Fan-Tastic

Big kudos are in order for the good people at Fan-Tastic Vent. They make what I'm pretty sure is the industry standard RV roof vent/fan, and when a small plastic part on mine broke recently, I called them to find out about getting the correct replacement part.

First, a real human answered the phone, who then immediately connected me to a member of their technical staff. I explained what I needed, and without hesitation, was told that the part would be sent to me right away – free of charge. No tedious warranty procedure, proof of ownership requirements, or even shipping charges – just me giving out Q's address so they could send what I need. How about that?

Here's the new part that arrived yesterday...

Actually, as I had explained on the phone, all I needed was the white plastic cover, so was pleasantly surprised when an entire new assembly arrived. This made installation a total snap, and mere minutes later, my vent was back in perfect working order.

Needless to say, I am now an ardent fan of the Fan-Tastic Vent company, and will no doubt sing their praises anytime the subject comes up. I would have happily purchased this new part, but instead, they chose to eat the trivial cost and win me over for life. Who do you think got the better bargain in the end? And in light of this experience, is it any wonder that these guys dominate the industry?

Well done, Fan-Tastic, well done.

Fred

My three-day respite on Malibu's Zuma Beach drew to a close Wednesday evening, and after a brief stopover in downtown LA to catch some live music, followed by a day around the old neighborhood taking care of a few things, I'm back up at Q's ranch for a few days. And with temperatures in the 60s here today, not only did I beat the heat while over yonder, but I nailed the dismount. 

All of which begs the question – who needs air conditioning when you've got wheels down under?

Speaking of down under, I had a rather triumphant welding job done to the tailpipe this morning. The offending weld had come lose about a year ago, and fearing at the time that it would amount to a costly repair (in the form of a new tailpipe), I hacked together my own fix using a soup can and some steel wire. Let's roll back the clock and see the before and after from last September...

Malibu Beach House

Day two of my triumphant escape from the Valley heat is almost in the can, and so far, my Malibu beach house has been pret-ty sweet. Though I suppose if you're absolutely hellbent on owning a traditional home (you know, without wheels), you could do a whole lot worse than this neighborhood...

Wild About Harry

Living out on the wide open road and wandering freely from place to place certainly has its plusses, but then, so does being back on one's home turf for a while. A few of those plusses have already been documented here, from the deeper sense of community that can only come from being surrounded by close friends, to the practical aspect of knowing where to find stuff without constantly consulting Google Maps. 

When your house has six wheels and a V-10 underneath, however, the single greatest plus to being back home again may well be the resulting close proximity to the greatest mechanic in the western hemisphere. Longtime readers know who I'm talking about.

Harry, the Great One.