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Food for 4 days of camping: 85$
Gas for a 120 mile trip: 35$
New tires to end annoying vibration: 400$
The coach battery catching fire ten miles from our destination: Priceless


All of us are OK thanks to some very observant kids and good teamwork. We set out yesterday to go to Ophir campground on U.S. Creek Rd in the White mountains. We made it 57 miles up the Steese Hwy to the rough and winding road to the campground. As we were slowly motoring up the hill for about 3 miles, Kyle and I noticed a hot smell we attributed to the engine that was working hard to pull us up the long hill. It was raining and misty outside and the kids were noticing the clouds on the nearby hills, but when Abbie said "Why is it cloudy inside?" we stopped in a hurry! We had the kids stand outside and kenneled the dog and began tearing everything apart to look for the source of the smoke. Kyle made a circuit of the outside to look at the exhaust system while I started unloading cabinets to look at the power panels. Meanwhile the kids are looking around outside and notice smoke and the flicker of flames coming from the battery door (under the small window on the passenger side of the coach). After getting the keys and getting the door open, the fire extinguisher was found and used to put out the side of the battery and the bungee securing it. After the smoke was cleared out and the now holey battery tied down, we started back home. Kyle says the bungee used to secure the battery in to its compartment, wore a hole through the side causing a short which in turn lit the side of the battery and the rubber of the bungee on fire. Just a small fire, but not how you want your camping trip to go!
Now after some wine, sleep and a shower, we are gonna try this again! First to town for a new battery, extinguisher and some more gas, then on to the Chatinika campground on the Elliot Hwy. Hopefully nothing else will catch fire, but at least we will know we can handle it!