The “Pop” We Didn’t Want to Hear From Our Source of Power

…and the Smell We Didn’t Want to Smell

Something was burning. Potentially electrical.

When you pull into a campsite with full hook-ups as a full-time RVer, you expect to enjoy a heightened sense of luxury. Electrical, water, and sewer hook-ups translate into cozy warmth, sparkly clean bodies, and not having to pack up to drive to the dump station.

But who can predict when the power post at a campsite will malfunction? What a disappointment when you plug in, turn on the breaker, and the microwave doesn’t light up. (BTW, do any of you bother to set the clock on your RV microwave? And reset it every time you move? Respond in the comments: why or why not?)

We Thought We’d Quickly Recharge

During our original 15 months in full-time RV life back in 2022-23 and now in this encore season, we’ve never had a problem with hook-ups other than not liking the water—too soft, smelly, or foul-tasting. So when we parked in a Louisiana State Park for just one night before relocating to a previously reserved spot in the same park, it never crossed our minds that this one-night stand would be our first encounter with a faulty power post.

We’d been boondocking for a few days at a nearby Wildlife Management Area. It was free, wide-open, beautiful, and right next to a river (or was it a bayou?). Although we’d boondocked before, this was our first experience living off the grid in our 2024 Grand Design Reflection. Our batteries performed great, we didn’t overfill the wastewater tanks, and even though the nights were pretty close to freezing, our propane heating system let us sleep in toasty warmth.

But after three days, we agreed it’d be a good idea to move to the state park a day early. Although our reserved space wasn't available, we weren’t concerned. A single night in a different space wasn't a hardship. We’d be able to charge the batteries and dump the tanks, then move the next day.

Thunk-POP!

That’s when it happened. A couple of hours after parking, Roger noticed the batteries weren’t charging. Oh, maybe we forget to turn on the RV’s inverter/charger after changing out an amp earlier that day, we thought. I opened the front storage compartment to check, but the inverter has one of those switches where it isn’t clear whether it’s on or off—at least not to me. No lights were showing on the inverter, so I flipped the switch. Still nothing, so I flipped it back. Thunk! And the red overload light came on.

Quickly switching it off again, I called to Roger, “What was that?” He came out and tried flipping the switch again. Thunk-POP! Now there was a burning smell in addition to the noise.

When It’s Time to Call a Professional

I could explain everything we tried in excruciating detail, but suffice it to say, we were glad a mobile RV tech was available. The tech showed up before we moved the next day and quickly diagnosed the problem: the post. He explained all the possible effects on our power system and even scouted the spot we were due to move to, making sure that post was operating correctly.

But in conversation with a couple of campground neighbors, we were appalled to discover we weren’t the only ones with electrical problems. And the front office had been previously made aware yet still assigned us a spot in that row of faulty power posts.

The Fix Hasn’t Happened Yet

With the memory of that burning smell in mind, of course we tested all things electrical very carefully in the new campsite. Our 30 amp power worked, but not 50 amp. And since the new power post wasn't the problem, it had to be something in our surge protector or inverter.

The upshot? We can live with 30 amp power for the foreseeable future. Instead of trying to find a fix on the road, we'll wait until we're in one location for two-three months to deal with it. And we'll consider investing in a multimeter to test future power posts.

Tapping Into The Best Source of Power

There’s an obvious parallel between this real life story and the never-fail source of lifestyle power. When you and I connect with the Source of all power, we are powerful. That Source never lets us down and provides all we need to deal with difficult situations. But all too often we’re satisfied to get along with less than He’s offering by skipping the faith rhythms that strengthen us: prayer, close friendships with believers, worshipping together, Bible time, and Align Time (that’s what I call my time alone with God). Why do we do that? What makes us content to receive—and give—anything less than the abundant life Jesus offers?

This bit of encouragement is for me and any of you who sometimes forget where our power comes from. Tap into the best Source, the only One who knows exactly how we’re wired. He also knows exactly what He can do through us.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

When have you felt like you were running on less than full power? What fires up your faith? Share in the comments.