Spare parts for Globi

2/11/22 to 20/11/22

For the umpteenth time we are putting Gobi back into operation after a long period of downtime. We planned various repairs and minor improvements before the start of our next trip in South America. However, everything turned out to be a little more difficult and lengthier than expected.

The simple tutorials

Even the well-known KCT roller blinds can be damaged by excessive loads from strong winds. This is also the case with one of our windows. But no problem, KCT saves all the roller blinds with the relevant data and the corresponding number can be found in the roller blind frame. This enabled us to order the right roller blind and learn how to use it through the assembly tutorial. It was child’s play and I even dared to do the assembly myself. It wasn’t as easy as in the little film or I’m blessed with two left hands after all. But in the end, it worked, with a few nice words of encouragement during work…

Happy moment

After two days of getting ready to travel, we realized that our Webasto heater had given up the ghost. Thanks to Hans and the analysis software, we were able to quickly determine that it was the temperature sensor. After a lot of research, however, a corresponding sensor could not be found in South America. Given Webasto’s delivery difficulties, a sensor from Europe would take more than two months. A completely new heating system could not be found in Uruguay in a useful time, so we had to put up with the fact that there will be no hot water in the Globi for the next six months!!!

It was incredibly lucky that Alain and Brigitte happened to be visiting Georgia and Dieter, Dieter knowing our problem and Alain happened to have installed the same heater and to have such a sensor with him as a replacement, only about 30km away and he was willing to sell his sensor to us. We can take hot showers again. 😊

Encounters

After our long time getting our Globi ready for travel at UY-Storage, we were finally able to set off. We were then allowed to spend a good day with Dieter and Georgia, take part in their usual walk on the beach and see how they got a new hot tub. We really enjoyed the super relaxed day with the two of them.

Technology pitfalls

Our Fischer Panda RR generator has been giving us problems since it was installed. At first the water cooler could not cool because the builder had installed it so unprofessionally that no fresh air could get to the cooler and the air intake hose was mounted right next to the exhaust. After a major conversion, we had the water cooler mounted on the back of Globi. However, the fans were jammed by the rockfall, and the electric motors burned. The Swiss representative of Fischer Panda supplied us with new fans, the same ones that he had installed during the conversion. In Uruguay we realized that the fans didn’t fit. I must not add up the accumulated investments in the generator, otherwise… Because of this most recent problem, I had to pull the emergency brake and give up the generator. We bought a small diesel Dometic generator, which is air-cooled, makes about ten times the noise of the Fischer Panda and only has about half the power, but it runs.

For a smile

Our bread maker needed repairs. We love our bread maker because it makes us fresh bread while we sleep, and we can get up in the morning in a bakehouse atmosphere. The baking pan was no longer tight, but we were able to buy a replacement in Europe and looked forward to being able to enjoy fresh bread again in the morning. Unfortunately, however, Gabi not only threw the leaking baking pan in the garbage, but also the kneading lever in the pan. Now we have a new tub but no kneading lever. We learned that dough that is not kneaded does not turn into bread even when baked, but into a dough brick. We knead by hand again!