March 3, 2023
I am in Wakarusa, Indiana. Wakarusa is where Thor Motor Coach is located. Thor Industries is the largest manufacturer of motor homes in the world. They include Thor Motor Coach, but they also own fifteen other brands including Airstream, Jayco, and Tiffin. My van is a Thor product. I have told them many times, over the fifteen months I have owned it, there is a problem with the electrical system, specifically that the “coach” batteries do not hold a charge. These batteries power things like the refrigerator, lights, electrical plugs, (for things like a laptop, electric tea kettle) and USB plugs (for things like phones and other items like my bicycle lights. The “issues” center around the batteries that power the “coach” part of the van not holding a charge. These are two batteries located under the chassis. They are different than the actual “chassis” battery that powers the Dodge RAM Promaster 3500 van. The chassis battery is like any other battery, like the battery in my Honda CR-V or any other typical gas-powered car or truck on the road.
I have brought it to two Thor authorized service dealers, Camper’s Inn of Toms River, NJ and Crowley RV or Bristol, CT. Both locations told me there was nothing wrong, and the issues I described were the result of how I used the van. Well, last November I called Thor and scheduled an appointment to bring it here. The earliest available was February 27. I have been here since Sunday, and they started working on it Monday morning, and they been working on it five days including today. They fixed several other things, too. But, although they thought the electrical issue was solved, it was not clear to me that was the case.
The initial problem they found was that the wiring to something called the Battery Isolation Manager (BIM) was wired incorrectly. Basically, there are two terminals to the BIM, two wires going to them, and whoever did the wiring, they put the wrong wire to each. Instead of A to A, B to B, they crossed them. Go figure. This would have been done at the factory when the unit was built. It has been this way since Day One. I first told Camper’s Inn, where I bought the van, about the problem about two weeks after I bought it, after my first trip down to Cape Hatteras, because I noticed the problem early on.
So, here in Wakarusa, Indiana, they fixed it. Why the dealers did not notice it, no-one can say. Rolled eyes, shrugged shoulders, that’s kind of the response I got here at the Factory. Covid, too. Covid enters into any discussion of why things were the way they were, for many situations. Food shortages, lack of medical care, high prices, employee shortages and lack of qualifications, and, of course, mis-diagnosis of Battery Isolation Manager problems.
So, after they fixed it, wiring it correctly, I wanted to stay local a couple days to make sure things were working correctly. Lo and behold, the batteries seemed to be holding a charge nicely. This was new, different, and a good sign. But, after three nights of staying in the van, working only on battery power, I noticed there was still some activity taking place that was not supposed to be taking place. I presented evidence to the technicians, and they agreed, there was still an issue. But they don’t know what the problem is, so they are not sure how to fix it.
So, I am sitting in the service center warehouse, having tea, and listening to a Brian Metcalf album, Warning from the Elders. While I listen to indigenous drumbeats, didgeridoo, and flute, among other instruments, in the song Heart Warriors, the technicians are trouble shooting. I am waiting.
Which gets us to the point. Waiting. What do we do with waiting? Is waiting good, is it bad? Is it useful, is it a waste of time? Waiting in line, waiting at the doctor office, waiting for a phone call, waiting for someone to get back to me, waiting in traffic, waiting for a table, waiting, waiting, waiting. Here’s one thought. Stop waiting. Waiting is a concept, not a reality. Waiting uses time, and time can be used anyway you want to use it, internally speaking. Instead of “waiting”, I could close my eyes and visualize a field of flowers, enjoying their beauty and fragrance in my mind. Actually, I can do that with my eyes open, too. I can read a book, if I carry a book with me. (I often do.) I can write a letter, if only in my head, I can think about someone and start to write it, then put it on paper later. I often have a backpack with me, an old habit, with a notebook, so I actually could write a letter while on many of my “waiting” experiences. I could also just think good thoughts, about friends, about people in general, about opportunities, things that I want to make happen, all kinds of positive mental engagement. I could say hello to the person waiting next to me, meet someone new; I could say a prayer for peace, I could meditate, I could … well, there are a lot of things I could do. And I bet you can think of many more, tailored to your individual situations, wants, and needs.
So, I have now been here several days now, probably with more to come. I’ve been very busy. I’ve been productive: reading, writing, walking, and riding my bicycle. Not being shy, I’ve had good talks with many of the Thor employees. I’ve had lunch with some of them. It's amazing. The stories they have! There’s always much to learn, so much do.
Next time you find yourself in one of your “waiting” situations, turn it into some kind of productive experience. You can think about that now, how you might do that. I mean, do it right now, why wait?
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