts vineyard in Pocatello, Idaho. And the Pocatello KOA was completely booked due to a regional softball championship. And this was the ACTUAL review I read about the only other RV park I could find: “2 violent sex offenders live here…a hooker passed out in front of my RV.” Okay, OKAY, Pocatello. I get it. See you never.
I circled back to Twin Falls where there’s probably a perfectly lovely state park but I made a beeline for the KOA, just as I occasionally default to McDonald’s for the Number 11 Value Meal. It’s the rule of brand promise: even if a product is known to be mediocre, sometimes you just wanna know what you’re gonna get. In the case of KOA, that means free wifi and a big bathroom with abundant counter space to spread out all my girly impedimenta.
As per usual, the campsite was a tad ratty, with the standard grungy electrical hookup box full of spiders.
Rich Luhr—my esteemed employer and one whom I’d like to call friend—has made it abundantly clear to his book and article readers that all Airstreamers need to be aware of the quality of the power coming into their trailer. So I plugged in the digital voltage monitor I got from the Airstream Life Store. It’s easy to use—there’s a product review about it in the latest issue of Outside Interests—and it comes with a short, handydandy how-to leaflet on campground power for Airstream owners.
Hmmm…the readout went from 120 to 119 (and 117 about thirty minutes later). I don’t know what that tells me, but I know how to find out—any Airstreamer can write to “Ask Outside Interests”, pose a problem, and find an expert solution in an upcoming issue. Just drop a note to editor@randbevents.com. (Yes, that’s my email address, but rest assured, I don’t answer any tech questions!)
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Here’s an expert answer about voltage meter fluctuation and safe voltage levels directly from Rich Luhr, author of “Airstream Life’s (Nearly) Complete Guide To Airstream Maintenance” (get yours at the Airstream Life store: http://store.airstreamlife.com). Thanks Rich!
“The displayed number will fluctuate,” he said. “Plus or minus 5% on the voltage is no problem. 112 volts is safe, but some appliances, like the microwave, might struggle a little.
The air conditioner gets at risk around 106 volts; if the pedestal tests at, say, 108 to 110 volts before you even plug in, you need to be cautious about running the AC. It’s very common for the voltage to dip with a big load on it—and then it can drop below a safe limit and burn up the AC compressor.
Keep an eye on the voltage meter inside the trailer as you fire up the AC, and be ready to shut it off immediately if the voltage plummets during startup.”