Some folks just don't care...

[Desert_Captain]

Had an interesting experience recently at the CG. I noticed our new neighbor had a beautiful, brand new Leisure Travel Libero B+. I wandered over and we started chatting out our rigs. Not being familiar with his coach I asked what engine/drive train it had. He thought about for a moment and then said: I don't know."

He walked around to the front and pointed at the Chevrolet emblem on the hood, "Some kind of Chevy I guess, I just put gas in it." I was more than a tad surprised, I mean this guy just dropped around $125,000+ on this gorgeous coach and he had no clue what was under the hood. Now I am not a motor head per se but am still having a hard time wrapping my head around not knowing or obviously caring. :h It obviously works for him and I have no problem with that, like a said a gorgeous coach, I am guessing it was the 6L. I didn't bother asking about the mileage. :B

[2oldman]

AprilWhine wrote:
a fellow camper asked me what size engine I had. Told him 12.7 liters.. so I told him 475 HP and he was happy.

That's a hoot. These 'new' measurements have been around for many years. And my goodness, that's a big engine.

[AprilWhine]

Different people have different interests and very different levels of knowledge. 😉

Yesterday while we were parking the bus, a fellow camper asked me what size engine I had. Told him 12.7 liters. He looked perplexed and said he didn't understand those "new" measurements, so I told him 475 HP and he was happy. He didn't realize that size and power are two different things... but then, I may be XX but I've been a motorhead all my life. 😉

[Bordercollie]

It is best to know how to check house batteries and adjust with distilled water for proper fluid levels, clean battery connections, and monitor level of charge with a simple voltmeter. Changing engine oil and filter, topping off fluids, and checking condition of belts and hoses are not beyond the average RV owner. A good general understanding of how the furnace,fridge, water heater, fresh water pump and other appliances work, including 12 volt DC and 120 volt ac power requirements is necessary for discussion of problems with RV repair people and to protect yourself from getting "taken". A good understanding of potential RV tire safety problems and awareness of how brakes and and transmission should work is important too. There are a small percentage of RV owners who have the various skills, workspace and equipment to properly overhaul and restore an old motor home. Wish I was one of them.

[2oldman]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
I do not see what the problem is here.

The OP had no problem, but one seems to be being created.

[DaHose]

I believe this is the natural thing that happens when we shift to a customer service based economy.

I started my career in IT as an infrastructure guy (networking, server admin, etc.) and am now on the programmer side of the house. Even in tech. heavy industries, we have a division of people who are super high need/demand end users who don't know about the broader technology. My fellow programmer absolutely does not get the infrastructure side, but can write great code all day long.

What I have learned is that most people just don't have the time, inclination or ability to learn "everything", so they focus on one or two things and pay for everything else. That's how you end up with people like the OP met. Money really is his tool of choice.

I just happen to be someone who has immense curiosity and grew up pretty darned poor, so I had more time than money. As such, I learned how to do trades work from metal working, to plumbing, construction, woodwork, auto mechanics and all sorts of other stuff in between. I do realize that is becoming more unusual though, because of the very first thing I said. We are a customer service based economy nowadays and people with knowledge/skills of the trades are at a real low.

Hey, that is just more value and job opportunity for me should I ever need it, right? :W

Jose

[bukhrn]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
I do not see what the problem is here. Thousands of people spend a lot of big money on computers and do not know what processor they have, what software or no clue as to how they work or how to fix them. How is that different?

This is me, while I do know what engine is in my RV, I don't work on it, (other than the extremely obvious) like changing the oil, air filter, & checking the levels. I used to work on all my cars, when they had points & plugs, but since they went to computer & electronics, I don't touch them.
My computer is an HP, I know how to make it do what I want it to, (some times), other than that, I don't have a clue what's in it, or why it works, all I know, is if it doesn't, It's broke.:?

[clydedoerr]

I recon I got to say so what? It wasn't like he was going to do anything with the motor. The days of changing points and condensors is gone. The only thing I can do under the hood of the MH now is check and change the oil. All computer controlled

[Harvard]

Remember the TV sets that used to have a fine tuning knob that you would push and turn. Problem was there was also a AFC (Auto Fine Tuning) switch fighting that manual change with the knob that the average person did not know about.

When the manual tuning got beyond the limits of the AFC, people who were right handed would have the manual adjustment too far clockwise and the left handed people would have the manual adjustment too far counter clock wise. :B Great income for TV repairmen at the time.

[j-d]

When I was about 12-13 years old, my older cousin asked me a question about his family's mower. I replied, "What Kind is It?" He said "Lawn Boy" and I said "Oh, a Two Cycle." He replied "No, it has Four Wheels." Later we were driving, and he asked me about his car "The Dash Lights are Dimmer and Dimmer." I found that with each Pull/Push of the Headlight Knob, he was giving it a little twist. Twisted the Dash Light Dimmer just a little each time...

[mockturtle]

I don't understand the electricity in my house, either, but I use it every day. 🙂

[CKNSLS]

This is NOT UNUSUAL. Most men/women don't know what's under the hood of their vehicles these days. And frankly, they don't care!

[Desert_Captain]

luvztheoutdoorz1 wrote:

I do not see what the problem is here. Thousands of people spend a lot of big money on computers and do not know what processor they have, what software or no clue as to how they work or how to fix them. How is that different?

Just what I was thinking...

OP here, you might want to actually "read" my original post. I found no problem with this and said so, I also found it to be interesting and said so and lastly I pointed out that it obviously works for him. :R

[Dyngbld]

Altern wrote:
I have a friend somewhat like that. Hand him a screwdriver and he wouldn't know its working end, but he's a genius at making money.
He contends its simpler to hire someone to operate the screwdriver. :B

As long as those people exist I will never starve. You would be surprised at the number of things I have fix by replacing the batteries.

[old_guy]

sounds a lot like my wife. there can be an engine light on in the care for two weeks and she won't say a word to me about it. she will wait for me to drive the car and see for myself. this guy must have a lot of his mother in him to not at least know something about motors.

[luvztheoutdoor1]

I do not see what the problem is here. Thousands of people spend a lot of big money on computers and do not know what processor they have, what software or no clue as to how they work or how to fix them. How is that different?

Just what I was thinking...