was watching TV the other night while watching the storms and flash flood warnings when all of the sudden my satellite gives some odd message on the TV and loses complete signal. Figured I better go check it out. When I opened the door I looked out to find the water had made it to the bottom step on the trailer. I took off my shoes and socks and went out to find my tailgater completely submerged. I picked it up and it weighed about 40 pounds. I disconnected the cable and carried it over and sat it on the picnic table to drain. About that time I noticed the water was up to the second step on the neighbors trailer and he had belongings floating away so I went and hammered on his door to wake them , and helped him gather his stuff. Once we got everything under control we just stood there shooting the breeze since we were soaked to the bone anyway.The next morning when the flood waters had gone down enough that I could get me tailgater on dry ground I took it apart and hooked it up. It will spin all the way around in both directions, and it will also go up and down but it could not find a signal. There was also a little green light flashing 2 times on the circuit board. I left it sit in the sun with the top off for the day and when we got home on sunday I ran to town and grabbed a bunch of desiccant pouches and tossed them inside and put it back together and sat it on a shelf in the house above the A/C. Gonna leave it till this weekend and try it again to see if it survived or if I need to start tracking down parts.Anyone have any other ideas for me to try or a lead on parts, and what the blinking light is?

Once flood waters penetrate electronics you can usually kiss them goodby. If you had a chance to rinse the thing out with clean water and then let it dry you stand a chance but the junk in flood waters is just a breeding ground for future failures.

Yes, rinse it with fresh water and gently dry it with a hair dryer.Like said above electronics are probably toast. Also need to replace your cable.

look on craigslist shreveport under electronics somebody is selling the more expensive one with box for 250.00

Your first mistake was turning it on before it was fully dried. But chances are it shorted out when flooded. If not, you probably shorted out the electronics when you turned it on. You should have used a hose to wash out any residual mud/debris carried in by the flood water then used desiccant and perhaps a blow dryer.

I did dump bottled water over the stuff that had mud in it. I guess I will see this weekend what I have to work with.

flooded tailgater | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 31, 2017
Some circuit boards are "conformal coated". A better-than-nothing protection for digital integrated circuits.
Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2017
Goostoff wrote:
Well after a week of drying out with the desiccant packs I put it back together tonight and gave it a shot. It works just as good as new. You have no idea how relieved I was that I will have Satellite next weekend.

Glad it woke up. When I was doing computer support for my employer, you wouldn't believe how many sodas and cups of coffee were spilt in towers and laptops. People were shocked to see me strip them down wash them out, dry them and plug them back in.
Goostoff
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Me too thanks
MrWizard
Moderator
Jul 29, 2017
Good News
i hope your luck holds
Goostoff
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Well after a week of drying out with the desiccant packs I put it back together tonight and gave it a shot. It works just as good as new. You have no idea how relieved I was that I will have Satellite next weekend.
Goostoff
Explorer
Jul 25, 2017
we were in the corp of engineers park right on the Mississippi River in Potosi. The worst of it was a few miles north of us in Cassville. I think that made the national news. There was somewhere near 11 inches of rain that night. It was crazy
rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2017
...When I opened the door I looked out to find the water had made it to the bottom step on the trailer. I took off my shoes and socks and went out to find my tailgater completely submerged. I picked it up and it weighed about 40 pounds. I disconnected the cable and carried it over and sat it on the picnic table to drain. About that time I noticed the water was up to the second step on the neighbors trailer and he had belongings floating away...

Wow, I don't have any tech answers for you but REAL sorry you were flooded. Where in Wisconsin are you parked at?

It's my home town and the pics on the news of the Fox river being several feet above flood levels and flooding everything was just horrifying.
Goostoff
Explorer
Jul 25, 2017
I did dump bottled water over the stuff that had mud in it. I guess I will see this weekend what I have to work with.
Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2017
Your first mistake was turning it on before it was fully dried. But chances are it shorted out when flooded. If not, you probably shorted out the electronics when you turned it on. You should have used a hose to wash out any residual mud/debris carried in by the flood water then used desiccant and perhaps a blow dryer.
newman_fulltime
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2017
look on craigslist shreveport under electronics somebody is selling the more expensive one with box for 250.00

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flooded tailgater

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