Upgrade is a four letter word

I taught computer classes in my last position, including developing a class for the then new Windows 10 operating system. I don't mean this to become a rant about technology but it probably is. Microsoft gave Windows 10 away not as penance for the Windows 8 disaster, but because they realized they could make more money selling profiles of user behavior to advertisers than they could selling operating systems. Windows 10 is loaded with spyware. It forces updates on users, including a recent one that crashed my video card at work and it has other obnoxious habits that offend my rebel nature. I really dislike the idea of my belongings tracking me to make money for someone else. And I refuse to have my life defined by the word "consumer". My response has been to learn to use Linux and to replace my aging home computer with one preloaded with the open source Linux Mint operating system. I use the Opera browser with a built in ad blocker and the Duck Duck Go search engine which does not track my activity. I am certainly not totally off the grid but I am grateful to be able to exercise some choice.

So you would think I might be wary of upgrading my rv frig (or "refer" as the service manager calls it in his emails. Somehow that word is a little to close to the word "reefer" for comfort and I am sticking with "frig"...). Anyway, I would love to take an extended trip next year and fell in love with the idea of having a frig that would run on DC power while I am on the road. The original--and now 15 year old-- frig runs on 110v AC or propane but does not have the DC option, possibly allowing food to warm on long days of driving. Or it just might fail from age.

So I called a major rv repair shop near Greensboro and asked for an estimate. The Scamp is a peculiar beast and I presumed this shop would have the experience to to do the job right. And maybe they do, but this job has become a painful comedy of errors.

The "comedy" started when they called Dometic with the model number of my old frig and asked for the best 3-way replacement. When the new (and expensive) unit arrived, I drove LibraryAnn to their shop and left her there for the three days required for installation and testing. A week and a half later, I was able to pick her up--with the door installed backwards, the trailer full of sawdust and the cost a third more than the original estimate. The replacement frig was two inches taller than the previous frig and major alterations (which I did approve over the phone) were required. I waited while they reversed the door, paid the bill, went home an cleaned the camper, and the frig did not work. Oh, and the front door panel fell off.

The next trip involved leaving her to have heavier wiring to the frig installed and some damaged trim repaired. Picked her up to camp. Trim not fully repaired. Frig does not work. Door still falls off. Took her back again--AFTER emailing the general manager. The camper has now been fully cleaned, more trim repaired. Door still not fixed as they finally did the testing they should have done to begin with and the cooling unit is defective and they will do a permanent fix on the door when they install the replacement part. The four letter word today is "Grrr".

To be continued.